The other day we talked about cessationism, and it is surprising just how many people ignore or distort what scripture clearly says and when confronted by God’s word they refuse to turn from the wicked ways. Truthfully it should not come as a surprise since the church has done exactly what Israel and the Jews have done. The next blog will talk about how common it is for people not to listen to God’s word. Isaiah 30:9 “For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction. 10 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. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!” It’s not just the cessationists who do this, as most in the church will stick to their doctrines and theology no matter what and most are so stubborn they will die holding on to their false beliefs rather than turn from what they have been indoctrinated into. They say they are following truth, but in reality the truth they think they are following has self-imposed parameters that make God’s word fit into ther own ways. These other ways are a pathetic attempt to limit God, which in the end is to their own demise. I believe I know the answer but at the same time for the life of me I cannot fully grasp how anyone can read the Gospels and Acts and then not believe and expect what they read to be happening today as most say that is not even possible. Most believe that the good news of the gospel and the power and authority that went with God’s word was just for those few people at the time of Christ, but Peter made it clear that is not true. Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” A person who says they do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus is described as a person who is filled with unbelief and rebellion. But most who call themselves Christians do believe that Jesus rose from the dead. The problem is they are really no different than the person who does not believe Jesus is alive because, even though they say Jesus is alive, they deny the power that raised Him from the dead and refuse to believe that same power is available to the church. It does not matter how far off the charismatics are, and they are, but to deny the truth of God’s word because it doesn’t fit with your own doctrines will lead to God’s wrath and certain death. Changing God’s word is rebellion.

    Rebellion against God’s word always leads to disaster and Jesus said how disastrous it would be. Luke 13:23 “Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!” Matthew 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Are you really going to listen to someone who tells you God would never do that when scripture clearly states that He will? Then Jesus described the results of this disaster when He said Matthew 24:1 “Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Not only was Jesus talking about the temple, which was destroyed, He was also talking about the third temple, the church, that is now almost completely destroyed by the abomination that causes desolation, but not completely because of His promise to David. Matthew 24:15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.” Because the church rebelled against God’s word, massive destruction has and continues to take place. As we talked about the other day, millions have been deceived by false teachers who teach other gospels and will not see eternal life.

    The correct response is to say as Isaiah said. Isaiah 6:5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Instead of repenting, the church continues to say, what have I done? Jeremiah 8:6 “I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues their own course like a horse charging into battle.” Proverbs 30:20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.” Jeremiah 3:19 “I myself said, “‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. 20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 2:19 “Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty. 20 “Long ago you broke off your yoke and tore off your bonds; you said, ‘I will not serve you!’ 25 you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, (other gospels) and I must go after them.’ 27 They say to wood, ‘You are my father,’ and to stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ 28 Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns. 30 “In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. 32 Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number. Yet in spite of all this 35 you say, ‘I am innocent; he is not angry with me.’ But I will pass judgment on you   because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’” Jeremiah 5:34 “Yet in spite of all this 35 you say, ‘I am innocent; he is not angry with me.’ But I will pass judgment on you because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’ 30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” This has happened because false teachers continue to teach other gospels. Jeremiah 5:12 “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. 30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” Jeremiah 11:9 “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words.” Jeremiah 2:11 But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. 12 Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord. 13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” 

   None of this matters to the church and most continue down a path to destruction and death, a path that does not lead to eternal life. Jesus said John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” Paul talked about the Jews rejecting truth. Acts 13:45 “When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 42:5 “This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” The church was to continue to free people just as Paul was told. Acts 26:17 “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’”

    And now the Gentiles have followed the Jews and did not learn from their example. 1 Corinthians 10:6 “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” In fact, many have adopted and integrated the teaching of the Jews and call it the gospel, even though the Jews murdered their own Messiah. This turning away from the truth is not new, as Paul said it happened almost right away. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” It wasn’t a question of if but when, because Paul said to the Galatians, Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” Instead of following those like the cessationists who say power stopped because the church no longer needs the power to heal and cast out demons, turn back to the word of God that shows us what happens when rebellion occurs. God turns His face and removes the power and authority the church was supposed to have. Ezekiel 39:23 “And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.”  Scripture not only shows us what happens when God turns His face from us, but what happens when he turns His face back to us.

