A FALSE Pentecost
London, 9th-11th May 2008
We all know what happened on the first New Testament Pentecost. Acts 2
tells us.
It’s just as well Peter did what Jesus said, and with the other
disciples, didn’t leave Jerusalem, but stayed there until His promise (Lk
24:49; Acts 1:4) was fulfilled.
What if Peter had been ‘flaky’? What if he had decided to ‘follow his
nose’ and gone a route of his own? God could not have used him as the
mouthpiece for that occasion. Jesus would have had to use someone else,
or abandon the plan.
It is unthinkable to postulate what would have been the outcome if Peter
was like most ‘avant-garde’ church leaders today. What if he had decided
to try and call down fire from heaven his own way, instead of waiting
for God’s timing? Some muse:
Why not get together with other ‘spiritual’ leaders and see what we can
do together? Perhaps we can generate revival by convincing others (and
ourselves!) that God will come down if we only do something?! If we make
a big performance, surely that will impress people and cause God to
come?!
Sounds more like the false prophets on
Mount Carmel than the work of Elijah! (1 Kings 18:26.) Those deceived
‘prophets’ had their bull prepared for a great feast, but their god
didn’t show up. In the end, all their vigorous pursuit merited nothing
but failure.
With hindsight, we know why.
Because it wasn’t led by the Spirit. They weren’t hearing from God, but
from their own sources.
They were not in the right Way like Elijah was.
The ‘Pentecost’ Event In 2008
If you look on the web at
www.pentecostfestival.co.uk you will see this event planned for 9-11
May 08.
A printed flyer circulated, introduces this event:
Pentecost is a massive weekend party in central
London with hundreds of free events and high impact performances...
The Spirit should cause you to question: Since when has human
appeal through human performance or personality or glamour, been the
means by which God calls people and convicts them of sin? Was that God’s
approach in Acts 2? No!
What was God’s means that reached the people back then? Human
performance? Entertainment? Music, celebration, the latest ‘in-things’?
No.
What had preceded revival? What set the stage for that to occur?
The suffering and death of Jesus. The threat of total wipe-out of all
that Jesus began. The disciples feared they would be next.
Peter did not use human appeal. He didn’t try to attract people by
giving them what they liked or wanted to hear. Rather, his discourse was
the exact opposite!
You can read it for yourself in Acts 2:23 where he castigated and
condemned the crowd. He wasn’t appealing to human nature; he was
offending it!
The ‘Pentecost’ flyer continues:
Come and discover more of the life, the colour, the breadth and depth of
the Christian faith...
Then you read of all the events planned to – hopefully – make an impact
on people and draw them to the Church. (More of that in a moment.)
However, I would caution you to beware of imitations. If you want
to know more of the life and depth of the Christian faith, go to
China and live under repression, where true believers live with the
threat of imprisonment, torture or death hanging over them for their
acceptance of Christ. Worship in a house church, not a megachurch, and
read your Bible to check all that others claim it says (Acts
17:11).
For, there are:
...false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers
among you... And many will follow their destructive ways, because of
whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will
exploit you with deceptive words... (2 Peter 2:1-3.)
More About This ‘Pentecost’
The flyer goes on:
Over Pentecost weekend, 9th-11th May 2008, across central London,
Pentecost Festival will fill hundreds of venues – coffee shops, parks,
pubs streets, boats, churches, clubs, hotels, halls, restaurants,
theatres, and shops – located close to ten Northern Line stations, from
Camden Town to Waterloo.
The Big 10
Friday and Saturday Evening
Ten of the best.
Some of the biggest and best Christian artists, agencies and charities
in the
UK
are coming to serve the capital by putting on inspiring and challenging
evening concerts and events. These are designed with you in mind!
Tickets on www.pentecostfestival/tickets from
17th September 2007.
-
Survivor and OTR presents Start Something.
A dynamic musical event combining Worship, Rock, Hip Hop and
Pop, bringing you some of the best from the Survivor and OTR family.
Don’t miss this unique mix of sounds.
-
Emerging Culture presents The Comedy Superstore.
Get a taste of the finest Christian comedians in the
UK. It’ll be a laugh a minute with Andy Kind, Tony Vino and Paul
Karensa from The Isaac Project, as well as John Archer, Milton Jones
and Jo Enright.
-
Open Doors and Saltmine are pioneering The Hope Academy.
This performance competition to discover new Christian talent holds its
two finals in the Pentecost Festival. Following auditions for this
exciting opportunity, early in spring 2008, the weekend winners will
find themselves propelled onto a tour of the
UK. The Hope Academy will also showcase “Heroes of Faith”, providing
firsthand testimonies of the need for a real hope amid a world of
persecution and suffering...
Analysing The Agenda
Apart from the last aspect (the testimonies), most of this is an appeal
to human nature, humanistic in its design, and copying worldly
activities
New Testament emphasis, from beginning to end, is on the works of the
Spirit, NOT works of the flesh.
Not all of the proceedings, of course, are what you might call
‘suspect’. What you see ‘across the board’ is a mixture of good and bad,
truth and error.
