In the last article I posted entitled Time to Bear Arms, I commented that I was going to address this topic of carnality and flesh. There is a direct correlation between error and deception and walking in the flesh. (As opposed to walking in the Spirit of God.)

Let me lay a brief basic foundation for new believers or others who may have never understood what the Bible calls our flesh or the carnal man. We are exhorted by Paul in Galatians 5:16 to; ‘Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.’ Christian believers are for the most part confronted in their early developing years in Christ with conflicting internal battles. On one hand we want to live for God, serve Him faithfully and walk in obedience to the light of His Word with guidance of the Holy Spirit.

On the other hand, and to help clarify this process, ‘new babies’ in the faith are nurtured by God in a more motherly way in the flush of their new love in Christ. Yes God is faithful to convict them of sin and deal with the many obvious sinful issues and patterns but as new believers we are kind of oblivious to this carnal aspect within us at first, this natural man and all of its appetites. It usually takes some time to come to terms with the fact, that this force within us causing us so much grief – cannot be cast out or prayed out. Our water baptism does not wash away our flesh; it deals with the ‘old man’ or our treacherous fallen mindset that had such an affinity to sin while allied with Satan in rebellion against God and His commands.

We have become new creatures in Christ at salvation, but our flesh remains.In time this flesh of ours with its own self-indulgent desires, appetites and agendas rears its ugly head to subvert our thought lives with persistent wants and yearnings in an attempt to pull us away from the route we know to be God. Unless resisted and mastered these carnal desires will edge us away from godly constraints to an all – out casting off the harness of God to fulfill out lusts.

This is the ground our adversary slithers in and penetrates so easily. A large swathe of human living with all its needs and desires. Areas where in pastimes we were slaves to, food, drink, lusts, envy pride, fear, insecurities — shackles that perhaps still remain today, cracks in our spiritual armor. We are maturing, our transformation is gradual, as our dependence on the Lord grows. Christ has set us free, we are new creations in Christ, and the former life is buried with Him. However, that territory of appetites and the desires of our carnal man remain intact. We are human and we do have legitimate needs and desires but unless they are fulfilled and met within godly parameters and our hearts closely guarded under the watchful eye of the Holy Spirit we can be enticed or deceived quite easily and slide right back into sin before we know it.

This is the reason why our minds need transformation, we will in time have to battle through some very entrenched mindsets that keep pulling us back into old sinful patterns. We are never beyond the place of temptation, unless of course we are well hidden in Christ on a moment to moment basis. This initial season of growth is critical in our Christian development and maturity in order that we understand and distinguish the true nature of ‘most’ of our conflicts as Saints of God. This is key to knowing ourselves in light of who we truly are in Christ and what we are capable of doing under the strength and power of our carnal desires and cravings. This is a season where we learn to discern the distinctions of flesh and Spirit of God.

Only by the grace of God and godly discipline can we maintain an ongoing abiding in Christ. “Set your affections on the things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col. 3:1) Biblical verses and teaching instructing us to ‘deny self’; ‘abstain from’ or ‘crucify the lust of your flesh’ are aimed directly at this aspect of our nature we label as our flesh or carnal nature and for good reason. As Paul teaches, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”(1 Cor.9:27)

This is our ongoing battle to walk in the Spirit of God. The moment we let off from this discipline we find ourselves usually feeling, thinking and acting out some pretty un-Christ-like things and behaviours that potentially if not corrected can make shipwreck of our faith. Those early formative years under good Bible teaching instruct us on ‘how’ to walk and ‘abide’ in that place where we submit ourselves under the reign of the Spirit of God and maintain ( by none other than the grace of God) our ongoing discipline over our flesh. We have to be well aware of every area within us that is prone to be hijacked by worldly desires. Influences, natural and demonic that will arouse our appetites, inflame our passions and awaken afresh longings that were once laid at the foot of the cross and should remain buried there.

The intent of our heart is critical, we must choose to press ahead, even in repeated failures. For many in places of leadership in this hour of the Christian Church, you have to ask yourself if they have somehow missed this ‘season’ of instruction or they simply chose not to deal with some essential lessons in the transformation and renewal of their minds, attitudes and the persuasive power of our carnal man. It would appear that this process of sanctification, or in another context ‘brokenness’ a word which nowadays seems to offend believers in a politically correct world.
Brokenness is God taking us in hand to discipline us in His love in order that we might become legitimate ‘sons’. (Hebrews 12) Instructing, training, and correcting us by many means and methods – to break off of us – our independent mindsets and attitudes that displease God. It’s what we agreed to when we ‘gave’ our lives to Christ initially. Let us remember correction is not negative but positive.

