Acts 5:34-39
34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
The Civil War Prophecy
In 1996 Rick Joyner released a word titled Civil War in the Church. We posted that article on ETPV [www.etpv.org] and since that time have posted at least 8 other articles on the same subject. Here are a couple quotes from Joyner’s post.
Civil War in the Church Rick Joyner
http://www.etpv.org/1996-97/civwar.html
from the Morning Star Prophetic Bulletin May 1996
On February 23rd of this year I was shown for the third time that the church was headed for a "a spiritual civil war." I was first given an impression of this in 1988. At the beginning of 1995 I saw it again in a dream, which I wrote down as The Hordes Of Hell, Part I. On February 23rd I was told that it was time to straightforwardly warn the church, and to begin preparing for this great war with the resolve to fight until there was a complete victory. The definition of a complete victory in this war would be the complete overthrow of the Accuser of the Brethren's strongholds in the church.
….
Philip Elston had a vision several years ago in which he saw the Lord standing with His arms outstretched. Soldiers in blue and gray uniforms were marching past Him on either side, and were laying their bloody swords on His arms. The Lord resolutely looked into the eyes of each one, saying, "No one who has their brother's blood on their sword will be used to build My house." We must never use our swords against our brothers, but only against the cords of evil that are binding them.
The Florida Outpouring
Now we have the Florida Outpouring and an escalation of this conflict.
Last week I sent an email message to a select group stating how I felt about all this. The text is below.
Dear Friends
We have seen a fresh batch of criticism rising up against the Florida Outpouring. It only comes from a few sources, yet many others are repeating and circulating these messages. It's clear to me that we are seeing an increase in the ongoing strife in the church. The long prophesied 'civil war' is heating up dramatically. This is something you don't want to get caught up in.
Here is a paragraph from a prophecy given on April 17, 2008 from Christine Beadsworth of South Africa. The point that catches my attention is where it speaks of a dividing line being drawn.
River Of Fire Christine Beadsworth
I say, these waters that I’ve released in this day, shall bring a death to all that is fleshy, these waters that I release in this day shall bring a death to all that is unclean, to every mocking voice, that has mocked My servants as they have built a place, an ark for My glory. To every voice that has cursed My servants, that voice will be silenced by the waters that are rising, and are rising and are rising and I say these waters that I release in this day, are both waters of blessing and waters of judgment for as I have said, My hand shall be toward My servants and against My enemies. I say, these waters shall be the waters of division. These waters shall be the waters that destroy – these waters of My word that I release in this day, these waters of My word that I release in this day shall be those that draw a dividing line between those that are of Me and those that are not of Me.
I also find it significant that this Florida Outpouring greatly increased on or about April 19, the date of the Jewish Passover. We think that this move is just a beginning of something much greater. It is not yet the Last Days Move but a step toward that final move. Some have mentioned that we are seeing the New Wine poured into the Old wine skins. I feel that this is correct and that we will shortly see the new wine skins come on the scene.
We also know that Judgment must come to the house of God first, after which we will see true repentance come to us.
With this in mind we are determined not to post anything critical of this outpouring, lest we be found opposing a move of God by siding with the accuser of the brethren.
Here are some scriptures to keep in mind if you are thinking about taking on the role of the critic.
Proverbs 14:6 A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth..
Mark 2:22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Revelation 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
End of email message.
One of the replies I got back was quoting a host of other scriptures I was said to be ignoring. So right away someone is trying to draw me into a brother vs. brother battle using scripture versus scripture, sword against sword. No thanks, brother, I do not intend to reply.
Typically the critics are claiming that what they are doing is warning us. They will quote at great length all the bible verses on false prophets, lying signs and wonders, sheep in wolves clothing, deception in the last days, great delusion and on and on.
What they are doing is using the words of the Bible as a weapon against their own Christian brothers. This is the prophesied ‘civil war’ in full swing.
Sola Scriptura Not http://www.etpv.org/2008/solanot.html
Yet scripture alone is not enough to decide an issue. Why is this? The bible itself tells us that the letter kills and the spirit gives live. This is, for whatever reason, one of the hardest things for Christians to grasp. Yet when you are using the letter of the law to attack your brothers, you are working death. The old testament law is called the ministration of death. As ministry means service, what you are doing then is serving up death.
Scripture alone cannot settle an issue.
Scripture must be mixed with faith. As Jesus would answer his critics, He that has an ear, let him hear. So be careful not to get caught up in arguing scripture vs. scripture. That’s how you will get involved in ‘doubtful disputes with those weak in the faith.’
No amount of scripture will ever settle an argument, prove a point, or convince anyone of anything. Scripture alone is not enough to settle an issue.
Look at what happened when Paul preached in Rome.
Acts 28:23-24
23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
There can be several reasons for this. First and biggest is that you can most always find an alternate interpretation or an alternate scripture that supports the opposite view. For example I feel that these critical attacks are rooted in pride. So I caution people not to make accusations. One verse that supports my view is found in Proverbs.
Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
To counter this, someone will cite Jude, saying we are to contend for the faith.
Jude 1:3-4
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
So what is accomplished by my quoting proverbs? Some believe and some believe not. To continue arguing my point is fruitless because scripture alone is not enough to settle an issue.
