Sound doctrine. Correct theology. Sounds easy. Seems like if I would just apply my mind, I could establish sound doctrine and keep myself from heresy and error. And that is exactly what I did for many years, until God stopped me dead in my tracks, and got me to look up every verse in the Bible on doctrine and theology (15 in the NASB and 37 in the NKJV). Wow! Was I in for a surprise! You will be, too, as you go through these verses with me in this book!

Sound Doctrine Through Revelation Knowledge Demands a Hearing Heart!

You will find seven characteristics of sound doctrine and seven characteristics of the doctrine of men. You will look up with us all 15 verses in the NASB that have the word "doctrine" in them, and you will prayerfully meditate on them, mulling them over, asking God to show you why half of them warn against doctrine, what it is exactly that makes a belief man's doctrine and wrong, and what makes a right doctrine. How exactly does one go about establishing true doctrine and not man's doctrine?

You will explore the idea of man reasoning on his own versus man reasoning together with God (Isa. 1:18). What exactly is the difference, experientially (inside you)? What is the implication for Schools of Ministry and Bible colleges? What is the difference between Western study and biblical meditation? Which one do you do? What is the lamad method of learning? What exactly is the role of the Holy Spirit and spirit-anointed teaching in the establishing of sound doctrine? What is the role of the heart? Do you know? You will be given much to ponder and pray about. God will have to be the Revealer of these truths to your heart. He will. All He asks for is a listening heart.

Lord, we pray Solomon's prayer, "Grant me a hearing heart" (1 Kings 3:9-12; Ps. 119:18; Eph. 1:17-18).

Structure of the Book Sound Doctrine Through Revelation Knowledge

Chapters 1-3 written by Dr. Mark and Dr. Patti Virkler (President and Academic Dean of CLU)
Chapters 4-6 written by Dr. Gary Greig (served as a professor at Regent University)

1. Revelation Knowledge versus Reasoned Knowledge
2. What is the Role of Theology and Doctrine?
3. Teaching as the Foundation of Doctrine and Theology
4. Teaching and Discipleship in the Old and New Testament
5. Characteristics of False Teachers and False Prophets
6. The History of Seminary Education and Theological Accreditation

Summary: Spiritual growth occurs as a humble heart seeks God, receives enlightenment from God, grows in faith, hope and love, and experiences transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit while maintaining strong relationships with others in the body of Christ.

How Sound Doctrine Through Revelation Knowledge Will Challenge You!

The first thing to note is that there are NO verses on theology, and when it comes to doctrine, about half of the verses in the NASB are warnings to stay away from man's doctrine. Well, I assumed I knew what that was. That was any doctrine that disagreed with mine!  Hmmm...

Once God got me over my arrogance, He was able to show me that my entire paradigm for discovering truth was not His. (Understandable, since I had never gone through Scripture or sought out what the Bible teaches is the correct approach for discovering truth!) As I explored  Scripture with an open heart and open mind, He showed me that His method for discovering truth was VERY different than mine. I repented and adopted a biblical paradigm for discovering truth.

Then we explored all the verses on doctrine in depth. Were there any clues about the characteristics of man's theology as opposed to the characteristics of God's theology.? There were! One was that man's doctrine produces strife. Well, mine sure did. I argued with anyone who disagreed with me and then separated myself from them if they couldn't see the "light." And that is just ONE of several distinguishing characteristics He showed me between man's doctrine and God's.

So I have repented, and I have changed. Don't read this book if you don't have an open and listening heart. It will challenge you to the core of your being. You will need to seek God deeply in prayer and repentance, asking Him to reveal to YOU His method for establishing truth, and then you will need to say, "Yes, Lord" as you choose to follow Him in obedience.

Rational Christianity is not going to meet the needs of the emerging generation. They are not satisfied with it, nor should they be. They thirst for a living encounter! It is time for the Church to re-invent itself and get back to its roots and live life as God intended it to be lived. This will cause you to step out of the western worldview and back into a biblical worldview. As a result,  you will release divine power, revelation and anointing to a hurting world. What more would one want?

May the Church be the Church! This is one of the foundation stones which needs to be re-laid for the 21th century western church. I entrust this revelation to you through this book.

Additional Related Items Exploring Revelation-based Learning

• Lamad Expanded Definition
• 18 Life Modules in CLU's School of the Spirit
• 120 Bible College Level Lamad Course Syllabi on CD-Rom
• Lamad Faculty Handbook (standards for revelation-based instructors and curriculum)
• Secrets of World-Class Teacher's Package (how to become an outstanding revelation-based instructor)
• How to Set up a Bible School in Your Local Church (Chapters 1-3 excerpted from the Operations Manual)
• History of Seminaries and Accreditation (by Dr. Gary S. Greig)
• Lamad New Testament in process of development (book of Matthew here)
• Here is a free sample of a Lamad course syllabi: REN103 Communion With God.

Take It to the Next Level

To ensure that this message transforms your life, we offer you four options. Any of these choices will assist you in internalizing this teaching, helping you to be a doer of the word and not a hearer only (James 1:22) and allowing you to produce a bountiful harvest in your life.

Opportunity 1 – Host a home or church group

This home group in Slovakia shows the excitement of learning to hear God's voice together!

We learn more quickly if we are surrounded by others who are seeking to master the same skill. Pray and ask God who you know who might want to grow in this truth also and open your home to them for 10-12 weekly sessions (or host a small group in your church). We provide several resources to help you present this powerfully and effectively in a group setting, including DVDs and application activities. Experience the joy of cultivating skills together with a group of friends! Discover how to create and post your group…

Opportunity 2 – Hire a Personal Spiritual Trainer to coach you

Coaching or discipling is the method Jesus used to train the twelve disciples.

When you team up with someone ahead of you in an area to mentor you, and you share your questions and steps of growth with them, receiving their counsel in return, you ascend more quickly into mastery in that area. We have trained coaches who have mastered this topic who will commit to working with you for a 90-day period.

• The name of this PST Training Module is: Experiencing God in the Small Group
• Discover how to hire a PST for $1 a day to coach you in this training experience
• Click here for the steps to sign up for a Personal Spiritual Trainer module

Opportunity 3 – Take this as a college course from home

Earn college credit while being apprenticed to mastery in this area! This topic is available as a course which you can take from your home through the distance learning program offered at Christian Leadership University. You may enroll in this course as a lifelong learner or apply it toward an Associate, Bachelor, Master or Doctoral degree.

• The name of this CLU college course is: MIN310 Experiencing God in the Small Group
• Learn how you can take CLU courses from your home
• Click here for the steps to enroll in the corresponding CLU course

Opportunity 4 – Host a seminar for your community

Transform your church and region by hosting a weekend seminar with an anointed trainer, where an impartation is released by the Holy Spirit into your community. Mark Virkler and others are available to be scheduled.

• Discover how to host a weekend seminar with Mark Virkler
• Locate a Cert