Living among us are millions of people who have never really understood the gospel.

 

Millions of these people have no interest in going to a church or even learning the Christian message.

 

After a variety of attempts to advertise, a local church decides to send a couple of its members out to where the unchurched people live via a door to door campaign and similar outreach.

 

Rather than inviting the people to the church, they are commissioned to proclaim the gospel and plant a new, independent church made up of other people who also are like them. (generally unchurched)

 

By God’s grace, hundreds, perhaps thousands of formerly unchurched people hear and begin to understand the gospel.

 

Within a year or two, 10, 20 or perhaps 30 of these people now attend the meetings of this new local body of believers and they meet in the basement of those who were sent out by the sending church.

 

Assuming this actually happened, how would you answer the following questions?

 

 

Are you glad that these people who previously did not understood the Gospel have now heard it and understood it as a result of this effort?  Or, do you think that Christians should not bother people by going door to door and interrupting their lives?

 

Do you consider the goal to plant a new, independent church an acceptable plan? Or is such an approach wrong?

 

If you consider such an approach to be wrong, how do you reconcile your view with the New Testament since the pattern described is the same pattern used by the Apostle Paul and the early N.T. church?

What was going through the mind of Paul when he said this?  Have you ever wondered what Paul thought might happen to him if he did not preach the gospel? Obviously, Paul believed that if he did not preach the gospel, he would experience bad consequences. Does the phrase, “woe is me” give us any clue as to how bad the consequences might be in Paul’s mind? Did Paul think that the eternal destiny of his soul depended on him preaching the gospel? If so, is Paul the only one who should feel this way? Should other people have that same sense of danger? Should all Christians have that same sense of danger?

To understand a phrase or verse, we must consider the context. But I suggest that in this case, we can not get a full understanding of Paul’s heart and mind about this phrase merely from looking at the immediate context. The phrase, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” is not the main point of the passage in which it is found. It seems to be a secondary thought and one that Paul seems to almost be thinking to himself.

The ninth chapter of I Corinthians has to do with whether or not it is right for itinerate preachers[1] to receive money of their service. In this chapter, Paul says that even though he had the right to receive financial support from the Corinthians, he purposely chose not to do so even though he spent eighteen months there. Paul made this choice by faith believing that by supporting himself while at Corinth, the gospel would be advanced in greater measure.

“But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. ¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. ¹⁸What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel ^of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:15-18).

Because this statement, “woe is me if I do not preach the gospel,” is a secondary thought, we cannot answer our questions from the immediate context alone. But let us make observations that might offer some clues. In verse 16, Paul says that preaching the gospel was a necessity to him. (“Necessity is laid upon me.”)  It seems that Paul believed it was absolutely necessary for him to preach the gospel. He believed that if he did preach the gospel willingly, he would be rewarded. (See verse 17.) And since he has been entrusted by God with this as a stewardship, he has a duty to preach the gospel even if and when he did not “feel like it.” Paul believed that how he executed his role as a steward of the gospel was not to be taken lightly. Being a man of prayer, he evidently believed that God desired for him to preach the gospel without receiving financial support while among the Corinthians. Rather than receiving financial support as he was entitled to do, he made a faith choice to support himself financially rather than lean on the more comfortable approach.

In the midst of this discussion we find our statement, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” Let us consider what Paul might have been thinking and feeling as he wrote this statement. As we have already observed, Paul considered it absolutely necessary for him to preach the gospel. But what bad consequences did Paul think might happen if he didn’t preach the gospel? Would he get ill or die? I don’t think this is what Paul feared because in this passage and in others like Philippians chapter one, Paul does not consider dying itself something to be feared. He thought it would be better to die and be with Christ than to continue living. So, the idea of illness or death does not seem to fit with his phrase, “Woe is me.”  It appears that Paul believed that there consequences more weighty than death if he did not preach the gospel. It seems he thought that dire eternal consequences could result if he did not preach the gospel.

Now I am persuaded that Paul believed that all who are in Christ will be resurrected on the last day to live with Him forever. This thought is expressed in his words, “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Since Paul believed that nothing whatsoever could separate him from the love of God in Christ, then how could dire eternal consequences result if he did not preach the gospel?

Though Paul believed that true Christians cannot “lose their salvation,” he also believed the warning of Jesus, “He that endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13). In other words, Paul believed that he had to remain vigilant as a steward of Jesus and not passively sit back and coast. In the same chapter nine of I Corinthians, Paul expresses this concept:

²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. ²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (I Corinthians 9:21-23).

These things were also taught by Jesus:

²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²²Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

²⁴“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:21-27)

From these teachings of Jesus, we learn that mere church attendance does not guarantee eternal life. People can attend church and even Bible college all their lives. They can acquire vast theological knowledge and know the Bible inside and out. Yet, if they only learn it but fail to actually obey Jesus, they will go to hell in the end. Jesus is Lord but not everyone relates to Him as their Lord. Only those who obey Him prove that they are His subjects. All others will hear the words, “Depart from me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).

The obedience Jesus spoke about, extends to every aspect of life. We are deceiving ourselves if we say that it does not extend to our stewardship responsibility to advance Jesus’ Kingdom. After all, this is THE GREAT MISSION of the church. Every Christian has a role to play in the advancement of Jesus’ Kingdom and one of those responsibilities is ambassadors who testify of Him. In the twenty fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus warns that only those who steward well will be with Him in glory. All others will be cast into outer darkness.

¹⁴“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. ¹⁵And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. ¹⁶Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. ¹⁷And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. ¹⁸But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

²⁰“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ ²¹His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ ²²He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ ²³His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

²⁴“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

²⁶“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. ²⁷So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

²⁹‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30)

With such dire warnings as these, should we not have a sense of fear and trembling about our role as stewards assigned with the task of advancing Jesus’ interests? It seems that these warnings affected Paul’s outlook about preaching the gospel. He feared that if he failed to fulfill his role as steward by preaching the gospel, he would end up in hell. Such a failure would prove that Jesus was never actually Paul’s Lord. If anyone had reason to have strong assurance of his salvation, it would be Paul. Yet, he trembled about these things. If Paul trembled, shouldn’t we?

Near the end of his life, imagine Paul looking back on all the disciples and churches planted. Do you think he ever thought, “Surely I am safe. What other person has been used so greatly to advance Christ’s Kingdom.” No, from the words of Paul and teachings of Jesus, I just can’t picture Paul ever retiring from his duties as preacher.

To me, it is not just about preaching the gospel. I think that our stewardship extends beyond preaching the gospel to how we conduct every aspect of our lives. Yet, for me, preaching the gospel cannot be separated from it. After preaching the gospel to the woman at the well, Jesus told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of my father.” In this context, Jesus was obviously speaking about the will of His Father to save that woman. After His encounter with the woman, Jesus felt He had received essential nourishment for His soul. It was food He depended upon for life. This is what preaching the gospel is to me. It is essential nourishment. Without it, I fear I would wither away and become indifferent. My spiritual vitality would surely diminish and my heart would grow dull and cold. Because I view preaching the gospel as absolutely essential for my spiritual well being, I too say, “Woe is me if I don’t preach the gospel.” I fear that if I were to retreat, I might end up withering away and eventually disqualified (in hell).

Holding a position of authority can be spiritually dangerous. Unless a man possesses true humility, he will likely one day commit prideful sins of presumption. David believed that sins of presumption are very serious.

“Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression” (Psalm 19:13).

A pattern of presumptuous sins in a life are symptomatic of an independent spirit that resides in the unregenerate heart. This is why a pattern of presumption in a life is so serious. It points to a future in hell where the hypocrites dwell. The unmerciful are those who habitually commit acts of presumption.

In contrast, those who fear God believe that only God knows all things. As a result, those who fear God withhold judgment until they have searched out a matter.

In the book of John, we get a glimpse of presumptuous sins in action and we behold the folly that results.

“Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” Then the Pharisees answered them, “Are you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” And everyone went to his own house” (John 7:45-53).

In this story, the Pharisees hold positions of religious authority and it obviously has gone to their heads. They think they are the ones who know and those outside their click are inferior. First, they look down in judgment on the officers who were told to apprehend Jesus. Then, they look down on the crowd assuming that they are ignorant of the law. Then they look down on Nicodemus insinuating that he too is ignorant of the Scriptures and thus, inferior to them.

Their pride is so deeply rooted that they ignore Nicodemus’ correct assertion that according to the law, no man may be condemned unless a matter has been fully established and any man under scrutiny has the right to tell his side of the story. But rather than admitting they are wrong, they simply marginalize Nicodemus so that they can justify their sinful act of presumption about Jesus.

Because they hold themselves as superior, they have justified to themselves that nobody has the right to hold them to account. After all, they are the ones in authority. How dare anyone rebuke them!

Their pride gives way to presumption that Jesus cannot be the Messiah since the Messiah had to be born in Bethlehem. Nicodemus and the crowds were simply, poor, misguided, ignorant fools. Of course, we know that Jesus was indeed born in Bethlehem. If they feared God, the Pharisees would have withheld their judgment until they researched the matter.

Next, they add to their folly by displaying their own ignorance of the prophecies concerning the Messiah. They pridefully rebuke Nicodemus by saying that no prophet comes out of Galilee. Yet, Isaiah alluded to the fact that the Messiah would indeed spend time ministering there.

^“Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

     “Theland of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,     By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,     Galilee of the Gentiles:

     The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,  And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned” (Matthew 4:12-16).

