The Word of God Says This... You are Wrong! (Part 2)

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This topic has always interested me. Not because I am a person who wants to be a bible scholar but I have come to recognise how important it is to ensure that we are getting the right teachings from the right sources. Following the last discussion I had with my friend, I have yesterday come to have another discussion with another friend on spiritual nourishment.
Frankly, I have became quite dismayed learning that there are so many people out there who can, for a lack of better word, "misrepresent" God and present wrong teachings. Even sometimes within the Christian community, we have seen cases where people interpret different bible verses differently (and sometimes this may also cause rifts). My basic premises are simple:

• Bible as Primary Source - I am for reading "Christian" books and other sources e.g. websites to help us grow spiritually and to help us illuminate our understanding of the word of God and I trust that God speaks through them as well BUT this should not be a substitute for the Word of God because that is STILL the Word of God. But, with the wealth of books, blogs, devotional materials, tapes etc out there, it can sometimes get difficult to determine if a book or website is indeed inspired by God or it contains false teachings, either intentionally or unintentionally.
  
  
• Wisdom & Discernment - Believe it or not but God speaks through His word. I believe that no one can truly profess to know everything and even what is on God's mind. Even bible verses can also be misquoted out of context. I remember seeing a video created by an atheist on youtube and he/she was trying to show how evil Christians are and misquoted several verses. So I still believe that only God can grant wisdom and discernment to gain insight into his Word. We should treat devotionals, blogs, books, websites etc with caution as we are careful with the things we eat. Just as we do not take risk to take food we suspect may not have been prepared in a hygienic manner, we should also pay careful attention to where we get our spiritual nourishment. Ask God for wisdom and discernment in order not to be misled. I believe that God, who wants His people to come back to Him, will help His people to have wisdom and discernment, to continue to walk closely with Him, just as He had granted Solomon wisdom and discernment.
  
  
• Track Record - While track record can help us determine if an author is reliable, I also believe that everyone have to work out their spiritual walk. It does not mean that a person who have been walking steadily will not fumble and fall. I am not saying that we should be unforgiving to these people when they fumble (didn't Christ forgive us again and again when we fumble too) but then we should have the realisation that man fumble too and thus we should not ALWAYS talk what they say to be gospel truth. Even my pastor reminded us that we should fully trust God and not man because man, including himself, can fail.
  
  
• The Big Picture - The easiest way is to know the character of God (through reading and illumination by God) and when we know His character, we will know what is consistent and what is not consistent to the character of God. For example, I have learnt today through reading the bible that God is not a person who delights in rituals and sacrifices but more on a repentent heart:
  
  

  Isaiah 1:11-17 (NIV):
  11 "The multitude of your sacrifices—
  what are they to me?" says the LORD.
  "I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
  of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
  I have no pleasure
  in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.

  12 When you come to appear before me,
  who has asked this of you,
  this trampling of my courts?

  13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
  Your incense is detestable to me.
  New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
  I cannot bear your evil assemblies.

  14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
  my soul hates.
  They have become a burden to me;
  I am weary of bearing them.

  15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
  I will hide my eyes from you;
  even if you offer many prayers,
  I will not listen.
  Your hands are full of blood;

  16 wash and make yourselves clean.
  Take your evil deeds
  out of my sight!
  Stop doing wrong,

  17 learn to do right!
  Seek justice,
  encourage the oppressed.
  Defend the cause of the fatherless,
  plead the case of the widow.
  
  Micah 6:6-8 (NIV):
  6 With what shall I come before the LORD
  and bow down before the exalted God?
  Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
  with calves a year old?

  7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
  with ten thousand rivers of oil?
  Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
  the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

  8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
  And what does the LORD require of you?
  To act justly and to love mercy
  and to walk humbly with your God.

• False Teachings and Prophecies - Christ spoke of false prophets and teachers out there. But for those who has been anointed in position to minister to God's people, God warns them (in Micah 3) about misleading His people.

So where are you getting your nourishments? All it takes is just a little bit to derail you.