THE POWER & PAIN of TRUE PROPHETIC PREACHING
-Extracts by J. Lee Grady.
No true message from God will flow through a person who is smug and self-confident. If you want to speak for Him, prepare to die!
… The power of prophetic preaching actually works in the opposite
way we assume it should. If we view things carnally, we believe
God chooses gifted orators who hone and shape their skills like
a doctor who learns surgery or an actor who learns to perform on
stage.
But true preaching is not a natural exerciseit is actually one of
the most supernatural tasks anyone can ever be called to do. It
requires an imperfect human vessel to yield himself (or herself) to
speak the very words of God. If we do it in the flesh, the results
will be miserable; but if we wholly trust the power of the Spirit,
prophetic preaching will unleash God to move however He desires…
Charismatic revivalist Arthur Katz, who died three years ago, wrote
about the power of true preaching in his 1999 book Apostolic
Foundations: “The only one qualified to preach … is the one who
wants to run the other way, like Jonah. The man, however, who
loves to talk, loves to be public, and enjoys being seen and heard,
need not think that a word like this will ever be emitted from his
mouth. The man who sighs and groans when called upon to speak,
who does not want to be there, who feels terribly uncomfortable,
who knows that he is not going to be understood, is the man out
of whose mouth the word of true preaching is most likely to come.”
That is certainly not the way most of us view pulpit ministry in
contemporary America. We celebrate the smooth and the polished.
We measure the impact of a sermon not by whether hearts were
slain by Holy Ghost conviction but by how loud the preacher
shouted or how high the people jumped when the preacher told
them what they wanted to hear.
That kind of carnal preaching may win the accolades of men,
boost TV ratings and even build megachurches. But the kingdom
is not built on smug self-confidence. We need God’s words. The
church will live in spiritual famine until broken, reluctant, weak and
trembling preachers allow His holy fire to come out of their mouths.
If this is your assignment, die to your fears, doubts and excuses
and drink the cup of suffering that accompanies the genuine call
of God.
TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE-
http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/28884
This is a very good article.
This article hit the proverbial nail right on the head! So many of us Christians today believe that the prophetic calling and preaching is about saying how much the Lord is going to financially bless you, and how much the Lord is going to “supernaturally wipe out your debt”. This is far from the case. We never find this in the O.T prophets, who time after time call the people of God to repentance and holy living.
I really love this message. It is so true. I was called to the prophetic ministry some 29 years ago. It has been a very tough pill to swallow. And one I did not ask for and knew nothing about it. What has been so challenging is the persecution from other Christians. I guess Jesus got it right when he said to expect persecution from unbelievers. That’s normal. But from one’s own brethren, is shocking. {You know, one time Christ’s family thought he was besides himself.} For a while I had heard that Satan cannot use a Christian. Now the talk is Satan can only influence a Christian. Baffling!
I learned long time ago, when a Christian begins to do a work for the LORD, that is, damage to Satan’s dominion, then expect opposition. That’s true. Persecution can take the form of verbal, emotional, physical, or financial abuse and death.
Jeremiah is my role model. He was persecuted by priests, family members, his countrymen, kings, false prophets, and the like. They smote him, lied on him, put him in a dungeon, and a cistern. Oddity of all oddities, who came to his rescue, a black man who entreated the king and pulled Jeremiah up out of the cistern and King Nebuchadnezzar, who got him out of jail and treated him kindly. Why? God was with him.
Jeremiah constantly preached of the impending captivity. Did it happen, it sure did. His words came from God.
Seventy years of Babylonian captivity. The Jews have already accomplished sixty-nine years. There is one more week of years left. It is known as the tribulation period. Jesus Christ called it “great tribulation.” Yes, there will be a rapture or snatching away of the church, but there will be an awful time for those left behind. One prophet called it the “time of Jacob’s trouble.”
Indeed it will be. There will be another holocaust. The prophet Zechariah predicts it.
“Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow that my days should be consumed with shame?” (Jeremiah 20;18)
Lucille
Wow, I’ve experienced this a few times but never thought about it that way.
All praise to God who keeps His children humbled in every way!
Thanks for this article… It came on the right moment.
Love in Christ
Sarah
Oh boy, I guess this means I qualify. Every time the Lord calls me to do something I go though w/it although I’d prefer to head in the opposite direction.
Now He’s upping the ante on me & I’m really struggling to be obedient. Uggg.
Timely message, Thanks. (Yeah, thanks a lot- convicted again!)
Amen, too true.
Good article – - – . To God the Glory.
Works like this. Sinners who preach to sinners – - tend to pick at their own sores know their own weaknesses – - and they can know how to make it hurt.
So it might take a bit of recovery time from a good sermon..
To God the Glory. He set the system up that works.
Bert
How true this article is. Preaching never gets easier the more you do it, if anything it gets progressively harder. I have preached, on and off, for approaching 40 years, and it is certainly a lot harder for me now than when I began. For one thing, I am a lot more critical of myself than I was, but also I find the task of expounding a text or theme no easier as the years go by.
May the Lord guide and direct all who truly minister in His name, that they may be true heralds of the Gospel, and not afraid of men, but rather know the fear of God. My guiding Scripture as a preacher is 2 Tim 2:15, something I try to do whenever I minister the Word.
I’m glad he quotes Art katz – who wrote some of the best words on true apostolic and prophetic preaching ever.
Thank you, Mr. Grady. I thought it was just because I’m fairly new to proclaiming God’s Word. It is comforting to know that “seasoned” preachers share the reverential fear of the Lord before and after being in the pulpit. Its an awesome task, especially when His Word has permeated one’s very soul and the only desire is to make it understood. I also play keyboard and am overwhelmed every time I am called upon to “do worship”. God is always faithful to watch over all of it, even if I mess up. Halleluiah!
A prophet fellowships with the Lord in his suffering. We fellowship with Christ in our suffering. I can not exactly quote the scripture, but we are called not only to believe on him, but to suffer with him.
History teaches us that each apostle and New Testament prophet like Paul and Peter was killed, except for John who was banished to the isle at Patmos where he received revelation. This is one of the prices for speaking truth.
I’ll give an example. Just two nights ago at work, a man – a supervisor, physically threatened me, for speaking out about my duties. I am called to do another woman’s work, same title, same salary, but cannot say anything about it because of management’s fear this other person will file an EEO. I feel like carrying a weapon to work. But I know God is all powerful.
So when do we speak? When we see sin? When it is our responsibility? Not everything is our responsibility.
And I know we are commanded to “speak the truth in love.”
Lucille
Lee is spot on again. The responsibility of the pulpit is far too often taken for granted. The burden of the Gospel requires great care. I am amazed that more preachers are not aware or recognize this.
Hi Scott i agree with u that pastors and people take the pulpit very easy,.Andrew your article was given by God keep on yielding to his spirit. God bless Brenda.
Thank you Brother, I now know why I feel like I do when the “Word” comes.
I totally agree with what Lee has to say. It can also apply to prophecy. I have been called into the prophetic and am definitely NOT a public speaker. Sometimes I hold onto a word for weeks sometimes months before sharing it. And thats just in my local church! I come up with all the excuses as to not share it that week ie it doesn’t line up with what the pastor just shared, there’s not enough space between the songs, I can’t feel enough annointing, I had an argument with my son the day before, people won’t accept it, someone else has shared something the opposite already, it’s too strong, I’ll share it next week instead. The list goes on. So does the burden each week to prophesy what He has laid on my heart.