This story should produce a certain watchfulness in us. When we read these passages, we should take heed and watch over our hearts with all diligence. We should take heed to Jesus’ warning, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees which is hypocrisy” (Luke 12:1b). We logically should be very cautious of wanting to hold positions of authority[1] knowing that such positions require a humility that truly fears God. Only such a man really believes that he is fully capable of committing the same presumptuous sins that the Pharisees committed.  I pray that God keeps me from presumptuous sins because if He does not, I will surely commit them.

“Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12).

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 The Bible seems to indicate that God leads His people:

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye” (Psalms 32:8b).

 What is the nature of this guidance? How does this leading of the Holy Spirit take place? How specific is the leading? Does He guide in decisions that involve choosing a spouse or making major purchases? Does He guide in decisions relating to matters of lower importance? If I sense that He is telling me to do something specific, is it merely my emotions confusing me or might He actually be communicating to me? If I am sensing the Holy Spirit’s leading, is there a way for me to accurately discern what the Holy Spirit is actually trying to communicate to me? Or, is everything the Holy Spirit wants me to use in the decision making process already revealed in the Bible as some Christians think?

I have been a Christian since 1975 and have lived those years believing that the Spirit does give specific guidance to Christians. There were times that I was fully convinced the Spirit was giving me specific direction. There were also occasions when I was not as confident. At times, I wondered if I was merely being confused by my emotions or simply reading too much into my circumstances.

I remember one occasion when a Christian gave our family one hundred dollars. At that time, we were experiencing financial hardship. When we received it, I sensed God’s love for me because He prompted someone to give that money to us. Later that evening, I was driving in my car with that money in my wallet. Suddenly, while stopped at a red light, out of the blue, a strange thought came to my mind. “Get out of the car and go up to the car in front of you and give him the hundred dollars.” I thought, “What a strange thought? Could this be the Spirit speaking to me? Or am I just confused?” Instead of giving that money away, I convinced myself that it was probably not the Spirit speaking. Or, if He was speaking, perhaps I did not understanding the communication properly. I will never forget that experience. Often I looked back with regret wishing I had gone with my perception instead of holding on to that money.

If you are like me, you want to make decisions that are in keeping with God’s will. Also, if you sense the Spirit nudging you to do something, you probably would like to have confidence that He is truly communicating and that you understand His guidance properly. The Bible provides insight into the process of discerning the Spirit’s leading. As a means to gain some understanding, this article will focus mainly on the life of the Apostle Paul as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts. As we observe how Paul lived and made decisions, we will learn the following things about how the Spirit gives specific guidance to Christians:

-The Spirit does indeed give specific guidance to individual Christians.

-The Holy Spirit’s specific guidance usually seems mysterious to us humans.

-The Spirit does not tell us what to do or think each minute via special revelation.

-Sometimes, God purposely seems to withhold specific guidance from us.

 

Note:  This article mainly addresses the Spirit’s leading in specific life decisions. But it should be noted that there is a general leading of the Spirit towards holiness. When Paul uses the phrase, “led by the Spirit,” he does so in the context of what it means to live under the guidance of Jesus as Lord as opposed to living autonomous lives driven to please ourselves. We already know God’s will in regard to making decisions on whether to obey Him or disobey Him. The Spirit’s leading moves us toward obedience. His leading includes the dispensing of grace (power) that makes holy living possible and without this effectual leading, none of us would be motivated to please God. Since this is the primary way the Spirit leads us, a short explanation of it is provided in Appendix A, “The phrase “led by the Spirit” mainly relates to living under the lordship of Jesus Christ.”

The Spirit does indeed give specific guidance to individual Christians.

Have you ever heard the following expressions?

–          “I feel led by the Spirit to do such and such.”

–          “I do not feel led by the Spirit to do such and such.”

–          “I just don’t feel a peace about it.”

–          “God told me to do such and such.”

 

Are expressions like these ever valid? I hope to show in this section that the Spirit does indeed give special direction to individual Christians. I hope to demonstrate that statements like those above may indeed be valid expressions of the Christian experience. I do not claim to have all the answers on this subject, but I think the Bible does offer some light. To gain some insight, let us turn our attention to the experience of Paul as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts.

Sometimes Paul received very specific direction from the Spirit.

 

In almost a prophetic way, Paul sometimes received specific guidance. Here are a few examples from Acts:

¹“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ²As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. ⁴So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus” (Acts 13:1-4).

In the example above, the Holy Spirit gave specific guidance to the church at Antioch to send out Paul (and Barnabas) to go on a mission to make disciples and plant churches.

⁷“After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. ⁸So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:7-10).

In the example above, Paul and Barnabas wanted to go to Bithynia but the Spirit “did not let them.” We are not told how they were restrained but as Luke continues,  we learn that the Spirit did indeed have a different direction in mind. Paul had a dream/vision during the night and he later concluded that God was directing him to go to Macedonia.

 ⁹ “Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; ¹⁰for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” ¹¹And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:9-11).

According to the passage above,  God gave very specific guidance to Paul through a dream/vision during the night.

“²²And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me” (Acts 20:22-23).

Though specific words of the Holy Spirit are not recorded here, Paul says that the Holy Spirit was speaking to him wherever he went that chains and tribulations await him.

¹⁰“And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles’” (Acts 21:10-11).

In the passage above, we are told that a prophet named Agabus said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit,” and then proceeded to say that the Jews would bind Paul and deliver him to the Gentiles. We learn from the following verses that Paul did not let this prophetic utterance deter him from his plans to go to Jerusalem.

“Paul advised them, ¹⁰saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives” (Acts 27:9b -10).

In the passage above, it appears Paul received very specific information from God about the impending shipwreck and he communicates that to everyone on board.

Based upon all of the passages discussed above, we can make some statements. On some occasions, Paul received very specific direction from the Spirit in what appears to be a prophetic way. As we continue to examine the narrative in Acts, we will see that this type of communication does not seem to be the normal way Paul received his direction from the Holy Spirit. But since Paul sometimes received direction from the Holy Spirit this way, should we expect similar guidance? Should we look to Him also for specific direction and pray that He will speak to us specifically some how (in a prophetic fashion)?  Does the Holy Spirit still communicate with Christians in this seemingly prophetic way? Or should we look for direction of a different sort?

Whether or not a Christian believes that God sometimes chooses to communicate very specifically like He did to Paul, I think all Christians would prefer to have specific direction from God when they are trying to make important decisions. A common example of this occurs when Christians are trying to discern if God is calling them to go to a specific land as a missionary. When missionaries of the past were threatened with death, they may have wondered to themselves, “Did God really send me here?” Some Christians probably warned them not to go because of all the danger they would face. Yet, when older, many missionaries have testified that the Spirit did indeed lead them to go as missionaries to these dangerous places. The testimony of missionaries like these should not be the basis for our individual convictions about how the Holy Spirit provides guidance, but I personally think we should consider the possibility that the Holy Spirit did indeed give them very specific guidance. We should be careful not to assume that such guidance was not given.

From our study of the Bible so far, we at least know that during Paul’s day, some Christians received very specific guidance from the Holy Spirit in what appears to be a prophetic way. But is this type of specific and direct communication the extent of Paul’s experience? As we proceed, we will learn that generally, the Spirit’s guidance to Paul was actually, not “prophetic” in nature. These findings will show that the Spirit has been and continues to be, Someone we can and should look to for guidance in every aspect of living.

The Holy Spirit’s guidance often seemed mysterious and not quickly discernable.

²As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2).

In the passage above, there is no mention of a prophetic vision. Just prior to this verse it does say that prophets were present. But Luke does not record whether any “prophetic utterances” were made about this. It does not give clear indication of how the Holy Spirit communicated this specific direction but it does suggest that the Christians were seriously seeking God’s heart and mind. They were fasting. Though we do not know how these Christians received this specific guidance, it seems clear that they were looking for it. Though the Acts 13 passage does not say specifically, we get the impression from Acts 14:27 – 15:5 that the entire church may likely have been involved in the praying, fasting and laying on of hands which occurred once the specific communication was received. Since this was the way the church operated once the missionaries returned from their trip, it is likely that they operated this way when they initially sent Paul and Barnabas out (per Acts 13). Acts 13:2 says that while they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit then communicated. Therefore, we should at least wonder why, after receiving the communication, verse 3 says, “Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.” This sounds like the pattern we read about in chapter fifteen:  “So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren” (Acts 15:3). The word apostle means “sent one.” It is most logical to conclude that whenever apostles were sent out, the entire church was involved. They were called to fast and pray about such serious matters. This way, the entire church confirms the mission even though the entire church did not hear the Holy Spirit say, “Set apart Paul and Barnabas.” Some have suggested that when the Holy Spirit communicated, prophets in the congregation received special prophetic communication from Him. But the Acts 13 passage does not specifically say this occurred. So, at the very least, we can suggest that this communication in Acts 13:2 was very possibly more subtle. Perhaps those who were praying together just sensed this direction and began talking about it with each other. Perhaps for the months leading up to this, they would discuss Jesus’ last words before His ascension, “You shall be witnesses to me to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Perhaps they talked with each other about how this might occur. Perhaps they even discussed plans to carry out this great mission. Perhaps, because they knew the mission was humanly impossible, they prayed with each other about this often and the Acts 13 passage merely records such praying and fasting. Perhaps while they fasted, the Holy Spirit simply gave them a sense that they should indeed go. It is very possible that the Holy Spirit was simply giving them ideas about spreading the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth long before this time of fasting and that He used their meeting to confirm the guidance He had been shaping in their hearts and minds for several months.

