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Jesus is the way, |
In this writing,
the term “Deception Number One” among Christians refers to the so-called
(false) gift of distinguishing between
spirits that is an imitation of the true gift of distinguishing between spirits
given by God. It is evident when one deems himself to be
especially “perceptive” and having “reliable information” when he is, in fact,
so completely blind that he cannot recognize God’s workings; instead, this
blinded person looks at God’s work but perceives it to be the work of the
devil. He cannot see God’s active work to help people; he sees only their
faults, not what is right. He
acts like the Pharisees who did not understand the work of God, but blamed
Jesus and accused Him of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Rick Joyner wrote about this false gift. He stated
that the real gift of distinguishing between spirits can work only through
love. He also stated that criticism lodged by a person who does not love the
person he is criticizing should be ignored:
Religiousness is
often connected with the wrong kind of a gift of distinguishing between
spirits, which is motivated by suspicion and fear.
This false gift looks for faults in other people instead of seeing what God can
do to help these people go forward.
A religious spirit using this
kind of distinguishing between spirits can cause great harm to the
congregation. Its actions almost
always leave behind more damage and dissolution than healing, agreement and
growth. Its wisdom comes
from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and even though the
information might be true, it is brought out in a spirit that kills.
Suspicion arises from things like rejection, self-protection, or general
uncertainty. The real gift of distinguishing between spirits can function only
through love. Any other motive distorts spiritual understanding. Whenever
someone condemns or criticizes another person or a group, we must not pay
attention to it until we know that he really loves the person or group and is
committed to serving them. (1)
Everybody can make a mistake. The first error that we make before salvation
and after salvation is considering ourselves to be infallible. We may think that since we have
been saved we are able to assess things accurately and will always be right. We
fail to take into account the possibility that we might be wrong. We may think
that others who have been saved are wrong but do not consider that this may
also apply to us. “Others
can make mistakes and erroneous assessments but not me – I’m so perceptive
compared to others.” Such an
attitude arises from pride: a person raises himself to the same level as God
and thinks that he has perfect knowledge – which is untrue. None of us
possesses 100% reliable information; if we think so, then we are wrong. If we
think so, we also think that the verses below are wrong. They show us that even
the great Apostles made mistakes, and their knowledge and prophecies were
sometimes faulty. If that was true then, how should we have progressed
any farther? - (1 Cor 13:9) For we know in
part, and we prophesy in part. - (James 3:2) For in many
things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a
perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. The history of the
congregation also shows that known men of God repeatedly made mistakes in their
assessments. They considered a movement given by God to be wrong and they
failed to understand it. Good examples are F.B. Meyer and Oswald Chambers. They were both
known men of God and authors, but they failed to understand that the
Pentecostal movement was of God. They considered that wrong. Time has proven
their evaluations to be wrong, however, and shown they were wrong. They were not
right, even though they thought they were. This proves that we – any one of us
-- can make a mistake simply because we are fallible, and our assessments are
often faulty. Let’s consider
a related passage that was included in a book written about 100 years ago by
Frank Bartleman (Azusa Street). It describes the experience of A.B. Simpson, a
known man of God, who was attending a meeting. He, too, had the same view as
the previous persons. Bartleman wrote that Simpson was deeply moved and
began seeing the Pentecostal movement in a new light. Maybe he changed his views: A meeting that
would take all night was started in the convention the next evening. A young
girl experienced the power, and her soul was taken to the throne. She sang a
wordless tune that seemed to come from another life – it was so heavenly
beautiful. It was from another world. I have never heard anything like it
before or after. A.B. Simpson himself was there that evening, and the song had
a huge impact on him. He had been greatly opposed to the Pentecostal movement.
Clearly, this was God giving him testimony. (2) ISSUES TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. As noted above, anyone can make a mistake. If even known men of God have
made mistakes in assessing God’s activity, then the rest of us can do the same.
Thinking that you are infallible is an expression of the wrong kind of
self-confidence. The next passage describes the same kind of error: it shows how people can in their “perceptiveness”
be completely sure about something even though they are actually suffering from
spiritual blindness or even by religious hatred. It is likely that such
spiritual blindness is the primary reason people of God get lost; it can divide
congregations and Christian groups. Anyone can be overcome by such an attitude
-- but it is possible to be released from it: At that time of my
life, there was no place for dissidents and even for love. There was only a
hard demand of scholastic perfection. Behind my demand, there was not God at
all but my own religious flesh. In that condition, all spirituality, which
differed from my own standards was very suspicious for me. So, I preached
diligently against other Christian circles and against forms of spirituality
that I didn't understand. My role of the learning guard, although it had been
sublimely assumed, rose not at all from fullness of my spiritual life, not to
mention from the base of prophetic eyesight but from narrow and unclear
spiritual vision and from the simultaneous need for recognition. (...)
