The basic Gnostic myth has many variations, but all of these refer to Aeons, intermediate deific beings who exist between the ultimate, True God and ourselves. They, together with the True God, comprise the realm of Fullness (Pleroma) wherein the potency of divinity operates fully. The Fullness stands in contrast to our existential state, which in comparison may be called emptiness.

It has no set and formal doctrine – it is a 'flexible friend' and can 'reinterpret' all religious belief systems for its own ends. Because of this it has very blurred edges, and is difficult to discern at times for many religious teachings can be easily linked to or modified to assimmilate with gnosis.

Human nature mirrors the duality found in the world: in part it was made by the false creator God and in part it consists of the light of the True God. Humankind contains a perishable physical and psychic component, as well as a spiritual component which is a fragment of the divine essence. This latter part is often symbolically referred to as the “divine spark”. The recognition of this dual nature of the world and of the human being has earned the Gnostic tradition the epithet of “dualist”.

Humans are generally ignorant of the divine spark resident within them. This ignorance is fostered in human nature by the influence of the false creator and his Archons, who together are intent upon keeping men and women ignorant of their true nature and destiny. Anything that causes us to remain attached to earthly things serves to keep us in enslavement to these lower cosmic rulers.

In Christian traditions it would be Satan and the demons under him who keep us enslaved, and God would be the true light – the divine spark. This is not always so, but is the 'disguise' that advances the teachings best in the christian context. Here is what a prominent and very well heard teacher in today's modern church believes:

"You don't have a god in you, you are one." (Kenneth Copeland, "The Force Of Love" tape # 02-0028)

Does this remind you of the incident in Eden? It should do! Being as god was a promise the enemy used in his lie to promote the fall. The most prominent, and widely exposed teachers of today claim that when Adam fell in the garden he forfeited the nature of God and took on the nature of Satan. This teaching started in the Word Faith arena but is now (in several guises) within all of Christendom and growing in effect. They teach that activating 'faith' based on speaking out the word of God brings the power to change who you are and your world. This knowledge must be a living revelation knowledge to function, and must be coupled with an 'experiential entering' into the spiritual realm by means of progressive spiritual encounters with divine power. The 'journey' may be by transference of power by a leader (like the recent Todd Bentley), or by religious disciplines such as the mystics of the past used. This is what we see both displayed and taught on TV, and what has invaded many if not most churches.

In the course of history, humans progress from materialistic sensate slavery, by way of ethical religiosity, to spiritual freedom and liberating Gnosis. As the scholar G. Quispel wrote: “The world-spirit in exile must go through the Inferno of matter and the Purgatory of morals to arrive at the spiritual Paradise.” This kind of evolution of consciousness was envisioned by the Gnostics, long before the concept of evolution was known.

Emerging churches teach that the people need to be transformed by the revelation of the 'new thing' God is doing - a change of conciousness or a paradigm shift has to occur. Modern teaching dynamically involves revelation knowledge from the 'spirit realm' and this may not always fit with scripture. They claim that it comes from the Holy Spirit and that it must be followed in order to achieve God's plan. But is this really the Holy Spirit? There is no problem with dynamic revelation from the Spirit because it is firstly born of relationship, and it is also functional in the spiritual gifts given by the Spirit Himself. But surely an all wise and pure God would not change doctrine and cause confusion for His people! God is if anything a God of order and consistency. So is this really the rhema word (Gods living, current, active word) or is it gnosis (hidden knowledge from the enemy) sent to confuse those with poor discernment to blind them into thinking they can be something God never intended, and to transform the believer and their world. Once again I draw your attention to Isaiah 8v20:

"To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" Isaiah 8v20

In fact

• as what they teach and promote differs so much from scriptural revelation, and leads to a 'new' or 'different' thing
• and as it promotes 'reinterpreting' the way we look at the bible
• and as it teaches that there is NO fixed truth because of relevance to changing culture

I discern that it is in fact teaching based on gnosis, and not revelation from God. The emerging church leaders are more concerned with the unity of this gnosis and general understanding in congregations and people groups, than they are with sin and salvation from hell. They are after a consensus of vision. They are building a kingdom. Recognition of exclusive truth or doctrine is of no significance to them at all and would be seen as being divisive, and so many of them will even embrace different faiths – but their wording is subtle and appeals to a form of love, including all in their 'salvation' (See the video of Billy Graham on our controversial stuff page and see how far he has moved from the true gospel). Many of the most bold amongst the leaders of this emerging church are now stating a 'new' position on the substitutionary death of Christ. They are denying the necessity of it, and calling it a wrong idea, a mistake, in church doctrinal history........ These are the future leaders that will ultimately succeed the well known leading names of today.

