Beth Moore?

[Kelly]

OK, lately, everybody and their grandma has been singing the praises of speaker Beth Moore and her series of devotionals. My wife and I have been looking for some sort of study activity to do together in the evenings so I decided to pick one up. We got "Jesus. 90 Days With the One and Only"

We started and right off the bat I was TOTALLY creeped out by her constant expression for passionate love for Jesus. I was weirded out for two reasons.

1. It came off as man/woman love. I can quote some of it to you when I'm at home, but that's how it sounded. She mentions thinking he was beautiful in paintings etc. She speaks more passionate about him than I've probably said about my wife.

2. I don't feel a deep LOVE for Jesus. I can only feel these kinds of feelings for people I know and have lived with personally/phsyically. I have respect for Christ. I am thankful for Him. But is it LOVE? I don't sit idly dreaming of Him. (more like I feel how much I'm disappointing him by my lack of action, repentance, etc), I want to meet him in Heaven, to listen to what he has to say. But puppy dog affection? Never felt it. Not like the love I have for my wife, my kids, my dad, etc. If I tried to pretend to have it it would be completely phony.

So i was left after the first few day's studies feeling bummed out and a little less Christian. "Good for you miss goody two shoes, you have this super deep love for God, which apparently I don't." My wife felt the same way and we gave up on the book.

 

[holo]

We love because He loved us first. You won't even be able to love Him unless you first get to accept and experience and apply His love for you. And judging by what you say about Him being disappointed with you, it seems to me you haven't really done that (not that it's a one-time event though). He's not disappointed with you. He's proud of you. That love you have for your kids and your dad? Well, that's the exact love He Himself refers to when trying to describe His own. Only that His love is "how much more..." - our love is limited. His isn't.

That said, I don't like the whole deal where Jesus sounds like somebody's girlfriend either, but apparently, that stuff floats a lot of people's boats, and I guess it's like worship music - I can't stand it myself, but to many others, it's THE way of praising God.

 

[JDIBe]

I feel I have a deep love for God and Jesus, but it's more a love for a Father (or if it is a love for a person of the opposite sex, my mother)

I really don't get the "Jesus is my boyfriend" thing and most paintings of Him are pictures of white, European men, which are probably not a true representation of His appearance anyway.

 

[woman.at.the.well]

I think a study of AGAPE love may clear the fog concerning Beth Moore's passionate love for our Savior. I could see how one could misconstrue that if it were taken out of context. The statement you made, "I don't feel a deep LOVE for Jesus" was interesting to me. Without trying to be condescending (really) you might want to think about that (agape love) more (meditate on 1 Cor 13); and maybe spend less time with Mr. Frodo and the Dungeon Master so you can experience more of what Mrs. Moore is referring to. Because there is nothing like it, in all due respects and seriousness.

I have done several Beth Moore studies and have found them all to be VERY good. Her perspective on scripture is undoubtedly very interesting. Give her a shot and see what you think after you've experienced the whole study. If you don't like her style, then you know not to go there again. There are many other excellent studies out there to partake of. Max Lucado comes to mind.

 

[IisJustMe]

After 15 years as a Christian, I can look back and see ...

... that throughout a childhood and adolescence of risk-taking and carefree attitude (during which I survived a 106-degree fever with the measles, came within inches of being struck by a speeding car, rolled a John Deer tractor over and escaped without a scratch, on prom night crashed a car that looked like an accordion when my date and I crawled out of i unscathed) He was there and I was oblivious to Him, thinking myself just to be "lucky.

" ... that throughout 20 years, five months, 13 days and 6 hours (give or take a few minutes) of military service, He was never far away from me even though I did not know Him. When I took His name in vain, when I drank myself into stupors to forget the horrors of war, and later when I realized that was no answer and threw myself into "avenging" my losses by flying covert ops despite the wife I had by then acquired begging me to stop, He was there, even though I wasn't looking for Him and didn't think I needed Him. It was my talent as a pilot that got me out of those tight impossible situations ... right?

... that my compulsive gambling addiction after my service was over was the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder I had spent over 20 years denying and yet He was still there and using that addiction to His purpose.

... that my disobedience and refusal to "be transformed" during the first two years of my faith led directly to criminal activity and prison, and again He was there, again using my bad choices to His good purpose.

