Honor Your Parents in the LORD

¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. EPHESIANS 6

¹⁶ Submit to [holy men] and to everyone who joins in [their] work, and labors at it. 1 CORINTHIANS 16

⁷ Remember your leaders, who spoke the Word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. HEBREWS 13

¹² Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. 1 THESSALONIANS 5

²⁹ With all your soul hold the Lord in awe, and revere His priests. ³⁰ With all your might love Him who made you, and do not abandon His ministers. ³¹ Fear the Lord and honour the priest and give him the portion enjoined on you [what you have been commanded to give him]. ECCLESIASTICUS 7

Who is the parent in the Lord? He is the soul-winner who is well-versed in God’s instructions and lives by it. 

²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. JOHN 10 

He who teaches the Word but does not live by it is not a parent in the Lord. He is, in fact, Lucifer’s worker masquerading. Beware, for he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, fielded to mislead, discourage, and dissuade us from learning God’s instructions and living by it.

How to spot one? He manifests one or a combination of these characteristics:

§      Continues in sinning.

§      More of a receiver than a giver.

§      No integrity, a hypocrite who teaches one thing and does the opposite.

§      Loves money and expects to be paid for his services.

§      A disturbed soul whose faith-edifice is cracked with frustrations, disappointments, insecurities, doubts, worries, and grumbling. 

§      Given to a vice or addiction.

§      Has lustful eyes and or a dirty mouth.

§      Has irregular prayer life. His prayers lack intensity.

§      Love of God is not the focal point of his thoughts, words and actions.

Let us test the spirits of everyone—yes, including the angels—who come to teach in the Most Holy Name.

¹ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 JOHN 4