HOREMOW Descends to a New Low

I have previously written about my Issues and Concerns with HOREMOW, followed later by my sequel called Exposing the Darkness within HOREMOW. Those were written years ago, but there has been no repentance from Paul and Linda Rika. Rather than repent and confess their sins, they have attacked those who have brought accusations against them.

Let's take for example a group of believers calling themselves the Concerned Brethren in the Lord. They presented numerous documents showing very compelling evidence of sin on the part of Paul Rika (see here). But instead of repenting, Paul Rika stepped up behind a big golden pulpit all dressed in white and declared his innocence. He surveyed the audience to show that he and his ministry still have the approval of men. He referred to the ones bringing the accusations against him as wolves, and told the audience that there is nothing to see here, and that they should just forget about what they heard and move along with their business. He also falsely stated that one of the documents presented by Concerned Brethren is fake. This video is called Take Heed of Grievous Wolves Against HOREMOW by Paul Rika.

I researched this and found out the legal document that Paul Rika says is fake is actually genuine. I also discovered that brother Ama Dediare, his US Coordinator for HOREMOW, recently resigned from his position and left HOREMOW. 

Paul Rika recently sent out a questionnaire to all his coordinators. The questionnaire seemed to be designed to expose any traitors and ensure total allegiance to himself among the ranks of the coordinators. The questionnaire seems to be checking to ensure that all the coordinators are loyally devoted to Paul and Linda Rika, and ensure that they are kept on a pedestal in the eyes of men. When brother Ama saw the questionnaire, he knew that he must choose between God and man, and he already knew that he was going to stand with God. He honestly answered the questionnaire and stood up to Paul Rika courageously (see here). Consequently Paul Rika engaged in his usual tactics by committing a sort of character assassination against brother Ama. He spread the rumor through a false revelation about brother Ama and his wife that claimed they had used the ministry's money for their own personal business. Therefore he publicly accused this man, who had faithfully served him, of being a thief.

Then panels were organized to conduct an inquiry of brother Ama. He told them that he was resigning, and they asked for him to put into writing the reason for his resignation, which he did. The document is a sequel to his resignation letter called Reasons for my Resignation Letter Pastor Ama, and it is well worth reading (see here). In the letter he explains everything and lays out serious allegations against Paul and Linda Rika. 

If you have any doubts about whether the accusations against Paul and Linda Rika are true, you need to read the document by brother Ama, as well as the documents presented by the Concerned Brethren in the Lord cited above. Once again, the documents presented by Concerned Brethren in the Lord include the following: Letter From Concerned Brethren to Paul Rika, CAC Falsehood, Linda False Revelation Affirming Amure, and Believers Concerned 1.1.

Comments from Michael Thomas Sambo

As most of you know, Michael Thomas Sambo, who is a preacher with Global Revival of Holiness Ministry, used to be a HOREMOW Coordinator. In fact, he was also a board member of that ministry. When I asked him to review this article, he replied in part:

"Paul Rika's modus operandi is still the same. It's downright questionable that he accuses almost everybody that tells him the truth of witchcraft and immorality or stealing HOREMOW money. These are tools and instrument he uses to get people out of the movement. 

Recently an individual from HOREMOW, whom I have never met, went to the Lord's Chosen Church in Lagos, Nigeria and testified that Linda is from the marine kingdom. I don't know this individual, have never met him, and have never had any form of discussion with him. After the video of his testimony was uploaded to YouTube, Linda Paul Rika said God revealed to her that I, Michael Sambo, was the one that sponsored and asked the person to go and testify against them. 

Beloved, I do not know this individual, how could God reveal a matter that is not true? When has God come short of truth that he resorts to the use of lies? I brought it to the notice of a cousin who is the wife of the former Administrative Secretary of HOREMOW, and she reliably informed me that she met Paul Rika and informed him of what I said of my innocence on that issue. Has he made restitution by apologising for that lie in the name of the Lord on the Lord's altar? Linda lied to God's people. This is delusion and deception. 

