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Why and How Does An Ordained Minister of 25 Years Leave the Church?

27 Oct
By Pastor Pam Sheppard 

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My personal testimony of how I came to leave  the church is in the first chapters of  my book “Come Out of Her, God’s People”.  Most of my life I have been  open and transparent, caring less about what others had to say about me.    Lately,   I have become quite private and much more guarded.  I suspect that its a matter of  “increased wisdom.”  I personally wonder today if perhaps  in “Come Out of Her, God’s People,”   I may have  shared way  too much about my intimate  life.   In fact, I recall a few rather ignorant, jealous , ineffectual hypocrites attempting to take  advantage of my openness in order   to slander me.  It did not work. Actually,  it is difficult to  slander a person who is not bound by the world’s religious standards. Even so,  I am more guarded than I used to be.   Nevertheless, since readers  have reported  how much my testimony helped them,  I don’t regret writing the book. 

 In regards to when and how to leave the institutional church,  it has been  my experience that the Holy Spirit will inform you when it is time for you to make your move.  In fact, if I had not heard from Him in 2003, without a doubt, I  would still be there.  Why?  Because the denomination left me alone  to my own devices and as a result,  I was enjoying myself doing my own thing in ministry.  I was deceived into believing that  I had the best of both the denominational and the charismatic church worlds.

So at the season that  the Holy Spirit led me out of church, I was pastoring a work that I had founded myself in 1996 for about 8 years at that time.  Therefore,  it had never crossed my mind to leave the church because in my own mind, I viewed myself as “there but not there.”  So within my rational mind, it would be a mistake for  a minister of the gospel to leave the church  system after 25 years of faithful service.  I was not about to rock the boat on my own, as such an action was way  too  preposterous an idea–absolutely inconceivable.  I was settled and comfortable in the denomination, in spite of the fact that I had never really been embraced with open arms. Not only did I have  spiritual covering from a well-respected denomination that  left me to my own devices,   I also had almost complete independence to bring forth Pentecostal, word of faith teachings in a cold and dry denominational setting.

So what happened? How was I led out? 

First of all, I had a dream. A very clear, significant dream where the Lord actually appeared and spoke to me. I never saw His face, only his feet and the back of His robe.   I wanted to believe it was the devil because I didn’t like what I heard and saw in the spirit.  I was called by name. the Spirit said “Pam, I cannot use you in this place. You are a light— hidden under a bed.  You MUST leave.  But let them PUT you out!”

Put ME out?  This MUST be the devil, I thought to myself.  They can’t put me out.  I have been a faithful servant in this denomination for 25 years.!!!!

Well, I did not have long to wait. I was at the Y, doing my  afternoon lap swim  when my pregnant daughter came waddling in and screaming “they are after you, Ma! The denomination is investigating you.” I got out  of the pool, sat on its side and listened to my daughter’s emotional report.  She had run into the proverbial grapevine.

Yet this was not gossip.  It was true. My  dream was confirmed in less than a week. The denomination was setting me up  to PUT ME OUT. A hidden religious enemy,  a ministerial collleague targeted my website.  At the time,  I was exposing error among the mega preachers.  I was not running a smear campaign but where there was error, I was boldly calling names. The denomination feared that I would cause some multi-millionaire to sue them.  Ironically, an enemy that I had personally mentored had   secretly planted the seed of fear in the Bishop’s ear.  Since he never liked me in the first place,  the Bishop grabbed that seed and ran with it. Under the Bishop’s wishes, my colleagues in the district voted to  take  my name off the rolls, under the pretense that I did not send them the annual dues of $660.  I did not send it because I was purposefully facilitating my leaving by not showing up and also  not sending them the money!!!! I did what the Lord said.  I LET THEM PUT ME OUT!

It took almost a year from the day I had the dream in early July 2003 for  the denomination to remove  my name from its rolls on  June 25,  2004.  I remember the day I was “put out” because I had a  startling dream that very  morning. I saw my head under the chopping block. I was beheaded. With that dream, it was revealed to me  that I have the same ministry as John the Baptist: Like the Prophet John, my job is  to preach  repentance and prepare the way for the Lord’s SECOND coming.

Anyway, I still had my church that I had founded.  Since  the denomination  had not embraced my church, the Bishop   had no authority or power to close it.  So I continued leading my church, expecting the Lord to send me to another church affiliation or denomination.

