The Gatekeeper. I'm not talking about the greeters when you enter the church. However their spirit needs discernment too. The Gatekeeper is the spirit of the church that overshadows the mission of the church. The questions are, is the basic road to salvation explained in a way so that people know why they need to believe in Yahusha Hamashia? Or is the church a club where people socialize with unwritten rules on who the popular people are and who to suck up to? The gatekeeper is a spirit that controls who is granted access to a category or status. They also keep people out of the church or out of entering Heaven. The gatekeeper spirit has the power to decide who gets particular resources and opportunities to advance in the church as local positions or enter the ministry as pastor and who does not become pastor.
But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Matthew 23:13
The Diplomat. This spirit controls negotiations and maintain political, economic, and social relations with the world. It's this spirit that probably needs the most discernment because people for the most part are not aware of what is inside a false front. What we need to look out for is anger, envy, lust, pride, gluttony, sloth and covetousness.
Did you ever feel unwanted in the church? Has the pastor ever visited you because you haven't performed in the way they want you to? Then when he sees your nice home, there's a disturbance in him because of covetousness. Has a pastor ever crossed the line of being friends into lust? Or have you felt like you insulted their pride by knowing more about spiritual things?
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Matthew 23 :27
The Prodigal Spirit. It's the Prodigal spirit of the church that will walk away from Yahuah Elohiym. This spirit gathers everyone and everything the church has and exposes it to the world. Extravagant indulgences waisted the churches spiritual armor and resources. As the church begins to die, funding dwindles down. In this spiritual and financial famine, the church becomes dependent on government grants. Already the church has a 501(c)(3) that states Bible based teaching of how government should be is against IRS rules. Under 501(c)(3) donor information must be provided to the IRS. Typically churches like providing tax exemptions for rich donors so the church can have a large bank account. These grants are offered to churches to cover expensive building repairs, not for spiritual food for the poor in spirit. To say it simply, church becomes a club for the few rich people that control it. It would be better if donations wasn't tax exempt.
People that left the church will not give money to the church. They will return to Yahuah Elohiym in spirit or they will return to life without church and without Elohiym. Those Believers that are unchurched seek out others in their daily routine for a few minutes of fellowship. It's like my grandfather said about the early railroad companies, they got taxed and regulated out of business. Gone is the rail service for the small communities. What is interesting is that you can get taxed out of the Gospel by tax exemptions.
And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. Luke 15:31-32
Spirit of the Sloth. Have you ever been in a church where nobody gets to know you. Nobody cares or makes an effort in the duties and responsibilities towards Yahusha Hamashia and others.
“Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.” (Proverbs 19:15).
In the Old Testament, Rahab the harlot was justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way. The body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. The question is, what is dead Faith?
I believe we can see dead faith in the Disciple Thomas. He had walked and talked with Yahusha, but lacked the works like Mary Magdalene had. This shows that just being with Yahusha and being blessed by Him does not mean you have living faith. After Yahusha Hamashia was resurrected, He showed Himself to Mary Magdalene first. She was there at the crucifixion and first to the tomb. Yahusha showed himself to the disciples, but Thomas was not there. The question is, where was he? Was he still afraid, hiding himself. Today there are people of faith that hide themselves. They may go every Sunday but not associate with others.
What is interesting is that there are people who are very active in the church but don't have the faith in Yahusha Hamashia. The Holy Spirit is not in the church. They are not baptized in the Holy Spirit and Fire. Their works without faith does not give Yahuah Elohiym the recognition. They keep it for themselves using the church's name.
Yahusha said, “I must work the works of Him that sent me, while it is day: the night comes, when no man can work.”
The Spirit of Apathy. Apathy is an indifference to knowing what should be done and also not acting upon it. There are people in the community that the church should visit but they do not. There is teaching, reaching out to people and the church is occupied with talking about sports.
I'm reminded about the message to the church in Laodicea, Revelation three. That church wasn't hot or cold. To Yahuah Elohiym, that church makes Him vomit. This church thinks of itself that everything is good but really it is wicked. The hidden horrible things are mixed in with good but halfhearted things. Both are not addressed in the church.
There are churches with six color rainbows outside welcoming people. This is a nod to the same sex community that their life choice is blessed at the church. It's not that the church shouldn't reach out to them, the sin of the church is changing the scriptures and ignoring the Holy Spirit's calling on same sex unions. The Apostle John writes Yahusha Hamashia's words.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Be zealous therefore and repent.
As for me, everyone has sin in their lives. Sin is sin. The question is, do we punish one sin and ignore the other? Do we call a physical relationship that is not natural or a relationship that is cheating on a commitment something Holy and Sacred?
Yahusha Hamashia is knocking at the door wanting to fellowship with us. This door is an extra dimensional part of our being that people are blind to. They are confused to who it is. Those who do hear the Holy Spirit need to take action on what the Holy Spirit says. It's the relationship with Yahuah Elohiym that is sacred.
So where is this all going? Why do people in the church have foul language and yet speak of church? Why do people try to appear godly and yet crave eye candy? Why do people treat others as eye pollution? I am reminded of the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20.
3. You shall have no other Elohiym before me.
4. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I Yahuah your Elohiym am a jealous Elohiym, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
The question is, how does Yahuah visit the Iniquity? I quote, "iniquity is the dirtiness that lives in you when you've engaged in sin by transgressing Elohiym's law." In other words, if a person has living filth in them, it continues to live in the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of that person. The question is, do we just let that filth continue to live inside us? Do we continue to suffer or face divine judgment, or do we seek Divine Help? First we need to discern the spirit of all situations. We need to call Holy, Holy and call Iniquity, Iniquity. We need to move away from gaining the approval of the World for the image we portray. We are created in Elohiym's Image, we should seek to continue it in our future. We should not yield to the approved image of the World. Finally, we need to seek Yahuah Elohiym's Love. Yahusha Hamashia is the way . In Yahusha, Iniquity cannot survive.
