Headlines for a day Friday, 29 April, 2011, 8:00:59 PM
Its amazing how many prophecy related stories appear in a single day now. I can recall several years ago, weeks would pass before we'd see anything prophetically related in the news. These days there are several such stories in the news almost hourly, and then there are days like this in which you can barely fit all of the stories into one post:
IAEA chief: Syria tried to secretly build nuclear reactor
The head of the UN atomic watchdog, Yukiya Amano, on Thursday said for the first time that Syria tried in the past to secretly build a nuclear reactor, which was destroyed by Israeli warplanes five years ago, The Associated Press reported. The IAEA carried out an agreed inspection of another Syrian plant earlier in April as part of a long-stalled probe into suspected covert nuclear activity.
Muslim Brotherhood Urges Protests In Syria
The banned Muslim Brotherhood has called on Syrians to take to the streets to protest against the regime ahead of Friday prayers. The declaration is the first time that the Brotherhood, whose leadership is in exile, have called directly for demonstrations since pro-democracy demonstrations against President Bashar al Assad's autocratic rule erupted six weeks ago.
European governments will discuss the situation on Friday
A push for the UN Security Council to condemn the crackdown was blocked by Russia, China and Lebanon on Wednesday night.
Fayyad: PA Already Moving to Make Jerusalem its Capital
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad used his weekly address to tell listeners the PA would be making unilateral moves to establish Jerusalem as the capital for a PA stat
Telling listeners the last two years [during which the PA adamantly refused to sit down and discuss peace with Israel -Ed.] had focused on resistance to Israeli "occupation" of eastern Jerusalem, Fayyad said that now it was time to focus instead on turning the city into a capital for a PA state.
U.S. dollar's dizzying drop wreaks economic havoc
The U.S. dollar’s long decline has turned into a sudden plunge, throwing currency markets into a frenzy that is complicating life for policy makers and executives the world over. The U.S. dollar is in the midst of what Nomura Securities International analyst Jens Nordvig called a “violent … weakening move,” as a confluence of factors drive investors to seek short-term gains outside the United States.
America's Fiscal High Noon
According to the unclassified 2009 report “Economic Warfare: Risks and Responses” by financial analyst Kevin D. Freeman, what’s referred to as “Bear Raid II” — phase III of an economic terrorist attack against the United States — is poised to fatally hit the U.S. Treasury and the U.S. dollar, causing the collapse of America’s economy.
It was a threat former Secretary of State James A. Baker III underscored on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS on April 10, noting if the dollar was replaced as the global reserve currency, it would be catastrophic for America.
Yet red flags galore signal that the train has already left the station.
US South drought Causes Massive Crop Losses
A devastating drought intensified across Texas over the last week, with high winds and heat causing "massive crop losses," and weather experts said Thursday that little relief was in sight. Ranchers were struggling to feed and water cattle, and farmers were left to watch their crops shrivel into the dusty soil. Some experts estimated that producers were giving up on up to 70 percent of the state's wheat acreage.
Fuchs said the drought in Texas was one of the worst in decades. The dramatically lower-than-normal amount of moisture in the soil has caused widespread crop failures, including to the state's hard red winter wheat crop.
Texas is a key production area for wheat. The losses there and in parts of the U.S. Plains hit by drought will aggravate already short supplies around the world.
Soaring crude prices putting squeeze on U.S. GDP
As crude prices soar, oil dependence is once again proving a glaring vulnerability for the U.S. economy and, ultimately, the global recession. “That’s the single biggest risk to the U.S. and the global recovery at this point, the risk that oil prices are not done with us yet,” said Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. “And they could rise further.”
On Thursday, crude futures neared $113 a barrel, up more than 40% since November and up more than 30% in the last three months alone. The current price was last hit in April 2008.
US at risk of war with China, Russia
The US is at the risk of a war with Russia and China as its main objective behind engineering the Libyan war and Syrian unrest is to remove the two world powers out of the Mediterranean, a former US official warns.
“Washington is all for invading against Libya and is putting more and more pressure to intervene in Syria because we want to … clear China and Russia out of the Mediterranean,” Paul Craig Roberts, former assistant secretary to US Treasury in Panama City said in an interview with Press TV.
“Once Russia and China come to the conclusion that the Americans simply cannot be dealt with it in any rational way and are determined to somehow subdue them and do them damage, all kinds of escalations can result. This is the real danger and we’re risking a major war,” the former senior US official cautioned.
Iran's growing clout
The fast-paced political earthquakes in the Middle East that we have been witnessing in recent weeks have one common denominator -- President Obama's influence in the region has shrunk to somewhere between a pittance and zero, while Iran's has been bolstered across the board.
By his inability to shape events, Obama created a political vacuum that Iran's theocratic rulers are filling at an accelerating pace
Abbas completely distanced himself from Obama by cutting a reconciliation deal with Hamas, another terrorist surrogate of Iran. Riding high, Tehran immediately blessed the Fatah-Hamas "unity' agreement, brokered by Cairo's new power elite, as "the first achievement of the Egyptian revolution." Hamas immediately vowed there would be ''no recognition, no negotiations'' with Israel with Hamas sharing power.
Barak reiterates: Israel won't talk to Palestinian government that includes Hamas
Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued an official response on Thursday to the announcement of Palestinian reconciliation, saying there was "no chance that we will talk with this government, if they try to create it."
"Hamas is a murderous terrorist organization that fires rockets on citizens and recently fired an anti-tank missile at a school bus of students," Barak said. "This is an organization with whom there is nothing to discuss, and therefore we will have no discourse with them."
Earlier in the day, Barak had said that Israel should negotiate with the planned Fatah-Hamas Palestinian unity government only and if it renounces terror activities and recognizes Israel.
In his official statement, the defense minister also demanded that Israel's international friends also refuse to speak with a unity government which includes Hamas, unless the group "undergoes a deep and fundamental change."
The Palestinian announcement was met with skepticism, with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warning that a reconciliation deal could result in a Hamas takeover of the currently PA-ruled West Bank.
Lieberman told Army Radio of his fears that Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, would eventually take over the Palestinian Authority-ruled West Bank as well, making use of Hamas activists freed by Fatah as part of the new agreement.
President Shimon Peres also commented on the burgeoning Palestinian reconciliation agreement on Thursday, saying he felt the deal was a mistake that could prevent the formation of an independent Palestinian state.
Posted by Prophecy Update
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Weeping With Wilkerson
Weeping With Wilkerson (or These Strange Manifestations Are Not the Holy Ghost)
Thursday, 28 April 2011 11:40 AM EDT Jennifer LeClaire
People will remember David Wilkerson, who was killed in a head-on collision in Tyler, Texas on Wednesday, for many different things.
Some will remember him for his books, like The Cross and the Switchblade, which became a best-selling phenomenon with more than 15 million copies sold in over 30 languages. Others will remember him for launching Teen Challenge, a nationwide ministry to reach out to people with life controlling habits. Still others will remember Wilkerson for his sometimes controversial prophetic words.
