APOSTASY & DECEPTION IN THE END TIMES: book excerpt

Wake up Church!
Before it’s too late!

Apostacy
and Deception In the Last Days


“He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches”
Copyright © 2000-2008 Spirittruth.com

Preface
Biblical Orthodoxy vs. “Dogmatism”
& “Titanic;” the Church?

In recent months, I have heard several of our leading Evangelical preachers, openly calling the church to repentance over many issues. I believe that this is not a coincidence but rather the work of the Holy Spirit. One interview I heard on Moody radio, was about a new book that openly compares the modern church, to the Pharisees of Jesus time. I have been discerning that very same thing for many years and have felt extreme distress at times over what I’ve discerned... even anger. God has put a deep burden in my heart to call the church to repentance, for the time is short for the church age. Jesus is longing for a bride “without spot or wrinkle... holy and unblemished” (Ephesians 5:27). Does that mean that we are to make ourselves perfect? No, we will not be completely perfect (though because of Jesus, He sees us holy now) until we see Jesus as He is, but if we have become deceived and are living like the worldly live (according to vain and worldly philosophies, the lusts of the flesh, seeking and living for; money, power, position, control, sex, materialism, selfish desires etc.), such a person is living in gross compromise and idolatry.

Worldly and even demonically inspired (doctrines of demons) ideas have infected the church and I will expose many of the roots of the apostasy and deception that have invaded the church. Please remember that “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” (Ephesians 6:12). I am NOT attacking the church or individuals in it, by examining their fruit and by focusing upon the doctrine that they espouse (or the lack therof). We are all called to preach the prophetic truths that God has shown us in His word. This is a role that all too many pastors have abdicated because of it’s controversial nature. After all, to sound the alarm of warning means that the pastor is making a “judgment.” The devil has very cleverly made a massive, pre-emptive strike in the church by demonizing anyone bold enough to make righteous judgments. It seems as though any pastor willing to call a spade a spade, is going to suffer persecution. We are ALL called to be a living testimony. That means that it is only when Jesus is living through us that we can be of any true use to Him.

Paul the Apostle encourages us extensively, to know Who and what we believe so that we cannot be deceived. To Paul was revealed the details of the doctrine of Christ. The Apostle Paul was not always very well received by the established church and suffered at the hands of many who called themselves “Christian,” who were really servants of Satan. Paul’s vital epistles, also document that he was reviled and mistreated by a supposed “brother,” the likes of Alexander the Coppersmith and John had his Diotrephes. Both John and Paul marked them openly for the treatment that they had suffered at their hands and their apostasy. Should we expect better treatment for preaching the truth in these last days?

The sin of Diotrephes is rampant in the church today as many are clammoring for preeminence and power in their respective “realms.” These modern Diotrephes,’ are filled with a selfish, licentious spirit (or attitude) that cause them to intimidate, manipulate and control their way to the “top.” John says that, “Diotrephes who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us... I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren (haughty, jealous, and controlling spirit) and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. 3John 9,10.

Most modern Diotrephes’ are suave and sophisticated (even cunning) enough to know what people will respond to their kissing up (spirit of flatteries) and whom they can disrespect and trash. They are usually in positions of power and will move against any “threat” to their position or prominence. Many an obedient pastor and parishioner has been intimidated by a modern “Diotrephes.” They try to chase out or “dis” any discerner who begins to question their motivations. Modern “Diotrephes” can be consummate showman, having perfected their “public persona” (image). Because of a major absence of the preaching of God’s word, and spiritual discernment, such phonies have had free reign in many churches. Most of the church has become extremely superficial, thus, irrelevant to those seeking for the real Jesus. The modern Diotrephes is a worldly, cunning, slick operator, well versed in how to dispatch the innocent who don’t employ worldly tricks in order to survive in such an atmosphere.

A major tool that the devil has used to blind millions of Christians today is the idol of popularity. Many Christians are so poorly grounded in the word that they assume that if some “nice,” popular T.V. preacher says it-- it must be “word.” It aint necessarily so! At the core of this vain idol is the idol of greed. Greed is the foremost idol affecting the church today. “Prosperity” and “success” are major idols in Word of Faith ministries, many of which are flooding the airwaves with a brand of Christianity that is soulish at best and spiritually damaging at worst.

The church is now plagued by men and women who are preaching vain philosophies and doctrines of demons that have little to do with the person of Jesus Christ. The only remedy for this is repentance and if they are not called to it nor told that they are endangering themselves and those who listen to them, the Lord will hold the watchmen accountable for not sounding the warning. Some of these men are actually teaching pagan philosophies and package it as the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul warns us to:

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For IN HIM dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete IN HIM, who is the Head of all principality and power.” (Col. 2:8,9)

In exposing deceptions and calling people to repentance, God has a way of using people that others may deem unusable, insulting, unsightly, uncouth even “inappropriate” (John the Baptist, Elijah, Jonah, Paul). What most of the church doesn’t see, hear, or perceive, is that most of it is in sad shape and most of it won’t even listen to the few preachers that are just barely exposing the apostasy and deception that is rampant and growing in the church. So God is raising up the pebbles and the grass roots to speak His truth! Paul spoke of the time of Christ’s return as a time when men would not listen to “sound words” nor the “doctrine of Christ.” That it would be like the time of Noah, when many were drinking, partying and having orgies but then sudden, swift judgment fell upon them! He prophesied that many would “fall away” from the truth, preferring to have their “ears tickled” with a form of the gospel that they wanted to hear. Preachers of many different denominations cry out against any kind of perceived “judgmentleness” towards anyone, especially within their churches and have come against godly discernments and righteous calls to repentance, all in the name of false peace and “tolerance” (phony “tolerance” has become another demonic idol in the church). They have become unable to discern between what constitutes righteous judgment vs. condemnation.

