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For the average person, every day it is the same thing. We wake up, go to work, go home, eat dinner have a bit of leisure time and go to bed. This is not bad in itself because we are to work for a living and not be a burden to society. So this is part of life that we must accept and be glad of it. We are to work with our hands, mind our own business, and be a blessing to others.
So what has happened?
I was looking at a photograph of our living room when I was a young girl. The room simply consisted of a sofa, coffee and end tables, Hi-Fi (a speaker cabinet with a record player and radio), TV and one of those pole lamps. That was it. Maybe a picture on the wall. We were not poor, this was just average. How different is the home of today.
I have to wonder why it has become so important to have the best framed piece of art in the neighborhood. The most expensive car. The house with the most columns or turrets. Not only do we have to have the best “things” on the market, we NEED the lastest technology. Actually we are controlled by the constant advancements of new products on the horizon because the older stuff becomes obsolete and unusable. What a ploy and effective technique this is to get our dollars.
I guess it pretty much goes without too much ado that money is what rules our lives. Money and what it acquires has become our God. But “I need these things” you say…..true there are things we do need, and God says that He will provide for His children. He says not to worry about food, shelter, and clothing. You might notice He does not say anything about retirement funds, the lastest cell phone, or a Mercedes Benz.
If we begin to worship things instead of God, we will be dealt with as individuals and as a nation. When money becomes a God to us, we will see judgment from God by the way He destroys our false gods. This is done in order to turn us away from our false gods and to turn us back to the true and living God, Jesus Christ.
In the study of Moses and the plagues that befell Pharaoh and the Egyptians, there is some very interesting information. The plagues happened to discredit the gods that the Egyptians worshiped. Pharaoh himself was associated with the sun god Ra.
The Egyptians worshiped many gods but mainly they represented three areas of their lives, the Nile river, the land and the sky. So lets looks at the judgments and what they represented to the people of Egypt.
1. The Nile turns to blood. – The people worshiped the Nile river as it’s waters provided drinking water, they bathed in it and it watered their livestock and crops. God turned the water to blood and all the fish died and it stank.
2. Frogs covered the Land – The people worshiped the frogs especially the frog god Heket, and they could not kill them. The frogs died and lay in rotting heaps.
3. The dust of the land became lice or gnats. – There was a god of the soil named Geb. But the dust became lice and they plagued the people.
4. Flies broke out and ruined the land. – Many insects were identified with the gods and were worshiped but these flies harmed the land. The flies only afflicted the Egyptians.
5. Their livestock died. – Bulls and cows were woshiped. There was a bull god Apis and Hathor, a cow of fertility. Also there is the Ram god Amun. God destroyed these gods of the people.
AMUN
6. The plague of the boils – The Egyptians were themselves inflicted this time.
7. The hailstorm. – Now the next three judgments are against the gods of the sky. The hailstorm ruined crops and those who feared the Lord took their animals to shelter.
8. The plague of the Locusts. – The locusts came from the sky and ate whatever the hailstorm did not destroy.
9. The darkness. – The god of the sun RA could not overcome this plague and God shows how He is the true God.
God judged and plagued all who would not acknowledge Him.
Who or what comes first in your life? Are you putting your money, investments, retirement funds before the Lord? If you are… you will surely feel the sting and pain of the days to come.
The fiasco we are seeing today in the financial sectors are orchestrated to bring about loss of freedom to the American people. We gladly will give up our freedoms and let the government intervene if only our monies are secure. Our sovereignty is at stake here but the money is more important. Safety of one’s 401 retirement fund is a driving force of what the public will endure. And these stocks are not even real. They are only perceived values which can change at any given moment. Just like the value of your home, the market value fluctuates with the times. This is what people have placed their hope and trust in.
It is easy to see what drives the American people and it is not the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ and walking in faith that He will provide. We can see that God will show us how impotent the false gods of our lives truly are by the judgments and plagues against Pharaoh and his officials. This is what we are seeing right now. Your money could be gone in an instant. Then what will you do? Is God right now showing you where your heart truly lies and what it is that you treasure most? Are you experiencing panic or the extraordinary peace that comes only from God?
Please use this market slowdown as a marker for your life. How are you going to react to not having access to your money or losing it all? Who are you going to turn to? As the governments of the world unite to give us a temporary false sense of security, are you beginning to see the picture of our current and future oppression?
Are you asking yourself about your relationship with Jesus Christ? You should be. This is the time to be right with the Lord. We were not put on earth to own a Blackberry, we were put here to worship and serve Jesus Christ. So, is God exposing your fears because of what you may lose in earthly possessions? Is He sending a hailstorm to demolish your surroundings? Are you in darkness right now and Jesus is showing you that faith in Him is the only light?
If you are putting other gods before Jesus, like money, wealth, possessions, etc., then you are in rebellion and disobedient. Please read Exodus 7:14 – 10:20 to see how rebellion was dealt with in the past. Then go to Revelation and read about the trumpet and bowl judgments to see how current rebellion against God will be dealt with. God never changes, He is the same God we see in Exodus, and He will judge those who worship the false gods of today and tomorrow.
Imagine all your possessions gone and see what you have left. If you are walking with the Lord, He is all you will need.
I will share a quick story. My business began to decline rapidly about 18 months ago. I began to have trouble sleeping at night. A weight was felt in my soul. I wanted to sleep alot. But instead of allowing myself to fall into self-pity, I pressed on at work, read my Bible, studied to teach Bible classes, and prayed like never before. I prayed for others who may be going through similar circumstances.
A corner was turned. I began to understand that the Lord was testing me and wanting me to completely surrender my situation and lay it at His feet. Driving home last night from BSF the Lord revealed to me that I had grown immensely in faith while under the stressful circumstances He has allowed in my life. Tears welled in my eyes when I realized how much the Lord loves me enough to train me and use me for His glory.
Is God testing you right now? Is He exposing the false gods in your life to see your reaction? If so are you turning away from them? Is He asking you to turn to only Him in times of trouble? Are you praising and giving thanks to our Lord even though there is a mountain of trouble at your feet that looks impossible? God is the only one who truly has the answers. Will you seek Him today?
*****
Our dollar bill has the eye of Horus as the capstone of the pyramid. When the capstone lands and the pyramid is complete, we should see the completion of the New World Order.
Annuit Coeptis – Announcing the birth of (1776 A.D.)
Novus Ordo Seclorem – New World Order
So our dollar bill announced the birth of the New World Order in the United States in 1776.
The seal is also full of masonic symbols and it says on either side of the eagles head,
E Pluribus Unum – One out of many
Times are getting tougher. The economy is in terrible shape and things may only get worse. These are most certainly unsure times.
So, I have to ask, how strong is your faith right now?
How many novels have you read the last twelve months? Newspapers? On-line articles? Instructions on assembling an exercise bike? How many recipes have you looked at and considered? What about decorating magazines? Sports Illustrated? Fishing and Hunting News?
How much time have you spent watching TV? Listening to music? Playing cards? Going to restaurants and dining out? Visiting with your neighbors? E-mailing friends and family? Shopping on-line?
We can spend a lot of leisure time for many enjoyable activities. So…how much time do you spend each day reading your Bible and praying?
Again I have to ask, how strong is your faith right now? I can say that your faith is probably proportionate to the amount of time you spend in God’s word and praying. I am not talking about church going, although this is a positive. I am referring to the time you spend alone with God. Spending time alone with God and His Word is how your learn about Him and how you apply the truths to your life.
If you are not reading your Bible how can you know what God’s promises are? How can God speak to you through the Reader’s Digest?
Here are some of God’s Promises
Here is a promise to Moses when he worried about going to Pharaoh on behalf of the Israelites.
Exodus 3:12a “And God said, “I will be with you..”
When I was afraid to speak on a radio program the Lord showed me this verse.
Jeremiah 1:7 “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
Matthew records Jesus as saying much that directly relates to worry.
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear….”
Matthew 6 :26 “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them…”
Matthew 6:27 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”
Matthew 6:30 “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”
Matthew 6:31 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?'”
Matthew 6:32 “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow…..”
Jesus is telling over and over not to worry because He knows what our needs are. If we talk to God in prayer He hears us, so we are to trust Him to provide. Worrying about our basic needs is a lack of faith in God. So this is sin. But indeed we must first seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of Christ. Worry is not righteousness but unbelief.
Paul is pretty clear in Philippians 4:6-7 about worry and freedom from anxiety.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present you requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
One of the most amazing woman I have ever met is Jean who was formerly a leader in our Bible study. She told our group this story.
“As our house was burning to the ground I was filled with this incredible sense of peace. There we were standing outside helplessly watching the flames take everything we owned. But the Lord was with me. Later friends and family came to us supplying us with every little need. I remember looking for a kitchen utensil and someone came to my door with the very thing was I needing. The Lord supplied all that had been lost. But I knew this would be so ..that very day that all was consumed by the fire.”
As she told the story you could see the peace and tranquility on her face and I could imagine that is what she looked like on the very day her house burned to the ground.
What is your attitude? Are you anxious? Knowing God’s character helps calm our fears and knowing His ways give us confidence for the future. Are you trusting the Lord with your future? Are you trusting God to provide for you? How can you change your thinking so that He comes first? Put Him first and then trust for His provision.
What is God trying to burn away in your life right now? What gives Him glory in your life? Our greatest purpose in life is to give God glory. How can you do this if you don’t know Him? That is why a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ is our greatest strength.
We must have faith to please God. So how strong is your faith this very moment? Are you rejoicing in your suffering as Paul did? Are you opening your Bible and leaning on the Lord and His Word? If not….will you?
CHRISTIAN RESEARCH SERVICE
As a service to the body of Christ, Christian Research Service
provides information, documentation and referral on a wide
variety of issues to individuals, companies, pastors, outreach
ministries and the Christian news media. Never be afraid to
ask questions. Truth will stand up to investigation. Trust in
the Lord Jesus Christ. He will never forsake you. May the
Lord bless you in your search for truth.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast
(Ephesians 2:8-9)
Excuses: Compromise in Disguise
There is nothing humorous about playing nicer than God
by Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
August 16, 2007
A Christian walked into a crowded Christian bookstore. As he browsed the many shelves of books and materials, to his amazement he noticed a copy of The Book of Mormon resting on a shelf at the very back of the bookstore.
The Christian brought the Mormon publication to the attention of the bookstore manager and kindly asked, Why is this book in your Christian bookstore? Are you aware that Mormonism is a cult?
Having dealt with similar questions many times in the past, the manager whispered, Yes, I know Mormonism is a cult and I disagree with it totally, but I carry reading materials that appeal to the interests of a wide variety of customers. It pays the bills.
The Christian said, If you know Mormonism is a cult and you totally disagree with it, why are you advertising and promoting Mormonism in your Christian bookstore?
Agitated by the Christian’s persistence, the manager raised his voice and exclaimed, Look! I totally disagree with Mormonism! I am not advertising and promoting Mormonism! I am just making Mormon reading materials available to my customers!
In a calm voice the Christian replied, The Book of Mormon is a lie, and it leads people to a false Jesus, gospel, and spirit. Let’s see what God has to say. Are you familiar with Galatians 1:6-9 and 2 Corinthians 11:3-4?
The bookstore manager walked away and turned his attention to another customer.
With the manager’s words ringing in his ears, the Christian walked out of the bookstore scratching his head in disbelief, and vowed never to return.
To recap, The Book of Mormon was publicly displayed in the Christian bookstore not by accident, but purposely, for customers to see, read, and purchase. Yet the manager maintained he was not advertising and promoting Mormonism.
Instead of humbling himself, repenting, thanking the Christian, and removing the Book of Mormon immediately and forever, the manager used excuses, became defensive, and chose to compromise the faith and endanger the spiritual welfare of his customers.
In the above encounter, take note of how the manager used carefully chosen words to artfully dodge his way around the issue of advertising and promoting:
“I am not advertising and promoting Mormonism! I am just making Mormon reading materials available to my customers!”
The manager believed it and wanted the Christian to believe it. As far as the manager was concerned, he was justified, despite what God’s word says:
Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)
When caught red-handed, bank robbers try to artfully dodge their way around the main issue too, saying, I didn’t rob the bank! I just asked for some money!
Artful dodging doesn’t work on police detectives, and it shouldn’t work on Christians.
