The Didiache On Prophets

Chapter 11. Whosoever, therefore, comes and teaches you all these things that have been said before, receive him. But if the teacher himself turns and teaches another doctrine to the destruction of this, hear him not. But if he teaches so as to increase righteousness and the knowledge of the Lord, receive him as the Lord. But concerning the apostles and prophets, act according to the decree of the Gospel. Let every apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain more than one day; or two days, if there's a need. But if he remains three days, he is a false prophet. And when the apostle goes away, let him take nothing but bread until he lodges. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet. And every prophet who speaks in the Spirit you shall neither try nor judge; for every sin shall be forgiven, but this sin shall not be forgiven. But not every one who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet; but only if he holds the ways of the Lord. Therefore from their ways shall the false prophet and the prophet be known. And every prophet who orders a meal in the Spirit does not eat it, unless he is indeed a false prophet. And every prophet who teaches the truth, but does not do what he teaches, is a false prophet. And every prophet, proved true, working unto the mystery of the Church in the world, yet not teaching others to do what he himself does, shall not be judged among you, for with God he has his judgment; for so did also the ancient prophets. But whoever says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him. But if he tells you to give for others' sake who are in need, let no one judge him.

JTO Note: Notice that there is nothing in the content of the Didiache that suggests there are NO PROPHETS. There is nothing in the scripture that suggests that either. Keep in mind that neither scriptural or Tradition suggests one should initially suspect a prophet of being a deceiver. All are strongly warned to do the opposite and accept the prophet whom God has gifted, while looking for the signs of confirmation. To do otherwise is to be in danger of grieving the Holy Spirit. Beware of anyone who, cart blanche, denounces and attacks God's prophets today. They have the spirit of Jezabel.

Thanks To All JTO Readers!

JTO has never advertised or made any effort to increase readership through search engines or any other technological means. Even with that, JTO still gets almost 4000 readers a month, and has 54 regular subscribers from almost every country on the planet. Most who read JTO come here on purpose. We have many friends on other blogs and websites. Some of our articles have been copied, translated and shared in other forums in other countries. From Bishops to laymen, I am always amazed that anyone would want to hear what I have to say. Thank you for linking us. I am always pleased to see traffic coming via your blogs. I am  honored. I also enjoy when we are able to share e-mails and in other ways shrink the size of the cyberworld in which we blog. Meeting some of you by Skype has been a treat. Somehow, the world seems smaller when that happens.Whether you are a regular JTO Reader or just happened to stop by, you are always welcome!

If you are a commenter, thank you for your continued kind and encouraging words and participation as I share my Journey To Orthodoxy. Some, I must thank for your correction and instruction, done with civility and love. I hope my education has been your education. If you are one of those who has preferred to attack, criticize, malign and basically consider JTO and me an enemy of the people, God Bless You! I pray now for you and your journey and offer this piece of advise. If JTO causes you pain-get out of the fire! Go away and don't look back. We are not out to change the world here, just to share our journey. Go work on yours and be blessed. Are you still here? I said, "GO!" :)  

THANKS Again! Keep praying for me as I will for you. Lest this sounds like a goodbye, let me be clear. As we say in the mountains of Tennessee, "I ain't going nowhere."

Remember: You can always reach me by e-mail (journeytoorthodoxy@gmail.com) unless you are one of the three abusers who have gotten the boot. Only three in six years! Sounds like I have been given the grace of patience. But we still love you "booties" and hope you still read JTO on the sly. It will do you some good!

God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.

Christ is in our midst.

Nathan Lee Lewis

JTO Editor

The Jezabel Spirit

The following is a warning for all orthodox Christians of the need to be aware of the workings of the Jezabel spirit among us. The Jezebel Spirit seeks to infiltrate and destroy individuals and churches.  The biblical woman, Jezabel, was a controller, a man hater, and an enemy of God's prophets. The same spirit that infiltrated the first Jezebel, is still at work today. Usually a woman, today's Jezebel will claim false authority and gather easy-to-manipulate men around her to do her bidding. Her goal is to control individuals and churches. If she cannot, she sets out to destroy them. The following will shed some light on her tactics and demonic subterfuge.