However, when I finally prophesy what the Lord has laid on my heart, the burden lifts and I feel a peace once again.
Although it’s hard, I would rather share what the Lord wants me to and have man angry with me, than share what man wants to hear and have God angry with me. I thank God I have a Godly pastor who is a true shepherd and openly encourages the Prophetic.
Baloney, I love preaching the word. And I have been persecuted immensely. And the main reason I love preaching is because people are being blessed…God bless
Thank God! I, too, am one who does not “enjoy” preaching. The burden and fear in not wanting to miss what God wants said is not “fun”. I alternate preaching Sunday evenings with our assistant pastor. The Sunday’s I’m “off” is like a burden being lifted off me.
I thought something was wrong with me and that maybe I needed to work on being more eloquent and polished like the ‘famous’ preachers. I’d feel ‘bad’ after preaching thinking maybe I wasn’t clear, because many times I felt confused :-), or that I missed hearing from God.
Your article is a great encouragement. I just need to faithfully seek the Lord for His words and anointing and not depend on positive feedback from people.
By the way, God has occasionally given me encouragement after preaching through specific people I trust or through a later testimony from someone having been touched by God through the preaching. That has helped bear the burden.
It keeps me humble, which is where God wants us all; walking humbly before Him.
God bless you, Mr. Grady and Andrew!
“Stubbornly resisted God’s call because of lack of self confidence” . . . okay, arrow through the heart!!!
I suppose in an instance like this, what I must do is seperate the message from the messenger. I must agree with the brother who states that Lee Grady has shown himself in the past he has not exposed those who were sheeps in wolves clothing, and were making merchandise out of my Fathers sheep, Now I agree that there is truth in the message, It is never good to have confidence in the flesh, for we know that there dwelleth nothing good in our flesh. lest a kernal of wheat fall into the ground and die, it wont bring forth anything worthwhile. But than again why do we even need an article about this, because the word already states, that many many many will be offended at the truth, to the point where they will even turn in thier own brothers and sisters in these last days, THINKING THEY ARE DOING YHWH A FAVOR. LET US PRAY NOT TO BE FOUND AMONG THAT COMPANY, BUT LET US WATCH AND PRAY THAT WE BE COUNTED WORTHY TO MAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE COMING UPON THE EARTH THAT WE MIGHT STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN..
I BELIEVE EVERYBODY WHO IS CALLED TO THE PROPHETIC MUST GUARD THERE HEART ABOVE ALL THINGS , JUST AS THE WORD SAYS, AND MUST PRAY PRAY PRAY TO WALK IN A SUPERNATURAL GRACE OF FORGIVNESS TOWARDS THERE PERSECUTERS. EVEN PRAYING TO HAVE ALL PERSONAL WOUNDS EXPOSED BY THE LIGHT OF YHWH, SO THAT OUR OWN PLACES OF HURT MIGHT BE HEALED. THAT WAY WHEN THOSE FIREY DARTS COME THEY WONT CAUSE ONE TO RESPOND IN LIKE. HEAL YOUR BRIDE ABBA PAPPA, BRING ON THE FIRE AND HEAL US FROM THE SPIRIT OF REJECTION AND FROM THE FEAR OF THE OPINION OF FLESH KINGS.
Hi Ruth u are so right, above all things preachers should guard their hearts.
Check out Reinhart Bonnke on Facebook. He is a man of God.
Preaching takes a broken, crucified vessel. It is not about desire or even a burden. Only broken vessels can fully yield. You cannot call down the anointing by flipping a switch – it takes surrender.
One of the 1st steps to surrender is to throw away all your prepared messages. Where did we ever get that from? Oh, that’s right! We got them from the theological scholasticism that our Bible Colleges have pushed upon us.
Open your mouth, and I will fill it, is the scripture that comes to mind. Either you’re in the Spirit or you are not. Your task is not to come up with a good message – it is to dive deeply into the Spirit. Let God come up with the message.
When you are truly preaching under the anointing, you won’t wonder how it went. The power will flow through you, over the pulpit, and into the hearts of the congregation. Nothing else will matter.
If you think that is too narrow a viewpoint for todays churches, you may be right. But it is how it is done if you intend to keep your victory and stand in the power and authority that God has called you to.
Grady wrote:
“The only one qualified to preach … is the one who
wants to run the other way, like Jonah.”
Well, the REASON one wants to run away is because very few want to have to go through what it takes to get there, namely giving up your whole life!
But the Lord does the work and He gives the GRACE (divine enablement) in order for one to become all that He has called that individual to be.
Because we did not choose ourselves, but the LORD chose us FIRST. God is the one who calls, …no man or woman takes it on themselves. It is the Lord’s doing.
Those apostate false teachers haven’t learned that yet and never will.
By the time the Lord got through with Moses in the back side of the desert and finally called him to deliver the Israelites – Moses didn’t want the job anymore either. Seems like the Lord considers that a “ripe” state of mind, as in fruit. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Jer.23.18 ” For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard His word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?”
23.21-22 ” I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them yet they prophesied.
But if they had stood in My counsel, and caused My people to hear My words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.”
23.30 ” Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, THAT STEAL MY WORDS EVERY ONE FROM HIS NEIGHBOR.”
2Cor.4.11-13 ” For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
I think you were talking about me in this article. I used to be smug and conceited. I took alot of pride in the efforts I made and built monuments to my strength in my mind. I never wanted to need anyone out of fear of being hurt. I was arrogant and also afraid of being hurt. God put me in a position to realize I needed him to work and I confessed my arrogance to him in May. He has really been making things happen. He found me an apartment when I put it in his hands and I have been letting him control my card business. I have epilepsy and can only make cards when I feel well so when they are made, it’s because God has given me the strength to do so. Could you all pray about this for me?
Being arrogant is a lonely place to be and I was wrong.
Heidi
That is so true. I mean, who in the world wants to have rocks thrown at them like happened to Stephen, whether it is happening literally or not. Some looking or acting like they would like to do so sometimes, but just aren’t.
“The ONLY ONE qualified to preach … is the one who
wants to run the other way du!! Old testament men of faith did not have what we have!
Peter!! When he was still an unsaved natural man, ran like a coward, even though her pledged total allegiance, but on the day of Pentecost he stood like a lion and told them all it was they who crucified Him. This recording in written words is part of the first sermon ever given by a mortal filled with the Holy Spirit, and i will stake my life Peter loved and rejoiced in every minute of it, so did the deciples with him. they all gave God the glory for it not themselves..
Note
He did not have any notes.
He did not know he was going to speak, and in that context was unprepared. (he did not spend a whole week preparing a twenty minute talk)
What is recorded here, of his preaching, is just part of it ‘for with many other words did he testify and exhort”
Did he find it difficult to stand up with the eleven and speak? I do not think so!
The Holy Spirit just filled his mouth and he spoke!
Paul was certainly not on the run, he was rather with great zeal and purpose persecuting those whom he thought were profaning the way of Temple teaching and faith. Sure he had to be arrested and turned around by the Damascus road vision, he obeyed instantly . Then with even greater zeal and purpose (now also Spirit filled) he preached the Way he had formerly persecuted.
I believe there are too many preachers who have been schooled in the “college of knowledge)” They flourish the certificate given them by men, rather than the anointing of The Lord and His Spirit. The latter is pure gold and rare, precious, the former is dross and plentiful, until these men get on their knees and come to the reality of what Paul preached to the Churches. they are like those quoted by MitchV above.