Playing nicer than God
Speaking of excuses, along with the influx of non-Christian authors and books, there are a wide variety of excuses that some (but not all) online and walk-in bookstore employees have used to justify the advertisement, promotion, and sale of known non-Christian books and materials:
· You can’t please everybody. If I remove all the books everybody complained about we would have to shut down.
· Our customers have different tastes and preferences, and we try to appeal to what they want. Besides, every author isn’t right on everything.
· Our bookstores are autonomous and independent. They decide what they want to carry on their shelves.
· I don’t agree with this author, but her books help keep our doors open.
· I know there’s a lot of garbage out there, but I can’t control what comes in to my bookstore.
· I have bills to pay. Contact our main office and complain to them.
· I tell customers the author of this book is a false teacher. But if I don’t carry the book in my store they will just go somewhere else to buy it.
· I know this author has some false teachings, but he does so much good and is leading a lot of people to the Lord.
· I took this book off the shelf and complained to my manager, but he put it back on the shelf the next day. What else am I supposed to do?
· We don’t display this author’s books in our bookstore. We keep them underneath the sales counter. If anyone asks for it we sell it to them quietly.
· I know I should warn my customers about this author, but I don’t want to offend them and lose a sale.
· You’ve made a really big mistake! We don’t carry X-rated stuff in our online bookstore! If we did I would know about it!
· If I refuse to sell this book my manager will fire me.
· We’ve tried to block this author and book from our online database, but it keeps showing up in a search.
· We deal with thousands of books. We can’t catch everything.
· I have talked to the manager at our local Christian bookstore and given her a lot of information about this author, but she refuses to listen.
· If I don’t stock this book in my store my customers will go buy it at the secular bookstore in the mall! I can’t afford to lose a sale!!
· I have never heard this author teach anything false. I watch him on TV all the time. Everybody makes mistakes. You should be ashamed of yourself. You need to stop attacking anointed men of God!
· This author is in our database from our main headquarters. We only carry Christian authors, so he must be a Christian.
· We don’t carry this author in our bookstore because he’s too controversial, but we can order his books online.
While the above excuses are paraphrases of past conversations Christian Research Service has had with online and walk-in Christian bookstore employees, and while the excuses may seem comical to some, there is nothing humorous about compromising the faith, playing nicer than God, and toying around with a believer’s spiritual welfare. This is serious business, and the lives of those whom Jesus Christ died for hang in the balance.
It has been said many times and bears repeating: non-Christian authors will not only shipwreck the faith of a believer, they will drive the unsaved deeper and deeper into sin and further away from God. Where a person will spend eternity is primary.
No Christian in their right mind would knowingly give an unsaved person The Book of Mormon or a Jehovah’s Witness New World Translation to read and study, then tell them to “pick-out the good stuff and reject the bad” at the same time.
Knowingly causing Christians to stumble, and knowingly driving the unsaved deeper into sin would be a terrible legacy to live with.
Misplaced priorities
In Mark 12:28-30, a scribe asked Jesus, What commandment is the foremost of all? Jesus answered the scribe and said, The foremost is HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH (NASB).
From the very words of the Master, Christians are to love the Lord with every aspect of their being, and give Him top priority in their lives. This is not a simple request but a command from God Himself in human form.
But when Christians fail to give Jesus Christ top priority in their lives, sin enters in which, in turn, opens the door to compromise, deception, dishonesty, and hypocrisy.
Compromise, deception, dishonesty, and hypocrisy are at an all-time high. And because Christians aren’t immune to sin, it is imperative that they test and examine themselves daily to see if they are in the faith, and to see where their priorities are. If their first priority isn’t Jesus Christ, then their priorities are misplaced, and repentance is in order.
God says what He means and means what He says. Playing nicer than God is compromise in disguise.
Find additional articles and news releases on the Christian bookstore industry at
http://www.christianresearchservice.com/category/book-reviews/
Bud Press is the Director of Christian Research Service and a Christian Investigative Researcher. Christian Research Service is a discernment ministry that provides information, documentation and referral on a wide variety of issues to the body of Christ and the Christian news media worldwide.
Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you–unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5; NASB)
Volume 19 Number 5 September/October 2008
The Kingdom. The last 20 years has witnessed the teaching on building a Kingdom here on the earth rising to fever-pitch proportions. The Apostles and Prophets have been making kingdom decrees as they are doing far more than just “aligning” Todd Bentley. They are aligning heaven and earth, angels, governments and powers. At the beginning of 2008, Dutch Sheets held a conference entitled “Starting the Year off Right”. Exact quotes from Dutch Sheets: “So when we begin to emphasize the king and the Kingdom rule of the Lord -guess what happens? The church goes to a whole new level of Kingdom authority and that is what is about to happen. If your emphasis is a local church emphasis first it can be selfish- it can be mine- I can build walls. I can emphasize what is best or what is going to benefit me at the expense even of others but if I am emphasizing a Kingdom- you can’t build walls because you can’t build walls around the kingdom- it’s too big. SO God is going to have to shift our emphasis.”
Then he said some amazing things in regard to the Gospel: “EVEN OUR GOSPEL HAS BEEN DEFICIENT. We are always told in scripture to preach the gospel of the what? Do you know we are not told to preach the Gospel of the cross? The word Gospel means what? Good News- s The Gospel of the Kingdom- oh we are told to preach the good news of something. When we preach the Good News of the cross and leave it there- and that’s important- we have to preach the cross but the Good News goes beyond the cross. The cross is the entry point into the Kingdom. He didn’t say preach the Good News just of salvation but preach the Good News that I have come and reestablished the dominion of God in the earth and restored to you the dominion that you lost in Genesis. My Kingdom is now functioning in earth in a people. The cross is the entrance – The Kingdom is the realm. The cross gives us life- The Kingdom gives us something to live for. The cross is about redemption- the Kingdom is about restoration. I want you to think about that- we are not just to emphasize redemption- that gets us in but He’s about restoring everything that has been lost.
We are going to move from a mindset of saving souls and growing churches to producing disciples of the Kingdom. Kingdom disciples have eternity in their hearts and weapons in their hands. They are Kingdom thinkers- difference makers- culture shapers.”
The “Kingdom” teaching has a long history and bodes for a fearsome future. It is this teaching that has undermined the Gospel of Jesus Christ for this generation. The upcoming conference will deal with the roots of the Kingdom teaching and its influences. We are privileged to have special guests at this conference.
Featured Speakers
Dr. Martin Erdmann is one of the foremost experts in the world on the doctrine and practice of “building the kingdom of God on earth.” This phrase sums up what we commonly refer to as “Dominionism.”
Dominionism is a pervasive heresy with many manifestations. In a nutshell, it teaches that what Christ did at the Cross was insufficient; that man must somehow finish and complete the work of Christ. It arises from a false view of man’s Fall in the Garden of Eden as a “mistake,” something which needs to be worked out in the unfolding of history, and that God’s redemptive plan for humanity involves progressively new stages of revelation until man finally “gets it right.” It teaches that man must DO something to defeat Satan –spiritually, politically, socially, etc. In the end, it corrupts eschatology by focusing on man’s efforts here on earth, teaching that we can bring heaven to earth and restore paradise, become gods, or bring Jesus back.
Dr. Erdmann is an expert on this doctrine historically as well as theologically. He has spent the past several years researching the archives of European church history to uncover the roots of this heresy. He is also an expert on how the medical scientific community and occultists are working to create a “New Breed” genetically. Several years ago Dr. Erdmann wrote a book about the early history of this doctrine’s rise to prominence in the liberal Protestant denominations the first half of the last century. We reviewed his book, Building the Kingdom of God on Earth: The Churches’ Contribution to Marshal public Support for World Order and Peace, 1919-1945 (Wipf & Stock, 2005) for Herescope on April 17-18, 2006. Below we have reproduced those two columns. You will note the many parallels to today’s efforts by New Apostolic Reformation leaders and Rick Warren to accomplish this same agenda.
The New Order of the Kingdom
“We believe that we see the goal and we believe that men can get hold of that power to move on to that goal. That goal is the Kingdom of God on earth. The Kingdom of God is a new order standing at the door of the lower order. The higher order, founded on love, justice, goodwill, brotherhood and redemption, stands confronting this lower order founded on selfishness, exploitation, unbrotherliness, with its resultant clash and conclusions. . . it [the higher order] will finally replace this lower order, for it is God’s order. We shall present Christ as the open door to that era. We shall unfold the possibilities of that era both within the individual and the collective will
.(E. Stanley Jones, Federal Council of Churches, Federal Council Bulletin 19, no. 8 (Oct. 1936), New York 5)
There truly is “no new thing under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9). The quotation above is from the year 1936. It is cited in Dr. Martin Erdmann’s groundbreaking book, Building the Kingdom of God on Earth: The Churches’ Contribution to Marshal Public Support for World Order and Peace, 1919-1945.
The history behind this quotation is a fascinating look into the rise of liberal denominations 50-100 years ago. They embraced a dominionist doctrine of building the kingdom of God on earth long before it became a New Apostolic Reformation or Reconstructionist “mandate.”
The thesis of Dr. Erdmann’s book is that the rising popularity of this doctrine was substantially influenced and perpetuated by the same academic, political and religious intelligentsia who were busily forming the beginnings of a New World Order on earth. These elites seized upon certain doctrines of the Gospel as a mechanism to forge an international consensus on “moral” ideology.
Dr. Erdmann writes that in 1934 the Federal Council of Churches began a grassroots public relations campaign to further its social gospel. The end goal was to create enough groundswell that another international organization could be formed to replace the faulty League of Nations. Erdmann explained:
“A new commitment to the concept of the kingdom of God on earth needed to be generated among the people at large and from the constituencies of the member churches, a commitment that had been notably absent for some time. Unless the Council succeeded in mobilizing a grassroots movement of socially conscious Christians it would never realize the goals set out in the Social Creed. Thus the new emphasis on propagating the principles of the Social Creed was again designed to attain the kingdom of God on earth rather than to reach lost souls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (p. 154)
The modus operendi to accomplish such a mass motivation is strikingly similar to the methods utilized with today’s evangelicals:
“Without adhering to basic Scriptural concepts. . . the Council’s social appeals were couched in biblical terminology. Although mentioning the sin problem frequently, it was usually in the context of sins against society rather than sin against God. Regeneration was masterfully redefined as a new social awareness. The substitutionary atonement of Christ upon the cross was deemed insignificant and was rarely if ever mentioned. The Reformation dictum, that humankind can find peace with God only by being justified by faith, was simply ignored as without relevance. The residue of evangelical concepts which could be found in their gospel messages were mostly based on Arminian theology. . . .” (p. 155)
In order to achieve this organic unity, the reformers of that era proposed that a “sense of urgency” or “crisis” be created. E. Stanley Jones, who is quoted at the top of this post, proposed in 1935 that the various branches of Protestantism “come together on the simple doctrinal basis found in Matthew 16:16-19. He defended his proposal on the grounds of the urgent necessity to unite, in view of the task confronting the church.” (p. 147)
Dr. Erdmann notes that “Jones was less than candid in his statements.” It was not unlike the call for a Second Reformation that we see today:
“The whole plan rested upon an indifference to the development of Christian theology from the Council of Nicea onwards, and it actually called upon the creedal churches, the Presbyterian and the Lutheran, for example, to surrender the heritage of the Reformation.” P.148
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2006/04/new-order-of-kingdom.html
The “New Deal” Kingdom“ Upon the men of this time is breaking the light of a new social order. The outstanding fact of today is the rediscovery of the kingdom of God. To the world this comes almost as a new revelation from heaven. For eighteen hundred years men have believed in this kingdom and have prayed for its coming; but now at last conception of its meaning becomes larger and more true. We are coming to see that the kingdom of God in Christ’s conception never means anything less than a righteous human society on earth. Christ has come, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. He has come to reveal a kingdom in heaven and to realize a kingdom on earth. He has come not alone to save people out of the world and fill them for a far-away heaven; but to make a heaven here. He has come not to patch up human society and make the world a little less intolerable for men; but to make all things new and to create a new social order.”
