The spiritual madness that breeds apostasy
Years ago, Apostle Lynette Engelbrecht received the following vision, and the Lord is now expounding on this vision:
On the morning of Saturday, August 4, 2012, the Lord showed in a dream the following:
A family around a dinner table - It looked like a normal scene about a family ready to sit down and have a wonderful meal together and spend quality time to talk and share stories of the events during the day.
I moved closer and joined them at the table. Upon a closer look I could see there is no food on the table, only linen over the table, a candle holder and a candle burning faintly, flickering shadows over the mother and child’s faces. They looked thin, pale and very sad. A singular tear ran over the mother’s thin pale cheek. I did not understand what was going on and why they looked so sad.
Touched by the mother and child’s sadness, I decided to turn to the father that could maybe tell me why they are all so sad and grim. I then saw the father of the household pacing up and down and muttering words that I could not understand. He had this very prominent white shirt on. It reminded me how a white shirt is a sign of a priestly garment and an outward sign of so-called godliness like a white washed tomb (Matthew 23).
I remembered leaning forward and touching the woman on her arm to get her attention as I leaned closer and told her softly that they need God in their lives and only He can change this desperate situation….
I awoke and was puzzled about this dream and what it meant. I asked God to talk to me and to reveal to me the message behind this vision. While I was praying I saw this father image again and God told me that His church is in ruins because it is being “pastured” by mad men.
The family under that mad man was spiritually and physically starving, they were spiritually and physically dying. So the church of today is dying. The sheep have become thin and mal-nurtured because the shepherd has not followed the leading of the Holy Spirit and thus followed his own program for gain and profit.
Let us consider what the Lord showed, and how the Lord pointed to the reality that the His church is in ruins because it is being “pastured” by mad men. This vision has been dormant, until now, as the Lord begins to expose the reality of the revelation, which is the reason why the church is falling deeper into apostasy. It should be noted the very concept of being mad speaks of not being of a sound mind. A sound mind is set in place when we conform not to this world, but are transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12), so that we may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The concept of renewing the mind and setting your mind upon God is also underline in 1 Peter 1: 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Thus, we shall walk by a sober mind when we focus upon the Lord, mediate upon His Word, thus His Truth, and when we seek above all else. When we fail to do so, a mind which is not sound, thus undergoes the process of falling into spiritual madness.
So to maintain a sound mind, we must mediate accordingly to Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Regarding the vision, specifically the sound mind versus the madness, let us consider what the prophet Hosea said in chapter 9: The days of punishment have come; The days of recompense have come. Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, The spiritual man is insane, Because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity. 8 The watchman of Ephraim is with my God; But the prophet is a fowler’s snare in all his ways— Enmity in the house of his God. 9 They are deeply corrupted, As in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins.
The chapter in Hosea according to the Amplified is translated as follows: The prophet is [considered] a fool; The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented, Because of the abundance of your wickedness and guilt, And because your deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.
Hosea (active 750-722 BC) was a prophet of the kingdom of Israel. He called on Israel to repent its sins of apostasy and warned of the judgment to come from God. Of course, as with so many other prophets, the people did not listen. It is shocking how the Lord says that the prophet in the days of Hosea was foolish, and even worse, the spiritual man insane. Such foolishness of the prophets was echoed by Ezekiel in chapter 13:3 Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
It says in Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Thus, the so-called prophets in the days of Hosea ultimately despised the wisdom and instruction of the Lord. This is how foolishness sets in. Jesus said in Matthew 7:26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand” … Indeed, it is foolishness when we heed not God, or follow His ways or His Truth. This was the path followed by the prophets in the days of Hosea, and this is sadly the path that still many follow today in the churches. After all it says in Job 28: 28 Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Apostasy is upon us, because there is little understanding, and we have departed from the truth of God. It says in Hosea 4:6: My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
A lack of knowledge speaks of ignorance. The definition of ignorance is that it a lack of knowledge or information. In Hosea 3, the people were warned that they were being destroyed because they rejected the Lord’s knowledge. The Holy Spirit according to Isaiah 11 is the Spirit of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. The Spirit was poured out to lead and guide us in all truth; therefore, there is no excuse for ignorance. We are called to walk in God’s Wisdom, and not the wisdom or the knowledge of this world. And we must be careful not to interpret the truth according to the wisdom formed or shaped by our own perceptions, ideas and education.