[Source: An edited on-line article via several authors]

There are basically six characteristics of controlling people and organizations whose source is a Jezebel spirit. While these characteristics of the Jezebel spirit remain constant, as noted in the Bible, the symptoms and manifestations of the Jezebel spirit are constantly changing.

The purpose of this article is to identify the Jezebel spirit as it continues to attempt different ways to get control of and abuse the people of God.

First, the Jezebel spirit has a huge ego and wants to meet its desire and need for power. The Jezebel spirit does this by assuming false authority by any means possible. With this false authority the Jezebel spirit not only fulfills its need for power, but also gets tremendous ego satisfaction as it continually maneuvers for a high position on any hierarchical totem pole — either real or imaginary.

Second, the Jezebel spirit will continue and continue and continue to proclaim their authority. The Jezebel spirit has to do this because it has no real authority. So they have to continue to remind others that they have Godly authority. Usually their group claims they have been granted a mandate [read: commission] by God Himself in some specialized area and that because of this others must obey their commands. Look for this insistence upon having authority granted by God with the claim that because of this others must become their followers. To make things easier for themselves, these Jezebel spirits will usually mark off some area of “specialized ministry” so they can focus on it. This way, they don’t have to have a broad understanding of the Bible, God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. After all, they are “specialists” who hear from where you don’t hear, so they are in charge of that area of “speciality.” This is really simply a variation of the Jezebel spirit claiming false authority. 

Third, the Jezebel spirit is quick to attribute any “problems” others point out to them as being caused by the person who brought it up. Remember, the Jezebel spirit “leader” claims to hear from God in their area of self-proclaimed “speciality” of God and you don’t. So, regardless of what the Bible says about something, they have “special revelations” from God and so they are the ones who will decide what’s a problem and what’s not a problem, and what’s right and what’s wrong. Again, a variation of the “false authority” theme.

Fourth, if you attempt to remain loyal to Christ and His teachings, instead of the Jezebel spirit leaders teachings, you will be made the object of their wrath. You will be openly scorned, ridiculed and embarrassed. If you then say that you will leave their organization, or do so, there will be follow up by the Jezebel spirit leader and followers with overtones of impending doom for you because you are unteachable. And so, the false authority theme continues to develop.

Fifth, you will soon realize that the Jezebel spirit and/or their organization operates in an atmosphere of secrecy. Since they have an exclusive hotline to God, usually in their “specialized area of ministry,” they have exclusive knowledge that you don’t. You are to simply follow their leading and must not question their exclusive “truths.” The Jezebel spirit will constantly be springing surprises upon their followers in any and all areas you can think of. Because of their secrecy and their “surprise techniques” you and the other followers will be kept in a constant state of suspense, always aware that things can change at any moment in time, without any indication of such. The Jezebel spirit cannot afford to be honest, because that would jeopardize their false claim to authority. They cannot openly declare their policies, because the Jezebel spirit has only one policy — control through power over others. If they should somehow become transparent in their manipulations and intimidating tactics, then they will claim you have created a “problem” and will treat you as described in the third characteristic discussed in a paragraph above. The Jezebel spirit will conceal those things from public view and knowledge which they feel would prevent them from exercising their hard won false authority. That is to say that the Jezebel spirit will continue to display those things which others know is wrong and will continue to conceal those things which others know is right — by biblical standards.

Sixth, the Jezebel spirit will purposefully exclude the total counsel of God as stated throughout the Bible. The technique of taking scriptural verses out of context and stringing them together to create false doctrine is a speciality of the Jezebel spirit. In this way the Jezebel spirit can continue to claim they have an exclusive hotline to God on their particularly selected and segmented “area of speciality.” The subject of the prophetic ministry, prophets and prophecy is one of their favorites. If the people who follow the Jezebel spirit can be persuaded that they are hearing the words of a prophet, they will be much more inclined to accept the controlling tactics of Jezebel.