I will remember Wilkerson for all of that and more, but there is one particular message this general of the faith preached more than a decade ago that I believe needs to be shouted from the rooftops in these last days. (Indeed, many of Wilkerson’s uncompromising messages need to be trumpeted in this hour, but a particular sermon he preached in Moscow in 2000 has weighed heavy on my heart since I first saw it a few years ago.) As was often the case with Wilkerson’s sermons, it was relevant when he preached it but it grew even more relevant as time went on.
Wilkerson’s sermon topic addressed strange manifestations that people wrongly attribute to the Holy Ghost. Now, Wilkerson was an Assemblies of God man who was well acquainted with the Holy Spirit. He was certainly one to flow with the Spirit of God. He heard from God. And it grieved his heart to witness the rise of strange manifestations in the name of the Holy Spirit—manifestations that were certainly not of God.
In his sermon, Wilkerson tells a story of a woman who was confused about what was going on in her local church. She explained, “Many of our church don’t know what to do. We were having wonderful services. The Spirit of the Lord was with us. But our pastor thought there was more. The church wasn’t growing fast enough. And he heard of revival. He went to this revival. He came home three months ago. He got up to preach. And he started to laugh for half an hour. He couldn’t control himself. He just laughed and laughed. There was no preaching. And he told us, ‘This is a new move with the Holy Ghost’.”
I want to stress this point: Wilkerson went on to explain that this wasn’t a one-time incident at that local church. This wasn't some spontaneous outbreak of holy laughter. It went on for three solid months. There was no preaching for three months of Sundays. Only uncontrollable laughing. Wilkerson asked a pointed question: “The Holy Ghost who wrote [the Bible], who said, ‘The truth sets you free,’ will He cause the minister to laugh so he cannot preach this Word?” I'm not against laughing, but three months of laughing at the neglect of equipping the saints with the Word of God?
Without naming names, Wilkerson called out ministries where people barked like dogs and made other bizzare animal noises. He referenced unnamed churches where people hiss and wiggle on the floor like snakes. He described many strange manifestations—and explained how people call it the Holy Ghost. Fighting back the tears, Wilkerson said crediting these sorts of manifestations to the Holy Ghost makes Him look like a fool. Before the end of the sermon, Wilkerson was overcome with grief and began sobbing in his hands.
Did the Body of Christ heed this prophet’s warning? Perhaps some did. But I have witnessed those things Wilkerson called out and perhaps worse over the past year.
Please don't get me wrong. I am all for experiencing the authentic power of God. I am all for valid manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit. I love to witness signs, wonders and miracles. I expect to see more of that in the days ahead. But I am concerned that some are ill-equipped to discern the difference between the Spirit of God and strange fire.
I’ve been to prayer meetings where a woman’s eyes were rolling into the back of her head and her eyelids were fluttering rapidly as if she was under demonic control. (Are you going to tell me that the Holy Spirit rolls your eyes in the back of your head when you pray in the Spirit?) During service I saw that same woman up on the platform singing, then she abruptly stopped worshipping to prophesy utter nonsense for 10 minutes. The pastor did nothing.
I’ve seen people “toking” imaginary marijuana cigarettes and passing it down the line as if the Holy Ghost is some sort of drug. Again the pastor did nothing. People meow like cats, grown men lay on the floor in a sweaty huddle for hours, either unconscious or in some sort of funky haze, and teenagers twitch and shake uncontrollably as if having a seizure.
Again, I'm all for genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit and I've participated in plenty of them. But I never read about Abel’s eyes rolling in the back of his head when he brought his offering to God. There isn’t anything in the Bible about Enoch’s eyes fluttering rapidly and uncontrollably as he was raptured. Noah wasn’t passing imaginary joints to his family in the ark. Abraham didn’t have pileups with the 318 men trained in his own house. The Bible doesn’t record Issac, Jacob or Joseph meowing like cats (or even barking like dogs or hissing like snakes). Moses didn’t shake and twitch uncontrollably for an hour as if having epileptic seizure when he saw the glory of God.
If these heroes of faith didn’t record such strange manifestations of the Spirit of God, how can we be so quick to say it’s the Spirit of God? Can we automatically OK hissing, writhing and barking just because John said many things Jesus did weren't recorded in the Bible? Shouldn't we test the spirits, like the Bible says?
Some of you are probably angry with me for saying these things. Let me make it crystal clear. I am not coming against signs that were recorded in the Bible. A talking mule...OK. Not a person who grunts and bucks like a mule? Praying over hankerchiefs and giving them to sick people. I've done it. Dancing in the Spirit. Go for it. Let's keep the topic on the topic. This article is about none of those things. This article isn't about biblical manifestations. It's about extrabiblical manfestations that, instead of glorifying God and producing good fruit, appear more like a side show.
Instead of picking up stones, you should be weeping with me. The Holy Ghost doesn’t come to make us spiritual fruits, flakes and nuts. The Holy Ghost comes to convict us of sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of judgment. He comes to comfort us, to counsel us, to help us. The Holy Ghost makes us more stable, not less stable.
The apostle Paul said, “If the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?” (1 Cor. 14:23, NKJV) The Amplified translation says “demented.” The New Living Translation says “crazy.” The King James version says “mad.” And the Message translation puts it this way: “If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you’re all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can?”
Get out of there as fast as I can. That’s what I do when I see these strange unbiblical manifestations and that’s what I would suggest you do if you see people hissing, foaming at the mouth, and writhing on the floor in the middle of church. If Paul offered this warning about praying in tongues, what in heaven would he say about barking like dogs, meowing like cats, and the like? Selah.
At the end of the day, I look at Jesus. You don’t get any fuller of the Holy Spirit than Jesus. And I never saw my Jesus rolling around on the ground pretending to smoke imaginary weed or rolling his eyes in the back of his head or making animal noises. I haven’t seen one record of Spirit-filled saints acting that way in the Bible. You would think if such mad manifestations were genuinely of the Holy Spirit and fell on those who were desperately seeking God’s face we would see them recorded in the Book of Acts. Yes, we see strange miracles, but that didn't include hissing, barking, writhing, etc.
Now, I did read about an encounter Jesus had with someone who offered some strange manifestations. Indeed, a boy was experiencing some strange manifestations that heightened in the presence of God. Scripture reads, “When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth” (Mark 9:20, NIV)
What did Jesus do in the face of these strange manifestations? He rebuked the evil spirit and cast it out. So when I see people attributing animal noises, hissing, and other strange manifestations to the Holy Spirit, I weep with Wilkerson. Don't you? Please join with me in praying that the Church would have greater discernment in this hour. Amen.
Jennifer is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including the A Prophet's Heart
Thursday, 28 April 2011 11:40 AM EDT Jennifer LeClaire
People will remember David Wilkerson, who was killed in a head-on collision in Tyler, Texas on Wednesday, for many different things.
