i would also like to offer that there is a spiritual gift of admonishment and even some aspects of a prophet are those who are trying to help other believers achieve Christlikeness and warning against false teachings. its not about making people feel warm & fuzzy all the time, but challenging them to look at their own motives and perspectives.

i hope that we would all be willing to pray and consider the other side of this argument and to leave it in God’s capable hands. We are the church, one body, a body with many parts, and Christ the Head of it all. we are all blessed with the gift of being used by God to accomplish His purposes and not only “make disciples” but also “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matt 28.20

Blessings on all of you!

Do you really think that we can fully fathom God, in these English translations or even the Greek or Hebrew ones? These are human made constructions, images, symbols, stories, parables to humbly try to capture much more.. And this is the wonder and beauty that we may humbly dialogue (here I go again) with each other on our interpretations and affirm each other in our journeys with the Truth. Is that so difficult to open up space for fellow pilgrims and love them, as well ?

Hi. A doulos of Christ has the indescribable privilege of also being His ambassador assigned to shine Light upon the darkness of this world (Mt 5:14)! Each of us have opinions, but the only absolute truth is the Word; and, sadly, many of our generation are looking to “other voices”.

As our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, forewarned that these last days would be wrought with deception (Mat 7:15, 24:11, 24:24; Mk 13:22; Luk 6:26; 2 Pe 2:1 and 1 Jo 4:1), and He also told His Bride that she should be prepared to see heresy arise from within the professing church (1 Jo 2:19).

We need to be very cautious of those who speak with forked tongue. Since you grew up in Apartheid, you, more than anyone, can understand what it is like to watch black people be deemed beneath yourself merely because the Carpenter’s palette utilized less melatonin! Likewise, there is a spiritual snobbery among the Emergent/Contemplative crowd which is fanning the indignation, scoffing and disdain the unbelieving world holds toward Sola Scriptura saints. “Journaling” can be akin to channeling if one writes down what they hear “jesus” speaking (James 3). Why? Jesus does not audibly speak any longer for we are in a new dipensation/covenant wherein Holy Writ is the means of ‘hearing from God’.

There is an overtone of spiritual snobbery, if you will, among many contemporary authors, a “I’m holier than thou due to my ‘unique’ religious experiences”, a direct violation of Gal. 3:28.

Of particular concern:

- “You are on the right path. Listen more to Me, and less to your doubts. I am leading you along the way designed just for you.” Designed just for you? Frankly, I hear Satan in that, or, minimally spiritual pride. Idellete, you, HM, DG, Mike, myself and every other soul reborn in Christ has precisely the same common salvation (Jud 3) and are to obey the commands, walk in humility and die to self living unto Christ. We all have doubts during this sojourn, but the blessed mountains always follow the valleys, praise Him! And,

- “You must discipline yourself to live within the boundaries of today. It is in the present moment that I walk close to you, helping you carry your burdens. Keep your focus on My Presence in the present.”

Jesus is always with His sheep Mt 28:20, which demonstrates His Omnipresence. Moreover, Mt 11:30 assures those who have taken up their cross have no yoke and any burden is easily shrugged by lying it at Christ’s feet. Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, John Shelby Spong, et. al., offer the same lies to any who will lap them up. Spong’s worn out ideas have been repackaged to deceive a new generation and the one most adept at this is Bell, in my opinion.

Reggie, “Lastly Mike, if Henry Nouwen’s readings of Scripture and his reflections is ‘worldly wisdom’, then what makes yours or mine divine?” Only the Scripture, Gen-Rev, is Rauch Ha’Kodesh-breathed (2 Tim 3:16), which is why it is the Living Word (Jn 1:1). Sharper than any two-edged Sword (Heb 4:12), the Word never returns void (Is 55:11) … mankind, finite and fallible merely pen prose not soul birthing Truth (Rom 10:17)

Lastly, Idelette, “mother” Teresa, died a broken woman whose memoirs clearly describe one who – despite all the “doing” vs. faithing in the “Finished!” of Christ – was empty, searching and filled with doubt. The pope merely told her to look to mary, which, as you know, avails the soul nothing.

Divisiveness is of Satan, and a checkmate in this spiritual warfare, in recent years, has been the misconception that whenever a brother or sister in Christ seeks to utilize Scripture as a means of warning against error that saint is painted as “judging”. Yep. In obedience to Jude contending like Paul is the only viable option.

God bless all here. What an interesting dialogue.

So for the sake of clarity: I love the Word of God. I actually carry a little blue Bible with me everywhere I go. I live by the Word of God. It is my bread, my air, my life. Jesus is my Hero, the Holy Spirit an intimate friend, and God, my Father, my Creator … and so much more.

The irony, for me, is that the message of my life has to do with Unity, as opposed to division. I was raised in Apartheid. I know very vividly what division looks like. The last thing I want on this earth is for people to be divided, especially followers of Jesus. That is not what Love looks like.

Peace.

I have been enjoying “Jesus Calling” for over a year now. For those who have not read it; the devotional includes the scripture verses on each page that support the devotion of that day.

Sarah Young has, through the grace of God, provided us with another spiritual tool to fight the battle against the fleshless foes that war with us. There are days that the concise form of a devotional is just what I need to keep me on the path. I highly recommend this book.

Peace be with you all.

Please people, I have seen my church torn apart by this debate, yes it is important to follow the word and to know the truth, but it is equally important to hear the spirit and to follow His guidance, and more important than all is Love. Love God with all your heart and love others. where is the love?

I am broken by the anger and hatred in the church, by the legalistic beliefs and by those who rely on feelings… but i am more than anything broken by the family of God fighting amongst each other while the enemy laughs and the world goes to hell.

what is our call? to go out and share the gospel… to share Jesus with a dying world…. there are people really suffering in this world, lets, as a family focus on what we are called to do and leave the hatred of our body and allow God to teach us to love.

if we cannot love each other, i wonder how much we love the God that we are fighting about.

Thank you for your post. I too love this devotional along with Chambers and Nouwen. HM, DG, and the other initial crew (who all seem to be in fact the same poster) are so passionate about only using God’s word yet oddly, not modeling much of it. If they in fact have read this devotional and are opposed to it, which seems odd because she quotes God’s word very frequently and all of her devotionals stay close to the Scripture used, they should remember the many verses that talk about truth and love going hand in hand. Sadly, today so many who claim to ONLY go by Scripture forget so much of what His word says in the name of boldness. Thank you for your review and your gracious responses to them.

God has used both Merton and Nouwen in deepening my walk with Christ. He hasn’t used Yungen, but maybe I’m just critical of those who would arbitrate others’ prayer lives. (I guess he has no use for Teresa of Avila, or the patristics for that matter.)

I’m sure you’re certain you are right, DG. Might I remind you that the opposite of faith is not doubt; the opposite of faith is certainty. (via Anne Lamott, who is paraphrasing Paul Tillich)