6 Key PRINCIPLES ON JUDGING CHURCHES AND PROPHETS

Introduction

In one part of scripture the Lord Jesus tells us not to judge each other, in fact, the apostle Paul even says, “who are you to judge another man’s servant.” Yet the same Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets, and the same apostle Paul tells us that there are certain Christians that we need to stop associating with, and certain preachers we must reject. The apostle John even tells us not to greet certain prophets or welcome them into our churches. If we are not to judge others, or to judge the servants of God, what then gives us the right to cast out certain brethren and to stop greeting certain prophets and apostles? There is need to rightly divide the word of God.

Here are three Key principles for judging and testing prophets.

THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

This question concerning the role of women in the church is one of the most divisive within the body of Christ. Some denominations have split and others founded based sorely on the role of women in the church.

When approaching a doctrinal issue like this I like to employ two main principles.

The Whole Counsel of the word – This means that we don’t build a doctrine on a single verse. We must first go over the whole bible from Genesis to Revelation and consider everything that God says and does, and all the examples that God gives us in relation to that doctrine.
Preserve the harmony of the scripture – The bible does not contradict itself so we never interpret one scripture in a way that contradicts other scriptures. We must maintain the harmony of the scriptures.

JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH – CAN YOU HAVE SALVATION WITHOUT ANY INHERITANCE?

Introduction

The bible is clear that people who are unrighteous will not have any inheritance in the kingdom of God. So the question is simple, does not having an inheritance mean you can still be in heaven but with no rewards at all.

New Covenant Law

Introduction

The New Covenant in Christ is a very unique covenant that works in very unique ways. In my teaching on the four Covenants of the bible, I looked at the Noahic Covenant (A covenant of Grace), the Abrahamic Covenant (A covenant of Faith), The Mosaic Covenant (A covenant of Works) and finally the New Covenant (A covenant of peace.)

This presentation aims to address questions concerning the New Covenant Law.

The New Testament clearly tells us that we are not under the law, yet we find the apostles telling us not to commit adultery, and not to steal. If the old covenant law is not relevant for people under the new covenant, how are they determining what sin is and is not? In the midst of much contention and disputes among churches, the ordinary believer wants to know, what exactly is God’s standard for righteousness? How do I know and live the life that pleases him?

The Covenant of Christ vs The Previous Three

There is a common misconception that Abraham lived according to the new covenant or (New Testament). There is also a tendency by some people to treat the New Covenant as an extension of the Old. This comes from a misunderstanding of firstly what a covenant is, and secondly what The New Covenant is.

In order to show the difference more clearly, I have to show the four main covenants of the bible.

The Foundations of the Church

The question often arises of when exactly the church of Jesus Christ started. To some the answer is simple, but we still need to lay a bible based foundation of when the church started.

Some believe the church started in Eden, and all righteous people who lived by faith in the coming Christ, upto today, were part of the church. Some believe it started with Moses, and the New Testament only grafted the gentiles into a church that was already there. Then we have others who believe the church started after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, most popularly, at pentecost when the baptism of the spirit came.

These different views stem from different understanding of what the church is, what the New Testament is and what salvation is. This can lead to a lot of error, and so it has become necessary for me to write this teaching, on the foundations of the church.

Melchizedek vs Christ

Introduction

Melchizedek is certainly one of the most mysterious figures of the bible. While some have concluded that he is a Christophany, or appearance of Jesus before the incarnation, others feel it does not matter which ever way. The concept of our salvation is based on the identity of Jesus as Christ the Lord and Son of God.

If we believe that Melchizedek is Jesus Christ, then inadvertently, when we worship Jesus Christ, we are at the same time worshipping Melchizedek.

Just as those who believe that the Angel of the Lord is Jesus Christ, what that means is that when they worship Jesus, by extension, they are also worshipping the Angel of the Lord.

If you are wrong in your understanding of who Christ is, it may ultimately affect certain areas of your faith, or serve as basis to other more dangerous doctrines.

THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN

By Charles P. Mawungwa

Introduction

The Bible tells us that all kinds of sins and blasphemies can be forgiven except for one, The unforgivable sin, which is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. But how does one blaspheme the Holy Spirit? If someone says, “such a prophet is a false prophet” and it turns out that he was a true prophet, is that blaspheming the Holy Spirit? If someone says, “the Holy Spirit is evil and not God”, is that blaspheming the Holy Spirit?

Many people, including me, have been accused by Satan of committing this sin, simply because they did not have enough scriptural understanding of what it is and how one commits it.

Accused of Committing The Unforgivable Sin

A Testimony by Charles P. Mawungwa

Introduction

Sometime around 2011, The Holy Spirit gave me a promise of something that he said would take place in three months.

But as the months went by, I did not see the fulfilment of that thing. One day, when I was low, heart broken, and angry, I went into prayer and said, “Holy Spirit you lied to me. You said that this thing would happen at this time and it didn’t”

At the end of that bitter prayer, The Holy Spirit reassured me that every thing he had said would happen in my life would happen according to his word.

My faith was restored and I said God knows best.

(Side Note: Years later, I discovered that the Lord had fulfilled exactly what he had said at the exact time he had said it, but I had been blinded not to see it at that time.)