At this point, someone might wonder why I would go on and on about something that we cannot know for certain. I do so just to point out the possibility that the leading of the Holy Spirit is often gradual and not usually given in a prophetic fashion. As I continue, I hope to show that this is indeed how the Holy Spirit communicated most often to the Apostle Paul.

⁷“After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them” (Acts 16:7).

The passage above indicates that, on occasion, Paul and Barnabas did not know the exact direction God wanted them to travel. They wanted to go to Bithynia. They probably discussed the best way to get there and even planned out their journey. Do you think Paul thought that it was perfectly appropriate to operate independent of God? Or, do you think Paul thought it was very important to go exactly where God wanted him to go. If you were him, wouldn’t you want to know exactly what God had in mind? You would probably fear what might happen if you ended up in the wrong place, especially back in those days. It is illogical to think that Paul was content to go wherever he wanted to go without consulting God. Knowing his testimony and the testimony of others about him, Paul certainly prayed and fasted all along the way. Though he did not receive prophetic visions from the Holy Spirit very often, he undoubtedly looked to God for direction continually and with a sober mindedness that we should expect from any Christian whose life was often in danger.

From the Acts 16:7 passage above, we should conclude that Paul and Barnabas believed that the Holy Spirit was leading them to Bithynia. So, they made plans to go there. But this passage says that the “Spirit did not let them.” If they were prevented because of human or earthly obstacles, I doubt that Luke would use this wording. The most logical interpretation is that Paul and Barnabas were uneasy in their spirit. Or, at the risk of using an often misused phrase, they just “did not feel a peace about it.” Perhaps circumstances seemed to conflict with their plans and caused them to wonder if God opposed their plans to go to Bithynia. Luke specifically said, “The Spirit did not let them.” This suggests that whatever the circumstances, Paul and Barnabas were suddenly not fully convinced that God wanted them to go. Since it says that they tried to go, we know that it was not a matter of them hearing a prophetic message from God. Otherwise, they would not have tried to go. While still wondering about it, Paul subsequently did have a vision:

 ⁹“A vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’¹⁰Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them” (Acts 16:10).

Even in the vision, the Holy Spirit did not come right out and say, “Go to Macedonia.” Paul and Barnabas later deduced they were supposed to go to Macedonia and their prior “lack of peace” about going to Bythynia factored into their deduction. First, they suddenly were not fully convinced that the Spirit was leading them to Bythynia. Then Paul has the vision. Those two circumstances combined led them to conclude that the Spirit was leading them to Macedonia.

From this passage, it seems that Paul, like most Christians I have talked to about this, was not always fully certain about how the Spirit was leading him. It also shows that Paul seriously desired to go only where God wanted him to go. It also shows that Paul kept thinking that God would eventually show him where he should go. So, he stayed put until he was fully convinced that the Holy Spirit had indeed provided specific direction. Perhaps Paul had many such situations in which he was not fully sure where God wanted him to go. Luke does not tell us about every circumstance Paul faced during his trials. But I find it comforting to see that Paul, was not always sure just like I have often been unsure. But Paul also believed that God did have specific places in mind and no matter how conscious he was of the Spirit’s leading from moment to moment, he kept looking for guidance from the Spirit. His reverence for God kept him from operating independent of Him when making decisions.

“²²And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, ²³except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me” (Acts 20:22-23).

Again, this passage does not say exactly how the Holy Spirit “testified” to Paul, but since Luke does record those few specific, prophetic communications and does not speak of them here, it is most logical to conclude that Paul just seemed to have an ever-growing conviction that he would some day be in prison and undergo many tribulations at that time. So, at least to Paul, the Holy Spirit did communicate but in a more subtle, less direct fashion about things that would happen to him in the future.

“Paul advised them, ¹⁰saying, “Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives” (Acts 27:9b -10).

It appears from the passage above that Paul perceived future events without receiving a prophetic communication from the Holy Spirit. The reason I suggest this is because later on this voyage, an angel appeared to him and assured him that he, and all those aboard, would survive and be in Rome one day. (See Acts 27:23-24.)  In the passage above, it was more of a perception that came over him but he concluded with conviction that the Spirit had given him this perception, no matter how subtle it might have seemed to him.

Since Paul told Christians to imitate him (I Corinthians 4:16), I believe we should live our lives as Paul lived his life, looking for guidance in making decisions. The Spirit is personal and our relationship with Him is personal. This implies two way communication no matter how you cut it.

Paul sometimes made decisions without any “special communication” from the Spirit.

The book of Acts does not record every thought and action of Paul. Therefore, we only have a limited testimony of how the Spirit guided. But a closer consideration of the narrative will show that Paul sometimes seemed to make decisions independent of the Spirit’s direct leading. Before proceeding, I think it prudent to remember that Paul lived his life with great reverence for Jesus his Lord. So, when it seems as if Paul made some decisions on his own, it is safe to assume that as he made them, he believed he was making them in total harmony with God’s will and that he remained ready and willing at every moment to change course if God showed him to do so.

“But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. ⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:45-46).

As Paul proclaimed the gospel in Antioch in Pisidia, the Jews eventually began to mock his message.  Suddenly, Paul stopped and said that since they reject it, he plans to take his message to the Gentiles. Unlike the passages we considered in the prior section, it does not appear that the Holy Spirit suddenly gave Paul a vision or even that He gave Paul a perception about it. It seems as if Paul made the decision all on his own to stop preaching to the Jews and turn to the Gentiles. Therefore, either Paul suddenly stopped taking his lead from the Spirit, or the Spirit was still guiding but in a way that was less perceivable than in those more prophetic occasions. I suggest that Paul made his decision on the basis of Jesus’ teaching to leave those who refuse to believe. It was therefore a “no brainer.” Paul already knew God’s will in the matter so when faced with the situation, he immediately acted in accordance with it.

Let us consider more of the narrative to see if we can glean more understanding.

⁸“And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked” (Acts 14:8-10).

Since a crippled man was healed, we logically should believe that the Holy Spirit was definitely working through Paul. How did Paul make this decision to say, “Stand up straight on your feet.”?  Did the Holy Spirit first suddenly speak clearly to Paul, “Heal this man Paul.”? Did Paul perceive that the Holy Spirit wanted him to take action even though he was not hearing from the Holy Spirit in that more prophetic way?  If Barnabas asked Paul about it later, do you think Paul might have said, “I sensed God telling me to do it.”? The text does not tell us everything. But it does say that Paul looked intently at the man and “saw that he (the man) had faith to be healed.” On the basis of the text alone, it seems as if Paul simply made his decision on the basis of what he observed. And since a man was healed, we can also conclude that Paul made his decision with full confidence (faith) that the man would be healed.

¹⁹“Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city” (Acts 14:19-20).

Paul had been preaching the gospel in a town. Then, Jews from two other towns came there and stirred up the crowds to stone Paul. Then they dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead. Suddenly, while the disciples were gathered around him, Paul stood back up and headed right back into the town in which he was stoned. What moved Paul to make that decision? Some people would say that such a decision could not have been inspired by the Spirit of God because it was foolish for Paul to knowingly put himself right back in danger like that. I think that the disciples that were with him likely may have questioned the wisdom of going back into that town. I wonder if afterwards, they asked him why he did it. Do you think Paul would have said, “I sensed God telling me to go back into the town.”?  Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. But just maybe, the Holy Spirit was stirring Paul. Whether he was conscious of it or not, it appears that he was led back into that town by the Holy Spirit. If we take into account Paul’s instruction to walk by faith, I think it safest to believe that Paul walked back into that town by faith. By faith, Christians are able to face death and all sorts of danger. Without faith, we shrink back at any danger or discomfort.

¹“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, (Acts 17:1-2a).

The passage above says that Paul had a custom or habit of going to synagogues to preach to Jews. This suggests that Paul did not constantly receive special guidance for every moment from the Holy Spirit. While we know that Paul spent much time in prayer each day, he obviously was not given an agenda of new things to do each day by the Spirit. It seems that he was used to doing certain things that he thought God wanted him to do. He was not receiving a “things to do” list on a moment-to-moment basis

 ¹⁶“Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols” (Acts 17:16).

The passage above says that Paul’s spirit was provoked within him as he beheld the many idols in Athens. Was this provoking of Paul’s spirit merely Paul being grieved? Or, did the Spirit also play a role in this provoking? I suggest that if it were not for the work of the Holy Spirit in Paul, he would not have been provoked at all. I suggest that if the Holy Spirit does not work in us, we would never have any inclination to think about God or be concerned with what He wants us to do or think. So, I firmly believe that this passage also sheds light on the leading ministry of the Holy Spirit.

²¹“When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome” (Acts 19:21).

¹“After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. ²Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece ³and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia” (Acts 20:1-3).

Based on the passages above, it appears that Paul reasoned within himself when making plans for future ministry and travel plans. He did not wait around until a prophetic communication came to him. Yet, knowing that Paul was a man of prayer, we should also believe that Paul continuously prayed about everything, including his travel plans and ministry. He was a man who lived a life of dependence on God. Perhaps this is why the author notes in Acts 19:21 that Paul “purposed in the Spirit” to go to Jerusalem. He was not just making up things in his own mind without a care about God’s wishes.

Sometimes, the Spirit purposely seemed to withhold guidance.