It is necessary to make judgments about people and yet not to condemn, nor should we withdraw the love of Jesus from them but there are those that we are instructed to “depart from.” There are “Christians” that we must not fellowship with nor be “yoked” with in any way. There are impostors in the church (at-large) that Paul instructed us to “mark” as dangerous and ungodly and not to fellowship with unless they repented (turned completely from their sin). There are “spots in our love feasts,” (Jude 12) with whom we are not required to fellowship. Some of these are “holding on to a form of godliness but denying the power” of the Gospel. In reaction to being called to repentance and convicted, they cry “peace, peace” (“when there is no peace” ie: “can’t we all just get along no matter what we believe?”[NO!]), which is the cry of the “religiously correct” (a form of political correctness) that don’t know how to apply the word of God. “Peace at any cost” (“tolerance” ie: COMPROMISE!) is their unspoken mantra while the meat of the word and the doctrine of Christ is watered down and chipped away. Some do this by embracing the worldly “prosperity gospel” while others embrace a worldly, compromised gospel devoid of any loving abandon to Jesus, designed not to offend, designed to entertain and make people “feel good” (psychologized “Christianity”). There is nothing more that the devil loves to do, than to hold a compromised church together. (There are some church splits that are totally necessary!) There he can continue to wreak havoc by substituting a half-baked, unempowered, irrelevant gospel, for the real thing! There are many who preach all of the basics very well, but then go about systematically denying all that they say they stand for in their actions. These are “hearers” of the word and not doers. Many of these also have their own personal interpretation of what the Gospel means. In fact, many of them don’t serve Christ at all but rather a philosophized interpretation of who Christ is. In other words, they are saying all the right things but are serving a Christ who doesn’t even exist... a “christ” of their own imagination. Later on we will see how this is actually the spirit of Antichrist, which is being foisted upon undiscerning Christians and even nurtured in many Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. Satan’s goal in this is to prepare and usher in the one world religion of Antichrist, which is already in existence. Even many famous evangelicals have been hard at work for decades to create a one world religion, where all APPROVED religions will be under the auspices of the pope. Needless to say, fundamentalist Christians have been targeted for extinction. Anyone who claims that Jesus Christ is the only Way, Truth and Life, will be officially labeled as religious bigots and prosecuted. This is all coming about because the church is asleep. Many churches have fallen away from the truth of the Gospel. These are words that must be spoken!

Many think that “saying it in love” means not saying it. Religious political correctness (witchcraft) has infected Christianity at almost every level and screams loudly when their sacred cows are gored. Those that can discern and speak of this rampant spiritual disease are labeled as “judgmental” and “divisive,” in the body of Christ. By means of evil gossip they are made out to be “persona non grata,” particularly by leaders that have been blinded to the rather large pink elephant that now stands in many sanctuaries, trumpeting Satan’s successful coup over large portions of the church. Excuse me, but when God sent out prophets, they did not mince any words. Yes, they got stoned and killed and run out of town but they delivered the word of the Lord. The demonic deception is so very subtle in so many churches that one must use discernment before even entering into fellowship these days. The greatest plague in the evangelical church today is that many (including preachers) have become hearers and even preachers of the word but are not doers of the word. Most of evangelical Christianity today have become the equivalent of the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ time. Worse yet, a large percentage of these use the scripture merely to advance themselves and their personal agendas. We are in the midst of the time that Paul prophesied about in 2nd Timothy 3:

“...in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away.” 2 Tim. 3:1-5

Some people that have previewed this book find it to have an “angry tone” and perhaps they’re right. If you don’t realize that God is not happy with the current state of the “church,” then you are about to have a very rude awakening. It is possible to “be angry and sin not.” Jesus was furious with the money changers when He cleansed His Father’s Temple and did not spare the charletons his wrath, that were defiling His Father’s House. If you think that He made “nice nice” with them, think again! God is not pleased at all with “churchianity.” It does not compare at all to biblical Christianity but very few can even tell the difference. There are those that in response to true Holy Ghost conviction are reacting like wounded animals when presented with the truth. Sometimes, that which is perceived as “division” in some churches, is the work of God- revealing the sin- breaking up the proud, religious veneer that is not so subtle to detect for a true discerner. I am not advocating anything but a loving, prayerful examination of ourselves and to listen to what Jesus is saying to us about submitting to Him, so that He can get His House in order! The Lord is desiring a pure, passionate and powerful Bride and He has inspired me to release these difficult discernments. Some of us will be led to bring our discernments to leadership. This will require some of us to be willing to lay down our reputations and risk being rejected for Jesus and His revealed truth.

God is not happy with the image driven, control oriented, materialistic “churchmen” (modern Pharisee) that have substituted the “corporate model” of “image, image, image,”... “perception/image is everything,” in place of true biblical leadership based on our holy, humble, Servant Leader Jesus. Such an operator will slyly wrap himself up in false humility that the deceived just seem to soak up. The demonic spirit of “go along to get along” also permeates our churches. Anyone who dares question some of these leaders, gets labeled and ostracized for daring to “rock the boat.” Christian maturity, true giftings and callings are being ignored in favor of frontmen with “image” and “popularity.” In many churches, election to the elders and leadership is based more upon “who’s who” or “who’s successful” in the community, or “who doesn’t rock the boat,” rather than who is more like Jesus. (Jesus did not “go along to get along” ever) Many times, selection to church leadership is based on who will rubberstamp the decisions of the power-elite churchmen and just follow them without speaking what God has put on their heart! True spiritual maturity isn’t always found in those that just happen to have the right social image or veneer. A man can seem to have it all together on the outside and be a can of worms on the inside. If you haven’t noticed, Jesus called men that had problems and imperfections, so that His glory could clearly shine through them, AND IT IS THE SAME TODAY! Many of the disciples that Jesus called were “lower class” (stinky fishermen!) or as in Matthew’s case, (tax collector) shunned by their community. Now, before personally experiencing Christ’ resurrection and the Power from on High (Pentecost), these men were just losers and rejects, but afterward, they became dynamos of God’s presence! In these days, it takes a true discerner to see past the “outer man,” which worldly people may not esteem at all, to see the Spirit’s presence and true godly character within.

With all of this as a bonfire of warning, many have been called that clearly see the enemy behind the deceptions. Many a watchman that joyously await our Savior’s blessed return, have been called to “blow the trumpet in Zion” and to “sound the alarm” of danger in the camp and of our Lord’s imminent and glorious return. I will not stand by and say nothing while brothers and sisters are drinking from polluted cisterns instead of waiting patiently and with loving abandon for Jesus, no matter what price I pay. It is time to send out the lifeboats!

