Guyana’s Jonestown suicide site gets plaque

It has taken more than 30 years, but the government of Guyana has erected a memorial plaque at the site of the Jonestown cult massacre, a dark episode the South American country had long sought to downplay.

A simple, white stone plaque was unveiled with little fanfare Wednesday at the jungle clearing where more than 900 members of the cult led by the American preacher Jim Jones died in a night of mass murder and suicide on Nov. 18, 1978.

(more at USA Today)

One tragic piece of history I’ll never forget living through.

Christian Leaders Unite on Political Issues

I saw this story posted on a number of websites today, and to be honest, I don’t understand what this action is suppose to accomplish.

Recognizing two names and organizations associated with this, (Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and  Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family) causes me to wonder if its not just a case of public posturing.

NYTimes,

Citing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to civil disobedience, 145 evangelical, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christian leaders have signed a declaration saying they will not cooperate with laws that they say could be used to compel their institutions to participate in abortions, or to bless or in any way recognize same-sex couples.

“We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence,” it says.

The manifesto, to be released on Friday at the National Press Club in Washington, is an effort to rejuvenate the political alliance of conservative Catholics and evangelicals that dominated the religious debate during the administration of President George W. Bush.

They want to signal to the Obama administration and to Congress that they are still a formidable force that will not compromise on abortion, stem-cell research or gay marriage. They hope to influence current debates over health care reform, the same-sex marriage bill in Washington, D.C., and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

They say they also want to speak to younger Christians who have become engaged in issues like climate change and global poverty..

“We argue that there is a hierarchy of issues,” said Charles Colson, a prominent evangelical who founded Prison Fellowship after serving time in prison for his role in the Watergate scandal. “A lot of the younger evangelicals say they’re all alike. We’re hoping to educate them that these are the three (*abortion, homosexuality and religious freedom) most important issues.”

They convened a meeting of Christian leaders in Manhattan in September to present the document and gather suggestions. The 4,700-word document is called the “Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience.”

The document says, “We will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide and euthanasia, or any other antilife act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent.”

A personal note…

I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. ~ I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. ~ I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. ~ God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. (Psalm 3:4, Psalm 34:4, Psalm 142:1-2, Psalm 46:1)

Tonight my heart overflows with gratitude and love  — for the Lord heard and answered the many prayers which were sent up for my 39 year old son Richard. He suffered a sudden heart attack late last night; but after surgery is now resting comfortably in Cincinnati’s Christ hospital.

Thank you Helen, Libby, Samantha, Wayne, and Pastor Charles; plus all the others, who after receiving the call immediately stopped what you were doing and went before the Lord on behalf of Richard.

And most of all, thank you Jesus… for when all I could do was to call out your name, you comforted me with your peace which passes all understanding.

Paul Crouch and Zechariah’s Vision of the Flying Scroll

A fascinating post by Steve Lumbley at Apostasy Watch

We received this email recently from a friend of the ministry,

You mentioned the TBN praise-a-thon and I have to tell you this story of direction from the Lord. I was flipping through the channels and saw Paul Crouch. He had one of his people holding a miniature model of a satellite he had purchased and was asking for more money to buy more satellites. Here’s the strange thing about the whole scenario. He said to the group and the TV audience

“I’m reading from Zechariah 5:1 and 2. 1 I looked up again and saw a flying scroll. 2 “What do you see?” the angel asked me. “A flying scroll,” I replied. “It’s 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.”. Paul said let me tell you people something, this satellite I’m sending into space is 30 feet long and 15 feet wide, the space shuttles cargo bay has enough room to fit two of these satellites to send up into space to circle the earth for the word of God….give the Lord a great sound of praise.

I tell you Steve at that very moment I felt the need or the Lord told me to read Zechariah 5, I thought to myself, wait a second I know about this scroll in Zechariah and it’s not good,

I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air. “What do you see?” the angel asked. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to be about thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.”  Then he said to me, “This scroll contains the curse that is going out over the entire land. One side says that those who steal will be banished from the land; the other side says that those who swear falsely will be banished from the land. And this is what the LORD Almighty says: I am sending this curse into the house of every thief and into the house of everyone who swears falsely by my name. And my curse will remain in that house until it is completely destroyed–even its timbers and stones.” Zechariah 5:1-4

I believe the Lord was describing Paul’s satellite, I believe that the prophecy that was being given from the Lord through Zechariah was for this very day. I could be wrong, but it seems to me to ring so true. Could I be wrong?

Wayne C

I suppose the most shocking thing about this is the fact that Crouch would use the first two verses in reference to his TBN satellites yet ignore the very next verse which says the flying scroll is a curse sent by the Lord. That tells me that Paul Crouch is either a.) illiterate, b.) willfully blind, or c.) purposely deceiving his audience for financial gain. I suspect the latter. It seems too that Crouch has successfully deceived his partners for so long that he’s not the least bit worried that one of them might actually open a Bible and read this passage for themselves.

What do you think? Could this be an example of that strong delusion God promised to send upon those who refuse the truth.

2Thess 2:10-12
“…because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be damned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Here we have a bunch of people who claim to be ‘born again Christians’ and they are so blind they can’t even see the truth when it’s right in front of them. This level of blindness can only be God sent. You see I don’t condemn anyone. Their own words condemn them.

Mat 12:37
“For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”

Thank you Paul Crouch for admitting with your own mouth that TBN spreads a curse over the whole earth.

