WORSHIPING AT THE ALTAR OF SUCCES

Worshiping At The Altar Of Success
by David Ravenhill www.davidravenhill.net

Though you may find it hard to believe, there is an addiction more subtle and more powerful than either drugs or pornography. It’s older than prostitution, more prevalent than alcohol, more addictive than cocaine. It doesn’t discriminate between male and female, black or white, young or old, rich or poor. Its strength is greater than all other addictions combined. It’s as rampant in the Church as it is in the world. It leaves the body unscathed but destroys the soul. The vast majority of people addicted have little if any understanding of its power or perils.
The history of the worship of success dates back to Lucifer, the rebellious archangel who wanted to relegate God to a subordinate role and take the ‘top gun’ position for himself. This desire for success soon spread throughout the earth like a cancer, reaching its pinnacle with mankind seeking to build a tower and to make for themselves a name. What a contrast in attitudes we find between Genesis 11 and 12. Chapter 11 exposes man striving for recognition, while chapter 12 we find God promising humble Abraham that He would make his name great.
A clear picture of this obsession with success can be found in the story of King Ahaz. His numerous sins had brought judgment upon himself and the nation of Judah. This punishment came through the king of Aram who carried off a great number of his people as captives. Embarrassed and distressed over his glaring defeat, the Jewish king made the monumental mistake of attributing the Aramean victory to their gods. Whatever small faith he may have had in Jehovah was completely discarded in favor of idol worship. “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them,” he reasoned, “I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” (II Chronicles 28:23) It seems that Ahaz was prepared to pay any price for success.
Lamentably, it seems that much of the American Church holds this same misguided logic. Pastors around the nation are flocking to follow the ‘mega church’ pattern, believing that what worked somewhere else will work for them as well. We now have the mentality that success is purely numerical. Witness what the Barna Research Group stated as the result of a recent study:
“The most discouraging study we ever conducted was one in which we attempted to identify churches in the U.S. that consistently and intelligently evaluate life transformation among the people to whom they minister. We found that very few churches - emphasis on very - measure anything beyond attendance, donations, square footage, number of programs and size of staff. None of that necessarily reflects life transformation.” (Italics mine)
How tragic! Success is now measured by attendance, donations, square footage, etc. It’s time we stopped worshipping the ‘gods of success’ and turned our gaze afresh upon the Lord, for beholding we will be changed. I think that is the definition of SUCCESS in the Kingdom of God.

WORSHIPING AT THE ALTAR OF SUCCES

Worshiping At The Altar Of Success
by David Ravenhill www.davidravenhill.net

Though you may find it hard to believe, there is an addiction more subtle and more powerful than either drugs or pornography. It’s older than prostitution, more prevalent than alcohol, more addictive than cocaine. It doesn’t discriminate between male and female, black or white, young or old, rich or poor. Its strength is greater than all other addictions combined. It’s as rampant in the Church as it is in the world. It leaves the body unscathed but destroys the soul. The vast majority of people addicted have little if any understanding of its power or perils.
The history of the worship of success dates back to Lucifer, the rebellious archangel who wanted to relegate God to a subordinate role and take the ‘top gun’ position for himself. This desire for success soon spread throughout the earth like a cancer, reaching its pinnacle with mankind seeking to build a tower and to make for themselves a name. What a contrast in attitudes we find between Genesis 11 and 12. Chapter 11 exposes man striving for recognition, while chapter 12 we find God promising humble Abraham that He would make his name great.
A clear picture of this obsession with success can be found in the story of King Ahaz. His numerous sins had brought judgment upon himself and the nation of Judah. This punishment came through the king of Aram who carried off a great number of his people as captives. Embarrassed and distressed over his glaring defeat, the Jewish king made the monumental mistake of attributing the Aramean victory to their gods. Whatever small faith he may have had in Jehovah was completely discarded in favor of idol worship. “Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them,” he reasoned, “I will sacrifice to them that they may help me.” (II Chronicles 28:23) It seems that Ahaz was prepared to pay any price for success.
Lamentably, it seems that much of the American Church holds this same misguided logic. Pastors around the nation are flocking to follow the ‘mega church’ pattern, believing that what worked somewhere else will work for them as well. We now have the mentality that success is purely numerical. Witness what the Barna Research Group stated as the result of a recent study:
“The most discouraging study we ever conducted was one in which we attempted to identify churches in the U.S. that consistently and intelligently evaluate life transformation among the people to whom they minister. We found that very few churches - emphasis on very - measure anything beyond attendance, donations, square footage, number of programs and size of staff. None of that necessarily reflects life transformation.” (Italics mine)
How tragic! Success is now measured by attendance, donations, square footage, etc. It’s time we stopped worshipping the ‘gods of success’ and turned our gaze afresh upon the Lord, for beholding we will be changed. I think that is the definition of SUCCESS in the Kingdom of God.

