A Case Against Guardian Angels, And Why We Don’t Believe In Them

Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

This single verse of the Scripture has been divorced from the remaining 31, 101 verses of it, and made to teach what they want it to teach. But like other verses of the Scripture, no private interpretation may be fixed upon it, for no portion of the scripture is of any private interpretation (2 Pet 1:20). All parts of the Scripture must be reconciled to teach the uniform truth of the whole.

Many hold that there is such a thing as a guardian angel assigned specifically to every little child, to watch over and care for them throughout the time of their infancy, until they have reached what they call the age of accountability. Others hold that the guardian angel continues his mission over them until they grow old and die.

As to the specific work of the guardian angel, and why he is assigned to every child, opinions vary. Some maintain that he is sent to protect them from accidents and death in their infancy; others teach that a guardian angel is sent to labour with the child, to help him in his struggle against sin, and to ensure he is not lost forever. But what saith the Scripture?

Christians are plain men who build their beliefs and practises upon the plain declarations of Scripture. They do not found their beliefs upon conjectures, assumptions, or inferences. They do not follow popular opinions, fables, superstitions, or even their emotion. What then, is there a plain passage of Scripture declaring the ministry of angles, and the person to whom they are assigned? Yes!

Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Let the idea of a guardian angel for every infant be exploded forever! Angels are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. The heirs of salvation are the elect of Christ, being those chosen to salvation and eternal life before the foundation of the world (John 15:16; Acts 13:48; Eph 1:3-4; 2 Thesis 2:13). The elect, therefore, are the grand objects of angelic concerns and undertakings. They are those to whom the special privilege of angelic undertaking concerns, according to the plain declaration from the passage in Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews. When they can prove from Scripture that every little infant is a heir of salvation, we shall buy their doctrine of a guardian angel for every child; but until then, we shall set forth the truth we are convinced of.

“But,” it may be asked, “why then did Christ say that every little child has an angel that always beholds the face of His father in heaven.” We answer, First, Christ never said that every little child has angels that behold the face of his Father in heaven. He said that, we should take heed, that we do not despise one of these little ones – referring to those that believe in him, because in heaven their angels behold the face of his Father. The little ones referred to are his disciples, and all who have believed in him for salvation. Proof of this is to be found in the 6th verse of the same chapter, which is the context from whence the proper interpretation of the whole may be derived.

Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

The warning was not against offending little children. Of course, no man ought to, for they also have their inalienable rights, both as creatures of God, and as citizens of a nation; but there were another special group of people against whom we must be careful not to offend nor despise, for the punishment that will be meted out to those that offend and despise them will be far worse that anything the imagination of man can conceive of; and these special group of people were the believers – those little ones which have believed in his name for salvation. And though, despite this awful warnings, they have been often despised, offended, persecuted, burnt at stake and thrown to beasts, yet their redeemer is strong, and shall thoroughly plead their case.

It ought not confuse anyone that believers in Christ should be called little ones, for such epithet and appellation perfectly befits them in a world where their numbers are few, and their persons mostly feeble. They are little, in number, compared to the many which despise and often offend and persecute them. They are little ones, compared to the mighty ones and earthly monarchs that daily make unjust laws to oppress them.

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many mighty, are called:

But God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

It was in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, that they stripped themselves of all pride in their own good works, renounced not only their sins but also their personal righteousness, and were humbled with that form of humility peculiar to a child; wherefore, the appellation, little ones, is a metonymic expression to show the manner in which they have received the kingdom of God:

Matthew 18:3-4

3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Moreover, it is as little ones that we must give them a cup of cold water, in the name of a disciple:

Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

We may further prove that the epithet, little ones, perfectly fits the believers, when we consider that Christ refers to the whole multitude of them as little flock:

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Before we say more, we want to notice few things from the portion of Scripture from Hebrews to which we have already made reference.

Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Notice that it says that the angels are sent forth to minister for, not to; but for – for – for them who shall be heirs of salvation. Here, the word, for, is a preposition indicating that the angels are acting in the favour of, and on the side of, the heirs of salvation, which are the elect. And by proper rule of grammar, if the angles of God be ministering spirits for, in favour of, and on the side of, the elect, it necessary follows that they are ministering spirits sent forth to minister against, in the disfavour of, and are not on the side of, the reprobate, whether he be an infant of days, a neonate, a toddler, a teenager, or an adult. We shall bring forth our strong reasons for the latter and for the former.

For the latter, that the angels of God are ministering spirits sent forth to minister against them who are not heirs of salvation, we shall make good from the inspired Scripture, of the numerous instances of God sending out his angels to destroy his enemies, including children and infants, who were not heirs of salvation.

The first mention of angels is in Genesis 3, after the fall of man. No sooner had God cursed them and driven them from the Garden, his angels in flaming fire ministered against our first parents, to keep them out of the reach of the tree of life.

Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

These were no guardian angels! When God sent Man out of the Garden of Delight (for so Eden signified), he did not assign to him a guardian angel, for man deserved none. What right had they to a guardian angel? Or how congruous would it be that God’s angels should still act in the favour of those who have rebelled from his government, and chosen to themselves the way which seemed right in their sight? Therefore, the first intervention of angels in the affairs of man, was not to minister for him, but against him. If our first parents, Adam and Eve, had guardian angels, where is the proof of it?

We see angels again in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; there, not as guarding angels specifically assigned to any infant or adult, but as God’s messengers assigned against them, to accomplish the wrath of God upon the citizens of these wicked nations, and to bring about a complete overthrow.

Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even …

Did every single child in Sodom have a guardian angel for their welfare and protection? That, indeed, is a thing that cannot be proved by Scripture. Anyone who sets himself to prove such gratifying doctrine must go outside the bounds of Holy Scripture to fetch his proof.

Further in the Scripture, we find an angel of God interposed between the children of Israel and the Egyptians before the Red Sea. To the latter he was no guardian angel, but an adversary, frustrating their motion by a cloud and darkness to keep them from the children of God; but to the other he did minister light by night, making their journey and deliverance unhindered.

Exodus 14:19-20 And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:

And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.

It cannot be proved any way, from any genuine source, that the Egyptians had a guardian angel ministering in any way, for them; not a single soul, infant or adult, had an interest in the service and ministrations of these holy creatures who excel in strength to do the will of their Maker. All which further serves to prove that “they are ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them which shall be heirs of salvation.

In the case of Balaam, a prophet who had several intercourse with God, for we often read of such expressions as, “And God came unto Balaam, And God said unto Balaam, And God met Balaam, And the LORD put a word in Balaam’s mouth”; but in as much as he was set up as an object of God’s wrath, we do not find him with any guardian angel, whether in his infancy or adulthood; but all that we have recorded of him in relation to an angel, was that the angel of the LORD stood against him as an adversary, and sought to slay and waste him.

Numbers 22:22, 32, 33

And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the LORD stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

Are we to believe that this angel, which now stands as an adversary against Balaam, was at one time in Balaam’s infancy, his guardian angel? Or could it be believed that, due to his impenitence and insubordination, his guardian angel has given way for this second angel to now oppose and seek to slay him? This is essential what the fable of guardian angels means.

On and on we could go, to furnish from the scriptures, that there are no guardian angels for any man, but that there are ministering spirits sent forth to minister exclusively for the heirs of salvation (Heb 1:14). Time would fail us to make mention further instances in Scripture; of an angel slaying 185, 000 in the camp of the Assyrians (Isa 37:36); of Herod the King smitten by an angel for not giving God the glory (Acts 12:23), and many others.

We now come to prove by instances in the Scripture, that the angels are God’s “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.”

First, Abraham, who was an heir of salvation by sovereign grace, for him angels did minister on several occasions, as in the case of his pregnant maid, Hagar, who was fleeing away from home with Abraham’s son in her womb. Had not the angel of God interposed her flight, she would have fled away with Abraham’s son, Ishmael, and possibly to return no more.

Genesis 16:9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.

We are aware of the fact that in this instance, the angel ministered, not to Abraham, but to Hagar. She it was that encountered the angel in the wilderness, and heard his voice. But in all these, who can deny that the angel was only ministering for, and in the favour of, and on the side of, the Patriarch, Abraham. The favour of the angelic ministry belongs not to the persons they minister to, but to the persons they minister for; and this is the sense of the words of the apostle Paul in Hebrews 1:14, that they are ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for – for – for them who shall be heirs of salvation. So while the angel ministered to Hagar in the wilderness, he was only ministering for, and in the favour of, the Patriarch Abraham, which favour culminated in the preservation of his first son, Ishmael. An angel may minister to one not an heir of salvation, as in the case of the Egyptians by the Red Sea, where he ministered darkness to them to frustrate their endeavours (Exo 14:19-20); and in the case of the Assyrians, where he ministered death to 185,000 of their host (Isa 37:36). Wherefore, this angel was no guardian angel for Ishmael nor Hagar.

Jacob had many ministrations of these kind for his good all through the days of his pilgrimage on earth. They ascended and descended in a continual service for him, according as it seemed good in the sight of God who sent them (Gen 28:12); they spoke to him in dreams and gave him counsel and direction, according to that dispensation of time wherein they lived before the Scripture was delivered to the saints for their direction (Gen 31:11); they met him in a host, and ministered for him before his meeting with Esau, who had nurtured nothing but wrath and revenge in his heart against the Patriarch (Gen 32:1).

The inspired record is complete for us in its record of the history of the lives of Esau and Jacob, but of the former, we have no record of a single angelic ministration or service for him, but of the latter, the Scripture abounds with many testimonies of them. Wherefore? We would be at a loss to answer, had not the Lord told us in plain terms, “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated” (Rom 9:13).