Now hear the word of the Lord to you and all who follow TBN.

That curse has entered the house of all who receive it. All of you who swear falsely by the name of the Lord by practicing heretical doctrines like ’seed faith giving’. You who think that your self righteous efforts are pleasing to God. You who are covetous of the riches of this world, you are thieves at heart just like the TBN prophets to whom you submit. All of those who follow TBN are under the curse and that curse will remain in your house until you and your family are destroyed, unless you repent.

Isaiah 29:10-13
“For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which [men] deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it [is] sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”

Mark 7:6-7
‘He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with [their] lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching [as] doctrines the commandments of men.’

Who would ever think that they were so far from God

Tonight while browsing through old posts I came upon one from almost 2 years ago which caught my attention. Perhaps it was meant for me to find it, for a sister in the Lord came by today and the topic of conversation turned to what God had been teaching us recently and it centered around this topic. It’s amazing to get together with a brother or sister in Christ, and in talking, come to the realization the Holy Spirit has been showing you (both) the very same thing.

The post I’m speaking of is concerning, An Open Letter to the Modern Day Pharisees.

“I am filled with disgust yet openly weeping for those of you who have become the modern day version of the Pharisees of Jesus’ days on earth. I am also weeping and praying for those who have been deeply wounded by you. Do you truly care that many souls have been harmed by your arrogance…” (more here)

Its not pleasant reading. But truth isn’t always pleasant.

After stumbling upon this old post, I recalled a similar one:

Are you familiar with a group of religious people who were alive at the time of Jesus’ ministry? They were called the Pharisees.

Their name implies “the separated ones.” They lived in separate communities, not fellowshipping with sinners. Most of the scribes were Pharisees and these people were interpreters of the law and their tradition. They gave detailed regulations for just about everything.

The Pharisees were quite vocal in their opposition to the ministry of Jesus and his disciples. Their emphasis on the oral law, along with their self-righteousness, contributed to their attacks. The oral law explained as well as supplemented the law and was added with the intention of helping people keep God’s commandments. In other words, they were trying to help God by adding some rules and guidelines which they felt would be beneficial. They claimed that the oral law came from Moses, just as the written law.

Perhaps the most striking example that could be selected of the manner in which the Rabbis developed a Biblical ordinance is the Sabbath.

Whereas scrupture merely lays down the general law that no manner of work is to be performed on that day, a whole Talmudic tractate is devoted to the study of what does or does not constitute a desecration of the Sabbath.

The Rabbis defined 39 categories of actions which would be forbidden on the Sabbath.

Let’s look at the extent to which they took their rules relating to the transfer of an object from one domain to another on the Sabbath.

The beggar, for example, stands outside and the householder inside, and the beggar stretches forth his hand into the interior and places something in the householder’s hand or takes it from his hand and draws it outside. In that event the beggar is guilty (of an infraction of the Sabbath law) and the householder is free of guilt. If the householder stretched forth his hand and put something into the beggar’s hand or drew from it and brought it into the house, then the householder is guilty and the beggar is free of guilt. If the beggar stretched forth his hand into the interior, and the householder takes something out of it or puts something into it, they are both free of guilt. If the householder stretched forth his hand outside and the beggar took something from it or put something into it which the former draws into the house, both are guilty.

They may have had good intentions, but as a result of their strictness in this area, they lost sight of the real meaning behind the law.

For all their piety, they placed great burdens of religious obligation on the ordinary people. They had lost the spirit of the law and turned devotion into a system. God became to them almost a machine, bound to bless the person who carried out the right rituals at the right time. Jesus’ concept of God, however, was of a loving Father who cared for people and provided for their needs, and who asked to be loved and obeyed from the heart and not simply to be recognized by outward and often empty ritual.

They were so intent on following the letter of the law that they neglected to see or understand the spirit behind it.

“And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward; Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

Why is it important to understand the Pharisees? How does this pertain to Christians today?

Smith’s Bible Dictionary puts it well when it states,

“A knowledge of the opinions and practices of the Pharisees at the time of Christ is of great importance for entering deeply into the genius of the Christian religion. …To understand the Pharisees is by contrast an aid toward understanding the spirit of uncorrupted Christianity.”

Sometimes we forget that the Pharisees were not practicing a foreign religion. It is important to realize that they were the religious of the time. They were not heathen. They should have welcomed Jesus with open arms, as his arrival was prophesied in their sacred text, yet they didn’t. Instead, they fought with Jesus, tried to trap him in his words and plotted to kill him.

What went wrong?

Read more »

Israel Charges Extremist With Attempted Murder Of Messianic Family

Happy to hear this young man is doing better. You may recall the story back in early 08 of Ami Ortiz, a messianic teen living in Israel, who opened a basket  left on his family’s doorstep which contained a bomb. I followed the story for awhile, but wasn’t aware an arrest had finally been made.

It comes as no surprise the perpetrator, also charged with murdering two Palestinians, is an extremist. They are popping up every-where today.

From BosNewsLife:

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)– Israel has charged a Jewish-American extremist with shooting to death two Palestinians and trying to kill others, including a Messianic Jewish family, who received a booby-trapped package in March 2008 that left their son critically injured.

Jack Teitel walked, smiling, into the courtroom, last week where he raised his manacled hands and flashed a “V for victory” sign at news cameras before listening to the charges against him.

