What does a wolf covered in sheeps clothing look like? A sheep. Thus, any human or human entity can appear in every way carry itself as a sheep-like follower of Christ. It can bleat (speak) as a sheep. It can appear docile and submissive as a sheep. Yet, Jesus spoke of false prophets that would come in “sheeps clothing” and inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
That Jeus spoke about them implied that it would be a major concern preceding his return in kingdom power over the earth. Why? Because it will mislead the entire world by cleverly deviating from his teachings to such an extent that people will believe the false teachings to be true! The fruit produced by these false prophets would be persons who are external and pretentious followers of Christ; his teachings never saturate the internal: the heart.
These persons know all the right things to say and do, but the amount to only “eye-service” before men and seeking praise and recognition from them. The false prophets Jesus speaks of are not merely individual persons. No, they are something much more encompassing. What? The religious system called by men, Christianity. All of it! It has completely deviated from Christs teachings. It has evem made up some of its own teachings.
They get away with doing this by ascribing those made-up teachings as coming from “The Bible.” They are clever enough not to ascribe them to Christ because they know Christ never taught them. That is why we see in almost all of the organizations within Christianity push “The Bible” (as teaching) rather than “Christ” as teaching. Thus, the Bible becomes the Word of God to them rather than Christ and the Bible resceives more props than Christ does.
I am throughly convinced that the state of religion in the world today – in particular the one claimimg to be of God and Christ (Christianity) – is as Jesus’ words at Matthew 7:15 describes:
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Last Sunday morning as I was flipping through channels on my television, I landed on a channel where a popular African American TV Evangelist was parading up and down on the stage giving an audience what amounted to a spectacle and a show. Not once in the thirty minutes of viewing did he mention the teachings or sayings of Christ … not once!
I visited this particular religious organizations website (which was nicely put together) and it featured the preacher and his wife. THEY were being highlighted. I find this typical of almost all of the big name TV evangelizers. It is THEIR ministry. Their names are mentioned far more often than God and Christ on their websites. I find this very disturbing and it presents a common thread and denominator in all of the religious organizations claiming to be of God and Christ: God and Christ are not spoken of as much as the human agency and agent is.
Almost all of them highlight “The Bible” as the entity to be studied (Bible Study) rather than Christ and his teachings that are to be studied and adhered to. The Bible – a book – becomes the teacher and IT gets more prominence than Christ himself who is our only Teacher.
These TV ministries and their websites are nothing but “cash-flow” machines. When you visit the website(s) they are selling books, CDs and DVDs. Christ is being “packaged and marketed.” This is shameful but they do not want to hear that and they take exception to anyone calling them scammers and hypocrites.
If Christ paid them a visit and saw the commercial element in what they are doing they would probably take him by the seat of his pants (or robe) and throw him out. It is all about greed and the “love of money.”
No thought is given to “You received free, you give free.”
At Matthew 19:16-24 Jesus was asked a questioned by a wealthy man:
Teacher, what good must I do in order to get everlasting life?
Notice Jesus’ answer to him and then think about what all of Christianity is doing today in peddling Christ for monetary gain:
He said to him: “Why do you ask me about what is good? One there is that is good. If, though, you want to enter into life, observe the commandments continually.” He said to him: “Which ones?” Jesus said: “Why, You must not murder, You must not commit adultery, You must not steal, You must not bear false witness, Honor [your] father and [your] mother, and, You must love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him: “I have kept all these; what yet am I lacking?” Jesus said to him: “If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.” When the young man heard this saying, he went away grieved, for he was holding many possessions. But Jesus said to his disciples: “Truly I say to YOU that it will be a difficult thing for a rich man to get into the kingdom of the heavens. Again I say to YOU, It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.
The TV Evangelizers and most of the religious system of Christianity is not giving ALL to the poor. It is sucking the life out of the human family rather than giving to it and directing it to Christ – who is the way. They are fattening themselves up. They are taking rather than giving. The value of real estate and other material possessions (and holding them) are far more important to them than the human element.
It is to such ones that Jesus would say:
It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.
Yet, Christianity has many ways to justify and rationalize its shameful actions in extracting money from the human family in any way it can. It is shameful. God does not need or want money! THEY want it and they recognize that establishing religious organizations is the fastest and easiest way to get it. These people are scammers! I do believe that some of them believe their own lies!
