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Discerning the Last Days Delusion and
Pharisee Spirit Part 2
Kato Mivule
September 30, 2007
In Part 1 of our
series on the study on ‘The End Time Delusion and Pharisee
Spirit’, we saw that it is imperative that we take The Lord’s
warning about not being deceived, seriously. We truly live in
the last days and one of the signs of that we are in the last
days will be unprecedented levels of lies and deception in the
Church itself.
We are to examine
all that we hear in churches today using scriptures as our
standard. For most of the church as it is today has been
compromised with lies and deception from Satan. Those who refuse
to discern using the whole counsel of God’s Word as a standard,
are ‘selling’ their souls to Satan the father of all lies and
deception.
Pharisee Spirit – They never
practice what they preach
Matthew 23:1-39
(1)
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
(2)
Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
(3)
All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe,
that
observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say,
and do not.
Matthew 23 is one chapter in
which The Lord explicitly deals with the Pharisees of His days
and exposes them for who they really are. Pharisees represented
the religious leaders and those who were supposed to know the
Truth but never practiced it.
These were individuals who
believed in an institutionalized form of religion and practicing
the traditions of men while rejecting the commands of The Lord.
They loved popularity and fame and money just like the Christian
religious leaders of today in both the mainstream and
evangelical churches.
Pharisees were found of preaching
but not practicing what they preached. Jesus Christ gives us a
clue here about this Pharisee spirit that we must all stand out
and watch…and this is the trait of preaching God’s Word yet not
practicing what is says.
We have many Bible Colleges and
folks with PhDs in Theology but will not practice what Jesus
Christ commanded us to do. All that such folks care about is
‘Intellectual Entertainment’ but not taking action with Truth
known – no acting on God’s Word and Obeying His commandments.
Such behavior steams from a Pharisee Spirit and a trait of a
False Prophet.
The Pharisee Spirit –prides in the Traditions of
Men…
(4)
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay
them
on men's shoulders; but they
themselves
will not move them with one of their fingers.
This Pharisee Spirit is one that
prides in setting Traditions of men as commandment of God yet
rejecting the true commandments of The Lord. We have traditions
today in the churches that are unbiblical and not supported by
Scriptures but rather contradict God’s Holy Word.
Such traditions as ‘Tithes
Doctrine’, Praying on Sunday Doctrine, Easter, Christmas, Mega
Church Building, ‘Touch not the Anointed’, Submission to the
‘Man of God’ (False Submissions) and many other Traditions which
are made to control the masses while exploiting them so as to
sustain the palatial lifestyles of the ‘Men of God’. Such is
the Pharisee and False Prophet Spirit.
The Pharisee Spirit – Prides in
Elitism…
(5)
But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make
broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their
garments,
(6)
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in
the synagogues,
(7)
And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi,
Rabbi.
False Prophets will always desire
the higher positions among men. They always crave to be noticed
and received as important and highly respected people among men.
They love to have fame, special status, and recognition as noble
people among the sons of men. Though sometimes, false prophets
and Pharisees will come in ‘humbly’, yet at the end of the day
they will have it in their agenda to seek total control of the
masses.
They will use false humility as a
vehicle to arrive at their cravings for honor and aristocracy
among the undiscerning sons of men. They will do all to retain
aristocracy and elitism. Those who dare criticize them are
excommunicated and others threatened with doctrines such as
‘don’t touch the anointed of God’… Pharisees and False Prophets
will always love to exalt themselves both subtly and
overtly…they always love people exalting them too; as Elitism is
a desire deeply rooted in them.
Pharisee and False Prophet Spirit
– Self Exaltation…
(8)
But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master,
even
Christ; and all ye are brethren.
(9)
And call no
man
your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in
heaven.
(10)
Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master,
even
Christ.
(11)
But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
(12)
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that
shall humble himself shall be exalted.