What concerns me lately is that even many of the preachers that consider themselves to be “biblically orthodox,” are compromising the gospel by taking a stance of “let’s not get dogmatic about scripture.” In place of mining the precious depths of the word, even in full view of the imminent return of Jesus, many of these preachers are warning their flocks “not to get too excited about any one single Christian doctrine.” I am hearing a few preachers that I love and respect, suddenly say to their flocks that they need to chill out about prophecy and other “fringe” doctrines. I find this sudden move by formerly “orthodox” preachers to try to move the spiritual focus away from Jesus and His return, into the “milk” or compromise that most of them are now serving, a terrible tragedy.

There are also however, “alarmists” out there who want us to focus (unnecessarily) entirely on many of the dangerous dilemmas that are impending instead of on Jesus, but there are also “alarmists” (watchmen) who are properly sounding God’s alarm for the church to repent and get ready, for the coming of the Lord is near! (Prepare ye the way of the Lord!) Many preachers have decided that biblical orthodoxy is suddenly too hot for them to teach and have deemed the deeper teaching of the meat of God’s word to be “too dogmatic,” even “dangerous.” I sense that some of the sheep who realize that our True Shepherd is approaching, are kicking their hooves and causing a little too much “trouble” in the pens (churches) in which their current pastors are not properly feeding nor preparing them, nor proclaiming the imminent return of Jesus (Thy kingdom come!). Perhaps many of these pastors have found life on the pedestal to be too comfortable and they don’t want any upstart sheep to rock their world. Many pastors (NOT ALL) are merely presiding over controlled chaos and are maintaining a worldly status quo, which rules most churches. This is when God will send in a few brave soldiers to wake up the people, whom God will use to plow up the fallow ground of the status quo. Some of the deceived have so compromised the gospel as to become part of “Babylon the great,” which is destined to fall (Rev.18). The Lord has a message for the remnant within those apostate churches; “...Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4).

God definitely wants you to leave a truly apostate church that preaches “another gospel.” The command to the church, is to keep our eyes on Jesus and be readily available to Him, making disciples that are grounded in the word, mature in Christ. Reproducing shallow converts that never get properly discipled, invites danger. Better to make a dozen mighty disciples, than 1000 spiritless and shallow “converts.” This is why we must NEVER bow to the idol of “numbers.” “Church growth,” is not what we are called to pursue. We are called to make disciples and we must never water down the gospel so as to appeal to the least common denominator. As we preach the full gospel, the Lord “...will add to the church daily those who are being saved.” (Acts 2:47) In the Second Chapter of Acts they were preaching in the power of the Holy Ghost and saying, “be saved from this perverse generation. Then those who gladly received the word were baptized... and continued in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship.” For those preachers that feel that “our generation” can’t palate the real gospel and go about sugar coating it: shame on you! Repent and preach the whole word in the power of the Holy Ghost! REMEMBER; many rejected the Lord and could not follow Him. We certainly must love everyone but we must love them in Jesus name, with the real gospel... the full gospel!

I readily admit that there are some prophecy-centered ministries that make millions, focusing mostly on “doom and gloom.” It is possible to idolize anything-- even truth. Truth about what is about to come upon the earth can become a worrisome fixation for some people. (There are some Christians who are more focused on who might be the antichrist than upon Jesus!) We can however, know about many of the details of our “Blessed Hope” (seeing Jesus at the Rapture) without becoming fixated on the Judgment, death and destruction that will follow the Rapture (fix your eyes on Jesus). Biblical prophecy is a powerful tool that has won thousands, if not millions to Jesus. True prophetic revelations are a great blessing to the church, warning us to change course (repentance) or bringing instruction and blessing. The study of prophecy in the bible has had a major impact in my life and JESUS is the center and focus of my prophetic interest. In revelation it says, “for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10) Our prophetic studies must center around Jesus and constantly gaining a deeper revelation about Him!

There is also of course, false prophecy or false interpretation of biblical prophecy... that which is manufactured in the flesh, perhaps even demonically inspired. We must be careful because not everything called “prophecy” or interpretation, is such. There are many false prophets running around who are hearing from familiar spirits and are giving personal readings to people and calling it “prophecy.“ We must test the spirits! True life changing power comes from Jesus, through His word and revelation from the Spirit, whether it is revelation of the meaning of the word or an authentic ‘word of knowledge’ or ‘prophetic word.’ Now, one that denies the gift of prophecy or the gift of interpretation has no business pretending that he’s a mature Christian, let alone a preacher of the gospel. If you deny the word of God and don’t understand it or proclaim that certain giftings found in the New Testament are strictly historical, you are at best an immature Christian merely posing as a preacher. This type of “Christian” is not yet weaned of milk (or perhaps has returned to milk) let alone able to understand and consume the meat of the Word. Jesus is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow! What has really changed since the first century, has been the few followers of Jesus that have the same level of abandonment and devotion to Him. His power cannot be fully displayed in a dirty, half-hearted, quasi-devoted vessel.

What I sense as necessary more than ever is an urgency to warn Christians and others about the giant “iceberg” that is in our path. Many signs are proclaiming the Lord’s imminent return. We must be filled with zeal and love for Jesus and also the lost and the deceived. The Lord has called many watchmen to blow the trumpet of His coming, to tell the world that the Bridegroom is approaching. I know the call to do this. He will hold me accountable if I don’t sound the alarm! The church at large is not ready or waiting passionately for Jesus. If I am proclaiming this in error-- just out of my flesh, time alone will expose me. I have paid dearly for proclaiming what God has put in my heart! I am willing more than ever to “contend earnestly for the faith.” What would you do if you knew that a major accident or tragedy was about to take place? Wouldn’t you shout and make a noise, hoping that someone would hear you and heed your warning? If you saw that your neighbor’s house was on fire, wouldn’t you rush in to save him and his family? I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.

There are presently many people having dreams, visions and prophecies of impending disaster and judgment coming upon the world and more specifically the church (this was prophesied by Joel!). For those of you that feel that the church is in fine shape, I must beg to differ. However, I see quite clearly that there is a remnant of Spirit filled Christians that are ready to meet the Bridegroom, in churches. In some churches there may be only one or two truly devoted to Jesus. Some churches unfortunately, are completely void of the Spirit. In other churches nearly entire congregations are truly born again and filled, only the Lord truly knows. When God isn’t able to get people to listen to the warnings, He will use whatever means necessary to get our attention.

