County urges morningstar ministry to ramp up renovations or else

Interesting news item. Of special interest is the idea Morningstar’s leadership asked it not be made public.

Old PTL hotel owners face June demolition
County urges ministry to ramp up renovations

York County again is giving a deadline to the owners of the old Heritage Grand Hotel – who want to convert it into a retirement facility – to make it safe to live in or the county will demolish it.

MorningStar Ministries’ $40 million plan would convert the 21-story ramshackle hotel into what the church calls a “Refirement Center.” Instead of retiring people, the facility would “re-fire” them back into the ministry.

The building was one of the centerpieces of Heritage USA, the now-defunct Christian theme park built in the late 1970s and 1980s. It stands on property once owned by Praise The Lord ministries, which crumbled when televangelist-founder Jim Bakker was caught up in a sex scandal and later convicted of fraud and conspiracy.

Since 2004, MorningStar has worked to restore the 345 rooms, suites and office spaces of the old hotel.

So far, though, the ministry hasn’t been able to get enough people to commit to buying into the retirement facility – which has made it more difficult to get the financing the ministry needs to bring the building up to meet county safety codes.

County officials say MorningStar is past a previous six-month deadline to hold up its end of the bargain.

The council voted Monday to notify MorningStar of the new deadline, threatening to demolish the building if it isn’t up to code by the end of June.

“If they can’t convince us they need more time, it’ll have to be torn down,” York County Council Chairman Buddy Motz said Monday. “They’ve passed their time for renovations.”

If the county moved to demolish the building, it would “cause irreparable and significant financial hardship” to MorningStar Fellowship Church, the ministry’s vice president Dave Yarnes wrote to the county in a Feb. 17 letter.

MorningStar also asked the county not to talk about the dispute publicly until the dispute is resolved.

more here

Update on Destiny Church & Brian Tamaki

Thanks to frequent commenter Cassiopia for the heads-up on this recent update concerning Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church in New Zealand,

News Video Here

You may recall the original story posted in October, Destiny Church, A Cult in the Making. This Brian Tamaki is one strange guy. After reading the original story, he actually reminded me of Jim Jones.

Also an update at The Church of Jesus Christ blog: Tamaki’s Australian pastor walks out

More than half the Destiny Church in Brisbane – including its pastor, Andrew Stock – walked out of the service on Sunday, saying they believed the church was no longer following the Gospel.

Perverted Reprobates and False Shepherds

Perverted: Deviating from what is considered right and correct: Of, relating to, or practicing sexual perversion.

Reprobate: to condemn strongly as unworthy, unacceptable, or evil: A morally unprincipled person. One who is predestined to damnation. Morally unprincipled; shameless.

Adam, (thanks brother) posted a couple links to video clips tonight under the post, Evander Holyfield allegedly hits Wife over Tithing. You may want to check the other 2 out after watching this one concerning a damnable heresy taught by Creflo Dollar.

Creflo Dollar is in my opinion, a heretic of the worst kind; the person who posted this at youtube refers to him as a perverted reprobate. And folks, I agree.

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, is all I can say–not concerning Creflo Dollar, who is completely deluded, but to the Church leaders and voices today who sit back and don’t PUBLICLY rebuke this heretic and others like him. Guess they’re all too busy composing mandates and doctrines in hope of ‘saving America’ from the present Administration, fighting against health care, and joining loony’s like Glenn Beck in his search for ‘socialists, fascists, and communists’ hiding behind every rock inside American boarders.

In the meantime, while their focus has been on cultural issues outside the Body of Christ, the Church they claim to love and represent has been over-run by perverts who teach such blasphemy as,

“when a Christian has sex with their husband or wife they are actually having sex with Jesus”

This isn’t some pastor teaching this garbage to 20-30 people on a Sunday Morning in some unknown corner of America (which is bad enough) …its someone who appears on TV every day of the week, reaching untold millions–and has for years.

I’m through ranting. But my disgust with America’s “so-called” Church leaders has recently reached a point in which 99.99% of all of them make me sick. I wouldn’t believe anything these so-called leaders tell me, and I sure wouldn’t follow them anywhere. They have deserted their post and are no longer overseers,

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” – Acts 20:28-30

Number of antigovernment Patriot groups jumped 244% last year

A disturbing new report from SPLC;

The radical right caught fire last year, as broad-based populist anger at political, demographic and economic changes in America ignited an explosion of new extremist groups and activism across the nation.

Hate groups stayed at record levels — almost 1,000 — despite the total collapse of the second largest neo-Nazi group in America. Furious anti-immigrant vigilante groups soared by nearly 80%, adding some 136 new groups during 2009. And, most remarkably of all, so-called “Patriot” groups — militias and other organizations that see the federal government as part of a plot to impose “one-world government” on liberty-loving Americans — came roaring back after years out of the limelight.

