THE BIBLICAL CASE FOR EXPOSÉ
Excerpt from the book Deceivers and False Prophets Among Us
“Excellent teaching! Thank you. So needed in these last days. As we now see a false Jesus being presented. And many will defend this false Christ, so they can continue in their sin and live how they please. We should expect to be attacked when exposing them to the truth. They are fake Christians. Titus 1:16 ‘They profess they know God; but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient and unto every good work reprobate.'” Karen Cochran
Know the Truth and Do Not Conceal Lies or Liars
“Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him.” Deuteronomy 13:8
Never “consent” to nor “conceal” an enemy of God lest you be the enemy of the LORD.
In Deuteronomy 13, we are instructed not to “conceal” a false prophet. In this specific case the LORD tells His people not to “conceal” any prophet who accurately foretells the future (prophesies), which actually does come to pass, yet seeks to lead God’s people astray through false teaching.
Those who have empathy for Satan’s agents and no mercy for those they’ve deceived and hurt, are pitifully demonic. Repent now you vile devil or you will go irrevocably to the same hell as those evil doers you defend! (Ezekiel 14:10; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 John 10-11)
The LORD is calling us to maturity in His holy fear. We are to come to the place where we refuse to conceal or hide any person operating as a Christian leader who is leading God’s people astray through his false doctrine.
The Deuteronomy 13 text holds an extremely important discernment key that will surely help save people from the deceptions that abound in today’s church-world. So many Christians today believe that, where there are miracles or accurate prophecies, it has to be of God. They do not consider though that the devil has always had power to unleash miracles.
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:9
A plethora of “strange fire” experiences and phenomena are being pawned off as being from God (Lev.10:1-2).
One of the biggest errors believers make is thinking that any miracle automatically validates that phenomenon as proceeding from divine origin. This is simply not true. All miracles, signs, and wonders are not from God. “Satan” works in our midst “with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
Deuteronomy 13:8 tells us not to “conceal” those who work against the LORD by leading people away from Him while claiming to be one of His leaders. God instructs us NOT to hide, make excuse for, or in any way cover for deceitful workers, and if we do, we become enemies of the Almighty.
The exposing of those who have determined to undermine the doctrines of the LORD is a matter of walking in obedience and truthfulness. “Lie not against the truth” (James 3:14).
Did you realize that those who befriend God’s enemies become the LORD’s enemies?
And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer (prophet) went out to meet him, and said to king Jehoshaphat, Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the LORD? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. ~ 2 Chronicles 19:2
King Jehoshaphat was a godly king, yet the LORD allowed “wrath” to fall upon his life in a measure, due to his unholy alliance with Ahab, an ungodly man in a leadership position. Unholy alliances bring God’s “wrath” and destruction to our lives. Do you have any? Have you inventoried those you are condoning and with whom you are aligned and supporting? Have you developed an unnatural, an unholy soul tie with a certain preacher? Do you realize the idolatrous nature of such?
The LORD sees and does not take it lightly when we side with His enemies. Deceivers and false teachings are His enemies—they are most insidiously at war against Him. While claiming to be of Him, these wolves in sheep’s clothing are in reality agents of the enemy of all souls.
That is what makes truth-twisting beguilers so effective amidst the undiscerning who are not rooted and grounded in the Word and using it as their grid to measure all things by. Remember Matthew 7:15?
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. ~ Matthew 7:15
Perhaps we have all perpetuated the ministries of fruitless and false leaders in days past—ministries that are not grounding people in God’s Word. With the enlightening of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we should cease from ever aligning with God’s enemies again. All who condone such subversive dissimulation will be turned over to God’s “wrath” as king Jehoshaphat did. Those who go on giving God’s money to fruitless deceivers fuel the work of evil against Christ and the precious souls He died to save—whether they realize it or not. By participating with these “deceitful workers” in giving God’s supply, by giving offerings to fruitless corrupt ministries, one becomes an accessory to the fact. When we do such, we contribute to the subversion of divine truth and the subsequent weakening of the body of Christ, which is the LORD’s prize possession, the very “apple of his eye” (Deut. 32:10).
Beloved, these men are posing as Christ’s representatives, holding positions over His people, and anyone who fuels these agents with financial support, etc., is also guilty of the grave sins they are committing in their deliberate omissions and commissions (Isa. 5:20-24).
Speaking of partaking with those who are not fit for ministry, the Holy Spirit commands: “…neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure” (1 Timothy 5:22).
All giving, and support of any kind should be concentrated and focused upon those who are truly bearing the fruit of the Spirit and walking in and disseminating kingdom truth under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Are we helping the LORD’s enemies? Didn’t He tell us to expose them? That is, bring these lies to the light with divine truth? See Ephesians 5:11.
Notice again what the LORD asks of His people:
Shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the LORD? ~ 2 Chronicles 19:2
Then let’s note what he declared concerning Jehoshaphat’s allegiance to God’s enemies:
Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD. ~ 2 Chronicles 19:2
Concerning this text, Donald Stamps writes:
Jehoshaphat is rebuked for associating with Ahab and helping this enemy of God (cf. Ch. 18). Believers should not associate with the ungodly if in that relationship the cause of unrighteousness is advanced, our commitment to God is jeopardized, or the truth of God’s Word is compromised. (Life in the Spirit Study Bible, p. 670)
Befriending and condoning those who work against the LORD can violate our relationship with Him. The LORD calls this adultery:
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. ~ James 4:4
Concerning this verse, the Life in the Spirit Study Bible notes:
Friendship of the world is spiritual adultery, i.e., unfaithfulness to God and our pledge of commitment to Him (1 John 2:15-17; cf. Isa. 54:5; Jer. 3:20). It involves embracing the world’s sin, values, and evil pleasures. God will not accept such friendship (Matt. 6:24), for He is a jealous God (Ex. 20:5; Deut. 5:9).
One example of such friendship is secret orders (e.g., lodge membership) that demand unscriptural religious oaths and a strong binding with unbelievers, both of which are forbidden in God’s Word (Matt. 5:33-37; 2 Cor. 6:14). Believers cannot belong to such orders without compromising Christian doctrine (cf. 2 Pet. 3:16), godly standards, and their loyalty to Christ. (Life in the Spirit Study Bible, p. 1974)
Consider the following severe warning of condoning deceit and falsehood:
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. ~ Proverbs 17:15
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him. ~ Proverbs 24:24
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. ~ Isaiah 5:20-25
Ever hear these Bible truths in your local church? If not, why not? Why are these important truths being ignored and hidden from the eyes of the people?
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation (openly and forthrightly revealing) of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:2
From this text above and others, it is abundantly clear the “dishonesty” of “handling the word of God deceitfully” by not openly declaring the whole of divine counsel.