Gnostics do not look to salvation from sin (original or other), but rather from the ignorance of which sin is a consequence. Ignorance - whereby is meant ignorance of spiritual realities - is dispelled only by Gnosis, and the decisive revelation of Gnosis is brought by the Messengers of Light, especially by Christ, the Logos of the True God. It is not by His suffering and death but by His life of teaching and His establishing of mysteries that Christ has performed His work of salvation.

Most, if not all of the most visible and high profile teachers in our churches today, hold to some form of basic Word Faith teachings about  the death of Christ. These teachings are stated to the churches in a 'standard language' that seems to be quite 'orthodox' in views. Their websites all state the very 'normal' beliefs about Jesus on their doctrinal statement pages, but this is done by using generalised language, or by using an inclusive form of statement that allows many interpretations. It is done quite deliberately because it tricks visitors into thinking there is nothing amiss in what they teach. It is only when you examine their actual teachings around Jesus and the cross that the differences become very clear.

Word faith teachers do not believe that the blood of Christ saves. They need something else. They believe in a very different saviour - a different

By sitting quietly under these people and 'going along with' their methods and teachings, many in the body actively reinforce the errors and themselves become blind to the truth. They often adopt the practises and beliefs that they see and hear without really understanding what they have done. These people will intellectually believe and even defend one view (which may be true), but actually live out a contradictory view and so deceive themselves - and eventually they have to compromise their beliefs to justify their actions. Jesus taught that the deception at the end of the age would be so strong it would deceive the elect if it were possible. This means it will look, feel, and taste like the real deal. It will be full of good teaching on the surface, but will in fact deny the true work of the cross. By following these teachers whole congregations will follow 'another Jesus', and they may eventually end up in eternal trouble if they fail to perceive the error and do not repent.

From earliest times Messengers of the Light have come forth from the True God in order to assist humans in their quest for Gnosis. Only a few of these salvific figures are mentioned in Gnostic scripture; some of the most important are Seth (the third Son of Adam), Jesus, and the Prophet Mani. The majority of Gnostics always looked to Jesus as the principal saviour figure (the Soter).

Jesus in religion is NOT exclusively Christian.... Many others have adopted Him and perverted the teachings He brought to suite their own taste.  The true Christian view of Him is unique and has stood the test of time and experience. However there is a Jesus who is preached in the churches today that is a 'gnostic Jesus' dressed in Christian clothes – an imposter. The new gnostics have invaded the church as ministers of the gospel but the gospel they teach is very different below the surface. They are transformed into ministers of light, but in truth they are servants of another vey dark master. The Jesus of the emerging church teachers has so little in common with the Jesus of the Bible, that it is clear to anyone with a grain of discernment that the Jesus of the these teachers is not the Jesus of the Bible, but instead is the kind of religious decoy that Paul warned us to be on the lookout for. Take a long look behind the mask......

 "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the

 simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we

 have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel

 which you have not accepted, you put up with it easily enough" (2 Cor. 11:3-4).

Another trend in this movement is the call to “come up higher” or to “enter a new level of anointing”. These things coupled with the 'transference' or seeking of 'additional anointing' are plainly gnostic teaching mixed with eastern mysticism disguised in christian clothes. Gnostics believe that there are levels that have to be accessed in order to gain the 'gnosis' that brings release. This contradicts scripture where 1John2v20 states:

But all of you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know all things... (emphasis mine)

We do not need 'more' or 'another' anointing. We have all we need if we have accepted Christ and walk in the Spirit. The Bible does teach some ability to impart gifts by the Spirit in some circumstances, and even the Sprit Himself by the laying on of hands - but this is always at conversion. It is never set out as a system to increase anointing and pass on 'power' in the way that modern preachers demonstrate. It is always on an adhoc and individual basis. These false teachers are in fact exalting themselves as being important when they do this as the way to get release, etc and this does not come from God.