I was also informed by a reliable source of a man who went to Paul Rika and confessed how his son in 2017 lied to Paul Rika's congregation. He said that his son, who was 7 years old at the time, had then lied that God gave him a revelation of late sister Claire Andoun being in hell. A few months ago, the man confessed that they lied, that they never saw any revelation. Has anyone made restitution for that? Certainly, a lying spirit has taken control over the entire ministry. It's most unfortunate."

He also brought up another matter as well, regarding one of Linda's so-called revelations about him.  He stated:

"I still have never spoken to the brother whom she claimed in this video that I once met and spoke to (video link). Here she claimed I met with one brother Dan, and that afterwards he left HOREMOW and hated Paul Rika, and now he is in hell. I have never met with Dan, nor have ever spoken to him. 

She also said the doctor she referred to as a witch was sponsoring my ministry. Again, that doctor has never given my ministry one Naira or a dollar or a cent. So they use revelations to malign or destroy brethren whom they don't feel have any value, while others whom they have accused of witchcraft are still there. Moreover, others that are beneficial to them financially, whom he knows are not living right, are allowed to remain, and are given key positions in the movement. This is a common knowledge among the staff in the international headquarters of HOREMOW."

Closing Words

The way that Paul Rika continues to cover up his and Linda's sin with more lies and deception reminds me of the sin committed by Ananias and Saphira (Ac 5), in which they lied to the Holy Spirit. Peter told them that they had not lied to men but to God, because they deceived the church and then lied to the apostles and elders to cover up what they did. Here we have Paul and Linda Rika operating deceptively, and then lying before the whole church to cover it up. It certainly seems quite similar to me. The situation is truly horrible.

Meanwhile the people within HOREMOW continue to go along with this deception and believe the lies. They are expected to keep the Rikas up on a pedestal and "touch not the Lord's anointed." They are typically unwilling to look at the evidence against their leaders, but they should most definitely do so. We continue to pray that the Lord would deliver them and save them, and God is answering out prayers. For He is truly opening people's eyes and helping people like brother Ama realize what is happening, so that they can leave the organization, which has become a cult. 

If you are a member or follower of HOREMOW, please take this to the Lord prayerfully. I urge you to come out from among them, so that you will not participate in their sins and receive their judgment (Rev 18:4; 2 Cor 6:7). You need to remove yourselves and your families from that group before you become the next victim. If you know someone who is part of HOREMOW, please share this information with them.

Part I - HOREMOW Issues and Concerns

Part II - Exposing the Darkness within HOREMOW

Author's Note: I also recommend reading HOREMOW Issues and Concerns, More Accusations Against Paul and Linda Rika, Judging Revelations, Visions, and Prophecies, Grieve and Lament for the Church, The Nature of False Prophets, Leadership Approach Reveals View of God, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, A Tale of Two Kings, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, Accountable, correctable, and teachable, Loving Deeply, Filled Up to All the Fullness of God, Angelic Escape from Terrorist Assassins, Interview with Brother Michael Thomas Sambo, The Wardrobe of the Saints, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, How to Treat Leaders, Our Senior Pastor, The Shepherding Role of Elders, Exposing Heresy, Divorce -- Two Divine Revelations, Adultery According to Jesus, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Purge the Evil from Among You, and The Rise of Antichrists. You can access the Home page of this blog for more articles on Truth and heresy, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Nature of False Prophets

It's normal to think of false prophets as those who say things that are obviously lies. However, that would be too easy to detect them. The devil is the father of lies, and he has been lying from the beginning. He knows quite well how to deceive humanity. Therefore, we need to understand the tactics he uses to do so.

Partial Truth
He knows that a believable lie will usually have some truth to it. Let's look at some examples from Scripture.

When the devil tempted the Lord Jesus in the wilderness, he used Scripture. "And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." (Mat 4:3). This statement contains two facts that Jesus knew were true -- that He was the Son of God and that He had the power to turn the stones into bread by a mere command. However, the way the devil said those two facts were in such a way that cast doubt over them and tried to coerce the Lord into proving they were true.