I believe preaching, like our personal witness to an unbeliever should not be a burden, a chore, but a joy and blessing, to both the deliverer and hearer. I by the grace of God do both. and i wish to tesify Jesus was absolutely right when he said “give and it shall be given to you….” and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
To those who sweat and strain preparing something to preach. I say. Stop, forget it, throw your notes away, go get on your knees maybe weeding the garden, your flesh can weed, wihile your mind is on the Lord. let it meander up down the branches of the Tree of Life, it is made up of some 66 books, many scribes, but one author. think on the things that are good, true,.honest, of good report…. Allow you heart to dwell on testimonies of Gods people The great plan of God for us. The Spirit will move you, the scripture and thoughts and subject will flow to mind, put it in memory, make a mental note of chapter and verse Then when you arise and speak, you have not done the preparation, rather He who dwells in you has !! When the time comes to speak, He will speak through you. All you may need is perhaps the scripture references jotted down- just as easy as TURNING ON THE TAP AND THE WATER OF LIFE FLOWS OUT! Why are our young men not mentored in this. Instead we send them to the “college of knowledge” and give them a man made piece of paper! God has no respect for us in this. It is He who anoints, chooses accredits, sends forth. Let as stop striving, for the servant of the Lord must not strive. Allow Him to do the work in us.
If we allow them , the theologians with their minds in their scholarly books will wreck the church and hinder revival.
Remember on the day of Pentecost Peter did not have a temple roll of scripture in his hand the new testament was not written and Jesus the first time he preached read from Isaiah then gave it away SAT DOWN and began to speak “this day is this scripture fulfilled in you ears.” A riot nearly ensued! They tried to throw Him over a cliff! All other times it seems to me He was in the street and it was asif we would say “off the cuff” dare we emulate Him!? But let it be not “off the cuff” as it were from our own thinking but “straight of/from the Spirit ” the mind of Christ. As you can see I am very passionate about this. I believe it is vital. if we are to see revival before the Lord returns. How can they hear without a preacher? How can he preach unless he is sent? Let’s be willing and obedient, Let’s see if the Lord will not pour out a blessing and we will not be able to contain it
Pr Michael
I see it a little like Peter walking on the water towards Jesus. While Peter’s eyes and thoughts were on Jesus, Peter could walk on water. Once Peter’s eyes were off Jesus and on to the boisterous seas, raging waves, storms of life, afflictions of life etc Peter began to sink. The more our eyes and thoughts are on pleasing Him, doing His will, hearing His voice, obeying His instructions etc and the less our thoughts are on ourselves, the easier it is. It still has its difficulties speaking His words because we are not fully mature in Christ, we do not walk in His fullness yet etc. To walk the Christ Centred Life!
Zimbabwe, Africa
I stand at the door knowing that I am being sent, trembling about what message I will take. Your article is and will be an encouragement as I follow the tug on heart. Thank you.
I always get on the verge of a panic attack every time I try to speak. But afterward, when the Lord has had a chance to work on the hearts of the people, I rejoice that I was able to work past the unpleasantness of speaking and yield to the obedient call that the Lord has placed upon me.
I always know when the anointing is upon me too, I say things that are too profound for me to come up with. I say to myself, “Where did that come from?” And just in the moment that I say it, I know, it had to come from the Holy Spirit for it was too good for me to come up with. Being used as a vessel for the Lord is a great honor, one that we do not deserve, yet I am glad that we are able to do more than just sit on the couch, watch tv and eat potato chips.
Firendship with God has cost me a great deal of pain, suffering, and persecution, but it is worth every second of it. I was once kidnapped by a coven of witches, tortured for six hours before I was rescued by the local SWAT team. It was a much easier task going through that than trying to muster up the meddle to speak publically. And I mean that most sincerely.
This is so where I am today. This is a very convicting article, of which I am very grateful for. Time to stop running and get back to where He needs me to be. Thank you!
I do not preach, but I write, and I have experienced what he is speaking of here nearly every time I post something that I was burdened to say. I wouldn’t say I didn’t WANT to say them, but I knew I had to. I think the negative fallout is just the nature of the war we are in and some are more sensitive to it than others. The attacks come as soon as I hit the “publish” key so often and sometimes last for days. It drives me to my Shepherd and tests the strength of my convictions and faith. This is why Paul says in Romans 12 on gifts…. “he that prophesies.. according to his FAITH” We can only speak the burdens given by God in the measure that we know and trust Him. If we do not know Him, we will not know his voice. The attacks also keep us humble (as Paul said of his thorn in the flesh… because of the greatness of the revelation he had). To be in fear and trembling with the gift we are given is for our protection. It’s not an easy road – but we don’t choose it. God does.
Andrew
I read this the morning that we were fare welling my father who died last sat. As I read it I felt an enormous responsibility as the next generation to preach and teach what God has given in His word and what he speaks to us by the Spirit. I cried. It is a humbling task that I am not qualified for in the Natural. But as I lean on Him He provides the words and the power through His Holy Spirit.
Thanks for sending out this article at this time. It was an encouragement to me as I prepare to go to India again to share God’s word with village Pastors.
in His name
Michael
I really appreciated your comments Michael. God bless you!!
There are many books today that claim to be the Word of God. The Koran, the Islam holy book, claims to be the Word of God. The Book of Mormon claims to be the Word of God. The Hindus believe the Bhagavad Vita is the source of eternal truth. Karl Marx, with his atheistic world view, claimed his writing, The Communist Manifesto, was the ultimate truth. Adolph Hitler used his “Mein Kampf” to stimulate mass hysteria in war time Nazi Germany. A former Pastor of mine even stated that he “…..did not care about bible doctrine I only care about my anointing,” before swamping the former bible believing pentecostal christian church that I has raised my family in with a tsunami of Latter Rain and New Age doctrianl heresies and religious filth.
All truly born again Christians, however, believe the Bible to be the Word of God and the eternal source of truth we live by. How do we know the Bible is the Word of God? Can we actually prove that the Bible is truly the Word of God? The answer is yes.
Before I begin this discussion of the authority of the Bible, let me first quote the words of Jesus found in John 15:18. Jesus warns his disciples about the attitude the world will have toward those who follow Him. Jesus says, ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own As it is you do not belong to the world. That is why the world hates you. 1 Peter 5:8 states, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
What is vital to understand from these passages is the attitude of the world toward God. The world is in rebellion against God, and worldly people under the influence of Satan seek to destroy your faith.
In the light of the times we live in, it is important for Christians not only know what they believe but also, why they believe what they believe.
I once heard an astounding statistic. It indicated that 80 percent of the college-bound students who profess to be Christians leave for school and return home no longer believing in Christ. One of the reasons is this: when a student sits in class and hears the professor discredit the Bible, the student doesn’t have a defense and is easily deceived into believing the Bible is no longer credible. This happens too often because Christians know what they believe, but not why they believe it.
In my experience, there is no book that is criticized and attacked more than the Bible. Many intelligent scholars have written books that attempt to discredit the authority of the Bible. This is one of Satan’s goals: to get man to doubt the Word of God.
To counter this attack we will study some of the evidence in the case proving the authority and divine origin of the Bible. This knowledge will enable us to make a solid defense of the faith when we are attacked.
There has not been in the history of man a book that has rocked the world as has the Bible. The impact it has made is phenomenal. Some hail the Bible as the Word of God; others criticize and condemn it. With the Bible facing such great opposition today, and with many other works claiming to be the “word of God,” how do we know the Bible is the true Word of God? Let us take a look at the evidence.
