I would like to comment on John McArthur’s recent conference and book ” Strange Fire.” This conference and the book is an all out attack, not just on Charismatics but also on anyone who believes in the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in sign gifts such as Tongues, Prophecy, Words of knowledge and gifts of healings and so on. Much of what McArthur writes is obviously correct. I do believe that most of the Charismatic sect is a Trojan horse, gifted to and greedily accepted by the Pentecostals. The Charismatics do have an obsession with health and wealth and miracles and time and time again it overshadows Jesus.I also agree that the majority worship a golden calf, erected by modern men in the shadow of Jannes and Jambres.
Yet MacArthur exposes himself in his own zeal as the opposite end of the Trojan horse. The combination of men who deny the ongoing work of the Spirit as written in the Word and men who are obsessed with health and wealth and miracles is an almost deadly one-two punch from the devil himself. These are the men who have spied out our liberty and have come down to bring us into bondage, those whom the Lord delivered from the Law. True men and woman of God would cry ” God forbid,” in response to the charge that we have created a license to sin as we walk in the liberty and the freedom of the Spirit.
How many times I have heard people say ” There there, everything will be okay.” Having now lived long enough, I know that not to be true, yet still people somehow cling to that notion and draw comfort from it. Humanism. When Peter , hearing Jesus talk about the things that He must suffer, rebukes Jesus and tells Him these things shall never be, Jesus uses the same rebuke that He used on Satan when Satan tempted Him with all the Kingdoms of the world. And so, those who mind the things of the world will always be offended at the notion that we have been called to suffer. We know that all who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer, yet we also know that there are many who would rebuke us for these thoughts. And why? Because they mind the things of this world and do not mind the things of God. Can you imagine our Lord Jesus rebuking us and calling us Satan? The choice before us? The cross and Christ or the ” things of men.”
Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said to him, Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.”
Mar 8:33 But when He had turned around and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not mind the things of God, but of the things of men.
The Gospel of Martyrdom vs. the Gospel of Success by Micheal Brown
Stephen stood before the Sanhedrin. The appointed Jewish leadership confronted this anointed Jewish believer. They glared; he glowed. They were enraged; he was enraptured. Their faces were contorted with anger; his was like the countenance of an angel. “Men and brothers,” he said, “listen to me.”
He rehearsed the history of Israel, from Abraham to Moses to David, the faithfulness of God in spite of the unfaithfulness of the people. But Stephen was not there that day merely to recite the lessons of history. He was there to be a witness, and as a faithful witness he spoke. His words turned to piercing rebuke:
You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered Him — you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it (7:51-53).
Soon his body lay battered and bloody, a mangled, motionless mass. He had not backed down. He had not compromised. He had not omitted a word. He was a witness and a prophetic voice. And that day he became the Church’s first martyr — the first, but not the last. Hundreds of thousands have followed in his path. Being a witness for Jesus could cost you your life.
And so brothers and sisters, the first eight verses of 2Tim chapter 3 are speaking not of the world but of Christendom. And the final two names , Jannes and Jambres are noted as men who greatly resisted Moses and since the context of this chapter is perilous last days, then we can assume that men like Jannes and Jambres will greatly resist God’s true people in these latter days. Now who were these men and what do they represent today? Well Jannes and Jambres are reckoned to be two of the occultist magicians in Pharoah’s court who replicated the rod turning into a snake, then were able to replicate some of the plagues. It is reckoned that when Moses and the children of Israel left Egypt that they had become followers of Moses, perhaps for the same reasons as Simon the magician of Acts 8 , who was amazed at the power of the Apostles and who tried to buy this power.
