Hi all,
Paul said in II Corinthians 11:4 they received another spirit after first having had the Holy Spirit. What does a false spirit look like? And how shall we identify teachers who have those false spirits attached?
First, note that Paul said in II Corinthians 11:13-15 they transform themselves into the appearance of the genuine, so that means by teaching or presenting 'their truth'. This is confirmed by what he wrote Timothy in I Timothy 4:1-2, that in the last days the Holy Spirit specifically states some will be drawn away from the balance faith by 'seducting spirits and teachings of demons'. In that context he mentions celibacy and demands all people stop eating meat as a teaching of a demon.
Perhaps that is an adjustment for some - that demons teach
But once you realize that Satan perverts the true for he cannot create anything, it all hits home - how he twists words, takes the true out of context, and causes people to focus on just 1 element or teaching until that is all they can see. Demons are excellent teachers; you can identify many teachings of demons if you just look around at modern culture. But that isn't our focus today.
Jeremiah 23 is where God identifies the characteristics of people in the flesh and demonic teaching.
The whole chapter is 40 verses long, so our focus will just be on the main points. The first 8 verses can be summed up in verse 1:"Woe to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord."
After the first 4 verses expressing His anger at them, He promises in verses 5-8 to raise up the Messiah to be the Shepherd over all:"I will raise in the line of David, a righteous Branch, a King who will reign and advance and execute judgement and justice in the earth."
In the rest of the chapter, from verses 9-40,
The Lord provides us and Jeremiah with identifiers that we may know those who have a wrong spirit about them. In verses 9-15 both Jeremiah and the Lord express their grievance over the pastors and prophets and ministers who have corrupted His ways, and that none repent (v14). The Lord pronounces judgment on them, and from there we will pick up the main points.
In verse 13 the Lord says they cause His people to err.
In verse 16 the Lord says 'they make you vain', meaning they appeal to intellectual pride. One translation translates 'they make you vain' as 'they make you worthless' - the idea being your faith becomes worthless, stagnant, empty, no answers.
Also in verse 16:"...they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord."
In verse 17:"...they talk...out of the imagination of their own heart. (for example, saying no evil will happen to you)."
In verse 21:"I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran (with their own visions and words). I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied (in my name)."
In verse 26:"They prophesy lies..they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart."
In verse 27:"They cause my people to err and forget my name (balanced teaching) by them telling their dreams, which they tell every man and his neighbor, causing them to forget my name for Baal." Doesn't that sound like every so called prophet on YouTube channels telling every dream they had, every 'word' they have....God says judgment is upon them.
In verse 28 a plea for balance:
The (true) prophet who has a dream, let him tell it. And he (true prophet) who has a Word, let him speak my Word faithfully. For what is chaff to wheat? Says the Lord. (In other words, God's True is the true fruit, the false words are like the chaff blowing away in the wind. Which are you listening to? Which are you watching and reading?
In verse 30:"I am against the (false) prophets says the Lord, who steal my words every one from his neighbor."
The false prophet - and I mean Christians who give false words - have no original revelation of their own. This is because they have opened themselves to lieing spirits so they have to borrow words from each other. It is the perversion of the true, for with the True words from God, He will confirm His word by giving confirming revelation in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses. Satan perverts this and because he can't provide confirming revelation, they are left to steal words/teachings from others.
In verse 32:"Look! I am against those who prophesy false dreams says the Lord, who cause my people to err by their their lies and by their lightness (reckless respect for the true and rightful fear of God). I did not send them nor commanded them, and they shall not profit by me (I will not bless them nor what they are doing)."
In verses 33-40, the end of the chapter, the Lord says He will not respond when they ask; "What is the burden (Word) of the Lord?" He will be silent to them. In fact, in 36 the Lord tells them every person will have their own word from the Lord for their own lives - instead of running here and there for what this or that prophet is supposed to have dreamed and such.
Next week we start a new series about how to know the Spirit of Truth so we don't get deceived, and will also look at the role of the Holy Spirit in that process. We CAN know the Spirit of Truth within us, and discern when someone has a false spirit about them - that is for next week.
But for now, we have covered what a false Jesus, false Spirit (in today's message) and false gospel, and what the ministers of the false look like. We should be well armed with enough notes to weigh these things in our lives. Until next week, blessings!