In these last days, Man is out on
adventures of ‘discovering self’ and this temptation, the Church
has not escaped. Many self exaltation programs are out there
dubbed as ‘self help’, ‘positive thinking’, ‘discovering one’s
self’, and a host of New Age and Eastern mystic philosophies. It
is with this New Age background that many preachers such as
Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Robert Schuler, Rick Warren, TD Jakes,
and many others are using to preach a ‘Positive Thinking’
gospel.
However, all this has to do with
self exaltation and exaltation of Man. It works for the modern
day Pharisees in that they prepare their followers to accept
Elitism and Aristocracy in the Church through such messages of
‘Positive Thinking’. In other words, if a Preacher is driving a
Rolls Royce, lives in a million dollar palatial home, and owns a
Gulf Stream Jet, then it was because they ‘discovered who they
are’ and are ‘called’ and ‘anointed’ of God and no one should
critic their opulent lifestyles…
However, Jesus Christ warned us
not to call anyone ‘Master’ except Jesus Christ. The greatest
among us should be a servant. We are to call no one Father on
earth except our Father in Heaven. Yet today the Catholic Church
blatantly disobeys this command. The Evangelicals have followed
the ways of the Catholics and are returning to Rome. They too
are fascinated with titles, honors and accolades that come from
Man. They have been taken over by an Elite Spirit… Brethren,
Jesus warned us against this evil Pharisee Elite spirit and we
are to utterly reject it…
Pharisees and False Prophets a
Hindrance…
(13)
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut
up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in
yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.
Pharisees and False Prophets will
knowingly or unknowingly shut the Kingdom of Heaven against men
because of the false doctrines that they teach and their
resistance to Truth. What they actually do in resisting Truth is
that they lead the people of God into rebellion against Truth
and against The Lord Jesus Christ.
So, it is very important that
believers discern what their pastors are teaching and separate
from those who teach false doctrines or teachings that
contradict God’s Word. Otherwise, if you don’t separate from
such then you are being taught Rebellion against God and His
Holy Word.
Secondly the character of many
Pharisees and False prophets will always be contrary to God’s
Holy Word and as such a stumbling block to many. The Testimony
of false Pastors and Preachers is not that of Jesus Christ but
always that of worldliness and lusts of the flesh. These always
hinder those who would have otherwise gotten saved.
This we also must check
ourselves, are there any unbiblical teachings and character
traits in us that would stumble people from getting to the
Kingdom of Heaven? Let’s examine ourselves to see if we are
still in the faith.
Extortion and Fleecing is a
Hallmark of Pharisees…
(14)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour
widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore
ye shall receive the greater damnation.
One of the hallmarks of false
preachers and pastors is the extortion and fleecing of
believers. They always device doctrines that seek to gain money
and material wealth from the believers. The whole ‘Sowing’
doctrine out of TBN TV is geared towards fleecing believers
while promising them ‘Heaven on Earth’.
Jesus Christ has warned that
those who are involved in that false gospel of greed will
receive greater damnation. In other words among the damned,
these extortionist and fleecing pastors will receive a greater
damnation. Judgment is coming to the whole prosperity movement
and unless they repent, their damnation will even be greater…
False Evangelization and
Missions…
(15)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass
sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make
him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
While in America, I attend a
Church that claimed to be very missionary oriented and the
Pastor would claim how large sections of Asia and Africa in the
10/40 Window are becoming ‘Christian’. Another Ugandan Pastor
featured on 700 Club with Pat Robertson and claimed that about
60 to 80 percent of Uganda is Christian.
However, being from Africa, I
knew that such statistics were false and just an assumption. The
folks who they claimed were 60 percent Christians lived lives
contrary to scripture and immersed in the False Prosperity
Gospel…
So, false missionaries always
produce false converts and make them worse than they themselves.
