DO NOT BE DECEIVED

 This past week many believed that there would be a different turn-out to the election. Some had dreams, some had the LORD speak directly to them, and others have revelations of the election outcome where Trump would remain the president for the next four years. Some still believe that Trump will become president in March. This morning I want to speak to you not about the politics of the day or the election but about the warning that Jesus gave about those who would deceive many within the Church.

Last Sunday, we heard about being deceived. I want to expound on that same thought. It is often easy for us to get our hope up when someone tells us what we would like to hear. It is easy to believe the things that we want rather than the things we don't like.

First, I am not a prophet. I do not give prophecies beyond what is written in the Word of God. I have not had dreams or visions, and God has not spoken directly to me. I have not had an angel of the LORD appear to me and give me a message to the world. I rely on the Scriptures and the truth and revelation that is found in them. We are living in the last days, as shown in the Word of God. So, we will look at the Word and see what we can expect.

We are not children of the night but the day.  We are friends of Jesus who shares with us what the future holds. From the Scriptures, we can find the truth.

I would like for you to follow along with me as we will be covering many scriptures today. I will give you the summary of the scripture, and you can read it later.

 Mat 24:3-5,10-11 (NIV) ... "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?" Jesus answered, "Watch out that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name. At that time, many will turn away from the faith... and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people."

As spiritual adultery increases in the church, false prophets will flourish as highly sought-after speakers. As Christians accept more of these false teachings indiscriminately, many will fall away, believing in a phony "faith." Since we have been warned, it might be wise to seek insight into how to discern false prophecy--what are false prophets likely to say? What are they like?

We have been warned that some amazing things happen, and it will be claimed that it is from the LORD.

Deut. 18:20-22 (NIV) "A prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when the Lord has not spoken a message?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously..."

But what if it does come true? Aren't we specifically warned that near the End of the Age, many would show great signs and wonders? What then? Are signs and wonders "fruit"? Practical witchcraft is not the "fruit" we look for (Gal 5:22-23). Signs and wonders are not to be sought (Mat 16:4). Does the prophet call for repentance, holiness, and loyalty to Christ? 

Here is an observation about what has happened in the past several weeks. There has been a focus on Trump being the president and not focusing on repenting and turning from sin and iniquity.  

Deut 13:1-3 (NIV) "If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, 'Let us follow other gods' (gods you have not known) 'and let us worship them,' you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord, your God, is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul." 

This is much like the test God gave Abraham with his son Isaac on Mount Moriah. Just because someone makes the right prediction does not mean that it was from the LORD.

 

Deut. 13:5 -8 (NIV) "That prophet or dreamer must be put to death because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God... He has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you. If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, do not yield to him or listen to him..."

Back in 2008, I told teachers to take their sock investments and put them in guaranteed investments. Many did and were able to save their money from loss.  I, however, did not take my advice and lost half of my retirement. It was not that I had some spiritual knowledge of what was going to happen. I could see the signs and knew change was coming. 

The same is right for spiritual change. Look at the signs, and you will know that something is about to happen. The problem is some have their agenda and will lie to you for whatever reason about what is going to happen.

Jer 9:2-6 (NIV) "...For they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people. They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me," declares the Lord. "Beware of your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth... You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit, they refuse to acknowledge me," declares the Lord.

I believe we can all agree it isn't easy to know who is telling the truth today. We do not understand the reasoning they use when they give out their information.

Jer 23:33-36 (NIV) "When these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, 'What is the oracle of the Lord?' say to them, 'What oracle?..' You must not mention 'the oracle of the Lord' again because every man's own word becomes his oracle, and so you distort the words of the living God, the Lord Almighty, our God." What did the LORD say?

I am leery of people who tell me the "LORD said for me to tell you…". Why didn't the LORD tell me first? Ever ask yourself why does the LORD only speak to certain people and never you?

In the past few years, there has been a movement to put prophets and apostles above others in the church. There are more prophets in the Church today than in the Old Testament. Most of these self-proclaimed prophets and apostles do not qualify as Christians, let alone the LORD's voice.

Neh 9:26 (NIV) "But they were disobedient and rebelled ...They killed your prophets, who had admonished them to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies."

Paul told Timothy that there would come a time when men would not endure sound doctrine. They would only want a positive message and to be entertained.

