Some time ago, I saw a movie scene, where a person took responsibility for the flock of someone else. The person took the sheep and went to a beautiful green piece of land, near the abyss. The sheep got exactly what they wanted. While the sheep were pastured, the person was reminded of other stuff he needed to do. He thought that he didn’t have to spend the whole day with the sheep. And so, while the sheep were pasturing and everything seemed to be save and peaceful, the person left the sheep and went his own way. At the end of the day, he returned. But when he arrived at the place, where he left the sheep, the sheep were gone. He looked around but saw no sheep. Then suddenly, his face looked concerned and anxious. He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked into the abyss. What he feared became a reality. Because down there, in the abyss, were all the sheep: dead! All the sheep were fallen into the abyss and died. Immediately, I had to think about how many pastors are leading the sheep into the abyss. Instead of saving them from the abyss, the pastors are leading them into the abyss. The man in the movie left his sheep, but how many pastors are present and looking, while the sheep are going in the direction of the abyss? And sometimes even help them a little bit How do pastors scatter flocks today?
Many pastors are leading the sheep into the abyss
Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed My people; Ye have scattered My flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord (Jeremiah 23:1-2)
Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them (Ezekiel 34:2-6)
False doctrines, that encourage iniquities and ungodliness
There are many false pastors that preach false doctrines, which encourage pride, and approve the lusts and desires of the flesh. They use the so-called love of God, the grace and the freedom in Jesus Christ to make it all alright. While in reality, they are workers of the kingdom of darkness and encourage sins, iniquities, and ungodliness, which will lead many Christians into spiritual bondage.
These pastors twist the Word of God and make sure, that Christians keep walking in sins and iniquities and stay bound by the devil.
Through their lies and deceptions, many believers don’t find out the truth, nor walk in the truth of God, and will never arrive at the place, where God wants them to be.
Many pastors are focused on themselves and their own personal gain. They are prideful and want to be famous and be liked, honored and exalted by the people.
They proclaim their own wisdom and philosophies, which derive from their carnal minds. They preach a self-help gospel and motivational sermons and speak wonderful promising encouraging words into the lives of the people, which the people love to hear. But meanwhile, they destroy many precious souls through their deceptive words and their false doctrines.
They are just like the false prophets, who speak after their own insights and after their own gain and twist the Word of God so that the Word becomes attractive for the flesh. They speak lies and deceptions instead of the truth.
Who has appointed the pastors?
There are many pastors, who are appointed by carnal people, because of their charismatic appearance, looks, and the way they talk, so that by their appearance and motivational speech, they will attract more people to the church, especially the youth and young adults.
There are other pastors, who have inherited the role of a pastor from their dad, mom, or another family member.
And there are pastors, who have studied theology and got a Ph.D., and therefore have been given authority to lead and pasture the sheep of God.
There are many more ways, through which a person can be appointed as a pastor in the church. But which pastors are really appointed by God? Which pastors stand in the service of the Lord and speak after His will? Instead of standing in the service of people and speaking after the will of man?
Many pastors are not born again
Unfortunately, many pastors and theologians, who preach from the pulpit are not born again believers and don’t walk as sons of God after the Spirit. Instead, they are carnal and walk like the world as sons of the devil after their flesh. They walk as the old creation after the flesh and therefore they also preach carnal messages, which revolve around man and focus upon the flesh, instead of the Spirit.
Through their words, the spirit of this world will come over the congregation and will affect the lives of the believers. The people will become rebellious, lawless, lukewarm, passive, and indifferent toward sin.
When you are a graduated theologian, the piece of paper doesn’t say or prove, that you are a born again believer; a son of God, and that you have a vital relationship with Jesus Christ.
When you know someone by name, it doesn’t mean that you know the person. It’s the same with many pastors. Many pastors know Jesus of the Bible, but they don’t know Him personally.
A Ph.D. or any other certificate doesn’t scare the devil. It doesn’t mean anything in the spiritual world. A Ph.D. or any other certificate doesn’t give you any spiritual authority.
The only thing that counts is whether you are cleansed with the blood of Jesus, of all your sins and iniquities, that you’ve laid down your flesh in which the sin nature dwells and that your spirit is raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you have become a new creation (born of water and of the Spirit).
