Who do you follow?
The writer of Proverbs tells us,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5,6.
A question for Christians:
Who do you follow?
I live in a town were there seems to be a church on every corner. In many ways it’s good. It’s good, because anyone living in this town can never say “I couldn’t find a church congregation that I liked.”
We have every denomination from Pentecostals with lively contemporary services, to conservative old order Mennonites, to Roman Catholic, Anglican, to independent churches and everything in between.
It however doesn’t really matter what church you attend as long as you are following God, as long as your trust is in Jesus.
All too often however too many Christians put their trust in the preacher not and not Christ.
In our town there was one prominent minister he had a big church, big being eight hundred plus. He was a dynamic speaker who introduced many to Christ and did build people up in the Lord. However the man was caught in adultery and fathered a child to younger woman who was not his wife.
The man said he was sorry but he refused to step down as pastor of “his” church even temporarily. The way he seen things was he had built that church and he would remain the senior pastor.
There was a lot of objections to him and eventually he left but not before he, for lack of a better term, “cleaned out the church”.
The way he had set up the church was that he owned everything from the sound equipment to the computers and almost everything except the building itself.
While he moved on to another place, the congregation eventually dissolved and is no more.
Some of the congregation moved to other churches but a lot didn’t. Those who didn’t were disillusioned with what had happened. The way many seen it was this pastor, supposedly a Christian was no better than a heathen.
I believe the one’s who were disillusioned by this pastor were following the man and not Christ.
It’s easy to follow a man especially if the person has the right kind of personality. People like a good speaker who tells them what they want to hear. Who makes them feel good.
All too often throughout the years I’ve spent in the Church when I’ve asked a person about something in the Bible or of importance in Christian teaching, I’ve heard people say “such and such a preacher said”. They go by what the evangelist or pastor says. They have not checked things out themselves.
In extreme cases following a preacher has led to mass suicide as happened in the late seventies. At that time a dynamic American pastor by the name of Jim Jones, led a group of people down to South America when he had them commit mass suicide.
Such a thing was tragic but following a the wrong pastor, or evangelist can have eternal consequences.
We need to check out what we are being taught. We need to study the Bible, to pray and ask God to show us what is right.
Above all our trust MUST be in Jesus Not a man.
Men make mistakes. Men can mislead people. Jesus said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23.
The apostle Peter said,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” 2 Peter 2:1-3.
It is imperative that all Christians follow the teachings of Jesus not the interpretations of an given pastor or evangelist. In order to do this we need to study the scriptures.
Studying the Bible is something I cannot emphasize enough.
There will be differences of opinions over minor things in the bible, however we should never, never compromise on the basics.
For me the best expression of basic Christian belief is in the apostles creed. It was not written by the apostles but it expresses what true foundations of the Christian faith is. It reads,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
The key however to a good Christian life is to follow Christ and not a man. To serve God and not an particular Pastor or Evangelist blindly.
Question: Who are you following?
Please think about it.
The writer of Proverbs tells us,
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5,6.
A question for Christians:
Who do you follow?
I live in a town were there seems to be a church on every corner. In many ways it’s good. It’s good, because anyone living in this town can never say “I couldn’t find a church congregation that I liked.”
We have every denomination from Pentecostals with lively contemporary services, to conservative old order Mennonites, to Roman Catholic, Anglican, to independent churches and everything in between.
It however doesn’t really matter what church you attend as long as you are following God, as long as your trust is in Jesus.
All too often however too many Christians put their trust in the preacher not and not Christ.
In our town there was one prominent minister he had a big church, big being eight hundred plus. He was a dynamic speaker who introduced many to Christ and did build people up in the Lord. However the man was caught in adultery and fathered a child to younger woman who was not his wife.
The man said he was sorry but he refused to step down as pastor of “his” church even temporarily. The way he seen things was he had built that church and he would remain the senior pastor.
There was a lot of objections to him and eventually he left but not before he, for lack of a better term, “cleaned out the church”.
The way he had set up the church was that he owned everything from the sound equipment to the computers and almost everything except the building itself.
While he moved on to another place, the congregation eventually dissolved and is no more.
Some of the congregation moved to other churches but a lot didn’t. Those who didn’t were disillusioned with what had happened. The way many seen it was this pastor, supposedly a Christian was no better than a heathen.
I believe the one’s who were disillusioned by this pastor were following the man and not Christ.
It’s easy to follow a man especially if the person has the right kind of personality. People like a good speaker who tells them what they want to hear. Who makes them feel good.
All too often throughout the years I’ve spent in the Church when I’ve asked a person about something in the Bible or of importance in Christian teaching, I’ve heard people say “such and such a preacher said”. They go by what the evangelist or pastor says. They have not checked things out themselves.
In extreme cases following a preacher has led to mass suicide as happened in the late seventies. At that time a dynamic American pastor by the name of Jim Jones, led a group of people down to South America when he had them commit mass suicide.
Such a thing was tragic but following a the wrong pastor, or evangelist can have eternal consequences.
We need to check out what we are being taught. We need to study the Bible, to pray and ask God to show us what is right.
Above all our trust MUST be in Jesus Not a man.
Men make mistakes. Men can mislead people. Jesus said,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23.
The apostle Peter said,
“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” 2 Peter 2:1-3.
It is imperative that all Christians follow the teachings of Jesus not the interpretations of an given pastor or evangelist. In order to do this we need to study the scriptures.
Studying the Bible is something I cannot emphasize enough.
There will be differences of opinions over minor things in the bible, however we should never, never compromise on the basics.
For me the best expression of basic Christian belief is in the apostles creed. It was not written by the apostles but it expresses what true foundations of the Christian faith is. It reads,
1.I believe in God the Father the almighty maker of heaven and earth
2. I believe in Jesus Christ God’s on and only Son, our Lord and Saviour.
3. I believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary
4. I believe Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate; That He was Crucified, died, was buried. That he descended in hell.
5. I believe He rose again on the third day from the dead.
6. I believe that he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
7. I believe Jesus will one day Judge the living and the dead.
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost
9. I believe in the Church which is the communion of the saints,
10. I believe in the forgiveness of sin.
11. I believe in the resurrection of the body.
12. I believe in life everlasting.
The key however to a good Christian life is to follow Christ and not a man. To serve God and not an particular Pastor or Evangelist blindly.
Question: Who are you following?
Please think about it.
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