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I've been
thinking about deception lately. It seems that
we are surrounded by lies and deceit everywhere
we turn, even in the Messianic Community. The
Word of God reveals that Satan is the father of
lies (John 8:44), who has many deceiving spirits
working under him (1 Kings 22:21-23, 1 Timothy
4:1). He deceives all the nations (Revelation
20:3). In his fight against us he uses many kinds
of deception: false gods and religions (Deuteronomy
11:16), false philosophies and empty deception
(Colossians 2:8), false messiahs (Matthew 24:24),
false prophets (Matthew 24:11), false apostles
(2 Corinthians 11:13), false teachers (2 Peter
2:1), false visions (Ezekiel 13:9), false dreams
(Jeremiah 23:32), false words (Ephesians 5:6),
false signs and wonders (2 Thessalonians 2:9),
false brethren (2 Corinthians 11:26), and workers
of deception (Psalm 52:2).
Not only
are we faced by these external forces of deception,
but also by deceit that has its origin from within
us. The Bible declares, and most of us know from
experience, that we can all too easily deceive
ourselves (1 Corinthians 3:18, James 1:26). The
Holy Scriptures warn us about the deceitfulness
of sin (Hebrews 3:13), deceitful desires (Ephesians
4:22), and the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew
13:22). Our own heart can be the most deceptive
of all (Jeremiah 17:9)! "The heart is more
deceitful than all else, and is desperately
sick; who can understand it?" We can't entirely
trust our own hearts. Even they can lead us astray!
We
are forewarned that deceit will reach its pinnacle
in the Last Days. In 2 Thessalonians, Rabbi
Paul explicitly warns us that immediately prior
to Messiah's return an apostasy, a falling away
from the Faith, will take place. Anti-Christ will
come with the activity of Satan, with all power
and signs and wonders, and with all the deception
of wickedness. Likewise, Messiah Yeshua warned
us that false messiahs and false prophets will
arise and show great signs and wonders, so as
to mislead, if possible, even God's chosen ones
(Matthew 24:24). We should not assume that
the apostasy of the Last Days is sometime in the
distant future. There are too many signs of Messiah's
near return, as well as examples of false teaching
and unusual phenomena taking place in the Church
today, for us to make that assumption. Therefore
it's essential to test the spirits and be able
to discern a true work of God from a false one.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but
test the spirits to see whether they are from
God; because many false prophets have gone out
into the world" (1 John 4:1).
TEST
#1: THE YESHUA FACTOR
"By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit
that confesses that Yeshua the Messiah has come
in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that
does not confess Yeshua is not from God; and this
is the spirit of the anti-Christ, of which you
have heard that it is coming, and now it is already
in the world" (1 John 4:2-3).
To confess means: to speak the same thing, to
agree with. A man, ministry or movement must agree
with what God the Father has already said about
Yeshua - that He is the uncreated, eternal Son
of God, fully God and fully man, born of a virgin,
circumcised on the eighth day, crucified on Passover
outside the gates of Jerusalem, raised from the
dead on the third day, seated at the right hand
of God the Father, and the only Savior of mankind.
The Yeshua who is confessed must be the same Yeshua
who appeared in the flesh, and not another Yeshua
of the imagination.
"No
one can say, 'Yeshua is Lord,' except by the Holy
Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3). Most cults, heretics,
false prophets and teachers deviate from the confession
that Yeshua is Lord in the area of the Tri-Unity
of God, the deity of Yeshua, and the Person and
personality of the Spirit of Yeshua (the Holy
Spirit).
The Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of Yeshua. Since He is the
Spirit of Yeshua, He exalts Yeshua - not Himself.
Messiah said, "The Spirit of truth will glorify
Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose
it to you" (John 16:14). Beware of movements
that are centered around some doctrine or experience,
which are so emphasized, that Yeshua Himself is
eclipsed.
