In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - John 1: 1 (NIV)
I believe in the Word of God. I believe it is fully inspired by God Himself. That means I believe essentially He wrote it. I believe it is inerrant. I believe it is infallible. I believe in a world spinning out of control it provides a foundation to build upon. I believe in a world that blurs everything into shades of gray that it proves everything is black or white based upon absolute truth. That there is no need to guess anymore. There is no need to wonder anymore. There is no need to freelance anymore. Because of all this I believe we should always approach the Word of God with reverent awe. The Bible says the Word is God therefore how we approach the Word is how we approach God Himself. Can you imagine willfully misusing God? I mean consciously deciding to use God for your own ends? To misrepresent God so you can get rich? To choose to lie about God so you could gain popularity and a following? To purposefully manipulate God to serve your basest fleshly desires in this world? So people will think you are righteous? So people will think you are special? So people will think you are relevant? Can you imagine approaching God with these intents in your heart?
Now realize that when you approach His Word for these outcomes that is exactly what you are doing. Every day I see people willfully discarding the Word of God as trash to follow their favorite preacher. When presented with clear biblical evidence of their error they simply use another Scripture out of context. They simply twist another bible story to justify their wanton craving to have their itching ears scratched. Using Scripture is not understanding Scripture. Knowing Scripture is not understanding Scripture. What made the Bereans noble was their zealous pursuit to measure everything they heard up to the plumb line of the Word of God; throwing away what did not measure up. Not finding excuses for it. Not coddling it. The Bible is truth so therefore what does not measure up is false. Period. No wiggle room. No debate. Debate is akin to leaven. We seek to marginalize the Word of God so we can marginalize our sin - pure and simple. We follow snake oil salesmen who pimp cheap grace because it doesn't cost us as much as the real thing. We like greasy grace because even though we know it is no good for us- man does it taste good going down. We want to hear about how special we are. We want to hear about how God is going to serve us. We want to hear about how many times over God will bless us. How we are everything the Bible says we are not. Don't believe me? Read Romans 3! None are righteous! Not even one! Our throats are open graves and the poison of vipers is upon our lips! Does that sound like there are seven steps to a better you? There is only one step and His name is Jesus Christ because everywhere we have failed - He has succeeded.
But He is His Word. We cannot separate them out as we see in so many churches. We cannot claim to love Jesus Christ and then seemingly not care about His Word. We cannot claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ and then advocate for the watering down, sugaring up, seekerizing, relevantizing, or in any fashion manipulating of His Word. And silence is advocacy. Do not pretend it is not. Every time we say "what's the big deal" - we spit on the Word of God. Every time we look the other way and refuse to stand for what is right we spit on the Word of God. And He is His Word. And please, let us throw out the discussion about our intentions. As if our intentions are what matters to God. They do not. Our obedience is what matters to God. Obedience to what? Obedience to His Word.
His Word is beautiful in a world that is filled with such ugliness. His Word is a rock amidst the shifting sands of time. It is the same yesterday, today and forever. The same Word that saved an eighth century Scotsman saved a 14th century South American peasant. You think that is easy? Consider this - Joel Osteen's or Joseph Prince's messages could not play in most other countries within the generation it is preached! Do you think you can tell a starving 10 year old in the desert that God wants to give them five times the blessings, anointings and changes of clothes because they are part of the "Benjamin Generation???" Enough with the nonsense! It is pure rat poison they are feeding us yet we keep lining up at the trough.
The Gospel is universal. It transcends time. It pays no attention to culture. It is not a respecter of person. It is perfect to our imperfections. Do we realize the treasure we have? To have insight into the mind of God? To have all of the revelation and prophecy we can ever need? To be assured of His love? To be assured of eternal life? I honestly have to wonder when we look out across the landscape of Christendom and see millions of people willingly sitting under horrific false teaching. Chasing unbiblical things such as "prophetic cultures", "holy fire", or "apostolic paradigms." Chasing spiritual experiences instead of seeking the Holy Spirit within them. Looking for a "word" for their life when they have THE Word at their fingertips.
This isn't a joke. It isn't a Sunday morning exercise in high society. The God they are selling you does not exist. The Christ they preach is false. He has as much power to save you as I do! None! Only the Word can break the yoke the devil has tied around your neck. Only the Word can give sight to the blind and set captives free. Only the Word can keep us free. Only the Word can free our families and friends. Only the Word. Yet how do we treat it? Like rubbish. We sing songs allegedly in praise to God that are not even Biblical. Dear Lord - shouting at Him about how we're going to get our blessings right now! Forget how great Thou art - you're going to hear how great we are and how much you must love us. God forgive us.
There was a question asked on Facebook recently by a pastor about what would be the top reason for joining a church and the answers were frightening. Childcare ministries, community involvement, parking for heavens sake. Then there were the answers influenced by the eastern mysticism in our current churches like, manifest presence, spiritual atmosphere, or the anointing. Only myself and one other person responded - "sound doctrine." I do not want the opinion of the man in the thousand dollar suit. I do not need the best trained voices and musicians. I do not care about what ministries and parking privileges they offer. Do they preach the unaltered Word of God and do they live what they preach. We can make everything else up as we go. The best thing is - the Word will tell us how!
But I'm just the ranter. I'm just the guy standing in the gap. Because I believe in the Word I know there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. I know that time is running out while we play religious games. To some I am the legalist. To others I am the judgmental one. It doesn't matter because it has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with Him. Of these I am the least. Without His grace I am nothing - which I why I will not allow anyone to cheapen it. Beloved, when people in foreign countries are finally given bibles in their own language they weep over them. Oh that we would understand the treasure we have and respect it as such. Not with mere lip service and false displays of pseudo-piety. Deep down in our spirit. So that when we would see someone abusing the Word of God it would upset us to the core of our being. That we would want nothing to do with them and shout out "wolf!" for all to hear so that others would not be lured in.
One day we will all stand before God. Many who spent their lives in "church" will discover that they were not in Christ. All the slick sermons and poll tested talking points will not endure. All the false worship that glorified man will not endure. All of the television hucksters and their million dollar mansions will not endure. All their smiling faced books of self help and motivation will not endure. All of the hypocrisy and lies will not endure. The only thing that will endure will be the Word of God because the Word is God. I know this may not seem like a feel good message but believe me it is. I know it may not sound like a fluffy love message but it is. It is the one thing that has been lacking for so long, for so many - it is truth. Truth is the Word which is love. God is love. God is truth. God is His Word. You can strip everything else out of this thing we call Christianity, lay down the Word as the proper foundation, and rebuild.
Rev. Anthony.
