IT is high time the church moved from verbosity to understanding the truth and spirit of the Scriptures. The day of pontificating behind the pulpit should be over. Congregants should get full persuasion of the fulfilled promises of God in Christ Jesus. Modelling lifestyle on the messenger instead of the Message should be thrown into the dustbin.
We should be Christ-like not preacher-like. Many hearts have been broken when the preacher stumbled beyond imagination. It’s costing the church time to solidify and gain more ground because many had been grooming themselves in the image of quintessential fallible preachers who flattered to deceive.
The Bible is clear that we should believe in God. There is a portion of Scripture that is misinterpreted and so often abused to raise the bar of the messenger. Let us read 2 Chronicles 20:20, “And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”
You will benefit much if you read the whole story. For now, let us get the text right. The last part says, “Believe in the LORD your God.” You are a born-again believer. Your belief system should be in God the Father. Please pay particular attention to in. We believe in God. What does the verse say about the prophets? I quote, “believe his prophets.” It does not say believe in the prophets but believe the prophets. Hold on to their message if it is coming from God. Don’t believe in the prophet but the message if it is coming from God.
What is the new creation or creature able to do? She/he can discern because they have the Spirit of God in them. We read further in 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20, “Quench not the Spirit. [20] Despise not prophesyings.” We do not pour cold water on the Spirit and the miraculous. Furthermore, we believe in prophecy. But watch in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
The cross references will explain better. 1 Corinthians 14:29, reads, “We let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.” We can tell if prophecy is true or false. Let us quote further 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Even back in John’s times there were false prophets.
Uniformed believers are trying to be like the prophet or preacher. Why should we reduce the finished/accomplished work of Christ? The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” We are not changed into the preacher. Enough words for the wise.
Prophecy had already told us in Jeremiah 17:5, “Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” The object of your trust should not be a human being who can fail to resist temptation but God. Trust in the message of the preacher as far as it tallies with the spirit of the Scripture.
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In brief, those who have been pierced sharp in the heart by preachers who you thought were role models for integrity, remember please that the Bible preaches salvation, deliverance, reconciliation, restoration and healing. Pick up yourself and hold to God.
The Bible is clear on how to restore a preacher who has stumbled. Beyond that God always sees a sinner through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. We are not quick to cast aspersions but we know the nature and character of God.
Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
- All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
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