OPENING OF HEART – Chapter 1 -part 6
TV MINISTRIES
I am constrained by the Spirit of the Lord to destroy, at this junction, the deception that Satan has been propagating by many preachers in the Church of Jesus Christ concerning “FLESH”. FLESH IS NOT A WAY OF THINKING, IT IS NOT OUR MIND-SET! The way of thinking and our mind-set is the RESULT of flesh, and not flesh itself.
FLESH IS OUR OLD SATANIC, SINFUL, FILTHY NATURE AND DWELLS IN THE OLD MAN – OLD UNRENEWED SOUL OF EVERY PAGAN AND BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER AND MINISTER OF JESUS CHRIST! AND ALL CARNAL BELIEVERS AND PAGANS LIVE IN IT.
FLESH IS THE PRIDE, ARROGANCE, JEALOUSY, SELFISHNESS, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS, STUBBORNNESS, WICKEDNESS, DISOBEDIENCE, DECEITFULNESS, FOOLISHNESS, HYPOCRISY, ENVY, FEARS, HATRED, MALICE AND OTHER EVIL AND DARKNESS IN EVERY OLD, UNRENEWED SOUL OF EVERY MAN!
THE LORD COMMANDS US ALL THAT THIS TRUTH MUST BE PREACHED AND TAUGHT and not our own humanistic ideas deceiving His people.
Furthermore, the Lord desires us to see and understand the following vital truth about flesh. Whenever we believe A LIE and cherish it in our mind or heart, that lie becomes the ground within our soul occupied by the powers of darkness and evil, which ground they can then use as a basis for their operations. Such a basis constitutes FLESH within us in addition to all the above stated and framed facts about flesh. Whenever we believe a foolish thought, judge unrighteously based on untruth, wrong or insufficient information, past experiences, appearances, etc., (Jn. 7:24), we build within us A NEW FLESH. It can then be rooted into us and persist in our soul for years to come.
Therefore, unless our wrong beliefs and lies dwelling within us are destroyed, the devil will keep his territory in our soul and will effectively stand in the way of our Salvation, spiritual growth and spiritual maturing.
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B. TRINITY BROADCASTING NETWORK (TBN)
This TV station operates from Santa Clara, California, USA and it brings all kinds of religious programming on the air. Their programs are aired to many nations of the world and influence millions of people around the globe. I watched their programs for over four years together with some of my brethren from our Body of Christ. On one hand, we thank the Lord that such a station exists and broadcasts also programs, which are highly desirable not only for pagans to be brought to the saving Grace of the Lord, but also for believers and their continued Salvation.
On the other hand, the Lord showed us that some programs are clearly not of His Spirit at all, they are offensive to Him, defying His Word and are undesirable for people to see, absorb and be guided by. We will point out those the Lord considers offending later on. This Lord’s light and His corrections are absolutely necessary to guide His Church during these last days before His Coming.
Many readers of this book might be familiar with this station and might have watched many programs themselves, so they could also ponder what the Lord granted us as His light and judgment of some of the programs and ministers appearing on TBN channels. There are many, many things that could be written showing both beneficial as well as detrimental effects on TBN channels.
It has been my faith, experience and a firm conviction that every ministry should be continually exposed to the Light of Truth and necessary corrections from the Lord if it is to be justified to continue in His Presence. (Rev. 1:14-16; 2:5) Its function and fruit must continue to be acceptable and desirable to the Lord of all lords. The Lord’s message to the seven churches (Rev. chpts. 2,3) must not be taken lightly by any believer and by any minister unless we are ready to suffer the consequences thereof.
I will divide His Light granted to us about TBN into three sections. Those spiritually negative and detrimental examples shown below indicate the state of their churches (Rev. 3:17-19) as well as the corrections needed. They should remember from whence they have fallen (Rev. 2:5) and why these below ministries are not acceptable to the Lord and why His Spirit is truly grieved and suffering.
1. INDECENT MINISTRIES
THE LORD SAYS: “LET ALL things be done DECENTLY and in order” (1Cor. 14:40)
a) In January 2003, the Lord showed us bishop Earl Paulk’s church auditorium (we only saw the end part of the “service”) where a white guest speaker with a black man were without their jackets as they ran and then slid on their bellies and shirts across the podium! The guest speaker then came to the pulpit and the black man jumped on his neck and shoulders from behind. He then wobbled away from the pulpit carrying the black man on his shoulders, both men wildly laughing. These so-called “ministers” acted as “crazy people possessed by evil spirits”.
