Tags
charismatic, church, doctrine, end time spirit, eschatology, false prophets, false teachers, Jesus Christ, nothing but grace, pentecostal, prosperity gospel, RCC, truth
Some Churches seem to be so “cute” (Painting in watercolors by Susanne Schuberth)
It is not always that easy for us to discover sectarian spirits which, indeed, infiltrated the Church from her very beginning, as the apostle Paul prophesied,
“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29-30 ESV)
Looking at the RCC, the distortion of Scripture is readily identifiable, since the Spirit of Christ indeed left their leaders, who adhered to the idea that (pagan) tradition could be at eye level with Scripture, long since. Also, adding self-invented sacraments and works to mere faith in Christ, who alone can save us from our sins, was definitely the outcome of listening to evil spirits.
But how can we discern evil spirits masquerading themselves as if coming from the Lord Jesus Christ right at the outset?
I would not claim that discerning the spirits were a walk in the park for me because I often struggled for days with coming to grips as to several writings I had read. The biggest difficulty seems to me being the fact that Satan mingles truth and lies in such a clever way, so that initially you can often find solely a slight, scarcely perceptible, modification of the truth.
A sectarian spirit often reveals himself whenever confronted with a person/believer questioning his convictions. That kind of spirit will be glad (possibly even ‘mesmerized’) about everyone who shares his convictions or admires him for spreading the “truth”, but he will oppose, or at least ignore, those voices who put a question mark over his revelations.
Without going into detail here, I would like to warn about “Christian” spirits who emphasize certain aspects of Scripture while simultaneously neglecting others. Or to put it differently, we must be careful to take the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) into account, and not to focus on exclusively certain areas, such as
(1) Prosperity – related to our current time and life here on earth and promising a better worldly life through Christ (health and wealth gospel)
(2) Eschatology – wedded to a terrifying end time view seemingly coming to pass soon (not only Jehovah’s Witnesses often proved being mistaken with their prophecies of the near future)
(3) Nothing But Grace – carries the risk of settling back and falling asleep
As for the last approach on “Nothing but grace”, one might also ask, “Why should one try to please the Lord who allegedly had done EVERYTHING on our behalf?” What Jesus did (atonement and resurrection), is the foundation of our faith, i.e., justification without our own works involved. But sanctification empowered by His Spirit is a process that changes our whole thinking and doing while we are beholding Him who leads us in and through the Spirit.
Maintaining a single-sided biblical focus for quite some time, will finally confuse any real truth ever believed before and will lead into a sectarian black and white thinking. Pride and arrogance go hand in hand with it, and loving those who don’t believe in what we do will finally be an impossible thing to do. However, being impressed by our Savior – and nobody else but Him – whenever we find ourselves in danger of being ensnared, will set us free, since in the dark of the night He will be by our side…
In order to illustrate my theoretical approach, I would like to add my personal testimony here.
Generally speaking, I have believed in God for my whole life, though not with focus on Jesus as I have been doing since 1995. Roman Catholic belief with which I was raised was neither interesting nor convincing to me. It was not until 1998, after a near death experience which opened the eyes of my heart, that I realized I slid into a Pentecostal-charismatic sect that was extremely eschatologically oriented (not the RCC, of course, but a sort of gospel-centered missionary network). However, after all, I still needed two years of working through Scripture and praying to God until I was able to quit the sect. Those evil spirits are actually far more powerful than I would have ever thought. They can bind us to themselves with invisible chains we cannot get rid of on our own; only Jesus can set us free (Jn 8:32-36), as I already mentioned above.
From then on I was eager to find out the truth about false doctrine and false teachers who were listening to evil spirits.
As for these teachers, most of them do not know that they don’t “hear” Christ but Satan as long as they primarily pay attention to traditions of men, to their own good or bad feelings, to different “spiritual” writings of influential personalities, and last but not least, as long as they continue fearing men more than God. In addition to these aforementioned characteristics, you can often see that people who are mesmerized by the power of God easily believe any power to be of divine origin, as it had been the case with Simon’s adherents (Acts 8:9-10). Also, I guess 2 Thes 2:9 ought to be brought in here as well.
