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Archbishop Gloria GraceTuesday, December 9, 2014
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THE CHURCH, THE BRIDE OF CHRIST 5 THE FALSE CHURCH 2:
FALSE APOSTLES, PROPHETS AND TEACHERS

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AVOIDING DECEPTIONS 2

(CONTD FROM PART 1)

here are many things to discuss on this subject, but I will reserve most of it for the oncoming book of this series: THE CHURCH, THE BRIDE OF CHRIST: THE TRUE AND THE FALSE CHURCH. The book will address the true and the false Church and I will address this topic thoroughly and completely. It will be ready by January.

Last week I started on a topic on false prophets and teachers, we looked into the operations of the spirit of divination (Python spirit) and familiar spirit through which false prophets operate. The Lord Jesus emphatically warned us against the activities of false prophets.

Beware of false Prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from neither thorn bushes nor figs from thistles? Even so every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (Mathew 7: 15-18).

They are called grievous wolves, ravening wolves, or ferocious wolves and they are wolves in sheep clothing. Wolves are very dangerous animals and the sheep are the people of God. We are therefore warned to be as wise as serpent and blameless as doves.

2 Peter 2: 1-2, Peter said that both they and false teachers bring in destructive heresies, and many will follow their destructive ways. In Acts Paul says that they will speak perverse things, and will draw disciples after themselves. Refer to my first article: Re-Divine revelation of Heaven and Hell. They deceive many people. Speaking of their damnable heresies, they mix the word of God with their own ideas or tradition or pagan worship. In Revelation 2: 13. 16, the Lord Jesus said to the compromising Church that they hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, and to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. Let's take it one by one. This Church or Pastor/ prophet, teaches wrong doctrine. This is one of the ways to identify them, what they teach. They are false teachers. The doctrine of Balaam is found among those Pastors that stand at the altar to curse people who they don't want to prosper or who they accuse of touching them, "the Lord's anointed". So, they begin to utter curses. One day, the Lord opened my eyes and showed me a Pastor who climbed the altar with a microphone and began to utter curses there at the altar, He said to me: "They are polluting My altar". These Pastors use uttering curses to intimidate people from ever saying anything against them, to instill fear in them and to intimidate and control them. This is spirit of witchcraft. A genuine man of God is not vindictive, but according to the word of God, leaves vengeance unto the Lord. Discussing curses is a whole chapter of a book, but I will say little here. James 3: 8-10, he said that the tongue is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it, we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made I the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing, My brethren these things ought not to be so. Our tongue is supposed to be holy not to be polluted with curses. The Lord Jesus asked us to overcome evil with good. Rather than returning curses with curses we are to bless. A man of God is not supposed to be controlling people, and ruining people's destinies with curses. Most times, they curse the person and the person's innocent children. That is the doctrine of Balaam-uttering curses. Forget about their accurate prophecies, signs and wonder, the word of God says that if they speak not according to this word, it is because the light is not in them (Isaiah 8: 20). The Lord Jesus said that Many will say to me in that day: have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye workers of iniquity (Matthew 7: 22-23). The doctrine of once saved is always saved is wrong. Many men of God started well but they are ending badly because of greed and wanting to be like others. Be careful under whose authority you sit each week. That is your life, your destiny.

Another wrong teaching of this Church is that they encourage sexual immorality, how? This could come in form of co-habitation of man and woman who want to marry and have not yet married and yet they live as husband and wife. God has not joined them and blessed them. They promised to marry each other. In many Churches, the Church leaders and Pastors see it and turn their eyes the other way. They don't want to scare anyone, or offend anyone. So they allow them to go on co-habiting together even without marriage, and probably saying to them, as long as you are going to marry each other, it is alright. It is not alright. Besides, most of such Pastors probably do not discourage their young ones from sexual immorality. Those days, I don't know about now, Assemblies of God produced many virgins including myself. The presence of God was so much in the Church that anyone that defiled himself with sex or some other things the word of God seriously forbids, the Holy Spirit would expose the person and he would be suspended for committing fornication, adultery or something serious. This is in accordance to the word of God that permits such discipline. With this excommunication, the person was not allowed to interact with anyone in the Church till three months in which the person shows repentance, and then he/she would openly confess his sins and the elders would pray for him/her and restore the fellowship. This harsh way of dealing with the sin of sexual immorality helped to maintain a level of holiness in the Church. But in this context, the word of God said that this Church allowed/taught sexual immorality and also (3) taught their members to eat food meant for idols. The way I describe food meant for idols is mixing false teaching and wrong teachings together and feed the people. It could also actually mean feasting with the devil. Many people of God like the IGBO people celebrate Ahiajoku Yam Festival. It is sacrificing of the devil what belongs to God. In that festival they make sacrifices to Satan and feast with him and some people of God ignorantly feast with them, cooking and celebrating with them. In this case, the Church might teach that there is nothing wrong with such feasts or some other Pagan feasts whereby the people of God ignorantly or willfully partake. Here the Man of God in this Church is not teaching the pure doctrine of the word of God, but holding some satanic doctrines and mixing it with the pure teaching of the word of God. It is destructive, and such Pastors are false teachers.