Among several attacks, Teitel is charged with sending a gift basket around the annual Purim festival to the Ortiz family in the Israeli town of Ariel. When Ami Ortiz, then 15, opened the basket, it exploded and he was severely wounded.

Family members said the blast severed two toes, damaged his hearing and eyesight, and seemed to have harmed a promising basketball career. He was reportedly covered with blood, burns and full of the needles and screws contained in the bomb when he was rushed to hospital. Doctors even reported that his “spirit is leaving the body,” but were apparently stunned that he survived.

Twenty months later, he is back at school and playing basket ball, his family said in comments monitored by BosNewsLife Sunday, November 15. The explosion was linked to Teitel’s apparent anger that the Ortiz family believe Jesus is the Messiah as promised by Jewish prophets in the Bible.

Ami’s father, David Ortiz, has reportedly said he hopes one day to sit down with confessed killer Jack Teitel and talk. “There is something inside him that makes him want to kill people. If God has mercy on me, maybe he’ will have mercy on others.”

Jack Teitel told reporters at a Jerusalem court that he had no regrets for shooting the pair and trying to kill the others with explosives and poison, and that God would approve of his actions.

“It has been a pleasure and an honor to have served my God,” said Teitel, an ultra-Orthodox Jew originally from the U.S. state of Florida.

Teitel faces up to life in prison if convicted for murder.

Some days u just gotta laugh…

OK, I’m strange, but this struck me funny.

Received this in my mailbox tonight:

“The 7 Dollar Seven Mountains DVD Closeout Sale

Lance Wallnau and company must be looking to unload overstock before the end of 09–most likely so they can start off 2010 “fresh” with another load of new DVD’s, full of “7 Mountain” apostasy teachings.

website

Elijah List has also began to push their 09 over-stock. They refer to theirs as “ElijahShopper Stocking Stuffers

(I always get a kick out of their mid-year calender sale)

Be thankful in this moment

This was in a local Cincinnati publication (the Examiner).  I liked it so much I wanted to share it.

Be thankful in this moment; keeping your eye on the goal

In a Dear Abby column years ago, Jason Lehman wrote the following poem:

It was spring…but it was summer I wanted,
the warm days, and the great outdoors.
It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,
the colorful leaves, and the cool, dry air.
It was fall, but it was winter I wanted,
the beautiful snow, and the holiday season.
It was winter, but it was spring I wanted,
the warmth, and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted,
the freedom, and the respect.
I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted,
to be mature, and sophisticated.
I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted,
the youth, and the free spirit.
I was retired, but it was middle age I wanted,
the presence of mind, without limitations.
My life was over. But I never got what I wanted.

The young man was only 14 when he wrote it. Which, in itself is rather astounding. I have never been able to get this poem out of my head.

But how many people do you know, perhaps even yourself, who go through their lives wishing away the present for the memories of the past, or the hope of something different in their future?  To wish for something different from what we have right now seems to be the cry of the human heart, no matter what our age.

It’s in our human make-up to be discontent.  But God didn’t put that discontent in our lives for the here and now – He wanted us to keep looking forward to eternity. Paul said in Philippians 3:12-16:

“Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also. Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.” -  (Amplified)

He’s talking about making it to Heaven – to meet our Savior! For all Christians, that is our eventual goal – and we should be avidly trying to make sure we take as many with us as we can.

There are many times in my life, I’ve wished I was somewhere else, doing something else, anywhere but where I was, with anything else happening than what was happening right then. but our goal is to meet Jesus. And everything else in this life is a temporary hurdle to achieving that goal.

This season, be content where you are, don’t wish for tomorrow or you may just end up an old person who “never got what they wanted”.

What is your “Beautiful Ending” going to be?

source and video

“..I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” - Philippians 4:11-12

 

ADL report: Rage Grows in America

The Anti-Defamation League issued an interesting special report. This is indeed a report–as it covers various sub-topics. At the end I’ll post the titles and links to the various sub-topics covered in the report, which all fall under the heading, Rage Grows In America”

(I agree its rage, and have pointed that out in a number of posts over the past 18 months. What the ADL leaves out, is something I have believed for some time: its been brought about by a strong delusion, which has affected those with hearts to receive it.)

Introduction:

New York, NY, November 16, 2009 … Rumors about gun confiscations.  Angry protests about the government’s tax policies, replete with Nazi comparisons.  A resurgent militia movement.  Rage at the election of a president deemed to be illegitimate and threatening.  Distrust and anger toward the government fueled by paranoia and conspiracy theories.

They are among the crosscurrents of anger and hostility that have swept certain sectors of the country since President Barack Obama took office nearly a year ago.  And they are contributing to “a toxic atmosphere of rage in America,” according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which today issued a report looking at the various sources that have given rise to a climate of anti-government fervor in the United States.

Rage Grows in America: Anti-Government Conspiracies examines the groups and individuals behind this upsurge in anti-government anxiety, from the “birthers” who claim the president is not an actual citizen of the U.S., to militia groups fearful that the government plans to forcibly disarm American citizens, to those who suggest that the health-care reform movement is akin to the Nazi policies that led to the Holocaust.

“While not all of America has bought into these conspiracies, they seem to be seeping more and more into the mainstream; And since many of these expressions are interconnected in some significant ways, we wanted to try and connect the dots and ask the basic questions of why the anger, why now, and where might it lead.”

