Hi Mike,

Boy!! Did my heavenly father show me something today for the first time. God is doing his work or at least the work that he has spiritually written in his book for all of mankind. He allowed me to see his sovereign work taking place in the lives of people around me who are just going about their daily affairs. None of them have a clue as to why they do the things they do. And at the same time I also know that God is also controlling me, and it is so humbling. It makes me smile because I love the idea that there is someone in control and not some freaky humanistic big bang. I love you brother and Sandi and your family in Christ. Yes, if you think I have a soft heart, you are right. I have been told I have a soft heart and a teachable heart. God bless you. My heartfelt feelings are pouring out for you and Sandi just like they were for apostle Paul for his brother Timothy.

Your brother in Christ,
T____

Hi T____,
Reading this e- mail, and knowing that God is opening your eyes as He is doing puts a big smile on my face.

Just knowing that “all things work together for good” and knowing that “all things are for your sakes” is a comforting thought in a world that has no direction or purpose, other than to please itself.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

But this lost world is also by God’s design, and it certainly should comfort and humble all of us to know that God had it all “written in His book” before any of it ever happened.

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them. (ASV)

I pray that you never lose the “soft heart” the Lord has given you, and that you never lose the desire and ability to be “teachable.” There is an insidious false doctrine going around which takes John’s statement “You need NOT that any man teach you…” and uses that one verse to nullify all the rest of the scriptures which reveal that ” God has set… teachers in the church.”

1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

This whole epistle is against false teachers and “false prophets”. It is not against those who “hear us” and teach us the truth.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1Jn 4:5  They [ The false prophets and false teachers of verse one] are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; [ hears the teaching of those who “TRY THE SPIRITS”] he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

No one yet has ever come to Christ who was not first taught about Christ through either the writings or verbal teaching of some man. The Bible itself was written by ‘men’ who were inspired by God and not ‘men’ who do not know what “the sum of thy word” means.

Psa 119:160  The sum of thy word is truth; And every one of thy righteous ordinances endureth for ever. (ASV)

When John used the word ‘man’ in that verse, he was using it as Christ used it when He said this.

Mat 10:17  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

Is Christ telling us that His own elect apostles would “deliver you up to the councils, and scourge you in their synagogues?” What an absurd thought. What a demonic doctrine! Likewise it is nothing less than a doctrine of demons to take this verse…:

1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

… and pit this verse against all the rest of scripture, as if the principle of “the sum of Thy Word” has been suspended, and use this verse to deny all of these verses.

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Act 5:40  And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Act 5:41  And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Act 5:42  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
1Co 4:17  For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an [ unknown] tongue.
1Ti 1:3  As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine,
1Ti 3:2  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
2Ti 2:2  And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
2Ti 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

Any “servant of the Lord must be apt to teach.” That is what the scriptures really teach. Any man who points to that one verse in John to deny that “God has placed… teachers… in the church” is the very “man” John is referring to when he says “You have no need that any man teach you.” That is the very same person Christ referred to when He said, “Beware of men.” Christ certainly was not telling us to beware of those men who He had set in the church as teachers.

1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

All these verses, God’s own Words, showing that “God has set… in the church… teachers,” is “the anointing” John referred to when he tells us we don’t need to be taught by “any man.” The “anointing” is the spirit, and Christ said that His Words were spirit.”

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

I am sure you already know all this, but this doctrine which denies that we need teachers in the church is an insidious, divisive, damnable doctrine which appeals to many babes in Christ with a rather Lone Ranger spirit. They believe that John is telling us that we really don’t need the rest of the body, or if we do, it is just for fellowship and not for learning. They have failed to see the warning given us by the holy spirit that we are all part of the body of Christ, and no part of that body can say to any other part of that body “I have no need of thee.”

1Co 12:8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
1Co 12:10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
1Co 12:11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
1Co 12:12  For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [ we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [ we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
1Co 12:17  If the whole body [ were] an eye, where [ were] the hearing? If the whole [ were] hearing, where [ were] the smelling?
1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
1Co 12:19  And if they were all one member, where [ were] the body?
1Co 12:20  But now [ are they] many members, yet but one body.
1Co 12:21  And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.

The person with “the word of knowledge” cannot say to the person with “the word of wisdom” I don’t need you. The person with the gift of prophecy cannot say to the person with the gift of discerning of spirits, I have no need of you. None of us can say to any of the others that we do not need that other brother or sister. God has set us each in the body as it pleases Him, and for that we need to be thankful.

Eph 4:16  From whom [ Christ] the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

I am edified by you, and I am edified and nourished by every person Christ has seen fit to place in my and Sandi’s lives.
Here is a Biblical example of the childlike, teachable attitude we ought to all have:

Act 8:27  And he [ Philip] arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
Act 8:28  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Act 8:29  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
Act 8:30  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Act 8:31  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Thank you for what you do for the body of Christ, and rest assured Sandi sees these letters.

Your brother in Christ,
Mike