Controlling tactics and techniques 

 A. Approval, appreciation, acceptance and recognition are a basic desire of every human being. Controlling spirits of Jezebel are more than willing to accommodate that desire and will verbally praise you publicly and privately. The Jezebel spirit will appear to be a loving and gracious person, oozing and dripping with flattery on those occasions when it best serves their purposes. They will woo and win you over to their “cause” by their insincere flattery — if you let them.

B. The Jezebel spirit is skilled at prophesying great things about you which you attribute to the Holy Spirit endorsing your (sometimes repressed or hidden) personal desires to be an authoritarian leader. Having toyed with the idea of perhaps eventually becoming a great leader and servant for God this type of false prophecy is very heady, exhilarating, influential and motivating. This is really an extension of all that false verbal praise and flattery.

C. You will be contacted again and again to meet with them or their organization in a variety of settings. Unwarranted statements of God having given them responsibility to train and develop you into a great leader will be conveyed to you in different ways. This “God given responsibility” will quickly translate into “God given authority” over you. Without continuing to add members to their little personal cult the Jezebel spirit would soon lose its sphere of influence.

D. Your own personal illusion of your free will is maintained as they lead you into jumping through hoops and over hurdles of their own making. This is best accomplished in a group setting, but is also effective in private meetings. Their praise and flattery will lead you to respond to remarks and questions about their authority in a positive way. You will be seen by others as a fervent promoter of their authority because you really believe it to be so. The controlling Jezebel spirits derive false authority from those who don’t see through this manipulative ploy. Having planted the idea in your head that you will become another Moses (or equivalent) for God, the Jezebel spirit will continue to attempt to assert their false authority over you in what they consider to be clever, non-intrusive, subtle techniques. With some degree of discerning of spirits on your part, that subtlety becomes as loud as a jackhammer in action.

E. Eventually they will use the verbal praise and flattery they built you up with as a reference point to measure your expected performance. You will now be found to be lacking in some or all areas of such performance. This is another aspect of the praise and flattery, the purpose of which is to manipulate and intimidate you by expressing the disappointment that the Jezebel spirit now feels in you having disappointed God by your failure to conduct yourself as an up and coming powerful religious leader. The purpose of this semantical nonsense is to motivate you to do only what they tell you to do. The controlling spirits of Jezebel are experts in giving and withholding flattery to continue to exercise their false authority over you.

F. You will begin to notice that there are “unspoken rules” which are constantly changing. Knowing that you will be labeled as “the problem” if you ask any questions you subconsciously adjust your thinking to keep in step with that of your “leader.” After all, you have to learn to think, say and do things just like they do because they are recipients of a Godly “hotline” of “specialized information” from God. The Jezebel spirit knows the power of human ego and continues to feed your ego the food it needs to become self-centered in focusing on having the “spiritual authority” you think you need to be the great leader that you think that God wants you to be. This is analogous to building castles in the sand.

G. Their walk won’t match their talk. Contradictory statements will be made that sound like they violently oppose what they are, in fact, doing. They try extremely hard to paint a beautiful verbal picture of their ugly behavior so that you will keep on thinking how much you are in control of your own destiny, not them. Controlling spirits of Jezebel are very clever in continuing to make you think that you are a free thinking, independent person who is in control of their own lives. In fact, you are under the worst kind of bondage of one human to another. This is another way the Jezebel spirit converts you into thinking that you, too, have spiritual authority, which, of course, is really false authority.

