An Online Devotional from Pastor Chad Carter

W e ' r e m o r e t h a n j u s t a C h u r c h . . . W e ' r e a F A M I L Y !

Don't Be Deceived

Pastor Chad Carter

Excerpts of Pastor Carter's message

from Family Harvest Church

There are subtle, seductive spirits of the enemy -

spirits of control and manipulation - that have crept

into the Church today.

By the direction of the Holy Ghost of God, we must

identify, confront and expose these spirits of the

enemy - this Spirit of Jezebel - which has been

working in covert action within the walls of the

Church for years.

Like a front-line military operative, this spirit has

camouflaged itself in such a way that allows it to enter undetected to the unsuspecting eye. As a result, we have one of the most evil, demonically driven spirits the world and the Church have ever known that comes to church in most churches of America, sits right down in the pew, and snuggles itself up against good Christian saints and begins to rub itself against them.

Unsuspecting believers think nothing of it, as this spirit… physically, verbally, emotionally, as well as spiritually… begins to work its way like leaven into the church and imparts its brand of polluted spirituality into the lives of honest-hearted people who never saw it coming!

We smile, we are friendly, we are loving, we are forgiving, AND we should be, but along with our nature of grace and mercy, we have become naive. Hear me this morning! ...Naivety is not a fruit of the spirit! Let me say that again… Naivety is not a fruit of the Spirit – it is an enemy of the Spirit of God!

Yes, we ARE to be patient. Yes, we ARE to be kind! Yes, we ARE to be good! Yes, we ARE to be loving! Yes, we ARE to be forgiving! Yes, we ARE to be happy! Yes, we ARE to be meek, but let me tell you something this morning... we ARE NOT to be weak!

"Naivety" is not a fruit of the Spirit and it’s not a trait we are to demonstrate!

Just because it dresses itself up in church clothes and puts on a necktie, or a pretty dress, or puts on its make-up and nice jewelry, matching shoes or a gold chain with a cross around their neck, and totes a big, beautiful, black leather, large-print Bible, and comes to church on Sunday does not make it of God.

Just because it fixes itself all pretty in a nice little religious package and sings on the praise team, or works in the nursery, or prays loudly in the altar, or speaks in tongues better than everyone else, or has a “word” when nobody else seems to be getting one, or stands in a pulpit as a pastor, teacher, preacher, elder or bishop . . . does not make it a legitimate vessel of the Holy Ghost, through which He is working!

Matthew chapter 7 has a lot to say concerning the visible, tell-tale fruit that can be openly seen and examined which will either confirm or deny the claims coming out of someone’s mouth!

Matthew 7:15-23:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

There are a lot of people who go to church every week and think they’re something special who are no more saved and filled with the Holy Ghost than the Abortion Doctor down at the local Planned Parenthood or the crooked politician soliciting homosexual sex in the airport bathroom.

Sin is sin, is sin, is sin – regardless of the package it’s in! …I don’t care how sharp your suit, how expensive your dress, where you get your hair done, how much “Christian-ese” you talk or tongues you babble on Sundays and Wednesdays, if you are sinning, you aren’t deceiving anyone but yourself!

God is calling His church to continue to maintain the fruit of the Spirit (like we’ve been studying on Wednesday nights), but at the same time, He is expecting His Church not to be so gullible or so easily deceived!

God is expecting His Church to take on responsibility for their actions, and believe not every spirit, but try the spirits to see whether they be of God or not (1 John 4:1)!

1 John 4:1

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

God expects you to use discernment! God expects you to sense His leading! God expects you to seek out and rejoice in the truth (1 Cor. 13:6), and the good Gospel news you have is that when you know the truth, the truth will make you free (John 8:32)!

1 Corinthians 13:6

"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;"

John 8:32

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

God expects you to grow in grace and in the wisdom and knowledge of God (2 Peter 3:18)!

2 Peter 3:18

"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord..."

God expects you not to be a reed in the wind, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14)!

Ephesians 4:14

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

God expects you to let your roots run deep into the Word of God and say, I will be a tree of righteousness; I will be the planting of the Lord (Isaiah 61:3).

Isaiah 61:3

"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

Aren’t you thankful for the Paraclete, the third-person of the God-head, the blessed Holy Ghost who speaks into your spirit when you least expect it and gives you that still small voice of wisdom that clues you in on what’s around the corner!

There are times when the Holy Ghost will speak to you, or direct you to say or do something different than you were planning to do, and the next thing you see is the trap the devil meant to destroy you, laying by the way-side without your bloody body caught in it!

Somebody say, “Thank God I have the Holy Ghost!” Somebody say it again as you praise His name, “Thank God I have the Holy Ghost!” □

This has been an excerpt of a teaching session by Pastor Carter

to the congregation of Family Harvest Church.

This entire series, "Exposing the Spirit of Jezebel," by

Pastor Chad Carter, is available on DVD or CD for a love gift to

Family Harvest Church.

An order form is available in the FHC Online Store.

If you would like to become a follower of Jesus Christ,

we would love to lead you in that process. Click Here.

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