I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things. - 2Corinthians 11: 1-6 (ESV)

Beloved, I pray that you would bear with me today in a little foolishness. Do bear with me, as Paul asked the Corinthian church to bear with him so many years ago. For there was a problem Paul saw in the believers at Corinth that still exists today in the Body of Christ. More than a problem, it is a malignant tumor growing in the church. It feeds on biblical illiteracy and spiritual apathy. We are growing a generation of churchgoers who do not know the Bible nor seemingly care that they do not. The result is they easily follow whatever comes along that sounds good to them and says the name of Jesus enough to feel pious. As the key verses indicate, Paul was concerned that as Eve was deceived by the serpent, so the devil was deceiving and drawing the thoughts of the church away from pure and sincere devotion to Christ. That same dynamic is at play today. We see Paul offer three levels of deception that the church was under. Three things they accepted too readily. We see these things today as well.

First of all, if someone comes and claims a different Jesus than the one preached, the church seems to put up with it readily enough. Sound radical? Not really when you start to think about it. When you recognize the falseness being preached and accepted across the pews in this country. Take for instance this recent Facebook status from Joseph Prince:

Beloved, God's heart is never for you to suffer crippling illnesses, live a life that is miserable or die prematurely. Ps 91:16 says, "With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation." That is God's heart for you!

Only the master of eisegesis, that is reading personal bias into the text, can take one verse and make such an absurd declarative statement. These types of statements are what tickle the ears of believers. It is what we love to hear. No need to stop and see if what is being said is accurate. No reason to behave as a Berean. But does this represent the real Jesus? Does this represent His teachings? Does this represent God? Or have we accepted readily enough whatever false Jesus is offered to us?

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." - John 16: 33 (ESV)

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, - 2Timothy 3: 12 (ESV)

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. - Luke 9: 23-24 (ESV)

The real Jesus said we will have tribulation in this life. He said we will be persecuted for the sake of His name. He said we must deny ourselves, lose our life, and pick up our cross. Do you want to know the secret of spotting a false statement? Try applying it across the globe. The Word of God is not just for Americans. It is the same for those in the underground church in China. It is the same for those languishing in prison for their beliefs in many Muslim countries. It is for those living in the despair of abject poverty in many third world countries. Try telling Christians in Cambodia, who live on dirty water and little else, that God never intends misery. Preach to the families of the 2123 martyred Christians in 2013 that God never intends for them to die prematurely. Prophesy to the families of Christians who died from cancer last year that we are to never suffer from a crippling illness. Prince can try to be cute here because of the way he coached his words. No one really dies prematurely, God is always in control and takes us when He wants to. No one should ever live a life of "misery" because the joy of the Lord is our strength. Illness entered the world through sin, not the design of God. These larger theological points are of course not what Joseph Prince is inferring. We know this by listening to the bulk of his preaching. It is all made up of this sugar-laced, feel good blather that represents a different Jesus than the one presented in the Word of God. We put up with it readily enough. In fact, we do more than put up with it. We seek it out. We lap it up.

Secondly, Paul says that if a different spirit is received it is also put up with readily enough. We see this rampant throughout the charismatic churches today. Instead of seeking a biblical Christianity we see many pursuing an experiential Christianity. Chasing the next big thing. Following false prophets and charlatan healers instead of being found in His Word. What people think is prophecy these days is nothing more than witchcraft and clairvoyance. Dabbling in spirits other than the Holy Spirit. Spirits other than the Spirit that God gave. That is what Paul is speaking to hear. A relatively unknown Facebook "Prophetess" recently posted this:

I just HEARD the SOUND of ANGELS tonight being DISPATCHED on "YOUR BEHALF"!! & even DESCENDING with YOUR (much needed) ANSWER!! & I gotta SAY, "IT'S ON IT'S WAY!! So REST in the LORD TONIGHT

What's the big deal? First of all, despite the relative anonymity she still has over 41,000 followers. Every post she makes is nearly the same and is always for everyone willing to type "amen." I present her as a microcosm of what Paul was speaking about. This nonsense is the same that people seek from the New Apostolic Reformation, Bill Johnson, Jesus Culture, Mike Bickle, IHOP, Cindy Jacobs, Todd Bentley or any other number of false prophets who ply their trade deceiving church folk. God has warned about this in these end times:

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. - 2Thessalonians 2: 9-12 (ESV)

