Preachers and Teachers

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Patricia Violet Joy on October 30, 2010 at 2:31pm

Jesus condemned the Scribes and Pharasees, who were supposed to be the teachers of the law. He started his church with simple men, fishermen etc. As you say, the Bible isn't that difficult to understand, if you stop looking for a hidden meaning, as quite a few people I know do. When I am listening to a spiritual teacher I seem to know inside if they are trying to lead me astray. You have probably had it yourself as with the above, the spirit seems to put the feeling inside to not listen or to check it out.

Permalink Reply by Jack M. Lawson on October 30, 2010 at 4:34pm

I agree whole heartedly. Jesus also said that those who preach Him and His gospel are worthy of a listen. I just heard a very good couple messages on who to listen to. Another very well known pastor/teacher. He called out several for preaching the wrong message. And as I listened to his well documented information I thought of how I had come to that conclusion after listening just enough to realize his message was not a good one.
Any pastor/teacher who preaches the cross and the need for faith in the one who died for us is worthy of a listen untill he goes off message and starts telling us to look within for that faith. I believe several very gifted teachers have went astray. That is not God's fault. Money , fame and prestege sometimes causes us to wander away.
Its really sad to see but they are really only fulfilling prophesy.

Permalink Reply by Edgar Alan Smith on October 31, 2010 at 11:02am

There are many who believe that living the "Christian Life" is the hardest thing that a human being will ever attempt to do in his or her lifetime. It's true, because the Bible is written in such a way that even "Bible scholars" have a hard time with it, and are reluctant to divulge information on the subject unless they're the pastors of rather large congregations. The more people they can convince of what they've found as the "truth," the better off they are in this physical world justifying their education level.

We, today, seem to have forgotten that God used simple, ordinary, and sometime not so educated people to move His gospel around the world. It seems that if someone who does not have a string of degrees longer than ones arm he or she is ridiculed among the "religious" sect that is growing in our nation and around the world to take the place of the Pharisees of Jesus' time. Many "religious" leaders today also see Christianity as a threat to them unless they can manipulate it to mean what they see it as meaning without any deviation from their church doctrine provided many times by an association that the church belongs to.

It is more important that an individual believer read the Bible for themselves and carry on that all important daily conversation with God over the matter of understanding of His Holy Word. Bibles today are printed in many languages and different versions for the understanding of the individual believer to come to know Christ (Whom the Bible is all about from Genesis to Revelation) and build upon that Foundation which is Christ in their own personal lives that the Love of God may be manifested within them to show to all the world that Christ is real and has delivered the believers from their sin to produce a new way of life in this world. So many unbelievers do not see that change (repentance) in church members though that they turn away with a deaf ear and a blind eye to Christianity and all that it stands for. In many ways the earthly church has caused this apostasy that we are now seeing when they seem to believe it's the university professors teaching their children their own views that did this dastardly deed.

Atheists and agnostics do not have to worry about the fall of Christianity and the earthly church, because "church members" will accomplish that fall from within all on their own. The church began moving its money overseas to missionaries in foreign lands to build churches and set up their own brand of an earthly kingdom supplied, not by God, but by the tithers and givers in a particular congregation with the same "just like I am" beliefs, thereby leaving the people in their homelands to suffer the fate of the poor and less fortunate desolate of a Loving God who cares for each individual and will supply their "needs" in this physical world. When the church fails to help individuals with physical "needs" in this life, they too often have turned to the government for those needs, and thus "welfare" was born to be delivered by the taxpayers of a particular nation (today there are many socialists nations who do this, including America). If pastors and teachers truly taught and preached the word of God in its Truth, they would be able to reach out to the "widows and orphans," and the "poor and needy" in our own land as well as around the world, and show others that God will provide and show them exactly how step by step, 1, 2, 3, more people would find that "cup of cold water," and a safe haven from the world outside that is sewn with unbelievers delivering a different message. More American's who profess to be believers need to stand up, step out into our streets and street corners, and shake off their fears of being arrested or causing a rift between the believer and the sinner, and preach the unabridged gospel of Jesus Christ to the world starting right in their own neighborhoods and communities, not merely by harsh words of condemnation, but by doing for and providing for the needs of those less fortunate than themselves, and teaching them (even adults) how to be self sustaining and self sufficient in this world. Then they would be taught to do the same for others when they make it to where other Christians are. The move spreads on, but this can only work if the church staff and congregation today step up and say, enough is enough of this tax exempt status and protecting it by submitting to the will of the government, and step out and do what they can for the individual hurting and often alone in this nation and this world; to do what Jesus commanded to take care of the widows and orphans (and we all are orphans looking for God the Father), as well as the poor and needy who are outnumbering the wealthy in our modern society we've created over at least the past six decades.

I've often said over the past ten to twelve years that if a pastor taught and preached the word of God in Spirit and Truth, then he would never again have to ask for money, because everything he and his church ever needed would be there, if he did not get too greedy, and God would most definitely supply all his needs according to His riches in glory for all time. But yes, we've become too well educated without the God of salvation in our lifetime, and think today that we know more than God Himself and spread that knowledge to others around the world in a false gospel that is like a plague that cannot be cured; and many fall away, while others seek a "plastic Jesus" that can do nothing in the false doctrine that is not of the Word.

It is not our part in this life to judge others, or even condemn others for what they seemingly do for the cause of Christ, because many know not what they do, and some pastors and teachers who teach others are not called of God to do such things. Sometimes the more educated pastors and teachers we see today often stifle those who are indeed being called of God, but have no chance in our modern world of ever succeeding in it for the cause of Christ and the unabridged gospel of Jesus Christ, but continue in the serving of the "plastic Jesus" we've created to worship and to serve until bitter end.