Read of these ministering spirits sent forth to minister for Gideon in his conquest of the Midianites (Judg 6:11-12); for Elijah (1 King 19:5-7); the Apostles (Acts 5:19); Cornelius (Acts 10:3); Peter (Acts 12:7), and many other heirs of salvation. This, we believe, will suffice for a proof that the doctrine of each single individual having a guardian angel is nothing but a Jeudo-Pagan fable, to be rejected by all who have been taught of the Lord in his word.

Titus 1:14
Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

In addition to what we already established out of the numerous instances in the Scripture, of angels appearing to minister personally and exclusively for the heirs of salvation, we provide another plain passage of Scripture similar to what we have in Hebrews 1:14, though this time, from the Old Testament Scripture, in Psalm 34:7.

Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him – here we have an absolute description of the characters who are objects of angelic service and ministry – they are “them that fear him” – a perfect description to be found only in “them who shall be heirs of salvation“!

The Jew, therefore, if he be true to the Old Testament Scripture as his rule of judgement, has no right to believe in the notion of every single individual having a guardian angel, for out of his Old Testament Scripture he would read it stated plainly, that they encamp around them that fear the Lord; and the Christian, if in addition to the Old, he takes the New Testament for his guide, he shall find that the notion of every infant or adult having a guardian angel is repugnant to the faith he professes.

Another passage which the advocates of this theory often bring forward to sustain their fable, is Acts 12:15.

Acts 12:15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

They argue that the early Christians must have believed in the doctrine of a guardian angel, for else, how can we explain their unanimous conclusion that the person knocking on the door of the house wherein they assembled to pray for Peter was not Peter himself, but his angel.

Now, let it be observed keenly that, though, the disciples exclaimed that it was Peter’s angel which stood at the door, they never said it was his guardian angel. Peter’s angel, and Peter’s guardian angel, are two different things. Somehow, to strengthen their course, they have added the word “guardian” and made it read “Peter’s guardian angel.”

Others who believe in the apparition of ghosts, fetch the story from this passage, and make it read, “Peter’s ghosts”; and they teach that the disciples believed that Peter was dead, and his ghost has now come to show himself to them. Alas! Alas! We may say with Mary Magdalene, that they have taken away our Lord, and we wot not where they have laid him.

By Peter’s angel, we may understand that the disciples meant an angel God has sent to rescue Peter, in answer to their earnest prayer on his behalf; and consequently, that this angel has now come to give them words of comfort concerning Peter’s deliverance. This will be very easy for us to understand as soon as we understand that they were gathered together for the singular purpose of praying for Peter’s deliverance. This may be hard to receive, but why may not these hereticks (of ghost apparition and guardian angels), argue that Peter’s angel literally means an angel created by Peter, since the possessive pronoun (his angel) might as well mean an angel created by Peter.

But, whatever the expression (Peter’s angel) might mean, or in whatever sense the early Christians understood it, or whatever was the original intent of those perplexed disciples that uttered those words, we dare not frame a doctrine from such instances, the chief reason being that such utterances were not intended to convey any true doctrine!

Take for example the utterance of our Lord’s disciples when they saw their Lord walking on the water, and coming to them in the storm, they exclaimed, “It is a spirit.”

Matthew 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Can we now take their perplexed and confused utterance, and frame a doctrine from it, whereas we know that it was not a spirit, but the Man Christ Jesus, who was walking on the water to them.

In Matthew 14, the disciples said it was a spirit that came walking on the water, whereas it was not a spirit, but the Man Christ Jesus in flesh and blood; and in Acts 12, the disciples excaimed that it was Peter’s guardian angel (to use the words of these dreamers) which stood at the door, whereas it was not Peter’s guardian angel, but Peter himself! All this serves to prove that any doctrine built on the perplexed words of these fear-stricken disciples must be as false as the words themselves.

The disciples said it was Peter’s angel which stood at the door, and they were wrong; and those who teach a guardian angel from these words are also wrong and false. When they opened the door and saw that it was indeed Peter, they were convinced of their error; and when these dreamers shall open the Scripture with a prayerful and humbled heart, they shall be likewise convinced of their errors. That the Lord will accomplish this work in their life, is our humble petition to him; and the very reason why we have undertaken to lay open their folly, lest others be taken in as well.

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What To Know About “Monitoring Spirits From the Shrines”

Have you ever heard anyone pray in this fashion of prayer: “Today, by the authority of the name of Jesus Christ, I command any monitoring spirit from the shrine assigned against my life to be destroyed. Any monitoring spirit from my village shrine, I bind you, in the mighty name of Jesus. Every eyes monitoring me from any local shrine, I command you to be blind right now now!!! In the name of Jesus.”

Such is the modern form of prayer practised by the mainstream Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in Nigeria, and also in most West African countries.

