Depending on Men Rather than the Holy Spirit?

The whole idea that there is a need to "train" men for the ministry in special schools may have started well but does not finish well because the idea was based on men making sure they did things the right way, without the help or use of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:12-14 "…12 I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it. 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"

When the Holy Spirit teaches us we will not be in error. When men think they can do something better than the Holy Spirit then there is much error.

We see no example of men of the Bible attending any formal schooling or being ordained by men to prepare for the ministry. The apostles and disciples were trained by the Holy Spirit and by individual men who had already been trained by the Holy Spirit.

God gave clear instructions in the nature of the gathering of believers in His Word, there need be no other methods or rituals than what God gave us in His Word, the Bible.

A person can work up in their own mind something they wish to believe hanging onto it so long and repeating it so many times that eventually they actually believe it.

Once this happens to an entire culture it is nearly impossible to convince people of the truth. Whenever we have an entire culture supporting our desired belief system then we must go against the culture becoming an outsider and losing friends in order to follow the truth.

1 Corinthians 14 describes the plurality of leadership and the involvement of the believers, there is no such thing as a one-man-paid-pastor in this gathering. No one is paid, all the men participate and each is led by the Holy Spirit.

It takes faith to operate in the gathering the way God said to do it, it takes depending on the Holy Spirit without a human leader. The leader is the Holy Spirit.

Most Christians today do not depend on the Holy Spirit they depend on those educated in human institutions with degrees ordained by men, as though these people know more than Christ Who lives in us. Pretty silly isn't it!!!!!

Keeping Scripture in its Context

Many people use the scripture about the woman who went to the evil judge over and over again asking for what she wanted, to teach that we should never stop praying for something we want.

Luke 18:1-8

"18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,

2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect any person.

3 Now there was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me justice against my opponent.’

4 For a while he was unwilling; but later he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect any person,

5 yet because this widow is bothering me, I will give her justice; otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”

6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge *said;

7 now, will God not bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night, and will He delay long for them?

8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

God is not an unrighteous judge, He is not like the judge the woman went to, He is a righteous judge and does not require begging continually to help the woman. God was saying in this passage that God would not delay long like the unrighteous judge. This is not about how many times the woman had to beg the judge as a lesson for us to beg God, NO, it is saying the opposite, that God is not like that unrighteous judge.

When we ask God praying in the Holy Spirit in His Will, He will not delay answering because we are praying His Will.

James 4:3

"3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

Often God gives us desires we don't even ask for because it is His will to bless us. Other times He does not give us what we pray hard for because it is not His will. Begging God for something that is not His will does not cause Him to move.

Let's take a look at the three Hebrew men who were thrown into the furnace. They did not beg God to save them, they knew God would do what He decided to do and they would accept His Will. They said: "our God will save us, but if not, we will serve Him." Jesus Christ was with them in the furnace and did deliver them.

Daniel 3:17-18

"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

Notice there were no long prayers, there were not many days of agonizing in prayer to manipulate God, there was merely a declaration that their God knew them, the circumstance, and will be with them in whatever His will was for them.

Notice too that they were thrown into the furnace for a time, but Christ walked in there with them until He took them out. Almost seems like a picture of the believers now as we walk through this firey furnace of hate all around us, but we know we will be delivered soon in the rapture.

Every time you sense that something is off in the things that people say, go to the Bible asking for wisdom and reject the wrong teaching to embrace the truth of the Scriptures.

James 1:4-6 "…4 Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.…"

Let your faith believe God, not the people around us who say all manner of things that have no basis in Scripture.

A Hardened Heart is not to be Taken Lightly

"Obey your husband in all things"?

"If someone will not work do not let him eat."?

These and other phrases have been followed to the letter OUT OF CONTEXT to the shame of those who call themselves Christians.

When we read the Bible, we see that women are to obey their husbands when they obey Christ. Abigail is an excellent example of a woman who disobeyed her husband in order to honor God and that she was blessed by God for her faithfulness to Him. And, notice her husband was killed, his heart was turned to stone. I suspect God did this to show what a terrible man he was and demonstrate what abusiveness does to the human heart.

Abigail became the wife of the King after that, remember taking scripture out of context to make it say what you would like it to say to be able to misuse and abuse wives could turn one's heart to stone spiritually. In Nabal's case, it was literally stone.

In the matter of not allowing someone to eat who does not work much of the Bible would be ignored to follow that standard.

The principle clearly shows that any able-bodied man must be working to earn the family income. We are not to hand out food to a man who wants to be handed everything without working for it. This is God's way, accountability works when teaching will not.

However, this mandate to withhold food from those who will not work does not extend to the elderly who cannot work long days anymore. If we were to apply the principle of working to eat to those who cannot work then we are moving from the realm of reasonable expectation into cruelty.

It would be cruel to expect a woman to obey a man who is pushing her into prostitution or abusing her physically and emotionally just to have his own way.

When people use scripture out of context to support their own desired belief they are rejecting Christ as well as being the example of an apostate to his family. All leaders will be accountable for the ways they abuse scripture to get their own way.

The Spirit of the Law ought always to be seen in "the purpose of the Law" not merely the rule itself. For example, the purpose of the Law concerning women obeying their husbands is for the husband to be a proper godly leader who cares more about his family and their Spiritual protection and growth than he does about his own needs or desires. The Spirit of the principles of women obeying their husbands speaks to the protection of the family, not the abuse merely to control. This would be a sin against God.