Isa 30:9-11,15 (NIV) These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction. They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it."

The message we heard from the prophets today was that everything would be alright and our political enemies would be locked up, America would be great again, and God would bless America. The problem is this was not the plan of the LORD.

Jer 5:11-13 (NIV) "The house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me," declares the Lord. "They have lied about the Lord; they said, 'He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.' The prophets are, but wind and the Word is not in them..." (Ez 13:7, De 29:19)

How many times over the past few weeks have I heard, The LORD is not finished with Trump? He will be the president for the next four years. I wanted to believe them. I wanted these people to be right. However, I felt that because we as a nation did not turn from our sin and iniquity, we would be facing the LORD's judgment.

Jer 23:16-18 (NIV) This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise me, 'The Lord says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts, they say, 'No harm will come to you.' But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his Word? Who has listened and heard his Word?"

Jer 23:21-22 (NIV) "I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds."

Jer 8:6-9 (NIV) "I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, 'What have I done?'. My people do not know the requirements of the Lord. How can you say, 'We are wise...' Since they have rejected the Word of the Lord, what kind of wisdom do they have?"

Lam 2:14 (NIV) "The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The oracles they gave you were false and misleading."

Jer 14:14 (NIV) "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries, and the delusion of their own minds."

Jer 28:8-9 (NIV) [Jeremiah was identifying Hananiah as a false prophet:] "From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster, and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the Lord only if his prediction comes true." (Jer 28:15-17 tells the outcome.)

Micah 2:11 (NIV) "If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people!"

Micah 3:5 (NIV) This is what the Lord says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him."

Jer 8:10-12 (NIV) "From the least to the greatest all are greedy for gain; prophet and priest alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush."

Eph 5:6 (Jer) Do not let anyone deceive you with empty arguments: it is for this loose living that God's wrath comes down on those who rebel against him. Make sure you are not included with them.

John 10:12 (Jer) "The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and the sheep do not belong to him, abandons the sheep and runs away as soon as he sees a wolf coming, and then the wolf attacks and scatters the sheep."

 

Mat 7:15, 20-23 (NIV) "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves... Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them... Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"

Isa 56:10-11 (NIV) "Israel's watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around aRd dream. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain."

2 Cor 11:19-20 (Jer) Oh, you're tolerant all right! . Yes even to tolerating somebody who makes slaves of you, makes you feed him, imposes on you, orders you about and slaps you in the face.

Eze 13:17-19,22 (NIV) "Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them and say,.. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live... Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives..."

Jer 23:14-15 (NIV) "...They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness... Therefore, this is what the Lord Almighty says concerning the prophets: 'I will make them eat bitter food and drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.'"

Evil "Unleashed"

Jer 23:9-11 (NIV) "Concerning the prophets:.. 'The land is full of adulterers;.. The prophets follow an evil course and use their power unjustly. Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness,' declares the Lord."

2 Cor 11:13-15 (Phi) "God's messengers?" They are counterfeits of the real thing, dishonest practitioners masquerading as the messengers of Christ. Nor do their tactics surprise me when I consider how Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is only to be expected that his agents shall have the appearance of ministers of righteousness--but they will get what they deserve in the end.

1 Tim 4:1-2 (Phi) God's Spirit specifically tells us that in later days there will be men who abandon the true faith and allow themselves to be spiritually seduced by teachings of demons, teachings given by men who are lying hypocrites, whose consciences are as dead as seared flesh.

Jer 23:25-29 (NIV) "I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my Word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?" declares the Lord. "Is not my word like fire," declares the Lord, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?"

Col 2:18-19 (Jer) Do not be taken in by people who like groveling to angels and worshipping them; people like that are always going on about some vision they have had, inflating themselves to a false importance with their worldly outlook. A man of this sort is not united to the head...

Eph 4:14-15 (Jer) Then we shall not be children any longer, or tossed one way and another and carried along by every wind of doctrine, at the mercy of all the tricks men play and their cleverness in practicing deceit. If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ, who is the head.

1 Jn 2:20-26 (Phi) God has given you all a certain amount of spiritual insight, and indeed I have not written this warning as if I were writing to men who don't know what error is. I write because your eyes are clear enough to discern a lie when you come across it... For yourselves, keep faithful to what you heard at the beginning. I had to write to you about these men who try to lead you astray.