Ignatius pleaded:
Brethren, be not deceived. If any man follows him that separates from the truth, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God; and if any man does not stand aloof from the preacher of falsehood, he shall be condemned to hell. For it is obligatory neither to separate from the godly, nor to associate with the ungodly. If any one walks according to a strange opinion, he is not of Christ, nor a partaker of His passion; but is a fox, a destroyer of the vineyard of Christ. Have no fellowship with such a man, lest ye perish along with him, even should he be thy father, thy son, as your enemies, and separate yourselves from them, while yet you ad-monish them, and exhort them to repentance, if it may be they thy brother, or a member of thy family. For says [the Scripture], “Thine eye shall not spare him.” You ought therefore to “hate those that hate God, and to waste away [with grief] on account of His enemies.” I do not mean that you should beat them or persecute them, as do the Gentiles “that know not the LORD and God;” but that you should regard them will hear, if it may be they will submit themselves. For our God is a lover of mankind, and “will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (The Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians 3:13-20)
Unfortunately, the evangelical church-world is filled with people who have never been discipled in God’s Word. They have not been taught that the written Word is the final authority and to be studied diligently and daily. Instead, they have been taught that the Ph.D. or degree their pastor has is what carries authority, or the denomination of which they are a part. Because of this, so many in the Christian world have such a propensity to pander to personalities and experiences instead of the unchanging, eternal truth. Herein lies the separating factor of the tares and wheat (Jn. 8:47).
Loving Truth, and Hating “Every False Way”
Hate the evil and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate. ~ Amos 5:15
We are commanded to “Hate the evil and love the good.” Loving the LORD who is holy and hating evil go hand in hand (Ps. 97:10). The two cannot be separated. Some believers have the erroneous view that Christians are to be passive and “loving” and not engage in confidently and wisely upholding God’s glory in defense of His eternal truth. While perhaps there is the occasion where the Holy Spirit will quicken His saint to be silent, there is also the command to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3-4).
Those true to the LORD are never to hate people (Matt. 5:44), but we are to “hate every false way.” In fact, if we really love people, we will share God’s glorious truth with them. According to the Son of God, only obedience to His truth makes men free (Jn. 8:31-32, 36).
Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. ~ Psalm 119:104
Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. ~ Psalm 119:128
The psalmist stated, “I hate every false way.” Any “way” that doesn’t align biblically (contextually) is considered to be a “false way” and to be hated by those made righteous by Christ’s grace and blood.
There are numerous evil lies, “winds of doctrine,” and “false ways” in the very midst of the church-world today vying for your approval, so they can pervert the image of the one, true God in your mind and heart (Eph. 4:14; Ps. 119:104, 128). Do you have virus protection against these contaminants? Or, are you catching every germ and ailment that blows in?
The LORD is calling His people to get out of the business of prognosticating who He is and rather to obediently take Him at His Word, imagining nothing about Him that their very own eyes do not behold in His holy Word (2 Tim.2:15; 3:16-17). There is nothing more essential to the safeguarding of the soul.
The LORD told us why some of His people are being destroyed: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge… thou hast forgotten the law of thy God” (Hosea 4:6). When His pure words abide in our spiritually nourished hearts, His perfect image will also be embossed upon the table of our hearts, so that the image of a false god has no place in us.
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments…Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. ~ Proverbs 3:1, 3
Those who refuse to hear and embrace God’s Word worship the image of false gods.
This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. ~ Jeremiah 13:10
Friend, do you love the LORD and His truth? Are you filling your heart and mind daily with His words so that His holy image is being transmitted to and etched upon your heart?
He knows that a saint without a knowledge of the Gospel is as vulnerable as an army without ammunition…For it is God’s Word which teaches us how to put on Christ and His graces so that we are fitly armed. Never flatter yourself into thinking you can do this without this priceless book. We have all known those who content themselves with a profession of Christ and a smattering of gifts and works, and do not wish to know if there is more to the Christian life. They are the ones whose graces freeze when the winter winds buffet their souls. But the saint whose faith has been insulated from error by the truth of the Gospel will be able to withstand all Satan’s icy blasts. ~ William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor
When we do not fill our hearts, minds, and lives with God’s Word, we are doomed to sin, deception, failure and destruction. In Hosea 4:6, notice the phrase “thou hast rejected knowledge.” Beloved, is there anything in your life that is more important than learning the precepts of your Savior? Knowing His Word is our safeguard (Ps.17:4; Acts 20:32). Those who refuse to study and live out His words will be destroyed. This is a divine promise (Hos. 4:6; Matt. 22:29). The knowledge of and obedience to the truth is the only safeguard to the myriad of deceptions circulating in this last hour.
Leadership and the Truth
Jesus validated the Old Testament Scriptures as His own. The Son of God made over 100 references to Holy Scripture. Jesus never relies upon spiritual notions, oral traditions, or men’s doctrines, but Scripture alone. Let’s follow the LORD’s pattern of relying upon Scripture—the eternal Standard and Truth. “Have ye not read…have ye not read in the law…have ye never read…Did ye never read in the scriptures” (Matt. 12:3, 5; 21:16, 42).
Be assured that any person in leadership who does not ardently seek to ground people in the written, living, and eternal Word of God is not following the LORD. He is not leading people to the Fountain of Living Waters nor giving them spiritual viral protection from the numerous deceivers and deceptions our LORD promised would precede His return.
Christ and His apostles directed God’s people to the Scriptures in order to assure their sound grounding, spiritual growth, and protection (Jn. 5:39; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; 2:2; 2 Pet. 1:3-4; 19-21). All of God’s servant-leaders are to foster and cultivate in His disciples a deep desire and love for the Word and its final authority. Where this is not being done, people are learning to trust in something other than the LORD, mere human leaders, which is idolatry, and they are prone and susceptible to the insidious deception of so-called godly leaders.
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. ~ Psalm 119:4
“Love Sails within the Banks of Truth”
Beloved, no matter with whom you are spiritually aligned on earth, you are personally responsible to know the LORD for yourself and to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
To know the LORD and His Word will equip us to discern who/what is true and who/what is not. We will, thereby, be able to establish truth and mark the false, warning others of the same (1 Tim. 4:6, 16). All darkness is to be probed, investigated, and brought to the light using the truth (Eph. 5).
Are there local and world-famous false prophets at work in the evangelical world who need to be marked so that people can be protected from their deceptions? If so, what do they look like and how do they act? If there are real live deceivers operating in the church-world, are they to be exposed by those true to the LORD, or passed over and ignored? Are people to be made aware of their false teachings?
The following excerpt was taken from Myfortress.org in an article entitled “Christian Leaders”:
How could it be so popular and be wrong? How can they talk of Jesus and be wrong? Who am I to judge them? Why don’t we Christians just love each other? Who are we to criticize the church?
These sentiments sound so pious and spiritual, when in fact they are the lies of the enemy. Love sails within the banks of truth, we cannot have unity apart from truth. One Christian leader states it well, “Those who do speak out inevitably are branded divisive, strident or unloving. The legacy of such a position is not unity and peace, but confusion and turmoil…In fact, love apart from truth is nothing more than hypocritical sentimentality. That sentimentality is running rampant in evangelicalism today.”
There are ministry sites that contain lists of dozens of today’s false teachers and documented quotes from their own books, TV appearances, etc.
Let us no more deny Christ our LORD by hiding Satan’s agents and their lies which are destroying and have “devoured souls” (Isa. 9:16; Ezek. 22:25). Such is counted treason in the Supreme Court of the Universe.
Simply put, it doesn’t matter what you think: The LORD has commanded that Satan’s ministers, his human emissaries, be exposed. Time to shut up and obey! (2 Corinthians 11:12-15)
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed (disguised) 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. I say again, Let no man think me a fool… ~ 2 Corinthians 11:12-16
Like all who authentically follow Jesus, Paul sought to “cut off occasion” from “false apostles, deceitful workers” and instructed that for doing such, “Let no man think me a fool.”
