We call them ‘spin doctors’. 

 They are in pretty high demand these days given what they do, and high profile politicians give them plenty of job security. 

 In short, they go in and try to explain to the public what their boss really meant to say when he said something that was ‘off script’ and created quite a stir in doing so. I bet you know what I’m talking about here. 

 Can I just tell you now there is no shortage of them working in ‘churches’ today as well. Yeah...I said it. No shortage. 

 How do they operate? That’s an easy one to answer. They basically tell folks who don’t know any better why God really did not mean what He said when you come across various statements there in the bible. They are often put in a position to ‘put a spin’ on it with a lot of extra words when asked about various scriptures, so as to take what was originally said and redirect it to say something else. Hence, the term ‘spin doctor’. Usually they'll have lots of thick books and commentaries written by smart people long ago, and just to really make it confusing, they want to bring up what it said in the Greek and/or Hebrew languages which few of us know. 

 I know...that sounds a little testy...but I think God gets a bit irked when we do that with His word all the time. It’s been going on ever since...well...creation. You know the story there in Gen. 3...God’s word said: “Don’t eat off this one tree or you will surely die.” 

 Then the original ‘spin doctor’ rears his head and puts quite the weave on what God said, telling Eve that was not really what God meant...spins another tale and before you know it, both her and her husband eat off that tree and the rest they say...’is history’. Enter: death and dying and sickness and disease and suffering and poverty and evil and...the list goes on and on. 

 Have you ever wondered why Adam and Eve were so gullible and quick to believe...a lie? They were deceived. 

 And a passage I refer to often is the one where Paul expressed concerns that we too, could be deceived in the same manner that Eve was (2 Cor. 11:2-4). We are told repeatedly to ‘be not deceived’ in multiple places there in the NT. 

 I’m sure you are familiar with that phrase we often say and sing about ‘standing on the word’ or ‘standing on His promises’. That’s not a bad thing to do, ‘stand on God’s word’. We are told that while the heavens and the earth will pass away, the word of the Lord endures forever’. (Matt. 24:35 ; 1 Pet. 1:25) 

 So with that thought in mind...you probably recall another passage I refer to often there in Matt. 7:24-27 where Jesus explains the difference between people who hear the word and do what it says vs. those who hear but don’t act upon it. He talks about building on a solid rock so that...when...the floods come, the one who believes and does the word, stands firm. You know what happens to the other guy there. 

 And the floods will come and are here already.  Jesus spoke of more floods coming prior to His return like they did in the days of Noah. (Matt. 24:37-39). But it was not floods of natural water He spoke of. How do I know? Well, God promised way back after Noah landed on dry ground that He would never flood the earth with water like that again. And since God doesn’t lie...we can trust Him at His word. But that’s not to say another ‘type of flood’ won’t come. 

 We read in Rev. 12:15 about this great dragon or serpent who rises up to sweep or ‘carry away’ this ‘woman and her offspring which is a picture or type of the church. We read where ‘out of his mouth he spewed water like a flood that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood’. 

 What usually comes out of our mouths? -Words. Proverbs 18:4 mentions how men’s words are like deep waters. Again, pointing back to the garden...the serpent spewed out all these ‘words’ to carry Eve away in to believing something else. (Gen. 3:1-11) You might call it ‘another gospel’ or ‘doctrine’ that was opposite of what God said. Read 1 Tim. 4:1 lately? 

 When we are not rooted and grounded in/on God’s word...we become subject to every ‘wind of doctrine’ that is out there. (Eph. 4:14). In fact, if we don’t have a genuine love for the truth, Paul explains that God Himself, will send ‘strong delusion’ so that we will ‘believe a lie’ and perish for it. Strong words...but it’s right there in 2 Thess. 2:10-12. 