Various sects and word of faith churches made me some offers. However,  it was quite clear to me that all they wanted was my money as well as  my attendance at their various meetings and conferences  so that they could obtain MORE money via conference fees.  These mega ministries also planned  to tax  my church and take for themselves a hefty percentage of our donations each month.  We were small and poor. I could not rob my own congregation to send   hard-earned dollars to an aloof, uncaring mega preacher’s ministry, just to pay to sit on the front row of some televised  conference.

So I waited 3 years. My  next sign  was more powerful than a dream.  I was wide awake.  I heard a voice in my head ask me this question, “Pam. would you put curtains up at the windows of a condemned building?”  I looked around to see if someone was there,  but I was alone.  I answered in my head “no.’  The voice continued. He talked for what seemed a long time.  Then He said “Pam. You are planning to travel around the world to conduct deliverance training seminars in any church that will open its doors to you.” I answered, “Yes.!”   I had already  been to a church in Lawrenceville Ga and one in Bermuda.

The voice then said “Well. Pam. Conducting seminars in any church is like putting up curtains at the windows of a condemned building, I have already judged HER.”

Now I did not want to believe that my 25 years in ministry was full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.  So I tried the spirits for one year.  Out of it came the book called “The Fake Jesus: Fallen Angels Among Us.  Even more books followed.  One conversation with the Spirit of God in 2007  led to a total of four more books, well over 1000 pages!!!

So for the next 14 years, I have gladly put 25 years of religious acts without power behind me.  In 2008, I  closed the church that I had founded after 12 years.  I simply put my religious past and all of  its fake fruit behind me,  moved forward, baggage free– following the leading of the Holy Ghost.  For the last 14 years, my life has been filled with peace, revelation,  real power  and wondrous anticipation.

If the Lord is leading you out and you want to talk about it, give Pam Sheppard Ministries a call at  888-818-1117 or  complete the contact form below:

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Witchcraft: A Work of the Flesh

8 Nov

By Pastor Pam Sheppard

If you EVER dabbled in the occult, then your personality is susceptible to witchcraft as a work of your flesh. What do you do with a work of the flesh? YOU CRUCIFY IT. Treat it like it is DEAD! You cannot cast out what is a part of your personality.

 

If you have any questions you can email rescueonfb@icloud.com or call 1-888-818-1117.

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Becoming Deception Proof: Doubt and Question!

26 Jun

Just because a person is born again does not make them “deception proof.”

Pam Sheppard, Author and Pastor

The Lord would not have warned His disciples to “take heed and be not deceived” if there was no danger that they could be deceived. It does not matter how many things you are or were deceived about. For 25 years, I was deceived about a few things in comparison to what other churchgoers were deceived about. Yet the Holy Spirit did not release me from the deception until He was ready to. He simply stepped in when He chose the time to be right and started unravelling things.  Why?  Because I began to both doubt and question religious teachings and practices.

What I continue to  remain cautious about is this. Just because I am undeceived NOW, does not mean that it is impossible for me to be deceived again. For me to think otherwise would be both pride and arrogance and I do not want God to resist me.

So what is deception?

Deception has to do with thoughts in the mind. Simply put, we believe a lie or a half truth. The worst of it is the assumptions. or if you start off with even one little wrong assumption, everything else falls like dominos.
Recently , I watched how a person can start out with truth and how the enemy can use the very truth they have received and lead them into a lie. What happens is that the enemy takes advantage of our misconception of truth. He also uses the weaknesses of our personalities to lead us into believing what suits us best.

This realization has humbled  me quite a bit. I believe that once we are given truth, we have to seek God in prayer to help us not to misunderstand truth, for our conception of truth may cause us to be deceived.

So my question is “how do we make ourselves fool-proofed to deception?”

I think we can all answer this from experience. just examined how we got deceived, what was it about us that caused us to be open to the deception, and how did we come out of it?

I was deceived because of my lack of knowledge of how the enemy works and how God works. I also had no knowledge of church history. My assumptions were off. For, example, I thought everything supernatural was from God. I also looked to mega preachers for answers, ignorant of the fact that those who I sought for answers were deceived themselves.

