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| The words or The Word? |
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Try this two-question quiz, answering as honestly as you can: 1. Which do you enjoy more?
a. debating scripture
b. looking for scripture to support your blogs, sermons, opinions . . .
c. spending private time with God
d. You do most of your Bible reading at church. 2. Which do you spend more time doing?
a. debating scripture
b. looking for scripture to support your blogs, sermons, opinions . . .
c. spending private time with God
d. You do most of your Bible reading at church. We are all slaves to the culture around us, and for many of us, that culture is the 21st century Christian church. We have been taught and indoctrinated, some of us, for our entire lives, hearing and repeating the same interpretations of scripture until they have become ingrained in our minds and hearts. That's a good thing, sometimes. The problem is that sometimes we have heard the words so many times that we merely repeat them without realizing that we have substituted the words for the true meaning behind them. It is my fear and observation that much of today's Christian church has become the Pharisees. Without realizing it, we have traded Jesus' teachings for a list of "Thou shalt not's" and have justified ourselves as the sin police for our society. It is easy to justify. We can use scripture to justify judging others, or oppressing women, or condoning slavery, or even putting to death those who go to their jobs on Sunday. But the sad reality is, rather than letting the Word teach us how to live, we decide how to live and then go to the Bible to find justification. I believe this has happened so slowly that we have missed it, like the proverbial frog in the kettle. I believe we have grown so used to all the spiritual talk, that we mistake saying the words for living the life. I believe we have become such a society of tangibles that we have begun to worship the Bible more than the God it points us to. We can see the Bible. We can touch it. But is God a book? Have we become idolators? 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me. We have lost the passion of the early believers. Read the early writings. Read the early hymn lyrics. There was a genuineness there, a true inspiration, a real desire to walk directly with God, feeling the breath of His Spirit, basking in His glory, humbly lying prostrate before His majesty. We are smarter now. We already know all the answers. Everything in life is black or white. We repeat pious-sounding phrases like "Hate the sin, Love the sinner," and we feel good. But there's a harvest all around us that is not flocking to our legalistic arena. We piously quote scripture condemning them. We become more puffed up with every scripture verse we are able to retort. But where is the love? What better example for living do we have than that of Jesus? Jesus lived a life of humility. He did not condemn sinners, but loved them. Not in words, but in lifestyle. In fact, the only people we have any record of Jesus condemning were the religious self-righteous. And if we listen, really listen to His teachings, He calls us to love, just as He loved. Anyone can point out another's faults. This takes no special talent or intelligence, and it is not listed as a "spiritual gift" or a "fruit of the Spirit"! But to love, really love that person . . . When asked by one of the legalistic ones which of the laws was the greatest, His response was this: 22:37b "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 22:38 This is the great and first commandment. 22:39 And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 22:40 On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." Now, granted, the word love is far overworked in the English language, so it's no wonder it has become so meaningless to us. We love the latest movie. We love chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream (OK, I'm speaking for myself here!). And when we say "I love you" to our spouse, we truly believe that the words themselves have completed the action of love. God's love is not a word. It is an active lifestyle. It is totally inseparable from His being, and He calls us to love as He loves. Perhaps there's another test we could give ourselves: If I could not use the word love, how would I love my spouse? If I could not use the word love, how would I love the sinner? We need to read the Scripture for the first time again. We need to read it a book at a time, not just as a verse search resource. We need to read it privately and within its context, perhaps in a version that is less familiar to us, and allow God to speak to us afresh and anew. We need to strip ourselves of all our preconceived interpretations and allow The Word, Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, to speak to us through the words on the page. The time is now for a new reformation. Will we worship the words or The Word?