(Samuel Z. Batten, The New World Order, 1919, p. 4-5) [emphasis added]
This quotation above is cited on page 151 in Dr. Martin Erdmann’s excellent book, Building the Kingdom of God on Earth, which Herescope began to review in yesterday’s post. Dr. Erdmann explains how, in 1932, the Federal Council of Churches began to revise its outdated Social Creed. This revision bears striking resemblance to current “marketplace transformation” efforts, described last week and in previous Herescope posts:
“Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese churchman, asserted in the January issue [of the Federal Council Bulletin] that the propagation of the Christian gospel must include a total reconstruction of society. The Church should aspire to nothing less than the constitution of Christian collectivism. It is evident,’ he wrote, ‘that we must Christianise industry and get rid of the acquisitive motive in economic life. It seems to me that we cannot solve our problems on the basis of individualism.’ His idea was to replace the supposedly defunct capitalist system with a number of Christian co-operatives modeled after the pattern of the medieval guild system. The FCC was enthused about Kagawa’s proposal and incorporated it (in a modified form) in its revised version of the Social Creed.” (p. 151-2) [emphasis added]
This resultant Social Creed adopted by the FCC in 1932 was part and parcel of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. So much so that eventually the FCC was able to move on to other projects. Many of the tenets of this Social Creed called for a radical restructuring of economic, social, cultural, family, and political order.
This “new social order” was being implemented in a supposed “new age of faith”:
“The Commission on the Church and Social Service spearheaded the campaign for a Christian collectivism among the American public by preparing a message which was delivered on Labour Day 1932. This message directly advocated a redistribution of wealth in the United States and also among the nations of the world. It asserted that only by the intelligent regulation and management of finance, credit, and industry could the kingdom of God be advanced for the common good. It pleaded for the extension of minimum-wage laws, and the payment of the highest wages possible in order to achieve the redistribution of wealth and to realize the kingdom of God.
“It became clear that the thinking of a large segment of the leadership of the Council was dominated by political and economic idealism.” (p. 153)
By 1933 the “FCC initiated an amalgamation process which in time blurred the distinction between its new social order and the New Deal.” (p. 159)
The Truth: Some of the rhetoric has changed. Some of the doctrinal focus has shifted so that it now incorporates the “Great Commission” and Stewardship of the Earth “mandates.” Some of the political lessons learned over the past 75 years have changed the initial game plan, the dynamics, and even some of the implementation. And the methods have been updated to use state-of-the-art psycho-social techniques. But the basic “plan” to institute a global “kingdom” in the name of Christ is still the same.75 years ago this plan was a fraud and a sham. It had nothing to do with true Christianity. Today, this same plan — slightly revised and updated — is still a fraud and a sham. It is an antichrist kingdom which is being built upon Earth.
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2006/04/new-deal-kingdom.html
Read entire newsletter here:
http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NLSeptOct_2008.htm
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Who’s Laughing Now?
by Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
www.christianresearchservice.com
September 9, 2008
But they mingled with the nations and learned their practices, and
served their idols, which became a snare to them (Psalm 106:35-36).
Years ago, many parents laughed when their children were introduced to Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, relaxation, and visualization techniques in the secular schools and YMCA. Many school teachers and principles shrugged their shoulders and thought the techniques would help develop calmer, better behaved students.
On the job-site, professing Christians participated in company-sponsored “Stress Reduction” seminars. They laughed under their breath and refused to speak out against it–for fear of losing their jobs. Now, many companies across the nation offer Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, and other New Age practices as regular motivational courses for employees.
Despite the complaints and concerns, many bookstore managers and officials within the “Christian bookstore” industry laughed and continued to advertise and promote books written by New Age authors. The “bottom line” (money) was more important than the spiritual welfare of the innocent and unwary.
With the husband off to work, a professing Christian woman turned to a video tape and spent and hour-per-day practicing Yoga. She laughed when her three year old child watched and imitated her moves.
Across the nation, and in many parts of the world, certified Yoga instructors cashed in on the booming Christian exercise craze and introduced churches and denominations to “Christian Yoga.” The postures were the same as Yoga, they said, but it had nothing to do with Hinduism. They laughed all the way to the bank.
During a church-sponsored “Christian Yoga” class, an instructor began bowing to the “god” within her students, and offered the Hindu Sanskrit salutation, Namaste. The students laughed, rolled their eyes, and bowed to the instructor.
Along with Hatha Yoga, a church offered a Labyrinth walk, a Buddhist Teachings and Meditation group, and Yoga for children. During the children’s Yoga class, the adults smiled and laughed when their toddlers tried to perform the Yoga postures.
Average church members laughed when New Age techniques and practices were introduced during church-sponsored retreats, outings, and seminars. They sang the praises of books written by New Age authors, and passed the books around like tea and crumpets at a social event. Those who refused to laugh were encouraged to leave and find another church.
Christian colleges and universities weren’t immune to the New Age Movement. Many presidents and faculty members openly welcomed Kundalini Yoga and other New Age practices as an on-and-off campus course. Students laughed as they performed the Cobra pose, the Scorpion pose, and the Corpse pose in their classes, gyms and dorms.
Many pastors across the land laughed, compromised, and turned a deaf-ear to the “Stress Management” and “Christian Yoga” courses being taught in their own churches. It is just a harmless form of exercise, they said. However, some pastors stopped laughing when they noticed a change-for-the-worse in the attitude and spirituality of some of their members.
In his spare time, one pastor practiced Yoga. Along with regular Yoga classes, the pastor’s church offered a gentle form of Tai Chi. The pastor’s congregation expressed an ever-present joy over his open-mindedness.
Across the world, professing Christians laughed when they were warned about the spiritual, mental, and physical dangers of practicing Yoga and its demon inspired postures. In their stubborn pride they continued to purchase New Age materials and promote New Age practices to untold numbers of men, women, and children.
Years ago, many laughed and brushed-off the New Age Movement as a mere fad that would eventually fade away. But behind the scenes, it slithered into every strata of our society–homes, elementary and high schools, bookstores, jobs, colleges, universities, churches, and pulpits.
But 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul refused to laugh when confronted with the New Age Movement of his day. Under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul provided the following remedy:
Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices. And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing
(Acts 19:18-20).
God expressly forbids the practice of New Age techniques and the promotion of New Age materials.
Who’s laughing now?
Related reading:
—This article first appeared as a post on the DiscernIt blog, and has been revised.
Discovering the New Age Movement / New World Order, Part Three
Submitted by Craig “Lee” Dorsheimer
This is the third installment of this introductory series. My intention is to provide a brief overview, not an all encompassing article. The NAM/NWO is too large to contain in one article. You may view the first part here and the second part here if you’ve not read them previously.
False Ecumenism / Religious Plurality
In its best usage, ‘ecumenism’ is a movement of unity among Biblical Christian denominations.[1] I would call this true ecumenism. However, a push to unite all churches who call themselves ‘Christian’ including the overtly new age Unity Church[2] among others, I would call false ecumenism. Further, the attempt to unite Biblical Christianity to any other non-Christian faith I would term false ecumenism. Unfortunately, the practice of much of the attempted unity today is a false kind and the term ‘ecumenism’ is used for this movement.
The term ‘pluralism’ according to dictionary.com is, “a social organization in which diversity of racial or religious or ethnic or cultural groups is tolerated.”[3] So, here I deal strictly with the religious aspect of pluralism in religious pluralism. While it is certainly alright to tolerate other religious views, (although evangelism is our goal) we are not to attempt to unify at the expense of the purity of Biblical Christianity.
Recall that one of the goals of the New Age movement is a syncretism of all religions. Since Biblical Christianity is problematic to New Agers with its insistence on one way to salvation – through Jesus Christ – the only way to merge with this movement is to modify the message. In the Alice A. Bailey esoteric/occultic book From Bethlehem to Calvary she – actually Tibetan Master DK (Djwhal Khul) who channeled through her[4] – states:
Christianity will not be superseded. It will be transcended, its work of preparation being triumphantly accomplished, and Christ will again give us the next revelation of divinity.
…Can there not be revelations of God utterly unprecedented, and for which we have no words or adequate means of expression? The ancient mysteries, so shortly to be restored, must be re-interpreted in the light of Christianity, and readapted to meet modern need…[5] [Emphasis Mine]
Compare this to some statements by Mike Bickle[6] [currently of the International House of Prayer[7] (IHOP)] formerly of Kansas City Fellowship[6, 8] (KCF); Bob Jones, formerly one of the “Kansas City Prophets”[6] of KCF; and, Rick Joyner of MorningStar Ministries[9]:
“The Lord said simply, ‘I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the earth in one generation.’” [10] (Mike Bickle; Growing in the Prophetic) [Emphasis mine]
“They themselves will be that generation that’s raised up to death itself underneath their feet…a Church that has reached the full maturity of the god-man!…This generation of young people that are coming are going to see the beginning of the worldwide new order…It is going to change the expression of Christianity in a generation.”[11, 12, 13] (Bob Jones; Kansas City Fellowship Interview tape with Mike Bickle, 1988 as quoted by Jewel van der Merwe {Grewe}) [Emphasis mine]
“What is about to come upon the earth is not just a revival or another awakening; it is a veritable revolution. This vision was given in order to begin awakening those who are destined to radically change the course and even the very definition of Christianity.”[14] (Rick Joyner The Harvest) [Emphasis mine]
And, during Todd Bentley’s “commissioning” service on June 23, 2008, Bill Johnson[15] said:
…We shape the course of history by partnering with you giving honor where it’s due. You welcome the glory as well as anybody I’ve ever seen in my life – I long to learn from you in that and I bless you. And, I pray with the rest of these that the measure of glory would increase, that Moses would no longer be the high water mark with the glory shown from his face but instead the revelation of the goodness of God would change the face of the church. And that he would use your voice, he would use your grace, your anointing, to alter the face of the Church before the world…[16] [Emphasis mine]
Has ‘the expression of Christianity’ and ‘the face of the church’ changed? Will it in the future?
8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. [Hebrews 13:8 NIV]
27But you remain the same and your years will never end [Psalms 102:27 NIV]
19God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change his mind [Numbers 23:19 NIV]
“On October 13, 2007, …138 Muslim scholars and clerics sent an open letter ‘to leaders of Christian churches, everywhere.’”[17] So began Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You – a document signed by ‘Christian leaders’ in answer to this open letter.[18] On the home page of A Common Word, “…Thus despite their differences, Islam and Christianity not only share the same Divine Origin and same Abrahamic heritage, but the same two greatest commandments.”[19]
In an apparent effort not to offend, the ‘Christian leaders’ brought reproach upon Jehovah God. This response sent back to Muslim scholars and clerics references “the Prophet Muhammad” [yes that’s a capital ‘P’ Prophet] and refers to God as “the All-Merciful One.” I don’t recall this as one of the names listed for Jehovah God in my Bible. In addition, Jesus Christ, while mentioned a few times, is never referred to as the Son of God or Savior – again in an effort not to offend.
32Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. [Matthew 10:32-33 NIV]
13…Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips. [Exodus 23:13 NIV]
Here is a quote from “A Christian Response:”
When Freedom to worship God according to one’s conscience is curtailed, God is dishonored, the neighbor is oppressed, and neither God nor neighbor is loved [17] [Emphasis mine]
While Jehovah God – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – gives us all free will to choose to love Him or not, He IS dishonored when we choose not to love Him. And, to truly love our neighbor is to evangelize in hopes of their salvation.
4For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. [Deuteronomy 4:23 NIV]
One more quote from the “Christian Response:”
Abandoning all “hatred and strife,” we must engage in interfaith dialogue as those who seek each other’s good, for the one God unceasingly seeks our good. Indeed, together with you we believe that we need to move beyond “a polite ecumenical dialogue between selected religious leaders” and work diligently together to reshape relations between our communities and our nations so that they genuinely reflect our common love for God and for one another. [17] [Emphasis mine]
Following is a partial list of signatories beginning with the two individuals who were formerly speaking out against the New Age Movement referenced at the close of part two of this series: Rich Nathan, Senior Pastor, Vineyard Church of Columbus; Richard Mouw, President, Fuller Theological Seminary; Rick Warren, Founder and Senior Pastor, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA; Bill Hybels, Founder and Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church; Lynn Green, International Chairman, YWAM; David Yonggi Cho, Founder and Senior Pastor, Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, Korea; Brian McLaren, [Emerging Church movement] Author, Speaker, Activist; Berten A. Waggoner, National Director, Association of Vineyard Churches; Robert Schuller, Founder, Crystal Cathedral and Hour of Power; Kim B. Gustafson, President, Common Ground; Steve Moore, President and CEO, The Mission Exchange (formerly EFMA); John M. Buchanan, Editor/Publisher, The Christian Century; Leith Anderson; President, National Association of Evangelicals; James A. Kowalski, Dean, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, NY; David Neff, Editor in Chief and Vice President, Christianity Today Media Group.[17] There are about 250 in total.
