Discernment Ministries: The Devil's In Everyone And Everything

[Jason]

Have you ever noticed “discernment ministries” and their tendency to demoize almost everyone and everything?

Why is that?

One in particular that shall remain unnamed stated that the ministry was not going to give much in the way of encouragement and exposition because they were a warning ministry; thus the call for balance would not be heeded.

WHAT?

That is what we need in all things. BALANCE! Thou art a jewel of great price. How much we need thee!

Spurgeon once preached a message from Isaiah 8:20 entitled “Search The Scriptures.” That is certainly what we should do. If one does not get his guidance there, there will be no light/information/good/blessing in him. That is, his speech which is not Biblically informed and based will not bring blessing.

Today it seems that “discernment ministries” find something wrong with practically everyone but themselves and their cronies.

One must dot every “i” and cross every “t” to satisfy them. They will then be sure to find something anyway. You simply cannot utter their “Shibboleth” in a manner that will cause them to rest with contentment that you are “ok.”

Thus it is that John MacArthur, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, herbal remedies, chiropractic treatment, Contemporary Christian Music, Southern Gospel Music, and a host of other things/people are taboo.

I have a feeling that one should work very hard to achieve balance.

Instead, “discernment ministries,” which could indeed do much good, are going off the deep end and losing their focus. The focus seems to be on finding the devil everywhere and in everything. Instead, the focus should always be to point toward Christ.

Yeah, yeah….I know….I’ll now be added to “the notebook” of the “discerners.” That’s OK. I’m still in the Lamb’s book of life.

Just musing…

[Raquel]

You know what really irks me (I have one 'ministry' in particular in mind as I type)? Is when SOME of what they say is truth! But the buggers have long ago ruined their integrity by, as you say, seeing a demon under every rock.

[Jason]

You're right on.

[Scott]

One doesn't even have to be part of a super-Pentecostal/charismatic 'discernment ministry'. You can find this kind of theology amongst average Christians.

It doesn't help, but the only way to win them is by not acting towards them as they are toward us. Or, in other words, we have to try and extend grace. Of course, there might be a time to challenge or simply exit stage left.

[Jason]

Scott,
One that is on my mind is Fundamentalist.
Do you remember the guy who used to have the "notebook" you could download? In it he had exposes on everyone from MacArthur to Dobson.
Phil Johnson used to have a page about how the discernment and this guy named "Fish" dealt with GCC and MacArthur.
A devil behind every preacher...and a demon in every drum beat :-)

[Char]

Can I say "donatists" now? You know...

[Jason]

Char

[Daniel]

Recently remembered this thread when an online friend posted about the occult origins and new-age beliefs of Chiropractic.  Asked four different times to provide a Biblical principle that spinal manipulation was violating, and only got avoidance to the question.  /sigh