If Christ lives within me, and He is Lord of my life than I am His. I surrendered the rights to my bleak and shattered life in exchange for His abundant life. If I protest that fact – than I am free to return to my former life, but to whom, to where? To whom shall we go: “You have the words of eternal life.”(John 6:68)

So we are His, we’ve been bought with a price (1 Cor.6:20). So now, God who is our Father is in charge and in control of who we are. Don’t get me wrong we are not robots programmed from Heaven, we are however given the awesome privilege to ‘mirror the divine image’ in the transformation of our lives. Not our image but the image of God. In submission to His will and purpose for all aspects of our lives. We seek to please Him surrendering to God what we know displeases Him while embracing many times a will (His) and direction(His) that runs contrary to our own natural understanding.

Plan A for all born again Christians is to be conformed to the image of Christ. There is really no plan B or C it’s NOT about us; it’s about Jesus Christ, everything else that does not fall into that narrow road of godly pursuit could potentially become a distraction and a deviation as we see so often today from all the clamouring voices of success and prosperity — further seducing believers with the diabolical promise of divinity itself – but at the cost of denying the Lordship of Jesus.

Here we are in 2016, 2000 years ago Paul wrote Timothy what we might consider today some startling advice when it came to choosing leaders. Leaders who would respond to their divine call from God to lead the church through good and tumultuous times; BUT with recognisable qualities and virtues. Please note, this is not about beating up on Christian leaders. Yet it must be stated, many pulpits has been overthrown by narcissistic leaders bent on their own glory. Yes, there are so many who have sacrificed so much in the furtherance of the Gospel.
This article is focused on the subtle and progressive deviation that has shifted the Christian Church and a great number of its leaders away from sound Biblical doctrine and the failure to further equip upcoming leaders solidly in all aspects of the Christian faith with the obvious evidence of that faith.

“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim.2:2) What things might Paul be talking about? “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” (2Tim.1:13) “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecution, and sufferings such as happened to me at Antioch…” (2 Tim.3:10) “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of knowing from whom you have learned them.”92 Tim.3:14) Take a close look at the counsel Paul is giving Timothy here? What you see here is a mentor who has lived a very hard yet fruitful Christian life. Who is now reminding his son in the faith (who also followed and grew up in like fashion) about the – conduct, faith, and patience he (Paul) exemplified to name a few of the things that Timothy has not only heard from Paul but observed in Paul and in turn was walking them out as well.

THESE entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. These ‘things’ were not formulas nor 3 spiritual keys to success or secrets principles to prosperity; they were ‘sound words’ or uncorrupted words — in the faith and love of Jesus Christ. Paul holds himself up as an example of the faith, in word and deed, the standard to which he is calling Timothy and at the same time setting in motion the requirements of what were to be the essential ingredients for choosing leaders: Number one: faithful and trustworthy men; Not talented, nor gifted or what you hear so often today as the be all and end all -“anointed”; Certainly giftings and talents are a plus but they can never replace faithfulness – not to the cause, nor to a leader nor an individual fellowship or congregation but to Christ and His word. Because if that person is faithful to Jesus Christ and His word, they will be an asset to all.

Godly character and integrity are the fruit of faithfulness to God. Paul was a living example of faithfulness at whatever price to the point of being abandoned by all believers in Asia. (2 Tim. 1:15)
This is why as young believers God must take us in hand to deal with selfish ambition, self- confidence so that down the road wherever God may takes us, we will have learned to walk out – a faithfulness, a rest in God; demonstrated by submission, love, patience, conduct, purpose and a willingness to suffer for Him. Equipped to refuse the enticing road of self- promotion.

What is demonstrated so often today in the celebrity Christian media is far removed from this genre of godly character seen in Paul or Timothy even though it may be labelled as such.
The Church is riddled with ambitious, aggressive, self-confident go-getting leaders. It’s as if these were virtues or a fruit of the spirit. Degrees of theology, psychology, or endorsements by successful well – known leaders give the appearance of having arrived to some form of maturity, godliness or stature in the ‘faith’ but that is – what it is- for the most part, an appearance. Theatrical performances, or wordy demonstrations of knowledge may be impressive on the platform, yet if these individuals stick around too long and are observed under the scrutiny of everyday life among us, we may be disappointed, failing to observe in them any degree of genuine fruit about their lives.