 Let me share some common examples of how this plays out on a regular basis today. And I’m not here trying to hurl stones....rather...point out things we’ve all seen, heard, and most likely experienced ourself. And it usually occurs with ‘new sheep’ whose hearts have been changed and they are hungering for God’s word, like a newborn babe does for its mother’s milk. (1 Pet. 2:2) 

 You come across a passage that just melds with your spirit and you believe it, despite those other ‘voices’ that are knocking on the door. Let’s use the one I mentioned yesterday in my post from James 5:13-15. It’s where the question is directed to believers asking “Is anyone among you suffering? ...Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

 Stop there. (why did I stop us here?) – because that is about as far as we are comfortable in going/doing. Some groups are not even comfortable with that...the ‘anointing with oil’ thing. But we are open to ‘praying’ for the sick. And as I said yesterday, those prayers usually range from phrases like “May God comfort you in your time of suffering”...or “Help us God to accept Your will in this time of affliction”...or (the one I always cringe on) “God...please use the doctors to make this person better”. 

 Sometimes we ‘feel more faith’ if a group of people gather and pray aloud and there are tears and good feelings and hugs before we all go back to our pews and then head home...’hoping for the best’. But we have sadly...grown use to the end results...that get followed up with why God’s ways are not our ways and ‘His will be done’ and “there is a reason for everything even if we don’t understand it.”. 

 But it’s vs. 15 that brings out the spin doctors. “And the prayer of faith will...will...will...save the sick, and the Lord will...will...will raise him up.” Then James has the audacity to bring in the ‘sin issue and how if we confess our sins, we will be healed.(16) 

 So a young convert reads that...believes that...and then has to go and open that ‘can of worms’; and then here comes the flood of words spinning ...what we read right there in God’s word plain as day. 

 “Well...God does not work like that anymore.” Really? Where in the bible does it say that? I thought God never changes? (Mal. 3:6) 

 “We need to read this in the proper context.” I thought we were? It asked if anyone was sick and if so, they could call the elders of the church for prayer and that the “Lord will raise them up”...and healing could be expected. Then come more words and words and words from the ones who ‘know better’ because they’ve been...'educated' in these things. 

 Now I am not knocking folks with formal theological training. The fact of the matter is...many of them have been conditioned to become ‘spin doctors’ without even realizing it. My goodness...ever since the inception of the Roman Catholic church...the ‘spin’ was that common folk were not smart enough to understand God’s word so we needed to go to the priest to be told what it means. 

 When did being ‘smart’ ever have anything to do with what Jesus came to do in ‘whoever has ears to hear’? (What did He say about unless we became like a little child....? - Matt. 18:3) You think those early apostles would have ever been invited to lecture in most seminaries today? I don’t think so. They were uneducated men. In fact, it was the ones who were...deeply educated in the Law and writings of old...that rejected the ‘Word made flesh” and insisted He be put to death for things He taught. This was largely due in part, because they were guilty of ‘laying aside the commandments of God and holding fast to their own man-made doctrines and teachings. (Mark 7:6-16) 

 There are plenty of those verses in our bibles that we tend to skate over because more often than not, they ‘just don’t fit with what we've been taught to believe anymore’. Take John 15:7 for example. Jesus makes this promise: “IF...you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.” His words, not mine. So we pray...and sadly...those prayers don’t get answered the way we were hoping and believing for. Then comes the spin we have grown accustomed to. 

 Over time, we begin to look at this book (God’s word) through a more ‘poetic lens’...and we find comfort and such when reading...but deep inside...we’ve concluded that it really could not mean what it says since...well...you know. I would submit to you that is because we have fallen asleep and become like the foolish virgins we read about in Matt. 25 who had ‘no oil’ for their lamps. It’s the ‘spirit’ that gives light to the word and Jesus is the one who ‘reveals’ His word to those who have come to them with all their hearts. (Matt. 13:11-15- yes, go read that again and mark that last line). And a true 'sheep' will know, hear, and follow His voice...educated or not. (John 10:27)

 And for goodness gracious...don’t even imply or suggest that the reason a person did not get their prayers answered was because they were not ‘abiding in Christ’ as we are told that was the ‘condition’ required there in John 15:7. Oh, let’s not forget...whoever abides in Him, no longer sins. Says so right there in 1 John 3:6,9. 

 Has God said? (Gen. 3:1)  Yep...He sure did. And you know what will ‘judge us in the last day? His Word...as will ours. (John 12:48; Matt. 12:36-37)