The Lord of late has placed it on my heart there are things we teach, preach, advocate, proclaim, encourage and embrace as being a truth, which is not so, or there are truths of the Lord that we oppose, merely because we lack understanding and we lack knowledge, thus we walk in ignorance. If we fail to walk in the complete truth of God and remain not seeking the right path, therefore not repenting, then we have rejected truth. Thus, we are walking in rebellion, which breeds spiritual madness, which is nothing more than the folly of not fearing God and perishing because of a lack of God’s knowledge.
Remember, if we preach not the entire truth of the Gospel we then are accursed (Galatians 1:9) and we thus embrace and teach and preach a curse. Even worse, we run the risk of mocking, rebelling against Him for not walking in His Truth (and rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft) and we are in danger of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. And so it says in Galatians 6: 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Let us take note of the word accursed and let us connect it to Deuteronomy 28: 15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: 28 The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: 29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
The Amplified translates verse 28 as follows: The Lord will strike you with madness and with blindness and with bewilderment of heart and mind.
In Deuteronomy 28, the Lord gave His people a choice – seek Him and be blessed, or be cursed because of a lack of obedience. And this cursing simply implies the consequence of a life separated from the truth, counsel, strength and the power of God, thus life of the Lord, which comes through disobedience and rebellion. Such a curse is upon those in Revelations 22 who will forever be outside the gates of Jerusalem. It says verse 15 Outside are the dogs [the godless, the impure, those of low moral character] and the sorcerers [with their intoxicating drugs, and magic arts], and the immoral persons [the perverted, the molesters, and the adulterers], and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying (deception, cheating). Indeed, those who are on the outside – thus away from the Lord – are those who reject the Lord and His Truth (thus rejecting God’s knowledge and so fall into the trap of unstable mind).
So in Deuteronomy 28 we are dealing with ‘madness’ and the bewilderment of heart and mind because they did not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes. Therefore disobedience, thus rebellion, which is like the sin of witchcraft. In Galatians 1:9, we read of those who are accursed for not preaching the Gospel of the Lord. Thus, they become a curse, just as those would be cursed for not listening to God or obeying the Lord according to Deuteronomy 28. Are we hearing the Lord? If we disobey the Lord, and continue to rebel and mock Him, we shall become accursed, and as we become of such a nature, we become ‘mad’ and suffer the astonishment of heart, which speaks of fear, anguish and distress. All of this is as a result of disobedience.
This is what the Lord therefore showed in the vision of 2012 – men and women in the church babbling things that are not of any worth, or value, or truthful, for they are spiritually mad, therefore foolish, ignorant and rebellious. Peter, who spoke of false teachers and preachers in 2 Peter 2, also said the following in 2 Peter 1 Amplified Bible: 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories or myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty [His grandeur, His authority, His sovereignty]. Peter made it known they the truth they proclaimed was not mere folly or madness, but it was the truth of God, and in such truth is the authority and might of the Lord.
Take note of Paul’s warning to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4: 3 As I urged you when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain individuals not to teach any different doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation and meaningless arguments rather than advancing God’s program of instruction which is grounded in faith [and requires surrendering the entire self to God in absolute trust and confidence]. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love [which springs] from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Some individuals have wandered away from these things into empty arguments and useless discussions, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law [of Moses], even though they do not understand the terms they use or the subjects about which they make [such] confident declarations.
Indeed, for those who walk in the Truth of God walk in the ways of God, but the reality is that the church is saturated with legends (fables, myths) and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation and meaningless arguments rather than advancing God’s program of instruction which is grounded in faith. Because of the spiritual madness that we find in the church, we are living in the days of 2 Timothy 3 and 2 Timothy 4 and also the Book of Jude.
It says in 2 Timothy 3: (AMP): 3 But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. 2 For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, 3 [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, 4 traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them. 6 For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate morally weak and spiritually-dwarfed women weighed down by [the burden of their] sins, easily swayed by various impulses, 7 always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres [the court magicians of Egypt] opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, unqualified and worthless [as teachers] in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their meaningless nonsense and ignorance will become obvious to everyone, as was that of Jannes and Jambres.
And also 2 Timothy 4: For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. 5 But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.