Men, who do not know better than to follow whatever the majority of popular preachers proclaim from the pulpits, are made to believe that there are forces and powers assigned to monitor them from the shrines. These monitoring forces are mostly called “Monitoring spirits from the shrines.” It is popularly believed that these monitoring spirits follow them about wherever they go, and bring back necessary information to the idols in the shrines where a witch or wizard has supposedly submitted their names for manipulations.

A young man who fails a job interview is told that a monitoring spirit went to the interview with him, and reported back his activities to the shrine, from where he was bewitched.

But what saith the Scripture? To the Law and Testimony we must seek for the truth, for our generation has brought in pagan beliefs into the faith once delivered unto the saints.

What would David say about monitoring spirit from the shrine? Would the sweet Psalmist of Israel ever entertain such notion? Surely not, for he has left his testimony on record for us. In the 115th Psalm, he ridicules the idea of a “monitoring spirit or a monitoring eyes from the shrines.”

Psalms 115:4-9 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:

They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:

They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

It is very obvious that these modern fanatics have seeing eyes and hearing ears to dumb idols, else how could they have imagined that there is such a thing as monitoring forces from the shrine which work against men’s destinies. They must also have given these dumb idols walking feet, else how could they boldly contradict the clear and bold teaching of Scripture that idols have feet but cannot walk. David wouldn’t waste a single minute of his time repeating and chanting such useless prayers, for he knows that idols and shrines don’t not have seeing eyes – they have eyes, but their eyes see not!

There is, in truth, a Monitoring Spirit which sees every activity of our life, but He is not in the shrine. He knows every single imagination of the thoughts of our hearts, and before a word is on our lips, he knows it altogether.

Before him we are all naked, and to him must we all appear to give an account of our doctrines, beliefs and practices.

Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

He is Jehovah – the Sole and Singular Creator of heaven and earth. His eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good,

Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

David knew more of this Monitoring Spirit than all the modern Charismatic preachers, and he gives us a most wonderful and comprehensive and extensive description of the work and activity of this Great Monitoring Spirit in the 139th Psalm. Would you follow David’s theology or men’s hallucinations?

Psalms 139:1-24

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.

Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.

Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.

Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being in perfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?

I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

What To Know About Powers From the Shrines

These days, Pentecostal and Charismatic pastors prey on weak minds by always telling them that there are forces and powers from evils shrines and altars working against their lives. It is common to see a “prophet” or “prophetess” prophesying to a person, and informing them that “God told me that there are forces from evil altars and shrines responsible for the ordeals and hardships you are passing through in life.”

A young man who is not doing fine in his business or work, dissatisfied with his present condition, and driven to frustration because he believes his competitors have outran him, visits a popular prophet in his town. He hears the stimulating and energetic charismatic sermons that promises health and wealth; he is told that God has ordained every man for greatness in life, and that if they are not experiencing the fulfilment of these great promises in their lives, it must be due to some forces from the shrines.

In the middle of the enthusiastic sermon, the prophet points to him, mentions his name and describes the challenges he is presently passing through. Then he announces to him that one of his uncles took his name to a village shrine and invoked the forces from that shrines to rise up against the young man. At once, the young man believes it.

“It must be true”, the young man exclaims in his heart, “If not, why is it that all is not working well with me as with others? This prophet must be saying the truth behind my problems!”

What next? The prophet lays hands on him, anoints him with anointing oil to break the yokes of darkness over his life, and further directs him to observe the days fasting and prayer. He is told that during the period of the three-days fasting and prayers he is to read some portions from the book of Psalms, and that he should bind and destroy any power from the shrine working against his destiny. The young man begins his fasting and prayer the very next day, and enters into war with the forces from the shrine that has been invoked against his bright destiny. Anything contrary to what the prophet told him must be false. He has found the root of his problems in life, and he must fight it to the end.

A lady in her thirties has never had anyone propose her for marriage. She see that younger girls in their twenties are being married into rich families, but no one knows she exists. She has been invited to attend several wedding ceremonies of many who are younger than her, but when is she ever going to invite others to come to her own wedding. She is frustrated. Driven with vexation, she determines to know what is behind her problems in life. A friend invites her to her church and tells her, “Why not you attend our prophetic service this Wednesday? Our pastor has a special anointing to break the yokes of delayed marriage. Come, sister, and you will see for yourself.”

During the service, the prophet announces to the audience that, “While the worship song was going on, the spirit of the Lord told me there is a lady here named Cynthia, and this is your first time of attending this church. Your name was taken to a shrine by your stepmother, who invoked the forces of that shrine to hinder your marriage. But because you have come into this church today, by the prophetic anointing of God upon my life, I set you loose!!! Wherever you are, please can you rise up and come forward to this platform and I will pray with you, and you marital curses will be broken.”

Before he finishes speaking, the young lady Cynthia walks towards the pastors with tears in her eyes. She weeps for joy that finally, God has revealed the power behind her delayed marriage. Now she believes that in not less than 3 months from that time, she would be married. If after 3 or 4 years she remains unmarried, it must still be that her stepmother went and submitted her name to another shrine the pastor destroyed the powers of the first shrine. Can sister Cynthia ever receive anything contrary to what she has been made to believe?

