{"id":21744,"date":"2016-11-12T09:54:59","date_gmt":"2016-11-12T13:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/?p=21744"},"modified":"2026-07-22T19:35:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:35:33","slug":"thinking-outside-the-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/thinking-outside-the-box\/","title":{"rendered":"“Thinking Outside the Box”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Tamara Hartzell<\/strong>
\n(Author of Reimagining God<\/em> and In the Name of Purpose<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThinking outside the box\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.\u201d (Psalm 119:105)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.\u201d (John 8:31-32)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.\u201d (2 Timothy 4:1-4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.\u201d (1 Timothy 4:16)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The importance of the Word of God simply cannot be overstated. Without it, we do not have the truth, faith, or salvation of God. And without the truth, faith, and salvation of God, we do not have God. Scripture is replete with teachings and warnings that make this perfectly clear. One example of many is 2 John 1:9:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWhosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Where do we get the doctrine of Christ in which we are to abide to have God? From the Word of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cBut continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.\u201d (2 Timothy 3:14-16)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.\u201d (1 Peter 1:23-25)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.\u201d (Romans 10:17)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It is the faith of God that comes by the Word of God. Not only does the Word of God give us the truth and faith we are to believe in order to have God, but it also gives us the truth and faith we are to obey in order to please and serve God. And yet people in today\u2019s Christianity are no longer willing to accept this faith as is. Rather than simply believe and obey, people want the freedom to \u201crethink\u201d and \u201creimagine\u201d God and His Word into a fashion that they are willing to accept and, incredibly, even go so far as to claim that God\u2019s own Word of truth puts God in a \u201cbox.\u201d In other words, they want the truth and faith of God set \u201cfree\u201d from the Word of God. Thus, they do not see the Word of God as the truth but as merely a \u201cstory\u201d with \u201cchangeable\u201d and \u201cdebatable\u201d \u201cmetaphor\u201d that can be interpreted and retold however anyone chooses. This then gives people their desired freedom to \u201cthink outside the box\u201d where they can conveniently \u201creimagine\u201d their own \u201cstory\u201d of who they \u201crethink\u201d God to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, whether or not these stories line up with God\u2019s Word is irrelevant to those who prefer to \u201cthink outside the box\u201d of God\u2019s Word. In fact, if they did line up with the Word of God, then it would defeat their purpose of \u201cthinking outside the box.\u201d And since \u201crethinking\u201d and \u201creimagining\u201d God and His Word is what people today actually want, they are turning to fables for their faith and \u201ctruth.\u201d Fables are not the truth, and the truth is not a fable. This is why God\u2019s Word warns that people are turning away from the truth and unto fables. Nevertheless, more and more people are trying to turn fables into the truth\u2014i.e., \u201creimaginings\u201d into reality\u2014and are dancing around in circles desperately trying to bring the two together as one in a harmonious relationship. This is, in essence, turning the light off to look for \u201ctruth\u201d in the corner of a dark round room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.\u201d (Psalm 119:130)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!\u201d (Matthew 6:23)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.\u201d (John 3:19-21)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The light of God\u2019s Word is just too bright for today\u2019s light-intolerant eyes. More and more people are seeking relief outside the \u201cbox\u201d and are intentionally turning away from the Word of God, away from the truth, away from the faith, trying to \u201cfind God\u201d in the darkness. However, in the darkness people can no longer tell the difference between what is true and what is false, even when it is obvious. And as a result, they are blindly bearing with those who present them with \u201canother Jesus,\u201d \u201canother spirit,\u201d and \u201canother gospel\u201d that deceptively affirm their shift from light to darkness, and even lead them astray to another \u201cGod.\u201d But they don\u2019t see it that way. Since people imagine that God\u2019s Word of truth is just a manmade \u201cbox\u201d from which God and His truth need to be set free, they see it as simply a matter of \u201cfinding God\u201d wherever they choose to look. Sadly, this rapidly increasing deception is clearly seen in today\u2019s shifting Christianity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cFor if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.\u201d (2 Corinthians 11:4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.\u2026 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.\u201d (Galatians 1:6-7, 11-12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.\u201d (1 Thessalonians 2:13)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Since more and more people in today\u2019s shifting Christianity are rejecting the Word of God as the word of man, and even accepting the word of man as the word of God, one needn\u2019t go far to see the many counterfeits being sold to the eager buyers who see no need to beware. In fact, since people now imagine that outside the \u201cbox\u201d of God\u2019s Word is the \u201cgenuine\u201d and inside the \u201cbox\u201d of God\u2019s Word is the \u201ccounterfeit\u201d they will only see a need to beware of God\u2019s Word inside the \u201cbox.\u201d Thus, reviling those who believe the genuine is the genuine and the counterfeits are the counterfeit, they are heeding those who believe the counterfeits are the \u201cgenuine\u201d and the genuine is the \u201ccounterfeit\u201d because the counterfeits are the \u201cgenuine\u201d they are willing to accept. But, naturally, those who prefer to \u201cthink outside the box\u201d don\u2019t see it that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people are likewise choosing to see man\u2019s fables as the \u201ctruth\u201d about God because man\u2019s fables are a \u201creimagined\u201d \u201ctruth\u201d they are willing to accept. Absurdly, those who seek to justify \u201creimagining\u201d God and His Word even claim that Jesus taught parables in order to teach truth to the multitudes. This claim in itself \u201creimagines\u201d God\u2019s Word in order to justify \u201creimagining\u201d God\u2019s Word. Jesus Himself gave the reason for His parables, which is the opposite of man\u2019s imaginations in more ways than one. He spoke in parables to keep the truth away from those who did not have ears to hear and had already chosen to close their eyes and ears to the truth. Sadly, some things never change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cAnd they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.