Tag Archives: christianity

Who Are You Following?

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If the blind leads the blind, both will fall in a ditch.

Matthew 15:14, NKJV

If I am going to follow someone, I want to have confidence that they know where they are going. I don’t want to end up getting lost, or worse, by following someone who is only guessing about the route we need to take. This is bad enough when we are talking about following someone to a physical location, but it is much worse when we are talking about someone leading us in spiritual matters.

Let’s face it: Bible teachers and preachers are easy to find. Just do a google search to see how easy it is to compile a list of dozens of names of those who profess to be Bible teachers. How do you know if they are teaching sound doctrine? How do you know if they are striving to correctly expound the Biblical text, or if they are giving erroneous teaching based on faulty interpretation of Scripture? We cannot be too careful in selecting Bible teachers and preachers to listen to for instruction and inspiration.

So, how are we to know which ones to follow and which ones that will lead us into that spiritual ditch? Allow me to share a few suggestions that you might try in order to be as careful as possible.

First of all, as simple as it may sound, make sure that the things they are teaching are in alignment with the teachings of Scripture. Read carefully the following passage from the book of Acts:

These [the Bereans] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Acts 17:11, NKJV

They received the word with readiness. They were eager listeners, hungry for the teachings of God’s Word. They gave themselves to the instruction being offered through Bible teachers and preachers. They listened with the intent of following the teachings being offered. But please note: they did not indiscriminately accept everything that was being taught. They searched the Scriptures for themselves to make sure those teaching were not contradicting the clear teachings of Scripture.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of this concept. We need to listen carefully, searching the Scriptures ourselves, not to find fault, but to validate. We need to be like the Bereans. If what they were being taught was in alignment with what the Bible says, then they were to accept it and assimilate its truth. But if what they were teaching did not align with the Bible, then they were to reject it.

This is crucial for us in this present day. The Bible’s teachings are being contradicted, re-explained, re-invented. We are being told that some of those beliefs and practices that are taught clearly in Scripture are out-dated, antiquated, and should be discarded, or, at least, reinterpreted. They would have us believe that the Bible should be understood culturally, rather than the culture being subjected to the teachings of the Bible.

Second, we should not give ourselves over solely to the teachings of others, but we should study the Bible for ourselves. It is not nearly enough to listen to a sermon a week and think we are getting all the spiritual nourishment we need. We need to be searching the Scriptures daily, seeking guidance from God as He speaks to us through His word. The Bible is a living word, breathing the life of God into us as we study and pray over that Word.

Third, I suggest that we actively seek God as we study His Word. Pray as you read His Word, sincerely seeking His insight and instruction. He speaks with that still, small voice as we take time to listen. We should discipline ourselves to not be in a hurry when we are spending time with God. Allow Him time to speak with us from His Word, and then converse with Him through the vehicle of prayer. Our devotional time should be a dialogue, not a monologue. Ask His Spirit to lead us into all truth, as He promised He would.

Three simple suggestions that I feel would radically transform our study of His Word. Listen to those who are teaching the sincere truth of the Bible. Search the Scriptures to validate their teachings. Don’t depend solely on others, but spend time with God personally, devotionally, with the intent of learning and applying truth. And pray over the Word we have read, responding to God out of the overflow of what we have heard Him say.

Don’t allow yourself to fall into a ditch because you are following a false teacher. I heard someone say years ago: “The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it.” But I’ve come to see the fallacy in that statement. I feel it would be better stated: “The Bible says it, that settles it, whether I believe it or not.” God’s word does not change. What He said through the pen of Moses thousands of years ago is still the same word.

Don’t fall into the ditch of false teachers who are spewing their false teachings! Be a modern day Berean.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Guest Blogger – Luke Stewart

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Luke Stewart, Mesquite, TX

The following was written by my grandson, Luke Stewart. God has truly gifted him with the ability to put his thoughts into words. He is an exceptionally committed young Christian whose writings convey a deep understanding of some of the complexities of his Christian faith. I asked his permission to print this post on my blog page so that others could be blessed and encouraged by his words of wisdom. I trust that you will enjoy reading his words as much as I do.

One evening, as I was praying, I asked God if He would heal someone that I knew of a condition that they have had for some years now. This was nothing that I had never prayed about before. But, as I was praying, my prayer started to change. I prayed that God’s will be done. God’s will—God’s plan—is better than our plan.

A woman once told me that, when she is praying for someone who is sick or injured, she doesn’t simply pray that they be healed, but she prays that God’s will be done because it is better to be sick under God’s will than to be healthy outside of His will. Man, that is so good. It reminds me of one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible:

For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:17

God’s plan is the ultimate authority that we should be submitting to. And we have seen in God’s Word that, sometimes, poor health conditions are under the will of the Father.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” John 9:1-3

Amen. The disciples are assuming that, in one way or another, the man’s blindness is a result of sin (whether the blind man’s or his parents), and sin is, obviously, something that goes against God—something that is outside His plan. But, Jesus told them that this was not the case. In fact, the man’s blindness was a part of God’s plan, “that the works of God should be revealed in him.” God did not create sickness, weakness, or blindness, but He can still use those things for His good—for the ultimate good. If you are familiar with the passage, you know that the man was healed of his blindness by the Lord Jesus Christ, so you might accidentally come to the conclusion that we only have sicknesses and infirmities for the purpose of being healed by God. But that is not what Jesus said. Look back at exactly what Jesus said was the purpose of the man’s blindness:

“. . . that the works of God should be revealed in him.”

No where in that verse does Jesus mention healing! Of course, the man being healed of his blindness was a huge revelation of God’s work, but let us not diminish God’s power to say that the only way He may be glorified in our trials and tribulations is by taking those things away from us. God can be glorified in anything. God is capable of anything.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Amen. I hope you realize how powerful this passage is. It is not always in God’s will for us to be relieved of those things that burden us in this world. It is in His will that we would put our faith in Him, trusting that, one day, all of those things will forever perish and we will live a new, burden-free, everlasting life with our Father. That is a promise, and that promise will be fulfilled in due time. But this life that we are in right now isn’t about that. It’s not about receiving that. It’s about acknowledging it and proclaiming it and worshipping the God who gave it to us. It’s about glorifying God. And sometimes God will be glorified in healing us and removing our infirmities. Sometimes, He has other plans. But we must remember that those plans are always good. Those plans are always better than our plans. In Jesus’ name.

Luke Stewart, December 2023

Thank you, Luke, for allowing me to share your words. And thanks to all my readers who will read and be encouraged through this message. Please take this message to heart, store it in the recesses of your mind so that the truths of Luke’s message will continue to bring encouragement in the future.

Until next time:

Blessings!