But what saith the Scripture? Does the Scriptures hold forth to us that forces from the Shrines can oppress a person’s life and destiny?

Jeremiah 10:2-6 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

Let God be true, and every man a liar! That there are shrines and idols to which evil men and women resort in order to harm others, we cannot deny; but that these shrines and idols have any power or force to destroy men’s lives and destinies, we utterly deny on bible ground. The Holy Scriptures declare boldly,

Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

They cannot do evil: So prophet who makes people to believe that these shrines and idols are behind the evil occurrences in their lives are nothing but liars. Shrines and idols cannot do evil, nor can they bring about any evil. Therefore, it is a useless prophecy and revelation when anyone attributes to them the powers they do not possess. What is evil, but the opposite of good? All the evils that ever befell men in the Scripture were from the hands of God. The earth drowned by a flood, Sodom and Gomorrah melted to ashes, Sarah’s barrenness, Rebekkah’s barrenness, Rachael’s barrenness, Hannah’s barrenness, the Ten plagues of Egypt, Job’s loss of ten children and livelihood, all these evils came from God. “Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” (Amos 3:6). “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things” (Isa 45:7).

Judges 6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

Baal, the most revered idol in the Bible time, had his shrine and altar turn down by Gideon, and Joash (Gideon’s father) had to remind his kinsmen that Baal was mere fiction of the depraved mind, or else he should fight for himself.

Isaiah 8:11-13 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

The Lord warned his servant Isaiah not to walk in the ways of the people around him, nor should he entertain the fear of idols which they entertain, rather he should fear the Lord and sanctify him.

We challenge any controverter of this truth to show us a single passage in the Scripture where evil or harm was brought about by an idol or any spiritual force from the shrine.

If a man, a woman, or anyone reasonable creature, finds himself or herself in an unpleasant situation, let him lift up his eyes to the heavens, humble himself, and justify the Judge of heaven and earth, and let him plead for mercy at his hands. With him is life and death, health and sickness, light and darkness, good and evil.

In future I hope to add more to this post and expand this material, but for the meantime, if this short post has helped anyone to see the truth, God be glorified.

The Meaning of “When I See The Blood I Will Pass Over You”

We often see stickers and handbills on the doors and windows of some very religious people with these words, “Witches and wizards pass over because this house is covered with the blood of Jesus.” Some others read something like this, “This shop is covered with the blood of Jesus, enemies of progress pass over,” and in the bottom right corner of the sticker, we find this passage of the bible written, Exodus 12:13. Thus, that historic record of the deliverance of the Children of Israel, foreshadowing our salvation, is hijacked and perverted by those who claim they are filled with the Holy Ghost in the same way the Apostles were.

A little thoughtful considering of the text will show that they have no warrant to use it they way they have just done. The blood of the Lamb of God was not shed to thrown about as a magic word or mantra to expel witches and wizards; much less was it shed so that we could have our business and material possessions protected from the assault of our personal enemies.

There is nothing in the text to be interpreted as saying the blood of Jesus covers our doors and houses from witches and wizard; no, the blood of the incarnate Son of God was shed for a far weightier reasons than the protection of our earthly possession and shops. It was not to protect our shops and houses that he shed his blood; but to redeem us from the wrath of God which we deserved by our sins: to deliver us legally from the sentence and condemnation which had come upon us for our sins. The wages of sin is death, and death we deserved; the only remedy from death was that a substitute should die in our place. The only one qualified to be a substitute must be a Godman: one who could both lay his hands on God and on man and reconcile the two parties.

Not angels, for it is not in the nature of angels to redeem any. The work of redemption far exceeded what they could accomplish. They are creatures, and as such they can not act beyond the capability of a creature. Salvation must be the work of the creator, for salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9).

Not fallen man, for in his fallen state, the thought of his own salvation does not enter his mind; he cannot conceive of it in his depraved mind. He cannot pay for his own sins, much less the sins of his brother to redeem his soul from the pit (Psa 49:7).

Salvation originated in the mind and purpose of God before any creature of his was called into existence (Eph 1:4-5; 2 Tim 1:9; 2 Thess 2:13), and he works all the aspects of our salvation to cut off every ground of boasting from us (1 Cor 1:27-31), that all the glory of our salvation may redound to him, who alone is the author and finisher of it (Heb 12:2).

If the blood of the Lamb of God was shed for the security of our shops and businesses, then the Son of God died for something far too cheap; then our temporal, physical estate was more of his concern than the eternal, spiritual estate of our souls. If the words of the above sticker be true, then Christ shed his blood to save our businesses and finances from the enemies of our progress, and what more can we call blasphemy?

Now, let’s examine both the text, and the historical invent surrounding it,

1. The children of Israel had been slaves in Egypt and mistreated by the new king of Egypt. They were his slaves and he could do with them anything he wanted them.

