2 Corinthians 4:8 (KJV) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
Part of the meaning of the word for perplexed is to be in doubt, not to know which way to turn, to be at a loss. I am at a loss at some things that I noticed early on as a Christian and later as a minister, that has grown to ridiculous proportions as I have continued as we approach the catching away of the church and the end of this age.
See, the Bible tells us that perilous times would come and that some would have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof, but I am seeing this come to pass in a way that most did not foresee.
BALANCE... that is what God has driven home to me over and over again... stay IN THE WORD and IN THE SPIRIT together. Don't let popular opinion or those who just want to find fault pull you to the left of the right, but stay in the balance of the TRUTH. It is getting to be pretty choppy out there right now. I mean, it is really choppy because there are some that once had a good ministry and good things to say that in the words of a friend of mine said a few years ago, "seems to have all lost their minds".
What it is boils down to this... a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. There are some "errors" that if left unchecked and uncorrected at the foundation will continue to grow into more and more error until you have started listening to other spirits other than the Holy Spirit and believe totally that you and your group are the ones with the corner of the truth.
There are the ones who have really been pulled into true biblical heresy that continue to attack the heresy hunters. And then you have those on the other side of the spectrum who are real heresy hunters who take those who are in real error and put them into the same group as those who operate differently in spiritual gifts and act like both of them are the same thing. Both of these extremes has departed from the truth. Both of these lack true spiritual power from God. Both are WRONG.
Folks... just because they have spiritual manifestations of the glory in their midst does not make them a cult any more than those in the book of Acts and the Gospels were cults. We have forgotten what the church is supposed to be. By the way, the abuse of 1 Corinthians 13 to try and do away with spiritual gifts does not wash... clearly if you care to actually read it in context, it makes the point that when Jesus and His perfect Kingdom is on Earth physically and you can see Him eye to eye, then there will be no more need for tongues or prohpecy. But that time is not yet. In fact, it makes it extremely clear that God is going to be using the prophetic ministry until Jesus returns to planet Earth. It is a hallmark of the Last Days and last I checked, Jesus is not ruling the Earth from Jerusalem in a rebuilt temple yet.
We are still in the last days and God is still pouring out His Spirit upon all flesh and our sons and daughters shall prophesy, and our young men shall see visions and our old men shall dream dreams. Don't cut away the book because it is inconvenient for your tradition. Don't take part of what 1 Corinthians 13 says about prophecy passing away without taking the rest of it saying when this happens... when we see Jesus the Messiah face to face and He can tell us Himself! Lets be honest about our understanding of the Bible and not twist it to make us more comfortable.
On the other hand, lets not try and back up manifestations that do not glorify Jesus Christ and do not lead people into repentance as if it is some "new" spiritual experience that the Bible just did not happen to cover. Lets not be led astray by seducing spirits and doctrines of demons... or listen to another gospel even if it came from some angel, for remember that even Satan can transform himself into an angel of light. If it does not balance up to the given Word of God given to us by the prophets and Apostles, then it is NOT RIGHT!!!
Those apostles that walked with Jesus and had the authority of doing so knew the truth and gave it to us. That is the authority. Even Paul who was an apostle born out of time was backed up by the twelve as being real. But folks, we don't have anyone who walked with Jesus alive today almost 2000 years later... we have been given the Word of God already... the TRUTH, and we don't need ANOTHER GOSPEL now that has not come from God. In fact, if any try to preach or teach to us another gospel and another Jesus outside of the one of the Bible, let him be "accursed". Thats the Word of God.
Emotional blessings are wonderful, but they are not the basis of my faith... the Word of God is!
I love the blessings of the Lord... I love to be in that "glory" of God that brings you into repentance and then blessing... that cleanses and refreshes from the presence of the Lord. I love being in the powerful presence of the Lord. But that is tied directly into the Truth of God and HIS WORD... ALWAYS! We can't get confused and start looking for the blessings intead of the BLESSER! We had better not anyway. God wants us to seek His face and not just the blessings that go with walking with Him. He wants us to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit and to walk in His Word, and not according to how we "feel". The bible says that the heart... Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
We walk by faith, and how do we get that faith? Romans 10:17 (KJV) So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
That is the basis of true Christian faith.
I am perplexed because so many have left it these days. Some cite the revelation of angels that do no go along with the Word of God... WARNING BELLS... but they listen to the new messenger instead of the Word of God! Something is terribly wrong! Some are ready to attack anything spiritual forgetting that God is spiritual and that He deals with us spiritually... and that God manifests in some pretty dynamic ways when the people of God seek His face.
Both of these extremes are wrong... hey, look at this balance from the Bible:
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 (KJV) " 19 Quench not the Spirit. 20 Despise not prophesyings. 21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
We are to prove all things... take out the Word... pray for the Holy Spirit to give us discernment... prove them. Don't just despise prophecy and spiritual manifestations... that is quenching the Spirit. There is a balance... a balance. Even in 1 Corinthians 14 where it is telling us how to move in spiritual gifts, it tells us to let one prophesy to another and let a third stand to the side and judge it... that is the balance.
You have some departing from God's Word with a popular backing like Rick Warren... the Emergent Church movement denies the truth of God's Word in so many areas... led astray. And you have other groups that lump those in real revival in with these that have departed the truth like they are the same thing because both emphasize some of the same things... the thing is that the bible emphasizes spirituality also. God did not call us to be dry and dehydrated spiritually because we were afraid of strange fire.
Read it when strange fire was offered by Aaron's sons, the true Fire of God came out from the Holy of Holies and consumed them and their strange fire. The Fire of God will consume Strange Fire. What we need is to repent and seek the face of God so that the True Fire of God will come and burn out the Strange Fire... that is the biblical solution... not quenching the Spirit and putting out the Fire of God also in fear. God has not given us the Spirit of Fear, has he?
I am perplexed that friends of mine... well, used to be friends of mine seem to have forgotten the basic truths of God's Word. Some have decided that I must be the enemy because I could not go along with them in their paranoia on one side, or their following strange fire on the other. But I will follow God... I have decided that I will live like a believer! I will walk in God's Word and let the HOLY SPIRIT empower my walk in Him.
This has cost me some friends along the way... but Jesus is a much better friend to KEEP. I miss my old friends, but I can't agree with them... I must and will agree with God and His Word instead. I just hope that my old friends that read this understand that I still love them, but I will not compromise either way from the truth.
On that point, I am not perplexed. I am decided!
Jim
aka FireStorm