THE PROPHETS TOWER

The Prophets Tower
by Samuel Chadwick

’I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me.’ Habakkuk 2:1.

Habakkuk is the skeptic among the prophets. His prophecy opens with a passionate remonstrance with God. The times in which he lived were sadly out of joint. He looked for God and found chaos; for righteousness and found confusion. Western Asia was being swept by Chaldean armies. Judah was helpless. Prayer availed nothing.

The prophet’s heart was sore. He had hoped, believed, and declared that God would come with swift and miraculous power to overthrow their enemies and deliver His people. He cried unto the Lord, and there was no sign of His appearing. The enemy marched forward unhindered, invincible. Then he shook his fist at the Almighty, and demanded an explanation. The facts he faced made him a skeptic; for skeptic and prophet are both seers. They both faced facts.

The difference is that one finds his way to a tower, and the other does not. One beholds the confusion, and the other rises above it. They both gaze sorrowfully upon the scene of dust, disaster, and din, but the prophet gazes till he sees through it; and he discerns the eternal realities beyond the temporary confusion. That is how prophets are made. It was in the year King Uzziah died that Isaiah saw the Lord, and it was in the broken heart of love betrayed that Hosea found the secret of God’s yearning for sinners. How Long? And Why?

The prophet’s problem is summed up in questions that are with us still. How long? Why? Wherefore? How long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear? Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to look on perverseness? Wherefore lookest Thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest Thy peace, when the wicked swalloweth up the man that is more righteous than he?

How long shall the oppressed and afflicted appeal in vain? Why are the righteous so helpless against the forces of iniquity? How is it that Heaven’s prospering blessing seems so often to be given to the wrong people? When Carlyle and Froude discussed the affairs of the world, Froude remarked that God did not seem to interfere much in the affairs of men, and that he could only believe in a God who did something. To this Carlyle grunted, ’He does nothing?’ Stand! Watch! Wait!

Salvation comes to the man who has a tower. There is no solution in the thick of the confusion. The seer must get above the crowd. He cannot keep his feet in the seething mass of a shouting, screaming, blaspheming multitude. He must ascend. Like his Lord, he must be high and lifted up. He must be detached if he would understand. Only by getting above the scene can he truly see. In the tower he finds standing-ground for his feet, and control of himself. No voice is without signification, but when they are all heard at once the signification is lost. He must get away from the clamor, that he may give God a chance. With deliberation he must set himself to stand, watch and wait. He climbs that he may see.

Serenity must not be secured by shutting the eyes and hardening the heart. They are false prophets who cry peace when there is no peace. The tower is a point of vantage from which the anomalies and tragedies, that stagger the faith of man, can be seen more clearly and felt more keenly. His vision gains in comprehensiveness and perspective. History in fragments makes God a liar, but the broad sweep of centuries witness to His power.

Eternity rebukes our impatience, and teaches us the secret of tranquil faith. God reigns. He may be invisible, but He is not indifferent. The lesson of history is that the just live, and right ultimately prevails. Things puffed up may loom large, but they do not last. Through all the confusion and contradictions God works to plan. He has His appointed time. It will not fail, neither will it be late. Though it tarry, wait for it, for it will surely come. In the tower men learn that the just must triumph, and right – not might – prevail.