I did not become undeceived until I began to doubt and question religious beliefs and practices. People think that doubting is like wavering.  Wavering is being tossed to and fro, filled with confusion. Doubting on the other hand is what is necessary to reach the truth. In other words,   it’s our capacity to doubt and question that makes us free.

When I was in the institutional church, I did not doubt.  I was very sure of key  things that were wrong.  For example, I never doubted slain in the spirit.   Without doubt, then you will make assumptions. So I assumed that slain in the spirit was a good thing and I lusted after it.  Once I got it, then doubt set in.

Doubt caused me to ask questions. For example, I asked myself while a pastor, ‘Why is it that the people who are constantly slain in the spirit around me cannot stand solid in Christ?” was my first bit of doubting.  In short, I ASKED MYSELF AN IMPORTANT QUESTION. My doubt began because they were constantly falling in their spiritual walk.  So this situation caused me to begin to doubt the slain in the spirit practice.  Also “War on the Saints” Caused me to start doubting.  IT WAS A GOOD THING.

Once I began to doubt and question, the Holy Spirit began to pour rivers of  revelation upon me about many things.  As He undeceived me, I began to write..

The result is 7 published books.

To share in my progressive unveiling from deception to truth,  click here

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People Pleasing, the Flesh and Resisting the Devil

25 May

By Pastor Pam

Consider Jonah and his disobedience and sudden flight from God to a ship filled with men about to be shipwrecked because of Jonah’s folly. So to find out why they suddenly entered into a severe storm, the men on board cast lots and the lot fell to Jonah. Once Jonah was revealed, he confessed. You would have thought that the men would have immediately picked up Jonah and thrown him off of the ship. Instead, they tried to row faster. Yet when all human effort failed, they reluctantly threw Jonah overboard and peace immediately prevailed for them.

Why didn’t Jonah just jump overboard himself? Perhaps it was not physically possible and he needed someone to lift him up and cast him into the sea. My suspicion is that as it is in most cases, the people who are bringing storms into our lives are “all about self,” especially when their needs are being met by us.

However what I have learned by experience, is that once the cause of an attack has been uncovered or revealed to me, my next step is to refuse. Sometimes you have to refuse a condition or persuasion that is within your personality or in other words, a refusal may have to be made to your flesh.

For example, if you are a person that must be liked or approved of by others, you will have to refuse your flesh in this regard. If you can answer an emphatic “yes,” to the following statements as conditions of your own flesh, refusal will eventually be in order, if you are going to effectively resist the devil:

• I try to avoid being alone

• I let other people decide what to do.

• I get upset when people don’t include me in their activities;

• I am stressed if I don’t include other people in my plans;

• I am easily led;

• I hate any form of confrontation;

• I can’t stand being left out of things;

• I am emotionally dependent upon people.

So one way to crucify your flesh is by refusing to act out its nature.

Besides refusing your former nature without Christ, there are times when you also have to refuse your former perception or understanding as it relates to spiritual and religious matters. In fact, refusal is one of the ways that we cast down our imaginations, and every thought that is contrary to our obedience to the inner leadings of the Holy Ghost.

For example, if you have assumed that God would not allow the enemy to deceive you under any circumstances, to resist the devil that is assigned to you, you will have to refuse every thought connected to this false assumption. I personally know from experience that I can be deceived by the enemy because I have been, several times in fact.

Here is a personal example. It has been revealed to me that in 1996, I founded a church based upon the nature of my flesh and the leading of the religious demon assigned to me. Certainly, I believed that I was led by God at the time. However, with the discernment and the enlightenment that I have received over time, I can look back now with such understanding. What was confusing and complicated in 1996 is obvious and simple today.

Once my eyes were fully opened in 2008, I had to exercise refusal by closing the church doors. Certainly I had to face opposition to closing it. In fact, for a year, services continued in a members home, until her eyes were also opened and the doors of the church were permanently shut, never to open again.

As soon as I took the first step of refusal as I resisted the devil, the next revelation followed. Since the enemy was the secret force that led me to start this church in the first place, it logically and spiritually follows that each and every person who played a significant role in its operations was sent by the enemy also. In 13 years, several people were involved. Out of all of them, I have contact with two persons from the former church.

