off balance

[Guest]

Hi Aaron,

I just want to say that I can appreciate your concerns and your heavy heart. I can truly sympathize with you and you are in my prayers. It’s not easy to disagree with your spiritual “leaders” and mentors when we hold such a high respect for them. That is especially true if they are very firmly committed to their views. It’s unfortunate and shameful that this topic creates such a division in the body of Christ. But the fact is it does. This can be attributed to nothing less than immaturity in the church. The fact that it has had this affect on you demonstrates just how much the traditions of men and the institutional church has failed you. There should be no condemnation felt for pursuing the truth with a pure heart. We should all feel free to read the bible for ourselves, draw our own conclusions, and discuss them with each other in a charitable manner without fear of offending others who disagree.

You wrote:

However something didn't sit right with me about it. It was not because of his evidence for the case that was made. Well not completely. THere are still things that make very little sense to me from his point of view.

I have found that every view has problems, none of them wrap up all neat and tidy. Our job is to look at all the data and decide for ourselves which one matches the rest of scripture the most. It’s exceedingly difficult to understand and I think anyone who becomes dogmatic about it has demonstrated that they really haven’t studied it that closely and objectively at all.

I fell into this trap and I am free from it. I went to a Life Builder's conference this weekend and it came to my attention that this study has (ironically) led me away from God. I wanted to obtain information to use to debate against the way I had believed my whole life. I even debated my own pastor that loves me with all his heart. After I went home I was sickened at myself for doing so.

I’d be curious who (or what) led you to the conclusion that the study had led you away from God. It certainly shouldn’t be our motive to “show up” our pastor in a debate, but I can see nothing wrong with inquisitive study and discussion. We should all be committed to truth, not trying to prove to others that our own current view is correct or that others are false. Who wants to hold on to something that cannot withstand critical scrutiny? We all need to be willing to change our mind if we’re wrong.

Though it is not Steve's intention to be my leader, I had made him my leader and had left my true leader that God gave me, my pastor.

The bible indicates that Jesus is your shepherd. Not Steve, and not your pastor. God has given the church elders to help young believers understand the essential beliefs of Christianity, protect the weak from “savage wolves” teaching heresy, and demonstrate holy living by example. However, each person is responsible to follow the Good Shepherd, not a mere sheep dog. I wouldn’t be too quick to paint your pastor as your infallible leader. I’ve heard this idea many times myself and I can’t see any biblical support for the idea that someone appointed to the office of pastor or elder is your God-ordained spiritual leader. That, I think, is quite man-made. I do appreciate your love and respect for your pastor though. I think that it is very biblical to give them a certain degree of honor.

I am not normally one cast around with every doctrine, but I let this in and it is difficult to get out. I still see many logical points in the doctrine Steve holds to but the Spirit of God is telling me to run from it.

I wouldn’t necessarily jump to the conclusion that it is the “Spirit of God” telling you to do this. Often times our own wish to fit in with our peers and our denomination clouds our judgment about what is from God and what is simply a strong desire to be accepted by others.

While I believe that all who hold this doctrine are sincere, and while I cannot at the moment say scripturally why I have decided to pursue it no longer, I can assure you that by the witness of the Spirit I have felt since the beginning of it, the Spirit of God I have muzzled...It is error and I encourage all of you that love the Lord and want to be led into all truth, seek God about this. Pray for illumination from the Word.

I’m sure most here would agree with you about praying for illumination. However, it’s quite subjective to suggest that the “Spirit of God” told you that a certain viewpoint was error. Others would say just the opposite, leaving us in a state of knowing nothing. I think it’s safe to say that since it is not altogether clear in scripture, it must not be important. What is of greater importance is that we love one another in spite of our doctrinal differences. Perhaps that is the test for the body of Christ and the reason that it is left so vague for us.

I want the Bible to be more than information to me again. I want it to come to life the way it used to for me. It is unhealthy to make the Bible nothing but a book of information. It is off balanced to do so. It must be accompanied with much prayer and submission to the Spirit.

Amen to that.

I sure appreciate you sharing your heart on this matter and I do pray that God will lead you and give you encouragement.

Lord bless.

[Guest]

Thank you Christopher for your responses. I agree with much of what you've said. I do understand that people approach this subject and come to differing conclusions.
Some I have heard of or have read from regard some of the teachings that Steve and others hold to as poison to the Church. I disagree with that assessment. I don't believe it is a heresy or anything.
It may not even get it's grip on some as it has on me. But it became all I could think of and I was digging and listening to lectures and trying to find all the info I could get to back this view up, and when I told my pastor that I would abandon it and pray about it, I felt a freedom.
It felt like a huge weight was gone.
I do want to continue this study but not to the 'million mile an hour' point I was going.
I will hold to some things I have learned from it such as questioning the 7 churches being church 'ages', and to not look to always make things literal in Revelation when it could be figurative, and I intend to find an answer to why Revelation is said to be about events that will transpire "shortly".
There is weak points to every view from what I've found as well as strong ones.
But I feel in my heart that I am now going the right direction in turning from this study and returning to just seeking the Lord's guidance and the Spirit to lead me into all truth.

[Guest]

If it has become an obsession to you, then I think you are wise to post-pone your study on the topic. Where you come down on the issue really shouldn't amount to much anyway (as far as your walk goes). Jesus is Lord whether you're pre, post, or almost.

You're right, if you are simply seeking ways to justify a position rather than merely getting to the truth, then your motives are off and it's time to step back and seek Jesus again. I'm glad you recognized this and repented. I think that is a mark of maturity and a right heart.

May God bless your kingdom endeavors Aaron.

[Guest]

I agree with everyone in this thread, including Aaron.

I would write and speak less on eschatology, if fewer people asked questions about this subject. The percentage of time I spend discussing any topic on the radio or at this forum is determined by the questions that people ask me here or on the air. A look at the "topical lectures" page at the Narrow Path website will reveal precisely the degree to which eschatology does or does not dominate my interests.

Unfortunately, the only book I currently have in print is about Revelation. I have often said that, of the books of the Bible, Revelation is near the bottom of my list of favorites. Of the New Testament books, it is one of the least important, the most obscure, and the most difficult to understand or teach. I wrote on the book of Revelation—not because I think myself an expert on it, but in order to illustrate how little we can dogmatically claim to understand anything about it!

Since most people found this ministry as a result of my appearance on Hank Hanegraaff's show, where he focused the discussion entirely on this topic, it is understandable that it was largely people with curiosity on Revelation and eschatology that heard me there, googled me and found this forum. This explains the frequency with which the matter is brought up here. I don't mind. I just would not wish for anyone to think eschatology is a personal hobbyhorse of mine.

One's view of eschatology is relatively inconsequential in terms of practical living. It is one's attitude toward a given doctrinal viewpoint that is more significant. A mature Christian can love the pursuit of truth in any area of controversy without thinking it important to be more correct than someone else.

Aaron's experience underscores the danger of one obtaining his viewpoints via some sudden "download" of information from a teacher's brain into the learner's. I didn't reach my present views this way, and I would not wish for anyone else to do so either. Different teachers have different objectives in their ministries. Mine is to get Christians to jump-start their own biblical studies and to not to passively accept what I or any other teacher presents.

[Guest]

Mine is to get Christians to jump-start their own biblical studies and to not to passively accept what I or any other teacher presents.

Well Steve, you have certainly succeeded in that area.

[Guest]

Ha! Amen, Allyn!