Books and Church from God's Perspective (by Charisse Graves)

This essay from my friend, Charisse Graves, compliments Michael Youssef for his bold preaching against The Shack and encourages Christians to examine all things in light of the Bible:

“The Preacher sought to find delightful words and to write words of truth correctly. The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body. The conclusion, when all has been heard is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:10-14.

It is obvious from God’s word that He approves of the writings from wise men that are profitable for our edification. However, there is a stern warning: writing of books is endless and wearying. Also, beyond this God will bring every act to judgment as to whether it is good or evil. Is the book an attempt to share the Gospel? Is it in keeping with, “...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worth of praise, dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8?

Has our society become like the Athenians? “Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.” Acts 17:21

We have a natural tendency to take the easy way out so when we see books entitled Seven Ways to Change the World, or Seven Ways to Build a Better You we think of this as some miraculous never before known way to a perfect life. Besides, what is the alternative? “Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” John 14:5&6. The truth says, “’Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.’” Matthew 7:13

If Jesus came to our Churches today, what would He find?

“And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.’ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.’” John 2: 14-17

Have our books become “doves” in the eyes of the Lord? Do we sell in the Lord’s house and Christian bookstores, for profit, man's ideas and man's thoughts that are not Scriptural, or edifying to Christians, but rather divert their eyes from seeing the True and Living God? “’But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.’” Matthew 18:6

The book entitled The Shack (documented by Dr. Michael Youssef to contain 13 heresies) is marketed to Christians through Christian bookstores and Churches. As of January 2010 there are estimates as high as 10 million copies in print. One can only speculate how different the book sales would be if the overseers tended to their calling, “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward,…holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” Titus 7 &9-11

However, this does not take away our individual responsibility to be contend earnestly for the faith. “To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you. Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” Jude 1:1-3

“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself’” Luke 9:23-25

My prayer is that God will perhaps grant us the eyes to see this error and turn from it so that He might be glorified as it happened in Ephesus. “Many also of those who had believed kept coming and confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.” Acts 19:18-20

Beloved, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world. The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15: 10&11

In the deep love of Jesus, may your joy be full,

Charisse Graves