I published a e-book entitled “Be Delivered From Deliverance Ministry”.  If you have been in  bondage to people pleasing with deliverance workers who caused your spiritual and physical condition to worsen, you need this book.  If you have ever been in a deliverance session that lasted longer than 5 minutes, this book is for you.  If you have read a lot of books on deliverance ministry, this book will un-ravel the confusion and de-mystify how to cast out demons.

If you have questions about deliverance call 1-888-818-1117.

For links to get any of Pastor Pam’s other books CLICK HERE.

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“Beware of Angels In The Church” by Pam Sheppard

5 Nov

“SOME WANT TO BELIEVE THAT GOD’s angels are the good spirits, that minister to believers by bringing them messages and guiding their lives. Certainly, The angels are “sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1: 14), but not to take the place of Christ or the Holy Spirit. The Apocalypse seems to show that this ministration of angels to the saints on earth, is a ministration of war in the spiritual realm, against the forces of Satan; but there is little indication given of ministry in any other way. After the first Advent, when there was great angelic activity over the wondrous event of the Father bringing the “Firstborn” of the new race (Rom. 8: 29) into the inhabited earth (Heb. 1: 6, R.V.); and again at the Advent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost to begin His work of forming a Body like unto the Risen Head–and during the early years of the Church–the employment of angels in direct and visible communication with believers, seems to give way to the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.(Jessie Penn-Lewis)

The entire work of witnessing to Christ, and leading the Church into all truth, has been committed to the Holy Spirit. Therefore all intervention of “angels,” or audible voices from the spiritual realm, claiming to be from God, may be taken as counterfeits of Satan, whose supreme object is to substitute the working of his own wicked spirits in the place of God. In any case, it is best and safest in these days of peril to keep in the path of faith and reliance upon the Holy Spirit of God, working through the word of God.

Fallen angels are getting quite bold these days. But they still have to be invited in. Have any of you been contacted by them?”

If you need help or have questions you can email us at rescueonfb@icloud.com
You can also visit http://www.aboutrescue.com

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Why Catholics And Other Cults Cannot Try the Spirits

28 Jun

  By Pam Sheppard of RESCUE ONLINE MINISTRIES

Those who are spiritually blind are not able  to  discern  real  fruit  for  God,  for  fruit  can  only  be confirmed by a close association over a long period of time, for fruit must stand both the test of trial and the  test  of time.  Therefore, Jesus revealed in several of His messages that   you   cannot   produce   good   fruit   within   a   corrupt system.(Matt  7:17,  Matt  12:33)  Catholicism is not only the mother of the entire Institutional Church but she is also the first and the largest cult.  In  His  parable  concerning the  mustard  seed  that  grew  into  a  huge  tree,  where the birds  of  the  air  that  came  and  lodged  in  its  branches,  the birds  are  symbolic  of  demons.(Matt  13:31-33) The trunk of the tree is Catholicism. 

    So  since Jesus  knew  that  the  church  would  form  but  that  she would progressively  be  corrupted  by Catholicism,   “the  branches”  or  the many denominations,  cults  and  sects,  The Lord  certainly  knew  that  His Father planned to send “strong delusion.”  (II Tim:2:11) Actually,      II   Thessalonians   Chapter   2      plainly describes  the  delusion  .    Paul  warned  the  elect  that  there would come a day when God would send His people  such a strong delusion, that they would believe a lie.  When?  Well, Paul  indicated  in  his  letter  that  the  mystery  of  iniquity  had already  begun  to  work.      Why?  Because  the  people  do not have  a  love  of  the  truth. My knowledge of Catholicism is limited.  Yet I can wade through the upscale religiosity to some basic facts. 

  To  Timothy,  Paul  confided that some  shall  give  heed  to  seducing  spirits.  (I  Tim:4:1)  How soon?    I  suppose  as  soon  as  the  first  denomination was formed.  Catholicism first, then  the  short-lived reformation of   Protestantism,   followed   by   the   many,   many,   many branches.    Accordingly,  the  birds  came  and  devoured the seed.  How long ago? Well, it follows that it was “a long time ago.”    Every  century,  more  seed  was  devoured  and  the interpretation  of  the  word  of  God  was  filled  with  error  and the church was contaminated.  So  to protect His people,  we pray,  “Lead  me  not  into  temptation  but  deliver  me  from evil.”  Where is evil?  Evil is in the godless world system and evil is built into    Catholicism and all other cults that blaspheme the Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth.   Satan rules BOTH worlds.