In the Next Church of verse twenty, we see the woman who called herself a Prophetess. She is a false prophetess possessing the spirit of Jezebel. Don't forget that the spirit of Jezebel hates the true Prophets of God and finds occasion to murder them. Discussing activities of a Jezebel spirit is a whole book. As a false prophetess, she seduces the people of God. Jezebel spirit could operate in a man or a woman. These people are very prophetic but they seduce people to commit sexual immorality. Most of such prophets or prophetesses sleep with their Church members. I read an article whereby a lady confessed that she and her Pastor had an affair for seven days in a hotel room. Afterwards she felt guilty and ashamed while the Pastor continued without remorse to Preach. According to her, the Pastor promised to teach her a new level of grace. If this claim is true, the Bible says that a Jezebel spirit teaches God's servants to commit sexual immorality and probably promising them that they did nothing wrong. After all, no one is perfect, they say. I hear such words a lot: "No one is perfect", "I never told you that I am a perfect person". Such statements are being made by false Apostles and Prophets to comfort themselves or anyone in sin. The Lord asks us to strive for perfection. Paul says that this one thing he does, forgetting those things which are behind and pressing forward for the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus is coming for the Church without spot or wrinkles. Yes, no one is perfect, but God has given us his Holy Spirit and His word to help us every day to crucify the flesh, to press on to the high calling of God, to trust Him, to walk with Him and pray at all times to avoid falling into temptation. The Lord Jesus says that the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. He therefore encourages us to pray always so that we do not fall into temptation. In the Lord's prayers, we pray, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. We are therefore encouraged to trust in the Lord Who is our strength with all our hearts and never to lean in our own understanding. If your Pastor is the type that tells you that no one is perfect, or that justifies sin, get away from there. You cannot grow in the Lord above the standard in that Church. A nation or a congregation cannot grow above their leader. You have a better purpose in life than crawl under a false teacher and prophet. Whatever runs upon the head, also runs on the body.

Besides, false teaching is very destructive. Some marriages have been destroyed because of wrong counseling. When a man or the woman picks a counselor who counsels him based on his personal desires, or who interprets the word of God to suit his/her desires, the deceived spouse will begin to build on a wrong foundation. The word of God says that a wise man builds upon the Rock and it survives all the storms that come against it but the foolish man builds upon the sand and it falls on the testing of the storm. As long as a couple or one of the couples refuse to build his home on the truth that is already laid out on the word of God and begins to heap counselors/false Prophets and teachers to suit him, God will allow such a one to be deceived. Also, when people seek teachers and Pastors that will please their desires or tastes; they know the truth but refused to love and embrace the truth, to such people God sends strong delusion to embrace lie (to believe what is false).

…and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of truth, that they might be saved, and for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2: 10-12).

False Prophets and teachers bring in damnable heresies, but because people sit under their prophecies and teachings, they did not know when they are receiving venoms and poisons as against the unadulterated word of God. If the foundation be destroyed, what will the righteous do? False teachings will ruin the good foundation of one's faith, home and everything. (Refer to my book: REVISITING THE FOUNDATION OF MARRIAGE: EMBRACING DIVINE PRINCIPLES FOR A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE). It is a bad foundation. The word of God says that other foundation shall no man lay except that which was laid, the Lord Jesus Himself (1 Corinthians 3: 11).

The Lord Jesus says that by their fruit, we shall know them. Let's continue:

Jude 1:8, Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority and speak evil of dignitaries. ..these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beast, in these things they corrupt themselves. Woe to them for they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah…

They are filthy dreamers. They dream of owning many big houses, private jets (these are not bad when they come as a true blessing from God), but these live for their filthy dreams. They go in the way of Balaam for profit… Each day, they target what they will fleece out of people, not how to lead people to Christ, not how to perfect the saints or seek God for His people. In Ezekiel 13: 5-8, the Lord said concerning them:

Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israle to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen lying vanity and lying divinations, saying, the Lord saith; and the Lord hath not sent them, and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have you not seen false vision and uttered a lying divination whereas ye say, The Lord saith it, albeith I have not spoken? Therefore because you have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore behold I am against you, saith the Lord.