The Converts of TBN prosperity gospel in Africa, are worse
greedy preachers than their masters of TBN TV…
We have people who travel all the
way from the USA, England and Western world and come to Africa
only to make converts for their Baptist, Presbyterian,
Methodist, Episcopalian, Church of God, Assemblies of God etc
and not to make converts for Jesus Christ.
I remember visiting a large
Assemblies of God Church in Kansas City USA and the Pastor stood
to claim how the denomination was the fastest growing in
America. When I cross checked the data that they provided in
their Evangel Magazine, the converts where largely from Africa
and not America. Worse is that they have not taught them the
Bible but taught them Theological views of their American
Assemblies of God denominations.
It is sad that American Christian
Denominations collect millions of Dollars for Missions and
Evangelism yet use this money not to preach Jesus Christ and
Bible Truth but merely expand their denominations worldwide and
make converts in the likeness of their Baptist, Methodist, or
Assemblies of God Denominations. This is not Evangelism but
spiritual colonialism and expansionism.
However, there are true
missionaries who have come and given their lives in Africa not
for any denomination but for Jesus Christ and for such our
prayers and support goes out.
Interested in the gift only –
godliness a of means of gain…
(16)
Woe unto you,
ye
blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it
is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple,
he is a debtor!
(17)
Ye
fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple
that sanctifieth the gold?
(18)
And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but
whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
(19)
Ye
fools and blind: for whether
is
greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
(20)
Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by
all things thereon.
(21)
And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him
that dwelleth therein.
(22)
And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of
God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Jesus Christ referred to the
Pharisees as fools and blind. They are only interested in the
gifts and therefore enact doctrines that bind people to giving a
gift and they make sure that it is a very good gift.
They will compromise Bible
Doctrine for the sake of money and material gifts. They will
create doctrines so people are bound to give them gifts and will
feel guilty and condemned if they don’t give to these ‘men of
God’.
The Prosperity Doctrines of
‘Sowing’ and Tithing are such examples were saints have been
turned into slaves for the Pastors and Preachers. The sad thing
though is that many believers will still continue giving to such
men even when they know the truth. They are trapped into worship
of Man and searching for miracles…
It is important to note here that
Jesus Christ was NOT teaching us to swear by the Throne of God
or to practice the Law of Moses but was correcting the Pharisees
in to things they ought to have done even as they practiced the
Mosaic Law. Many use this verse as an excuse to swear by the
Throne of God but contradict other scriptures…
James 5:12
(12)
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven,
neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your
yea be yea; and
your
nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
The Tithing Doctrine and
Pharisees…
(23)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay
tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the
weightier
matters
of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have
done, and not to leave the other undone.
(24)
Ye
blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
It is interesting that the Tithe
Doctrine was a special interest to the Pharisees and it’s not
surprising today it is one of the most pushed doctrines out
there in churches today. It has become the hallmark of
prosperity preachers and become the foundation through which
prosperity preachers promise riches and ‘blessings’ if people
tithe to their ministries.
Today’s false preachers and
pastors are big on tithing that they have neglected the
Teachings of Jesus Christ simply because they love money. They
have placed burdens on people that they themselves cannot carry.
Tithing, sowing, and giving have become the central doctrines of
many preachers today, especially on TBN TV. This they do while
they ignore all other scriptures.
These preachers force people to
practice the Law of Moses while ignoring The Work of Christ
Jesus on The Cross. If Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses,
why then practice it? Why then do preachers choose to practice
only Tithing out of the entire Law of Moses? Why not
Circumcision or keeping the Sabbath which they hypocritically
say was fulfilled by Jesus Christ?
So, Pharisees and False Teachers
inside Christendom are interested in Tithing because of greed
and gain. It is survival and a living for them; godliness is
means of gain for them.
One should note that Jesus Christ
was NOT teaching us to tithe and keep the Law of Moses but was
rebuking the Pharisees for their failure to keep the Law of
Moses and hypocritically choosing only to keep those Laws of
Moses that were financially beneficial to them…. Man failed at
keeping the Law of Moses…
Acts 15:1-6
(1)
And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren,
and said,
Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be
saved.
