May I have your permission to ramble a bit about an idea? I desire more to get you to help me in my thinking than I do to get the grammatical structure in place. Does it bother any of you about our faith? I'm unsure of this which I write.
Have we book, chaptered, and versed ourselves out of mutual partnership with God? I mean have we failed to act because we couldn't find a backing text?
What was it that assured Elijah he could face down the 450 prophets of Baal? Where did he get the information to move forward on that project? Where did young David hear from God the permission to drag God's name into the Goliath episode?
Faith, once again, challenges us to know God; to walk with God in order to know some of the moves of aggressive courage to make for the cause of Christ. Yes, Noah was given precise instructions as to how to build the ark while the Great Commission is basically "Go" with little regulation.
I am wondering (and I simply love to ponder God's style and will) if we each move about in a Spirit connection too deep for words. I wonder if a lot happens in the kingdom because we "sense" from God to take action while there is nothing but faith to lay claim to any such direction.
Furthermore, due to such a respectful fear of getting some (or many) things wrong, I wonder if God's people have fundamentally shut down godly activity because they did not read, "Go to Japan". The many have, understand, made or are making such bold treks but I wonder if something is holding a great number of our people back because we have Chapter 11-ed them; we have book, chaptered, and versed them into freeze rather than action.
My point? I think there is more to faith for each of us. I'm just fascinated by it and would welcome your exploratory input.
7 comments:
Excellent post Mr. Rush. I've long believed that the chapter and verse "organization" of the Word has done much harm to the its readers. We've "BCV'd" context right out of the picture of many very familiar passages, and instead we've BCV'd our own perspectives and preferences right in its place, as if God's own word.
As I took ownership of my own inherited faith and more fully studied the Word, I've at times been revolted by some of our gross misrepresentations of, in some cases, literally just a few words which we've divorced from context to suit our own positions and stances. Shameful.
It's a discouraging thing to realize such about one's own tradition, and yet, discovering truth, directly from the [complete] Word, is infinitely MORE encouraging in response. And yet, so many go without ever pondering the words that come before and after those with which they are so comfortable.
In my walk, it's become clear that "positions" based on carefully extracted scriptures promoted stagnation and apathy in my heart, while hearing God's entire message in appropriate context has been liberating and exhilirating.
The very fact that scripture was not written in chapter and verse implies we are not using it the way God intended. The very fact that the different churches and individuals received different letters rather than one being "xeroxed" and passed along suggests God personalizes how He works from person to person and place to place. I study scripture to better understand how God worked in time past to help me trust Him and to verify that He is indeed the God of Abe, Ike, Jake and Paul--this helps me recognize Him as the God working in my life and my part of the world. I do not place my faith in Abe or the ways of the church in Corinth--I place my faith in the God of Abe and the God who worked in, for and through the Corinthians. Worded another way--the word only works through the Spirit!
I so agree with the previous comments, and want to add one more. We give lip service to wanting to live by the bible and the Holy Spirit. We long to grapple with the word and its mysteries. In my experience though, as soon as you preach something new from the pulpit, all of a sudden people cannot accept a new leading from God. This really frustrates me. I believe it holds us back and keeps our branch of faith running between churches that teach to our comfort level. I often long to be in a "new wineskin" so to speak. Lynn
Terry, as I read your post I thought of...
"The word of God is living and active..."
"Keep in step with the Spirit..."
"The wind blows wherever it pleases... so it is with everyone born of the Spirit..."
God bless!
John 5:39
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me,
Larry in Denver
Terry, thank you for your 'rambling', so to speak. What a realm to explore! You thoughts simply makes me wonder what we have not done, because we could not BCV'd it???
Brother Terry,
I find that the Word is very effective in speaking to this in which you have brought in to question. I can see your point as to how we have booked, chaptered, and versed ourselves into fear and activity. But, I must also play over in my head a couple of scriptures that many come short of actually believing. Maybe over time, they grow, as I have, but, do we really truly (as a whole) believe things like: God gave us a spirit of power, not one of timidity? or "I will show you my faith by what I do". Do we really understand that faith is active? Do we really believe it? I am reminded of a little verse that gets very little respect, but was instrumental in helping me share my faith...PHIL 6
I gotta go, I think I have another opportunity in front of me.
God Bless!
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