Authority in Jesus Christ
When you have become a new creation, you are seated in Jesus Christ in the Heavenly Places. You have been given authority and power in Jesus Christ to rule over every power, might, dominion, and principality of darkness. That alone will scare the devil, but not a title like a Ph.D. or any other certificate. A Ph.D. might be valuable in the natural realm, but not in the spiritual realm.
Many theologians expand the kingdom of darkness
There have been a lot of famous theologians, who have had a big influence in expanding the kingdom of darkness and have ensured that many believers have believed and accepted their lies. Many believers have been led astray by their false doctrines.
Take for example Darwin, with his evolution theory. What happened on his death-bed; whether he has renounced his theory or not, is not important. His lie still exists and is not only believed by the world. Many believers believe in evolution and even combine this doctrine with the Word of God. Which is a bad thing, because you cannot mix God’s truth with the lies of the world. When the Word of God is mixed with the lies of the world, it is not the truth anymore, but it has become a lie.
You either believe God’s Word or the words of the world. You cannot believe in both.
Many pastors lead their sheep by using the knowledge, wisdom, and strategies of this world. Instead of leading the sheep by the Word and the Spirit.
What is the task of a pastor?
A pastor is a shepherd and is appointed as overseer of the body of Christ; the church, to guard and shepherd (tend, feed, guide) the church of God. The task of a pastor, who is also a teacher, is to equip and perfect the saints, together with the apostles, prophets, evangelists, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, so that they will mature and grow up into the image of Jesus Christ and walk like sons of God.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ (Ephesians 4:11-15)
The instructions, which Jesus gave to Peter are still valid for every pastor, namely, to feed His lambs (to pasture, by extension to, fodder; reflexively, to graze:—feed, keep), to shepherd His sheep (to tend as shepherd of (figuratively, supervisor):— feed (cattle), rule), and to feed His sheep (to pasture, by extension to, fodder; reflexively, to graze:—feed, keep (Jn 21:15-18)).
To pasture and keep the sheep doesn’t mean to speak only nice, gentle, and encouraging words, while giving pats on the head, but it also means to instruct, correct, and discipline.
Instructions and correction
When people hear the words reproof and corrections, they think of legalism and reject it right away and call it religious behavior. But according to the Word, there is nothing wrong with correction and reproof.
When a child is raised and the parents don’t teach their child rules, values, moral standards, and don’t correct the child, but approve every behavior and spoil, eulogize and honor the child. It won’t be long before the child will become prideful, rebellious, and not willing to submit to his/her parents and obey his/her parents. The child will become an unguided missile and won’t be able to function in society.
The child shall experience difficulties in obeying the instructions of others and shall not be willing to submit to any other authority. (S)he shall have no respect for others, but the child shall be selfish, prideful, and shall do what (s)he wants to do and what pleases him/her.
It is the same thing in many churches. When the sheep, the believers, are not discipled in a correct manner and are not disciplined, they will become prideful, rebellious, and unguided missiles.
Actually, we already see this behavior in many churches. Because of the many lies, which are preached in these last decades, believers have been driven so far away from the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ; and the Word of God, that their ears have become itchy and they only want to hear, what pleases them.
They don’t want to be instructed or corrected. They don’t want to be bothered by others, but they want to live the way, they chose to live. Because of this behavior, many live in lawlessness and walk as enemies of the cross. That is the fruit of all the lies, which are preached from the pulpit.
Grievous wolves in sheep clothing
Just like in the previous article: “How do you recognize false prophets in the end time?”, the same applies to the pastors; the shepherds. There are many pastors, who look pious and upright, but their deeds, and their walk doesn’t line up with the words they preach and don’t correspond with the Word.
These false teachers are ferocious wolves, who enter the body of Christ and arise from among the believers and they will not spare the flock. At first, they look alright, but when you spend more time with them, their true nature will be revealed (Read also: ‘The wolves in sheep clothing who wreak havoc‘).
The Word warns about false teachers
God and Jesus; the Word warned about false teachers. Even the apostles Paul, Peter, etc. warned about false pastors; teachers, who would try to enter the body of Christ and defile the body with evil, through their false doctrines. They are blemishes and spots. And they shall deprave deviations of the true gospel and with their words, they shall encourage ungodliness and promote sin (Read also: Is Jesus a Promoter of sin?).