From the anti-government “Tea Parties,” where protestors have made explicit Nazi comparisons or suggested that the president is subverting the Constitution, to anger-filled town hall meeting disruptions over health care, the wave of anti-government animus has manifested itself in many forms, according to ADL.  It has played out across a spectrum of groups, from mainstream groups and politicians to more extreme organizations and individuals.

“The fact that these anti-government sentiments are coming from such a broad spectrum makes it more likely that some individuals will become so inflamed with anger that they will move farther toward the fringes,” said Robert G. Sugarman, ADL National Chair.  “This could result not only in the swelling of the ranks of anti-government extremist groups and movements, but might give rise to more individuals who are willing to act on their anger.”

Read more »

Guarding the Gospel

Disgusting quote of the day..

In my lifetime Presidents have always been attacked by those who either don’t agree with them on issues, or by people who just ‘plain’ don’t like them personally. That’s fine–it comes with the job I’m sure.

But I never recall a sitting President’s Mother being smeared.

It’s no fault of the president that he has no natural instinct or blood impulse for what the America of “the 57 states” is about. He was sired by a Kenyan father, born to a mother attracted to men of the Third World.. (The Washington Times – columnist Wesley Pruden)

How sleazy, offensive, and xenophobic.

Wesley Pruden needs his mouth washed out, his mind and heart renewed, and a few lessons on civility and manners.

Disgusting…

All these folks are running around crying they ‘don’t recognize their country anymore’–well you know what? I don’t either–but it’s not for the same reasons they give.

Enough said..

Discernment: Bentley, Orthodoxy, Aberrant Doctrine and Heresy

Perhaps its mere coincidence, but in the last few days I’ve noticed a renewed trend within the words questionable or false prophets are putting out. One which (again) speaks of Portals, Spiritual DNA, Angels, etc. Not that these false teachings ever completely disappeared, but they did seem to slacken off somewhat, in the past year.

Maybe these folks are just gearing up for Bentley’s return to center stage. I noticed Adam posted a link under the latest Bentley thread tonight:

Yesterday Rick Joyner (and Todd Bentley) officially announced Todd’s return to ministry. Apparently, Todd has developed a new “Healing School,” curriculum, etc. And Rick says it’s just in time too, because people are desperate for healing, and Todd has such “an obvious gift and anointing.” Todd listed the Revival Alliance members who are working with him for his full “restoration”:

Heidi Baker
Che Ahn
Bill Johnson
John Arnott
Georgian & Winnie Banov (SERIOUSLY??)

The video is here

Rick Hiebert also notified me of two new posts tonight at Bene Diction blog, concerning Todd’s come-back and the recent video: “Lakeland was just a foretaste” and Todd Bentley with fingers in ears: “La la la, I’m not listening to you…”.

I hope you will watch the video Adam kindly posted the link to: It will give you a good idea where Bentley is heading. Rick’s articles are a must-read also. He writes about a recent meeting between Bentley and members of the Revival Alliance.

My intent is not only to offer updates on Todd and what I’ve perceived as a renewed interest in ‘words’ about portals, Angels, etc etc…but to share portions of a very good message by Robert M. Bowman Jr. titled-

“A Biblical Guide to Orthodoxy and Heresy”

If we are going to get bombarded (once again), in the same manner as Lakeland any time in the near future, its time to stir up the gift of spiritual discernment; To be reminded of  Biblical guidelines for Doctrinal Discernment.

On a personal note: don’t expect an exact duplicate of Lakeland. We wouldn’t need discernment if all false teachings, movements, etc, were exact carbon copies of the one which came previously.

This is a two part message you can access in its entirety at apologeticsindex.

The excerpts below are taken only from part (2).

How do we discern truth from error, sound doctrine from unsound doctrine, orthodoxy from heresy?

How do we discern when a doctrine is fully heretical and when it is only aberrational?

Read more »

Jews raise millions to be ready for coming of the Messiah

JERUSALEM: Yehuda Glick is a 44-year-old American-born Jew who spends most of every day preparing for the arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem.

Since he became the executive director of the Temple Institute, Mr Glick’s main task has been to supervise the manufacture of the utensils the high priests will need when the day arrives.

Crowns and other instruments made of solid gold fill glass cases in the Temple Institute museum in Jerusalem’s Old City. Other artifacts include an array of copper urns, trumpets made of silver and garments to be worn by the High Priest, woven from golden thread. Musical instruments, including hand-made harps and lyres, lie ready to be brought to life upon the Messiah’s appearance.

The Temple Institute has become a fixture on American evangelical tours of Israel. Thanks largely to their donations, it has so far spent $US27 million ($29 million) on preparations.

”We started with $US100,” Mr Glick said. ”There are 70 million evangelical Christians around the world, and most of them have become Israel’s strongest supporters.” (source)

Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, “Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent.”  Acts 17

“Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says, “Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?”  Acts 7

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 1 Corinthians 3

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God…And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. Revelation 21

Sunday Browsing – Links

Links to a few interesting and thought-provoking messages I came upon while browsing today..

Defending/Contending: Deserving to Die – Terrorists or Victims?

Following Judah’s Lion: The Mystery of Deception

Beyond Grace: Manifested Bentley, Part 2

ApostasyWatch: Audio -It’s The End Of The World As We Know It – part 5
Multiple fulfillments of prophecy and the Abomination of Desolation

Wilderness Preacher: What does it Really Mean to Love Our Enemies?