Extra Biblical evidence suggests that Jannes and Jambres were very influential in persuading Aaron to make a golden calf when it seemed that Moses may not return. And we know that the calf was made with the gold and the treasure that was taken from Egypt. And so we see two men who had some kind of power, perhaps even a form of Godliness since they were now following Moses, persuade men to fall down and worship the treasures of the world and act just like the world from which they had been delivered. Do we not see that in Christendom today. There are so many men just like Jannes, just like Jambres, just like Simon, men who are desperate to operate in the power of God so that they can impress others and elevate their own status. It will never happen. Today’s so-called miracles workers and self-proclaimed prophets are merely operating in the soulish realm. And God’s fire will never fall on them. This will be one reason they will hate genuine saints, for as God pours out His Spirit on genuine saints in these latter times and they begin to move in the genuine power of God, it will enrage the false teachers just as it enraged the religious leaders in the days of Jesus. We see a small clue in Matthew 27:18 as to why they wanted Jesus dead… ” For he knew they had delivered Him because of envy. ”
As the Lord approaches, as we enter into the times of sorrow, as the birth pangs are beginning that marks the imminent rise of the anti-christ and therefore the return of our Lord and Saviour, we must be on guard and heed the warnings of the Word of God. Jesus plainly told us to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.( Mar 8:15)
Pharisees and Saducees
Now the leaven here is plainly speaking of false doctrine. And so it is helpful to know who are those who opposed Jesus and why. For the same spirits that opposed Jesus ( we do not wrestle against flesh and blood) are still alive and well and will oppose Jesus, in His followers, and all the more so as that day approaches. So those who opposed Jesus were the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Herodians. As we describe who they are, you must discern who represents these groups today and see if the motivations which existed in the days of Jerusalem , still exist today. I would argue that they do and that the battle will be the same, just set against a different backdrop.
Dispensationalism is also the biggest proponent of the pre trib rapture so they could never accept what we are speaking of here without jettisoning their fundamental doctrines. And so, religious people, united under one god, led by the anti-christ and the false prophet and with the support of the world/state will ruthlessly and with an ancient spirit come against every saint across the planet. In every tribe and every tongue and every nation the saints of God, the remnant saints who refuse to bow down to this god will be persecuted and imprisoned and killed like lambs to the slaughter. Will this be our generation or a generation soon to come? No one knows, but it will, in relative terms, be soon.
The Bridegroom is coming soon for His Bride. It is time to ready ourselves for what is to come. There is much said about preparation in the Scriptures. And so we must prepare ourselves. The essence of preparedness can be seen and is highlighted at Gethsemane. This is where the battle of Calvary was truly won. Jesus fought the battle on His knees and by His obedience and willingness to embrace the will of His Father. This is where we too will prepare and will win the battle before it is even fought. It will be on our knees, and with an overwhelming desire to carry out the Lord’s will for our lives, even if it means actual martyrdom. We must be willing to embrace our God who could call us to martyrdom. We must be willing to embrace the cross and all that it means.
We see it in the Romans who hated the remnant believers because they would not bow their knee to the gods of this world. And because of this they poured out great fury and destruction against the saints. And then we see the Catholic church take up the same cause for the saints would not bow their knee to popes nor false doctrine. The saints would rather suffer death that live a compromised religious life. Now why would they do this? Because they had some alternative religion or philosophy? No, no, these saints had ” tasted ,” of the heavenly gifts. They had been touched by the glory of God. It burned in their very souls. They, like Paul could say that whatever things were gain to them that they would count it as loss for Christ.
In fact they too, like Paul would count all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Now this ” knowledge ,’ was not a head knowledge but was an intimate word. Scripture tells us that Joseph did not ” know,’ Mary until after Jesus was born. It is this sense of ” knowing,’ that is related to here, not a physical intimacy but a spiritual one which is actually much deeper than any physical union. We are one in Christ actually, not theologically. The remnant saints knows this ” knowledge.” This is why they were and are willing to give up everything, to count all things as loss and rubbish so that they can be found ” in Christ,” and that they may ” know Him.” The saint is one who is wiling to give up everything. The religious man, whether orthodox or Charismatic is one who is identified by what he has and who he is. He believes , like Job’s friends, that his material blessings are a sign that he walks in the favor of God which is why he despises those who have nothing or who care little for the things of this world.
The remnant know that just as the world hated their Lord and crucified Him, they too will be hated and killed all the day long for His name’s sake. And just as He arose, they know that they too will arise. As they draw nearer to “the one who was pierced,” and He pours out His Spirit on them and they become more like Him, then the same forces that came against their Jesus, hell and all its fury, will come against them. They know that “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it dies it brings forth much fruit.”
