SOME PEOPLE are biblically knowledgeable. They are not like so many ignorant and gullible folks. They rarely call anyone they see and hear quoting Bible verses to preach as true pastors of God. Most media practitioners often call any self-styled preacher as a pastor just to ridicule Christianity. Of course, a preacher may be described as a pastor, but whose pastor is he or she?
The Bible makes it clear that there are ministers of the devil and ministers of God. And scripture-saturated Christians know this. They know that there are numerous false apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors/bishops and teachers, who are overseeing churches, supposing that they are serving the Lord Jesus. But these are self-styled ministers or servants of the devil who set themselves in ministry without God’s approval.
In last week’s edition, we learnt about how God gives specific and special assignment with unique messages to people He calls. We looked at the unique assignment and message God gave to Noah, Abraham, Isaiah, Moses and the foundational apostles. But this clearly is not the case with false ministers; they have no specific and unique assignment, message and commands from God to live by and for ministry.
When you meet any person who claims to have been called into ministry to function as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor/bishop or teacher, ask him to disclose the exact unique message and commands God gave him during his calling. And find out if he constantly ministers within the purview and mandate of his calling.
You see, true pastors are faithful to God. On the last day, God will not reward any minister of his many years of ministry but faithful stewardship and servanthood. When Jesus called Paul, He sent him with a message to open the eyes of the gentiles, “so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26: 13-18).
Paul knew his ministry, assignment, message and the purpose of his calling and he proved to be a faithful minister. He told King Agrippa that he was not disobedient to what Christ told him. He performed his duties as instructed and in the end, he said, he had fought the good fight of the faith. In other words, he did not betray his faith in Christ by failing to preach the gospel of salvation when he faced stiff opposition and varied persecutions.
Paul made it clear that Christ spoke through him showing the signs of his apostleship. Because Christ was with him and spoke through him, he never merchandised the blessings of God. He wrote, “… since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me” (2 Corinthians 13:3).
True servants of Christ who have the Holy Spirit in them and upon them never trade the grace of God. They do not preach, heal the sick, deliver the afflicted, cleans the leper, open the blind eye and set the captive free at monetary charges. They do not allow the love of money to dictate to them how they should serve the Lord.
Anyone God sends is given a specific message to deliver. Such a pastor is purposeful and committed to pleasing his Master. In other words, they do not speak their own words but the very words put into their mouths by the Holy Spirit. They study to show themselves approved unto God. They spend adequate time to study the Word of God and meditate on it, day and night as God expects of them.
The apostle Paul would also not just look into the scriptures and preach what pleases him. He always wanted to preach inspired messages “…making supplications for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,” (Ephesians 6:18-19).
Does it not sound weird that some men of God, today, beg others for sermons before they can preach? Some even steal sermons from one another and speak it as though it is given by the Lord. The Almighty God is against this. “Therefore,” declares the LORD, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me” (Jeremiah 23:30).
False ministers very often imitate and distort messages true ministers have preached because they have no unique messages from God. Obviously, they do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them to study and meditate on the Word of God for understanding, illumination and revelation. They do not have a relationship with the Lord for inspiration so as to speak what the Spirit will put into their hearts. This is the problem in many churches today.
The point I am making is that a message to be preached to feed the souls of God’s people must be spirit-inspired. It must be spirit-directed. It must not be influenced by pressure from people or circumstances. God is against sermons or prophecies that are not Holy Spirit-inspired. He is against sermons that seem to trick or influence people to meet personal or selfish needs.
Many have infiltrated the Body of Christ doing the bidding of the devil. They started sneaking in since the formation of the early church. They distort and twist the truths of the gospel of Christ to deceive people to take their money. They have great appetite for the acquisition of worldly goods only. They are carnal, earthly-minded devoid of the Holy Spirit.
By James Quansah
jamesquansah@yahoo.com