It is not my intention to judge anyone who finds himself in this trap because I know those evil spirits myself. And indeed, I DO know that those demons are clever spiritual beings who urge men to use Scripture a little bit differently than it ought to be used by us. Their special plan is to distract and kidnap our spirit when we offer no resistance. Therefore we ought to take heed of the following advice.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:17 ESV)
While Scripture should be the light on our path that shows us the way we should go (Ps 119:105), evil spirits announce their misinterpretation of “truth” before they try to confirm it arbitrarily with Scriptures taken out of context. This is, in fact, very confusing, especially for believers who are not familiar with the Bible, just as it was in my case back then. Here lies a danger that must not be underestimated unless we cling to Christ as our first and most important counselor in all things. Christ’s Spirit and His anointing (1 Jn 2:27) will doubtlessly lead everyone who walks humbly before Him into all the truth (Jn 16:13) and will show him those Scriptures that reveal the truth about certain things. In these matters, as in all things (!), God shows no partiality (Rom 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25, and others),
“for everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Mt 7:8; Lk 11:10 ESV)
The outcome of listening to evil spirits is always destruction. That means, eventually, that our souls won’t feel God’s peace, love, and joy any more. Rather, we become both disoriented and fearful, we suffer from extremely contradictory feelings like hatred vs. euphoria, or self-centered elitist thinking (culminating in megalomania) vs. sinking into insignificance. But as soon as we are struggling to seek the Lord more than men and their approval, He preserves us from letting us fall into those temptations any longer. Jesus commanded,
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:41)
“For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb 2:18)
“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb 7:25)
Indeed, we’re only half alive and lonely without His protection, and without His LOVE that is better than anything else men could ever offer us in our time here on earth.
Dear reader, feel free to weigh in and add your own thoughts so that the Body of Christ may build itself up – in love (Eph 4:16). Every commenter is welcome on my blog, that means, Christians as well as non-Christians. I will try to reply to you as the Lord leads me and I am curious to know what God is speaking through you. The only things I do not like are when someone attacks God and utters blasphemous statements or when others (esp. commenters) are being attacked. Furthermore, I am going to delete comments which flood my blogs without any reference to my articles or poems or to the replies of other commenters on here. Thank you for your understanding!
Entering the Promised Land 
Yes, Jesus called these who draw away His sheep after them with their twisted teachings, thieves and robbers (see John ch. 10). You see it was unheard of in the infant church for anyone to make a disciple after themselves. It was not until the last of the first century that these men started manifesting themselves. Men like Diotrephes (see John’s third letter). As it was with him, these since then who do so have a distinguishing earmark. They LOVE the preeminence. And they are usually hirelings who are totally useless at keeping the wolves away from the flock of Christ.
So, we see many wolves and thieves who steel Jesus’ sheep to themselves and then fleece them for all they can (see Ezekiel ch. 34) behind pulpits today as a result. BUT the good news is that Jesus has not left us alone and He is still out there seeking that one sheep that has been cast out upon the hills of Christendom in a very personal way, calling them back unto Himself.
I, myself, have been involved in at least three Christian cults in my 45 year walk with the Lord, two of them were good moves of God in which a man came out from us and rose up over us, thus killing the presence of the Holy Spirit among us. And if you count churches where the motivation of the pastors was to make disciples for themselves, I have been in many more cults than these three. The sign of a cult is that it has at its center a man or woman that has their own cult following! Does the church go on functioning just fine without them when they go on vacation for a month or does the attendance fall off as soon as they leave? That is a true indicator of a cult following and a person who has built up a kingdom around themselves. By the way, I started out as an infant being baptized into the RCC before I even had my eyes open. Religion has blinded me for years, but in about the mid 1990’s, Jesus started to show me the difference between religion and a simple abiding relationship with Christ as my Vine. And as a result my eyes and ears have been opened to really see and to really hear HIM!
Jesus said, “..The sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” (John 10:3-5 KJ2000). Will we be content with listening to flesh generated three part sermons or will be really seek His face and listen to HIS voice… that is the question.
In 1 John ch. 2 John warns the faithful that man antichrists have come in among then already at the close of the first century. BUT he also told them that they would come in the form of false teacher. And what was John’s antidote to this attack on the church? At the end of that chapter we read,
Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; by which we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. (1 John 2:18-19 KJ2000). These men come out from the common fellowship of believers and rise up over them!!! John continues saying:
Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son [antichristo in the Greek not only means “against Christ,” but more commonly “instead of Christ.” They deny Christ as being preeminent in the lives of the saints and take His place in that preeminence]. Whosoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: [but] he that confesses [homologeō – makes covenant with] the Son has the Father also. Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life. These things have I written unto you concerning them that deceive you. But THE ANOINTING [unction- the presence of the Holy Spirit within those who believe] WHICH YOU HAVE RECEIVED OF HIM ABIDES IN YOU, AND YOU NEED NOT THAT ANY MAN TEACH YOU: BUT AS THE SAME ANNOINTING TEACHES YOU ALL THINGS, YOU SHALL ABIDE IN HIM. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:22-28 KJ2000 – emphasis added).