After Jesus overcame that temptation by the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, reminding the devil of what is written in Scripture, the devil tempted Him again with another half truth by quoting from the Bible. He said, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command His angels concerning you'; and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" (Mat 4:6). Here the devil quoted from Psalm 91, but he intentionally used it to mean something it did not actually mean. Jesus once again retorted with the Word of God, telling the devil what else is written in Scripture, which exposed the devil's lie.

In the third temptation, the devil again used partial truth. "Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, 'All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.'" (Mat 4:8-9). While it is true that the devil is the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), He is not God, Who alone is worthy of our worship. Therefore, Jesus responded again by quoting aloud what is written in Scripture that you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.

These are the types of subtle lies the devil uses to trick people. He knows the Bible better than most Christians and he knows how to use it against them. Someone once said, "The Bible is like an old fiddle. You can use it to play any tune you want to play." Just as anyone can pick up an old fiddle and play only the notes they want to play to produce the tune they want to produce, so anyone can pick up the Bible and preach only the verses they want to preach in such a way they brings forth the message they want to convey. They can use the Scriptures to make it sound like the Bible teaches whatever they wish.

This is why it's so important for the saints to know the Word very well. We need to read the Bible daily and meditate on it. We must pray and learn to know the voice of the Good Shepherd, so that we will not listen to a stranger.

It may surprise you to know some of the things that false prophets and teachers could say. They can say things that sound very pious, making it seem like they hate evil. For example, the Pharisees said of Jesus, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons." (Mat 12:24). Such a statement sounds true, because it seems concerned with exposing the devil. It is believable because we naturally assume that only those who hate the devil would expose someone operating by his power.

They also spoke as if they were concerned with upholding God's law. They said to Him, "Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath." (Mat 12:2). While their statement seems righteous on the surface, it is not true. The devil's messengers still say things like this today that sound very righteous and holy. They may condemn a certain practice as evil and say that if you do it you will go to hell. They may even use Scripture to say so. For example, they could teach that if you eat certain foods you will not make it to heaven, based on the dietary laws of the Mosaic covenant. Or they could teach that anyone who does not celebrate the Lord's day on Saturday is going to hell. They may even seem to be very concerned about sound doctrine and speak against other teachings that they deem to be heresies.

While they appear to uphold righteousness and condemn sin, as though they are trying to keep you from going to hell, their message is not true because it is not based on the Scripture. They may be able to quote passages to support their doctrine, but they omit other passages that would clearly contradict what they teach.

The Traditions of Men
One way the enemy teaches such things is through the traditions or precepts of men. The Jews had many such precepts and traditions, which were communicated orally and later written down in the form of the Midrash and the Mishnah, which was a part of their Talmud. While these contained men's interpretations of the Law, essentially these were like a fence around the Scriptures that were even more strict than the commandments of God. These man-made precepts and traditions were taught as doctrines. If one kept these precepts and traditions of men, it would seem they would never come close to violating God's commandments. It appears righteous and holy. However, the Lord taught that it was just the opposite.

And He said to them, "Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. "For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH'; but you say, 'If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God),' you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that." (Mar 7:6-13)

According to Jesus, in order for people to keep the man-made precepts and traditions, they had to violate the commandment of God. The same thing happens today. These false messengers teach their man-made precepts and traditions as doctrines, and they support them with Scripture, but in order to obey their teachings, men must violate God's commandments. These doctrines may appear as if they uphold holiness and righteousness, and by following them you will surely reach heaven. They may warn that if you don't follow what they teach, you will go to hell, and if you do follow their teaching, you will make it to heaven. But they are misleading people.

The Greatest Commandments
If in our effort to reach heaven and avoid hell we violate the commandments of God, we will still perish in the end. What counts is keeping God's commandments. And the Lord taught us what the two most important commandments are.

