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Modern Comedy: Laughing Our Way to Hell

May 5, 2015 in apostasy, christianity, Church, Life, relaxation, religion | Leave a comment

Modern Comedy: Laughing Our Way to Hell.

Pope Francis Tells Priests and Nuns: If They Do Not Love the Mother (Mary), and Pray the Rosary, Then Mother (Mary) Will Not Give Them The Son!

April 27, 2015 in Bible, Christians, Church, Life, Testimonies | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Pope Francis Tells Priests and Nuns: If They Do Not Love the Mother (Mary), and Pray the Rosary, Then Mother (Mary) Will Not Give Them The Son!

Source HERE from Soul Refuge

 

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I came across an article written by the Catholic News Service on the Cruxnow website, that truly reveals the gross deception and falsity of the Roman Catholic gospel. Here are some excerpts from the article entitled: “Mother and son: Pope Francis has a personal, intimate devotion to Mary.” 

VATICAN CITY — From Easter to Pentecost — and especially during the Marian month of May — Catholics recite the “Regina Coeli” prayer “with the emotion of children who are happy because their mother is happy” that Jesus has risen from the dead, Pope Francis said.

Although his devotion to the Mother of God is profound, it is simple in many ways: Mary is a mother to every believer; Jesus would not leave his followers orphans.

While his connection to Mary clearly is a matter of heart and mind, it is also physical. Whenever Pope Francis passes a statue or icon of Mary, he kisses it or allows his hand to rest tenderly upon it.

Honoring the Mother of God, of course, is a solid part of Catholic tradition and a mainstay in the devotion and teaching of the popes. St. John Paul II’s motto, “Totus Tuus” (“All yours”), and the large M on his coat of arms were just the most graphic elements of a devotion that led to a whole body of teaching about Mary, her role in Catholics’ faith life and the importance of praying the rosary.

The following statement by Pope Francis is nothing less than amazing to me:

Visiting Naples in March, Pope Francis told priests, nuns, and seminarians that one way to make sure Jesus is the center of their lives is to ask “his mother to take you to him. A priest, a brother, a nun who does not love Mary, who does not pray to her — I would even say one who does not recite the rosary — well, if you don’t love the mother, the mother will not give you the Son.”

The Pope told the leaders in his very own Roman Catholic church that Mother Mary would take them to Jesus, and that was the sure way of their making Jesus the center of their lives. Then Pope Francis went on to say that if they did not love Mary, and pray to her (including the Rosary) then the Mother would NOT give them the Son! Folks listen to me here. Pope Francis is NOT speaking under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, but he is being led by a demon spirit, and that same spirit caused him to talk that way!

Take a good look at the “coat of arms” and notice the large “M” at the bottom right. That large “M” represents “Mother Mary” and that was the coat of arms for the late Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II had the saying “Totus Tuus Sum Maria” sewed on the inside of his garments also. Do you want to know what that saying means in English? It means “Mary, I am totally yours.” Do you think that the late Pope John Paul II was being led by the Spirit of the living God? The late Pope John Paul II is now a Catholic “Saint” and Catholics are already praying to him! Folks it is time to study the scriptures for yourselves, and to come out of the modern day political churches for the sake of your own soul. Much of the modern day television ministries are nothing more than “Christian clownery” and they are encouraging people to join in unity with Rome. Do not fall for that lie, because they have already been seduced.

Many ministers will point their people to the “Apostles Creed” in their attempt to convince Christians (and to avoid persecution and controversy), that the Roman Catholic people hold to the same core teachings, and are believers just like them. That is a very BIG deception though, because I recited the “Apostles Creed” for years but I was sitting in a church that preached a soul damning gospel. The “Apostles Creed” did not tell me that I could be justified by the blood of Jesus Christ. The “Apostles Creed” did not tell me that the Roman Catholic priesthood was a bogus priesthood! The “Apostles Creed” did not tell me that I did not need the Catholic Mass to satisfy the justice of God for my sins! The “Apostles Creed” did not tell me about the necessity of being born again the BIBLICAL way. I needed to be REGENERATED by the Holy Spirit but the “Apostles Creed” could not help me. The “Apostles Creed” did not tell me that I was deceived into believing that I was “born again” when I had my infant head sprinkled with water by a Roman Catholic priest!

I would not be surprised if you could teach a parrot to recite the “Apostles Creed” if you wanted to. (well maybe one line anyway).

