(But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.) 1Tim 6:11. (That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works). 2Tim 3:17.
The appellation man of God appears in scripture 73 times in both Old and New Testament. But who really is a man or woman of God? I would like to encourage all students of the word to carry out a personal study of the lives of those who were recognized by the appellation "Man of God." You will find the study fascinating and revealing.
Let me share with you what I discovered after carrying out my own research on the subject. I discovered that those who were called "man of God" were different in many ways in the nature of their assignments, but they all had certian commonalities, which I see as the core of what being a man or woman of God is about. "Men or women of God function as expositors and revealers of God's mind and the expression of God's emotion per time and sometimes beyond. They do not represent themselves, but God.''
People turned to them wherever they desire to understand the mind of God on critical issues of importance, and they equally reflected the state of God's emotion towards individuals and nations. If God is pleased, their nature of ministry and messages will reflect that, and if God isn't okay with the state of affairs or there is an urgency in the spirit for something the Lord wants to do or communicate, their messages will reflect that. You can't find a true man or woman of God comfortable speaking what is not God's mind and that which doesn't reflect God's emotion per time.
Men and women of God don't speak "peace" to corrupt and unjust systems, and they don't patronize error. They take side with God and not with the state or any religious order. The praise of people is not their interest and using their gift to amass wealth is never their quest, but their heartbeat is to do the will of God.
Men and women of God don't live for the things ordinary people pursue, they are in the world, but not of the world. A man or woman of God can serve as an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher, and Pastor, etc. but an individual can be called an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Teacher and Pastor without being a man or woman of God.
There may be many titled Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers, and Pastors in a city/ nation, but just 2-3 men or women of God. Men and women of God are rare but available. You don't need many of them in a city or nation to impact it, just one or two can turn the tides of history and change the course of a city/ country for the best.
Every generation needs genuine Men and woman of God and the worse spiritual crisis in any nation is when impostors masquerading as men and women of God take over and pollute the minds of people with errors. True prophets will always rebuke false "profits." Ponder! DrBenard Etta
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