Mat 24:25 (Phi) "False Christs and false prophets are going to appear and produce great signs and wonders to mislead, if it were possible, even God's own people. Listen, I am warning you."

A.W. Tozer: "Whatever is new or singular should also be viewed with a lot of caution. Over the last half-century, quite a number of unscriptural notions have gained acceptance among Christians by claiming that they were among the truths that were to be revealed in the last days. The truth is that the Bible does not teach that there will be new light and advanced spiritual experiences in the latter days; it teaches the exact opposite. Beware of any man who claims to be wiser than the apostles or holier than the martyrs of the Early Church."

2 Thes 2:11-12 (Phi) God sends upon them, therefore, the full force of evil's delusion, so that they put their faith in an utter fraud and meet the inevitable judgment of all who have refused to believe the truth and who have made evil their pleasure.

Luke 21:8 (KJV) ... "Take heed that ye be not deceived; for many shall come in my name..."

Listening to False Prophets

This week was sad and disappointing for many of my friends.  At 11:48 on Wednesday, many thought Biden would not become our next president, but he did.

I posted this on December 3, 2020.

I am feeling like a lone voice in the wilderness. I sometimes wonder if I am related to Jeremiah. Jeremiah was left behind in a desolate city by the Babylonian captors which brings us to ask some pointed questions. How did it happen that a city once full of people, visited by kings and queens of other nations, now lay desolate and empty? There was no echo of people calling in its streets. Anything of value now rested in different homes, in other temples. How could it happen? Indeed, why do great men and women —like great cities —fail to maintain their greatness and fall short of their destiny? Jeremiah had the answers to these questions. What he needed was someone to listen to the truth.  

King Zedekiah sent Pashur to inquire of the Lord through Jeremiah concerning Jerusalem. Jeremiah's response had three parts: 

(1) The answer to the king's hope that the Lord would intervene to save Jerusalem from the Chaldeans (see Jeremiah 21:4–7) was clear: there was no hope.

 (2) Counsel on how the people and the royal family could preserve their lives by surrendering to the Chaldeans rather than fighting them (see vv. 8–10). 

(3) A prophecy concerning the house of David (see 21:11–14; 22:1–9), to which Jeremiah gave an alternative: If the king and his people turned back to righteousness, the throne of David would be preserved (see Jeremiah 22:4), but if not, it would "become a desolation" (v. 5).

I see some parallels with what is happening in American.

Many of my friends and fellow Christians believed President Trump would remain our president. They believed what several Bible prophecy experts stated that President Trump would stay in office regardless of the MSM and election fraud. Trump waited to concede defeat, and Christians up and down the country were clinging to the hope that could turn the election results in his favor. After a month of failed lawsuits and unsubstantiated cries of electoral fraud, Biden looks to have his victory certified on December 14 by the Electoral College.  It happened, and Joe Biden became the President-elect.

Many were telling me to have faith that the LORD is in control. I agree that the LORD is in control, and I do not have the greater picture of his plans concerning this election. If, as I believe Biden will become president, then the plans of the LORD are not being revealed to those who claim President Trump will remain president.  

I have had a problem with many of the modern-day prophets who deal in fear.  I have enough fear knowing what the LORD has told us would happen in the last days.  I do not need some prophet telling me what they believe the LORD will do.  I question the integrity of any "expert" who makes a profit off his predictions. 

We are living the same way the people were living in Samuel's day.  Samuel was a judge and a prophet. He ruled justly, but when rulers were not the people of righteousness who upheld God's Word, the people become restless. These are the times in which we live. We have great unrest. We want to be like everyone else. The Lord said, "for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them," echoes into our time. 

Give us prophets and apostles to rule over the Church. We want the "new thing." Because the Church has been rocked with every wind of doctrine, we have come to this same place the LORD found Israel. We already have the apostles and prophets teachings. It is and has been our foundation for hundreds of years. Why are we looking to others for more revelation? The Church has existed and expanded over the 2,000 years with the revelation of God's living Word. No scriptures are showing Trump would continue to be president.  Paul warned about those coming from among them with another gospel, false prophecies and false apostles.  

