The Orthodox Abomination and the Old Yeast (Edited with ChatGPT)

 

There is a reason why the quality of our faith and the faithfulness of believers have deteriorated: the way of heaven and God has been replaced by the way of earth and man. Our focus used to be on the anointing of the Holy Spirit and following God’s guidance. But when we fell, our debates shifted to which human system is superior. Some argue for democratic or collective models, others for visionary leadership. Some defend elder-led systems, others pastoral ones. But the right answer is faith led by the Holy Spirit. If God is truly with us, if He is our Lord and we are His humble servants — not overlords — then He will lead us. That alone is the right way. The problem isn't our differences, it is our disobedience. Since God is not with us and we do not obey His will, we argue, divide, and hate each other over worthless distinctions. What matters is that we all bow to God’s will — because He knows the answer.

 

In earlier assemblies, people possessed by demons used to cry out in agony just passing by the gathering. Now, such people are elders, worship leaders, and respected members among us. Why? Because the power of the Holy Spirit no longer fully manifests. A house divided against itself — that’s what the devil is building within us. God did not take His Spirit away — we cast Him out. We made Him the homeowner without a home. In His temple — that is, us — the devil and the world now operate as co-owners while the Holy Spirit stands in the corner, grieved. That is why God leaves us behind, and the grace of the Holy Spirit fades from us.

 

When we speak of “the old folks,” it’s not nostalgia for warmer suns — it’s because they were slaves of the Lord, obedient to His will. The spiritual truths we speak here in the Horn of Africa come naturally to us — unlike in other regions — because our faith was once planted in fertile soil. That’s why we love and honor the elders of faith. But holiness is not a permanent badge. A holy person must live holy. When a holy man sins, he becomes a sinner. When John the Baptist doubted Jesus, his doubt was sin — and he paid dearly for it. A man once lifted to the top ended up low. He came to prepare the way for Jesus; many of Jesus’ disciples first followed John. His mission was honored. But when he followed the old yeast of the land and doubted Christ, that doubt became a grave abomination. His doubt set a trap at Jesus' feet. If not for the mighty hand of God, that single act could have caused a chain reaction of destruction.

 

We honor the old faithful because they bore holy fruit. But when those same people cry foul over the sins of today’s faithful, while welcoming with open arms the abomination of desolation in Orthodox and Catholic religions, they reveal their hypocrisy — and the fingerprints of the devil’s playbook.

 

We should indeed be angry that our faith has become a PLC, a business. It is righteous to point out sin — not to destroy, but to rebuild. If our brothers and sisters are losing their way, who will rebuke them? Whether they listen or not — God will judge — but our role is to correct them with truth, to restore them. Yet, after rightly cleaning the critical sin within, we then swallow the camel of Orthodox and Catholic abominations and give them honor? That reveals the root of our downfall. This human-centered religiosity is the very reason faith has decayed in the first place. And now we repeat that sin — on a higher dose. God will judge us for it.

 

Why can we not see Christ in the lost faithful, yet somehow imagine faith in the abominations of desolation? Because we focus on religious appearances instead of the substance of faith. We want cups clean on the outside — religious form, holy looks — but with no real faith or holiness inside. We do not seek what is holy to God but what suits our disgraceful fall from grace. That is why faith is in ruins. We destroyed it ourselves — and now, when God begins to restore it, we return with our old yeast to pollute it again.

 

Whether the new generation listens or not, we must tell them the truth — not to destroy them but to rebuild and revive them. The same goes for you, old saints — and old fools. Whether you heed the call or rebel again, like many before and after you, we will still speak the truth. After that, your blood is no longer on our hands. Your fate lies in your own choices.

 

If you cannot see the sin and abomination in those religions and yet have eyes for sin everywhere else, it is baffling. You’re like a man standing in the filthiest toilet and complaining about a bad smell outside. There is no place more spiritually foul than those religions. If you can’t see that, it shows how far you’ve fallen from God’s grace.

 

Let’s imagine for a moment: the Holy Spirit is given to the Orthodox, Muslims, and Catholics. Do you expect Teacher Girma or Teacher Asseged? Do you expect Teacher Girma to “cast out” demons in the names of saints, angels, and “our good mother,” while preaching the abomination of desolation? Can the devil cast out the devil? That’s a question for those mature enough to chew on bones. Or do you expect Teacher Asseged to cast out demons, open blind eyes, and heal the sick in the name of Jesus Christ, while preaching the true Gospel?

 

Do we have a problem with our brothers from the reformation movements? No. Our concern is with Teacher Girma receiving the Holy Spirit. Are you claiming the Spirit of God will empower someone to preach saints, angels, and “our good mother” instead of Jesus Christ?

 

Do we mean that reformists who reject the abominations of Orthodoxy will receive the Holy Spirit? That would make sense. I believe those who fear God without yet knowing Him are better off than those who neither fear nor know Him — like many of us. So when we speak of reformists within Orthodoxy, we mean those reforming toward God's standard — not those reforming toward the standard of the abomination.

 

Many former Orthodox, Muslims, and Catholics are now soldiers of God. God wants His children — from all religions, atheism, and sin — to come home and be born again. But once they do, they must become a new creation. A new creation may carry Ethiopian, American, or even Orthodox or Muslim culture — but never their old abominations. They may sing, dress, or act a certain way, but their faith and theology must be rooted in Jesus and the true Gospel.

 

So when we say that Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims, and others will receive the Holy Spirit, do we mean they will leave behind their sinful nature and old religions to live in Christ? Or are we still carrying sinful luggage? That’s the real issue — the sinful baggage must go. King Solomon was God’s best, until he chased after idol-worshiping women. Friends, stay away from those prostitute faiths, or you will learn — painfully — that God honors those who honor Him, and disgraces those who disgrace Him. Don’t bring your old yeast into this time of revival.

 

Get behind Jesus, old devils.