"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness,
whose end shall be according to their works."
2nd Corinthians 11:13-15
Ministers of righteousness?
In this passage we're called to discernment. There are ministers of Satan who LOOK LIKE ministers of righteousness, but who are actually "false."
Sit back and think about it - how would you know that a minister is not walking in the Lord, but is actually a deceitful worker? A "false apostle?" Someone desiring fame, all seats in the building filled ... for your money. Would you be able to tell?
Jesus told the RICH young ruler to PART with his riches and come follow him:
"He said to him, 'You still lack one thing.
Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor,
and you will have treasure in heaven,
and come, follow me.'
But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful,
for he was very rich."
Luke 18:22-23
Many turn away from a man who preaches about sin, repentance, hell, or judgment. They think him "judgmental," or "harsh," or just too negative. On the other hand, they love the nice guy, the loving minister who tells them happy things. Friends, this is to get it backwards.
There is a literal hell. Read the words of Jesus who told us about hell:
"And do not fear those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul.
But rather fear him who is able to destroy
both soul and body IN HELL."
Matthew 10:28
Sin is a destroyer. Sin has consequences. Jesus Christ warns people not to sin again lest they bring "something worse" upon themselves:
“See, you have been made well.
SIN NO MORE LEST A WORSE THING
COME UPON YOU.”
John 5:14
He warned that the way is narrow, and that FEW find it.
“Enter by the narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way
that leads to destruction,
and there are MANY who go in by it.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way
which leads to life, and there are FEW who find it.
Matthew 7:14
If you're going to reject a minister because he's too negative, you'd reject Jesus.
The Lord's message was that in this life you will have tribulation, some will be imprisoned, some will die. He never ever once gave advice on how one can acquire a lot of money or worldly success. No, he said we must deny ourselves. Deny ourselves? Is there anyone in this modern world who could receive a word like that? Who is willing to deny himself? And take up his CROSS and follow him?
“If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world,
and loses his own soul?
Matthew 16:24-26
If you're being taught that you can have "your best life now," or if you're hearing the way to become rich and successful, if it's about developing "SELF esteem," you might be listening to a man who looks like a minister of righteousness (they usually smile a lot) but who is actually being led by Satan who does not want you to be willing to take up a cross and follow Jesus.
You're being deceived.
Take this message to the Lord in prayer and ask him to show you who the false ministers are. You might be surprised.
"Reproach has broken my heart, and I am full of sickness;
I looked for someone to take pity, but there was none,
and for comforters, but I found none."
Psalm 69:20
Especially in the life of a child, continuing reproach will make him bitter, fearful, and despairing, and this will follow him around all his life. Children who have been thus treated will be the hateful ones among us. The sick at heart have not had the kind of input that makes a person healthy, and it will show in all he does. He's full of darkness and in this environment Satan can easily work all kinds and depths of havoc.
God has seen all the injustice that was perpetrated against such a person, and he stands to heal him and set him free of all the bondage that came as a result. He can be trusted to treat such a one tenderly.
"A bruised reed he will not break,
and smoking flax he will not quench..."
Matthew 12:20
God knows and he understands. The bruised may have sought help and found none, because no one can truly understand the state of his soul ...but the great Physician does.
Jesus Christ said:
"Those who are well have no need of a physician,
but those who are sick.
I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners, to repentance.”
Mark 2:17
When the great Physician takes over, the life is drastically changed. But the person must start with repentance and he has to acknowledge that all the hatefulness and darkness inside is sin, because the remedy for sin is confession before God and difficult as it is, this is where we have to start. We are not to justify our sin no matter who or what caused it. Sin is sickness in the soul and healing must begin with acknowledging it and confessing it. When one acknowledges his sin, then the process of healing begins.
Jesus said:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor;
he has sent me TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed;"
Luke 4:18
If you are the brokenhearted, if you live in darkness and are oppressed, Jesus has come to proclaim liberty and release to you. Read this passage in Luke 4:18 above, over and over and over again until it gets down into your spirit.