In a short period of time, many people were suddenly discerning that the movie “The Titanic,” was an analogy for a large part of the church and the entire world. Is it possible that God could use a screen writer to construct a movie story line in a major motion picture, that so thoroughly parallels the love and sacrifice of Jesus and the impending disaster facing the Church and the world? YES, it is possible! God has and will use non-believers in high places when God’s people have not listened to Him. The best example of this is when pagan King Nebuchadnezzar was shocked to see more than 3 people standing unscathed in the “fiery furnace” and in amazement said: “Look!”....I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, AND THE FOURTH IS LIKE THE SON OF GOD!” (Daniel 3:25) Remember that even nasty ol’ King Saul would prophesy on occasions. The pagan prophet Baalam, who was forced to proclaim blessing over Israel instead of a curse, is another such example. I can’t positively say that the plot of “Titanic” is inspired by God but there are many metaphoric coincidences.

The love affair that became the central theme of the movie (fiction) revolved around a poor but gifted underdog hero; Jack Dawson (DiCaprio), and a lost and tormented heroine who needed saving, which is how they met. Jack was willing to sacrifice his life for this woman, whom although he had never seen before, seemed to have always known. They met as she was attempting to commit suicide off the stern of the Titanic (the ship itself is symbolic of humanity without Christ, a vessel of vanity and foolish worldly ventures bound to end in disaster). He would also become her salvation later in the very same spot, as they rode down the stern of the Titanic into the icy jaws of death. In a short period of time and in the proximity of her jealous, evil, manipulative, controlling and oppressive fiance, she became instantly liberated by Jack’s redemptive and loving abandon. She was faced with the clear choice of marrying a rich but evil man whom she did not love and who would enslave her, or following her heart and soul to the one who could liberate her with his pure love. She learned to trust him and even ‘soar like an eagle’ in his arms (on the bow of the ship). His love became her complete redemption and she soon was willing to completely abandon her evil fiance, with all of his earthly wealth in favor of Jack’s true, redeeming and passionate love for her. She would even jump out of the safety of a lifeboat (laying down her life), losing her life to be with him! He suddenly had become all that mattered to her! This is a beautiful metaphor for Christ and His Bride. It reminds me of the story of Ruth and Boaz and of the Song of Solomon. (I am not saying that the Titanic screenplay is inspired by God) Both of those stories are parables of Christ and His Bride!

Even the name “Titanic” is coincidentally ominous because the word “titan” is a Greek derivative of “Satan.” Titans were of course Greek mythological giants that were “half man” and “half god.” These mythic hybrid beings, may have some credence in reality. Many theologians believe (biblically conservative theologians) in Genesis 6, that fallen angels took human women and bore them children that became the giants called the “Anahnake,” “rephaim” and “nepheilim.” They inhabited Canaan from before the time that Israel crossed the Jordan until after David had killed Goliath the giant and David’s sons or servants had killed the remaining giants. We live in a world largely controlled by Satan but we have the choice to rise above the sinking ship controlled by Satan, through the loving salvation and power of Jesus who is our way of escape and redemption. Loving abandon to Jesus is the way of escape. I also see an analogy in the part of the film where Jack had been “arrested” for loving her and was chained to a pipe in the hold of the ship to die (analagous to the ‘sign of Jonah‘ in the belly of the whale). She was again willing to lay down her life in pursuit of him and it was love for her that caused him to be symbolically “buried,” (then rescued) in the hold of the ship. The word most certainly says that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son...” God of course, being all knowing (omniscient), knew that many of us would fall in love with Him as a result of His sacrificial love for us!

The ‘Titanic’ is also a metaphor of the institutional church and current man made “religious denominationalism,” much of which is the result of massive compromises and departure from the true Gospel of Jesus in exchange for “religion.” For many born again believers, the “Christian” institutions that are completely and openly apostate are obvious. But during the 20th century in particular the clear line that separates the holy from the profane has been strategically blurred by Satan and his clever hordes. Biblical Christianity, grounded on the doctrine of Christ, has been under attack from within the church and unfortunately we are up against “spiritual wickedness in high places.” Many Evangelical, Charismatic and Pentecostal churches are ruled by religious “churchmen” that are in it for the power, prestige and acknowledgement, rather than loving allegiance to Jesus.

The clear metaphor for modern churchianity that I observed in the movie was manifested in the divisions of the different “classes” that were on the ship. The best example was when Jack attempted to “crash” the pitifully rigid church service that all of the upper crust were attending. Jack was trying to reach Rose, (her name is also metaphoric because Jesus savors His bride like a fragrant rose) to pry her from their evil grasp but from within the service sprang up a gatekeeper, (a demonically controlled leader) to prevent Jack (the Jesus figure) from ever coming to see Rose again. The proverbial door was being slammed in Jack’s (Jesus) face by someone that is a metaphor for the evil, controlling, religious elite. In many churches, the controlling religious elite are the gatekeepers for who’s in and who’s out in the church. Someone who dares to bring reform to this kind of church and expose the hypocrites and control freaks running them (churchmen), will run into a religious “buzz” saw. The tactics that they use to destroy and control others, are gossip, innuendo and accusation. They hide behind certain scriptures and label such honest people as “divisive”, “arrogant”, ”dangerous”, “judgmental” and “unloving”.

I realize that some reading this, may have already condemned me for even going to a movie with a scene of a half naked woman in it, let alone for declaring such hard things about the church! I didn’t realize that there was a “nude scene” before I went (my ignorance) and I would have avoided the movie, had I known. I did what I usually do when accosted with such things in the world I prefer not to see: I turned away my eyes. (As a performer, I once had to share a dressing room with worldly fellows who insisted upon taping up centerfolds. It did upset me at times and they knew how I felt but I did the same thing there as well [ignored it] and it wasn’t difficult because pornography makes me sick! The presentation of women as if they are just “pieces of meat,” disgusts me. I can’t understand how even pagan women allow themselves to be exploited in this way. I avoid TV programs with scantily clad women or even a romantic scene but sometimes in the world we inadvertently see things that we don’t want to or shouldn’t see. If you can’t run from such temptaion [or turn the channel, better yet turn it off], you are bound to fall because you can accidentally see just about anything at anytime these days. If you are still an habitual sinner and don’t have the inner will power from on high to turn from such unavoidable temptation, you will be overtaken and fall when tempted.)