In a different book, Paul testified about trials he and his friends went through on a different occasion:

⁸“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. ⁹Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead” (II Corinthians 1:8-9).

Obviously on this occasion, Paul did not know what was going to happen to him for sure. They were at the point of assuming they were about to die. So, we know from this that the Spirit purposely withholds communication from us on some occasions for our own eternal good.  Without this experience, Paul subsequently would not have been as convinced about his future resurrection and God’s promises concerning it. But the trial of his faith (during which God “kept silent”) ended up being exactly what Paul needed for his faith/convictions to be strengthened.

A summary of insights into how the Spirit guides based upon the experience of Paul:

Though we cannot come to a complete understanding of how the Spirit guides His people from our limited examination of Paul’s life within the chapters of Acts, we at least get a sense of how Paul lived and made decisions. I think we can make the following statements based upon our study about Paul:

-On occasion, Paul received communication of a prophetic nature from the Spirit.

-As a lifestyle, Paul sought always to understand the leading of the Spirit in every aspect of his life.

-It appears that Paul believed that he was making his decisions in accordance with God’s will, even when he had not received solid, direct communication of a prophetic nature by the Spirit. He believed his life was owned and directed by God.

-On occasion, Paul seemed to not know what the Spirit wanted him to do next.

On the basis of Scripture’s teaching, how should the Christian live and make decisions?

Many of us have memorized the following passage:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

If we are honest, we must admit that we have been clueless about the Spirit’s leading at times. It is not as if the Spirit is holding up signs from moment to moment with arrows pointing the way He wants us to take. Could it be that He is always giving specific, knowable direction but we cannot discern it because we are simply not acknowledging Him in all our ways. Is it that we are just out of touch spiritually because we are too earthly minded? While I believe that there may be some truth to this, we should remember that Paul also experienced being unsure at times. If it happened to Paul, then certainly it will happen to us. I conclude therefore that the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6 is a general promise that can be trusted but that the nature of this directing is not a continuous neon arrow being held up in front of us by the Holy Spirit. Built into it is a test of faith. To receive its promise, we must wait upon the Lord and learn that essentially, we are like dumb sheep that tend to go astray. But because His Spirit resides within us, we have an inward longing to be in the safe shelter of our Shepherd. So, we cry out to Him and tune our ears to hear His voice calling us. And because of His promises and our experience that proves them, we keep expecting that He will indeed show us the way.

We should bathe each major decision in prayer and wait upon the Lord for guidance. But assuming we have surrendered all to Jesus, we should also believe as Paul did, that He is guiding our footsteps even if we do not see neon arrows pointing the way at all times. At the beginning of a typical day, we should not fret about if we have the day mapped out perfectly. We should not become paralyzed with fear that we might sin by failing to perfectly discern each and every step of the way. We must remember that we are neither all-wise or omniscient. Then we should move forward as dumb sheep but sheep who are loved and guided by the Chief Shepherd who faithfully watches over us.

Prerequisite for expecting guidance from the Spirit

¹“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

As stated in the Appendix, the main thrust of Scripture in regard to the leading of the Spirit has to do with living a life submitted to the lordship of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit always leads us toward holiness and away from a life subject to the bondage of sin. In addition, we have also learned that the Spirit gives specific guidance to those whose Lord is Jesus. But there is a prerequisite. We should not expect to receive guidance from the Holy Spirit about decisions we need to make unless we are fully surrendered to Jesus as our Lord.  In Romans 12:1&2, we observe that God desires that we prove what is that good and acceptable will of God but that for this to occur, we must first surrender our bodies as a living sacrifice to Jesus our Lord. We must not try to retain ownership of our lives.  James put it this way:

“⁵If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8 KJV).

James says that God is willing to give wisdom if we ask for it. But if there is anything in our lives that we know has not been submitted to the lordship of Jesus, faith cannot function. In that condition, we are double-minded. Jesus may be Lord over some things, but if I am holding back ownership over something, then I am acting as if I am God over my life still. No wonder James says that any man in that condition is unstable in all his ways. We should not expect guidance from the Spirit in this condition.

We have confidence He is guiding when we are walking in the Spirit

Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Only if we have surrendered all to Jesus can we “walk in the Spirit.” When we walk in the Spirit, we have confidence that Jesus is walking with us. In this condition, we experience the glory of His presence and intimacy with Him. While we may not see neon arrows pointing the way, we are confident that the Chief Shepherd is protecting us and right there with us. We really don’t need neon arrows when we are walking in the Spirit.

When we are walking in the Spirit we will be on the lookout for opportunities to serve Jesus. We will be asking Him to show us those opportunities. For example, we will be looking for opportunities to give a gospel tract or explain the gospel to someone or to help someone who needs help. We will have Jesus’ interests at the forefront of our minds.

The leading of the Holy Spirit is always consistent with His character and revealed desires.

The Holy Spirit’s leading is always in harmony with holiness. His leading can never contradict the desires and purposes of God as revealed in His Word. God is not the author of confusion and therefore, we know that the Holy Spirit never intends to confuse those He leads.

From these basic principles, we know that the Holy Spirit would never lead a person to commit a sin. He would never therefore lead a husband and father to abandon his family and become a missionary far away. He has a responsibility to provide for his family. To neglect that responsibility would be sinful. Thus, we know the Spirit would not lead him to abandon his family.

What should we do when we need to make an important decision and we lack the Spirit’s guidance?

As we have already noted, we should not expect the Spirit to make His will known to us if there is anything in our lives that we have not surrendered to Him. “Let not that man think that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:7). But if to the best of our knowledge we have surrendered our lives completely unto Jesus, then we should ask God for guidance. Praying is the most obvious first step. Fasting is another measure that we can use as a form of pleading with God. If we are negligent in our responsibility to pray, then we should not expect the Spirit to give the guidance we need. (See James 4:2b.) As we pray, we need to wait for God to make His will known. This is the pattern we saw in the Acts narrative about Paul. We observed how the believers at Antioch fasted and prayed before the Holy Spirit made His will known. We saw that when the Spirit restrained Paul and Silas from going to Bithynia, they did not go. Their journey was slowed and interrupted. They surely prayed since being restricted by the Spirit. They did not pick the pace back up until Paul first had a vision. Then, only after discussing it (and praying over it), did they pick the pace back up but in a different direction. Their plans were submitted to Jesus at all times and they waited until the Spirit made His will clear until they resumed. Likewise, we need to be willing to wait upon the Lord. It shows Him that we are gladly submitted to His leadership instead of our own.

Seek counsel from godly people within the church. Assuming that we are already seeking the Spirit’s direction ourselves in prayer, we should be on the lookout for Him to show us His will. Very often, He makes His will known through other Christians. After Paul had the vision of the man from Macedonia, he immediately began to talk with Silas about it. TOGETHER, they concluded that the Spirit was telling them to go to Macedonia. The narrative in Acts clearly shows a pattern of believers seeking guidance together in prayer and the pattern also shows that the Spirit provided the guidance they sought when they came together in prayer. If we are not willing to tell our brothers and sisters about our need for guidance, it reflects an independent spirit. In the following passage, Jesus indicates that His ear is bent toward the assembly of believers. When two or three of them are gathered together, He is in the midst of them and that their agreement about a matter adds significant weight to the request.

⁸Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. ²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:18-20).

We should not only ask for prayer, but we should also discuss the situation with fellow Christians in hope that God will make His will known through them. But with whom should we discuss the situation? In the Acts narrative, the disciples don’t hesitate discussing these matters with any and all who co-labor with them. For example, Paul discussed the Macedonian vision with his partner Silas. I doubt that Peter would have sought out counsel from people that were worldly minded such as Simon the former sorcerer.   (See Acts 8:9-23.) If we are seeking wisdom from God, it follows that we should seek out people who are Spirit-filled rather than worldly. Many Christians assume that a pastor is the best candidate for obtaining wise counsel. This may be true if that pastor is a man who is Spirit-filled. Unfortunately, some pastors are assumed to be Spirit-filled just because they possess above average knowledge of the Bible ot hold the office of pastor. Just remember that Bible knowledge itself does not mean a man is Spirit-filled. Seek out someone who is humble and is a real doer of Jesus’ words. These are the most prominent characteristics of someone who is Spirit-filled. Steer clear of anyone who insists you do what they say simply because they hold a position of authority. The tendency to “lord it over” people suggests that they are not humble and not Spirit-filled.

How should we interpret a prompting to do something good?

 If you ever receive a nudging to do something good, I suggest that you be very careful to consider the likelihood that it is indeed the Spirit speaking. For example, if you sense He might be telling you to give somebody a monetary gift, be careful not to merely shrug it off. Just remember that the flesh tends to nudge in the opposite direction. On the other hand, if giving a monetary gift will result in some type of fleshly gratification such as accolades from others, then maybe the flesh is leading instead of the Spirit. But if there is no chance for the flesh to be gratified, then quite likely, the Spirit is the One doing the nudging. You need to search your own heart. If it is a nudging that could lead to a major change in your circumstances, it might be good to discuss it with other Christians. Husbands should discuss such things with their wives and visa versa.

When we don’t follow His lead, we miss out on seeing the glory of God.