Isa. 9:15-16 "The elder and honorable, he is the head; the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed." We have the same problem that Israel had. As Israel began to be influenced more and more by the false prophets

They became illiterate in the written Word of God. Isa. 29:10-13 "For the LORD has poured out on you the spirit of a deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; and He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed." Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I am not literate Therefore the LORD said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and the commandment of men teaches their fear toward Me." When we see new prophets operate outside the written Word or give new unknown meanings to the Word, it should be obvious they have become illiterate to expounding truth.

Jer. 8:8-11 "How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed. They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the Word of the LORD; so what wisdom do they have? Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to those who will inherit them; Because from the least even to the greatest, everyone is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace!' When there is no peace."

The scribe began to write what was not from God--from the false prophets; then the priests were affected and spread like leaven to everyone. God said he would bring them into captivity. There would be no peace as they were prophesying.

Hannaiah, the prophet, prophesied freedom to Israel and told them God's favor would be with them, but God was instead planning punishment. Today, it is a good lesson for those who tell us about only blessings around the corner, more authority, and power.

Jer 28:10-17 Hannaiah spoke to Jeremiah in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.' Within two full years, I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon.' And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,' says the LORD, 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'" Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the LORD, and the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen! The LORD do so; the LORD perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD'S house and all who were carried away captive, from Babylon to this place." 

Nevertheless, hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people:" The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms-- of war and disaster and pestilence." As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the Word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the LORD has truly sent." Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah's neck and broke it. And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.'"

Even Jeremiah thought this was a true prophecy at; first, it sounded right, and they were all hoping for Israel's freedom until… "And the prophet Jeremiah went his way. Then the Word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Go and tell Hananiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron." 'For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. I have given him the beasts of the field also." "Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie. "Therefore thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will cast you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.'" So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

The prophets were often told to record what God spoke, and this has become our Scripture. Exod.24:4 "And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord." Exod. 34:27-29 "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." Jer. 30:2 "Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you." Jesus tells John the apostle in Rev 1:11, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches." The coming of Jesus Christ, "Which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures" (Romans 1:1-4)

The prophecy that we need to know is the prophecy that tells us we will be blessed if we read and understand.  Rev. 1:3 "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." Rev. 22:7 "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." (Rev . 22:10, 18-19).

Jude admonishes his readers to avoid false doctrines by listening to new living prophets or apostles but by recalling what the apostles already taught them in vs.17 (which would be written down). The Church today does not need new prophets but to understand what the old ones said. 

Jer. 23:20-22 "The anger of the LORD will not turn back against these false prophets until he has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart. In the latter days, you will understand it perfectly."

We are in these days, do we understand it?

Taking A Stand Will Cost You

 Taking a stand against the evil that is covering our country has had its cost, because I speak against the corruption taking place in this country. Some believe that the church should be separated from the government. I believe the government should stay out of the church. Some think my place is in the pulpit and not speaking against the evil of the government. If that were true, a large portion of the Bible would not have been written. 

Contrary to their thinking, my place is to expose the evil and darkness that has covered this nation.

Eph 5:6-11

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore, do not become partners with them; 8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of Light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

Right now, there is tremendous confusion among Christians. This was done explicitly via the CIA. CIA director William Casey said that the CIA would know that they were successful when everything everyone believed was a lie. This was facilitated through the almost complete control of both the alternative and mainstream media. The white Christians who love America have explicitly been targeted because they are the USA's spiritual backbone. They have to be crushed to bring in the one world order. That's why the primary psychological operations are targeting white Christians. The alternative news is so full of disinformation that it creates so much confusion that it makes the people almost schizophrenic.

I have heard for years how the criminal actions of people would get them locked -up. They are still free. I have listened to how President Trump will stay in office—not going to happen.

 This is being done to divide and conquer. A double-minded man is unstable in all that he does—one foot in the world, the other sort of in the Kingdom of God. We are in, or we are out.

The churches were closed by COVID to prevent Christians from having any stability and financially destroy what was left of the church. The Barna Research Group reports 20% of the church will permanently close in the next 18 months. Even though Churches are reopening, the attendance level and contribution have fallen way off.

 I have said this before, and I will repeat it, I will never close again. They may close us down, lock the doors, and put me in jail, but I will not bow to the government again! It may be sooner than I expect that I will need to make a stand. If you dare to stand with me, fine; if not, I will understand.

