We discussed how difficult it is to communicate and how culture affects this, so we must have the Spirit of God and be a part of His culture, the kingdom, to really understand His communication to us. This includes both prophetic revelation and His written Word. If we have the spirit of the world and try to read God’s Word, we will not understand it the way it was intended. This is a primary reason there can be so many different interpretations of the Scriptures. We must become one with the Author to understand it as intended.

     As we have considered before, studies on Christianity indicate that of those who claim to be born-again Christians, only about 6 percent have a biblical worldview. This indicates that we have been making converts and not disciples as we are commanded. We are not really a disciple of Christ if we are not in pursuit of seeing the world from His perspective. His perspective will always agree with His written Word.

     When I was a young man pursing understanding by reading philosophers, psychologists, and psycho-analysts, I started to see that to really understand a culture you have to understand its economy. This is because economies are one of the most basic reflections of human transactions. People can say things they don’t really believe, but their actions will tell the real story. That is why I became interested in economics and business. I was also interested in why the two main pillars of the Temple in Jerusalem were named after a priest, Jachin, and a businessman, Boaz. The Lord wants to abide not only in our spiritual services, but He wants to abide in our business too, which is basically everyday life.

     Because I had little formal higher education when I was studying all of these subjects, I’m sure I probably did not interpret them all as well as someone with the education might, but the more I studied, the more it all began to seem like babble to me. They accuse The Bible of having contradictions, but they obviously cannot see how full of them their own teachings are, with the possible exception of Rollo May. He basically concluded that if you are normal in this world, you are crazy! That I came to agree with. The Fall did skew humanity probably far more than we can even imagine while in this life.

     Even so, in my pursuit of understanding, I hardly ever considered God because the conflicts and confusion in religion seemed even more daunting than those in psychology and philosophy. However, I did say, and mean it, that if there is a God, then the only sanity in the universe is to agree with Him, and that if I ever found out there was a God, I would spend my life trying to know Him and agree with Him. After I found Him, I’ve tried to live by this devotion. I would never claim to have done it perfectly, but that has been my main pursuit since the day He was revealed to me. I pray that on my dying day I am still trying to learn more about Him. I have learned that you cannot learn anything about God without it causing you to love Him more, and loving God is our main purpose. I want to go out still seeking to know Him more and loving Him more.

     I’m also bracing for coming face to face with Him with no veils, and learning how much of what I taught about Him, or interpreted what He was saying, was right or misinterpreted. Now if this causes you to lose confidence in me, that is okay. I’m not trying to build your faith in me, but in the Lord. If we are going to build our lives on the Rock, then we must seek more than just hearing the words of the Lord, we must seek to hear the Word Himself. In John 10, the Lord said that the sheep of the Good Shepherd knew His voice and followed Him, not just doctrines about Him.

     This is why we are so devoted to helping every believer to know His voice. The only foundation that will last is that which is built on Him, not His ministers. I am an earthen vessel along with everyone else walking on this earth, and we must look through the vessels to the One who is the glory. We must become followers and disciples of Christ, not just men. It is right to honor and esteem the ones He uses to lead us and teach us, but He must be the One we’re following. It is by His Spirit that we must learn the truth.