5:38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. 5:39 You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me;
1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
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I thank God that I have not been indoctrinated by man, and am not what many call 'church-ed', so I do not suffer many of the incorrect doctrines and associated misconceptions. I thank God that I spend enjoy spending time with God more than anything else I do, and that I actually spend most time with Him. It is a sign of His hand in my heart more than my tendency toward discipline. Great blog. |
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I appreciate your blog, and the comment you shared to my blog. However, it is important for us to realize that there is a balance - that all people who seem fanatical about the Bible are not all bordering on idolatry. I read and study God's Word every day and preach it verse by verse, book by book every Sunday - because the more I know His Word, the more I know Him. Prayer and worship are great. But when the church in Acts 2:42 devoted themselves to certain things, it was the Apostles TEACHING that is listed first. Prayer is last in that list. Worship is mentioned later in the passage. Devotion to the Word should manifest in a hunger to seek God in prayer and celebrate Him in worship. But if the Bible ends up tucked under those two, what will keep us from pursuing New Age forms of praying? I would even say that there are many Christians who are more in love with the emotions they feel in worship than they are in love with the One they are singing about. It is the Word of God that penetrates our hearts and changes us. God speaks to us through His Word. If we elevate our own sense of what God is saying to us, rather than the Word, what will keep us from being deceived by our own hearts? The Bible says that faith comes by hearing, and that by the Word of God. I agree that there are a lot of legalistic Christians. But usually that legalism stems from our own opinions, not the Word of God, unless the person is proof-texting and not rightly dividing the Word of Truth. I don't think we should be mean for the sake of being mean, but Paul had harsh words about those who were straying from sound doctrine. Even Jesus wasn't always as loving as we might think. He is the One who will come again in wrath and fury and judgment. When a young man walked up to Jesus asking how to be saved, Jesus let him walk away in his sins. Yes, I come off strong about the Bible. I can't help see a battle in these days. The Bible says that many will fall away as we approach the end times. It also says many false teachers will rise up in the end times. The Church needs to return to the days of greater commitment to the Word of God. If I had to choose between reading the Bible or time in worship, I would pick time in the Bible because I can't help but worship Him as I read. I read Leviticus in 2 days and was overcome with a desire to worship such a great God who, by His grace and shed blood, would free me from the bondage of such a Law. Anyway, thanks for the dialogue. |
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Kathy |
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March 11, 2007 at 8:53pm |
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| Spooksam, thank you for your thoughts. I certainly agree with you about the importance of Bible reading, which hopefully my blog advocates. My question of idolatry refers to placing the words of the Bible above God Himself. You said you read to know Him better. That, I believe, is the greatest of all reasons for reading! Thanks, my friend, and blessings to you! |
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Bunny |
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March 27, 2007 at 2:13pm |
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Lots to think about here, Kathy. I work with kids on Wednesdays and women on Monday nights leading Bible study. Right now, my prayer is that they will have a hunger - a real yearning for the Word. It seems that everything else takes precedence over time spent with the Lord. I definitely get your point. We've had teachers who only teach the words (people, places, things) and not the "Word". Without the heart change, without our desire for that walk with Jesus, it pretty much falls flat. Great blog! Grace & Peace, Bunny |
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God is the Word. We need to spent private time with the Lord. We need Him to give us understanding of the Word. Anything we put before God is a idol and we are so busy pushing our belief of what the word means that God gets lost in it. (Well, we are the one lost in it). We are to be (act)like Christ. (I didn't say we are Christ, so hold on to your religious shirt people) The word love is throw around so much it doesn't mean much to us, but God gives us "agape love". No love is greater. Mike |
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| The problem generally is NOT an idolatry of the Word but a lack of study of the word. There are certainly pockets of Biblical idolatry in this area but the far worse problem is that of not studying God's word at all. Mucho people read the word but very few study, Kathy, IMVHO. |
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Kathy, when I first read this post, I wasn't ready to comment on it. Besides agreeing with you about the ice cream, the rest of the post gave me real reason to pause. I read it, left it, prayed as it churned in my spirit, read it again, and repeated this a few times until today.
Since I am a very visual person, I key in on your one phrase: "We have lost the passion of the early believers. Read the early writings. Read the early hymn lyrics. There was a genuineness there, a true inspiration, a real desire to walk directly with God, feeling the breath of His Spirit, basking in His glory, humbly lying prostrate before His majesty." When I first read this, I looked at the "we" and figured...yeah, the global church...sure, why not. But when I replace that "we" with an "I", then it hits pretty close to home and I react. Have I indeed lost the passion? Have I really lost the desire to walk with God through the Garden as I was originally designed to do? Have I really lost the desire to bask in His glory?
