Counterfeit verse Authentic

The problem we deal with in this hour is the overlap from that which is false and that which is true. The false has taken on the image of or likeness of that which is true. Much like a counterfeit painting the image is made to appear to be authentic, even to the point of deception. The better the counterfeit the greater the deception until the counterfeit can replace the original painting, and no one will notice.
To a large degree this is occurring through the mystics and new age influences. Many have adopted christian language and many move in spiritual principles. Many also have taken on the image of good wholesome actions and approaches. White magic, wicca and a host of other things are capturing a generation with promises of change, power, and a place of influence upon the earth. There are many cults masked with christian type faces. We say we can pick these out, but the question we need to ask is why are so many involved? Is it the desire to have a form of Godliness but deny the power? The deception is running so deep that even the elect can be deceived, and many are. I recently saw a prophetic act of giving a gift to someone in a large national meeting. They told the leader what it represented. My spirit didn’t set right about the whole thing and it felt off. The atmosphere had shifted. Everyone in the room was shouting and excited. I studied into it and found in the occult world it was a representation of having authority to be re-incarnated! Amazing how spiritual dull everyone seemed to be. The shouts and cheers only affirmed the counterfeit. Its time we mature and stop accepting everything that comes along.
Now to the sticky situation we are allowing, embracing and even promoting many counterfeits. They have gotten themselves positioned because of showing up to meetings, have the finances to do special missions, and have more dominate personalities. I’m not saying everyone doing these things is this way but there are a few. We seem to have not placed people or released them in a biblical pattern and grace resting upon them, but more by a personified personality and popularity. The Bible says in the last days the very elect can be deceived. The deception is not what is good or evil but what is counterfeit and what is true. All false prophets, apostles, teachers etc. happen in the Body. They are trained there, affirmed there and promoted there. They just didn’t suddenly show up. We had a part in allowing the counterfeit to exist, instead of waiting for the real to be developed. We have settled for subpar instead of the fullness of grace. It is the difference between a good copy or imitation and an original. Counterfeits hold no value while the original can be priceless. The deception is thinking if we mimic or copy anointed people’s patterns or ministries or mannerisms, we then have an original or something of value. What we have done is not been real with ourselves and uniqueness of how we have been made. The word that helps counterfeits exist is conformity and it occurs because of leaders not being confident to embrace individuality.
The Apostles were not concerned about the multiple expressions being slightly different and were more concerned about those trying to imitate and lead astray. The Bible speaks of prophesying, healing and doing all the actions of spiritual life but God saying I never knew you. It becomes a Lordship issue. That is the primary relationships God has with you of the many we embrace. You see lordship exposes the mimicking and brings forth the original creation within a person. The unique, peculiar and wonderfully made. How many struggles with their own individuality and not being happy with who they are? Were did this come from? It came from seeing everyone be counterfeit in identity and ministries imitating others trying to make it their own originality. There is only one of you and only one expression of what you bring. The apostles did not present a set-in stone way of doing ministry but gave the concepts and principles. The way is unique because it comes through the person. That’s why there are many administrations of the gifts of the spirit, differences in administration, and diversities in operation.
This counterfeit has caused us to grow look alike networks, church campuses, and worse of all denominations. Each person’s life has been created uniquely to fit into a grand plan and picture of God. Removing that and taking on the wrong image causes confusion as now we have a bunch of look-alike pieces all claiming they fit in the exact same spot of the picture puzzle. It really becomes a type of counterfeit development to find a place or position. The bible says that God promotes, and your gift will make room for you, not if you sound a certain way, act a certain way and perfect your copying. We for some reason want a perfect fully developed person. We miss the fact that not everyone is going to be just like me or what I think they should look like. So, until that day we sometimes dismiss a person’s potential thinking we are right, and they are not so right.
Being authentic requires you to come to conclusion on exactly who you are and what you are carrying. It means you have settled to accept the uniqueness of who you are. It also means the striving has come to an end. You are an extension of the origin. Even our natural kids take on characteristics of us but still are unique and not a copy. It also requires we repent of us trying to be something we are not. The bible says he has placed us as it pleases him. This is not just a gathering of believers but our position upon the earth and the assignments that go with it.
Instead of setting out to be something for God I decided to approach things differently. People have asked how did you get to where you are. My answer is I did what was at hand. I would serve and labor at what was put across my path. I stewarded the moments knowing the moments would help form my life. Looking at my own life I have walked a unique path and now am sitting in a unique place. I still deal with frustrations and unmet dreams. Some things I wish were different and other things I’m so glad they are the way they are. The thing about my life is it has been untypical because I never set out to copy another mans life nor their ministry. It has made our ministry environment unique and many have said “there is nothing like this anywhere.” Exactly! If we are all unique then when we come together that same principle should be reflected every time we gather. That’s why some places seem so alive and others seem so dry and even lifeless. Conformity removes life. Diversity releases a creative atmosphere. The Holy Spirit is very creative. The flesh is very destructive.
The spirit behind a counterfeit is a spirit of deception. The spirit of deception only works with a vessel of flesh that yields to its activity. To counterfeit you must pay attention to details, it is micro managing. It takes away any way of creativity. It takes a good eye and steady hand, in other words its is a lot of effort of the flesh and very little of the spirit. It manipulates the senses to make assumptions. It looks good and holds certain values. It can be passed off to multitudes and once a few are convinced others will follow.
The counterfeits greatest deception is to self-deceive people locking them into their own self-deception. They believe they are fine because no one has confronted them on the lies they believe. I believe this has a contributing factor of most people not wanting to be confrontational, not having discernment, and not being sure who we are before we start helping someone else get out of their mess.
We talk about awakening, reformation, revival, and outpouring. All take great amounts of discernment. All require an ongoing regeneration. To me the opposite of counterfeit is authentic. Authentic means origin. The origin of God before the fall was ongoing regeneration of the earth and all within. But it was a regeneration of the origin God had made. In other words what God set in motion as unique and wonderfully made was not to take on any other image but him. We were to be regenerated over and over and over taking on more likeness of the origin. Yes, we have individuality, but our individuality is perfected in His likeness. Now that’s something to really consider. Just be who God made you to be and stop striving to be something God never intended

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