100% reliable teaching?

[rick357]

Thank you.

P.S. I just thought of something that I believe supports what you and Gore are saying about "in the name" being more than a tag on to our prayers, and it's something many congregations say during their services--"blessed is He that comes in the name of The Lord."

It comes from the Psalms and the Gospels, and (since it's possible to take the Lord's name in vain) I don't think the meaning is that anyone using the name of the Lord is blessed, so I think that kinda supports what you're saying (if that makes any sense?)

Good verse to bring up...Jesus is that one spoken of....and how did he pray....I never did anything or said anything that my Father did not say....there you go him in and through us as we are one with him.

 

[RychusRkr]

wow. so many aspects to your question. a few thoughts I have on this. not an in depth bible expository but just some thoughts based on my limited knowledge and experience in His word.
Yes, Jesus' word absolutely true, His prayer promise 100% trustworthy. I applaud you for your childlike faith to believe simply and wholly. However, not to place doubts of God's truthfulness to His promises, It is written all His promises are yes and amen in Christ. Just a reality check, some of the things have been mentioned. 1. human infallibility. you are praying for God to use a human being so completely during a service that nothing he says will be out of God's perfect will and divine utterance. Sorry, ain't no-one that plugged in yet. and your setting yourselves up to deception because he could say some soulish wrong opinion or something and you're going to think, well we prayed so it has to be of God.. 2. satanic resistance or interference. the devil hears our prayers and attempts to block them and sometimes he succeeds when we allow him, mostly unknowingly. Read Daniel, how the satanic forces stopped his prayer from being answered for like 3 weeks. 3. Doubt and confessions and actions not agreeing with your prayer. You could agree with someone in prayer and you never really know if they are really expecting the answer. we're working on it but none of us is perfect in faith. you know when you are in faith over something you prayed about.. it is a knowing. the fact you asked the original question shows the faith is not quite there. Somehow, when the prayer of faith is made, God's will is assured and through what is called supplication(called sometimes praying through) there comes a KNOWING that you've got the answer. Nothing can shake you, you got it! Time, circumstances or and devil can tell you otherwise. Remember faith cannot tell time. Once you put a time on answered prayer, you're hosed. The longer you're willing to wait, the less you'll have to. Through faith and patience one inherits the promises. This true faith is a lot rarer than one might think. Even Jesus when looking into the future said 'when the son of Man returns will He find faith on the earth? When it comes to faith be like a little child who believes his parents. Mommy, Daddy said it,,,, that's it, it's as good as done!! and the little child don't let mommy or daddy forget about it either!!!

 

[Shimshon]

Yes I am saying that adding" in his name "does not mean the request was in his name
But with this note...nothing from God comes by our work...but it comes by his work in us...

Lest any man should boast.

True, when you say 'in his name' your identifying you know by what 'authority' you're speaking in. It's not merely a magical phrase that we can use with our own power. We are only little gods in that we have THE God of the universe living within us. It's like your child taking hold of the steering wheel as you drive. The child thinks they are driving, and can drive where they please as they want. But the reality is the Father is actually driving the car, he merely let you participate along with him.

 

[Svt4Him]

Try it and see.

 

[rick357]

True, when you say 'in his name' your identifying you know by what 'authority' you're speaking in. It's not merely a magical phrase that we can use with our own power. We are only little gods in that we have THE God of the universe living within us. It's like your child taking hold of the steering wheel as you drive. The child thinks they are driving, and can drive where they please as they want. But the reality is the Father is actually driving the car, he merely let you participate along with him.

Brings to mind an illustration I often use.
When I was young and my father was working on somthing I would "help"...this help was mainly handing tools to him. It was most times he told me the tool needed and I would try to hand him the wrong tool two or three times...until he put his hand on the right tool and as he picked it up I would lay my hand on it for a moment as he was moving it....
Yet when we went inside he would report "we" had fixed it.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Compare the teaching against your own reading of the Bible and the things God has taught you yourself through His Word that you know that you know that you know are true about God. The more we read the Word and put it into practice the easier it is to discern between correct and dodgy teaching.

I would say after you've compared it with what you are reading yourself in the Bible when you have prayed that prayer then you can assume that the Holy Spirit will let you know if the teaching you are hearing is wrong.

Yes, we do need to 'test the spirits' (1 John 4.1), as the Apostle John says, and see if they conform to God's Word.

Blessings.

 

[Alithis]

Thank you, but I don't think you understand my question.

One of the things I've read (myself) in scripture is that Jesus said (in Matt. 18, verse 18 or 19, I think) that:

If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask in my name, it shall be granted them; for wherever two or three of you are gathered in my name, there am I in your mist.

We all asked that "God's word, and only His word, be spoken" during Sunday service, and we all say "in the name of Jesus Christ Thy Son, Amen," so (on the basis of that passage in Matt. 18) shouldn’t that absolutely guarantee that anything taught in that Church during a Sunday service is 100% correct?

Isn't that what Jesus was promising us there?

(And if that's not what that passage means, what does it mean--how do you understand it?)

Today (and the last time I went to the Church I attended today) we asked God to grant that "His word, and only His word, be spoken and heard."