Paul ends this revelation of Satan’s “ministers” by saying “Let no man think me a fool.” Friend, do you still view men who expose lies and deceptions as fools? If so, you oppose the LORD Himself and His mandate upon all who will servant-lead in His kingdom (1 Thess. 4:8).
Concerning those who uncover Satan and his ministers, one pastor of old stated this:
We have been likened by one of our opponents to the boy in the fable who cried, “Wolf!” The parallel only fails in the all-important point that he cried “Wolf!” when there was none, and we are crying “Wolf!” when packs of them are howling so loudly that it would be superfluous for us to shout at all if a wretched indifferentism had not brought a deep slumber upon those who ought to guard the flocks. The evidence is to our mind so overwhelming that we thought that our statements only gave voice to a matter of common notoriety. Either we are dreaming, or our brethren are; let the godly judge who it is that is asleep.
The Call to Stand
When addressing the Ephesian Christians in Revelation 2, Jesus commends them for testing leaders and identifying those who were “liars” (counterfeits) and hating the “deeds” of those in leadership who sought to exercise an evil control over God’s people, “Nicolaitans” (Rev. 2:6, 15). The unchanging LORD Jesus Christ commends today those who do the same.
God-fearing men of every generation since Abel have cried out against the majority of false prophets and false teachers of their generations. Whose side are you on?
Will you side with God or the father of lies? (Jn. 8:44)
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? ~ Psalm 94:16
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. ~ 2 Chronicles 16:9
It is unadulterated hypocrisy to say we know the LORD while we speak against those who obey God in exposing falsehoods and valiantly execute justice and truth. No blessing from the LORD can possibly come from such dissimulation. Repentance is needed for this sin.
The Curse of Meroz
The curse of Meroz expresses the anger of the LORD against those who do not stand when they should, but rather withhold the good fight they should earnestly wage when error is present (1 Tim. 6:12). It is judgment for not standing.
Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty. ~ Judges 5:23
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. ~ Proverbs 3:27
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. ~ Matthew 25:45
It is clear from these and many other Bible texts that those who omit doing good to others when they are given the opportunity will suffer judgment from the LORD. This includes doing good by speaking the truth in love to defend the Gospel and protect saints.
Notice that the very reason the people of Meroz were cursed was “because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.”
Where is the divinely given compassion that moved Christ? (See Matt. 9:36.) Like the apostle Paul, do we care enough to protect the saints of God from being spoiled? (See Acts 20:20-32; Col. 1:27-29; 2:8)
The Blessing of Jael
Praise the LORD for the colossal example of the love of God in action in the life of a God-fearing woman named Jael!
Divine blessing pronounced and imparted for vigilant righteousness:
Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above the women in the tent. He asked water, and she gave him milk (lured him in); she brought forth butter in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead…So let all thine enemies perish, O LORD: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years. ~ Judges 5:24-27, 31
Jael stood for the LORD and His truth. Will we? Will you?
Who will instill this example in the hearts of the young of our day?
You may think some women are controlled by their emotions instead of divine truth, but not Jael. Jael feared God and was valiant for His truth.
Marking false doctrines and those who teach them boils down to whom we serve. With whom will we be identified and who will we serve? God’s Word gives us clear instructions. It only remains to be seen whether or not we will truly lose our own lives, in order to love, embrace, and stand for His glory above ourselves. Persecutions and false accusations are guaranteed to those who do, and so is eternal reward (Matt. 5:10-12; 10:22; Jn. 15:19-20; 2 Tim. 3:12).
The Phinehas Blessing: Generational Blessing and Reward for Spearing Sin
This Bible text offers quite a powerful lesson in vigilance. The following Bible story is a landmark case for exposé:
And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed (stopped) from the children of Israel. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealously. Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace: And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. ~ Numbers 25:6-13
What is the spear of Phinehas? Today, why do we need such a spear like never before?
In Phinehas’ day, there was a deceiver and false prophet behind the false doctrines which were leading God’s people to be turned over to and live in sin. A false prophet named Balaam had been leading the people of God astray with His idolatrous gospel of greed, fornication, license to sin, when Phinehas rose up. Like today, the people were being led away from the Almighty through false teaching of this false prophet named Balaam. Sin abounded as a result of the false doctrines, and it was all Phinehas could take. He met the challenge of lies with the spear of divine truth. Holy, divine, and righteous indignation welled up in his heart, as he took aim with his javelin.
This valiant warrior of divine truth drove a spear through the sin that was destroying God’s people. God-fearing Christians today are to harpoon evil teachings that lead His saints astray and shut up the kingdom of Heaven to those who would otherwise enter in (Matt. 23:13). It is the work of the LORD, who is a “man of war,” to spear those teachings that give people a wrong view of God’s nature which will ultimately lead them into sin, false hope, despair, and damnation (Exodus 15:3).
Phinehas laid an axe at the root of the sin that was caused by the false teaching of Balaam the false prophet.
Phinehas stands as a monumental example of the righteous indignation of the LORD working through one of His children. Like this warrior of truth, we should be courageous to identify and mark falsehoods. The blessing of the LORD is upon all who do His work by marking and exposing false teaching.
Judges 5:23-24—a curse or a blessing? Have you marked this text in your Bible? Perhaps, like valiant Phinehas, some of us need to begin by driving a harpoon through the spiritual fornication that is occurring in our own hearts. Then we will be fit to be used as was Phinehas. Just as Phinehas was rewarded and blessed by the LORD for his zeal in ridding the camp of sin, so the LORD will reward those who are zealous for His truth in this hour. Those who will stand for the purity of His truth in the midst of His people will have a divine blessing pronounced and bestowed upon them.
The call and question remains:
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Psalm 94:16
Sentimentally pandering to men’s personalities reveals a gross lack of the fear of God which is promised to bring a snare (Prov. 29:25). Fearing men is sin. In the case of identifying and exposing false teachers, we must first rid our own lives and hearts of all self-idolatry and false teaching. Perhaps self-love is at the root of our lack of vigilance. Jesus taught that the one who would follow Him must “deny himself” (Lk. 9:23). Notice, the LORD didn’t teach what so many “Christian” leaders erroneously teach today—self-esteem, which is self-love. Jesus and His apostles taught God-esteem and others-esteem, not self-esteem (Phil. 2:3-5). When we authentically esteem Christ and the members of His “little flock,” we will be bold and valiant in His holy truth (Lk. 12:32).
According to Psalm 149, the saints of God are to be joyful in glory and to go forth with His holy praise in their mouths and the sharp sword of the Word in their hand to execute vengeance upon the enemies of the LORD by uncovering the schemes of His arch enemy who works deceitfully through false prophets and their deadly teachings. Jesus said that the “violent” are to take by force the kingdom from those who are in our midst to devour His sheep (Matt. 11:12). Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil” and “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (1 Jn. 3:8; Acts 26:18).
Correct doctrine and living are always the fruit of a crucified life (Jn. 7:17-18; 2 Tim. 3:10).
Satan’s Most Effective Agents Are Disguised As “Christians”
Shame on every local pastor who is so busy building his own little kingdom, program, and building-fund projects instead of tending to the people God has given him to build up.