Levels of experience/knowledge are a deception that is very big in modern churches. The people want a way to participate in their own 'improvement' and have come to need experiential encounters so that it feels like something is happening to them. The way of the cross is forgotten and replaced with an experience received from a teacher who is already at that level. In reality we are either close to God and walking with Him or we have slid away and wandered off the path. The bible never talks of 'levels' and of entering them by experience. We do not get closer to God by going 'up' through experiences - we get closer by repentance in the light of the word. Many will now talk to me about the psalm that says “who shall ascend...”. This is the language of poetry emphasising a simple fact – God is higher and purer than us, so who among us is good enough to draw close? The next part speaks plainly of purity and holiness – not experiences and visions of 'Gnosis'. The gnostic teachers use this very psalm to introduce their own teaching about their journey of experience into greater truth - Rick Joyner is an expert at doing this.

Why do modern Christians not see all this? Why is everyone so lacking in discernment in these things? Because they do not know the Word! The leaders of the most visible ministries have allied themselves with gnosticism, and this belief system counts the spiritual realm as being higher and good whereas the material realm is always evil. As they receive their new revelation from the higher spiritual realm by vision and dream, the leaders cannot accept that the 'spirit' that teaches them could be evil. Thus they do not test the teaching, and all sorts of demonic counterfeits, and doctrines of demons are now accepted as 'christianity' by the churches. Couple this with the fact that the majority of christians sitting at their feet via TV have been taught by these leaders, and that:

• doctrine is not a major issue - to insist that it is means you are divisive and unwilling to move with God in the 'new thing' of today. Even those who are 'doctrine minded' have been taught diversity and tolerance as a mantra of life.
• you must experience/feel/sense the spiritual - faith is now experiential and without it you are seen as substandard or not cooperating with God the Spirit. You must not question or doubt - only believe. Bypass the mind and receive.
• the bible is to be interpreted and is not necessarily literal truth for today - many things are allegorised or simply replaced. Cultural relevance has replaced eternal values, and focus is placed on a hope for glory now in revival, and not on the future glory we inherit in the kingdom. This is the stream that is doctrine wary and accepts many different possibilities as valid.

When preaching in today's churches, the emphasis on 'quick fixes' and 'glory now' teaching is a very useful tool to empower your vision and produce followers who are both motivated and impressed. If you can get some money and do TV as well you can appear successful and blessed - who will then question your teachings closely? Hold out hope of a brighter future and move forward quickly. Keep moving but never reach the destination - its always 'coming' or just a 'little further'. Constantly adjust the emphasis and say that the job of 'change' must be done in stages - keep moving it all around and motivate the people to follow. They wouldn't want to miss 'it' would they?

Does anyone ever wonder how sin has become 'forgotten'?

Does anyone actually care?

The teachers of today indulge themselves in many sins and these sins seem to be very easily forgiven no matter what the sin actually is (Todd Bentley is on his way back within twelve months of the events that damaged thousands). They also frown on preachers who emphasise holiness in the sense of obedience to standards, speak against sin, or who insist on doctrine being correct. Those involved in gnostic based teaching actually see the world very differently to orthodox christianity:

If the words “ethics” or “morality” are taken to mean a system of rules, then Gnosticism is opposed to them both. Such systems usually originate with the Demiurge and are covertly designed to serve his purposes. If, on the other hand, morality is said to consist of an inner integrity arising from the illumination of the indwelling spark, then the Gnostic will embrace this spiritually informed existential ethic as ideal.

To the Gnostic, commandments and rules are not salvific; they are not substantially conducive to salvation. Rules of conduct may serve numerous ends, including the structuring of an ordered and peaceful society, and the maintenance of harmonious relations within social groups. Rules, however, are not relevant to salvation; that is brought about only by Gnosis. Morality therefore needs to be viewed primarily in temporal and secular terms; it is ever subject to changes and modifications in accordance with the spiritual development of the individual.

