"....Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?" (Neh. 2:3, from today's Reading in the Law-History section of the Bible)
On a test I once took, my "primary gift" came up as "pastoral," and my "motivational gift" as "prophetic." I told the person who gave the test, "That's almost 'irreconcilable differences.'" To which he replied, "I'll pray for you."
And I knew why. A problem with "prophetic" people is the tendency to criticalness, negativity, come off as mean-spirited, well, need I say more? Okay, but once people work their way through such personality flaws, they also need to see and hear the word of the Lord in the "prophetic people." Our text today is such a Word.
I have lived through most of what has been called "The Charismatic Renewal." My journey in the "renewal" began in 1964. I saw the refreshing, innocent, though not naive "spirit" in most people and gatherings. But as the years went by, two things became more and more apparent to me. First, "the place of my fathers' tombs,' which I liken to the historic, orthodox, "faith of Jesus," substantiated by the great "Church Fathers" of the Church and the Creeds, was taken over by many who had no knowledge of Biblical Principles, no knowledge of Church History, in short, they were as our Lord Jesus says, "....they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves." Second, eventually neophytes began to emerge and dominate in many circles, not only as "members" but also as "leaders." The latter became responsible for what emerged in so many places, "lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire".
So, I say with Nehemiah, "Why should my face not be sad," for such perversion. Now, I would be more than glad to have a gathering with any and all who would like to discuss what to some might seem as an over-stated and know-it-all attitude on the contemporary Church. Yet while I do not advocate inordinate introspection, I do advocate what Paul told the Corinthian Church, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." I read our text earlier today, then read a devotional of Oswald Chambers. "....Your message as His servant is merciless insistence on the one line, cut down to the very root, otherwise there will be no healing. Drive home the message until there is no possible refuge from its application. Begin to get at people where they are until you get them to realize what they lack, and then erect the standard of Jesus Christ in their lives...."
On a test I once took, my "primary gift" came up as "pastoral," and my "motivational gift" as "prophetic." I told the person who gave the test, "That's almost 'irreconcilable differences.'" To which he replied, "I'll pray for you."
And I knew why. A problem with "prophetic" people is the tendency to criticalness, negativity, come off as mean-spirited, well, need I say more? Okay, but once people work their way through such personality flaws, they also need to see and hear the word of the Lord in the "prophetic people." Our text today is such a Word.
I have lived through most of what has been called "The Charismatic Renewal." My journey in the "renewal" began in 1964. I saw the refreshing, innocent, though not naive "spirit" in most people and gatherings. But as the years went by, two things became more and more apparent to me. First, "the place of my fathers' tombs,' which I liken to the historic, orthodox, "faith of Jesus," substantiated by the great "Church Fathers" of the Church and the Creeds, was taken over by many who had no knowledge of Biblical Principles, no knowledge of Church History, in short, they were as our Lord Jesus says, "....they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves." Second, eventually neophytes began to emerge and dominate in many circles, not only as "members" but also as "leaders." The latter became responsible for what emerged in so many places, "lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire".
So, I say with Nehemiah, "Why should my face not be sad," for such perversion. Now, I would be more than glad to have a gathering with any and all who would like to discuss what to some might seem as an over-stated and know-it-all attitude on the contemporary Church. Yet while I do not advocate inordinate introspection, I do advocate what Paul told the Corinthian Church, "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." I read our text earlier today, then read a devotional of Oswald Chambers. "....Your message as His servant is merciless insistence on the one line, cut down to the very root, otherwise there will be no healing. Drive home the message until there is no possible refuge from its application. Begin to get at people where they are until you get them to realize what they lack, and then erect the standard of Jesus Christ in their lives...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I say with the hymn writer, "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord....I love Thy Church, O God." Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