Be diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. ~ Proverbs 27:23
Since so many pastors are seeking to erect and/or embellish themselves with physical buildings and to expand their own influence, they have no time to “Be diligent to know the state” of their “flocks.” Many of our leaders simply are not tending to the people the LORD has mandated them to oversee.
Since the kingdom of God is within the LORD’s people, this is what is to be built—with His Word, prayer, and serving.
The kingdom of God is within you. ~ Luke 17:21
Those who oppose the naming of names and uncovering of false doctrines are dead wrong. At the root of those who complain and balk about Christ’s servants who do the divine work of exposing false teachings and teachers, is a rebellious heart. This is the fruit of a heart full of cowardice in contrast to the valiant, warrior-like heart that is courageous to perform the truth of the LORD and Savior.
Satan loves self-serving, agreeable, smooth, spineless little “Christian” people who hide his evil agents, and all in the name of “love, tolerance and acceptance.” This type of false love is betrayal and seems to be characteristic of those who outwardly claim to be Christians, and yet live their sin-justified daily lives unto themselves.
William Macdonald writes:
Tolerance can be a virtue, but it can also betray an inexcusable weakness of character. We admire the person who tolerates differences where no great issue is at stake. He allows for a variety of preferences, methods and unimportant viewpoints. He would rather be killed for a sheep than for a lamb.
But there is another tolerance that is despicable. This is the willingness to remain silent when God’s name is blasphemed or when Christ is dishonoured. It is the treachery of silence when truth is on the scaffold. It is the unwillingness to speak out against evil. Tolerance that condones deceit and unrighteousness is sin.
Those who think that Jesus was always tolerant should read Matthew 23, a denunciation of hypocrisy. This passage proves forever that our LORD was capable of scathing indignation at the pretence of religious leaders. Or, they should read Revelation 2:20 where He condemned the church in Thyatira for tolerating a woman teacher named Jezebel.
Paul too was intolerant of evil. He even mentioned names, something that is considered unacceptable in evangelical circles today. He delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander to Satan, that they might learn not to blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:20). He didn’t hesitate to single out Hymenaeus and Philetus as false teachers (2 Timothy 2:17) and he denounced Alexander the coppersmith by name for his evil behaviour (2 Timothy 4:14).
John also had the courage to name Diotrephes as one who loved to have the pre-eminence (3 John 9).
It seems that the church today has lost its capacity for godly intolerance. As Robert G Lee said, “We live in a world of invertebrate theology, jellyfish morality, seesaw religion, India rubber convictions, somersault philosophy that tells us what we already know in words which we do not understand.”
Those at ease in Zion do not want to be bothered with the work of the kingdom in defending the faith. They only want the benefits of Heaven while they shirk the work of the LORD. They want Him to save them from Hell but are not willing to make Him the LORD and Master of their daily lives. These reign on the throne of their own hearts while externally claiming to love and serve the One who said:
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me…So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple…He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ~ Luke 9:23; 14:33; John 12:25
Does not our enemy cherish those within the ranks of the modern church who know his evil and subversive teachings, and yet have no desire, zeal, or boldness to expose them for fear of their own reputation? The great deceiver knows the lax disposition of most of those who claim to know Christ and yet refuse to truly and personally study and definitively know God’s Word for themselves (Amos 6:1; Prov. 22:17-22; 2 Tim. 2:15). Warning: Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1).
The lack of zeal for God and obedience to His plain truth clearly identifies in us damnable, Luciferic, self-idolatry and self-worship. The altar of self-worship must be obliterated once and for all, if there is to be found in us any of the victory of Christ.
Whose side are you on?
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he? ~ 1 Corinthians 10:21-22
Are we of those who claim to know Jesus and yet treat Him as a second-class citizen by refusing to learn for ourselves what He said in His Word? Or, are we of that holy remnant who stand bold with His strength, crucified with Christ, to diligently learn His truth and to openly expose false teachings and teachers that lead precious souls away from Him?
Jesus and His holy apostles often rebuked and exposed false leaders and false doctrine (Matthew 23; Acts 13:10; 20:29-31; Galatians 5:11-12; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 2 Peter 2; 2 John 7-11; Revelation 2:6, 15, etc.). Therefore we know that part of following Jesus includes doing the same. In fact, the body of Christ is mandated to do just that (Romans 16:17-18; Philippians 1:17; Jude 3-4).
THE WORK OF SATAN AND HIS PAWNS IS TO KEEP HIS WOLVES (FALSE LEADERS) HIDDEN FROM VIEW! GOD WANTS THEM EXPOSED, BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST SO HIS SHEEP, FOR WHOM CHRIST DIED, CAN BE PROTECTED. JESUS AND HIS HOLY APOSTLES DID JUST THIS – EXPOSE FALSE LEADERS AND THEIR HERESIES! LET’S GET A GOSPEL CLUE AND CEASE DEFENDING, HIDING SATAN’S AGENTS! (Matthew 21:12-17; Romans 16:17-18; Jude 3-4; Acts 13:10; Matthew 23, etc.).
False prophets are Satan’s pawns who play the people. Are you being played?
Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK them (make it public to protect others) which cause divisions and offences contrary to the DOCTRINE which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. ~ Romans 16:17-18
LORD Jesus, please help us. Grant us a deep hunger for Your doctrine and the willingness to avoid those who teach otherwise.
While Jesus condemned hypocritical judgment, He commanded “righteous judgment” (Matt. 7:1-4; Jn. 7:24).
Note: There’s a difference between Satan accusing God’s people and God’s people identifying wolves in sheep’s clothing among us. Be careful not to mix things up: Note that Satan is the “accuser of our BRETHREN” (Revelation 12:10)… and the “brethren” are NOT the wolves the “brethren” are commanded to “MARK” and “earnestly contend” AGAINST (Romans 16:17-18; Jude 3). Read that again. God commands His disciples to “MARK” which means to make known, to identify those wolves so God’s people can be protected. Beware of those who are misusing Scripture. Stop it now. You cannot “rightly” divide the Word of truth until you are daily, diligently studying and walking with other of His saints in the revelation that is the written Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15).
The Call to Earnestly Contend for the Faith
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (license for sin), and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ Jude 3-4
Are we covering for Satan and not even realizing it? Are we cloaking the devil’s agents in order to avoid “rocking the boat,” so that we don’t personally have to take a hit on our own reputation? Are we saving our lives instead of losing them for Christ and His Gospel? Can you this day stand clear in conscience and heart and “not be ashamed before him at his coming?” (See 1 Jn. 2:28.) On Judgment Day, will you be found as a true follower of Jesus Christ, having lived out your days on earth unashamed of Him and His Words?
The Son of God stated:
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me AND of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. ~ Mark 8:38
Is it not the calling of all who wholly identify with Christ to stand for His name and Word and suffer for His Name’s sake?
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: ~ 2 Timothy 2:12
How did the early believers handle persecution? After being brought before the civil authorities of their day and commanded not to preach or teach any more in the name of Jesus, the Bible records their joyous response:
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. ~ Acts 5:41
Read Acts 4. How exciting! What an adventure! Persecution will always come for the Living Word’s sake (Acts 4; Mk. 4:17). These believers were commanded not to teach or speak in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:18). God’s Word, when communicated, always brings light into the dark caverns of men’s hearts—inside and outside the church-world— especially within. Rejoice! Many times, the rebellious hearers attack the messenger (Jn. 3:18-21).