This is what the Lord says to them: “It is written, My House shall be called the House of prayer; but you have made it a HOUSE OF CLOWNS AND A CIRCUS”. (see Mt. 21:13)
This Word applies to all such “clowns” in the Church of Jesus Christ who seem to run religious fun clubs calling them “churches”. The Lord requires a public repentance from those “ministers” (we do not know their names) and from bishop Earl Paulk for spreading this religious dung on worldwide television. Many pagans are more decent and intelligent than many so-called Christians. The true joy in the Spirit is always DECENT and never crazy.
b) Some ministers use His HOLY NAME in a derogatory sense as if the ALMIGHTY LORD, the CREATOR of this Universe were their “buddy”! [The Lord points to J. Duplantis, ex.: “Jesus, take off your shirt and show your back.” The Spirit never speaks and never guides any one to speak in such an arrogant way about the King of all kings! The Lord says that the “ministry” of Jesse Duplantis is blasphemous and a religious comedy where he shows no fear and no knowledge of the LORD whatsoever!]
Other ministers indulge in sexual preaching even putting their words into God’s mouth! [The Lord points to John Hagee, ex.: “And God said: Let there be sex.” God never said that, His Spirit never guided Jesus or anybody else to speak like that about what God created to be intimate. It is dangerous for any man to put his words into God’s mouth and feel ‘fine’.] And there are others like that.
Have such ministers ever had a true reverence and fear of the LORD? Have they ever feared the Word of God in Mt. 12:37? Their gospel is often mixed in with fun, laughing, screaming and improper joking at improper times! This may be very attractive and highly entertaining, but it is spiritually primitive, at times even indecent and offensive to the Lord, without spiritual understanding, intelligence or knowledge of the Lord. It produces no spiritual values, never changes the character of believers and is purely an intellectual and emotional religion. Their ministry may be very impressive, done with human boldness and persuasiveness, but it is ABHORRENT to the LORD. (Jam. 1:26// Eph. 5: 3,4) The Lord says that such ministers serve Him in their own human cleverness, and in “standing firm for God”, they only express their own strong soulish personalities!
The LORD asks where is their spiritual discernment? All such ministers are called to repent to the Lord, change the ways of their ministry, stop grieving the Holy Spirit – or else, the Lord will remove their candlestick, which may thus be giving more spiritual darkness than light! (Rev. 2:5)
The LORD says that such have not known HIM in spirit, never honoured and worshipped HIM in spirit and in truth but only in their flesh! (Jn. 4:24) The chief reason is twofold: their strong proud soul is not broken and is not divided–separated from their spirit. (Heb. 4:12) This indicates that such were not subjected to the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Also, they regard their good intellectual knowledge of the Word as the revelation from the Spirit, which it is not! This type of “religious entertainment” has started in the USA and has been exported to all the world bringing SHAME to the LORD and to His Church and greatly grieving His Holy Spirit!
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Let me add this in my own words: Yes, the Lord has an excellent sense of humour. Yes, I myself love good jokes and also jovial believers rather than the “undertakers”. Yes, we have the right to laugh and be happy – at the right time, right place and right manner. (Ecc. 3:1,4) But many ministers have no spiritual discernment, they only talk about the Spirit of the Lord! They may hate me for this statement, they may not be able to believe me, but that is not my problem, it is theirs. I declared the Truth and Judgment from the Lord and I do hope that they will at least consider it in their hearts.
Now, I also must say this: I do appreciate them in the Lord and appreciate their enduring commitment to the work for the Lord. The Lord is using them in other ways, but they tolerate “flies in their ointment”… maybe much more than just flies! (Ecc. 10:1,2) And if they have any doubts about the above judgment of the Lord, then they should go to Him on their knees and ask Him… and He will confirm it to them.
Let me continue my own words saying also this: It does not belong into this chapter of “Indecent Ministries” at all!… yet, I chose to say it right here for comparison. There are good and excellent ministers and preachers on TBN. I have it in my heart to mention at least one such preacher – Charles Stanley from “In Touch Ministries”. He never puts his hands in the pockets of his pants showing pride, giving an impression that he “knows it all”. He never strives, sweats, screams his head off, runs across the stage like a zealot, says improper jokes or begs for money. He is composed, decent, humble, unpretentious and gives to his congregation very practical Words of God for their daily life …and the Lord is pleased with him! And I do not flatter him one bit… I love him very much.
It was also delightful to see sister Dollar teaching the Bible to children on one TBN channel. The Lord is pleased with women who minister within the limits of the Word of God and are able to discern their role in serving Almighty God. The Lord loves such lady-ministers, and so do I.
