Mordern Day Pharisee

Have you ever had to deal with a modern day pharisee. Early in my relationship with the Lord I had an encounter that I will soon not forget. I always thought this guy was a genuine seeker of the Lord until I came to bat with him.

We talked about the things of Heaven and what it would be like. We usually had a good time together. But then the ugly truth came out. I knew he wasn't really saved and this was my goal. I could tell by talking to him and the way he talked with others that he had never experienced the renewing of the soul. I would share things with him out of the Bible and for the most part he always agreed. He told me he believed every word of it.

Until one day. I'm not sure what got us off to the races but I know it had something to do with the Sabbath. I tried stressing to him to find a church and get settled in it. He told me that all preachers, all churches have it wrong to worship God on Sundays. Then, get this, he asked me if I burned fire on the real Sabbath. I said, "what"? He ragged on how it is stated in the law that we are not to make fire on the Sabbath. Apparently this fellow has spent all his spare time reading only the Old Testament. He told me I should look at my Bible closer and that I should start in the book of Daniel. I told him to read the New Testament and start in the book of John. I said that Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly. He came that we could enjoy life. This didn't settle well with mr. pharisee.

Later I remembered a teaching from a dynamic preacher about religious people. He said that a religious person will freak out when you tell them that you are the righteousness of God in Christ. So I couldn't resist. I turned to this guy and said, you understand that I am the righteousness of God in Christ. Oh-man. This guy just about came unglued on me. He said you better not say that. I said well it's true. He said no one is righteous not a one. I said except me. He got so mad that he said I can't tell people these things because everyone interprets the scriptures for them selves. I guess he hasn't read the part in the New Testament where it states that no one can interpret scripture for them selves. If I new then what I know now I would have taken the time to point out every single place in the Bible where he was wrong.

We drove by a huge church and he got all huffy puffy. He said, I hate big churches, it's all about money with them. I knew I was dealing with a case then. This guy really thinks that he is in good with God because he goes around trying to get people to buy Bibles and teach them his half truths. I caught him a couple of times speaking straight up lies that he interpreted for himself. All this time he would try teaching people but never not once did he mention a word of Jesus Christ. He never stated that Jesus is the way to Heaven and without Him there is no hope. Whenever I tried correcting his teachings he would get all mad at me. He said to keep my mouth shut unless I could point it out in the Bible. I wanted this guy to get saved but didn't know how to deal with him. He made my blood boil. I said I only say these things because I see you walking out side of the covenant. I said your standing on the threshold of the door Christ opened for you and I just want you to step through it like I did. I let him know that he was still living in sin, and I just didn't want him to go to hell. He snapped at me and said, "Do you still sin." I thought about it and said, "Not on purpose". He said, "well see".

This was the last time I seen or talked with this modern day pharisee. The only thing I can do is pray for him. It is scary to think that we have so many people out there that think the way he does. And these people go around teaching there ways to others. They use half truths to rope in the unsuspecting. This is a demonic spirit that is bringing these people down. We need to pray for these types of people. We need to intercede in prayer, we need to wage warfare against these forces with the power inside of us as true men and woman of God. In the Bible it says "He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world." Sorry, I can't point that out in the Bible exactly where it is but I know it's in there. (He Hee)