It would be helpful if we went past surface issues and symptoms and got to the
heart of things. It is evident that some ministers have made sexual mistakes
and/or mistakes with mammon. If one looks deeper, they will usually find that
these people were off track earlier in their ministry of the Word. They are
wrong in their behavior and it hurts the Church, but the truth be known being
off in the Word effects more people and is more devastating in the long run to
the body of Christ. Being off in the Word opens the door for these and other
things to continue to hinder the Church being salt and light to the world.
(Note: They may still speak of Jesus, sing Amazing Grace, befriend you, move in
gifts, and teach you things of the Bible that you do not know, in fact, that is
why it is so deceptive).
There are professing Christians who see no real problem with making sexual
mistakes, and there are others who do see a problem with it. But usually
neither side is looking with real discernment. There are few who look deeper
into the heart of the matter. One of the main reasons that many do not look
deeper is because they presently cannot look deeper. Why? They have not had
their senses fully trained to do so. They have only been trained to look from
surface points of view. Some of the surface points of view say yea, and others
say nay! That is because people are approaching things from the viewpoint of
opinions, personal beliefs, cultures, personal preferences, traditions, and the
likes. It is the difference in flesh and spirit; it is the difference in pure
spirit and a mixture of flesh and spirit. It is why some stay with the same
minister, and others go away mad and stay mad.
If one begins to look deeper, they will see a major difference in a minister who
makes a mistake and a minister who is a mistake. But remember, one cannot look
deeper with untrained or half-trained spiritual senses. The devil sends
ministers to devil worshiping churches, and he sends ministers to Christian
churches. For most Christians, there is no need to have trained senses to
recognize a minister in a devil worshiping church as being from hell, but what
about in a Christian Church? A devil from hell in a Christian Church is not
going to openly say the same things as one in a devil worshiping church. It
usually will take highly trained senses to discern and judge them. Eventually,
untrained Christians may pick up little flaws, but they will not usually see
the real problems. If certain problems become flagrant, some may get upset, but
they can get upset without knowing that the minister was a mistake to begin
with. They cannot see that the minister was sent from hell and not from heaven
to begin with.
A good study of 2 Corinthians 11:12-15 will be helpful in beginning to see the difference. Now, concerning true
ministers who are in error, look at how Paul handled Peter. For handling some
other ministers, look what Paul said in Galatians 5:12. There are wonderful truths to be found that will help train our senses in the
letters to the churches in the book of Revelation. If you study the book of
Ephesians, you will see that the Church at Ephesus had been given one of the
highest revelations concerning the body of Christ. A few years later, they had
a great spiritual resume and would have been famous today. They would be on the
front page of Christian magazines, and their ads would be everywhere. Preachers
would invite their minister to hold revivals and conventions, but Jesus would
still be saying, “Repent, or else.”
To sum up what I am writing is to say that the body of Christ needs disciples
who are intimate with Jesus and thorough in their knowledge and understanding
of the Word. These disciples will be able to discern and deal with things
appropriately. They will not have to wait until things are made public to the
world; they will discern when the Word is not being rightly divided. Presently,
and regretfully, there are ministers who are off track with the Word, but they
are still on TV and published in books and magazines. Some people today are
seeing that something is not right, but they are being critical and judgmental,
which is what Matthew 7:1 speaks against. Others are partially seeing a
problem, but are so bound by cheap grace that they cannot properly discern and
judge as 1 Corinthians teaches should be done. Others are going with the flow
because they do not know better. May God help us all to mature in Christ and to
become the Church that Jesus so desires (
Ephesians 4:13-16).
There are some ministers today who were God called and have fallen away. Some
will not repent, and others may repent. One thing that would help is to have a
restored Church that is unified in faith. The Church restored would judge and
call for repentance with such love, power and unity that many would repent. The
others would be properly dealt with, and the body of Christ would be protected.
* * * * *
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Pastor R. Wayne Wilson
New Covenant Church of Jesus Christ
3147 Klondike Road, SW, Conyers, GA 30094 USA
770-760-1101
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"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to
a nation bearing the fruits of it." Matthew 21:43
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