The Radical Pilgrim: Without The Camp and Know Ye Not

Joel Osteen: the prosperity gospel and positive thinking

Positive thinking, which in one form can be said to be biblical (Philippians 4:8)  has become as twisted as the prosperity ‘gospel’ itself. Both (which today are actually one and the same) teach if we do “A” & follow it up with “B”, God is obligated to produce “C”. Those who teach these principles call it faith–I have always viewed it as false presumption. This kind of thinking is dependent upon what we do..our power to “move God”. That’s not faith.

Anyway, I came upon two items this evening, one a news item about Joel Osteen’s newest book, the other, a message written by Gary Gilley concerning a few past and present prosperity teachers, including Osteen; its well-worth reading.

Pastor Joel Osteen’s 2004 book “Your Best Life Now” has sold more than 4 million copies — buoyed in part by one uplifting and irresistible message: Positive thinking and faith will lead to material success and happiness. Now he’s back with a new book and a new message for a new era: patience.

Back in 2005, he told BusinessWeek that “God’s dream is that we be successful in our careers, and that we be able to send our kids to college. I don’t mean that everyone is going to be rich, and I preach a lot on blooming where you’re planted. But I don’t have the mindset that money is a bad thing. . . I think we should have a mindset that God wants us to prosper in our relationships, our health, and our finances. God’s desire is that we excel.”

But there’s just been just one problem: for all the talk of the prosperity gospel and God’s tendency to impart material gain on those who have faith in him, no evidence has emerged that suggests that people who believe in God were less likely to lose their jobs, their homes or their retirement funds to the financial meltdown.

Enter Osteen’s latest book — sure to be a bestseller -- “It’s Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God’s Favor.” (source, Joel Osteen serves up recession-themed positive thinking)

The New Age book and video by Rhonda Byrne, The Secret, which gained popularity recently due to Oprah Winfrey’s strong promotion, teaches that we can “create [our] own happiness through the law of attraction.”  Whether it is cash, health, prosperity or happiness, all can be ours if we will just learn to use “the secret.”  Byrne tells us, “Disease cannot live in a body that is in a healthy emotional state.” But be warned: “If you have a disease and you are focusing on it and talking to people about it, you are going to create more disease cells.”[1]

Such rhetoric should sound familiar to anyone even faintly aware of the Word of Faith Movement, often termed “the prosperity gospel.”  This group has been infiltrating evangelicalism for decades and is now the fastest growing segment of Christianity in the world.  Some have estimated that up to 90 percent of those claiming to be Christians in Africa are of the prosperity gospel variety.

Well-known personalities within the movement include Kenneth Hagin (deceased), Kenneth Copeland, Robert Tilton, Paul Yonggi Cho, Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Frederick Price, John Avanzini, Charles Capps, Jerry Savelle, Morris Cerullo, Joyce Meyer and Paul and Jan Crouch.

As implied by the title “Word of Faith,” the supporters of this movement believe that faith works like a mighty power or force.  Through faith we can obtain anything we want — health, wealth, success, or whatever we please.  However, this force is released only through the spoken word.  As we speak words of faith, power is discharged to accomplish our desires.

In Christianity in Crisis, Hank Hanegraaff summarizes the theology of Kenneth Hagin (considered by many to be the father of this movement) as found in his booklet How to Write Your Own Ticket with God:

In the opening chapter, titled “Jesus Appears to Me,” Hagin claims that while he was “in the Spirit,” Jesus told him to get a pencil and a piece of paper.  He then instructed him to “write down: 1, 2, 3, 4.”

Jesus then allegedly told Hagin that “if anybody, anywhere, will take these four steps or put these four principles into operation, he will always receive whatever he wants from Me or from God the Father.”  That includes whatever you want financially. The formula is simply: “Say it, Do it, Receive it, and Tell it.”

  • Step number one is “Say it.” “Positive or negative, it is up to the individual.  According to what the individual says, that shall he receive.”
  • Step number two is “Do it.”  “Your action defeats you or puts you over.  According to your action, you receive or you are kept from receiving.”
  • Step number three is “Receive it.”  We are to plug into the “powerhouse of heaven.”  “Faith is the plug, praise God!  Just plug in.”
  • Step number four is, “Tell it so others may believe.”  This final step might be considered the Faith movement’s outreach program.[2]

Kenneth Copeland states the faith formula this way: “All it takes is 1) seeing or visualizing whatever you need, whether physical or financial;  2)  staking your claim on Scripture; and 3)  speaking it into existence.” [3]

Read more »

Pacifism and Nonresistance: Are they the same?

Nonresistance is a principle taught in the Scriptures. The word “nonresistance” is coined from the words of our Lord, when He said, “But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil, but whosoever smites thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

From the very origin of the Anabaptist Movement, nonresistance was one of the chief pillars of its doctrinal belief. The historian, Robert Proud, says that the Anabaptists “hold it not becoming those who follow Christ, to bear arms or fight, because they say their true Master has forbidden his disciples to resist evil.”

Nonresistance is really a result of the doctrine of grace. Certainly those who have become recipients of God’s grace in their own lives, should show the same grace toward their fellowmen. God displayed His grace toward us while we were yet sinners. He loved us when we were enemies, and just so we are to love our enemies, and to display grace toward those who persecute us.The principle of nonresistance must be practiced in times of peace as well as in times of war. The Christian must be careful not to take revenge.

The early Christians were commended because they took joyfully “the spoiling of their goods” (Hebrews 10:34). They refused to resist evil; they didn’t fight back; they knew that they had a heritage in Heaven that the spoilers couldn’t touch.

