Mat 7:15-20 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. 16 Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Jesus & the apostles gave us a list of characteristics that we need to know in order to make sure we don't end up in the wrong fold, or following the wrong leadership. I have fallen into this error more than once, this is one of the reasons I am writing this.
I) First of all, we need to know that if we have received Jesus as our Lord & Savior, & we have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, then, we already have the true guide to help us follow the right path.
1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things; 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abides in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
So, knowing that, we need to ask Him, the Holy Spirit, to lead & guide us, & help us find good Godly pastors which will be a blessing in our life & in the lives of our loved ones too.
In everything we do in life we should always strive to surround ourselves with the best. For example: If we play in team, & the players are mediocre, then we will never achieve the best we can be. If instead, our team players are very good, then we will have to give the best of us to reach their level.
2) Jesus described a good pastor like this
Jn 10:11 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.
13 The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own;
That is pretty clear no? How does a good pastor give his life for his followers? In various ways, which are manifested in the little things.
Does he help uplift the congregation & inspire the members to believe that God loves them & will surely help them to fulfill God’s will in their life. Or does he condemn the members for their failures & shortcomings. Does he make efforts to help the weaker brethren & the poor? That should give you some clues.
Does he serve the members of the congregation, or he expects those around him to serve him? John13:14
Not everybody has had the blessing of finding a good Word based church, but when we truly desire to give the Lord our best, He will lead us to the best fold.
Jesus also said that… Jn 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
3) Does the leader affirm that the Bible, the Word of God is the Authority over his own leadership. Any pastor or leader who does not point to God's Word as the maximum authority of the Church is not of God.
Whenever a pastor claims he heard the voice of God, but that voice contradicts the Bible, that voice is not of God.
All doctrines that are not in line with the whole of Scripture are not of God.
4) Does he preach “Grace” or the Law?
Godly men teach: Grace; We are saved by GRACE, Christ in you the hope of Glory, the Spirit of God leads you to fulfill the Law of Love, in other words, it is the Spirit in you that does God’s works in you, is not of your own efforts. It is His Spirit who enables you to love God with all you've got & your neighbor as yourself. Eph 2:4-10, Col 1:27, Rom 13:8-10 etc.
Whereas “religious men” teach: You were saved by grace but now you have to obey the 10 Commandments, plus others from the congregation, or you lose the love of God & you could even lose your salvation.
5) Pastors who are in the ministry for the money… Peter 2:1-3 But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their immoral note ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
“Ministers” who strip money & goods from the members of the congregation to increase their own personal riches instead of investing the goods of the congregation in the welfare of all its members & in the furthering of the Gospel, are not godly men.
This doesn't mean that God cannot prosper a ministry with riches, but when He does, He does it, to enable the pastors to invest in those with lesser means in the congregation, and also to cause His people to have the means to spread the Gospel throughout the whole world.
We, Sons/Daughters of God, are joint heirs with Christ of the whole world, but while we wait for the return of Jesus as King & Lord sometimes not having “worldly” possessions doesn't mean we are poor, remember Rev 2:9 “I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), & sometimes having riches doesn't mean God is blessing us, Rev 3:17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing;’ and don’t know that you are the wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.
In other words some very dear men of God could be poor, yet being rich. But God has also blessed some of his Sons in this world, so that they have the financial means to spread the Gospel throughout the world.
Paul says to the rich brethren which were part of the Church back in his day. 1Tim 6: 17-19 Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, that they be ready to distribute, willing to share; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold of eternal life.
So when the Lord blesses us with riches, let's make sure we keep the right perspective because otherwise it could lead us stray from the short & narrow way… 1Tim 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Mat 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and money.
But when God’s people are following Him there is no reason why our Heavenly Father would not want to bless us abundantly if those blessings will help us do His Will.
Imagine how the devil must fear a rich Christian man who has much money, and is not attached to it, but invests it sending missionaries all over the world, funding Churches in poor countries & helping the poor, & giving God the glory for it, because he is trusting God & not the money.
Jesus didn't say He was against riches, but rather encouraged us to store our riches where we can't lose them… Mat 6:19-20 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal. So the rich who give their money to the cause of Christ & the Gospel are investing in Heaven, where their riches will never perish.
Now, don't feel bad if you don't happen to have too much to invest into the Kingdom, you still can give more than most rich men give, remember Lk 21:1-4 He looked up and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury. He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins. He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them, for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on.”
6) A good Pastor seeks to serve more than to be served. Pastors that usually demand to be served rather than to serve the flock are lacking. Jesus put it this way, Lk 22:25-29 He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so with you; But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. But you are those who have continued with me in my trials. I confer on you a kingdom, even as my Father conferred on me.
Pastors, who think they are better than the members of the congregation, should not be pastors.
7) Good Pastors encourage each & all members of the congregation to grow & become mature members, capable of shepherding others, or at least their own families, those fulfill Eph 4:11-15 He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds note and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ.
There are pastors who lead their congregation as if they want the members to remain spiritual retarded kids, as long as they receive their tithes, they don't encourage them to get out of their own established lives of ease, & get out & reach the lost around them & live by faith. Some congregations want them just like that, they want to live comfortable “christian lives" & get raptured to Heaven right before they have to confront any persecution. Well, if you are not receiving persecution now, you surely will, if you are a Christian indeed. 2Tim 3:12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Fil 1:29 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf, Jn 15:19-20 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you
8) Good Pastors are those who rule well their own family, 1Tim 3:2-4 The overseer therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, modest, hospitable, good at teaching; not a drinker, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having children in subjection with all reverence; (but how could someone who doesn’t know how to rule one’s own house take care of God’s assembly?)
9) An important characteristic of good Pastors is: Do they have the Fruits of the Spirit Gal 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. This should be clear enough: a man, who is kind, loving, etc., if he loses his temper easily, is given to foul words, or given to addictions etc., would be a bad example to the congregation!!!
10) Do they walk in the power of the Spirit with gifts of the Spirit? 1Cor 12:8-10
The apostle Paul, said to the Corinthians concerning certain leaders… 1Cor 4:18-20 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord is willing. And I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.
Practically all men of God in the New Testament were accompanied by the power of the Spirit manifested in various ways. So if all a leader has is the capacity to speak enticingly or with a clever speech, & he can also be very charismatic etc., where is God there? Good politicians & gurus are very good at that too.
The apostle Paul said 1Cor 2:4-5 My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Jesus himself said… Jn 10:37 If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
Heb 2:3b-4 (the Word) which at the first having been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard (his disciples). God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.
The apostle Peter knew signs were important too: Acts 4: 29-30 Now, Lord… grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus.”
The presence of the power of the Lord in a man's life testifies God is with him.
Let's not forget that Satan can also manifest his spiritual power through his people, as his false prophets will perform mighty signs. But when we have the Spirit of the Lord within us, we can tell the difference.
Okay, I pray some of these points will be a blessing in your life & help you make the right choices…
Blessings… In Jesus Name… Alejandro
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