Who are the 144,000?

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ambition, aspiration, desires, discerning the spirits, dying to self, emotions, encouragement, entering his rest, experience, eyes of the heart, following Jesus, God's love, joy, light, love, mind, Mount Zion, peace, soul, suffering, T.A. Sparks, the 144.000, the Lamb, the mind of Christ, the will, walking by the spirit

Several Christians over the last centuries have had thoughts and ideas about who these particular people mentioned in the Book of Revelation might be. Even a cult (Jehovah’s Witnesses) claimed this whole group of believers for their own purposes. But can it be that easy?  🙄 Is there a single Christian denomination or a ‘Christian’ cult that would be able to comprise those 144,000 who seem to occupy a very special position, maybe, even the best position possible as to their closeness to God?  🙄

I saw in my last post where I mainly published longer excerpts from T. Austin Sparks that it does not make much sense to go on doing so. It seems I should offer some explanations combined with my own experiences or insights regarding all topics so that the whole article gets more vivid. Actually, I know myself how tedious the simple reading of facts without enlightening examples can be.  😉 So I decided to include only short excerpts by TAS where I thought it might be helpful and to also offer my own ideas as to the following Scriptures. As for these 144,000, the apostle John describes what he saw in the Book of Revelation.

Misconceptions of God

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commandments, cults, discerning the spirits, encouragement, exhortation, experience, faith, false spirits, God's love, Holiness, image of God, Jesus Christ, obedience, prayer, Righteousness, Seeking God, sin, the Bible, the fear of God, the Word of God

More than 20 years ago after having left the Christian cult we were in, I felt that God was not half as judgmental as it had been suggested there in that missionary congregation. My own experiences with God and Jesus made me think that HE was quite the opposite of what I had heard back then. It would seem to me that God’s grace revealed in Christ did not judge anyone at all. From hence, for quite some time I was convinced that God was love, and only love. However, what about all this evil in the world and what about evil people? No judgment? No condemnation? Only forgiveness for everyone without any consequences? So many questions which I, sooner or later, could not ignore any longer…

Cults in Cyberspace: Just a Mouse Click Away

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cults, Cyberspace, deception, discerning the spirits, exhortation, experience, false spirits, false teachers, Hypnosis, Marisa O'Connor, Mind Control, Online-Preachers, preaching, Scientology, Sri Chinmoy, Stefan Molyneux, warning

Photo Credits https://kalingatv.com/features/eye-care-tips-for-winter-by-dr-tarun-panda/

Dear reader, I am still occupied with this issue about cultic dangers. After publishing a more encouraging blog post last week, here comes another warning about the subtlest, and maybe easiest way of how Satan could try to capture our minds. This particular topic has weighed like a burden on my heart for a few days now, but I would find no time to write it all down. Let’s start with a testimony by a woman who experienced ‘something’ on the internet which seemed to be so innocent in the beginning.

Seventeen Point Checklist for Unknown Groups

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cults, deception, discerning the spirits, exhortation, false spirits, false teachers, Michael Clark

John Hurt in “Nineteen Eighty Four”, George Orwell (Michael Radford, 1984)

I decided to publish another checklist that might be helpful to find out whether you or anyone else you know has touched on any kind of group (Christian, religious, political, esoteric etc.) that eventually turns out to be dangerous for spirit, body, and soul. Michael Clark and I translated this Seventeen Point Checklist from a checklist I would find years ago on a German website. Michael recently published a great blog article in which he described his own painful experiences in cults. The picture he attached to that post was very inspiring for me, so I also chose a photo from George Orwell’s “1984”. I recall how much I hated to read this book in high school about 36 years ago, such a dark scenery! Back to the check list: If you follow the link below, you can also see the pictures (cartoons) that go along with the German text which I changed slightly due to a, which I believe, inappropriate wording in one case. I wanted to follow the Spirit’s leading here as you might have already expected when you are familiar with my writings.