PRINCIPLES OF THE DOCTRINE

Every teaching has some basic principles upon which it is built. We want to name three principles that underlie the doctrine of nonresistance.

(1) The kingdom of Christ is not of this world. There are two kingdoms of men in the world; those who have been regenerated by faith In Jesus Christ, and those who are unregenerate. Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight” (John 18:36). Christ’s kingdom is made up of those who have experienced the saving grace of God in their lives. His kingdom is not supported by armies and maintained by taxes. Rather, it is a kingdom composed of persons who voluntarily believe in Jesus Christ, and seek to become like Him in their daily character and conduct. One who is a member of Christ’s kingdom is instructed to bless his persecutors, and to pray for evildoers, and to love his enemies. The standards of Christ’s kingdom are different from the standards of the kingdoms of this world.

(2) The spirit of Christ is not of this world. Jesus came into a Samaritan village one day and the Bible says that the folks there didn’t receive Him. When James and John saw this, they wanted to call fire down from heaven to consume these people. But this was all contrary to the spirit of Christ, and it must have sorely grieved Him. Luke 9:55 says, “But (Jesus) turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of, for the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Taking the lives of human beings is contrary to the spirit of Christ.

General Leslie McNair (in a New York Times article) described the attitudes and the spirit promoted in the armed services. He says, “Our soldiers must have a fighting spirit; if you call that hating enemies, then we must hate with every fiber of our being. We must lust for battle; we must scheme and plan night and day to kill; we must hit harder and harder we must become tougher and tougher; the avowed purpose of the army is to make killers out of every soldier.” Can you reconcile such an attitude with the teachings and the spirit of Jesus?

(3) The methods of Christ are not of this world. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3, 4, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the weapons of out warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” Jesus endured much reviling and persecution when He was here on earth, and yet never once did He use carnal weapons for defense. And the same thing can be said for true Christians down through the centuries. They have won their battles by using the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

The Christian doesn’t use carnal weapons, but this does not mean that he is helpless in the face of evil and unrighteousness.

Read more »

Are We Going Full Speed Backward To Paganism?

Below is the link to an interesting article published in the November/December Discernment Newsletter.

The editor, Jewel Grewe and her late husband Travers, wrote Strange Fire – The Rise of Gnosticism in the Church. If you’ve not read it, I hope you will. This small book can be read online here. It never fails to amaze me when reading an older work like Strange Fire, just how inspired by the Holy Spirit the author’s were.

From the book’s dedication page,

This Book is Dedicated to Travers van der Merwe (1935-1995).

The burning passion of Travers’ heart was to give a clarion call to the Church that he saw falling in line with Gnosticism and leaving the simplicity of the Word of God.

In severe pain he preached his last message on the subject of mysticism. After his departure from this life, the following definition was found in his jacket pocket, in his handwriting:

“Mysticism: The timeless quest for higher/hidden truth, spiritual experiences and knowledge of God by using imagination, intuition, so-called ‘Holy Spirit revelations’ and subjective feelings rather than fact, reason and the undistorted Word of God.”

Sincerely hope you’ll read it…

Discernment Newsletter – November/December 2009

From the Editor: The following article was written around 1986.  The author of the article, Lottie Hobbs, is now 88 years of age and lives with her remaining sibling {out of a family of 8} in Fort Worth, Texas.

1986 was the year that in our little church in Michigan, my late husband Travers van der Merwe (with some of the church members) had started to delve into scripture to find answers to the “strange fire” that was “burning” on the television – being offered by rising evangelistic stars.   In that Michigan church were members who had come from a charismatic church where they would participate in rituals including sitting in a candle-lit room in a circle – calling forth the “Holy Spirit”, etc.  They had large collections of tapes and books by all of the latest Charismatic speakers. However, they did have questions.  They were willing to be “Bereans”.

Coming from Africa, we had been isolated from the changes that had already taken root in the United States.  At the first church we had pastored we had wondered why some of the people did not want to sing the hymns of the church.  We also wondered why they didn’t seem to like it when my husband taught prophecy.  Soon we learned that indeed there had been a change taking place – the saddest being the departure from solid teaching of the Word of God.  Because of mass communication, it wasn’t long before the “strange fire” became a “wild fire” and spread throughout the world.

During this time, the Lord raised up His witnesses who spoke truth.  Just as Lottie Hobbs, a sweet humble lady wrote this wonderful article under inspiration, others (and many of them older ladies) were gathering research and sounding  the alarm.  As soon as any of these researchers would go public, they would come under terrific attack!  Meetings would be hastily called to make an “united” stand against them and labeled them publically as “heresy hunters”.  From the viciousness it seemed they all should be burned at the stake.

It didn’t take long and there was lamenting over moral failures and crashes of “empires” as the root of the problems were never dealt with in a scriptural manner.  Each “ministry” became a law unto itself.  Without the Word of God being the Authority, man has become “as god”. . . and the creature to be worshipped instead of the Creator.  There has been lamenting and some introspection – those voices are few.  However, the god of this world has blinded the eyes.  Entertainment and supernatural manifestations (pleasing to the flesh) have replaced the fear of God that brings a sinner to his knees in repentance at the Cross.   Until the Cross of Christ becomes the focus – all else is dross, wood, hay and stubble!

(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:  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthy things.)

