The Word of Truth Ministries
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I am convinced that most Christian ministers (and those who follow them) have a comprehension quotient of no more than 10-20% (or thereabouts) of what God's word is really saying, if they have that. Yet the word of God is full of rich and precious promises and depths that the vast majority of those in the ministry will never plunge into or plunder, and they do not care that they lack the knowledge of the things of God. And since they never know, they can never properly feed the lambs and sheep of God as they are obligated to do. [John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28] Furthermore, the people have become so accustomed to their ignorance that they think that the ministers' ignorance is the will of God and, as the scripture says, "...the people love to have it so." [Jer. 5:31] Any expert, as a minister is supposed to be in the things of God, is considered a quack or no expert at all if he/she knows as little about his/her field as 20%. Why doesn't the incompetence of today's ministers not trouble them and the people of God whom they are obligated to feed? Could it the answer be what Jesus said? "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." [Mat. 24:12] Indeed, what Jesus says Paul echoes in his letter to Timothy: "...in the latter days many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron." [1Tim. 4:1-2] These incompetent ministers try to cover their tracks of incompetence in various ways; the most obvious and harmful to the people of God is this: many pastors and ministers shut out others who are gifted, anointed, and learned in the things of God and allow only those who are as equally unlearned as they are to minister to God's people. I assure you, this is compounding their failure in the sight of God. Being ignorant of the things of God, their effort to cover that ignorance in the eyes of the people further harms God's people by hindering the truth of God from getting to them. God's people can only live on a diet of God's word. [Mat. 4:4] Listen to the words of Jesus, as he excoriates the Scribes and Pharisees, and do know that he is talking of their church counterparts today: "But woe unto you, Scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in...." [Mat. 23:13] Likewise today many ungodly ministers shut up the kingdom to themselves and to others by their ignorance and unwillingness to allow those whom God has anointed and called to go in and function as a skilled surgeon would to perform the operation of God so desperately needed. These ministers will die in their sins and take many with them. This is a truth we are seeing replayed over and over again throughout the lives of humanity, which things are only a parable of this truth of God--men are not satisfied to kill themselves into a devil's hell, but they also kill themselves and kill others, taking others with them to that devil's hell. (I am sorry to speak/write so harshly, but these are the harsh truths of God that must be said.) That is tragic because ministers who love the uppermost seats in God's house do not seemingly know that they have a great burden. Each true minister of God is burdened with feeding the flock of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. And no one minister, be he gifted or not, be he a pastor or an evangelist, can feed God's people all the nutrients of God's word that God's children need to grow to a healthy and perfect child of God--and to grow into perfection in God is the reason we were born again. There are various ministries that God has placed into the church to bring his people to the status he demands. [Mat. 5:48; Eph. 4:11-15; Heb. 6:1-2] No one person has all these ministries in him, and when a pastor or minister blocks those ministries from coming into the church and functioning among God's people (as many are doing in their selfish way of protecting their turf) he harms God's people's development and breeds a retarded and underdeveloped people. Indeed it is the responsibility of a pastor to ensure that these ministries are gotten to the saints of God. A failure to get them to the saints and the literal blocking of those ministries from the saints God will not allow those pastors and overseers to go blameless. Their actions are a major offense that dams God's people. And be assured of this: Christ is not coming back for retarded saints but those who have developed into him. God's people must put on the whole armor of God if they are going the fight their way to perfection, which is needed to go back with Christ. That perfection is taken by spiritual force; Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven/God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. And in another scripture he said we must press into it. The things of God are weighty and must be handled with the greatest of care and competence; yet many pay no care to the divining of God's word and ministering it. These are, of course, blind guides who wittingly and unwittingly mislead men and themselves, taking them into destruction and perdition. [Mat. 15:14] Yet they love the uppermost places in God's house as if they are in the uppermost place in God's heart. These pretenders will receive the greater damnation. [Mark 12:38-40] These incompetent ministers are so blind and earthly minded that they do not see that when Jesus spoke of and to the