Choose Your Leader Wisely

Mat 7
 15“But beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves. 16“By their fruits you shall know them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17“So every good tree yields good fruit, but a rotten tree yields wicked fruit. 18“A good tree is unable to yield wicked fruit, and a rotten tree to yield good fruit. 19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20“So then, by their fruits you shall know them – 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. 22“Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ 23“And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’24“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock, 25and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26“And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not do them, shall be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, 27and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall.” 28And it came to be, when יהושע had ended these words, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29for He was teaching them as one possessing authority, and not as the scribes.

As you read through this verses you can see that we are given permision to be fruit inspectors. Looking to a persons fruit to determine if they are being sincere or decietful. This is not to say that we can go harpooning those who we finding lacking in a moment. However it can help us to determine someone that we should trust as our spiritual leader.  

The other day I went to a church in the town I am currantly living in and stayed for a sermon because I was invited by a new found friend. Something happened in the second half of the sermon in which I had to chose to never return to that church again. First I show you what I was looking for and second I will show you where this pastor was lacking.

Gal 5:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no Torah.

Kidness, peace, gentleness. These were the things I would have thought I would have found. But alas I did not.  For he spoke of a man who came to him saying pastor pastor did you hear what the baptist preacher said it was so interesting to me. And the man came to the pastor again and said pastor pastor the pentacostal pastor said this and I found it interesting. And the man came a third time and spoke the same of yet another congration.

But the Pastor was offended. (He admitted so) He wanted to ask the man. Why are you always running here and running there listening to all these men.  When you should be hear listening to me for I am the only one teaching you the truth..........

My heart ran cold when I heard him speak that way. I don't think he literally told the man that but he did think about it and he did mention the whole thing in the sermon I went to. I found two things in what he said that really ran in the face of fruit of the spirit. He compaired himself to the other pastor and said they they were not teaching the truth. Only He was. This I felt is pride. Pride is not in that list above. The next thing I found was that He had chosen 3 churches that also come under the bannor of Jesus Christ.
Meaning all 4 chruch proclaim Him as Lord and savior. So this pastor was teaching bitterness and resentfulness to his congragation toward other beleivers just becuase they do not go to the same church. Bitterness and resentfulness are No where even close to kindness, peacefulness, and gentleness.  In my dictionairy they are quite the oposite.

So here is something to check out. Do you find those traits in your life as a majority on a day to day basis? If the answer is not as much as you like. You probably are saved and yet you are also being kept humble becuase you can room to grow.  If this blog ticked you off well maybe you should really focus on Gal 5 and see where you are. 
The next thing is.  The person who you are putting in charge of you to lead you in the right spiritual direction do exhibit Gal 5 on a regular basis. Or can you find things quickly where your teacher is tearing down other believers?

If you are having some trouble finding a teaching that will sit in your soul as truth drop me a email. I have some information for you to check into you can weigh it out and see where Adonai The greatest Lord of all time takes you.

Durant In Yeshua