The Seven Churches and the Kingdom Today
Topic: Ephesus: Discerning Evil at Ephesus and in the Kingdom Today Part 3
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7; Ezekiel 22:23-31
Greetings Kingdom Citizens and Sons of God:
In order to discern evil in the Kingdom of God, God has given the body His Spirit of discernment. Now the spirit of discernment informs us and let us know about the presence of evil and many times the motives of individuals when they approach us. However with the truth being so diluted in the minds of people there are few that God has chosen to speak up and show us the evil that is being perpetrated on the church. The church at Ephesus stood up against these people, and allowed God to show them who were trying to deceive the church and declare them to be liars.
We as the sons and daughters of the Most High God are to see sin and call it to the carpet. Why? So that others do not fall in the same trap. There are so many false preachers and prophets and funny, most of them are the famous ones. How do we know? Look at who they hang around and the word they preach. Is what they say always positive? Is what they say always about prosperity? Is everything they say preaching to include (inclusion) everybody in the sense of making it to Heaven? Do they preach and teach about a Kingdom to come and not a Kingdom currently present? Do they conform to the image of the world and bring it into the church? Are they double-minded individuals who preach against one thing and behind closed doors do that very exact thing? Are they elevated and lifted up by the people? Do they preach against sin or even acknowledge sin? Do they use scripture appropriately? Is everything they do in the church about fundraising and money?
Now I know those were a lot of questions but all of those questions point to specific issues that are plaguing the current church and the influence of the demonic in the church. When the people are not appropriately fed then they tend to search out any food to fill themselves even if it leads to death. 2 Timothy 4:2 speaks of it best that people will not endure sound doctrine but heap to themselves TEACHERS HAVING ITCHING EARS. So what has happened is that the devil knows what you want to hear because of your itching ear, so he has placed his ministers in the church and because of a lack of discernment we have thousands of people following the ministers of satan because of the lack of the truth and their itching ears. The prophet Ezekiel was given a word from the Lord and I pray you read this entire scripture and if your church does not have at least two (includes the pastor) of these types of individuals then you need to evaluate your place there:
Ezekiel 22:23-31: “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery and have vexed the poor and needy, yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I SOUGHT FOR A MAN AMONG THEM THAT SHOULD MAKE UP THE HEDGE AND STAND IN THE GAP BEFORE ME FOR THE LAND, THAT I SHOULD NOT DESTROY IT: BUT I FOUND NONE. THEREFORE HAVE I POURED OUT MINE INDIGNATION UPON THEM; I HAVE CONSUMED THEM WITH THE FIRE OF MY WRATH: THEIR OWN WAY HAVE I RECOMPENSED UPON THEIR HEADS, SAITH THE LORD.
The Lord is showing us today in this very scripture the state of the church today and the consequence that these famous, high and lifted up preachers and prophets will pay at the hand of the Lord. Everything may look good now but when judgment come all of their work will be tried by the fire and if it is not of God then it will be consumed and burned. The Lord is giving you a description of the people on the inside of the church who you should look for in being deceptive. However, if you are carnal and not led by the Spirit of God you will miss them and accept the lie they present to you. The only way we can try individuals and their motives is by the Spirit of God and the Word of God! If it does not line up, it is crooked and strait is the gate that leads to everlasting life.
At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.