In the beginning of this article, I told about a situation in which I sensed a nudging to give one hundred dollars to a total stranger. I chose to ignore this nudging and held on to the money. Now imagine if that person in front of me had been contemplating suicide or despairing due to his circumstances and I had followed through on the nudging. Suddenly, a complete stranger (me), hands him one hundred dollars and says, “I don’t know why, but I believe God told me to give you this money.” Such an event could have been a life-altering moment and given the man a peek into God’s loving heart. I can imagine God using such an event in the process of saving a soul. It could possibly have been the start of a long friendship for me with someone who would later follow Jesus with great zeal. No matter what the actual outcome would have been if I had done it, I suspect that because of the choice I made that night, I missed out on a blessing from God.

One time while at a garage sale, my wife experienced a nudging to give a man a gospel tract. In the garage, she explained to the owner about our ministry to Muslims. There were two other men in the garage who seemed lost and miserable. One of them said to the other, “We have no clue about anything that they (my wife and the owner) are talking about.” They seemed to be admitting to each other that they were completely lost. It was at this moment that my wife experienced the nudging to give the gospel tract to one of the men. But she was suddenly paralyzed by fear because these men seemed like they could be dangerous. She left without giving them the tract and has regretted it ever since. She has prayed often that God will cause her to meet that down trodden man again and she tries to always have a tract with her with a little note on it just for him. She is confident that the Spirit was nudging her and that she failed to follow through. She does not look at the experience as something to wallow in guilt about. She sees it more as a blessing lost. But she continues to pray for this man and ask God to bring him across her path again.

When we do follow His lead, we experience the glory of God.

Several years ago while we were experiencing significant financial difficulties, my wife Linda had accidentally stepped on her glasses. I tried to fix them but they were just not the same after that. So, as a family, we asked God to supply $ 400 so she could purchase a new pair. (They were special glasses.) After a few weeks of praying, Linda became weary of looking through the broken glasses. One morning while she was praying, she began crying because it was difficult to see with her glasses. She asked God why He had not provided funds so they could be replaced. Shortly after, she came downstairs and got the mail out of the mail box. In it was a letter from a man who had recently lost his job. In that letter he said, “God told me to give this to you.” Also enclosed was a check for $ 400 the exact amount needed for those glasses. It was absolutely clear to us that God arranged the entire event. As the recipients of the $ 400, we sensed God’s love and faithfulness with tears of joy. When we explained the sequence of events to the giver, he too experienced the glory of God. He was made rich in knowing God was working through Him mightily.

I recall one time that my wife visited the grocery store. She noticed she had a tract in her purse. Then she sensed that God wanted her to give it to someone at the store but she did not know who.  She saw a teenage “bagger” and thought this was the one. She had seen him there before and felt compassion for him because he was mentally challenged.  But the boy disappeared from her sight so she looked to see who else God might have intended for the tract. Then her eyes caught another person. She really did not want to give the tract to because of a past experience.  She wrestled in her soul, “O Lord, please…not her.”  But it turned out as she got closer that she sensed it was not this woman.  So, she started to think that maybe God really did not have anyone intended for the tract.  She was on her way out the door when suddenly, the teenaged bagger appeared directly in front of her.  She was confident that God wanted her to give the tract to him. She went up to him, handed him the tract and said, “Hello Brian, would you like a booklet that tells you how you can get to know Jesus Christ?”  The boy took the tract, ran up to his nearby friend and said with enthusiasm and sincerity, “Look what this lady gave to me!!   I am going to have my mama read it to me tonight!!

Like so many other Christians, I can look back in awe on many blessings that resulted from simple obedience to the Spirit’s promptings. For example, many times, I came away from evangelism encounters knowing that the Spirit prepared hearts and then spoke the gospel to them using me. Whether it be giving this way or helping someone with a physical need, we come away basking on the glory of God as if we have been feasting at Jesus’ table.

Summary

Like Paul, we should live obedient lives joyously surrendered to Jesus. As we do, we should continually seek to know God’s will about the events that confront us and the decisions we make. Even if we are unsure of God’s direction at any given moment, we should keep asking Him for direction and when we are uneasy, we should patiently wait for God to show us His will. We should make plans for our lives that are driven to address Jesus’ interests and take steps toward the fulfillment of those plans. As long as we are totally submitted to Jesus, we can be confident that our plans are in God’s will knowing that if He desires to alter them, we stand ready and willing at all times to follow His lead. As we live surrendered lives to Him and continually pray for His will to be done in our lives, we step out and follow His nudging to give of ourselves. As we do, we experience blessings that would not have been experienced had we just lived our lives according to our own understanding and desires.

 

	A most urgent warning   If you live your life independent from God, making decisions solely on the basis of your own desires, you are not one of those who are being led by the Spirit. You are not a son of God. If this is your experience, Jesus is not your Lord. You are acting as if you are God and God commands you to repent of this self-driven life and lose your life to Jesus.

 

Appendix A: The phrase “led by the Spirit” mainly relates to living under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Let us consider the passages of the Bible that record Paul’s usage of the phrase, “led by the Spirit.”

¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. ¹³For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father”  (Romans 8:12-15)

 ¹⁶I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law (Galatians 5:16-18).

In the two passages above, Paul uses the phrase “led by the Spirit.” As we examine the immediate and prior context (including Romans chapter 6 & 7), we should note that Paul is teaching how the Christian has been saved by Jesus to live holy lives no longer as slaves to sinful, fleshly desires. So, when Paul says, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God,” he is not really talking about the idea of receiving direct communication from the Spirit about decisions that relate to planning our agenda. Rather, he is addressing one of the core elements of the gospel that relates to the topic of repentance.

The Apostles, John the Baptist and Jesus all preached a message of repentance. This message was not conveyed by them yelling out at people, “Repent!” Rather, they taught things that communicated what the term “repent” implies. For example, Jesus said, “He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39).

Paul said, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Corinthians 6:19-20). Before Jesus saved us, we lived lives for ourselves as we saw fit. We lived as if we were God. When true repentance takes place, ownership of our lives is surrendered to Jesus and we begin living our lives for Him as Lord. Instead of making our own decisions based upon what seems to be most logical and best to us, we begin looking to Jesus for guidance as the One who has the right to call the shots, even if it means that we will end up suffering or dying as a result. This is what it means to repent. It comes down to, “Who is Lord?”

In the immediate context of where he uses the phrase “led by the Spirit,” Paul discusses the most intense aspect of the battle over who is Lord. When faced with temptation, will I obey Jesus or give into the lust of my flesh. The Holy Spirit NEVER leads us to sin. He is the Holy Spirit and He always leads us toward holy living. The most vivid evidence that a man is a son of God is observed when he rejects the impulse of the flesh and chooses to obey Jesus, his loving Lord. All true Christians do not want to live under the bondage of sin. We desire to live under the safe shelter and protection of Jesus which is experienced when we are submitted to His will instead of our own.

 

 

 

The Bible teaches that Christians are under the authority of Jesus Christ. He is Lord. Anyone who is not under the authority of Jesus Christ is not a Christian. During this age, Jesus has relegated authority to His Church. Most Christians agree on this but how that authority plays out can vary from church to church. Many believe that pastors, who definitely hold a position of authority in the church, are like judges who wield all authority. Often, pastors act as if they are the final authority. However, according to the Bible, the church is the final authority. Pastors are supposed to be overseers that should be regarded by the flock as important authorities who carry out the wishes of the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ. But when it comes to matters of judgment, it is the entire church that is in authority. We can see how this should look when we consider Jesus’ teaching about restoring brothers who are caught in sin. He said that if a brother sins, one of the members who is aware of it should go to him to tell him his sin (assuming he actually sinned). If he does not listen, it does not say to go to the pastor as if he is the police and judge. Rather, it merely says to take another brother or two. If he still refuses to listen, it does not say to go to the pastor and report it so that pastor can levy judgment. It says to tell it to the church. The pastor(s) are a part of the church that hears the testimony of the two or three witness. If the church agrees, then the church (not merely a pastor or board of rulers) is supposed to speak as one voice. If the man does not hear the church, then he is to be regarded as an unbeliever (even if he turns out later to be a believer). It is the church that is in final authority, not a pastor or group of pastors.

For all of this to bring about restoration, a church must first itself be under the authority of Jesus Christ. If it is merely acting like a club of people who happen to hold to the same creed but live as if Jesus is not Lord, then that church is really not well prepared to exercise its authority. The crucial element is submission to Jesus Christ.

So, any person (whether “laymen” or pastor) that lives as if he rules over his own life is NOT in a position to hold people accountable. (See Matthew 7:1-3.) Those who are submitted to Jesus as their Lord are humble people. A proud person is not submitted to Jesus as his Lord. What is a good way to tell if a person is proud or not? Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell merely by observing outward appearances. Jesus noted that the Pharisees looked very spiritual, as if they were true servants of God. Yet, inwardly they were wolves. But by mere casual reading of the gospels, we easily see that the Pharisees lacked humility. Those who lack humility do not receive instruction. They might be ordained and even hold doctorates in theology, but if they are not teachable, they are not humble. So, if a church is “RULED” by a pastor or pastors who typically have difficulty receiving instruction or rebuke, they are not qualified to hold people accountable. All they have is the unbiblical fall back of “lording it over” those under them. They use their positions of authority to control the flock and this only stifles the authority that Christ invests in His Church. It is not at all how He wants accountability to look. It is the opposite.

So, if you are looking for a church that exercises biblical authority (accountability), look for one that is led by men who serve rather than exercise their authority. Look for one whose leaders are humble, like Jesus.