Another reason is that scripture must be mixed with faith. That is it must be received from the Spirit. Looking it up in a concordance or bible search program is not the same.
Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Yet another reason is spiritual blindness. Some people are not able to understand scripture for spiritual reasons.
2 Corinthians 3:14-15
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Spiritual things must be understood spiritually. The spirit may withhold understanding or the enemy may block one’s understanding in various cases.
Another reason is that the books are sealed.
Isaiah 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
Isaiah 29:11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
The inner meaning of much scripture is sealed till such time as God chooses to reveal it.
Revelation 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Obvious or not so obvious.
It should be obvious from observation that scripture alone is insufficient to settle an issue. Yet somehow we never draw that conclusion, assuming that scripture is the final authority in these matters, as we have been taught since the time of Martin Luther.
Yet we all quote scripture, myself more that most. We must realize that the best you can do in quoting scripture is use the scripture to support a line of reasoning shown you by the Lord. If the reader or listener does not receive it in faith, there is nothing more you can say. That is unless there is a demonstration of power to go along with it.
If you work out the detailed implications of every insight you share, and your reader is just not being led to follow the line of reasoning, it won’t help any. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
We certainly are not against quoting scripture. The bible is constantly quoting itself. The characters in the bible quote other parts of the bible in many places. And in quite a few of those cases the listeners do not understand or receive what is being said. Here is a case from John 10.
John 10:6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
While we have been taught that the bible is the final authority, scripture itself can show us that it is not. This may sound pretty radical, even heretical. Well consider how Jesus responded to Peter’s confession of faith.
Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Here Jesus is telling us that the Father in Heaven is the final authority.
The Accuser At Work
Several years back we posted a word predicting a disaster to come on a set date. It never happened. Shortly after, I learned that the author of this word was being labeled a false prophet in the internet. This puzzled and disturbed me greatly. I sought the Lord, asking him why are these men picking on this writer for missing a date. His answer came immediately.
John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
And from this answer, I knew that the accuser of the brethren was at work here. This reminded me once again of the warning against getting caught up in the civil war. Some are saying that we should stone the false prophets, or at least hold them accountable to the old testament standard of prophetic accuracy.
Today’s scorners are fond of quoting the verses about a prophecy not coming to pass. They want to judge today’s prophets and other ministers after the Law. So do they want to be under the law themselves? Or do they want to oppose God?
In John 8 the Pharisees brought in a guilty woman saying:
John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Jesus stooped and wrote on the ground. Then he stood up and declared, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. He wrote again on the ground, and when God arose the second time his enemies were scattered.
Another ploy of the civil warrior is to quote the saying by their fruit you shall know them. And proceed to judge someone after noting a flaw in their character, forgetting that charity covers a multitude of sins.
The Pharisee who prayed in the temple correctly discerned that the publican alongside him was a sinner. The woman caught in adultery in John 8 was guilty. The woman at the well in John 4 was a sinner. [All of these are types of the church by the way.] How did Jesus treat them? He, Jesus, did not seek to judge them after the law, but showed compassion.
Let me throw in a quote from a recent article from Ron McGatlin.
Discerning the True, the False, and the MIXTURE
Lack of mature holiness in a gifted person causes a mixture.
Mature holiness looks a lot like humility filled with love and spiritual power in a person with a pure heart and clean hands.
Unholy looks like pride with needful desire and natural strength in a person with an unclean heart and dirty hands.
A believer in process of becoming holy often will be a mixture of holy and unholy practices. This mixture is not uncommon in the leadership of churches and ministries of the church age systems.
The false does exist and can be discerned by their fruits (Mat 7:16-18). However, what many have called false teachers, false prophets, false apostles, and false signs are not really false but mixtures. The false relates to the unholy (the harlot). The mixture relates to immature are partly holy (the adulteress). The true relates to mature holiness (the pure Bride).
Ron McGatlin
Here is another good quote from an article by Robert Brownell
200+ Principles I've Stumbled Over In My Walk With Christ
Robert Brownell
http://spiritlessons.com/littlelessons.htm
Accusing someone is a serious thing to do, not to be handled lightly, not for the immature, and not to be done without the prompting of the Holy Spirit. In scripture it was handled by the Apostles, by seasoned men and women of God. But even the disciples, as show in the Gospels, misjudged people (Mark 9:38). When you accuse another person without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, you'll be in danger of the trap of the enemy, who greatest weapon is using Christian to accuse other Christians, and cause division. Many times, in the name of "defending the truth", we are often "attacking the body". We are not doing God a favor by attacking His children.
Take a strong warning from Philip Elston, who had a vision several years ago in which he saw the Lord standing with His arms outstretched. Soldiers in blue and gray uniforms were marching past Him on either side, and were laying their bloody swords on His arms. The Lord resolutely looked into the eyes of each one, saying, "No one who has their brother's blood on their sword will be used to build My house."
Pride + Bible knowledge will get you as far as it did with the Pharisees.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
What I anticipate now is That the Lord will bring this civil war to an end. It’s time for the Revelation of Jesus Christ. So when he takes the book and opens the seals, we will witness judgments. We know these will begin at the house of God. As he sets the cornerstone in place, this civil war will end. And he will begin to build his house, on the sure foundation so that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.
Amen Come Lord Jesus.