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
Paul said in II Corinthians 11:4 they received another spirit after first having had the Holy Spirit. What does a false spirit look like? And how shall we identify teachers who have those false spirits attached?
First, note that Paul said in II Corinthians 11:13-15 they transform themselves into the appearance of the genuine, so that means by teaching or presenting 'their truth'. This is confirmed by what he wrote Timothy in I Timothy 4:1-2, that in the last days the Holy Spirit specifically states some will be drawn away from the balance faith by 'seducting spirits and teachings of demons'. In that context he mentions celibacy and demands all people stop eating meat as a teaching of a demon.
Perhaps that is an adjustment for some - that demons teach
But once you realize that Satan perverts the true for he cannot create anything, it all hits home - how he twists words, takes the true out of context, and causes people to focus on just 1 element or teaching until that is all they can see. Demons are excellent teachers; you can identify many teachings of demons if you just look around at modern culture. But that isn't our focus today.
Jeremiah 23 is where God identifies the characteristics of people in the flesh and demonic teaching.
The whole chapter is 40 verses long, so our focus will just be on the main points. The first 8 verses can be summed up in verse 1:"Woe to the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord."
After the first 4 verses expressing His anger at them, He promises in verses 5-8 to raise up the Messiah to be the Shepherd over all:"I will raise in the line of David, a righteous Branch, a King who will reign and advance and execute judgement and justice in the earth."
In the rest of the chapter, from verses 9-40,
The Lord provides us and Jeremiah with identifiers that we may know those who have a wrong spirit about them. In verses 9-15 both Jeremiah and the Lord express their grievance over the pastors and prophets and ministers who have corrupted His ways, and that none repent (v14). The Lord pronounces judgment on them, and from there we will pick up the main points.
In verse 13 the Lord says they cause His people to err.
In verse 16 the Lord says 'they make you vain', meaning they appeal to intellectual pride. One translation translates 'they make you vain' as 'they make you worthless' - the idea being your faith becomes worthless, stagnant, empty, no answers.
Also in verse 16:"...they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord."
In verse 17:"...they talk...out of the imagination of their own heart. (for example, saying no evil will happen to you)."
In verse 21:"I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran (with their own visions and words). I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied (in my name)."
In verse 26:"They prophesy lies..they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart."
In verse 27:"They cause my people to err and forget my name (balanced teaching) by them telling their dreams, which they tell every man and his neighbor, causing them to forget my name for Baal." Doesn't that sound like every so called prophet on YouTube channels telling every dream they had, every 'word' they have....God says judgment is upon them.
In verse 28 a plea for balance:
The (true) prophet who has a dream, let him tell it. And he (true prophet) who has a Word, let him speak my Word faithfully. For what is chaff to wheat? Says the Lord. (In other words, God's True is the true fruit, the false words are like the chaff blowing away in the wind. Which are you listening to? Which are you watching and reading?
In verse 30:"I am against the (false) prophets says the Lord, who steal my words every one from his neighbor."
The false prophet - and I mean Christians who give false words - have no original revelation of their own. This is because they have opened themselves to lieing spirits so they have to borrow words from each other. It is the perversion of the true, for with the True words from God, He will confirm His word by giving confirming revelation in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses. Satan perverts this and because he can't provide confirming revelation, they are left to steal words/teachings from others.
In verse 32:"Look! I am against those who prophesy false dreams says the Lord, who cause my people to err by their their lies and by their lightness (reckless respect for the true and rightful fear of God). I did not send them nor commanded them, and they shall not profit by me (I will not bless them nor what they are doing)."
In verses 33-40, the end of the chapter, the Lord says He will not respond when they ask; "What is the burden (Word) of the Lord?" He will be silent to them. In fact, in 36 the Lord tells them every person will have their own word from the Lord for their own lives - instead of running here and there for what this or that prophet is supposed to have dreamed and such.
Next week we start a new series about how to know the Spirit of Truth so we don't get deceived, and will also look at the role of the Holy Spirit in that process. We CAN know the Spirit of Truth within us, and discern when someone has a false spirit about them - that is for next week.
But for now, we have covered what a false Jesus, false Spirit (in today's message) and false gospel, and what the ministers of the false look like. We should be well armed with enough notes to weigh these things in our lives. Until next week, blessings!
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
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