Some will remember him for his books, like The Cross and the Switchblade, which became a best-selling phenomenon with more than 15 million copies sold in over 30 languages. Others will remember him for launching Teen Challenge, a nationwide ministry to reach out to people with life controlling habits. Still others will remember Wilkerson for his sometimes controversial prophetic words.
I will remember Wilkerson for all of that and more, but there is one particular message this general of the faith preached more than a decade ago that I believe needs to be shouted from the rooftops in these last days. (Indeed, many of Wilkerson’s uncompromising messages need to be trumpeted in this hour, but a particular sermon he preached in Moscow in 2000 has weighed heavy on my heart since I first saw it a few years ago.) As was often the case with Wilkerson’s sermons, it was relevant when he preached it but it grew even more relevant as time went on.
Wilkerson’s sermon topic addressed strange manifestations that people wrongly attribute to the Holy Ghost. Now, Wilkerson was an Assemblies of God man who was well acquainted with the Holy Spirit. He was certainly one to flow with the Spirit of God. He heard from God. And it grieved his heart to witness the rise of strange manifestations in the name of the Holy Spirit—manifestations that were certainly not of God.
In his sermon, Wilkerson tells a story of a woman who was confused about what was going on in her local church. She explained, “Many of our church don’t know what to do. We were having wonderful services. The Spirit of the Lord was with us. But our pastor thought there was more. The church wasn’t growing fast enough. And he heard of revival. He went to this revival. He came home three months ago. He got up to preach. And he started to laugh for half an hour. He couldn’t control himself. He just laughed and laughed. There was no preaching. And he told us, ‘This is a new move with the Holy Ghost’.”
I want to stress this point: Wilkerson went on to explain that this wasn’t a one-time incident at that local church. This wasn't some spontaneous outbreak of holy laughter. It went on for three solid months. There was no preaching for three months of Sundays. Only uncontrollable laughing. Wilkerson asked a pointed question: “The Holy Ghost who wrote [the Bible], who said, ‘The truth sets you free,’ will He cause the minister to laugh so he cannot preach this Word?” I'm not against laughing, but three months of laughing at the neglect of equipping the saints with the Word of God?
Without naming names, Wilkerson called out ministries where people barked like dogs and made other bizzare animal noises. He referenced unnamed churches where people hiss and wiggle on the floor like snakes. He described many strange manifestations—and explained how people call it the Holy Ghost. Fighting back the tears, Wilkerson said crediting these sorts of manifestations to the Holy Ghost makes Him look like a fool. Before the end of the sermon, Wilkerson was overcome with grief and began sobbing in his hands.
Did the Body of Christ heed this prophet’s warning? Perhaps some did. But I have witnessed those things Wilkerson called out and perhaps worse over the past year.
Please don't get me wrong. I am all for experiencing the authentic power of God. I am all for valid manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I believe in the gifts of the Spirit. I love to witness signs, wonders and miracles. I expect to see more of that in the days ahead. But I am concerned that some are ill-equipped to discern the difference between the Spirit of God and strange fire.
I’ve been to prayer meetings where a woman’s eyes were rolling into the back of her head and her eyelids were fluttering rapidly as if she was under demonic control. (Are you going to tell me that the Holy Spirit rolls your eyes in the back of your head when you pray in the Spirit?) During service I saw that same woman up on the platform singing, then she abruptly stopped worshipping to prophesy utter nonsense for 10 minutes. The pastor did nothing.
I’ve seen people “toking” imaginary marijuana cigarettes and passing it down the line as if the Holy Ghost is some sort of drug. Again the pastor did nothing. People meow like cats, grown men lay on the floor in a sweaty huddle for hours, either unconscious or in some sort of funky haze, and teenagers twitch and shake uncontrollably as if having a seizure.
Again, I'm all for genuine manifestations of the Holy Spirit and I've participated in plenty of them. But I never read about Abel’s eyes rolling in the back of his head when he brought his offering to God. There isn’t anything in the Bible about Enoch’s eyes fluttering rapidly and uncontrollably as he was raptured. Noah wasn’t passing imaginary joints to his family in the ark. Abraham didn’t have pileups with the 318 men trained in his own house. The Bible doesn’t record Issac, Jacob or Joseph meowing like cats (or even barking like dogs or hissing like snakes). Moses didn’t shake and twitch uncontrollably for an hour as if having epileptic seizure when he saw the glory of God.
If these heroes of faith didn’t record such strange manifestations of the Spirit of God, how can we be so quick to say it’s the Spirit of God? Can we automatically OK hissing, writhing and barking just because John said many things Jesus did weren't recorded in the Bible? Shouldn't we test the spirits, like the Bible says?
Some of you are probably angry with me for saying these things. Let me make it crystal clear. I am not coming against signs that were recorded in the Bible. A talking mule...OK. Not a person who grunts and bucks like a mule? Praying over hankerchiefs and giving them to sick people. I've done it. Dancing in the Spirit. Go for it. Let's keep the topic on the topic. This article is about none of those things. This article isn't about biblical manifestations. It's about extrabiblical manfestations that, instead of glorifying God and producing good fruit, appear more like a side show.
Instead of picking up stones, you should be weeping with me. The Holy Ghost doesn’t come to make us spiritual fruits, flakes and nuts. The Holy Ghost comes to convict us of sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of judgment. He comes to comfort us, to counsel us, to help us. The Holy Ghost makes us more stable, not less stable.
The apostle Paul said, “If the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?” (1 Cor. 14:23, NKJV) The Amplified translation says “demented.” The New Living Translation says “crazy.” The King James version says “mad.” And the Message translation puts it this way: “If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you’re all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won't they assume you've taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can?”
Get out of there as fast as I can. That’s what I do when I see these strange unbiblical manifestations and that’s what I would suggest you do if you see people hissing, foaming at the mouth, and writhing on the floor in the middle of church. If Paul offered this warning about praying in tongues, what in heaven would he say about barking like dogs, meowing like cats, and the like? Selah.
At the end of the day, I look at Jesus. You don’t get any fuller of the Holy Spirit than Jesus. And I never saw my Jesus rolling around on the ground pretending to smoke imaginary weed or rolling his eyes in the back of his head or making animal noises. I haven’t seen one record of Spirit-filled saints acting that way in the Bible. You would think if such mad manifestations were genuinely of the Holy Spirit and fell on those who were desperately seeking God’s face we would see them recorded in the Book of Acts. Yes, we see strange miracles, but that didn't include hissing, barking, writhing, etc.
Now, I did read about an encounter Jesus had with someone who offered some strange manifestations. Indeed, a boy was experiencing some strange manifestations that heightened in the presence of God. Scripture reads, “When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth” (Mark 9:20, NIV)
What did Jesus do in the face of these strange manifestations? He rebuked the evil spirit and cast it out. So when I see people attributing animal noises, hissing, and other strange manifestations to the Holy Spirit, I weep with Wilkerson. Don't you? Please join with me in praying that the Church would have greater discernment in this hour. Amen.