2. They deserved nothing from the hand of God. Whatever good God designed to do to them was not owing to any good in them, but due to his covenant with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.

3. There is every reason to believe that the children of Israel, at that time, had fallen into the worship of Idolatry, after the death of Joseph and his brothers. It is often the case that when the leader dies, the new generation that would rise who not continue in the way of God: “And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10). Even Moses at this time did not yet know the Lord, for when the Lord appeared to him in the burning bush, he asked the Lord, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? (Exo 3:13), a clear indication that neither Moses at that time, nor the children of God had any hint as to the knowledge of the true God. God had to introduce himself afresh to them as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they never knew the God that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob served. Let us bear in mind that at this time, all the generation that came from Canaan to Egypt had died, and a new generation of their posterity had risen in their place who knew not God. So the lovingkindness of God to deliver them from their wretchedness and bondage in Egypt was not a reward for anything good they had done. It was simply for the promise God made to their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Deut 9:4-6).

4. The passover had nothing with witches and wizards passing over the houses of the children of Israel that night: it was not even the devil who was passing over the children of children, but wrath and judgement of God: “For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you” (Exo 12:23).

5. The passover was not universal in any sense, both in the shadow and in the substance thereof. When men, especially the Pentecostals, speak of the passover blood, they tend to make it universal, by which they try to induce men to belief that the blood of Jesus Christ was shed universally for all; this is a lie. The ordinance of the passover, as was given to Moses in the Land of Egypt was only for the benefit of the Children of Israel of Israel; both the shed blood of the lamb in Egypt and the benefit arising therefrom, was only for the children of Israel, and not one single Egyptian derived a benefit therefrom. We shall turn quickly to the Scriptures and let them speak for themselves, for we are told thus: “To the Law and Testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because they have no light in them” (Isa 8:12). If the teaching of any church or any man does not accord to the plain truths of the Scriptures, we are to judge such men as men who are void of the light of God. And so we shall turn to the Scriptures, to see if the Passover Lamb, and the benefits arising from it, was in any way intended for the whole of the residents in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:3 – “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house.” According to this passage, the command to take a lamb was not given to everyone in Egypt but only to all the congregation of Israel.

Exodus 12:12 – “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.” According to this passage, the Lord would pass through the Land of Egypt that night, and would smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and the reason the wrath and judgement of God would fall on them is not hidden –– because not one soul of the Egyptians had any legal interest in the blood of the lamb; it was not shed for them, neither did the ordinance of the of the Passover in any way comprehend them. When the Pentecostals shout and command the devil’s and witches to see the blood of Jesus and passover, they err in the first place by not understanding that it had nothing to do with the passing over of witches and wizards, as we have explained above; and when they preach and proclaim their passover crusades and meeting, where they anoint people with the oil so the forces of darkness for that month will passover, do they also teach men that the Passover was restricted in design and application only to the congregation of Israel, and not to the Egyptians?

Exodus 12:13 –– “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” Here, we see the reason every firstborn in the congregation of Egypt was spared from the plague. It was not owing to anything good in them, nor was it owing to any condition they fulfilled; nay, it was the blood of the lamb which stayed the plague from visiting them. The only thing that made the difference was the presence of the blood upon their door posts and lintels. Such is the Passover described to us in the Bible; it is not anything like the sense the Pentecostals and Charismatics put upon it when they print their stickers and handbills; the Passover of the Bible is distinguishing in nature – it had no respect of persons at all. It did not the prophetic declarations and chantings of “a great anointed man of God to be effectual.”

Exodus 11:7 – “But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.” If there is any difference between one man and another, the difference can only be traced back to the will and sovereign purpose of God; it is the LORD the doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

The literal Passover in the Land of Egypt was but a shadow of the true Passover of which all the chosen and elect of God were legal beneficiaries; but the substance is Christ and his atoning death on the Cross of Calvary. The Inspired Apostle to the Gentiles would later write in 1 Cor 5:7, “For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” Every iota of the literal passover in Egypt found its parallel fulfilment in the Person and Work of Christ.

Was the Passover Lamb in Egypt to be a male, and without blemish? Even so Christ? Even so, Christ was that lamb without blemish and without spot! Let the reader compare Exodus 12:5 without 1 Peter 1:19.

Was the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel to kill the Passover lamb? Even so, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that that same Jesus, whom they crucified, hath God made both Lord and Christ. Let the reader compare Exodus 12:6 with Acts 2:36.

Did the instruction concerning the Passover lamb in Egypt secure the bones of the Lamb from being broken? Even so was the charge concerning our Lord’s bones, that none of his bones should be broken, which was observed in every detail of it. Exodus 12:46 with John 19:32-36.

Did the instruction concerning the Passover lamb in Egypt include that nothing of it should be left till the morning? So true did this find its fulfilment in the Lord Jesus Christ that his body was not allowed to remain on the cross till the next day, though the Jews, in their wickedness would have naturally done that to him. Compare Exodus 12:10 with John 19:31.

