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Recently the Spirit taught me a very graphic lesson through a conversation with a Christian who seemed to be using his mind to find ways to justify his course of life with the scriptures. He even was using the traditions of the Pharisees! By the time Jesus ministered on this earth almost 2000 years ago, the writings of the Jewish elders had to a great extent clouded the meaning of five Books of Moses, commonly known as “The Law.” Seeking to explain the law with their carnal minds, according to Jesus, they had made it of no effect. Even today in Christendom we have many Bible teachers and preachers who do the same thing with the New Testament.
Jesus told the Scribes and the Pharisees,
And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (John 5:37-40, ESV)
The scriptures, The Holy Bible, in the hands of carnal men and women can be a most deadly thing. Their traditional teachings drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit and give those under them ears that cannot hear and eyes that cannot see. When they read the Bible for themselves, they hear the words of “Pastor Wonderful” or some scholarly teacher and in so doing they unwittingly filter out the voice of the Holy Spirit. When they do hear the Spirit, it causes them great confusion because He contradicts the traditions of men. In effect such leaders cut off those who have come to Christ from His Holy Spirit that He has sent to lead us into all truth. In Jesus final hours as a man on this earth He said,
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-14, ESV)
By the end of the first century there were many carnal men teaching and leading in the churches. John was the last of the original apostles. As you read his letters to the seven churches in Asia written near the end of the first century, you see that they all had gone off track because of these false teachers. Finally, in 1 John chapter two, he wrote that there were many antichrists already among them who were teaching false doctrines. There was only one antidote to false teachers that John prescribed. Was it more human teachers as it has been with the Church in the last 1900 years? No! He told them to turn to the Spirit of Truth and listen to and abide in Him.
“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” (1John 2:26-27, ESV)
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Yes, the anointing of the indwelling Spirit of Christ is our only hope if we are to avoid being drawn away from Christ after many antichrists. I know from experience how easy a hungry baby Christian can be deceived. Paul warned the elders of the Ephesian church saying,
For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. (Acts 20:29-31, NKJV)
John wrote earlier in the above letter,
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. (1John 2:18-19, NKJV)
They rise up and teach and speak perverse things that they might draw away disciples after them. After them where? “They went out from us” because they were not of those who listen to the Spirit in the flock of Christ just as John said. These types seek want to be preeminent over the people of God. Dear saints, is it any wonder that the Christian church of today is made up of more than 41,000 different denominations and sects, all claiming Christ? More and “better” teachers, even highly educated ones, is not the solution… IT IS THE PROBLEM because they have taken the place of the Holy Spirit in the lives of most Christians and have done so for centuries. Jesus is the Head of most churches in name only.
Dear saints, the meaning of antichrist, antichristos in the Greek means more than just “against Christ. According to W. E Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words,
<1,,500,antichristos>
can mean either “against Christ” or “instead of Christ”
Yes, few Christian preachers and teachers speak against Christ, but hundreds of thousands have come out from among the faithful and risen up over them and taken the place of His Spirit… INSTEAD OF CHRIST in the lives of His body. “Little children, it is the last hour.”
A Wilderness Voice 
Amen, Michael. Great blog post! 🏆🏆🏆 May God give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying! 🙏🕊️
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Amen, Susanne. Thanks for all your likes, comments and prayers. Being one in the Spirit with you is an amazing experience. 🙏🕊️🙏
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You are very welcome, Michael. Thank you just the same for yours. 😇🙏🕊️💕🕊️🙏😇
It is always only the Holy Spirit Who makes us one as we are connected to the Head of the Body of Christ. Without Jesus we are toast and all our human efforts to work for God or to create some kind of fellowship with one another avail to nothing. Thank God He bestowed this gift of oneness to us by His grace!! 🕊️🎁🥇
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Susanne, I am so grateful for the unity of the Spirit that we share even with all the ups and downs and heart searching that comes through walking in the Light with one another. James wrote,
“Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” (Jas 5:16, AMP)
Even our heart breaking “false steps and offenses” when shared and prayed for can bring great healing and growth, wouldn’t you say?
“Travail lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Your brother IN Christ,
Michael
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Yes, I agree, Michael. I am very grateful to God that He put us together and that He helps us forget the spiritual pains endured quickly. It is always refreshing to be comforted by God and to experience His peace 5,500 miles apart but together in Him. 😇🙏🕊️🙏😇
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But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (1Cor 2:9-10, ESV)
Amen! May our love for the Father increase more and more each day, dear sister IN Christ.
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Amen!! 🙏
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This is great. it reminds me of a video that was posted by a lady that makes videos explaining the bible. She made a video saying she is not the Holy Spirit and would be in agreement with you on what you said here. I hope I am wording that correctly. The reason she said it is she didn’t want to take the place of the Holy Spirit in peoples live at least that was what I got out of the video as little of it as I saw.
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This so important. Thanks, Fred.👍
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Thank you, Michael, for the blog. My computer will not print one of the alphabet, therefore I don’t comment much.
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You are welcome, Pat. Go ahead and write with that one letter missing. We will figure it out. In fact I can edit it back if in your comments if you like. It is always good to hear from you, my sister.
