The Big Lie Exposed

For 23 years I have heard it said, "We are not to look to a man," or, "We are not to focus on a man," or, "Things are not to revolve around one man." All these years I believed this and even preached it and, to be sure, many if not all of us have been deceived by these notions because there is an element of truth here. Of course, God alone is Lord, Savior, worthy to be worshiped. To Him and Him alone belongs ultimate devotion and allegiance as God, one God, the only God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only God is righteous, holy, perfect. He alone can save and is Savior of all mankind. He alone laid down His life for us and had the power to raise it up again. Everyone of us has need of Him while He needs none of us.

Enter the rebels, the liars, the proud, stubborn, stiff-necked and independent. Enter Satan and those given over to disobedience, to lawlessness, arrogance and waywardness. All the while that I confessedly believed this lie, I always felt something wasn't quite right. The lie did not stop me from obeying God as His call was upon me, but it did weaken me when the rebellious would come and simply brush away anything I had to say from God by saying,"We have a problem with focusing on a man." I knew they weren't right in spirit or motive but the words seemed right, therefore often I did not refute the words. I now know differently. Praise God, He has revealed to me the truth in this matter and it is no small revelation. It is foundational. By saying this lie as quoted, people have been deceived and held in darkness, refusing to submit to a man of God or to anyone who had some extensive truth to share. By believing it, they have had what appears to be sound reason to reject God's authority at every turn. Why is it a lie?

1) God always comes through a man and always expects that those the man is sent to, say, "Blessed is he that comes in the Name of the Lord."

2) It breeds pride, not humility; rebellion, not submission; stubbornness, not meekness; and independence of God.

BUT many have come demanding submission when they had no business doing so in the Name of God. These are egotists, misguided souls, power-seekers, predators, deceivers (some sincere because deceived themselves), dreamers, opportunists with little conscience or with conscience seared, devil-inspired as angels of light. Jesus warned of such. So did Paul and others. And liars attract liars. Those deceived by phonies are phony themselves. God protects and is faithful to those who love the truth but to those who love lies He sends strong delusion that they should believe a lie and be damned.

Search the Scriptures! Over and over again people after God or who are God's are instructed both by Him and those He sends to submit to men of God, to obey them, to follow them. Not once do the Scriptures say, "Don't put your eyes on a man!" Not once! Is that not amazing? To me it is amazing because this lie has been so prevalent we all assumed that surely it was in the Bible as truth and not only so but as a basic premise. Well, it isn't. So now the deceivers and the deceived (though possibly innocent because of ignorance) say, "Yes, so what about those who followed Koresh or Jim Jones or...? Didn't they perish because they had their eyes on man and not on God?" The answer is YES. But closer to the truth and very truth itself (I said closer because there is truth there) is that they had their eyes on the wrong man because they did not have their eyes on God. To have one's eyes on God does not presuppose that one will not have his eyes on a man at all. It does mean that he will not have his eyes on a phony. He will not place them there except perhaps temporarily for various reasons such as ignorance, until he learns and knows better. So the issue is not whether you have your eyes on a man or not but on what man? Will you choose a liar or God? If you choose God you will submit to, obey, look to, put your eyes on the man He sends in His stead. Again, you will, in essence be saying, "Blessed is he that comes in the NAME of the Lord." Rebels demand that God manifests Himself to them personally, thus eliminating the possibility of His coming personally IN A MAN, and eliminating also the possibility of being accountable to God, seeing as how He never manifested Himself as far as they are concerned.

Now the BIG Question: "How does one tell a phony from a genuine man of God?" Again we go to the Scriptures. Jesus pointed to His works as well as His words. Paul pointed to his lifestyle and works. They all lived what they preached. It was not simply a matter of doctrine to them even if sound. It was a matter of life itself. Why then did not the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, doctors, lawyers, rulers, the Sanhedrin and others know it was God in the flesh Who stood before them? Were not many of these learned in the Scriptures? Yes! So then it is obvious that going to the Scriptures is not enough - not nearly. For example, how have the Jews studied the Scriptures in their schools and synagogues all these centuries, millennia and yet do not know their Maker and Savior and Lord! Yet, ironically, the answer still is in the Scriptures. Jesus said: "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me. If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself." He also said to His disciples more than once that to them it was given to understand while to others it was not. So it is a gift of God to know a true man of God (Jn. 7:16,17; Lu. 8:10; Jn. 6:44; Mt. 13:11, 16:17; Jn. 3:27; Acts 17:11 ). Consider that it was the religious and those who thought themselves well versed in the Scriptures who vehemently opposed the truth at all times and finally crucified the Truth Himself in the Name of God, claiming support of Scripture (Jn. 7:52).

