Knowing Is Half The Battle

1 Thessalonians 5:12, 13 "And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves."

We live in a world today that is looking for the unusual, the different, and the odd thing. It has become very notable in the church without people titling themselves as Apostles and Prophets along with displaying specific spiritual gifts. The problem is so many that seek to show out do so only for their glory and not the glory of God. The Bible has a problem with people who follow every mandate of spiritual leaders that are not proven out by scripture. In other words, knowing who they are, how they live, and why they do what they do can enforce their effectiveness. However following every dictate from the lips of the unproven can lead to disaster.

Luke 6:39 says, "And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?"

Here some facts that might upset you, but they show the trends of today regarding the shallowness of people's spirituality:

-If the shoe fits wear it. We like what these folks say so much that we ignore the other qualifications of leadership that the Bible and God require. It just sounds good to us and makes us comfortable so it must be okay.

-Man, that's different. The other side of the spectrum is we want something unique that seemingly nobody else has so we blindly follow every thing we hear and take it as a Word from God.

-He must be a prophet because only God could reveal that to him. Yes, God uses people and he will honor His Word. He even used animals to fulfill His plans in times past. But remember not everyone that says, "Lord, Lord", shall enter into the Kingdom of God.

God wants us to know those that labor among us. Not just by name, but by actions and by lifestyle. Don't take every thing that every "spiritual person" says to you as a prophecy from God. No them that labor among you. See their lifestyle. Make sure they live what they preach, teach, or say. Don't be fooled into being a pawn of the enemy, but stand up and be a soldier of the cross. As I said earlier, knowing is half the battle. The rest comes by faith.