Sunday, June 29, 2014

CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING, PREACHER!


Isaiah 28:10, 13

 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:

 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.


For the past few weeks, I have sat by silently and watched preachers disdain the importance of CONTEXT.  
I have heard MORE than one preacher (mis)quote the above scripture:

People take this scripture and RUN with it when presented with the argument of taking scriptures in proper CONTEXT.

For those of you who don't know what that means, let me break it down.

CONTEXT: the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning.

In other words, to take a scripture in PROPER context, that means you have to know WHAT was being said, WHEN it was said, WHO was spoken to, WHERE this conversation took place and (if known) WHY.

We learned that in school when learning how to read and COMPREHEND what was read in Reading.

WHO
WHAT
WHEN
WHERE
WHY

If you didn't get those 5 things when reading/studying, you-as a student-will MISS the point of passage.  You will not FULLY comprehend what's written.

There are some fundamentals of studying that you do NOT throw out the window just because what you're reading is scriptures.  The Word says STUDY to show yourself APPROVED, RIGHTLY dividing the Word of Truth....(2 Timothy 2:15)

So in the WORD OF GOD itself, we are admonished to STUDY.

Let's NOT make STUDYING THE SCRIPTURES something that is NOT important or necessary.  IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!

With that being said, PLEASE NOTE:  when studying the scriptures, it is IMPERATIVE that you know the CONTEXT of the scriptures that you're reading.  

Otherwise, you WILL miss the message!

You can hoop and holler, roll all in the floor, speak in tongues, all the histrionics that usually goes on in the average church service.

When I first got saved, I had this romantic, over-spiritualized view of the scriptures.  

I was the person who 'laid all out in the floor,' waiting on 'a word from the Lord.'  Fasted.  Prayed.  The whole nine.  And I was ALWAYS in church!  

But with all that, there was some things I still didn't get.  I still didn't understand some things...even though I THOUGHT I did.  

But God began to show me some things...and truth be told, He STILL is showing me things!  I am still unlearning things I learned in the organized church system.  

And one of the ways GOD help me to UNLEARN some error I had been indoctrinated with was to show me HOW to go into the scriptures and dig in FOR MYSELF.  Admittedly, I used to just close my eyes, and wherever the Bible pages landed, THAT was my lesson for the day!  My Word of the Lord for that day!  LOL...

But as I got older and started questioning things, I began to realize I didn't understand what some words in scriptures meant.  That's when I started learning MORE about church history.  I have always been a curious person...so church history was a favorite topic of mine.  

I wanted to KNOW where the church was in the 18th century.  I wanted to know about the martyrs and early church history.  So I started RESEARCHING.

Also, I started using a Strong's Concordance.  And a dictionary.  Yes, my old pastors told me not to...and even at some of the most prestigious of ministry schools, I was encouraged to just digest the word THEY had for me.  Private study and devotion time was almost discouraged...in return for getting in uniform, being at your 'assigned post' at an assigned time (as a minister), being really busy 'for the Lord.'  

And with all that running around for church and ministry, WHO had time to REALLY study?  Or seek God?  
Yes, I went on retreats at convents and such places to get 'alone with God.'  But even THOSE places had their own 'agenda,' to indoctrinate me with THEIR truth!

It wasn't until I got OUT the system and just dug into the Word for myself that I started to learn SO MUCH.  I started hearing from God SO MUCH.  MUCH more than I had while in church ....and truthfully, even in so-called 'ministry.'

I share my testimony to let you all know that this mentality is prevalent among the pulpits in America today.  There are a LOT of preachers who are UNSKILLED in the Word who are preaching you happy, performing signs, wonders and miracles in hopes that you won't desire the SINCERE milk of the Word and GROW.  They are hoping to keep you hyped up, prophe-lie to you, some are even willing to give you a title or position because that is what they have told you is the pinnacle of spiritual maturity...when you reach 'the revered pulpit!'

And these preachers generally dismiss the importance of CONTEXT when teaching the scriptures to you.

They will say KNOWLEDGE PUFFS UP and tell you to just trust them.

But the very scripture they use to TRY and prove their point THEY (again) haven't taught OR studied it in CONTEXT...so they miss a KEY point in Isaiah 28:10....

They haven't read the FIRST part of Isaiah 28 to see WHO God is talking to or about:

Let's take a look:

Isaiah the prophet is prophesying to a people who go to the temple faithfully, but they are far from God.  

Let's take a look at verses 7-9:

"But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts."


WHO was God talking to?  THE PRIESTS and THE PROPHETS!  THE PREACHERS!