Here’s more on Fuller Theological Seminary in which they would unabashedly promote religious pluralism as well as New Age ideals and terminology. From a newsletter from 2003 of an event co-sponsored by Calvin College and Fuller Theological Seminary:
Drawing on the resources of scholars from various parts of the world who represent diverse historical and religious experiences of religio-cultural plurality, the consultation will reflect together on its meaning for faithful Christian witness.[17] [Emphasis mine]
In the events schedule of this weekend-long conference lasting Friday through Sunday were topics on Hinduism, Islam, “Primal/traditional religions,” and others.[20] In the newsletter’s ‘Statement of Purpose:’
Since 1945 the forces of globalization have accelerated with the result that people everywhere have become conscious of the ‘world as a whole’ being bound more tightly together. At the same time they experience the “local” more intensely. This global-local dialectic is a key characteristic of globalization.
…This project focuses on religious plurality as an important element in this larger process of globalization and pluralization…[20] [Emphasis mine]
The term “global-local dialectic” is interchangeable with ‘think globally, act locally’ – very common New Age terms. What were the “forces of globalization” which began in 1945? Most likely this is referencing the birth of the United Nations in 1945 which superseded the League of Nations. The UN is “an international organization formed after World War II in 1945 to promote international peace, security and cooperation under the terms of the Charter of the United Nations.”[21] On a website detailing the “Evolution of The Great Invocation”[22] – a prayer to the Antichrist – is found the following:
The United Nations Conference on International Organization convened on April 25, 1945 in San Francisco, for five days right at the time of the Wesak. (That year the Taurus full moon fell on April 27.)[23] [Emphasis mine]
The Wesak Full Moon Ritual[24] is a celebration of the “Birth and Enlightenment of Buddha.”[25] It’s interesting that this initial meeting of the UN was held right smack in the middle of an important occultic/esoteric holiday.
The Charter of the United Nations was signed on June 26 (exactly one month after the Gemini full moon of 1945, on May 26) and enacted on October 24, 1945, with the 51 signatures representing all sections of the planet.[23] [Emphasis mine]
The Pope’s ties to the United Nations
The papacy has had close ties to the UN since its inception.[26] Pope Benedict XVI “supports robust global governance, in a fashion that has long bewildered neoconservative critics of the United Nations in the United States and elsewhere.”[26] [Emphasis mine] Prior to the Pope’s visit of April 18 of this year, the President of the UN General Assembly, Serjan Kerim anticipated that the visit would be “special” since “more than a billion Catholics in the world share many of the concerns and aspirations of the UN.”[27]
The pope and the UN secretary-general “are two eminent moral authorities in the world,” Archbishop Migliore [Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s UN nuncio or ‘ambassador’] said noting that the UN secretary-general [currently Ban Ki-moon of South Korea] “is oftentimes referred to as the ‘secular pope.’”
…The Holy See is an international actor of rank and has an important role to play in addressing a number of major international challenges,” he said. One of those challenges, he added, is “religious interfaith dialogue, where the pope has taken important initiatives lately.
…Being at the forefront of the U.N. initiative for an alliance of civilizations,” he said, Spain was “particularly pleased with the pope’s call to interreligious and intercultural dialogue based on the dignity of the human being, which can only be of benefit to the United Nations and international community as a whole.[28] [All emphasis mine]
Is it a coincidence that the Pope’s visit to the US and the UN in New York, which commenced on the 15th of April, ended on the 20th[29] which was a full moon[30] tying into what’s known as “the Festival of the Christ?”[25] [Again, “the Christ” is actually the Antichrist.] There are three important festivals to theosophists/esotericists. The first is the “Festival of the Christ” in April, the second is Wesak in May and the third is the “Festival of Humanity” which is in June.[25] All coincide with the full moon.
The Papacy in the New Age
At the 23rd World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia on July 20, 2008 [the trip was actually 6 days total from July 15th through July 20th – note: there was a full moon on July 18] Pope Benedict XVI suggested New Age unity:[31]
“In today’s Gospel, [cf. Luke 4:21], Jesus proclaims that a new age has begun, in which the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon all humanity.”[31][Emphasis mine]
In context the Luke verse is referring to the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:1-2 – a Messianic prophetic passage. While there is no mention of the Holy Spirit being poured out in either the Luke or Isaiah verses, I concede that the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry would ultimately culminate in his death on the cross and outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2. However, this quote above sounds suspiciously similar to Latter Rain[32, 33] teaching especially when taken together with the following:
At the Mass, the pope prayed that the World Youth Day experience would be a new Pentecost for all the participants, marking a new outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.[34] [Emphasis mine]
Additionally, Pope Benedict in his push for ecumenism warned we should not let doctrine divide the Church – another aspect of Latter Rain.[35]
“…We must guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live.”[35] [Emphasis mine]
Note that the pope uses the term ‘new age’ three times in the following short passage. Certainly, Pope Benedict must be aware of the negative implications of the term.
“…Empowered by the Spirit, and drawing upon faith’s rich vision, a new generation of Christians is being called to help build a world in which God’s gift of life is welcomed, respected and cherished — not rejected, feared as a threat and destroyed,” the Bishop of Rome affirmed. “A new age in which love is not greedy or self-seeking, but pure, faithful and genuinely free, open to others, respectful of their dignity, seeking their good, radiating joy and beauty. A new age in which hope liberates us from the shallowness, apathy and self-absorption which deaden our souls and poison our relationships.” “Dear young friends,” he urged, “the Lord is asking you to be prophets of this new age, messengers of his love, drawing people to the Father and building a future of hope for all humanity.” The world and the Church need this renewal, Benedict XVI affirmed. “The Church especially needs the gifts of young people, all young people,” he said. “She needs to grow in the power of the Spirit who even now gives joy to your youth and inspires you to serve the Lord with gladness…”[36]
And last, but not least, is the following from an article proposing on a beauty pageant for nuns. The contestants must be between the ages of 18 and 40, “and can be either full members of an order or novices.”[37] Does this mean one is no longer beautiful after age 40? Is this the line of demarcation? At least there will be no swimsuit competition and the nuns would not be wearing anything revealing according to the article. The photos will be placed on a blog and viewers can vote on their favorites.
…Father [Antonio] Rungi said that he expected many who applied to be young, attractive – and non-Italian. He said: “Do you really think nuns are all wizened, funereal old ladies? Today, it’s not like that any more, thanks to an injection of youth and vitality brought to our country by foreign girls.” He said there were nuns from Africa and Latin America who were “really very, very pretty. The Brazilian girls above all.”
…He admitted that not all Catholics were in favor of the idea. “I have had some e-mails from Christians who perhaps have not grasped the evangelizing spirit of the initiative, or the potential of the internet, which is a marvelous tool for spreading the Christian message. Unfortunately, some people still have a closed mentality.”[37][Emphasis mine]
Does this seem like effective evangelism or does this seem wrong to you dear reader? I agree the internet is “a marvelous tool for spreading the Christian message” but not in the way he’s thinking.
[1] “ecumenism.” WordNet© 3.0. Princeton University. 26 Aug. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ecumenism>
[2] <http://www.unity.org/index.php?submenu=What_we_believe&src=gendocs&ref=WeBelieve&category=About%20Us>
[3] “pluralism.” WordNet© 3.0. Princeton University. 26 Aug. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pluralism>
[4] <http://www.lucistrust.org/en/publications_store/alice_bailey_books/about_alice_bailey>
[5] Bailey, Alice A. “Introduction to Initiation.” From Bethlehem to Calvary. Lucis Trust; copyright 1937 by Alice A. Bailey, renewed 1957 by Foster Bailey; 4th paperback edition, 1989; Fort Orange Press, Inc., Albany, New York; p 20-21
[6] <http://www.ihop.org/>
[7] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bickle>
[8] <http://www.pfo.org/growingpains.htm>
[9] <http://www.morningstarministries.org/>
[10] Bickle, Mike. Growing in the Prophetic. Creation House. Lake Mary, FL; 1996 p 30
[11] (van der Merwe) Grewe, Jewel. “False Prophets.” Discernment Newsletter. May 1990 Volume 1, No.1 <http://www.discernment-ministries.org/1990_FirstEdition.pdf page 35 (Kansas City Fellowship Interview Bob Jones with Mike Bickle 1988)
[12] (van der Merwe) Grewe, Jewel. “A New Breed.” Discernment Newsletter. June 1990 <http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NL_June1990.pdf page 45 (Kansas City Fellowship Interview Bob Jones with Mike Bickle 1988)
[13] (van der Merwe) Grewe, Jewel. “The Anointed Seed.” Discernment Newsletter. September 1990 <http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NL_Sept1990.pdf> page 5 (Kansas City Fellowship Interview Bob Jones with Mike Bickle 1988)
[14] Joyner, Rick. The Harvest <http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0883685035/ref=sib_dp_ptu#reader-link> 1993. MorningSter Publications. Charlotte, NC; back cover
[15] <http://www.ibethel.org/>
[16] Johnson, Bill. “Todd Bentley ‘Commissioning’ of June 23, 2008.” <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-A05WQYi7aQ> 1:30 – 2:10
[17] <http://www.acommonword.com/index.php?lang=en&page=option1>
[18] <http://www.acommonword.com/lib/downloads/fullpageadbold18..pdf>
[19] <http://www.acommonword.com/>
[20] “Christianity and Religious Plurality in Historical and Global Perspective.” April 25-27, 2003 <http://www.fullerseminary.net/news/html/religiousplurality.asp>
[21] American Society of International Law <http://www.asil.org/resource/un1.htm>
[22] <http://www.lucistrust.org/invocation/>
[23] <http://www.souledout.org/gi/gievolution.html>
[24] <http://www.souledout.org/wesak/wesaklegend2.html>
[25] <http://www.wesak.us/articles.php>
[26] Allen, Jr., John L., “The Vatican’s Relative Truth.” The New York Times. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/opinion/19allen.html> 12/19/07
[27] “UN gets ready for Pope Benedict’s visit.” <http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/detail/9316.html> 04/11/08
[28] Stagnaro, Angelo. “Diplomats welcome Pope Benedict’s visit to United Nations.” Catholic News Service. <http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802122.htm> 08/20/08
[29] Wooden, Cindy. “Pope says trip to U.S. was opportunity to give, receive hope, faith.” <http://www.uspapalvisit.org/stories/cns_0802384.htm> 04/30/08
[30] <http://www.farmersalmanac.com/2007-2008-full-moons>
[31] Flynn, Father John, LC. “The New Age of the Holy Spirit.” Zenit. <http://www.zenit.org/article-23347?l=english> 07/27/08
[32] <http://www.theopedia.com/Latter_Rain_Movement>
[33] <http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain7.htm>
[34] Wooden, Cindy. “Pope tells young people power of the Holy Spirit can transform world.” Catholic News Services. <http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803760.htm> 07/20/08
[35] Wigen, Nancy. “Ecumenism ultimately points toward a common Eucharist, Pope tells Christians.” Catholic News Agency. <http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13290> 07/18/08
[36] “Pope Prays Closing Mass Will Be New Pentecost..” World Youth Day – Cross Media. <http://wydcrossmedia.org/moduli/popupnews.php?i=602> 07/19/08
[37] Owen, Richard, “Priest Antonio Rungi wants beauty contest – for nuns.” The Times. <http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4600534.ece> 08/25/08
Discovering the New Age Movement / New World Order, Part Two
Submitted by Craig “Lee” Dorsheimer
This is the second part of this series which takes the bulk of its information from a video of the 2006 Radio Liberty Conference in Aptos, California by attorney, author and speaker Constance Cumbey titled “Discovering the New Age Movement.” You can view the video here.[1]
You may want to first read Part One of this series located Here.
Connection to Nazism
According to Foster Bailey’s book Running God’s Plan, Cumbey states, “One of the goals of their hierarchy was to have a unified Europe… ‘We tried this before working through a disciple using the Rhine River valley and the inhabitants of that valley as a binding factor. That attempt was unsuccessful; but, now another attempt is in full swing namely the six nation European Common Market.’”[1] Quite obviously Bailey, husband to Alice A. Bailey, was referring to Adolph Hitler. Hitler’s Fascism was an attempt at creating a New World Order.
