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                         Counterfeit Spirituality

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By David Wilkerson
January 15, 1990
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          It was the Feast of Tabernacles and Jerusalem was
          crowded with religious Jews from everywhere. Jesus
          spent two days teaching in the temple. He slept that
          first night on the Mount of Olives and rose early in
          the morning to begin His teaching. The big question in
          Jerusalem was, "Who is this man"? I wonder if His
          disciples became discouraged by all the unbelief and
          all the accusations of the scribes and Pharisees. I
          wonder if they said to Jesus," It's hopeless. This city
          and this religious system have shut You out. Let's move
          on!"

          But on the second day there appeared to be a spiritual
          breakthrough. It seemed the Word was finally getting
          through: "As he spake these words, many believed on
          him" (John 8:30). I can just see the excitement of His
          disciples thinking, "This is wonderful! Finally, a
          breakthrough! The beginning of revival!"

          Today, many pastors would ask no further questions.
          These converts would be taken in as members. They would
          be told that all they need to do was believe and they
          would be saved. They would be called "Christians." They
          would be told they were sons of God and on their way to
          heaven as fellow saints - - heirs and joint heirs!

          But not so with Jesus! Jesus discerned counterfeit
          faith, counterfeit spirituality, He knew something was
          not right, not real, not truthful. It is as if Jesus
          said, "Hold everything! Not so fast with these
          "believers." They are not coming to Me with their
          hearts. There is a lying spirit at work here. Let's
          judge it by the Word!

          The truth is, these "believers" were actually liars --
          sin-bound liars! "Then said Jesus to those Jews which
          believed on him.... Ye have not known him; but I know
          him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a
          liar like unto you..." (John 8:31,55). The Lord Jesus
          Christ will have nothing to do with surface faith. From
          John 8:31 to the end of the chapter, we see Jesus
          coming down on them ruthlessly, exposing their
          hypocrisy, showing them that their so-called "belief"
          in Him had not even touched their hearts.

          The Lord's uncompromising stand against these Jewish
          "believers" has opened my eyes to what is going on in
          the church today. The same thing is happening in these
          last days: counterfeit conversions! These have resulted
          in bringing into the church a counterfeit spirituality
          that is satanic in origin. The gospel has been so
          watered down that even demons could belong to many
          churches! They could "amen" much of the preaching!
          James wrote: "Thou believest that there is one God;
          thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble"
          (James 2:19).

          Why is the church today polluted with rockers and
          punkers, wearing skin-tight spandex pants, spiked,
          purple hair, with sunken cheeks and demonic looks, who
          are bringing into the church the very same heavy-metal
          that is turning on a whole generation to crack and
          heroine? Why are they dancing in the aisles now to the
          sounds of heavy metal, their eyes full of lust, calling
          it a spiritual experience?

          Why is there no more difference between the ungodly and
          the religious? Christian television parades out a whole
          generation of celebrity believers. One day they're
          speaking at a spiritual convention, testifying on
          Christian TV of their belief in Jesus; and the next day
          they're seen performing in wicked TV shows and immoral
          movies, or playing and singing in wicked night clubs
          and bars in Las Vegas!

          What happened to separation and coming out from among
          them? Or sitting in the seat of the scornful? Isaiah,
          the soft-spoken prophet, would cry out today, "Your
          watchmen are blind... they are all dumb dogs, they
          cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
          Yea, they are greedy dogs" (Isaiah 56:10-11).

          There is no more "bark" in the pulpit, too many
          shepherds are lazy, too preoccupied with their own
          dreams and personal gain, refusing to cry out against
          the lying spirits, the phony faith, the counterfeit
          spirituality. We have lost God's holy "watchdogs",
          those who would chase away the demonic powers,
          fearlessly crying out against compromise "They cannot
          bark!" These are asleep, lazy on sin, and self-seeking.
          While they slept the enemy crept in and planted a
          counterfeit gospel of mixture! What you're reading here
          is a "barking" message!

          Jesus has revealed in this passage in John 8 how to
          tell what is counterfeit spirituality. It is
          distinguished by three distinct characteristics.