The majority of pastors have allowed themselves to be compromised by not speaking out from the pulpit about the evil taking place in our country. From a reality standpoint, most of them have become nothing but pawns in this new world order. They refuse to discuss actual, current events from the pulpit. The Shepards have abandoned the congregations. They have been left to wander in the fields. They have fallen into ravines. They are lost. Wolves have eaten them. They are confused with no leadership. This is what the LORD says,

Hosea 4:6

 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

The majority of these pastors have given in to Zionist Christian teachings and secular tv programming. Many of these pastors have incorporated false-teaching from the Talmud into their services, including the Kabbalah. They have lost their relationship with the real Jesus Christ. Therefore, they cannot provide the necessary stability that their flocks need. Every wind of doctrine tosses them about. 

Many are so desperate for social acceptance that they have turned worship into secular entertainment centers. They have failed to provide proper Christian leadership to their flock. 

These churches, with their secular compromised leadership, are a stench in the nostrils of the Almighty. As Christians, we must seek stability, which can only come from a relationship with The Great I Am through a personal relationship with His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Hear what the LORD says again about these false shepherds. This can be said of the American shepherds.

Jer.34

 The word of the Lord came to me. He said, 2 "Son of man,[a] speak against the shepherds of America for me. Speak to them for me. Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: 'You shepherds of America have only been feeding yourselves. It will be awful for you! Why don't you shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat sheep and use their wool to make clothes for yourselves. You kill the fat sheep, but you don't feed the flock. 4 You have not made the weak strong. You have not cared for the sick sheep. You have not put bandages on the sheep that were hurt. Some of the sheep wandered away, and you did not go get them and bring them back. You did not go to look for the lost sheep. No, you were cruel and severe—that's the way you tried to lead the sheep!

5 "' And now the sheep are scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for every wild animal, so they were scattered. 6 My flock wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My flock was scattered over all the face of the earth. There was no one to search or to look for them.'"

7 So, you shepherds, listen to the word of the Lord. 8 The Lord God says, "I swear that wild animals will catch my sheep, and my people will become food for all those animals because they did not have any real shepherds. My shepherds did not look out for my flock. They did not feed my flock. No, they only killed the sheep and fed themselves!"

9 So, you shepherds, listen to the word of the Lord! 10 The Lord God says, "I am against the shepherds. I will demand my sheep from them. I will fire them. They will not be my shepherds anymore. Then the shepherds will not be able to feed themselves, and I will save my flock from their mouths. Then my sheep will not be food for them."

11 The Lord God says, "I myself will be their Shepherd. I will search for my sheep and take care of them. 12 If a shepherd is with his sheep when they begin to wander away, he will go searching for them. In the same way, I will search for my sheep. I will save them and bring them back from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will feed them on America's mountains, by the streams, and in all the places where people live. 14 I will lead them to grassy fields. They will go to the place high in the mountains of America and lie down on the good ground and eat the grass. They will eat in rich grassland in the mountains of America. 15 Yes, I will feed my flock, and I will lead them to a place of rest." This is what the Lord God said.

16 "I will search for the lost sheep. I will bring back the sheep that were scattered and put bandages on the sheep that were hurt. I will make the weak sheep strong, but I will destroy the fat and powerful shepherds. I will feed them the punishment they deserve."

 30 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God. The family of America will see that I am with them and that they are my people." This is what the Lord God said!

31 "You are my sheep, the sheep of my grassland. You are only human beings, and I am your God." This is what the Lord God said.

As Christians, we are supposed to be fighting the world of demonic principalities and their New world order. There has been a full attack against all things Christian for thousands of years. Due to Zionist TV implementation in recent years, this onslaught has become very powerful in the past 70 years. Secularized wolves have entered our homes via media and thus, have secularized the majority of Christ's body. They have promoted inter-faith marriage, homosexuality, incest, rape, child abuse, abortion, and everything that separates Christians from the world. They have destroyed the true meaning of both Ressurection Day and Christmas. In the meantime, the majority of pulpits have remained silent. These pastors were too scared to tell the truth due to their compromised lifestyles. They are fearful of losing their salary and retirement.  