It is well known that Hitler was dabbling in the occult before he came to power. At the height of his regime many have noted his strange magnetism. People were drawn to him. Some have suggested he was under demonic power, even possessed. Hitler was inspired by the occultic/esoteric writings of Madame Helena Blavatsky, the founder of Theosophy in 1875[2], and kept a copy of her book The Secret Doctrine at his bedside.[3]
For a pop music connection: Joy Division, a Manchester, England based punk/post-punk band from 1977 to 1980, got their name from a term used in a novel by Karol Cetinskys titled House of Dolls. According to the novel, Joy Division was the term used for the brothels of WWII era Nazis who used concentration camp victims as prostitutes. The band name had been changed from their previous moniker of Warsaw. By 1979, Joy Division had become an underground success.[4]
Lead vocalist/lyricist Ian Curtis was a frenetic performer energizing their live shows.[4] His lyrics were very dark as evidenced in the opening track “Disorder” from their first full length album Unknown Pleasures:
I’ve been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand
Could these sensations make me feel the pleasures of a normal man
These sensations barely interest me for another day
I got the spirit, lose the feeling, take the shock away
…Until the spirit – new sensation – takes hold, then you know
…I got the spirit, don’t lose the feeling
I got the spirit, don’t lose the feeling…[5] [Emphasis mine]
According to Jon Savage, pop music critic, who was in audience at an October 27, 1979 gig:
Joy Division walk out and launch into “Dead Souls”. The peculiarity of this song is that it has a long, rolling introduction that allows the group to orient themselves in their environment for the night…
… building up to the moment when, transported by the music, he [Curtis] launches himself into the void – arms flailing and legs pumping.
Then he begins to sing… The lyric to “Dead Souls” is an unsettling evocation of psychic possession and the presence of past lives. The chorus is an anguished chant: “They keep calling me”.[6] [Emphasis mine]
Here are some of the lyrics for “Dead Souls” from their posthumously released Still:
Someone take these dreams away
And point me to another day
Back to the personalities
That stretch our true realities
…they keep calling me
They keep calling me…[7] [Emphasis mine]
Bernard Sumner, guitarist for the band: “Ian [Curtis] said to me that doing this album [Closer, their second full length release] felt very strange because he felt that all his words were writing themselves…”[6] [Emphasis mine]
12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms [Ephesians 6:12 NIV]
After Curtis’ suicide on the eve of their first North American tour, the remaining members of the band found a replacement for Curtis, renamed themselves New Order – an obvious reference to Nazism if their previous name wasn’t – and became one of the more successful bands of the 1980s releasing the best selling 12” release of all time in “Blue Monday” in 1983. They continued to record into the 21st century.[8] There are many other references to occultism, neo-Nazism and the New Age permeating the pop music industry.
A New Age Christ
Cumbey again, “…Reflections on the Christ by David Spangler, who you could carry into any Christian service and not attract a lot of attention except they might think you were really pious. But, inside that book – a chapter titled ‘Lucifer, Christ and God’ – and he [Spangler] said ‘Lucifer came to give us the final gift of wholeness if we accept it we are free and he is free. …the Luciferic initiation is a required entry point into the New Age.’”[1]
Not wanting to rely on just one source, Cumbey eventually found the Alice A. Bailey books from Lucis Trust – which originally went by the name ‘Lucifer Publishing’ which they denied for a time although Cumbey now has 3 books in her personal library with this designation.[1] It is now plainly stated on their website:
…However, for a brief time period of two or three years in the early 1920’s, when Alice and Foster Bailey were beginning to publish the books published under her name, they named their fledgling publishing company “Lucifer Publishing Company”. [sic] By 1925 the name was changed to Lucis Publishing Company and has remained so ever since.[9] [Emphasis mine]
Lucis Trust is one of the United Nations’ non-governmental organizations (NGO). Their “Main Activity” according the Department of Public Information section of the UN is listed as “Humanitarian Affairs.”[10] One has to wonder why the UN would endorse an openly Luciferic organization.
According to Cumbey’s book The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow, on April 24, 1982, there appeared a full page advertisement proclaiming “The Christ is Now Here!” in major newspapers across the world. This ran in more than twenty major cities; and, the advertisement itself listed four different addresses at the bottom as “information centers” in Amsterdam, London, New York City and North Hollywood, California.[11] Here are some quotes from the ad:
…He comes not to judge but to aid and inspire.
…At the center of this “Spiritual Hierarchy” stands the World Teacher, LORD MAITREYA, known by Christians as the CHRIST. And as Christians await the Second Coming, so the Jews await the MESSIAH, the Buddhists the FIFTH BUDDHA, the Moslems the IMAM MAHDI, and the Hindus await KRISHNA. These are all names for one individual. His presence in the world guarantees there will be no third World War.[11] [All quotes and caps in original; underlining and bolding mine][11]
After coming across a book by Benjamin Crème titled The Reappearance of the Christ, she found a section titled ‘How The Plan is Working Out’ which spoke of the political developments going on at the time. She knew she had to see him in person.[1]
She picked up a flyer sponsored by the local Unity church which detailed a local appearance and she attended along with eight other Christians. It was standing room only. Cumbey recognized many prominent people in the audience. She asked one individual she knew what he was doing there and he replied, “Because, I’m taking A Course in Miracles…” It was a “requirement” in a “spiritual growth” class he was taking.[1]
When Crème walked in, he made a ‘wave’ with his hand and the crowd immediately went into a deep trance save for Cumbey and her eight associates. She made noises in attempts to get the other attendees out of their trance but to no avail.[1] The whole account is rather unsettling.
After taking a break, Crème was to lead the audience into a “mass recitation of ‘The Great Invocation’”[12] which is a prayer by Alice Bailey for “the Antichrist to come and take the world for Lucifer.”[1] From the Lucis Trust site regarding “The Use and Significance of the Great Invocation:”
The Great Invocation if given widespread distribution, can be to the new world religion what the Lord’s Prayer has been to Christianity and the 23rd Psalm has been to the spiritually minded Jew.[13 ]
Crème declared there would be a ‘transmission’ from Maitreya the Christ as soon as the prayer was finished. “…His literature said that he had been ‘overshadowed’ by Maitreya the Christ” in previous meetings. As the people began their prayer, Cumbey instead loudly prayed the first four stanzas of the ‘Lord’s Prayer.’ During the last two lines of their prayer she said instead, “May Jesus Christ return to earth and end the evil present in this room tonight.”[1]
Then, according to Cumbey the “spookiest thing of the evening happened” – actually it didn’t happen. Crème “waited and waited;” but, the ‘overshadowing’ never occurred. He finally “dismissed the crowd and said, ‘That will be all.’”[1] The sword of the Spirit – the Word of God [Ephesians 6:17] – prevailed! You have to admire the courage of Constance Cumbey to take a stand amidst the foes.
12For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. [Hebrews 4:12 NIV]
Commenting to negative remarks after the event, Cumbey said, “Well, if your new Maitreya the Christ, Betray-a the Christ, or whatever his name’s supposed to be, were everything he’s cracked up to be, one lousy Christian in the room reciting the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ shouldn’t have stopped him.”[1]
A Syncretism of the New Age and Christendom
Unfortunately, Cumbey met with opposition within the Evangelical community.[1] I suppose it should not have been a surprise given that she’d seen these New Age infused books at an evangelical bookstore initially.
In Cumbey’s second book A Planned Deception, she recounts, “…One Seattle Evangelical bookstore sells The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow under the counter in a plain brown paper bag, stapled shut and enclosed with a critical review from Christianity Today.”[14] However, the heretical books of Matthew Fox were taking up an increasing amount of space.[14]
As recently as 1999, Christianity Today has inferred that the NAM was no longer a threat stating “the New Age Movement has been replaced by Neopaganism”[15] – as if Neopaganism wasn’t a part of the movement to begin with! To continue to deny the existence of the New Age Movement by a major Christian magazine is downright disgraceful to the body of Christ. All one has to do is look at Oprah’s TV show to find out about the latest New Age guru. Yet the magazine has no trouble referencing New Ager[16] Ken Blanchard.[17, 18]
Going back to Cumbey’s first book, in the chapter titled Deluded… or Deceivers? she writes:
“The New Age Movement is pushing for, among other things: global agencies to handle distribution of global resources, redistribution of the world’s wealth, a new world religion, experiential religion (as opposed to religion based on scriptural authority and tradition), a universal tax… …a teaching that all things are part of one whole, an emphasis on universal interdependence…
“All these concepts are beginning to rear their ugly heads in evangelical Christian books and publications…”[19] [Emphasis mine]
Further in this same chapter she speaks of “a trend today toward a social exegesis of the Gospel.”[20] This has only grown worse in the past 25 years as evidenced by the examples of Rick Warren[21] and Joel Osteen[22] among others.
In Year of Jubilee or Age of Aquarius Disguised? from her A Secret Kingdom? chapter in Cumbey’s second book she relates some research on then associate pastor of a Unity church in Kansas City. In his “Research Report #2,” Reverend Ernest Ramsey “tells of something he was led to by a spirit guide…” He was referring to ‘Manifest Sons of God’ teaching of ‘Neo-Pentecostalism.’ “Ramsey concludes based on even less evidence than I have personally collected that this is part of the New Age Movement.”[23]
On March 14, 1999, Rich Nathan, Senior Pastor of Columbus Vineyard Church, began delivering a sermon series sounding an alarm regarding the New Age Movement. He begins by quoting a brief account of Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological Seminary, who witnessed a man with the Playboy Bunny emblem on the bumper of his vehicle and the Virgin Mary dangling from his dash thinking that to be quite a dichotomy.[24] Nathan then launches into the meat of his sermon:
Churches that use both Eastern and Western scriptures are growing; one example is the Unity Church. Fifteen years ago, there were 400 Unity Churches, and now there are a thousand catering to people who “don’t feel comfortable using one particular label for a Higher Being.” There is an Episcopalian Church in San Francisco called St. Gregory of Nyssan, where the two senior ministers have created a service that includes the worship of Jesus Christ and the ringing of Buddhist symbols. This church was built to the two ministers specifications four years ago. The Wall Street Journal reports, “St. Gregory’s has an interior decorated to Eastern Orthodox icons, a Shinto shrine and Tibetan gongs. The ministers wear tie-dyed African vestments. The congregation sings the Shema, which is an ancient Jewish prayer. People dance forward to partake of the Eucharist, which is open to believers in every religion, not just Christians. And the Episcopalian priests and the congregations invoke many different deities, not just Jesus, because as the pastor says, “In the end, they are all the same.”
The last common denominator that I would say is a mark of much New Age belief and much New Age spirituality is the tendency to create your own biblical interpretation. The bible is viewed by many people today in America as being like a Rorschach Ink Blot test. Many people who are into New Age spirituality will find in the Bible some really unusual and esoteric interpretation of a verse. The perspective is that everyone’s interpretation of the Bible is equally legitimate.[24] [All emphasis mine]
While this sort of thing is encouraging, these warnings to the flock are few and far between. This minor victory, however, was to be short-lived as Nathan would later openly endorse false ecumenism[25] while Mouw’s Fuller Theological Seminary would openly endorse religious pluralism.[26] This will be covered in part three.
[1] <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8937919448007045479>
[2] <http://www.blavatsky.net/>
[3] <http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/thenewage.html>
[4] Joy Division; biography. All Music Guide < http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gbfuxql5ldje~T1>
[5] Curtis, Ian/Joy Division. “Disorder.” Unknown Pleasures; Factory Records, Manchester, England; FACT 10; 1979.
[7] Curtis, Ian/Joy Division. “Dead Souls.” Still. Factory Records, Manchester, England; FACD 07/08; 1981.