One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' "The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mar 12:28-31)

Notice He said there is no other commandment greater than these. While there is the command to be holy (Heb 12:14; 1 Pet 1:15,16), that is not the greatest commandment. And while the Bible says we are saved by grace through faith, not by works (Eph 2:8), that is not the greatest commandment. And while the Bible says that all who believe in Jesus will be saved (Joh 3:16), that is not the greatest commandment. The greatest commandments are love. If I have everything else that seems to signify a godly life, such as giving all my possessions to the poor, knowledge of God and His Word, the gifts of prophecy and speaking in tongues, and even giving my body to be burned, but have not love, I am nothing (1 Cor 13:1-3).

The problem with man-made precepts and traditions is they cause us to break these greatest commandments in some way. That's why it is so important to follow the Word of God, obey His commandments, and not follow after the precepts and traditions of men, no matter how holy and righteous they may seem to be.

High standards don't give you any extra credit with God. Such thinking is a “works” mentality. People don’t realize the danger. If you are seeking extra credit through the traditions of men, you will end up breaking the commandments of God. If a person doesn’t realize this, then they can become a victim. Consider the Good Samaritan; then consider the priest who walked by the hurt man because he had “more important matters.” Love is most important. We can fail at this in trying to be holy. The priest and Levite could represent any Christian today. They had high standards and were very busy trying to fulfill them, but in doing so they neglected the need of the hurt man.

Remember what the Lord said about the final judgment when He separates the wicked and the righteous like a shepherd separates the sheep and the goats. The goats will say, "When did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels..." (Mat 25:38-41)

The traditions of men may make you to feel very pious. But they go beyond what is written. Don’t put anything above God’s Word. You can’t be more holy than God. Scripture says, “Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself? (Ecclesiastes 7:16) There are already enough commandments to obey. And don’t forget the two greatest ones! Keeping His commandments is what counts (1 Cor 7:19). They are high and holy as it is. If you have not love, you are nothing! You have failed. You have no extra credit. If you are upholding a standard that lacks love, you will not reach heaven. One of the signs of the last days is that the love of most will grow cold (Mt 24:12), so let's beware of that. Evaluate yourself, even if you are seeking to live most holy. The most important thing is to obey God’s commandments, not the traditions of men.

Unwitting Agents of the Devil
Remember, too, that the messengers of the devil may be used by him knowingly or unknowingly. Not all false prophets and messengers even realize what they are doing. Since they themselves are deceived, they may not even realize it. Usually people who are deceived are in denial. If they knew they were deceived, they would probably forsake the lies in which they have believed and embrace the truth. But they don't know it and they continue on being used unwittingly as an agent of the devil. They may even be very likeable and sincere. That's why we must test their fruit, in order to see whether it is good or bad. If it is bad fruit, then they cannot be a good tree. You will know them by their fruits. The basic fruit test is widely overlooked and underutilized. But that is what the Lord commanded us to do, so we must do it and then avoid the ones we identify as bad trees, no matter how much we like them. For more on this, please see Testing the Spirits of False Prophets.

They May Say, "Lord, Lord"
Just because a preacher or teacher claims to be a Christian and calls Jesus, "Lord" does not mean they are genuine. Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." (Mat 7:21). Notice how it always comes back to whether you DO the will of God. That determines whether or not you will enter heaven.

They May Come in Jesus' Name as Anointed Ones 
And Jesus said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many." (Mat 24:4-5). While this speaks of false Christs, who claim to be Christ or a "little Christ," let us not forget that "Christ" means anointed. So this infers that there are many who come in Jesus' name, claiming to be anointed, and mislead many. Don't be fooled just because they come in the name of Jesus or claim to be anointed of God.

They Prophesy Lies in the Lord's Name
As the term implies, false prophets prophesy falsehoods. "Then the Lord said to me, 'The prophets are prophesying lies in My name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.'" (Jer 14:14, NIV).

They Arise from Among You
Notice that in this last passage from Jeremiah, the Lord refers to them simply as "prophets," rather than false prophets. These may have at one time been valid prophets before they became compromised and began uttering lies. They may have once been a true prophet or someone who once had a genuine revelation from the Lord. In fact, people who are used by God mightily are at greater risk of becoming targets of the enemy, because so many people believe and follow them. If the enemy can get them to compromise and be one of his agents without people realizing it, then he will not only capture that one person's soul to hell, but the masses who follow them. Beware of this!