I once heard a wicked man claim that "all things work together for those who are in Christ", therefore the woman in abuse must put up with it to learn a lesson God has for her. This may be true that a woman of God may have to endure a wicked husband, but it also means the husband will be punished for his abuse of the wife. No born-again believing man should ever condone what a wicked man is doing to his wife. If he does this the believer will see the wrath of God for misleading others in his tyrannical example.

Any husband who shouts orders in range boss fashion expecting to be obeyed without discussion is a tyrant and most likely an infidel. Husbands who love their wives desire the best for them, they love to see their wives excel for their own sake.

Some husbands want their wives to excel to glorify the husband but this is not godly. The role of the husband is to protect the family and serve them so that everyone is respected and protected, it's a service position the husband should not operate as a dictator oppressing everyone. This is not love to oppress others, it is also not love to show favoritism within the family.

Ephesians 5:25-29

"25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,

26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church."

When we look at the Spirit behind not allowing a lazy person to eat, we must realize it applies to lazy able-bodied people, not to those who are informed or aging without strength. If we use the phrase out of context it would negate the other passages that command us to give to the poor while taking care of widows and orphans.

Luke 12:33-34

33 “Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor does a moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

A husband who honors his wife and lovingly denies himself to care for her needs is storing up treasures in heaven.

A person who gives to the poor as led by the Holy Spirit in caring for those who cannot care for themselves is storing up treasures in heaven.

The principle being discussed here is that we should always read the entire context of a chapter as well as the context of the entire Bible before arrogantly making rules for others that we think are benefit ourselves.

I have never met a person who makes rules for others using intimidation and manipulation who was kind and loving, they are always rude, mean, and selfish. They make their own rules to glorify themselves, they are not content to just be something themselves, they must force others to comply with their rules. An attitude of superiority is the culprit behind those who make unbiblical rules and claim God did it.

Those who remove passages from their context for personal aggrandizement will be judged for misquoting and misusing His Word to glorify self. May they repent before God makes them a heart of stone as he did Nabal, Abigails husband.

Any husband who forces his wife to disobey him to honor God will be in danger of hardening his own heart.

Jeremiah 18:12

"But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’"

No One is Righteous No Not One

Romans 3:10-12 "10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”"

Anyone who has been born again knows the brokenness of their heart when they discovered they were as filthy rags before God. These are the most grateful people, those who have admitted their sinfulness and have been changed by Christ into a completely different person.

 
We are so grateful we can openly and easily say we were wicked and express the unquenchable joy we have at being changed by Christ.

 
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 Such WERE some of you, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

We are no longer sinners when we have become born-again, we are saints trapped in this shell, our bodies, battling against the flesh daily as we ask God to cleanse us from whatever stench of sin lingers in our flesh.

 
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Romans 7:14-25
The Conflict of Serving Two Masters
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin.
15 For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good.
17 But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20 But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22 For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person,
23 but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."

Seminary and Bible College Man's Idea Not God's

Let's count the number of apostles who were trained in seminary or Bible college and ordained by men......oh that's right NONE!!!!

Hierarchy God Never Commanded

Many people think they are saved because they are in a protestant church gathering and because they are not Catholic.

What they don't realize is that many activities and rituals they follow come from the Catholic church and have never been Biblical.

A one-man-paid-pastor system is typical of apostasy. When one man is seen as the authority over all the other believers in the church gathering this is a model of the priest in the Catholic church who offers the sacrifices for the people.

I was once told that I couldn't know the truth about the principles of the Bible because I had not been to seminary. I quickly retorted; "you mean the Holy Spirit only goes to seminary?"

When the one-man pastor is only considered qualified to preach and teach this is denying that all men in the gathering have the Holy Spirit and are qualified as long as they are the husband of one wife.

The women are qualified to speak to anyone about the Lord as long as they are born again and have the Holy Spirit. No other qualification is necessary to speak of the Lord to others.

When the one-man pastor must be paid for his time and ordained by men after attending a seminary or Bible college, this is a form of hierarchy that God never commanded in His Word.

In the church the men lead by example and teaching, they have no authority over others. Every believer has the authority over every other believer to speak the truth and discipline someone who is in sin. In fact, God told us if someone was sinning we were to take it two witnesses and if they would not listen to the whole church and if the person will still not repent they would be treated as outsiders to be ignored and even put out of the church. The whole church were in one accord when putting a sinner out of the church.

Matthew 18:15–20

If Your Brother Sins Against You

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. "

1 Corinthians 5:13 "… 12 What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

The purpose of putting someone out of the church was to pray for them and desire their repentance so that they could come back restored and no longer in sin.

The hierarchy system today elevates some men over others rather than seeing the Holy Spirit in every believer as the One Who makes everyone One Body in Christ, working together with one purpose.

Any time we elevate one person over another we fall into the trap of believing that one person has special knowledge that no one else has. The one who is elevated often begins to think they are special and different causing arrogance and division. God clearly said that the one who preaches must be teachable himself.

1 Timothy 3:2 "2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach (meaning teachable himself),"

If an overseer is not teachable himself, he is not qualified to teach others.

We have leaders in the home and leaders in the church and they are the men. They lead by example and teaching not by force, demeaing, or intimidation, they lead by the love they have for one another. Nothing is about getting their own way in selfishness, just the opposite, they have given their lives over to others to protect and support Spiritual and emotional growth in those they lead.

Every leader must do what he does for the sake of the well-being of others, not about his own selfish desires.

Titus 2 "2 But as for you, proclaim the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,

4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible;

7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,

8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

9 Urge slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not argumentative,

10 not stealing, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people,

12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,

14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds.

15 These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. No one is to disregard you."

3 Signs God is Telling You to Give Up on Someone