This has a lot to do with sexual immorality because if you could fall for false apostles, you can fall for everything false apostles are about, including sexual immorality. Though it may not be detected early in their ministry, just watch over time and you will see things emerge.
If an apostle can excuse the small sins, the big ones are very easy to excuse as well. As compromise sets in, it is only a matter of time before you will hear the justification of sin in the life of an exposed false apostle. When you see people excuse the sin of homosexuality and abortion, it is clear that you had better start making your way for the exit.
It is very easy these days to accept an indefensible position. However, it is not worth losing your eternal salvation. In fact, the gospel of inclusion has it’s roots in Calvinism. Once saved always saved by election is very similar to the doctrine of inclusion.
And the goal of inclusionism is to get the unsuspecting, carnal person to include sexual immorality, not just homosexuality, as an acceptable activity. That homosexuality is not a sin. It is a sexual orientation.
When you see Calvinism, you see inclusionism.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”
To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
Whenever a person appears to be authoritative, they are attempting to be authentic.
In these two passages of Scripture, Revelation 2:1-2 and 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, we see that when the Lord Jesus left the earth, all of a sudden, everyone wants to be an apostle. Lately, we have seen many “new comers” to the work of an apostle.
A close friend of mine, Pastor Darren Butler of International Good News Fellowship in Hicksville, NY and I had a lengthy fruitful discussion about this. From this discussion that I had he shared something that is worth noting.
Function is more important than title.
Over the short years, we have seen that when a person desires to be legitimate and authentic, people will reach into areas where this could be achieved. The ill-advised pursuit of notoriety crept into church leadership simply because if you are “discovered,” you can get the great speaking engagements that others appear to be getting.
It’s never about getting souls into the kingdom and they will lie like a dog by the fireplace to make you think it’s about souls.
It’s about stardom, glamour, fame, and money.
We all should know that whenever the true manifests first, the false will follow. When the false manifests, the truth comes to refute it. We see this consistently in Scripture. Who was here before everything?
God.
Who showed up with sin?
The devil.
False always follow after the truth. That’s why the devil has to wait for truth to manifest so that he could bring an alternative or opposite.
So why do people want to follow the false instead of the real? The lie, instead of the truth?
You can make up your own rules. This is at the heart of all rebels. You are able to do what you want. Hence, the satanic verse of verses……“Do as thou wilt.”
The quest for authenticity apart from the truth is a pursuit that will always be unobtainable. Besides, authentic mean real. With a lie, you have to keep that lie going with another lie. That’s why Jesus said that the devil is a liar. He speaks from his own resources. There is no truth in him (see John 8:44).
With false apostles, it’s not about going out to establish new local churches. It’s not about raising leadership from within that new work. It is not about preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in places where He wasn’t preached. It’s about establishing their own personal kingdom. Additionally, another thing that is connected to false apostles is that they appear authoritative and powerful.
While some of them have great organizational skills, we see that is usually the backdrop for being able to help floundering pastors grow the work. This aspect is rather a necessary component of viable apostles. However, it is important to stay with the basic Biblical structure of an apostle.
We all know that an apostle mean sent one.
When a person says that they are an apostle, the question must be asked…..“Who sent you and where are you supposed to be.”
Pastor Butler shared this tremendous insight and called it “region.”
Look at this Scripture…
John 6:38-39 says…..
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”
Notice Matthew 15:24…
But He answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And Matthew 4:12-17, notice the word “regions.”
“Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
So here is the pattern.
Jesus was sent by the Father, not to do His own will, but the will of the Father. Jesus was sent to the lost sheep. Jesus went to the regions……
However, in the regions where Jesus was sent, something happened.
Jesus is obviously the Light of the Word, there is no dispute about that. What else took place? He preached repentance. Very few that claim to be apostles these days will stick to the basic gospel message, let alone, the basic framework of the call to be an apostle.
These are the three significant things that lack in modern day people that call themselves apostles.
1. Who sent you or did you go yourself?
2. Are you doing the will of the One Who sent you or are you doing your own thing?
3. To what area or “region“ were you sent?
Many of them will claim all of the above and they should just to save face. However, Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit.”
Just watch them and watch what they do.
Another thing that is happening is that we are seeing a consistent crop of females enter into the place of the apostle.
We must understand that the Lord used 12 male apostles. It must be understood that God predominantly uses men to preach the gospel and to lead in the church. In the family nucleus, the husband is the one that binds the house together. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, we see that it was specifically written to males. There is no feminine qualifications for women in ministry. It doesn’t mean that the Lord has excluded women from ministry. It means that the Lord predominantly issues the call to males to assume leadership positions in the ministry.