Characteristics of a teachable man:

– Gratefulness to the one who confronts him about his sin

When initially confronted with his sin, a man may resent the reprover. But once genuine repentance has taken place, he sees everything differently. He realizes that the one who confronted him is his true friend and is thankful. If you notice that people seem to be afraid to approach a man about his sin or some issue,  that might be a sign that previous attempts to approach him went bad. Perhaps he became angry or used words to demean the one who approached him. Perhaps he uses his credentials as pastor or degrees in learning to silence any who might try to rebuke him.

“Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you. Reprove a wise man and he will love you” (Proverbs 9:8).

If a man remains bitter over the efforts others take to show him his sin, he exhibits characteristics of an unbeliever or scoffer (not teachable/humble). But after a man truly repents, he values the efforts that others took to restore him. It was Nathan who rebuked David over his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. After that, David valued Nathan’s friendship all the more. He remained David’s close adviser until his death. Listen to David’s valuation of the ministry of reproof:

“Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; It is oil upon the head; Do not let my head refuse it” (Psalm 141:5).

If, after a man is confronted about his sin, he seems resentful and ungrateful, he has not seen his sin. He exhibits the characteristics of a scoffer. In some way, he does not agree with the charge against him. Perhaps he feels unjustly treated and singled out. If he was truly caught in bondage to some sin and refuses to hear rebuke, he not only disagrees with the one trying to help, but he is in disagreement with God.

Other related verses about teachability:

             “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself,

     And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself.

Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;

            Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.  (Proverbs 9:7-8)

 

            A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,

            But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.  (Proverbs 13:1)

Slander: the utterance of false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another person’s reputation.

Unfortunately, slander of one Christian by another occurs often these days. It is a sin that can happen to any of us. We must always be on the alert so that we don’t slander others.

Perhaps the reason this sin occurs so frequently is that some Christians might not even be aware that they are slandering other Christians. Many Christians seem ignorant of the Bible’s warnings and teaching on this subject.

Perhaps the worst form of slander though, at least in my opinion, is what I call “sanctified slander.” This occurs when pastors or other Christian leaders slander other Christians but do so in a way that appears justified. After all, if the pastor is the one slandering then it must not really be slander. Those under the authority of certain pastors would never dream of holding them accountable for their slanderous remarks. It probably does not even occur to them that the pastor just slandered because after all, he is the pastor and everything pastors do is sanctified. It must be alright.

 

 

 

 

The Bible can be used to establish whether a behavior or attitude is sinful or not. For example, if a brother owes another brother for a service rendered, we can point to Leviticus 9:13 which states, “Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.” From this, we conclude it is wrong to withhold wages from someone who earned them by working for us. Before considering a few specific laws, it may be profitable to consider a very broad summary statement made by Jesus, “Do unto others what you would have them do to you.” According to Jesus, this statement sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12).

Perhaps because this statement has been quoted so often, it has become merely a platitude rather than something we meditate about each time our love for others is being tested. We do well to pay more attention to this statement and attempt to use it whenever we hear an accusation about another brother. When we hear an accusation against another brother who is not present, we should ask ourselves, “Would I like it if someone was accusing me to others while I am not present? Would I like it if those who hear the accusation simply accepted it as true without checking out the situation or at least coming to speak with me?” Wouldn’t you rather that a person finds out what you have to say and withhold judgment until he hears all the facts? Since this is how you would like to be treated, then according to Jesus, you should never accept an accusation about another person without convincing evidence and without giving him an opportunity to defend himself.

In the first epistle to the Corinthian church, Paul describes how Christian love behaves towards others. “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (I Corinthians 13:7). Other translations use the phrase “Love believes all things.” Here Paul indicates that Christian love produces a favorable disposition towards others. This disposition is not cynical; it never assumes another person is guilty of sin without guilt being firmly established. Interestingly, the judicial system of the United States was originally based upon this teaching of the Bible. If charged with a crime, a person is assumed to be innocent until proven guilty. This concept did not originate with the writings of Paul or the United States judicial system. It is clearly taught in the law recorded by Moses.

 

“If a man happens to meet in a town a virgin pledged to be married and he sleeps with her, you shall take both of them to the gate of that town and stone them to death–the girl because she was in a town and did not scream for help, and the man because he violated another man’s wife. You must purge the evil from among you. But if out in the country a man happens to meet a girl pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. Do nothing to the girl; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders his neighbor, for the man found the girl out in the country, and though the betrothed girl screamed, there was no one to rescue her” (Deuteronomy 22:23-27).

 

In reality, the girl may have consented to have sexual intercourse with the man but the Bible teaches that we must assume she resisted. We are to believe the best about her and not assume that she sinned. This passage goes on to paint a scenario about the situation that suggests the reader believe that the girl screamed but no one was around to rescue her. In this way, we are to exercise love towards the girl by believing the best about her and pushing any evil thought toward her out of our minds. From other passages in the Bible, we can see how this principle is foundational to how we are to love others. For example, during the process of restoration described in Matthew 18:15-17, the person guilty of sinning is presumed innocent by those outside the conflict until other witnesses establish guilt. Until and unless proven guilty, the matter is to be kept private in order to protect the person’s reputation and all Christians around him are to assume he is completely innocent of any charges. They are prohibited from being suspicious of the brother. Any outsider that presumes guilt is himself guilty of having a hateful, condemning spirit that itself is included in the sins listed in Galatians 5:19-21. No outsider is at liberty to assume a brother is guilty of an accusation unless and until guilt has been clearly established and the accused is allowed to defend himself against the charge. Jonathon Edwards wrote about this:

 

Second, consider whether in your conversation with others, you do not accustom yourselves to evil speaking. How common is it for persons, when they meet together, to sit and spend their time in talking against others, judging this or that of them, spreading ill and uncertain reports which they have heard of them, running down one and another, and ridiculing their infirmities! How much is such sort of talk as this the entertainment of companies when they meet together! And what talk is there which seems to be more entertaining, to which persons will more listen, and in which they will seem to be more engaged, than such talk! You cannot but know how common this is.

Therefore examine whether you be not guilty of this. — And can you justify it? Do you not know it to be a way of sin, a way which is condemned by many rules in the Word of God? Are you not guilty of eagerly taking up any ill report which you hear of your neighbor, seeming to be glad that you have some news to talk of, with which you think others will be entertained? Do you not often spread ill reports which you hear of others, before you know what ground there is for them? Do you not take a pleasure in being the reporter of such news? Are you not wont to pass a judgment concerning others, or their behavior, without talking to them, and hearing what they have to say for themselves? Doth not that folly and shame belong to you which is spoken of in Pro. 18:13, “He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him”

This is utterly an inquiry, a very unchristian practice, which commonly prevails, that men, when they hear or know of any ill of others, will not do a Christian part, in going to talk with them about it, to reprove them for it, but will get behind their backs before they open their mouths, and there are very forward to speak, and to judge, to the hurt of their neighbor’s good name. Consider whether you be not guilty of this. Consider also how apt you are to be displeased when you hear that others have been talking against you! How forward are you to apply the rules, and to think and tell how they ought first to have come and talked with you about it, and not to have gone and spread an ill report of you, before they knew what you had to say in your vindication! How ready are persons to resent it, when others meddle with their private affairs, and busy themselves, and judge, and find fault, and declaim against them! How ready are they to say, it is no business of theirs! Yet are you not guilty of the same? 1

1

Edwards, Jonathon, The Works of Jonathon Edwards Vol. II, The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA 1986, p.181 & 182

In Acts 20, 17- 35[i], we read that, as his life was nearing an end, Paul warned the elders from Ephesus that “grievous wolves” would find there way into churches causing destruction to God’s sheep. “I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). Then he went on to say that even from among the elders, wolves would arise and draw disciples away from the Lord to follow them. ^“Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30).

If elders (pastors) can be deceived and needed to be warned, then all of God’s people should take heed to this warning. Every Christian must realize that it is possible that a favorite preacher or pastor might actually be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. To think that your favorite preacher could never turn out to be a dangerous wolf is naïve. If you think this way, you need to examine your Bible and take heed to its many warnings. You need to learn how to recognize the indicators that it provides that suggest a man might indeed be a wolf and not the good preacher you esteem him to be.

Now I admit that this same Paul, in other passages, instructs us to presume the best about all people and keep away from assuming a person is guilty. He went further to say that we are to be extra careful about accepting an accusation against an elder (pastor). (See I Timothy 5:19.)  These are very important principles that Paul teaches. But while we should always be in the habit of presuming the best about all people, we must not ignore the many warnings and exhortations from the Bible to be wise and discerning so that we and others are not led astray.

Jesus is The Great Shepherd and He cares for His sheep. He gave us His Spirit and His Word so that we might remain safe under the protection of His wings. Since He cares, He will guide each individual believer and keep them safe as long as we remain diligent to watch over our souls. He has given us plenty of instruction in His Word to make us wise and discerning rather than simple and naïve. But we must be diligent to learn about the warning signs taught in Scripture. We must not stick our head in the sand like an ostrich and ignore the warning signs that Jesus instructs us about in the Bible.

There is no excuse for turning a blind eye to God’s clear warning flags. If you wake up one day realizing you have been deceived, you have nobody to blame but yourself. So, if you desire to be wise and discerning, please consider some of the warning signs taught in the Bible concerning preachers who may actually be dangerous wolves.

 

RED FLAG # 1:  Is the preacher living very comfortably with more material wealth than the typical church member in his congregation?