Scribes and Pharisees sitting in Moses' seat and loving the uppermost rooms and seats at various feasts and in the synagogues, he spoke of them. [Mat. 23:2-8] Their failure to see themselves in the crosshairs of Jesus' words, does not prevent sighted saints from discerning that it is them of whom Christ speaks. A minister, as well as every child of God, but especially a minister, is burdened with knowing what God says to each of us in Christ. [2 Tim.2:15] Look at how Jesus chided Nicodemus for being a teacher and leader of God's people and also being incompetent in the things he should know to guide God's people: "Art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things? [John 3:10] If a minister is truly called of God--and most ministers who are ministering in various churches today do not seem to have any calling of God at all, based on the absence of God in their words and in their lives--he will study to show himself approved of God. [2 Tim. 2:15] That minister will also know that God will destroy and reject his own people because of their ignorance. [Hos. 4:6] Our God is not fond of willful ignorance regardless of how it is airbrushed into our picture! When a minister truly studies, he will be a worker; his first major work will be to study to rightly divide/interpret the word of truth. The study needed to rightly divide and understand God's word is indeed work, and one who engages in it regularly is a workman. But most ministers have very little or no idea of what real study is. Some may study in preparation for a sermon to be delivered, but that is usually no serious study. If they study one or two hours to deliver a sermon, do they think that is study? It is not. They need to talk to serious students in colleges and universities to see what their study habits are like and get a glimpse of what God is requiring of his ministers. Beyond their "study" for a sermon to be delivered, usually there is no study of theological concepts and the word generally because serious study wears on the flesh, and they are into pleasuring their flesh with the things of this world. [Eccl. 12:12] The flesh is like a rebellious and undisciplined child: it does not like to sit and will not sit and study long hours unless it is made to do so. And since most ministers do not have the self discipline to even live godly, you know they do not have enough self-discipline to force their bodies to sit for long hours of study. But without those long hours they can never get the mind to understand the complexities of God or any other complexities of this life. Second, they do not have the self discipline to force their minds to wrap around thoughts and ideas that are not simplistic or ideas and concepts that conflict with their standard, one-dimensional way of thinking. That is one of the reasons they can never receive the promise that is given when Jesus opened the understanding of the disciples: "Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures." Because even if their understanding was opened by the Lord or some true minister of God, they will not do what is necessary to fulfill the might aspect of that opening of their understanding. [Luke 24:45] For that scripture suggests that one's understanding can be opened and his grasp of a certain scripture/truth is still dependant on what a person does in his study and in his living God's word. Might is a conditional word. One's understanding may be opened but if he/she does not do real study, truly consecrate himself, and live by every word of God, he/she can never understand the things of God. Oh how we have mishandled God's word in our simplicity! We have marred what God says to us to our own harm. Solomon asked the rhetorical question, "How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity,...and fools hate knowledge?" [Prov. 1:22] Of course, a rhetorical question is really a statement; so Solomon is chiding those who want everything to be simple. Life is not simple; the things of God are not simple; they require great care of understanding and doing. Ministers and saints of God are not studying God's word in the way he demands; not even in a way that common academia would demand. Yet they think the paltry effort some pay to God's word is enough to know it. But that is self-deception. What they offer God's word as an act of study is not enough to even have an understanding and comprehension sufficient for academic subjects, and God's standard is much higher than anything academia demands. Sadly, so many want to be leaders, preachers, and teachers of God's people, but so few want to do the work needed to be competent. The work of God requires the utmost that a man has; it requires that a man go to a level of spiritual extreme that few men have known or want to know; it requires spiritually desperate and violent men, as spoken by Jesus. [Mat. 11:12] But instead of spiritually desperate men, many have endeared themselves to ignorance and glorified it by taking on a culture of ignorance as if it is godliness. It is not; anyone can be ignorant; it takes nothing to attain that state! Yet ignorance is deadly, devilish, and ungodly! Those who remain willingly ignorant, as Peter calls it, will face the wrath of God for their rejection of his word. [Prov. 24; Hos. 4:6; 1 Cor. 12: 1;2 Pet. 3:5] Some men think that because they can deceive other weak men and women that they can also deceive God or the strong men