We Must Obey God and Not Man

     I don't know why I get so happy when someone from a different country views the blog. I guess it's because through my writing and God's touch on it, I can vicariously be a part of "going into all the world" to make disciples. Not my disciples, of course, but hopefully the posts I write will point to the Father of all, and people reading them will thirst to know Him, or to know Him more deeply and fully. Yesterday, there was someone from Jamaica reading! If you come back, I say "Hello" and pray that God, through Jesus Christ, will reveal Himself to you personally, and will result in your soul's contentment and delight!
     Today I want to talk about how "the Spirit of God leads us into all truth," if you are open to hearing from Him. One of the biggest blockades that I have seen in people hearing truth, is one's own resolve in thinking they already know it. Much of this is programmed into people by their denominational teachings and beliefs. Non-denominational churches usually attach themselves to other non-denominational pastor's who either are on TV, or who travel around speaking, or who have written books on how they see it.  They follow after men, instead of seeking the Holy Spirit themselves for the interpretation of God's word.
     I understand the propensity in listening to someone who knows the Lord to hear what they have "heard from the Lord." When I first came to the Lord, and was seeking truth, I opened myself up to those older in the faith, by way of listening to Christian radio of men and women who professed Christ espoused truth by either preaching or teaching. I assumed that they knew the truth better than me, because they had been a Christian longer, and that they wouldn't lead me astray. The only problem with that was what I heard was not congruent. It caused me alot of confusion as to which voice to follow.
     And along comes the Holy Spirit; the one who promises to "lead us into all truth." Was I ever glad He rescued me from the many voices out there! Not to say, I always hear Him correctly, but I can have confidence that as He continues to renew my mind, my vision and hearing gains more clarity, in His evolving process of sanctification, or making all things new in me. And He promises this to everyone who submits themselves to it.
     In His Word, He says that there comes a time when we will be taught by no man. In our maturing process, He expects us to begin to trust in the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth. If we don't make that transition from relying on preachers and teachers as the source for truth, to  using the discernment the Holy Spirit brings when we hear them, they will become idols for us. We will cling to every word they say, as if everything they say is pure, and they become like god to us. In their fallable state, they will feed us all kinds of error and lies couched in truth, because they are men and not God, and then if taken to the worse scenario, the enemy will use them to get us off track, and then we'll begin the downward spiral into darkness, all the while thinking we are walking in the light. All because we would not grow up and listen to God ourselves. Or worse yet is when people once listened to the Holy Spirit themselves and walked according to His voice, decided that was too hard, and then put themselves  under man.
     God calls us out to be alone with Him to hear His voice, and walk in His ways. One can still be with people and be seperated unto Him. As individuals submit under Him, and the process of dying to self and the renewing of their hearts and minds,  and let the Spirit lead them into all truth, I do believe, however, that they will hear the same thing. If it's the one Holy Spirit each one is listening to, they will not hear conflicting truths.