Who To Listen To

Who to Listen To?

Dear Brothers and FriendsAs we can see, the world is changing at a fairly rapid rate, and many people are becoming aware of the fact that most of what governments have told us over the years has been all lies. Can you name a politician who is honest? Do you think they become honest once they get into power? Corruption in the governments of the world has always been notorious, some more than others, but the big question that should arise in people's minds is where is the truth? Who can we really trust?

And... What about the churches? A lot of churches are formed as part of the system where they are located. Today there are an indeterminate number of men and women in the media, who present themselves as representatives of God, who preach, teach, prophesy, etc., all proclaiming to be men sent by God, to transmit his words to the world, for these times in which we live. In view of Jesus' warnings… Mat 7:15  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 

Mat 24:24  For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 

It's up to us to be very careful about who we follow and who we listen to.

Now, once we have been “born again” that we are new creatures in Christ, that we are true Christians, we have this promise in the New Testament… 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. 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. And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand.  

The New Testament exhorts us not to depart from the Gospel, which is given to us in its pages…

Gal 1:6-9  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 

Which one is the Gospel preached in the New Testament?

Basically, in the Words of Jesus… Jn 6:37-40 All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will in no way cast out. For I came down from Heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all which He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes on Him should have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the last day. 

The Apostle Paul summed it up like this… Rom 10:8-10  But what does it say? "The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart"; that is, the Word of Faith which we proclaim; Because if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation. 

Eph 2:8-10 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. 

1Pe 2:24  He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Those passages are the basic Gospel of Jesus… Salvation is an eternal free gift to all those who believe in Jesus as Lord or their lives.

Once saved by faith in Christ… Gal 4:6-7  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. So that you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, also an heir of God through Christ. 

Rev 1:5-6 even from Jesus Christ the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

That is, everyone who has accepted Jesus as Lord, now as Children of God, we are all Kings and Priests, and we all have the same rights and inheritance. Now that some Christians do not know what their Inheritance is, as God's Children, it is because they have not gone to read their "Inheritance" written in the Bible. When we are new to the Gospel, it is possible that we could be deceived with false religious doctrines, called “Christian Doctrines” for a while, but once filled with the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit in us will guide us to the truth, will make us feel uncomfortable when what we are told does not fit the whole context of the Scriptures. This is what the Scripture tells us 1Pe 2:2  desire the sincere pure milk of the Word, as newborn babes, so that you may grow by it; 

There is a lot of “adulterated word” nowadays. But there is no better teacher than God Himself through His Word with the guidance of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Therefore, the personal time we spend with the Lord every day in His Word, and meditating on It, is crucial if we want to get anywhere with God. It is clear that God has placed a leadership in the Church, who is in charge of… Efe 4:11-13 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, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

In other words, God has placed brothers and sisters in the faith from whom we can learn, either from their own walk, or from their experience with the Lord and from their teachings.

I have listened and followed several Christian leaders throughout my life, and I learned from them many good things that I still carry in my life, as well as some bad doctrines that once I matured in the knowledge of the Scriptures and with the guidance of God's Spirit, I had to remove them from my life. In my case the process has been somewhat slow, but I thank God for being where I am today, thanks to His Love and 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 think it is very important to realize that there is an infinite world in front of us, our God is infinite and eternal, and to fully know Him would take us all eternity and even then, it would be impossible for us, as He is infinite. But it is very important to remain open to new revelations that God wants to bring into our lives, and not to do like some religious people who think that they already know everything they should know, that everything is as they were taught and that's it. So they stay stuck all their life in the same routine and become “Old Wineskins".

This passage from Matthew illustrates this… Mat 9:14-17 Then the disciples of John came to Him saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bride chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast. No one puts a piece of new cloth onto an old garment; for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do men put new wine into old wineskins; else the wineskins burst, and the wine runs out, and the wineskins perish. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved together. 

That is, the new wine, the new revelations of God must be put in new wineskins, or people of a young spirit, willing to learn, always aware that every new revelation of God will never contradict His Word in the Bible, since the truths of God are always true and will be eternal. Let's remember that even the Apostle Paul said… Phil 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 

At present, I listen to several brothers, who are true men of God, and although it is possible that they may err, nevertheless for that we have the Word and the Spirit in us to help us discern what is of God and what is not. The question is: How do we know if we are truly listening to men of God or not? I guess if you're reading these lines, it's because you're one of God's children and you also want to make sure you're listening to the right sources. Someone might ask: Who makes you an authority on this matter? Well, brother, I am mainly giving you Biblical Scriptures, which you can easily check in your own Bible and then decide from there, what is it that as a Child of God, you think it is wise to do in light of those biblical instructions. Follow what God puts on your heart, according to your own convictions, and not because of what someone else is pressuring you to do.

- For me, one of the most obvious characteristics of someone I will definitely not listen to is someone who who believes he is more anointed than those around him, than he is better and holier than the members of the congregation to whom he ministers to, who claims to be a prophet, or an apostle and 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. 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. 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. 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…

Going over the passage I quoted above…

Efe 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, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. 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; 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. But that you, speaking the truth in love, may in all things grow up to Him who is the Head, even Christ; 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 can see from that passage, the reason the Lord establishes apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers is so that they can help each of the Saints grow until they reach the stature of the fullness of Christ. How many churches do you know where the vast majority of church members have been attending their church for years and practically all they do as Christians is go to church on Sundays and maybe a couple of more meetings during the week, bring their tithe to the church, and that's it, no more. Is that Christianity?

Heb 5:12-13  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. 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 and sins in public. A pastor and 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”, and not one or several of his prophecies come to pass: Why continue to listen to him? Deut 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, maybe not everything they say is false, but is like drinking contaminated milk.

In our case, as Christians, everything we accomplish for the Lord is not because of how good we are, but because we are filled with the one who already defeated the enemy and in Him, we can do all things, because it is Christ Jesus who strengthens us. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, remembering at all times, we are indwelled by the very power of God Himself in the Holy Spirit, and we are also invested with the Righteousness of God in Christ. We have been cleansed from sin and condemnation, set free from the Law, and have received the power to overcome sin. Now we are the Light of the World. This is how the Scripture explains what I just said.

Mat 5:14-16  You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under the grain-measure, but on a lamp stand. And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. 

Eph 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light 

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?  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, 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; 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. And the slave does not abide in the house forever, but the Son abides forever. 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. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. .

Ok, those passages are to help us see, we are filled with Him who is greater than He who is in the world, and 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 but that it was the Father who did all the works through Him. Jn 14:10

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. 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.

Let's copy that example... examine what we hear with our Bibles open to verify everything that’s being said, even using the original languages of Scripture, which are available in internet. I only do this with those men who are worth listening to, who are anointed by the Lord, and that, is worth checking.

Finally as Children of God remember that…

Jn 10:27-28  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand.

Finally, let us congregate in a church where the sound doctrine of the Gospel is preached.

Jn 13:34  By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another. 

Blessings… Alejandro

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