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Are you involved in the occult, promoted by the Nicolaitans? Each one of us is responsible for our own salvation. We must work out our own salvation, “with fear and trembling” (Phil.2:12-13). You cannot trust any other person for your eternal life except the author and finisher of our faith, who gives us eternal life. Paul declared, “ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. ” (Eph.4:14) You Salvation is serious business! It is about the most important object you have, your soul. The spirit of religious deception is alive and well, and thriving in this end-time generation, you can add it to all the other opinions and progressive political answers for the future. Nicolaitan is composed of two Greek words, nikaoo, which means victor or conqueror, to dominate, and laos (where the word “laity” comes from), means the people. A Nicolaitan is one who rules over the people in the church, they call themselves the anointed (i.e. super apostles and prophets) making the church into a two-class system We are warned of Nicolaitans who are shrewd manipulators several times, that act as elitists who do exactly what Jesus said not to do, rule over you. They intimidate by their words and actions, persuade you into a false interpretation giving up your will to them. Convincing you hey have thee spiritual power (anointing) to boost you and you need to come to them for it. Jesus spoke to the church in Pergamos who held to the teaching of Balaam, “Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate” (Revelation 2:15). Many believe the Nicolaitans were a sect from the Gnostics. If this is accurate we can understand what is happening to the Church today from what took place in the early church. To the church in Ephesus whom Jesus rebuked for losing their first love But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans , which I also hate.” ( Rev 2:6) Love or hate? To offer a power over hidden things for the betterment of the kingdom can be enticing. To seek knowledge of the demonic activity over a certain area by spiritual intuition or instructions by a voice that one assumes is the Holy Spirit can be dangerous. The idea of seeking revelation beyond the Word, (the inspired written Word –Scripture) to battle the devil and enter the invisible realm is in itself an occultic exercise. Now that you know what the “Nicolaitans” are, what can you do about it? The Occult means to seek what is hidden, God has purposely concealed certain matters to us and does not want us to seek finding them (Deut.29:29), they are reserved for his knowledge only. The Nicolaitan’s of today are convincing you (and training you) to fight the occult with the occult -- which amounts to nothing. It does not affect the Devils plans at all, in fact it allows him to reach inside the church to have a greater influence of deception. The more you concentrate on the invisible demons the more you open a door to their activity and more authority is given to them. There is a balance in these matters; we are to be aware of their schemes but not infatuated and led into fighting them. Deception can be defined as the acceptance of false ideas in place of true ones. When accepted it changes a person’s view and leaves him helpless and vulnerable to the control of others. The idea that we are to "engage in a direct conflict with Satan and his kingdom,” is one of the largest deceptions the Church has accepted today. This is a concept out of Gnosticism, that if you control the spirit realm of its evil it affects our reality, our physical world. It is this type of warfare that is a teaching (lie) from demons. They have influenced certain individuals to lead the church into a false battle where imagination has no boundaries and travels well over the boundaries of the Word. The Churches that allow this false spiritual warfare model to come inside the church end up becoming high trafficked avenues through which demons perpetuate a teaching that is useless against them, thus allowing them to more influence. They have people focus on them more than being proficient in spreading the gospel which is the one tool to defeat them. Of course people who focus on demons each day will demonize those who challenge their methods, who use the Bible correctly to refute them. These “newest” apostles and prophets don’t want you to have a choice other than what they offer. Don’t let them convince you of their way being the only way. The bible speaks of prayer, not dominionist declarations into the atmosphere. Most of our everyday spiritual warfare is directed against us. Paul’s view of how to fight this spiritual war is addressed in Ephesians 6:10-18. Paul used a soldiers armor of his day as the example of our being completely dressed for a battle, our armor of protection is Christ. So we find the church is weakened by her own fault of seeking instruction and power other than the instructions in the Scripture 2 Cor 13:4-6 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. 2 Tim 1:8-9 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” We are to consistently stay in the truth to be qualified to present the truth to others, this means we will constantly be battling against sin and error that intrudes in our own lives. If you are not resisting the flood of falsehood that is knocking on your door to come in then you may have already opened the door. There is no neutral ground anymore. Today preachers speak of the abundance of health and wealth. But Jesus spoke of not having the things of the world interfere with his work, for they were hindrances. The messengers today hold to an unqualified faith message of benefits –no pain, or suffering only blessing. The apostles did not preach a life of ease and blessing and success for those who receive Christ. In fact it was the very opposite we are promised, trials, tribulations, even persecution awaits those faithful who walk on the narrow way that is contrary to the world their flesh and the devil. The Nicolaitans can’t prophesy accurately because they don’t teach the Bible correctly, so why would God tell THEM the future so they can tell us? Here is your future if you continue to be faithful in God’s word. As Jesus warned do to it that no one deceived you Jesus says in Rev. 3:18 “ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” The majority of this church was blinded by their riches, and need their eyes to anointed to see their nakedness, that they were not dressed spiritually in the garments of the saints. 1 Peter 1:3-8 “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love.” I’m grieved, how about you? Our faith – trust, (seeing with eyes of faith what he has said) is worth more than gold in Gods eyes, it will outlast his fire that “ will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward .” (1 Cor. 3:13-15) |
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