... that despite all my struggles and my self-will and the trials and tribulations those brought into my life, God was gracious and through the power of Jesus Christ He has established me as His servant, as a man who understands pain, hurt, doubt and fear and who understands that everyone feels those things but some let it disrupt their lives to the point that they make bad decisions -- just like I did -- and He enabled me through His gifting and His allowing me to get my Masters in counseling psychology from a seminary so that I could be the someone who can point those who suffer as I once did back to Christ.

I lost my best friend in Vietnam, my right seat (co-pilot) because we were determined to rescue seven badly wounded Rangers who were going to be left behind if we didn't get them out. We succeeded in the evac, but Brian, the first black man and the first Christian I as an adult called "friend" died because we wouldn't move until they were on board. He gave his life for others, and he wouldn't have had it any other way. I will see him in heaven, and I will get to tell him I know why he did it.

It was the love of Christ. I know that love, and I express it to my Lord and Savior every single day. I cannot begin the day without telling Him how much I love Him, how much He means to me, that I cannot live without Him. I adore Him, I cherish Him, I absolutely am devoted to Him, and i am unashamed of telling Him or anyone else that.

Yes I love Him, intimately, closely and humbly. The thing that constantly amazes me is that He loved me that way when I was the awful man you see described above.

 

[Kelly]

Sorry, I don't translate agape love into the adjectives and verbs she uses. I do not have a ROMANCE (her words) with Jesus. Perhaps my way of expressing agape love is simply different. I might add that I've never read a male author (Max Lucado included) who described his love for Christ like Beth did so far in that devotional, so perhaps it's a male / female thing, but my wife said she was uncomfortable with the prose too.

That being said, we aren't giving up on the book and will give it another try.

(and I spend much more time in the word than behind my DM's screen, rest assured)

 

[trentlogain]

Well it would be interesting to get your take on the bride/bridegroom adorations and descriptions in Jeremiah and even in the NT then.

By the way, I love Jesus more than life itself.

 

[JDIBe]

Well it would be interesting to get your take on the bride/bridegroom adorations and descriptions in Jeremiah and even in the NT then.

By the way, I love Jesus more than life itself.

Would that be romantically?

 

[Kelly]

By the way, I love Jesus more than life itself.

All I am saying is that my love doesn't translate in the romantic ways that some seem to profess. I feel more of a respect/teacher/savior type feeling. Gratitude.

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

I have her book, Jesus: 90 Days With the One and Only, but I haven't yet started it. I do sometimes watch her on Daystar. My impression is that she's generally a good teacher with some good insights, but that her very hyper, "too much coffee" mannerisms are hard for me to take. I have to be in a very relaxed mood to watch her at all; otherwise she leaves me jittery.

 

[Nadiine]

OK, lately, everybody and their grandma has been singing the praises of speaker Beth Moore and her series of devotionals. My wife and I have been looking for some sort of study activity to do together in the evenings so I decided to pick one up. We got "Jesus. 90 Days With the One and Only"

We started and right off the bat I was TOTALLY creeped out by her constant expression for passionate love for Jesus. I was weirded out for two reasons.

1. It came off as man/woman love. I can quote some of it to you when I'm at home, but that's how it sounded. She mentions thinking he was beautiful in paintings etc. She speaks more passionate about him than I've probably said about my wife.

2. I don't feel a deep LOVE for Jesus. I can only feel these kinds of feelings for people I know and have lived with personally/phsyically. I have respect for Christ. I am thankful for Him. But is it LOVE? I don't sit idly dreaming of Him. (more like I feel how much I'm disappointing him by my lack of action, repentance, etc), I want to meet him in Heaven, to listen to what he has to say. But puppy dog affection? Never felt it. Not like the love I have for my wife, my kids, my dad, etc. If I tried to pretend to have it it would be completely phony.

So i was left after the first few day's studies feeling bummed out and a little less Christian. "Good for you miss goody two shoes, you have this super deep love for God, which apparently I don't." My wife felt the same way and we gave up on the book.

Oh gosh I had to laugh at this post.
esp. this paragraph:

1. It came off as man/woman love. I can quote some of it to you when I'm at home, but that's how it sounded. She mentions thinking he was beautiful in paintings etc.
She speaks more passionate about him than I've probably said about my wife.

rofl. I don't know what to say about the comment in relation to your feelings towards your wife. lol :o (that's a whole other thread) heheh

I do know what you mean tho and yes, stuff like that absolutely makes you feel like a failure (spiritually inferior) or even wonder if you're saved at all if you don't feel the same way they do to that magnitude; as if something's wrong with you?