H. Your own desire to maintain the illusion of your approval, appreciation, acceptance and recognition created by the Jezebel spirit will motivate you to continue your affiliation with the Jezebel spirit. It’s difficult to accept the fact that you have been lied to, and manipulated and intimidated by a controlling person or organization. Even though you know deep down inside that you’ve been used and abused, you are still confused and afraid of having to leave that exclusive and special group of persons who at one time lavished so much praise upon you, with flattering words. You just don’t want to leave and be alone and insignificant again. The controlling Jezebel spirit knows that your desire to preserve your own illusions of fulfillment of your hopes and desires will override your logical analysis of their controlling Jezebel spirit tactics. Logic is a motivator, but the Jezebel spirit knows that emotions are much more powerful and will override logic. They also know that enthusiasm on their part reinforces your emotions beyond anything else they can do. Enthusiastic, emotional pleas and statements, with some logic interwoven here and there will convince you beyond the shadow of a doubt that you must stay with their group...

MORE ON THIS SUBJECT LATER...

"Kiss My Grits!"

Nemesis was the Greek Goddess of retribution.

"In Greek mythology, Nemesis... was the spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris (arrogance before the gods). The Greeks personified vengeful fate as a remorseless goddess: the goddess of revenge. The name Nemesis is related to the Greek word νέμειν [némein], meaning "to give what is due". Although a respected goddess, Nemesis had brought many sorrow to mortals... She believed that no one should ever have too much good, and she had always cursed those who were blessed with countless gifts. The word Nemesis originally meant the distributor of fortune, neither good nor bad, simply in due proportion to each according to what was deserved; then, nemesis came to suggest the resentment caused by any disturbance of this right proportion, the sense of justice which could not allow it to pass unpunished."

My father was a noted Southern Baptist Pastor. He was a very gifted orator, a gifted singer, a kind and loving pastor, faithful to his wife, and lived a life of sobriety and service to the Lord. In recognition, he was once elected as Executive President of the Arkansas Baptist Convention. My father once told me of an incident involving a fellow pastor who had become his nemesis. My father had just finished preaching a dynamic sermon at the Arkansas Pastor's Conference. He had "raised the roof", as he used to say. It was inspirational and well received by all...except one-his nemesis. Immediately following the sermon, his nemesis confronted him with insults and slanders. My father, well seasoned in the nature of man, knew that reasoning would avail nothing, so he simply responded with a smile, "Joe, kiss my grits."

A nemesis may arise at anytime in your life. They will attack you, malign you, talk about you behind your back, and at every turn attempt to thwart your happiness. There is usually no discernible reason for their actions and nothing you can do to cure them. They just don't like you or are jealous of the gifts they see in you. Most do not sign up to be a nemesis, rather, they are led into it by their own inadequacies, arrogance, and fleshly appetites. The most frustrating kind of nemesis is one who comes under the banner of righteousness. They have determined that you don't match up to their standard of righteousness and have, as their mission, to let you and others know it. They may cloak their attacks in false compassion for you. You see, they are just "concerned for your soul", however, they eventually show their true colors if you do not respond as they see fit. Their compassion turns quickly to condemnation.

The nemesis will always be around. When one seems to fade, another will arise. Christ knew this. He had not a few of them.

"It is impossible but that offences will come:but woe unto him, through whom they come."

But here is the hope:

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

If you have a nemesis, you are blessed! "Kiss my grits", may at first glance, seem like a less-than-humble retort, but it actually is a healthy tool in combating the repeated efforts of your nemesis to distract you or engage you. It is certainly preferable to attacking back and stooping to their level. Of course, the best tool is no retort, but sometimes only a "Kiss my grits" will do. The nemesis in your life, even though they intend evil, will bring good. We must not allow ourselves to be tossed to and fro by their antics. 

The scripture teaches "As much as is possible, be at peace with all men." This infers that it is not always possible, especially with the nemesis.To all the past, present and future nemesis in my life: Kiss My Grits!