[So, here you have a balanced truth.]
Let me conclude my own words by this statement. The churches in North America and Europe would, in my belief, need preachers, teachers, pastors and evangelists from some poorer countries of the world (Africa, Asia, South America) to bring them the right kind of Christianity, a more humble, pure and living, less bombastic, less showy and a less self-conscious one. Too many North American and European church leaders have abandoned spiritual ways and the Full Gospel of God and they now walk the ways of this corrupted world and their soul is far from the Spirit of God. Thank God, there are yet pastors and preachers in the “uncivilized countries” who have open, simple and humble hearts. It is a true pleasure to minister to them the simple and meek Christ (2Cor. 1:12; 11:3// Mt. 11:29) and His Majestic Salvation. And they believe and receive the Word without any spirit of pride, arrogance, self-righteousness or fears.
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I am constrained at this point by the Spirit of the Lord to testify also about the following sad fact. No sooner had the poor nations of the former communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe emerged from under the satanic oppression, deception and terror of communism, when they were submerged into another danger and deception – this “Las Vegas” kind of Christianity from the USA and other religious garbage published in books, magazines or through mass media. The Cross has been taken out, personal holiness and righteousness disregarded, preaching of prosperity, fun and “prophecies” on how the world will end, and also other similar messages saturated Central and Eastern Europe and reached catastrophic proportions.
True evangelistic efforts are certainly needed and most welcomed. To bring pagans to Christ is necessary, wise and blessed, but then to submerge them into this kind of “religious dung” is not only silly and counterproductive but outright dangerous for those souls. When the converts of Pharisees were turned into “sons of hell” (Mt. 23:15), then what are these converts being turned into?
Satan has evil wisdom, he knows what he is doing and too many believers are foolish enough to serve him wholeheartedly in the NAME of Jesus Christ! Lord, have mercy on us! I also tell you IN THE NAME OF CHRIST JESUS that North America and Europe, being the largest bastions of Christianity in the world, have become the richest and also largest SPIRITUAL CEMETERIES in this world. Most of the churches in these “civilized countries of the world” have become spiritually and morally corrupt! They may evangelize and preach the basic Word to millions around the world, but with it, they also minister their corrupt spirit! The Bride of Christ shall rise mostly from the poor countries of this world and only few men among them will be theologically educated. (1Cor. 1:19,26-29)
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Back to TBN…
c) THE LORD ADMONISHES THOSE THAT PUBLICLY DISHONOUR HIM AND BRING SHAME TO HIM BY THEIR INDECENT APPEARANCE DEFYING HIS WORD IN 1COR. 14:40. They may not be conscious of it at all since their conscience may be dead or seared with a hot iron (1Tim. 4:2):
• Men who have long hair or earrings or even other piercing. They additionally defy His WORD in 1Cor. 11:14 and should be ashamed before the LORD while they sing, or “worship” or even preach. They are REPUGNANT to the Lord and to His Spirit and the Lord does not accept their “ministry”, which is not of His Spirit and cannot bring forth any good fruit.
Should His Spirit speak to such men, He would first guide them to the truth in 1Cor. 11:14 and would not give them any other “revelations“. Based on this Word, the Lord Himself never had long hair as He has been portrayed by artists for centuries! He would never go against His Own Word!
• Women who have short hair (boy’s hair cut) or with their heads “uncovered” while praying, prophesying or otherwise ministering in the Church are REPUGNANT to the Lord and they are also dishonouring their heads as if they were shorn bald. (1Cor. 11:5,10,13,15)
• Women ministering in pants and other men’s apparel are REPUGNANT to the Lord and to His Spirit; it is the devil who created “unisex” and not God. The devil causes men to be effeminate and women to be like men, but God hates this mixture, any mixture. [ex. Deut. 22:5,10,11// Neh. 13:3// Is. 1:22 // Dan. 2:41-43// Hos. 7:8-10; since Jesus Christ is the Word (Jn. 1:1,14), then He is also the Old Testament Word!]
• Women who wear indecent wigs, big earrings, heavy make-up or long polished nails and look like witches rather than daughters of God are DISHONOURING THE LORD directly. They may be less decent than many pagans and unaware of what kind of foul spirits they are projecting onto the TV screens affecting millions of people while they try to “minister” and use the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST – THE CREATOR of this Universe!
