BEWARE OF THE DOCTRINES OF THE PHARISEES
Matthew 16:6, “Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Jesus Christ warned His disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, that is the doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducesses, because they were destructive. The doctrines of Pharisees are friendly and familiar, but they are dangerous.

Some Doctrines of The Pharisees:
CONCERN FOR SIGNS MORE THAN SALVATION
Matthew 16:1, “Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.”

The Pharisees cared for signs from Jesus than the salvation He brought for them; their doctrines and teachings centered mostly on signs, because they were only looking for signs, and cared not for the salvation of their souls. The same doctrine is popular and paramount in the Christianity of today, everywhere. Preachers are preaching and praying mostly about signs and wonders, prophets are prophesying majorly about signs and wonders, and people are running after signs and wonders; they care most for miracles, blessings, breakthrough, healing, provision and protection from Jesus than Salvation of their souls and sanctification of their lives.

If your pastors preach about signs and wonders, miracles and blessings more than salvation and sanctification of life, it means your pastors are modern Pharisees. If your Bishop, G.O, or Senior Pastor teaches about breakthrough of prosperity and deliverance more than holiness and righteousness of life, it implies you are a victim of the doctrine of Pharisees. The worst of all is if your preachers or favorite pastors spend majority of the time of their messages, for example, spending about 55minutes to preach about God’s promises of blessings, breakthrough and prosperity, and when it remains like 5 minutes to round up, they begin to make fire brigade altar call without spending good time to talk about salvation – in order to pacify their conscience as if they still preach salvation, and to deceive you that you are in a bible church – please get it clear, if such is the situation of your church, it simply means you are under the hypocritical deception and delusion of Pharisees.

CONCERN FOR OUTWARD THAN INWARD
Matthew 15:1,2, “Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

The doctrine of the Pharisees centered on outward well-being more than inward well-being, they cared for physical outlook than spiritual outlook, and they were particular about human approval than God's approval. Similar doctrine is being copied and circulated everywhere today. The preachers and pastors care for your physical well-being than your spiritual well-being; they are concern about your earthly progress than your eternal destiny. The modern doctrine of Pharisees repeatedly preach and pray about financial and material prosperity, but care less about purity of life.

The truth is that, outward prosperity has nothing to do with the well-being of your soul. You can get all the prosperity of this life, you can be so prosperous financially, materially and medically, and yet your soul remains poor and famished. Outward prosperity has nothing to profit your eternal soul, what profits your soul is purity of life after the salvation of your soul in Christ Jesus.

If you are in a church or under a ministry where prosperity of life is mentioned and emphasized more than purity of life, then you are in serious danger of the doctrine of 21st Century Pharisees. Do you have a Sermon Note Book in which you jots messages in your church? Then check the last 10 messages in your church or 10 CD of your favorite preacher; if majority of the messages and sermons center on earthly blessings, promises of prosperity and prayers more than messages of holiness, purity and preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ - if such is the case with you, then you have been feeding on the leaven and loaves of Pharisees for your destruction.

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES WITHOUT ACTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS
Matthew 23:23, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

Activity in the name of God without active relationship with Jesus is a mere religion. The Pharisees were more concerned about paying tithes than living a life of justice and mercy. Paying tithes-sermon is a common sermon in many churches today; paying tithes is good and biblical, but more than that is presenting your life as a living sacrifice, holy and accepted to God, which is your reasonable service. The truth is that, tithes payment is not meant for everybody in the church except those who have totally surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ- you may not hear that from your modern preachers. God wants us to first present our lives holy unto Him before we begin to pay tithes. Those G.Os, Bishops and pastors who say everybody, including unbelievers, should pay tithes are modern and mere Pharisees.

If you are not genuinely saved and serving God in holiness, you need not to be concerned about paying tithes and offerings, your concern should be to first surrender your life to Jesus and be sanctified. Preachers who preach tithes more than more transformation of life in godliness are modern Pharisees. You are not qualified to pay tithes or help God’s work until you totally surrender your life to Jesus and start new life of holiness in Him. Your tithes and offerings are useless and baseless without the salvation of your soul and sanctification of your life.

Isaiah 1:13-16
Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
14 Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil.


CONCERN FOR SELF THAN SACRIFICING
Matthew 23:14, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for pretence make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”

The Pharisees’ doctrines and determinations were all about their “self-interest and ego”, they would misinterpret the scriptures just to serve their personal benefits. They were after their self-exaltation and luxury; they were looking for the best seat for pride and comfort. These Pharisees devoured widows’ houses in the name of giving to God, they discouraged adult children from taking care of their parents in the name of giving to God.

The similar thing is happening today: modern gospel teaches that giving to big pastors, senior pastors, bishops and prophets is more acceptable to God and profitable than giving to your parents or people around you who are in need. By so doing, many ignorantly ignore their parents, family members and friends in need so as to sow into big pastors and their multimillion building projects. Have you ever heard a saying that the lives of some particular pastors are the most vital land to sow seed? Such statement has no biblical backing; it is from the pit of hell. Many Christians are ignorant, so they ignore people around them who have basic and genuine needs, and they go ahead to give prophetic seeds into the lives of big pastors who have millions laying fallow in their bank accounts.

Jesus warned us to beware, run away, from the doctrines of Pharisees and scribes. They are destructive and misleading. You will do yourself more good if you take heed to the warning of Jesus Christ. Do not feed your precious soul with the leaven of Pharisees, no matter how little; because a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Galatians 5:9. No matter how little a false teaching is, it has the capacity to contaminate a whole life, family and ministry.

Are you ready to rededicate your life to Jesus now or start a new life? Then repent! Confess all your sins, forsake them all and ask Jesus to forgive, cleanse you and save you. Please click on this link and read on how to be genuinely saved and start new life in Jesus and pray as directed
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