What Mr. "Know it All" Doesn't Know (By Erik Raymond)

I recently asked one of our younger children to do a job that required some detailed clean-up. In the course of explaining the job as well as the steps to complete the job, I was interrupted. "I know. Dad, I know." Everything I said was punctuated with "I know." It was like a Baptist church hitting you with Amen's after everything. Then I let them do it. It was a disaster. Things didn't get put away, they actually got misplaced. Instead of the table being cleaned the floor became messy. Upon coming back to check on the situation I asked, "What happened here?" The answer, not surprisingly, "I don't know how to do that." 
 In the church we have a lot of impediments to growth in godliness. We live in a sinful world, have imperfect preachers, have trials and tribulations, and a relentless enemy who endeavors to be the stick in our spokes at every turn. But there is one great impediment to growth, this is the impediment of thinking that we already know everything. Let's call this person "Mr. Know-it-All". 
 Mr. Know-it-All does not really think that they have to learn anything. They are already there. They are, in effect, unteachable. 
 When you put a word like "unteachable" next to this I am sure you can see the problem. Christians, when thinking biblically, operate out of the realization that they actually do not know everything that they need to know. We have things to learn both intellectually and empircally. The design of the church is to provide a context where we can grow in godliness or Christian maturity. Consider Ephesians 4: 
 "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ," (Ephesians 4:11-15) 
 Some quick observations on these verses: a) God provides teachers, b) teachers are to teach Scripture, c) saints need to be equipped to serve so the church is built up, d) this must go on until we all grow into Christlikeness, e) maturity is the goal that we are after. 
 In light of clarity of the goal (Christian Maturity), the specificity of what this is (Christlikenss), and the means by which it is attained (hearing, learning, & applying the Bible) we all (everyone, every single Christian this side of heaven) need to hear and heed the Bible. 
 See, what Mr. Know it all doesn't know, is that he doesn't know it all. And this is a big problem-for him and the church where he fellowships. 
 Why is this such a problem? Well, in short he is not going to benefit from the ministry of the word and he is going to, by his obvious attitude, diminish its prominence in the life of the church. 
 In my 10 years of full-time pastoral ministry I have met Mr. Know-it-all many times. I have seen him in the pulpit as well as the pew. He has different faces but he acts and looks the same. Here are some of the characteristics and consequences of an unteachable person: 
 - They are critical rather than constructive. It is almost like they thrive in finding out someone's "wrong view" about something. Instead of seeing the church as a place to grow they see it as a place to show what they know. Mr. Know-it-All excels in pointing out others wrongs while doing a very poor job at (ever) pointing out what is right. 
 - They are often short-tempered rather than long-suffering. Grace is ethereal. Because they are right and know everything they have little patience with others. You won't often see this guy in a discipling relationship with others because they simply do not have the patience for people who are not like them. Further, when they do correct others they are harsh, belittling, and lacking gentleness. 
 - Talk a lot and don't listen very much. This would make sense-why not talk (if you know it all) and why listen (if they don't)? 
 - They like to fight and squabble about little things. Because they have moved into the center, the gospel gets relocated to the periphery. They will squabble with people about all kinds of things that would seem to be of secondary (or even lesser) importance. 
 - They are unsympathetic. Having no perceived weakness of their own, they cannot relate to others who are weak and struggling. Often times they devolve into harshness or disengagement with the weak. 
 - They like to talk about people. This is divisive to unity in the body. Instead of prizing unity, Christlikeness, maturity and fame of Christ, they delight in knocking others down, disrupting unity, and building themselves up. As a result, their conversations with other Christians devolve into stories of how much they know and how much others do not. 
 - They don't value preaching. Unaware of any need to grow, the sermon becomes a formality. Tragically unmoved by the ministry of the word, he is likely gathering bullets to shoot at leaders. He sits quietly during the sermons and teachings only to pick apart everything like a Monday morning quarterback. Sermons become the fodder for "gnat-straining" to find something to impugn the pastor with. 
 - They won't listen to the Bible. When confronted with an ungodly attitude and string of selfishness they simply will not listen. It is impossible for them to be wrong. It is a startling thing to see someone who seems mature refuse to respond to what God's Word says. 
 Ironically, Mr. Know-it-all only seems to have a lot of biblical knowledge. He can drop the 30 lb. words and effectively argue his point. Very often he is quite involved and appears to have things together. However, the fact that he is unteachable makes him dangerous in the local church and a detriment to his own spiritual health. 
 In contrast to Mr. Know-it-all are those who realize that they don't know everything. They are humble and hungry. They need God's Word and God's church. They may not have the ability to lift the 50 lb. theological words, but they will. It's ironic that these spiritual neophytes actually know much more and, in the long run will lap Mr. Know-it-all if he/she does not repent (thankfully, I have seen such repentance on several occasions). 
 Perhaps you're not a full-fledged Mr. Know-it-All, but if you find attitudes and actions reflected above, you may may working on a degree program that you were not aware of. It's a good time for all of us to return to the threshold of the church and look in the mirror. We don't know everything-and won't this side of glory. 