Was the Passover Lamb, in its design and nature, limited to some particular people as the beneficiaries of its blessings? Even so Christ give himself, nor for the world but rather for his church, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Eph 5:25-27). It was not for the goats and sheep alike he gave his life, but for his sheep alone (John 10:11), and some of among his audience were excluded as goats (John 10:26).

These wonderful facts attending the Passover of the bible distinguishes it from the Passover of the Modern Pentecostals and Charismatics. Theirs is as diametrically opposed to that of the Bible as hell is to heaven.

We can never understand, nor value the historic record of the Passover as written in the Bible but only as we find it fully fulfilled in the Person and Work of Christ for our eternal salvation. The instance we degrade it to a mere magic mantra supposed to drive away witches and wizards from our business premises, we make it a common thing, and rather than appreciating the True Passover Lamb – our Lord Jesus, and falling in love with him, we shall find that we have only sought to use his religion and the truth surrounding his glorious death and resurrection as a means to our selfish and earthly prosperity.

Writing it upon our offices and door posts, and proclaiming it as a mantra, that “our business premises is covered with the blood of Jesus”, or that “witches and wizards should see the blood of Jesus on our doorpost and pass over” may sound good in the ear; yea, it may gratify the itching ears of every nominal Christian, but when we weigh such expressions on the balances of Holy Writ, we shall find them wanting and full of blasphemy; and shall soon discover how we have neglected that which was the chief design of Christ dying on the Cross, namely, for the eternal salvation of our souls.

Therefore, Let the reader have in him a jealousy for the God of the Bible from today henceforth, and a sincere love for the atoning blood of Christ, so that whenever he hears or reads such blasphemous words on stickers and flyers from the Pentecostals and Charismatic, his spirit will be stirred within him to flee from such expressions, and not be a partaker in their evil deeds.

Does your church sell anointing oil

Most Pentecostal churches are known for the practise of selling anointing oil in the Church; and the fact that this has become popular with all Pentecostal churches makes it is difficult to convince people that such practise is both unscriptural and wicked. But we believe the truth will always find reception in a heart that has been renewed by the Holy Ghost; and like the Apostle Paul, in all our preaching, we do not labour to have all men saved, rather, we endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Tim 2:10).

A church that sells the anointing oil is no longer a church but a business centre, and that is exactly what many Pentecostal churches have become – a business centre.

In Matthew 21:21-22, we read that “Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold

Why do many use the anointing oil

1. 1. Because men’s hearts are naturally inclined to idolatry and superstitions.
2. Because idolatry practised in the name of Christianity easily commends itself to the taste of all men.
3. Because natural faith, which is the faith common to all men, seeks something on which it can lean upon: something that the natural eyes can see; whereas, special faith, which is the faith of God’s elect (Titus 1:1), seeks nothing to lean upon which is perceptible to the natural eyes; the faith of natural men walk by sight, but the faith of God’s elect does not walk by sight.
4. Because lies told in the name of Bible Christianity is easily received for truth and hard to detect.
5. Because God promised to blind men and rewire them to believe a lie that they might be damned, seeing they received not the love of the truth (2 Thess 2:11-12).
6. Because God promised to give men over to their own heart’s lusts (Psa 81:12).
7. Because Satan loves to imitate the truth; the Apostles used the anointing oil to heal the sick in Mark 6:13, and Satan wants seeks to imitate the same.
8. Because we live in the perilous times of the lasts days when men shall prefer fables to sound doctrine, and carnal worshippers shall seek out false, effeminate, seeker-sensitive, teachers to scratch their itching ears (2 Tim 4:3-4).
9. Because Satan, through the prosperity gospel of the Pentecostals and Charismatics, have preoccupied men with the care of the state of their body, while they never care about the state of the souls.
10. Because men love magic, and would readily receive it if it is now practised in the name of the Bible and in the name of Jesus Christ.
11. Because men count the longsuffering of God as slackness and delay (2 Pet 3:9)
12. Because Pentecostals and Charismatics think the Holy Ghost is contained in the bottle of the anointing oil, just as the Pope and his groupies think the body, soul, and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ are contained in the bread and wine of the communion.
13. Because broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat; but strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it Matt 7:13-14).

Something better than the anointing oil

It is the way of the natural man to neglect the best of the gifts of God to settle for the least, and even believers tend to do this since they still carry their depraved nature in them. This seems to be the case of the Corinthian church; they were settling for the gifts of tongues, which was by far the least of the spiritual gifts, hence Paul told them: “But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way” (1 Cor 12:31).

In our time there seems to be more and more men settling down for the use of the anointing oil, which is by far an outdated gift, and also very irrelevant to the saints today. God has given us something far better and superior than the anointing oil. We are not left as orphans in this world, nor have we been left defenceless in our war against sin, the flesh and the world. This article will show that God has given to his saints something better than the anointing oil.