The qualifications for elders and even deacons in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 sets the bar quite high and for good reason. In the community of believers they were known very well and had to be above reproach, self-controlled, hospitable, gentle, not overbearing, not quick tempered, upright, holy, disciplined, not a lover of money, respectable, holds to the truth and does not pursue dishonest gain. (The list goes on.) In such a community of believers all were held to account for their actions and teachings. That kind of close knit day to day living would expose any deficient aspects of character more than our present secluded living where we show up on Sunday for a couple of hours and go right back home.

Here is the issue that I want to connect with the last posting on error and deception. This quality and standard of choosing leaders seems to have been left far behind. From what I have seen and experienced — spiritual gifts, educational degrees, being self- assertive, self-confident, and ambitious – trump what scripture lays out so well. Neither is it about some misplaced loyalty to a leader or ministry for recognition or promotion. Only loyalty to truth and righteousness is virtuous. A leader’s spiritual resume by this point should reveal a faithful walk and a godly character that are tangible, evident and above reproach. If they do not – than perhaps it is not their time to be appointed and they require more time to grow OR the essential ingredients are lacking thus disqualifying them as leaders and perhaps may serve the body in some other capacity. Not perfect, certainly human, BUT God dependant, humble, with an obvious righteous character that has been forged into their lives under the loving instructions and disciplines of God. This internal work dear saints is the outcome of years of discipline under the hand of God.

Please don’t get me wrong, education, degrees and spiritual gifts are an asset to be factored in, but they can never replace what Paul was highlighting. Paul was asking Timothy to carefully choose seasoned believers who walked the walk and not simply talked the talk. Observe them well. We have witnessed over the years men and women who have been gifted and anointed by God blaze across the Church horizon like a meteor in the sky only to explode or implode. They were unable to discipline their flesh or their egos – till finally their appetites got the better of them and in the glorious spotlight burned out taking many down with them. When GODLINESS and RIGHTEOUSNESS take a back seat to success, fame, prosperity and material gain we have lost our ability to see correctly and everything will be skewed and tainted until that is restored. “And thou shall take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.” (Exodus 23:8) “Behold here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed; whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore to you.” (1 Samuel 12:3)

The implication here is about integrity- godliness and righteousness – to walk honestly and uprightly before men and God and to deal justly and rightly in judgments and decisions. To reject the temptation of any gifts that would be offered with the intention to cause a person to look away from the truth and deal favourably for one but dishonestly for the other. Which would condemn oneself for personal gain, unjust gain and blind a person to the facts.

How does this apply for today’s success tainted messages in our Churches? It takes a lot of character and integrity to turn away from that which promises to enrich us personally in one way or the other. Through these questionable grand and modern day doctrines –supposed spiritual principles there is an OFFER to obtain and secure for ourselves some desirable merchandise from a heavenly storehouse of goods waiting to be expedited to any assertive devotee. It’s about selfish increase and advance — all with the supposed blessing of God. A message mass produced to all believers where being positive and insistent reap high dividends. Mystical hidden secrets in scripture, a formula or a spiritual principle recently discovered sure to unlock the riches of Heaven for all.

HOWEVER – it is hinged upon this one thing – can you guess? You know what’s coming – it’s all tied to an offering of MONEY. God simply will not (according) to these laws be able to release these wonderful blessings to us – UNLESS we cough up some finances. In distinction to the above, if God is in charge and in control of my life then I must come to terms with the truth and accept that He will lead me and guide my path while God also continues to provide all that I have need of. No pressure to give, we are not buying God’s favours. The challenge and difficult test today is when we are being ‘enticed’ from so many teachers and preachers – being lured with such astounding keys and principles to success and wealth – we are prone to bypass our own discernment and embrace these methods which propose a guaranteed answer to what we feel our needs require. They may be actual legitimate needs BUT at what cost?

