This study was first taught on December 18, 2016

Topic: Understanding the Acts of the Apostles_2.2: False Claims of Connectivity

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Background
In our last meeting, we discussed the second consideration for our understanding and appreciating what the Acts of the Apostles is all about. This second consideration is the connectivity or link between the resurrected Christ and those He sends out to do His work, and by implication, the Church. We saw that this connectivity or link, is the Holy Spirit, Who plays a very active role in seeing that the work of God continues to be done as it ought to—communicating heaven’s instructions and commands to us, enabling/empowering us to do the work of God, and being actively involved in our lives so as to do the work of God Himself, through us.

Sadly, many believers in Christ live like the Holy Spirit is either passive or even altogether non-existent, implying that Christians have been left to fend for themselves, and to their own devices, contrary to the teachings of Scripture. The result of such a perception and manner of living is that for such individuals, to do the work of God, they erroneously believe that they need their own strength—intellect, resources, political contacts, upwardly mobile congregations, etc.—and, with their own understanding. This leaves them seriously frustrated, and makes them turn to satanic/occultic powers, which enables them to perform lying wonders and engage in other unscriptural practices, and thus becoming agents of Satan—knowingly or unknowingly—and destined for eternal destruction.

It is therefore crucial that we understand that the Holy Spirit has always been a very vital part of the Godhead, and was involved and engaged in the work of God from the very beginning—from creation onwards—even including, the conception, ministry, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is so crucial to the work of God that if He is not actively involved in the work of God which is being done by anyone, such a work counts for nothing, and attracts no positive reward in eternity—it is simply dead works!

In the New Testament era, it was the Holy Spirit who birthed the Church on the day of Pentecost. Indeed, in the absence of the Holy Spirit, there can be no church—only a club or a cult! Also, the Holy Spirit helps believers in Christ to pray as they ought to; appoints those Heaven has called to their field of service, and directs them to where to go, and who to go to; and, convicts and convinces sinners of their sinfulness with a view to bringing them to repentance.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit as our connectivity to heaven, is actively involved and engaged in the work of God here on earth, so much so that “the Acts of the Apostles” can be referred to as, “the Acts of the Holy Spirit, by the hands of the Apostles”; and hence, the work of God in our own hands is essentially, the Acts of the Holy Spirit, by our hands!

Scripture Text(s)
Acts 1:1-2; 2 Peter 2:1-3
Having established the pivotal role that, the Holy Spirit plays in the work of God by the hands of those who have been called, chosen, sanctified and sent to do God’s work, we must emphasize the very present danger of copycats seeking to mimic the Holy Spirit, and bring confusion into the Body of Christ. Our second scripture text points out the Holy Spirit’s concern about the activities of false teachers, which necessarily include, false apostles, false prophets, false evangelists, false pastors, and, false churches!
Very many people claiming to have noble intentions to serve God have found themselves on the wrong side of the work of God, engaging in satanic/occultic practices, because, doing the work of God requires more than just having noble intentions. As we have seen, the work of God is about having the right connectivity to God—the active involvement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those sent by God, and in the work, they are engaged in! Yet, there are those who claim to be doing the work of God, but who are without any connectivity or link to heaven, neither does their work emanate from Christ, nor are they engaged in true spiritual work. It is therefore crucial that we do not take at face value, everyone who is engaging in what may seem to be the work of God, but which is from Satan! Indeed, we need to be aware of any non-existent connectivity, masquerading as the Holy Spirit, so that we don’t become false ministers and false brethren, in false churches, spewing false doctrines.
Jude 1:3-19; 2 Corinthians 4:1-5; 11:1-4, 13-15, 17-33; Philippians 3:17-19; 1 John 4:1-6; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; Matthew 15:2-9; 1 Corinthians 12:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 7:15-20; John 16:13-14; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 2:12-14; 14:29; 1 Kings 22:2-23; Acts 5:1-10; Luke 9:54-55; Matthew 16:22-23; Mark 1:23-26; Acts 16:16-18.

Conclusion
The Early apostles were concerned and very clear about the threat that false ministers and their false doctrines portend for the Body of Christ, since what they claim to be their connectivity is really Satan, and therefore, a false claim to the right connectivity—the Holy Spirit! The bible is replete with warnings about these false ministers and their master, Satan. We would do well to heed these warnings. Therefore, we must very quickly, and unequivocally, disapprove of anyone whose character does not consistently align with the divine nature claiming to do the work of God; disavow messages ostensibly from the Holy Spirit, if the messenger does not exhibit the divine nature; and, disengage from people who claim to have heard a word from God, if they or their source do not confess the Deity/humanity, the First Advent, and, the impending Second Coming of Jesus Christ; for any claim by such individuals to connectivity to heaven is false!

We, therefore, need the gift of the discerning of spirits, so that we can know for a certainty, false claims to the connectivity of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the discerning of spirits, is given by the Holy Spirit, and requires that we are aligned with God and His word. If we are open to the Holy Spirit, He will reveal every false claim of connectivity through Him to heaven. He has given this gift of discerning of spirits to countless numbers over the centuries, as exemplified in the bible—the cases of Micaiah v. 400 prophets of Ahab; Peter v. Ananias and Sapphira; the Lord v. the Zebedee brothers; the Lord v. Peter; the Lord v. the man possessed by an evil spirit in the synagogue; and, Paul v. the girl possessed with the spirit of divination; to mention just a few, and He has given this gift to us also. May the Holy Spirit help us to receive from Him, as the days are evil and the times very deceiving, so much so that if it were possible, even the very elect of God will be deceived—but thank God, we cannot, and, will not, be deceived, if we are in a right and tight relationship with Him!

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