The Religious Wicked

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The Religious Wicked!

It's astonishing how many religious people are not good but evil!

Until you challenge them by the Spirit of Truth, you wouldn't know.

By Malcolm B Heap, Midnight Ministries

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In our postbag one day we received a letter from a man asking for help. Not unusual. That's what we're here to do. If someone asks for help, I'll give it if I can. But what I did not expect was the way he reacted, and the eventual outcome. He wrote:

I came upon your website today. I've been a Christian since I was 24 years old. I'm 50 now [26 years as a ‘Christian’].

Last year I lost my job, my home, my wife was scanned, my children lost a Christian school. I've just been encouraged by Morris Cerullo, and yet I perceive you have a difference [with him]. I recently was with Don Stewart, and have been with all the major ministries as a giver. I'm not phased by it anymore.

You may think, why am I writing all this? Well, I'm asking you to pray for me and my wife... the occult attacks me.

In fact, I could do with genuine restoration. I don't want the angel of light to fool me. Anyway, feel free to write. If not, I value your prayers.

Please send if possible a copy of: The Midnight Cry, The Danger of False Ministers, Dreams and Visions From God.

Like most who request something from us, he did not send any money. My response to his plea was to send him some basic items of literature which will help anyone who is sincerely seeking God:

Why Pray? Why Trials? Why Suffering?

I also sent him Testing The Spirits and Apostasy In God's Church! which contain chapters about false ministers. I included God's Church – Whose Authority? because it is a definitive work on what is wrong in all churches where men rule over others' spiritual lives.

I sent other articles about Morris Cerullo, Benny Hinn, Reinhard Bonnke and Don Stewart, so that he could learn (if he wanted to) what the pitfalls are in the most commonly accepted mega-ministries.

Besides these, I sent what he requested and I told him:

You asked us to pray for you. That general prayer has already been heard, and an answer to it is herein. But if there is something more specific that you want to know through prayer, do say. Thanks. God bless.

You know, God's blessings are available to all who come to Him. All true seekers find (Matt 7:7). But not all will accept God's answer.

He returned all the literature we had sent, saying:

Christians at Midnight Ministries. Many thanks for the material you sent me. I may request some again. I could not get through it all. [He should have taken his time to read carefully.] But I did have a browse... Naturally you would be interested in my comments, some negative, some positive. [I'm more interested in seeing people change and benefit from receiving the revelations from God in MM publications.]

I agree with what you said about Easter and Christmas. I try to instil that in my children and my wife [sounds a bit of an overlord], and I refuse to be driven by Christmas. I was a pagan and a hippy. I never knew my real mother or father... had my share of depression [that is caused by demons] and mental illness [ditto]. Like Job, I believe God brings you forth as gold when tried in the furnace [only if you submit to His humbling].

Colossians 1:16 [wrong reference – should be 2:16] says let no man judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day [which is what he is about to do to me], or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days. I don't think you should insist that a Gentile should keep the Feasts [why not? God insisted on it – see Ex 12:49; 20:10; Lev 24:22; Num 15:15; Acts 15:7-11, 19-21], but also a person should be free to decide. [Everyone is free to decide whether to obey God, not what they want to obey of His commands. Scripture adjures us in countless places to obey God in all things, for he who breaks one command is as guilty as he who breaks all (Jas 2:10-11).]

[Then he alludes to what I sent him about the dreams which God gave us about how Morris Cerullo has lost his way spiritually. Despite his feigned words about not judging, he judges me for having written what I did about Morris Cerullo, which was according to God's revelation. This man's pride and arrogance accommodates demons.] ...the Bible says 'Judge not'... so personally I Ieave Morris to the Lord. Playing God's policeman is, I feel, not right. [True prophets are called to point out sin and error.] You will disagree with me there. I respect your opinions. [No you don't; your words are just insincere pleasantries.]

Your article on alcohol was good and helped me [good]. I am on unemployment benefit. It was a bit costly sending your books back. [Why send them back when he has not read them all? Because he rejects further truth that he doesn't want to humble himself to accept.] But I do this out of respect [lifts himself up again].

By all means please pray this prayer for my family... [Why should I pray for someone who rejects the truth that God wanted him to have so that he could receive God's deliverance? Those who reject truth, their prayers are an abomination to God (Prov 28:9; Ps 66:18; 109:7), so my prayers for him would be equally useless! First he needs to obey God, then God will hear and answer. Those who accept and live by the truth are set free (Jn 8:32), but in this man's self-will he will only suffer demonic oppression.]