of God. These poor souls need to renounce the hidden things of their dishonesty and their willful ignorance because God sees all! [2 Cor.4:2] There are a number of reasons many fail to study God's word: simply said, most ministers are not called of God, and most are living in the flesh and given to the pleasures of their flesh--they are carnally minded. Second, many have never been saved, and others have long since turned form the way of God to their own righteousness and their own way of being a Christian. [Isa. 4: 1Tim. 4:1-2;2 Tim. 7;4:1-4] Therefore, they will not weary their flesh with study or with a serious inquiry into the things of God. For study is a weariness to the flesh, and since they live in the flesh, they mind the things of the flesh. [Eccl. 2:2; Rom. 8:5-8] And as this is true about the minister, it follows that this same ethos is passed onto those who travel with them. Was it not Amos who asked, "Can two walk together except they be in agreement?" [Amos 3:3] Paul wrote to Timothy, a young minister of God, admonishing him to consider what he wrote and told him that if he did consider those things, God would give him an understanding in all things. The full depth of what Paul is saying in his letter to Timothy, especially this verse, is often overlooked by those who are moving too fast and too blindly to devote themselves to understanding what God is saying. But let us pause a moment to see what Paul is saying and how what he is saying is one of those hidden blessings of God given only to those whose eyes are open and who are willing to devote themselves in study, in consecration, and in living the word of God to understand the things of God. For one who does not understand the promised blessings of God can never access them or take them by force as Jesus said. [Mat. 11:11-12] That is why we need to know what God is saying so we can put him in remembrance of his promises that we may be justified when going boldly to his throne of grace. [Isa. 43: 26; Heb. 4:16] When we examine this statement of Paul to Timothy, we see that it is both a Declarative and an Imperative sentence. It declares/states/makes known a promise of God, namely this: if one considers what Paul wrote God himself will give that person an understanding in all things. Now this scripture, of course, must be meshed with and viewed in the light of other scriptures as well, especially of those written by Paul, for no scripture is with any private interpretation. [2 Pet. 1:20] Elsewhere, Paul writes that we see through a glass darkly, yet face to face...and we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come that which is in part shall be done away with. [1 Cor. 13:9-12] So this truth must be brought to bear upon his letter to Timothy. Paul's word "consider" must be seen in its full light. There are many who assume they are considering what God is saying simply by reading the Bible. But that is hardly to "consider" God's word. Often it is not to even read God's word; maybe to skim, but not to read. This same misunderstanding is often applied to the word "repentance." Consequently, many attempting to take the promise of God's Holy Spirit as promised in Acts 2:38 fail because they do not understand the word "repent" even though they assume they know that word and understand its meaning. So they follow parts of that scripture, namely the water baptism, but fail to receive the Holy Spirit and cannot figure why the Spirit is not given. This is the picture in many other scriptures as well. Another example of our failure of understanding is seen in the scripture which says, they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings of eagle... And so they wait, but not like God requires, but they still assume they are waiting on the Lord. Yet God has a definition and requirements for waiting on him. He says that while/when you are waiting to be of good courage. But many wait on God their way-- complaining, disappointed and discouraged, but that is not God's way. [Psa. 27:14; Isa.40:31] There are many of man redefining and reconditioning God's word to fit their desires. Consequently, many have abandoned God's ways for our own. Paul's word "consider" means more than to read and think seriously about what he has said, although that is the common notion many people have about the word.* Consider means that and more; that more is to consider and do, adhere to, perform what he has written because Paul's words are the commandments of the Lord. [2 Cor.14: 37] If one is not doing what Paul has said, he is not considering what God has said. In the word's common sense, "consider" would mean to meditate and ponder a matter, but with God, one can only ponder his word while doing it. There is something almost magical about pondering and doing God's word: As we ponder in doing, he gives us a depth that we can never understand until we do his word. Listen to the prophet as he says, "Then shall we know as we follow on to know the Lord." [Hos. 6:3] Since God is his word, to obey his word in a continuous manner is to follow on to know him. [John 1:1-2] And as we follow on in obeying his word we start having more experiences and adventures with him. Be assured of this: one will not have meaningful and significant experiences with God if that person is not obeying God; as we experience the adventures of God in our lives, we learn God and of him. And that knowledge of God gives our