Source of Article The Pen of the Watchman
The Lord showed me(Dr. I.J. West) about 3 years ago that we are headed for another showdown at Mt. Carmel just like Elijah vs. the prophets of Baal as in the book of 1st KINGS chapter 18. The prophets of Baal represent those desiring celebrity status and recognition who are misleading the saints by being friends with the world. They are accepted and approved of in high places such as the presidency in exchange for the castration of their voices in silence as eunuchs who are made impotent to speak out against the gay rights agenda and infant murder called abortion, just as the prophets of Baal who served Jezebel and were given protection and prominence by the wicked kings of Israel such as Ahab. King Ahab represents the government and those under them who have sold out completely to Satan, and of whom the Holy Scriptures said in 1st KINGS 21:25; "But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."
The prophets of Baal also had a group of contemporaries or counterparts known as "the prophets of the groves" who were a smaller group of idolaters that mingled the worship of the Lord with false gods, similar to the New Age Movement, Catholicism and the Freemasons. They all engaged in ritual witchcraft, idolatry, homosexuality, adultery & fornication, and also in child sacrifices unto demon gods such as "Baal", "Ashtoreth", and "Molech". The modern day false prophets of Baal and of the groves make what Satan presents through the world acceptable to the Church through their public and open endorsement of ungodly celebrity figures, the ignoring of blatant sin, the lack of transparency and accountability among leadership, and the poisoning of gospel music with worldly music and artists. They are also misleading thousands who are truly seeking God by mixing the clean with the unclean and the holy with the profane. These are worldly ministers ruled by the spirit of Jezebel just as King Ahab of Israel was also influenced and ruled over by his wife the real Jezebel. Jezebel and Ahab were one in purpose, and in turn birthed ungodly offspring who would do just as wickedly as they had done such as "king Jehoram, king Ahaziah, and queen Athaliah". We are seeing the corruption of a generation happen right before our very eyes just as back then, and the LORD himself will soon deal with it in spectacular fashion before his second coming so that the church and the world may know that he alone is still God Almighty.
REVELATIONS 2:20-23; "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21) And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22) Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23) And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."
These celebrity preachers are household names who many of the saints believe to be genuine and choose to ignore the clear evidence that they are not what they appear because many of the smaller leaders want to be like them and endorse them. They are accepted because of their success among men of which foolish folks believe means they are blessed by God rather than promoted by Satan as a deception to fool the very elect. The bigger they become the greater they exercise their influence over others in ungodliness. There are many ministers, pastors, and others who idolize these figures and make comparisons of themselves to them because they desire to have the same type of success, status, and recognition as them. How many times have you heard a pastor talk about big member numbers or the gaining of material things over the pulpit as if that is a sign of blessings or progress? Why do they desire such large followings and wealth? Why does so much of the conversation seem to go towards who they are or what they have? These five-fold ministry gifts have made men and women their examples of godliness and ministerial success more so than the Lord Yeshua Moshiach (Jesus Christ), and don't see the damage they are doing to themselves, the ministers they are mentoring & training, and the congregations they are leading. These behaviors create an "elitist" class of ministers who believe their perceived status grants them a "false grace" from God which makes them cutting edge and gives them a license to teach non-biblical doctrines and do outrageous acts. They feel "enlightened" and everyone else is behind them or needs to catch up to them. This is the same doctrine and teaching of satanists and the "Illuminati" who believe they are the "illuminated" or true "enlightened ones". This is a doctrine of devils being brought in by ambitious and stupid church leaders.
These celebrity preachers and wannabes fraternize with worldly and ungodly celebrity figures, like Oprah, who has openly and on more than one occasion denied the Lordship of Christ and declared herself as her own god. I was once unfriended on Facebook by another saint who got offended because I said so, and then they went on to claim how that Oprah had personally helped them as if they were close friends, but to my knowledge they've never met Oprah. I was even told how it was dangerous for me to speak out against a man of God such as T.D. Jakes, but yet I wasn't respected as a man of God with the commission and authority to do so because of comparison in status as they saw it; not as God sees it. Just that statement of itself told me that even the seasoned people of God are being easily duped and bewitched by the spirit of seduction through like figures. It is further enhanced when famous ministers such as T.D. Jakes promote these figures behind a legitimate issue such as fatherless children in his upcoming "MegaFest" conference with Oprah Winfrey as a part of her "Life Classes". This is an endorsement of the ungodly agenda of the "New Age Oprah" which gives her a platform in the church and those like her by association. It will further skew the minds of other believers in Christ who have already been duped by such presentations as "Oprah's Super Soul Sunday" (why on Sunday?), and her "Life Classes" where New Age gurus and perverted ministers are the teachers. Many will refute what I am saying here and say things like, "I felt the power of God" or "I didn't see anything ungodly." These are the things they say when they view Oprah's ungodly programming. The problem is they are going by their "feelings" rather than judging these things by God's Word. This type of "friendship" or acceptance of the world makes one an enemy of God Almighty. Many have already been seduced and traded to the wrong side, the losing side, without even knowing it.
