FIRST THE FACTS: A to E
A) False teachers, pastors and
prophets have always been there. They are mentioned in the books of Deuteronomy
13:1-5, Deuteronomy 18:22, Jeremiah 18: 1-17, Acts 13:6, 2 Peter 2:1, Jude etc. B) They will be there to the end.
Others will spring up even if those believed false are removed. 2Peter 2:1 says, “There were false
prophets also amongst the people, even as there shall be false teachers among
you, who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord
that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”C) Genuine pastors are seldom
‘newsworthy.’ They are not very good entertainers. Their good deeds of
salvation, feeding or clothing the poor only make news if they win a noble
price or the pastor pays for the airtime. D): We are allowed TO TEST
all spirits to test if they are of/from God and NOT TO BELIEVE every spirit.
The reason given in 1 John 4:1 is "false prophets are gone into the
world." Testing the spirits is obeying the Scripture that commands it and
therefore God. E) No false hood will
remain unpunished by God so cheer up if you feel conned. He says in Galatians
6:7 "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever man sows, that
shall he also reap."
My prayer is for God to help me not to become judgmental.
What
the world is interested in/or loves to see or hear is
misbehaving ‘men of God’
‘pastor’
misbehaving is big news to the world. It gives ammunition for criticism to the
people who hate God, Godliness and the Gospel. An attorney general believes he can weed them out by legislation.
The actions of the false gives ‘pastors’ who lack power and operate with a form
of godliness (most of them religious) bragging rights and a chance to justify
themselves. Newspapers love ‘news’ of pastors divorcing, committing adultery or
amassing wealth by false pretenses. Other common accusations against Pastors
are advocating false prophesy and doctrine, sexual immorality, use of
witchcraft and magic gadgets, use of anesthetic powder to put people down, use
of makeup artists and actors to imitate wounds and fake healing
and miracles (the lame walk, blind see and deaf hear) and use of actors to
display exorcism with the actors displaying and testifying to the 'miracle'. If
you are a Christian then you seriously need to read the Bible. This blog will
concentrate on their identity based on Biblical Teachings.
Do the false qualify to be referred to as Pastor or Man of
God?
To
answer this, one needs to remember that God is good and anything evil is not of
God. HE is not the author of confusion or lies. Any person misbehaving,
misquoting scripture for self aggrandisement or misusing it is not a Pastor,
Prophet or a ‘man of God.” People who call them so do it because they have identified
themselves as such to them and convinced them that they are genuine. Some get
the title because of attending theological or religious colleges or one of the
many “schools of ministry” run by some ‘church’ They then suck in people whom
the Biblical Prophet Hosea describes as “perishing for lack of knowledge and
those who reject knowledge’ to start a “flock”(Hos: 4:6). Through erroneous teaching, blaring music all tailored
to please the listener and a display of "power", they collect a
“flock” that the Bible describes as “people who cannot endure sound doctrine,
heap to themselves teachers having itching ears because of their own lusts and
who will turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned to fables” (2Tim 4:4). The flock becomes enslaved
by selective use of Scripture, choreographed preaching and music. When the
'pastor' messes up, he cunningly uses Scripture to justify his misdeeds. The Question is, are they recognized by God? The answer is NO. The
book of 1 John 3:8 says. “Anyone
that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins form the beginning.” They
are workers of iniquity and need to repent. (Luke 13:27)
The
Mark of false prophet/pastor - How do we identify the false
prophet/pastor?
The
false prophet resembles the devil in word, deed, action and fruit Jesus said, in John 8:44 "Ye are of your
father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer
from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he
is a liar, and the father of it." Isaiah describes the
devil as one who 'does not release the prisoner.' (Isaiah 14: 17) Expect
no mercy or pity from him, he will not let you go once he has snared you into
his fold, unless; you "violently" free yourself. Note the quotes. The
book of Ezekiel and Isaiah describe him as decorated with pride leading to his down fall. (Isaiah
14:12-19/Ezekiel 18:1-19/). He has the ability to enter into people to fulfill
his desire.(Luke 22:3 & John 13:7).