WHAT was the problem?   They were in ERROR; he likens their error to being DRUNK (puts a whole new spin on the term 'drunk in the spirit,' uh?)  God says they can't see and they cannot DISCERN.  (...err in vision, stumble in judgment)

WHEN was this taking place?  Right before Israel was about to go into Babylonian exile for turning their backs on God.  Being led by wayward preachers. ' Drunk' prophets and pastors....

WHERE?  Israel

WHY?  Because they were in sin.  Because they didn't UNDERSTAND DOCTRINE!!!!!

Go read verse 9 AGAIN.

WHOM SHALL HE TEACH KNOWLEDGE??????  WHOM SHALL HE MAKE UNDERSTAND DOCTRINE??????

So if God is asking about knowledge and doctrine, who are YOU, preacher, to tell the people they do NOT NEED knowledge nor do they need to understand doctrine??????

But look at the answer:

THOSE WHO ARE WEANED FROM MILK and DRAWN FROM THE BREASTS!!!!!

Do you see that?

The people aren't supposed to stay on milk forever, Preacher.  What is milk?

EVERYTHING after the the word PERFECTION in the following scripture.

PREACHER, if you still on baptisms, on faith, if your people are still coming to the altars and you preaching repent, repent, repent EVERY Sunday, if you still got to lay hands on the same folks for the same thing every week....

YOUR PEOPLE ARE STILL ON MILK!

Hebrews 6:1-2

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit. ...


AND ITS YOUR FAULT!

The very words 'precept upon precept' 'line upon line' speaks to the whole concept of proper CONTEXT.  You cannot read something in its proper CONTEXT without first reading what's BEFORE and AFTER a scripture.  Or without knowing the setting of the scripture, or the audience.


I have heard preachers use the excuse that the reason why they have a congregation full of babes on milk because the people can't handle 'the TRUTH.'  

That is NOT true!

It is the TRUTH that sets free.  People NEED the truth...to grow.  They may not WANT the truth.  But if you keep holding out on the people just to keep the crowds and the money a-coming, GOD'S GONNA REQUIRE THEIR BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS!!!!

Keep keeping those souls in a perpetual state of dependence upon YOU, Preacher.  God is going to judge you....HE probably already has started judging you, as a matter of fact!

What does the Word say about Judgment and the House of the Lord?

IT BEGINS THERE!!!!

When a jury has to pronounce judgment on someone, it is because they have been found lacking in an area.  They are being accused of doing something....wrong.  Criminal.  

WHY would God say in His Word that judgment will BEGIN at THE HOUSE OF THE LORD?????  Isn't it God's House?  Isn't HIS spirit supposed to 'dwell' there?  Aren't folks supposed to be being saved, healed and delivered there?

So if the CHURCH is doing what its SUPPOSED to do, why would God say in HIS WORD that judgment will BEGIN THERE FIRST????????

BECAUSE THE ORGANIZED CHURCH SYSTEM HAS BEEN FOUND LACKING.  WANTING!  IN THE WRONG!  

And when an institution is 'wrong,' per se, the ones who ARE judged, questioned...ARE THE LEADERS!

Most of the time, a defendant takes the stand in his own defense to testify in a court of law, right?

They are questioned by their lawyer AND the prosecuting attorney.

But these leaders, YOU PREACHER, don't want to be questioned.  You won't put your hand on the very bible you SAY you preach from and swear you will tell the truth, the WHOLE truth and NOTHING BUT the TRUTH!

YOU, Preacher, won't even SHOW UP to your court date!!!!!!

Well, guess what?

God has a WARRANT OUT for your spiritual ARREST!!!!!!

The people are speaking.  They are asking questions.  God has sent correction time and time again, yet you 'ignore your court dates.'

Take this as a warning:  

REPENT of teaching your people ERROR!  

STUDY TO SHOW YOURSELVES APPROVED!  

RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH! TAKE AND TEACH THE HOLY SCRIPTURES IN THEIR PROPER CONTEXT!

IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THEN SIT DOWN AND LEARN!  DON'T MISLEAD PEOPLE BECAUSE OF YOUR PRIDE!!!!

DON'T LASH OUT AT THE ONES GOD HAS SENT TO BRING REPROOF!!!!  WHOM HE LOVES HE CHASTENS!!!!!!!

The Word says if you don't receive the chastisement, you are bastards.  

AND NOT SONS OF GOD!!!!!


3 comments:

S. R. Hicks said...

Hi Wenona -

That is bull's eye truth poured on. Flaming and blazing, yes indeed.

The Reluctant First Lady said...

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The Reluctant First Lady said...

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