Our LORD told us that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword, the sword of division (Matt. 10:32-40). Why do we marvel when all things break lose against us in this life, as we speak and stand in divine truth?
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. ~ Matthew 10:34
When eternal truth is spoken, it is the occasion for some to believe and others not to, so there is consequently going to be a dividing, and that is a blessed, healthy division. As we truly trust in, obey, and follow Him, Jesus blesses our hearts, shining the glorious eternal light of His Gospel, while ridding us of darkness, the work of sin, and the evil one (Acts 3:26; 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:4-6). Take heart beloved: our LORD is continuing that work which He first began, working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 1:6; 2:13). He foretold us that we would be persecuted as He was, but also that He overcame the world, not loving His life unto death that He might redeem us (Heb. 12:1-4). It was from within the professing church-world that Jesus was most fiercely persecuted and eventually mocked, scourged, and crucified. Nothing has changed.
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33
It should be understood that marking the false teachers/ prophets is going to draw fire from those who have found refuge in their lies. Many of those who follow counterfeit wolves will ardently defend those who have given them a license to live in the sins they love: greed, self-love, idolatry, fornication, and spiritual adultery. These who defend their false prophets are defending the false security zone these beguilers have created in their deceived minds. Through their purposed dodging of the hard truths of Scripture, the false teachers/prophets have fostered a license for sin in their audiences, inferring that they can live in sin and still remain in right standing with God. So, to expose these lies is to strike at the wayward heart of those who have been deluded, and this will surely draw a reaction from some.
Those who will be Christ’s, elevating Him upward through His Word and empowered by His Spirit, must expect tribulation. For His name and words sake, such response is guaranteed. The enduring believer can also expect His Savior’s peace which passes all understanding. He can “be of good cheer,” count the cost, and be resolved in this life to abide in the obedience of the Master at any cost, even the cost of this fleeting life.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. ~ Matthew 10:22
PRAYER: LORD, I cry unto Thee to infuse my heart with supreme love for You and to rid my heart of all fear and idolatry of men, beginning with self. Grant me the courage to live unto You in all things, including making known, as You lead, the harmful and errant doctrines, deeds, and personalities that confront Your glory and precious people in this closing hour. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Capture Points
- Write Amos 5:15 on an index card with reference and say it aloud three times. If there is more than one person, discuss this.
- In Judges 5, study the curse of Meroz and blessing of Jael and discuss.
- Write John 16:33 on an index card with reference and say it aloud three times. If there is more than one person, discuss this.
Abiding
“Thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God.” ~ Ezekiel 28:13 [podcast]
Excerpt from the book Lie of the Ages
THE INTRUDERS—THE RESTORATION
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God.” ~ Ezekiel 28:13
The evil one had been thrust down from Heaven to the earth for the iniquity found in him (Ezek. 28:15; Lk. 10:18). This evil foe, who had been ejected by God from Heaven’s pristine and perfect premises, was cast down to the earth and allowed in the sanctuary of the Garden of Eden, because God gives men a choice to serve—or to not serve Him. He created in mankind the gift of free will. Temptation is ultimately the test as to whom the individual will love and serve. “For the LORD your God proveth (tests) you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deut. 13:3).
The serpent slithered among the lush embellishments of the Garden of Eden. His goal was the fall of the first man and woman who were created in the image of the One who made all things. Satan obviously schemed and strategized as to what weapon to employ in order to accomplish his main objective—to cause the first man and woman to fall from grace by sinning, and consequently, be alienated from the LORD. This enemy of souls knew from personal experience that the Almighty keeps His Word and casts down those who disobey Him. To this point, Adam and Eve knew only righteousness. They did not yet realize what the evil one knew and had already been the recipient of – that is, the judgment of God for his sin. A hard lesson lay ahead of Adam and Eve, and a fallen creation would be left in the wake of their defiance of the holy LORD and His righteous command – not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 2:17).
The enemy of all souls has not changed. His temptations are “common to man” (1 Cor. 10:13). Satan’s goal was, and is, to interrupt and destroy the relationship between his enemy, God, and His special creation—man. Jesus informed us that the ultimate “thief” has come to “steal, to kill and to destroy” (Jn. 10:10). This same goal—the fall of man—is still his aim and will be until the LORD Himself puts him away for good (Rev. 20:10).
From the Garden to the modern pulpit, the enemy has lied to mankind. Satan and his false teachers are the intruders—the very enemies of the Almighty. The serpent has slithered through the garden path of history, seductively spreading his poisonous seed, causing the fall of many and now possesses the thoughts and doctrines of an army of deceived men in ministry.
Ever since the Garden, the lie of the ages dwells among men, especially in the sanctuary where the LORD is supposed to be reigning—the Church world. As in the Garden of creation, so the enemy specifically concentrates on the sanctuary of his enemy’s people. He seeks to molest purity, beguiling those who are unlearned. Many times, he uses the body of Christ’s own leaders.
Today, the pulpits and platforms of modern media are the places that most people simply do not suspect to be the mediums where falsehoods thrive, reside, and flow. They do not see the serpent lurking among the trees in the garden of modern “Christian” pulpits, organizations, and media. Most are not aware of the wolves in sheep’s clothing who, like the lurking serpent in the garden, “lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14).
As foretold by the prophet Amos, the enemy of souls seeks to alter and remove the Word of God from the hearing of God’s people (Amos 8:11). This is what he did in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:17; 3:4). Today this same enemy uses the most subtle messengers—the ones many people look to for truth. The Holy Spirit forewarned us that in these last of days men would not remain in the truth but rather that “some shall depart from the faith” and that “many” would “corrupt the word of God” (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Cor. 2:17): “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.”
It simply doesn’t matter if a leader realizes he is teaching heresy or not. If he is teaching anything other than the Word, he is a detractor from the glory of God and leading others astray. Men of God are to “preach the word” and speak only “as the oracles (words) of God” (2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Pet. 4:11). This is a non-negotiable command to all who would accurately represent the LORD. No matter the reasoning, one will be found a deceiver on Judgment Day if he preaches any other message than the Word of God (Isa. 8:20). One can be sincere and sincerely wrong at the same time (Prov. 14:12). “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).
The holy and almighty God told us that He is going to judge all men according to His Word (Jn. 12:48; Rom. 2:16; Rev. 20:11-15).
From the very beginning (Garden of Creation), the beguiler’s target has been God’s people. Nothing has changed. His message to men is simple— “You don’t have to worry about obedience, it’s optional, you can live the way you choose and still remain in the grace of God.”
Through those men he uses today, the enemy mixes in some truth with this deadly lie of lasciviousness and poisons the whole pond, leading many astray into a false gospel and false security. Perhaps it has been wisely stated that “Satan will give you a million pounds of truth to blind you with that one ounce of a deadly lie which will kill you.” In order to bring in a lie among God’s people, the enemy likes to lead with truth as his smokescreen in order to bring in that deadly distortion behind the cover of truth. See Matthew 16:6-12 and 1 Corinthians 5:6. “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9).