 Catholic-Lit-Candles-CeremonyEvery  belief and practice   connected  with  sorcery  is  an  open invitation to the powers of darkness.  Roman Catholicism strongly believes in and practices the worship of dead saints.  This is necromancy, a form of witchcraft, along with any cultic practices of ancestor worship. Jesus said if the tree is evil, than the fruits shall be evil. Catholics believe and teach the lie that Mary never died, that she remained a virgin throughout her life even though history reports that she conceived  children with her husband, Joseph.

Expecting power and miracles  by blessing water and calling it “holy, medals, pictures, statues, and objects blessed by a priest is simply witchcraft. Even worst, Catholicism has departed from the gospel of grace by adding additional requirements to salvation, including baptism, church membership, the sacraments, obeying the commandments, good works and the mass as necessary to be saved. This is another gospel. Catholics teach that right standing with God can be obtained by what they do, rather than what the Lord has already done at the cross.

Consequently, Catholics and  similar cults are bound by strong delusion. 

So how can they effectively  try the spirits to see if they be of God?  Well, they cannot.

So if  the imposter, the fallen angel Jesus Sananda Immanuel or the one who calls himself Mother Mary  are taking turns appearing to you in visions, and  if you are having out-of-body experiences and signs and wonders like the stigmata in your hands, the only way that you can try the spirits is to count every supernatural vision or astral travel experience  as devilish.  All of it.  Stop the fasting and the prayer, stop praying to Mary with rosaries, stop all things Catholic or cultish.

You may need some help pulling yourself out of this apostate system.  To stop going to church is not enough. Cultism has made a home in your soul and you may need deliverance.

Call me at 518-477-5759.

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Why Charismatics and Pentecostals Can’t Try the Spirits

28 Jun
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By Pam Sheppard of RESCUE ONLINE MINISTRIES

What I perceive among Charismatics and Pentecostals is a strange epidemic that I did not perceive to be in control in the Denominations – a kind of contagious disease – spreading itself among gullible people and rendering them incapable of commonsense, objectivity and intelligent thought. Those who have embraced this delusion seem totally unaware of the irrationalism that grips them. They are mesmerized by a counterfeit, false power. What do I say about such people? Well, I perceive that they are intoxicated- that like drunkards, they are “under the influence” of a STRONG DELUSION, that they should believe a LIE …” (2 Thessalonians. 2:11)

I was once of a similar mindset. How did I come out of it? Well, I said a little, but powerful prayer.  I said “Lord., expose the darkness that is around me.”  That prayer actually is very similar to the Lord’s prayer.  Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil or “the evil one.”

 My prayer was powerful because of my doubts. The year was 2002. I became skeptical of the Charismatic Movement because  I had recently discovered that a tongue-talking believer who also prophesied and discerned demons was full of them herself and  also, that she was not born again. .  Then again, I had not completely lost my commonsense. Logically speaking, I wondered “how many other Charismatics and Pentecostals, including myself, were also demonized and living under strong delusion?”

  The answer to this question is astounding.  Millions upon millions, maybe more.

Here is my main point in a nutshell.  If you are a Charismatic or a Pentecostal, or  one who seeks signs and wonders and who also  claims that you walk comfortably in the realm of the supernatural, then  the only way you can try the spirits is to assume that EVERY supernatural experience that you have ever experienced was demonically instigated and inspired.  Throw it all in the garbage and count it as dung!!! If the Holy Spirit was the source of any of these experience, He will bring it to light.

This is what I did to become un-deceived.  I left nothing unexamined, not even my salvation experience as it too was very supernatural. Here is what you need to know.

fb_891. God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble. You  must learn your weak points including every area of vulnerability.  You will need to swallow your pride and come to terms with the fact that a religious demon is assigned to you and he knows your weaknesses better than YOU know them.  Quite frankly, he has been having loads of fun laughing at you. When you look back, you need to come to terms with what was it about you that caused you to fall into the enemy’s trap. For if you don’t do a complete self-examination, the seducing spirits will regain his territory in you. A part of your humility needs to be a realization that you must always be vigilant and on guard for attacks that come through people and things around you, or from your own flesh.

