Belief Without Doctrine?

I was reading this morning of a church group that does not believe in adopting a doctrinal statement. The contention, they say, is that such statements of faith, or creeds of any kind, exclude people from fellowship. This church group, which is very large, with nearly 4000 churches, holds a decidedly liberal view of worship and faith, yet still claiming to be christian and Christ followers. Salvation, for them, can mean many things. It can mean deliverance of any kind. It seems that such deliverance is obtained through a kind of redirection of thinking, or a different outlook on things.

This is interesting. No creeds. No absolutes. But still church. That is convenient. Let's not exclude anyone by revealing the error of their ways to them. (Of course, if I am lost, it is the error of my way that I want defined, isn't it?)

This is not new thinking. The original creeds in 3rd and 4th centuries were intended as measuring rods of doctrine. The need for such a thing was becoming evident, as the New Testament church, with it's dogmatic belief in 'the Apostles doctrine', (Acts 2:42), was being contested by groups looking for something with a more liberal stance, or something that would not isolate those of differing beliefs.

There is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)

I am glad for doctrine. I struggle with wrong thinking in my life, and I need to be reproved, admonished, by the standard of thought. For me, doctrine is God's way of informing me throughout life. Without it, my thinking becomes subjective, autonomous, and liberal (nonliteral, nonspecific, imprecise).

Oh, fyi, you can hear the leader of the church that I was reading about this morning speak, if you want. She is giving the inaugural sermon at the National Prayer Service on January 21st.

Hmmm...

Power vs. Power

Twice in the Bible the following two words are used together: all power.

Once it is used in Matthew 28:18, and is speaking of the power of God in Christ Jesus.

The other time is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 and is referring to the power of Satan.

So how can both God and Satan have all power? I am glad you asked. The answer is that these two words for power are really very descriptive in the original language. In Matthew 28:18, the word is "exousia", which speaks of authority. Judicial, managing, governmental authority. God has ALL of that.

In 2 Thessalonians, the word is "dunamis", which means strength, power, ability. But not authority.

Think about it. God has all power with authority. All authority. Over everything.

Satan is, at best, a strong man.

There will come a day when the Authority of God will pull the plug on the power of Satan.

Oh, and here is another thing. That which God has, we have when we are walking with Him!
Now, that is great news!

So, which would you rather have, power or Power?

Richard Dawkins Might Believe in the Tooth Fairy

Richard Dawkins, the latest and greatest voice for skepticism and atheism, has launched a campaign in which he has paid to have large signs placed on the sides of some 800 buses in Great Britain. The signs say, "There probably is no God, so stop worrying and enjoy your life".

Probably. I like that! Thank you, Mr. Dawkins. This is a good marketing campaign...for God. I can imagine hundreds, if not thousands of people viewing these signs, with the results being each of them having some thoughts about God. (I will get back to that thought.)

Mr. Dawkins is quoted to have said that he did not want to use the word 'probably', but that organizers wanted it because they did not want to be dogmatic like Christians are.

Hmmmm....skeptical about their skepticism, it seems.

Mr Dawkins said that the existence of God is about as likely as that of the tooth fairy.

So there is a chance that there is a Tooth Fairy! Profound!

Well, anyway, concerning probability, consider this. Say you were a healthy person who, one day began to have some chest discomfort. A friend might tell you that it is probably nothing. They might be right, but I think you would have it checked so you could know for sure. That is why I like this bus campaign. I think that when people read the sign, the word 'probably' will naturally cause them to question the statement.

And that is all it takes. Just a thought toward God opens the door for Him to reveal himself to a person who was previously closed to Him. Acts 26:18 speaks of opening the eyes of man, so that he may see the difference between darkness and light, and receive all that is for him.

There is much darkness in today's world. But, it cannot get so dark that light does not work! We want all people to see the Light of the World, and receive the new life of walking with God!

Oh, and, after much investigation (tonque in cheek), I am dogmatic that there is no tooth fairy! However, after one touch from God, I became absolutely dogmatic that God is with us!

Swallowed Up In Mercy

There was a man in named Jonah, whose story is told in the Bible. He told God that he would go somewhere for Him, and then he reneged on his promise. What followed was interesting, as the men that were on the ship with him discovered that Jonah had disobeyed God. A storm was buffeting them, and they blamed Jonah. So 0verboard he went.

