CHAFF OR GRAIN ?

Chaff or Grain?

Reading: Mark 7:1-13
"Is not My word like fire, asks the Lord,
and like hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces?" ( Jer 23:29 )

New revelations, visions, dreams — these are the fad in Christendom today. Though superficially these appear good, these are nothing but "wood, hay and straw." These cannot stand the test of the fire of God's Word "The fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is" ( 1 Cor 3:12 , 13 ). People are excited when preachers talk about dreams and visions. Huge crowds rush to such meetings. But dreams and visions are simply "chaff" before the "wheat" of God's Word. Perhaps no other mortal man had had such an abundance of visions and revelations like Paul. He even had a trip to Paradise . But he did not go place to place talking about these experiences. Our preachers go crowing about even a visit to Paris !
Jesus was reasonably thorough with the Scriptures even from the age of twelve ( Lk 2:42 , 46 , 47 ). But He prepared Himself for another eighteen years before He preached His first sermon. Many enter the pulpit too soon quoting Paul that he started preaching "immediately" after his conversion. Little do they realise that he had had many years of rigorous learning of the Old Testament Scriptures under the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel ( Acts 22:3 ). That's why Paul discouraged Timothy against installing a novice in the ministry ( 1 Tim 3:6 ).
Sometimes we are not able to embrace the truth of God's Word because of certain traditions. Traditions are not to be summarily rejected. But whichever contradicts the Scriptures must be abandoned however long it would have been cherished. When we worship traditions we make the Word of God ineffective ( Mk 7:6-13 ).
"The time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine... and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to tales" ( 2 Tim 4:3 , 4 ). The prosperity doctrine invented by materialistic countries is an example of myths. It is a plague that cannot be easily stopped. No other doctrine in Church history had been so popular. This has prevented most of our pulpits from sounding forth genuine messages from the Lord. "Smile! Jesus loves you!" — Such slogans are good for stickers but not good enough for sinners. It becomes a myth if the other side of the coin, namely "Repent! Jesus loves you!" is not presented ( Rev 3:19 ).
We must comfort the afflicted but afflict the comfortable.
Preaching should aim at pricking the heart, not stroking the skin!