I posted a short video clip the other day from Jamie Winship (clip below) —a popular evangelist whose theological approach and ministry methods are considered by some to be unconventional and, by others, even concerning. I had never heard of him before. But when I heard his theory on Joshua taking Jericho through sonic dissonance, I found it fascinating.
As someone who enjoys creative thinking and isn’t afraid to look at things from a different angle, I considered the possibility that God could have revealed something to Joshua that we’ve never fully understood. The theory didn’t lessen the miracle for me. I still saw it as God’s supernatural intervention.
At the same time, after listening to Jamie’s full presentation (on YouTube), I noticed he often avoids traditional biblical language, using terms like “intuition,” “consciousness,” and “imagination” that can make some believers uneasy. Curious, I looked into his ministry and quickly recognized why some people might have concerns. That’s when I decided to post the clip and see what kind of collective discernment might emerge. (I’ll admit—I don’t mind rocking a boat or two:-).
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about discernment—about the messages we hear and the messengers we follow. I’ve always believed that Scripture is the anchor from which all truth is established. But not everything we encounter is neatly categorized as entirely right or entirely wrong. Sometimes there are other variables to consider, specific questions to ask, and elements that require wisdom rather than quick conclusions. In a time when many are rightly concerned about deception, I’ve noticed that knee-jerk reactions can sometimes replace thoughtful discernment and weighing of content.
What surprised me was how many people immediately celebrated the clip and praised me for posting Jamie Winship. Evidently, he has a much larger following than I realized:-). A few even questioned why I included a disclaimer. It didn’t take long to find out.
Before long, comments appeared expressing concerns about Jamie’s theology and ministry. Some felt his explanation of Jericho removed the miraculous element altogether and reduced the event to a scientific phenomenon. Others questioned broader aspects of his approach to ministry and evangelism.
Are those concerns valid? I think they’re worth considering.
Any responsible believer should examine every message through the lens of Scripture, no matter how compelling or creative it sounds. At the same time, does using different language automatically make someone unbiblical? Does presenting spiritual truths in unconventional ways necessarily mean those truths are inaccurate? And if certain ministry methods make us uncomfortable, shouldn’t we also consider the fruit being produced?
From the limited exposure I’ve had to Jamie’s ministry, I’ve been impressed by what appears to be happening among Muslims and unbelievers around the world due to his ministry. That’s not a final endorsement of everything he teaches. It’s simply an acknowledgment that we also have to consider the fruit. But, does the end justify the means? Where’s the line?
But my point isn’t really about Jamie. I could have posted someone else just as easily. As I said in the original post, this is less about the messenger and more about the message—and how we evaluate both.
“…they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11 ESV).
I believe it’s possible to hear truth from someone we don’t fully agree with or even completely trust. Just as it’s possible to hear error from someone we deeply respect. That’s why true discernment requires both the lens of Scripture as well as the eyes of the Spirit. We need both.
Those who lean heavily toward the Spirit often appreciate people like Jamie. They’re willing to think outside the box, take risks, and explore fresh ways of communicating truth. Their passion is often focused on reaching people rather than preserving tradition.
Yet history has also shown that passion alone isn’t enough. I’ve personally witnessed gifted evangelists bear remarkable fruit, but I’ve also seen some drift into error, compromise, or misuse of their influence. (How many “power evangelists” have recently been called out for compromise?) Good intentions and impressive results are not substitutes for sound doctrine. That’s why the issue isn’t simply whether we like a messenger or dislike one. The issue is how we weigh what we’re hearing.
We should never compromise the core truths of our faith in an effort to reach people. At the same time, I believe there’s room for fresh and creative expressions of the gospel that don’t fit neatly into our religious expectations. Jesus Himself modeled that tension. He challenged traditions, upset assumptions, and broke rules that others thought were untouchable. The difference, of course, is that Jesus knew exactly which boundaries could be crossed and which could not.
Do we?
And this isn’t about sharing your opinion about Jamie Winship. It’s about the larger question of what we discern and how we discern. We will likely never agree on all the finer points of doctrine, nor on whom to follow. But we should all seek to grow in our ability to rightly discern both the Word and Spirit of Truth in a way that brings us to maturity and wholeness.