You see it is that same Comforter that Jesus promised us that would lead us into ALL truth and this is why we have no need as we abide in HIM for any man to teach us and draw us away from Jesus unto themselves. Dear sheep of the Lord, you need to pray and ask Him to tune your ears to HIS voice and only to men or teachers when it is the Spirit speaking through them and to discern in this hour of deceit the difference between Christ and antichrists.
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Thanks so much for your detailed exposition, Michael. Very helpful!
What I found particularly interesting (because I never thought about that before) is that you said,
“The sign of a cult is that it has at its center a man or woman that has their own cult following! Does the church go on functioning just fine without them when they go on vacation for a month or does the attendance fall off as soon as they leave? That is a true indicator of a cult following and a person who has built up a kingdom around themselves.”
So true, indeed! That was my very experience as well. There was only one cult I joined for more than five years, but I knew other kinds of sectarian groups as well (not only Christian sects). And actually, none of them was functioning as long as the guru was absent.
Yesterday as I was on a prayer walk and I was listening to some music with my headphones on, I felt the Lord “giving” me a long article about a similar issue. I had it ALL already in my mind, yet as soon as I was approaching home, the whole “content” was more or less gone with the wind (cf. Jn 3:8). While He is pouring such things into my spirit, I am always eager to write it down later and I gladly “listen” to His instillment into my mind. Coming home – there was only the headline left of it all. It was “The Temptation of Spiritual Gurudom.”
I do believe that the Lord allows me to write about that later, perhaps including my own experiences when I finally ran away from the trap to become a spiritual guru, too. Thank God, that He made me run!! 😉
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Susanne, thanks for your reply… Yes, I would love to read your “The Temptation of Spiritual Gurudom” and will be watching for it. I also had to make a decision to come down off my pedestal of being looked up to as a spiritual guru. We seem to have so much in common. I told God to outright kill everything in me that would take the adulation of Christ’s sheep to myself as I sought human worship. Once He showed me what I was doing in no uncertain terms with a vision that changed my very course of life in 1980, things got really rough for 14 years in a spiritual wilderness that guaranteed that no flesh would come out the other side and enter into HIS kingdom.. I am glad I made that decision and am content to be just a brother in Christ among equals and eat at the table He has set for me in the presence of my enemies. By the way, I have found that Psalm 23 is a time line of my life in Christ. Bless you as you continue to follow your one and only Shepherd, my sister!
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Michael, you are so welcome.
I think we can only be tempted to become a “guru” for others as long as there is a self that seeks appreciation, or even love, from others more than from God. But if we have a heart that is satisfied with feeding on God’s love first, we certainly won’t be tempted any longer. A heart that is full of love does not need to be overfilled with additional love from man. Instead, it is able to give to others what they really need. Even though there might be believers who still fall into the temptation to treat another believer like a guru, he will pray for them that God will set them free from this kind of idolatry by revealing Himself to them (Jn 14:16-23).
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Thank you for weighing in here, Michael. In fact, your comment is a word from the Lord. Much appreciated!!
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I found this post very astute. My experience with the Roman Catholic Church was, however, somewhat different than yours. I was raised in the church, then lost my faith in college over issues related to abuse. Years later, when the Lord drew me back to Himself, I was astounded to realize I now understood Scripture in a much deeper way than I had before. While I had gained life experience in the interim, this understanding was not due to any natural talent on my part. I felt rather that it was a gift of the Spirit made possible by my exposure to Scripture as a girl. I credit the church for that.
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Thank you very much for your insightful comment, dear Anna. ❤
Indeed, I do not remember all I wrote about the RCC in this post (wink wink) because I am so forgetful as to all spiritual things and I am almost always bored to read my writings once again UNLESS God nudges me to do so. 😉 But I recall having written more than once about the RCC in other writings and I credit that church for having brought forth countless mystics who really knew God and Christ AND wrote about their experiences so that I had a visible proof of my own experiences to be genuine. The mystics and their testimony are a heritage from the Catholic Church I highly appreciate. What I meant by not having been interested about the church was the (Holy) Mass and its whole schmear. I was simply interested in singing and listening to a sermon after the lesson had been read. Sometimes there were indeed priests who were inspired by God. But alas, not thaaat often.
