GOD WILL SHOW YOU YOUR PATH
“So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Rom. 12:5). Every person in the body of Christ is important, and we each have a path in life that our Lord Jesus leads us on if we are willing. Personally, I have found that the Lord doesn’t want me to follow just one leader, one group. There’s nothing wrong with being a member of one church or one group; it’s just not what the Lord has for everyone. God has been leading me for several years now, to listen to different preachers, different apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and other members of the body of Christ who are not in church leadership but have things to say that connect with my spirit. I’ve been putting my articles out on the internet for 11 years, and I’ve mentioned things I’ve learned from various ministers, and sometimes included links to their sites. But please know that I am not indicating that I think you should follow them or become a member of their group. That is entirely a matter between you and God.
God knows who we are and He knows what each of us needs as far as spiritual insight at any given time in our lives. The Apostle Paul saw that in the first-century church, people were dividing up into different groups and he told them they were judging carnally. He told them every Christian is a minister:
“Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
“So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
“Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Cor. 3:5-8).
What is that labor God is talking about? Our labor is to walk by what the scriptures say and by what the Lord shows us through the Holy Spirit within us. It is our job to “try the spirits” in what we read or what we hear. Does it fit with what the Bible says? Does it resonate with the Spirit of God in us? “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1).
At the time when Paul was teaching Timothy to be a good leader, there was a teaching in the church saying that the resurrection of the future, had already happened, so Paul gave this instruction, which applies today as well:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
“But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Tim 2:15-17, 19).
There’s a saying, “Take everything with a grain of salt.” It means that when we hear something, we can accept it, but we should maintain a degree of skepticism about its truth. For us it means we can hear something new that we think is okay with the Word of God, and it may seem to resonate with Holy Spirit in us, but it has to be right with God. And He will always confirm the truth for us. Just watch for it.
Mark 16:20 tells us that after Jesus spoke to the disciples, “They went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” It’s important in our times, just like it was in Jesus’ time to get confirmation.
We can’t just believe everything we hear from any preacher just because we happen to like them or happen to follow them on the internet. God expects us to be aware, be smart, be discerning. He will guide us to whoever or wherever we need to be, to hear what we need to hear at any particular time in our lives because He loves us so much. It’s an exciting journey!
Love, Carolyn
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