    Yes, the church has no power and the power the charismatics think they have, is not power from God. Don’t reject the word of God because of the deceptions of satan but stand firm on the word of God even if you do not yet see the power from on High that is available to the church. Psalm 77:7 “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? 8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” 10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. 11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.” 13 Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? 14 You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.” We have the word of God and everything is right before our eyes. We were told to stand firm and Paul told us why as the enemy is very powerful. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. 15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Millions have not stood firm on God’s word and have believed in vain. The thought that millions of people who thought they were Christians and will hear depart from me should drive us to our knees, yet it doesn’t because people in their ignorance have not tested the spirits but instead have given their lives to false teachers like John MacArthur. They have accepted their words as truth and rejected the word of God and instead of seeking the power of God to return, they continue down a path that leads to death. That is how the deception of satan works. He gets you to turn from and curse God like he attempted with Job and even Jesus and he wants you to believe the power and authority that can destroy him no longer exists. Sadly, many have fallen for his deceptions and because they refuse to believe God has brought delusion upon them and allowed satan to deceive them. Instead of wisdom, they chose folly. Proverbs 9:13 “Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, 16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 17 “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” 18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.” People continue to eat her delicacies and refuse to turn from their wicked ways. Proverbs 2:16 “Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. 18 Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.”

    The church continues to be deluded by God and deceived by satan because they refuse to accept God’s word as truth. This is why there is no power and authority in the church. It is not because it is no longer needed or available. Go to any church and look at the amount of people  where some or all of these are taking place. Prescription and non-prescribed drugs, addictions - alcohol. smoking, sex included, homosexuality and other sexual orientations, adultery, weight issues, gossip, unable to have children, those who are sick and those who are dying, and specifically the amount of people who have been affected by the mental health tsunami. Yes some, very few, people do get healed but that also happens outside the church like someone being in remission from cancer. We were told Exodus 15:26 “He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” Deuteronomy 7:12 “If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. 14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young. 15 The Lord will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.” Remember do not listen to satan’s voice telling you this is not possible. We were warned Deuteronomy 28:20 “The Lord will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The Lord will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The Lord will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. 23 The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24 The Lord will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed. 27 The Lord will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. 28 The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind.” Why would anyone choose the second part? The answer is rebellion leads to deception and delusion.

    Then Jesus came and healed disease and sickness. Jesus showed us those words were possible above. Matthew 4:23 “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” Jesus also showed us the results of unbelief. Matthew 13:54 “Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” 58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” Yes, there are false faith healers but what we read about Jesus is not happening. Yes, there are false healers but don’t reject God’s word because they exist. Many believe in false prophets today but do not believe in true prophets. We were told they, both true and false would exist. When you look at the healings Jesus performed, the word immediately is included. Matthew 8:3 “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” Mark 5:29 “Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” So-called faith healers loved healing parts of the body you could not see or a healing in the future would come. There may be lots of manifestations like you see in charismatic circles, but not this kind of power, power that Jesus gave His disciples and power that the church was supposed to have following Pentecost. Acts 3:4 “Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk.”

    We were told Exodus 23:25 “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26 and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.” Jesus would later say Matthew 8:17 “This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” The verse before this said 16 “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.” Here is the real tester. James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” How many verses do people have to reject to hold on to their precious doctrines as they continue to ignore the word of God?