God used women tremendously in certain places of the Bible, but the Lord’s consistent pattern has always been and His preference is clearly noted that He wants a man to lead. There are places where male leadership must yield to ministering to women. Males know nothing about what goes on in womanhood just like women know nothing about what goes on in manhood.
Just like a man is uncomfortable talking to a female pastor about being impotent, a woman is uncomfortable about talking to a male pastor about feminine issues.
Are you hearing me?
Therefore, it is important to yield whenever possible, to the gender that has knowledge in these areas.
However 1 Corinthians11:3 is there for a reason.
Please note that Paul did not say that the head of every woman is man. He said the head of woman is man. Therefore, Paul here, is speaking of married women. The order for the house is God, Christ, man, woman. That’s the order. And we see that predominantly and preferably, man is to lead in the church. And again, this is not exclusive. Women leading in ministry is an exception when it is called by God.
If they aren’t called, just like when a man isn’t called, the fruit will not manifest and it’s an intrusion or false work.
I have no problem if a woman claims to be called to any of the areas of ministry, however, the test for them is the same. They have to be sent by God. They have to be found doing the will of the Father and not their own thing, and they have to be sent to a region. You will know them by their fruit.
The gift of gab and emotional energy is not proof of any call of God on a person’s life.
Everyone can talk about taking Michael Jordan, but until you get on the court with him, talk is cheap. So it is in ministry. If your calling cannot produce the fruit, then the ministry is suspect. Busy preaching in established works is not considered apostolic work. You must be able to preach the gospel. Win folk to the Lord, raise up leadership, and start the process all over again in another region as you are directed and sent by the Lord.
Why is it so hard to follow this established pattern? Starting a work from the ground up, is hard work.
These days, the chief apostles have it easy. They go into other works that are already established and pick up a paycheck for all their expenses, depleting the local church of resources needed to cover their costs. These modern day false apostles pick the weak, low productivity churches, and they know that the young, inexperienced pastor desires to be a big time pastor and preacher.
Develop a relationship with them. All the while stringing them along. Every time these super apostles show up, they plunder them. What is offered in return is a chance to probably preach with them. Sit and receive some deep counsel and that’s about it. You’re fulfilling their dream. You chase after theirs while leaving your dream to waste away. All the while, your dream is left unfulfilled. You come to their conventions with big offerings and they are able to meet their needs, but you are left with nothing, and you preach heavy tithing messages to your small congregation to impress the chief apostle the next time you see him or her. You manipulate and coerce the people to give more. You badger them and make them give what some don’t have.
And that’s another thing. Since when did chief apostle become a title? There is only one Chief Apostle and it is not you. It’s Jesus.
You try to prove your worthiness to the chief apostle with a big offering every year.
Sooner or later, you will wake up and see what this is really all about.
Then for title purposes, you start calling yourself an apostle. You get all these credentials. Educational and ordination credentials. You desire to feel important and worthy of some some respect.
For what?
All the while, things are left undone.
Many of you are wondering what a real apostle looks like. You see the TV, DVD’s, and you go to these conferences, and you watch them work. You call it God. Not realizing you are being bamboozled. You get into more debt by giving in to their money demands. Extortion without a baseball bat. False apostles say great swelling words to work you into an emotional hissy fit. You are looking to be blessed by giving away your life savings.
You give it all away and they come and repo your car, foreclose on your home, garnish your check, while Ms. and Mr., Dr. Apostle is able to drive their Bentley right by your house.
There are real apostles out there that you will never see, nor know their names. The real ones that are called will never ask for anything. They will work with their own hands even though they are entitled to compensation. The people they minister to are not known but they are able to meet their needs as the real preachers simply preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The regions these apostles are sent to, have no medical facility but the Great Physician, Jesus, is there moving in their midst to save their sin sick soul and heal their physical diseases.
These apostles move from region to region because of the love of God to preach against sin, minister to their needs, and watch God do things that big city store front preachers like me know nothing about.
Yet, there are a lot of big city, store front preachers that call themselves apostles that claim to be sent to do nothing but look important, have armor bearers chase after them to carry their Bibles, shine their shoes, carry their robes and escort them to their car.
It is time to try them and find them to either be apostles or not. So far, we haven’t tried them and they are able to get away with having a title without function. No wonder we are ineffective. And then you have these people support LGBT positions and abortion.
Outrageous!
Enemies of the cross of Christ that fill their own bellies.
Plundering wonders that unhesitatingly rape and monetarily molest the saints during an emotional hissy fit.
Right on cue to take advantage.
You would do well to heed the message of the late David Wilkerson.
RUN!!!!! Run from these false apostles and preachers that pretend to be something but they are found to be false apostles!!!
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