Honestly, when I realize how in love I am with the Lord, it's usually when I feel very vulnerable, isolated/alone, in a dark situation/place or faced with serious fear. Those are the times that I latch onto my Lord and hang on for dear life; thanking Him for saving me and giving me hope & purpose in life.
That's when praise just flows out of me becuz I'm so happy and thankful.

My mom sent me one of her devotional book thingy's for Christmas last year and it's still on a table. I'm not good with that sorta preplanned stuff. I probly should do it, but the minute it starts feeling like I'm back in school, I get shut off to that type of study format. (it's just me).

 

[Nadiine]

I have her book, Jesus: 90 Days With the One and Only, but I haven't yet started it. I do sometimes watch her on Daystar. My impression is that she's generally a good teacher with some good insights, but that her very hyper, "too much coffee" mannerisms are hard for me to take. I have to be in a very relaxed mood to watch her at all; otherwise she leaves me jittery.

uh oh --- I tend to be like that myself lol
Well thankfully you don't have to look at me or hear me. hehe

I didn't know she was on daystar, I'll have to look for her show.

*drinks another cup of coffee*

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

uh oh --- I tend to be like that myself lol
Well thankfully you don't have to look at me or hear me. hehe

I didn't know she was on daystar, I'll have to look for her show.

*drinks another cup of coffee*

She doesn't have her own show, but she has a segment on Life Today, which is James & Betty Robison's show. They don't have her as a guest, but as a show within a show. Checking the website, it's called Wednesdays with Beth, and it does seem to be on Wednesday, so I guess that fits. And it may be Daystar, TBN or PAX. Just search for Life Today on your cable or satellite service.

P.S.: A little further research - Beth Moore goes to First Baptist Church in Houston, TX. It's Southern Baptist, which I guess explains why LifeWay Christian Stores (run by the SBC) are so fond of her.

 

[kasprinkle]

I used to look down my nose at those "Beth Moore women" who just LOVED Beth and her teachings. After just one video, I WAS one of those women!!!
I have taught several of her studies and have learned so much from her. She is not, however, everyone's cup of tea.
If you don't judge her for her passionate love of Jesus, I won't judge you for your more restrained approach!

 

[Nadiine]

I read about Beth Moore being related w/ the emergent church issues...
since she gave her support to the Be Still and know that I am God series.
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/bethmoorethumbsup.htm


I found this link
http://simplyagape.blogspot.com/2006/05/chuck-smith-beth-moore-and-where-do.html
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/bethmoorethumbsup.htm

I also stay clear of the WOF movement she's involved with.

 

[IisJustMe]

I also stay clear of the WOF movement she's involved with.

Where does this stuff come from??

Beth Moore is a Southern Baptist. Her work is primarily distributed by Lifeway which is the Southern Baptist Christian resource arm. If she was even slightly leaning in the direction of Word of Faith, she would be dropped like a hot potato. The Southern Baptist Convention would not promote or distribute WoF materials or anything resembling WoF materials, nor would they long maintain a relationship with an author and speaker who promoted such beliefs. I've seen some super-legalists (like those on the Baptist forum here on CF) criticize her because -- gasp! -- she has conversations with God every day and He reassures her of how much He lovers her, and she has personal revelation from him!!

"OH MY!! We can't have that! That's ... that's ... a personal relationship with God!"

Give me a freakin' break! She doesn't offer 'divine revelation' to others, her revelation is for her and her alone. The Bible teaches we have this kind of guidance from Him. News flash, folks: I have conversations with God every day, too. It's called prayer. I have personal revelation from God, too. He's called The Holy Spirit.

Beth Moore is a wonderful teacher, biblically sound and guided by the Holy Spirit. For those of you who know how I detest anything resembling "experience-based" beliefs without much if any regard for the revealed Word, that should be enough.

 

[Nadiine]

Where does this stuff come from??

Beth Moore is a Southern Baptist. Her work is primarily distributed by Lifeway which is the Southern Baptist Christian resource arm. If she was even slightly leaning in the direction of Word of Faith, she would be dropped like a hot potato. The Southern Baptist Convention would not promote or distribute WoF materials or anything resembling WoF materials, nor would they long maintain a relationship with an author and speaker who promoted such beliefs. I've seen some super-legalists (like those on the Baptist forum here on CF) criticize her because -- gasp! -- she has conversations with God every day and He reassures her of how much He lovers her, and she has personal revelation from him!!

"OH MY!! We can't have that! That's ... that's ... a personal relationship with God!"