Marketing Church

It use to be that Churches were…well, ‘Churches’. Gathering places where the people of God met, heard the word taught, enjoyed fellowship and worshiped God as one. When they first started operating like corporations, I’m not sure; but its been going on in larger Churches for years. It still seems strange though, to read articles like this,

Introducing Your New Church Marketing Manager

The Winn Group, a marketing, advertising and creative services boutique serving faith-based/cause-centric non-profit organizations and ministries, announces today the hiring of Jeremy Smith as Senior Account Manager. With a passion to communicate and a penchant for marketing and sales, Jeremy will serve as the liaison between The Winn Group and the customer. His job is to assure that The Winn Group continually exceeds client expectations.

Jeremy brings vast experience from a successful tenure in the health care industry as a sales and marketing professional. A former student pastor, Jeremy has served with Teen Mania Ministries and pioneered multiple ministry initiatives at the local church level.

“The opportunity to come alongside a leader’s vision and help them facilitate life-altering change in world is both humbling and exhilarating–and I get to relive this same incredible dream every morning when I wake up,” said Jeremy Smith of his role with The Winn Group.

more

“…to come alongside a leader’s vision…”

In case you’re too young to know it, there was a time when God through the Holy Spirit, gave pastors and Christian leaders a vision; and because it was God’s vision they didn’t need anyone other then God Himself to “facilitate” it. It was fulfilled through prayer, fasting, and obedience.

Time’s have sure changed…

The New Apostolic Reformation, the largest religious movement you’ve never heard of

Talk to Action has an interesting article up today. Personally, I’m glad to see a secular news group like AlterNet pick up on the New Apostolic Reformation.

Michael at Phoenix Preacher made a comment yesterday concerning why (another) post on Todd Bentley,

Why am I writing about someone who thinking people have written off as a immoral fraud? Because I want the stream of information about Joyner and Bentley to become a river that washes them out of visible church, that’s why.

Amen. And that goes for the entire false Apostle posse of the NAR. If God has decided to bring them to the attention of the secular news, we can know its for good reason.

quote..

Prayer Warriors of the New Apostolic Reformation Getting Some Exposure by Rachel Tabachnick

Yesterday Alternet published an article by Bill Berkowitz including an interview with me about the New Apostolic Reformation, or the “largest religious movement you never heard of.”  Despite the growing political clout of its leadership, the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) continues to operate under the radar of the mainstream press as well as most progressive media. Hopefully this interview will prove to be another stepping stone in making the movement more recognizable to the public.

The article is titled “Prayer Warriors and Sarah Palin are Organizing Spiritual Warfare to Take Over America” and begins with a list of recent political activity by leading apostles including Lou Engle, Mary Glazier, Samuel Rodriguez, Ed Silvoso,  Julius Oyet, Stephen Strang, Tom Hess, and Jim Ammerman.  While these may not yet be household names, the influence of these leaders can be seen from the U.S. to Uganda to Israel. In many ways the movement more closely resembles an international political campaign than a new denomination. In some cities prayer warriors are assigned street by street, and in numerous international locations the NAR is promoting their ideology to military and police forces.

Has the battle changed?

I’ve been reading through some things I wrote or posted over the last 9 years, which were shared on a few discussion boards. Its a good exercise if you are like me and take notes or jot things down which come to mind. It helps me to see if there has been any spiritual growth, or even if there has been any spiritual regression in my life. Sometimes reading what was on our mind then, helps to explain where we are today or how we got here! Anyway, its interesting…

One little item caught my eye this evening. It was something I wrote years back, asking ‘Has Spiritual warfare changed over time ?…Has Satan changed over time ?….Has Jesus Christ changed?”

My conclusion was No: Jesus has not changed and never will (Hebrews 13:8), neither has satan’s character or his goal, (1 Peter 5:8, John 8:44). He never retreats or declares a truce

And folks, neither has the battle changed. We’re still engaged an intense spiritual war and will continue to be so until Jesus returns. Do you think we’ve forgotten this? I must have thought so back when jotting notes, for my last question was,

Is the Church still the Church? If it is, then why doesn’t it act like it?

Anyway, the reason for this post isn’t about anything I wrote or asked some years ago, but about a quote which was included with it.

“The devil sees nothing more abominable than a truly humble Christian, for [that Christian] is just the opposite of [the devil's] own image.” Hans Nielsen Hauge

You know, that little quote must have impressed me for it was included, but-

What does it say to you?

Not about someone else…not about a false teacher or a Christian brother or sister, but you..

And what is the real battle folks?

Miami Considers Ban on Feeding the Homeless Without Training

Sigh… (Lord come quickly)

quote;

Miami residents may have to think twice before giving up their leftovers to the homeless.

The Miami City Commission is set to consider a proposal next month that would prohibit unauthorized people and groups from feeding the homeless downtown, an ordinance proponents say will cut down on litter and ensure the safety of the food the homeless do eat.

The Miami Downtown Development Authority recently approved the measure, sending it up to the commission.

If the ordinance passes, anybody who breaks it would first receive a warning and then fines up to $300 for subsequent offenses.  (link)

Monday Thought…

Reading in the Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown bible commentary tonight I came upon this,

“When the fire of religion burns low, true believers should draw the nearer together, to keep the holy flame alive. Coals separated soon go out”

Isn’t that a wonderfully wise admonition? I loved it.