Internal Evidence
The evidence for the authority of the Bible falls into two major categories: internal evidence and external evidence. I mean by internal evidence, the evidence that is found within the Bible itself. By external evidence, I mean evidence that is found outside the Bible, such as archaeology, science, philosophy, and ancient manuscripts. Let us first consider the former, the internal evidences.
Self-proclamation
The first fact is that the Bible claims to be the Word of God. The authors knew they were writing the words of God, even though they often did not fully understand what they were writing. 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All scripture is inspired by God.” 2 Peter 1:21 states, “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” Jesus himself viewed the Old Testament as authoritative and quoted from it throughout his ministry.
Holy Spirit
Second, the Holy Spirit confirms to us that the Bible is the Word of God. John 16:13 states, “But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.” The Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin also assures the believer that the Bible is God’s Word.
Transforming Ability
Third, we have evidence concerning the transforming ability of the Bible. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit.” Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The Word of God and the Spirit of God actually transforms the lives of people. The Bible has changed the lives of murderers, drug addicts, top government officials, business people, and students, to name just a few people from every walk of life who have been transformed by the Bible. No other book can make such a claim. This is because the Bible is not a mere book on good living but is literally packed with power. It is the Word of God with the power to change lives.
These are only three internal evidences supporting the authority of the Bible. These of course are not the best arguments to use in a debate, but they are evidence. In the next section, we will study what I believe is the best internal argument.
Unity
We have studied three internal evidences that support the authority and divine inspiration of the Bible. In this section, we will study the fourth internal evidence: the unity of the Bible.
The Bible covers hundreds of topics, yet it does not contradict itself. It remains united in its theme. “Well, what’s so amazing about that?” you may ask. Consider these facts. First, the Bible was written over a span of fifteen hundred years. Second, it was written by more than forty men from every walk of life. For example, Moses was educated in Egypt and became a prophet over Israel. Peter was a simple fisherman, Solomon was a king, Luke was a doctor, Amos was a shepherd, and Matthew was a tax collector. All the writers were of vastly different occupations and backgrounds.
Third, it was written in many different places. The Bible was written on three different continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe. Moses wrote in the desert of Sinai, Paul wrote in a prison in Rome, Daniel wrote in exile in Babylon, and Ezra wrote in the ruined city of Jerusalem.
Fourth, it was written under many different circumstances. David wrote during a time of war, Jeremiah wrote at the sorrowful time of Israel’s downfall, Peter wrote while Israel was under Roman domination, and Joshua wrote while invading the land of Canaan.
Fifth, the writers had different purposes for writing. Isaiah wrote to warn Israel of God’s coming judgment on their sin, Matthew wrote to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, Zechariah wrote to encourage a disheartened Israel who had returned from Babylonian exile, and Paul wrote addressing problems in different Asian and European churches.
If we put all these factors together, the Bible was written over fifteen hundred years, by forty different authors, at different places, under various circumstances, and addressing a multitude of issues. It is amazing that with such diversity, there is such unity in the Bible. That unity is organized around one theme: God’s redemption of man and all of creation. Hundreds of controversial subjects are addressed and yet the writers do not contradict each other. The Bible is an incredible document.
Let me offer you a good illustration from apologist Josh McDowell. Take ten contemporary authors and ask them to write their viewpoints on one controversial subject. Would they all agree? No, we would have disagreements from one author to another. Now look at the authorship of the Bible. All these authors, from a span of fifteen hundred years, wrote on many controversial subjects, and they do not contradict one another.(1)
It seems one author guided these writers through the whole process: the Holy Spirit. 1 Peter 2:21 states, “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” The unity of the Bible is just one more amazing proof of the divine inspiration and authority of the Bible.
External Evidence
In our study on the authority of the Bible, we have studied the internal evidences, which are found within the Bible itself. Except for the unity of the Bible, most of these arguments are subjective in nature. Now we will study the external evidences of the Bible, that is, evidences found outside the Bible.
Indestructibility
The first external evidence is the indestructibility of the Bible. The Bible is the most well-known book in the history of the world, and no book has been attacked more than it. Skeptics have tried to destroy the authority of the Bible for the last eighteen hundred years. It has undergone every kind of scrutiny possible from archaeology, science, philosophy, and computers. Yet, despite all these attacks, the Bible proves itself to be true again and again. Each time the skeptics have been wrong, and the Bible has proven itself true. Just the fact that the Bible has remained steadfast in its authority after two thousand years is another piece of evidence supporting its divine origin.
Archaeology
The second source of external evidence comes from archaeology. Middle Eastern archaeological investigations have proven the Bible to be true and unerringly accurate in its historical descriptions. Nelson Glueck, a renowned Jewish archaeologist, states, “No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”(2)
Dr. William Albright, who was not a friend of Christianity and was probably the foremost authority in Middle East archaeology in his time, said this about the Bible: “There can be no doubt that archaeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament.”(3)
Here are a couple of examples of the historical accuracy of the Bible. A good example is found in Genesis 14. The Bible speaks of Abraham’s victory over Chedorlaomer and five Mesopotamian kings. For years, the critics stated that these accounts were fictitious and many people discredited the Bible. In the 1960s, however, the Ebla tablets were discovered in northern Syria. The Ebla kingdom was a powerful kingdom in the twentieth century B.C. The Ebla tablets are records of its history. Thousands of tablets have been discovered. What is important is that many of these tablets make a reference to all five cities of the plain proving the Genesis 14 account to be accurate.(4)
Another example is the story of Jericho recorded in the book of Joshua. For years skeptics thought the story of the falling walls of Jericho was a myth. However, in the 1930s, Dr. John Garstang made a remarkable discovery. He states, “As to the main fact, then, there remains no doubt: the walls fell outwards so completely, the attackers would be able to clamber up and over the ruins of the city.” This is remarkable because city walls fall inward, not outward.(5)
The March 5, 1990 issue of Time magazine featured an article called, “Score One For the Bible.” In it, archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon claimed Jericho’s walls had fallen suddenly. Many scholars feel this was caused by an earthquake which may also explain the damming of the Jordan. Additionally, grain was discovered, which shows the city was conquered quickly. This find adds credence to the biblical account. Further study by Brian Wood found the date of the fall of Jericho to match the Bible’s date.(6)
Here are just two great examples of archaeology authenticating the historical reliability of the Bible. No book is as ancient, and at the same time, as convincingly accurate as the Bible.
Indestructibility and archaeology are two external evidences for the Bible.
Prophecy
There are many more external evidences for the Bible, but I’ll just cover one more: evidence from prophecy. The Bible contains hundreds of prophecies which have come to pass. No book in history has ever come close to the Bible when it comes to fulfillment of prophecy.
The prophecies in the Bible are very specific and accurate. Nostradamus claims to have made hundreds of prophecies that have come true, but if you read his prophecies, you will find them to be vague and unclear. His symbols and language can be taken to mean a number of historical events. Unlike many such prophecies, biblical prophecy is very specific.
Here are some examples. In Ezekiel 26, which was written in 587 B.C., Ezekiel prophesies that the mighty city of Tyre would be destroyed. Tyre was made up of two parts, a mainland port city and an island city half a mile off shore. Ezekiel predicted mainland Tyre would be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, many nations would fight against her, the debris of the city would be thrown into the ocean, the city would never be found again, and fishermen would come there to lay their nets.
In 573 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the mainland city of Tyre. Many of the refugees of the city sailed to the island and the island city of Tyre remained a powerful city. In 333 B.C., however, Alexander the Great laid siege to Tyre. Using the rubble of mainland Tyre, he built a causeway to the island city of Tyre. He then captured and completely destroyed the city.