Remember Paul's warning to the Ephesians: "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them." (Act 20:29-30). Therefore, it is from among your own selves that men will arise.

They are Popular
Not only may they arise from within the Church itself, but they may be quite popular. In fact, when everyone speaks well of a person, that is a warning indicator that they are not of God, since that is how the false prophets were treated. Jesus warned, "Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." (Lk 6:26, NIV). On the other hand, the true prophets are usually persecuted (Mt 5:11-12; Ac 7:52a). Persecuted or Popular?

They are Common
Another misconception about false prophets is that they are rare. You might not suspect many people of being false prophets, based on your belief that they are not very common. However, Jesus said, "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many." (Mat 24:11). This is one of the major signs of the end times, and we are in those last days when false prophets abound. There are more of them than you may think, and many of the preachers that you thought were legitimate are actually false teachers.

Criticizing Pharisee-type Behavior
False messengers may even openly criticize any behavior that seems to them like the Pharisees. In their efforts to uphold their false teachings or prophecies, they may actually accuse others (such as their opponents) of acting like the Pharisees. It's amazing but true that they do so!

Masquerading as Servants of Righteousness
Another thing to beware of is that they may masquerade as servants of righteousness. Just because someone preaches righteousness and holiness does not mean they are a genuine man of God. Paul said, "For even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds." (2 Cor 11:14b-15)

Signs and Wonders
Finally, I will mention one last important point about false messengers, which is that they may operate in signs and wonders. The Lord said, "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." (Mat 24:24). The devil knows that most people are more impressed with power than with godly character or sound doctrine. He also knows that most people will pay more attention to signs and wonders a preacher performs than to the preacher's message to see if it is sound doctrine according to Scripture. He also knows that most people don't read their Bibles well enough to know the difference anyway. Therefore, don't follow signs and wonders, or be fooled by them, no matter how great they are.

Putting it All Together
The Lord warned us in His Word to watch out for false prophets and teachers, so that we would not be deceived. They may use partial truth in what they teach, preach, or prophesy. They prophesy lies in the Lord's name. They may know the Bible very well. They may teach man-made precepts and traditions as doctrines, which seem to uphold a very high standard of holiness and righteousness. Or they may preach the false message of eternal security that because of God's grace, nothing you can ever do as a believer can ever affect your salvation. They ultimately cause you to disobey God's commandments, even though you might not be aware, because they probably won't do so explicitly or directly.

False preachers may say this or that is of the devil or is sin, when in fact it may be from God and may not be sin at all. They may masquerade as servants of righteousness. They may criticize behavior that is like the Pharisees or accuse those who oppose them of being either like the Pharisees or of the devil. They will have bad fruit in their lives, by which you may identify them. They and their followers may lack love or have what Scripture calls cold love. They may come in Jesus' name, call Him "Lord," claim to be anointed, or perform signs and wonders that make it seem as though God is using them mightily. They may seem sincere and be an unwitting agent of the devil, not even realizing they are deceived and deceiving others. They may arise from your midst, and at one time in the past been used to speak true prophecies or revelations. They may be popular and well-spoken of. They are very common, so don't let anyone deceive you. Test their fruit and follow what God has commanded us in the Scriptures, the most important of which is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's Note: I recommend you read the following articles: Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, Exposing Heresy, Judging Revelations, Visions, and Prophecies, Restored Truth, The False Gospel of Eternal Security, Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church, What's Wrong with the Prosperity Gospel?, Pagan Symbols of the Popes, Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality, Messages from the Lord for Catholics Worshipping Idols, Persecuted or Popular?, Leadership Approach Reveals View of God, and The Rise of Antichrists. I also recommend my daughter's poem, The Dazzling Wine of Deception. You can find more articles exposing the heresy on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Tradition vs. Truth

I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, which I came out of when Jesus Christ came into my heart and set me free from sin.  The Roman Catholic Church places a great deal of emphasis on traditions.  In fact, their own catechism teaches that equal devotion and reverence must be given to tradition and Scripture.