Reflections of a Christian..…..

When I belonged to the world, there were times when I felt the urge to have a “swallow”. On some occasions, I would move from one joint to another (sometimes estate to estate and occasionally town to town!) looking for company to help me “demolish” my wallet. It was of course very possible to take a table or bar stool and proceed to cause the financial (and other) damage when entirely alone. But the unholy spirit that reigns among imbibers is that “it doesn't go down well when taken while alone”.

(Luke 15:13 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living).

This got me thinking! How many times since I became part of the Kingdom have I PURPOSELY gone out of my way to look for somebody to “help” me enjoy (this time not demolish) the blessings God has bestowed on me freely!

If when I belonged to the world I could go looking for undeserving people to help me in destroying/annihilating my loot, how much more should I now as a born again Christian actively go out and search for brethren who are in need and bless them just like God has blessed me!

Father, make me a giver I pray.

(Gal 6:9-10 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith).

My personal testimony for this last year (Robert Chaffart)

The Defective Heart.

Late Summer 2014, I was diagnosed by a specialist as having an abnormality in my heart.  No wonder I could hardly do any exercise. I couldn't play sports any longer, as it made my brain spin, and at times, even walking would make me so dizzy that I had to stop in my tracks.  Going up stairs was slow, just one step at a time!  I had become an old man.

The reality of it hit me head on while I was in Edinburgh, Scotland, on August 2nd, 2014.  We were heading for Tattoo, a famous music festival for all those who used to be or are still part of Great Britain.  We had to take the bus, and one was coming a bit too fast.  As we weren't yet at the bus stop, I started to run.  Within seconds, I almost blacked out.  I was confused and completely dizzy.

Once back home, my first stop was to see a cardiologist, the best in the region, and the news was grim: My heart was enlarged, and worse, I had two parts to the aortic valve leading into my heart chamber instead of the normal three parts.  I remembered back to when I was sixteen.  I was diagnosed at the time with a heart murmur, probably as a result of these two flaps to my heart valve.  Now, with time working against me, I would have to slow down, and it was recommended that I start taking beta-blockers.  After praying about it and researching the beta-blocks, I became convinced that these beta-blockers would not be for my benefit, so I didn't take them.  I decided to trust my Heavenly Dad instead.  At the same time, however, I began to prepare myself for my possible demise.  I began putting together instructions on how to continue our online ministry if something were to happen to me.

My wife and my children prayed for me, and I prayed that I would continue to live so that I could be an encouragement to others at all times.  As the former cardiologist had no bedside manner, I requested a referral to another cardiologist, one who was the exact opposite of the former one in mannerisms.  He was friendly and encouraging, and he wanted me to do more tests.

Amidst a tumultuous time at work, one day I woke up completely refreshed, assured that I was healed.  I experienced no more dizziness after this.  I was able to run up the stairs and play sports with my students without problems.  I knew in my heart that I was healed.