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                          A Blindness to Their Own
                            Bondage And Slavery

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          When Jesus told these so-called "believers" they could
          not be His disciples unless they allowed His Word to
          break their sins, they got offended. Jesus warned them:
          "You can be my disciples only If you continue in My
          Word until you are free from all slavery. You are not
          free, you're bound. Your belief must include obeying My
          Word!"

          They were slaves to sin, but would not admit it. Jesus
          said to them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you,
          Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin," (John
          8:34). In Greek, it is better interpreted: "Whosoever
          practices (or continues) in sin, is sin's servants"

          The Lord tries to show them He wants more from them
          than costless, mental belief. He wants to make them
          sons and daughters. In their minds they are already
          sons of God, saying, "God is our father! Bondage?
          Slavery to sin? Us? Never We were never in bondage. How
          could you say such a thing?" They could say, "Master,
          You told Nicodemus, who is one of us, 'Whosoever
          believeth in [You] shall not perish, but have
          everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the
          world to condenm the world; but that the world through
          him might be saved' (John 3:16-17). So we believed!
          Isn't that enough?"

          Jesus would have to say, There was more I told
          Nicodemus. You have not taken to heart all My Word. I
          also said, "...Men loved darkness rather than light,
          because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth
          evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
          lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth
          truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made
          manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:19-21).

          According to Jesus no one is true believer until the
          Word has "a place in his heart". Until the Word is both
          a hope and a terror to his soul -- until he is
          committed to obey every Word proceeding out of the
          mouth of God ---until the Word exposes and breaks the
          bondage of all sin, all tradition, all false doctrines!
          To these believers Jesus said: "You seek to kill Me...
          because My Word hath no place in you." He is the Word.
          The Word was made flesh. If you kill off the Word of
          God in you, you are crucifying Christ! You are
          rejecting the demands of His Word. You are rejecting
          Him. Jesus is saying to them: You can't be a doer of My
          Word because you have never laid down your sin. You
          still take your orders from Satan, "You do that which
          you have seen your father, the devil" (John 8:38-47).

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                      A Great Majority of Church-Going
                     Believers Have Never Been Saved!

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          So many church-goers have never been touched by the
          convicting Word of God. They are still slaves to old
          ways, old habits, old friends. "They still have not
          changed one iota. They still have one foot in the
          world. They are living a lie and putting Christ to open
          shame. They do Jesus more harm than all the Hollywood
          mockers combined. Under the direct control of lying
          spirits, they are unable to see they are bound. And
          they become angry if you try to show them that they are
          going to be cast out as unprofitable servants. They are
          going to hell, thinking they are believers! They are
          damned by deception, trusting in false doctrines of
          security. These are more deceived than half-dead street
          junkies - for they've allowed Satan to hook them on a
          lie through a lying spirit from hell.

          Here is the lie that ensnared Jews of Jesus' day and of
          certain "believers" today: "God is with me. All I have
          He gave me. All my talents and abilities are His gifts
          to me. I'm doing exactly what God wants me to do. God
          and I are on good terms! I'm a child of the King. God
          opened all these doors for me. Sure, I perform in night
          clubs. Yes, they drink and curse there. Yes, I am out
          there in the middle of wickedness -- but God put me
          there. I'm His representative. God told me it's all
          right. Bars and clubs? Yes I take Jesus with me. Sure I
          play roles in off-colour TV and movies, but that's not
          the real me! The real me is a lover of Jesus!"

          It's all a big lie and it's the worst kind of
          counterfeit spirituality. There has been no surrender,
          no separation, no heartbreak over sin, no laying down
          the past life! Jesus tells it like it is. You people
          really don't want My Word. You don't tremble at it. You
          don't hear it. You don't stop and let it sink in. It
          means nothing to you! You people think you are My
          disciples , but you're not. "If any man love the world,
          the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).
          God said through Malachi: "...if then I be a father,
          where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my
          fear?..." (Malachi 1:6).