TEST
#2: DENIAL OF THE WORLD
When the spirit that is at work through a man,
ministry or movement operates against the interests
of Satan's kingdom, it is a sign that the true
Spirit is at work. "Do not love the world,
nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh
and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride
of life, is not from the Father, but is from the
world" (1 John 2:15-16). By "the world"
John doesn't mean God's beautiful and marvelous
creation. He doesn't mean the mountains, rivers,
lakes, forests, and deserts, the myriads of beautiful
animals and plants. By "the world" the apostle
refers to the evil system in which we live. "The
world" means everything having to do with the
interests of sin, all the corruptions, perversions
and lusts of people, and all those acts and objects
by which they are gratified. Satan is the god
of this world, and encourages us to go after the
things of the world. Messiah said, "My kingdom
is not of this world."
A real
move of God results in a denial of the world,
and a new desire for the kingdom of God. When
mens' hearts are weaned from the objects of their
worldly pursuits and lusts, when their esteem
for the pleasures, profits, and honors of the
world is lessened, and instead they develop a
new and greater appreciation for the things of
God; when they become concerned about righteousness
and holiness, and develop a burden for the lost,
and a heart for evangelism, it's a sign that the
Spirit is at work.
Avoid
those who avoid the way of the cross. All
who live a godly life will suffer persecution.
The apostles suffered. Messiah Yeshua, our supreme
example, suffered much. He told us to die to self,
pick up our cross, and follow Him. "It doesn't
matter what anyone tells you about a great 'revival'
or moving of the Spirit taking place; it doesn't
matter how many multitudes are involved or how
loud their praises are; it doesn't matter how
successful a particular ministry may appear to
be. If the cross of Messiah Yeshua is not the
door through which people come, you can rest assured
- it is not a work of God! The cross, including
its demands of death to self and sin, is the very
heart of the Good News. Any worship, any fellowship,
any so-called move of the Spirit is idolatry if
the cross is not at the center. All the right
words can be spoken, all the proper theological
terms can be used; everything can look and sound
right, but if the reality of the cross is not
presented, it is another Gospel!" [They Have
Done Away With The Cross, David Wilkerson's
12-23-96 newsletter].
Since
the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Yeshua, He imparts
that which is important to Yeshua to us. Messiah's
mission on earth was to reach a lost and dying
world. His parting instructions to His disciples
are known as the Great Co-Mission (our mission
with Yeshua) - to go into the world, and reach
the lost with the with the Good News that can
save them. We need to discern whether the focus
of a man's message is personal advancement in
the world, or Yeshua's mission that we've been
entrusted with.
TEST
#3: THE EXALTATION OF THE SCRIPTURES
When a man, ministry or movement causes a greater
regard for the Holy Scriptures, it is a sign that
the Spirit of God is at work. The prophet Isaiah
warned us: "When they say to you, consult the
mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,
should not a people consult their God? To the
Torah and to the testimony! If they
do not speak according to this word, it is because
they have no dawn." "To the Torah and
to the testimony" is certainly not the cry
of evil spirits that have no light in them.
There
are two opposite and opposing spirits - the Spirit
of Truth and the spirit of error. "We are from
God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is
not from God does not listen to us. By this we
know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error"
(1 John 4: 6). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of
Truth, who leads us into all truth, and grants
us a greater love for the truth. How does He lead
us into all truth? He directs us to the Word of
God (thy Word is truth) and keeps us within orthodox,
apostolic teaching. "We are from God" refers
to those apostles appointed by God who wrote down
their teachings in the New Testament, which is
based on the Hebrew Scriptures and Messiah Yeshua's
teachings.
It is
easy to dismiss doctrine as falling within the
domain of intellectuals and therefore irrelevant
compared to having a "direct experience of God,"
but we endanger our faith if we don't take great
care to remain orthodox in our doctrine. The spirit
of error does not usually lead people to more
of the truth. Satan, the father of lies, doesn't
create a greater love for the Word of God, which
the Lord has given to be the standard for the
Messianic Community in its faith and practice.