Many claim, “God is tied to these principles and He has to deliver the goods”! It’s a form of self- deception. We are basically agreeing that by these methods we can force, command or harness God into a position to give us we want. It’s no longer about God’s goodness and faithfulness, it about power to TAKE it. Their salesmanship pitch has aroused areas of desire, covetousness, and greed —- flesh! The ‘gifts’ being offered in forms of wealth, success, divine health are not theirs to give. This is God’s domain not the secrets or binding laws that men have uncovered. These ‘Keys and Formulas’ are the ‘gifts’ that – ‘blinds’ the eyes of the wise and ‘perverts’ the words of the righteous. Our acceptance of anything other than from God’s hands in God’s ways and in God’s time will in time distort our ability to truly discern the pure from the profane. (Ezekiel 22:26) True ‘Gifts’ have no strings attached to money nor does our performance. The blessings of God make rich and add no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22)

This is where we are. It has been a slow but toxic evolution. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life can no longer be discerned rightly in our churches. In fact much of what is preached that relates to increase and material gain is exactly the lusts of the eyes and flesh and yet no one batts an eye! How does teaching laced with nothing more than greedy personal advance and increase come to have such pre- imminence in the pulpits? No longer Christ centred but man centered—this is the elephant in the room no one wants to concede, because in doing so:
We convict ourselves and admit we ourselves have been deceived — exposing not our trust in a good and faithful Father but uncovering our own envious and discontent heart – ever pressing for more.

When the messages are ‘me’ centered we are witnessing a carnal self- serving agenda, not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. What is displayed on the platforms of Christian media is anti-biblical from what I believe the Bible teaches in respect to leaders. Men and women who are called to lead should bring to their high calling the obvious fruits of faithfulness, righteousness, holiness and a track record of adhering as Paul instructed Timothy to ‘sound words’. Words and teaching that have not been corrupted with gain and entitlements proudly being peddled to another generation who themselves have settled for the goods.

The Church has no need for celebrities unless of course they are placed in jails for their faith or are hanging on crosses. Perhaps in our day of Facebook and You Tube we are horrified with the thought of irrelevance and insignificance, posting everything for the world to see – a prominent visibility for others to acknowledge and affirm that we are somebody – we are of worth – our lives matter. We want our lives to count and be seen as something of value, or purpose — no one wants to live or die in obscurity in North America.

What we are, do and become in the final tally – is all before an audience of One. This is all that should matter. Purpose, value and meaning, significance, relevance and affirmation are wholly established in relationship with Christ. In truth, it can be found nowhere else. Our walk with God take us into the ‘secret places’. These are necessary and desired meeting places, holy altars of our ongoing communion with Him. As we mature, we become better anchored and established. His Holy Spirit and His Word sets our spiritual internal houses in ‘right order’ as the road narrows its way to the cross. No longer for our pursuits but in pursuit of Jesus.

The works of the flesh are manifest: “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelling’s.”(Galatians 5: 19-21) No one is exempt from walking or fulfilling the deeds of the flesh. We have and most likely will at some point in the future be susceptible, tempted, display and gratify our fleshy indulgences. The obvious truth that should however prevail is this: That we all are ‘well aware’ when we drift or charge into serving the appetites of our flesh. With any degree of spirituality we will be mindful or our own departure, improprieties and therefore repent. This conviction being the proof of the work of the Holy Spirit on our conscience, and also the interactive function of a body of believers. In some cases it requires the loving correction and counsel of caring leaders. The Church body of believers should serve as a healthy deterrent for us not to linger in a state of unrighteousness.

The tragedy is that flesh and the works of the flesh are paraded on so many platforms and other forms of media, unchallenged and sadly unrecognised, leaving many to conclude this is acceptable.
Error tied to deception (heresy) is twisting and misapplying the Bible for their gain. Manipulation and control over believers which is (witchcraft) using the craft of a witch; to seek their own ends and purposes to hold sway and exploit people, where the slightest request or instruction to give or perform is obeyed without question. This activity borders on rebellion before God.
Prominence, renown, celebrity status, god-like status, puffed up — beyond correction, not submissive to correction, dismissive of other input; this attitude edges on idolatry. Sadly it is everyday believers, the average person in the pew that have exalted these leaders to such dizzying heights of divinity, pride and ego. Leaders in their own self-perceived ‘god’ like statures have insulated themselves from the common saint and isolated themselves from being called into question by their peers. This is idolatry, this is an unrepentant proud ‘work’ of the flesh.

There are two places in the Old Testament that in some ways apply to our present dilemma. Have we been made to trust in a lie? “Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.”(Jeremiah 28:15) (Jeremiah 29:31; below) “… Shemaiah hath prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie.”

