Proverbs 2:6 -
6 For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
James 1:5 -
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Daniel 2:21 -
21 He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
Strife, doctrinal disagreement, and the like has plagued the Global Body of Christ since the foundation of the Church. Many Denominations, affiliations, and groups do not agree or get along. They do not agree on parts, or the interpretation of the Word of God (Bible), and it usually becomes a matter of “I am right and you are wrong!” Driving the wedge deeper, dividing any kind of unity that might have been.
Let us break this down into an earthly example...
Jesus is the Sheppard and the Global Body of Christ (also comprised of smaller pieces we call Local churches) is the flock of sheep. When two or more sheep disagree on the Sheppard's word, the sheep fight and separate themselves from the Body (flock). Well, this activity does not go completely unnoticed, for there is a wolf (satan) waiting in the bushes just outside the boundaries of the flock, waiting patiently to devour whom he may.
Wouldn't it be better if the two or more sheep, who disagree on the Sheppard's word, went to the Sheppard Himself and asked the Sheppard (Jesus) for the truth about His word, since the Bible was breathed through its writers by the Holy Spirit and originated from the Throne of God. Oh! How fewer the disagreements would be if we prayed and fasted, asking Jesus Himself for the answers to the interpretations, disagreements, and questions we harbor among us, bringing unity to the Global Body of Christ at last!
In fact, this would be a good idea even when doubting something you just heard from a minister, evangelist, or the like.
Saints, just because they claim to be a man or woman of God does not mean their interpretations of scripture are correct.
I remember being seven years old and visiting a church with my family and hearing the minister say over the pulpit that Jesus "wined and danced," now show me in the Bible where that is written? I was seven and knew that this did not sound correct, and I mentioned it to my family seated around me. The other people seated around us didn't seem to even flinch at the idea of what was just said.
This is the sad state of many churches today, we take everything we hear and mistake it for absolute truth, without asking the One (Jesus, the Lord) who said it in the first place.
Sometimes, what is spoken might not be discerned as easily, but still causes doctrinal differences, which in turn causes deeper misinterpretations and strife among us.
Stepping out on a limb for a moment...
Take for example the pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation Rapture debate. It has caused many disagreements and trouble in the Church, yet in the Bible it is written that God's wrath, which is the Tribulation, is not appointed unto the ones who love and serve Jesus. Even so, many still debate this argument.
When I was in my young teenage years, before I was aware of such debates, the Lord gave me a vision of the Rapture, and I can tell you the Rapture happens before the rise of satan, the anti-christ, and his diviner, in fact, it happens on the leading edge of it. When we no more than clear the outer limits of the Earth's atmosphere, the anti-christ gains control.
I will believe what Jesus reveals to me, before I will believe what a man or woman tells me.
As the times in which we live grow darker and more evil, and charming, anti-christ spirited false ministers and prophets start appearing on the world scene, we need to discern even more the things we listen to, believe, and practice.
Beware of doctrine not in the Bible or taken out of context. Remember, if we ask the Holy Spirit to give us discernment and guidance, seeking Jesus with all out hearts, we can avoid many of the pitfalls and delusions lying in wait for the Church.
In closing, I would like to leave you with an idea to think about...
Let's go back to the Biblical account in Genesis of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, with God's plan of redemption set aside in our thoughts. I often use this account in the Bible, because this is where trouble began for us.
What do you think would have happened if Adam and Eve would have went to God, instead of eating of the fruit, and asked the Lord questions regarding the doctrine satan (in serpent form) had just embedded in their minds? Would we the people of this Earth be in the predicament we are in now, fallen and lost in sin?
And the answer is... don't act on a Biblical disagreement by separating yourself from one another, the Body of Christ, and God. Go to Jesus and ask Him for the true meaning of what He said in the Bible. If we practice this fervently, then we can start putting the Global Body of Christ back together again and move forward.
Blessings,
Christopher Moss
I am a vessel of the Holy Spirit.
A vessel is useless unless it is filled, and a vessel can do nothing as of itself, so as this vessel is poured out, I pen its contents as it flows. - Christopher Moss
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