And also Jude: 5 Now I want to remind you, although you are fully informed once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe [who refused to trust and obey and rely on Him]. 6 And angels who did not keep their own designated place of power, but abandoned their proper dwelling place, [these] He has kept in eternal chains under [the thick gloom of utter] darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent cities, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in gross immoral freedom and unnatural vice and sensual perversity. They are exhibited [in plain sight] as an example in undergoing the punishment of everlasting fire. 8 Nevertheless in the same way, these dreamers [who are dreaming that God will not punish them] also defile the body, and reject [legitimate] authority, and revile and mock angelic majesties … 10 But these men sneer at anything which they do not understand; and whatever they do know by [mere] instinct, like unreasoning and irrational beasts—by these things they are destroyed. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone the [defiant] way of Cain, and for profit they have run headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of [mutinous] Korah. 12 These men are hidden reefs [elements of great danger to others] in your [g]love feasts when they feast together with you without fear, looking after [only] themselves; [they are like] clouds without water, swept along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted and lifeless; 13 wild waves of the sea, flinging up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of deep darkness has been reserved forever.
Indeed, because of disobedience, iniquity, idolatry and spiritual apostasy in the church, we find the manifested consequence to be smitten with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. Because of the rebellion and the disobedience of the people of God, in light of what we read in Deuteronomy 28, consider what the Lord says in Isaiah 6: Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
Indeed, when we fail to obey the Lord, or to follow Him, or to seek Him, we shall become a people who do not spiritually perceive, we do not understand, or see. Thus a people ‘mad’, thus an unstable mind or a mind not healthy, for the mind is clouded and darkened by a lack of walking by the light of God’s Word and Truth. The church is truly in a state of apostasy because of foolishness, because of our arrogance [toward God and the true prophets] and because so many in churches still love the world and its wickedness. This is by foolish behaviour. Of foolish behaviour we read in Psalm 53:1 [folly of the godless]: The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good.
And what is the result of all of this? A lack of spiritual food! Indeed, if the spiritual leaders are acting like mad men, and the prophets foolish, how will the flock and the sheep be fed? And so we find believers who are not feasting with the Lord, but are contend to eat from the crumbs like dogs caged by pretentious and mad spiritual masters. There is a great spiritual drought in the world - a drought caused by an arrogant and egotistical world not wishing to receive and embrace the Absolute Truth of God. There is a great drought in the Church, for the spiritual leaders are the ones who have polluted the waters, sold the Gospel, become fat out of their exploits, feeding crumbs to those that they have trained to become like dogs at their feet. Such is the depth and sadness of the state of the priesthood. It is a state of madness.
Indeed, the Church appears fat, but only nourished by spiritual junk food, by selfish gain, by pride, by fleshly desires and worldly needs. In spirit, she is suffering from malnutrition, floundering in her darkness, struggling in the tide of her own life blood, grasping for breath but finding none. Thus, the vision the Lord showed.
We are called as believers to sit at the table of the Lord, and not merely feed of the crumbs on the floor. What does this mean? To sit at the table of the Lord implies being in fellowship with the Lord, and to be in fellowship means to be in His council and to share in His fullness. It means walking in the fullness of the Lord and dwelling in His glorious presence. Yet for too long, believers have thought they were not allowed to come and sit in fellowship with the Lord at the Table, and for too long we have thought we are meant to only live of the crumbs of fellowship and spiritual food that is being provided to us, mainly by the clergy. There is this notion that only certain spiritual leaders [those have studies and are ordained] can sit in the counsel of the Lord. This is not true. This was after all the reason for the Dark Ages – it was a time of limited knowledge and people kept in bondage because of a lack of knowledge.
Today there are no more excuses, but because of the madness and the folly and ignorance in the church, still today many are feeding from the crumbs, and not feeding at the table of God. And a feast speaks not of crumbs, but is speaks of abundance, of blessing and of hope. Indeed, God’s people still perish because of a lack of knowledge, for many have allowed themselves to be fed the crumbs from the hand of man men and foolish prophets, instead of dwelling and abiding in the presence of the Lord.
In John 21, Jesus said to Peter three times to feed His sheep. Indeed, those who love the Lord shall follow in His Ways, and shepherd, and guide and lead by the Spirit “13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4)”. This is the not the way of madness, or ignorance, but the path that the disciple follows so that we all walk in unity to the glory of the Lord.
