Bamboozled!

Last week someone used, “bamboozled,” a term I haven’t heard for years. My father used it when describing foolish deceptions or decisions, “Oh, they were bamboozled.” The recent use of “bamboozled” reopened my ongoing wonder of why Spirit filled people are so frequently undiscerning or gullible. Why are some so prone to being misled by the outrageous claims of preachers, prophets and promoters?

In the more than 45 years in my vocation, I have lived through dozens of cure-alls, fail-safe, quick-fix ministries that held promise to complete the task of evangelizing the world and produce a church with 1000's of members. Those with whom we shared the pastoral vocation out-lived an encyclopedia of Sunday School contests, have learned nuances of newspaper advertising to reach the masses, and purchased fleets of vehicles to facilitate “buses, Bibles and banana splits.” As a child I remember attending huge tent crusades, sitting poised on the edge of a folding chair waiting to see a miracle, and later was assured by practitioners in print and pulpit that the revival of “fivefold ministries” would equip the church for an unprecedented harvest of souls. Small groups, singing “Scripture choruses,” and citywide efforts have recurred cyclically. When I traveled representing urban church planting ministries, I was frequently startled to see pastors’ bookshelves lined with vinyl binders full of audio-video programs promising growth, power, blessing, and influence.

Why are we prone to being bamboozled? I suggest –

• We are not as well versed in God’s Word as we ought to be. God’s Word is full of wisdom, a perfect antidote to foolishness and easy remedies. The Bible teaches a healthy balance of God’s blessing combined with human discipline. To employ an analogy, the locomotive’s power is wasted when no rails are laid for the engine to move on. Too often we speak of the power of the Spirit outside the context of human responsibility. It is appropriate to sing, “Come, Holy Spirit, I need you,” and we must also sing, “I’ll go where you want me to go.”
• Our counsel is flawed. We listen to those who tell us what we want to hear. Joab was a fine military strategist, a loyal politician in King David’s cabinet, but an erratic, ambitious murderer who failed David at key moments. The gift of the Spirit, the discerning of spirits, empowers one to hear more than the audible. The Spirit applies the Word of God which distinguishes between joint and marrow, thought and intent. When I have been on the threshold of the bamboozler, More than once I have heard the caution of a counselor, “No, this is not for you.” Does anyone know you so well, and to whom you have given permission to stand between you and a mistake?
• We are too often ignorant of history. Solomon assured us that there is nothing new under the sun. Since that is true, those who understand history, are able to look backward and shake off the temptations of being bamboozled.

I list a few diagnostic questions to ward off the urge to be bamboozled.
• How deeply am I immersed in God’s Word?
• Have I given permission to anyone, someone with whom I sometimes disagree, to challenge key decisions, slow me down in decision making, or challenge my motive?
• How often did Jesus minister to the masses? How many were with Him the next day after He fed 1000's? How many were with Him Easter evening in the room where the door was shut?
• Am I working diligently preparing individuals for their roles in life and the church, or do I focus on crowds? How much time have I allocated for one-on-one life-forming conversations?
• What was the latest, most promising technique offered today called in earlier issues?
• Am I frustrated with the rate of success, or content because I know I am obedient to Jesus? “Next level” thinking can weary one, practicing the presence of Jesus is always refreshing.
Surely, there are more, and better diagnostic techniques. They are tucked away in biographies and histories which document the survival of God’s people.

Please don’t believe me to be cynical. My appeal is that we ought to be wise.