understanding of his word a boost. With the above said and hopefully understood, do perceive the words of Paul in the light of the above truth: "...We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed...." Regardless of what comes or goes, we have the hope of God's deliverance because we have experienced and adventured in his mighty powers in the past and will in the future! [Romans 5:3-5] Example: Some years as I adventured, at the behest of God, to start a small assembly of believers in a city with many backslidden believers (that was during a time where backsliders would go out of the church if they backslide; that was a time different from today!) I preached fervently and no sinners were coming to Christ. They were in the church assembly listening to the sermons I preached, and they were indeed sinners. After about three months, I asked God, why these sinners were not being saved; did you not say that your word was a fire and a hammer that broke the rocks into pieces? What is the problem? [Jer.5:14; 23:29] I put the word of God that I stood on to him, questioning/examining my credibility first--whether I was preaching and living the word as I should. And God responded to me and said, "You didn't see the time element in that word, did you?" His question was instructive; the word that I stood on and reminded his of had a depth that I did not see and could have never seen but for my having lived the word. So I went back renewed in my spirit, preaching his word, and after a while those sinners started getting saved and the spirit was upon them. This, among other experiences, taught me that as we do God's word, the depths of it will be revealed to us; without doing it, we will not get its depth. That is the declarative nature of what Paul meant when he said "Consider what I write...." But there is also the imperative aspect of his writing. An Imperative Sentence is a command that says do something; it is an order. This statement of Paul's not only declares the blessing of God that he will give you an understanding in doing, but it also commands that we obey his word because his word is the commandment of God.[1 Cor. 14] And a failure to obey is to reject God's word, God's truth, God knowledge. [Hos. 4:6] God is demanding that we do his word because man shall not live by bread alone but by every words that comes out of the mouth of God. [Mat.4:4] God's word is food for his saints, medicine to our flesh, and we need the full balance of his word. That is why he has given us some apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ until we all come into the unity of the faith, and unto the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ and no more be tossed to and from and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and their cunning craftiness as they actually lie in wait to deceive God's true saints. God wants us to speak the truth in love as we grow up INTO him in ALL things. [Eph. 4:11-17] We can never grow into him simply with one minister or one ministry, whether that minister is me or some ONE else. All the ministries of God are necessary to grow the saints into the perfection God requires. And as we are perfected, we will see that God will give us an understanding in all things. As we live all of God's word and reject no rightly divided word whether it comes from this ministry or another! You cannot dismiss God's word and be blameless! Finally, do consider that our knowledge is in part. But that part is greater than the parts we are seeing in this present batch of American Christian ministers--most of these American Christian leaders are usually given to Americanism and not really Christianity. I have said this before and will say it again because it is the truth and because American Christians fail to actually examine themselves in the light of God's word: The American form of Christianity is largely a bastardized form of Christianity; it is more tutored by nationalism than it is by Christ-centered teaching. American Christians, by and large, pick and chose what parts of God's word they will obey and what parts they will not obey. Such a person is not a Christian. If the word is against what this nation is doing, many of these type of ""Christians" chose the nation over Christ and contort the word of God so that it supports untoward behavior of the nation. That is not Christianity at all. Many also pick what ministers they will hear and what ministers they will not hear; if a minister says what they are doing is okay, they hear him, but if a minister speaks the harsh and unadorned truths of God, they will run from him and seek ministers that will speak smooth sayings and tell them lies. Paul said that this is turning their ears from the truth and turning them unto fables/stories of their own imaginations. [2 Tim. 4:1-4] These are not people who want the truth of God. These are people who want God to declare what they are doing to be right. But God's ways are not our ways. If God will give us the declarative promise of 2 Timothy 2: 7, we must adhere to the imperative command of that scripture. May the blessings of God be upon you to understand all things in God, within the context of his word. _______ The words of God are more complex than the simplicities of man, and when we defer to our own understanding we fail to see what God is saying. [This is a 3,800 word essay]
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