The Lord has showed other visions over the years of the spiritual condition of the church, which speaks of malnourishment, as she flounders in her darkness, struggling in the tide of her own life blood, grasping for breath but finding none. Indeed, such days are upon us – days of apostasy because of the folly, the spiritual blindness, the pride and the rebellious ways within the church. And so many are feeding from crumbs, and not abiding in God’s Presence.
Let us also take note of Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise. This of course reminds of Psalm 1: Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers). Apostasy is upon us, because still in churches we often walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the path of sinners. More than ever we need to walk in wisdom, and we need to trust God to lead us in such wisdom so that we are not foolish. At the end of the day, foolishness, arrogance, pride and ignorance breeds not a sound mind, thus the reference to insanity as mentioned by Hosea.
These are the days of 1 Jeremiah 6:6 Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ This is the day to seek the Lord, and not be arrogant. This is the day not to defy Him, but to allow Him to open our eyes and understanding to walk in the knowledge and truth of our God. For those who says “we will not walk in it’ reminds of the false prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18) who refused to decide which master to follow. Let us choose in this day and live!
We can only cultivate a sound mind as we are led by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Timothy 1:7), thus walk in the ways and the counsel of God, otherwise we shall fall in the trap of Romans 1 which says the following: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. 26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient …
God’s wrath against rebellion is clearly spelled out in Romans 1. And this is because they who were rebellious were vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Thus, they were foolish, and fell prey to a reprobate mind.
Take note of the clear warning in Romans 1:28 (KJV) which says “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient …” The word ‘reprobate’ is the Greek word adokimos, which signifies "not standing the test, rejected". It speaks of a mind of which God cannot approve, and which must be rejected or cast away by Him, the effect of refusing "to have God in their knowledge. It therefore refers to something which is depraved, unprincipled, or wicked, even worse, thus a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. It therefore speaks of a people who had become darkened in their knowledge of God, thus walking in foolishness. Such behaviour was evident in the days of Noah, of which we read in Genesis 6: 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
The word ‘reprobate’ is the Greek word adokimos, which signifies "not standing the test, rejected". It speaks of a mind of which God cannot approve, and which must be rejected or cast away by Him, the effect of refusing "to have God in their knowledge. It therefore refers to something which is depraved, unprincipled, or wicked, even worse, thus a person rejected by God and beyond hope of salvation. We therefore read in Romans 1 that they were handed over to such a mind. Why? Because they refused the knowledge of God. They failed to pass the test, in terms of abiding in the will of God.
The idea of being cast away is also expounded on in John 15: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Therefore, there is a clear warning that if we do not abide in the Lord, then we are in danger of adopting a reprobate mind, thus drifting further away from God, until we are no longer abiding in the Lord and thus are in danger of being cast away. If we fail to abide in the Lord, we shall drift further away from His Truth, and thus fall into apostasy and rebellion, thus a reprobate mind. Are we in this day truly standing in the knowledge of God, seeking Him and abiding in Him? This calls for constant pursuit, constantly seeking Him and being in fellowship with God.
It says in 1 Corinthians 9: 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (adokimo).
Paul was saying that he pursues God until the end, bringing his body to the point of submission, unless he became a castaway (reprobate). Paul was mindful of the dangers that existed of eventually falling away, thus rejected, as a result of spiritual apostasy and no longer abiding in God.
Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates. 7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates. Again, Paul admonishes that one must constantly check your walk with God, to make certain you are in the will of the Lord and walking in his ways, lest one become a reprobate, thus someone cast away and handed over to a reprobate mind. In 1 Corinthians 9:27 and 2 Corinthians 13, here we find as a reference to the great test as to whether Christ is in a person.
The only way to avoid being a reprobate is to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, and to seek God all the time by abiding in Him. It says in Romans 8: 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. The word mortify speaks of putting to death, to destroy and to render extinct. It speaks of liberation from the bond of anything, literally to be made dead in relation to (something). The context goes to the heart of Paul's doctrine of the union of the believer with Christ. This union has given the soul a new life, flowing (through the Spirit) from Christ in the heavenly world, so that the remnants of the old corrupt life-principle are now dangerous excrescences. Hence, they are to be destroyed, just as a surgeon removes the remnants of a diseased condition after the reestablishment of healthy circulation. This is the walk of a believer – destroy all things that stand between the union of the believer and God.
