Day 226 - Programs

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries                         LMCM

Nacogdoches, Texas                                                           Gal. 2:20  KJV

Thoughts on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 41

         

Michael’s book is available through:

Abiding Life Ministries International

Littleton, Colorado

(303) 972-0859       almi@abidinglife.com

It is a startling fact: something can be true, but not the truth.  How many of us have ever thought of that?  Or, recognized the difference?  Subtle things can steal from us the fellowship and the freedom that is in The Truth!

DAY 226

Programs

Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers. –Luke 11:46

 Often I go through quite busy times, where it seems that I am getting less and less done. There is so much to do to get ready for international trips, coupled with emergency calls that come daily. I just do not get the time with the Lord I need. I think how maybe when I get on the road I will have a little time, but then the Lord speaks to me. "If you avoided me eighteen hours of every day to do evil, it would be quite obvious to you what the problem is. But you have been taking eighteen hours away from Me to do good, and it is not so obvious." Which is worse, to draw away from the Lord to do evil or to do good? To do good is more dangerous, for doing good never appears to be the problem, and therefore the problem is able to hide. Good is the enemy of the best. Jesus is the best, and so I instantly put everything down and go for a walk to pray and let everything begin to fall into place.

Not everything that is true is truth. A teaching may come from Scripture and be true but not truth. How do we tell the difference between the two? True teaching that lands at my feet and tells what I must do is not truth. True teaching that ends at the feet of Jesus and explains what He does for me is Truth, for Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If what we are hearing does not end at His feet, it is not truth. Few of the programs filling the churches are truth, and so they rival the work of Christ.

Do not be discouraged. God does not fight sin and evil, He uses them. Many need to go through all the programs and see how inherently incapable of bringing about true spiritual growth they are before becoming sick of them and willing to listen to a message of Christ as Life. I have had myriad programs and true things flung at me. People get so excited about a program and all that will happen as a result of all that I must do, they must do, and others must do. I just let them talk and then hand them my card. I know it is not Truth, and I will let the years speak against the minutes. Programs work for the Kingdom in that they contribute to the hard work of bringing a person to the end of himself and to ultimate emptiness. "If God is for us, who is against us?" (Romans 8:31)

Four or five years ago there was a TV series of movies (about 5 of them) on Hallmark channel that had one moment that grabbed my attention: the dad in one particular movie had a daily devotional time…seems life was not as busy as it is these days…where he went up on a small hill behind the family cabin, had a bench he kept there, and with his bible and a heart for communing with God he spent whatever time it took for him to connect with the Lord.  Many times throughout the movie, the dad was shown in that spot.  Most of us don’t have a spot on a small hill behind our “cabin,” and it is likely that many do not take the time to connect with the Lord.

Michael touches on a subject dear to the heart of most churches: programs.  I know a minister who was removed from his place of service because he didn’t have enough programs going for the folks to be involved in.  The people didn’t like having nothing to do!  In another church one fellow once said, “the Holy Spirit could leave this place, and the folks wouldn’t know it.”  Why have the PROGRAMS replaced the PERSON of Jesus Christ?  What is wrong with that thinking?  The answer is in Michael’s words: “A teaching can come from Scripture and be true but not truth.”  Jesus taught in parables “so the one without ears to hear and eyes to see” would not understand.  So many times there are things in Scripture that seem to contradict Truth as expressed in His grace…and may even be a contradiction…why?  For the reason Jesus said.  So we have to be very careful not to take something from Scripture and make it a doctrine, or a PROGRAM, when it goes against His grace.  And it is so easy and so subtle to bring the world’s thinking into our lives, and miss God. 

Here is how we identify Truth from Parabolic Teaching:  “True teaching that lands at my feet and tells what I must do is NOT TRUTH.  True teaching that lands at the feet of Jesus and explains what He does for me is TRUTH.”  This is a powerful explanation of the Truth that sets us free from the bondage of “good.”

Jesus, like the Shepherd You are, lead us to “walking and praying and letting everything begin to fall into place,” according to Your grace!

Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point      Green – IT, Incredible Truth        

Red – GP, Greatest Promises

Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches           Pink – PV, Priceless Victory

Lee McDowell Christian Ministries

P. O. Box 633244    Nacogdoches, Tx 75963                                      936-559-5696