But there are serious flaws in the agenda. Paul, in writing to the
Corinthians (chs 1-2), criticised greatly the appeal to human nature
which was drawing those early believers away from Christ, and towards
human personalities and focussing on talents and abilities.
The subtle traps of Satan, infiltrating the Church, are being repeated
today with contemporary window dressing.
The New Testament emphasis from beginning to end is on the work of the
Spirit. The human element is very much secondary and subordinate. God’s
work is not about personalities or what people can do. It’s not about
how humans can influence others by their natural abilities and talents,
or by winning others over by what is attractive, appealing or impressive
to man.
That’s fleshly. It’s laced with pride. Paul was all things to all men (1
Cor
9:22),
but he didn’t cross that line to compromise what is right by the Spirit.
But the emphasis in the Pentecost Event is very much humanistic in its
appeal, and relies upon human abilities primarily, and only secondarily
upon the Spirit.
It’s got things back to front!
And worse still, it is allowing degenerate and worldly influences to
infiltrate the Church as if they are acceptable and even praiseworthy.
Some activities are influenced more by Satan than by God because they
lift up the performers more than God or Jesus:
-
Authentic Music presents Live at The Court.
The hottest
UK and American Christian artists around in these 2 unique showcase
concerts. Rock, Funk, Hip Hop, Pop and Soul will combine in a fusion
of great music featuring a number of artists each night. UK artists
include thebandwithnoname, Shell, Four Kornerz, Replenish and tbc,
plus many more! Look out for new artist additions...
Then, we have this deception:
-
Christian Aid presents Climate Changed!
Climate change isn’t a threat to our future. It’s today’s reality,
wrecking lives in the developing world through floods, famine,
drought, disease and the conflicts these cause. The question is,
what are you going to do to stop it?...
The answer to that question lies, not in humanity’s hands, but in God’s.
That’s one reason He is going to send Jesus back to earth soon, to
restore all that mankind has destroyed. Has the Church forgotten that
Jesus’ return is the ONLY hope for the salvation of mankind? Why is it
replacing that biblical truism with a humanistic substitute?!
Why don’t these ‘Christian leaders’ know their Bibles?
Isaiah 24 reveals that the degradation of earth has a spiritual
cause, not merely physical. So its solution can only be spiritual also.
The Green Snake of the contemporary Religion of Environmentalism has
beguiled the world to replace that spiritual solution with a humanistic
antichrist substitute that can’t save.
Do you want to be ‘with it’ by accepting this deception, or going
against the flow by believing in the only answer, which hinges upon
Christ’s coming?
And that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom
heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which
God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world
began (Acts 3:20,21).
I am not against making a Christian difference, as each believer should.
But it is not right to try and influence society through political
association or other human means. Remember: it is the Spirit that
counts, the flesh profits nothing (Jn 6:63). So said Jesus.
Yet these ‘Christian’ leaders are becoming so far removed from Jesus’
words and teaching that they are leading people astray. They reverse His
emphasis.
Release International’s blocking of God’s Work is exposed in an
article entitled Release International In Bondage! I need say no more
here.
-
Bible Society presents Fashion: Home.
This super stylish catwalk event, showcasing 4 fast-moving
styles and telling a story of forgiveness and love comes in 4 snappy
episodes. Expect the unexpected, a host of glamorous models and the
party to end all parties.
Does that sound like the sort of thing Jesus would promote? Or John the
Baptist? Camel’s hair clothing (Mark 1:6) wouldn’t look that glamorous
on a catwalk, would it?
-
Premier presents The Festival’s Festival.
Outside in a major
London
space, a stage is set to present music, speakers and visual
presentations. Join thousands and be enthralled by an impressive
display of Premier’s media abilities, artists and audio.
I hope you can see from all the above that the emphasis is not
spiritual, but physical. These are humanistic substitutes for the moving
of the power of God, for the work of God’s Spirit.
Pentecost didn’t come BECAUSE of man, but DESPITE man. The Spirit came
to offend carnality, not please it.
I am not saying that God’s Spirit is not present in anything that takes
place in the ‘Pentecost Event’. God does get involved in various aspects
according to whether people’s hearts are right and whether recipients
are hungry for Him. But the problem is that His Spirit and His agenda
has been made to take second place. And that is unacceptable to Him. I
speak for him as a prophet, according to the revelations He gives (Num
12:6).
The first commandment (Ex 20:3), which Jesus expanded (Matt
22:37), gives the guideline. God does not
play second fiddle to anyone. He is to be made number one. He does not
share His glory (Is 42:8).
In The Bible Speaks Volume 2, I wrote a piece entitled
Substitution Is Antichrist. Few understand this principle.
Antichrist is not solely opposition to Christ. It is supplementing Him.
And where that takes place ever so subtly – in the Church, by
Christians, many of whom are well-meaning but deluded and misguided – it
is devastatingly ruinous. It neutralises the power of God at your
disposal.
Jesus told you how to promote His name:
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons...
(Matt 10:8).
These are all works of the Spirit. You can’t do them by yourself, by
your own abilities, or expertise.