Here is more to consider: Who is it that is opposed and who does the opposing? Who does the teaching that brings persecution and who does the persecuting? Who speaks openly while detractors quietly oppose him behind his back as well as openly in bitter manner? Who speaks substance while detractors speak the same old thing that has kept people bound everywhere no matter where one goes? "You shall know them by their fruits," Jesus advised.

I do declare I am from God, that I represent Him, that I do His will and call on all others concerned to do the same. Do I divide? No. But the truth does in that when I speak the truth, some will believe and act on it while others will reject it and remain where they are. Am I therefore not of God because people are divided? To those who prefer the status quo, yes, but to those wanting a living relationship with God through a knowledge of Him and His will, what I have to say is a cool drink of water in a hot desert, a cool breeze on a hot day, a shelter from the storm, and a divider of sheep and goats. I call on those who are or desire to be His to come, to be fed, healed, delivered, taught, clothed, raised from the dead. I can do nothing of myself but what God has granted, required of me to do of His will in this His last day.

Consider also that if people remain where they are, there will be no controversy, persecution, battle, division, forsaking, sacrifice, nor need to lay down one's life for the cause of Truth, no cross to take up, no mental agony or other hardships to endure, AND NO REWARD, HONOR WHICH COMES FROM GOD ONLY AND NOT FROM MEN. "How can you believe, which receive honor one of another, and do not seek the honor that comes from God only" (Jn. 5:44)? And, "Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue (church): for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (Jn. 12:42,3).

Pews are comfortable, crosses are definitely not. Banqueting tables are enjoyable, crumbs under them are not; praise of men is desirable, their scorn is not; walking with many feels secure, walking alone rather otherwise; but what one will find on the other side of the cross one will not find on the other side of the pew. Earthly banqueting tables feed the flesh and are temporal while the crumbs by nature deny the flesh, yet bring eternal feasting; praises of men draw us from God while their scorn drives us to Him; congregations of sinners surrounding us will secure our damnation, for, "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction and many there be which go in thereat," while walking the ofttimes lonely walk God's people are called to leads unto life and few there be that find it.

God requires obedience of people toward a man. Please read:

Numbers 16 - all. Note that God not only required that the people honor Moses and Aaron but in no uncertain terms condemned those who

1) took it upon themselves to place themselves on a par with God's appointed rulers, and

2) spoke against the men of God.

Psalm 2 - all, especially "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us."

Rev. 3:9 - "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan (adversary), which say they are Jews (Christians), and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you." This was speaking of the feet of men - believers - faithful ones.

Isaiah 30:9-11 - Rebellion against men of God: "This is a rebellious people, lying children that will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not to us right things, speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits: get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us." (Which means that He was present there in the seers).

And what about Joseph, with whom God caused his whole family, father included, to bow down to him as the dreams foretold? Are God's ways foreign to these kinds of things? Joseph was a man of God, prepared and sent of God.

Verses on following a man including Jesus, Who came as a man and set an example, and sent men as He was sent by the Father - Mt.4:19: 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mk.2:14; Lu. 5:27; 9:59; Jn.12:26; II Th. 3:7; I Cor. 4:16; Ph 3:17; I Th. 1:6; Heb. 6:12; 13:7,17.

And what of I Cor. 11:1? Did Paul say "Put your eyes on God?" or "put your eyes on me even as I put My eyes on God"? Think of it! What about Philippians 4:9?! and I Tim 1:16? Not stuff for the proud is it? And we have I Cor. 16:15,16, I Pe. 5:5 and much more. God have mercy!

Finally, we have God saying to Moses, a man, "I will raise them up a prophet AMONG THEIR BRETHREN, LIKE UNTO YOU and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken to My words which he shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die" (Deut. 18:15-22). Then we have Moses (a man sent of God in God's stead) saying, "The Lord your God will raise up unto you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, LIKE UNTO ME; unto him you shall hearken..." Why didn t God simply speak to the people directly, instead of sending Moses to tell them he was sent by God to them?

Yes, as Stephen indicated in Acts 3:22, this prophecy of one to come after Moses was fulfilled in Jesus Christ but I say to you that it is also fulfilled in all those in Jesus Christ who are sent by Him to speak to yet others that which He requires and inspires by His Spirit to speak.

People, it is this 20th century, western, democratic, "advanced", "civilized" world departed from the norm of God, the ME generation demanding rights of all kinds, and not I, that is the problem. It was not so in the beginning. Let us return to God!

Victor Hafichuk