For our conversation (heavenly citizenship) is in heaven: from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.   Philippians 3:18-21

As this year closes, may we soberly consider the seriousness of the hour and walk close to our Lord and Savior in the year ahead. – redeeming the time.

Jewel Grewe

See: Are We Going Full Speed Backward To Paganism? by Lottie Beth Hobbs

Gay Marriage Supporters Threaten to Strip Churches of Tax Exemption

This article at the Christian Post brings up an interesting subject. The article itself,

More than 75,000 Americans have joined an online movement seeking the revocation of tax-exempt status from churches that were involved in the repeal of Maine’s gay marriage law.

is beside the point, for what this group of 75,000 is seeking to do (in this instance) isn’t going to happen.

But it does raise the question about tax exemption and Churches which are politically active,

Maine Marriage Equality has made available a list of churches and organizations that campaigned for Question One as well as a list of major financial contributors.

“If churches are going to try and have a say in the way things work in this country, then they should have to pay their dues like the rest of us,” Mitchell David Plumer from Nashville, Tenn., wrote on the Facebook page supporting the revocation of tax-exempt status from churches engaging in political action.

Someone who replied at the OP included a quote from the IRS publication 1828:

No organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying). An IRC section 501(c)(3) organization may engage in some lobbying, but too much lobbying activity risks loss of tax-exempt status.

“Churches and religious organizations may, however, involve themselves in issues of public policy without the activity being considered as lobbying. For example, churches may conduct educational meetings, prepare and distribute educational materials, or otherwise consider public policy issues in an educational manner without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.” Link

Because there are ‘mega’ Activist Groups today who “court” Christians and specific Churches themselves, it does make me wonder where the line is drawn, in which Churches, either by working with these groups, promoting them, giving financially to them and their causes, etc. cross over into lobbying or being a political organization themselves,

I can tell you first-hand that the church’s involvement in this issue in Maine was far and above the limits stated here. They collected money, donated the collected funds, and even used the discretionary funds to push their influence. We are not talking small amounts of cash here. The RCC of Portland donated in excess of $500,000 to the “PAC” called “Stand for Marriage” who then spent those funds for ads on TV. (taken from a comment at the CP article)

Was that going beyond IRS guidelines? I’m not even sure anymore.

But as Churches in a number of denominations become more and more bold in openly becoming involved with Activist Groups, it does make one wonder what it will ultimately lead to.

Chuck Pierce’s latest


Rebuke me if you must, but some of the statement’s in Pierce’s latest post at Charisma left me laughing so hard I had tears running down my face.

The title is “10 Key Revelatory War Points”

quote..

We must meditate on what God says until the power of that revelation enters our bloodstreams and cell structures.

Linda Heidler is a scribe in God’s house who tries to capture the revelation that is coming forth each time we meet for corporate prayer, discuss in meetings what the Lord is saying from heaven and prophesy. We then “watch” and war with this revelation.

In the season of Ayin, or “The Eye,” when God will open your eyes to the demonic realm in a greater dimension..

God has released engineering and conducting angels. The Spirit of God wants many things engineered (as in construction) and conducted (as in electricity) in this season. We are entering into a new 16-year building season. The apostolic leaders who are being raised up today will be downloading heaven’s building plan for His kingdom projects. Invite these angels as messengers to bring God’s plans.

The crowns you received in the last season need to be cast at His feet. Those crowns were meant to be given to our Lord and not worn into this season. He is fitting us and giving us new crowns to present to Him. He is putting new turbans on our heads..

So Chuck and the rest of the Apostle-posse are preparing to receive a “download” directly from God, so they can help Him build the Kingdom. Perhaps it will be directly downloaded to their “bloodstreams” and “cell structures.”  While engineering Angels stand by. In the season of the Ayin. While wearing “turbans” on their heads.

Todd Bentley is back ministering

From Rick Hiebert at Benediction blog:

Off evangelist Todd Bentley’s Twitter feed about 20 minutes ago as I type:

IamToddBentley: Rejoicing that its time and were phasing back into some ministry here in Charlotte and morningstar. More info coming on upcoming events.

Of course his various internet “restoration videos” and  ”webinars” have included ministry elements, but this will be the first time that potenentially unfriendly people can see Todd Bentley preaching to the general public in person. Bentley’s brain trust must figure that his critics have gone to ground and the only ones left are fans.

Watch for security to attend events.

Also, it was quietly announced by both Jessa and Todd on an October 29 video that he has “joined” the Revival Alliance. This is a neat trick, as that ceremony late in the Lakeland Revival where he was prayed for by the evangelists was a ceremony where he came under the authority of the Revival Alliance. Most people would define that as “joining”, but as the hyperlinked post explains in detail Bentley and Joyner fell all over themselves trying to lie about what happened.

On another note, its interesting that a connection now exists between John Hagee and Peter Wagner’s International Coalition of Apostles. You may recall a recent post which included links to a story at Talk2Action concerning Sam Rodriguez joining The International Coalition of Apostles, and Rodriguez’s new connection to Hagee and Cufi.

This was posted today at Talk2Action; Hagee, Rodriguez Embrace Signals Massive New Alignments On Christian Right

As JTA News has just reported, John Hagee’s Christians United For Israel (CUFI), which represents many millions of American Christian Zionist evangelicals, has formed an official alliance with the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, led by the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez.

Sooo, we have Wagner as the starting point, with tentacles by way of The International Coalition of Apostles embedded within John Hagee’s CUFI, through Samuel Rodriguez. And Bentley now signed on officially with Wagner’s Revival Alliance.