2.  We are living in the church age of Laodicea. Laodicea is a spiritually arrogant age.  Here are the words of a RESCUE member, a former Charismatic that definitely ring true as to why Pentecostals and Charismatics cannot try the spirits:

I just realized a common theme in the Charismatic belief system – at least it has been in my entire life. You can never be satisfied or at peace with your life, because there is always supposed to be MORE. However much money you make, you’re supposed to have more. Whatever your ministry is, it’s supposed to be bigger. You’re never healthy enough, happy enough, spiritual enough, anything enough.

I’m realizing, all my life, all I wanted was to be at peace with & enjoy my life, but I couldn’t, because  the charismatic  belief system was ingrained too deeply. It was called being “complacent” or “lukewarm,” or “placing limits on God.” Now that I’m unlearning a lot of these things, I’m actually feeling more satisfied with my life & at peace than was ever possible before. It’s like they’d have you think you should be happier because  of believing in all these “promises,” but the opposite is true.

Trying to undeceive  signs and wonders seekers who assume their supernatural experiences ALL came from God is impossible to man, like trying to put a camel through the eye of a needle.  But all things are possible with God.  If you are such a person, the reason why it is impossible to man is because of your spiritual  arrogance and pride. You will have to come to terms with the fact that the enemy has successfully enacted a scam on you. This scam has cost you thousands  of your hard-earned tithes.  A religious demon said “thus saith the Lord” and you believed him.  Consequently,  the enemy is laughing at you. 

Can you deal with this kind of mockery?  I did.  Wherever the Lord exposed the enemy, I was done. I spoke in tongues for 25 years.  That is over.  Done. I founded a church based on Charismatic doctrine and principles.  Pastored it for 12 years.  Its done.  Closed. I could go on and on. 

I paid the price to be undeceived.  You will have to do the same.

Need my help?  Call me at 518-477-5759

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Trying the Spirits in Times of Peril: What the Bible Says

27 Jun

blog_9By Pam Sheppard

Towards the end of the Apostle Paul’s life, he warns Timothy of the perils that would come upon believers in the last days. The peril concerns every single child of God.  NONE OF US ARE EXEMPT.  His ominous letter reads something like this.

The peril concerns every child of God, and no spiritual believer should be so foolish to assume that  he or she  is exempt from peril. Paul’s  prophecy of the Holy Spirit declares, that (1) “some shall fall away from the faith; (2) the reason for the fall will be a giving heed to seducing  spirits. The essence of the  deception is that the operation is looked upon as sincere and pure. (3) The nature of the deception will be in doctrines of demons (4) The way of deception will be that the “doctrines” are delivered with “hypocrisy.” Those who do so will be admired, revered, and believed to be teaching the truth.
Before the Apostle Paul, the Lord Himself pinpointed how the deception would come. through false  prophets: He warned, “”Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My Name, saying, ‘I am Christ:’ and shall lead many astray” (Matt. 24: 4, 5, A.V. and R.V.);”and many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many” (Matt. 24: 11, A.V.).”There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray [or “deceive” A.V.] if possible, even the elect” (Matt.24: 24)

Consequently, a “try the spirits” premise is to realize and remember  that the peril of deception was predicted  in the bible to be manifested through apparent believers who declare that Jesus is Lord. 
You may need to stop and take a breath on that one.
Try the spirits premise number two is connected to number one.  Most believers  erroneously  assume that every supernatural experience that comes from the enemy is evil and scary.   the truth not being realized that religious demons and fallen angels  work under cover of light (2 Cor. 11: 14). The deception is much stronger if these seducing spirits can use an apparently “good” person to first accept a mixed or false doctrine and then pass it on “as truth.” A sincere, attractive, upstanding person is a much more effective channel to deceive than an obviously raunchy man or woman for the goal of deception is to get you to believe.
 Since “How to Try the Spirits” is a series of blogposts, I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, so I will conclude with premise #3. Let us not forget the revelation of the Apostle John concerning endtimes. John revealed that at the close of the age, the main weapon used by the deceiver for obtaining power over the people of the earth, will be supernatural signs from heaven, when a counterfeit “lamb” will do “great signs,” and even make fire come down out of heaven  to deceive the dwellers on the earth, and thereby exercise  control over the whole world. So premise #3 asks a question.  Should we assume that we are living in endtimes in a perverse nation or even world that seeks after signs?  I suggest to you that it is safer to assume that we are living in the last days. Pentecostals call tongues “fire from heaven” and charismatic churches have adopted a practice called passing through fire tunnels. hmmmmmmm!!!!
In conclusion, my un-deception was both a sudden and a gradual process, beginning in 2002.  The truth is that   I   have   experienced   so   many supernatural signs and wonders  over 3 decades, most of which were from the enemy, pretending to be God. In fact  that I would have to pull out several notebooks to bring them all to mind.  Therefore, I have found that premise number four is essential, and that is, “to try the spirits, the spirits have to try YOU.” In other words, our discernment comes from being tried. As Paul wrote,  our senses need to be exercised to enhance our spiritual discernment. (Hebrews 5:14) We need practice which means the enemy has got to step to us  to attempt to deceive.