\u201d (2 Timothy 4:4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.\u2026 For this people\u2019s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.\u201d (Matthew 13:9-13, 15-16)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If that isn\u2019t clear enough:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cAnd he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.\u2026 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.\u201d (Luke 8:10, 18)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Those who have chosen to turn their ears away from the truth and unto fables only seem to have the truth. The truth is \u201cThus saith God,\u201d \u201cThus saith the Lord,\u201d and \u201cIt is written.\u201d This is the settled truth of God, which He has recorded for us in His Word. God\u2019s truth is what it is and never changes despite man\u2019s never-ending vain attempts to \u201crethink\u201d and \u201creimagine\u201d God\u2019s Word for God. Truth tells us what is and what is right or wrong. Stories are the opposite. Stories are relativism and allow each person to decide for themselves what they want the meaning to be. This is exactly the freedom desired by those who are shifting from truth to fables. They want the freedom of uncertainty rather than the what is of certainty. Since having ears to hear the truth is necessary to be able to hear the certainty of its meaning, it was to His disciples and not to the multitudes that Jesus told the meaning of His parables:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cIf any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.\u2026 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.\u201d (Mark 4:23-24, 33-34)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Because the Lord Jesus Christ is God, even His parables to the multitudes are \u201cThus saith God\u201d and \u201cThus saith the Lord.\u201d And since even the meaning of His parables has been recorded in God\u2019s Word of truth, for us the meaning is not relative as many now think, but rather, \u201cIt is written.\u201d On the other hand, man\u2019s imaginative fables are nothing more than \u201cthus imagines man.\u201d Contrary to the popular opinion of those blinded in the darkness, they are not the truth and not the Word of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ and His teachings are not a \u201cstyle\u201d to emulate. He is the Lord, Whom we are to believe and obey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cI will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.\u201d (Psalm 138:2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.\u201d (1 Timothy 2:3-4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.\u201d (John 8:31-32)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.\u2026 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.\u201d (John 6:63-64, 66-68)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEnter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.\u201d (Matthew 7:13-14)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Too many people in today\u2019s shifting Christianity are seeking to set the truth of God free from the \u201cbox\u201d of God\u2019s Word rather than seeking to be set free themselves by God\u2019s Word of truth. Instead of looking for \u201ctruth\u201d in the corner of a dark round room they would be far better served looking for truth in a corner of the \u201cbox.\u201d But, sadly, those who are shifting from the light of the narrow way of absolute truth to the darkness of the broad way of relative \u201ctruth\u201d are doing so on purpose, albeit blindly, along with their eyes closed and ears covered. They feel \u201cboxed\u201d in by the narrow way, and the broad way gives them the freedom outside the \u201cbox\u201d to \u201crethink\u201d and \u201creimagine\u201d God and His narrow way into a broader \u201ctruth.\u201d With this freedom, people can have a relationship with God however they choose, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cHe that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.\u201d (John 12:48)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

(This is an excerpt from Tamara Hartzell’s book, Reimagining God: Turning the light off to look for \u201ctruth\u201d in the corner of a dark round room; <\/em>used with permission.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volume One<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volume Two<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(image on feature box from istockphoto.com; used with permission)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Tamara Hartzell (Author of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":49715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[573,87,25,191],"tags":[3445,464,513,589,910,1516],"class_list":["post-21744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-excerpts","category-the-word-of-god-defending-the-faith","category-progressive-emerging-church","category-on-christian-faith","tag-reimagining-god","tag-truth","tag-the-bible","tag-tamara-hartzell","tag-gods-word","tag-in-the-name-of-purpose","wpcat-573-id","wpcat-87-id","wpcat-25-id","wpcat-191-id"],"yoast_head":"\n"Thinking Outside the Box" - From the Lighthouse<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/thinking-outside-the-box\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\""Thinking Outside the Box"\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Tamara Hartzell (Author of...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/thinking-outside-the-box\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"From the Lighthouse\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LighthouseTrailsResearch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-11-12T13:54:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-23T02:35:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/iStock-464932979-scaled-e1784774098541.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tamara Hartzell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LTrails\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tamara Hartzell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/thinking-outside-the-box\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/thinking-outside-the-box\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tamara Hartzell\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/16d6f85fa7d97ff913b7ee3927d2ea3c\"},\"headline\":\"“Thinking Outside the Box”\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-11-12T13:54:59+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-23T02:35:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/thinking-outside-the-box\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2646,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/thinking-outside-the-box\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/11\\\/iStock-464932979-scaled-e1784774098541.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"reimagining god\",\"truth\",\"the bible\",\"tamara hartzell\",\"god's word\",\"in the name of purpose\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Book\\\/Booklet Excerpts\",\"The Word of God\",\"EMERGENT \\\"PROGRESSIVE\\\" CHURCH\",\"FAITH\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/thinking-outside-the-box\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/thinking-outside-the-box\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com\\\/blog\\\/thinking-outside-the-box\\\/\",\"name\":\"\\\"Thinking Outside the Box\\\" - 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