A prophet is an intercessor for the people of God. He stands in the gap between the people and God. When the people sinned against God in the wilderness and God planned to wipe them all out and raise Moses as a new Priest for a new Priestly nation, Moses stood in the gap and asked God that if He would not forgive them, let Him blot His name out of the book of life. The true Prophets of the Lord bear the burden of the Lord and carry it until they birthed out the will of God on the earth realm for the people of God. Daniel was in the presence of God for twenty one days fasting and crying out to God for the sins of His people and so many true prophets of the Bible.

False prophets however, are very greedy. They want to live out their greed to live in luxury and so they make merchandise of the people. 2 Peter 2: 3 said: through covetousness shall they with feign words make merchandise of you. Many people are known to have sold their properties or stolen to satisfy the greed of these false and prophets. They go to any length to acquire the spirit of divination and familiar spirit to help them see people's lives: past, present and future (refer to the first part), and they use their power indefinitely. They target the people on top, very wealthy people and begin to service them like harlots. They are their personal prophets, for money. The people are their personal banks. Prophecy is their business, and they make millions out of it. They don't lead them to Christ, they don't teach them about sin, righteousness, Hell and the fear of God or personal relationship with Christ. They prophesy to those people what they will like to hear, how to win the next election, who is their opponent, how they can overpower their opponents. They give them lying divinations saying that God said when the Lord has not spoken. They flatter them and make merchandise of these people and their church members. And so they reward them heavily, financially.

Most times, they can pick just one verse of the Bible that promise great things and make a great merchandise of it. For instance, let's say the verse says: You are the head and not the tail. That is the word of God which Christ has purchased for us through his Blood, but they will say that if you want to sow a seed of fifty thousand naira because you want to be the head and above everybody, ten people that want to be the head come out here and claim your head. Now well, twenty people with thirty thousand who want to be the head…and on and on. That one has brought probably certain amount of money. Then they move to another means of merchandizing, and another. If you don't have money in such a Church, since the blessing of God has to be purchased with certain amount of money, you feel low and guilty. After purchasing that blessing, what has changed in your life?

As they live on their lusts, they become very arrogant, boasting of their "blessings "which they equate with righteousness: how much God has blessed them. They boast about it, and arrogantly flaunt such wealth with their flowing Agbada and their body guards and luxury cars; they carry themselves like "Äba business tycoons". It is all about materialism. They are getting what they bargained for, but according to the word of God, their ends will correspond with their deeds.

In their arrogance, they treat people with disrespect, despising authorities and speak evil of dignities. They continue to project themselves above those in authority. Refer to my article: RE: Divine revelations of Heaven and Hell. The word says that in these, they corrupt themselves.

In the Church, they practice partiality giving preference to the rich against the poor. The word of God encouraged us not

… to hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, 'You sit here in a good place, and to the poor man, 'You stand there," or "Sit here at my footstool," have you not shown partiality among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? (James 2: 1-4).

Someone that always showers them with monetary gift and pays much tithes have their favor above the one that does not. I use to visit the night vigil of one prophet here in the US and observed many things about his operations. If you don't have a job and so cannot pay tithes or much tithes, you have a big problem there. There is so much spirit of intimidation is such environment whereby the people who have the favor of the prophet look down on those who don't have. At a point, you will ask yourself what you are doing in such a loveless and highly competitive environment. If they cannot use you, they try to destroy the person.

They lack love. From my personal observation, they are very insecure. They have spies all around the Church or around who go about listening to people's conversations or who monitor people and returning words of accusations to them. By these, many people buy their favors and whoever such a prophet hates, is truly hated in that environment. Remember, this is a sorcerer in Pastor's uniform, probably a voodoo Priest in a Prophet's uniform. They don't have the characters of Christ. Are they even truly born again? By their fruits you shall know them. A bad fruit will not bear good fruit; neither will a good fruit bear bad fruit. They are accountable to no one, and they are making their money and using people. The word of God says that because of this people, the way of truth is being blasphemed (2 Peter 2:2). Many people have stopped going to church because they don't know who is real anymore. The people they are servicing in form of prophecy are under their chains. I read a book by a woman whom the Lord Jesus carried as a great white Eagle into Satan's Kingdom, and she saw this Corporate False Church personified. She is a very beautiful woman with purple robe, whose eyes are fire, false fire. In her hands are chains and she was dragging her leash as she walked to her throne. She looked closely and saw that the inscription on her leash was: "Souls of men". Kings of the Earth and prophets were all dancing around her and she was giving them tokens. She operates as a harlot. Her mouth dips honey, and yet she speaks great swelling words. The other name for false Church is Harlot Church. Those false prophets are harlots.

Last year, a Social service person visited my house with a worker who they want to help assist me in errands because of my then, nine year old son's special situation. They saw my books and advised me to send copies to a popular wealthy talk show host that has a TV channel, to promote me. That was the second time someone was giving me that advice, someone who was so blessed and found hope after reading my God Hears, God answers.

The woman who accompanied the social worker was to do everything for me, make all the necessary research, package everything and send it to her. As soon as they left, the Holy Spirit arrested me and warned me never to try it, that God Himself will bless me. For days, the Holy Spirit continued to speak to me concerning the woman and what she is doing to the servants of God. He showed me her person in the book of Revelation and said to me that many of His servants drunk from her cup of abomination, buying her merchandise and as soon as she promotes them, she chains them up and throws them into a spiritual Ghetto house. He opened my eyes and showed me some Ghetto looking Town houses, and the men of God who committed fornication with her (by letting her promote them) are chained one to another and are all thrown into those Ghetto Houses. They are all under her chains. The Lord said to me, that if I allow this woman to promote me once, I shall become an instant millionaire, as famous as the President of America and as rich and famous as the most popular lady musician (he mentioned her by name to me), but listen: God said to me, as I get all that: I HAVE LOST MY COVENANT WITH HIM. He said to me that all those people that dance naked after getting all those wealth and popularity are doing so because they have lost all hope to be redeemed and they are saying, what else are they going to lose, let them do their worst since their soul have been taken.

He continued speaking to me for many more days: He said that all those men and women of God who have drunken from her cup of abomination and committed spiritual fornication with her only preach and teach, looking at her face. They preach only what she wants them to preach. I could hear her ask one of them during an interview: would gay people go to Heaven? The Pastor answered: I believe that gay people will go to Heaven. That's what she wants him to say, they search her face and do what pleases her at the Lord's altar. They cannot teach about sin, righteousness, Hell and the message of the Cross again. They teach only about God's love and mercy, and that all ways lead to Heaven as long as they are good people, kind and loving in spite of religious differences. And, they also try to misquote the word that Jesus said that He has sheep which is not of this fold. So, all ways lead to heaven. They teach lies and deception, and remember the end is destruction.

The Holy Spirit showed me my present state, as hard as it has been with me, but He made me appreciate it than become overnight famous and very wealthy and lose the authority to preach or speak the Truth of the word of God; speaking the Lord's heart. I realized that my freedom to speak the Truth is a true gift from God, and I owe no one anything in terms of what I preach except He who sent me. It's a true blessing. Afterwards, I had a dream and was face to face with her. She asked me to give her my books to review and promote me. The book she was targeting most in that dream was mainly: GOD HEARS! GOD ANSWERS!! I sensed she wanted two others too which I feel are: The Heartbeat of God: Salvation of lost Souls, and God of War Arise! Battles belong to the Lord. I put my hand into my bag to bring it out, God hears, God Answers, but it was gone. My book disappeared from my bag. I started searching for it and she was very eager to collect it from me. Then she showed me her door with a pigeon hole and asked me to get the book and drop into that pigeon hole for her. I got up and remembered all the warnings of God not to let her promote me, that He will promote me Himself. That encounter made me see how serious and how jealous God is over his people. God does not appreciate it when His people run after false prophets for help, or look for help from Egypt. God is indeed a jealous God, and will never share his glory with anyone.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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This is my newest book. It is a great book for Youth Ministry, adults and Children Sunday School Teachers. Those who are training in the prophetic ministry will have the opportunity to learn the processes through which the Lord God passed Elijah until He perfected his prophetic ministry that caused him to confront the King Ahab and his evil wife, Jezebel and prevailed with great manifestation of the power of God. It is colorful picture book with life Application Lessons on the unfolding of the ministerial work and life of Elijah and the making of Prophet Elijah. Follow the link in Nigeria world for a eBook, or paperback.

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