Shepherds' Fellowship

"tossed by the waves in every wind of doctrine"

That's a peculiar word picture for the Church.

James says: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." 1:6

Also: "Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things." 3:4-5

The winds of doctrines are brought forth by false teachers, prophets, and disciples. And there are even doctrines of deamons, which are hindering many within the Church, and always have been. For even Christ when He went to the synagogue of Capernaum on the Sabbath, and taught His doctrine with authroity, and not as the scribes, which astonished the congregation and the people, encountered in this same synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. Mark 2:21-28

If we know the Word of Christ, then the Holy Spirit will be a "rushing mighty wind" in our souls, and this same Word will be our delight to read, study and deeply ponder, and so we "shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in season; his leaf shall also not wither; and whatsoever he does will prosper". And so these lesser winds will not move us, but "the ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind drives away".

The true sheep of God will hear Jesus. They may wander a bit, and the Good Shepherd will call them, and they will come back. The wolves will try to kill and eat the sheep, and the hirlings will run, but the Good Shepherd of our souls will forever be faithful to His promise. Even when we are doubting, the faith we have, even a mustard seed, will find a faithful Lord and Friend, who cares for us, when we cast our burdens and troubles upon Him.

Very good post as usual. Lord bless.

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Every Wind of Teaching

Have you ever fanned the pages of a book and felt a slight breeze on your face? A slight wind? Wind exerts pressure and can cause objects or people to move or change directions. An object or a persons anchor or foundation will determine the amount of resistance that is available to counter the pressure of that wind. Structural engineers work with these realities every day in designing buildings, bridges, transmission towers, etc. I am convinced that books are one source of the “wind” that is mentioned in Ephesians 4:14. These are the books that are sold in the back foyer of your local church. The books that your pastors promote, the books that are sold at the conferences you attend. Books with some truth and some error. Books not inspired by the Holy Spirit. Books written by error prone men and women. If your anchor or foundation is in the people who author the books, the wind they generate will blow you where ever it pleases, and your ability to discern the truth will be compromised.

Here is an example to ponder. The next time you hear someone encourage you to be “cross centered” because they read a book by a well respected Christian author and conference speaker, examine your foundation. Who do you trust, the person who made the suggestion, the author of the book, or the Holy Spirit. Are you a “crosstian” or a Christian? Are you a follower of Christ or a follower of the cross? Ask yourself, do I truly obey the first two commandments, or am I just blowing in the wind?

Don’t expect your pastors, elders or friends to challenge the errors in these books, by these well respected authors. The burden is on you. Test everything. First Thessalonians 5:21.

Sadly, we must agree with the second responder above. The discerning observer wonders what is missing in the "reformed" and "fundamentalist" churches that leaves the soul yet hungry and thirsty. We wonder if D.L. Kane hasn't hit on the key to what is lacking. A.W. Tozer lived through the early part of the 20th century and said that the fundamentalist churches fled from wild fire into deep freeze in response to certain "enthusiastic" elements that became prominent then. We still look for signs of a thaw on the one side or wisdom and balance on the other. May God the Spirit be not grieved and quenched forever, and return in power.

Among religious persons of unquestioned orthodoxy there is sometimes found a dull dependence upon the letter of the text without the faintest understanding of its spirit. That truth is in its essence spiritual must constantly be kept before our minds if we would know the truth indeed. Jesus Christ is Himself the Truth, and He cannot be confined to mere words even though, as we ardently believe, He has Himself inspired the words. That which is spiritual cannot be shut in by ink or fenced in by type and paper. The best a book can do is to give us the letter of the truth. If we ever receive more than this, it must be by the Holy Spirit who gives it. The great need of the hour among persons spiritually hungry it twofold: First, to know the Scriptures, apart from which no saving truth will be vouchsafed by our Lord; the second, to be enlightened by the Spirit, apart from whom the Scriptures will not be understood. – A.W. Tozer

The teachers of error would, if it were possible, have deceived the very elect; but the chosen detect the deception by the spiritual discernment which is in them, and by the teaching of the Holy Ghost. – C.H. Spurgeon