Sadly, right throughout history, up to now, mankind has constantly struggled with rebellion against God. Such rebellion infiltrated the minds of the Israelites, even the prophets and leaders. Thus they were foolish. And today still, there is great foolishness in churches, for many so-called prophets are mere fools and many spiritual leaders are acting like mad men as in the days of Hosea.
Reality, many will continue on their foolish ways and with an unstable (mad) mind, for they reject the ways and the truth of God. And so we read in Revelations 9: 21
Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts. Such days are upon us, where arrogance and pride is so great we openly resists God and His Truth, seeking to defy to the point of perishing.
Mad – unstable way of doing things - implies the false theology that is being preached, the absurd behaviour advocated, the twisting of the truth, the distortion of God’s ways and the continuous self-glorification and self-exaltation. Some churches act like cults, while the church flirts and accepts New Age teachings in her midst. The church of today is saturated with humanism, false teachings, divination and behaviour which are anything but godly, rather mad and insane. Why? Is it not because we keep on drifting further away from the Lord and His Truth? Indeed, these are days of madness, or insanity, for how else to explain a people of God who resist His Truth, His Ways and His Kingdom for self-gain and profit, as in the days of Hosea and so many other prophets? No wonder there is so much apostasy in the church. It is because there is so much foolishness, thus a lack of true counsel, which breeds insanity, which sets up an environment for spiritual abuse, confusion and deception.
We read in 1 Timothy 6: 20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Yes, we need to guard the truth and ways of God. We need to guard our mind (the helmet of salvation) and we need to guard our heart (breastplate of righteousness) lest we go astray.
In Jeremiah 25 we read of what happens when one falls in the hands of the living God because of rebellion: 15 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
We also read in Jeremiah 51:7: Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad. There is indeed madness in the ways of Babylon, and there is indeed madness in the folly of our ways. Babylon speaks of the ways of the world, thus of the devil, for indeed he is the thief that destroys. For those who follow his path, suffer the consequence of spiritual madness that clouds the mind and breeds fear. This was the fate of two demon-possessed men coming out of the tombs that met Jesus in Matthew 8.
In Ezekiel 33 we read of the irresponsible shepherds who lead God’s people astray, while Deuteronomy 28 speaks clearly about what happens when one choses to abide in God or not. Still today, there is a clear choice before us to follow the Lord or not, because there is a blessing when we obey, and there is a curse that becomes like madness when we disobey. It is true that in Jesus we are no longer under the curse of the law, but this only applies when we truly abide in Christ (John 15).
Remember, the house of Israel was also at one time led by a mad man – Saul. The Spirit of the Lord according to 1 Samuel 16 left him and an evil spirit came upon him. Saul became mad because he no longer walked with God and he no longer walked in God’s presence. And so Israel was, like in our times relating to the Church, led by a man who was not spiritually sound but was spiritually unstable. His madness resulted in jealousy, anger, rage and loathing against the true servant of the Lord - David. Saul remains a typical illustration of a man who followed a religion while David followed the Lord. Saul’s entire behaviour spoke not of the gifts of the Spirit, but rather someone who walked in the flesh.
Thus the admonishment of Paul in Romans 8: 5 For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh [living a life that caters to sinful appetites and impulses] cannot please God.
As we look at Romans 8, we find people whose mind is not upon God and thus have a mind of the flesh, which breeds death. Thus, we return to the reality of Romans 1:28: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient …” Those who follow the dictates of the flesh follow in the ways of death, thus a reprobate mind. And the reprobate mind speaks of being separated from God, thus a mind of foolishness, and madness (lack of knowledge and wisdom). Again, the Scriptures speak of man perishing because of a lack of knowledge, which speaks of death. This happens when our minds are not upon God, thus a reprobate mind. Of such a mind of death, surely this is where the madness breeds and breathes, and from its well flow iniquity, foolishness, apostasy, idolatry and rebellion.
Woe indeed when we reject the Lord or His knowledge or His ways, as we are finding in churches today, for this leads to a state of being accursed because of the reprobate mind. After all, where is the fear of the Lord anymore? And so the Lord says to us: “Just as in those times, today it is exactly the same, those who follow a religion and not God, those who follow after the flesh and not the spirit become mad and become spiritually unstable as Saul. And such spiritual mad men will eventually lash out at the true servants of the Most High God. For a religious sprit is a murdering one. It envies and is murderous and full of loathing.”