The Wrong Telephone
The weakness of modern life is that it has no tower. We have many politicians, but no prophet. When Lord Rosebery was Prime Minister he made a speech in which he said all a statesman could do was to keep his ear to the telephone of public opinion and carry its wishes into law. That explains much. The most colossal failures in modern politics are due to the fact that the men had no tower. They put their ear to the wrong telephone.

The Church suffers from the same cause. Ecclesiastics wrangle over property and privilege. The Church is in the thick of the world’s activities. There never was so much perspiring haste to hurry up the Kingdom of Heaven. We have no time for towers. The drains are bad, and the devil is everywhere; so the Church hustles and jostles with the rest. Prayer is abandoned. Our fathers imagined Satan was to be conquered with weapons not carnal, but we are a practical generation and we find it handier to fight the world with its own weapons.

To the tower all ye fuming, perspiring, fussy unbelievers who bear the name of Christ! Take your stand upon the eternal realities, look out upon the history of the world, wait to see what God will speak. There you will learn the secret of God’s eternity, and receive of His quietness and strength. The tower makes the prophet. It is the place of vision, the place of wisdom, the place of power, and the place of song.

WHY MIKE GUGLIELMUCCI LIED TO THE WORLD

Why Mike Guglielmucci Lied to the World
by Lee Grady (Charisma Editor) www.themordecaiproject.com

The Australian musician who wrote “Healer” needed his own healing from a porn addiction. His tragic story should challenge us to embrace purity.
I play the song “Healer” all the time in my car. I can’t get the tune out of my head. You probably know the words:
I believe You’re my healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You’re my portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need.
Thousands of churches have been singing the popular worship chorus since Australian youth pastor Michael Guglielmucci wrote it in 2007. The Aussie worship band Hillsong United has made it a global anthem, and it’s especially popular among people battling illness. But the song took on a darker meaning in August when Guglielmucci admitted it was part of an elaborate hoax he created.
"When we sing ‘Healer’ from now on, let’s remember that Jesus wasn’t lying when He promised to heal our broken souls.”
Christians around the world felt shocked and betrayed when the 29-year-old minister admitted he had faked cancer for two years in a strange ploy to hide his secret pornography addiction. The fiasco has become one of the biggest scandals to rock Australia’s Christian community in years.
In a tearful apology aired on Australian television several weeks ago, Guglielmucci said he faked symptoms and wrote bogus e-mails from doctors. He sat in waiting rooms alone while his family assumed he was getting treatment. He appeared in church concerts with an oxygen tube in his nose, deceiving thousands of mostly teenage fans into believing he needed a physical healing.
This talented but tormented young man eventually trapped himself in his own deceptive web.
Church leaders asked him to confess his lies to the police, since he used the story to raise funds. He was stripped of his ministerial credentials and is now receiving psychiatric help. Aussie church leaders, including pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church in Sydney, had to make public statements to calm distraught churchgoers who feel betrayed and, in some cases, defrauded of their money.
I can’t begin to imagine the pain that Guglielmucci’s parents feel. (His father is an Assemblies of God pastor who read his son’s apology to a stunned congregation outside Adelaide). I am sure trust has been severely damaged among members of Guglielmucci’s family. But how do we respond when a leader fails us like this?
Thankfully, in Guglielmucci’s case, he did not justify his behavior. His apology was read in churches all over Australia. He told a news reporter: “I’m so sorry not just for lying to my friends and family even about a sickness, but I’m sorry for a life of saying I was something when I’m not. From this day on I’m telling the truth.”
On behalf of American Christians who (1) have endured our own share of religious scandals and (2) still believe that Jesus Christ heals today, I want to say to Michael Guglielmucci: We forgive you.
I’m not excusing his behavior. It’s possible he will go to prison for fraud. But at least he’s not denying his sin. And honest confession is the first step to true restoration. I pray Guglielmucci will embrace the process so he can not only preach the truth of Christ but also live the truth inside.
This sad drama from Down Under reveals a global problem that the church must face. Pornography is eating our culture alive—and it is affecting ministers along with everyone else.
Guglielmucci admitted that he began to weave his false story of illness in order to mask his addiction. Sometimes he felt so guilty after looking at porn that he couldn’t go to work—so he called in sick. He dug himself deeper every day. His little lies grew to become a monstrous con job.
This man’s pretend sickness was caused by a disease of the soul that plagues millions of people today, including many Christian men who wear masks to church to hide their shame. They haven’t stuck tubes in their noses or broadcast their lies to teenage audiences like Guglielmucci did, but they are lying just the same to cover up their lust. They, too, need to come clean.
If you are struggling with a porn addiction, I challenge you to take a bold step and confess your sin to your pastor, your spouse or a trusted Christian friend. Don’t hide any longer. Don’t live a lie. Lust does not have to control you. Jesus has provided a way of escape. Don’t wait until your sin is exposed; instead, expose your sin to the light of God’s holiness.
James 5:16 summarizes this simple formula: “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. (NASB)” Those ancient words still work today.
True healing is available from Jesus, not only for the victims of cancer but also for all those men like Mike Guglielmucci who are battling sexual addictions. When we sing “Healer” from now on, let’s remember that Jesus wasn’t lying when He promised to heal our broken souls.