A spirit of delusion will not incline persons
to appreciate and accurately divide the Word of
truth. Would the spirit of error, in order to
deceive men, create in them a higher opinion of
the infallible Word of God, incline them to think
more about it, become more familiar with it, and
guide their life by it? Would the prince of darkness,
in order to promote his kingdom of darkness, lead
men to the light? Satan has always tried to pervert
or destroy the Bible, or cause men to ignore the
Book of books. If people are directed to more
of the truth, it is likely that the Spirit of
Truth is at work.
We need
to ask: How is the Word of God being handled?
With respect? With reverence? With dignity? Is
it the Word of God that is being taught, or something
else? If the Word of God is being taught, is it
allegorized or spiritualized to give it an interpretation
that the author didn't intend? When trying to
validate their position, do they refer to the
Bible, or to non-Biblical history or some experience?
TEST
#4: ACCURACY
"The prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously
in My name which I have not commanded him to speak,
or which he shall speak in the name of other gods,
that prophet shall die" (Deut. 18:20). The
prophecy must come from God, and not from a man's
own thoughts, wishes, or desires. Does he claim
to speak directly for God? Are you hearing statements
like, "The Lord says this," "God told me that,"
"Thus says the Lord," or "The Lord wants you to
know." God can speak directly to us, but it
is rare when He does. When someone claims
to speak on behalf of the Creator, it is a very
serious matter, and that person and statement
must be very carefully examined.
His message
must lead us closer to the truths about the God
of Israel, and not into false religion. "If
a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among
you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the
sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which
he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other
gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve
them,' you shall not listen to the words of that
prophet or that dreamer of dreams" (Deut.
13:1-3). It is not enough that the supernatural
is being manifested. They must also stay within
the bounds of Biblical truth, and bring us closer
to God.
Americans
love "Pragmatism," the philosophy that if it works,
it must be good. Pragmatism is dangerously naive
because in a fallen world, experience alone is
no guarantee of the truth. We can't determine
if something is a true work of God by personal
experience and miraculous results, because Satan
can deliver results. The Adversary can counterfeit
many miracles and most spiritual experiences.
Pharaoh's magicians were able to do some of the
same miracles that God did through Moses. They
were able to throw down their staffs and turn
them into snakes. The magicians of Egypt were
able to turn water into blood, just as Moses turned
the waters of the Nile to blood. The magicians
were also able to make frogs come up out of the
Nile with their secret arts, as did Moses.
Even if
a man predicts the future, and it comes to pass;
or even if he does a miracle, it is no guarantee
that he speaks or acts for God. Yeshua said, "Not
everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter
the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will
of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to
Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons,
and in Your name perform many miracles?' And then
I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness'" (Matthew
7:21-23). Most cult members claim a closer
walk with God based on their experiences, even
supernatural experiences, in their cult. Swami
Muktananda, until his death several years ago,
used to hold great meetings in which thousands
of followers came to receive his touch. They would
then fall unconscious or shake uncontrollably.
Da Free John, an American guru, would sit with
large crowds of his devotees and wave his hand
toward groups of them, who would then collapse
in ecstatic laughter. Rajneesh, the infamous Indian
guru, also touched his followers, who would then
collapse in uncontrollable shaking, laughter,
or simply pass out. The followers of these gurus
describe the after-effects as intense joy and
peace.
Remember
that Judas was empowered to do signs, wonder and
miracles, along with the other eleven apostles.
This ought to give us pause when we see power
and influence being exercised in the name of Yeshua
by people today. It does not in any way guarantee
that they are genuine disciples, for Judas was
a "son of damnation" (one meant for destruction),
but who nevertheless exercised a ministry of great
power along with the other apostles.
There
is also the requirement of verification: "And
you shall say in your heart, 'How shall we know
the word which the Lord has not spoken?' When
a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the
thing does not come about or come true, that is
the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet
has spoken it presumptuously" (Deut. 18:21-22).