On the Titanic, the rich “status quo” upper crust had all the best treatment and enjoyed condescending to the passengers who were “beneath” them in status. The “lower class” were restricted, even locked below decks! This same sort of classicism is rampant in the church. There are many that will take license to ostracize and label someone “persona non grata” if that lowly, unrecognized person speaks of things from the word that they don’t happen to understand. There are “blue blood Christians” (superior spirit) that act as though their superior social standing or education, makes them a spiritual cut above the people not in “their class”. Some “Blue blood” Christians act as though salvation was inherited from their parents or social standing and will dismiss anyone that doesn’t meet their worldly standards of presentation or economic achievement. “Churchmen” would love to have you think that to be a Christian means to always act refined and “respectable” (how do they explain the stinky fishermen?). Their unrighteous judgment is the manifestation of an ungodly haughty spirit, a spirit of superiority which is the opposite of the Holy Spirit. These observations may be subtle to most but not to one who has suffered at their hand. So what is worse, for them to go on acting and thinking in such a condescending and superior manner and hurting the body, or to confront them openly and call them to repentance? When someone is moved by God to confront and expose this kind of subtle but rampant sin in the church, you will be accused of being the “iceberg”-- of causing division and destruction. You will be falsely accused for the sake of Jesus. You will suffer persecution from within that church and be chased to the depths of the hold “where only the drowning rats reside.” Anyone who is called to speak the truth in Jesus’ name in order to save a few, is not doing this for his own gain. He will be tormented and persecuted for “laying down his life for his friends.” In the true Body of Christ, there is no rank or privilege, in fact “the first shall be last” in the Kingdom! Many who now live for recognition through position, control and preeminence, are soon going to have a very rude awakening because the “ship” is sinking!

For the person who sees the iceberg up ahead, it is impossible not to yell out the warning. It would be disobedient for that person not to sound the trumpet. He thinks nothing of himself and does not think of the personal consequences of proclaiming the truth. (God has got my backside!) The truth is that there is a remnant that is passionately in love with Jesus and ready for His coming and there is also a much larger portion of “churchmen” who call themselves “Christians,” that have either “fallen asleep,” “fallen away,” or never really met or loved Jesus. The watchman is called to call them to repentance. When churchmen fall under the conviction of such a message, some practically squirm and writhe like vampires hit by the full light of day. In fact “vampirism” is another type of analogy that can be attributed to the hardened churchmen. Some of them prey on the weak and spiritually feeble in their church, manipulating, controlling and using them for their own selfish motives, usually to enhance or maintain power and control.

There is a moment of decision coming that will “divide the sheep from the goats.” There is quickly coming a time when those that are true servants of Jesus will be taken out of this world, even while the “iceberg” is in full view. The “iceberg” that I can clearly see is the dawning of “the New World Order” that is preparing the world for control by the antichrist. The rampant evil in the world and the signs in the skies and on the earth, proclaim the imminent return of Jesus and the arrival of the Antichrist. The current climate in the middle east and how Israel has increasingly become a “cup of trembling” among the nations of the world, now poised for WW III, are even more signs that Jesus is at the door. The world is at the precipice!

There is a major difference between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Jesus. “By their fruits you shall know them.” If you are more focused on the things of this world like having: power, money, respect, position, authority etc., you are not Christ centered or humble at all but rather self seeking and idolatrous. If you are filled with pride over what you have achieved or what position you hold, you’re in idolatry.

“I want Jesus more than anything this world can offer me,” says one of my favorite songs. If I am perceived as being “judgmental” or “critical,” I’ll learn how to give those accusations to Jesus along with the pain and persecution. Whatever you do, don’t be on the ship when it hits the iceberg. Repent of any and all sinful strongholds that keep you from an intimate and vital relationship with the personal God of the universe; Jesus Christ. He is pursuing you and just like Jack in the movie “Titanic,” Jesus will not desert you.
Spirittruth Ministries © Copyright 1999-2005



Chapter 1
The Seven types of Churches!

I need to preface this stark but truthful expose, which is inclusive of several popular ministries. By many, this will be judged as an “attack” on those ministries and even as “condemnation.” It is neither. The following most definately can be construed as judgment however. Current belief in Christian circles today, wrongly insists that we are not to judge anyone, especially not any other ministry. That ungodly judgment is at the center of the very spirit of antichrist, which has allowed all sorts of apostacy and deception to become “mainstream Christian thought.” The Lord said that “by their fruit you shall know them.” We mustn’t judge people personally (unless there sins are obvious and precede them) but we must judge every word being preached and taught today before we absorb it or begin to apply it. Errant statements, beliefs and doctrines are anathema to the real church and must be exposed. Many assume that the large numbers of people who follow them and their popularity, equals biblical fruit. This is not necessarily true. We must all contend for biblical and orthodox faith in Christ and decry wrong doctrine. Not all are called to the same ministry. Part of my calling is to sound the alarm about the dangerous doctrines and lack of biblical doctrine in the modern church and call us to repentance. There is a major difference between stone throwing condemnation and biblical correction and warning. NO MINISTRY IS PERFECT. NO CHURCH IS PERFECT. HAVING SOME ERRONEOUS DOCTRINE OR TEACHING DOES NOT MAKE ANY ONE MINISTRY APOSTATE OR WE ALL WOULD BE. I AM NOT ADVOCATING A WITCH HUNT TO EXAMINE EVERY LAST BIT OF LEAVEN IN A MINISTERS LIFE AND MINISTRY. By examining some of what they do and preach, I am not saying that they are bearing only bad fruit, nor that they are necessarily dangerous. Since it is possible to say all of the right things and yet not emody them, it is absolutely necessary to be a fruit inspector. The first fruit that MUST be present in a good church is LOVE. UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, is absolutely the most important fruit to look for in a church. If people really don’t care about others in the church, they preach up a storm but are nothing more than “clanging cymbals.”