Jennifer is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including the A Prophet's Heart
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Last Days Revival or End Time Apostasy?
Last Days Revival or End Time Apostasy?
The topic on the minds of many Christians and Messianic Jews today is revival. Christian TV, radio and best-selling books persuasively argue that we are in the midst of the greatest revival in the history of the world. Enthusiasts point to the signs and wonders occurring in such places as Toronto, Pensacola, Benny Hinn's church in Orlando, Promise Keepers filling up stadiums, and their recent million man rally in Washington DC, as signs of this revival.
As a result, I've been thinking more about End Time revival. Knowing that we are drawing closer and closer to Acharit HaYamin (the Last Days), those days in which we can almost hear the footsteps of Yeshua approaching, I want us to consider the question, "Does the Bible predict there will be a great End Time revival that sweeps the world before the Second Coming?"
The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew contains the Messiah's most comprehensive teaching on His Second Coming. In it He gave us specific signs to look for that would immediately precede His return. Some of the signs include: false prophets and false messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famine, the persecution of God's people, the moral decay of society, a great apostasy, or falling away from true Faith, the rise of the Anti-Christ, the rebirth of Israel, the rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple, a final outbreak of anti-Semitism, and unprecedented destruction on a world wide basis.
When you hear these precursors of His return, you might object, "Rabbi Loren, we have always had these things. We have had wars and rumors of wars from time immemorial. There have always been earthquakes and famines. Even in the first century there was the persecution of Messianic Believers. Humanity has usually been morally loose. There has been anti-Semitism since the time of Pharaoh. The people of God have always been plagued by false prophets and false messiahs." It's true that throughout history we have experienced many of these signs. But Yeshua gives us the key to understand these signs when He compares them to a woman in labor. He says that "all this is but the beginning of the birth-pains" (Matt. 24:8). Why does our righteous and wise Messiah compare the Last Days to a woman in labor?
A woman's labor pains increase in two ways: in intensity and in frequency. The labor pains become more intense and the contractions come closer and closer together until the very end, when the pain is most agonizing, and the contractions almost continuous, one right after the other, and then the child is born. Rabbi Yeshua is telling us that the world is going to go through more troubles and disasters, which will increase in frequency and intensity, until the very end, when they are almost unbearable, and nearly continuous, one coming right after the other. Then He will return, bringing with Him a delightful new time in history, the golden age of man.
Since Israel became a nation once again in 1948, the intensity and frequency of these signs have increased like the birth-pangs of a woman approaching her time of delivery, exactly as Messiah foretold. The first sign Messiah gave us in His message on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24) has been largely overlooked and His solemn warning neglected, and that's the one I want to focus on. While there has been spiritual deception ever since the Garden of Eden, we are forewarned that spiritual deception will reach its zenith in the Last Days.
"Yeshua answered and said to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name saying, I am the Messiah, and will mislead many'" ... "Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many"... "For false Messiahs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders; so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect" (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24).
In Matthew 24:4 Messiah issued this warning: "See to it that no one misleads you." The repetition of this warning three times in this chapter underscores its seriousness. The nature of this warning is specified: false messiahs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders. His four-fold use of the word "many" indicates a deception that involves multitudes.
According to Yeshua, this End Time departure from the Truth will be spearheaded by apparent miracle- workers. The false prophets of the Last Days, to whom Messiah refers, will use signs and wonders to support their false teachings. The signs and wonders they are able to perform are apparently so impressive that without discernment by the Holy Spirit, even God's elect sons and daughters would be deceived by them. Obviously, something more than mere trickery is involved. These miracle-workers are empowered by Satan, whom they unwittingly serve in the name of God.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul issued a similar warning: "Let no one in any way deceive you... (2 Thess. 2:3). Rabbi Paul goes on to explain that the deception of the Last Days will infect the professing community of believers. That is evident from the words "falling away," or apostasy, that he uses in the rest of the verse: ... "for it [Messiah's return] will not come unless the apostasy [falling away] comes first, and the man of lawlessness [Anti-Christ] be revealed, the son of destruction."
Rabbi Paul assures us that the Last Days will be characterized by apostasy, not revival. We are not to be deceived into thinking that the apostasy won't come; it must come first, or Messiah simply will not return! Therefore the teaching that there will be a world wide revival in the Last Days, however well intentioned, is biblically untenable. Paul's prediction can only mean that in the Last Days many professing believers will reject the biblical teaching that apostasy is inevitable.
Other scriptures confirm that false signs and wonders will be an integral part of the Last Days apostasy. In the Sermon on the Mount, Messiah declared, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matt. 7:22-23).
These apostates about whom Messiah speaks are high-profile Christians and Messianic Jewish leaders, who apparently perform signs and wonders in the name of Messiah! Tragically, they seem to think that their ability to prophesy, cast out demons and perform miracles proves that they belong to Him. Their signs and wonders are so impressive that the accuracy and truth of their doctrine and the purity of their lives no longer seems to matter. They are able to delude others by emphasizing experiences over doctrine - exactly the situation we see today!
Speaking of what well describes our own day, Rabbi Paul gave this warning to his young disciple Timothy, "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). We seem to be in that time.
I've been a follower of King Messiah for almost twenty-three years, and there is no question in my mind that there has been a definite trend away from sound doctrine, to a religion based largely on personal experiences. When someone points out bad doctrine, they are told that they are being too critical and should focus on the positive (as if bad doctrine can be swept under the rug, where it won't do any harm. But God's Word says that a little leaven will leaven the whole batch). They are told it is enough to confess that Yeshua is Lord (which is essential to good doctrine, but it is not all of good doctrine). They are told to "judge not" (which is misapplied - Yeshua did not mean that we are to stop using our faculties to discern good from evil, sin from holiness, right from wrong - He meant that we must not act as if we are the final judge. We aren't to condemn people to hell, thinking that God is finished with them, and that they are beyond redemption).
Clearly, the Bible predicts a "signs and wonders" movement of the Last Days, but it will be empowered by Satan, and thus a delusion that will deceive many. After a solemn warning that in the Last Days "difficult times [not revival] will come" (2 Tim. 3:1), Paul makes this remarkable statement: "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men [false prophets] also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the Faith" (2 Tim 3:8).
Jannes and Jambres were the magicians in Pharaoh's court who, through the power of Satan, duplicated (up to a point) the miracles that God did through Moses. Rabbi Paul thus declared that the Last Days opposition to the truth would be accompanied by demonstrations of power, though certainly not originating with God. These modern false prophets operate by performing apparent miracles in Messiah's name. However, they are actually empowered by Satan. In that way, they deceive and lead many astray. Shrewdly, they don't lead them out of the visible Community of Believers; instead they destroy them with false doctrine and thus false hope from within the Body of Messiah. Satan has no more effective tactic to damn souls!
