WHAT DO YOU PREACH?

WHAT DO YOU PREACH?

Josimar Salum

   The Lord is showing me the importance of saying what He is saying. A long-time friend wrote to me in the last morning of 2023.

   Truly preaching the Word of God means exactly that. Say what He is saying. 

   That's why a long time ago I said many times to my friends Paul Taylor and Bill Biconson when we were traveling together: I have a Bible verse for this or that. 

   Anything they use to say I had a verse about it. I mean, everything. They would say something and ask: Do you have a Bible verse for this? I said: Yes, I do and I would recite a Bible verse!

   And Bill Niconson was mad about it. And he didn't understand me. 

   Many would say: “You are uncompromising, radical, insufferable!” 

   Although I closed a lot of doors by doing this, and by preaching the Word without compromise I think it was worth it, because you raise up a generation of true prophets from those who hear you. 

   You should not preach what you believe, you should preach what the Bible says.

   The main reason people turned away and became very angry with the prophets Elijah and John is that they were unbearable to listen to and to be with.

   “Although John never performed a sign, everything John said about Jesus was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus.” John 10:41-42 NIV

   “To this John replied: “A person can only receive what is given to him from heaven. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives him the Spirit without masure.” John 3:27, 34 NIV

   #ASONE

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PREACHING THE GOSPEL, BUT IT DOESN'T

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S PREACHING THE GOSPEL, BUT IT DOESN'T

Josimar Salum

   I watched a famous preacher who said that our goal is to be like Jesus. I was thrilled until a minute later I was disappointed. He then said with the support of a large crowd that filled the theater ‘that it is very difficult to be like Jesus.’

   But how difficult is it if it is the work of the Holy Spirit? How difficult is it if for God everything is possible?

   Yes, it is very easy to be like Jesus. This work is His.

   “But we all, with open face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2Corinthians 3:18

   IT IS BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD THAT WE ARE TRANSFORMED FROM GLORY TO GLORY INTO THE SAME IMAGE.

   “And in the same way also the Spirit helps our weaknesses; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.

   And he who examines the hearts knows what the intention of the Spirit is; and it is he who according to God intercedes for the saints.

   And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called by His decree.

   For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

   And those whom he predestined, these he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” Romans 8:26-30

   “See how great love the Father has given us: that we should be called children of God.

   Therefore, the world does not know us, because it does not know it.

   Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet manifest what we will be.

   But we know that when he appears, we will be like him; because we will see it as it is.

   And whoever has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he also is pure.” 1John 3:1-3

   And continuing to watch it the next thing I heard is that we are all bad, gossipers, etc. We are Christians, but we are bad. My God! Why does this legalistic religion still is taught by best speakers in the country?

   What does the Word say? One should not appear to be preaching the Gospel, he must preach it.

   “Whoever abides in Him does not sin; whoever lives in sin has not seen him nor known him.

   Whoever practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning.

   For this purpose the Son of God manifested himself: to undo the works of the devil.

   Whoever is born of God does not live in the practice of sin; because his seed remains in him; and he cannot live in sin, because he is born of God.” 1John 3:6, 8-9

   “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?

   Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who have sexual relations with men, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor alcoholics, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

   Some of you were like that.

   However, you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” 1Corinthians 6:9-11

   We were like that. We lived like that. We are no longer. If we are indeed saved and therefore we are children of God.

   “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God.

   For you did not receive the spirit of slavery, to be in fear again, but you received the spirit of adoption as sons, by which we cry: Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

   And, if we are children, we are, therefore, heirs too, heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.”

Romans 8:14-17

   “In this love is perfect toward us, so that on the Day of Judgment we may have confidence; because, as HE is, so are we in this world.” 1John 4:17

   “And he quickened you, when you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, according to the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience; among whom we also all formerly walked in the desires of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and we were by nature children of wrath, like others also.

   But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together with him, and made us sit on the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus;

   For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:1-6, 10

   “But God proves his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

   Therefore, much more now, being justified by his blood, we will be saved from wrath through him.

   For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Romans 5:8-10

   “He made him who knew no sin to be sin for us; that in him we might be made the righteousness of God.” 2Corinthians 5:21

   If you are still a gossiper, evil, adulterer, or anything else, “Examine yourselves whether ye continue in the faith; prove yourself.

   Or do you not know, as for yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? If not, you are already disapproved.” 2Corinthians 13:5

   Lord Jesus, I humble myself and ask that You give understanding to Your sons and daughters, so that they may believe in Your Word, and live a life by Your Spirit.

   #ASONE

CAN A WOMAN TEACH IN THE CHURCH? Josimar Salum

CAN A WOMAN TEACH IN THE CHURCH?