(2)
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and
disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas,
and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the
apostles and elders about this question.
(3)
And being brought on their way by the church, they passed
through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the
Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
(4)
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the
church, and
of
the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God
had done with them.
(5)
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which
believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to
command
them
to keep the law of Moses.
(6)
And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of
this matter.
Acts 15:10-11
(10)
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of
the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to
bear?
(11)
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
we shall be saved, even as they.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law of
Moses including the Law of Moses Concerning Tithes. That is why
Jesus Christ taught giving and Paul the apostle taught the same
but not tithing. Those who proclaim and preach tithing as the
only Mosaic Law we are to keep in the New Testament should also
preach circumcision.
To them justification for God’s
Blessing is through Tithing and not the work of Jesus Christ on
the Cross. Jesus Christ taught giving and Paul also taught
giving, so should we. Tithing has become a burden upon many
Christians and a Law of many Churches and Pastors today,
bringing many people into Bondage.
Those who practice it also
nullify the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross by believing they
can gain Grace and Justification by keeping the Law of Moses
concerning Tithing.
Galatians 3:11
(11)
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God,
it is
evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:12-14
(12)
And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall
live in them.
(13)
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a
curse for us: for it is written, Cursed
is
every one that hangeth on a tree:
(14)
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith.
Justification to receive the
Blessing of Abraham is through Jesus Christ our Lord and
Savior…Amen.
False Humility and False
Righteousness…
(25)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make
clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they
are full of extortion and excess.
(26)
Thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that
which is
within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be
clean also.
(27)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like
unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward,
but are within full of dead
men's
bones, and of all uncleanness.
(28)
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within
ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
False Humility and false
righteousness has captured many in the evangelical movement, let
alone the main stream churches. Many falsely humble themselves
so as to be seen in the public as pious and yet inside they are
filled with hypocrisy and iniquity. They are filled with greed,
covetousness, and materialism. They are champions in speaking
half truth as a cover-up for their iniquity and greed.
Jesus Christ described these
fellows as washing the outside of a cup yet inside them are full
of extortion and excess especially those in the prosperity
movement. Jesus Christ went ahead to describe these fellows as
white graves that appear beautiful outside but inside are full
of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
This is what many leaders in the
evangelical movement have become – Pharisees with false humility
allover them. They appear righteous before men but inside are
wolves and evil brute beasts that are in rebellion against the
Word of Jesus Christ. That is why they love pious titles and
accolades such as ‘Man of God’, Bishop, Doctor etc so they can
impose their illegal authority on the people of God.
False Humility and False
Righteousness is something that we must all watch out for, that
we don’t get caught in it. It is very easy for Satan to attack
the people of God with a false security that they are more
humble than others and are far better righteous than others.
False humility will go further in that people will think they
are holy and righteous because they fast 4 times a month, pray
12 hours a day, pay their tithe and do many religious things. We
have all the time to examine our hearts in light of God’s Word
that we are not taken over by this false humility.
Finally, Pharisee Spirit Seeks To
Murder True Saints of God…
(29)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye
build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of
the righteous,
(30)
And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not
have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
(31)
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the
children of them which killed the prophets.
(32)
Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.
(33)
Ye
serpents,
ye
generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
(34)
Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and
scribes: and
some
of them ye shall kill and crucify; and
some
of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute
them
from city to city:
(35)
That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of, whom
ye slew between the temple and the altar.
(36)
Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this
generation.
Those with a Pharisee Spirit will
always persecute the true servants of The Lord. They persecuted
Jesus Christ until they killed Him but He rose from the dead on
the third day. Pharisees and religious leaders persecuted the
early saints too in the book of Acts and also persecuted Paul
the apostle. Pharisees and religious leaders will persecute and
kill true saints of God in this generation of ours.