However, in that religion, tradition is actually placed above the Word of God.  In other words, if there is a question about something in the Bible, they follow tradition, rather than the Bible.  Some examples include the veneration of Mary, her "immaculate conception" and her bodily "assumption into heaven." There is also the apocrypha, transubstantiation, praying to saints, the confessional, penance, purgatory, and more. This is not to single out the Catholic Church, but it serves as an example of what many of the traditional religions do.

Yet Jesus taught that the commandments of God take precedence over man-made tradition.  Any religion that does not put God's Word above tradition is in direct contradiction to the words of our Lord Jesus.

The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were concerned about His disciples breaking their tradition.  They kept many traditions, which you can read about in the Mishnah, the Talmud, and the Midrash. These were oral traditions that were written down.  They asked Jesus about it, saying: "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread." (Mat 15:2)

But Jesus responded by asking them why they broke the command of God for the sake of their tradition.  In order to follow their traditions, they had to break God's commands.

Here is a chart showing the difference between how these people viewed themselves and how God viewed them:

Their perspective	God’s perspective
They were teachers of God’s Law, experts in it.	They were teachers of mere man-made rules and traditions (Mt 15:9)
They worshipped God	They worshipped God in vain, in other words, to no purpose (Mt 15:9)
They honored God with their lips	Their hearts were far from God. They were a great way off and kept themselves distant from him (Mt 15:8)
They were sincerely devoted to God	They were hypocrites or mere stage players (Mt 15:7)
They kept the traditions of the elders	They broke God’s commands (Mt 15:3)
They ceremonially washed their hands before eating and only ate with clean hands, so that nothing unclean ever went into their mouths.  They were undefiled.	Their hearts were full of unclean things like evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders. They uttered these things from their mouths and defiled themselves.  Washing their hands did nothing to keep them from being defiled (Mt 15:10, 17-20)
They taught people the path of righteousness	They were blind guides, leading the blind into a pit (Mt 15:14)

This was like another conversation Jesus had with a group of Jews, which is recorded in John 8.  Once again, there was a sharp contrast between how they viewed themselves and how God viewed them.  The following chart shows the differences:

Their perspective	God’s perspective
They were children of God (Jn 8:41)	They were children of the devil (Jn 8:41, 44)
They heard God’s Word	They did not hear God’s Word spoken by His Son (Jn 8:43)
They honored God	They dishonored the Son of God, who honored the Father (Jn 8:49)
They were of God	They were not of God (Jn 8:47)
They were Abraham’s descendants (Jn 8:33)	They were not children of Abraham (Jn 8:39-41)
They were free (Jn 8:33)	They were slaves (Jn 8:34-36)
They believed in Jesus (Jn 8:30-31)	They would only be His true disciples if they continued in His Word (Jn 8:31)

Likewise, many religious people today see themselves as children of God.  They consider themselves free and feel like they honor God.  They think they worship God, and with their lips they do so.  They consider themselves sincerely devoted to God.  They avoid eating things that would defile them. They teach the importance of their religious traditions and they also teach from the Bible. They feel like they are teaching the path of righteousness.

Multitudes of people in so-called Christian religions, as well as non-Christian religions see themselves this way.  Yet God calls them hypocrites, those who honor Him with their lips, but whose hearts are far from Him.  He says they worship Him in vain.  He says they teach mere, man-made rules, yet break God’s commands.  He says their hearts are still full of evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and slanders. He calls them blind guides, who are leading blind people into the pit.  He says they are slaves and still children of the devil.

The Lord has warned those practicing the traditions of men.  Those who attend festivals in the name of worshiping idols or in remembrance of anything, He shall crush them and cast them into the lake of fire (Mt 15:1-28).  In fact, to those worshiping idols in any way, especially the Roman Catholics, the Lord says you should stop doing that or else He will crush you and cast you from His sight into the lake of fire, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, and their smoke shall rise forever.