The Remnant saint knows something of the glory of God. He has been touched by it, ruined for the things of this word by it. He has a fire that burns in his bones that will not and cannot be quenched. He is single-minded in his devotion. He arises in the morning with thoughts of His Lord. He walks through the day thinking about His Lord and communing with Him. He ever lives to serve His God. He knows he falls short but continues on, continues to pursue. He is relentless in his pursuit of God, he is diligent to walk worthily before His Lord. His Lord is not a God that dwells in a lofty ivory tower who may or may not be watching him.His Lord and his God dwells within his very heart and he walks with him daily and his heart burns within him.
The Remnant church is, at it’s core and most fundamentally, God’s witness here on earth. Truly we have been called first and foremost to be a witness. Now most saints know that this word in its Greek form translates to martyr. Does that mean that every saint, every witness since the beginning of the church has been called to martyrdom? Certainly not. Yet let us not forget brothers and sisters that in every century God’s people here on earth have been persecuted and martyred for their faith. The danger for us saints in the Western world in the last 100 years has been that we have not been so-called. Other saints around the world cannot say that, whether that is Africa or Asia or China or the Middle East, they have continued to be persecuted and martyred for their faith. For most of Europe and North America, this has not been the case with some noticeable exceptions during periods of war and so on. Now, one would imagine that living in an atmosphere where one is allowed to worship freely without any state or religious interference that Christendom would thrive, yet, if we look at the state of Europe and North America we see something that at best, is a shallow faith.
In the case of Europe we definitely see a post Christian society. In North America what is predominant is a cultural Christianity, a cross-less Christianity and a Christ-less Christianity and some cross-pollination or in many cases a hybrid of the all of these. Cultural Christianity would be a Christianity that is simply shaped to suit our culture. In this kind of Christianity Jesus would rarely be mentioned and God would be seen as some kind of Santa Claus. A cross-less Christianity would cover movements like the prosperity gospel, name it and claim it groups, Word of faith believers and health and wealth believers. Or again, a hybrid of all three. A Christ less Christianity would cover dead denominations for whom the Word of God has ceased to be authoritative even in pretense and where all things are acceptable, this would include things like gay marriage and gay ministers, abortion, divorce and so on.
YEARNINGS FOR THE VERY HEART OF CHRIST – SAUL’S ARMOUR IS NOT THE AIM
At this point I turn to King Saul. The apostate church is a type of Saul in my eyes. Eventually it will fall on its own sword. The sword which it has so meticulously crafted for itself. Saul represents the dangers of the flesh. Trusting in the flesh and not God. Though he started off with some good intentions and he gave Almighty God credit for his early victories in warfare, soon the form dipped. The devotion waned. The flesh arose again. As a man, he never allowed himself to be conquered by God. And this is factor is central issue. Those that desire to be true believers will allow whatever it takes for God to conquer them. God is cutting the blood lines to Saul within His church. King Saul has led the church too long.
The Almighty is searching out His very own group of David’s. Those after His very own heart. Nothing but His heart will do. David too made grave mistakes and errors of judgement of the deepest sort. He too veered into the flesh, took his eyes off the Lord. He too counted his fighting men, hedging on the resources of the flesh rather than God. Yet, he is still counted as a man after the very heart of God, the life of the Spirit. And despite all his failures God was still pleased to call His very own beloved son “The Son of David”. God sees the sincere heart. He never gives up on the sincere heart. And in Jesus, His very own precious son, God found a man that He could entrust to see through all that the very plan of salvation and redemption entailed. The utter loneliness, solitude and rejection of the Cross. To be despised, broken, spat on, kicked and beaten. To have all the sin and wrongdoing of all the ages placed on Him. To be so marred and afflicted by that sin that God Himself could not look on Him. But glorious day. He went through the Cross. Now He desperately seeks a people that will reciprocate. He seeks a Bride that will make herself ready out of a heart of utter devotion and love of Jesus Himself. Not for what He gives. Those that will lay everything down in order to be found only in Him.
The Cross and any of the deeper teachings of Christ are cleverly by-passed these days. Moreover, the “leaders” of the modern-day corporate empires often claim to be in the position of Moses, but in this era. They are charged, in their minds, by God himself with the task of “leading” their flock into the Promised Land of blessing and wholeness. They tell the “flock” that they have communed with the Almighty. He is leading them in the way they should go. Conveniently, however, the route actually seems to by-pass anything of the wilderness and offers the quick route to yet more blessing. A more likely explanation is that their own hearts and the power of the flesh has deceived them. It is they themselves who have decided the way that they will travel. I am grieved at how often Gods name is used to rubber stamp the pre-determined plans of men.