The whole gamut of today's so-called revival scene, from Toronto to Pensacola, must be seriously faced! Videos of the services show people crawling on the floor, howling like wolves, barking like dogs, roaring like lions, going through bodily contortions impossible without the aid of some spiritual power, unable to speak or even remember their names when they try to give a testimony, and worse. Many of those being baptized at Pensacola seem to lose consciousness or shake so violently that they must be carried out of the baptismal tank lest they drown. Others flail about so wildly as to require several men to handle them. Such manifestations were also found in past "revivals" among the Shakers, the Mormons and many other cults. That such things could now be widely accepted as evidence of the Holy Spirit only testifies to the extent of the delusion that is already permeating the Messianic Community!
Jude exhorts us to "contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Contend earnestly against whom? Not against godless enemies outside the Messianic Community, but rather the warning concerns those who are within: "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed" (Jude 4). "Crept in" can only mean those who are inside the visible Body of Believers.
That we must earnestly contend for the Faith against those who have crept into the Messianic Community implies that the battle is not so much one of faith against unbelief, but rather of true faith against false faith. Those relatively few apostates who announce themselves as atheists or convert to Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism are not the primary focus here. Yeshua, Paul and Jude are instead warning of a falling away from the Truth from within the professing Community of Believers. That is precisely what we see today.
Is it possible for wolves in sheep's clothing to creep in unnoticed, and assume positions of leadership in the Messianic Community? Paul confirms the words of Jude when he addressed the Ephesian elders: "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). Rabbi Paul affirms that spiritual deception would arise within the Church.
Does the Word of God predict a great revival for the Last Days? It doesn't appear that Yeshua thought so when He raised the question, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? This does not bode well for a dynamic faithful Messianic Community when Yeshua returns.
Rabbi Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, also did not seem to think so. Instead, he predicted that the days immediately preceding the coming of the Messiah would be characterized by Anti-Christ, "whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive a love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thes. 2:9-12).
Again, the apostle to the Gentiles warns, "the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the Faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience" (1 Tim. 4:1-2).
Beloved brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit is warning us that false teaching is demonic in origin and frequently promulgated by liars who occupy places of prominence in the Church. This deception will take place in the later times. In the Last Days there will be those who fall away from the Faith into demonic delusion as a result of listening to these treacherous pseudo- Christian religious leaders. Does the Bible teach that in the Last Days the Church will experience revival, grow increasingly numerous and powerful, faithful and pure, and that it will take over more and more of the political and social institutions of society? Hardly. According to Messiah, it's a time for Anti-Christ to bring desolation. It's a time of unparalleled tribulation so overwhelming that no life would survive unless the Almighty intervened. It's a time of terrible persecution for Jews and Christians. It's a time for those in Israel to flee to the hills. It's a time characterized by false messiahs and prophets who deceive multitudes. (Matt. 24:15-24).
The book of Revelation gives us the most detailed picture of the Last Days, and it does not portray a powerful, faithful Church which has taken over the political and social institutions of the world. Yes, there will be a great harvest of humanity during that period known as the Great Tribulation, which immediately precedes the Second Coming. Yes, it will be a time of salvation for many, but it comes at a very high price. Revelation 7 records that a great multitude, so large that no one could count it, a multitude from every nation and all tribes and peoples and languages, will come to a saving faith in Messiah during the Great Tribulation. However, at the same time it will be given to the Anti-Christ to make war with the saints on earth and to overcome them (Rev. 13:7). There will be those who are beheaded because of their testimony about Yeshua and their faithfulness to Word of God. They will not worship the Anti-Christ or receive the mark of the beast on their forehead or hand (Rev. 20:4).
To summarize, the scriptural warnings foretell the growing delusion we find in our day:
A false signs and wonders movement led by many false prophets.
Many being deceived through these apparent miracles.
The replacement of sound doctrine with personal experience.
The rejection of the biblical teaching concerning apostasy and the insistence that we are in the midst of, or at least are building up to, the "greatest revival in the history of the Church."
Such is the prevailing teaching today among most charismatics and increasingly among evangelicals and Messianic Jews. The promise of revival will be part of the Last Days deception, so beware. Don't be part of it! Don't assume that the apostasy of the Last Days will take place in the distant future. There are too many signs of Messiah's return, and examples of false teaching and unusual phenomena taking place in the Church today, to make that assumption.
Instead, ask yourself a few questions: Is it not enough that Messiah indwells us? Is He not in our midst each time we meet? Are we not to be filled with the Holy Spirit at all times? Is not the Word of God enough for us? Is not His grace sufficient? Are we not complete when we are joined to Him by faith? Why then would we run after signs and wonders, as though they automatically prove that God is at work, while neglecting what the Lord has already given us?
It's really so simple: we are to learn what the Bible says for ourselves. We are to be like the members of the synagogue at Berea, who were "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word of God with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). We are to love one another, help one another, and reach out to a confused, lost, corrupt and dying world with the Good News of Messiah.
May God help us remain pure and holy in our faith, take a stand for the Truth, and be found faithful, doing those things He has called us to do when Messiah returns. "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Let's hope that He finds some genuine faith on the earth, especially in you and in me.
By Dave Hunt's newsletter, "The Berean Call."
Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
The topic on the minds of many Christians and Messianic Jews today is revival. Christian TV, radio and best-selling books persuasively argue that we are in the midst of the greatest revival in the history of the world. Enthusiasts point to the signs and wonders occurring in such places as Toronto, Pensacola, Benny Hinn's church in Orlando, Promise Keepers filling up stadiums, and their recent million man rally in Washington DC, as signs of this revival.
As a result, I've been thinking more about End Time revival. Knowing that we are drawing closer and closer to Acharit HaYamin (the Last Days), those days in which we can almost hear the footsteps of Yeshua approaching, I want us to consider the question, "Does the Bible predict there will be a great End Time revival that sweeps the world before the Second Coming?"
The twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew contains the Messiah's most comprehensive teaching on His Second Coming. In it He gave us specific signs to look for that would immediately precede His return. Some of the signs include: false prophets and false messiahs, wars, earthquakes, famine, the persecution of God's people, the moral decay of society, a great apostasy, or falling away from true Faith, the rise of the Anti-Christ, the rebirth of Israel, the rebuilding the Jerusalem Temple, a final outbreak of anti-Semitism, and unprecedented destruction on a world wide basis.
When you hear these precursors of His return, you might object, "Rabbi Loren, we have always had these things. We have had wars and rumors of wars from time immemorial. There have always been earthquakes and famines. Even in the first century there was the persecution of Messianic Believers. Humanity has usually been morally loose. There has been anti-Semitism since the time of Pharaoh. The people of God have always been plagued by false prophets and false messiahs." It's true that throughout history we have experienced many of these signs. But Yeshua gives us the key to understand these signs when He compares them to a woman in labor. He says that "all this is but the beginning of the birth-pains" (Matt. 24:8). Why does our righteous and wise Messiah compare the Last Days to a woman in labor?