My friend, please check yourself to see if that is you.  Are you following after religious traditions, yet breaking God’s commands?  Be sure these things are not true of you.  Make sure that your perspective of yourself is consistent with God's perspective of you.  And if God's perspective of you is one of those listed above in the right-hand column of these charts, then please repent and make it right with God.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes to the Father except by Him (Jn 14:6).  Your traditions are not what matters to God.  Jesus said that if you continue in His Word, then you would truly be His disciple.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

References: Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 77, 88, 82, and 97.

Attribution notice: Scripture quotation taken from the NASB. The "I Am the Way" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  You may also see Roman Catholicism, the Bible and Tradition, by Matt Slick, as as well my own article, Unbiblical Practices of the Catholic Church. Don't miss Angelica Zambrano's First Visit to Hell and Angelica Zambrano's Second Visit to Hell. I also suggest visiting Jack Chick's page on Catholicism. . You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

What is Truth?

Two thousand years ago, a politician asked a very poignant question.  Governor Pontius Pilate asked, "What is truth?"  For him this was a foreign concept, since he viewed all things as relative rather than absolute, therefore he was confused.  Through his question, he seemed to infer many things.  He incorrectly inferred that the truth itself is a myth, a lie, and does not exist, except in someone's imagination.  He also inferred that there was no such thing as truth. This is because he himself had never come to know the truth.  Little did he realize that the Truth is a Person and he was speaking to Him.

You see, unless you yourself are of the truth, you cannot hear His voice.  You can be looking right at the Truth and not see it.  Jesus had said to Pilate, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (Jn 18:37b).  The truth is not just information.

God Cannot Lie
Jesus is the Truth! When the apostle Thomas wondered about the way to heaven, Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Joh 14:6).

God cannot lie! The apostle Paul wrote to Titus, “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior,” (Tit 1:1-3)

Paul was saying that he was an apostle for the faith of God's chosen people. He was an apostle for the knowledge of the truth.  He said the truth is according to godliness.  Godliness is possible when you have the hope of eternal life.  How do you have the hope of eternal life?  Paul said that God promised it long ages ago, and that's where God's chosen people need to have faith.  You've got to believe it's true.

Let's look at the premise of Paul's statement and what he inferred:

God (cannot lie) --> promised --> eternal life --> godliness --> Truth --> knowledge

I would have preferred to make this a pyramid with God at the base and knowledge at the top, but you can still get the basic idea here.  If you follow my little diagram, you will see that the basis of everything Paul inferred here is the fact that God cannot lie.  Our knowledge of the Truth is based on that.  The Truth itself is based on that.  Eternal life is based on that.  You see, God promised it, and since it is impossible for God to lie, you can be sure the promise will be fulfilled.  God is bound by His own nature to keep all His promises.  Not one word of all His good promises has ever failed. 

The apostle John wrote to the disciples who already knew the truth, "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. (1Jn 2:21)

You need to understand that no lie is of the truth!  These days men lie so much about everything that they don't even realize it, and it clouds their understanding of truth.  The truth contains absolutely no lies.  It's one hundred percent genuine reality.  And reality is found in Christ.  And reality is more real than the things of this world, which are here today and gone tomorrow.

Many people today say that nothing is absolute.  They can believe that 2+2=4, but they cannot believe in absolutes.  They would admit that it's ridiculous to try and say that 2+2=5 or 2+2=10.  But they fail to realize that just as there are absolutes in mathematics, there are spiritual absolutes.

The apostle John continued, "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." (1Jn 2:27)

An anointing in the natural sense is when you pour liquids like oil over someone.  When you lather up your head with shampoo you are anointing it.  When you splash on after shave you are anointing your face. When you receive the Holy Spirit, then in the spirit you are anointed. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth, and He will lead you into all Truth. His anointing is true and is not a lie.

Jesus said, "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." (Joh 16:13)

Jesus also said, "When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me," (Joh 15:26)

The Spirit of Truth proceeds from the Father, who cannot lie, and always testifies about Jesus, who is the Truth.  That's why you need His help.