If claims are made that people are being healed
or that miracles are taking place, can the claims
be verified by an objective observer? If there
is a prophecy, does it come to pass? If the prophecy
doesn't come to pass, are excuses made to justify
it? Is it being taught that today's prophets are
not to be judged by the same standards as Biblical
prophets? That an eighty percent accuracy rate
is acceptable for today's prophets? (If that were
true, then Biblical prophets would have been stoned
to death twenty percent of the time!). Is the
absurd idea being taught that there are "baby
prophets," or that one learns and grows in the
gift of prophecy?
If there
is a prophecy, is it powerful? "'Is not My
Word like fire?' declares the Lord, 'and like
a hammer which shatters a rock'" (Jer. 23:29)?
When God does speak, it should have a ring of
authority. Beware of the false prophets of banality.
If there is a prophecy, does the person suddenly
switch to Elizabethan English? I must admit that
Elizabethan English sounds more "religious," but
historically, when God spoke, He spoke in the
common vernacular.
If
a man, ministry or movement has a history of false
prophecy or false teaching, it is not likely that
the God of truth is going to entrust them with
true spiritual authority. Yeshua warned us:
"Take care what you listen to" (Mark 4:24).
You don't want to entrust yourself to any man,
movement or ministry with a history of false teaching
or false prophecy.
TEST
#5: LOVE
Love is a mark by which we may know if the Spirit
of God is at work. If greater love for God and
for man is being created, it is an indicator that
the Spirit of God is at work. "Beloved, let
us love one another, for love is from God; and
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The one who does not love does not know God, for
God is love" (1 John 4:7-8). Jonathan
Edwards observed that the Spirit of God increases
our love for God, and makes Him the delightful
object of our contemplation. The true Spirit causes
us to long after God and be more intimately acquainted
with Him. The true Spirit will work in us a sense
of the wonders of Messiah Yeshua, and the wonderful
love that the Son of God has for us. The Spirit
gives birth to acts of kindness and mercy. He
creates a love for mankind that desires the salvation
of mens' souls.
TEST
#6: IS GOD SOVEREIGN?
People have an innate longing for the supernatural,
which is why the occult has always been so popular
among mankind. It is human nature to want a quick,
easy path to exciting supernatural experiences.
If the miraculous is not taking place, we have
a tendency to want to create it. However,
there is grave danger whenever we try to manufacture
the miraculous. Beware of those who promise instant
spiritual power, mystical experiences, and deeper
knowledge (as if the knowledge of God and Messiah,
and the truths of the Word of God aren't enough!).
God does not entrust genuine spiritual power to
the immature, the ignorant or the unholy, and
there are no short cuts to holiness and spiritual
maturity.
The Spirit
of God is sovereign. He moves where He wills,
when He wills, on whom He will and with the gifts
that He wills. If we try to "prime the spiritual
pump," and attempt to manipulate God to do something
that isn't His will for us, we can open the doors
to spiritual deception. We need to discern
how the blessing, the power, the healing, the
anointing, is transmitted. Is it by man-made efforts,
or by means of a clear, spontaneous, sovereign,
supernatural work of the Holy Spirit?
Yes, we
should pray for God to bless us with all the gifts
He has for us, but we must also wait on God
to grant our requests in His time and in His way,
when and if we are ever ready for them. While
we are waiting on the Lord to gift us, we need
to provide an atmosphere where it will be obvious
that God is sovereignly and supernaturally and
working among His people. That way if something
out of the ordinary starts to take place among
us, it will clearly be God at work, and not a
counterfeit or a cheap imitation of the flesh.
TEST
#7: IS IT NORMATIVE?
There are many things that are "Biblical," that
is, events or experiences that the Bible records.
For example, Yeshua once told a rich young ruler
to sell all that he had and give it to the poor.
That does not mean that every believer must take
a vow of poverty. Not everything that is "Biblical"
is meant to be a normative experience for God's
people. Perhaps better than asking, "Is it
Biblical?" is asking, "Is it normative?" Does
this thing happen frequently on the pages of the
Holy Scriptures? A quick perusal of God's Word
will show that teaching, singing, praying, giving
thanks, reading from the Scriptures, encouraging
and correcting one another, confessing our sins,
and eating together, are the normative practices
to engage in when God's people meet. Then, after
we build one another up, we go out and reach the
lost with the Good News about the Messiah.