Today, Tyre is a small fishing town where fishing boats come to rest and fisherman spread their nets. The great ancient city of Tyre to this day lies buried in ruins exactly as prophesied. If we were to calculate the odds of this event happening by chance, the figures would be astronomical. No, it was not by coincidence.(7)
Here’s another example. There are over three hundred prophecies made of Jesus in the Old Testament. Prophecies such as His place of birth, how he would die, His rejection by the nation of Israel, and so on. All these prophecies were made hundreds of years before Jesus ever came to earth. Because of the accuracy of the prophecies, many skeptics have believed that they must have been written after 70 A.D.–after the birth and death of Jesus, and the destruction of Jerusalem. They have thereby tried to deny that they are even prophecies.
However, in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. These scrolls contained the book of Isaiah and other prophetic books. When dated, they were found to be written from 120 to 100 B.C.,(8) well before Jesus was born. It would have been an incredible accomplishment for Jesus to have fulfilled all three hundred prophecies. Some say these prophecies were fulfilled by chance, but the odds for this would be exceptionally large. It would take more faith to believe in that chance happening than in the fact that Jesus is God and these prophecies are divinely inspired.(9)
No book can match the Bible when it comes to prophecy. Understand that I have only touched the tip of the iceberg. There are hundreds of additional proofs for the Bible, yet I have only mentioned a few. I hope this study has aroused your interest to further study the Word of God.
“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her
sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’” (Rev 18:4 NKJV)
My only hope is that some will read it, heed it, and come out of these Latter Rain
revivals. There is no “new paradigm” as far as Christianity is concerned, just the same old narrow road that
leads to eternal life in Christ. No immortality or streets of gold on this side of heaven. Just the truth. The
Way, the Truth, and the Life – and that “old rugged cross”.
It comes as no surprise that we are in the midst of a terrible apostasy in these last days as we have
clearly been warned that it would come. It is still a little frightening that so many of God’s people today
could fall for the same old lie that first deceived Eve so many thousands of years ago.
“You shall be as gods.” The same old lie of Satan is the lie at the heart of the New Age Movement.
Even sadder is the fact that it is the same lie that the Latter Rain “prophets” and “apostles” of “Joel’s Army”
are putting forth today. You will become Christ – God on this earth. The heresy of Apotheosis. And yet
thousands of Christians are swallowing it – hook, line, and sinker.
The Church is trading her heavenly hope for an earthly delusion. Like those foolish virgins of the
parable, their lamps have run out of oil. What they perceive to be oil, “the anointing of the Holy Spirit”, is
instead a sensual counterfeit offered up by seducing spirits. This counterfeit anointing comes with a
counterfeit gospel of a false triumphalism that will lead to a New Age “Kingdom” under Anti-Christ. They
will accept Anti-Christ with open arms, perceiving him to be Christ, whom they mistakenly identify as the
“rider on the white horse” of Revelation chapter six verse two.
What is so desperately needed in the Church today is so desperately lacking – discernment.
Discernment to tell the Spirit of Christ from the ecumenical spirit of Antichrist. To discern the true anointing
from the false anointing, the true Christ from the Gnostic Anti-Christ of the Manifest Sons of God.
If you are participating in any of these Latter Rain revivals or churches today I urge you to turn back
to the Bible. Compare what you are hearing and seeing with what is recorded and portrayed in the scriptures.
“Test all things, hold fast to what is good.” Call the leadership into account for everything they say, or teach,
or do that does not line up with the word of God. If they refuse to repent – leave. Flee from the place and
don’t look back. “Remember Lot’s wife.” I know it can be hard to leave a church, especially if you have
family and close personal friends there. But if they will not hear you – leave them behind.
The Latter Rain prophets are right about one thing – doctrine divides. Truth separates the wheat from
the chaff. In the early Church the Apostles kept the deceivers and false apostles out. They did this by
publicly identifying the heretics and warning the sheep of their false doctrines. Because of the diligence of
the true apostles of our Lord, the false apostles and their followers were forced to leave the Church. The
Apostle John writes:
“Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many
antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not
of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might
be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” (1 John 2:18,19 NKJV)
Today we face just the opposite situation in that the false prophets and apostles are in the majority in many churches. When they gain inroads into a church it’s more likely that only a minority will reject their
false doctrines, revelations, and counterfeit “anointing” and stand on the Bible, being forced to go out from them
2 Corinthians 6:17 (King James Version)
17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
Failure to Judge by the standards provided by the GOD of the Bible the ONE True GOD has resulted in this large scale apostasy that has overrun the church and is being promulgated and promoted by the proud.
I REITERATE IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS
2 Corinthians 6:17 (King James Version)
17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
Failure to Judge by the standards provided by the GOD of the Bible the ONE True GOD has resulted in this large scale apostasy that has overrun the church and is being promulgated and promoted by the proud.
From the comments posted so far I gather that most Christians identify themselves with the power and pain of prophetic preaching, that they would rather run the other way if invited to preach.
I know mostly of ministers who are on the lookout for their next preaching assignment, who carry a briefcase of prepared summons and a laptop with loaded powerpoint presentations. Nothing wrong with that but most recycle their messages and prophecies; with recording devices in most modern churches they get caught out. So what happened to waiting on God for His message?
Some of them are fully booked for up to 2 years from now. You will see them run to the platform without hesitation. Some will even tell you their fees for summons, prophesy, laying of hands and personal prayer. Of course you have to put them up in a 4-5 star hotel with all meals and a shopping spree before they leave for their next venue.
We have in-house prophets and inner circles among pastors who will not allow anyone except those in their circuit to preach. Other factors like the profile, eloquence, size of the congregation, type of message to be preached, good looks and the going rate for messages of the invited pastor play an important part as well.
This is happening today in churches.
Paul said in 1Cor:2:1-5 “And when I came to you, brethen, I did not come with superiority of speech, or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.
And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”
Art Katz used to say that he was a snail when it came to walking up to the pulpit, his heart would sink when called upon to preach.
@Wayne,
Here is an off topic matter that the Lord wants addressed.
Who are these people listed below? It’s a time for honesty and transparency in the body of Christ. The words you post are not your own. They seem to be blended together with your own words. I don’t imagine it would be a copyright matter but anyone would like an attribution for something they wrote.
I don’t doubt that in your heart you truly want to warn people, but you’re not being forthright about the words and the Lord wants you confronted about it. It is time to get honest and repent. The Lord does not take it lightly when someone steals the words of another.
Below are two witnesses from a Scroogle search that show where the words are from.
Pat Zukeran
http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/auth-bib.html
Bill Perkins
http://my.opera.com/SavedNotFried/blog/dangerous-doctrinal-trends-that-are-growing-in-the-body-of-christ-part-3?prevpoll=1
This is absolutely true, you can bank on it! If you are reluctant to say or preach about anything and ask the Lord to get you out of it, it is almost 99% what the Lord wants you to say or do. His ways are not our ways and the Holy Spirit almost always calls us to do and say things that are extremely difficult and uncomfortable because crucifixion of the flesh and our desires are critical to accomplishing His will. Sometimes people say and do things that are hard to receive when there should be mercy and gentleness, but for the most part it is the other way around. Once when talking to a minister I just met, the Holy Spirit blurted out ” Don’t lose your integrity!” I was flabergasted and walked away embarrassed and asking the Holy Spirit why in the world He would have me say that when I just met the man. Preachers hear so many words from people and especially since I am a woman, it was particularly difficult, but the Lord knows what he is doing. So I say when it is really uncomfortable it is probably the Lord!