Gnosticism embraces numerous general attitudes toward life: it encourages non-attachment and non-conformity to the world, a “being in the world, but not of the world”; a lack of egotism; and a respect for the freedom and dignity of other beings. Nonetheless, it appertains to the intuition and wisdom of every individual “Gnostic” to distill from these principles individual guidelines for their personal application.

For them Holy conduct means dedication (being set apart to) the call or the work - but originally it meant dedication to living GOD's way so that Christ is seen in us, and the call came second to this. True sanctification is to holiness! So we now have ministers who are working in a dedicated way to build the church, but are flawed in their public morality, and whose actions show them to be far from the biblical standard of holiness. They are good men but fail in the standard of righteous and holy conduct - as did the Pharisees whose eyes were so focussed on the physical system that they missed God (even when He stood in front of them). The modern day ministers are also focussed on building the church and kingdom now and have changed their theology to do so. They also are missing the point that Jesus has a different agenda! 

This focus on the 'now situation' and the obsession with dreams of a better world if we can just focus on love and forget our differences, is the perfect mix for our modern society – which is also hugely affected by gnostic influence in the media (Star Wars, Star Trek, and many modern films carry powerful gnostic themes). The aim of the servants of Satan in these days is to shift the conciousness of the population masses to a new worldview - the New Age or in political language the New World Order. The New Thing in the church is the religious arm of this and goes much further than just breaking down a few barriers of denominations to bring unity. It is in reality introducing new doctrine, new focus, and corrupting the church. The modern church is most definately not seeing repentance as a foundation necessary for revival – it just needs to go to another level! It thinks that just a change in their lifestyle is repentance - but this is a subtle lie. The siren call of these 'power ministers' is "come up here" and "receive" along with "be changed" or "be transformed" whereas the true revivalists of today (and in the past) still cry "repent....!"

The church needs to look again at the principles for power and life with God, for it goes far deeper than just receiving an anointing or speaking out God’s words. I have highlighted the important parts overlooked by today’s church:

John 14v12-17 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever all of you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If all of you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If all of you love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but all of you know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.

John 15v7. If all of you abide in me, and my words abide in you, all of you shall ask what all of you will, and it shall be done unto you.

John 15v9-11 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue all of you in my love. If all of you keep my commandments, all of you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

The intent to be obedient to Christ is the basic requirement for the Holy Spirit to come and abide. It is an expression of love to submit to His authority, and brings the love of the Father. Abiding in Christ through obedience to His word is the only way to gain an open heaven. Name it and claim it type doctrines coupled with experiental 'zaps' and the 'force of faith' are built on vain imaginations and do not achieve anywhere near what is available by simply following the teaching of Jesus.

Christianity today is hugely changed and is in increasing apostasy to the false teachers, who are building the Harlot Church right now – and the deception is growing ever more complex. It is a multiple streamed flow that appeals to all - doctrine friendly and doctrine wary are fused into one movement that can capture all. The 'edges' are deliberately fuzzy so that it may be the centre of a One World Religion in just a little while. It is becoming a huge spiders web in which more and more are becoming entrapped. It is made very fuzzy so that many believers who will certainly not agree in doctrine with the things stated by these ministers, are entangled in the language and terminology of this movement, and follow 'anointings', 'levels', etc. They do not realise that it reinforces the errors and gives credibility to the teachings that might trip up less discerning members. We all 'talk the talk' of this modern 'revival' thinking we are speaking of the old fashioned revivals - in reality we are helping the false teachers. This is a very subtle game plan by the enemy who has made apostasy to be accepted as a revival. But no true revival from the past spoke of spiritual progress in the terms these modern apostates use. We need to return to a proper view and consider repentance as first base for revival - not transformation and anointings. And repentance is not just changing what we do - it is a change in heart attitude to God as revealed in His word. God is unchanging and His word reveals Him. The Word is therefore not for re-interpretation. There are two paths in front of you - the path of scripture which includes repentance and the way of the cross; or the 'new way' where there is real experience and real power but it is not biblical because it does not crucify anything. The strong delusion is building the framework for the coming false christ, and the church itself is being moved radically 'off-centre' to prepare the compromisers for their coming reward.  Here is my question for you......

Where do you really stand?