Rasputin in the Pulpit

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Grigori Rasputin. Born into the obscurity of Siberia in 1869, Rasputin became the most influential man in all of Russia. After realising he was not suited for traditional monastic life, he decided to take a more hedonistic approach and ultimately, seduced his way to the top...right into the heart of the Romanov dynasty.

Rasputin was foul. He was manipulative. He was rife with lust and possessed by demons. He was, in a phrase, a possessor of strange fire. Very strange fire indeed. And while it was strange, the fire and, indeed, modus operandi of Rasputin is more common than you would think. How do I know? Because I see men [and women] like him in pulpits across America and around the world.

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SEDUCERS

Typically when people hear the word seduce or seduction, they automatically think sex. However, sexual seduction is merely one branch of seducing spirits. You can be seduced by sex, yes. But you can also be seduced by a lifestyle, money, success, a particular dream you’ve always wanted, and a false gospel. Next to Satan, Jezebel is the head seducing spirit.

Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. - Revelation 2:20

Rasputin was a master seducer. And while his seduction most certainly and frequently included sexual exploits, more dangerously, he seduced people into believing as he did...at least enough to indulge in sin with him. He seduced the Tsarina, Alexandra, wife of Tsar Nicholas II, into believing that he could heal their hemophiliac son, Alexis (pronounced Alexi). 

In 1903, Rasputin's wanderings brought him to St. Petersburg, where he arrived with a reputation as a mystic and faith healer. Two years later, he was introduced to Russian Czar Nicholas II and his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, who were seeking help for their sickly son, Alexis. Rasputin quickly gained their confidence by seemingly "curing" the boy of hemophilia. This action won him the passionate support of Alexandra. (Biography.com)

One builds a reputation as a holy a.k.a. sanctified individual with mystical healing powers through legitimate anointing from God, lying wonders, or charlatanism. I believe Rasputin falls somewhere between lying wonder and charlatan.

Look at the pulpits and social media platforms today. Look at the men and women in them. There are many performing signs and wonders, many performing healings. However, the number of those performing these healings, signs, wonders, and deliverances does not match up with the lesser number of those who have a godly character and authentic relationship with the Holy Spirit. The character of the individual will tell you the source of their power. (See “BLASPHEMERS.”)

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. - II Thessalonians 2:9-10

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. - Matthew 24:24

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. - II Corinthians 11:13

When we actually begin to focus on Christlike behaviour and the fruit of the Spirit, then we will see the deception by lying wonders and their false propagators dramatically lessen. And while we should always seek to do right and follow those who do right, we must also be aware that Jesus prophesied that in the Last Days, these false christs and false prophets would increase in signs and wonders (Matt. 24:24, Mark 13:22).

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MANIPULATORS & PREDATORS

I believe that in addition to being deeply demon possessed, Rasputin was also a master manipulator. I recently watched a documentary that discussed him, and one of the historians stated that he was a man who understood people; he could read them and minister to him based upon that. My personal stance is that he had a keen sense of understanding people, psychologically. He could read people’s body language. And aided by familiar spirits who could download by the spirit what he could not pick up in the natural, he made a perfect predator. 

I specifically use the word predator because he could use what he deciphered about people in order to play them like a fiddle and execute his agenda. This is how he was able to gain the trust of many high society women...and fall into their beds.

...having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. - II Timothy 5-9

There are ministers on increasingly large platforms who specialize in predatory behaviour they call “ministry.” These are apostles and prophets who, at least once upon a time, harnessed legitimate discernment and then crossed over into utilizing familiar spirits to read people. They produce words of knowledge, words of wisdom, and prophetic words - not borne of the Spirit of God - and use them to play upon the people’s emotions. 

TO BE CLEAR words of knowledge, words of wisdom, and prophetic words are absolutely of God. However, all three of these ministrations of the Spirit of God can be unfortunately replicated by unclean, familiar spirits who familiarize themselves with people, places, and things for the agenda of Hell.

Sometimes, these apostles and prophets of light play upon people’s emotions for a reaction, to convince the congregation. Sometimes, they do it to discredit people by revealing their inner issues. And sometimes, they do it to build a dangerously loyal team and following. All aspects are concerning, but I confess, the last reason concerns me the most.

But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

….And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” - Acts 8:9, 18-23

Like Simon and Rasputin, these sorcerers in pulpits are intent on capturing the hearts of the people for their own gain. Whose kingdom are you building, men and women? God’s or yours?

BLASPHEMERS

Blasphemy or blaspheming the Holy Spirit is any time the works of God are attributed to Satan or any time the works of Satan are attributed to God. Many theologians also agree that this is not merely a sin of ignorance. (Many people have come to me as well as other ministers fearful that they have committed the unpardonable sin, and we always tell them the same thing: If you’re concerned about having committed the unpardonable sin - you haven’t!) Therefore, the unpardonable aspect comes in when someone who had a relationship with God turns on Him and says His works are evil or that evil works are His. 

Now, I’m not sure where exactly Rasputin falls on the blasphemy spectrum as it specifically relates to having a personal relationship with God. I don’t know if he had one and turned away from it or if he never had one to begin with. However, what we do know is that he presented his ministrations as being of God; the people he seduced believed He was of God; the Tsarina believed his “healing powers” were of God. And yet the fruit of Rasputin’s life is that of a whoremonger, an adulterer, a manipulator, and more. Clean and unlean cannot dwell in the same vessel.

In our modern-day pulpits, we call predatory preachers “discerning.” We call abusive pastors “apostolic.” We call control and manipulation “apostolic order.” We call church politics “Kingdom alignments.” We’ve got so much of this wrong, Church! Many of the behaviours we see exhibited by those occupying the pulpits of America are either completely alien when compared to the behaviours exhibited by Jesus, or at best, drastically out of balance. 

JESUS DID NOT DIE FOR THIS!!!

JESUS DIED TO DELIVER US FROM THIS!!! 

IN CLOSING

There are MANY AMAZING men and women who serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the Body of Christ. They do an amazing job and their best job to fulfill the mandate God has placed on their lives. However, all too often, people tend to remember the bad ones and allow that to be the proverbial rotten apple that ruins the whole barrel. 

The Rasputins must be rooted out of our pulpits! And apostles and prophets, this starts with you! Stop releasing men and women into ministry who do not reflect the fruit of the spirit nor the standards that the apostle Paul set in place for ministers. 

Pastors, please stop letting men and women with foul and perverse spirits stand in your pulpits and taint the people that God has assigned you to protect and cover.

People, learn to judge the fruit of [ministers] to see what the source of their supernatural demonstrations is. 

You don’t have to receive someone based on their title. You don’t have to receive someone based on their reputation [although this should absolutely be taken into consideration]. You receive [or don’t receive] someone based on what the Holy Ghost is telling YOU about them. Do not ever discredit your discernment based on the words of someone else. You can take their advice into consideration and should if they have a good track record. But ultimately, who and what you allow to enter your life is up to YOU. And when it’s all said and done, YOU have to stand before God and answer for what you entertained in your life.

The power of a jezebelic person is agreement. If we refuse to come into agreement with these Rasputins in the puplits, if we refuse to pimp out our pulpits to them, if we refuse to sit under their ministry, then they will have no one to minister to and their influence will be diminished. Problem solved.