Thank you Makkelah,
I have always believed that my personal wisdom is just as foolish as the worldly wisdom of every body else and try to avoid opinion based comments as much as possible by seeking to remain wholly dependent on the teaching of scripture and authentic bible based thological perspectives as much as possible.
I definitely research my comments as fully as possible to ensure accuracy of ALL scripture and theological comment. This site is NOT a university and I am NOT expecting to receive a doctorate or any other academic award for my comments.
I only print comments which I wholeheartedly endorse BUT try to avoid comments based on emotionalism, personal ideas or opinions or any notion whatsoever of having what is popoularly referred to in the church today as having “anointed status.” This was, in fact, the error of the Gnostics whom the Apostle Paul spent so much time speaking and writing as an apologist against.
As a born again bible believing christian being led by the Holy Ghost into all truth the information that I am comfortable about passing on only ever comes to me through hard work and study and not merely by dreams and a willingness to be open to any and all sorts of spiritual leadings as is obviously so popular in the church today. We are clearly instructed by GOD to judge ALL things. The ONLY way to do that is to have a standard by which to judge. That standard MUST always be objective and based on the Word of God rather than a subjective position determined by emotionalism and personal feeling and preference.
I know the God of the Bible personally and I know the genuine leading of the Holy Spirit is to the Truth of His Word NOT any private interpretation that I may choose to hold.
When GOD says that something is sin punishable by eternal damnation, for example, than that is the case whatever I may choose to think about it.
I will always make every effort to ensure my comments are from a particular theological perspective rather than an invention of my own.
It is impossible to make a significant contribution to informed debate without being informed. I make every effort to inform myself from an extremely wide source of information and pass on the information I acquire which is consistent with my viewpoint which my considerable and prayerful study has convinced me is most closely related to the perspective which God Himself has intended for us to arrive at.
I am NOT gaining any personal benefit from being properly informed I am merely avoiding engaging in the useless propagation of uninformed personal opinion.
The TRUTH of The Word of God is far too important for me to get in the way of whenever I try to present it, Therefore I will always endeavour to present it in context and consistent with the obvious intention of the entire body of scripture. This requires the consistent application of consistent biblical principles and that is what I am doing.
When we are guided by the Holy Spirit we stand in awe of HIS WORD and realize that we must NEVER permit our personal testimony, opinions or preferences to supercede the revealed Word of God.
I confirm your post exactly. I have preached for over 30 years, I am called and can do no other, I desire to preach for God has put it in me, but oh’ how I suffer as you had stated, and never feel adequate. The message always and must be from the heart and mind of God, or I fall flat, and also, I must put in the sufficient amount of study for the Lord to put His words in my heart and on my tongue. Thank you so much, I am blessed and encouraged to continue to go forward.
THE PAIN of TRUE PREACHING – Lee Grady
Thank you Lee for your thoughts and hursts. I, like so many others I assume, have felt like you. Today we seems to have preachers who want everyone to be their friend so they preach “smooth sayings”! Remember the Word tells us “to beware when all emn speak well of you!” Don’t change, just keep preaching sound doctrine. Why? “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but heap unto themselves preachers having itching ears.” Endure sounddoctrine for the sake of the Lord Jesus,
One of the ways that satan tries to derail a true prophetic preacher is to send him (or her) disciples. Now, I don’t mean people who want to learn about Jesus. I mean disciples for the preacher.
After being scorned, ridiculed and shut out, it is sweet for the Lord’s servant to hear a voice of approbation. And God sends us those people in season, to refresh us and encourage us.
But satan sends his people, too. And they also approve of us. They come with their smiles and sweet speech and flattering words. They often become our biggest supporters, even giving their time and finances willingly to our ‘ministry’ – but they are not what they seem. They are snakes, worming their way in and warping our view with their flattery, agreeing with every word in order to build in us a sense of pride in our prophetic gifts and they assure us that we are ‘spot on’ no matter what we say.
They become our right hands, keeping track of things around us. They never argue, never correct, and they fervently slap down anyone who does – especially brethren who are trying to warn the prophetic preacher (and everyone else) of their misbehavior. The next thing you know, they have built a personality cult around God’s prophetic preacher – and totally derailed the truth in the bargain.
And satan wins, because the sin of pride, arrogance and spiritual blindness has claimed another of God’s prophetic preachers – one less voice to call the people to repentance. For why would they listen to such a sanctimonious hypocrite?
All because the lonely, persecuted prophetic preacher did not recognize the sweet poison for what it was.
“Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. ”
“Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. ”
“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
In His service,
Seraphah
Heidi… Could you please contact me at: hope.cairns@gmail.com as I would like to discuss the epilepsy situation with you.
As for the comments made here… thank you so much to so many honest people. And I thought I was the only one who trembled and wanted to do a Jonah! Obviously not…
Praise God and bless you all for your honesty and humility.
Blessings from Paul
Your post beginning “One of the ways that satan tries to derail a true prophetic preacher is to send…” above “Saraphah” “rings true” to me… I have seen this happen… I believe that I have also discerned in my spirit that there have been attempts by some of the participants in this website to do this very thing… if we see this happening then I believe the Lord will lead us to pray and stand until the issue is resolved and even to directly warn those to whom we sense this is happening if He prompts us to do so…
Truth has no one to clap, no one to garland, no one to flatter, no one to meet him after he is spoken…..truth has no power to tickle so it brings out anger and brickbats……truth has the POWER to cut and set a soul free……Faithful are the wounds of a friend but profuse the kisses of the enemy…..truth is the faithful friend but flattery and lies, the profuse enemy…….
You are right,Sunita. I like what you said “truth has no power to tickle so it brings out anger and brickbats……truth has the POWER to cut and set a soul free”
John the Baptist came preaching ‘REPENT!’ in the wilderness. Why the wilderness? Because the Pharisees wouldn’t let him preach repentance in their temple.
I always thought that it was interesting that Herod, after killing John, thought that Jesus was John come back to life. He recognized the voice of God in them both!
Prophetic preaching brings repentance. But the first thing satan does is try to put a lid on that message. The Pharisees said John had a devil. This is a classic ploy – claim the messenger is speaking from an evil spirit. This, incidentally, is what Jesus called ‘Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit’. They did this to Jesus as well. It is still done to prophetic voices today in all kinds of ‘Christian’ gatherings.
The status quo MUST be maintained, you see. The leaders could not afford to let some upstart from outside their group upset their apple cart. They had to keep their control at all costs. So they plotted to kill him. As it turned out, that was their biggest mistake.
After the resurrection, it was Peter and John they tried to control. They tried to tell them what to say and where they could say it. Peter’s answer? “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” Unable to silence them, they threw them out of the Temple.
Man can’t silence the voice of God. Those with ears to hear will hear and believe. Those that don’t will walk merrily into delusion, because they did not receive the love of the TRUTH.
The Pharisees made their choice. To try to save themselves and their established order, they killed the WORD and banished the apostles. By trying to save what they saw as theirs, they doomed themselves to destruction. May God save us from making that mistake.
Revival, whether personal or national, begins with one word – REPENT! Whenever the call to repent goes forth we, as the people of God should reply by hitting our knees and pleading, “Lord, search my heart and see if there is any false way in me.” And, yes, Sunita, The truth often makes you angry before it sets you free. Unless, of course, you throw it out – or kill it.