But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Wanda's WEEKLY WATCHMAN'S BRIEF
Wanda's WEEKLY WATCHMAN'S BRIEF
5 Responses
Beautifully said. It’s so true that considering new possibilities doesn’t lessen a miracle, but rather highlights how vast God’s wisdom is!
Sometimes I wonder if we need to realize that God not only has the right answers, but also the right questions we need to be asking. For example and speaking of Joshua, he wasn’t asking the right question here (as the angel revealed to him):
The Fall of Jericho
13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”
14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua located his temporarily displaced discernment, thankfully…
To the case in point, regarding “sonic dissonance,” the question is, why would we think that a miracle mustn’t have a scientific aspect of validity to it? Of course, miracles can and do defy scientific explanation many times — and those are incredible to consider and marvel at His ways — but not always. The person from whom I learned this (being curious, I attended his conferences 20 years ago) is noted astrophysicist Hugh Ross. And actually it’s quite wonderful in an entirely other, revelatory way to see that Biblical miracles such as Jericho happened long before their scientific sides were known to man.
Joshua’s receiving (his “yes” to the Lord) of inspiration was decidedly met with the delight of the Lord, Who Himself had provided the brilliant idea to his servant Joshua, then giving him the words to “sell the idea” to the people. Stories like these point to the incredible sense of humor and patience the Lord has and how good His story is…full of surprises and twists that even the best storytellers of our time couldn’t have seen coming. C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and many others, the best of the best, are reflections of the Creator of the greatest story, from Genesis to Revelation.
When we see something we don’t understand or doesn’t fit with our theology, I pray we remember to ask the Lord to provide discernment, realizing that a conundrum or problem is quite often an invitation by Him to come closer and consider. Whether the Lord defies the laws of science or not, his ways are endlessly delightful.
What “scientific side*? 7 Ram horn trumpets are not going to bring any kind of wall down in 100 years and none of the instructions directed at Joshua’s army included specific start-stop points, altered angles, no frequency pitch or variance, no precise air pressures, no magnetron or anything like that.
If someone wants to validate the science, then I suggest erecting a small wall and replicating the instructions. But no one is going to do that, because they already intuitively know the answer they will get.
Joshua is describing a miracle, not a repeatable scientific basis for demolition using rather small trumpets. That doesn’t mean that miracles cannot be linked to natural phenomena, e.g. receding sea level due to tectonics with preceding pillars of fire and smoke – volcano? Hmmmm…. interesting idea. Obviously with some precise direction from God, but it’s an interesting idea.
Knocking a wall down with trumpets, not because of a miracle, but because of “sonic resonance”? Ok, Prove it!
Discernment demands looking behind the layers of a claim.
Hi Wanda, I was very excited when I first saw your post about the sonic dissonance. I’ve never heard of Jamie before, however, from my own studies in reading about Joshua and the wall of Jericho, it was my understanding that the directions from the Lord were so specific, and they were that way both as a test of obedience, but also a testimony of God’s Grace in allowing us to take part in one of his biggest miracles in the Old Testament. (And as a sidenote, my time/schooling in my PTA profession required different sciences, anatomy and physiology, etc, makes me appreciate God using science). He is the author of all good things. And those directions that he gave to the Israelites would have, I believe, weakened the structure of the walls to the degree that on the seventh day, those final shouts caused the wall to collapse, and I believe they fell inward and not outward. (I’m not positive about that, but I thought I had read that somewhere). This does not negate the miracle by any means! God wants to partner with us, and he allows us to take part in these miracles. Yes, God could’ve simply used his finger to collapse the walls, but he was partnering with his people, both to show his strength but also his favor on his people. The people in Jericho would then begin to fear both God, Almighty, and his people that follow him. God is forever, trying to teach us to both trust him and obey him. [Remember Naman, who was annoyed with Elisha, because he was told to go dip in the river seven times and didn’t just get a miraculous touch but was required to follow directions in order to receive his miracle].
A closed mind and spirit can be just as dangerous as one so open one accepts everything. Scripture teaches us that discernment, in the last days is survival. This I know in my head, but constantly pray that I can appropriate this practically in my daily life. I don’t think anyone will do it perfectly, which is why we need each other.
Thank you, Wanda. I believe you are one of those influencers in my life.