the saul syndrome: howard conder's wilful rebellion against god - revelation tv

The incredible delusion of Howard Conder still does not fail to astonish me. Actually I have come to believe that it is far worse than delusion, Conder is in wilful rebellion against God.

Watch The Late Show Tuesday the 23rd of June 2015 from about 5:30 minutes in - Conder's remarks last for about three and a half minutes (thankfully not too long to endure).
http://www.revelationtv.com/programmes/episode/the-late-show407359

The Saul Syndrome

It is significant that Howard Conder's behaviour mirrors that of King Saul (1 Samuel 15:1-34). Saul disobeyed God's command to ".....go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them....." (1 Samuel 15:3). He was confronted by Samuel after he had spared King Agag and all he considered "good" (1 Samuel 15:1-9,13). Saul's reaction - he made excuses and insisted that he had performed the commandment of the Lord (1 Samuel 15:20). King Saul had an “above the law” (lawless) mentality, and when challenged by God's prophet, his attitude was that of denial and self-justification rather than repentance. Samuel's response: “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” (1 Samuel 15:14) We might rephrase Samuel's question and ask Howard Conder: What is this bleating of false teachers in my ears and the lies that I hear?

We might also repeat Samuel's further questions and ask Howard Conder:

Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? 
Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord? 
(1 Samuel 15:19)

The commandment of God:

For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:7-9) Conder actually promotes false doctrines!

See also Romans 16:17; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3; Matthew 7:15-20; 1 Timothy 1:3, 10; 1; 4:1-5, 6:3, 20-21; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 2:1; 3:10 etc. etc.

Conder has flagrantly ignored clear and repeated scriptural warnings about the false teachers/doctrines that he promotes. This is nothing short of outright rebellion against God, and yet he continues to air these false teachers, even admitting that they are "iffy" (1 Samuel 15:23). Just like King Saul, Conder continues to persist in his arrogant rebellion, insisting that he does follow the Lord, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him. (1 Samuel 16:14)

After the Lord had abandoned him, Saul degenerated into a cluster of abnormal behaviours - mood swings, anxiety, paranoia, depression, outbursts of anger, obsession (he saw traitors everywhere), false accusations, threats etc. Conder suffers from a similar cluster of abnormal behaviours doesn't he? He openly admits suffering from mood swings, depression and suicidal thoughts; he is well known for his unfortunate outbursts of anger, and he is not averse to making false accusations and issuing vile personal threats against his critics. Through his sinful behaviour, Conder has created his own false reality in order to control others for personal gain through lies, manipulation, and sympathy through outward displays of self-created suffering, hardship and victimhood.  http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/revelation-tv-howard-conder-breathes.html

Today we would probably label Saul's condition unipolar depression or bipolar affective disorder. There is also a condition called cognitive dissonance, a condition of conflict or anxiety resulting from inconsistency between one’s beliefs and one’s actions. However, Saul did not have a medical condition, the Bible tells us specifically that he was tormented by an evil spirit from God. Saul ended very badly in out and out witchcraft at En-dor (1 Samuel 28:7), and he ended his own life by by suicide (1 Samuel 31:1-7). Conder also seeks out mediums and false prophets, though he does it under the guise of Christianity.

So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the LORD in that he did not keep the command of the LORD, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. (1 Chronicles 10:13)

FALSE VALIDATION

It was false prophet Jonathan David who first implanted the delusional idea into Conder's mind that he was going to be a modern day “Elijah” in 1994. I have already discussed Jonathan David's "Elijah Prophecy" over Conder in a separate post: http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/revelation-tv-howard-conders-delusional.html

Now apparently we have another false prophet "encouraging" Conder's self-delusion and rebellion:

Conder:  "A dear man of God who calls me quite regularly, and he did again today, because I had a terrible day yesterday. I mean you don't know this, but actually behind the scenes, the mask and everything, I was at pretty much at walking away point. I get there often but don't worry. God has allowed me to go through these times..... and I am really in a terrific mood today. Yesterday the enemy was whispering in my ear 'take your life', how stupid can you get..... Today the other..... my God is whispering in my ear and He (God) has also reminded me of what He spoke through this man of God who spoke to me today and actually just gives me such encouragement and I want to thank that man of God. He wrote on Wednesday the 9th of July at 9:30am 2008, he actually spoke to me on the phone, but he wrote it down."

"Howard I saw a dark cloudy sky, but in the distance was a shaft of bright sunshine..... The Lord would say to you; 'I have given you over to Satan to test you and to try you, even though when you look at the circumstances, it will look terrible. Do not fret for I have given my angels to watch over you. I am calling you to set your face towards the light, and you will reach that light. You have called out saying "Why me Lord I am old and tired and when can I relax?"' The Lord would say to you Howard that - 'There will be plenty of time to relax, but now I have a job for you to do, and very few people with the right heart to do my calling. I have called you for this special purpose at this special time and I will give you the tools you need, and the finances you require. The enemy has set his face against you, and he has set his face against my people, Israel. You will win and you must set your face and your mind and your heart towards me. Whatever happens, don't look back or sideways, for if you do you will miss my best. Howard, you know I have had my hand on you from the beginning, even though you thought you could do it your way, you have discovered it is better to walk in my ways. I will watch over your family and I have set a fence around them, so have no fear for I have a plan and a purpose that I am working out. Be willing to allow me to direct your path; it is what you wanted so don't be surprised and I have much more in store for you to accomplish and a shaft of light that you will receive when you come out from under the clouds. Be at peace and watch me work.'"