http://www.ebi-sachsen.de/sekten/checkliste.html

“What Is A Cult? Recognizing And Avoiding Unhealthy Groups” by Jayanti Tamm

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cults, deception, discerning the spirits, exhortation, false spirits, false teachers, Jayanti Tamm, leadership

Today I want to offer you a short excerpt, or more specifically, a list written by Jayanti Tamm who was born into a cult from which she could escape only 25 years later. Although her former guru, Sri Chinmoy, was not a Christian cult leader, I believe the chief features of cults she would work out in this list below are generally applicable to all sorts of unhealthy and anti-Christian groups, too. 

A Pact with the Devil

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Charles G. Finney, cults, deception, discerning the spirits, exhortation, following Jesus, Freemasonry, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Lions Clubs International, oaths, Rotary International, Satan, Sects, sin, the devil, true faith, warning

This time you might wonder at the topic I chose to write about. Like the charismatic issue that has bothered me for some time and eventually led to my last article, today I felt I should start to illustrate the possible dangers that might approach us in our every day life through people who are not necessarily Christians although they sometimes claim to believe in God. I am referring to ‘noble’, well-deemed people (mostly men) who might work as university professors, physicians, judges, notaries or bank directors. This list is anything but exhaustive. It might only serve to point you to the credibility their profession normally lends to them. What they all have in common is that they are (very) successful. Most of the times they are rich at that. Sometimes they become famous, too, sooner or later. However, they had to do something in order to get there. As German author and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his work “Faust” described, “The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures.” (1)

… but you are dead

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charismatic movement, church, cults, death, deception, discerning the spirits, exhortation, experience, false revival, following Jesus, heart, leadership, life, mind, RCC, Satan

Just lately I have been preoccupied with a specific religious orientation of Christianity. Not that I had chosen to focus once again on what I had known myself a quarter of a century ago. However, a few people I have known for years were more and more drawn into this kind of charismatic church. It is a modern branch of Christendom that more often than not appeals to younger people who do not like to sit in a pew without moving their body for a long time. If you enter such a church, you will surely meet a group of kind people who extend a warm welcome to you (the welcome team). There is also a variety of modern music presented by what is called the worship team. The bigger the church, the more qualified musicians you will find there. They and the majority of the church members who serve in any kind of ministry don’t work for money, no. Whether it is the welcome team, the kitchen team, the worship team, the child care team, whatever. All these people work for charity’s sake. But this does not apply to the pastor and the whole leadership; they usually live from what the congregation offers up. You know, from tithes and donations…

Why Positive Thinking Does Not Work

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experience, following Jesus, Gloria Copeland, Joel Osteen, joy, Kenneth Copeland, peace, positive thinking, prosperity gospel, Robert H. Schuller, thought life, Victoria Osteen, Word of Faith

(Picture taken from https://florentflora.files.wordpress.com/2012/02)

Actually, the Bible gave us some good advice as to how we could stay in God’s peace continually. But oh, on our own we might find it pretty difficult to follow what Paul told the Philippians as he said,

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Phil 4:6-9 KJV)

It seems to me that ‘Positive Thinkers’, esp. of the Christian kind, took part of these verses and gave them a completely new meaning they originally did not have. Just giving you a few examples in the form of quotes here.

When the Morning Star rises…

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behavior, discerning the spirits, dreams, feelings, goals, God, God's love, health, Joel Osteen, lies, light, love, mindset, Morning Star, Satan, thought life, thoughts, truth

On the Way between Darkness and Light
(Photo by Susanne Schuberth)

“And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Pt 1:19-21 ESV)

Q: Do we need the Bible?

According to the verses quoted above, the prophetic word of the whole Bible is suitable for giving some light on our path so that we can make the next step toward Him who eventually gives us full-spectrum light. Or in other words,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105 ESV)

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (Jn 8:12 ESV)

So, it appears to be a way…

Spotting Sectarian Spirits

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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?