“If Jesus had preached the same message that ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified.”
Leonard Ravenhill
So TRUE Robert Glenn. In fact the modern day imposters actually seem to believe they could have shown Jesus and His disciples How to be successful.
TERRIBLY ENCOURAGING !!! Thank you for the word.
Patrick,
I get the strangest looks when I tell people that dying doesn’t scare me. I have been called fatalistic, morbid and suicidal. But it isn’t that I am enamored of death, or even seeking it – it just DOESN’T SCARE ME!!
You see, I know where I go after this life, if I am faithful – even unto death. I also know that this life isn’t what I was born for. This is just a prelude to a glorious eternity. To be killed is to be set free from bondage to this flesh and this fallen world. I’m not into physical pain, but I can handle anything through Christ Jesus.
I don’t court death – like handling poisonous snakes or walking in front of traffic. That is tempting God. But I don’t let fear hold me back either. God has used me as a ‘lightning rod’ many times, to get the attention of those He wanted to speak to.
Do they listen? Sadly, no – not usually. They kill the messenger to ignore the message.
I have been called more nasty things (by Christians, incidentally) and ‘killed’ metaphorically speaking, lots of times. Does it hurt to be verbally assassinated? Yeah, it does – even when I’m expecting it. But mostly it makes me very, very sad for the people doing it. I understand Stephen’s words “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”
When we are TRULY guided by the Holy Spirit we stand in awe of HIS WORD and realize that we must NEVER permit our personal testimony, opinions or preferences to supercede the revealed Word of God.
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
The HOLY SPIRIT will ALWAYS confirm HIS WORD.
ANY Spirit which leads away from the Living (Jesus Christ) and Written Word of GOD (The BIBLE) is clearly NOT the HOLY SPIRIT.
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
Romans 15:4
For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
2 Peter 1:20
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation
This question has been addressed quite adequately elsewhere Makkehelah
Gary Simpson’s reply of Jul 27th 2010
“Wayne wrote:
Romans 10:17 imparts vital understanding on how faith in God becomes part of our thinking and conduct: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith becomes an element of our thinking by our hearing words that concern the objects of faith: our Father in heaven; His Son, Jesus Christ; and their message, the gospel of the Kingdom of God………..
……Within the Bible, that object is almost always either God, Jesus Christ, the Word of God, or a messenger sent by God, whether angel, prophet, or minister.”
Gary Simpson’sComment:
“Wayne,
Your post seems to indicate that your trinity which you worship is the Father, The Son, and the Bible, rather than the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Why do you leave the Holy Spirit out of your post when you talk about the object of our worship, and why do you seem to elevate the Bible to a position of diety, along with the Father and the Son?
Am I the only one who senses this, or are their others who might concur?”
I TOTALLY CONCUR, GARY.
WAYNE WROTE:
“The TRUTH of The Word of God is far too important for me to get in the way of whenever I try to present it, Therefore I will always endeavour to present it in context and consistent with the obvious INTENTION of the entire body of scripture. This requires the consistent application of consistent biblical principles and that is what I am doing.
When we are guided by the Holy Spirit we stand in awe of HIS WORD ………”
MY COMMENT TO WAYNE:
I believe that JESUS called HIMSELF the following:
Jhn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
FROM VINE’S DICTIONARY:
” but “truth” in all its fullness and scope, as embodied in Him; He was the perfect expression of the truth; this is virtually equivalent to His statement in Jhn 14:6;
Wayne, I suggest reading John 5:19-40
Jhn 5:21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, EVEN SO THE SON ALSO GIVES LIFE TO WHOM HE WISHES.
Jhn 5:22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given ALL judgment to the Son,
Jhn 5:23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Jhn 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, HE WHO HEARS MY WORD, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
INTERESTING DEFINITION FOR THE WORDS “HE WHO HEARS”……Here is the Greek word “akouo” as defined in Strong’s, the Lexicon, and Vine’s:
<<>>
Jhn 5:31 “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.
Jhn 5:32 “There is ANOTHER who (indicating a person) testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which HE gives about Me is true. (“HE” being the Holy Spirit, right?)
Jhn 5:39 ” You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
Jhn 5:40 and you are unwilling to COME TO ME so that you may have life.
A BELIEVER’S LIFE IS COMPLETELY CENTERED UPON AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP AND INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP WITH ALL 3 PERSONS OF THE 1 ETERNAL, HOLY, SOVEREIGN GOD. (NOT objects as you have stated, but PERSONS!)
Jhn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jhn 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Jhn 1:3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
Jhn 1:4 In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Jhn 1:14 AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and TRUTH.
1Jo 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, OF THE WORD OF LIFE;
Rev 19:13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
FROM VINE’S DICTIONARY:
(II) “The Personal Word,” a title of the Son of God; this identification is substantiated by the statements of doctrine in Jhn 1:1-18, declaring in verses Jhn 1:1, 2
(1) His distinct and superfinite Personality,
(2) His relation in the Godhead (pros, “with,” not mere company, but the most intimate communion),
(3) His deity; in Jhn 1:3 His creative power; in Jhn 1:14 His Incarnation (“became flesh,” expressing His voluntary act; not as AV, “was made”), the reality and totality of His human nature, and His glory “as of the only begotten from the Father,” RV (marg., “an only begotten from a father”), the absence of the article in each place lending stress to the nature and character of the relationship; His was the Shekinah glory in open manifestation; Jhn 1:18 consummates the identification: “the only-begotten Son (RV marg., many ancient authorities read “God only begotten,”), which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him,” thus fulfilling the significance of the title “Logos,” the “Word,” the personal manifestation, not of a part of the Divine nature, but of the whole Deity (see IMAGE).
The title is used also in 1Jo 1:1, “the Word of life” combining the two declarations in Jhn 1:1, 4 and Rev 19:13 (for 1Jo 5:7 see THREE).
Wayne, when we read what is written in the bible, IF ILLUMINATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE WILL STAND IN AWE OF GOD HIMSELF!! (NOT the documents as you have said)
I, HAPPY TRAILS, TOTALLY CONCUR WITH YOU GARY SIMPSON.
Oops….it looks like the definition of “akouo” for “HE WHO HEARS….” in John 5:24, 25 didn’t stay where it was put in my last very long comment.
The following definition is from Strong’s; Lexicon; Vine’s
” the genitive case is used, indicating a “sensational perception” that the Lord’s voice is sounding;”
What on earth are you on about happy trails?
Gary Simpson and Happy Trails, your efforts to pervert the clear teachings of the Word of God are indeed very tragic and a clear confirmation of the scriptural warning that God is allowing those who do not LOVE the simple TRUTH of HIS WORD to be deluded by whatever it is they do love.
An example of this may be seen seen by considering the reason why unity is absolutely impossible between TRULY BORN AGAIN BIBLE BELIEVING CHRISTIANS and those involved in false religions based on alternative man made or demonic perspectives by looking at the GROSS errors emanating from Roman Catholicism for example
The fundamental problem confronting the average Roman Catholic is the fact that they are almost completely unaware of what the Catholic Bible really teaches. Many sincere Catholics, including laymen and parish priests alike, have never had sufficient cause to question the teachings of their church because they have never been adequately instructed in the Scriptural truths which challenge the principle doctrines of Catholicism.
The tragic reality is that the overwhelming majority of Catholics have either never personally studied the Bible, or have only done so under the strict supervision and scrutiny of their church. Many have not been exposed to the clear, simple truths of the Bible because they have been repeatedly warned to rely on the official interpretations, opinions, and traditions of the church.
