Of Revelations and Doctrines

Those of you who have read a couple of Dews, listened to a few of the tapes I produced know I go in and out of a lot of different places. I believe in good researched teachings which are produced in a scholarly manner and I can listen to someone's revelation, prophesy, or dream without calling it from the pit or carnal mind.

It is sad for me to see many fine Christians stunted in their growth because of their "teaching" or perhaps bad experiences. Many Christians have closed the door to the realm of revelation, visions, gifts of the Spirit, etc. They believe in a teaching that says these things ceased when God added a few more books to the Bible making a total of 66 books. (Now that number 66 should tell you something whether you are mystical or not.) And so their understanding of God cannot go much further than understanding a big black book. Now don't misunderstand me, there is much valuable information in that book. Those who know me, know I spend a great deal of time trying to better understand "the Book." But I also know the "letter kills." It is the Spirit that gives life and He is free to use much more than "the Book" to teach me. It saddens me to know there are many reading Dew who because of their "teachings" and fear do not press further.

I have traveled in the Pentecostal, Charismatic, Sonship, Present Truth camps. Here, the revelation flows like water. Hardly a minute can go by in a typical Charismatic gathering without someone saying, "The Lord showed me this," or "The Holy Ghost gave me this revelation ..." Yet it equally grieves me how few people will allow their "revelations" to be tested by Scripture and the discernment of others. I have met people who believed they were Elijah, the Prophet, or Zerubbabel. Elijah was looking for Moses so he could die in Jerusalem and Zerubbabel was going to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple. Their tasks were given to them "by revelation." No one could persuade them otherwise. Sound doctrine could not dissuade them from their "revelation."

Now holding sound teaching in one hand and revelation in the other, picture the vision I had at a recent Bible study.

"I saw in the Spirit a man approaching the Father on His Throne of absolute Sovereignty. As the man approached Him, he knelt before Him resting his hands and head on the knees of the Father. He rubbed his eyes on His knees. He touched His mouth and tongue to His knees and then turned into a puddle of liquid at the Father's feet. The puddle seemed so insignificant laying there all by itself. Then the puddle ran down from the foundation of the throne and I saw a river coming from under the throne. The puddle flowed into the river which was on its way to the nations of the world."

To the Bible only person, it probably means nothing, to the "heavy revy" type, it may mean too much, but to the one who holds both, it may be a blessing.