Its interesting isn’t it–to watch all these different groups and “ministries” start coming together under one umbrella. The umbrella of Peter Wagner.

Dominionist power-seekers are uniting.

Wonder if this means Hagee will be forced to support Todd’s return to ministry? LOL

Nuts on Parade

In a move sure to spark controversy, the Danville TEA Party will close their “Fired Up for Freedom” rally by burning Rep. Tom Perriello and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in effigy in response to the passage of landmark healthcare legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. source

No Rapture for Rover?

As those Christians who believe in the Rapture get taken up into eternity, the pet-lovers among them will have one less thing to worry about if a Langdon atheist has anything to say about it.

Bart Centre, 61, a retired vice president of an international retail firm and current co-owner of Eternal Earthbound Pets, is offering a $110 post-Rapture pet care service.

The way Centre sees it, he makes a little money in his retirement, and should Jesus Christ return and the Rapture occur, those snatched up into heaven will have their pets cared for, he said.

“It’s a money-making venture,” he said. “. . .It’s a win-win situation.” (more)

Later in the article Terry James, from Rapture Ready website, offers a somewhat “strange” theological opinion about this:

James said what is true is that Christians who believe in the Rapture do wonder about what will happen to their pets. So many, that James wrote a pamphlet about it. He said though pets will be left behind, if the people in Heaven decide that they miss their pets, they can decide to have them brought up later.

My take from Terry James’ assessment is a message to all pets out there today:

“BE EXTRA KIND TO YOUR MASTERS!” for if you’re not, they may decide you’re to remain here!


Phoenix Church ordered to Stop Feeding Homeless

The homeless in Phoenix, Ariz. will have to find a new place for a pancake breakfast after a court ruling forced a neighborhood church to shut down its charity dining hall.

The ruling sets a precedent for all churches zoned in residential areas of Phoenix, which will force church volunteers to relocate their homeless food services to commercial parts of the city or end their meal services entirely, reports Change.org.

The controversy surrounding the Crossroads United Methodist Church’s weekly pancake breakfast began last spring when neighbors complained about an increase in the number of homeless people in the neighborhood… (more)

The judge’s ruling is harsh at first glance, but it’s important to consider the perspective of the church’s neighbors. Just as any homeless person should have a right to safe, decent, and affordable housing, the neighbors of Crossroads United Methodist Church have a right to feel safe in their home. Still, this ruling seems to be a strategic interpretation of residential zoning laws designed to control the homeless population. Restricting services from residential areas will keep “unsightly” homeless people out of certain parts of the city and concentrate them in others. And you know what they say: out of sight, out of mind. (source)

Christian Patriot movement extremism..

Perhaps no one else sees this as weird, bizarre, and a tad over-the-top.

The Patriot Bible was weird, but the title and contents of Pastor Chuck Baldwin’s latest newsletter is too much:

MAKE YOURS A PATRIOTIC CHRISTMAS

Looks like Pastor Baldwin has replaced Christ with the The Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution.

The bible calls that idolatry.

Tired, but extremely Grateful

I just wanted to take the time tonight to offer public praise to God for the last 2 weeks. Last year I had requested prayer for my younger sister Libby, who shortly after suddenly losing her husband, was diagnosed with cancer. Things did not look good for many months as she underwent chemo at the hospital near me. We had been working and praying also, in hope of getting her an apartment in my building.

After a lot of prayer and patience, God suddenly moved in both areas 2 weeks ago: she was told her cancer, for now, was in remission, and, got a call telling her an apartment was available on the floor below mine.

God is faithful folks…He truly is.

Anyway, someone may have noticed in the last week I haven’t been on the blog as much as usual, or may have thought I had ignored their comment, etc. I want to apologize if anyone got the impression their comment was being ignored purposefully–I’ve just been running every day, gathering up furniture and household items for my sister, in preparation for her moving in. When she left Florida last year, after her husband died, she was running… running from his sudden death and her diagnosis. She just literally walked away, leaving everything behind, arriving in KY with only her clothes.

Tonight I am so happy to say we got her moved in today. AND, she now has everything she needs to set up housekeeping again.

My bum knee is killing me, I’ve had little sleep the last few nights, but HALLELUJAH! Lib is better and is completely moved in!

Thank you Lord…

Catholic Church Threatens To Stop D.C. Services For Needy

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn’t change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.

Under the bill, headed for a D.C. Council vote next month, religious organizations would not be required to perform or make space available for same-sex weddings. But they would have to obey city laws prohibiting discrimination against gay men and lesbians.

Fearful that they could be forced, among other things, to extend employee benefits to same-sex married couples, church officials said they would have no choice but to abandon their contracts with the city.

“If the city requires this, we can’t do it,” Susan Gibbs, spokeswoman for the archdiocese, said Wednesday. “The city is saying in order to provide social services, you need to be secular. For us, that’s really a problem.”

Several D.C. Council members said the Catholic Church is trying to erode the city’s long-standing laws protecting gay men and lesbians from discrimination.

Catholic Charities, the church’s social services arm, is one of dozens of nonprofit organizations that partner with the District. It serves 68,000 people in the city, including the one-third of Washington’s homeless people who go to city-owned shelters managed by the church. City leaders said the church is not the dominant provider of any particular social service, but the church pointed out that it supplements funding for city programs with $10 million from its own coffers. (more)