If you need help to prepare, call Pam at 518-477-5759
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HOW TO TRY THE SPIRITS

26 Jun

blog_11 By Pam Sheppard of RESCUE Ministries

It is not easy to teach another how to try the spirits to see if they be of God. Not easy by a long shot. Practically everything I know was acquired by personal experience. Now some may think that personal experience is not the best way to learn spiritual matters  and so  I am expecting that the  bible thumpers will say that you try the spirits by “the word.”  You need to know that the enemy knows the word better than we do. The enemy even  knows how much YOU know about the bible. So he can line up the experience or communication with scriptures, the way YOU interpret them.

He also knows US. That is why many sincere believers are being destroyed for a lack of knowledge of how the enemy works. Beside knowing how the enemy works, we also need to have an abundance of self-knowledge and an awareness of How the Holy Spirit works with us.  That is why it is difficult to lay out a prescribed course of study relative to how to try the spirits.

With that said, there are some general principles that  comprise  bits and pieces of information that may be helpful to you.

The bible speaks against doubt where it comes to faith and calls it wavering. However where it comes to testing or trying something supernatural, doubt is your best friend.

Consider this personal example. In 1985, I received a dream where a muscular, huge Mr. Clean looking man said “I am an angel sent from God to show you your ministry.” I believed every word he said. Doubt never crossed my mind. Yet  HE WAS AN ANGEL OF SATAN and not an angel sent from God.  One of the reasons I did not doubt was because the message line up with things that were going on in my life and the desires of my heart in those days.  Simply put, “there was loads of confirmation”  that the message actually was from the Lord. I held on to this message for the next 2 decades, until “I doubted it.”

The next thing I noticed was “detail.” This entity had loads of details about what my ministry would be, how it would operate, who would be involved, how much money it would take to operate annually, even drew a blueprint of the operating facility.  Details, details, details!!!! I have since learned that the Lord does not operate this way. He simply guides your steps and the next thing you know, you are ministering in ways that you never expected. 

Another important principle to consider is motive:  The enemy’s motive, God’s motive and YOUR motive. In fact, YOUR motive could influence you to desire to accept the message as being sent from God. Revisiting the message from the bald-headed angel, I was single at the time, expecting and waiting on Mr. Right, trying not to settle for Mr. Right Now. SO I HAD A MOTIVE CAUSE I WAS GETTING TIRED OF WAITING. I also held the false belief that I would always be hindered in ministry unless I had a husband in a co- ministry.   In the message, I was told that Mr. Right would be the director of operations in what was described as a huge residential facility for ex-offenders and addicts in recovery.  Looking back, I can clearly see the enemy’s motive.  His intent was to destroy me by sending Mr. Wrong and using the details in this “angelic message” to cause me to make the wrong choices. 

It worked. God stepped in and spoke to me saying “the man you married was sent by the devil to destroy you. ”

What did I say?  “THE DEVIL IS A LIAR!”  This foolish statement is what we ALL say when we have not faced the desires and motives of our heart. In such cases, re remain the enemy’s primary target for more deception and attack.

Finally, there is that fruit of the spirit called PATIENCE. Many times, the supernatural  experience does not contradict the bible but you can’t find anything in the bible to justify the experience. SO YOU HAVE TO WAIT!!!! perhaps years, even decades.