    As you read this you probably heard the voice of satan saying none of this is possible or his favorite line, did God really say that? The enemy will say it was Jesus, so of course He healed people. Or it was the Apostle Paul, of course he healed people because the Holy Spirit inspired him to write a large portion of the New Testament. Or people will take the healings and turn them into an allegory of salvation. That means the only healing possible is giving sight to the spiritually blind. Jesus did both. The answer to satan is yes, God did say that and even if you have not seen this kind of power as described in scripture or you have seen the power of satan at work in the church, stand firm on God’s word and believe what you read. Do not turn away and curse God with your unbelief. That is what satan wants you to do. Job 1:11 “But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” Job 2:9 “His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Don’t be afraid not to believe the words, doctrines  and theology of men or women that you may have heard all your life. Test the spirits as your eternal destination, heaven or hell, depends on it. Yes, a lot of the power you see in charismatic circles is fake and staged, but a lot isn’t. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 11:14 “And no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” Some people fall down because that is what they expect to do, others fall because there is a presence on them, but it is not God and is very real. Falling on your back and laying there has nothing to do with the presence of the Holy Spirit but everything to do with the presence of satan. This is an act of sexual submission in animals but in scripture people fall on their faces. The occult is very real so do not get mixed up with astrology. Astronomy is okay just as long as you do not worship the planets or sun. Witch doctors or shamans, even here in Canada I noticed, are very real, as is their power. Buddhism as one person said, “has been closely intertwined with the practice of medicine.” I saw this one time where someone said they do not want religion in medicine, but they were okay with Buddhism. Stay away from mindfulness (Buddhism) and yoga (Hinduism). These are not just forms of exercising the mind or body. Yoga involves prayer positions. One form of yoga called Kundalini draws on serpent power coiled at the base of the spine. One person described it as “fundamental life force and, at the same time, the supreme spiritual energy usually lying dormant.” That one is pretty obvious who that is. I saw this in a small town but just in case you are unsure “Grégoire Trudeau has found ways to use her profile to give back. She earned a certification in “radiant child” Kundalini yoga training, and taught lessons at a public school close to Rideau Cottage.” Don’t let your kids be taught this. If you are involved in any of these and there are many more, repent and turn away. Many will not turn away because they say they take the religious part out. You can’t do that because the serpent is still there.

    Basically, like kundalini yoga, the serpent / satan has infiltrated the church and has infected all of us with His presence. Some have even draw their power from satan. Jesus showed us what to do but many did not listen. Luke 4:5 “The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 If you worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” satan infiltrating into the church is the abomination that causes desolation. By saying the church no longer has or needs gifts of power, that is the same as saying the church is okay with satan standing behind pulpits, teaching in theological schools, writing books and promoting doctrines of demons, the sick remaining sick and the demons not cast out. One of the gifts of the spirit is discernment. 1 Corinthians 12:10 “to another distinguishing between spirits.” satan does not like that one. The church we see today is filled with his presence so there needs to be great discernment. Even if there are manifestation taking place, we must tret the spirits and understand if they are from God or satan. Due to the rebellion in the church, most likely satan at this point. Daniel 9:27 “And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Then Paul said 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” The problem is with the differing and very distinct doctrines and theology in the church, everyone continues to go their own way and proclaim everyone is part of the church and serves Jesus. Meanwhile, some are vocal and say they are the only way, but most will just say it among themselves that we do not believe as they believe and we are the way, truth and life. I heard someone talking on the radio about false teachers but at no time did they look at what they believed and discerned whether or not what they were teaching was false. Basically, they wanted you to believe that what they taught was truth. It was easy to tell they were not charismatic. It is important to test the spirits of everyone you listen to or read.

