pearbox : undefined

hmmm confusion — for the last while, as some of you might know — I’ve been going through a few of Richard Foster’s books on — beside my bed I have The Celebration of Discipline, Prayer, Finding my Heart’s true Home, Streams of Living Water… and the like, some deep thought provoking insights on Spiritual Formation and the like…

Online I’ve been reading various blogs here and there about Reform Theology, a bit here and there about the Emergent Conversation and some of the problems with that.. so a lot on false teachings, idle talk and speculation — Pastoral Epistles — stuff I’m teaching in Sunday School.

My theology coming into this — is one thats kind of liberal — open minded, in that I don’t think there’s one ‘branch,’ ‘tradition,’ or ‘method’ to know God — rather each every denomination, each and every tradition — catches one ‘portion’ of who God is — and that section itself is already beyond our ability to fathom— Yet doctrinal problems, discussions on theology, orthodoxy, orthopraxy divide us, schism!– we look accross at the other ‘tradition,’ other ’stream’ or ‘approach’ to God and say hey! that doesn’t match up with my theology! it must be wrong! heresy! Yet… really in His sovereign grace — its that He has revaled Himself in a different way… to different parts of His church — some more in the word - Evangelical, some more in the Spirit - Charismatic, others more in Prayer - contemplative and so on and so forth….. and though it might all seem to be a pile of dividing rubble… It’s His grace that He reveals to us.. and ultimately we are called to Know Him and no matter what that relationship takes place - King, father, beloved one, best friends, teacher etc.. We are saved by the core — Faith that is given by Grace so that we might be cleansed, forgiven — and come to know and have that relationship with God.

So thats all good and dandy… perhaps a bit ‘danger’ for the more conservative in theology; and in some ways reflective of the emergent conversation of not having those ‘dividing lines’ and letting each person have their own ‘way’ in a conversation– (tho i don’t care for such a conversation and I believe in the sovereignty of scripture and that there IS TRUTH that can be known. and the core of our belief musn’t be turned to idle chatter)…

With that stuff in mind — I was reading up on book reviews on those Spiritual Formation books and I found a few sites — praising many of them — notably the classic Celebration of Discipline, yet at the same time other sites which — claim? are? i don’t know.. reformed? are warning against such books — that its ‘mysticism’ and false teaching and whatever…

And this has all gotten me to a place of excessive confusion… I know where I stand — Reformed, Evangelical & Charismatic… (if we’re into labels) and in many ways I want to have that greater understanding of God from all the true (e.g. not gnostic/agnostic) ‘traditions….’

hms… I really don’t know what to think — I obviously need to read more… and then test those things I read..

*1 John 4:1 NKJV*
Beloved, *do not* believe every spirit, but *test the spirits*, whether they are of God; because *many false prophets* have gone out into the world.

Thats quite unsettling — sort of POP goes all child-innocence in terms of theology, and understanding of the current church situation…

*Hebrews 6:11-12 NKJV*
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

*these things* refers to - unwholesome words/teachings that do not hold their base in the teachings of Christ and those of The Apostles (Scripture), those teachings which give ‘fruit’ - shall we say chaff, weeds, of pride, ignorance, obsession, disputes, strife, division.

Pursue eternal life — to Know God (John 17:3)..

Father God, Beloved Saviour, Holy Spirit –
Lead me Father — not into temptation, not into the clutches of evil men and their teachings… rather Guide me with your word — may it be a lamp unto my feet that I may take hold of your hand, and run with you to the very ends of time… and into daybreak! Lord, Jesus — your word is sharper than a double edge sword — and discovers the condition of my heart — Lord would you open me up and see those things if any — that might have strayed from your great salvation… discover those and gouge them out! Gouge them out that I might be clean and know you for who you are — my great salvation! Holy Spirit grant me the gift of discernment that in the haze of confusion and ocean of teachings — I might be able to find You to recognize your teaching — and not be led astray by those that are not of you… Holy Spirit — let me walk in and with you..
In the name of the Sovereign Truth, that is our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.