Since I work with people on a daily basis to not only know God and the bible, but also themselves  and the enemy  of their souls, these words from “War on the Saints by Jessie Penn-Lewis rings true:

Apart from such knowledge, when thinking he is “fighting for truth,” it is possible for
a believer to fight for, defend, and protect evil spirits, and their works, believing he
is thereby “defending” God, and His works; for if he thinks a thing Divine, he will
protect and stand for it. It is possible for a man through ignorance to stand against
God and to attack the very truth of God, and also defend the devil, and oppose God,
unless he has knowledge.
You may need some help on this.  Call Pam at 518-477-5759

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Is the Bible A Magical Book?

2 Feb

There is a command in First John 4:1 to “Try the spirits.” Why? Because “many false prophets are gone out into the world.” Several things are involved in this business of trying the spirits. Certainly, we must know the scriptures to be able to successfully try the spirits. Then again, without a love for the truth, we will most likely be deceived. When there is the love for the truth, spiritual discernment is enhanced.

We need to keep in mind that we do not need to know everything in order to try the spirits. We do not even need to know all about the subject at hand to try the spirits. If we know enough to uproot some of the foundation of a given position we can know that the whole thing is wrong. For example, I remember twenty years ago, that I heard the testimony and read the book of Mary Baxter, “The Revelation of Hell.” She wrote and spoke about how she went to hell and there were ferocious demons there who were kind of the “correction officers” of hell. Well, I was impressed with her revelation until I realized that the scriptures report that Jesus has the keys to hell and death. Therefore, Satan and his demons are not in hell. Only those fallen angels from Noah’ Day and the Flood have been jailed there. According to the scriptures, demons are not in control of hell. Jesus is. Therefore, I don’t need to hear anymore about Baxter’s revelation because it contradicts scripture. Those that are familiar with the scriptures are less likely to be deceived,as long as they have rightly divided the word.

Moreover, the bible should not be used as if it was some sort of mystery book for the purpose of divination.

 When seekers begin their journey into the occult arts, they look for a divination system that will allow them to predict future events. Tarot cards, crystal balls, bones, ash, tea leaves, coffee grounds–literally ANYTHING–to help the diviner focus and concentrate. For example, the I Ching is an ancient Chinese book that is used to guide the decision-making process. You open it up randomly, and there you will find a proverb or a saying by Confucius which is used as a means to interpret the diviner’s immediate personal situation in order to make a decision.

In like manner, Christians unknowingly use the scriptures as if it were an I Ching. They have a particular problem, and then they open the bible randomly, look down and fix their eyes on a particular verse. Whatever the verse says is then interpreted in light of the presenting situation. This is divination. Sometimes the Lord will use a similar method, not in an effort to reveal the future but to teach. For example, moments after I was born again on March 29, 1977 on a Monday at 4pm, I opened the bible that I had recently purchased. I looked down at John 3. “You must be born again. That which is flesh is flesh. That which is spirit is spirit. The wind blows, etc. Instantly I understood what had just happened to me. So the Lord used this method to teach me. He has never used it to reveal the future but the enemy does use the scriptures in that way. So, be careful.

So I caution you that even though the bible is a mystery book, it is not mysterious in a occultic sense. It is not a magical jigsaw puzzle where all you have to do is open it, and find your missing piece to guide you to make this or that decision. The mystery is that in order to really understand it, you need to have an unction from the Holy Ghost to do so, otherwise, it is a dead book to the unsaved. The gospel is foolishness to those who are in darkness, without the revelation of the Holy Ghost to guide their understanding.

That said, it is also noteworthy to mention that many who call themselves “bible believing” very often do not apply commonsense to their rather rigid scriptural interpretations of present day circumstances and conditions that were not a part of the conscious awareness of biblical writers 2 or more thousand years ago. I personally believe that “God can do what He wants to do whether it is covered in the bible or not.” Certainly, He will not contradict His written word, but that doesn’t mean that the Lord will not do something that is not specifically covered by it.

Click bookcover for e-book & title link for paperback
 

The book “the New Idolatry” compares new age occultism to the Charismatic Movement.  Here is a brief excerpt from the New Idolatry, a book  that needs to be a part of your library:

“Consider a Christian woman who takes the scriptures that say ‘submit to your husband’ which leads her to passively accept persistent battery from her husband’s fists because the bible says that God hates divorce. So she remains in a godless marriage because of her faulty interpretation of the bible.  Because she is a “bible-believing” Christian, she believes that she has no other choice but to submit to her husband’s every wish and demand, regardless of how demoralizing or revolting.”

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