The false
will therefore be full of lust and he speaks of his own when he lies. The lust is for fellow men/women, money, wealth. jealousy
(especially of other servants of God), he will be proud believing himself God’s
chosen one, he will fleece his flock mercilessly, kill their dreams through
demands for money, kill if necessary to remove opposition, corrupt scripture to
get favors weather sexual, monetary or so. In brief, he works for his stomach.
(Isa 156:11-12). The testimonies on TV, crusades, open air meetings and
religious radio stations are all about the ‘man of God’ or ‘his church’ and
seldom the God who performs miracles or Jesus. Contrast these testimonies with
those in the entire Bible especially the book of Acts and the difference is
clear. A good example is Peter’s testimony after miracles happened. In Acts 3, peter and John prayed for a
cripple who leapt after them into the temple. Peter noticed people were giving
them credit by their looks. He says in verse 12, “men of Israel, why are you
amazed at this? why do you look at us as if it is by our own power or
holiness we have made this man walk?’ He went on to exalt Jesus in the next
verses. He and John did not take the credit. None of the true prophets/teachers
or scribes in the Bible took credit for miracles, not even Jesus or Moses. It
was that God gets the glory (John 11:4,
11:40). The false points to themselves and their churches as the source of
miracles, they take the credit that belongs to God. Their “flock’ is taught to
exalt the ‘man of God’ and the building of worship they referred to as “their
church.” After all, all prisoners will praise the jailor if they want to serve
the sentence in peace.
Isaiah
14:17: He keeps prisoners and does not tend to 'sheep' The messages of false prophets and pastors or teachers turn his followers into hopeless dependents
(prisoners). He teaches directly and indirectly that it is only him and through
him that God hears them contrary to the teaching of Jesus in Mark 16: 17 that all who believe can
cast out demons, speak with new tongues; take up serpents, not be harmed by
drinking any deadly thing and they lay hands on the sick and they shall
recover. After all God is no respecter of persons and “opens to all who knock,
gives to all who ask and seek.” (Mat
7:7) Each believer according to the Apostle Paul makes up the body of
Christ each having a role to play. The Holy Spirit helps all believers, all who
desire and uses all with equal zeal while equipping each believer for their
unique role for the benefit of all. (1Cor 12 & Rom 12) If you have been
mesmerized by the false razzmatazz and turned into a prisoner, you need to
break out and serve the Lord Jesus which is what Jesus expects.
Until my nest blog
take some time to fast and pray while meditating upon the word of God. Doing so
will set you free. Remember me in your prayers too. I took this step after many
years of "fearing to 'point a finger at the man of God" and broke out
of a life of captivity. Today I can pray for myself, pray for others, encourage
them and even boldly write that you need to test the Spirit your pastor
operates in. Examine his life vis-à-vis what Scripture teaches, his words
vis-à-vis Scripture and the impact of his ministry on your life. Examine if it
produces righteousness, peace and Joy in the Holy Spirit? (Rom 14:17) Does it produce hope of life in abundance here on earth
and everlasting life through Christ? (John
10:10). If it produces the false hope that ‘offerings and tithes’ will lead
to abundance regardless of your walk with God Contrary to 2 Cor 9:6-8, you need to test that Spirit. God is not and cannot be bribed. Jesus
redeemed us by taking all curses that were pronounced in the Law (read Old
Testament) (Gal 3:13-14), Jesus fulfilled
the Law, (Mathew 5:17), Jesus gave
us His Holy Spirit as a gift so that we may by grace obey God. (Eph 2:8-10) It should be a joy
and a grace to serve God with all our substance as in Prov 3:9 not a punishment. If the teachings and
sermons you hear leave out Faith in Christ and the grace of God as an avenue to
God’s heart and all riches, be cautious. If serving God, praying, worship, attending
church and fellowship or giving to God is difficult and painful, then you are a
slave not a son of God. It should be by grace. God does not need payment for
services rendered, he gave freely. (Math
10:8). The price was steep; it took the death of a person, Jesus on the
cross. His blood and body was the ultimate price. God offers all things freely
for He was paid a ransom for us by HIS SON.
LET
GOD BLESS THE READER WHO BELIEVES IN TRUTH ABUNDANTLY.
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