A FULFILLED PROPHECY

A Fulfilled Prophecy
by R. Loren Sandford www.newsongfellowship.org

November 30, 2007 I posted the following "Prophetic Moments". In light of the crisis unfolding right now in our nation's financial system, I felt it appropriate to re-post at least key excerpts from it now today:

"RIDING THE ROLLER COASTER - For several years I've been warning believers that the kind of security and stability many of us have known in America during the last half of the twentieth century has ended....American believers have placed their faith in their prosperity (and thought it was God) to a degree most us have been blind to. This will be tested in days to come by the fires of instability and turmoil. The shaking that has come upon us will intensify and expose everything in us that has not been built upon a true foundation in Him....Having said this, I do not believe that America’s economy will collapse, but instability and uncertainty will get much worse. We will be like riders on a roller coaster, filled with fear because of the speed and violence of the changes of elevation and direction, when the truth is that for believers the ride is perfectly safe, fastened to the tracks in such a way as to ensure safety....The roller coaster of material instability is upon us and will remain, but for the believer the danger is only an illusion sent to produce fear. Fear shuts off the flow of the gospel and cripples the ministry of the body of Christ. Only true apprehension of the Father’s perfect love and a choice to have faith in His faithfulness form the antidote to the fear that threatens to overwhelm so many of us. In days to come we must learn to rely solely on our Lord for provision rather than the world’s lost stability."

To read the entire posting as I wrote it in November, 2007, click HERE. In "Purifying the Prophetic" I wrote that the true religion of America is not Christianity, but recycled Baalism. The cult of Baal in Bible times focused on material prosperity, the fulfillment of self. This focus, inspired by the same wicked principality, has dominated our American culture and has invaded the doctrines and practices of the church, drawing us away from the selfless message of the cross and installing prosperity as an article of faith. We are now experiencing the hand of God shaking this form of idolatry to its foundation. This is the fulfillment of what the Lord told me a year ago.

God has not given up on America. Not yet. This is why we are in no danger of imminent collapse, although some very difficult times lie before us. In 586 B.C. Israel's stubborn apostasy led God, in effect, to give them up to utter destruction, although a restoration came later when destruction produced its good fruit. We are not yet at that point - and America is not Israel. We might be more like Sodom and Gommorhah that would have been saved if even ten righteous could be found in them. Many more than ten righteous dwell in this nation and cry out in repentance for our sins. God still listens.