Many will draw the disciples away from Jesus Christ so that the believers will become their followers instead of followers of Jesus Christ.
For I know this, that after My departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears (Acts 20:29-31)
We already see this happening around us. Pastors are exalted, honored, and worshipped, by the people and are put on a pedestal.
Many believers believe everything the pastor says, without searching and investigating the Word by themselves. Because they think that everything the pastor says is the truth. They follow the words of the pastor instead of following Jesus Christ; the living Word of God.
Many wonderful promises are spoken by the mouth of the pastors, while God’s Word says something else.
The warnings for Today
Many pastors and teachers are carnal and walk after the flesh. They don’t have any awareness or insights in the spiritual realm and the Kingdom of God. But as long as people stay carnal and keep walking after the flesh, they will be enslaved and influenced by the spirit of this world. And so the spirit of this world, the spirit of the antichrist rule in many people’s lives.
What does the Bible say about pastors, false teachers, and people in the end of times?
- They shall speak unholy and arrogant words of vanity
- Their profane and vain babblings will increase ungodliness
- Their word will eat as does a canker
- They beguile and lure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness
- While they promise the believers liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption
- They shall subtly introduce destructive heresies
- They shall deny the Lord Jesus Christ; the Word and they shall bring upon themselves swift destruction
- They shall walk in shame, and many shall follow their shameful ways
- Because they are pernicious and walk in shameful ways, the way of truth will be maligned
- They shall be greedy, and they shall exploit you with false arguments and twisted doctrine. Yes they shall treat you as merchandise (and get as much money from you, for themselves, as possible)
- They’ve eyes full of adultery, constantly looking for sin, enticing and luring away unstable souls
- They left the straight road, and have gone astray. They have entered the road of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness
In the end times the people will be:
- Lovers of self (narcissistic, self-focused)
- Lovers of money (impelled by greed), covetous
- Boastful (bragging), a cause for pride
- Arrogant, haughty, proud, appearing above others
- Revilers, blasphemers, scurrilous, i.e. calumnious (against men), or (especially) impious (against God), railing
- Disobedient to parents
- Ungrateful, unthankful
- Unholy and profane, wicked
- Unloving (devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane), hard-hearted towards kindred: without natural affection
- Truce breakers, irreconcilable, without libation, truce less, implacable
- Malicious gossip,
- False accusers, a traducer; especially, satan, devil, slanderer
- Incontinent, powerless, without self- control (intemperate, immoral)
- Fierce, brutal, savage
- Despiser of those that are good, haters of good
- Traitors, (in the sense of giving forward into another’s (the enemy’s) hands) a surrender, betrayer
heady, reckless - High-minded, conceited, to inflate with self-conceit, be lifted up with pride, be proud
- Lovers of pleasures, more than lovers of God
- Having a form of (outward) godliness, religion, but denying the power thereof (for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith)
- They’ll worm their way into homes and captivate morally weak and spiritually dwarfed women weighed down by the burden of their sins, easily swayed by various impulses, always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
- They oppose the truth
- They’re men of corrupt minds
- Reprobate (unqualified and worthless (as teachers)) concerning the faith
- Their folly (meaningless nonsense) shall be manifest unto all men
- They indulge in the corrupt passions of the sin nature
- They despise authority
(2 Tim 2:16,17, 2 Tim 3, 2 Pe 2:10. These are not the only chapters, that warn about false doctrines, pastors, teachers etc. There are many more scriptures, that warns about pastors, and false teachers, false doctrines in the end times)
Be aware!
Be aware of such pastors, preachers, and teachers, who are carnal and live like the world and tolerate and accept everything, including sin.
You have to be careful for those, who approve those things, which are an abomination to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
Stay loyal to the Word. Stay in His Word and keep His instructions. Only the Word reveals the truth and will discern fake from real.
When you don’t stay in the Word, you will be misled and seduced.
Throughout the years, many false teachings and doctrines have entered the body of Jesus Christ; the church, which caused many churches to become like the world. Many churches and congregations are seated in darkness instead of the light and have no or little power.
The devil has taken his place and built his throne in many churches. Yes… the church is being prepared to receive the antichrist.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
