Now acquaint yourself
with Him,
and be at peace;
thereby good will
come to you.
Receive, please, instruction
from His mouth,
and lay up His words
in your heart.
If you return to
the Almighty
you will be built up;
you will remove
iniquity from your tents.
Job 22:21-23
It is not an easy thing for a soul, under the influence of error, to be persuaded of the contrary opinion. This statement made by Ireneaus is so true and in my attempt to address what error has pervaded the Church is an error of the mind of man who seeks God, but according to his own wisdom and desire, I realize that it is difficult for a person to change their beliefs. I do not want to just convince you that I am right, rather to lead you to God's word and allow God to change your heart and your desires. If I convince you by my argument, someone may come along with another opinion and change you once again. Many Church-goers go to have their desires satisfied, they relish the excitement and the possibility that they will be healed, or that someone they know, a relative, or friend, will receive a healing and in their exuberance in their worship they feel close to God, they love that feeling, they want more, and they ask themselves: is this not of God? Am I not worshiping as God would want me to do? Some theologians, pastors, and leaders of Churches have decreed that the revelatory "sign" gift is a gift that the Holy Spirit endows the children of God with and is for the Church a proof that they are truly following God. Are they? Is this God's desire, that is to heal everyone, that people are to go around town and attempting to heal someone? This is done by students of Schools of the Supernatural; I am a witness to that fact. Is this what we are suppose to be doing? Look at Jesus Christ for an answer; No! He did not go around healing everyone that was sick and infirm, in fact He did not save everyone who asked: study the narrative of the rich man. Jesus Christ came with a purpose and that purpose was to save man from their sins and that purpose was given to His Church (Matthew 28:19-20).
It is evident that man wants to direct their own steps, they want to worship God in their own manner; God is not directing their lives, their worship, they are not seeking Him, they are not consulting Him, they want to make themselves governors of their own lives. Remember this truth: What a man believes becomes his religion, and his religion determines his character, and his character determines his actions. Therefore what a person comes to believe has tremendous effect on their lives and worship towards God. For us to decree a thing without our being acquainted with God is to prefer our dim sightedness wisdom before the infinite and Holy God and His infinite wisdom. To resolve a thing without consulting God, is to depose God and deify ourselves, our own wit and strength. Remember Lot? He wanted to stay in Sodom than to observe the command of the angels and leave that city: "And while he lingered..." (Genesis 19:16a). One cannot linger when error has been uncovered, they must flee from the danger, not only to themselves, but also their family. Those who desire the euphoric moments of worship and will not change their ways according to God's desire and their judgments run counter to God's judgments, men want to please themselves, therefore this misuse of the Gift of the Spirit runs rampart among many Christians. This self-gratifying worship has become the hallmark for many Churches and for many Church attendees. This form of worship was condemned by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthian Church and that letter of condemnation and recommendation that leads to correct worship and is applicable to us today.
It is not wrong to desire that God would heal. It is wrong that we have God as our benefactor but not as our ruler. We admire His excellency and pay Him a worship, provided that He walk by our rule: "These things you have done, and I kept silent; you thought that I was altogether like you; but I will rebuke you, and set them in order before your eyes" (Psalm 50:21). Those who put before God a form of worship and desire that is man's, desire the love God promises and the fact that God is merciful and they desire to amplify that love and mercy so that a person may contract His justice, they desire to have His power so that their wants and desires are met and satisfied, but they hate it when their unworthy projects are disappointed or not in accordance with their wills. They have then set themselves up as the Law of God and make their own imaginations the model of the nature of God. Peter attempted to refuse to have his feet washed by Jesus Christ; he wanted his way to be done, even if he thought that this was showing humility; but Jesus corrected him: "Peter said to Him, 'You shall never wash my feet!' Jesus answered him, 'If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me" (John 13:8). Become as Peter: "Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" (John 13:9).
God is not seeking that His children worship Him in such ways that are displeasing to Him, a way that makes man the center rather than God. David writes: Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom" (Psalm 51:6). We are not acceptable to God because we can sway and swoon, and shout and seek after the Gifts of the Spirit, especially the gift of healing as though we are truly worshiping God aright: Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, 'Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart" (Psalm 40: 6-8). Yes, this is speaking of Jesus Christ, but David who wrote this Psalm is speaking of himself as well, and what he wrote is applicable to Christians today. What is your desire, the desire of your heart? He will give you your desire (Psalm 37:4) and that desire is to worship God in the manner that is honoring God.
I will write next on the most divisive gift among Churches, a division that must be understood as it is a chasm among people who want to exercise the Gifts of the Spirit and apply that gift so that it is a hallmark of Christianity and if you do not have that gift, well, maybe you are not truly Christian, or are not worshiping God in the right way. Is this true? Follow along, let Scripture, as always be our guide.
I have heard of You
by the hearing
of the ear, but now
my eye sees You.
Therefore I abhor myself,
and repent in
dust and ashes.
Job 42:5-6
Make prayer a daily event
Richard L. Crumb
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