When I evaluate myself in these areas, it boils down to this: We need to be doers of the word and not just hearers.
6:49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great.
Taking a look at these blogs...we can debate all we want, we can throw scripture at one another, but if we don't do so in love, if we don't allow ourselves to be entreatable, if we don't listen and respond in kindness, then are we indeed being doers? It has caused me yet more pause.
Yes, we must do what we have heard. I think the real reason we must "do" is that sometimes we don't hear well or we hear incorrectly...we find out what God really means when we step out in life in faith and become a doer.
Thanks again, for a very deep, thoughtful, post. Kathy, you have a knack for stiking deep below the surface in a way that doesn't hurt and causes some sincere evaluation. Well done.
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Kathy |
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June 08, 2007 at 9:21pm |
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| Thanks, Bunny and Mike! Thanks, Recon. I agree with you that not studying the Bible is a problem. In my experience many of those who seem to "worship" it are among those who do not study it. What do you think? Voice, I like that you are such a ponderer! I hope no one ever just accepts my words. Sometimes I am still working through issues myself when I write, and other times, I have a strong opinion, often different from what I thought 10-20 years ago, that opposes the views of many great Christian brothers and sisters that I respect. I appreciate that you look at issues from all angles, and you often challenge and hone my own thoughts! Grace and peace to you all! |
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Kathy |
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August 14, 2007 at 5:53am |
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A quote from A.W. Tozer:
For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts. (The Pursuit of God, Preface) |
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Kathy-
I find myself studying for several reasons... first, for my own growth and need for "spiritual food" to feed my faith! 2nd, for guidance and direction. And, of course, I must study to equip myself to preach and teach the Gospel in the church and the prisons! Blogging and "debating" serves the purpose of "sharpening iron" for me! I'm no great apologist, but I do sincerely desire to be able to defend the faith (as Jude puts it) against the onslaught from every direction... even within the supposed "church"...
Semper Fidelis!
Joel |
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Kathy |
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August 14, 2007 at 9:49am |
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Thanks, Joel. As you point out, all four options are good ones, and I, like you, enjoy them all at times. But there is one that is far more important/foundational than the others, without which the debating, writing, and preaching have no power. For the stove to have any effect on the food, it has to be plugged into the power source. I appreciate the way you challenge and hone my thoughts and "sharpen my iron"! Semper Fidelis! |
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Kathy |
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September 22, 2007 at 5:43am |
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An interesting quote I just ran across, from Cardinal Lamberto in The Godfather III:
"Look at this stone. It has been lying in the water for a very long time, but the water has not penetrated it. Look. Perfectly dry. The same thing has happened to men . . . For centuries they have been surrounded by Christianity, but Christ has not penetrated." |
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R |
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March 15, 2008 at 4:54am |
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Hey Kathy,
Jesus had (and has), the ability to read the heart without the mouth speaking. So focusing on words can lead us off of what we should know by the Spirit.
Someone was arguing the other day, about whether people needed to repent before they were forgiven. They believe people don't need to repent and we should just forgive everybody. To support their view, they sited the theif on the cross as thier example, "the theif on the cross dosen't repent... he just asks Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom." Could it be that at this point, Jesus knew the heart of the man? I think so. This man felt godly sorrow and that lead him to repentance, even though his mouth might not have said the words... Jesus knew what was in his heart. We need Spiritual eyes to see with and hear with, not just concentrate on words. my 2 cents. |
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Kathy |
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March 15, 2008 at 8:45am |
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| Thank you, R! I totally agree! I don't think God hears our words. I think He hears our soul. He hears the inner groanings of our being, too deep for language to capture. Language is a tool developed by humans to communicate with each other. It's a great tool, but a flawed one, because words can be untrue, insincere, and careless. God doesn't need such a tool, as He can see into our soul. |
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