I want to blog on something I know will be controversial. I want to challenge a Christian paradigm that may believers espouse as truth. I was taught it and used to believe it myself. But I think Papa is showing me a new revelation on this.

“He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].” (Matthew 5:45 Amp)

The context here is Jesus teaching us to love our enemies as well as our neighbours. This is in itself a great blog discussion for another time. But I want to focus on something I hear all the time, all too often.

“Oh, that guy is certainly operating in something supernatural… but he is definitely operating through the wrong source…”

What a turn of phrase. I think I may have even said it myself in our last preach away podcast! (Sorry, Papa!)

In some cases, I am sure that it is true. But I want to question if it’s always true.

Just because someone is not a self-professed born again believer, does that mean that if he is able to operate in some form of a biblical gift of supernatural activity that he is definitely operating from ‘the wrong source’…?

I think there is arrogance, or a form of pride, behind this kind of thinking. I don’t think we Christians do ourselves any favours thinking this way.

Thinking that someone who is unsaved, if they operate in a gift, that they must be pulling on the dark side… isn’t this accusing God of pouring sunshine only on the good? Rain only on the righteous?

If the callings of God are irrevocable, and before the beginning of the world, He knew us and called us according to His purposes… then, surely, a person could be born with an innate natural gifting from God for whatever purpose. Surely the source is God, no matter how a person decides to use that gifting.

Do we really believe more in the devil’s ability to make supernatural things happen than we do in God’s ability?

Surely, a man with a talent to create wealth, be he righteous or unrighteous; that talent came from God… Yes? No?

Or what about a faith healer, operating in the genuine ability to lay hands on people and heal them of their ailments? Is he of the devil? Or does he have a God given ability, but just has yet to meet the One who gave it to him…?

Or the New Agers embracing all sorts of ‘strange’ therapies… are they REALLY all of the devil? Or have they perhaps tapped into some Godly truths that were rejected by the Church at some point or another.

Or the television personality, Dynamo. Is he of the devil? For sure? Or has this man tapped into some universal truths and abilities that are open for all the Godly to discover?

Hear me: I have not done an in depth theological study on this. I’m just blogging from the heart. I just want to provoke us to think. I am not trying to say my answer is the end all and be all. I just want to encourage you to ponder, meditate, and see if Papa shows you something new.

Maybe we should stop accusing everyone who isn’t saved of being of the devil, and try to see God inside them, inside who they are, and what they do. Maybe we should see them through God’s eyes and love on them, and encourage them, and appreciate the talents they have, without distancing ourselves from them with a judgmental attitude, which might simply be a way of covering up our own fears and insecurities.

Maybe, deep down inside, we’re a little jealous, actually, because we’d LOVE to operate in that thing. But instead of facing our own ugly feeling, maybe we hide behind a moral judgment which helps us make ourselves feel a little better.

Or maybe we are just spouting something that we heard someone else say without every stopping to think about it… 

I want to be the good, not the bad or the ugly. I know He’ll pour rain and sun on me regardless of which I am. But I want to make Him proud by withholding my judgment and giving people the benefit of the doubt.

For example, I feel certain of this: God LOVED Kurt Cobain, regardless of how Kurt spent his musical talent that God put in him. This was a man who knew how to worship, and lead others into worship. 

May you all ponder. May you all get a new revelation, as God leads you.

(And may you all not lynch me for bringing it up. ;>)

Be encouraged. Be empowered. Be delivered.

Glory Company