I am a former Roman Catholic, and it was the Spirit of God who opened up my spiritual eyes to see the gross deception that I was in. In fact I did the exact opposite of what Pope Francis encouraged his own Priests and Nuns to do. I stopped praying to Mary, I stopped praying my rosary and I turned to the Lord Jesus Christ the Saviour of my soul. Mary is NOT my mother! I have been saved since 1989 and I did not need “Mother Mary” for anything, because the Holy Spirit was the one who brought comfort to my heart!

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That article went on to say that Jesus would not leave his followers orphans, but that is NOT the job of “Mother Mary” but it is clearly the job of the Holy Spirit to COMFORT the hearts of the Lord’s followers!

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”  John 14:16-18

The word “comfortless” that is used in this passage is the Greek word orphanos (or-fan-os) and it is defined as follows:  bereaved (“orphan”), that is, parentless: – comfortless, fatherless. 

So when the Lord Jesus Christ told his followers that he would not leave them “comfortless” he was telling them that he would not leave them orphans! It is the Holy Spirit and NOT Mary who helps the followers. The Holy Spirit is called the COMFORTER by the Lord Jesus Christ in the scriptures.

Pope Francis is certainly NOT led by the Spirit of the LIVING GOD, but he is being led by a DEMON spirit for sure. The Jewish apostle Paul warned us about such things, but few seem to take heed to the warnings anymore. We are living in a day of incredible APOSTASY, and the modern day professional ministers, are simply going along with the flow.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”  1 Timothy 4:1

The Roman Catholic church is chock full of the doctrines of devils (demons) which Paul warned us about, and many sincere Christians have been deluded by their compromising pastors who are nothing more than sleeping watchmen.

“His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.”  Isaiah 56:10-11

James Robison used to speak out against the church of Rome, and he once addressed the issue with Billy Graham. After conversing with Billy Graham James Robison changed his views on the church of Rome. That is so sad, because Billy Graham has been faithful in his compromise with Rome for 65 years now, but the Word of God (Scriptures) will NEVER change! James Robison emotionally declared that he was witnessing the UNITY that Jesus prayed for, happening right before his eyes! Sorry Mr Robison, but this is NOT the UNITY that Jesus prayed for at all. THAT UNITY is speaking about TRUE believers who have been born again of the Spirit, through FAITH in Jesus Christ. The New Birth does NOT come through INFANT baptism as the church of Rome teaches! THAT UNITY is talking about TRUE Christians who BELIEVE that Jesus Christ, and HIM ALONE, is the REDEEMER for their souls, minus a co-redeemer, and co-mediator, named Mary! The Lord Jesus Christ would NEVER encourage his followers to join hands with those who preach a FALSE gospel as the church of Rome most certainly does. The TRUE Spirit of God delivered my soul out from the church of Rome in 1989 and I will not be returning anytime soon.

I am also happy to inform you, that I am probably under, all of the hundred or so anathemas (curses) that Rome placed upon those who disagree with her false teachings. Those curses were instituted at the Council of Trent basically in response to the reformers who stood against Rome. The reformers OPPOSED the church of Rome, and stood against her false teachings, and many were tortured and slain for that stand! Rome took Protestant-bashing to the ultimate extreme with those killings! Rome’s anathemas (curses) were UPHELD by the Council at Vatican II (1964-65), but very FEW are aware of that fact. Vatican II made nothing more than SURFACE changes, but Rome’s false teachings remain the same. You cannot teach an old WOLF new tricks.

Mr Robison, UNITY with Rome is not the UNITY which Christ prayed for at all, BUT IT IS the DECEPTION and APOSTASY which Jesus Christ WARNED his disciples about all those years ago:

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, TAKE HEED that NO MAN DECEIVE YOU. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”  Matthew 24:4-5

Here is an image of James Robison slapping a high-five with the Roman Catholic Pope Francis. Kenneth Copeland is also seen with the Pope.

The late Leonard Ravenhill hit the nail on the head with his assessment of the Roman Catholic Church in his book “Why Revival Tarries” and that assessment is still a perfect description of the cult of Rome today!