Even though Catholic versions of the Bible (Jerusalem Bible, New American, and Challoner-Rheims Version of the Latin Vulgate) encourage Bible reading and study (Deut. 6:7-9; Ps. 119:9-11; Acts 17:11), the tragic historical fact is that Catholicism, with very few exceptions, has repeatedly discouraged Bible reading and study, and even banned or restricted its use, distribution, and possession.
THE BIBLE AND ROMAN CATHOLICISM
The Roman Catholic Church has traditionally suppressed, opposed, and forbidden the open use of the Bible. It was first officially forbidden to the people and placed on the index of Forbidden Books List by the Council of Valencia in 1229 A.D. The Council of Trent (1545-63 A.D.) also prohibited its use and pronounced a curse upon anyone who would dare oppose this decree. Many popes have issued decrees forbidding Bible reading in the common language of the people, condemning Bible societies and banning its possession and translation under penalty of mortal sin and death. The Roman Catholic Church has openly burned Bibles and those who translated it or promoted its study, reading, and use (John Hus, 1415 A.D.; William Tyndale, 1536 A.D.)
Though external pressures have caused Rome to relax its restrictions and opposition against Bible reading in America, the Bible is still widely withheld and its distribution and free use discouraged in many countries which are heavily influenced by Roman Catholicism.
My daughter has been informed by lecturers at a Roman Catholic University that the Bible is merely a book of myths and legends subject to the teachings of the church.
This is another classic example of the “anointed” ones usurping the role of the Holy Spirit in a persons life by insisting that they and not the Bible are the source of the revealed Word of God.
Usurping the role of the Bible as the sole basis of faith and morals for instruction in how to live a life that is pleasing to God is, I believe, the unpardonable sin. The truly born again, bible believing christian has the Holy Spirit to assist with the application of that truth to their lives and is clearly able to do so effectively if they are prepared to humbly submit to it. POPERY IS AN ABOMINATION!
A RELIGIOUS SYSTEM OF BIBLICAL DISTORTIONS
Roman Catholicism is a system which is comprised of a mixture of truth and error. On the surface, it appears to many to be a brand of Christianity because it staunchly claims to embrace and defend the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. However, a closer examination proves that it is a system which actually nullifies and distorts Scriptural truth by adding erroneous, man-made teachings which openly contradict the Catholic and non-Catholic Bibles.
For example, the Roman Catholic Church claims the inspiration of the Scriptures, but dilutes the Word of God by exalting the authority of its own traditions, councils, and decrees above the Bible. Catholicism teaches the deity of Christ, but places Mary and priests as mediators between God and believers so that free access to Jesus is only possible through them. It teaches the forgiveness of sin, but only through confession to a priest and the absolution given by him. Catholicism teaches salvation, but substitutes a system of grace plus works in which human works are more important. It teaches that Christ established the Church, but exalts a man (the pope) as its head and invests absolute, infallible authority in him and his official decrees. WHAT NONSENSE IS THIS????
THE GRADUAL DEVELOPMENT OF ROMAN CATHOLIC ERRORS
Before we compare the fundamental teachings of Roman Catholicism with the Catholic Bible, it should be pointed out that the distinctive features of Catholicism originated several hundred years after the early church. Though the Catholic Church argues that its roots can be traced to Christ, the historical facts do not substantiate this claim. Roman Catholic dogma has gradually evolved over the centuries. However, none of its major traditions and doctrines were taught, defended, practiced, or embraced by the apostolic church. The following list will indicate the approximate date when the various doctrines, rituals, decrees, and beliefs were instituted:
1. Prayers for the dead. (A.D. 300)
2. Making the sign of the cross. (300)
3. Wax candles. (320)
4. Veneration of angels and dead saints, and use of images. (375)
5. The beginning of mass as a daily celebration. (394)
6. The worship and exaltation of Mary and use of term “Mother of God”(431)
7. Priests begin to dress differently from laity. (500)
8. Extreme unction. (526)
9. The doctrine of purgatory, instituted by Gregory I. (593)
10. The Latin Language used in worship and prayer Gregory I. (600)
11. Prayers directed to Mary, dead saints and angels. (600)
12. Title of “Pope” or “universal bishop” first given to Boniface III. (607)
13. Kissing the pope’s foot, began with Pope Constantine. (709)
14. Temporal power of the popes, conferred by Pepin, King of France. (750)
15. Worship of the cross, image, and relics authorized in (786).
16. Holy water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest. (850)
17. Worship of St. Joseph. (890)
18. College of Cardinals established. (927)
19. Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV. (995)
20. Fastings on Fridays and during Lent. (998)
21. The mass developed as a sacrifice and attendance made mandatory. (11th Century)
22. Celibacy of the priesthood, decreed by Pope Gregory VII. (1079)
23. The rosary, used in prayer. (1090)
24. The Inquisition, instituted by the Council of Verona. (1184)
25. Sale of Indulgences. (1190)
26. Transubstantiation, proclaimed by Pope Innocent III. (1215)
27. Auricular (private) confession of sins to a priest, instituted by Pope Innocent III in Lateran Council. (1215)
28. Adoration of wafer (Host), decreed by Pope Honorius III. (1220)
29. Bible forbidden to laymen and placed on Index of Forbidden Books by Council of Valencia. (1229)
30. The Scapular, invented by Simon Stock, an English monk. (1251)
31. Cup forbidden to the people at communion by Council of Constance. (1414)
32. Purgatory proclaimed as a dogma by Council of Florence. (1439)
33. The doctrine of seven sacraments affirmed. (1439)
34. The Ave Maria (Hail Mary) invented and completed 50 years later. (1508)
35. Jesuit order founded by Loyola. (1534)
36. Tradition declared to be of equal authority with the Bible by Council of Trent. (1545)
37. The Apocryphal books added to the Bible by the Council of Trent. (1546)
38. Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX. (1854)
39. Syllabus of Errors, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX and ratified by the Vatican Council; condemned freedom of religion, conscience, speech, press, and scientific discoveries which are disapproved by the Roman Church; reasserted the Pope’s temporal authority over all civil rulers. (1864)
40. Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals proclaimed by the Vatican Council. (1870)
41. Public schools condemned by Pope Pius XI. (1930)
42. Assumption of the Virgin Mary (bodily ascension into heaven shortly after her death), proclaimed by Pope XII. (1950)
43. Mary proclaimed mother of the Church by Pope Paul VI. (1965)
Many other scriptural abuses and irregularities could be added to this list: Monks, nuns, monasteries, convents, forty days of Lent, holy week, Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, All Saints Day, Candlemas Day, fish day, meat days, incense, holy oil, holy palms, St. Christopher medals, charms, relics, novenas, and many more. This revealing list represents an overview of the many human inventions which have corrupted, distorted, and perverted the official positions presented as truth by the Roman Catholic Church.
Only faithful commitment to the CLEAR teachings of scripture will prevent those humbly submitted to the will of GOD from accepting and promulgating such false teachings as these and the myriad of other false teachings which abound.
We are on shaky ground indeed when we think we are wiser than the WORD of GOD itself or that some spirit will give us teachings which are superior to the clear teachings of the Word of God.
ONLY THE JESUS CHRIST OF THE BIBLE IS ABLE TO SAVE US.
THE DEMONICALLY INSPIRED IMAGINATIONS OF THE HUMAN MIND WILL BE INEFFECTIVE ON THE JUDGEMENT DAY.