The really sad part is that they all behave like persons who must protect the empires THEY built up. There words are seeded with selfish personal pronouns such as “I” and “my.” For example, “my church” or “my congregation.” They sound like corporate CEOs. Then again, that is exactly what they are. They are protecting their interests.
I am bothered the most by those persons who sit within these lavishly adorned structures who think that it is all from God! They give very little thought to the poor and destitute in the world. Rather than sell all they have and give the poor, their mentality is “Oh, those poor people. If only they would accept the Lord they would be like us.” These persons deceive themselves if they think blessings is weath and money. These things “gather rust” and are passing away. Those things are not from above, they are of men below.
They do not understand that when Jesus told the wealthy man to sell all he has and give to the poor, that Christs ministry would not involve money or material wealth. That man would have to become a follower of Christ with no material wealth counted towards him. The treasures would be heavenly and spiritual. This most have either forgotten and not taught by the religious organizations of the world today.
If each of the major so-called Christian organizations were visualized as a “wealthy men” possessing vast riches, none of them would enter into the kingdom of God as none of them have been so bold and faithful to sell all they have and distribute to the poor and then humble themselves to become Christs disciples. Not one!
I noticed that those in the audience were entertained by the charismatic preacher. Almost all of them appeared to be affluent persons. They laughed and nodded in the affirmative to every word the “preacher” uttered. It was obvious to me that the preacher was using his platform to send a message to his critics as he – at times – appeared angry. Hurling insult and “how dare you” criticize me as “I am a man of God.” I say prove it. Do as Jesus told the wealthy man, “go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.”
What struck me the most was this preachers message about seeing what cannot be seen with the physical eye. He stated that one can see God if one has faith; that one can see the invisible God if one is spirtual. The audience agreed with him! He quoted nothing spoken by Jesus and the audience was not looking for him to.
Yet, what was stated was in direct conflict with what Jesus taught.
Jesus taught that the Father in heaven is a Spirit. A Spirit is not flesh and blood and cannot be seen.
The Apostle Paul at Col 1:15 tells us that God is invisible (a Spirit):
The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
I harmony with what Christ obviously taught Paul, Jesus states at John 4:24 that:
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
This teaching of Jesus is largely being rejected by a vast portion of the religious system called by men, Christianity.
It refuses to view God and anything in His heavenly realm as spirit. Christianity has actually reduced and pulled down the Father and His Son to a human level. This refusal to worship the Father as an invisible spirit is the “spirit of antichrist” that is prevalent in the world today. (1 John 4:3)
The presenters of the barrage of “doctrines and teachings of men” (rather than teachings of Christ) are those who come before the world stage with an outward appearance and mindset of being a passive and submissive sheep who follows Christ. But they are not sheep at all. They are ravenous and ferocious wolves on the inside.
Such organizations and the persons within them could fill volumes in psychological study. I have had many years of experience in speaking with such individuals. I know, because I used to be one of them.
I was vet adept at putting on airs of love and concern for those around me and those to whom I tried to convert and pull into the religious organization. Yet, deep down inside I knew something was missing. The truth of the matter was that I was more concerned with getting persons to join a religious organization than the person themselves. I viewed people not as sheep but as a statistic that could be added the books.
I knew that if I brought persons into the organization I would be praised by my others in the congregation. I later realized that it was all an external sheep-like covering I was wearing and that covering did not reflect the person I was really on the inside.
This really bothered me as it showed a type of mental disease that has spread among all within the religious organization I belonged to for more than thrity years. All infected. (This is true of all of Christianity and all religion)
I realized that there was no internal development of the individual. Association with the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society and indeed ALL of Christianity was an exercise of applying layers of external psuedo sheeps covering – nan image – while no internal development had occurred.
I was sized up by external things: Meeting attendance; number of hours spent in field service; how many publications I placed; and how many Bible studies I had. These eternal things were annotated monthly on a “field service” report form. Nothing on that form measured anything internal. It was assumed that if one did all of these external things that it was a reflection of their inner-selves. That would be a false assumption.
