Grandma used to say....

 Ephesians 4:13-15 "...till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—"

With so many ministers out there behind pulpits in every church, on tv, internet, radio, in books and even on podcast, there is a lot of teaching going on out there. Some of it's great, and some of it could be potentially toxic. As we all know, what we believe will turn into what we think, and what we think will come out of our mouths, and there is power in what we speak. So how do you know the difference between solid teaching and toxic teaching? Balance it with the word of God! What does God's Word say on this subject? Just a hint, don't take just 1 or 2 examples from the Bible. You need solid scriptural points. Here's what does NOT qualify as solid scripture:

• Song lyrics - Anyone, and I mean ANYONE can write a song. While I'm all for Christian music, that does not mean that everything that you hear is scriptural and should be taken as truth or worse, used to create or support a doctrinal belief. It's a pet peeve of mine, but please don't try to support your doctrine by quoting a song! This just won't hold water.
• Catch phrases - Just because it rhymes or rolls of the tongue doesn't make it anointed or true. Be smart folks, you may have heard preachers and church people from all over the world say it, but it doesn't mean it's in the Bible or supported by the Bible.Can't tell you the number of times people have said, "I think that's in the Bible somewhere" or "I thought for sure that was in there." Only to realize that they've been quoting catch phrases as Scripture.
• Traditions - Just because it's what you've always heard or your parents told you that, doesn't mean it's scriptural. Unfortunately, if you can't find 3-4 scriptures, not stories to be interpreted lots of ways, but actual scriptures, then it's probably opinion. Check it out in the Word! 
• Books and commentaries - While book and commentaries can be enlightening and great tool to study the word, we've got to be careful to base our beliefs on opinions. Make sure that what you are reading is rooted in Scripture and should frequently reference Scripture to make their points.

 Since becoming an adult and moving out on my own, I have really start to examine some of the beliefs I've always held. One thing I've realized is that I don't know everything, and that if I want to know more, I've got to get into the Word. This is so important for so many reasons, but mainly we need to be able to share our faith with others. To do that, we have to be able to show them in Scripture where these truths are kept and on what our foundation is based.

If our faith is based on little thoughts and phrases, then it is no more effective or strong than that of any other faith. For instance, you can strongly say "I believe...," but if that belief can not be found in Scripture, then that belief is no different than the beliefs of the Muslim or Buddhist. All of them strongly believe in something, but as we know this belief holds no power because only the Word of God holds truth and power for living.

I remember hearing one teacher say it like this. When you are listening to teaching or preaching, you need to have your antenna up. You need to be thinking about what is being said and checking that against the Scripture you know. Thinking things like: Does this mesh with the nature of God? Does this support what I already know of Scripture? Can I think of any other Scriptures that talk about this? 

Don't be taken in by fancy presentations, opinions, or flashy degrees and experience. While we tend to think that those who have studied the Word and have lots of experience preaching or teaching do know a lot, we need to remember that these folks and human; it doesn't mean that they are always right. So no matter how much faith you have in the person's credentials, you need to find out for yourself. Remember, when you are looking up Scriptures, read a few verses before and after to get the full effect the writer is trying to convey. Just like the media takes things said in interviews out of context, we can do the same thing if we don't consider the full point that is being made. So make sure you don't pick out what you think it's saying without really looking first. 

Bottom line: Everyone has thoughts and opinions, but we can't hold those in higher regard than the Word of God. Be open-minded. Don't assume because you've thought that way a long time that it is the correct way. Examine the Scripture from lots of angles, and don't be too proud to admit that you don't know something or maybe you've been wrong about something. This only means you are catching an even greater grasp of Scripture and growing! I think the Scripture below really sums it up. 

2 Timothy 2: 15 "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

I Need A Hero

Maybe you've been watching the new Batman films like I have. They are truly some of the most successful films to have come out in the past couple of years. I think the hero and villain plots are always exciting, and Batman is a part of a lot of folks' childhoods, but I think that these films connect with us on a much deeper level than that. In every film we see a community racked by crime, poverty, crooked politicians and government officials, and a city on the brink of destruction. Mostly we see a people without hope. Sound familiar? In most metropolises where crime is on the rise, many are without jobs and even those with jobs are struggling, politicians are constantly being caught doing immoral and illegal things, while natural disasters and a failing economic system hover overhead it's no wonder that our country has lost hope. Many feel that if the wealthy would just give more money to charity, if the private sector could create more jobs, or if the government could straighten things out, our country would be ok. The problem though is much more far-reaching than anything any one person or group of people could do. We need a hero. No, not like Superman or Batman. We need someone to fix this mess and to save humanity from themselves. Unfortunately the bulk of our troubles come from within. According to Scripture, "sin entered the world by one man." Before sin entered the world, there was no sickness, poverty, death, natural disasters, or evil. Once Adam and Eve made the decision to disobey God, they opened the door for a whole lot more than they bargained. It became difficult to provide for families, man now had selfish and evil desires and the first murder took place not long after this. Yet, God didn't leave us to our misery. Instead He sent His Son, the One He loved most to be sacrificed for us because He loved us even more. Jesus said, "I am come that you might have life, and life more abundantly." God sent His Son to bleed and die, to suffer the most cruel death that we might be able to choose a different life. A life, not free from pain, but free of separation from God. God has made us many promises in His Word, from health to prosperity, to salvation for our loved ones, to peace and joy. Truly, He is our hero, if we will but accept Him and let Him not only bring eternal salvation, but peace and joy if we rely on Him each and every day. He brings hope in hopeless situations and peace against impossible odds. Will you be saved? Will you fall into the arms of a loving God who is seeking to help you through this difficult life? Or will you reject all He is offering you today?