It is interesting to note in the passage from Acts (provided above), that Paul concludes by instructing the elders of Ephesus to get jobs (work with their own hands) so they would be in a position to use that money to help the weak. This instruction is consistent with the way Paul himself lived and the way Jesus lived. They did not seek the comfort of worldly riches. On the contrary, both Jesus and Paul were often homeless. How does your favorite preacher handle money? Is he like Jesus and Paul or does he live very comfortably? A man’s relationship to money is often an indicator of whether he knows Jesus personally or just a wolf who pretends to be a good shepherd. Jesus and Paul are not the only positive examples preachers should follow. The Bible is filled with people like them. They all had one thing in common. They all considered themselves strangers and pilgrims on earth just passing through. They considered themselves citizens of a heavenly country and not of earth. They did not seek to be comfortable with the comfort this world offers.

The Bible also mentions many negative examples of men who were not like Jesus and Paul. They were men who loved money and proved to be ravenous wolves, not citizens of God’s Kingdom. The Bible mentions them as warnings to us so that we might be wise and discerning.[ii] One of the most oft mentioned is a man named Balaam.

 

Is your favorite preacher like Balaam who loved riches?

The story of Balaam is found in Numbers chapter 22 – 24. It should be a very sobering story to any Christian. When you first start reading the story, Balaam seems like a godly man who fears the Lord.

Like Balaam, some preachers maintain an appearance of godliness but inwardly are wolves.

The nation of Israel, after leaving Egypt, was nearing the nation of Moab as they traveled. Balak, its leader, sent for Balaam, who had a reputation of being able to successfully curse nations and cause destruction to come to them. The messengers came to him with riches to entice him to return with them. Based upon Balaam’s response to them, he appears to be less concerned about the riches and more concerned about what God has to say. He said, “Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the LORD shall speak unto me” (Numbers 22:8). He appears to value what God says more than money. Later that night, God appeared to Balaam and told him that He did not want him to return with them. Balaam, appearing to respect God, did not go and told them to leave. So far in the story, Balaam appears to be someone who fears God and values what God wants more than riches.

Balak again sent messengers to Balaam with a promise of even greater riches if he would come and curse Israel. And again, Balaam responded with an appearance of someone who feared God. He told them, “I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.” So far, we might conclude that this was a special prophet of God worthy of our respect. Surely this is a man that we should admire and someone from whom we should learn with open hearts. If he had a church, we might assume that those who attend are surely blessed to have such a godly pastor. But notice what Balaam says immediately after. “Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the LORD will say unto me more.”  The naïve soul might still be under the impression that Balaam was a God-fearing man. But to the discerning heart, this response should raise some concern. God already had told him that He did not want him to go and curse Israel. If Balaam truly respected God, he would have merely told these men to leave. But as we find out later in the Bible, Balaam hated the idea of losing out on the riches being offered to him.

As the story continues, Balaam continues to maintain an appearance of godliness. God tells Balaam he can go with the men but on the way, God shows Balaam that He is angry about it. Balaam tells God he will return home suggesting that he respects God. But God again tells him he can go with the men. When Balak takes Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam refuses to curse Israel because God gave him only words of blessing to speak. To the naïve, Balaam continues to appear a God-fearing man. He seems to obey God and actually speak in behalf of God as one of His prophets. In fact, one of Balaam’s prophecies is a prophecy about the Messiah who would come, namely Jesus. Surely, Balaam must be a man of God. If he was a pastor, we should not ever question his message or his motives. Right?

Wrong! Though it might appear that Balaam was a God-fearing man and a prophet who deserves our greatest respect, we learn from the rest of the Bible that Balaam was actually an enemy of God and the Bible identifies greed as the indicator that he was a wolf.  Though he refused to curse Israel with his mouth, later, he taught God’s enemies how they could cause destruction to Israel by luring the men of Israel to commit acts of sexual immorality. And Moses said unto them, Have ye saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD” (Numbers 31:15-16). If Balaam was the God-fearing man he appeared to be, he would not have even gone to curse Israel in the first place. And he would not have given God’s enemies the strategy to lure the men of Israel into immorality. Why didn’t Balaam just go home? It was because he wanted the money. He just couldn’t let it go. How do I know this? Because the Bible says so later:

Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;  (II Peter 2:14-15)

The Bible points to Balaam as an example of immorality. He loved the wages of unrighteousness. This is greed and idolatry. When any man is inwardly greedy and seeks after riches, sexual immorality is often living within him as it was in Balaam.

The book of Revelation also mentions Balaam as a man of gross immorality. “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality” (Revelation 2:14). Balaam’s true colors showed up. He wanted the money offered to curse Israel but God restrained him. So,  Balaam saw no problem telling the enemies of God how they could damage Israel by getting them to commit fornication. When a man wants money bad enough, he will rationalize anything. If your favorite preacher loves money as Balaam loved money, he too will likely rationalize all sorts of decisions and behavior, including immorality. It is not a coincidence that many wealthy preachers have been caught living lives of gross immorality.

If a preacher lives a more luxurious life than the typical church member in his church, it should be a red flag that indicates a possibility that the man is a dangerous wolf and not a God-fearing man. While we must be careful not to presume guilt, we should at least wonder why the man appears to love riches. Shouldn’t he strive to live as Jesus and Paul lived? The positive examples like Jesus and Paul taught that it is better to give than to receive. They used their resources to help others rather than carve out a comfortable existence for themselves.

Lastly, it is not a man’s riches that prove a man is a wolf. It is his attitude toward them that matters. It is the love of money that is at the root of all sorts of evil. This is why a man’s relationship with money is very important. Even a poor man can have a love for money that indicates he is a ravenous wolf. But when preachers and pastors possess more wealth than the typical church member in their congregation, it raises questions about their relationship to money.

Paul instructed Timothy, ^“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (I Timothy 6:17-19). If your favorite preacher is has more wealth than the typical church member in his congregation, hopefully he lives according to Paul’s instructions and generously uses his wealth to help the weak and spends very little of it on himself. If not, a red flag is being waved and we should take notice rather than turn a blind eye.

RED FLAG # 2:  Does the world hold your favorite preacher in high esteem?

Often, preachers that are wealthy are also people that the world does not impugn. There are some very successful preachers who have very large followings. Many of these hold a certain degree of respect from the world, provided they have not been caught living immoral lives. They might be interviewed on television shows. They might be considered as religious authorities since so many people attend their churches.

The naïve will assume that if a preacher has twenty thousand people following him, then he must be a godly man.  But the discerning Christian will have some concern about any preacher who is not despised by the world. Why do I say this? Because Jesus taught us this. He taught His disciples as follows:

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:18-19)

Jesus said to His father:

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14).

According to Jesus, if a man is part of THIS world (as opposed to the Kingdom of God), the world will not hate him because he is part of them. But those who are sheep and not wolves will be hated by the world because the world perceives they are not part of them. The true citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom say and teach things that the world hates and does not want to hear. The world responds by calling them haters and judgers. It has always been this way. Any preacher that loves the approval of men more than the approval of God will purposely teach things that do not cause people of the world to be offended. They will steer clear of telling people that they are headed for hell and that they need to repent of their wicked ways.

Paul instructed Timothy to remain faithful in preaching the truth regardless of how it might offend.

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (II Timothy 4:2-4).

Paul warned that there would be a time when people will flock to preachers and teachers whose message does not offend. These days, there are many such preachers and teachers.

If you have been blindly following men who love riches, preach watered down messages or command some respect from the world, please take heed to God’s warnings and use the discernment God desires to give to you. Examine your favorite preacher under the magnifying glass of God’s Word and if the warning flags are present, I suggest you begin asking God whether He wants you to stop listening to him.

Great are the works of the LORD; They are studied by all who delight in them.  (Psalm 111:2)

 This report is directed to all those who in some way support Stones Cry Out Ministries and is provided to honor and glorify the Lord in keeping with Psalm 111:2. Following the report, there are several supporting notes.

We thank all of you who pray because apart from Him, we can do nothing. All who are invested in this work know well that the amount of eternal fruit that comes from it is directly proportional to the intensity of prayer that is offered up by God’s people.

Stones Cry Out Ministries’ Mission:

About nine years ago, at the direction of the church we attended at that time, we began to proclaim the gospel to the Muslims of East Dearborn. As time passed, that mission was further shaped to include the goal of establishing a church comprised of those we met going door to door. Often, Christians have indicated to us that such a ministry must be difficult because Muslims are known for resisting the gospel of Jesus. While Muslims tend to resist the gospel, we believe all men are born with that same inclination. Recently, someone asked me, “What is your success rate?” I replied, “One hundred percent.” Of course, I knew what the man was asking but I replied this way to show that in reality, our mission is to proclaim the gospel and establish a church that includes all those that God gives to us. It is God alone who gives the increase. So, it really does not matter how many Muslims are turning to Christ at this present time, we are trying to be faithful in fulfilling the mission that we believe He gave to us through the church. This report proves that God is using this ministry to redeem and sanctify a people who are identified as followers of Jesus. While we try to be “faithful in the little things,” God is accomplishing mighty things.

 1. The people involved in this ministry

Those who pray

The gospel has been proclaimed to thousands of people. Those of you who pray for us play a role in this because without God’s protection and enabling, our hearts would grow cold and our mouths would cease to proclaim the gospel. With so much gospel seed planted, we are reminded that unless God makes it come to life, those who have heard it will remain blind and perishing.  “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1).

Those who engage in evangelism

I praise God that He has blessed me with the privilege of ministering with many other people who evangelize on a regular basis. Usually, there are about 4 of us who go door to door regularly but sometimes, many others join us for the work. Christians from all over the world have gone door to door with us. I wish you all could experience this great blessing!