While the Lord Jesus Christ tabernacled in the flesh among us, his disciples were never perplexed nor troubled; the thought of their vulnerability to the powers of darkness never entered into their hearts because they found a sure refuge in him. In Matthew 14:23-33 they witnessed him walk over the water and rescue them from the boisterious storm; in Mark 4:37-41 they witnessed him rebuke the wind and the sea and they yielded perfect obedience to him, such that they said with their own mouth, “What manner of man is this, that

Examining the use of the anointing oil

God has given to his church a wonderful gift, a precious gift, something greater than the anointing oil. At the mention of the name of Jesus Christ every name, and every knee shall bow. In spite of this wonderful gift that God has given us, many people continue to use what they call “spiritual materials” in their prayers and worship to God. This article will examine the use of the anointing oil throughout the several dispensations of the Bible times.

God permitted the use of the anointing oil in the ceremonial and religious activities for the children of Israel under the old covenant until the fullness of the time should come when we would have a clearer light shining through a complete Scripture.

In the Old Testament, the anointing oil was used in some occasions, such as when a new King was anointed to assume the throne (1 Sam 16:13; Psa 89:20, 1 Kings 1:38-39), and during the consecration of the priests to their priestly office and duties (Exo 29:7-21) etc.

Several miracles and signs and wonders were performed in the Old Testament which did not involve the use of the anointing oil, because the anointing oil was not given for the purpose of initiating miracles. The deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the miraculous provisions of manna, meat, and water for the multitudes of the children of Israel in the wilderness, the crossing of the River Jordan, and the possession of the promised land did not involve a single use of the anointing oil. The miracles that occurred during the reigns of the judges, such as Gideons victory over the Midianites, Samsons victory over the Philistians, Jepthah’s victory over the Ammonites, (and so on) did not involve a single use of the anointing oil.

If we come down to the times of the prophets in the Old Testament, we shall find that the miracles that were performed under their ministry did not involve a single use of the anointing oil.

When Elijah put the prophets of Baal to open shame on

Hilarious Names of Pentecostal Churches

Once we depart from the principles and practices of the Early Church as found in the Scriptures, there will be no limit to the errors and madness we shall venture into; and what seems as first to be so minor a point will become an enormous mountain we would find it difficult to uproot.

The apostles and ministers of the early Church had a simple way of naming churches based on its geographical locations, and all the churches we read of in the Scriptures followed that rule.

We have the church of Galatians (Gal 1:1-2), the church of Ephesus (Rev 2:1); the church of the Laodiceans (Rev 3:14), church of the Thessalonians (2 Thess 1:1) and so on; but we never read any such thing as “El-shaddai Shall Not Die Ministry,” or “Run For Your Life Ministry;” etc. Do you think I making those names up by myself to give you an interesting post? No, there are actually Charismatic and Pentecostal churches bearing such hilarious names like “El-shaddai Shall Not Die Ministry.”

You can see some pictures below; these are photos taken of the sign posts of some well known “prophetic” churches and ministries in Nigeria. I will show you the pictures and comment briefly on each of them.

This posts will also explain why we have chosen to go by the simple name of “UMUAKA CHURCH” for our local congregation here in Umuaka, Njaba LGA, Imo State, Nigeria. When we write “UMUAKA CHURCH” on the church sign post, we put a very short description like “Particular Baptists” so visitors and inquirers can easily know what we stand for. Now let us check out the names of these churches and have some spiritual entertainment:

The Devil’s Hunter Ministries

Whatever may be the meaning this blindseer has in his mind and brain to have named his local church “The Devil’s Hunter Ministries”, one thing is certain, they are on the business of hunting out devils and evil spirits. Gone are the days when men preached to bring sinners into the consciousness of the wrath of God due to their sins, and of the way of salvation secured through the atoning death of Christ. No, gone are those days indeed! Such preaching and sermonizing may fit into the Puritanical era, but no longer in our time. Our 21^st Century generation has realised that it is not sin, but Satan and evil spirits that keeps men from God’s blessing; and so the race to hunt out these evil spirits has began. Let us replace the old-fashioned doctrinal preaching with “Devil-hunting”, and the old-fashioned “accapella” singing with drums and Gospel Jazz.

If you are not moved with tears in your eyes to lament with me how swiftly our generation has turned from the old way, then you have not had a work of Grace wrought upon your heart. It is that simple.

Oh God, Na Like This We Go Dey?

This is a Nigerian pidgin English meaning “Oh God, are we to remain in this condition?” I don’t have much to say; but let everyone reasonable person ask himself if a sinful creature who deserves nothing from God ought to ask God such silly and stupid question.

Elshaddai Shall Not Die Ministries

Don’t think this pastor was such an illiterate to have not known what he wrote on the banner there? For the fact he knows the hebrew word “Elshaddai” and