The difference between the dispensations of the Old and New Testaments is an ongoing challenge for many Christians. You can’t worship God in New Testament dispensation on the principles of the Old Testament. And some coming from animist backgrounds are seeking to process Christianity through animist spirituality. They eulogize God adapting the incantations of animist religion, rather than use the names of God as revealed in scriptures. Even the choruses are adaptations of the songs used to worship gods and cacodemons in their culture. And the prayers follow the same course, though beguilingly predicated on the ethological dispensation of Old Testament. Ritualistic prayers are thus offered. And voodoo practice such as stripping stark naked to pray at midnight is incorporated. In animism such nakedness evokes potency of curses.Of course the excuse is that one is coming “just as I am” to God. Yet there is not one passage in scriptures where we’re encouraged to strip naked to invoke the power of God. Even in the Old Testament men are discouraged from exposing their nakedness on God’s altar. (Exodus 20:26).
And when defenders of the faith arise to confront these animist adaptations they are branded criticizers. For a religion whose primary character is named Truth, the resistance of some Christians to truth has to be baffling. So hidebound can men be that they insist on clinging to erroneous practices despite the explicit commands of scriptures. We’re commanded to cast down imaginations & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Cor.10:5). We must “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3).
The standard for Christianity is very clear. The word of God is the only standard, not human tradition, not sentiment. We must resist the heathenizing of Christianity. If it’s unsupportable by scriptures it is NOT Christianity. Apostle Paul tells us we cannot go back to the elemental principles of aboriginal spiritism: Galatians 4:8-9 (NLT) “Before you Gentiles (non-Jews) knew God you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to weak and useless spiritual principles of this world?” We must continue to batter the gates of ignorance, assail the high walls of spiritism masquerading as Christianity. These we must continue to do until they bow to the true knowledge of Christ and God’s people renounce idolatrous culture.
It is important to understand the difference between the Old and New Testaments, lest we continue to pray amiss. The Old and New Testaments are two very, very different regimes, both in spirit and administration. The spirit of the Old Testament was retributive. It was a regime of an eye for an eye. It was laden with vengefulness. “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound…” Exodus 21:24-25. “Breach for breach… tooth for tooth: as he hath caused blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him.” Leviticus 24:20. “And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand…” Deuteronomy 19:21.
You will find corroboration for this retributivism in the Psalms. David for example prayed this prayer against his enemy in Psalm 109: “May his days be few; may his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander and beg… May his creditor seize all he has… Let there be none to extend him kindness… May his posterity be cut off…” Psalm 109:8-12. If you pray such a prayer today it will not be answered by God. If answered it is not by God! Why? Because the spirit of the New Testament is NOT the spirit of the Old Testament. The spirit of the Old Testament is retributory, the spirit of the New testament is gracious and compassionate. If you must curse people after the regime of the Old Testament, note that you’re invoking retribution against yourself: If you choose to live under the terms of the Old Testament you’re bringing a curse upon yourself: “Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out EVERY detail written in the Book of the Law” Galatians 3:10 MSG. The Law was designed to show people their sins, it was not designed to save. Galatians 3:19. The “Ten Commandments” was designed to last until the coming of the Child who was promised (Jesus). Galatians 3:19. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given… and His name shall be called… Mighty God… Prince of Peace…” Isaiah 9:6.
In Luke 9, Jesus set for Jerusalem sent his disciples ahead to make preparations. The disciples entered a Samaritan village but the Samaritans would not accept or accommodate the Jesus party. The Jews and the Samaritans had a long-standing multi-dimensional feud between them. Dated back thousands of years. When James and John became aware of this rejection they asked, “Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?” Elijah was a rather contumacious, rather high-handed, and most disrespectful prophet in the Old Testament. He famously commanded fire from heaven to consume successive soldiers sent to arrest him by the King. (2 Kings 1: 9-15). By the time the saga was over, one hundred and two innocent soldiers had been killed by lightning. It was this event James and John were referring to. They wanted to incinerate the Samaritans with lightning. Those who pray for the “spirit of Elijah” don’t know what they’re praying for! It’s not the spirit of the New Testament. The Bible says Jesus “turned and rebuked and SEVERELY censured” those who wanted to rain fire on people.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know of what sort of spirit you are. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Luke 9:55-56. In other words, a Christian CANNOT pray for the death of his enemies. It is anti the Spirit of Christ. Praying for fire to consume our enemies is the retributive spirit of the Old Testament; it is not the New Testament!
If you pray for your enemy to die and he dies, then we must question what spirit was invoked for such devilishness. It CANNOT be the Holy Spirit since Jesus says such prayer requests are anti Spirit of God and New Testament. It’s a spirit of wickedness and retributive vindictiveness. It has nothing to do with the Spirit of God. That it’s supernatural doesn’t mean it’s of God. Satan and demons are supernatural. Teaching us the difference between the Old and New Testaments Jesus uttered the following: “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy; but I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, TO SHOW THAT YOU ARE THE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN.” Matthew 5:43-45. In other words, the proof we’re Christians is demonstration of love, not invocation of destructive powers. God, Jesus said, “makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall on the upright and the wrongdoers alike. For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have?” Matthew 5:45-46. Praying for people to die is NOT the spirit of Christ. Jesus said so. If you pray and people die, what spirit are you invoking? We know from scriptures, it’s not the Spirit of Christ!
© Leke Alder | talk2me@lekealder.com