Why should we be surprised that this ultimate enemy still uses the most “subtle” and unsuspected methods and personalities to communicate his deadly message to God’s people? After all, his message still works to cause unsuspecting men to fall out of fellowship with God. Why should we wonder why the evil one still utilizes the same lie that claimed the first man and woman? Has this message not captured untold scores of souls since then? Are we so blindly naïve as to believe that there is no evil or devil? Why should we be surprised to realize that this same evil enemy of souls is ceaselessly in the midst of our garden today, telling this same lie by adding to the Word of the Maker?
God said “Thou shalt surely die,” and Satan countered with “Ye shall not surely die.”
Are pulpits more sacred than the very Garden of Eden? Obviously not. There was no sin in the Garden until Satan introduced the lie of the ages, and the man and woman bought it. In the very cradle of creation, the enemy of God initiated and launched the lie that would fatally wound mankind, claiming the souls of millions throughout the centuries. This exact same deadly lie was picked up, incorporated, and perpetuated by early century church fathers, so-called theologians, whose heresy-laced writings and commentaries regrettably hold great prominence among many evangelicals today—even though they have no reconciliation with the Counsel of God, which will be demonstrated throughout this book.
The Bible enlightens us to the reality that Satan is a strategist and has schemes of which believers are instructed not to be ignorant (2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 5:8). We are in a war, and like any good war general and his staff, we are to study and know the nature, weapons, and ways of our enemy.
The apostle Paul informed us that Satan’s methods are the same today as they were from the start—in the Garden.
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” ~ 1 Corinthians 10:13
In this same text, the LORD told us that He makes a way to escape the re-used lies of the enemy and his temptations.
As can be clearly seen in Genesis, “once saved always saved” is not a new doctrine, and it’s also not the LORD’s doctrine. “Once saved always saved” is clearly the lie that caused the fall of man. This is the doctrine of the arch enemy of the Almighty. As in the very beginning, the unholy serpent himself is still creeping into the homes and gathering places of believers today and utilizing the same lie to mislead people and cause their fall from grace. The chief wolf who has come “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” seeks to devour souls for his kingdom and from the Chief Shepherd, who is “come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10; Heb. 13:20). Beware! “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).
The first lie led to the fall of the first man and woman and is leading to the fall of masses of people today. Millions in our day are being taught that they are unconditionally eternally secure—in the absence of the truth about the holiness of the God they will stand before in judgment, and His demand that we be made holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:16).
The pulpits of America have been hi-jacked by men who have “crept in unawares” who are teaching a doctrine originated by the enemy of all souls and calling it “Christian.” This is paramount to using the name of the LORD in vain, by attaching His holy name to a teaching of his arch enemy.
Tracing the Lie
The adversary attacked God through His own creation—the Garden, the fruit, the serpent, the woman, and the man.
Does it intrigue you to uncover the very first lie told by the one Christ warned us of who is the father of all lies? Of Satan, Jesus said: “for he is a liar, and the father of it” (Jn. 8:44).
One three-letter word— “not”—changed the course of history! Satan told the woman “Ye shall not surely die,” after their Maker had told them that they would “surely die” in the day they disobeyed Him (Gen. 2:17; 3:4).
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall NOT surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” ~ Genesis 3:4-5
This first and poisonous falsehood, the lie of the ages, is still today the same deadly venom being injected by the evil one in the battle that rages for the eternal souls of men. The serpent infused the first man and woman with this venomous and paralyzing deception, robbing from their hearts the fear of the LORD, which led to their fall from grace. Consequently, a separation was incurred between a holy Maker and His creation with a catastrophic curse which fell.
This unconditional eternal security—without condition to the recipient—is the very FIRST LIE the devil ever told to mankind. “Once saved always saved” (OSAS) is one of the modern labels of the renamed, or repackaged, lie of the ages. In this deception in the Garden, as well as in our day, Satan craftily convinces people that they have irrevocable “security” and “assurance,” no matter what their actions against the clear command/Word of God.
The message of eternal security without condition to the recipient is that once one has been born again, he has no responsibility to continue to faithfully obey the Almighty—the One who saved him. Those who sit under this teaching are told that once they have been brought into fellowship with Him in His garden of salvation through Christ, they can never “die” or be separated from Him again, even if they blatantly rebel. This lie teaches that the person who Christ has saved can then choose to live as he wishes with no fear of consequence or righteous retribution from the One who is “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8). This is the very lie that Satan gave Adam and Eve which led to their fall into sin and separation from the LORD.
Can you see why it is a big score for the enemy of souls when people are told by their misled leaders that they are “once saved always saved”—no matter what they choose to do, including revolt completely against the Most High and go back to the life of sin?
In the sanctity of the Garden, where there was no suspicion, Satan intruded. Today, in the sanctuary of the pulpits and various Christian media, his emissaries are intruding where few suspect. He prospers because so many believe that their leaders are guiding them correctly, and yet do not know and obey the Word of God for themselves. Only those who learn the way of the LORD through His Word can know and see the enemy’s work. Those who do not have a life in the Word will fall prey to deception and ultimately be destroyed (Hos. 4:6; Matt. 22:29). Discernment comes from being personally exercised in the Word of God (Heb. 5:11-14).
The New Garden—Restored Holy Bliss
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” ~ Isaiah 9:6-7
The Genesis account of creation and the relationship between the LORD and the first man and woman, is an ongoing saga to continue until the hour of Christ’s return, and the establishment of His eternal kingdom. We are given this record (the Bible) in order to know the LORD and how He deals with men, and who He blesses and who He curses.
From the Garden to the Holy City—Genesis to Revelation, the war over the souls of men rages. The enemy seeks to reclaim those redeemed by the blood of the One who is the seed of woman (Gen. 3:15). What better way to undertake such an evil mission than to use those shepherds at the very helm of the visible church?
God’s account of man’s creation and fall is not left without a solution from the only One who can remedy his alienation. Holy Writ opens with the creation and fall of mankind and the promised prophetic restoration through the Messiah of all who will come to Him, as He justly prescribed (Gen. 3:15). The book of all Books ends with a warning to all of us concerning making the very same error Adam and Eve made when they bought into the distortion of His holy words, and thereby fell, joining forces with His archenemy.
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” ~ Revelation 22:12-21
In these final words of Holy Scripture, Jesus Christ tells us that He is coming quickly to reward all according to each person’s works. He says to us that those who keep and do His Word will receive blessings and “have right to the tree of life” in the restored “holy city” of God. Outside this blessedness will be all who have lived in and justified their sins—no matter what their previous relationship with Him might have been. Then, in the very final words of Holy Writ, there is the warning of adding to or taking from His words. This adding to or removing of truth is done first internally, in the hearts of those who do not genuinely love the LORD with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Those who love darkness rather than His holy light do not wish to come clean under the light of divine truth (Jn. 3:18-21; 2 Tim. 4:3-4).
This war for the souls of men spans from Genesis to Revelation, and the words of God are pivotal in this most crucial and consequential of battles. Those who play into the enemy’s scheme to “add unto” or “take away” from God’s words of instruction will be removed from the book of life, cut out of the holy city, and from all eternal blessings. The lake of fire waits.
PRAYER: LORD Jesus, please purify my heart and remove all dissimulation and mixture from me. Rid my life of all secret faults and presumptuous sins! Father, please grant me the blessing of knowing You in truth and living in Your holy light and will. Jesus, please preserve my eternal soul until the day of Your soon return. Amen.
