Nov 14- 2021
Hi beloved Brethren & Friends.
As most of you are aware of, nowadays there are an unknown number of men preaching, teaching, prophesying, etc., me included, all claiming to be men of God, sent by Him to reach God’s people with His message for these end times in which we are living in.
Most of us have access to these “messengers” through Internet, even though some have direct access while visiting churches, or events where these men give their classes, their preaching or conferences, etc.
Let’s be clear, there is no one from whom we can learn better from that God Himself through His Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us. So the personal time with the Lord everyday is crucial if we want to go anywhere with God; But we have to recognize that there are other brothers in the faith from whom we can also learn from their own walk & experience with the Lord.
I have listened & followed a number of Christian leaders throughout my life, learned many good things from them, of which I hang on until today, as also some bad doctrines which once I gained maturity in the knowledge of the Scriptures and with the guidance of the Spirit of God, I had to take out of my life.
In my case it has been a rather slow process, but I thank God that I am where I am today, thanks to his Love & Mercy.
Psa 37:23-24 The steps of a man are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way. 24 Though he stumble, he shall not be utterly cast down: for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.
I believe it is very important, to realize that there is a whole infinite world before us to still get to know & explore, that we need to remain open to new revelations that God may bring into our lives, & not to do as some religious people do that think they already know it all & that everything has to be the way they were taught, & thus they stay stuck all their lives in the same routine & never get to accomplish everything God would have given them, had they stayed open to new things. Remember even the apostle Paul said… Php 3:13 Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do. Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
At the present time, I am listening to some four men, which I believe are true men of God.
The question is: How do we know, if we are listening to truly men of God, or not?
I guess if you are reading these lines, is because you are one of God’s Children, & you are also wanting to make sure you listen to the right sources. Someone could ask: Who makes you an authority on this matter? Well bro, I am mainly giving you Biblical Scriptures, which you can easily double check in your own Bible, & then decide from there, what is it that you as God’s child think is wise for you to do in light of those Bible instructions. Follow what God lays in your heart, according to your own convictions, & not what someone else is pushing you to do.
For me, one of the main characteristics of someone I definitely will not listen to is someone who believes he is more anointed & claims to be a prophet, more blessed than his listeners, & who insist his listeners depend on his connection with God, or they would go astray.
First of all…
1Jn 2:20-21 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth.
1Jn 2:26-27 These things I have written to you concerning those leading you astray. 27 But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie, and as He has taught you, abide in Him.
See, that passage is true for every single believer; we all have the anointing of the Holy One, and…
1Co 2:15-16 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged by no one. 16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
We have the mind of Christ. So the Scripture tells us that…
Eph 4:11-16 And truly He gave some to be apostles, and some to be prophets, and some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. 13 And this until we all come into 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; 14 so that we no longer may be infants, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, in the dishonesty of men, in cunning craftiness, to the wiles of deceit. 15 But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ; 16 from whom the whole body, fitted together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of each part, producing the growth of the body to the edifying of itself in love.
So as we read in that passage the reason why the Lord sets up apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, is so they can help every single one of the saints to grow up to the stature of the fullness of Christ. How many churches do you know where the members of the church have been attending that church for many years now, & practically all they do as Christians is go to church on Sunday, & are practically infants, as we read in.. Heb 5:12 For indeed because of the time, you ought to be teachers, you have need that one teach you again what are the first principles of the oracles of God. And you have become in need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For everyone partaking of milk is unskillful in the Word of Righteousness, for he is an infant.
So any leader who is not inspiring his followers to grow into the same measure of Christ is missing the mark, & not worth listening to.
I do not listen to those pastors who usually condemn the listeners & bring up their weaknesses in public. A pastor & a church leader is sort of like a manager of a sport team. If the coach is pointing to the weaknesses & shortcomings of his team, & constantly putting them down, his team is not going to win any competition. A leader has to remind his players of all the good things they do, & inspire them to believe they can make it, remember “words” have power to help a person become a better person, but also the power to destroy a person’s character.
Also if you are listening to a man who claims to be a “prophet”, & one or several of his prophecies don’t come to pass: Why continue to listen to him? Deu 18:22 When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him.
Also pastors or ministers preaching doctrines contrary to Scripture are a waste of time. No that everything they say is false, but one would be as having kind of like using a strainer to get a clean cup of drink.
In our case as Christians, everything we will accomplish for the Lord is not because of anything good we can do, because we can do nothing by ourselves, but because we are filled with the one who already defeated the enemy & we can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us, & we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, & remember at all times, we are indwelled by the very power of God Himself in the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit, & we are also invested with the Righteousness of God in Christ. We have been cleansed from sin & condemnation, set free from the Law, & have receive the power to overcome sin.
1Jn 4:4 You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1Jn 5:4 For everything that has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.
Rom 8:31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Rom 8:37 … in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Heb 12:1-2 Therefore let’s also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Mat 28:20 b Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jn 17:22-23 The glory which you have given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, even as we are one; 23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as you loved me.
2Co 5:21 For He has made Him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Jn 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever practices sin is the slave of sin. 35 And the slave does not abide in the house forever, but the Son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace.
Rom 8:1-2 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
Okay, those passages are to help us see, we are filled with Him who is greater than He who is in the world, & if He is in us we are more than conquerors. So actually, if we rest on God, He will use us to do His will, in His time & with His own power. Even Jesus said, He didn’t do any of his works on his own but that it was the Father who did all the works through Him. Jn 14:10, so let's us trust the He will do the same through us, as...
Now going back to the point… who to learn from?
As we listen to different men of God like with everything else in our lives, we need to be like the Bereans in…
Act 17:10-11 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
That's what I do with every Word teacher or preacher I listen to... examine what they say with my E-sword Bible app open to check everything they say even in the original languages of Scripture.
Of course I only do this with those men I feel they are anointed of the Lord, & worth checking, bearing in mind the admonition given by Jesus... Mat 24:24 For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones.
And last remember, as Children of God…
Jn 10:4-5 And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him. For they know his voice. 5 And they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
Jn 10:27-28 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand.
Blessings… Alejandro
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