The shaking in coming months, however, will be violent. Never in my lifetime of 57 years have we seen such a stream of natural disasters impact this nation and the world. My sense is that we have seen only about a third of what is to come in terms of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and so on. Some of these will impact regions previously considered safe. These disasters in nature are not the judgment of God, but rather the inevitable reaping of what we have sown in sin. Earth literally groans under the burden of it in the same way that when Cain murdered his brother Abel, his blood cried out to God from the ground. The financial meltdown we now see unfolding, however, is a different matter. I believe this is the hand of God directly shaking that in which we have placed our faith. Baal must be de-throned, beginning in the churches.

We must restore a faith like the apostle Paul's. I Corinthians 2:2, "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." He didn't die to make us prosperous. He died that we might die with Him, the old self laid to rest and a new self raised up in His image, reflecting His own nature and living it out in the world - and best of all, living in the Father's embrace. It's time for a radical adjustment of focus for our lives and spirituality.

Finally, as those in world around us become more fearful, they will need to know that a God in heaven loves them. They will be vulnerable to the gospel as never before. We must be ready to minister the kingdom of God to them. We cannot do that if we ourselves walk in the same level of fear as they do, or if we allow ourselves to be angry with God for material setbacks and financial difficulties. He has not let us down. We've let ourselves down. This is the time to press into intimacy with the Father who loves us and then to share our hope - our true hope - with those made ready to listen.

A FULFILLED PROPHECY

A Fulfilled Prophecy
by R. Loren Sandford www.newsongfellowship.org

November 30, 2007 I posted the following "Prophetic Moments". In light of the crisis unfolding right now in our nation's financial system, I felt it appropriate to re-post at least key excerpts from it now today:

"RIDING THE ROLLER COASTER - For several years I've been warning believers that the kind of security and stability many of us have known in America during the last half of the twentieth century has ended....American believers have placed their faith in their prosperity (and thought it was God) to a degree most us have been blind to. This will be tested in days to come by the fires of instability and turmoil. The shaking that has come upon us will intensify and expose everything in us that has not been built upon a true foundation in Him....Having said this, I do not believe that America’s economy will collapse, but instability and uncertainty will get much worse. We will be like riders on a roller coaster, filled with fear because of the speed and violence of the changes of elevation and direction, when the truth is that for believers the ride is perfectly safe, fastened to the tracks in such a way as to ensure safety....The roller coaster of material instability is upon us and will remain, but for the believer the danger is only an illusion sent to produce fear. Fear shuts off the flow of the gospel and cripples the ministry of the body of Christ. Only true apprehension of the Father’s perfect love and a choice to have faith in His faithfulness form the antidote to the fear that threatens to overwhelm so many of us. In days to come we must learn to rely solely on our Lord for provision rather than the world’s lost stability."

To read the entire posting as I wrote it in November, 2007, click HERE. In "Purifying the Prophetic" I wrote that the true religion of America is not Christianity, but recycled Baalism. The cult of Baal in Bible times focused on material prosperity, the fulfillment of self. This focus, inspired by the same wicked principality, has dominated our American culture and has invaded the doctrines and practices of the church, drawing us away from the selfless message of the cross and installing prosperity as an article of faith. We are now experiencing the hand of God shaking this form of idolatry to its foundation. This is the fulfillment of what the Lord told me a year ago.

God has not given up on America. Not yet. This is why we are in no danger of imminent collapse, although some very difficult times lie before us. In 586 B.C. Israel's stubborn apostasy led God, in effect, to give them up to utter destruction, although a restoration came later when destruction produced its good fruit. We are not yet at that point - and America is not Israel. We might be more like Sodom and Gommorhah that would have been saved if even ten righteous could be found in them. Many more than ten righteous dwell in this nation and cry out in repentance for our sins. God still listens.

The shaking in coming months, however, will be violent. Never in my lifetime of 57 years have we seen such a stream of natural disasters impact this nation and the world. My sense is that we have seen only about a third of what is to come in terms of hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and so on. Some of these will impact regions previously considered safe. These disasters in nature are not the judgment of God, but rather the inevitable reaping of what we have sown in sin. Earth literally groans under the burden of it in the same way that when Cain murdered his brother Abel, his blood cried out to God from the ground. The financial meltdown we now see unfolding, however, is a different matter. I believe this is the hand of God directly shaking that in which we have placed our faith. Baal must be de-throned, beginning in the churches.