Jesus Christ prophesied about
brother betraying brother in Matthew 24, this will certainly
happen in our times as church leaders and members taken over by
a Pharisee spirit will be filled with rage and murder the true
saints of God, just like Cain murdered his brother Abel.
Persecution will begin in Christendom in these last days. Those
who stand out for Truth will be opposed, persecuted, and even
killed by those so-called Christians who hate the truth and have
rebelled against it.
However, Jesus Christ gives a
strong warning against the Pharisees and all False Christian
Leaders of our day…they risk damnation in hell unless they
repent. This is a warning to those preachers and pastors who are
engaged in misleading God’s People with false teachings which
contradict truth; unless they repent they will end up in hell.
We normally preach ‘Hell messages’ to none believers but I have
some ‘Hell message’ for False and Idolatrous Christian Leaders
that if you don’t repent will not escape the damnation of Hell.
Jesus Christ states that he will
send out His servants to these false leaders to warn them but
the false leaders will turn around and persecute, crucify, and
even kill the servants of The Lord. The false Christian leaders
of today will turn against the true saints of God and throw them
out of their churches and persecute the saints of God from city
to city. It is important to note that Pharisees of today
operate under a spirit of rebellion against Jesus Christ and His
Truth and therefore are antichrist though they may put on a
religious and hypocritical showing that they are Christian.
Jesus Christ further states that
the Blood of Abel all they way down to Zacharias son of
Barachias will be counted on Pharisees and false preachers. This
is a very strong indictment. Brethren, it is time that we check
ourselves that we are not in anyway possessed by the leaven of
the Pharisees that Jesus Christ is warning us about here. The
judgment of Pharisees, false prophets, false apostles is already
set – damnation in Hell.
Their House is Left Desolate…
(37)
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
thou
that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto
thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together,
even as a hen gathereth her chickens under
her
wings, and ye would not!
(38)
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
(39)
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye
shall say, Blessed
is
he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Jesus Christ spoke
of how the Jewish people had rejected not only the prophets that
The Lord sent but also rejected Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ spoke
of how He had always wanted to protect them but he could not
because the rebellious attitude of the Jews towards The Lord. He
prophesied that they would not see Him until they say ‘blessed
is he who comes in the Name of The Lord’.
Today much of the
church has forsaken The Lord Jesus Christ and has embarked on a
rebellious journey against the Truth in God’s Holy Word. Jesus
Christ has sent His true servants inside Christendom, only to be
rebuffed, persecuted, and thrown out of churches.
As a result
judgment is coming in Christendom and The Lord will shake all
that can be shaken until only those things which cannot be
shaken stay standing. Judgment will begin in the house of The
Lord and on the false Christian leaders who have mislead the
people of God by teaching false doctrines and making the people
of God love the things of this world.
Today just like in
Jesus’ time on earth, Jesus Christ prophesied that the Jewish
House was left desolate, deserted, isolated, bleak, uninhabited,
wild, barren and depressing, for other terms related to
‘desolate’. The Holy Spirit had left their habitation and no
longer dwelt with them because of their rebellion towards The
Lord that was certainly stirred up by the Pharisee Spirit whom
Jesus Christ had been rebuking.
Many Churches
today have been left desolate and empty, void of The Holy Spirit
and with a word written on them that says ‘ICHABOD’ – The Glory
of The Lord has departed. This is because many churches, their
pastors, leaders, teachers, and Christians are in rebellion
against Christ Jesus and have shunned His Commandments. What
operate in such churches today are devils, demons, deceiving
spirits and doctrine of demons.
1 Timothy 4:1-2
(1)
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some
shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils;
(2)
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with
a hot iron;
My prayer is that
you will repent and flee such churches and seek out believers of
the same mind where the whole counsel of God’s Word is taught.
The Pharisee spirit is an antichrist spirit, so don’t in anyway
submit to such liar preachers and pastors.
To be continued…
In Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule
Uganda, Africa
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