Then Jonah prayed like this:

Jonah 2

Jonah's Prayer

1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God while in the stomach of the fish, 2 saying, "I called out to the Lord because of my trouble, and He answered me. I cried for help from the place of the dead, and You heard my voice. 3 You threw me into the deep waters, to the very bottom of the sea. A flood was all around me and all Your waves passed over me. 4 Then I said, 'I have been sent away from Your eyes. But I will look again toward Your holy house.' 5 Waters closed in over me. The sea was all around me. Weeds were around my head. 6 I went down to the roots of the mountains. The walls of the earth were around me forever. But You have brought me up from the grave, O Lord my God. 7 While I was losing all my strength, I remembered the Lord. And my prayer came to You, into Your holy house. 8 Those who worship false gods have given up their faith in You. 9 But I will give gifts in worship to You with a thankful voice. I will give You what I have promised. The Lord is the One Who saves."
10 Then the Lord spoke to the fish, and it spit Jonah out onto the dry land.

I bet your God hasn't done that! (Unless your God is The God!)

Givers and Takers, Movers and Shakers

Naaman was a giver. Gehazi was a taker. The story is in II Kings 5. Naaman was grateful for what God had done for him, and wanted to give to the man of God. Gehazi was a taker, an opportunist, who tried to take advantage of a situation that did not include him. Naaman was blessed with health, and Gehazi, well, his taking gained leprosy for him and his whole family.

It's a funny thing. Givers are blessed and happy, and takers are left wanting. It is God's way.

Givers are facilitators. They cause things to happen in the lives of others. We might call them movers and shakers. Those that have the ability, because of selflessness, to get things done in God's economy.

Takers live in a small world. It is all about themselves, and thus others are often in the way. If anything does get done, it is self-absorbed, and no one else is benefited.

People are drawn to givers. God has put that spirit in us. Luke 6:38 Let's grow together in giving.

Tuning In On Depression (In Brief)

We are not designed to be problem solvers. Sorry about that.

We were not equipped to handle every situation that confronts us. Nope, we were not.

We do not have heroic qualities. Not on our own.

We were made to please God. With faith producing the action of the verb.

We were made to love unconditionally. No mind games or manipulations, just love.

We were created to live for others. Self is dethroned, and the other person is exalted.


I have heard it said that 1 in 7 college students suffer from clinical depression. Frankly, I am surprised that it isn't a higher percentage. College can be all about solving problems, or trying to learn to cope. Many attend college in the hope of become a hero in their field, at least in their own eyes. Pleasing God is not part of the curriculum. Love is, for the most part, distorted. And self is most certainly King.

This stacks up to a formula for depression. When I force myself into a role that I was not designed for, my mind will suffer the consequences. If I don't numb it out somehow, it will crash, and depression occurs.

Depression is hard to cure clinically, but much easier to treat with right thinking. God teaches us how to think. Healthy thinking produces healthy, happy, and successful living.

We were made for it!

Psalms 42:5; Philippians 1:6

Good Vibrations or Counterfeit Communication?

Man is attracted to beauty. The wonder of a fiery sunset, the amazement at the great expanse of the oceans, or being caught up in the vibrancy of color found in flowers. It is part of man, built in to him, to respond to such things. When we consider the many beautiful things that this earth contains, it draws us to the notion that there truly is a God. It is as if creation speaks to us. Romans 1:20 (New International Reader's Version) Ever since the world was created it has been possible to see the qualities of God that are not seen. I'm talking about his eternal power and about the fact that he is God. Those things can be seen in what he has made. So people have no excuse for what they do.

Undeniably, creation does speak to us. If we are listening, the message is crystal clear.

There is another entity that seeks to commune with man. Ever since his exile to this planet, he has been scheming to revenge himself for the indictment placed upon him. When man was introduced, Satan paid close attention to the relationship that God desired with this new creation. He saw how God ministered and communicated with man, even through the beauty of the world. If God could move the soul of man through impressions, then surely Satan could too. The proof was born at the Tree of Knowledge in the center of the Garden. Satan disguised himself as the most beautiful of creatures and waited in the tree. The Bible, in Genesis 3, says that the serpent spoke to Eve. I believe he did. But was it with words? Was it a talking beast? Or was it through impressions, vibrations, if you will. Perhaps it was at that point in history that the soul of man was introduced to the vibrations of the atmosphere, tempting and drawing him away from the gentle leading of God.

There are some things that Satan cannot counterfeit. One of them is the way that God speaks in depth to the depths of man's soul. It is the way that He meets man, right where he is, with love and compassion; with grace and mercy. These things cannot be mimicked.

And then there is the Cross. The ultimate defeat of the devil, and the ultimate victory for mankind. The cross is the place where man is forever reconciled to his God, by faith. It is the greatest communication of love in history!

The staff of Verticalink want to help define the difference between 'good vibrations' and the still small voice of God to man. Join us as we explore!