When Paul corrected the powerful Apostle Peter, he did it in public so that all would know that he was in error. By doing so, Paul layed down his life to spare the church from inevitible division or destruction. Peter went on to highly admire and love Paul and in Peter’s epistles admonished all to follow Paul’s teaching (2Peter 3:15,16). To Paul was given the doctrine of Christ and we must apply his teachings! “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1Timothy 4:16)

In the opening chapters of the book of Revelation, Jesus judges seven different churches. Most are found wanting and in grievous spiritual trouble. These churches represent the seven types of churches that would exist throughout the ages. These seven types of churches are very prevelent today and need to heed the warning that Jesus gave to these early churches. In fact many churches display multiple characteristics of all seven churches. It does not surprise me that the first church that Jesus addresses is the one that had lost it’s first love for Him. This is still the most rampant problem in the church and it is sometimes the most subtle for that kind of church to discern. How dissappointing it must be for Jesus when after establishing a loving, trusting relationship with a child- they fall out of love with Him and willingly wander away. I wonder how my sweet and loving Heavenly Father copes with the heartbreak that all of us have brought Him at times. (I cetainly broke His heart early on, when several years after receiving Jesus, I fell away and into sin. I came back for a short while and received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost but then began to fall away again. During that time, God mercifully kept me, as I didn’t lose any of my beliefs, though I was not in loving fellowship with Him. Oh, I’d pray and go to church once in a while but I was turned off big time by what I saw. I got into rebellion, until I got so desperate for God that didn’t want to go another day without Him).

Jesus was grieved with the church of Ephesus because it fell out of love with Him. This is the sad reality of the majority of today’s churches. The major spiritual disease facing the church today is an explosion of “self” and it’s many induldgences. Self-centeredness (the flesh) has always been our primary enemy but has become a multi-faced, stealthy hybrid, often legitimized in the modern church today. It has become like a stealthy, multi-headed hydra that rarely exposes it’s true nature to the congregation but is easily discerned by certain individuals. This massive induldgence of “self”in the church, has it’s roots in pagan psychology and philosophies-- not the bible. Words like “validation,” “self-fulfillment,” and “recognition,” have become the mantra of many leaders in the church. These worldly concepts have nearly displaced true biblical edification, which is how the body is supposed to be built up and cemented together. These shallow leaders have unconsciously and consciously substituted pagan religion (psychology) for the truth of the gospel. This ugly self-centeredness is the opposite of the way of the cross but the majority of today’s churches are more concerned with status quo and political correctness (appealing to the masses) than they are with having a loving abandon for Jesus and obedience to His word. It was their cold love and abandonment of biblical truth that caused them to turn to worldly methods like psychology-- now a major tool used by modern day “ministers.” Loving talk about Jesus and His word, is considered corny, unsophisticated and even offensive in many churches today-- glaring testimony that their love for Him has gone cold, although teaching about love for “self” is at an all time high. There is a preoccupation with making people “feel good” about themselves instead of preaching the need to die to self. They are more absorbed with maintaining their social structures and allegiances, far above there devotion to Jesus. The natural churchmen is foremostly dedicated to himself. Having more things, more control, more status, they are greedy and lustful for all things. The “spirit of the world,” is unfortunately what also drives alot of people that call themselves “Christians.” “Looking out for number one,” is the deepest mantra of most people today and is the predominant silent religion. Many churches have just tried to find a way to legitimize it. Robert Schuller even spouts that “the cross sanctifies (legitimizes) the ego trip.” Robert Schuller has tickled millions of itching ears with such apostacy. In fact, most popular “movements” strive to relieve the Christian of His guilt but do little in the way of deep repentance and restoration with God. The apostate teachings of Schuller have had a significant deceptive effect upon the church, spouting his wilted brand of “positive Christianity.” (You see, “dying to self” doesn’t seem very positive, does it?) He is just a retread of Norman Vincent Peale’s “power of positive thinking.” Is Christianity simply a “mind over matter” religion or even just a “discipline” which we simply have to learn? This subtle demonic doctrine is so sugar coated and seemingly well meaning, that it now pervades the evangelical church, though in even more subtle forms. Much of the evangelical church is presently trying to cover a fatal wound with a band aid and have no clue as to what danger they are in. Television evangelists like Schuller have reduced Christianity to a self help/success course, riddled with new age deceptions and gross perversions of the Gospel, and dripping with cheap, soulish, emotion. The unfortunate effect of Schuller’s popular apostacy, has been the massive absorption of several of his premises. (“let’s keep the gospel light and fluffy so it doesn’t offend, it tends to be so negative”... “let’s throw out all those stuffy doctrines, nobody understands Paul’s teachings anyway!” “Give the people what they want!” “They want cheap love, cheap mercy, cheap grace, and phony acceptance.... they won’t even know the difference because they’re so shallow and superficial anyway” “lets make them feel good about themselves and inflate their “self-worth”.... that will open their pocket books!”) With these phony beliefs as a foundation, how can preachers call the church to repentance? Sin and deception MUST be spiritually discerned and openly identified in order for true repentance to come forth. We are warned by Paul in Colossians to “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

I openly and loudly declare to the church, that many have been seduced and have fallen-- wake up and repent church, before it is too late. Jesus is calling you to repentance and He is coming soon!

The whole “seeker church” movement is based on presenting a “popular” “unoffensive,” gospel that will appeal to the masses. In fact, Bill Hybels sought out Robert Schuller quite extensively while he was creating Willow Creek Church. Robert Schuller loves to brag about that fact. Schuller considers Hybels to be a disciple of his-- he loves to take credit for Bill Hybel’s “success.” The much more insidious trickle down effect as fallout from the “seeker church” concept, has crept into other churches that now idolize and admire the popularity of Willow Creek church and are now following their example and bowing at their altar. The result has been the dilution of the gospel in many churches, which has precipitated a “falling away,” (spiritually, doctrinally) of many churches that were historically sound and vibrant. Many pastors are now proverbiably worshipping at the foot of Bill Hybels and his “seeker church” concept and now feel hamstrung to really call thier churches to repentence because of this perversion... the pervasive effect on the whole church of the phony, “positive gospel”(another gospel). Many pastors have made “being positive not negative,” an absolute centrific idol in thier ministries. Some of these pastors, must have never fallen under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, which is not always very pleasant. But, “anything so popular and so successful must be of God and must be duplicated!” WRONG! “Marketing techniques,” ARE NOT A GODLY REPLACEMENT FOR THE GOSPEL, NOR FOR MAKING DISCIPLES.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that many of these apostate or borderline apostate ministries often fawn all over each other, given the opportunity. The evangelical apostates (like Schuller) will even appear with properity apostates, as when Schuller appears on TBN with Paul and Jan Crouch who are at the other end of the apostate spectrum. It never ceases to amaze me just how much compromisers have in common with each other. The main agreement that they have is that they will not criticize each other. There is an unspoken agreement that these apostates all have, that they will not judge each others ministries and but will judge (and even declare death) over anyone who challenges them! I challenge and question them in love. I am not saying that they have lost their salvation. I believe that it is more than possible to partially fall away from the truth and still be saved. It is more than possible to fall away from intimate fellowship with Jesus and still be saved. For those who have been truly saved it is next to impossible to reject Christ. Even in my lowest moments, I could never have told Jesus to leave me and I don’t believe anyone else who has truly been saved can either. I sure did need to be called to repentance and loved on by other believers, which never happened. Other “believers” left me alone and could care less that I was wayward. If just one of my pastors or Christian friends had reached out to me, I would have repented and responded to their love. But most evangelical churches have an unspoken philosophy of “let’s just shoot the wounded.” Modern Churchianity, is much more like a club than it is like the body of Christ.