Intergnats and Interflies

MY INTERNET STANDARDS

I do not engage in the shameful practice of personally and publicly, on the internet, attacking someone whom I do not like or with whom I disagree. I prefer to have private conversations and fulfill my obligation as a Christian to "As much as is possible be at peace with all men."  If given an opportunity, I always invite those who negatively engage me to e-mail me and discuss their concerns. Should anyone say, "This is not true! I have read your articles where you attack people!", I would tell you, there is a difference between doctrinal debate, where heretical teachings and the teachers of heresies are pointed out, and vilifying one's honesty, integrity, with personal, slanderous or libelous remarks. In posting publicly, I also NEVER use the name and information of those involved in my personal accounts of my Journey To Orthodoxy. I attempt to be as cryptic as possible concerning identities, however, some will always deduce information and presume what I have not spoken. Where I have given too much information (and it has happened once of which I know) that allowed internet trolls to fish out the individuals involved, I personally contacted the individual who was fished, apologized, and edited the article. Also, when I am confronted in the JTO comment section by an abusive person, I always attempt to answer kindly and diplomatically. This is my standard. This is what I try to maintain in my internet discourse.

INTERGNATS

The term "intergnat" is urban-speak for an annoying person who hovers around you at an internet cafe, while they await their turn on the computer you are using. I think the term is also appropriate for annoying people on the internet who hover around your blog and the other blogs where they know you might go, in order to find reason to swoop down on you. I do not have conversations with intergnats. Why should I? They are intergnats. I have discovered that some intergnats thrive off of the hovering and swatting process. The more you swat, the more they move in. I might initially try to swipe them away with a gentle brush of an olive branch, but if they are persistent, I just move on. Intergnats are difficult to squash. It can be done, but, after all, they are just intergnats, so why try? I must be about my Father's business. 

INTERFLIES

Years ago when I was earning my Bachelor of Arts in Religion/Pastoral Ministries, I would get out of the dorm and walk along the river that bordered the campus. Every time I would get to a certain point along the path, there would be a horsefly waiting for me. He would sit on the branch of a tree, and the moment I would walk by, he would swoop down trying to land and bite me. Now, horseflies are not just annoying, like gnats. The bite of a horsefly hurts. They are as large as a bumblebee, can do you harm, leave a sore, and cause an allergic reaction. The attack of a horsefly is also enough to get you to alter your path. They buzz loudly and circle around your head and do not kindly respond to the swipe of a hand. In fact, they get more aggressive. Such an encounter might even cause you to run away, swinging, wildly. My first encounter with the horsefly seemed an anomaly. My second encounter seemed a coincidence  On my third encounter, I realized I had a problem. The horsefly was out to do me harm. I could either alter my path or convince him to give up his harmful intent toward me. On my fourth visit, I came armed with a can of fly spray. He swooped. I sprayed. I never heard his buzz again. Interflies are those on the internet who have, as their mission, to do you harm. They wait until they see you on the interent comment section, or any other profile on the internet, and swoop down. They attempt to bite you by posting libelous statements about you in a forum that your friends, associates and others will see. This has happened to me even recently. I have not swatted at the interflies for the previously stated reasons, however, some horseflies in particular, have been persistent to the point, that I have had to arm myself with a can of internet fly spray.  I refuse to alter my path. I shouldn't have to, especially just for a bug with a bad disposition.

LIABLE AND A GOOD CAN OF SPRAY

The internet gives a person a false sense of anonymity and license. This seems particularly true in the realm of Orthodox debate concerning heresies, jurisdictions, and the like. I have a blog. I have two blogs.  I am accustom to the intergnats hovering around me. I also expect some will follow me around to other blogs in which I might comment. These are the intergnats. However, recently, some interflies have swooped. They have put into writing, libelous statements intent to do me personal and financial harm. I have exhausted the appeal process, so now I am holding up my can of fly spray. My finger is on the button. Here are the ingredients:

