STRANGE FIRES

Mystics in the Church of God

Something is wrong, bad wrong! Are there mystics, soothsayers and spiritist in the Church of God?

The Holy Spirit is not strange, weird or mystical. He is the third part of the Trinity. He is a gentleman, a statesman and a loving Spirit Who lifts up Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He is not a female presence. He is not an “it,” a “thing,” a “mist,” a “feeling” or some orphic force.

Experiences, even vivid, powerful, and supernatural ones, are not measurements for truth. In my generation I’ve seen meetings where gold dust, feathers, gems, and people barking and roaring like lions were showcased. A search through the Scriptures gives no evidence that the Holy Spirit used any of these manifestations to confirm Christ’s resurrection. These are a few examples of strange fire.

Beware unholy mixtures. Don’t knowingly preach with amoral teachers, preachers, musicians or singers – and don’t sit in their meetings, either. You will find that some in error are very talented but talent does not usher in the presence of the Holy Ghost. Talent is seen in skillful performances and useful for entertaining. Entertainment, however, will not change hearts. New Testament prophets are called to turn hearts to Christ, not put on a show for people.

The truth in some prophetic circles have lost their mooring, are demonic, and destructive in their current operations. The sad truth is that some have sought prophetic ministry not the ministry of the Holy Ghost. And Sátan has given them what they desired, prophetic ministry void of the Holy Spirit.

One particular trait among some ministers is the love of money that finance extravagant lifestyles. Some who embrace these spirits are merchandisers. A merchandiser sells prophecies, healings, religious oils, potions and various products that reinforce their message. Typically they work within their own networks, focusing on getting as much money from people as possible. They have all kinds of gimmick offerings that manipulate people. They are always recruiting followers to join their groups.

The flow of New Testament prophets is primarily used for edification, exhortation and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). This gift also helps turn logos, the written Word, to rhema, a life-giving Word, as the Holy Spirit wills. Again, New Testament prophets are not psychics. A psychic uses demon powers to prophesy. As already said, prophets are not mystics. A mystic is one that uses spirit counterfeits to appear like they have some sort of special access or favor with God. 

There is a lot of debate among believers as to whether a Christian can truly be possessed or not. Without getting into all that, I will say this, I have seen people who had been saved and were demon possessed, and then were delivered fully, but only when they repented, had a full change of heart and wanted to walk in righteousness.

If one continually sins and hardens their heart, they open themselves up to demonic activity in their life. Many carnal Christians misuse grace as a license to sin and live worldly lives

Believers can be manipulated if they are not strong in the word, if they do not understand their spiritual authority in Christ, if they are people pleasers, if they have spirits of rejection and unresolved abandonment issues, unforgiveness, etc. There are many reasons why people may allow themselves to be used by Jezebel or Ahab. The key is that they recognize that this is happening, then repent and God will deliver them.

Demon spirits are crafty. They like to infiltrate ministries. They like to blend in. They try to deceive both the weak and the strong. As already said they will do their best to stop your spiritual discernment even if it means using guilt manipulation, scripture, false prophecy, religious legalism, state sponsored Communists, or Christian witches releasing curses.

Identifying Marks of Religious Spirits

Here are a few identifying marks of religious gatekeepers. Some may have all of these characteristics or only a few. Religious spirits:

- Have a form of godliness but deny the power of the Holy Ghost
- Design, maintain and advance dead religious traditions of men
- Are legalistic
- Are self-righteous
- Full of hypocrisy
- Try to make everyone the same
- Blend with culture instead of changing culture
- Focus on the outside while ignoring the inside of man
- Take unto themselves titles they did not receive from God
- Please men rather than God
- Want admiration and respect from men

WAR IN THE MIND

2 Cor 10:3 "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh..."

The word war is written all through the Bible. There is a spiritual war that we are in. We are going to talk more about that later. There is a spiritual war that rages in the minds of Christians too.

When you were saved, your spirit man became born-again and alive unto God, but your mind didn't change. You still had carnal thinking and bad information in there that had to be renewed. Even your body stayed the same when you first got saved (Romans 12:1–2).

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty through God." We need supernatural weapons to stand against this thing called an imagination, casting it down, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, or the word of God, or the plan of God, or the purpose of God in our life. Bringing into captivity, some thoughts, sometimes? No, every thought, every time. Judge your thoughts and imaginations by the written word of God. If you will do this, it will help keep you from getting flaky and unstable.

Since the Garden of Eden, the devil hasn’t changed his strategy. The tactic that worked with Eve he will try with you by introducing doubt and focusing you on imaging the forbidden. Satan took advantage of Eve’s imagination.

Eve did exactly as God had created her. She imagined the possibility. Like Eve our imaginations are designed to image “all things possible”, even wrong things. Eve took the bait by entertaining the possibility the tree would make her like God. The formation of that possibility was within her imagination. Just as God created her, she was using her imagination to create. It was, however, the wrong image. This is what happens in our lives too. Eve pondered Satan’s words within her imagination. To win the war against your life you must conquer the vain imaginations that attack your mind. When you receive a thought contrary to God’s word for your life don’t let it incubate within your imagination, bind it up and cast it down.

"Bringing into captivity every thought…" God knows about our ability to drift out into imaginations and He has made provision in His Word for us to conquer this area. So He is declaring, "The weapons of your warfare are not carnal, but mighty through Him, to pull down those thoughts that would rise up against God's will, God's Word, and God's ways, in your life."

"Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." Imaginations exalt themselves against who God says you are. It is the voice of an imagination that says, "You're no good, you can't make it, you'll never do it, or so and so will come against you, you are always going to be sick, etc."

Have you floated out into an imagination today?

For example, you may have started thinking what your husband might say, what your parents might say, what your wife might say, or how your children might act. You started wondering how your boss might act. All of a sudden, your mind is consumed with imaginations. Now you're running and walking not after the Spirit, but after an imagination. This is what many Christians do, and because we walk out of our imaginations, we lose the victory of the knowledge of God in our lives.

WARRIORS WEAR ARMOR

Warriors wear armor. Armor is for the fighting man. Apostle Paul likens spiritual opposition to warfare. He teaches five important truths.

1- Christ’s followers should be strong in the Lord.
2- Be full of spiritual power.
3- Recognize devils have wiles or tactics.
4- The battle is a spiritual battle not a natural one.
5- Spiritual warriors wear God’s armor.

This means the battle ready fight back.

Paul uses terms such as soldier, fight, weapons and armor. Warfare means “armed conflict against an enemy.” As Christians we understand there are many spiritual enemies. Nevertheless, Scripture puts it all into perspective saying, “But the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).

Apostle Jonas Clark
https://twitter.com/apostlejonas