We need much more than just social and denominational walls to “fall down.” Repentance from self centeredness, greed, the worship of idols (homes, TV, recreation, jobs, relationships, cars, things, success and prosperity) and having lost our “first love” for Jesus, is where most should begin. (When you truly fall in love with Jesus many of these other problems suddenly seem like nothing and are easily vanquished. Their is power and victory in Jesus and His gospel!) American Christians are certainly more selfish, self-absorbed and self-entitled than ever and will be judged harshly if they do not heed the call to repentance. We should continually be in revival... always pressing on into Jesus... into new and deeper places in Him, continuously being renewed... falling ever deeper in love with Him. Jesus told the church at Ephesus to repent and “do the first works” in Revelation 2:5. This was a church that was still doing His work and not tolerating evil but they “left their first love.” v.4. Jesus even warns that He would “remove your lampstand from it’s place” and that He would “come quickly” v.5, which I take to mean; unexpectedly and with no time to prepare for Him. It doesn’t surprise me that in what is clearly the end of the age and the time of Christ’s coming, many Christians have been so deceived by apostate doctrine and worldly living that they scoff at those Christians who are passionately waiting for His return.

I’ve often been treated like some kind of naive boyscout that has lost his way, simply because I have the biblical passion and intensity that comes from knowing that Jesus could come at any hour for us and that most of the bride is not ready! They don’t want to believe in the imminent return of Jesus (as the bible clearly teaches) because that belief interferes with their “joie de vivre” or love affair with this life. For others it brings up the supressed fear that they are not prepared for His coming. All the more reason to proclaim His imminent return.

Many others have been brainwashed into believing that Jesus is their ticket to “health and wealth” and everything that they can ever imagine. Some of these self-deceived adepts are drowning in a self deserving, spiritualized narcisism that just oozes and exudes from them.....screaming: “I’m more special than you.” This type has assimilated a perverse theology that Satan loves to bless because it smacks of the very first lie spoken in Eden “eat this and you shall be like a god.” In fact, some of the teachers of that phony gospel proclaimed that “they were gods,” before millions of people! I have described the epitome of this kind of superior-minded, self -deceived “Christian,” but there are many, more stepped down versions and different types of “Christians” who have also lost their first love and fallen into massive deception. The multi-headed hydra of apostacy has hundreds-- if not thousands of heads in these last days and although many of them may have similar roots, the range of deception follows the gamut!

There are many, more subtle versions of churches that have been led astray because they have lost their first, passionate love for Jesus, yet remain in a “form of godliness” that resembles the real thing but upon close examination is only an empty shell- powerless. Some of these churches may give lip service to “being in the deep end” of the Spirit but in actuality, have long ago strayed from the power of God’s word and no longer preach the Full Gospel, let alone understand or apply the deeper revelations of God’s word. This type of church is the saddest of all because on the surface, it still resembles a biblical church and “goes through the motions” but has become a couterfeit, that propegates a phony, superficial kind of love. This kind of church anguishes God because it is so close to the truth and yet so far away. They fell, simply because they incrementally took their eyes off of Jesus and lost their first love. They may even know and preach an accurate (though dry and shallow) gospel, but fail to live it. Many of this kind of deceived, are living in a self-made religion that is grounded on “works” not faith in Christ. They actually begin to believe that because they do so many “good works” that God must be pleased with them, though they are really self-serving rather than serving God. Many churches today have subtly replaced the Spirit filled and led life with a type of social activism that makes people feel good about themselves but does nothing to glorify Jesus and propegate His kingdom. Many in this deception do everything to project a “respectable” persona in the community and clamor (secretly) for public recognition and acceptance, rather than pleasing God. Most ministers and congregations today are foremostly men-pleasers-- not God pleasers! The true gospel is rarely preached in such an atmosphere. True motives are not always easy to discern but are usually found in the types of “ministries” that these fallen ministers espouse. Please realize that a fallen minister can seem like the nicest, most positive guy you’d ever want to meet. Remember, deception often comes as an “angel of light.”

I have also heard young Christians cry that they “want to be able to get married before Jesus comes.” Some are so sex-crazed that they openly admit that it is their primary reason for rushing into marriage. This is open idolatry and lust! If you are not living for Jesus you could care less if He ever comes back but if you know that heaven is your true home, your “treasure” has been stored in the right place. If your first desire is not Jesus, you are living in idolatry! You are putting something or someone else first. If your belief in Jesus is simply a litany of theology and religion and not a heart gripping relationship with Him, you may not truly know Jesus. If this has convicted you, you need to repent and give Jesus your whole heart... all that you are. Your heart is your will, your thoughts and your emotions! If you decide that you want a loving and deep relationship with Jesus, He will give Himself to you as you give yourself to Him, if you repent and really want to change and pursue Him in faith! He can change your will but only if you truly want Him to! If changing seems impossible, I encourage you to thoroughly repent and ask Him to help you, by absorbing His word, waiting on Him in faith, trusting Him for everything and asking Jesus to baptize you in His Holy Spirit. Jesus is in the business of changing and restoring even the worst of sinners. Loving Jesus with all your heart isn’t an option in the Christian lifestyle. Jesus has shown us, what is the utmost priority; “to love the Lord our God, with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength!”

