Advancing Encouragement By:
Bishop James Jr. Hairston

1Corinthians: 4:16: Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

I want to encourage you not to fall into this age of Universal Doctrines of Men (error of the wicked) they call Christianity, 2Peter 3:17. As we go through life working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, Philippians: 2:12, we should always have an example to follow as they follow Christ, 1Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 1Thessalonians 1:6, and this will be our encouragement to keep fighting the good fight to live our lives as Jesus Christ would have us to live. I encourage you to examine your spiritual leader’s life to make sure he or she is who they say they are why, in this text it say’s, 15: For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Did your spiritual leader begotten you through the gospel meaning a parent should bring up their child in the nurturing and admonition of the Lord, Ephesians 6:4 and to train them up in the way they should go and it will not depart from them, Proverbs 22:6! Someone in your spiritual walk should be your spiritual parent and you are to use them as an example so that you will be successful in your spiritual growth in Christ Jesus. One of the most important examples in your life should be your Pastor and if he is not walking as Christ walk then you need to get another example, 1Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 1Thessalonians 1:6 and 2Thessalonians 3:9. Why, Paul said we have ten thousand instructors but not many fathers so he took it upon himself to begotten the Church of Jesus Christ that he set up and taught. The only thing an instructor can do is direct traffic or point you in the right direction to say go where I say go or do what I say do but don’t do what I do or go where I go because I do not want you to go where I am going so you cannot follow me! Many instructors have double lives you see them in their spiritual clothing but when you are not around and behind close doors they put on worldly clothing. Spiritual fathers are great examples because they are living holy, pure and respectful lives that honors God and you can look up to that in remembrance of their ways which be in Christ everywhere they go, verse 17. In addition, a spiritual father possess his faith in God why, the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in Power, verse 20. This means he does not simply have mere words with talk but he possesses the Power of God to live by them in Jesus Name… Where is your Spiritual Father?

James Jr. Hairston