[8] New Order; biography. All Music Guide < http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifqxqr5ld6e~T1>
[9] <http://www.lucistrust.org/en/arcane_school/talks_and_articles/the_esoteric_meaning_of_lucifer>
[10] <http://www.un.org/dpi/ngosection/asp/form.asp?RegID=all&CnID=CH&AcID=-1&kw=&NGOID=3902>
[11] Cumbey, Constance E. “Preface.” The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow. Huntington House. Shreveport, LA. 1983, revised
edition. pp 13-15
[12] < http://www.uriel.org/Invocation/index.htm>
[14] Cumbey, Constance E. “The Incredible Heresies of Matthew Fox.” A Planned Deception: the Staging of a New Age “Messiah.” Pointe Publishers, Inc, East Detroit, MI. 1985. p 131
[15] <http://www.christianresearchservice.com/KenBlanchard7.htm>
[16] <http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/decemberweb-only/22.0a.html>
[17] <http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/february/27.24.html>
[18] http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/mayweb-only/24.0c.html
[19] Ibid. Cumbey “Deluded… or Deceivers?” The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow. p 145
[20] Ibid. Cumbey p. 156
[21] <http://herescope.blogspot.com/2006/12/cfr-and-social-gospel-part-1.html>
[22] Van Biema, David & Jeff Chu. “Does God Want You to be Rich?” Time. 09/10/2006 <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1533448,00.html>
[23] Ibid. Cumbey. “Year of Jubilee? or Age of Aquarius?” A Planned Deception. pp 171-172
[24] Nathan, Rich. “Christ Confronts the New Age” sermon. March 14, 1999. Online version Copyright 2008. <http://www.vineyardcolumbus.org/resources/sermons/sermon_detail.asp?id=309>
[25] <http://www.acommonword.com/lib/downloads/fullpageadbold18..pdf>
[26] <http://www.fullerseminary.net/news/html/religiousplurality.asp>
Discovering the New Age Movement / New World Order, Part One
Submitted by Craig “Lee” Dorsheimer
I first became aware of the New Age Movement / New World Order in the late 1980s well before I became a Christian through an acquaintance who was witnessing to me at the time and who allowed me to borrow a book titled The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow written by Constance Cumbey, a Detroit area attorney. I ended up buying a copy of the book.
A few years later, I recall being in night school and seeing on a TV in our break room President George H. W. Bush in his 1991 State of the Union address stressing a “New World Order” and chills went down my spine.
…What is at stake is more than one small country; it is a big idea: a new world order, where diverse nations are drawn together in common cause to achieve the universal aspirations of mankind — peace and security, freedom, and the rule of law. Such is a world worthy of our struggle and worthy of our children’s future…
…The world can, therefore, seize this opportunity to fulfill the long-held promise of a new world order, where brutality will go unrewarded and aggression will meet collective resistance. Yes, the United States bears a major share of leadership in this effort…[1] [emphasis mine]
And, again on March 6, 1991, at the close of the Gulf War:
…Now, we can see a new world coming into view. A world in which there is the very real prospect of a new world order. In the words of Winston Churchill, a world order in which “the principles of justice and fair play protect the weak against the strong. . . .” A world where the United Nations, freed from cold war stalemate, is poised to fulfill the historic vision of its founders.
…Even the new world order cannot guarantee an era of perpetual peace. But enduring peace must be our mission. Our success in the Gulf will shape not only the new world order we seek but our mission here at home.
In the war just ended, there were clear-cut objectives — timetables — and, above all, an overriding imperative to achieve results… [1] [Emphasis mine]
It would be years after this that I would accept Jesus Christ as my savior. During my B.C. [before Christ] days I began to see New Age / New World Order connections in quite a few different areas. One in particular was music – a HUGE idol in my life. There was Eastern mysticism in most of the different genres of music I listened to whether it was the lyrics, liner notes, artwork, music or a combination of these. And, of course, most music stores have an entire section devoted to “New Age” music. This genre is generally for meditational purposes since it’s usually quiet and relaxing yet repetitive – perfect for use as a vehicle for emptying one’s mind.
A basic tenet of the New Age Movement is a syncretism of religions with the belief that there are ‘many paths to God.’[2] However, the main focus is to realize that God is in all – this is called panentheism – so, we just need to realize, then actualize, our own divinity.[3] Panentheism is a further step from pantheism which means ‘God is all.’[3] Religious tolerance is promoted and accepted with the exception of Orthodox Biblical Christianity and other monotheistic religions since these are viewed as divisive.[4]
Some New Agers redefine Christian terminology into New Age meanings. A perfect example is found in the Theosophical writings of Alice A. Bailey – who claims her writings were channeled through her by a ‘Tibetan master’ named Djwan Khul – in the use of ‘atonement’ which is hyphenated to the more Eastern ‘at-one-ment.’ The redefined meaning is to become ‘at one’ or to ‘achieve unity’ with God.[5]
It was at a particularly low point in my life when I accepted Christ; and, the thought of the New Age Movement was far from my mind. During my subsequent Christian walk, which was fraught with waywardness amid faithfulness, I would occasionally think about the New Age Movement / New World Order; but, the stresses and distractions of daily life in the U.S. would overshadow them. However, around April of 2007 I was introduced to some strange teachings that I recognized as being New Age in origin.
Here is Constance Cumbey, who was “The first major evangelical critic of the New Age Movement” according to her own words in this clip, filmed at the 2006 Radio Liberty Conference in Aptos, California:[6]
I entreat you to set aside one hour of your time to listen to what she has to say on the subject of the New Age Movement / New World Order. Cumbey wrote The Hidden Dangers of the Rainbow in 1983 and its follow up A Planned Deception: The Staging of a New Age “Messiah” in 1985 in which she exposes the NAM/NWO having thoroughly researched this unfolding of end time’s prophecy. She continues to research news reports and other info in her ongoing search of the NAM/NWO on her blog.[7]
Throughout this article and the upcoming second part I will provide quotes from this video/audio message in which Cumbey recounts her journey into the knowledge of the New Age Movement beginning in 1981. In addition, I will bold some key New Age Movement (NAM) / New World Order (NWO) terms as I’ve already done above. This does not mean to imply that every time one sees these words that they are necessarily referring to the NAM/NWO.
While the NAM and NWO are intrinsically intertwined, for the sake of simplicity it may be easiest to see the NAM as the spiritual/religious side compared to the NWO which is its political aspect. But, make no mistake, the intention is to establish a one world religion/one world government. This, in fact, makes perfect sense in light of Biblical prophecy:
7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
13And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. [Revelation 13:7-8, 13-17 Emphasis mine]
This makes it clear that the ‘beast’ will have authority over the entire earth and all inhabitants including the monetary system. The only way for this to occur is to have total governmental control as in a one world government. In addition, if the ‘beast’ is going to conquer all the saints – true Christians – then either: 1) all religions of the world will be in total opposition to Biblical Christianity; or, most likely, 2) there will be a one world religion which will be at odds with Biblical Christianity.
It seems quite obvious that this prophecy will not be fulfilled in a ‘one fell swoop’ kind of way but rather a process over time. It is highly implausible that the Antichrist would just appear on the scene without some sort of plan toward this end. Keep in mind, this is not “man” doing this – this is the power of dark forces bringing forth biblical prophecies toward their fulfillment. And, of course, God is allowing it.
18Dear children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us but they did not really belong to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. [1 John 2:18-19 NIV]
In the above what is John referring to with his words “their going?” I believe it obviously refers to those who’ve walked away from the faith altogether; however, I also believe it refers to those who have moved away from the strict Word of God to subtle errors which in turn leads to larger errors. Remember Jesus’ and Paul’s words regarding ‘a little yeast/leaven’ and how these can “leaven the whole.” [Matthew 16:6, 11-12; Galatians 5:7-10; 1 Corinthians 5:6-7] Whether these folks are doing it knowingly or unwittingly only the Lord knows for sure.
Constance Cumbey’s Introduction to the New Age
In a Methodist book store across from her law office Cumbey found books with a common theme proclaiming the need for a “‘New World Order…’ for ‘transformation,’ to ‘see ourselves as part of an interconnected whole.’ Cumbey: “I started thinking I was looking at some very serious religious apostasy combined with some political elements…”[6]
These books were from those identified as Methodist, Baptist, Mennonite and Catholic authors; however, “…The books all sounded more like each other rather than the respective teachings of their respective denominations.”[6]
From The Aquarian Conspiracy by Marilyn Ferguson, Cumbey quotes, “Doctrine is losing authority and knowing is superseding belief.” [Emphasis mine] This quote itself was taken from The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling according to Cumbey. Dowling’s book spoke of a Jesus “‘who was not always ‘the Christ’ that …Jesus had earned the degree ‘Christ’ by a life of strenuous service and equipping Himself to find the ‘Christ Consciousness…’[6]
“‘…it is time for more revelation and Jesus is the flesh-made messenger to bring that light to man; but, in the ages yet to come man will attain to greater lights… and finally at last a mighty master soul will arise to light the way to the throne of perfect man.’ I slammed that book shut… I knew I just looked at something about and promoting and preparing folks for the Antichrist.”[6]
The name ‘Lucifer’ comes from the Latin ‘lucis’ which means ‘light’ and ‘ferre’ ‘to bring;’ so, ‘Lucifer’ literally means ‘light bringer’ or ‘bringer of light.’[8]
At a dinner with Phyllis Warren, a biofeedback instructor at Detroit’s Unity Temple who claimed she could heal Cumbey’s husband who had lost both legs just above the knees, Warren proceeds to tell Constance about the “New Age Movement” also known as “The Holistic Movement,” “The Networking Movement,” “The New Consciousness Movement,” and “Age of Aquarius.”[6]
Cumbey comments, “So help me, I did not know that they had a slogan ‘When the pupil is ready the master will appear.’”[6] Interestingly, I found this quote on a site on neopaganism/paganism in response to the following questions on that site, “How do I find pagans/Witches/covens/teachers in my area? How do I evaluate them:”
Some of your best contacts may come from your local new age, pagan or occult bookstores. Check their bulletin boards for notices, or ask the staff.
Don’t be in a hurry to find a teacher. “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” is a popular saying in most pagan and Craft communities.[9] [Emphasis mine]
Cumbey quotes Warren as saying that those in the movement “‘communicate with code words and signals.’” Cumbey began to say some of the code words which Warren agreed with, “Spaceship Earth, Global Village, interdependence… …I had noticed this strong thread of mysticism, both Eastern and Western, running through it.” Warren further states that Marilyn Ferguson’s book understates the magnitude of the movement.[6]
Cumbey tells Warren that she had been reading the Bible and was “convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that this may very well be what was described in the Bible as the last political/social movement that will bring the Antichrist on the scene.” Warren, still thinking that Cumbey wanted to “come on board,” proceeds, “Oh yes, that’s VERY perceptive of you… I’ve been convinced of that for many years myself.”[6]
Cumbey opens her Bible to Daniel 11:38, “‘He shall honor in his estate a god of forces, a god whom his fathers knew not.’ And, I turned to a page in The Aquarian Gospel: ‘and one may enter fully into the god of forces.’” To which Phyllis Warren says, “You saw it! You saw it! That’s such an important point! Most students of esotericism fail to grasp it immediately. …we believe that Jesus and the Christ are two separate entities, that ‘Christ’ is an office not a man.”[6]
Another meaning for ‘Lucifer’ is ‘force god’ or ‘god of forces’ according to esotericists such as Freemasons, Theosophists, Pantheists, etc.[10] (Star Wars anyone?) So, what does that say about Word of Faith adherents who believe God used the ‘force of faith’ in speaking things into existence assuming Christians can tap into this same creative ‘force?’
Cumbey then quotes 1 John 2:22, “‘Who is the liar but he who denies Jesus is the Christ …is antichrist he that denies the Father and the Son.’ And, suddenly she [Warren] had a mystic, crystal revelation – she told me too much. And, she started trying frantically to take it back.”[6]
Phyllis Warren, after figuring out that Cumbey believed the Bible to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God with no ‘hidden meanings’ or ambiguities blurted out, “‘That’s not right, that’s not right! …That book is simply too misleading…The Antichrist is NOT the negative thing the Bible’s made him out to be!’”[6]
Read Part Two of this series here.
[1] < http://www.c-span.org/executive/stateoftheunion.asp>
[2] < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Age>
[3] Strohmer, Charles. “Beliefs Behind the ‘Seens.’” Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs; John Ankerberg & John Weldon; Harvest House Publishers; Eugene, Oregon; 1996; ppX-XI
[4] Strohmer, Charles. “Beliefs Behind the ‘Seens.’” Encyclopedia of New Age Beliefs; John Ankerberg & John Weldon; Harvest House Publishers; Eugene, Oregon; 1996; p XIII
[5] Bailey, Alice A. “Introduction to Initiation.” From Bethlehem to Calvary. Lucis Trust; copyright 1937 by Alice A. Bailey, renewed 1957 by Foster Bailey; 4th paperback edition, 1989; Fort Orange Press, Inc., Albany, New York; p 18
[6] <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8937919448007045479>
[7] < http://cumbey.blogspot.com/>
[8] < http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lucifer>
[10] < http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/masonry.html
This is a related article you might enjoy reading:
https://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2007/08/09/the-age-of-aquarius/
I first heard this comment or one similar some time ago. I had just taught a lesson in Bible Study in Matthew 13 about the parable of the yeast. With this bible teaching fresh in my mind, the idea of being able to extract truth from false doctrine, rang the alarm bell.
kim
“CHEW THE MEAT;
SPIT OUT THE BONES….”
