Are we careful whom we listen to?

Do we check the instruction of teachers comparatively against the Bible or do we just take someone’s word for scriptural accuracy? C’mon, we can’t allow ourselves to become so complacent that we cease to check out what we allow in our eyes and ears. Posted by W.c Whitaker on Facebook.

Written and posted by Jean-Louis. 6/2012

Thank you Cameron for reminding us of this so important and crucial injunction especially in this time of  widespread, concerted and  relentless attacks of the enemy on the Bible, the truth and the meaning, nature and extent of the redemptive work of Christ and the church place in the Kingdom. 

A Famine in the Land
 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord,
    “when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
    but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. Amos 8:11


Every idea, every suggestion, every so called prophecy or teaching is a seed being planted in the mind and heart of men.

The identity of the sower is important but the storehouse where it comes from is equally  important. Jesus and Paul warned about false teachers and false prophets. 

• That ´s the WHO. 
• In Mark 4:24 He warned : Be careful WHAT you hear. 
• In Luc 8:18, he warned: Be careful HOW you hear, 
• expanding the initial command: WHO has ears let him hear. Matthew 13:9.

In foreign language learning and acquisition, after the alphabet, the next things a student learns are the very important WHs  words. Who, what, which, where, why, and then related derivatives such as with whom, whose, from where, since when?

Then come the HOWs: how much, how many? 

As believers who want to grow in knowledge and communion with our Lord and have a desire to be taught by the Holy Spirit, it behooves us to ask ourselves these important questions since these commands are given in the context of the parable of the sower and the good seed planted in the heart of man, salvation, appearance of salvation and growth once a person is saved and the work of satan our enemy who plants bad seeds and tries to hinder the growth of the good ones. 

We cannot ignore these commands without suffering the consequences of disregarding them or taking  them lightly. Right after the context of John chapter 15 on the need of the disciple to abide in Christ in order to bear fruit, good fruit and more fruit, chapter 16 begins with this ominous statement: “ All this I have told you so that you will not go astray”. 

So  going  back to the WHS question words we can see that their application is paramount in the disciple´s life and that our steadfast and faithful abiding walk with Jesus will depend on heeding the warnings. As a good examination of our Christian walk  and of our progress or regress in our spiritual life, a simple yet powerful tool is to ask ourselves these questions and our honest answers will serve as a good gauge of where we are in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Jean-Louis.