Permalink Reply by Sue King on February 9, 2012 at 3:05pm

It's even happening on facebook. On-line ministry leaders saying if you want to be an admin /writer for this ministry you will never quote x,y and z. Wow. Especially wow when x, y and z are responsible and continue to be responsible for the salvation of millions (as instruments of God of course) and their theology remains in line with scripture and their christian walk acceptable. It's a case of 'I just don't like them' I think.

Permalink Reply by Patricia Violet Joy on February 9, 2012 at 3:21pm

I agree with you so much about the poor in our own countries.  My husband and I moved to Ukraine to help with disadvantaged children and families.  One year when we went home for our yearly visit we passed a homeless man several times in the street going to the local shop to get some sandwiches for our lunch.  We were in the shop about the third time when I suddenly had realisation hit me.  We had gone abroad to help the homeless, hungary and poor and were walking passed someone in our own country in the same situation.  after that, every time we went to the shop we bought him a sandwich, cake and drink to give him on the way back.  We just hadn't thought, just because he wasn't in Ukraine didn't mean he wasn't hungary.  I mentioned it at a local church that supported us (we're supported by seven different denomination each in a small way) and their parishoners hadn't thought that way either.  After that some of them would look out for the homeless on the street and give them something to eat.  Just because they're not in a foreign country doesn't mean they're not hungry or cold.

Edgar Alan Smith said:

There are many who believe that living the "Christian Life" is the hardest thing that a human being will ever attempt to do in his or her lifetime. It's true, because the Bible is written in such a way that even "Bible scholars" have a hard time with it, and are reluctant to divulge information on the subject unless they're the pastors of rather large congregations. The more people they can convince of what they've found as the "truth," the better off they are in this physical world justifying their education level.

We, today, seem to have forgotten that God used simple, ordinary, and sometime not so educated people to move His gospel around the world. It seems that if someone who does not have a string of degrees longer than ones arm he or she is ridiculed among the "religious" sect that is growing in our nation and around the world to take the place of the Pharisees of Jesus' time. Many "religious" leaders today also see Christianity as a threat to them unless they can manipulate it to mean what they see it as meaning without any deviation from their church doctrine provided many times by an association that the church belongs to.

It is more important that an individual believer read the Bible for themselves and carry on that all important daily conversation with God over the matter of understanding of His Holy Word. Bibles today are printed in many languages and different versions for the understanding of the individual believer to come to know Christ (Whom the Bible is all about from Genesis to Revelation) and build upon that Foundation which is Christ in their own personal lives that the Love of God may be manifested within them to show to all the world that Christ is real and has delivered the believers from their sin to produce a new way of life in this world. So many unbelievers do not see that change (repentance) in church members though that they turn away with a deaf ear and a blind eye to Christianity and all that it stands for. In many ways the earthly church has caused this apostasy that we are now seeing when they seem to believe it's the university professors teaching their children their own views that did this dastardly deed.

Atheists and agnostics do not have to worry about the fall of Christianity and the earthly church, because "church members" will accomplish that fall from within all on their own. The church began moving its money overseas to missionaries in foreign lands to build churches and set up their own brand of an earthly kingdom supplied, not by God, but by the tithers and givers in a particular congregation with the same "just like I am" beliefs, thereby leaving the people in their homelands to suffer the fate of the poor and less fortunate desolate of a Loving God who cares for each individual and will supply their "needs" in this physical world. When the church fails to help individuals with physical "needs" in this life, they too often have turned to the government for those needs, and thus "welfare" was born to be delivered by the taxpayers of a particular nation (today there are many socialists nations who do this, including America). If pastors and teachers truly taught and preached the word of God in its Truth, they would be able to reach out to the "widows and orphans," and the "poor and needy" in our own land as well as around the world, and show others that God will provide and show them exactly how step by step, 1, 2, 3, more people would find that "cup of cold water," and a safe haven from the world outside that is sewn with unbelievers delivering a different message. More American's who profess to be believers need to stand up, step out into our streets and street corners, and shake off their fears of being arrested or causing a rift between the believer and the sinner, and preach the unabridged gospel of Jesus Christ to the world starting right in their own neighborhoods and communities, not merely by harsh words of condemnation, but by doing for and providing for the needs of those less fortunate than themselves, and teaching them (even adults) how to be self sustaining and self sufficient in this world. Then they would be taught to do the same for others when they make it to where other Christians are. The move spreads on, but this can only work if the church staff and congregation today step up and say, enough is enough of this tax exempt status and protecting it by submitting to the will of the government, and step out and do what they can for the individual hurting and often alone in this nation and this world; to do what Jesus commanded to take care of the widows and orphans (and we all are orphans looking for God the Father), as well as the poor and needy who are outnumbering the wealthy in our modern society we've created over at least the past six decades.

I've often said over the past ten to twelve years that if a pastor taught and preached the word of God in Spirit and Truth, then he would never again have to ask for money, because everything he and his church ever needed would be there, if he did not get too greedy, and God would most definitely supply all his needs according to His riches in glory for all time. But yes, we've become too well educated without the God of salvation in our lifetime, and think today that we know more than God Himself and spread that knowledge to others around the world in a false gospel that is like a plague that cannot be cured; and many fall away, while others seek a "plastic Jesus" that can do nothing in the false doctrine that is not of the Word.

It is not our part in this life to judge others, or even condemn others for what they seemingly do for the cause of Christ, because many know not what they do, and some pastors and teachers who teach others are not called of God to do such things. Sometimes the more educated pastors and teachers we see today often stifle those who are indeed being called of God, but have no chance in our modern world of ever succeeding in it for the cause of Christ and the unabridged gospel of Jesus Christ, but continue in the serving of the "plastic Jesus" we've created to worship and to serve until bitter end.