It has been a shock to observe later how I was ready to call large groups of
living congregations and servants of God idle and even worse on the grounds of
my vision of that time (or its deficiency) and information that came by other
hands. I was not able to discern the spirits in my own heart and service
action. (3) To what should we
pay attention, then, when assessing an activity or a person who claims to work
for God? What should be taken into account when making such assessment? Let’s consider
those questions next. Right doctrine. The presence of correct principles of faith is important, naturally. The
principles should be visible in the activity. These principles include
inspiration from the Bible, Jesus being the only road to salvation, His
atonement at the Cross, His bodily resurrection, His physical return, His
deity, salvation through grace without actions needed, the Fall, and that
people are lost and hopeless without Christ. If these are not evident and salvation
is not based upon Jesus Christ, then the activity is surely not of God.
However, if these principles are expressed in word and speech, then you should
accept the activity or person.
Positive and negative issues. One very common mistake made when assessing
something is paying attention to matters that are abusive or negative and not
to positive matters. This is because people do not want to study the positive
issues or because their attitude from the very beginning is such that they do
not even take the positive into account. If this is the case, then the person
assessing the person or activity has not gotten a complete picture. You should look
at the big picture instead of being overcome by initial attitudes. You should
read many references, study all the information available, try to find positive
information as well as negative information. Both sides should be taken into
account. This means that if others are teaching the same basic principles of
faith, some will turn to God and change for the better can be seen in the lives
of people, you should take these issues into account in addition to negative
issues. Paul has written: - (1 Thess 5:21) Prove
all things; hold fast that which is good.
Advice from others.
One mistake made by
some Christians is that they do not listen to advice given by others. They do
not take advice into account because they consider their views to be the best
and most objective. However, as
stated above, it is easy to believe that you are perceptive and infallible but
still be wrong. It is possible even if you had been saved and believed for
decades. Anybody can be guilty of this, as history has repeatedly proven: the
description of A.B. Simpson above is one example of this. Therefore, sometimes we should ask for
advice from others, and explore others’ opinions. We may be more perceptive and
wiser than them in some matters, while they may be able to see other things
more clearly and better. Smith
Wigglesworth described a situation that illustrated what harm can be done by
holding such a wrong attitude. This was a situation involving the
provision of guidance to a person who thought she could hear the voice of God
but failed to take into account advice given to her by others: On this, the information was incorrect. There was no bank open at 7.30 a.m., and
research showed that the bank in question
wasn’t
even in this town. How did this
message affect her? The young woman listened to it. She paid so much attention to
it that she did not listen to anyone else.
I tell you the danger in this: If you
cannot discuss it, you are wrong. If you are right and everyone else is wrong,
but you do not tolerate of any examination, or if your truth does not bear to
be studied under daylight, you are wrong no matter who you are!
You will be saved from many troubles if you
listen to what others say.
Do not say,
"Naturally I know. I KNOW that I am right.” (4)
Fruit.
Fruits of the
Spirit should be taken into account because of what Jesus said: ”You shall know them by their fruits.” (Matt 7:16).
This means that if the person is living in continuous sin and there are no
outward signs of a Christian nature, you should be careful. However, if a
person who is aggressive by nature shows signs of gentleness, a person who is
naturally proud shows humility, or a hasty person becomes calmer, then the
fruits of the Spirit are being seen. What about
other changes in people’s lives? If several people in a meeting experience the
changes described below, it can be considered a good sign. It shows that the
activity is of God. (It should be kept in mind, however, that Satan may bring
people deceived by bad spirits, such as spiritualists, into meetings, and this
may cause confusion in the work of God. Frank Bartleman describes such cases
in his book Azusa Street.)
Attacks against others.
