Some Keys to Avoid New Age and False Ministry Traps

The Purified Remnant Focused on Jesus

There is a purified holy “kingdom of God” people coming forth on earth. A remnant people focused on Jesus. A people who do not love their lives to the death. A people familiar with the cross and that are not ashamed to bear the marks of loving Jesus in their bodies and souls. A humble people so desperately in love with Jesus and so desiring to please their heavenly Father that there is no fear in them and no place for the enemy to get his hook in them. These people have died with Christ and now live as Christ lives within them. You won’t find them wearing two thousand dollar shoes nor living in luxurious mansions and clothed in excessive wealth taken from naive Christians. But you will find them with always enough of everything to complete the plan God has for them at the time.

Revelations 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word oftheir testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Thank God for the part that the church institutions and related schools have played in preserving the Word of God and the basic message of seeking salvation from sin and being born again by the Spirit. Many people are now moving on to the fuller revelation of the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus preached and taught. Receiving increased understanding of what Jesus meant when He said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The transition is not always a smooth one as some move ahead of others and relationships change as a newf orerunner army comes into being.

Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The enemy is extremely concerned about the emergence of the kingdom of God people. The enemy knows that as the kingdom army comes forth in the love and power of Christ within them that all is lost for him. The destruction of the works of the devil will come about though the “Christ in you” people bringing forth the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. The enemy is now going all out with the most cunning and deceptive practices he can dream up. He knows the world is going for the kingdom reality if they really see and experience it. He knows he must design supernatural human good things to look somewhat like the kingdom of God with a focus on something other than Jesus.

There is a massive amount of false spiritual stuff coming forth from the enemy in an effort to replace the fading traditional religious strong holds of lukewarm, man focused, man made, some times demon inspired facsimile of church. A myriad of new age and universal reconciliation stuff under many different names is emerging. The old religions of the world such as Islam, Hinduism, and old mystic sects are rising up to take captive some of those who are seeking more. Harry Potter and other such works have subtly familiarized and enticed many main stream young people toward sorcery and witchcraft.

We now live in a world more hungry for spiritual and supernatural reality than ever before. Multitudes are seeking for much more than they have experienced in the traditional powerless church structures of the past. Without any doubt there is an unprecedented movement toward spiritual things whether they are of demonic or Holy Spirit origins.

How are people to know the difference? This requires more answer than just “by the Word of God.” Most of the false spiritualist teachers quote the Bible and speak of God and truth. What are the keys of spiritual discernment that can save the people from falling into the many snares that are now attempting to entrap them? Spiritually starving people will eat anything that looks like supernatural food.

Like the Israelites leaving Egyptian bondage many people today are not prepared for freedom. They have been trained in slavery to sin and religion but not in holiness and spiritual discernment. In Egypt they had task masters to rule over them and feed them. So what if they were in bondage as slaves to flesh and religion and had no freedom to relate freely and intimately with God, at least they knew how to function in the ways of bondage.

Jesus did not come to leave His people in Babylonian servitude of self fulfillment, pleasure seeking, lust and greed. Nor did he come to deliver them into the grip of false supernatural mystical new age universalism half truths. JESUS CAME TO LEAD HIS PEOPLE INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. He came to make them into New Jerusalem, His purified Bride, to rule and reign with Him on earth. Jesus through the Holy Spirit is indwelling His people that the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

False revival and false supernatural mysticism teaching can look much like the true Holy Spirit revival but there are distinctions that can warn us to step back or withdraw. The false may indeed teach and apply the universal laws of God. The universal laws are the same for everyone and will always bring results. New Age and Universalism type teachings apply the universal laws as from the heart of man and implemented by the mind of man. As an example, sowing and reaping is a universal law though it may go by different names in the different groups. Sowing such things as kindness and meeting peoples’ needs, works to improve relationships, material resources and other areas of life. Learning and practicing these kinds of things will make a difference in one’s life. But without the reality of Jesus the end will not be abundant life.

Keys to Discerning False

Here are a few keys to look for in discerning a true move of God from a mixture or false work.

First is its primary focus on improving our life and meeting our needs? This sounds really good but it is still a focus on man and may be making us feel better without real accountability for our selfish living and disobedience toward God. This is a false revival without JESUS and without the CROSS. If it is not first about Jesus and His taking us to the Father, it is not a true Holy Spirit birthed move. It must be about losing our lives that Christ can live in and through us. And if it is. that will truly improve peoples’ lives. It must be a Jesus revival.

Luke 9:24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Secondly, is it about defining love as tolerance and passivity toward all lifestyles and religions? Again this may sound good but it is a passionless human endeavor lacking the real love of God. It must be about being in love with God and being pleasing to Him, seeking to be and do according to His desire, only doing what we hear Him saying or see Him doing. Loving God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves does not mean being unequally yoked together with everyone. Jesus made a distinction when speaking to the Pharisees. Also He did not open himself to everyone because He knew their hearts. True revival is about becoming one with God.

John 2:24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men ...

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

Thirdly is it about our moving up the ladder to higher levels of ministry and authority? Again this sounds good but it is based on a desire to be a part of a human hierarchy of religious rule. If it is about titles and positions, it is related to pride. True revival is about becoming more humble and seeking to serve rather than seeking to be served and honored. Position and titles appeal to selfish desires and can be given or with held to control and manipulate. If the people feel a need to be in a public position of ministry it is not a true move of God. True revival is more about a “broken heart and a contrite spirit.”

John 3:30He must increase, but I must decrease.

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Fourthly, is it about spurious focus and practices. Again many agendas and practices may seem good that are at best side tracks that are not the focus of a true move of God and may be signs of the presence of a spirit of religious mysticism. These may include making the primary focus of the move on political or social agendas. Or things like returning to old covenant religious practices that were a shadow of the things to come. Rituals and ordinances of the past or from other sources can become a side track. The enemy seeks to divert attention to something other that the reality of Jesus and His kingdom coming forth on earth.

Colossians 3:2-3: Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Drawing near to God in a one on one intimate love relationship sharpens our discernment. Experiencing the love and presence of God causes us to be able to recognize a counterfeit presence or experience. When we spend more time with God, our spirits become more sensitive to what is not God. The Holy Spirit can lead us to the word and the truth. But again this begins as we become one with God through a one on one intimate relationship with Jesus and the Father through the Holy Spirit.

James 4:8-10 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

It is not about leaving a traditional church for another religious form. It is about less of us and more of Jesus wherever we are. Changes should not be made for personal comfort or because we are offended. The only reason and time for making changes is that God tells us it is time to make a change. People leaving churches because they have their feelings hurt are probably going to run into the same thing again somewhere else.

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

Kingdom people move quickly when God says to move but remain steadfast regardless of personal discomfort until they hear their instruction from God to move. Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness means seeking King Jesus. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit God abides in His temple, His people, and we abide in Him and the kingdom of God from heaven is manifest on earth. Everything our hearts long for is in the kingdom.

Pursue Love, It Never Fails,

Ron McGatlin • www.openheaven.com • This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it