Three challenges I was not ready for!

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com 

 

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3 challenges I didn’t expect in following Jesus.

 

I have been married 37 years and this one thing I know… Once you know everything there is to know about women, you never have to worry about figuring them out ever again. - You just have to know everything about them… right???

 

My 2nd biggest challenge that would hit me between the eyes, that I was not ready for was… Your theology will always be challenged and you will never quit learning if you want to grow in spiritual matters. 

 

Matthew 13:11-23 Speaks of those who are willing to receive Gods word… and if they do they will hear and understand even more. 

 

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, workman that needeth not to be ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of God. 

 

So I thought that when I was out of Olivet Nazarene with my Masters I would not exactly know everything, but for the most part on things that i believed in and understood would never be challenged, because…well lets face it, what I believe is right AND QUITE OBVIOUSLY SO!

 

But thats just not the case. 

My father used to say a persons spiritual beliefs were 45% personality, 45% who they accepted Christ under (ie. denomination etc…) and only 5% actual unbiased personal study and 5% of life events mostly based on their family. 

 

I have learned the beauty of putting myself in friendships of people who love Jesus but have very different views than I do on scripture. Many of my friends are once saved always saved, some of my friends don’t believe in the gifts of the spirit anymore, some of my friends are earth is flat people, some of my friends are strong catholic believers, some of my friends are Jehovah witness or Mormons… They love Jesus, just not the way I see him. 

On top of that I have many friends who share the same exact theology, but are completely different in practice…

And I have learned from all of them… and quite a few have changed my beliefs… now hold on, I still believe my theology and beliefs line up with scripture, but I think I see things differently. 

 

J.I Packer who wrote knowing god, a brilliant and beautiful scholar and theologian - was at a conference that my then one time brother in law was at. He tells a wonderfully unscript story where during lunch in downtown Chicago he runs into Packer- who was there to speak and asked if he could have lunch with him. He politely obliged and they had an amazing conversation. Now my Brother in law at the time was no slouch in theology, very very smart… and he challenged Packer on some thoughts… Packer listened oh so politely and at the end of the conversation he smiled and said “well thats at least where I am now in how I see things…  but how I see and understand God is always changing”. David added in a conversation to me, that isn’t it so true that a God that never changes must demand that we do in how we perceive him. 

 

So I want to challenge you to challenge YOU. Ask some hard questions on why you believe what you believe. 

Why are the gifts for today? Why are they not? Why can’t you personally see signs and wonders? Why do you not share the gospel? Why i speaking in tongues wrong or right? Why is it once saved always saved? Can you abuse Gods grace - I would love to hear what you come up with on that one… you might be shocked at my answer… 

But the point is you only grow by challenging what you think you know. 

When you pick up the bible asking God to challenge what you think you know.

I will leave you with one quick example: I used to amen people who would say Jesus would never shame anyone… I mean he wouldn’t right? Jesus wouldn’t do that - he is full of grace and love and compassion and I could just never see Jesus shaming anyone…

oh but wait… Luke 13:17 and Jesus shames the pharisees… the word there is politely sometimes shared as “humiliated” 

but the true greek word “Kahtee-uh- skoo-no” means to not just shame, but to vehemently shame, to shame to disgrace! 

So now how do you wrestle with that? Can You shame? Can I shame? is shaming right? Can only Jesus shame? 

I let you figure it out- and if you don’t ??? SHAME ON YOU!