As the Cross has been excluded from most churches these days, the “leaders” within these institutions have little revelation of how God actually builds the “new man” which He is so earnestly seeking intensifying urgency. The Bride which He is becoming impatient for. The chances are, if you have hungered and persisted in seeking after God as He is Himself, not the manipulated version presented in the present church culture, then you will know something of the narrow path. If not, then what I speak is an alien language to you. I have sat in numerous churches where men and women have been given the power of the platform and who seem to speak with little or no depth whatsoever about the Cross. It has consistently astonished me. Indeed, its is sadly the worship of the platform in these
institutions which stands as another of the “broad path” distractions that have ensnared many in current times.
THE CAPACITY OF HUMANS TO CREATE THEIR OWN REALITY
Men and women within the institutionalised church are creating their own reality to suit themselves. Forming their own “golden calves” in the desert. The sad thing is that these are deserts of their own making. Even those who believe they are “in blessing” very often are not. It may be man-made and counterfeit. Sometimes it’s actually demonically influenced. The walls of the church have broken down and every sort of demon has entered. There are few true Nehemiah types to re-build the walls. There may be excitement, there may be worship music and emotionalism. The current big names in the church world may be getting invited to speak at the meetings. There may be conferences. However, leaders often do not have the confidence or back-bone to believe that God has a word to them for their own flock.
Running scared of the true prophets they surround themselves with hand-picked “yes men” prophets. They do not want the Jeremiah crowd telling them that their captivity will be longer. They borrow from others to feed the “feel good factor”. They will of course defend themselves in this and always have their own answers. Even those who claim to be at the prophetic “cutting edge” in these times, mainly within the charismatic streams, are misguided by wrong doctrines and superficial understandings of Gods ways. Embedded in an utterly repulsive celebrity culture of image and presentation.
Although we are called to pray for our leaders, and many well-meaning folks may throw this at me at, we also have to take account here of the separate and overarching dynamics which govern the life of the church. These are what I would call “the dictates of God Himself”. In short, it`s His church and we do it His way. When we don`t then judgement is coming. When error continues to abound, there will be a strategic time where He will step in and re-order things. Jesus is King and Priest over His church and one way or another He will have the Bride that He desires. The Spirit of God will not strive with man forever. The power of choice is never taken away and people build for themselves the type of church that is most comfortable to them. Will He put up with this forever? No. He will shake and shift. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. Every man-made structure and every false teaching that supports them. Right down to the foundations. No one is safe from the judgements of God. Even those who act as if they are something special in these days.
THE CURRENT “INSTITUTIONALISED” EXPRESSIONS OF CHRISTIANITY
Therefore, to start at the “top” so to speak, the current church “institutions” within the Evangelical / Pentecostal / Charismatic systems are “led” by a group of humans, just as you and I are. Entirely susceptible to being taken captive by error. Capable of “cherry-picking” when it comes to truth. In addition, as human beings we are all entirely susceptible to patterns of behaviour which are not necessarily inspired by the Holy Spirit or ordained by God. Even if the claim is made that they are this is not necessarily the case.
Much of the “follow the group” behaviour and succumbing to desires to “fit in” are entirely human traits. In this I mean they derive from the flesh. Any secular psychologist or sociologist would identify these traits as being prevalent in any group of humans. The fact that we may call ourselves a “church” does not alter these human characteristics. It is the flesh again. We certainly cannot claim that we have arrived at being “the church” or Jesus would have returned by now.
Matthew 7:13-14
Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it”.
THE HEART CRY OF SOME
There are some within the Body of Christ who presently feel an ever-deepening urgency within their very spirit for the true church of Jesus Christ to come forth. In the past few days I have been reflecting on the apostolic heart of Paul. The Holy Spirit was permitted to accomplish a truly remarkable work in entirely transforming this heart from one full of bitterness and hatred towards the church to that of father and overseer. This heart of deep concern is the very one now being embedded in many saints within the earth. This is a profound work. Paul had a mandate. He had a very specific role. He was given this mandate by God Himself. The heart of a father should be to guide his children in order that they fulfil all their potential. Part of this naturally involves correction. Where error is present then it needs to be addressed.