          They had no sense of need then or now. To them there is
          no need to repent or to change - nothing to lay down or
          forsake. They simply pick up all their worldly ways and
          follow Jesus. These kind use Jesus as an enhancer of
          their own selfish ways. He is seen not as an
          emancipator to set them free, but as one added to what
          they already have -- one who will enhance their
          talents, open doors, bless, add new dimension to their
          careers. They pray for God to make them successful in
          their careers of sin!

          The great majority of so-called "Christian" rock groups
          could not make it in the secular world. So they use
          religion and Jesus to manipulate the masses of poor,
          misguided, shepherd-less Christian youth in order to
          build a name and a career. They would cross over to the
          secular market at the first opportunity if the devil
          would put a lucrative contract under their noses! Hear
          Christ: "You are doing the deeds of your father the
          devil." Jesus has nothing to do with it. It's all
          directed from hell!

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                   They Won't Even Believe Jesus When He
                   Calls Them Fornicators and Idolaters!

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          Jesus boldly spoke out to them, "What you are doing is
          of the devil. All these deeds you think are God
          approved are deeds of the father of lies. "Ye do the
          deeds of your father" (John 8:41).

          They became indignant: "...We be not born of
          fornication; we have one Father, even God" (John 8:41).
          Listen to their excuses: "We are doing nothing wrong!
          We are not evil, we love God! We see absolutely nothing
          wrong in doing these things. The devil is not in us. He
          is not directing us. The Spirit of God is in us! We are
          children of God -- special, chosen. Jesus doesn't buy
          it! He says, "I made it clear who My children are. My
          sons are free from all ties to this world. My sons are
          not unequally yoked with unbelievers. My sons have no
          fellowship with the unrighteous. My sons have no
          communion with workers of darkness. My sons refuse to
          take My temple into dens of idolatry. My sons are
          separated from this world. They do not touch the
          unclean thing." (See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

          They said, "We are not committing idolatry. God speaks
          to us!" They were hopelessly blind to their horrible
          sin.

          Jesus seems exasperated with them. "Why do ye not
          understand my speech?" (John 8:43). In other words, Why
          isn't My Word convicting you? Why can't you hear such
          plain, simple words? "...Because ye cannot hear My
          word" (John 8:43). They were past hearing -- their ears
          were shut! Why could they not hear and understand? Why
          could they not understand that Jesus was saying to them
          that they were the devil-directed idolaters? "He that
          is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them
          not, because ye are not of God" (John 8:47).

          Jesus warns that all idolatry among believers is
          personally directed by the devil. Immediately after
          telling these "believers" they were not hearing truth,
          He tells them where their direction is coming from. "Ye
          are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your
          father ye will do.... When he speaketh a lie, he
          speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father
          of it" (John 8:44).

          I received a letter from a man crying out in
          desperation over a certain besetting sin. He asked in
          the letter, "Is this an outside influence or is it my
          own wicked heart?" Many Christian homes permit "an
          outside influence" to rule.

          In all kindness, I ask you, who told you it is okay to
          sit for hours, drinking in filth in front of the TV?
          Who told you it is not idolatry to watch shows that are
          totally corrupt? Was it Jesus who told you, "It's okay
          to watch a few bloody, violent, sensual movies! You are
          a mature believer -- you won't get hooked...? Who said
          it? Who put you at ease? Who is it that's speaking
          through me right now, barking so loudly, crying out,
          "It's idolatry It's not legalism! Get rid of all
          outside influences" Is it the devil preaching this to
          you? Is this a word out of hell that tells you to wake
          up? If it is of God, and if you are of God, you will
          hear it -- believe it -- act on it -- and be changed by
          it.

          Who told you it's okay to flirt with another man's wife
          or someone else's husband? Who told you its okay to
          walk out on your vows? Who told you it's okay to bring
          ungodly videos into your home? Who told you it's okay
          to slip out occasionally to go night-clubbing? Was it
          God? Or was it the devil?

