You know, the devil has a clever way of stealing truth from us. He buries it under dung. Every truth the Spirit puts forward, the enemy puts some dung on it. And, the greater the truth, the bigger the dung heap becomes. You know the result don't you? Soon the dung heap becomes a reason for people to say "I don't want that". I know, I know, you are going to want me to explain - so here are a few examples: (I'll give you the truth and then a little bit of the dung, without digging into the pile too deep).
Truth? "saved by grace". Dung? clean up and keep the rules so you can be saved. Truth? "be baptized you with the Holy Ghost and fire". Dung? If you get holy enough, you might receive (if you could get holy without Him, why would you need Him?). Truth? Be holy as God is holy. Dung? Dress up, or down, in order to look holy. Truth? New and better covenant. Dung? Insist on preaching nine out of ten sermons from the Law of Moses and define Christianity by those sermons. Truth? God wants you to prosper. Dung? accumulate weath and brag about your money. Truth? God wants to make you joyful. Dung? Better jokes to imitate the joy. Truth? Prophesy unto edification, exhortation and comfort (New Testament demand). Dung? The Bible is not complete, let the prophet fill in the blanks. Had enough? I could go on.
Just since the 60's, great truths have emerged from the charismatic move which began in the 60's; praise restoration, discipleship, word of faith, deliverance, prosperity, joy, etc. I have loved them all! They have come like waves of glory, only to soon be buried under the dung. As men and women of God, we have to sort out the truth from the dung. In every area the truth is still there, under the pile, but now you have to look past the dung in order to find it. I urge every believer to never, ever fail to search the word to see if what you are hearing or reading is true. The truth will be simple, straightforward and universal in application. The dung will make it complicated and legalistic. I urge you to be one of those Bereans in the Bible who were known for searching the Word to see if the things they had heard were true. Never be afraid to question. Search the New Testament, carefully observing context and literal meaning. If you don't....you are going to step in it!
Above all, don't be a dung spreader. We don't have to exaggerate. We don't have to add to the simple truths of God's word. We don't have to interpret with exaggeration. We don't have to take things out of context in order to make a point. We don't have to stretch truths beyond simplicity. We don't have to create man-made rules and formulas. All such things will eventually become dung.
Above all, don't be a dung spreader. We don't have to exaggerate. We don't have to add to the simple truths of God's word. We don't have to interpret with exaggeration. We don't have to take things out of context in order to make a point. We don't have to stretch truths beyond simplicity. We don't have to create man-made rules and formulas. All such things will eventually become dung.
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