We must restore a faith like the apostle Paul's. I Corinthians 2:2, "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." He didn't die to make us prosperous. He died that we might die with Him, the old self laid to rest and a new self raised up in His image, reflecting His own nature and living it out in the world - and best of all, living in the Father's embrace. It's time for a radical adjustment of focus for our lives and spirituality.

Finally, as those in world around us become more fearful, they will need to know that a God in heaven loves them. They will be vulnerable to the gospel as never before. We must be ready to minister the kingdom of God to them. We cannot do that if we ourselves walk in the same level of fear as they do, or if we allow ourselves to be angry with God for material setbacks and financial difficulties. He has not let us down. We've let ourselves down. This is the time to press into intimacy with the Father who loves us and then to share our hope - our true hope - with those made ready to listen.

MODERN IDOLS AND FALSE PROPHETS

Modern Idols and False Prophets
by Terry Somerville www.totalchange.org

Jeremiah 23:16 "Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah."


In both the old and New Testament we are repeatedly warned about idols and false prophets. Today, both are in the church. The idols look Christian,and the prophets may do miracles and signs! They may even speak true words like Balaam. But he was a false prophet because he did not lead the people into faithfulness to God.

The issue here is not the power to prophecy, signs etc, it is the heart of the prophet, his character and teaching. The true ministry of a prophet is to bring fidelity to Christ, but as we shall see there is much false prophecy when idolatry increases in God's people.

Jeremiah 23: 21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

Mt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves

Mt 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
True and False Sources of Prophecy

True prophecy is inspired by the spirit of the Lord. But the scripture makes it clear that God's prophets may speak from other sources! Note carefully how prophets can speak from their own heart and spirit but think it is the Lord!


Sources Of Prophecy

1. The prophets own heart

Ez 13:2 …say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;

Jer 23: 26 How long shall there be lies in the heart of the prophets. They are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;


2. The Prophets Own Mind

Jer 23:16 They speak a vision of their own minds, and not from the mouth of the LORD.


3. The Prophets Own Spirit

Ez 13:3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!


4. A Demon

Jeremiah 23:13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err"

Micah 2:11 If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

Idols In The Heart Of Christians and The Prophets

Idol worship still tempts Christians converts in India. They believe certain fears, needs or desires may be answered by these false gods. Why do we think our spiritual life in the west is any different just because we don't bow to a graven image? Idolatry of the heart is rampant! As far as the Lord is concerned it is real idolatry and serving an image in the place of God!

Here is how it idolatry of the heart works.

1. Our Heart Is Gods Temple

I Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

2. Idols Can Be Taken Into The Heart

Ezekiel 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?


3. Images and Pictures In The Heart Are The Idols

Ezekiel 8:10 behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.


4. Covetousness (Desiring These Images) Is Idolatry

Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

5. The Flesh Serves The Idol Resulting In Unrighteousness

James 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.


The Question is, what are the pictures, ideas and images portrayed in your heart? What desires possess you? Are they Kingdom ideas or western culture?
My Own Experience

Many years ago the Lord confronted my about my idol worship. It was a revelation. I had three idol-pictures in my heart, covetous desires that I served. He revealed them by putting me through difficult circumstances. I needed to smash them down!

1. The Idol Of Ministry
I had a picture in my heart of "successful ministry". Even though it was all about REVIVAL, the pictures on the walls of my heart were created by the idols of our culture. Success, fame, youth, size, power etc. I prayed for it, prophesied it, and preached it. Because it was religious I could not see that my ministry had become my idol. My flesh served the idol. I was glad or depressed depending on the results.

2. The Idol Of My Wife
I also had an idol-picture in my heart of what I wanted my wife Karen to be like. It was an image of how I wanted her to look and act. I had fallen in love with this picture in my heart I coveted, instead of loving her. My flesh served the idol because I was glad when Karen was like the image, and upset when she was not.