Just yesterday, 5 months later, I had an appointment with my cardiologist, and he told me that at times it is hard to discern all the flaps of the heart valve with an ultrasound.  However in the latest ultrasound, it was clear that I had 3 flaps.  My heart valve was completely normal.

Doctors always have to look for reasonable explanations.  Instead of concurring I asked my Father what His take was on this, and His answer was clear: "Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.  'I am willing,' he said.  'Be clean!' Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured."  (Mark 1:41-42, NIV) God had healed me completely.  What else could explain that the dizziness had evaporated in the blink of an eye?  Despite the fact that I had had this condition all my life, I was now as good as new.  God gave me another flap to my heart valve so that I could continue with ministry.

Right now I long in my heart to bring the Church back to the first century standards where the word was not only spoken, but was also backed up with healings and miracles.  In other words, taking back what the evil one had stolen from us.  I have discovered that even now-a-days, some Christians live as in the first century, relying solely on our Father to share the Good News and backing it up with incredible miracles.  What happened to me will happen to others as well.

Do we believe truly?

Robert Chaffart is the Diretor and Founder of Answer2 prayer Ministries)www.answers2prayer.org)

If The Theory of Evolution Were True?

PRAYING FOR OTHERS

     The following parable about prayer comes from an unknown author:

     A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert-like island.  The two survivors,  not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God.  However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.  The first thing they prayed for was food.

     The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit.  The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

     After some days, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife.  The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island.  On the other side of the island, the second man had nothing.  Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, and more food.  The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him.  However, the second man still had nothing.

     Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island.  In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side on the island.  The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.  He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

     As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming:  "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

     "My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man replied.  "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

     "You are mistaken," the voice rebuked him.  "He had only one prayer, which I answered."

     "Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

     "He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

     We have many of the apostle Paul's prayers recorded in his epistles.  It is significant to me how large a percentage of those prayers involved petitions for other people (mostly for spiritual needs rather than physical, incidentally) and how few involved petitions for personal needs.

     It is easy to get so caught up in asking God to provide us what we need (or merely want) that we forget to pray for others.  May God help us to be sensitive to the needs of others around us, and may we take advantage of every opportunity to approach the throne of grace and lay their concerns at the feet of our Father.

     "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone..." (I Timothy 2:1, NIV)

Have You?

I am teaching you, but not always Spiritual Truths that gladden you.

Often, too often, there has to be the word of reproof as I tell you of commands of Mine not obeyed, of resolutions made when in contact with Me that you have failed to keep, of work done for Me in no spirit of Love and Joy, of failure to obtain supply because your attitude (often not your heart)  questioned My unlimited supply.

I teach no easy lesson.

I choose no flower-bordered path in which to walk with you, but take heart that I do walk with you as with Peter of old even when he denied Me.

He had seen his sin.  He went out and wept bitterly.

10 THINGS MONEY CAN'T BUY

1. Manners

2. Morals

3. Respect

4. Character

5. Common Sense

6. Trust

7. Patience

8. Class

9. Integrity

10. Love

Lessons that Geese Provide For Life: (Author Unknown)

- As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an 'uplift' for the birds following it. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone.
 The Lesson: People who share both common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they travel on the thrust of one another. 
 - Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the 'lifting power' of the bird immediately in front. 
 The Lesson: Stay with those who are heading in the right direction. 
 - When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position. 
 The Lesson: Take turns with the hard tasks and share leadership with each other! 
 - The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. 
 The Lesson: Be an encourager to those in front! 
 - When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation or to catch up with the flock. 
 The Lesson: Support and stand by one another!

Jude 1:24-25

Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.   

Sinner’s Prayer

Lord, don’t let my knowledge of You be something that only stays in my head. Help me to live it out. Don’t let my faith be just words. Help me to walk. Help me to walk towards You. Help me to walk away from sin. Help me to walk out, and not just say, my sinner’s prayer.