Lynn & Sarah Leslie
We were astonished when we first heard this statement. In all of our 50-plus years we had never encountered this phrase before. It immediately conjured up graphic images of sharp teeth roughly biting off and devouring a tough piece of meat, and rudely spewing out pieces of bone. Surely there were better table manners than this!
We first heard this retort when we had expressed a concern about a curriculum. Ostensibly this curriculum was a book that would embody the teachings of our local church, and it was written by a man highly esteemed and respected – a man who held many positions of leadership in parachurch groups. Yet embedded throughout his curriculum were heresies. We worried that teaching these heresies could adversely affect families in our church.
Like most material in the evangelical world today, this particular curriculum didn’t teach flagrant and obvious heresies. Rather, it subtly introduced new terms, new understandings, and new ways of thinking about traditional biblical concepts. When we read the curriculum we immediately recognized that it had integrated the teachings of an evangelical leader who is noted for his controversial teachings and cult-like practices. When we looked in the bibliography, sure enough, we found references to this leader – and worse! The writer was clearly influenced by these outside teachings and importing them into our group.
But “chew the meat, spit out the bones”? We were being told that this is the method by which the church members should read this man’s book. Where did this phrase originate and how did it become a catchphrase that so easily dismisses concerns about biblical error? A quick Internet search does not reveal the origination of this expression. But it always seems to be used in the context of justifying the inclusion of error in otherwise biblical-sounding teachings.
Is chewing meat and spitting out the bones a sensible plan for eating meat in everyday life? Is it a biblical concept? We’ll get to the answers later…. First, let us look at how truth gets mixed with error.
The Off-Center Bullseye
One analogy that helps to visualize the trouble with slightly off-base teachings is the shooting of an arrow at a target. A bullseye is in the center of a target. It seems like some leaders purposefully aim their arrows just a little bit off to the side of the bullseye. What they are teaching isn’t quite biblical truth. It contains just a tiny glimmer of untruth, a somewhat off-kilter idea, or a novel interpretation of Scripture that runs a little askew of traditional doctrine. Most of these little “off” statements go unchallenged, as we would like to give the writer or speaker the benefit of the doubt. It could be that we just misunderstood.
But if the slightly off-target statement is repeated, included throughout, or a foundational error, it becomes a matter of doctrinal concern. Below we explain why it is so subtle and hard to identify at first:
TRUTH (THESIS) . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . ANTITHESIS
\ /
SYNTHESIS
Here is what happens: The opposite of Truth (Thesis) is Anti-Truth (Antithesis). A small-appearing lie forms in opposition to the Truth of God’s Word (1 Tim. 6:20). To create a Synthesis, this initial lie must be accepted instead of rejected. To justify the error, man will attempt to merge it into biblical Truth. It usually feels like just a tiny compromise, no big deal. What results, however, is a new “truth” – a synthesized “truth” in which a bit of error has been mixed in. This process is called dialectics; it has been around ever since Adam and Eve succumbed to Satan’s temptation in the Garden of Eden.
Once a Synthesis is established, more syntheses can come about by adding in a New Antithesis to the Synthesis. This creates a New Synthesis, which is even further from the original Truth. It works like this:
NEW TRUTH (SYNTHESIS). . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANTITHESIS
\ /
NEW SYNTHESIS
The sequential process of adding Antithesis to truth, and creating new Syntheses can go on and on to create progressive “new revelation.” After a while, the original Truth becomes lost. In fact, we sometimes get letters at Discernment Ministries from people who believe we are seriously deluded because we hold to the old biblical Truth. They have only been taught the New Truth (Synthesis) to the point where it is a total Antithesis to the Gospel of Salvation. They believe their false gospel is the true Gospel and that we are the ones who are deceived.
Chewing Meat With the Bones Still In It
How does this Synthesis process happen to the local church today? Very cleverly, deceptively and subtly. New doctrines, practices, and concepts are “sold” to the church as a promising new way to build the kingdom of God, reach the lost, attain personal satisfaction in your Christian life, reach a higher level of spirituality, engage in a deeper walk, acquire psychological health, and even grow in prosperity!
The “sales” routine appeals to the five senses. Here is how it goes: You will “feel” better if you adopt this new theology. It will “meet your needs.” There is an easier way, a bypass that will save you that uncomfortable conviction of heart and dying to self. In fact, the old Truth is dead tradition. It is hindering you; it stifles your self-expression. It is too rigid and restrictive. You don’t need a bunch of dry, dead formulas for dos and don’ts. You can select which theologies meet your needs and discard the ones that seem too legalistic. This teaches you to mix and match doctrines. You can create your own Synthesis to establish your own comfort zone in the faith.
Churches and mission groups are susceptible to this Synthesis process, too. New programs and plans promise more effectiveness through networking, partnering, coalitions, ecumenical councils, joint efforts, etc. Your group must set aside a few of its principles, convictions or beliefs. The ends will justify the means. The other groups can hold to their own beliefs, you can practice yours – this has the appearance of separation. The two of you might even find common ground through aligning your basic core beliefs. This Synthesis particularly appeals to those who are mission minded. You are promised that fewer people will be in poverty, more people will be aided, and you would heighten your evangelistic impact – if only you would overlook a few minor doctrinal discrepancies in your partner’s theology – Synthesis.
Many evangelical leaders today have actually been trained to publicly present solid statements of faith, but in their writings and teachings you can catch a glimmer of another gospel. This is deceptive, but the evangelical world worships its leaders. Some men are placed on pedestals, exalted to icon status. It is not unlike the fervor over rock & roll stars or Hollywood celebrities. These men are so exalted that people flock after them en masse. Their popularity serves as a measure of protection from scrutiny. Who would dare to criticize this man? If you find fault with their teachings, you quickly learn that you are not popular. We get letters daily at Discernment Ministries from people who have been told – He’s such a wonderful man! If everyone else likes him, why are you finding fault with his teachings? He might be off on a few points, but everything else seems just fine. You are just being too picky. What is the matter with you? Perhaps you are just too “fundamentalist.” You are paying too much attention to doctrine. C’mon go with the flow!
What’s the Matter With A Little Bit of Leaven?
In our modern age of Christian bookstores and media, it is outside leaven that begins to weaken good local churches at the foundation. New “truths” come in like leaven. The whole lump becomes permeated with a perverse teaching. It is very insidious. This is also Synthesis. New doctrines can be so integrated and infused throughout a book, teaching or sermon that it is difficult to separate truth from error. One sentence could contain both truth and error! Just as one cannot take yeast out of a lump of dough, one cannot easily extricate the yeast out of a leaven-saturated teaching. We have often been asked, “What is the matter with a little bit of leaven?” as if it were a harmless little annoyance which could be easily discarded.
Several years ago in the Fall of 2004 Sarah performed a “science” experiment for several Discernment conferences. First she tried it in our warm kitchen at home. She mixed up a small recipe of bread dough but left out the yeast. She picked out a walnut-sized lump of dough and added a tiny bit of yeast to it. She carefully set this little lump off to the side of a big bowl. On the other side of this bowl was the big lump of unleavened dough. Soon that little lump began growing. In only a few minutes it got so big that it touched the side of the big lump. Just a short while later it was pressing in on the other lump, forming it into a crescent shape. Within an hour the two lumps had begun to mingle, and by 1½ hours the two lumps were virtually indistinguishable.
When we tried this experiment at the first conference in Niagara Falls, a chilly air conditioner was blowing from overhead in the room. The yeasty lump just didn’t grow. So we tried it again at the Albany conference a month later. Once again, there was a chilly duct above so we took steps to try to keep the dough more protected. An hour later, although the smaller lump had grown large enough to contact the larger lump, there appeared to be no intermingling of the doughs. We thought our object lesson had failed again. But later that night when we went to dump out the bowl we were shocked to discover that underneath the surface, which had become somewhat encrusted and dry, there was a seething, bubbling mass of leavenous dough. Although it appeared to be “separate” on the top layer, underneath the leaven had thoroughly penetrated the entire lump. The Lord had given us a great object lesson!
Likewise, new “truths” often come into churches under the surface, sometimes hijacking a ride on a good-sounding book, idea or program. Increasingly we are hearing reports from people that even the most conservative groups are bringing in these new teachings. New “truths” have been re-packaged in their own denominational garb, piggy-backing on familiar terminologies that are given new meanings. We have even heard reports that churches that wouldn’t have gone “purpose-driven” with Rick Warren’s programs are receiving training in the exact same concepts. This, too, is intentional, deceptive Synthesis.
“Foreign Body in Throat”
At http://www.ncemi.org/cse/cse0313.htm one can read about the medical procedures that must be followed to extricate a fish or chicken bone from someone’s throat. It is not a pleasant description! The patient must endure a series of painful and intricate examinations that can cause gagging. If the bone is not located and fully extracted, pain, fever, bleeding, and breathing and swallowing difficulties will commence. The esophagus can be punctured, and bones could become embedded in the tonsils, the pharynx, and the tongue. Complicated and invasive surgical procedures are the only way to remove the bone.
*update…upper link is no longer active.
Why, then, would anyone suggest that we can “chew the meat, spit out the bones”? Do you eat this way? No one should do this in real life! Especially, no one in their right mind would ever give a child a piece of chicken or fish with small bones in it. How cruel to even think of such a thing! So why would it ever be acceptable to give a young believer in Christ, or a youth, a book that contains heresy? Yet, daily we hear reports from concerned Christian believers that this practice is widespread in the churches.
Hebrews 5:11-14 explains how to eat meat in a biblical fashion. It uses a real life analogy and applies it to spiritual principles:
12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the Word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meatbelongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
A baby will put anything in its mouth, both hurtful and nutritious. Similarly, a spiritual babe is unable to distinguish between sound and unsound doctrine and is more vulnerable to being “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine”(Eph. 4:14). Solid biblical instruction is an antidote to this. But, negligence and idleness, or apathy towards the Word of God, especially by those entrusted with teaching “the Word of righteousness,” means that even longtime believers can be immature in understanding the most rudimentary doctrines. A babe in Christ is acknowledged to be “unskillful in the Word of righteousness,” but this should not be the case with “them that are of full age.” So what it the matter here?
Just as adults separate meat from bones before putting meat in their mouths, mature believers should be able to discriminate truth from error and separate themselves away from heretical doctrines. But many who should be mature believers by now have not exercised their spiritual senses “to discern both good and evil.” The word “exercised” is connected with the training of athletes. Christians should be well instructed, practiced, prepared and ready for a defense of the Gospel. They should be able to “rightly divide the Word of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Sadly, in the evangelical world fulfilling your physical senses has supplanted the “exercise” of your spiritual “senses.”
Hebrews 6:1-2 goes on to say that it is important to understand the basic doctrines of the Christian faith. It is these foundational doctrines which are subtly being twisted and synthesized with new “truths.” Daily we hear reports of how churches and families are being corrupted by an influx of new “truths,” eroding the Gospel of Salvation. Unless one has had “their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” they could easily fall prey to “seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1). The “Word of righteousness” offers daily assistance with the task of exercising your spiritual senses so that you are able to discern error when it comes in. You do not need to be an expert at understanding heresies. If you know the Bible, and study it intimately, you will recognize error.
***printed by permission***
At the Discernment Conference at Spring Hill, Florida, February 2007. Speaking were Lynn and Sarah Leslie, (center and right)
Volume 19 Number 4 July/August 2008
What Language Do You Speak?
Jewel Grewe
Our spoken and written language is the most important aspect of our culture and identity as a people. In 1997 The Summer Institute of Linguistics noted that the Bible had been translated into 2,197 languages. The Ethnologue Institute has a detailed list of 6,809 distinct languages. In the U.S. we recognize what part of the country someone comes from by their accent. As an American traveling overseas, my ears always perk up when an American accent floats across a crowded airport (Americans seem to speak quite loudly, especially overseas). We identify one another by our language. Our knowledge of the spoken and the written word enables us to hear and understand each other.