Speaking for God is an awesome task and responsibility. When something is taught that is blatantly off scripture or we witness an ongoing display of human energy, pomp and ego on our platforms should we not call attention to this. I am not talking about an occasional slip here and there, we can all have grace for one another. I am talking about an ongoing pattern, a consistent intentional agenda, a desire to deceive or mislead believers using Bible verses or ‘leadings’ or ‘words’ of the ‘spirit’ that are inconsistent with Scripture. Where we witness an unending display of human dynamism, self- exaltation — where the man or the women is being exalted, idolized – labelled as anointed or highly spiritual, yet this is all intended to imply, that it’s all God – which we dare not question.

When so called teachers, pastors, prophets, evangelist or apostles get up and regularly teach a gospel that is contrary to what we know to be God’s word, is it not our responsibility to make them aware of our concerns? Of their obvious misuse of scripture? Certainly in meekness, yet insistent enough to press our concerns beyond their condescending reply of “leave it with me, I’ll look into it”.

I fear within a decade we will no longer recognise nor preach in most churches the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we find it in the Bible. That percentage may already be higher than we think. We are being transformed but tragically not into the image of Christ. I believe all the hoopla will continue but the character and virtues of Christ will be downgraded in importance as the high calling to aim for as in past generations. Presently, the cross, holiness, discipline and suffering are viewed as antiquated notions of a past simplistic era, a label meant to mock and deride saints who are reaching for more of God and less of self.

Un-crucified flesh gives way to more flesh, bringing with it more error and deception. Deceiving and being deceived further being manipulated themselves going on to exploit unsuspecting believers. Consequently, opening more ‘spiritual mystical’ doors into the dark regions of the unknown. Will this not unleash additional doctrines of demons onto trusting believers — overthrowing ancient spiritual foundation long established and practiced by generations of believers? In its place – a New Age ‘gospel’ exalting a New Age ‘jesus’.

In pursuit of great unknown mysteries, these renowned leaders are now being hailed as spiritual ‘pioneers’ if you can believe that; an emerging and celebrated parade led by various Pied Pipers on the cosmic journey of ‘peering’ into the original creation of the foundations of the world itself and interpreting their discoveries to us all. Imagine that. This is in reference to a most disturbing book though highly touted – circulating through Charismatic circles encouraging believers to seek out far beyond the context of Scripture for new truth and other realities. This book, “The Physics of Heaven” (by Ellyn Davis) is so blatantly in your face New Age and occult that you can only read through the pages in disbelief. You have to ask yourself, ‘how can any Christian who loves God and His word able to write such error while encouraging their readers to follow these so called pioneers into the (in my opinion) the Abyss?

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”(2 Timothy 3:13) In the not too distant future we will witness a wholehearted merge of evangelical/charismatic churches with its worldly New Age counterpart; perhaps not in official title but certainly in spirit and error (not truth) – a union definitely not made in Heaven. ‘Flesh’ is the fertile seedbed of all sin; sin can all be traced right back to this one fact.

This is certainly an hour where Christians will have to be vigilant in their faithfulness to God and His word. A willingness to let the Holy Spirit apply the ‘scalpel’ of scripture to do its corrective work as it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow. Allowing God’s word to discern the thought and intents of our hearts revealing its corruptions but with the eternal purpose to form within us the image of Christ.

Let us not ignore the elephants in our own rooms of the heart, and paraded before us on the stages or podiums of our sanctuaries. They will not go away as we would wish. Let us call ‘FLESH’ what it is. Let us deal with fleshly corruptions within our own hearts in an open and honest way before a good Father; then we will be able to distinguish it in our churches, avoiding further seduction.
Across the nations, the FLOODGATES have already been opened, the spiritual demonic genies have been given a free hand and will not be put back into the bottle. The enticements will in time deceive a large portion of Christian Leaders who believed they were beyond being tricked all the while toying and espousing doctrines of demons!

Let all who love God’s word and feel helpless to effect any significant change take courage. Paul lived in difficult times as well. His counsel to Timothy at the end of chapter 4, in 1st Timothy should help us place things in a right context as we find ourselves witnessing the realities of ‘the latter days’ referred to in this chapter.Our faithfulness to Jesus and His word will remain the sure foundations, our internal compass. His faithfulness to us – remains the shield and bulwark to safeguard our faith in future days. (Ps 91:4)

“Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”(1 Timothy 4:16)