The existence of signs and wonders does not indicate divine authority. On the last day people who performed many miracles will be told by Jesus that He never knew them. There are lying signs and wonders. They are not elements of fringe Christianity anymore. They are moving through the mainstream like leaven through a batch of dough. Absurd silliness like gemstones, gold dust, angel feathers, and glory clouds are now being more accepted by an increasingly immature Body of Christ. One of the other manifestations of demonic spirits influencing the modern church can be found in the heretical bridal paradigm, where Jesus is sexualized through the misuse and misunderstanding of intimacy. It is reinforced through lyrics which may as well come with a parental warning:

Kiss me with the kisses of Your mouth
How handsome, my Lover, You are
Oh, how charming, my Lover, You are
While the King was at His table
My perfume left its fragrance
My Lover is to me a flask of myrrh
No wonder the maidens love You

This is not worship beloved. It is soft-core pornography. Yet hundreds of thousands of young Christians are being exploited by Satan through music such as this and the spirits which accompany them. The teachings from IHOP and Bethel are rife with this heresy. Yet despite the in your face nature of it and despite the cult like murder trial underway surrounding IHOP churchgoers, everyone seemingly turns a blind eye to it. It is put up with readily enough. In fact, it is pursued vigorously. There are different spirits at work in church buildings across this land and most people who can tell the difference are branded as trouble makers who are in need of a "deeper revelation" of God. We do not need any more revelation than what God has already provided for us in His Word. Foolishness I know.

Lastly, they readily put up with different gospels than the one true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Once considered the easiest of anathema to spot, false gospels are not only pervasive but they are celebrated! Joseph Prince readily admits he preaches a different gospel! He states it in his testimony. He claims that the generation that follows his teachings will be the last before the rapture. It is not just Prince though. We see untold numbers of people who follow a prosperity gospel. Mixed in closely with that are untold more who follow word faith gospels. By their teachings alone it is clear they are a different gospel because they do not line up with Scripture. Here for example is a recent Facebook post from renowned false teacher, Paula White:

This is your year of DOUBLE PORTION - don't settle for anything less!! Declare It and possess your promise!

This is whose year of double portion? Everyone? How is that remotely possible? Is anyone going to go through a valley? Is anyone going to see their faith tested? Is anyone going to receive only a single portion? Is it only for those who follow Paula on Facebook? It is the height of absurdity to make a declarative proclamation for 1,687,272 people; which is how many people follow her. Not only does she make a ridiculous statement such as this but she compounds it with a false gospel. Behind all word faith heretics is the hidden belief that we are little gods, who contain the power of creation within our words. Thus we can literally speak things into existence. This is exactly what Joel Osteen preaches. It is exactly what Paula White preaches. Quite frankly, it is what Joseph Prince teaches as well but his word faith heresy is usually obscured by his hyper-grace heresy. Look at the arrogance from White. To teach people to not settle for less! As if God is going to give you a single portion of his blessings and you are going to stamp your feet and demand another slice? It is the same petulant Christianity taught by Mark Batterson in the Circle Maker. Nevertheless, White implores us to declare it! A staple of word faith gospels. Possess your promise! What promise? Nowhere in Scripture does God promise me that 2014 is my year for a double portion, let alone the million plus people who saw this post. Again, the big deal is in how pervasive these false gospels are. How they have become the mainstream while sound doctrine is vilified. Within just 18 hours this Paula White post garnered over 33,000 "likes" and 5,000 "shares." it is simply put up with readily enough. As with the other examples it is worse than that because it is sought out. It is what is pursued instead of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. You know; the one with the cross, the blood, sin, and repentance?

Just allow me a little foolishness beloved. Just some truth into the darkness of lies. I know that some might look upon the successes of some of the people mentioned in here and think that they must be doing something right. That "right" however need not be godly. God does not measure success as we do. Having a "ministry" with thousands of followers does not mean God is endorsing you. Having a million Facebook followers does not mean God is approving. Broad is the path that leads to destruction and narrow is the way that leads to eternal life. As long as we stick to the Bible, we are in no ways inferior to these super-apostles, as Paul says. The reference here seems to indicate people who were teaching things contrary to the person of Jesus Christ, His Spirit and His Gospel. The context seems to indicate that and no where else does Paul refer to the other 12 apostles so snarkily, leading to the conclusion that these so called super-apostles were infiltrating the church at Corinth and Paul was speaking against them. Paul then concludes the key verses with a very interesting comparison we need to take to heart. It is not the skill of the preacher as a speaker but rather his grasp on the knowledge of the Word that matters. That fancy preaching does not make all things plain to us but rather sound doctrine. You can keep all of the slick preaching, focus group tested marketing, carnal leadership summits, worldly church growth schemes, and entertainment in lieu of real worship. Give me the knowledge I need of the truth of God. If it be foolishness to some, then a fool I am.

Reverend Anthony Wade - June 28, 2014