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Thank you Brother for posting this. I cannot say enough how many times in the last couple of days I’ve felt the need to differentiate what is of the letter and what is of the Spirit in my life. Your post has encouraged me. Thank you once again.
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This is encouraging to hear, Patrick. If I hear God speaking anything at all in these last days it is how important it is to walk after and listen to the Holy Spirit and not some religious routine or preconceived idea of what certain Bible verses mean. The scope of His words keeps expanding and they become ever more relevant in our lives.
Michael
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Amen Michael, I believe the walk of the Spirit is the only way with God. Thanking Him for His mercies and grace as some of us make baby steps.
Abounding grace to you in Him
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What a marvelous post Michael. This brings to mind an event that happened several years ago while visiting with a precious friend who is catholic, the Lord gave me a revelation along these lines. After a few minutes of catching up he asked me a, “religious question” about getting to know God. I asked him if he remembered when he met Linda, the girl he married. He said he did, so I presented this scenario to him. I took him from meeting Linda to dating and eventually asking her to marry him. Then to the wedding ceremony at the end of which the minister told him he could kiss his bride and then presented the happy couple to the folks that had gathered for the event. Then I asked him, “Ray, what if Linda’s dad had come up and handed you this beautifully bound book, and he said to you. Ray, I am giving you this wonderful book that is all about my daughter. It has photos, stories and events of her entire life from birth to her eventual death. You may have this book and I shall take Linda home to live with her mom and I. I then asked Ray this question. Brother how much enjoyment and pleasure will you have on your honeymoon. You certainly won’t consummate your marriage but, you’re gonna have this marvelous book and it is all true but you won’t have Linda in person. He looked at me as like I was crazy, and then he said. “Ken, if that happened, we wouldn’t have our children nor would we have our precious grand babies.” I said, that’s right but you have this priceless book. Now, do you see how much intimacy means to God? He not only wants us to know all about HiM but HE wants us to know HiM personally and intimately. He desires for us to see HiM and hear HiS voice. HE wants us to experience HiS amazing love at the deepest level. HE wants to hold us and to comfort us when we need comforting. I believe this scenario helped Ray in his search for God.
My wife and I have shared this revelation through the years and it has ministered to those with whom we shard it. Blessings dear ones. Ken
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Thanks for sharing that, Ken. Most Catholics are ignorant of the Bible. I was one of them. I think that so-called “Bible Church” members need to hear this allegory more than Catholics. The Catholics I have shared my testimony with about Jesus personally coming into my life in a very tangible, personal and life changing way… they wanted to hear more! I shared my testimony with my cousins at a family gathering a couple years ago and they wanted to hear more. Then one of them reacted and said, “THIS MAKES ME SO MAD! We went to Catholic school all 12 grades and by the time we got into high school I was hoping to hear about Jesus, but all we were taught was about the popes! Pope this and pope that… by the time I graduated I was so tired of all that pope s___t I wanted to scream!”
A few years ago a brother told me a story about meeting a young Christian girl at a church conference and she kept talking about her pastor and how wonderful he was and what a great speaker and teacher he was, etc. Finally this brother said, “Do you plan on getting married one of these days in the future?” She replied, “Of coarse!” He then asked her, “Well, when the words have been spoken and the pastor pronounces you man and wife, are you going to kiss the best man and grab his hand and head off for your honeymoon?” She said, “NO! I want to spend my honeymoon and the rest of my life with my husband!” He replied, “Don’t you see? Your heavenly Husband is Jesus, not your pastor! Fix your heart on Him, not the best man.”
Love you, my brother!
Michael
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“Little children, it is the last hour…” (1 John 2: 18). A heartbreaking statement.
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Anna,
We know that it is the last hour because MANY antichrists have come, but it is not too late to fix our hearts and gaze on Jesus.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1John 3:1-3, ESV)
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Another good article teaching what the church does not teach. The Spirit is within us, the Spirit is our teacher and guide. We have put pastors in a place never intended as the middle men/women or supposed mouthpiece of God. Listen for the leading and the Spirit from within and let the Spirit guide you throughout life here on earth.
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Thanks, brother. You wrote, “We have put pastors in a place never intended as the middle men/women or supposed mouthpiece of God.” Yes, whole congregations have made the pastor their mediator and his titles are “wonderful, counsellor, peace maker and the preeminent one.” All these are titles that belong to Christ and if we walk by the Spirit, He functions quite well in these functions.
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
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For 14 years I’ve interpreted Anti-Chirst with “replacement Christ”, one who seeks preeminence among the brethren. Anyone who stands in place of the Holy Spirit is an Anti-Christ and the World is FULL of them, even in the House Church movement. My Spirt has also always cringed when I saw a “teacher”/pastor wearing a suit and a tie, interpret that as you may.
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Yes, my brother, antichrist leaders come out from the body of simple believers and rise up over them every time. This is what the leaders of the world always do and they like to dress in such a way that everyone can see that they are set just like the Pharisees of old. In the worldly church, even worldly house churches, most don’t wear vestments, but rather they like to dress in suits which insinuate power.
“They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues.” (Matt 23:5-6, ESV)
This is far from the humble Christ who only had that one robe and often slept out in nature with His humble followers and He sat among them as He taught, welcoming their questions and comments.
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