Let's see who I can hack off today

And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul: but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matthew 10:28 

Here is your glossary for today's post.

Church = every person who has a relationship by way of confession with Jesus

Fellowship = the place we go on Saturday or Sunday to sing and pray and listen. Or drink coffee and    eat donuts.

Leadership = every person who claims a place of authority in the church/fellowship. This includes pastors, deacons, SS teachers, elders, ministry leaders.

IHOP = International House of Prayer (no pancakes today)

Bethel = Christian University, church, community

Jim Jones = Pastor who lead his fellowship in mass suicide, Guyana, 1978

I am not trying to be a rebel. Or a pain. Or mean or anything.

What I am trying to do with these posts is get you to THINK .

Think like a follower of Christ.

Think with the power of wisdom.

Think like you're not just another cow in the herd.

I can talk my head off and give you info on Islam, Satanism, cults, blah blah blah, but those aren't the real danger to the church today.

You oughtta know already that these are bad.

 I don't need to slap a sign up on the rim of the Grand Canyon that says “No Diving”. You're not stupid.

I have recognized a growing trend in the church to to idolize certain sources of spiritual teaching. Ah really, that's nothing new. If it was new, Jim Jones wouldn't have been able to kill 909 people.

Wow! You say. That's harsh! Valarie, are you really comparing Jones with what is going on today?!

No! Yes. Kind of.  What I am going after is the herd mentality of the church.

I am NOT saying people are trying to lead us down the Kool-aid path. But.....

I'm saying we need to be knowledgeable of our scripture. We have to know, when someone is standing there teaching, and has “adjusted” the Bible, that we are listening not to the Word of God, but a personal narrative.

We have left the realm of the King, and are now in the office of Secular Sociology.

Most of these people who do this are well meaning. They are really burdened by the Lord to teach, evangelize, minister to the needy, lay hands on the wounded. They are not bad people.

Butbutbutbutbut! They are teaching what they were taught, without delving into the Bible to learn for themselves. Or they've been sparked with a great idea, and have skimmed the Bible, and the internet, for a scripture or two that just might work to base their teaching on.

If they were taught by someone working from knowledge and wisdom, that usually works just dandy. If they were taught by someone with an agenda, usually based on their personal fellowship traditions from childhood, not so much.

I took issue with a clip from Bethel.tv posted on Facebook today with Kris Vallotton teaching from Esther. I understand the point he was trying to make, I really do. But the truth is, he rearranged the actual events to fit his message. Why would you do that?

Improving God's message? Don't think it works that way.

I'm trying to be a real follower of Jesus. I am so far away from being a true believer it's scary. I read and research, I pray and talk and listen and cry and laugh and cringe. There is so much of me and so little of Him in my life and I want it the other way around.

Years ago, I was asked what I wanted in my life. It hit me in a flash.

I want to love God as much as He loves me.

If that is your desire, you are going to have a hard time getting there by receiving messages from leadership that doesn't know the Bible. Or is tweaking it for their own agenda.

Let me throw a little aforementioned scripture down.

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. Rev 22:18,19

I know this is specifically about the book of John's revelation, but I'm sure God wants us to be wary of any place in the scriptures being fiddled with.

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men; but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:39-47

You're saying “Valarie, I think you've gone overboard. What could moving a time frame in one little verse hurt? He's just trying to make a point that is good.”

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Mark 10:17-18

(I just threw that in there for good measure!)

Let' me give you a small idea of why tweaking/rearranging/adding/subtracting/messin' with scripture can and will change your view of God's story.

Ahem........Read with precision, paying close attention to punctuation.

I love eating Grandma's peach pies, and painted butterflies.

I love eating Grandma's, peach pies and painted butterflies.

I love eating Grandma's peach, pies, and painted butterflies.

I love eating Grandma's, peach, pies, and painted butterflies.

I love eating, Grandma's peach pies, and painted butterflies.

Five sentences, all using the exact same words, all unique.

You tell me. Did the addition, or subtraction, of a few commas change anything? I went from a person who loves my Memaw to a cannibal in one tiny mark. Yeesh!

Go read Esther. Ye search the scriptures for a reason.

This picture has nothing to do with my post. I just like Chihuly.



I'm not telling you not to listen to preachers and teachers from Bethel, or IHOP, or any place. I'm saying when someone starts teaching something from the Bible, and YOU have to take their word for it, you are at the mercy of MAN for your understanding.

Get in the Word. Read! Research! Dig like a crazed terrier! Fall in love with the poetry, the angst, the mystery and the action!

Stop letting someone else do your work for you.

No workie, no eatie. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (You've really gotta read this whole chapter!)

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:6-12

Okay. I'm done.

Almost. One last hit. “The Message” is not a bible, so stop using it as one.

Okay! I'm done!