Most Jehovah’s Witnesses know (though many will not admit it) that they engage in the external things I mentioned above they are compelled to do them else they will be painted as spiritually weak persons. One must understand that the so weak ones in the congregations have constantly placed before them examples of so-called spiritually strong persons they should emulate.
These so-called persons where not spiritually strong but rather their circumstances permited them to enage in the external activity more. I found that those who had money or who came from an affluent background were hailed as spiritual examples and these were the ones who usually were made Ministerial Servants and Elders. Any Jehovah’s Witness who denies this would not be telling the truth.
I wore that sheep-like covering for many years. If I enaged in conversations with individuals and they did not agree with me or the organization that indoctrinated and dispatched me, the ravenous wolf surfaced.
In a nice way – and sometimes not in a nice way – I would tell those who did not agree that they were going to perish if they did not join the organization as I had. Not only does Christianity teach eternal torment for those not accepting what they teach, so does the Watch Tower. It teaches that unless one is associated with the Watch Tower “organization” they will lose out on eternal life. Those not coming in are viewed as “worldly” persons. (a made up expression).
I later realized that Christ did not view or treat people like this. I have never read anything uttered by Christ of individuals being condemned to eternal torment or loss of eternal life because they did not accept him. (From the viewpoint of Christianity, accepting what Christianity has a religious system is teaching).
I recall Jesus promising a condemned man paradise and asking forgiveness for his persecutors and executioners!
What issues out of what men call Christianity is angry and hateful and condemnatory. It is controlling. If it cannot control you, it seeks to devour you. This is not of Christ!
Getting back to the TV Evangelizer: In the thirty minutes he paraded back and forth on the stage, he did not say one kind or loving thing with regards persons outside his following. There was an us verses them mentality that existed. A snobbery so-to-speak.
I could not help but think what was going on back-stage in the inner rooms off camera. Money being counted. Bank accounts fattened up.
The really shameful part about a vast majority of Christianity is its wealth. It sits like a lavishly adorned queen who is drunk with wealth and prestige. This is not of Christ!
The cathedral in which this preacher and his audience was lavishly adorned. It was massive! I personally know that “air time” to broadcast is very expensive. Thus, massive amounts of cash flows through this particular organization like so many others.
These ministers rarely – if ever – speak of when Jesus threw the money-changers out of the temple. I wonder why! 🙂
True seekers and followers of Christ are to be cautioned: The world has lost its way. None of those things are from Christ! What makes these people so special that they surround themselves in such luxury as opposed to the poor who live in the lands of Africa, Asia or India for example? Does God and Christ favor the relative weathly over the poor, destitute and needy.
I tell you: Rarely do those who sit shamefully in their airconditioned and carpetted chambers of worship think about the poor around the world.
Their consciousness have been massaged not to consider the poor and needy. It is shameful to speak of Christ and claim to be his follower but ones actions do not follow Christ footsteps and conduct towards others.
Jesus said at Matthew 7:16:
By their fruit you will recognize them.
In other words, it is by the things they teach or say (fruit of lips) and the things they do is what will reveal who and what they they really are: Ravenous wolves in sheep’s covering. (Isaiah 57:19, Hebrews 13:15)
One is always on the right track if they simply obey God’s words spoken at Luke 9:35.
Membership with some religious organization or “reading the Bible” is NOT listening to Christ as many have been misled into believing.
Listening to Christ involves a serious exercise of faith and private prayer to the Father in the name or office of the only channel provided to mankind: The Son.
It is via prayer (asking) that one receives what they need by way of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding (things that cannot be seen) from the Father. These things do not come by some other way such as a religious organization, human or book.
Jesus said at John 14:6:
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Sadly many have ignored this teaching as they believe that a book called the Bible and religious organizations play a factor in all of this.
Many have also ignored what Jesus said at John 4:23-24 as it his words show how one MUST worship the Father. It is not by things that can be seen (religious organizations or a book). Jesus said:
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
Remember, a spirit cannot be seen and our worship of the Father MUST be with the view that He is invisible and He cannot be learned about or worshiped via visible things.
We are to walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Cor 5:7)
When I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses I had the privilege to travel the world (as a part of my secular work). I also know that the Watch Tower organization is really into real estate and owns thousands of properties. (Kingdom Halls and Assemby Halls).