A woman's labor pains increase in two ways: in intensity and in frequency. The labor pains become more intense and the contractions come closer and closer together until the very end, when the pain is most agonizing, and the contractions almost continuous, one right after the other, and then the child is born. Rabbi Yeshua is telling us that the world is going to go through more troubles and disasters, which will increase in frequency and intensity, until the very end, when they are almost unbearable, and nearly continuous, one coming right after the other. Then He will return, bringing with Him a delightful new time in history, the golden age of man.
Since Israel became a nation once again in 1948, the intensity and frequency of these signs have increased like the birth-pangs of a woman approaching her time of delivery, exactly as Messiah foretold. The first sign Messiah gave us in His message on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24) has been largely overlooked and His solemn warning neglected, and that's the one I want to focus on. While there has been spiritual deception ever since the Garden of Eden, we are forewarned that spiritual deception will reach its zenith in the Last Days.
"Yeshua answered and said to them, 'See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name saying, I am the Messiah, and will mislead many'" ... "Many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many"... "For false Messiahs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders; so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect" (Matt. 24:4-5, 11, 24).
In Matthew 24:4 Messiah issued this warning: "See to it that no one misleads you." The repetition of this warning three times in this chapter underscores its seriousness. The nature of this warning is specified: false messiahs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders. His four-fold use of the word "many" indicates a deception that involves multitudes.
According to Yeshua, this End Time departure from the Truth will be spearheaded by apparent miracle- workers. The false prophets of the Last Days, to whom Messiah refers, will use signs and wonders to support their false teachings. The signs and wonders they are able to perform are apparently so impressive that without discernment by the Holy Spirit, even God's elect sons and daughters would be deceived by them. Obviously, something more than mere trickery is involved. These miracle-workers are empowered by Satan, whom they unwittingly serve in the name of God.
Writing to the Thessalonians, Paul issued a similar warning: "Let no one in any way deceive you... (2 Thess. 2:3). Rabbi Paul goes on to explain that the deception of the Last Days will infect the professing community of believers. That is evident from the words "falling away," or apostasy, that he uses in the rest of the verse: ... "for it [Messiah's return] will not come unless the apostasy [falling away] comes first, and the man of lawlessness [Anti-Christ] be revealed, the son of destruction."
Rabbi Paul assures us that the Last Days will be characterized by apostasy, not revival. We are not to be deceived into thinking that the apostasy won't come; it must come first, or Messiah simply will not return! Therefore the teaching that there will be a world wide revival in the Last Days, however well intentioned, is biblically untenable. Paul's prediction can only mean that in the Last Days many professing believers will reject the biblical teaching that apostasy is inevitable.
Other scriptures confirm that false signs and wonders will be an integral part of the Last Days apostasy. In the Sermon on the Mount, Messiah declared, "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matt. 7:22-23).
These apostates about whom Messiah speaks are high-profile Christians and Messianic Jewish leaders, who apparently perform signs and wonders in the name of Messiah! Tragically, they seem to think that their ability to prophesy, cast out demons and perform miracles proves that they belong to Him. Their signs and wonders are so impressive that the accuracy and truth of their doctrine and the purity of their lives no longer seems to matter. They are able to delude others by emphasizing experiences over doctrine - exactly the situation we see today!
Speaking of what well describes our own day, Rabbi Paul gave this warning to his young disciple Timothy, "the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4). We seem to be in that time.
I've been a follower of King Messiah for almost twenty-three years, and there is no question in my mind that there has been a definite trend away from sound doctrine, to a religion based largely on personal experiences. When someone points out bad doctrine, they are told that they are being too critical and should focus on the positive (as if bad doctrine can be swept under the rug, where it won't do any harm. But God's Word says that a little leaven will leaven the whole batch). They are told it is enough to confess that Yeshua is Lord (which is essential to good doctrine, but it is not all of good doctrine). They are told to "judge not" (which is misapplied - Yeshua did not mean that we are to stop using our faculties to discern good from evil, sin from holiness, right from wrong - He meant that we must not act as if we are the final judge. We aren't to condemn people to hell, thinking that God is finished with them, and that they are beyond redemption).
Clearly, the Bible predicts a "signs and wonders" movement of the Last Days, but it will be empowered by Satan, and thus a delusion that will deceive many. After a solemn warning that in the Last Days "difficult times [not revival] will come" (2 Tim. 3:1), Paul makes this remarkable statement: "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men [false prophets] also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected as regards the Faith" (2 Tim 3:8).
Jannes and Jambres were the magicians in Pharaoh's court who, through the power of Satan, duplicated (up to a point) the miracles that God did through Moses. Rabbi Paul thus declared that the Last Days opposition to the truth would be accompanied by demonstrations of power, though certainly not originating with God. These modern false prophets operate by performing apparent miracles in Messiah's name. However, they are actually empowered by Satan. In that way, they deceive and lead many astray. Shrewdly, they don't lead them out of the visible Community of Believers; instead they destroy them with false doctrine and thus false hope from within the Body of Messiah. Satan has no more effective tactic to damn souls!
The whole gamut of today's so-called revival scene, from Toronto to Pensacola, must be seriously faced! Videos of the services show people crawling on the floor, howling like wolves, barking like dogs, roaring like lions, going through bodily contortions impossible without the aid of some spiritual power, unable to speak or even remember their names when they try to give a testimony, and worse. Many of those being baptized at Pensacola seem to lose consciousness or shake so violently that they must be carried out of the baptismal tank lest they drown. Others flail about so wildly as to require several men to handle them. Such manifestations were also found in past "revivals" among the Shakers, the Mormons and many other cults. That such things could now be widely accepted as evidence of the Holy Spirit only testifies to the extent of the delusion that is already permeating the Messianic Community!
Jude exhorts us to "contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). Contend earnestly against whom? Not against godless enemies outside the Messianic Community, but rather the warning concerns those who are within: "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed" (Jude 4). "Crept in" can only mean those who are inside the visible Body of Believers.
That we must earnestly contend for the Faith against those who have crept into the Messianic Community implies that the battle is not so much one of faith against unbelief, but rather of true faith against false faith. Those relatively few apostates who announce themselves as atheists or convert to Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism are not the primary focus here. Yeshua, Paul and Jude are instead warning of a falling away from the Truth from within the professing Community of Believers. That is precisely what we see today.
Is it possible for wolves in sheep's clothing to creep in unnoticed, and assume positions of leadership in the Messianic Community? Paul confirms the words of Jude when he addressed the Ephesian elders: "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:29-30). Rabbi Paul affirms that spiritual deception would arise within the Church.
Does the Word of God predict a great revival for the Last Days? It doesn't appear that Yeshua thought so when He raised the question, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth" (Luke 18:8)? This does not bode well for a dynamic faithful Messianic Community when Yeshua returns.
Rabbi Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, also did not seem to think so. Instead, he predicted that the days immediately preceding the coming of the Messiah would be characterized by Anti-Christ, "whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive a love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thes. 2:9-12).
Again, the apostle to the Gentiles warns, "the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the Faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience" (1 Tim. 4:1-2).