libel 1) n. to publish in print (including pictures), writing or broadcast through radio, television or film, an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation, by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of others. Libel is the written or broadcast form of defamation, distinguished from slander which is oral defamation. It is a tort (civil wrong) making the person or entity (like a newspaper, magazine or political organization) open to a lawsuit for damages by the person who can prove the statement about him/her was a lie. Publication need only be to one person, but it must be a statement which claims to be fact, and is not clearly identified as an opinion. While it is sometimes said that the person making the libelous statement must have been intentional and malicious, actually it need only be obvious that the statement would do harm and is untrue. Proof of malice, however, does allow a party defamed to sue for "general damages" for damage to reputation, while an inadvertent libel limits the damages to actual harm (such as loss of business) called "special damages." "Libel per se" involves statements so vicious that malice is assumed and does not require a proof of intent to get an award of general damages. Libel against the reputation of a person who has died will allow surviving members of the family to bring an action for damages. Most states provide for a party defamed by a periodical to demand a published retraction. If the correction is made, then there is no right to file a lawsuit. Governmental bodies are supposedly immune for actions for libel on the basis that there could be no intent by a non-personal entity, and further, public records are exempt from claims of libel. However, there is at least one known case in which there was a financial settlement as well as a published correction when a state government newsletter incorrectly stated that a dentist had been disciplined for illegal conduct. The rules covering libel against a "public figure" (particularly a political or governmental person) are special, based on U. S. Supreme Court decisions. The key is that to uphold the right to express opinions or fair comment on public figures, the libel must be malicious to constitute grounds for a lawsuit for damages. Minor errors in reporting are not libel, such as saying Mrs. Jones was 55 when she was only 48, or getting an address or title incorrect. 2) v. to broadcast or publish a written defamatory statement.

With the advancement of Cyberspace, Criminal Liable has an easy-access outlet, but, many law firms, devoted to internet liable cases, have also risen and are also easy to access. There is now legal recourse for victims. This is the fly spray. This post is just the shaking of the can, but unless these horseflies quit circling, I will push the button. You see, what the horsefly on the tree limb did not know was that I had done my research. The horsefly no longer had anonymity and I was no longer willing to endure his attacks. With this, his license to attack me, was revoked. I knew where his branch was. I knew where and when to point the can. When the button was pushed, the spray hit the target. I wish it was just as simple as saying, "Go away horsefly. Go live your life. Leave me, my family, and my business ventures unimpeded to journey on the path of our choosing. You might do better to love and pray for even your enemies, as Christ taught us to do."  However, I have never known a horsefly with poor self esteem. In fact they are proud of what they are and what they do and act out their character with all vigilance. They seem born to bite. Interflies are the same way. Their sense of esteem is only maintained if they are attacking and biting. It seems only a good spray in the face will do.

Moses The Black-The Motion Picture-UPDATE 11/12

JTO Readers! Make sure you take a look at our updated website, www.MosesTheBlack.com. Go to the Partner Participation page and see how you might be involved in the successful production of this important feature film.

Do You Agree?

"One thing the cross of Christ did was give a meeting ground between purest light and ultimate darkness. At the crucifixion, light met darkness and darkness was vanquished. That should be the focus and work of the Church: Meeting the darkness (of this world) with the light of Christ. Giving the hungry bread, the naked clothes, and the brokenhearted hope that things do get better because despite of whatever they have been through, they are loved... This theme is also what makes great stories. Think of "It's a Wonderful Life". George Bailey's darkness of mind is penetrated with the light of the love of his family and friends and he is brought back from the edge of despair into the arms of love."

If you agree, and you are Orthodox, know that this quote is from a Church of Christ boy. It is truth. It is the Faith.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

The Heart Of The American Soldier

This Apache Helicopter pilot illustrates the true motive and heart of the American Serviceman. Pray for our troops as they vow to protect and serve.

No, It Is Not Real...It Is A Lie.

Watch this old parlor trick. Every man will give account for using the name of Jesus in vain.

Look To The Hills!

If you are in an orthodox Christian Church (or protestant for that matter) and the life is being sucked out of you, LOOK TO THE HILLS FROM WHENCE COMETH YOUR HELP! In other words, get out of there and go to where the life of Christ can be found and experienced. Such a place does exist. I promise you. Let them call you a "church hopper". Let them accuse you of not "submitting to your priest". Who cares!? Choose to live the abundant life!

"I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."

And what is that life?