Beware of online ministries

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XavierJesusLovesIndia said:
What about online posters who warn about online ministries? lol, just kidding, couldn't resist.

I would say it's not online ministries being online per se that's the issue. The internet is just a medium. Are we still preaching on fisherman's boats, as Christ Himself did? Not necessarily, as times have moved on, there's another kind of net now!

I would say you know a True Preacher of Christ (1) if he glorifies Christ as much as he can (2) he does not love money (3) there are no scandals etc associated with him, i.e. his walk is blameless or close to it, and (4) he speaks as little as possible about himself. A ministry should be all about gaining glory for Christ in as many hearts as possible, i.e. either if those hearts never knew Christ, then to help them know Him, or, if they know Him, then to help them grow in His love and grace every day.

Just my personal thoughts. God Bless.
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Ministries overall might lead some from reading the Bible themselves to learning what they will for their faith from those. These all we should beware of. Any others can give their distortions with what they teach, of biblical Christianity, even if there is what is biblical with it. We can error too, but we should seek what is in the Bible ourselves prayerfully with wanting God to lead us, with God's Spirit working at that, for coming to truth that is important for us, and growing spiritually further, as is needed.
 
Ministries are definitely here, there and everywhere. God takes what is not to bring down that which is..........a lot to think about. He is worthy, not we.
 
Ministries are in unexpected places. What draws our attention are the things shown in media, but ministries shown that way are not necessarily the reality that is just God's doing. But people are being reached, with the gospel of salvation in Christ shown to them, and ways of godliness revealed for them, with spiritual growth encouraged, and people's real needs met in any circumstances. These do not all get media attention, few of such would, while God is glorified in the work that happens in people's lives.
 
"When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." Deuteronomy 12:29-32
 
We are not to trust the spirits, but to test them to see if they are of God or not. I believe this to extend to everything we encounter in this life. After all, especially nowadays, it is far too easy for folks to get online and claim they "have a ministry".

If it doesn't line up with God's Word (The Bible).....RUN!!!
 
ResidentAlien said:
We should be cautious of all the online ministries around today and not take anything they say as truth without testing it by the word of God. There are many of these ministries, run by people who aren't the least bit qualified to be teaching or preaching.

Tim Hurd, the so-called Bible Thumping Wingnut, comes to mind. By his own admission, Hurd was disqualified and ejected from his church, only to resurface with an online ministry. Hurd and his sidekick sit jawing while guzzling beer and wine on camera.

This is but one example. Anyone with a computer and internet connection can start an online ministry. I've started noticing some very strange teachings emerging from some of these "ministers."
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on line ministry reminds me of people who get in a band, know very little about playing & singing & use the "cheat sheets" as in i phones & tablets on stage, looking down at the cheat sheets & not looking where the crowd is. ought to be outlawed!!!!!!!
 
ResidentAlien said:
We should be cautious of all the online ministries around today and not take anything they say as truth without testing it by the word of God. There are many of these ministries, run by people who aren't the least bit qualified to be teaching or preaching.

Tim Hurd, the so-called Bible Thumping Wingnut, comes to mind. By his own admission, Hurd was disqualified and ejected from his church, only to resurface with an online ministry. Hurd and his sidekick sit jawing while guzzling beer and wine on camera.

This is but one example. Anyone with a computer and internet connection can start an online ministry. I've started noticing some very strange teachings emerging from some of these "ministers."
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I do not know the names provided, but this Statement made
I AGREE with you. 100%
 
Televangelists and preachers have done a good job of leading people astray.Many false teachers are in the world
 
IF I looked at all the false teachers whether or not on the internet, I would not notice the real ones due to my disgust with the false ones.
I know this because I used to dislike prophecy due to all the false prophets & prophecy conferences. It took the Lord to show me I was wrong for judging the righteous with the sinners. I've come to realize reading Acts 2 that all christians CAN prophesy if they follow the Spirit's leading.
Sadly, many well meaning christians don't believe due to the false ministers/prophets.
Imagine this.... people still go to church in spite of all the false churches.... Hmmmmm.
What shall we tell Jesus on judgment day? "I couldn't believe because of 'them' "?
What about those who lived in unbelief in spite of God's living word?!?
Is it worth the chance you take of hearing "I never knew you"?
There's not a false minister/teacher/prophet out there worth losing what I have today with the LORD, or missing a single promise I have in Christ Jesus.
 