“Evangelists today are wide-eyed to the might of Communism, but tight lipped at the menace of Romanism. America would shake from coast to coast in twenty-four hours if some preacher, anointed with the Holy Ghost, gave the Roman Catholic Church a broadside! We stir national interest against the cruel, half-civilized Mau Mau (wicked enough), but powwow with, and pander to, the Roman Catholic Church! These priests who dope mens souls, these idolatrous “masses,” these Calvary eclipsing prayers to Mary, these miserable millions cheated in life and in death by the greatest forgery Lucifer ever made.” (Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill, Bethany House Publishers, 1988, Copyright 1959)

Do not forget the words of the late Keith Green, and then compare his words with what you are hearing from people such as James Robison, Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Luis Palau, Kenneth Copeland and tons of others.

To merely call such a system “a cult”, would be to throw it into the vast category of religions and quasi-religions that are currently making the rounds of our college campuses and city streets, snatching up many an unsuspecting youth. No, the Roman Church is not a cult. It’s an empire!

With its own ruler, its own laws, and its own subjects! The empire has no borders, it encompasses the globe with its eye on every person who does not vow allegiance. It calls the members of other faiths “separated brethren” (The term used by Vatican II to describe the members of Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches.) and has as its goal the eventual bringing together of everyone under its flag.

I know that many will not be convinced or moved by this article (or any of the others) to make such a conclusion. They are impressed by what they’ve heard about recent stirrings among the Catholics in the “charismatic renewal”. Many evangelicals (especially Charismatics) have been thrilled by the reports of Catholics speaking in tongues, dancing in the Spirit, having nights of joy and praise, even attending “charismatic masses”.

Mouths that used to speak out boldly against the Church of Rome have been quieted by the times. It no longer is in vogue to speak of the pope as “the antichrist” (Although the following people unhesitatingly did: Martin Luther, John Bunyan, John Huss, John Wycliffe, John Calvin, William Tyndale, John Knox, Thomas Bacon, John Wesley, Samuel Cooper, John Cotton, and Jonathan Edwards.) or the Catholic Church as the “whore of Babylon”. Now Protestants unwittingly believe that “our differences are not so great”. Ah, that is just what She needs us to think!

I’ve never completely understood why God led me to write these articles. But it becomes more clear with each day of study, and each page of research. Never has something so black and wicked, gotten away with appearing so holy and mysteriously beautiful . . . for so long! (Keith Green-The Catholic Chronicles)

Were the TRUE Christian reformers wrong in their stand against the Roman Catholic church? Did you know that the teachings of Rome have not changed since that time? Do you care?

Help with Same Sex Attraction

April 10, 2015 in Christians, Church, Life, religion, Testimonies | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

The Dead End of Sexual Sin

Source  HERE

The Dead End of Sexual Sin

Unbelievers don’t “struggle” with same-sex attraction. I didn’t. My love for women came with nary a struggle at all.

I had not always been a lesbian, but in my late twenties, I met my first lesbian-lover. I was hooked and believed that I had found my real self. Sex with women was part of my life and identity, but it was not the only part — and not always the biggest part.

I simply preferred everything about women: their company, their conversation, their companionship, and the contours of their/our body. I favored the nesting, the setting up of house and home, and the building of lesbian community.

As an unbelieving professor of English, an advocate of postmodernism and poststructuralism, and an opponent of all totalizing meta-narratives (like Christianity, I would have added back in the day), I found peace and purpose in my life as a lesbian and the queer community I helped to create.

Conversion and Confusion

It was only after I met my risen Lord that I ever felt shame in my sin, with my sexual attractions, and with my sexual history.

Conversion brought with it a train wreck of contradictory feelings, ranging from liberty to shame. Conversion also left me confused. While it was clear that God forbade sex outside of biblical marriage, it was not clear to me what I should do with the complex matrix of desires and attractions, sensibilities and senses of self that churned within and still defined me.

What is the sin of sexual transgression? The sex? The identity? How deep was repentance to go?

Meeting John Owen

In these newfound struggles, a friend recommended that I read an old, seventeenth-century theologian named John Owen, in a trio of his books (now brought together under the title Overcoming Sin and Temptation).

At first, I was offended to realize that what I called “who I am,” John Owen called “indwelling sin.” But I hung in there with him. Owen taught me that sin in the life of a believer manifests itself in three ways: distortion by original sin, distraction of actual day-to-day sin, and discouragement by the daily residence of indwelling sin.

Eventually, the concept of indwelling sin provided a window to see how God intended to replace my shame with hope. Indeed, John Owen’s understanding of indwelling sin is the missing link in our current cultural confusion about what sexual sin is — and what to do about it.

