When Li Min and Sister Xiao were walking in the park, Sister Xiao suddenly said, “Hey, Sister Li, do you agree that we believers shouldn’t blindly ask and listen to others when having problems?”
Li Min said, “Yes, right. As Christians, we should worship the Lord as great in all things. When we face problems we don’t understand or have difficulties and confusion, we should first come before God to pray and seek the truth and find God’s will in His words. If we still fail to understand and find the path after a period of time of seeking, then we can seek out brothers and sisters to fellowship and explore with. In addition, we should find those who sincerely believe in God, have wisdom, and understand the truth to fellowship with. In this way, our questions will be easily resolved and there will be benefits for us in entering life. Just as the Book of Proverbs 13:14 says, ‘The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.’ Moreover, when looking for people to communicate, we must have discernment and can’t blindly listen to them. We need to see whether their fellowship confirms with the truth and God’s will, and whether or not the words of God can be a determining basis. If what they say is in line with the truth and God’s words, we should accept and obey, and correct our own mistakes; if what they say goes against the truth, comes from the conception and imagination of man, or is heresies and fallacies, we should refuse to listen to them. If we blindly ask and listen to others without discernment, it’ll be easy to follow the wrong people and go the wrong way, and our ends will be exactly the way that the Lord Jesus has said it is, ‘And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch’” (Matthew 15:14).
After pondering for a while, Sister Xiao said, “Sister Li, when you put it like that, I suddenly remember that two thousand years ago, when the Lord Jesus worked, the Jewish people blindly asked others and believed their words, didn’t study and examine the Lord Jesus’ work, even followed the Pharisees in resisting and condemning the Lord Jesus, and finally nailed Him to the cross. Not only did they not gain God’s salvation, but suffered God’s punishment. Now I find that in our church, many brothers and sisters worship pastors and elders or prestigious and gifted people. No matter what happens, brothers and sisters would like to ask them, allow them to set the standards and make choices, obeying their every word, and don’t place importance on distinguishing whether what they say is in accordance with the truth and the Lord’s teachings. For instance, a little while ago I heard many brothers and sisters say that now some people are preaching that the Lord has returned, but they didn’t dare to investigate. And they said only after they asked the pastor and elder and received their approval would they dare to examine. However, the pastor and elder both said that those who preach that the Lord has returned were false. After hearing that, they didn’t dare to investigate. I feel it’s not appropriate. They seem to blindly listen to others.”
Li Min nodded her head and said, “Yes! The Lord prophesied, ‘I come quickly’ (Revelation 3:11). And He also told us, ‘And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him’ (Matthew 25:6). ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me’ (Revelation 3:20). The Lord told us that we should come out to receive Him when hearing people preaching that He has returned. However, the pastor and elder say that all those who preach that the Lord has returned are false. Is this not denying the Lord’s words and the fact that the Lord will come again? For such a big deal as the Lord coming, we should base this on the Lord’s words, personally seek and investigate, to see whether or not God has appeared and whether or not what others preach is the work of the Holy Spirit. I saw a passage of words on a gospel website a few days ago, which says, ‘For where there are the new words of God, there is the voice of God, and where there are the footsteps of God, there are the deeds of God. Where there is the expression of God, there is the appearance of God, and where there is the appearance of God, there exists the truth, the way, and the life’ (‘The Appearance of God Has Brought a New Age’). So, only by searching and examining can we confirm whether what they preach is God’s work. If it is, we shouldn’t be controlled by others but accept God’s work and follow His footsteps. That is the only way to take responsibility for our own life. On the contrary, if we blindly listen to the pastor and elder, don’t listen to nor investigate the news of the coming of the Lord, and even follow them in doing evil, we’ll be eliminated by God’s work in the end if it really is the return of the Lord but we fail to follow His work. Won’t we regret it for the rest of our lives?”
Sister Xiao sighed with emotion, “Yes, right. We can still turn back if we ask the wrong people and go the wrong way, but if we hear the wrong things and take a wrong path in the big issue of the coming of the Lord, the consequences will be unthinkable!”
“Right. So the wise virgins will humbly seek and study,” Li Min said happily.
Sister Xiao gladly replied, “Amen!”
They two walked away into the distance.
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