Tuesday 22 July 2014

Are You a Toto?

Do you ever feel like you're a Toto?  You know the little dog who pulled back the curtain and revealed the true "wizard" in the movie "The Wizard of Oz." Here is the scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v0rc_XzxiTg


In the evangelical world, there are so many deceitful people luring unsuspecting sheep away from Scripture.  Yet, as a Toto, you can pull back the curtain on them numerous times with the same result.  These sheep still think that these false teachers are "amazing." This is so annoying to me.  There are two women in particular that I'd like to pull back the curtain on. Beth Moore is one of the most prevalent women's Bible study authors in North America.  I can hardly believe that this is true.  She twists Scripture and claims Gods speaks to her audibly.  That God gives her divine revelation.  Here is an excerpt from her book, The Beloved Disciple.
 Bold emphasis is added:
Beloved, I am convinced one of our severest needs is pure rest. Not only sleep, but refreshment and recreation. Recently God spoke to me about capturing what He and I are calling “Sabbath moments.” Like many of yours, my schedule right now is particularly tough, and I see no time in the near future for a number of days off. God spoke to my heart one Saturday morning while I was preparing for Sunday school: “My child, in between more intense rests, I want to teach you to take Sabbath moments.” I wasn’t certain what He meant. Just that morning God confirmed His desire for me to drive all the way to the other side of Houston to the medical center to visit a patient with brain cancer. I was very thankful for the privilege of visiting this patient, but I knew in advance it would be tough emotionally and far from restful.
I fought the traffic across Houston, then visited with my new friend and her husband while choking back the tears. They have two young sons, and unless God performs a miracle, their mother will go home to be with the Lord before they are grown. I got in my car and prayed. I pulled out of the parking garage, fighting the tears. A few blocks later as if on autopilot, I turned my steering wheel straight into the parking lot of the Houston Zoo!
Christ seemed to say, “Let’s go play.” And that we did. I hadn’t been to the zoo in years. I heard about all the improvements, but I never expected the ultimate: Starbucks coffee! (OK, so I don’t have all my health issues down pat.) Can you imagine watching a baby koala take a nap in a tree on a rare cold day in Houston with a Starbucks grande cappuccino in your hand? Now that’s a Sabbath moment! God and I had a blast.
Beth Moore, The Beloved Disciple, (B&H Publishing: 2003), 220.

Now, this would be enough for me to walk away from Beth Moore.  She is claiming personal revelation from God.  She doesn't believe that God's revealed Word is enough.  You can also watch her mangle Scripture: blog.lproof.org/2013/12/a-12th-month-that-redeems-a-year.html
Unfortunately, a Toto doesn't get any "Sabbath Rests."  Pulling back the curtain on these false teachers is a full time job.  Another false teacher who has risen to fame is Priscilla Shirer.  She is a friend of Beth Moore and the daughter of Tony Evans.  She claims to hear from God and instructs women on how to have an "experience" with God.
Here are the links to the videos of Priscilla Shirer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uKp3rgJvNJQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=u3n785lQg9o
 
These women do not believe that God's revealed Word is enough for them.   Evangelicals agree that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. A percentage of these evangelicals, including me, believe that this revealed Scripture is sufficient. The rest, a surprisingly large number, do not believe that it is sufficient.  Instead, they search for ways to make an "Experience with God" happen.  In order to do this, they have gone to using techniques that are found in Catholicism and New Age religions to achieve their experiences. They are hearing from "spirits" but it isn't the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit inspired the Scriptures.  That is where we should turn to read what God has to say to us.

2 Tim 3:16,17 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." NKJV

2 Cor 11:19, 20 " For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face." NKJV

1 Tim 4:1"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." NKJV

The sufficiency of Scripture is under attack.  We need to be Totos and call out the false teachers who would deny the sufficiency of Scripture.  Revealing these "wizards behind the curtain" may come with some high costs.  If you become a Toto, you may lose friends, family members, and perhaps even your church.  You will be called divisive and accused of having a critical spirit.  It is not a job for the faint of heart.  There will be times of discouragement.  I know that standing up for the truth can be very difficult.  The truth isn't popular, as Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Apostle Paul, and countless others have discovered.   Be encouraged, many great men and women in the history of the church were Totos.