Every Sunday is a real battle about going to church, especially with my daughter and son... I'm interested in church authority. It speaks about it in Eph 4:11. All my life, churches have controlled me. For years I went to King's Church in Newport [Ray Bevan is the charismatic 'minister' in charge there]. They are on the GOD Channel...

[Then he asks a number of specific questions, before signing off.] I'll end here and bid you farewell. Feel free to write. [So I did.] I leave you with Titus 3:9.

Final thought, Zechariah 4:6.

Do you get the impression he thinks quite a bit of himself and his spiritual 'expertise'? Zechariah 4:6 is the very apt scripture that reminds us that achievement in any activity for God is only accomplished by and through His Spirit, not by human power or ability alone.

Titus 3:9 was a stab at me, to defend himself against my challenge to obey the fourth commandment, which he takes exception to. He is suggesting that such an issue is "a foolish dispute" and "striving about the law". Try telling that to God!

A Challenge He Could Not Face

I am detailing here much of this correspondence because it illustrates a prevalent attitude and approach. Many in mainline churches have been fed similar lies. He is merely parroting back what he has been taught, as if I don't really know what I'm talking about, and as though he is the great authority whom I have no right to challenge.

In my reply I didn't beat around the bush:

26th April 2005

Thank you for your letter of 25th April. The literature which I sent you was in answer to the queries you raised in your previous letter, so it is incongruous to send it back, unless you are saying by that that you want to shut your mind to it all because you don't agree with us on one point, namely that of the Sabbath day.

Moreover, God showed me to send those things to you, and if the Spirit says something I follow God's direction, so do you think God would want you to send them back without taking your time to carefully consider what He said in response to your questions?

You seem to overlook the fact that we are prophets. We hear from God. He says things to help the people who write to us.

You asked us to pray for you. We did. And that's how He responded to you. He says that you could find much help in the materials we sent you, if you would only shelve your prejudices and be willing to honestly challenge the false dogmas that the majority in the Church believe.

Also at the time you sent your first letter, God gave me a dream, portraying you. It was this:

The snowdrop buried in the road. The scene was a road made of hardcore and dirt, packed down hard by the traffic that had gone over it. Amazingly, I saw a snowdrop plant, deep down in this road, about a foot down! (Far too deep for a small bulb like this.) Miraculously, the material and dirt around this plant had been removed, so it was sitting in its own little crater now, able to receive light from above.

This depicted how you have been trodden down and buried by the trials and problems of life. The publications we sent you were to help your deliverance. The right response to being exposed to the light is to receive the light and grow, not go back into your hole.

You had asked about the Midnight Cry. The explanation of that is in Articles of Faith, Vol 1, and more on that is also in the small booklet The 10 Virgins, both of which you returned.

It seems that the only publication you retained was God's Church – Whose Authority? Well, I'm glad that you did, because it's pivotal to understanding what is holding the Church back at this time. But since God spoke to me about sending you all those items, I am sending them back again, because demons want to deny you access to the truth. They are the spirits that cause people to act irrationally.

You said you are on Benefit. You can ill-afford to send them all back, so it's harming your family to have done so. God wants you to have them, and to read every one. It doesn't matter if it takes you a year or longer. We don't require them back. Things that are returned get dog-eared in transit, and we can't send them to others in that state, so they mostly go to waste anyway. Because of your difficulties, I am sending you £20 herewith, because I don't want to see you or your family suffer for having gone against the will of God to return those items. [It's not often that God speaks to us to send others money. His reaction demonstrated what a hypocrite he is, as you will later see.]

You raised a number of points in your letter. I'll answer those here, and with the publications enclosed.

1 (a). You quoted Colossians 2:16 (not 1:16). This is an old chestnut used with specious reasoning to try and abrogate our responsibility to obey a command of God.

If I were to tell you that God's commandment not to commit adultery is irrelevant, and that you can have other wives, sexual partners, and live in debauchery with prostitutes, you would rightly call me a heretic of the worst order!

But if I then made 'my' argument more deceitful and devious by saying that you can have paramours so long as you still love your wife, in order that the love for your wife is more greatly enhanced, would you fall for those subtle lies? I doubt it, even though some Christians justify their sexual misdemeanours with similar specious reasoning.

So, why then, do you fall for the lies that false teachers have taught since the end of the 1st century, claiming that the fourth commandment of the Decalogue is abrogated in its original form, now that we are on a higher plane of 'love' than Israel was under the Old Covenant? It is clear from Colossians 2:16 that the Gentile Church WAS observing Sabbaths and New Moons. That's why it is mentioned. What was being criticised or 'judged' was the WAY they were observing these occasions.