Josimar Salum

God does not work with contingencies or according to necessity. Something that is working or prospering does not determine God's will in a positive or negative manner! That is, we do not use so called facts to determine whether something is according to the Will of God or not, but we analyze any and every fact and experience in the Light of the God’s Word. Just because a person is doing something and succeeding does not mean that he or she has God's approval. If such were so, cults would not be as successful, considering they are disapproved of by God. 

In the New Testament we have many examples of women who have been partners with God. The women who received miracles from Jesus, those who served Him as they walked together in the lands of Israel (Mary Magdalene more specifically), the daughters of Philip, Priscilla, Aquila's wife, Lydia, and many other women who anonymously served Jesus throughout history and even today are wonderfully used by God. Yet it is an absolute truth that there is no man or woman in the New Testament who is called a pastor. You find apostles, prophets, evangelists and teachers, but none who are called pastors; there is no mention of a pastor or pastors. 

The “pastor” as he is known today is a strange figure in the New Testament. The brazillian Greek linguistics professor, Wilson Régis, my beloved mentor, once wrote an article: "It is a sin to be a pastor." I responded: “Professor, it is sin to be a pastor too”. This singular pastor who commands a single congregation is not biblical. There is no such entity in the New Testament. There is no single figure with a higher authority over the flock, except for the Catholic church that condones the high pontiff, the pope. To this extent every single pastor as the sole leader of a church is a pope.”

To say that Timothy was a pastor is not biblical, but I can clearly state that he was an apostle. “Paul, Silas[a] and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you.”; (1 Thessalonians 1: 1, 2: 6-7) 

As for teaching in the church, what is taught in the New Testament and the whole Bible is that the woman should not exercise authority over her husband. This is basic and easy to understand and there are many texts that teach this truth. Now, could a woman theoretically lead a ministry?

 It is already clear that a woman should not be a "pastors" in the Church of God, but by the interpretation of Scripture as we know today, neither should a man. Leaving the churches of men and their confusions aside, one should not confuse “Ministry” with governing the Church of God. The Church is shepherded by a group of irreproachable and mature men whom the Bible indicates to be the Presbytery; the church was never in the New Testament shepherded by a single man. There is no individual shepherding in the New Testament. There is no such figure as "my pastor, my apostle. We must remember that Jesus said: "There is only one Shepherd!"

There is no pastor of a church in the New Testament. He who usurps this position of a single shepherd of one church occupies the place of Christ and so, even without knowing it, becomes an "anti-Christ." But to do justice to the text in the New Testament, NOTHING in the Church is individual. The coming to Jesus is individual. "If anyone wants to come..." You come to Jesus by yourself, there is not collectively salvation. And after you have come to Christ you become part of a Body, a Community; everything in the Church is about collectively. There are no solos in the Church of God. 

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4: 11-13)

In the above context, men and women are apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and teachers. Because the Church is composed not only of men, but of men and women. 

Notice this text: ““The elders (presbyters) who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;” I Peter‬ ‭5:1-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The word “presbyteros” in Greek literally means “an older man." This person was considered, in the world of the New Testament a man over forty years of age. 

It is also an indisputable fact that there is no mention in the New Testament of the word "presbyteros" in the feminine form and no mention of a woman serving as a "presbyter" in any of the churches mentioned in the New Testament. 

However, one also can not confuse ministry with presbytery. There is no restriction in the New Testament forbidding women from exercising their ministerial gifts as long as the episcopate is clearly and exclusively destined for men. "Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer (bishop) desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach..." (I Timothy 3: 1-2). 

Finally, it is worth remembering that in the world of the New Testament  there were so many presbyters in the market, as in the squares, in the houses, in the government posts, etc. as there were also presbyters in the churches. The word presbyter has to do with age, so a young man (from the Greek “neóteros”) could not shepherd the church of God because he was simply not "presbyteros" (older). And not every older man (presbyter) of the church was made a "bishop" (overseer) to shepherd the flock of God. Only those who filled the biblical qualifications and were chosen by the Spirit of God, were ordinarily established by the apostles; they were never chosen by the saints. It is worth mentioning that the process of election is unknown in the New Testament, where believers vote to choose their leaders. So when the Word of God uses the word "gave gifts to men" it does not concern only men. A woman can exercise the pastoral ministry, as well as an evangelist, a teacher, a prophet and a apostle, but never in the New Testament was she made a "bishop" to shepherd the flock of God.

When Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples He commanded us both, men and woman. When the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost Day He filled both men and women. In Jesus “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians‬ ‭3:28-29‬ ‭

#ASONE