Don't make the same mistake the rest of the world makes.  They cannot receive Him, simply because they don't see Him or know Him.  Jesus said, "That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." (Joh 14:17)

You've got to receive Jesus into your heart and receive the Holy Spirit. "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (Joh 4:24).  Young people these days are searching for authenticity, and so is God.  He's seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and Truth.

There's No Truth in the father of lies
On the other hand, many people believe in Jesus and call themselves His disciple, yet don't worship in spirit and truth.  They consider themselves children of God, yet they are children of the devil.  This was the case with many of the Jews who believed in Jesus.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (Joh 8:31-32)

He had this whole conversation with these people, who thought they were children of God, but weren't.  He said that if you continue in His Word, then you are really His disciple.  He said if you continue in His Word, you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free!

Since they were not of the truth, like Governor Pilate, they could not understand what He was saying.  They insisted they were children of God, and Jesus corrected them saying that they were children of the devil:

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (Joh 8:44)

Yes, be very careful, because it is possible to think you are a child of God and yet be a child of the devil.  You need to make sure you are really continuing in Jesus' Word by faith in Him, obeying His commandments.

I want to show you what was inferred here in this statement Jesus made, in contrast to the other diagram above:

devil (finite father of lies) --> desires/nature --> speaks lies --> no truth --> murder --> death

The devil had a beginning, since he is a created being, so he is finite.  He is a liar and the father of lies.  He has a nature and evil desires that spring out of that nature.It's out of that nature and those desires that he speaks.  Whenever he speaks, he always lies.  There is no truth in what he says.  This leads to murder and ultimately results in eternal death. 

Do you see the difference between this diagram and the one above about God?  They are quite the opposite of each other.  With satan, everything is inverted.  The reason for death is ultimately because of the devil.  He has used the fear of death for millenia to hold people in slavery to himself and to sin.  But through Jesus' death on the cross, He conquered hell and death.  Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Now Jesus holds the key to death:

The apostle John saw Him after He rose from the dead and said, "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, 'Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Rev 1:17-18, KJV)

Putting it All Together
Everyone is on a ladder of inferences of some sort.  They start by climbing the first rung of the ladder when they infer something to be true, based on something else they assume is true.  Then from that first rung, then climb to the second rung, making another inference.  And as they continue to climb, they ultimately reach a conclusion, which figuratively is the top of the ladder.  You need to be sure your ladder of inference is leaning against the right wall.

Regarding inference, Noah Webster said, "From the character of God, as creator and governor of the world, we infer the indispensable obligation of all his creatures to obey his commands. We infer one proposition or truth from another, when we perceive that if one is true, the other must be true also."

I have diagrammed for you the inferences about God and about satan above.  I have tried to show you where each set of inferences leads to, and what each set of inferences is based on.

Some of you reading this today may be like Pilate.  You may be saying, "What is truth?"  I'm here to tell you that Jesus is the Truth!  He cannot lie.  Believe Him and do what He says.  You need a personal relationship with Him, and you need to continue in His Word.  Then you will actually know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

Others reading this today may be like those Jews who had believed in Jesus, yet they were children of the devil.  If you'll be honest with yourself, you know you're living a lie.  You're not living a holy life of godliness, righteousness, and truth.  You may have put your faith in Jesus, and you believe the facts about Him, but your not yet a child of God.  You must be born again.  It's not enough to be part of a Christian religion.  You need your own relationship with the Lord.  You need to invite Him into your heart.  You need to believe that He died on the cross for your sins, not just the sins of the world.  You need to repent of your wicked ways, and ask God to forgive you, based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.  You need to continue in His Word, and then you, too will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

Many of you reading this may have been born again at one time, and you say you love the Lord, but the religion you are part of is breaking God's commandments.  Your religion is idolatrous.  There are many idols, objects to pray to, and a lot of adulation of men.  You need to repent and come out from among them.  Be separate and the Lord will receive you.  Don't settle for anything less than the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth.  Jesus is the Truth and no man comes to the Father except by Him.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

Author's note: You may also like the other posts in this blog, such as Accurately Handling the Word of Truth, Tradition vs. Truth, and Pope Frances Supports Homosexuality. You may access more of my articles on the Main Directory of this blog, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.