Our love and obedience to Jesus is by far the greatest measure of our success. We may be rejected and unsuccessful in the world but Jesus measures “success” by if we are abiding in Him. We are promised that “in this life we will have tribulation” but we are instructed to “rejoice, for He has overcome the world,” for us! If we truly love Him, we will follow Him and be obedient to Him. You can’t possibly know Jesus or walk with Jesus if you don’t truly love and obey Him. Our love relationship with Jesus will eventually result in a spiritual marriage with Him, “when we see Him as He is”! (Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Rev. 19:7)

He first loved us, which made it possible for us to love Him. Pray every day to receive more and more love for Him and for others. We are to cleave to Him through the power of His Holy Spirit, His “Parakletos.” The Greek word means; “helper, comforter, consoler, intercessor and advocate.” His Holy Spirit is simply the powerful presence of Jesus right within us. Loving Jesus and having His powerful Presence within us, gives Christians the motivation for living and serving Him. His warning to the Ephesians is a confirmation of 1Cor. 13; “without love we are nothing.” Through personal experience I have found that when we draw near to Him in true brokenness, He does draw near to us. If your desire is to be filled with Jesus’ Presence and to be in love with Him, He will deepen that desire and by His grace (free gift) He will make you more like Himself. The very meaning of “Christian;” is to be Christlike or a little Christ! His major personal goal for each one of us is to “be conformed into His image,” to be like Jesus!

Christ says of the church of Smyrna; “I know your works, and the affliction, and the poverty; but you are rich.” The church of Smyrna was tested, tried and persecuted but were found to be righteous overcomers. The Lord does not withhold the trials that cause us to be purified and press further into Jesus. We are made perfect through trials and tribulations because they force us to depend on Jesus and His grace. The Lord does not withhold all pain and suffering or poverty. “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (BUT YOU ARE RICH).” NKJV Wow, you mean that a righteous church may suffer tribulation and even poverty? But so many “health and wealth” preachers proclaim that it is not God’s will for His children to suffer, nor to be in poverty. How do these “preachers” explain what Jesus says here? How is it possible that Jesus views this poor and persecuted church as being rich? It is obvious that Jesus has a completely different way of measuring richness than do the bulk of the “prosperity gospel” crowd. I am not condemning them at all but I am judging their erroneous doctrines that have been exposed by the very words of our Savior! It is a richness of His glorious Spirit IN US, that He counts as true riches, not what possessions we store away in this temporal life! Is it a sin to have wealth? Am I to take a vow of poverty? Absolutely not but God gives Christians wealth for ONE reason: to fund His work and bless other Christians. To some are given the gift of giving and they are called to give even more than a 10% tithe!

“Those who live godly in Christ Jesus WILL suffer persecution” church. It is a great privilege to be counted worthy to suffer for Jesus. He warns the church of Smyrna not to fear the coming persecution, that it would be only for a set time and that then, they would inherit “the Crown of Life.” I believe that the western church is about to go through an intense time of persecution in the coming months. Some will fall away, others will become pure and full of His presence. The church in the eastern and third world countries, is already being intensely persecuted. It is in the furnace of this persecution that the true gospel is being received by millions, sometimes in the face of imminent death. This is the time of harvest, which may increase a hundredfold after the Rapture takes place, when many who thought they were “believers,” suddenly come to full repentance and power.

The church of Pergamos is a compromised church. Their works had been good and they had been somewhat faithful but they decided that they could also practice idolatry and commit fornication. They had succumbed to the societal norm which was to “eat idol sacrifices, and to fornicate.” They were also into false teaching. They were told to repent or be caught unaware by Christ’s return. The modern day form of idolatry in the church today that compares to the sin of Pergamos, is a rampant, image driven worldliness, that pervades the church. “Popularity and numbers” and appealing to the lowest common denominator has created the “seeker” church. They tend to attract great numbers of people but what kind of Christians are they reproducing? A shallow convert at best, that may be enthralled with their new church but how many of them get to know the real Jesus? How many of them are just caught up in a popular emotional movement? Many come to be entertained under the guise that they are attending church and “broadening their spiritual horizons” (and perhaps their business contacts-”networking”). Jesus never couched the gospel in weakened, palatible terms nor did He entertain the many that pressed in to hear the truth. What people need is the real Jesus, they need the life changing power of the Gospel in Spirit and in truth. Many of the “converts” that I have known from “seeker” churches, have never truly repented, nor turned away from their selfish, sinful ways. Many of them are swimming in compromise and constantly fail because they’ve never really understood the gospel nor truly received the Master who is the only One who can make real changes in their lives! Many of these “seekers,” never experience the true joy of salvation because they’ve never truly been saved. Many of these end up rejecting Jesus out of ignorance or because of a hollow adherence to the gospel. There were many in the gospels that rejected what Jesus had to offer. Jesus NEVER made it easy to follow Him... many could not. Jesus was hated by those that rejected Him and had Him killed in the most grizzly form of execution ever invented. We are not to strive to be unpopular, that’s not what He did but we are also not to so water down the gospel that it is no longer the gospel! Jesus didn’t come to start a popular movement, He came that we all could be redeemed, know Him, abide in Him and have abundant spiritual life. Unfortunately, there are some very convincing, “popular” people that believe that “abundant life” means having their every selfish whim and desire, from corvettes to luxury homes.

The “name it and claim it,” “health and wealth” “prosperity gospel” crowd, constantly straddle a dangerous fence of idolatry. Many in this popular “faith movement” believe that it is a sin to be poor. Some believe that it is a sin to be sick and they brag about how they never get sick although they do. (I guess it’s better in their eyes to lie than to “negatively confess”) There are some in this movement that have ministered to me at times but alot of them hammer their audiences about “seed faith” and “sowing big to reap big” (ie: give me your money!) Of course the ministry that they want you to sow into is theirs! Many of them twist certain scriptures that they use to validate their own personal gain. They tend to get into spiritual pride, self indulgence and the licentiousness that so pervades this “style” of ministry. Much of this “movement” is nothing more than false revival, preying upon the spiritually weak, the greedy, the rebellious and the corrupt. The worst of this type of apostate preacher/adept is actually preying upon the most characterless of the selfish-- those that want God’s goodies but not God Himself. (seek His face--not His hand!)

Thyatira was a truly schizophrenic church. The Lord knew of their love, patience, faith an