JAMES 4:4; "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
God gave Ahab and Jezebel space to repent but finally his judgment fell on them and also their children because of their continual rebellion. However, before they were removed the Lord got rid of the 450 prophets of Baal after exposing them as false messengers. The Bible records the words of God's true prophet Elijah when addressing the wicked king Ahab in 1st KINGS 17:1; "And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." Elijah stood in the presence of the LORD God, and through his constant intercession he was given a word and the supernatural authority to shut up the heavens so there would be no rain in order to bring about a drought that would make the nation of Israel turn to God. We are seeing the same results in the economic downturn, terrorist attacks, and political upheaval in the world, which I believe is a direct result of both Bible prophecy, judgment, and the intercession of the true saints of Almighty God to try and get people to turn to the Lord Yeshua. Elijah asked the nation of Israel a question in 1st KINGS 18:21; "And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word." The same question must be asked today and a choice must be made. The true prophets of today must continually stand before the Lord as did Elijah, and look to perform the supernatural works of the gospel because of the scientific and mystical age in which we are living. Just as Pharaoh's magicians imitated the rod of Moses so are the world and these false prophets mimicking real moves of God by the power of Satan to deceive many; even of the veteran saints among us. Elijah always comes before the coming of the Lord just as John came as the forerunner of Christ. It's going to rain again!
LUKE 1:17; "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."
The spirit of Elijah represents the prophetic mantle and the undying word of God, which is why Elijah was taken alive into heaven without seeing death. In contrast, Moses who represented the law, died and was buried by God himself but yet we see both Moses and Elijah bodily alive in the New Testament on the Mount of Transfiguration talking to Christ, and representing "the law and the prophets". MARK 9:4; "And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus." God's law can't be killed, only fulfilled, and it will serve to judge all those who have not received the grace made available through Christ as declared by the ever living testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy. REVELATIONS 19:10; "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." The prophetic testimony of the gospel, will serve as the final witness against all those who walk ungodly; especially these false ministers. The younger generation of ministers want to be celebrities like the ministers they see because they think that is where the power is but that is a lie from hell. Christ even said himself that not everyone who appears to be performing the work of the Kingdom of God is the genuine article in MATTHEW 7:22-23; "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." The Lord is saying here that their works in his name were never authorized by him and that he never had a real relationship with or commissioned these ministers. He blessed for the people's sake in spite of the minister, not because of the minister. They are gifted false messengers who will be judged accordingly.
2nd CORINTHIANS 11:13-15; "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."
The prophet Elijah stood alone on the top of Mt. Carmel against 450 false prophets before the people of Israel, but he wasn't truly alone. There were other prophets hidden away from the treachery and murder of Jezebel, but Elijah was the one chosen to take an open stand for the LORD and his fellow prophets. The truth always seems outnumbered by what is false and the lie always makes headlines and gets the spotlight first, but the truth is the only eternal light that will continue to shine long after God puts the deceptive light of Satan and the world out. Not every minister in church or in the public eye is of God and many are agents of Satan seeking their own fame & fortune. The beloved apostle Saint John writes to us about them and calls them "antichrists" (meaning "against Christ") in 1st JOHN 2:18-19; "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." John said they were among them but not of them. In other words, they had learned the same things, attended the same services, preached the same messages to look like the real deal, but they eventually left to serve themselves and an anti-Christ agenda because their heart was never truly in it for the Lord and for truth. The great apostle Paul also writes about these false ministers and their eventual judgment in PHILIPPIANS 3:18-19; "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things."
Messengers and people of the Almighty God, don't let your vain ambition, pride, or ignorance fool you into thinking that just because you have a platform or get invited to the big stage of men that it is the Lord who is opening that door for you. Elijah was a man of the wilderness as was John the Baptist because the Lord did not want them to be tainted or compromised by the lure of the crowds and fame of what was popular with men. Elijah brought an entire nation to the wilderness to meet with God, and John brought all of Jerusalem into the wilderness to repent and be baptized, and see Jesus. The Lord will again call the people to revival before he returns and he will not only turn cities upside down but he will light up the overlooked and obscure people who have real power with God to shine as the true and brightest lights in the darkness of the world. Don't compromise your calling and integrity for fame or a name because it may cost you your eternal soul in hell away from God. Let your light shine for truth and don't be deceived by the darkness. ~ I.J. West
MATTHEW 5:14; "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."