There is still one
test of a person doing the work of God that should be taken into account: the
person’s attitude towards other servants of God and Christians who have
different views. It is possible that the person is not doing the work in love,
as taught by Paul. Such an attitude may be manifested as vehement attacks
against other servants of God, as seen in a person’s dwelling on the faults of
others by writing letters to the editor, or broadcasting their criticism
through the mass media, or in a smaller circle of people, or in other ways
launching attacks that are generally slanderous. If a person is being used by God, it is likely
that other people will speak evil of him. For example, Paul was a good man who
was attacked by people who claimed he was an evil man. There are always people
who would rather dwell on lies and enjoy them, even though the Bible teaches
that such people will end up in a lake of fire (Rev 21:8, 22:15). What does this
mean, then? It means that we must, at least, establish the truth by asking the
person himself ("Is this correct, is this what you meant?") instead
of spreading rumors. Jesus’ advice in Matt 18 addresses this. Some attacks
may be caused by envy. There are people who have more than others; this makes
envious people restless and angry. Saul’s attitude towards David is an
illustration: - (1 Sam 18:7-9) And the women answered one
another as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his
ten thousands. 8And Saul was very wroth, and the saying
displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to
me they have ascribed but thousands: and what
can he have more but the kingdom? 9 And Saul eyed David from that
day and forward. The next quote is
about this topic: it shows how even a saved person can become overpowered by
such an attitude. He fails to understand that by attacking others he diminishes
his own worth in eternity: ”I became so proud at the end
of my life that I could not imagine the Lord would do anything significant,
unless it was through me. I started to touch the anointed ones of the Lord and
to damage His prophets. I was selfishly proud when the Lord used someone of my
disciples, and I became envious when the Lord functioned outside my own service
work. I used to search out whatever fault in them I could find in order to
expose them. I didn't know that each time I did this, I reduced my own station
even more.” “I didn't know at all that you had done
anything like that,” I said, surprised.
“I did not do it myself but I provoked my subordinates to find faults in others
and to do my dirty work. I got them to snoop around closely so that some fault
and sin would be found from the lives of others, so that they would be exposed.
I became the worst a man can become on the Earth – a stumbling block, which
produced other stumbling blocks. We sowed fear and disintegration in the
congregation, all in the name of defending the truth. In my own righteousness,
I went towards destruction. In his great mercy, the Lord allowed me to meet an
illness, which caused a slow and humiliating death. Just before my death, I
came to my senses and repented. I am very grateful that I am here. I may be one
of his fewest here but it is far more than I deserve. I was not able to leave
this room before I had a possibility to apologize to those of you to whom I did
badly.” (...)
“And we always calmed ourselves truly by thinking that we did a service to God
by attacking against His own children”, an understanding sound of the man was
heard. “It is good for you to understand this because you can go back. Please,
warn my disciples about the threatening devastation if they do not repent. Many
of them have been called to be kings here but if they won’t repent, they will
face the worst judgement of all – the judgement of the stumbling blocks… (5) When others err. There are two
extreme positions one can take when assessing spiritual activity: the first is
taking something that is not the work of God to be the work of God. An example is
considering people who pray to Mary and trust in the acts of saints (not solely
in the acts of Christ) to be saved people. People who do not care to carefully
consider and analyse things are, to a great extent, particularly prone to
making this mistake. In their complacency, they may consider people as
Christians those who are not reborn and who do not understand salvation. Jesus
taught us about such things: - (Matt 7:21-23) Not every one that said to
me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the
will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and
in your name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will
I profess to them, I never knew you: depart
from me, you that work iniquity. The other extreme
position is the one referred to here: a saved person who does not recognize the
work of God in others, even though they are equally saved. Such a person may
interpret others' activities deceptive and communications to be false. Such an attitude is commonly held because of
our imperfect understanding. Faith, Hope and
Love, which had grown at all levels along with our weapons, were now so huge
that I knew people far away from the battle zone could see them. Their
brightness radiated even among the prisoners who were still covered by a large
flock of carrion-devouring birds. I was highly encouraged by the fact that they
could now be seen. Perhaps the Christians being used by the enemy and the
prisoners held captive by the enemy would understand now that we were not the
enemy – in fact, that the enemy had been using them. This was not the case, however, at least
not yet. Those in the enemy camp who started to see the light of Faith, Hope
and Love started to call them “angels of light” having been sent to deceive the
weak and those lacking judgement. It is then that I knew that the deception and
slavery in which they lived were far greater than I had understood. However, those who were not members of
neither of these armies – i.e. those who were not Christians – could see their
light and started to approach the mountain in order to see better. Those who
came closer to see them also started to understand what the battle was actually
all about. This was a great encouragement. (6) What should we do
if other Christians have made a mistake? We must study
the matters in light
of principles mentioned above. Furthermore – if possible – we should
speak to these people in private, as did Priscilla and Aquila when explaining
the way of God to Apollos: - (Acts 18:24-26) And a certain Jew named
Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures,
came to Ephesus. 26And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took
him to them, and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly. REFERENCES: 1. Rick Joyner:
Viimeisten päivien taistelu (Overcoming Evil in the Last Days), p. 125 2. Frank Bartleman: Azusa-katu 312 (Azusa
Street), p. 166 3.Veikko Pekki: Täynnä iloa ja Pyhää
Henkeä, p. 21 4. Smith Wigglesworth: Hengen huuto, p. 55 5. Rick Joyner: Petos, taistelu, voitto
(Final Quest), p. 95-97 6. Rick Joyner: Petos, taistelu, voitto
(Final Quest), p. 27, 28 Jari Iivanainen |