What struck me the most in my travels in the world were the lavishly adorned Kingdom Halls in the United States to the shacks of Kingdom Halls in places such as in Asia and especially Africa. There were vast differences. Kingdom Halls in the United States are usually airconditioned and heated, carpeted, and well adorned. Many of the Kingdom Halls I have seen and visited in Asia and Africa were shacks with no windows, dirt floors, no latrines, no running water, etc. As a man of African descent this bothered me a great deal because I know many of the “friends” in the United States would not be able to endure these conditions. In fact, they would complain.
My point here is that many people claiming to be of God and Christ speak of love but that is all it is: talk. They all have a practice of looking the other way when the things I mentioned above are brought to their attention or some “organizational” teaching is questioned that is not in alignment with what Christ taught. It is one of the strangest things I have ever seen in so-called Christian religious organization. The truth about things is extremely painful to them.
I Am Misunderstood
My desire is that persons go to Christ and not into religious organizations as they are enslaving and burdensome. They create a psuedo external covering in persons that rarely reaches the heart. On the outside a person may lookand act like Christ would want them, but they are quite something else on the inside. What makes so many angry with me is that I am actually cautioning persons to get out of “Christianity” and indeed all religious organizations and systems and come to the person of Christ instead! I am talking about liberation.
When I disassociated myself from the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses after more than thirty years, I feel like a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am free to express love and concerning to all sorts of persons without having an organization tell who I can and cannot express it to.
I am free to read what I want to read without fear of having an organization of men punishing me for doing so or having other members within a group brow-beat me for doing do. I will never allow a religious organization take me captive again. Christ liberated me.
There are members from within the religious system called by men – Christianity – who verbally assault me each day via email for my staunch stand to cling closely to my Master. Some of the things written one would think no person of God and Christ would uttter to anyone. They dare not post them here so all can see, so they send the insults (arrows) to me via a more private means via email.
What they fail to understand is that when I receive such email, it tells me that I am on the right track I have struck a cord. I have created an itch that they cannot get to and scratch. They become agitated like the demons when in Christs presence.
I speak only what Christ has taught me and continues to teach me. I cannot and will not speak or teach others what the religious organizations teach. I find gross deviations and outright omissions from what comes out of them as opposed to what Christ himself taught.
What makes so many angry at me is that I will not bend and give my allegiance to a religious organization or to a religious system. My faith and loyalty is in a person – the person of the Son of God who is my only Teacher and the one The Most High God has commanded us all to listen to. (Luke 9:35)
Christianity is very cunning and it makes persons believe that if they are not membered with it, they cannot be godly and cannot follow Christ. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! Christ never taught such a thing. In fact, if one looks at Christs pattern from the very first time he chose his first disciples, it was a discipleship and membership to him – the person – not to a religious organization or system.
Another fact: Christ command to his disciples where that they teach others what he taught them so that those persons would be his disciples. All of this joining religious organizations is from men and not from Christ. Religious organization divides because there are so many of them. If there are more than 41,000 contending Christian denominations and each of them funneling people into them, then we have a situtation where the masses are going into “religious orgaizations” and “systems of religion” rather than them ALL going to ONE PERSON: Christ himself. There is a house divided against itself.
The wolf-pack seeks to surround and encamp the human family and subdue it. To throughly consume it (devour) it by teaching it what Christ did not teach while at the same time making it appear that what they teach is from Christ. Therein are your wolves in sheep’s clothing. False Prophets.
If strongly feel that it is my obligation as a follower of Christ and worshiper of the One True God to write and speak about such things. I believe that when Christs words are measured up against what comes out of the many voices of Christianity, then one can reach their own conclusions as to where the lies are and where the truth resides. The truth is in what Christ says.
To all of you TV Evangelizers: You know what you are doing. God is not mocked and He knows full well what you are doing. If you are geniune do as Christ directed the wealthy man, “Go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.”
I know and you know I know that you would never do that as your love of money far exceeds love of Christ. You will continue down the path of misleading the masses. But I am here.
Yes, I am a small voice but there are those who are beginning to wake up and listen “to Christ.” Something you do not want them to do. Listening to Christ awakens and shines bright light on what you do, say and teach. You seek to keep those under your control in a slumber.