Beloved brothers and sisters, the Holy Spirit is warning us that false teaching is demonic in origin and frequently promulgated by liars who occupy places of prominence in the Church. This deception will take place in the later times. In the Last Days there will be those who fall away from the Faith into demonic delusion as a result of listening to these treacherous pseudo- Christian religious leaders. Does the Bible teach that in the Last Days the Church will experience revival, grow increasingly numerous and powerful, faithful and pure, and that it will take over more and more of the political and social institutions of society? Hardly. According to Messiah, it's a time for Anti-Christ to bring desolation. It's a time of unparalleled tribulation so overwhelming that no life would survive unless the Almighty intervened. It's a time of terrible persecution for Jews and Christians. It's a time for those in Israel to flee to the hills. It's a time characterized by false messiahs and prophets who deceive multitudes. (Matt. 24:15-24).
The book of Revelation gives us the most detailed picture of the Last Days, and it does not portray a powerful, faithful Church which has taken over the political and social institutions of the world. Yes, there will be a great harvest of humanity during that period known as the Great Tribulation, which immediately precedes the Second Coming. Yes, it will be a time of salvation for many, but it comes at a very high price. Revelation 7 records that a great multitude, so large that no one could count it, a multitude from every nation and all tribes and peoples and languages, will come to a saving faith in Messiah during the Great Tribulation. However, at the same time it will be given to the Anti-Christ to make war with the saints on earth and to overcome them (Rev. 13:7). There will be those who are beheaded because of their testimony about Yeshua and their faithfulness to Word of God. They will not worship the Anti-Christ or receive the mark of the beast on their forehead or hand (Rev. 20:4).
To summarize, the scriptural warnings foretell the growing delusion we find in our day:
A false signs and wonders movement led by many false prophets.
Many being deceived through these apparent miracles.
The replacement of sound doctrine with personal experience.
The rejection of the biblical teaching concerning apostasy and the insistence that we are in the midst of, or at least are building up to, the "greatest revival in the history of the Church."
Such is the prevailing teaching today among most charismatics and increasingly among evangelicals and Messianic Jews. The promise of revival will be part of the Last Days deception, so beware. Don't be part of it! Don't assume that the apostasy of the Last Days will take place in the distant future. There are too many signs of Messiah's return, and examples of false teaching and unusual phenomena taking place in the Church today, to make that assumption.
Instead, ask yourself a few questions: Is it not enough that Messiah indwells us? Is He not in our midst each time we meet? Are we not to be filled with the Holy Spirit at all times? Is not the Word of God enough for us? Is not His grace sufficient? Are we not complete when we are joined to Him by faith? Why then would we run after signs and wonders, as though they automatically prove that God is at work, while neglecting what the Lord has already given us?
It's really so simple: we are to learn what the Bible says for ourselves. We are to be like the members of the synagogue at Berea, who were "more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word of God with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). We are to love one another, help one another, and reach out to a confused, lost, corrupt and dying world with the Good News of Messiah.
May God help us remain pure and holy in our faith, take a stand for the Truth, and be found faithful, doing those things He has called us to do when Messiah returns. "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" Let's hope that He finds some genuine faith on the earth, especially in you and in me.
By Dave Hunt's newsletter, "The Berean Call."
See also:
Who will left behind? Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Spiritual Deception Of The Last Days
The Spiritual Deception Of The Last Days
Spiritual deception is the result of not following or obeying the Word of God. When a believer adopts any thought, doctrine, or practice which is contrary to God’s written word then he enters into the spiritual darkness of heresy and deception.
This is especially true in relation to the Last Days. It seems that spiritual deception and a departure from the true “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude :3) will increase as we approach the final days. This is because Satan and his hordes know that their “time is short” (Revelation 12:12) to win as many souls as possible. These souls include believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). If it were not possible to deceive the very elect then Jesus would have not bothered to state this. The apostle Paul tells us that the last day Church will be invaded by teachings originating in Hell, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).
Not only has Satan sent false Christs into the world to capture the hearts of those who do not know the true God and Saviour, but he has also commissioned deceivers, false brethren (Galatians 2:4) to promote a form of Christianity to seduce believers who do not abide in God’s written word. We live in an age when “false prophets” have arisen and are showing many “great signs and wonders”. Those, of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements are being duped by signs, wonders, and false miracles performed by the latest superstar to come onto the scene. They fail to acknowledge Paul’s warning about this very thing when he said, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). They fail to be Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11), and so allow “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15) to minister a corrupted gospel to them. These teachers are really “ravening” and “grievous wolves” who do not care for the people in the least, but instead speak “perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). At the root of the deception is “mammon” (Matthew 6:24) for they “through covetousness shall with feigned words make merchandise” of their followers (2 Peter 2:3). This is a perfect description of the Wealth and Health preachers of today.
The Lord Jesus asks, “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). The devil’s work of deception operating within the Church is so fashioned to destroy the faith of many through false prophets, false teachers, false brethren, and false bibles. He desires to destroy a person’s faith in the eternal word of God. Many of our Churches no longer want to “endure sound doctrine” but would rather listen to foolish stories and receive “pep-talks” on various carnal subjects. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”. Few want to hear a preacher of righteousness speaking about true faith, against sin, and about Hell. It seems that we live in a day when fabulous tales and exaggerated experiences are more to the liking of Christians than the pure word of the Lord. These people think that they no longer need to be rebuked and exhorted “with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). In general today’s churchgoer wants sermons that do not demand anything from them or causes them to consider their own souls. They will not accept a call to repentance, obedience, or commitment. They love their false teachers. Jeremiah explains, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (5:31). Preachers that make them feel uncomfortable in their sin and compromise are usually labelled ‘legalistic’ or ‘doom and gloom’. This wilful ignorance of God’s word has caused them to open both their churches and their hearts to “lying spirits, and doctrines of devils” that have seduced them from Christ so that now their minds and consciences are “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). No wonder Jesus asks if He will find true faith when He returns!
We can see that the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) or departure “from the faith” is not that there will be less people attending church, but that fewer of them will be able to distinguish between what is true and what is false. The greatest spiritual battle for the souls of men is taking place within the church not outside of it. The Last Days are clearly here when we see such personal and denominational apostasy at an all time high because of the infiltration of perverted and distorted gospels promoted by compromising preachers and pastors. Nevertheless, there will always be God’s faithful remnant who will never bow their knee alongside the prophets of Baal.