At this place, the Lord points also to Jan Crouch (the wife of Paul Crouch, TBN Founder) and considers her appearance ABHORRENT to Him. She should be an example to other women, yet, she is like unto Tammy Bakker from the former PTL Club, who, God says, has been a cursed woman. [PTL Club was destroyed, it served the devil, brought shame to the Lord and we interceded before the Lord to destroy it; see also pages 160-162[8]]
The Lord also questions Benny Hinn and his spiritual discernment when he one day said to Jan Crouch on a national TBN telecast: “Oh, you are a doll”!? The Lord will not tolerate such spiritual darkness with any of His servants and that with no respect of persons. (Lev. 19:15// Deut. 1:17// 1Pet. 1:17) This Lord’s warning applies specially to all the ministers that are exposed on the national or even worldwide television and carry a much greater responsibility and accountability before Him than many obscure ones do.
• Young ministers, especially singers, who seem to minister or “worship” looking, and many times even sounding, like heavy metal bands. They seem to believe that “the more noise, the higher the screaming, the better the worship”. It may be sufficient just to use the NAME of Jesus in order to get to perform on TBN channels. For spiritually dead believers, it might be a “lively music”, but there is no spiritual discernment as to what is from the Lord’s Spirit and what is from hell, what is acceptable, even pleasant, to the Lord and what is abhorrent to Him.
2. CARNAL MINISTRIES
THE LORD SAYS: “And the servant of the LORD MUST NOT STRIVE; …IN MEEKNESS INSTRUCTING…”. (2Tim. 2:24,25)
The Lord asks why many TBN ministers continually strive sweating, screaming, jumping, or running across stages? [The Lord points to R.Parsley, T.D.Jakes, Juanita Bynum and many others.] The Lord says that in the sweat of our face we will eat our bread (Gen. 3:19), but we cannot minister in the Inner Court of the Lord’s House! (Ez. 44:17-19,23)
DECIBELS DO NOT SHOW SPIRITUALITY, DO NOT PROVE ANY TRUTH AND DO NOT PRODUCE ANY SPIRITUAL WORK OR FRUIT ACCEPTABLE TO THE LORD! STRIVING IS NEVER DONE IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD BUT ALWAYS IN OUR FLESH!
The Lord is also asking such ministers why do they appear “normal” while speaking from their offices or from elsewhere, but behind the pulpit they change into different creatures striving, screaming, sweating? The Lord also asks where is their meekness and spiritual discernment?
I believe that throughout the years, we all developed certain styles of ministry and this “mode” has then become our “mould”. It is difficult to get out of it. If the Lord does not mind our habit(s), all is well. But if He speaks against it, we must pay attention for there is something WRONG WITH US. STRIVING COMES FROM FLESH, FROM ITS ANXIETY AND RESTLESSNESS, NEVER FROM THE SPIRIT! These ministers are restless and anxious and, hence, the Spirit can not bless such a ministry or make it spiritually beneficial or fruitful because it is conducted in fleshly spirits.
Such ministers have become masters of their “religious performances” and are themselves clearly enjoying them together with their usually large audiences! The congregations usually come with the expectations to be entertained… but not to take another step to “die to themselves”! (1Cor. 15:31) HELLO? Are you with me? The Lord says that pride and self-glorification is involved in the hearts of such ministers. Why?
Well, the Lord says: “He that glories let him glory in the Lord.” (1Cor. 1:31) In the light of the above paragraph and in my many personal experiences, I must say that there are countless ministers who just “glory in their performances”, in their own efforts, their own religious successes, in constructing large and magnificent buildings and filling them with large congregations. Their zeal for the Lord is stirred by their flesh and blood and not by the Spirit. They have pride in their own achievements while they claim that it was the Lord who built it. REALLY? The Lord ALLOWS men to build what their hearts plan and desire. He then only directs their steps so that it might become as beneficial for His purposes as possible under the circumstances. (Pr. 16:2,9)
The Spirit of the Lord is not limited to our buildings, radio or TV networks or other man-made means as we may believe or imagine that He is. The first Apostles and the early Church that turned the world upside down by their voices had used nothing of that sort. (Rom. 10:18) Very few people can imagine that the Spirit can create anything He wants out of nothing! That He showed the light of Salvation to ALL MEN centuries before men dreamed about TV or radio or missionaries. (Tit. 2:11// Ps. 98:3) My heart knew the Lord before it knew anything about religion.
The Lord builds His Living Body and not magnificent buildings with large congregations! We now live in the New Testament, not the Old Testament. Today, His Temple is spiritual, not physical! We must thus see and understand also the following fact.