Indeed there are very few people who have the right heart to do God's calling, and Howard Conder cannot possibly be one of them. Conder thinks he has a calling for a "special purpose" from the Lord - this smacks of  narcissism! A person with a genuine calling from God does not find it necessary to repeatedly justify their ministry in order to convince others as Conder frequently does. Anyone with God's calling on their life will walk in the light as he is in the light (1 John 1:7). Genuine ministers of the Lord hold on to sound doctrine as a priority, despite having personal faults and weaknesses (Titus 1:9). Like Saul, Conder has disqualified himself from the ministry because he has rejected the word of the Lord (1 Samuel 15:26). Jacob Prasch makes an interesting point in the video below: Once leaders depart from the truth and are unable to validate themselves biblically, they have to seek other ways to validate themselves. They do not hear from the Lord any more, and so they have to find other ways to convince people that they are who they claim to be. This is precisely what Conder does - he attempts to justify his "ministry" by citing spurious sources in order to achieve validation. To fail the test of scripture concerning faithfulness to the teaching of Christ and the apostles is to fail at the first hurdle, and to attempt to back it up with questionable false prophecies is abominable. Conder originally claimed validation from Jonathan David's false "prophecy", given in 1994. Now he has cited this 2008 "prophecy" from an unnamed source which is equally ridiculous. If someone has the audacity to speak in the first person of the Lord, then my advice is to be very, very wary. I do not say that from a cessationist point of view by the way.

NARCISSISM:

"A preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success. True narcissists are not interested in truth or reality — or you. They concoct a vision of success that becomes their obsession. These fantasies are often bred by the vain promises of church growth gurus and images presented by megachurches and television ministries. In the mean time, present reality is usually overstated. When contradictory facts and figures are submitted it makes them angry, and the messenger is denounced as negative."
http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200704/200704_000_saul_syndrome.cfm

It is my opinion that God Himself has set his face against Howard Conder. He is not being tested/tried by Satan as this so called "man of God" claims. Why would God allow Satan to test someone who has already failed the test of faith and compromised the gospel? God allows Satan to test the blameless, not the unfaithful (Job 1:8; Matthew 4:1; Revelation 2:9-10).

Conder: "......I do get those dark moments and the enemy wants to destroy not only me but Revelation TV. It's not my vision, its God's... so he or she who comes against this vision, woe betide you because its not me that you are putting down, but God has a will and purpose, even though I am absolute rubbish, a sinner I fail miserably etc. etc.

Conder is presumptuous enough even to think that he can issue threats on God's behalf! When these false teachers can't answer scripturally, they resort to pathetic fear tactics and threats. False prophet Benny Hinn places curses all who dare to speak a word against his ministry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wAQ5ftiEqE  

Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God on the day of judgement (Matthew 12:36). I would not like to be in Conder's shoes on that day.

A WARNING

Talking of woes, perhaps Conder should consider the far reaching consequences of Saul's rebellion beyond his own death. There were disastrous consequences for his family, his associates and his followers (1 Chronicles 10:6; 1 Samuel 31:6; 2 Samuel 21:1-14); it even brought a famine on the land (2 Samuel 21:1). There is indeed a famine in the land in our time - a famine of hearing the word of of the Lord (Amos 8:11). In contradiction to the false prophecy promising a "fence" around Conder's family, I believe that there will be devastating consequences for his rebellion, not only for himself, but for his family, his associates and his followers. God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7).

Some say that we continue to struggle with the consequences of Saul's disobedience even to this day. Haman the Agagite was considered to be an Amalekite (Esther 3:1).We cannot know who the descendants of Amalek are today, but some link them with the present day enemies of the Jews. I (God) shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens...God maintains a war against Amalek from generation to generation." (Exodus 17:14-16) 

People like Conder who promote doctrines of demons are God's enemies - they leave a terrible legacy. They facilitate Satan's agenda to deceive and destroy (Daniel 8:25). Those who fail to uphold sound doctrine are like Saul, they compromise the Lord's work and become his enemies.

In my view, the likelihood of people like Conder being open to help is negligible. When confronted by their sinful behaviour, people like Saul and Conder usually become harder and harder - they refuse to take the right way out which is repentance. Though I do hope that Conder does repent, my concern lies primarily with the people that he is deceiving.

For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

(2 Corinthians 6:14-18) 

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; (Revelation 18:4. See also Jeremiah 51:45)


 

Further Reading:

http://www.biblebelievers.com/Pink/antichrist15.htm
http://www.bible.ca/archeology/bible-archeology-maps-timeline-chronology-1samuel-16-20-saul-jonathan-david-1019-1012bc.htm