Likewise, true knowledge is gained through understanding. Understanding comes through applying oneself to the Truth. Proverbs 24:5 states that: A man of knowledge increaseth strength.
The Word of God is the very fountain of all knowledge. The study thereof should be of utmost importance in the believer’s life. It will identify us as believers. Our knowledge of the Word will enable us to hear and understand His will for our lives.
The Language of the Redeemed
In I Peter 2:9 we are told that we are a peculiar people: But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
This means that we have been set apart from the world. We are part of a different world than that which is around us. We speak a different language; it is the language of the Redeemed. True holiness before God is the daily goal of the true follower of Christ. I Peter 1:13&14 says: Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance.
The language of the redeemed binds us together even closer than the language of our native country.
It is because of this understanding that our hearts break over so many dear Christians who are not steeped in God’s Word today. They are not satisfied with the simplicity and beauty of walking by faith daily in the joy and blessings that He gives. This is the reason why Discernment Ministries has plodded along these many years weeping in the dreary dust of the crowds flittering here and there like the Athenians who spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.
Oh, but they say, God is doing a new thing in the earth. That does not mean to jump ship without a life jacket. When you hear those words, follow the admonition of Scripture – rather prefer to err on side of caution. Listen to the language spoken. Oh, yes, websites of many errant teachers can copy a statement of belief that looks genuine. But is this what they really believe? They can make many claims that will suck in the gullible. But what are they really teaching?
After studying these things for so many years, it is hard to know who is deceived the most. Is it the Leaders who have moved so far away from the knowledge of the Holy and instead, promote the profane and call it holy; or, is it the Followers who blindly run to and fro?
As a young girl, I grew up in Minnesota. The Voice of Healing had just started. Evangelists visited Minneapolis on a regular basis and my father, an Assembly of God pastor, supported every campaign that came through. My eldest sister was born with spinal bifida and was paralyzed from the waist down. Naturally, the greatest desire for our family was that she be healed. We attended meetings by: William Branham, Oral Roberts, AA Allen, the Cerullo brothers, Raymond Richey, Velmer Gardner, Kathryn Kuhlman, and I could go on and on. My sister was usually relegated to a back corner somewhere as she was considered a “difficult case.” I wondered about that. William Branham told my father that “it wasn’t God’s will to heal her.” I wondered about that. In some meetings I would observe “set-ups” where people would walk in a side door, sit in a wheelchair and when the healing lines would form, they would be wheeled up and be proclaimed “healed” and walk off the stage. I wondered about that.
At 12 years of age we moved to Zion, Illinois where there was a lot of fascinating history. My father had known John G. Lake personally when he had lived in Zion in his younger days. My piano teacher would relegate us with stories of John Alexander Dowie. During this time the Charismatic movement started, and my father and I visited many Full Gospel Business Men’s Conventions as he was active in the local chapter. A whole new set of individuals became known to my father as he would drive speakers to their next engagement, and I would sit in the back seat drinking in every word. Derek Prince, Don Bashan, Nicholas Bhengu and many others passed our way.
Latter Rain
Stanley Frodsham, a dear man of God and the Editor of the Pentecostal Evangel for many years, became part of the Latter Rain Movement that started in 1948. He and many others left the fold of the Assemblies of God and joined with those who were part of the “new thing” that came out of that particular time. Stanley Frodsham and his wife moved to Zion and attended our church. Mrs. Frodsham became my Sunday School teacher. Rev. Frodsham was the biographer for Smith Wigglesworth. He and his wife had traveled extensively with him and I was fascinated with the many stories they told. When I went to Central Bible College, the Frodshams had moved there and they introduced me to the Latter Rain group called The House of Prayer. At CBC attending Brother Kessel’s class I learned one side of the story of the split in the Assemblies of God http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NL_January1997.pdf. After attending this particular group for awhile, I learned the Latter Rain side of the story. I now realize all of this was part of God’s teaching process in my own life, even attempting such a ministry as Discernment Ministries. (Many years later I questioned Stanley Frodsham’s daughter about his involvement in the Latter Rain. Her answer was: “My father was a glutton for the supernatural”).
Yes, there are wonderful sincere people who are genuine in their love of the Lord but are always looking for “supernatural experiences and revelations,” but in doing so cause division and harm to the body of Christ. Yet, God in His infinite mercy has a way a working in the lives of His children who are humble and remain low at the Master’s feet, which I know was true of the Frodshams.
After several years of processing and growing in my Christian walk, I left for South Africa as young eager missionary to work with a 75-year-old lady with a genuine “apostolic ministry gift.” I say that because Ruth established many churches along with other wonderful missionaries, and the work of God in the Northern Province in South Africa is a testimony to their lives and sacrifices. Those people truly laid down their lives for the Gospel. They gave their all! Many times Ruth would go out and spend her last mite to fill up the little pick-up truck with vegetables that she could pass out to the hungry. They gave unstintingly of their time and resources for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It distressed me greatly when new innovative thinkers came on the scene and denigrated the work of these pioneers with a “new way of doing missions.” They then would maneuver to get rid of those who had gone before.
Marriage in 1971 and arrival of a family took our lives into a different set of circumstances and new ventures in our ministry – even to then Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Ultimately we came to the U.S. where many things already had changed in the church. While pastoring in the States, we quickly became aware that Christian television was changing the whole direction of the church. A language was being spoken that somehow sounded foreign to our ears. Thankfully we realized that what at stake was the preaching of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Language of the Apostasy
It is grieving to me to write this as there are so many sincere people involved. It is so hard for me to understand why so many get caught up in these things. My heart cries with Paul who said, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (I Cor. 2:1-2).
Please don’t dismiss me as a heresy hunter and shut up your mind to anything but your preconceived notions. This is about Truth. Whether you are Todd Bentley, C. Peter Wagner, Bob Jones, Paul Cain or a pastor of a church, you can be deceived. None of us escape Satan’s devices. As simply as I possibly can, I will attempt to lay out some of the unscriptural language of the apostasy.
Let us examine the foundation for what we are now witnessing – from a 1993 Discernment newsletter,
www.discernment-ministries.org/NL_JanFeb1993.pdf
In the newsletter there is a review of a book by William DeArteaga entitled Quenching the Spirit. DeArteaga makes the assertion that “God brings new truth to the church by first revealing it to cults and occult groups.” He already had written a book in 1983 entitled Past Life Visions in which he lauds Agnes Sandford’s incredibly heretical The Healing Light and defends her belief in a pre-earth human existence (pp 145-6); seems to embrace evolution of man from a lower species (p. 126); declares the “ghosts” are “earthbound souls” (p 187) who may legitimately communicate with the living (p 182) and that the dead should be ministered to by the church (p 183). He argues that reincarnation is Biblical and was “validated by Jesus” (pp 197-209) and that such a gospel is helpful for India because it allows “the Hindu to maintain… the concept of Karma-reincarnation” (p 215); and he recommends regression into past lives as a standard method of spiritual healing for the church to adopt (pp. 151-163). [The Berean Call, Nov. ’92.]
The language of the occult
At the time this Discernment newsletter was written (1993), DeArteaga’s book was legitimized by the TBN, obviously to back up many of the teachings being promoted. There are ministries active today who have no problem introducing occult practices and call it “truth,” and claim we can use these experiences for a deeper “relationship” with God.
Satan’s language
I heard about one ministry that boasted, when invited to a Luciferian Initiation, that really Lucifer just means “angel of light” and after all, we all want “light”! Do you wonder why there is no mention of sin any longer? Has it grieved you that the cross is a subject avoided like poison?
Patricia King (Extreme Prophetic) influenced Todd Bentley after his conversion. I personally do not think he had any opportunity to sit under sound doctrine and learn the first principles. He was “channeled” into the supernatural realm to hook up with what taught him as getting “connected.””.
Her itinerant pastor, who doubles as a travelling DJ, calls the show “Club Mysterio” on an online video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2i5k6WuwX4 Please compare this to the New Age version at www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxDebb9dLKY&NR=1
This newsletter could actually be a large book to do justice to this vast subject. However, if it just makes one person stop, think and repent, it is worth the effort. It is about souls for whom Jesus died that our hearts grieve. The days for “playing church” are over, folk.
Revival Language
“Well, revivals can be messy you know”. This is the way the weirdness is excused. After all, we want to “move higher” into God. We hear sincere folk saying things like: We have to move into a ‘higher place’ – a place of intimacy with God. Jesus did the things the Father told Him to do. WE MUST MOVE INTO THAT PLACE. A place of the knowledge of the Lord that the Lord yearns us to come into. Teachings on “intimacy with God” have sold many books. But just stop here a moment. Isn’t that what any “religion” requires? Always striving after something? Bringing offerings to the many gods in Hinduism, faithfully bowing low in the mosques, dancing into a frenzy to obtain “oneness”?
Let us take a breath and rest in the Scriptures a moment. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (I Peter 2:9&10)
The language of the Scripture tells us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is the power of God unto salvation. This is what this is all about. The perversion of language is the ploy of the enemy to subvert the body of Christ to follow another gospel.
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
II Thess. 2:9 Him, whose coming after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders.
Language of Angels
Dear ones, nowhere in Scripture do we find angels appearing out of nowhere to just keep in communication with us. The culture right now is crazy about angels and Hollywood is churning out movies to satisfy that desire. To read and listen to the stories about Todd Bentley’s angels really denigrates the truth of Scripture. On his website in 2002 he talks about a particular rock on Rick Joyner’s property at Moravian Falls. This rock supposedly has some power, and as they approach it there are three young angels “horsing around, wrestling, getting each other in head-locks and giving noogies.” He learned from others that these were the worship angels who oversee the worship center.
Sorry, but this isn’t biblical. The worship angels are before the throne of God… and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. They give glory to God night and day without rest. We serve a Holy God. His holiness NEVER CHANGES. Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And some cried unto another and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kSlt0_8HwMk
Yet Todd Bentley says, “they [the angels] have nothing in heaven to do but waiting to serve God’s purpose in you!”
Language of the Lie
Bob Jones, who obviously has had a huge influence in Todd Bentley’s life, even introducing him to his angel in 1988, said, “the children will possess the Spirit without measure – for these are the best of all generations that have ever been upon the face of the earth. And the best of all generations are those ELECTED SEEDS that will glorify Christ in the last days… they will move into things of the supernatural that no one has ever moved in before. Every miracle, sign and wonder they’ll move in the power that Christ did…. They themselves will be that generation that’s raised up to put death itself underneath their feet and to glorify Christ in every way and the church that is raising up in the government will be the head and the covering for them… the chosen generation of history that will go beyond all the others in power.” He goes on to say, “This generation of the young people that are coming are going to see the beginning of this World-wide New Order… it is going to change the expression of Christianity in the earth in a generation.”
From a Discernment newsletter in 1990, www.discernment-ministries.org/NL_Sept1990.pdf you will read that Gnosticism has again entrenched itself in the thinking of Christendom. Mystical knowledge is replacing the truth of the Word of God. And they are talking of taking over the WORLD?
Language of Heresy
The greatest sorrow of all is that the deity of Jesus Christ is undermined by this teaching. The divine purpose of the Holy Scriptures is the revelation of Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God. Gnosticism gives way to “higher knowledge”. It brings about disinterest in the Bible and Bible teaching. The “anointed seed” is now said to be connecting with the supernatural realm, and this heresy draws the masses with its instant gratification.
The door is being opened, Eat this fruit and ye will be as god. Accept this lie and you will find yourself at the altar of mysticism where all of the religions of the world worship based on subjectivity, humanism and brotherhood.
What Language do you Speak?
It is time to examine ourselves – whether we are in the faith or not. Have we been led astray by “strange fire”? Has the siren’s sweet song lulled your senses and caused shipwreck to your walk with God? Repent and return to your first love that you may be found worthy to stand in His Presence.
The following are two recent podcasts that I did on the subject of The “revival” and The New Apostolic Reformation. http://sliceoflaodicea.com/slicecast/
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, …For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God…. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (I Cor. 1:10a, 2-3)
****This article was posted with the permission of Jewel Grewe****
http://www.discernment-ministries.org/NLJulyAugust_2008.htm
- Jewel Grewe (left) and myself at the conference in Spring Hill, Florida.
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