All the prophets saw the end times and prophesied of the gathering
of a separated, holy people who would have great understanding
in the Word of the Lord. Daniel heard great things from God but
“understood not” (Daniel 12:8). However, he saw a day coming
when a purified, tried and tested remnant would understand; there
would be a last-day company full of wisdom and discernment in
the things of God. “Many shall be purified, and made white, and
tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked
shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).
Isaiah deplored the spiritual blindness of backslidden Israel. He
said, “They err in vision, they stumble in judgment” (Isaiah 28:7).
The little discernment they once had was destroyed by their lusts.
But Isaiah prophesied of a day in which “the deaf [shall] hear the
words . . . the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out
of darkness. . . . They shall sanctify my name . . . and shall fear
the God of Israel. They also that erred in spirit shall come to
understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine”
(Isaiah 29:18, 23-24).
I believe the last-day revival so many preach about is a revival of
cleansing. If the work of the Holy Spirit is to convict the world of
sin, righteousness and judgment, then it is certain that in a great
Holy Ghost outpouring there will be powerful waves of conviction,
and a careless, indulgent Church will be shaken and forced to
face her sins.
While multitudes of Christians chase after signs and miracles and
flock to teachers of success and prosperity, God has been calling
out a “wilderness people” who are consumed with hunger for more
of Christ.
Right now a glorious company is coming forth! One day God began
to stir their hearts and they became disillusioned with all the
hypocrisy and shame. They got into the Word of God and saw for
themselves what His ultimate purposes are. They put on Christ’s
robe of righteousness by faith, submitted to the claims of Christ,
and decided to walk alone, if necessary, to be wholly obedient to
Him. They set themselves to hear and understand the Lord’s will.
They began to see things in the Spirit and were made to understand
that the end of all things is at hand. To these, the Word of the Lord
has come!
“Christ is coming! Repent, for the day of the Lord is near! Lay aside
every besetting sin and set your affection on things above! Do not
partake in the empires and dreams of men. Forsake it all and go
out to meet Him.” That word is being proclaimed loud and clear!
IN Matthew 3 the Scriptures identifies John the Baptist as the one crying in the wilderness from Isa 40:3 The voice of him who cries in the wilderness, Prepare the way of Jehovah, make straight a highway in the desert for our God.
I this passage Isaiah is first of all speaking to those who dwelt in exile in Babylon. The message was to them and more specifically to those who would return to the heart of God and leave the world behind. The vast majority of exiles did not return to Jerusalem when they were free to but chose instead to continue to live in exile in a place where they had grown comfortable.
Decades before they had been taken captive by the Babylonians at the hand of God in judgement. Now, when their opportunity came to leave, by staying they were proving that their hearts had been taken captive by the Babylonian system and way of life. God’s judgment always brings to light the true state of the heart. The very fact that they chose to stay, highlighted why they had been allowed to be taken captive in the first place. Men so often praise the Lord with their lips but their hearts belong to another.
Now Isaiah is speaking prophetically i this passage not only of the exiles but also of John the Baptist. Mat 3:3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.” Now John has also been called to speak to a people in exile. A people who have been cut off from God despite the fact that they were not in physical exile from Jerusalem and the temple but were in exile from the presence of God. The very system and temple that had been designed to worship God and be a dwelling place, a place for God to inhabit, had become devoid of His presence. This was a judgement to bring to light the true state of the heart.
2Pe 1:3-7 according as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue, through which He has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also in this very thing, bringing in all diligence, filling out your faith with virtue, and with virtue, knowledge; and with knowledge self-control, and with self-control, patience, and with patience, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly kindness, and with brotherly kindness, love.
Life and Godliness. Do you have life? Do you have an abundant life in Christ? Do you have Godliness? What is Godliness, have you ever considered what that means? The Greek word for godliness was used by ancient pagans to describe those who kept in close contact with their gods. When Peter uses this word here he is talking about the need for Christians to be constantly aware of God’s manifest presence.
Much is spoken of and written about the presence of God. How do we come into the presence of God? Can we presume upon the presence of God? Can we live a life in any fashion we choose and still have ” Godliness?” In the above Scripture we see that we have been called to ” glory and to virtue.” What is glory? Do you have it? Have you experienced it? What about virtue, what does that word mean? If we have been called to it, surely we should understand what it means?
A Call To The Remnant 