Excerpt from the book Lie of the Ages
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Abiding
Testing the Mettle of our Profession [podcast]
In this example, the phrase “testing the mettle” speaks of examining the authenticity of a person’s profession, putting to the test their claim of knowing Christ.
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16
1 John 3:5-23
“And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
Mark 4
“And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 And HAVE NO ROOT IN THEMSELVES, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” Mark 4:16-17
“Have no root in themselves” would be a good phrase to search out. When we choose to have impure motives, when we refuse to rid our lives of that sin which defiles us in His holy eyes, we still have a poisoned instead of a pure root.
IF one who has been saved and yet is not diligently seeking the face of the LORD for the REAL foundation that HE alone can build in our lives—the wheels are going to fall off before eternity. God told us He is going to shake all things, every life. There are no shortcuts. The divine kingdom system cannot be falsified.
“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:25-29
ASSIGNMENT FOR THE HONEST: WANT to see, want to test if you are real, genuine, authentic? Read the book of 1 John. 5 chapters. Read 1 chapter per morning for the next 5 days. Pray as you begin and be ready, fervent, to repent—to cry out to the LORD to purge, to strip you of every trace of evil, of deceit, of pride, to the core of your being—as He alone can do. Psalms 51. You will do well to prayerfully camp in 1 John 3.
Never cover your sins. Confess them for what they are before the LORD (Hebrews 4:14-16).
“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13
Any saved person who does not deliberately choose to have a heart after God, a heart and life that is seeking God “continually” is not enduring to the end and will not make it. Such a person is clearly a foolish virgin (Matthew 25:1-13).
“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11
“This should be a way of life! Actively seeking a deep and intimate relationship with Him. Not just an occasional prayer but an active pursuit. ‘And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart’ (Jeremiah 29:13). This verse describes exactly how we are to seek Him. With all our hearts! Not half hearted! Jesus wants our total and complete devotion and commitment to Him. If we seek Him with our whole entire being He promises we will find Him!” Karen Cochran
The ONLY foundation standing in the end will be obedience to HIS Word (Matthew 7:19-29). Only those who chose to have their feet firmly planted on that one foundation will be with King Jesus (Matthew 7:21).
IN HIS MERCY, God is shaking EVERY foundation. Read Hebrews 12.
DO execute the calling of God on your life militantly (1 Timothy 2:1-5).
Heaven bound WISE virgins saints are staying full of God’s Word today. Matthew 25:1-13
Get militant or get mauled, mutilated by the flesh.
Your simple prayer: LORD, please help me love You more. In Jesus’ name.
Jesus Speaks…….. watch exactly WHO the the Son of God/Bible says are really saved…. which means the vast majority of professing “Christians” are hell bound….
“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” Luke 12:8-9
ALL who do not confess Jesus to others prove they are ashamed of Him and will perish in the flames of hell. Counterfeits—“trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.”
“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” Jude 12
SO you claim Christ as Savior and yet you aren’t putting forth, preaching His Word? I doubt He knows you!
“Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: 9 But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.” Luke 12:8-9
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Articles
Conspiracy Among the False Prophets [podcast]
The Prophesied End Times Conspiracy of False Leaders [podcast]
Audio PlayerBirds of a Feather Truly Do Flock Together
“For MANY deceivers are entered into the world . . .” 2 John 7
So many today tell you exactly who they are when they quote absolute frauds like John Calvin, Mother Teresa, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Rick Warren, James R. White, Todd White, etc. The list is endless of false prophets who are still heralded by heretical pawns who are part of the “conspiracy” of false prophets who are against the LORD (Ezekiel 22:25-27).
Stop endorsing and quoting and esteeming mere sinful men, now! Obey God by exposing them! (Matthew 10:26-28; 23; Romans 16:17-18; Jude 3, etc.).
“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:22
“Seems so many miss the little things by not investigating for themselves. I wish they would just stick to the Bible and give honour where God hath given honour: like unto Paul, Timothy, Epaphras, John, Peter, etc. There are plenty of examples to us in the written Word without having to laud men that we truly know very little of or were written of by secular historians.” Jon Crane
The Word of God has very much to say about discernment, and one of those cardinal truths is found in Ezekiel 22:25-27 which speaks of how birds of a feather DO flock together and so that’s one way we know them by their fruits (Matthew 7:16, 20). When you see someone hanging with, colluding with a known false prophet, you know that they’re both wolves. Also we should become very familiar with 2 John 10-11. Example: The history of the roman church is to infiltrate, to send their trojan horse wolves in our midst, acting like Christians while coming to subvert. The jesuits infiltrated the protestant seminaries beginning in the 1950’s and that’s when the prophesied final great departure from the truth began (1 Timothy 4:1-2, etc.). So, when you see a preacher who isn’t exposing this antichrist cult but rather colluding with them, you know he’s antichrist. Examples of such include Billy Graham, Paul Washer, James Robison, Jonathan Roumie, Sean Feucht, etc. See Catholicism/Ecumenism category.
“Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Revelation 12:12
Beware of the bombardment, the constant delusions of the enemy, who “is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” (Revelation 12:12) For example: The Jesus Revolution Movie, the fake revivals such as Asbury, etc. There is a culminating “conspiracy”, a concerted effort by Satan and his human agents, to deceive the elect, wolves in sheeps’ clothing among us! Beware saints.
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” Matthew 24:21-22
Over reaction on the Bible topic of false leaders? If you can find the phrase “many true prophets” in God’s Word, show it to us. Hint: It’s not there. Yet, we are repeatedly warned of “many false prophets” who would “deceive many” and how in these last days “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (Matthew 24:11; 1 John 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:13)
“Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.” Jeremiah 12:10
WHO DID GOD TELL US IS MISLEADING HIS PEOPLE?
“For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.” Isaiah 9:16
Is false leadership, those who mislead, not the greatest threat to the body of Christ? Yes!
There is obviously little threat from external Satanists and yet those who serve the enemy within the body of Christ are strategic plants, positioned to infect those who surround them. Yet, the Holy Spirit who is the Author of the Word of God, spends volumes of time utilizing many words to warn us of the impending and guaranteed danger of these wolves who prey upon the sheep of the LORD using various messages, methods and manipulation. These “deceitful workers” work most effectively within, not without (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). They are at work in our midst–strategically, internally planted. There is a conspiracy of false prophets and false teachers united by the spirit of antichrist and purposed to malign, ever so subtly, the image of the one true God.
“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things …” Ezekiel 22:25
Where are the “prophets” who conspire? They are strategically positioned “in the midst” of the saints of the LORD. They steal the “treasure and precious things” of the LORD by robbing His sheep of His clear and full-counsel truth which bears the abundance of His spiritual blessings in heavenly places through Jesus Christ.
According to the Holy Scriptures, false prophets are known by their affiliations. See Ezekiel 22:25-27.
According to 2 John 10-11 we will be judged with evil doers if we condone, support them in any way. Also, a major truth of discerning is found in Ezekiel 22:25-27.
Packs of wolves adorned behind the sheep’s clothing of their denomination, church building, affiliation, degree and charisma, operate in the modern church, leading people to the knowledge of a false Christ.
The antichrist spirit opposes Christ under the pretense of representing Him and leading His Church.