This is possible and happens... but that does not mean it has anything to do with the speaker or the sermon..

iv sat under sermons that are so shallow you couldn't sink a sheet of paper.

but then i have repented of my attitude and asked the lord to forgive me and teach me ,speak to me through the sermon.
then a phrase... a word, that has nothing or little to do with the sermon topic
has become spiritually highlighted and iv learned or gained a deeper revelation or comprehension through it.

no person is infallible at passing on the knowledge of God..we make errors..but God is able to work even that together for our greater good.

its always important to have our faith founded in Gods abilities...not a mans.

 

[Faulty]

Today (and the last time I went to the Church I attended today) we asked God to grant that "His word, and only His word, be spoken and heard."

Even though I've only been to two Sunday services, I suspect they ask that every Sunday, I know that when I asked that I was hoping God would really grant it, and I would assume that there were others there hoping the same thing.

And this awakens a question I've always had, because I've always had trouble understanding the passage/passages that say the following (or something like it.)

If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask in my name, it shall be granted them; for wherever two or three of you are gathered in my name, there am I in your mist.

So, if this Pastor, his associates, and their entire congregation ask God to grant that "His word, and only His word be spoken and heard" during the service on Sundays (and I sincerely join them in asking that), can I assume that the teaching I hear there during the service is 100% correct?

How do Charismatics/Pentecostals view this?

(And please forgive me if this sounds like a stupid question, and be aware that I'll probably ask more.)

Put a little more thought into that verse.

If you think that the verse is saying that only those who gather in groups have their prayers answered, or He only visits those in groups of two or more, then by default, a believer who is off on their own studying and praying will not have their prayers answered and neither is He with them while they are alone, ever.

No, this verse is saying something else. Context is key, and that context is the restoration of a brother who has sinned against you. The "two or more" is referencing you, the restored brother, and anyone you brought with you.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

.....

The question about the passage in Matt. 18 (and others like it) was something I came up with (and have always had difficulty understanding.)

humbly or unhumbly (me) remember "no man can receive anything unless the Father grants it"

as i kept seeking His Will, by faith and grace in Yahshua HaMashiach (Jesus Messiah), He very slowly and gradually separated me from all the dross, errors, and inaccurate teachings of men's doing. it hurts a lot when He does this, and it is required of anyone seeking Him (separation from sin/error/falsehoods).

i had choices all along the way (my life) to 'settle' for what men had in order to be more comfortable (with any particular group of men), but could not do so with a clear conscience before Yhvh (remaining in error on purpose seers the conscience, doesn't heal it) from Whom is all life and truth.

men who want to continue in truth (to abide in Yahshua) may continue, praying "in His Name" and "in union" with Abba (amazing grace! look up "in union" in Scripture --- true union with the Creator and the Savior of men; true union now, real time) and they (men who want to continue in truth in Yahshua).

i had a similar experience, long, revealing truth in a profession(medicine) i studied in for years and practiced in for years -
little by little, a little here, a little there, as truth came to light, (sheer grace, not just to hear it, but to be able to accept it),
in pure simplicity (and testable - anyone who tests the truth discovers its true; vs untestable - what men say- testing it proves it wrong, even though all men say it)
which brings me back to what you said

"...(and have always had difficulty understanding.)..."

as just like with posters here, some will agree, some will disagree, some will understand, most won't understand.....

i couldn't understand Yhvh's Word (Scripture) as long as i was still as i had been brought up, and in regular man's 'church' 'in the flesh' thinking. (the way of men) (the way taught by men)

oh, 'it' (man's way) was all put together in a big system that seemed fine, and people even seemed to be happy or have it all together so to speak,
but 'it' didn't pass the test. and little by little as understanding was granted by the Father, Yhvh's Word (Scripture) always passed the test - always true. no matter how much Yhvh's Word is tested, how often Yhvh is tested, He is true. Yhvh is Perfect. Yhvh is Faithful. men are not.

the long story short --- man's way(s) won't provide life. Yhvh does.

man still claims to(find,have,or provide the way of life) , even when man falls short,
and most men 'settle' for what man says. Yhvh lets them.
some men keep on seeking for truth. Yhvh lets them.

 

[Svt4Him]

its always important to have our faith founded in Gods abilities...not a mans.

The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.

 

[Bob Carabbio]

If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask in my name, it shall be granted them; for wherever two or three of you are gathered in my name, there am I in your mist.

So, if this Pastor, his associates, and their entire congregation ask God to grant that "His word, and only His word be spoken and heard" during the service on Sundays (and I sincerely join them in asking that), can I assume that the teaching I hear there during the service is 100% correct?

"Agreement" in this case DOESN'T MEAN that I think it's a neat idea, and you do two. It MEANS that you AND I have both received the SAME WORD for the Holy Spirit, and have "SPiritual agreement" as a result.

Example - I was at the "Dog House" in Cedar Hill, TX with a Christian co-worker - and just as my "Italian Beef" sandwich was served, The Holy Spirit nudged me, and told me to pray for the owner of the restaurant and his business.

About 30 seconds later, my co-worker said: "Y'know, we need to pray for the owner and his business". That's Biblical agreement. SO when we finished the lunch, we went up and after paying, we told him that God wanted us to pray for him and his business, and we did. Shortly afterwars a better location opened up, and his business flourished -

"can I assume that the teaching I hear there during the service is 100% correct?"

Probably NOT. "Intellectual Agreement" isn't what the verse speaks about. And Preaching/Teaching is ALWAYS a mixture of Truth, and Error, but if you KNOW the Bible (as you should as a Christian), you can "Eat the meat, and Spit out the bones".