As believers, we lament with the apostle Paul, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:19–20). But after we lament, what should we do? How should we think about sin that has become a daily part of our identity?

Owen explained with four responses.

1. Starve It

Indwelling sin is a parasite, and it eats what you do. God’s word is poison to sin when embraced by a heart made new by the Holy Spirit. You starve indwelling sin by feeding yourself deeply on his word. Sin cannot abide in his word. So, fill your hearts and minds with Scripture.

One way that I do that is singing the Psalms. Psalm-singing, for me, is a powerful devotional practice as it helps me to melt my will into God’s and memorize his word in the process. We starve our indwelling sin by reading Scripture comprehensively, in big chunks, and by whole books at a time. This allows us to see God’s providence at work in big-picture ways.

2. Call Sin What It Is

Now that it is in the house, don’t buy it a collar and a leash and give it a sweet name. Don’t “admit” sin as a harmless (but un-housebroken) pet. Instead, confess it as an evil offense and put it out! Even if you love it! You can’t domesticate sin by welcoming it into your home.

Don’t make a false peace. Don’t make excuses. Don’t get sentimental about sin. Don’t play the victim. Don’t live by excuse-righteousness. If you bring the baby tiger into your house and name it Fluffy, don’t be surprised if you wake up one day and Fluffy is eating you alive. That is how sin works, and Fluffy knows her job. Sometimes sin lurks and festers for decades, deceiving the sinner that he really has it all under control, until it unleashes itself on everything you built, cherished, and loved.

Be wise about your choice sins and don’t coddle them. And remember that sin is not ever “who you are” if you are in Christ. In Christ, you are a son or daughter of the King; you are royalty. You do battle with sin because it distorts your real identity; you do not define yourself by these sins that are original with your consciousness and daily present in your life.

3. Extinguish Indwelling Sin by Killing It

Sin is not only an enemy, says Owen. Sin is at enmity with God. Enemies can be reconciled, but there is no hope for reconciliation for anything at enmity with God. Anything at enmity with God must be put to death. Our battles with sin draw us closer in union with Christ. Repentance is a new doorway into God’s presence and joy.

Indeed, our identity comes from being crucified and resurrected with Christ:

We have been buried with him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. (Romans 6:4–6)

Satan will use our indwelling sin as blackmail, declaring that we cannot be in Christ and sin in heart or body like this. In those moments, we remind him that he is right about one thing only: our sin is indeed sin. It is indeed transgression against God and nothing else.

But Satan is dead wrong about the most important matter. In repentance, we stand in the risen Christ. And the sin that we have committed (and will commit) is covered by his righteousness. But fight we must. To leave sin alone, says Owen, is to let sin grow — “not to conquer it is to be conquered by it.”

4. Daily Cultivate Your New Life in Christ

God does not leave us alone to fight the battle in shame and isolation. Instead, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the soul of each believer is “vivified.” “To vivicate” means to animate, or to give life to. Vivification complements mortification (to put to death), and by so doing, it allows us to see the wide angle of sanctification, which includes two aspects:

1) Deliverance from the desire of those choice sins, experienced when the grace of obedience gives us the “expulsive power of a new affection” (to quote Thomas Chalmers).

2) Humility over the fact that we daily need God’s constant flow of grace from heaven, and that no matter how sin tries to delude us, hiding our sin is never the answer. Indeed, the desire to be strong enough in ourselves, so that we can live independently of God, is the first sin, the essence of sin, and the mother of all sin.

Owen’s missing link is for believers only. He says, “Unless a man be regenerate (born again), unless he be a believer, all attempts that he can make for mortification [of sin] . . . are to no purpose. In vain he shall use many remedies, [but] he shall not be healed.”

What then should an unbeliever do? Cry out to God for the Holy Spirit to give him a new heart and convert his soul: “mortification [of sin] is not the present business of unregenerate men. God calls them not to it as yet; conversion is their work — the conversion of the whole soul — not the mortification of this or that particular lust.”

Freed for Joy

In the writings of John Owen, I was shown how and why the promises of sexual fulfillment on my own terms were the antithesis of what I had once fervently believed. Instead of liberty, my sexual sin was enslavement. This seventeenth-century Puritan revealed to me how my lesbian desires and sensibilities were dead-end joy-killers.