Anyways, after that prayer, my trust and faith in the Lord was restored, and about six months later as I was reading the Bible I came across this verse:

Mark 3:28-29 (WEB)

28 Most certainly I tell you, all sins of the descendants of man will be forgiven, including their blasphemies with which they may blaspheme;

29 but whoever may blaspheme against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.”

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As I read this scripture, a thought came into my head and said, “Do you remember that you once called the Holy Spirit a liar. You blasphemed the Holy Spirit. You committed the unforgivable sin”

I immediately said to myself, ” No, I did not blaspheme the Holy Spirit, get thee behind me Satan, you’re a liar”

I closed the Bible and went about my business.

A few weeks later as I was quietly walking in the street meditating on the word of God, that thought came again and said, “Remember you once called the Holy Spirit liar, you blasphemed the Holy Spirit”

I said to myself,” No I did not.” I decided to go home and open the verse again This time looking at the story from the other gospels.

So I found it in the book of Mathew and it read,

Matthew 12:31-32 (WEB)

31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.

As I read this, my heart began to become unsettled.

That thought said to me as I read, “Do you see that. It says, whoever speaks a word against the Holy Spirit. You said the Holy Spirit had lied. You know that he is the spirit of truth. You know he never lies. But you said he had lied. You insulted the Holy Spirit. You committed the unforgivable sin.”

I was so unsettled that I closed the Bible and said, “No no I did not”

A few days later, I was in prayer, and I began to ask God to bless me and my work. As I was asking God, the thought came back and said,

“You’re wasting your time, God is not even listening to you. You committed the unforgivable sin. You blasphemed the Holy Spirit. How can God bless you”

I didn’t want to believe it, but I couldn’t deny it. I could not even continue praying.

I said, “No.” And ignored the thought

A few days later again, I am about to go pray, and the thought comes back again. I then thought, I am sure God will forgive me,

The thought said, “You are already marked for hell. Jesus said, You will never have forgiveness, either in this life or in the age to come. Jesus said, You are subject to eternal condemnation.”

I felt a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety, a lot of depression coming over me. I was at the brink of tears and this single thought, became many thoughts.

They haunted me throughout the day. One thought said, “Did you notice that since you insulted the Holy Spirit, everything in your life has been going down.”

As these thoughts flooded my mind over and over, I became weaker and weaker. I felt like the Bible had become my accuser.

Everytime I would look at the Bible, all I would see was that verse.

I then decided to go out and take a walk, and just talk to God anyways. The thoughts were now saying, “There is no need for you to continue living your life as if you’re going to heaven. You might as well enjoy life while you’re still on earth, since you’re going to hell anyways. No need to continue trying to please God. You’re under eternal condemnation. “

But something in me just refused to give this.

With tears in my eyes I said, “I don’t care, I don’t care If God is going to send me to eternal fire, I don’t care if he never forgives me.”

I said, “I am going to live my life for Christ, I am going to live according to his word.

I said, “I am going to serve Christ anyways. Even if I don’t go to heaven, at least others will. And if on judgement day, Jesus still wants to send me to hell, then Let it be so. But even though I Have blasphemed the Holy Spirit, I won’t live a life of sin”

The Intervention

I began to just say to myself, “But why did I ever say that. Why did I do it. Why why, why”

I was in a lot of pain when suddenly the Holy Spirit spoke.

I say, “He spoke” because that is the only word I have at my disposal.

The Holy Spirit can speak through an inner unction, a small still voice, a strong conviction, a sense of knowing, an audible voice, a vision, a dream, a thought.

These are some of the ways the Holy Spirit speaks. He did not use any of these means.

It’s like his voice spoke though our my whole being. My every cell, my blood, my atoms, my spirit, my heart, my whole being.

He has only ever spoken to me like that Twice. In this instance and the second time was when a preacher had successfully convinced me that I was not born again, because I had been baptised as a baby.

But that’s a story for another day.

As I was asking myself, Why did I ever say that,

The Holy Spirit intervened and said, “Even if you had said pfutsek Holy Spirit you would not have committed the unforgivable sin.”

I stopped walking, He spoke again and said, ” Even if you had said **( Vulgr word) to me, you would not have committed the Holy Spirit.

His voice, came with unspeakable peace, dispersing every worry, every fear, every anxiety and every doubt from my being.

But I was left with one question. If saying those words is not blaspheming the Holy Spirit. If that’s not the unforgivable sin.

Then what is it.

A few days later, The Holy Spirit led me to a book called, “A sin unto death” by Kenneth Hagin.

That book gave me all the scriptural answers I needed, and helped me understand what this sin is.

However, as time went on, I have grown in my own understanding of the subject, and the Holy Spirit has given me more personal teaching from the Bible on the subject.

Never again will Satan use this lie to shake my faith. When you don’t have a good understanding of the scriptures on a subject. Satan can lie and shake your faith in God on that area.

Dealing with Homosexuality

Lessons form the Book of Romans

Ministering to Homosexuals

Before we get into this teaching, I would just like to talk about the approach that Christians should have when ministering to gay individuals. We should not speak to them condemnation because we are not under the law but under grace. Jesus did not come to condemn homosexuals but to save them.

John 3:17 NIV
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.