Give me a freakin' break! She doesn't offer 'divine revelation' to others, her revelation is for her and her alone. The Bible teaches we have this kind of guidance from Him. News flash, folks: I have conversations with God every day, too. It's called prayer. I have personal revelation from God, too. He's called The Holy Spirit.

Beth Moore is a wonderful teacher, biblically sound and guided by the Holy Spirit. For those of you who know how I detest anything resembling "experience-based" beliefs without much if any regard for the revealed Word, that should be enough.

So what you're saying is, if YOU agree with something, then....... that's proof enough that it's good?

Well anyways, I wasn't calling her WOF - if you would of asked me instead of jumping on me, I could of clarified what I wrote.
I got the WOF comment from what I read here (included on the page link I gave previously for anyone else to read):
http://simplyagape.blogspot.com/2006/05/chuck-smith-beth-moore-and-where-do.html

To this date I have never heard Beth speak out against Emergent or contemplative prayer.
Beth is pro-Catholic and hangs with the Word Faith crowd.
That to me says a lot.
So much around this Emergent Church movement seems to be weaved in lies, deceit and coverup.

Not knowing much about her, I was doing web searches and offered the links to what I found, AND THE READER OF THEM CAN DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT of that information.

I would THINK she would be discerning enough since she's so "Holy Spirit guided", to know about what the 'Be Still' material (contemplative prayer) promotes since she backs it & supposedly would do some homework on what she was endorsing.

Read this, it mentions her by name regarding this Be Still DVD:
http://www.apprising.org/archives/2006/03/be_still_and_kn.html

Nowhere did I condemn her, call her a heretic/false teacher OR tell people not to read her materials, did I? I simply said that some articles I read linked her possibly w/ some emerging church issues, offered links to the information I found that might lead people do a little more research. What's wrong with that?
But then, you were arguing against what some of us were stating w/ Rick Warren as a proponent of this emerging church stuff in another thread - maybe you support it? who knows.

I think you made a huge leap to attack when it wasn't necessary.

 

[RedTulipMom]

Everyone has a different way of relating to God and i believe alot of it has to do with what kind of relationships we have with our own Father, our own friends, our own brothers/sisters, spouses, etc. One way of relating is NOT better or worse than another. I personally relate best to God as Father and good friend. I can understand how when you see someone who sees Jesus as LOVER it is a bit intimidating and may make you feel like they have something BETTER than what you have with God, but i don't believe that is true. I think your way of relating to God is just as good as Beth's way, just DIFFERENT. I watch Beth every week on "Wednesdays with Beth" on "Life Today" and the Holy Spirit speaks through her to me often. I too at first felt like "Wow, she has such a close relationship to God compared to me!". But after awhile i came to realize..its just a different way of relating to God..and that is ok. I am sure you will get much out of the devotional if you give it a chance and look past her different way of relating to God. God bless you!

 

[Izdaari Eristikon]

Hmm, I'm pro-Emergent (explicitly too, not just by failing to speak against it).

And I'm pro-Catholic. Also pro-Orthodox.

And I hang with the WoF crowd sometimes; I don't agree with them on everything, but they have some good points. (Same as with Catholics and Orthodox. Southern Baptists too for that matter.)

I'm liking Beth Moore more and more, just from reading the last few posts.

 

[Nadiine]

Hmm, I'm pro-Emergent (explicitly too, not just by failing to speak against it).

And I'm pro-Catholic. Also pro-Orthodox.

And I hang with the WoF crowd sometimes; I don't agree with them on everything, but they have some good points. (Same as with Catholics and Orthodox. Southern Baptists too for that matter.)

I'm liking Beth Moore more and more, just from reading the last few posts.

Well before you get too excited, she claimed she's against the Eastern/new age prayer stuff - oddly that's what is on the DVD she's endorsing, so that's got me somewhat confused. lol

I'm not pro Catholic, but then I'm not anti Catholic either - as if to say all Catholics are lost like some do - there's problems in dogma but how could anyone condemn them all like that??
Not all Catholics are truly saved like not all Baptists are truly saved, etc. etc.

& To me it would depend on which WOF people she's hanging with too. Benny Hinn? :o Copeland? Osteen?
oh well.

Anyways, I don't do that devotional stuff anyways. I think what people are doing is seeing her 'close relationship' w/ God & seeking a way to use her stuff to get what she has. Or is that what devotionals are supposed to do? lol
If you read her stuff & do her devotionals & you DON'T get the same closeness she has, what does that mean?
*things I ponder*