3. The Idol Of My Home
God used our circumstances to expose this one. We moved to Campbell River from a water front home in Bermuda. For several years I would see images of the home we left behind every morning when I put my contact lenses in. I rebuked the devil but it was not him, it was my idol controlling my heart! I was miserable and tormented but could get free in my heart until I smashed this idol.
The Idols Of The Church Are Producing Todays False Prophets

The idols of our culture are being served in the church. But we don't see them because they are often equated with Christianity. Perhaps the greatest one is the idol of revival! I believe in genuine revival. But what the prophets are prophesying and what the people are chasing is NOT revival. It is an IDOL OF REVIVAL.

REVIVAL IDOLS
Success and fame. Everyone will come!
Size - We'll "catch it" and our church will grow.
Money - the offerings will bring financial blessing
Power and Influence. We will be respected as leaders
Spectacles of spiritual power


THE PROPHETS OF REVIVAL
The idolatry around the church today has produced many prophets of revival who speak from their own minds and spirits. They serve these idols in their hearts. They rely on spectacular revelations to boost their ministries. The draw is signs and wonders and spiritual experiences. Believers serving the gods of the land will run because of the name and fame of these ministries. They say "Iam of Paul, I am of Appolos", it is not the Lord.
Check Out The Prophets and Their Prophecy

1 Thessalonians 5:21 but test everything; hold fast what is good,

1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Here are Some Tests for Prophecy and Prophets

1. The Word Of God – does it fit the Word of God ?

Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.


2. The spirit of the prophecy – does it bear witness of Christ in word and spirit?

1John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.


3. The character of the message – Does it lead to holiness?

Jer 23:22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.


4. Confirmation - Do other prophets and prophecy agree?

1Cor.14:29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh(discern) what is said.


5. The character of the messenger

Jer 23:14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness:

21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
Conclusion - The Church Must Repent Of Her Idols

The great need of the day is cleansing of the church from the idols of the land. We should not be surprised at the behavior of ministries in our day. We are in the grip of a terrible idolatry that rules much of the church and inspires many prophets. Most faithful Old Testament prophets could not convince God's people they had a problem with false gods. Many prophets ended up serving those false gods in the name of Jehova! The same is true today.

It is time for a great repentance, and abandoning of the idols of our time. We pray that God will give us eyes to see.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Revelation of John 3:18

TEST REVIVAL WITH DOCTRINE

Test Revival with Doctrine
by John Piper

Lee Grady, the editor of Charisma, one of the main charismatic magazines, has written a lament and critique of the Lakeland “revival” which is now in a tailspin over the leader’s announced separation from his wife. Grady’s summons to pray for the church and our nation is right, and among his commendable questions and observations are these:
“Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.”
“True revival will be accompanied by brokenness, humility, reverence and repentance—not the arrogance, showmanship and empty hype that often was on display in Lakeland.”
“A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after Bentley’s news hit the fan. He said to me: “I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ when he shows up because they have no discernment.” Ouch. Hopefully we’ll learn our lesson this time and apply the necessary caution when an imposter shows up.”
Charismatics will not be the only ones who follow the Antichrist when he rises. So will the mass of those who today in thousands of evangelical churches belittle the truth of biblical doctrine as God’s agent to set us free (John 8:32).
Discernment is not created in God’s people by brokenness, humility, reverence, and repentance. It is created by biblical truth and the application of truth by the power of the Holy Spirit to our hearts and minds. When that happens, then the brokenness, humility, reverence, and repentance will have the strong fiber of the full counsel of God in them. They will be profoundly Christian and not merely religious and emotional and psychological.
The common denominator of those who follow the Antichrist will not be “charismatic.” It will be, as Paul says, “they refused to love the truth.”
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
Our test for every Lakeland that comes along should first be doctrinal and expositional. Is this awakening carried along by a “love for the truth” and a passion to hear the whole counsel of God proclaimed?