Those who serve in other ways

Linda (my wife) and Marilyn (our friend) are constantly serving those who attend the meetings and those who come from far away to evangelize with us. Without their help, this work would suffer greatly.

Those who financially support this ministry:

Most of the financial support we receive for the ministry comes in the form of spontaneous gifts as God moves people. But there are a few people who faithfully give each month. We give thanks to God for moving his people to support this ministry financially.

  

2. A review of the things God has accomplished in and through the ministry

– Thousands of Muslims and other people living in East Dearborn have heard the gospel explained to them in detail. Many more have received gospels and tracts. (We are now on the third time going through East Dearborn.)

– On going relationships continue with several who now understand the gospel and spiritual dialog continues with them.

– A local church (meeting in our home) has been established which includes some people we met going door to door. God is using this body of Jesus followers[1] to minister to each other and He is sanctifying them to His glory[2]. (www.DearbornBible.org)   

– A Monday morning Bible study has been going on for about 2 years with a woman named Patience from Liberia. Her family and friends have attended at times. Patience now identifies herself as a follower of Jesus. Her Muslim husband and children have now all heard the gospel and her husband recently attended one of our church meetings and seemed to like it.

– The global component of this ministry

In addition to the local ministry, God has seen fit to expand influence of Stones Cry Out Ministries globally. I did not anticipate this but God has seen fit to bring thousands of people (mainly Christians) to the Stones Cry Out web site in order to obtain free evangelism tools like tracts and the gospel study guide. These materials are now being used all over the world. In fact, it appears that Stones Cry Out influence is greater in places like Africa and Asia than it is here in the U.S.A. Christian pastors and evangelists from those countries learn how to evangelize biblically by watching the 48 minute evangelism training seminar and sometimes, I send them my books (at no charge). Most of them tell me that these materials have helped them greatly to minister to the people in their countries.

To learn more about the teachings of this ministry and Dearborn Bible Fellowship, you can read my books that are described below[3].

Quick summary of what God has been doing during the past year:

–          God has faithfully continued to cause this ministry and those who minister to endure and continue doing the work. The more time that passes, the more we realize that indeed, God alone is worthy of praise. If it were not for His work in us, we would quickly drift and the ministry would cease. So, we praise God for continuing to breathe life into us and move us to do His work.

–          God continues to cause His Word to take root in those who attend the meetings. The greatest indication of this is changed lives resulting in works that are motivated by God’s Spirit at work. There have been those who no longer attend our meetings because they evidently do not agree with the things being taught. But some remain and continue to hear the Bible being taught (exposition style). By God’s grace, our thinking and way of looking at things is being transformed by God.

–          God is at work in the lives of many we meet going door to door. If God does not prepare the hearts, the gospel will not find a place to take hold. But it does seem as if God is tilling the soil and holding Satan at bay during many of our gospel conversations.

 

3.   Looking forward:

Until now, I have labored as a “tent maker” while ministering. Most of the financial support for our family comes from me doing home repair and remodel work. In about one year, I will be able to apply for social security retirement benefits. Though this won’t cover all of our expenses, I should be able to reduce the amount of home repair/remodel work load. If God so directs, I should be able to spend more of my time doing the work of the ministry.

 

4.   How you can pray:

 Unless God causes the gospel to spring to life, the bones will remain dead. Only He can make them come to life. Since He has been causing people to hear and understand the gospel, we should be very motivated to ask Him to make the gospel spring to life in those who have heard it and fully anticipate a day when hundreds of Muslims repent and embrace Jesus Christ as their LORD and Savior.

1. Pray that God will cause those who attend the meetings to ACT on what they learn and become equipped to do the work of the ministry. (Pray for people like Wameedh, Keith, Matthew, Patience, Marilyn, Pat, Shawna, Linda and I in this regard.)
2. Pray that our home church becomes more of a house of prayer. We long to experience the type of interaction with God that the early church experienced.
3. Pray that God gives us wisdom in helping those who want to evangelize to experience many opportunities to learn and grow. In particular, pray that He shows us how we can help Christian women and teenagers to have more involvement.
4. Pray that God gives us an open and willing heart to go wherever He directs. Perhaps He has something else in mind for some of us. Maybe a different city or country. We do not want to be stagnant in spirit. Pray that He gives us open hearts and minds to perceive His direction in the future.
5. Continue praying that God will provide all our financial needs so this ministry can continue unhindered by financial restrictions.

 

Jesus Loves Me!

Today, while I was relaxing by myself, this phrase, “Jesus loves me,” came into my head. Normally, I can think about and even talk about this truth without experiencing a deep emotional reaction. But today, I was completely overtaken with an emotional response. Before long, tears were streaming down my face. I found my way to the living room couch where I laid face down with tears flowing. I thanked God for His great mercies and for His love. I asked Him to make His grace abound in me so that I would be able to show my love for Him in greater measure through obedience and a life consecrated unto Him. After several minutes, the tears stopped and my energy was drained. I don’t think I fully understand all the reasons for this experience but while it is still fresh, I decided to write down some things hoping that some good may come of it.

During my experience, some questions floated through my mind. One such question was, “Is this experience a direct result of the love of God being shed abroad in my heart (Romans 5:5) or am I simply experiencing an emotionally unstable moment?” I do believe that our emotions can trick us. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). So I wondered if I am merely an emotional basket case.

While experiencing these deep emotions, several scriptures came to mind that seem to have some relevance. Foremost is Paul’s prayer recorded in Ephesians:

 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:14-19).

When I think about this passage, I can’t help but conclude that God’s love for us is so great that if we fully comprehended it, we would be overcome with emotions too deep to handle.  During my experience, another passage came to my mind that conveys what the effects of this would be like:

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, and I retained no strength. Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words” (Daniel 10:7-12).

From the words in the three verses leading up to this passage, we know that Daniel probably experienced a manifestation of the pre-incarnate Christ. One thing is for sure. I did not experience this type of vision. But the effect this vision had on Daniel was not completely unlike the effects I experienced as I sensed Jesus’ love for me today. Could it be that in this age, having the love of God shed abroad in our hearts is the closest thing possible to experiencing what it is like to be in His presence? When I read about the saints in heaven casting their crowns at Jesus’ feet and falling on their faces, I wonder if they keep falling on their faces simply because they need to rest from the overwhelming experience from being in His presence. Could it be that His love is so intense that no man can or will ever be able to fully take it in without collapsing face first before Him? Could it be that in heaven, we will need to recuperate periodically from being overcome by Jesus’ love? And because His love is beyond fully finding out, could it be that there will be no end to its power to reduce us to emotional jelly?

This is not the first time that I have experienced being overcome with emotions as a result of sensing God’s love for me. It has been a while since I was impacted like this. I don’t expect that I will be overcome in this fashion from moment to moment from now on. Perhaps this is by God’s design that during life on earth, we are not always overcome with emotions as a result of pondering God’s love for us. After all, in this condition, I don’t think I would be able to do any work. I don’t think I could even proclaim the gospel effectively being overcome like this.

Should I seek to be continuously overcome by emotions as a result of sensing God’s love for me? If tears of joy are not always streaming down my face, should I conclude that my heart is cold and not able to comprehend God’s love properly?  Does anyone else think thoughts like this? (Sometimes I wonder if I am just a bit off the beaten path.) I guess that right now, I believe that the reason why I am not overcome (sensing God’s love) more frequently is because my heart is probably too cold and my faith too weak to fully comprehend His love.

Perhaps there is something inside me tries to protect me emotionally. I am quite sure that today, while going through this, I sensed my heart trying to protect itself from letting God’s love fully in for fear of becoming completely overwhelmed. Doesn’t that seem strange?  I surmise that the best thing to do is ask God to watch over my heart and guide me to deal with my emotions in the way that He desires and just trust Him for the outcome.

I can understand why some might conclude that I don’t know what in the world I am talking about. That is okay. I probably don’t. But let me say some things in conclusion that I know are true.

God’s love for us is personal and in fact, romantic. He purposely chose to use romantic imagery to convey His love for us in His Word.

“As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee” (Isaiah 62:5b).

“Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 21:9b).

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her (Ephesians 5:25).

My Husband, Jesus, betrothed me to Himself before the foundation of the world. It was always His desire to come and rescue me, His bride, in spite of my adulterous heart and ways. His love for me motivated Him to gladly lay down His life to die so that I might live and be made holy and pure.  This is more than personal. It is romantic. (I mean romantic in the way that the Bible portrays it, not the way the world has cheapened it.)

Seeing that God has revealed His love for us in this way, it is no wonder that the Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Can you hear Him whispering to you the following words?:   “I love you.” He is actually yelling this if we open our ears. “God demonstrated (is yelling) His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). (The words “is yelling” are mine.)

On a parting note, I find it interesting that the angels, including Gabriel, believe that we are “greatly beloved” by God. Here is what Gabriel said to Daniel:

“At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved” (Daniel 9:23). The angels know this. It seems to me that we are not as convinced of it to the same degree that the angels believe it.  Imagine Gabriel suddenly appeared to you and said, _________ (fill in your name), “You are greatly beloved.” Do you have a hard time imagining that such words are believed by Gabriel concerning you? May God enable us to know the extent of His love toward us so that we might lay down our lives for the brethren  (See I John 3:16).

Tom Bear

Written November 22, 2014