>> I can appreciate what Louie is pointing out. As vast as the universe is, God is BIGGER!

But, that is not what Louie is really pointing out. There is another message he is tying to put across. Re-read it and go research contemplative spirituality – then come back and read all my articles on Louie.

Also see the article on Mark Driscoll (partner in preaching with Louie Giglio) who promotes Meditation and see the article on John Piper (Louie Giglio’s mentor) who is now a huge Rick Warren fan.

Psalm 19:1 Says the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament (the sky? space? the stars?) shows His handiwork, so Louie telling us God might be saying; “Come on! Build a bigger telescope! I have MORE to show you!” makse me smile.

All this being said, I AM leery of word-of-faith people. They focus on things over their Creator, and distort the Gospel, trying to add to the completed work of Christ.

Ok, Craig, good stuff. That was so nicely said.

But there is a big difference between the peace, love, joy, and growth and yes experience when it comes to discernment and obedience and repentance of sin that is all part and parcel of having the most wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ vs the false feeling of peace, joy and love and eerie feelings and experiences that a false spirit brings.

So we are not reading too much into this. This is very serious. And people do not understand the difference. They think what what is happening and feeling is the Holy Spirit when it’s not… it’s ‘something’ else.

When I read this my first impression was that he is trying to get people away from an intellectual understanding of the Word of God and into a personal relationship with Him.

Of course that personal relationship cannot be outside the Word of God, but it is true that you can learn all about Jesus, God The Father and God the Holy Ghost and never really know them personally. We have to have a one on one relationship with our heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ, by the revelation of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost reveals Jesus to us (per the scriptures mentioned above)and if we have seen Jesus we have seen the Father.

I get that it is not biblical to look for experience beyond the Word of God, some kind of mystical draw down from the spirit realm that may or my not accord with the Word of God, but real Christianity must be experienced in our spirits otherwise we will just have an intellectual relationship with God and in reality that is no relationship at all. In fact we’re then walking in death because the letter kills but the spirit gives life

Of course our experience must be one that is by Faith, and in the will of God (ie according to the Word of God), but it must still be experienced by us -otherwise we are in a lifeless intellectual pursuit, appeasing itchy ears.