Saturday, July 24, 2010

A new Bible-less religion is forming

by Gaye Stradwick

Lately, I have had I think it is now up to 5 attempts to stop me speaking about this stuff, some from leaders, which encourages me and confirms that I am doing the right thing, so here I go again!


Before reading this, you need to understand that I believe the God of the Bible is supernatural, moves supernaturally in us and through us daily, and is a God of signs and wonders and miracles. And He wants to show Himself as the God of glory and power more and more in the church and in the earth.


What we are seeing now is the formation of a new religion. And though it has a few different tributaries right now, it’s followers share one thing in common...they worship the god of personal experience, rather than the God of the Bible. So much of what is being taught and followed now is received through personal experience and revelation, and the teachers do not need to provide scriptural reference or context for it, and the followers do not require it of them, because they love and are desperate for experience for themselves, so they are willing to accept what the teacher says, regardless of how it comes. And there’s the rub.....it is not just false teachers we need to worry about, - the people are not being led, they want to follow. Scratch the surface with them, it is a heart thing:


Jeremiah 30;31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.


We are not talking about a group of people being innocently seduced (although of course seduction is happening). We are talking about a group of willing followers who will follow not only follow anyone who will give them what they crave, but will love it, search it out, demand it. “...my people love to have it so.”


Every serious Christian should be asking themselves some big hard questions right now. ....

What am I looking for?

Are my desires and direction and ministry leading me in the way of the God of the Bible, or in the way of my own desires?

Does the Bible ACTUALLY SAY what you or your favourite teacher are saying? Did they make it up? Was it born out of desperation to have that thing, which in effect is lust and idolatry?

And the most important question at the root of all of the above questions is...WHAT PLACE DOES THE BIBLE HOLD IN MY HEART, LIFE, BELIEFS? Because that is what they have lost, the love of the revealed truth of God in the Word.


What amazes me is that people can ask why are you asking and saying these things? My amazed question to them is...why aren’t YOU????

How have we moved so far away from truth and become so deluded that we think this is religious and law bound to remind people about sticking to the soundness of the Word? Because of course, when we say the Word, we are talking about the things that have been written that reveal His name and His nature – when we de-value the Word, we are de-valuing the true nature of God.


Psalm 138: For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.


Ezek 33;6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’


Those of us that are called to see and warn cannot remain silent. And I am encouraged by those who are hearing and seeing.


The Body of Christ needs to get back to reverence of the Word - I know the arguments like God is a person not a book. But the Word is alive and supernatural in itself, and not just a book! It is God’s written communication to His people of Himself, His nature and His ways.

No comments: