Marks of God-Hating Christians (3)

Marks of God-Hating Christians (3) – Deception is growing in intensity in the church, just as the Lord Jesus warned us about in Mathew 24:4. The main purpose of deceit is to undermine our faith in God and to cause us to doubt the veracity of His word.

Last month, we analysed the marks of those who claim to be Christians but are enamoured with many demonic doctrines, specifically the Once Saved Always Saved narrative and Replacement Theology. We had highlighted similar features of those under the influence of four demonic doctrines.

These were claims of existence of a  purgatory, to do what the blood of Jesus could not do for believers; observing the Sabbath as a day of worship, promoting Mary as a Co-redemptor with Christ, and Predestination theology.

The last satanic dogma essentially declares that God selected those He wished to save before the foundation of the world; thus invalidating John 3:16 and 1 Timothy 2:4, among other Scriptures. In this edition, we complete the series with a look at two other demonic teachings, Cessationism and Extra-Biblical Revelations.

Cessationism

Proponents of this doctrine assert that operations of the Holy Spirit ceased after the church was established in the book of Acts. The only Scripture some of them allude to as validation for their claims is 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail, whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” The thrust of their argument is that the “perfect” came after the Bible was “canonised” (compiled in one volume)

        It is inconceivable how anyone can read this cited Scripture and use it as a basis to cancel the word of Jesus Christ Himself. In Mark 16:17-18, He says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” They also questioned the veracity of the Lord’s declaration in John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father.”

 Note that the Lord going to the Father was very significant in one respect. He said in John 16:7, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.”

Is there any Scripture that tells us that the Holy Spirit was going to spend a specific time with the church? Certainly not! On the contrary, the Lord said in John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever.”

         If the Lord Jesus said that those who believe in Him will do even greater works, we have to find out the source of His power because He came to this world as a man.

Philippians 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

        So, what was the source of His power? Mathew 3:16-17, And Jesus, when He was baptised, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

          It is instructive to note that the Lord Jesus did not begin His ministry until He was filled with the Holy Spirit. John 3:34 states, “For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.

Jesus had the fullness of the Spirit, in fulfilment of the prophecy in Isaiah 11:2, “The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

        Just as the Lord had to wait until He was baptised in the Holy Spirit by the Father before He started His ministry, He told His early disciples not to proclaim His resurrection until they received similar empowerment by the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49).

Why does a believer need the enduement of the Holy Spirit for ministry? Paul gave us the answer in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

        No wonder the Lord Jesus Christ posed the question in Matthew 12:29, “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will plunder his house. We all know that the strong man referred to here is the devil.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” In the Parable of the Sower, the Lord also identified satan as the being that steals the word of God from the hearts of those who were careless with it (Mark 4:15).

         If the Son of God could not confront the powers of darkness as a man, but had to wait for the Holy Spirit to descend upon Him, do we now become wiser and more powerful than Him to attempt to engage in spiritual battle with our theological gymnastics?

How do we hope to unleash the word on the devil and his demons in the absence of the Holy Spirit who energises the Word of God? It is hardly surprising then that denominations that reject operations of the Holy Spirit also emphasise acquisition of knowledge from Bible Schools and Seminaries.

These institutions end up being the channel of demonic infiltration of the church because they use human philosophies and ideas to filter the Holy Bible. Unfortunately, these so-called churches have very strong presence in social media space through which they deceive gullible people and lead them astray.

Extra-Biblical Revelations

While the Cessationists insist that operations of the Holy Spirit ceased after the Bible was “Canonised”, those flaunting their “Extra-Biblical Revelations” argue that God has not stopped speaking and that “He is bigger than the Bible.” Consequently, this group of preachers or ministers birth new revelations that contradict with the written word of God.

How do we know that they are lying against God and His Spirit? In Psalm 89:34, Almighty God categorically declared, “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips.” In other words, even God would not edit His written word!

 Some of the new revelations “received” by these charlatans who use the name of God to deceive their gullible followers are highlighted below:

1. A Nigerian “Apostle”, Joshua Selma asserts that Adam was not the first human being created by God, contrary to the creation account presented in Genesis 1:27;
2. The same person claims that Almighty God does not have any authority on earth, contrary to Romans 13:1, Mathew 28:18-19; Isaiah 14:27, & Daniel 4:17;
3. Another Nigerian “Pastor”, Abel Damina asserts that the fire called down by Elijah in his encounter with the priests of Baal came from satan, despite clear instruction in 1 Kings 18:38 that “the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench”;
4. Damina also claims that water baptism has no spiritual significance, adding that it is “merely a swimming exercise thus invalidating Scriptures such as Mathew 3:5, Mark 16:15-18, Acts 16:31-34; Acts 8:27-40, Acts 10:47, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 8:37, Acts 2:37-38;
5. An American “Pastor”, John Fenn insists that Genesis 6:2 cannot be true;
6. A Catholic Reverend Brother at the Shrine of Saint Jude, Lagos, Nigeria, declared that the first eleven chapters of Genesis are fiction. He also derided the burning bush story where Moses received the instruction to free the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt. This “wise” Reverend Brother described the story as “childish”;
7. A “Pastor” in Kenya, Paul Mackenzie influenced more than 300 members of his congregation to fast to death, ostensibly to facilitate their entrance into heaven; and
8. His Nigerian counterpart, Noah Ade Abraham charged members N310,000 (about $258) to participate in rapture to heaven.

 These are just a few of the lies peddled by agents of satan to deceive gullible humans and destroy their destinies. If you call yourself a believer and accept these Extra-Biblical Revelations, it is clear that you have not encountered the Lord Jesus Christ.

You are walking on the broadway that leads to destruction or possibly under the curse because you are feeding on those  Paul the apostle cursed in Galatians 1:8, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

I plead with our readers to make the written word of God in the Holy Bible their standard for truth. Do not participate in another person’s sin by sitting under a cursed minister working for satan. Anyone who calls God a liar by questioning the veracity of His word has crossed the boundary into blasphemy, the most grievous sin in the Bible.