 The only hope we have is to return to The Most High God's proper worship through Jesus. We must separate ourselves from these secular teachings. As the Bible says, we must come ye out from them and do not accept their heretical beliefs and compromise. If we are to associate with the world, it should only be to bring them to Christ. Not to allow the world with its steeped in sin acceptance of all things evil to come into us and cause us to be compromised.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

The believer must recognize that they are in a battle. Not knowing the spiritual conflict around the believer is why there are so many defeated Christians. This is the basic fact that allows one to prepare for battle and face an enemy that can only be seen with spiritual eyes. Ignorance is a Christian's greatest weakness. Keep Christians ignorant, and they will be no threat to Satan. One of the other most important things to know is that the two kingdoms conflict. This is the source of all spiritual battles that we face. There is the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of Light. These are the kingdoms of Satan and the LORD, respectively. In his letter to Rome's church, Paul admonishes the saints to put on Light's armor. 

Christians are in a war against the kingdom of darkness, and our weapons are spiritual.

 The follower of the LORD has been admonished to, Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

To lean not unto our own understanding seems simple enough, but this is a journey that is a life-long struggle and requires us to truth the LORD every day. Jesus commanded us to seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Here we have been admonished to "seek," which implies a continuous effort and a never-ending learning process--it is a life-long study. The Word of God gives us the means to develop the art of spiritual self-defense. The Christian is in a daily battle fighting the enemy of the soul. The only protection against defeat is in knowing the Word of God. It would not be reasonable for someone to say they are not interested in understanding how to live a victorious life in Christ Jesus. Being faced with an enemy experienced in spiritual conflict, the challenge for us today is to master the Word of the LORD.

The moment a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and receives God's Holy Spirit, that person is instantly translated from the kingdom of darkness of this world into the kingdom of God's Light by God's Holy Spirit of truth. The Apostle Paul describes this process as the "mystery" revealed, which is "Christ in you," the hope of glory.

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Col 1:27 to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

The believer is saved from the power and bondage of sin, the carnal nature, the devil, and supernaturally empowered with the Holy Spirit. The power of darkness is anything that blinds a person to the reality of sin. It is the power of darkness that blinds a person to their need for salvation and from receiving God's gift of the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit's conviction, God draws the sinner towards Him by the Light that lightest everyone who comes into the world, leading to salvation in Christ by the cross. The people of the world reject the truth of Christ and are under the control or deception of the God of this world, which is the devil. Scripture states,

1 John 5:19 "We know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in the evil one."

2Co 4:4 in whom the god [the devil] of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the Light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33)

"These were nobler than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." (Acts 17:11)

Without trying to over-analyze, the command "seek" it directly implies an endeavor to find the knowledge that must be sought out by work and discipline. In other words, it's a process, a path, a journey, a continual quest.

This seems simple enough. But that's the whole trick. The keyword here is "seek." It should be indisputable that this skill is not to be approached lightly. But when do you know you understand the righteousness of God? I don't think we ever indeed do, which is why the "seek" part implies a continuous effort and never-ending process. We must maintain an open-ended approach to a life-long study of the righteousness of God. We should never become conceited in thinking that we have learned all the skill which is to be learned already, we are deceived if we think we understand all there is to know.

The subject "Art" here focuses on self-development in a systematic methodology of God's Word teachings. There is no questioning the depth of wisdom and sophistication of fighting knowledge contained within the scriptures. We need to explore. 

 It is a matter of being and death, a road either to victory or defeat. Therefore, it is a subject of study which cannot be neglected.

It's long been an axiom of military science and martial arts that wisdom begins with an honest evaluation of strength and weakness. There is nothing to gain by self-deception and self-delusion when it comes to gauging our capabilities and vulnerabilities.

Our success is based on five conditions:

Personal salvation - "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new." (2 Corinthians 517)

Yielding to the Will of God, "Do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God, as one alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Romans 6:13)

Filled with the Spirit, - "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9)

Studying to be approved, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Applying the Word of God, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee." (1 Timothy 4:16)

The believer that applies and acts upon this knowledge will successfully defeat the enemy of the soul. The believer that ignores this will suffer defeat. In writing to Timothy, Paul advised him to take heed to his own life and the scriptures' doctrine or teachings; he learned how to apply spiritual warfare principles. By working to prepare ourselves to fight the good fight of faith, we can execute spiritual warfare principles.