A more complete explanation is in The Controversy Concerning Law & Grace enclosed for you. Our Sabbath Rest also contains more information, when you feel you want to study the issue in depth.

1 (b). 'Judging'.

'Judging' is an issue that is not properly understood, and is misrepresented by false teachers in order to quell any dissent against the false teachings they promote in their positions of authority.

This is covered in the article Should You Judge In The Church? in Articles Of Faith, Vol 2 enclosed, and in The Bible Speaks, Vol 4, pp 11-12, enclosed.

With regard to what I have published about Morris Cerullo (and some others), all these articles are replete with dreams from God. I wouldn't criticise any man of God if God did not give His input first. HE got me to write those revelations. You are right that you "leave Morris to the Lord". Indeed, you should, because you are not a prophet. It's the job of prophets to correct God's anointed servants.

But if you criticise and judge me for doing what I have done under the anointing of God, you criticise God not merely me. So, in judging me you are doing the very thing you speak against.

You say you "respect [my] opinions". Firstly, these are not merely my opinions. They are the truths of God, which are backed up by accurate exegesis, and by revelation given to third parties which is the commendation from God (2 Cor 10:18). (Contained in What God Said About Midnight Ministries and Revelations From God About MM.) Let others such as Ray Bevan (who is a false minister, by the way) show their commendation from God given to two or three witnesses by revelation!

There are many charlatans in the Church, masquerading and performing to gain a following for themselves (Acts 20:28-30).

You say you respect 'my' opinions, but that is untrue. If you respected 'my' opinions, you would study to show yourself approved to God. You would read comprehensively all I have sent you, to see whether such things are so, like the Bereans did (in Acts 17:11).

2. Tithing.

This issue is covered in The Tithe of God and To Whom Should You Give Your Tithe? Since a person tithes on their INCREASE, you have no increase in your specific situation because you are living on benefit which is effectively what you have already paid (through taxes and NI payments) into the system that now reimburses you. That's the theory behind it, anyway, even if the practicalities are somewhat variable or inconsistent.

3. Music.

"Is it right for a Christian to play secular music?"

That depends on the individual piece of music and the emotions or spiritual impulses it encourages. The answer is covered in the principles in Testing The Spirits which I had sent you and which I am returning.

Ask yourself, does it uplift and edify, encouraging right and positive emotions, or does it depress or discourage (like some Wagner or Mahler symphonies, and others), or does it stimulate rebellion, violence, aggression and negative moods (as does much rock music)? However, there is some popular music that does stimulate positive emotions, so you must be the judge of what is fitting and what is not good for your mind and spirit.

4. Your family.

Finally, the Spirit bids me to send some items specifically and lovingly for your family: The Bible Speaks Vol 3 for your wife (separately), and The Bible Speaks Vol 5 for your son.

God bless you all.

Sincerely, Malcolm

Rebellion & Stubbornness

We sent him all these items at our expense. God led us in what to do. We would not normally send a person money, but God had us do that, to leave him without excuse.

He could have been blessed. At first, I was genuinely anticipating a positive response, and looking forward to having another brother and friend in Christ. But it wasn't to be. He wrote a very brief note:

Malcolm, many thanks for your blessed gift of £20.

And also the books. Please don't send any more unless specifically requested.

All the best for your future.

The money gift made more impression on him than the literature! I wrote back a few days later:

2nd May 2005

Thank you for your letter of 29th April asking me not to send any more publications. Don't worry, I won't unless you ask.

I hope you appreciate that what I sent you was in response to what you asked, and because of the prompts of the Spirit upon me. It is not in our physical interests to send people lots of literature at our expense, where there is resistance to the Spirit and to further truth. So I hope you realise that if God was not in it, I wouldn't have been sending all those items to you. There is no human sense in doing such a thing. But God wants you to have them and to learn from them.

Take your time to read them carefully and positively, and He will bless you and deliver you as the booklet Casting Out Demons explains (I think we sent you that one).

Don't worry about reimbursing us financially. We don't seek others' money. We seek their spiritual deliverance. If we sought the former, we wouldn't be doing this work, because we carry a financial debt of six figures to follow the lead of God's Spirit.

God blesses those who embrace the fulness of His truth.

Sincerely, in His love,

Malcolm

When one of the packets was returned AGAIN, I was horrified!

Previously he didn't say why he had returned everything – all except one – which was God's Church: Whose Authority? That one tome appealed to him. It was what he wanted.