Very sound post, thank you Edify, Jesus told us in John 16 Holy Spirit would lead us at this time, not merely reading the Word and then leaning on our own understanding to enter error.
Holy Spirit never errs.
blessings
 
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Edify said:
IF I looked at all the false teachers whether or not on the internet, I would not notice the real ones due to my disgust with the false ones.
I know this because I used to dislike prophecy due to all the false prophets & prophecy conferences. It took the Lord to show me I was wrong for judging the righteous with the sinners. I've come to realize reading Acts 2 that all christians CAN prophesy if they follow the Spirit's leading.
Sadly, many well meaning christians don't believe due to the false ministers/prophets.
Imagine this.... people still go to church in spite of all the false churches.... Hmmmmm.
What shall we tell Jesus on judgment day? "I couldn't believe because of 'them' "?
What about those who lived in unbelief in spite of God's living word?!?
Is it worth the chance you take of hearing "I never knew you"?
There's not a false minister/teacher/prophet out there worth losing what I have today with the LORD, or missing a single promise I have in Christ Jesus.
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I doubt you even watched the whole video. At one point he says he gets dreams from God, just not every single day. So this guy isn't knocking prophecy or dreams, he's calling out false prophets. There's a place for that; just like there's a place for preaching the gospel and teaching the truth.
 
ResidentAlien said:
I doubt you even watched the whole video. At one point he says he gets dreams from God, just not every single day. So this guy isn't knocking prophecy or dreams, he's calling out false prophets. There's a place for that; just like there's a place for preaching the gospel and teaching the truth.
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What I am saying is our actions can start habits without realizing it. Those habits then turn into unbelief.
 
Edify said:
IF I looked at all the false teachers whether or not on the internet, I would not notice the real ones due to my disgust with the false ones.
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No one needs to be wasting time sorting the true teachers from the false teachers out there. Christians need to focus on what is being taught within the church where they are presently situated. And that also means a personal commitment to serious Bible study so that they can discern what is true and what is false.
 
Jambalaya (KJO) said:
No one needs to be wasting time sorting the true teachers from the false teachers out there. Christians need to focus on what is being taught within the church where they are presently situated. And that also means a personal commitment to serious Bible study so that they can discern what is true and what is false.
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Unless they happen to not be Christian ministers but leftists tyrants seeking to enslave us. That's your stock & trade isn't it? If they're pretending to be ministers of Christ we should just ignore them; but if they're politicians or other assorted bad actors leading the USA to its doom, that's where we need to focus. Sound about right?
 
ResidentAlien said:
Unless they happen to not be Christian ministers but leftists tyrants seeking to enslave us. That's your stock & trade isn't it? If they're pretending to be ministers of Christ we should just ignore them; but if they're politicians or other assorted bad actors leading the USA to its doom, that's where we need to focus. Sound about right?
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It is the Leftist tyrants WORLDWIDE who want to shut down freedom of speech and freedom of worship. The COVID tyranny was a start, and they actually succeeded because all Christian churches did not stand up to them. So they are the worst threat on the horizon. Governments, the MSM, and Big Tech are all colluding together to shut down conservative and Christian voices, while promoting the Woke Religion and Communism.

As to false teachers today, they are a dime a dozen. No one needs to be wasting time watching those charlatans. The focus must always be within the local assembly and the propagation of the true and full Gospel.
 
Jambalaya (KJO) said:
It is the Leftist tyrants WORLDWIDE who want to shut down freedom of speech and freedom of worship. The COVID tyranny was a start, and they actually succeeded because all Christian churches did not stand up to them. So they are the worst threat on the horizon. Governments, the MSM, and Big Tech are all colluding together to shut down conservative and Christian voices, while promoting the Woke Religion and Communism.

As to false teachers today, they are a dime a dozen. No one needs to be wasting time watching those charlatans. The focus must always be within the local assembly and the propagation of the true and full Gospel.
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Sounds a little hypocritical.
 
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