DON’T GO BEYOND GOD’S WORD!

REVELATION 10:1-4: “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered. When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.” NLT

OBSERVATION: NOW ON SALE – “THE SEVEN THUNDERS REVEALED!”

I hope you have never seen this book for sale! Yet, this absurd example helps to illustrate an important point. BEWARE of those who claim to have revelation and understanding of things that are not revealed in or contained in God’s written Word!

Yet, that is exactly what is happening today in so many circles. In fact, almost every cult is based on some unknown revelation that only the founder had the privilege of knowing (Such as the special Golden Tablets hidden on a mountain in New York!).

I am currently leading a small group of leaders involved in a 9-month ministry training intensive. In our opening, I was taking questions from the class, and one of the members asked me about a strange form of visualization a friend told her about.. Visualization is a new-age practice that has crept into the church. The class member shared that a friend was attending a meeting where people were asked to dress up like the promise they were praying for. One woman, wanting to find her life partner, came to the meeting dressed up like a bride – “visualizing” her marriage!

Bible chapter and verse, please?!

My answer to the student who shared this story was – “DON’T GO BEYOND THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD! If it is not revealed clearly in the Scriptures, then be bold enough to say, “I don’t know!” or “There is no evidence of that in Scripture.”

There is so much revealed in the Bible that we are not doing or experiencing, so why would we waste time chasing things that the Bible does not reveal? It is like trying to write a book on the Seven Thunders that God told John not to write about. The Seven Thunders were meant to remain a mystery, and even John was not allowed to write about them.

When I read the Book of Acts, when I honestly look at my life and the life of the church, there is a lifetime of revealed truth to press into! The bottom line in all of this is Jesus. If our search for truth is leading us anywhere other than a closer walk with Jesus Christ, then we are chasing things we should simply leave alone.

Jesus Christ is God’s final revelation and our highest pursuit!

There is nothing to be added to His life, His sacrifice, and His testimony. The writer of Hebrews makes this clear when he writes,

Hebrews 1:1-4: “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son, he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.” NLT

So, if someone invites you to the latest meeting where people are cos-playing their prayer promise, kindly thank them and say – “Thank you, but I think I will stick with Jesus and His Word!” Let the Seven Thunders be the subject for someone else to chase after.

As for me, I will keep chasing after Jesus and His written Word!

In Jesus’ Name!