The believer has protection from such deception. This involves being totally loyal and faithful to God and His inspired word. Added to this we must realise that deception can enter at any level, so that even a sound preacher can become deceived and promote a mixture of truth and error. Such awareness has to be united with a desire to obey only that which is contained in God’s written word and to have our lives sanctified through it, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and to walk in righteousness. Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit warns us to stay faithful to God’s word, even if it means being persecuted for doing so, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:12-14). It is our duty to stand firm with the “Sword of the Spirit” in our hand (Ephesians 6:17). We need to be like Eleazar who fought the Philistines “until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword” or like Shammah who defended a field of lentiles against the Philistines (2 Samuel 23:9-12). Our “Philistines” are the false teachers and false doctrines, therefore we need to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Standing for truth and righteousness will involve separation from people, churches, and ministries who deny the Scriptures in word or in practice, and who preach a compromising message. The apostle Paul says that they may appear like good Christians but by “denying the power thereof” they prove themselves false, therefore we should “turn away” from them (2 Timothy 3:5). We must remind ourselves that we bring a curse into our lives when we associate with anything that twists, adds or takes away from God’s word, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). This separation from falsehood is of vital importance if we are to be kept free from spiritual deception. Again, the Lord encourages us to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Loyalty to Scripture and seeking out faithful ministers is needful for the days we are living in. By doing so, prayerfully and watchfully, we can be assured of close fellowship with Christ. This calls for abiding in the word of God every day of our lives and neither looking to the left or the right of it. It means “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). We do not need new doctrines, practices, or experiences. What will cause us to “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:13) is a solid Scriptural foundation and an undivided commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Our safeguard against false doctrine and apostasy is found in obedience to the Scriptures, by taking it alone as our firm foundation and standard for faith and practice.
The final authority must always be God’s written word. If it is not clearly in the Bible then the teaching must not be entertained for a moment. The Lord said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:3-7). We will protect ourselves therefore by keeping our lives (both physical and spiritual) within the confines of the word of God, by yielding to His direction and guidance, and by being in a constant state of watchfulness and prayerfulness because we know that our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
by Pastor Gary J. Hall
Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
Spiritual deception is the result of not following or obeying the Word of God. When a believer adopts any thought, doctrine, or practice which is contrary to God’s written word then he enters into the spiritual darkness of heresy and deception.This is especially true in relation to the Last Days. It seems that spiritual deception and a departure from the true “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude :3) will increase as we approach the final days. This is because Satan and his hordes know that their “time is short” (Revelation 12:12) to win as many souls as possible. These souls include believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). If it were not possible to deceive the very elect then Jesus would have not bothered to state this. The apostle Paul tells us that the last day Church will be invaded by teachings originating in Hell, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Timothy 4:1).
Not only has Satan sent false Christs into the world to capture the hearts of those who do not know the true God and Saviour, but he has also commissioned deceivers, false brethren (Galatians 2:4) to promote a form of Christianity to seduce believers who do not abide in God’s written word. We live in an age when “false prophets” have arisen and are showing many “great signs and wonders”. Those, of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements are being duped by signs, wonders, and false miracles performed by the latest superstar to come onto the scene. They fail to acknowledge Paul’s warning about this very thing when he said, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). They fail to be Bereans who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11), and so allow “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15) to minister a corrupted gospel to them. These teachers are really “ravening” and “grievous wolves” who do not care for the people in the least, but instead speak “perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). At the root of the deception is “mammon” (Matthew 6:24) for they “through covetousness shall with feigned words make merchandise” of their followers (2 Peter 2:3). This is a perfect description of the Wealth and Health preachers of today.
The Lord Jesus asks, “When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). The devil’s work of deception operating within the Church is so fashioned to destroy the faith of many through false prophets, false teachers, false brethren, and false bibles. He desires to destroy a person’s faith in the eternal word of God. Many of our Churches no longer want to “endure sound doctrine” but would rather listen to foolish stories and receive “pep-talks” on various carnal subjects. The apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”. Few want to hear a preacher of righteousness speaking about true faith, against sin, and about Hell. It seems that we live in a day when fabulous tales and exaggerated experiences are more to the liking of Christians than the pure word of the Lord. These people think that they no longer need to be rebuked and exhorted “with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). In general today’s churchgoer wants sermons that do not demand anything from them or causes them to consider their own souls. They will not accept a call to repentance, obedience, or commitment. They love their false teachers. Jeremiah explains, “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (5:31). Preachers that make them feel uncomfortable in their sin and compromise are usually labelled ‘legalistic’ or ‘doom and gloom’. This wilful ignorance of God’s word has caused them to open both their churches and their hearts to “lying spirits, and doctrines of devils” that have seduced them from Christ so that now their minds and consciences are “seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2). No wonder Jesus asks if He will find true faith when He returns!
We can see that the “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) or departure “from the faith” is not that there will be less people attending church, but that fewer of them will be able to distinguish between what is true and what is false. The greatest spiritual battle for the souls of men is taking place within the church not outside of it. The Last Days are clearly here when we see such personal and denominational apostasy at an all time high because of the infiltration of perverted and distorted gospels promoted by compromising preachers and pastors. Nevertheless, there will always be God’s faithful remnant who will never bow their knee alongside the prophets of Baal.
The believer has protection from such deception. This involves being totally loyal and faithful to God and His inspired word. Added to this we must realise that deception can enter at any level, so that even a sound preacher can become deceived and promote a mixture of truth and error. Such awareness has to be united with a desire to obey only that which is contained in God’s written word and to have our lives sanctified through it, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and to walk in righteousness. Throughout the Bible the Holy Spirit warns us to stay faithful to God’s word, even if it means being persecuted for doing so, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:12-14). It is our duty to stand firm with the “Sword of the Spirit” in our hand (Ephesians 6:17). We need to be like Eleazar who fought the Philistines “until his hand was weary, and his hand clave unto the sword” or like Shammah who defended a field of lentiles against the Philistines (2 Samuel 23:9-12). Our “Philistines” are the false teachers and false doctrines, therefore we need to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Standing for truth and righteousness will involve separation from people, churches, and ministries who deny the Scriptures in word or in practice, and who preach a compromising message. The apostle Paul says that they may appear like good Christians but by “denying the power thereof” they prove themselves false, therefore we should “turn away” from them (2 Timothy 3:5). We must remind ourselves that we bring a curse into our lives when we associate with anything that twists, adds or takes away from God’s word, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). This separation from falsehood is of vital importance if we are to be kept free from spiritual deception. Again, the Lord encourages us to “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
Loyalty to Scripture and seeking out faithful ministers is needful for the days we are living in. By doing so, prayerfully and watchfully, we can be assured of close fellowship with Christ. This calls for abiding in the word of God every day of our lives and neither looking to the left or the right of it. It means “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). We do not need new doctrines, practices, or experiences. What will cause us to “endure to the end” (Matthew 24:13) is a solid Scriptural foundation and an undivided commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Our safeguard against false doctrine and apostasy is found in obedience to the Scriptures, by taking it alone as our firm foundation and standard for faith and practice.
The final authority must always be God’s written word. If it is not clearly in the Bible then the teaching must not be entertained for a moment. The Lord said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:3-7). We will protect ourselves therefore by keeping our lives (both physical and spiritual) within the confines of the word of God, by yielding to His direction and guidance, and by being in a constant state of watchfulness and prayerfulness because we know that our “adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
by Pastor Gary J. Hall
See also:
Who will left behind? Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind
What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?
After the Rapture
The Tribulation
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