But now he confessed:

Malcolm, please don't send me any more literature... I do have a history of mental illness and depression. I could not handle your literature. I gave your books to a Christian charity. Sorry mate, all I ask is for my family to be left alone.

How ironic that he had asked for help, but when the help came he rejected it! God can only help those who are willing to receive it. That takes humility and 'guts' to do what God commands.

If you want to hold onto your pride in self-will, there is nothing God can do to deliver you. The only thing He can do is to leave you with the demons you have chosen to commit idolatry with.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry (1 Sam 15:23).

Many Religious Spirits!

There are a lot of religious people in churches. And there are a lot of religious spirits, too! One day we will be shocked when we see fully into the spirit realm and see how many Christians have been the fodder for such demons!

These evil spirits cater to their captive hosts. They make you feel comfortable and cosy in your religion. They fill your mind with pet doctrines and excuses, replete with specious reasoning and scriptures wrested out of context to justify your behaviour. But it's all to protect your pride and selfish pursuit.

If you're 'bitten', you're not saying like Abraham, "Anything You say, Lord!" Your 'obedience' is not from the heart. It's from the head, deceiving yourself.

Demons don't want you obeying God, and they know how to appeal to your inner pride to prevent you. They make sure they give you a release valve for your selfish ambition. It's a religious release valve, one which allows you to do what you want and yet convince yourself with distorted theology that you are fulfilling the words of God in the Bible.

To take just one example – because it's often the commonest one we encounter in others – people say they are 'in Christ', 'in His Rest', and so they don't need a physical rest each week. They base their stand on the a subtle doctrine of demons by contorting Paul's words in Hebrews 4. Or they claim that one day in seven is good enough; it doesn't matter which one.

A religious spirit can blind you to what God actually says in Scripture, because he knows what you prefer to do. He knows how to get you to accept his lie instead of God's plain and pure truth.

Isaiah revealed what is the root of the problem:

These people come near to Me with their mouth and honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is made up only of rules taught by men (Is 29:13, NIV).

And in the New Testament, Paul warned:

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron (1 Tim 4:1,2, NIV).

Why did Paul emphasise to Timothy how important it is to correctly handle the Word of truth? (2 Tim 2:15.) I'm sure you know the reason – even then, many false teachings were being subtly introduced through false teachers who appealed to inner selfish and prideful desires in people. They gradually gained a greater following, spreading like gangrene (2:17, NIV), or cancer (2:17, NKJV).

The situation became so bad that Paul wrote:

The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim 4:3, NIV).

That time is now here. You can decide what you want to believe and still call yourself a 'Christian'. It seems anything goes. You can choose.

And most do. They pick and choose what they believe, not according to a deep, genuine desire to obey everything God says, but because they choose something that takes their fancy. What most believe is a mixture of what they have gullibly swallowed that they have been taught by others, and what appeals to their inner pride and selfish ambition.

But you can't pick and choose with God. Either you obey all He says, or you don't obey Him. As many have pithily said: "Either Jesus is Lord of all, or He's not Lord at all" in your life.

Puppets of Demons!

Isaiah wrote:

These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction. They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" (Isaiah 30:9-11, NIV)

Those people couldn't handle the Word of truth. Nor could the man handle what we sent him.

You don't see yourself as a puppet of demons but that is what you are when you give in to doing what you want which is contrary to God's word or His will.

Unless you repent, you are under judgement!

Those words came to me one day for someone to whom I was writing. God gets me to write to many people, and almost without exception the letters are corrective and not pleasant for the self-willed to receive. The responses are predictable – just as Isaiah said.

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for Him (Is 30:18, NIV).

To wait for Him means to put one's complete trust in Him, doing what He commands, even though it hurts you to do it. And doesn't it always hurt to obey God? It does to begin with, until the peaceable fruits of righteousness come later. It's Satan's way that seems pleasant and appealing. God's way does not have instant appeal. But that's all part of the test.

It was for Adam and Eve. It still is.

Judgment fell on them for disobedience. It falls on all the wicked who dismiss His truth as a light thing.

Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message... and depended on deceit, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant..." (Is 30:12,13, NIV)

There are many churches across this land whose doctrinal walls, and organisational walls, are cracked and bulging. It will be good when they fall. Only then can people come to their senses and begin to pick their way through the rubble to start again and do what God asked of them in the beginning.

But don't expect it of a wicked man.

To fear the Lord is to hate evil (Prv 8:13, NIV).

But the wicked hate the truth! Malcolm B Heap

(This article first appeared in MM Newsletter 31, June 2005)

Further Reading:

Our Sabbath Rest (S); The Controversy Concerning Law and Grace (LG)

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