          Let me tell you what shakes my soul. Jesus is speaking
          to those confessing to be believers saying, "You are of
          the devil. You are doing the lusts of your father." Are
          you blind to what you are doing, making excuses like, -
          "That's not me! I love God. I'm not a fornicator" How
          God must grieve as millions of "Christians" are
          sinning, flirting with the devil, becoming hard, and
          blindly going about their own ways, saying, "I'm okay.
          Everything is all right. God is still with me. I'm not
          wicked. I'm not an idolater!"

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                        The Hatred That Should Have
                       Been Directed Toward Their Sin
                       Was Directed Against Reproof

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          They tried to switch the blame by crying, Don't judge!
          "Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not
          well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?...
          Whom makest thou thyself?" (John 8:48,53).

          This is the device Satan still uses today to cover up
          sin. What they were saying to Jesus was this: "You are
          the one who is wrong! We are not led by Satan -You are!
          It is the devil urging You to judge us. It's a sin to
          judge. Who are You to judge us! We know we are of God!"

          This clever device is being used by the devil in these
          last days to cover up many false doctrines. He uses it
          to cover up secret sins in the pulpit and pew. The cry
          everywhere today is, "Don't judge! Satan is trying to
          hinder unity. It is a sin to judge. Holiness preachers
          are in the wrong. They are self-styled judges!

          Jesus is the Word and the Word was judging and
          reproving their sins. And instead of letting the Word
          purge and heal them, they protected their pride and
          kept their sin! Then they tried to make the prophet of
          God look like the sinner! Yes, the Bible says, "Don't
          judge". But then it quickly explains: "Don't judge
          after the flesh!" "Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no
          man [that way]. And yet if I judge, my judgement is
          true.... I have many things to say and to judge of
          you... (John 8:15-16, 26). Paul said: "Have no
          fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but
          rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11).

          Paul further said, "I charge thee therefore before God,
          and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick
          and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach
          the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
          rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For
          the time will come when they will not endure sound
          doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to
          themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they
          shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be
          turned unto fables" (2 Timothy 4:1-4).

          Satan's great priority today is to silence all reproof,
          to shut the mouths of all prophets and watchmen, and to
          discredit all preaching against sin by saying it is too
          judgmental.

          If you are not on guard, the enemy or some deluded
          believer will try to tell you, "Don't go to Times
          Square Church! Their preaching causes division! They
          don't believe in unity. They are putting other pastors
          down!" We say with Paul: "...[We] watch for your souls,
          as they that must give account..." (Hebrew 13:17). "For
          there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,
          specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must
          be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things
          which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of
          themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The
          Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
          This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply,
          that they may be sound in the faith" (Titus 1:10-13).

          To judge after the flesh is to judge vindictively. This
          is often mean, arrogant, and self-righteous. This is
          the kind of judging the Word forbids. But to judge
          righteously is to judge redemptively. This is born of
          love: first, of love for His precious word -- then, of
          love for those you weep for because you see them in
          danger.

          Holy -judging comes from a broken heart. It says, "I
          tell you the truth: so you can be free and greatly used
          by God." Jesus had to tell them the truth that they
          were hypocrites, liars, fornicators, children of Satan,
          and blind! Yet, His love for them was so strong, even
          though they got so angry: "Then took they up stones to
          cast at him..." (John 8:59). But Jesus, to His final
          day, wept over them. He kept coming back, beseeching,
          begging, pleading, and wooing them!

          I asked the Holy Ghost to give me the key to
          understanding this eighth chapter of John. It is as
          simple as this.. The counterfeit believer is one who
          won't let go of his life -- while the true believer
          holds nothing back from Jesus! Counterfeits believe in
          Jesus, that He is, God. They accept all the Word, but
          never act on it. The Word does not affect them in the
          least!

          It's possible to believe in Jesus, yet not confess Him
          to the world. "Among the chief rulers also many
          believed on him: but because of the Pharisees they did
          not confess him, lest they should be put out of the
          synagogue [put out of a job?]: For they loved the
          praise of men more than the praise of God" (John
          12:42-43). May God help us to be honest before Him and
          give us a willingness to be searched and reproved by
          His Word.

          The world needs the witness of true spirituality --
          true holiness -- without any mixture of hypocrisy.

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771 USA.

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