There is a spirit of discernment, and much is it wanted now-a-days. It comes to us in the following way: Instruction, apprehension, acquaintance, certainty, - these bring discernment to detect the false from the true. Very delightful, too, is it to my mind, to see how the least instructed Christian, who does yet know his Lord and love him, is not to be led astray. Mere professors like to hear a man who can speak fluently; and if he will use very pretty phrases and talk about cataracts, and the rippling rills, and the skies, and the clouds, and heaven knows what besides of mimic poetry, they cry up the orator mightily. The child of God thinks not so, for he has another way of judging. He says when he hears such rhetoric, “There was nothing for me.” “What do you mean? There were plenty of flowers.” “I cannot eat flowers,” saith he. He judges whether he was fed or not, and he knows what he can eat. Nobody teaches sheep what is good for food and what is not; they know by instinct. – Spurgeon

Was the "Spirit Alone" this missing 6th article of the Reformation? Clearly, some of these brothers believe it was. What if someone who is unsaved hopelessly mired in sin, upon hearing the Gospel, is instantly penetrated to the heart and convicted. Shall they say that it was not the Scripture that convicted him, but the Holy Spirit? If the Holy Spirit, then what need is there for the Scripture? But consider this.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (New International Version)
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

If the Scripture is God-breathed then the Holy Spirit is speaking from its pages. What if some have not understood it, it the text inadequate? This is precisely the problem with the Charismatic movement. Is seeking and focusing on receiving some esoteric revelation from the Holy Spirit they have reduced the Scriptures to a barren text. This is simply not what the bible teaches.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

And again, the Holy Spirit speaks,
Hebrews 3:7
So, as the Holy Spirit says:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,

So then, all pious men should place the Holy Scriptures in there proper position as God-breathed divine revelation, and not seek for His voice apart from his explicitly revealed will in the Bible. Do do anything else is to look for arbitrary, esoteric teaching when we have been given the explicit revealed will of God in a form He saw fit. Did not even the Apostles who receive teaching from Christ himself place all value in the Scriptures?
2 Peter
And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

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"So when you state, "If the Scripture is God-breathed then the Holy Spirit is speaking from its pages" please keep in mind that Rome has the same scripture that we do and yet they discern something all together different than the reformers did."

The Roman Catholic church discerns something all together different than we do precisely because of their refusal to submit to the Holy Scriptures Alone, "Sola Scriptura", in discerning biblical truth. The Catholic church has long held that church leadership alone, especially the Pope, has ultimate authority to interpret Scripture. Therefore, when the bible explicitly says something it may mean something else because of the interpretation of Bishops or church tradition. Shall we now yield interpretive authority to the Spirit speaking to men? Then whatever person, even if he be a babbling dog, who can claim to be the most spirit infused will have the authority to interpret Scriptures. This too the detriment of all who's minds are not discerning. But if the Scripture Alone is our guide then these babblers will be silenced and we may work out our doctrinal differences on a more sure footing. This is what Peter was saying when he spoke.
2 Peter
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

And,
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

I would not only make a point of the Catholic church but this is the same error that many in the Fundamentalist movement have fallen into. For in their adulterous love affair with unbiblical doctrines they have sought to elevate their lover too the same status as the word of life, and to whatever extent they could not accomplish this they have diminished the true word.

How low has sin brought us; for we even lack the faculty to understand spiritual things, and are quite unable to know them till we are endowed with spiritual discernment. Will God in very deed give us understanding? This is a miracle of grace. It will, however, never be wrought upon us till we know our need of it; and we shall not even discover that need till God gives us a measure of understanding to perceive it. We are in a state of complicated ruin, from which nothing but manifold grace can deliver us. Those who feel their folly are by the example of the Psalmist encouraged to pray for understanding: let each man by faith cry, "Give me understanding." Others have had it, why may it not come to me? It was a gift to them; will not the Lord also freely bestow it upon me?
That wisdom which operates without must be attended by a spiritual understanding which is powerful within. I hardly know how to explain this: it is an inward knowledge of truth, the knowledge of the inward parts of things. It is a spiritual discernment, taste, experience, and reception of truth, whereby the soul feeds upon it, and takes it into herself. We know many men who know much but understand nothing. They accept implicitly what they are taught, but they have never considered it, weighed it, estimated it, found out the roots of it, or seen the heart of it. Oh, to have in the church men full of spiritual understanding! These can say that they have tasted and handled the good word of life, and have proved and tested the truth as it is in Jesus. - Spurgeon

Daniel, Spurgeon is always welcome. If there are no objection by you or D. L Kane I would like to re-post some of your and my comments on my blog, www.lightinthelord.com . Perhaps we can also continue the discussion over there. If you have any objections feel free to e-mail me.