In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Luke 12:1
For many years I've studied these Gospel passages regarding the leaven of the Pharisees and being warned by Jesus to steer clear of their teachings. It's easy when the modern-day Pharisee espouses that Jesus is NOT the Messiah or that one is saved through the works of the law and NOT by grace through faith, but what about the person who is IN the church, who appears to be born again, filled with the Spirit, and walking in the gifts and anointing of the Spirit? These modern-day Pharisees can be very hard to detect and so can be extremely dangerous, particularly to the baby or fledgling Christian who is just beginning to spread his or her spiritual wings. The only way to avoid being deceived by such people is to be deeply rooted and grounded in the Word of God.
My first encounter with the modern-day Pharisee was at a retreat at a very famous Christian retreat center named after a prominent evangelist. Everything seemed to be going fine UNTIL I made the mistake of espousing that I was continuing to attend a denominational church which did not believe in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In these Pharisees' minds, I was committing the unpardonable sin to continue sitting under the teaching of a pastor who did not believe in such doctrine. When I explained that I felt called to stay at this church, they looked down their long, judgmental noses. And then when I had the audacity to declare that I believed in the authority of the believer over the enemy in the name of Jesus AND that I believed in divine healing, I was labeled a rebellious heretic who was operating in the spirit of witchcraft!
At that moment, I understood exactly how the apostles of old felt when they shared their faith to a hostile crowd - I literally heard hisses and boos when I asked, "Didn't Jesus' death on the cross attain authority over Satan for His church?" Boo! Hiss! Stone her! Send the witch to the gallows! I felt like I was in a weird Cecil B. DeMille movie. While the experience was very unpleasant, I felt that the Lord had taught me a very important lesson. I stuck to the scriptures despite the manifested anointing and supposed prophetic utterances of these modern-day Pharisees.
Now, I had no animosity toward these people as individuals, since I knew I was really battling the religious spirits BEHIND these individuals. I only have to look at Ephesians 6:12 to know that ... we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in highplaces. So it does no good to get angry or hostile in these situations. Just stick to the Word and stand your ground. And when you have done all you can do, continue to stand! Ephesians 6:13.
Well, wouldn't you know it, but a similar thing happened to me again this past weekend. I attended a wonderful spiritual retreat, but the spirit of religion was there on the first day, waiting to pounce on me. I was invited to lunch by two supposed prophets who espoused all sorts of junk that made my head spin. None of it lined up with Scripture! They had gotten so wrapped up in signs and wonders and prophetic utterances that they had deviated from the Word of God! I felt the long, cold, hard glares of judgment dart from their eyes and down their noses when I shared my testimony and faith. It took quite a bit of strength to stand up to their condemnation, but stand I did! Later, I asked the Lord why I had felt called to go to lunch with these people, since I thought for sure they were meant to minister to me. No, I heard in my spirit, YOU were supposed to minister to them and REMIND them to get back to the Word of God and stand on Scripture. I don't know if I was successful there.
I write this to encourage those of you who may have experienced a similar circumstance. You may be basking in the joy and delight of the Lord, excited about all He is doing in your life and the divine wisdom and revelation He is downloading into your spirit - you are eagerly awaiting for signs and wonders to confirm the teaching and preaching of the Word - and then like a bolt of lightning, you are met by judgment and condemnation from those who are supposedly mature and who have supposedly experienced great and mighty wonders of the Lord. If in that instance you get a sick feeling in the pit of your belly, then rest assured you have run smack dab into the spirit of religion!
Test what they have to say! Listen closely and see if it lines up with the Word. John instructs us to test the spirits. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1. If it doesn't line up, then cast it out as false and don't receive it.
But on the other hand, remain teachable and be prepared to learn from those who are true to the Word and who are more spiritually mature than you. We don't want to be hard-hearted and close-minded or we risk becoming another modern-day Pharisee! Yikes! The authentic New Testament apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher may sound the alarm to a lost and dying world, but to the believer, they will always build up and edify, encouraging us in our faith and confirming what the Holy Spirit has already relayed to our own spirit.
Receive from these true ministers of light and you will be blessed in the name of Jesus!
