Don't Drink The Kool-Aid

[Mark H. Stevens, Th.D]

Jim Jones was able to take hundreds of lives in Guyana because someone refused to listen to their gut (spirit). I firmly believe in supporting the local church and helping pastors, I want to make that clear. However there is a real epidemic of spiritually stupid “saints” that don’t study their Bibles and try every spirit by the Spirit. We were given the ability to discern so we WON’T end up giving our money to crooks and drinking poison Kool-Aid! Many of today’s most prominent preachers would be labeled heretics hundreds of years ago because MOST clergymen were devout Theologians and serious students of scripture. Today ordination papers and licenses are given to anyone that says they are called to preach. I agree that being Spirit-filled and called is the first priority of being a preacher, but ALSO there has to be training…SERIOUS TRAINING! A lack of understanding of just the basic Bible doctrines of the faith can lead to the types of abuses I am talking about. Martin Luther was able to stand up to the lies of Rome because he was filled with the knowledge of the truth. I am a Pentecostal preacher, I believe in the Charismatic Gifts of the Spirit, but that doesn’t negate the fact that we must have a scholarly approach to the scriptures and its teachings.

I have heard PREACHERS say stupid things like, “I don’t know the Bible that well but I am filled-with the Holy Ghost and fire!” This person is a prime candidate for deception and a good whipping from the devil! The Bible say’s in I Timothy 4:4 “In the last days some shall DEPART from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and DOCTRINES of devils.” The Devil will fill your head with HIS doctrine (teaching) if your head isn’t already filled with sound Bible doctrine. Martin Luther unlike other priest actually studied the Bible for truth and not to support a man made lie. We must as individual believers have reformer’s courage to stand up to the church when it strays from the truth of scripture. I know it sounds crazy to say stand up AGAINST the church, I am of course talking about organized denominational/non-denominational institutions that profess to be of Jesus Christ, yet stray away from the truth of Jesus Christ. I have seen enough heresy in the church in the last 25 years of my life to make ones head spin and the majority of it went unchallenged.

We allow “preachers” to say anything in our pulpits and we say AMEN! We are afraid to be attacked for standing up for the truth. In 1980 I was stationed at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea. While there I heard a Baptist preacher (Who was also a Freemason) tell a group in Bible study that “all roads lead to Rome” meaning every religion can get you to heaven. I was a new believer, but I knew this was wrong! I challenged him, because NO ONE else would say a word. He was a popular preacher and I was a new convert so you can imagine whose side everyone lined up on. My point is this, when you hear false preaching or teaching SAY SOMETHING! The Apostle Paul was the new kid on the block (Read Galatians) yet he challenged and corrected the Chief Apostle Peter for treating the Gentile believers wrong. Ministers are NOT infallible, only the Word of God is! No matter how popular or how powerful a preacher is, they are NOT above reproach!

But we will continue to devote ourselves steadfastly to prayer and the ministry of the Word. (Acts 6:4 Amp)

This is one of the key verses in the Bible to help a novice minister be a successful tool for the Master. Preaching has nothing to do with popularity, titles, or position. The successful minister is the one that realizes that sharing God’s Word is a divine call and privilege that can’t be done in one’s own strength.

[Micah RaSun-Vann]

1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

I would be careful about labeling saints "spiritually stupid", deceived yes. Many saints as well as some of the false teachers/preachers started off well but were bewitched. One accepted lie makes one a good candidate for deception. None of us is above it. If it were not so Jesus would not have said if he didn't shorten the time most of us would not make it (paraphrase).

False teachers and preachers 10 times out of 10 have been confronted on numerous occasions about the error in their teaching, but have opted to continue to craft and wing their messages. It's easier, take little effort and thought and no time seeking the Lord. Sermons can be accessed from the internet, needs based topics selected and supported by scriptures taken from the concordance that seem to support the topic (minus any true revelation), sermons can be prepared the night before and the spirit of the message go unchecked by the members. But not by God. Any developed discerning spirit can detect a crafted message versus a revelatory word from the Lord. With no accountability structures in place these continue to heap upon themselves more judgement for their negligent handling of the minds, souls and spirits of God's children.

The spirit controlling these false teachers is a "strongman" and is pernicious. Well meaning saints have confronted this religious spirit and have been hurt deeply and many have left the church. The ones bold enough to outright challenge this spirit have been driven away through a number of controlling, dominating,shaming and intimidating tactics.

Not everyone is blind or fearful, we just understand the time and season we're in and that it's God time now and judgement is beginning in the House. -- the pulpit first.

[T.L. Hawkins]

AMEN! "Spiritually Stupid Saints"...LOL...I like that. I've met some and know a few. Keep the posts coming!