Another
way to discern whether something is normative
is by asking, "Do you see Yeshua and the apostles
regularly doing this?" Yeshua is our supreme example,
and He is the same, yesterday, today and forever.
If you don't see Yeshua and the apostles engaging
in a behavior, how normative, how beneficial,
how necessary, can it be? When you are confronted
by a new spiritual experience, ask yourself: "Is
this something that Paul did? Peter? John?" Do
you see Yeshua knocking people down when He ministered
to them, or people falling down before Him (other
than the enemies of Yeshua who came to arrest
Him and put Him to death)? Were people (other
than Annanias and Sapphira) "slain in the Spirit"
when Peter was being used by God? Do you read
about people laughing hysterically when Paul was
preaching and teaching? Were the crowds shaking
and jerking when John was serving the Lord? Were
people acting like animals (other than those who
were demonized) when the Son of God was on the
scene? Did people regularly enter into trance-like
states in the New Testament congregations? If
we don't see Yeshua and the apostles doing it,
we are probably better off avoiding it.
The God
of Israel is not arbitrary, unreasonable, or capricious
like the gods of the nations. He told His Jewish
people, "Come, let us reason together." He normally
does not ask His people to purposely humiliate
themselves or engage in bizarre behavior. God's
Word specifically warns against public behavior
that might cause the non-believer or the ungifted
believer to think that we are crazy (1 Cor. 14:23).
For that reason, Rabbi Paul commands us to do
all things decently and in order in our public
meetings (1 Cor. 14:40).
No, we
don't want to put God in a box. Yes, God is greater
than our theology. On very rare occasions God
might ask His servants to do something out of
the ordinary. The Lord did ask Abraham to sacrifice
Isaac. The Lord had the prophet Isaiah go naked
for three years as a sign to Israel. But if
a man, ministry or movement starts engaging in
bizarre, non-normative practices, we need extra
assurance that it is God asking His people to
do these things, and not some other spirit at
work. The more bizarre something is, the more
assurance we need that it really is God. If
you experience non-normative behavior and your
initial reaction is, "this is bizarre" - it probably
is bizarre. If you continue to expose yourself
to it, you will probably get used to it, because
human beings are extremely adaptable. Just
as our physical eyes adjust to the dark, so do
the eyes of our soul. The longer human beings
are immersed in an environment, the more normal
it becomes. The longer we are around non-normative
phenomena, the more we will become accustomed
to it. If we are wise, we will remove ourselves
from the situation while we still can.
TEST
#8: MANIPULATION
The God of Israel acts uprightly with us. He tells
us upfront what His demands are, and what the
consequences are if we obey or disobey. He does
not manipulate us, and neither should His servants.
Do you feel pressured to act in a pre-determined
way? If you don't fall down, laugh, come forward,
say "amen" on cue, repeat statements or confessions
that the speaker utters, have a smile constantly
plastered on your face, will you be singled out
for embarrassment or pressured by the leadership
or your peers to fall in line? Do you feel that
you are being manipulated? Do you feel as if you
are being pressured into a quick sale by a salesman?
Like He
gave the Bereans, God will give you enough time
to search the Scriptures, and seek Him to determine
whether something is true. Because the Jewish
people did not make the effort or take the time
to seek the counsel of the Lord, the Gideonites
were able to deceive us (see Joshua 9).
If you
are being coerced to receive a "blessing," "spiritual
gift" or "experience" without which you are told
that you will "miss God" - you are probably in
the presence of a manipulator - not a man of God.
My advice is: don't worry - you won't miss God!
