The Danger of Devotionals

Is it wrong to read a devotional each morning for one's quiet time? Certainly this is a popular activity for evangelical Christians. But I contend that devotional reading must never ever replace Bible Study.

One danger of devotionals is that people replace Bible study with them. It's far easier and more convenient to let somebody else do the hard work of studying. As far as I can tell, many of these readers are like the folks mentioned in Matthew 13:22 (BBE) who never produced spiritual fruit. "And that which was dropped among the thorns, this is he who has the word; and the cares of this life, and the deceits of wealth, put a stop to the growth of the word and it gives no fruit."

Many of the devotionals I've read are like pablum. They deal superficially with people's emotional problems without teaching the "meat" of the scriptures. Hebrews 6:1 and 2 (BBE) encourages us, "For this reason let us go on from the first things about Christ to full growth; not building again that on which it is based, that is, the turning of the heart from dead works, and faith in God, The teaching of baptisms, and of the putting on of hands, and of the future life of the dead, and of the judging on the last day."

Furthermore, God wants us to study his Word. Jesus even told the Pharisees in John 5:39 (BBE)that, "You make search in the holy Writings, in the belief that through them you get eternal life; and it is those Writings which give witness about me."

As we also read in 2 Timothy 3:14 and 15 (BBE) we realize what Bible study does for us. "But see that you keep to the teaching you have been given and the things of which you are certain, conscious of who has been your teacher; And that from the time when you were a child, you have had knowledge of the holy Writings, which are able to make you wise to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus."

Many folks find the Bible intimidating because of its size. Even so, we need to know what God has said. Better still, the Holy Spirit will teach us what we need to know. Jesus said in John 16:13 (BBE) to his disciples, "However, when he, the Spirit of true knowledge, has come, he will be your guide into all true knowledge: for his words will not come from himself, but whatever has come to his hearing, that he will say: and he will make clear to you the things to come."

We also have the wisdom of the apostles and prophets who expounded on God's Word. As 1 Corinthians 2:13 (BBE) says, "And these are the things which we say, not in the language of man's wisdom, but in words given to us by the Spirit, judging the things of the spirit by the help of the Spirit."

So why depend on fallible human wisdom when we have all the answers in one book? Devotions can only do a little to give us understanding of the Bible. And as great Bible expositors have said down through the ages, the Bible interprets itself through the Holy Spirit's work.

I'll point out the value of Bible study in my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? God wants us all to learn our scriptures rather than depending on professional preachers and writers for our spiritual nourishment.

I'll be posting about our heavenly homeland on Saturday.

WHICH SORT OF PEOPLE FALL FOR CULTS?

Cults ought to be on the list of problems Christians must address. As far as I can tell, the subject is still taboo among evangelicals. We followers of Christ ought to be ashamed for our ostrich-like attitude toward false teaching and aberrant religious groups.

Throughout the Bible, God warns his people about false prophets and crooked teachers. Both biblical prophets and apostles warn us against the "wolves" among the flock.

This topic is especially dear to me because I was misled by a false teacher. The minister of a house church claimed to have advance knowledge of heavenly things. I eagerly attended his meetings so I could learn the so-called deeper things of God. When Christians contradicted the teachings of our lay minister, I tried to "correct" their thinking. Fortunately for the real gospel handed down from the apostles, nobody listened.

The reason I fell prey so easily  to the lies I was taught was because I had a desire to learn more about Christianity. People such as myself are what cultic organizations search for. Hardened atheists and steadfast believers put up too much of a fight. Both kinds of people recognize that these aberrant groups are misled so they reject advances made by these misleaders.

On the other hand, seekers of truth, particularly those who lack discernment, want to learn all they can about God. Satan knows this and intercepts them so they can be steered down the blind alley of deception.

Apologetics, knowing what we believe and why, is crucial to all followers of Christ. Since we are called to be his witnesses, we need to know the truth regarding our faith. When people are immunized against false and enticing doctrines, they can't be fooled by counterfeits.

It's for this reason that I wrote How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. I want people to learn from my mistakes and reject the sensationalistic claims of flamboyant preachers. Studying the scriptures in context is a much better method than listening to TV preachers proclaim wild ideas about their pseudo-revelations. To learn more about how God rescued me, visit Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Virtual Bookworm Publishers.

NOW I KNOW WHY CHURCH BORED ME

Do you find that the sermons at your church lack depth? Does your minister teach only the nice things about Jesus Christ and not his "hard sayings?" When I returned to church in 1996, I felt that the Sunday service lacked the needful teachings laid out in the letters of Peter, James, Paul, John, and especially Jude.

Why was this so? Certainly Pastor Keith and Pastor Wayne used meaningful scriptures in their sermons.  Even so, I enjoyed the Tuesday evening Bible studies much more. What made me feel something was missing at the churches I attended? A recent post by Zachary Perkins cleared up my ambivalence regarding the discontentment I felt at church.

In his post, Mr. Perkins wrote about the "me" gospel. Basically, it consists of telling people how good they are and to believe in themselves. No warning of sin and repentance is mentioned. Neither is counting the cost of discipleship and taking up one's cross even hinted at. The Jesus they preach is more like a coach or buddy instead of the dynamic character portrayed in the gospels. No wonder I felt uneasy with all this "me" stuff.

I find much more edification and enjoyment in the sermons of John MacArthur and Conrad Mbewe. These men explain the scriptures rather than just telling moral stories. I've learned much from Hank Hanegraaff and June Hunt ne as well. Instead of telling their congregations and audiences what sinful people want to hear, these saints preach the full counsel of God. This is more like what the first-century apostles did. The self-esteem teachings don't correspond to what Scripture teaches, therefore I reject them.

So what can we feel good about? For those of us who have surrendered our lives to Christ, we have a great deal to celebrate. Christ paid for our sin debt that we never could have paid by ourselves. He adopted us, who have given our lives to him, into his family. The Holy Spirit helps sanctify us so that we become more and more like our Lord in character. At the resurrection of the dead, we'll have perfect bodies and live with our heavenly Father forever. If that doesn't build a Christian's self-esteem, that person should check his or her feelings against what the scriptures teach.

I wrote regarding the qualms I felt about the gospel of self esteem in How I Was Razed: A Journey from Cultism to Christianity. Discover the wondrous way the heavenly Father rescued me from errant beliefs and slavery to selfishness at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Virtual Bookworm Publishers.