“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken.” Ezekiel 22:25-28
Note the classes of leadership listed here–prophets, priests, princes, and prophets. There were many levels of leadership involved and operating in a conspiracy against the LORD. Where are the conspiratorial false “prophets”?–“in the midst” of God’s people. What are the false prophets doing in the midst of God’s people and what have they done?
Ezekiel 22 Outline
- “ravening the prey (they see God’s people as an opportunity for self gain)” (v25)
- “have devoured souls (do not flinch to deceive and destroy precious souls)” (v25)
- “they have taken the treasure and precious things (stolen the spiritual blessing of His glorious salvation)” (v25)
- “they have made her many widows in the midst thereof (caused spiritual death)” (v25)
- “Her priests have violated my law (do not hold to and preach God’s pure Word, but rather use their position to profit themselves)” (v26)
- “have profaned mine holy thing (made common that which is holy)” (v26)
- “they have put no difference between the holy and profane (mixture)” (v26)
- “neither have they showed difference between the unclean and the clean (did not teach His people to discern)” (v26)
- “have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths (did not set the LORD and His rest apart as holy)” (v26)
- “I am profaned among them” (v26)
- “Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey” (v27)
- “shed blood, and to destroy souls” (v27)
- “get dishonest gain (made merchandise of the people)” (v27)
- “her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar (built their organizations in a way not prescribed in the Word)” (v28)
- “seeing vanity” (v28)
- “divining lies (conjuring up “words” that are not from God)” (v28)
- “saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken (using His holy name in vain for their own selfish gain)” (v28)
This enumeration of the characteristics and operating tactics of false leaders is no different today than what it was in Ezekiel’s day.
JIHAD IN THE MODERN CHURCH
There is a war raging in the church world today. It is the war for truth, which is opposed by the liars and lies of the enemy of all of God’s people, who makes war against the saints (Daniel 7:21). The enemy is greatly assisted in his cause, by those fruitless leaders who refuse to openly and continually dispense divine truth. This war goes unnoticed by most but will determine the future of the souls of countless men.
The LORD instructs all of His people, especially those in leadership, to discern and detect such lies and to “Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)
The evil silence of so many in leadership who do not know nor “preach the word” is contemptible, despicable, shameful, offensive and insidious (2 Timothy 4:2). There is no doubt that these in leadership in today’s church, who do not teach the pure Word of God, are the most powerful emissaries of the evil one. If God’s people know His Word, the will not be destroyed for lack of knowledge (Psalms 17:4; Hosea 4:6).
Jihad means holy war. Those who wage such a war in the Islamic world, do so stealthily. The enemies of God, who stealthily prey upon the weak, beginning with their father the devil, are for the most part, cowardly. Do we have a well-hidden war being waged in our churches–being clandestinely waged by our very leaders? Have we not been warned that many deceivers have “crept in unawares (undetected)” who “lie in wait to deceive”? (Jude 4; Ephesians 4:14)
The Islamic terrorists seek to come within our cities and drop their undetected “dirty bombs” and kill millions of Americans. Much worse are those spiritual terrorists who hold leadership positions and yet do not “feed the church of God” and by denial are dropping their dirty bombs of error in word and lifestyle. They refuse to protect God’s people by filling them with His truth (Proverbs 30:5; Acts 20:32). These who serve themselves of the ministry are in denial and do not give protection to the people of God like true shepherds do.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (Gr. suppress) the truth in unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18
If our government did nothing to protect us from the physical terrorism the Islamic Jihadists who seek to inflict death and destruction on our nation, what would we say? We would be outraged, right? Doesn’t the physical threat of terrorism Muslims seek to bring on America, pale in comparison to the dangerous and deadly spiritual terrorism of false prophets and their potential to damn the very souls of men? Is not the future health of the Christian and Church being placed at stake by the refusal of leaders to diligently dispense the doctrinal truths the LORD gave us in His Word? If so, then why are we not completely outraged at such gross lack of warning or protection from our leaders, concerning the spiritual terrorism the enemy of all souls is bringing into the midst of our camps, and the gross lack of Bible teaching?
Perhaps we would fair well to place this following Bible promise on our refrigerators in order to keep us aware of the reality of such deception:
“For this I know (definitive), that after my departing SHALL (a Bible promise) grievous wolves enter in AMONG YOU, not sparing the flock.” Acts 20:29
Seeking to push from view the reality of deceivers and deception is a dangerous undertaking at best and a brazen betrayal of God and our fellow man. The fact of false prophets is a reality, especially as concerns these final days. Trying to hide this fact may just prove that we are a part of the conspiracy against the LORD and His children (Ezekiel 22:25-27).
There is a mountain of Bible passages dedicated to warning us to discern false prophets and false teachings. Like any good parent, our heavenly Father wants His beloved children to be “safe” and like Paul so do all true servant leaders (Philippians 3:1). To ignore what He told us about deceivers and false teaching is to indict the Almighty as being uncaring, un-thoughtful, and a bad parent. One must openly reject hundreds of verses to ignore the dangerous threat imposed by “grievous wolves.” (Acts 20:29) The threat posed by these wolves is severe. Eternal souls are in the balance.
It is highly regrettable far too little is said or addressed of this important biblical subject which has left God’s people at a place of great vulnerability (1 John 4:1). According to Ezekiel 44:23 and Colossians 1:28, true servants of Jesus are to “teach” His people to discern “the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.”
In this late hour “evil men and seducers” of souls are waxing “worse and worse” and the LORD must have His obedient watchmen to teach, to warn, and to preach (Colossians 1:28; 2 Timothy 3:13).
All watchmen and disciples of Jesus are to diligently and without ceasing bring His people into remembrance of His Word and the many warnings therein (1 Timothy 4:6, 16). This is what the “good minister of Jesus Christ” does as well as nourishing them “up in the words of faith and of good doctrine.” (1 Timothy 4:6, 16)
THE GOOD SHEPHERD PROTECTS HIS SHEEP
The man who isn’t warning isn’t loving and isn’t protecting Christ’s sheep. Run from such a devil for he is part of the antichrist “conspiracy” against Christ! (Ezekiel 22:25-27) Such a man is completely unlike Christ and His prophets and apostles who repeatedly warned of false prophets and their heresies!
Jesus Christ is “the great shepherd of the sheep” and “Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday, and today, and forever”, then is He not still deeply concerned about the protection of His people today? (Hebrews 13:8, 20)
Please realize that the LORD holds each of us responsible to take heed to what we hear and to keep our own hearts with all diligence and stay pure from all deceivers and deceptions (Deuteronomy 4:9; Proverbs 4:20-23; Luke 21:34-36; 2 Timothy 2:15, etc.).
“Keep thyself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22
Beloved, in light of your own personal responsibility to walk and remain in the truth, let me encourage you to avoid holding your breath till you find a true under-shepherd who will do his duty by watching, overseeing, “declar(ing) unto you all the counsel of God”, and “feed(ing) the church of God.” (Acts 20:28-32) Consider prayerfully and perpetually getting into God’s Word for yourself. Devour it and let your heart be taught in His perfect ways by his Spirit.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for ever helping, for bidding God speed in any way to a wolf that is Your enemy. I now this moment repent and desire never to commit this sin again. Please unite my heart to fear Thy holy name LORD Jesus! Teach me to discern and to cling to You according to the lamp of Your precious Precepts! In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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