Today, I now stand in a long line of godly women — the Mary Magdalene line. The gospel came with grace, but demanded irreconcilable war. Somewhere on this bloody battlefield, God gave me an uncanny desire to become a godly woman, covered by God, hedged in by his word and his will. This desire bled into another one: to become, if the Lord willed, the godly wife of a godly husband.

And then I noticed it.

Union with the risen Christ meant that everything else was nailed to the cross. I couldn’t get my former life back if I wanted it. At first, this was terrifying, but when I peered deep into the abyss of my terror, I found peace.

With peace, I found that the gospel is always ahead of you. Home is forward. Today, by God’s amazing grace alone, I am a chosen part of God’s family, where God cares about the details of my day, the math lessons and the spilled macaroni and cheese, and most of all, for the people, the image-bearers of his precious grace, the man who calls me beloved, and the children who call me mother.

Rosaria is currently writing a book on this theme, titled Openness, Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ (Crown and Covenant), due out this summer.

Full author rosaria champagne butterfieldRosaria Champagne Butterfield is a former tenured professor of English at Syracuse University. After her conversion to Christianity in 1999, she developed a ministry to college students. She has taught and ministered at Geneva College, is a full-time mother and pastor’s wife, and is author of Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert (2012) and Openness, Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ (2015).

LifeWay Removes Unbiblical Resources From Their Stores

April 9, 2015 in christianity, Church, discernment, Life, religion | Tags: , | Leave a comment

I am applauding the decision of LifeWay………

LifeWay Removes Unbiblical Resources From Their Stores

Church
Source HERE

Alex Malarkey’s book “The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven: A Remarkable Account of Miracles, Angels, and Life Beyond This World” has been a top seller for a very long time. Just a few months ago Alex confessed that the whole story was a lie that he fabricated to get attention. He says,”I did not die. I did not go to Heaven,” he wrote. “When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough.” This led to LifeWay making the decision to pull the book from all of their stores and website. Now LifeWay has just compiled a list of authors and resources that will be banned from their stores from this point on. LifeWay sent out a company email to all employees in regards to their decision and an acquaintance of mine who works for LifeWay sent me the list of banned resources/authors. I want to applaud LifeWay for this decision which will encourage Christians to be more discerning about what they read and share with others. It blows my mind how Christians will believe something just because its in a book or in a movie without diligently searching the Scriptures to be sure their receiving biblical truth and not mystical and unbiblical nonsense. LifeWay still has a long way to go because though their list is exhaustive it still is missing other authors who are harming the church with unbiblical doctrines.

The one question I have is why would LifeWay carry these resources in the first place? Its ironic that once Alex confessed to fabricating the story that now LifeWay decides to pull the book. This reminds me of the incident at World Vision when they decided to accept homosexual missionaries. After receiving instant criticism they decided to retract their decision. Obviously the answer involves the financial profit received from popular yet uahonbiblical resources. If you want to read the list of banned resources you can do so here:Lifeway Removed Authors

Here is their list of removed authors

 

Che Ahn

Clay Aiken

Mitch Albom

Ebal Alexander

J. Neal Alexander

James Alison

Elizabeth Alves

Karen Armstrong

John G. Arnott

John Avanzini

Bruce Bawer

Mary K. Baxter

Rob Bell

Jon L. Berquist

John Bevere

The Blind Side (DVD)

Ray Boltz

Reihard Bonnke

Marcus Borg

Gregory Boyd

Rebecca Brown

Rodney Howard-Browne

Juanita Bynum

Jack Canfield

Charles Capps

Morris Cerullo

Charisma magazine

Reginald Cherry

Chick Tracts

David H. Chilton

Mark Chironna

David Cho

Deepak Chopra

Randy Clark

Richard Cleaver

Kim Clement

Gerald Coates

Common English Bible

Tony Compolo

Gary David Comstock

Gloria Copeland

Kenneth Copeland

L. William Countryman

Stephen Covey

Paul Crouch

Dake’s Study Bibles

Marjorie Decker

Jack Deere

Creflo Dollar

Mark Driscoll

Jesse Duplantis

Betty Eadie

James L. Empereur

Rachel Held Evans

Gary Ezzo

Melinda Fish

Francis Frangipane

Robert Fulgham

Chris Glaser

Kirby Godsey

Peter Gomes

Larry Kent Graham

Ted Haggard

Kenneth Hagin (Sr. and Jr.)

