Watchout For WOLVES: Keys To Discerning Authentic Ministries & Evaluating Doctrinal Trends

have faithfully preached the truth. God's power has been working in us. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are well known, but we are treated as unknown. We live close to death, but here we are, still alive. We have been beaten within an inch of our lives. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. Perhaps Paul was not spiritual enough to avoid these things in his life. I kid. Many men and women of God have been tortured for their faith and yet were considered great in the eyes of the Lord (Heb. 11:32-39). I am not suggesting that Christians are not to enjoy life and see many victories. I am only suggesting that whatever we do, we do it for His glory and not our own. 10. Watch out for teachings that will not work in every culture as easily as they do in the most prosperous and least persecuted of cultures (Tit. 1:5). When Paul laid down some principles by which to live, they were truths that were relevant and applicable to all. He wrote to the believers in Corinth and let them know that his teaching was not just for the m. He said, “ And so I ordain in all the churches” (1 Cor. 7:17c). God’s truth cuts across all generations and all cultures. God’s word is eternal. If we are properly interpreting the word of God, there is no place on earth where these principles will not work. There is only one Gospel. There is not one Gospel for America, another for China, another for Africa or another for the Moslem nations of the world.

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