And then pray with me:
"Father God, Jesus Christ your Son said he came for such as me, the ones who are sick of soul, brokenhearted, and oppressed. You know all my past, you know everything that has happened to me to cause me to go deeper and deeper into darkness, and the result is that I am devastated, a destroyed human being. You said YOU are the great PHYSICIAN, and I turn myself and my life over to you, asking you to heal me and set me free. Please help me to take the medicine you will prescribe even if it's painful and tastes terrible. Please grant me the grace to endure the surgery you will perform in my soul. If I had cancer, I would submit to the suffering involved in the remedy. My cancer is in my soul and I submit to you for the treatment you will give me. I trust you not to break this bruised reed, nor to put out what light is left in me, because your Word says I am safe in your hands. Receive me, Lord Jesus, and from this day forward lead me in the path of healing. I trust you with all my heart, for I have sought others who could not heal me but you alone can provide exactly what I need to bring me to wholeness. I thank you for caring so much for someone such as me.
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1 In the Temple, the mercy seat sits in the innermost chamber called the Holy of Holies, deep into the Temple where only the high priest may enter. The ark of the covenant is in there, which is a chest containing the ten commandments. On top of that chest sits the mercy seat, the mercy one finds in the Lord. In the Holy Place in the Temple, there was placed above the mercy seat two angels made of gold, one on each side of the chest, their wings, or their feathers, covering over the mercy seat and touching each other. This is a picture of the secret place, the place of mercy, under the shadow of the wings.There was a huge veil at the door of that innermost chamber, preventing anyone but the high priest from entering. But when Jesus was crucified, that veil was torn in two, signifying that those covered with the Blood of Jesus may now enter that inner chamber, that holy place, and have direct access to God himself, and from that day on this redeemed person will abide in the secret place of the Most High, abiding under the shadow of the Almighty. "Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;
and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split...
Matthew 27:51
Psalm 91 is a favorite psalm for many believers. Psalm 91 promises protection for those who abide in the secret place of the Lord. But it's speaking only of those who know the Lord intimately, because those whose trust is wholly in the Lord will run to him FIRST in any trial, in any threat, in any fear that may come upon them, and there in the secret place of the Most High they will find refuge.
The reason this is called the secret place, is that only those who truly know the Lord and belong to him, will know how to enter. A stranger will not even know about it, let alone enter it. Jesus was speaking of this place of refuge when he said:
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets,
and stones those who are sent to you,
how often would I have gathered your children together,
even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,
but you would not!"
Matthew 23:7
All are invited to this secret place, but few find it. The disciples asked Jesus if many would be saved. Listen to his answer and look at it closely; it's a hard truth, one that should make one tremble, it's the MANY versus the FEW:
"Enter by the narrow gate;
for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction,
and there are MANY who go in by it.
Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life,
and there are FEW who find it."
Matthew 7:13-14
The one who will find it will find in the Lord that secret place where he may hide from danger, the secret place that will be a refuge for him because he will learn to place all his trust in the Lord. Nothing can touch him without going through his Lord's hand. The Lord said the way is difficult, but those who abide in him will never go through anything alone, the very presence of the Lord God will be with them in every circumstance in life. They will find comfort there, they will receive direction there.
"I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in him I will trust.'”
Psalm 91:2
Those who find him will trust him because they know him. Once they have EXPERIENCED the presence of the Lord and his care for them, their trust will become firmly established in him.
vs 4:
"He shall cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you shall take refuge;"
People who don't want to take the Word of God literally miss out on many of the precious truths revealed only in that secret place. What are those "feathers?" They are the feathers hovering over the Mercy seat.
Many are called, but few accept that call. For those who do, all the provision of God becomes theirs as they are invited into the secret place of the Lord, to abide there with him, in his presence, forever.