Under the reign of Saul, Israel suffered terribly. The Ark of the Covenant (presence of God) was stolen in the days of Saul. God therefore had to rise up a true servant, like David to cure Israel from the madness and to bring God’s presence back into the land. It is interesting that David was called to play the harp so that Saul’s madness could subside. Thus says the Lord: “There is a cure for the madness in His church, among the mad men, among the unstable spiritual leaders, but only when the true worshippers and prophets and elders take their rightful place. For then the presence of God will return to the House of the Lord.”
Is it any wonder that there is so much spiritual madness and blindness in the church, considering how many believers are not truly abiding in Jesus, or following Jesus, or not walking in the ways of God? Where are the worshippers in spirit and truth? We play with fire when we think we can follow our ways and not seek the Lord. We have to also remember that in accordance to the new covenant, we are God’s sanctuary, so God cannot dwell fully with us while there is idolatry and spiritual adultery in our lives. It only leads to spiritual madness and blindness.
If we want to be cured from our madness, and from being spiritually mentally retarded (not understanding the spiritual realm or God’s kingdom), we have to drink from the Lord’s cup and not from the cup of Babylon. For it says Revelation 17:4: The woman was robed in purple and scarlet and bedecked with gold, precious stones, and pearls, [and she was] holding in her hand a golden cup full of the accursed offenses and the filth of her lewdness and vice. Take note again of the word accursed, as we find with Galatians 1 and Deuteronomy 18. Indeed, her ways are accursed, for the ways of the world and the devil is a curse and not a blessing.
The cup of the Lord is the covenant, and the covenant is God’s way, His truth and His order. By the covenant of the Blood we abide in Jesus who is the Way, Truth and the Life. For the Lord says those who drink from this cup of life will spiritually see, hear, understand and grow in wisdom. They will not be babblers, but will be enriched by God’s Glory and Strength. They shall speak truth, walk in truth, know truth and like Paul, declare the intended wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10).
For those who are spiritually mad and blind, they cannot perceive God’s Kingdom (unlike those who are reborn who can ‘see’ – John 3), and they will not utter the words of the Living God. It is they who have become blinded by Babylon, choking on the religious spirit and on the ways of the world. Those who follow not the Lord, who abide not in Him, who abide not in His will, drink not from His holy cup, but from a cup of madness. This cup of Babylon (thus the ways of the world, of carnality, of apostasy and rebellion) says the Lord is a witch’s brew, filled full with poison and pollution (Revelation 17 and 18). It shall make you mad, it shall make you spiritually blind and you will never understand or comprehend or see the Kingdom of God. And so it says in 1 Corinthians 10 21 You cannot drink the Lord’s cup and the demons’ cup. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and the demons’ table. 22 Shall we thus provoke the Lord to jealousy and anger and indignation? Are we stronger than He [that we should defy Him]? Woe to those who drink from Babylon’s cup, for your tears will be like blood and your heart will turn to stone.
Saul of Tarsus was like a mad man, persecuting Christians, believing he was upholding the truth of God. He was also spiritually blind, ignorant to the truth and to the ways of God. The Lord, however, shook his very foundations of belief, and so the Lord struck him blind so that he can be cured or his madness and spiritual blindness. And so Paul was reborn, preaching and teaching the Good News, for he was no longer mad with rage and murder, but sought the goodness and love of God! How we need in churches such an encounter with God again, so that we can see, be cured and be on fire for God! For Saul of Tarsus was once mad like Saul who reigned Israel, yet Saul who became Paul would now feed the impoverished Gentiles with the true spiritual food that nourishes, sustains and gives life!
We read the following in Mark 5 (NKJV): 5 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him… 6 When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
This is the only cure to our unstable state of mind, to an unstable spiritual condition and fortitude – Jesus! Even in his tormented state this man knew the answer to his condition, suffering and captivity is Jesus. The only answer still today to our spiritual captivity and impoverishment is Jesus. Unto Him we must run and seek Him, for He is the cure, the answer, the life, the hope and the glory!
It says in Psalm 16: 5 The Lord is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup. How we need to drink from Him – He the Living Waters – so that we may be fed and walk in His Glory. Glory to those who drink from the cup of the Lord for they shall be healed and restored, walking in His fullness! They shall speak the truth of God, and they shall walk in that Truth, for indeed the Truth shall set us free (John 8:32).