A CONGREGATION IS NOT THE BODY OF CHRIST! It is just a big or small group of individuals, born-again or not, with the most divergent minds, hearts, faith, intentions, desires and will, having only superficial relationships with one another, sitting in some building with a cross on the roof. And that is unfortunately the only place where the cross may be found, on the roof, and not in their souls! But that is as far from a local expression of the living Body of Christ, as is East from the West! Had you been born with such a dysfunctional “body” yourself, you would have been in a wheelchair from your birthday!
So, if you build a large congregation without providing for smaller home units (sometimes called cells), where the Lord’s Spirit can truly work, then you are just building a large audience that may bring in a lot of money and some glory to you – but to the Lord’s Spirit it may bring only more suffering and pain. (Eph. 4:30) However, large audiences during evangelistic rallies (ex. B. Graham or others) for the purposes of Salvation are a different matter.
The Lord will never provide to the ministries, which minister pride – He resists them! He resists the proud because they are not submitted unto Him, they do not resist the devil and do not draw nigh to God. They all are double minded and have filthy hands and hearts. They should be afflicted, mourn and weep and humble themselves in the sight of the Lord! (Jam. 4:6-10// Mt. 11:29) [Here, the Lord points to K. Hagin, jr., who keeps his hands in the pockets of his pants even while reading the WORD of GOD, preaching, praying or worshipping GOD, showing a horrible PRIDE AND DARKNESS! And there are many others who are proud though they may not all keep their hands in the pockets of their pants, they may have gowns or skirts.]
What then can such ministers give to their “sheep” except their own pride and darkness? This is all they have. They cannot give them what they do not have. Many times they themselves may preach about flesh, identify evil and sins of flesh, even the necessity to condemn it and get rid of it all. Yet they are not delivered from it themselves. Why? Because it is foolish to assume that our mind can expose our own sinfulness! It takes the Light from the Lord and not the effort of our poor, selfish and proud soul. Yet, even the proud may preach and people may be saved, but they cannot grow and mature beyond the spiritual state of their own preachers or shepherds!
The Presence of the Lord is usually not found in magnificent buildings or auditoria where the proud are often preaching, only His Grace is present there. He is usually found in the hearts of simple people in the rooms of ordinary houses… and mostly out of the reach of mass media.
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The Spirit of the Lord constrains me at this point to declare to all ministers and servants of the Lord Jesus Christ the following important spiritual truth:
THE FACT THAT GOD RAISED UP AND BLESSED A MINISTRY, MISSION, INSTRUMENT OR INDIVIDUAL VESSEL DOES NOT MEAN AT ALL THAT HE HAS TO CONTINUE WITH IT!
IT DOES NOT MEAN AT ALL THAT HE CANNOT CLOSE IT OR DISCONTINUE IT OR ABANDON IT ALTOGETHER WHEN IT DEPARTED FROM HIM, FROM HIS WORD, FROM ITS OWN SPIRITUAL PURITY AND USEFULNESS FOR HIM! (ex: Rev. 2:5)
The above applies not only to great, famous or otherwise well-known (radio or TV) ministries, but also to their individual leaders who may have started well and with the Lord but were found in the mire of their own ideas, plans and zeal… and without the Lord! And they may not be aware of it! So they continue as those priests in the Tabernacle in Shiloh or Gibeon where they were doing “according to ALL that is written in the law of the Lord, which He commanded Israel” (1Chr. 16:40// Josh. 18:1) though the Ark (Christ) was NOT THERE!
The Ark (Christ) was foolishly taken out of His House by their leaders to defend Israel and was taken by their enemy, the Phillistines! (1Sam. 4:3,10,11) Amazing!
THE PRIESTS OF ISRAEL FORSOOK THE LORD AND SO THE LORD FORSOOK THEM! (2Chr. 15:2; 24:20// 1Sam. 4:3// Jer. 7:12-16// Ps. 78:59,60)
Was “THAT” LORD different from the LORD “WE HAVE TODAY”? (Heb. 13:8) HELLO? Are you with me? Many believers and ministers alike may also be “forsaken” by the LORD and they may not even be aware of it, and they continue “ministering according to ALL that their religious convictions require”. Of course, “forsaken” may not mean eternally, but for their ministry to the LORD and to His Church.
My question is: Has the LORD changed His Ways, His Mind, His Judgments in the New Testament? Not one bit! Are we, the ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, willing to verify with Him where we stand in His Judgment? It is not that difficult to honour Him with our lips while our own HEART may be far from Him! (Mt. 15:8-9, Mk. 7:6,7)
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(To be continued next week in part 7)
brother Hanola
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