He didn’t say:
Put on musical events, concerts, impressive displays of human
achievement and cleverness...
Where do you read in the book of Acts, of the apostles all pooling their
natural talents to make a big splash? Where in Acts do you find that
they organised big functions to get the attention of people? Never.
The Spirit set the agenda. The Spirit organised events. The Spirit
created the wonders that caused people to listen. The Spirit convicted
the heart of sin.
That is how God worked. He hasn’t changed.
It is a blasphemy to take the place of the Spirit. It is
perfidious.
The Spirit’s Agenda
Many will vehemently object to these words. But those who do, do not
realise God’s agenda for this hour. His agenda centres on truth and its
restoration.
Do you think the crowd that gathered on that first NT Pentecost wanted
to hear condemnation from Peter’s lips? He castigated them all:
Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom YOU crucified,
both Lord and Christ (Acts
2:36).
Where people are not in the will of God, the declaration of God’s truth
treads on toes. It hurts.
The restoration of truth today likewise treads on toes and offends many
hearts and minds. But:
Blessed is he who is not offended because of me (Matt 11:6).
Jesus magnified the law and made it honourable. He does so today also.
But the law of God, and our need to be obedient to it, and live by every
word that proceeds from His mouth, is not acceptable to the majority who
fill modern churches.
Can you imagine a Pentecost Event deliberately designed to confront
hearers’ ears?! Offending some, insulting others?! Yet that is what the
Spirit did.
Peter bluntly declared:
Men of
Israel,
hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by
miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as
you yourselves know – Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and
foreknowledge of God, YOU HAVE TAKEN BY LAWLESS HANDS, have crucified,
and put to death... (Acts
2:22,23).
The Spirit is today restoring ‘lost’ and hidden Truth, as prophesied of
old (Mal 4:4-6). This subject is covered in other publications:
Who Is The End-Time Elijah?
More Than A Prophet
Apostasy In God’s Church!
God’s Church – Whose Authority?
The Controversy Concerning Law and Grace
Our Sabbath Rest
The Festivals Of God
The Faith Once Delivered To The Saints, etc., and in other
publications from Midnight Ministries.
But the false agenda of churches – who resist and oppose the truths
which God is restoring – occludes the Spirit by human activity.
Antichrist is a powerful false spirit of our time. It takes the place
of, and supplants Christ. Anti does not simply mean against. The
most subtle opposing force is one that is cleverly concealed by
counterfeiting the activity of God’s Spirit. It supplants it.
God’s Spirit is HOLY. He is restoring truth that exalts His holiness. He
wants a holy Church, not a compromised Church. He wants a Church with
pure truth, not a mixture. He wants the faith once delivered to the
saints restored and observed.
Do you want it? I doubt it. Few do.
Correcting Error
Fittingly, the Pentecost Event organisers have chosen the wrong date.
The true date for Pentecost is actually
May 18th 2008.
The correct time is not decided by Church determinants, but by God’s
heavenly signposts – by the configuration of sun and moon (explained in
God’s Calendar Revealed To Man), and it is linked to Passover and
the Days of Unleavened Bread in the spring. (Explained in Passover
and Pentecost: Answers To Basic Questions.)
Pentecost is calculated by counting 50 days from the weekly Sabbath
during Unleavened Bread week. But the Church doesn’t keep those
festivals of God: the weekly Sabbath, the festival of Unleavened Bread (UB),
nor Passover (Matt 26:18; Luke
22:15), which Jesus COMMANDED His own to observe (John 13:17; 1 Cor
5:7-8; 1 Cor 11:23-25).
If you don’t keep Passover and the seven days of UB, you invalidate your
‘keeping’ of ‘Pentecost’. You cannot pick and choose with the law of
God. If you break one point, it is as if you are guilty of contravening
all of it (Jas
2:10).
God holds people responsible to discover His truth. You are to search
for true knowledge and understanding (Prov 2:1-6). Very few really
do. Most are content with a watered-down version of the faith, one which
leaves Jesus still knocking on your door, just as was prophesied (Rev
3:20). And if you try and give them more, they reject it and
resent you for it.
Hence, Jesus’ words to His disciples are again being fulfilled in our
day:
All of you will be made to stumble
[become offended] because of Me this night... (Matt 26:31).
Jesus still speaks through prophets, but:
I do not receive honour from men. But I know you that you do not have
the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not
receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How
can you believe, who receive honour from one another and do not seek the
honour that comes from the only God? (Jn 5:41-44.)
Half the Church will not be saved (Matt 25:2):
...you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep (Jn
10:26).
And Jesus adjures all:
He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges
him – the word that I have spoken ... (Jn
12:48).
This is part of that word. It’s your time to heed.
Many will question what authority I have to say these harsh things. My
credentials are revealed in:
-
What God Says About
Midnight Ministries
-
Revelations From God About
Midnight Ministries
-
More Than A Prophet
-
WAKING The Dead
-
The raft of MM publications which restore the faith once delivered to
the saints.
-
MM’s Dream Diary of revelations from God.
-
Raising the dead
Malcolm B Heap, December 2007
Bible quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV)
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