And the Wind Doth Blow

***REPOST of post dated February 2008***

The kids have missed two soccer practices and half of another because it has been really windy here in the past couple of weeks. You could barely get out of the car without the wind blowing the car door back on you and crushing part of your body. While I was picking up Beth from school one day I noticed a bird that was lazily “enjoying” the wind. First he would fly a little forward only to be pushed back by the wind. Then, he seemed to give up and be content floating along wherever the breeze would take him. His wings stopped fighting what he couldn’t resist long enough to just float along.

It reminded me of something the Lord has been showing me. Something that is still sinking in. Something that if left untethered can become dangerous.

A while back some of you may recall a post I did on my allergies (I removed this post months ago). I had decided to see a doctor that I thought the Lord was leading me to. I had felt clearly that this is what the Lord was going to allow to help me in this area that had become quite a “thorn in my side.” The methods she used were interesting, not utilizing medication, which I did not want to consider. Things moved along okay. It was getting expensive but I felt it was helping...until she suggested I watch a DVD called The Secret. Then, instantly, I knew that I had made a mistake. I knew that God and not told me to see this doctor. I had listened to my own thoughts, my own ideas, my own agenda of how I wanted it done. And, I was deceived. I immediately stopped going to this doctor. Looking back I see now that I was going down the road associated with New Age doctrine and mysticism. It was clearly not directed by the Lord.

I was extremely grateful the Lord had placed this caution on my heart. As the weeks moved on, it didn’t stop there. I realized how easily one can be swayed by teachings, books, and even today's Bibles that are manmade paraphrases of what they think the Lord is saying. I began praying for wisdom and discernment. I began research on doctrines, book reviews and false teachings. I was alarmed at how easily, for a time, I could have been seriously swayed by false teachings and doctrine. Since then, I have thrown several books that I owned into the trash. When I compared what some authors are writing with the Word of God it did not add up. It sounds good on the surface and made me “feel better” for a time. I have since learned that what I read needs to be carefully assessed to see if it lines up with the word of God. There are some mindsets of mine that I am still working on the Lord changing because it was everything that my flesh wanted to hear.

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes (Ephesians 4:11-14).

...I will no longer buy books by "famous Christian" authors without careful prayer and research into what they truly believe.

In scripture, we are warned that there will be false doctrine by people who say they are Christians. “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). This is why I will no longer buy books by “famous Christian” authors without careful prayer and research into what they truly believe. This can be hard when it seems everyone is in agreement with everything that is out there. If it is mainsteam and tickles the itching ears then it is probably not the full gospel of the Bible.

"For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths"(2 Timothy 4:3-4).

So how do you know? Pray for discernment. Pray that the Lord would give you a heart like the Bereans in Acts who carefully studied the scriptures to make sure everything Paul was preaching to them was true (Acts 17:11). Carefully and scrupulously compare what you think is true lines up with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If they are teaching the love of God, are they also teaching about the wrath and judgment of God? Are they teaching repentance? Are they teaching that we are saved by faith through grace and not of works? Are the thoughts taken in context with the whole Word of God or is a verse carefully selected to support what the author is saying?

We are living in an age of deception. Be aware of what is going on out there. Pray that you are not deceived! Read and study the Word of God daily.

"As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith"(1 Timothy 1:3).