The King of the universe is too big and too omni-present
to miss. He promised to indwell us, and to be
with us always. You don't need to go running here
and there for more blessings. He already granted
us all the best blessings - Messiah, His indwelling
Spirit, and all spiritual blessings in the Heavenly
places. Everything that you need is already yours
when you are joined to Yeshua. If you have Messiah,
you have everything! You are complete in Him.
You don't need questionable blessings from dubious
men and ministries on earth.
Besides,
God is sovereign, and His blessings are not limited
by human vessels. Even though Eldad and Medad
remained in the camp, and didn't go to Moses at
the Tabernacle, the Spirit of God came upon them,
and they prophesied, just as did the seventy other
elders who were gathered around Moses (see Numbers
11).
TEST
#9: CONTROL
Related to the test of manipulation is the test
of control. Does he want to control more and more
of your life? Are you required to depend more
and more on the "prophet," the "man of God," the
spiritual leader? Or is equipping you to be a
more independent, mature man or woman, able to
hear the voice of God for yourself? Are you being
entrusted with more responsibility as you prove
yourself faithful, or are you coming under more
control?
TEST
#10: EXAGGERATION
Watch out for those who exaggerate. It was false
religions, myths and legends, and fraudulent histories
that exaggerated the exploits of their heros,
the glories and lengths of the reigns of their
kings, the deeds of their prophets, and minimized
their failures and sins. On the other hand, the
Word of God always states things fairly and accurately.
Are things being stated accurately, or is there
a tendency toward hype and exaggeration? Is this
"the greatest move of God, the biggest, the best,
greater than anything that has come before, affecting
untold millions of people...?" True servants of
God are humble, and simply state the facts. If
anything, they should understate, not exaggerate.
TEST
#11: IS THERE STABILITY?
"Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever."
Has there been stability in this ministry? Has
it been moved about by every wind and wave of
doctrine? Has the man of God been stable morally,
doctrinally, financially, sexually? It is not
likely that God is going to grant someone who
has been unstable genuine spiritual power and
authority.
TEST
#12: INTEGRITY
O Lord, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell
on Your holy Hill? He who walks with integrity,
and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his
heart (Psalm 15:1-2). Bad character and bad
theology often go together. How much do you really
know about his life, his character, his history?
Do those who know him best, like the members of
his family, speak well about him? Is he greedy?
Greed for money and greed for other things, like
fame, recognition and sex, often go together,
because a person who is greedy can't keep himself
within proper boundaries. Those who can't control
themselves in one area, often can't control themselves
in other areas as well.
WHAT
DO YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE STILL NOT SURE? Art
Katz gave wise advice when he said, "don't throw
away what is proven, that which you know is true,
that which is precious and dear for that which
is questionable. The path of wisdom is to keep
our distance from all questionable phenomena,
trusting that whatever we might be missing is
not greater than what we are protecting. The Lord
is not offended by a carefulness that would rather
err in the direction of God's holiness than risk
subverting what has already been given and pure
and true and reliable and trustworthy. Let's not
be so greedy for new spiritual experiences, empowerments,
releases, anointings, signs, wonders, miracles
or revivals, that we entrust ourselves to questionable
personalities and ministries who have caught the
public fancy with over-night popularity."
"Whatever
is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23).
If you are asked to do something about which you
have doubts - don't. Each individual must know
in his own heart, and have his own personal conviction
based on God's Word, that what he is doing is
God's will for him - not the will of some man
or movement.
Do you
want a more exciting spiritual life? Let me tell
you the secret for more supernatural experiences.
Messiah Yeshua said: "He who has My commandments
and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he
who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and
I will love him, and will come and disclose Myself
to him" (John 14:21). We must spend time with
Messiah Yeshua, studying His words, His teachings,
His parables, and His miracles. We must learn
how to hear His voice, and then obey Him. Then
we will have our senses trained to discern the
sometimes subtle differences between truth and
error. Then He will manifest Himself to us, and
entrust us with the real power, the real miracles,
the real anointings. I am indebted to Jonathan
Edwards for much of this message. It was first
given by him almost 250 years ago. To be continued...
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