Yes, it is always a gift of the Holy Spirit when we understand Scripture deeper and deeper. As for my experiences with Scripture in the RCC, I must say that the Protestant Church members always had a way better knowledge of Scipture than we Catholics had. Actually, in comparison we were scriptural illiterates despite weekly church attendance. BTW, I was very often in church, both in the RCC and later in the Christian cult. So, I was REALLY searching for God. However, I found Him quasi “outside” the IC in my normal life, not in churches.
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Dearest Susanna,
Thank you ever so much for this fine article, it was a timely message, an answer to a silent question and private struggle that has been on going in my life for what seems to have been for eternity!
Your very own question jumped out to me this morning, ‘But how can we discern evil spirits masquerading themselves as if coming from the Lord Jesus Christ right at the outset?’ Yes how indeed, especially when it is coming from those near and dear to you? I have asked this question in the form of a silent scream, with a in deep exasperation and until today, there had been no inkling of an answer!
You also said, ‘Without going into detail here, I would like to warn about “Christian” spirits who emphasize certain aspects of Scripture while simultaneously neglecting others. Or to put it differently, we must be careful to take the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) into account, and not to focus on exclusively certain areas’. I KNOW someone who Does this very thing! And they are not easy to handle or deal with! If I try to talk to them about it, they become very defensive, argumentative, threatening and highly intimidating! Psalm 142:6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Yes, Lord, in Jesus Name!
Some times it is extremely hard to KNOW what to do!?
God, led me to this morning, and I am thankful that it grabbed me and stirred up my curious nature; when I am curious about something I will not stopped trying to satisfy it until I find the answer! LOL
Thank you once again, Susanne, God has spoken!
Susie
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Mmmhhhh……..
Thank you so very much for your encouraging words, my dearest Susie! You made my day!! 🙂
Yes, my sister, those who distort Scripture are NEVER easy to handle because they think that they – and only they – have the monopoly on knowing the truth. If someone is humble and that is always only someone who knows God, you can talk with them about finding out the (whole) truth. Such people are always loving and ready to learn something new themselves since nobody knows everything but God alone.
I am happy to hear that you don’t give up until you have found out what you were looking for – I am the just same as you!! 🙂
Love ❤
Susanne xx
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I am happy to hear that I made your day, that is wonderful since I have always loved cheering someone up! Knowing this helps to make my day brighter also.
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I am glad your day is now better too, my sweet sister! 🙂
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Thank you very much for this. there are 2 people on my facebook list that have been causing me lots of grief lately. Both are saying different things and both scare me. They both say things and seem to suggest that if you do not do them you will go to hell. For some reason I do fear unfriending them and based on what you said above I think I understand a bit more as to why. I want to follow GOD not people so going to unfriend both right after this.
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You’re very welcome, Fred. I had similar experiences like you, both on Facebook and on my blog as well. I know how very difficult it is to really say a clear ‘No’ when those evil spirits have already worked their way through people into our hearts and minds. But as soon as I had finally split up with such people, I always felt relieved again. 🙂
Also, you sensed very clearly that both people SCARED you… such a feeling never comes from God. Forget hell, please, it is not for you, my brother. If ppl threaten others, they do so because they have been threatened themselves in the past. And since they do not know how to get rid of that fear inside their own hearts, they keep doing the same to others. The former victim becomes a perpetrator, so to say. Very sad… 😦
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The victim becomes the perpetrator. Well said. It is like being bit by a rabid dog, we become the rabid one unless God intervenes. I think that one of the best ways to break this cycle is to forgive the ones who offend us. BUT this does not mean we have to trust them and let them get within biting range of us again. Thanks for sharing your insights with us, dear sister.
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You’re very welcome, Michael.
Yes, indeed, forgiveness is necessary, even though it might turn out a long process until we are through with it all. I think it depends on the depth of pain experienced and on how early these wounds were received (childhood, teens,…).
And yes, godly suspicion IS necessary. Let’s trust in God first and then He will show us in who we can trust also.
Thanks for your thought-provoking comment, dear brother.
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what does “godly suspicion” mean?
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Good question, Fred. I mean suspicion that does not come from the flesh and from the bad experiences we have had, but springs from divine intervention, that is, when we perceive a more or less subtle internal warning (heart and belly region) about a dangerous spirit approaching us through another person.
Oh boy, I hope my “definition” was not too complicated! 😉
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