    The church has accepted other gospels without even checking. Every day people are dying thinking they were going to hear well done good and faithful servant, but they will not because they were deceived and deluded. Most have settled for a gospel, that is not the true gospel. Amazingly, what they have settled for doesn’t even come close to the truth of the gospel and the power and authority that goes with it. Most have settled for the whitewash of the false teachers. Most are content with a great service with good music and preaching and are quite content to remain powerless. When you read about the power and authority in the Gospels and Acts, there should be a desire for more but most have settled for less and some have settled for nothing. The church has accepted the gurus as their savior as we saw the other day with Costi Hinn. John MacArthur became his savior and in doing so settled for less than the gospel. By the way you are either all in or out as there is no middle ground. Revelation 3:15 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” As Paul said Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all.” Costi Hinn escaped the flames of one frying pan only to jump in another which is no gospel at all. Every Sunday people gather around the world to worship and hear a sermon. Then they go home and then do it all over the next week. This will go on for years and for some there whole lives and at no point do they say where is the power. But then sickness strikes and though most reject the gift of healing, they desperately want God to heal them but refuse to accept God’s plan as laid out in scripture. Jeremiah 2:27 “They have turned their backs to me and not their faces; yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ 28 Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble! For you, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns.”

    They reject the word of God but at the same time want the word of God to heal them. I am pretty sure there is no one who would not want to be healed and when they are not healed, they accept it as God’s plan and do not even question why there is very little healing taking place in the church. Yes, people are going to die like Stephen did and those we see in Hebrews 11:36 “There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them.” Hebrews 10:32 “Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34 You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

 

 This is why people flock to revivals. Scripture makes it clear that healing is a major part of Christianity, but it is not a major part of the church. Most people do not want to die from a sickness like cancer or the thousands of other diseases, so they pray for themselves or others and God in most cases does not heal, and they die. Most in the church accept that and say they have gone on to glory and are now healed. At no point do they say why is there so little healing” There probably are many who just gave up on God because His word did not line up with what they were seeing in the church. Why when the elders are called do the people not get healed when scripture says they would be healed? Many will say the person did not get healed because they lacked faith. The reality is they did not get healed because the person praying for them taught other gospels and God has turned His face form the church. They should have led themselves and others in a time of repentance. Be careful who lays their hands on you. Instead of seeking out the answers, they choose to believe satan instead and grasp hold of doctrines of demons like cessationism because that makes senses to them as they have not seen the power of God’s word. Probably the number one response is have you seen what you read. The answer is no but what I read I believe. It is very hard for people to grasp that the person / church they have given their lives to, not Jesus, would be leading them astray. Most do not want to admit that they have been deceived and most leaders do not want to admit they have been deceiving people. Jesus said Mark 1:15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Hebrews 3:7 “So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9 where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

    Testing the spirits means that you reflect on what you have been taught by comparing it to scripture. The you repent and submit your life to the word of God, Jesus Christ. satan is very arrogant and often shows you what the problem is and sometimes what we see is so ridiculous it is hard to believe any would fall for his tactics but many do. Other times we have to diligently search God’s word and test the spirits very carefully, because sometimes the counterfeit is really good. We must always seek truth. Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Proverbs 4:20 “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”

    The way of truth is not the white between verses or the words on the bottom of a study bible. The way of truth is not found in the millions of books written about the beliefs of distinct theologies like Calvinism, Arminianism, Pentecostalism, Catholicism, Dispensationalism etc. When the Reformation occurred or any splits like it, new groups were formed but there was not a turning away from the ways of man and a return to the way of God. Instead of returning to God’s word, the church kept going further and further away from truth. They did not heed the words of scripture and today there is just a remnant of survivors left scattered around the world. Jeremiah 3:14 “Return, faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Instead, we got men and women who led the church further away from the truth. Jeremiah went on to say Jeremiah 3:19 “I myself said, “‘How gladly would I treat you like my children and give you a pleasant land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. 20 But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord.” The problem is each distinct group believed they held the truth, but there was no power. So as new groups formed, the light of God’s word grew dimmer and dimmer. The church settled for the pathetic and powerless ways of man and remain powerless against our enemies. The church has chosen the ways and strength of man, but we must turn from that wickedness and say Hosea 14:3 “Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount warhorses. We will never again say ‘Our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.” Of course, people will say the greatest miracle of all is salvation, but since God has turned His face from the church, you have to ask what are people being saved into? What have you settled for? Take the time to find out as your eternal life depends on it. Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. 3 Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Don’t fall for the lies of satan and return to God’s word and stand firm.”