As previously stated in the last blog, the Evangelical / Charismatic movement has as a root basis of thought, the need to be right. Whether that be from right with their doctrine of the written word or being Johnny on the Spot with he latest prophetic word. I have been harsh with the prophetic end of scripture application because at the moment, its blatantly false prophetic words is destroying faith by false divination. But honestly, the modern prophetic movement was a response to other extreme, God is known only through the written word.
I have a dear older relative who was entranced in the idea of God not being active in the church today except from the preaching of the word. In all fairness, he was a genuinely nice and very well intended fundamentalist. So, I posed him the question one day if he ever had an older lady in a prayer meeting insist that she knew that they just had to pray for a certain missionary oversees as they were in trouble. And a couple of days later (pre-internet, instant messaging and texting) they found out that at that very moment they felt led to pray was the very moment the missionary was in crisis. My response was what do you call that? He began to stammer and responded that he was not sure that he needed to call that anything, but he clearly saw my point. God could still actively speak and was speaking to members in his church. Though as a fundamentalist he would deny it, miracles were happening in front of his very eyes.
This is where I want to fully honor this man. He was on the national board for an international fundamentalist organization with a nice salary and pension. He had also received accolades and many honors for his years of service. But a new leader wanted them all to sign off on a cessationist statement saying God no longer did such things. He in the end said he could not do it. Even though he was approaching retirement, he gave up guaranteed financial security and a well-established reputation, to walk with God in the present. Jesus said:
- John 5:39-40 NASB – 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
As much as I believe that the scriptures are inspired, true, an inerrant, they are not to be an end in and of themselves. I firmly believe that this is why we have to be reminded to do not despise prophecies and test everything, holding fast to what is good. It is too easy to give up on wanting to hear the active voice of God with so much lying and manipulation going on from within the church.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 ESV – 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.
The easy response is to become like the Sadducees and Pharisees, who in knowing their Bible so well they missed out on the one right in front of them for whom the Scriptures spoke about. The unspoken theology is that the Bible is what speaks to us instead of the Holy Spirit through the Bible. And it is so easy to stop loving the active voice of the Holy Spirit as it requires work to filter truth from error.
So please my friends, at this time in history, despite the trend of well-intended people follow blindly the words of “me too prophets,” not to abandon walking with God in favor of reading about God.
So once again I encourage you to love much my friends . . .
Unspoken Theology 