The enemy of our soul is Satan. Satan is the god of this world system and is called "evil" in 1 John 5:19. Jesus faced the same enemy as we faced when he was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. We read,

Luke 4:5 - 8: And he [the devil] led him [Jesus] up, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, To thee will I give all this authority, and the glory of them: for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever, I will I give it. If thou, therefore, wilt worship before me, it shall all be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

This position of Satan's power and world domination was acquired when both Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of good and evil knowledge, being tempted by the devil in the Garden of Eden. The lure of the temptation of Adam and Eve was to be like God. Satan hates God and His creation and seeks to win humanity over for its destruction. All dominion over the earth was initially given to Adam and Eve. Still, because of their sin, all of humanity and nature itself fell under the destruction and power of the devil.

 

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Rom. 5:12

The enemy of the soul first appeared to man in the Garden of Eden when he deceived Eve into disobeying the LORD. God had given a command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil." But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die." Gen 2:17 Eve, being deceived, disobeyed the LORD. "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." Gen 3:6 

The result of just one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people. By yielding to the enemy of the soul, one man's disobedience, everyone now born into the world is born a sinner. So by the sin of Adam, death was passed upon all mankind. All of us came into this world with a desire to gratify the cravings of our carnal nature. James writes, "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." This is how the enemy of our soul wages war against us through the need to gratify the cravings of our carnal nature.

He lost the battle to dethrone God and was cast back to his domain-Earth. He now attacks God by making war on humanity. With this understanding of events, we can see that our battles in this spiritual warfare come from principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and the spiritual host of wickedness in high places. We are in a life and death struggle against evil. The enemy of the soul is the god of this world—Satan.

From the moment Adam disobeyed the LORD's commandment, all of God's creation, the plants, the animals, sea life, and of course, humanity itself began to suffer and die. This account is found in the first three chapters of the book of Genesis. Adam and Eve's sins brought the curse of sin to all the earth, in which we have our redemption only in Christ. It is only Christ, the Son of God, Who suffered the penalty of this curse to set us free and bring us back to God; therefore, Christ is the only way we can be saved. 

The power of God is released, as we utilize every piece of the armor of God against evil spirits, who are labeled by Paul as principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness on high. We are asked to prepare ourselves as soldiers in spiritual warfare because as a forbearer of God's truth and power, Christians and God's work targets the devil for destruction. The intense hate of the devil and his devil spirits against God's creation is unimaginable but real. He is cruel and merciless; however, he cannot defeat God. Therefore, he uses trickery and deception to defeat believers or draw them into vulnerable positions. Some of these positions are fear, doubt, confusion, condemnation, temptation through pressure or pleasure, spiritual blindness, pride, affliction, or persecution, intended to frustrate the purposes of God through His people. He is cunning and attempts to oppress us in our weakest areas (through our thought life or other people and circumstances), in which the "unaware" are led into chains of depression and other forms of bondage. 

We have been commanded to "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." The armor consists of having our, ". . . feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: We are to, "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; which is also referred to as the breastplate of faith and love; and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. This is the armor that will quench the fiery darts of the wicked-"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."

When we are equipped with the armor of God, the power God protects us against evil spirits, the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual wickedness on high. We are asked to prepare ourselves as soldiers in spiritual warfare because as a witness of God's truth and power, Christians and God's work targets the devil for destruction. The weapons of the devil are fear, doubt, confusion, condemnation, temptation through pressure or pleasure, spiritual blindness, pride, affliction or persecution, intended to frustrate the purposes of God through His people. He is cunning and attempts to oppress us in our weakest areas (through our thought life or other people and circumstances), in which the "unaware" are led into chains of depression and other forms of bondage. 

If we fail to use the protection that God has given us, we will find that we are no more than Satan's amusement. The conflict will vary; however, if we rely on our strength, we will fall into an endless defeat pattern, victimized by the same snares or traps. Often, hostile situations may reoccur because the spiritual forces behind a condition are left undetected. By relying on our human wisdom and strength, we are left without a solution to our problems. We must attempt to identify the area of the enemy's infiltration. We need to keep in mind that we are never told to remove God's armor; it is a Christian way of life.