Since we have had no Daily Devotional’s by Ardith Keef for two days now, I decided to find an old one at random which I haven’t rebutted. This one is in full from August 1, 2007. (This was written last summer when Ardith put Protection From Harrassment papers against us.) We voluntarily stopped writing for 10 weeks until we went to court. So didn’t rebut any Daily Devotionals from July 24, 2007 until October 5, 2007.
Ardith said, “There are many who have been born again, but there are not many who actually know the power God imparts through the Indwelling Holy spirit. Obedience makes way for the Holy Spirit - The Spirit of God’s Holiness. He gives power to witness, power to resist temptation, and power to love. But all release of the Holy Spirit into the common function of the Believers life, depends on obedience to God’s Word. There is no way around it, and there are no alterations. It is the way He has set it up.”
It seems to me that when someone is a Christian “teacher” and demands of others to “obey” the Word of God, they themselves ought to obey it. Otherwise one is a hypocrit and a false shepherd. If someone has been married to 3 Christian men (all of whom are still alive) and continues to think it’s ok to do this and continue on as a leader, they are off the mark. When we get off the mark , even if we know all kinds of spiritual truths, we continue to move away from the center. We become deceived and then it becomes ”normal behavior” to sin in these areas. It for some reason seems perfectly ok (for instance) to help Christian people divorce each other for no Biblical reasons, when in reality it is totally against the Word of God.
One of the symptoms of a cult is that the leaders think they have a license to do what others may not do: They think they have the right to decide who can go before the elders with problems, denying God’s people the provisions and avenues to settle disputes God has provided them with. Case in point: The leaders of Anchor Missionary Fellowship think they have a right to take other believers to court rather than doing things Gods way, which is reasoning together. They talk the talk, but in reality don’t walk the walk themselves. They tell their subjects “Christians have no rights” while they give themselves many rights that are against the Word of God.
Cult leaders tell others “You must obey” while they disobey and twist the Word of God themselves. They think if someone questions , criticizes, or confronts the leaders, the person is reprobate and deserving of being cast out, slandered and shunned. This is not how our Great shepherd treats His sheep, and He abhors this kind of treatment by His undershepherds.
True leaders with nothing to be ashamed of welcome questions and criticisms humbly and gladly examine themselves when they are confronted with their own human weaknesses. True shepherds love His little sheep . They nurture, feed, comfort, tend, and are tenderly compassionate toward them. They do not have favorites and abuse and neglect others. They leave them all to go after the one who is lost. Leaders who are true to their Lord, are kind and loving and tremble before the Great Shepherd in their treatment of His Own.
If forced obedience was truly “God’s way”, what would be the need of the Blood of Jesus? What would be the need of the Great High Priest Who continually intercedes for us sinners? No, the doctrine of forced obedience is merely a tool for the Cult leaders to use to keep their subjects under their control. It isn’t even obedience to God at all! It’s obedience to the leaders! It’s obedience to rules and laws made up and twisted into God’s Word, to keep you under control! To bow to them is idolatry, plain and simple.
When you are deceived and caught in the snare of cultish abusive systems, you lose your conscience and your spiritual equilibriam. You cannot hear the Holy Spirit’s pleadings and nudges. You cannot love unconditionally, you are like a ship without a sail, but you think by following the forced “spiritual” rules of the leader, you are following and “obeying” God. Instead you give yourself over to the leaders demands.
Instead of dependence upon God you depend on your cult guru for guidance, and they are just as lost as you are. It’s like using a compass without a sail. Even worse because at least the compass shows true North and you know which direction you have swung around to. The cult guru’s perspective is off, and you don’t know where you are, only where they tell you you are. If they can get you to believe them, you think you are A-OK , when you actually are as far away from His Truth as you can be.
Jesus said we are under the “Law of Love.” He said to “Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.” We as His children who have experienced His incredible Love for ourselves, who have been Born Again into His Kingdom, “Love Him because He first loved us.” When we realize all He has done for us we desire wholeheartedly to please Him and obey His Word in turn that Love He has poured into our hearts, pours out of us onto others. We do not need false shepherds telling us we “Must obey!” , putting us under law. We are drawn to obedience by His incredible Love! The Holy Spirit is our Teacher, our Guide, our Comforter and He will convict and chasten us as we need it, with Love. “It is the way He has set it up.”
Test the spirit friend, examine the fruit. It is the only way to know if you are deceived. Don’t believe something just because the one who says it appears to be very wise, very spiritual, or knows a lot about scripture. Satan is the great deceiver! He knows full well how to sound for all the world like he is for real. All he needs is a person who thinks themself very wise in spiritual matters, charismatic and filled with themself. Someone who arrogantly trusts in their own wisdom ,who could never believe they could be deceived. Then all he needs is a nieve eager beaver who wants the Lord……
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