Frank Hammond

Andrew Harvey

Marilyn Hickey

Steven Hill

Benny Hinn

Larry Huch

Cindy Jacobs

Paul King Jewett

Bill Johnson

Tony Jones

Rick Joyner

Thomas Keating

RT Kendall

Essek Kenyon

John Killinger

John Kilpatrick

Jennifer Knapp

C. Baxter Kruger

Kathryn Kuhlman

Bob Larson

Larry Lea

Roberts Liardon

Life in the Spirit Study Bible

Eddie Long

Sara Maitland

Brian McLaren

John McNeill

Aimee Semple McPherson

Thomas Merton

Joyce Meyer

Virginia Ramey Mollenkott

Robert Morris

Myles Munroe

Mike Murdock

Mary Neal

New American Bible

New Jerusalem Bible

Henri Nouwen

Scott O’Grady

Joel Osteen

Doug Pagitt

Rod Parsley

Carlton Pearson

Scott Peck

Basil Pennington

Fuchsia Pickett

Clark Pinnock

Norm Pott

Frederick Price

Derek Prince

Joseph Prince

Earl Radmacher

Oral Roberts

Jack Rogers

A. J. Russell

John Sanders

Jerry Savelle

Letha Dawson Scanzoni

Gwen Shamblin

Peter Singer

Alice Smith

Spirit-Filled Life Study

William Stringfellow

Lester Sumrall

David Switzer

Tommy Tenney

Leroy Thompson

Phyllis, Tickle

Robert Tilton

TNIV

Randy Travis

The Voice Bible

Matthew Vines

Neale Donald Walsch

Barbara Wentroble

Paula White

Sally Lowe Whitehead

Bill Wiese

Smith Wigglesworth

Johanna Van Wijk-Bos

Hans Wilhelm

John Wimber

Laura Winner

Walter Wink

Andrew Wommack

Maria Woodworth-Etter

The Word on the Street (Bible Paraphrase)

Jeremiah Wright

William Paul Young

 

Revival Or Apostasy? Dave Hunt

March 28, 2015 in apostasy, Bible Study, Christians, Church, discernment, new age, prophecy | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Feature Article – Dave Hunt

 

Revival or Apostasy?

 

Knowing that we are in the last of the last days, with an imminent Rapture a very real hope, our thoughts often (and indeed should) turn to the signs that Christ said would herald the nearness of His return. The signs that are most widely cited include “wars and rumours of wars…[when] nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…and…famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes…these are the beginning of sorrows” (Mt 24:6-8). 

Unquestionably, these specific “sorrows” have been both prominent and accelerating since Israel again became a nation in 1948. Since that time, the intensity and frequency of these signs have increased like the birth pangs of a woman approaching her time of delivery, exactly as Christ foretold. However, the first sign that Christ gave has been largely overlooked and His solemn warning neglected:

 

And Jesus answered and said…Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many….And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many….For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (Mt 24:4,5,11,24) [Emphasis added.]

 

Concern for this prophesied deception has marked this ministry. Let us take a closer look at the religious deception that Christ foretold. He issued a warning: “Take heed [beware] that no man deceive you.” Its seriousness is emphasized by being thrice stated. Its nature is specified: false Christs, false prophets, and false signs and wonders. His repetition four times of the word “many” indicates a worldwide deception of multitudes.

 

Paul issued a similar warning: “Let no man deceive you by any means….” He explains that the spiritual deception to which Christ referred will infect the professing church. That is evident from his words “falling away,” or apostasy:

 

For that day [of the Lord] shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin [Antichrist] be revealed, the son of perdition.” (2 Thes 2:3)

 

Although a true Christian cannot fall away, a false Christian can. Fall away from what? From the faith in Christ that he or she has outwardly professed without inward reality. Those few apostates who announce themselves as atheists or convert to Buddhism or Hinduism are not the concern of Christ and Paul in this verse. They are warning of a turning from the truth within the professing church. Other scriptures confirm this, as we shall see.

 

Paul warns us not to be deceived into thinking that the apostasy won’t come. It must. Such a warning can mean only that in the last days many will reject the biblical teaching that apostasy is inevitable. The false prophets to whom Christ refers will use their signs and wonders to support their false teaching that revival, not apostasy, is underway. Paul therefore warns us not to be deceived with talk about revival: the apostasy must come, or Christ will not return!

 

False signs and wonders will be an integral part of the apostasy. The departure from the truth will be spearheaded by apparent miracle workers, and the delusion will be made possible by a prevailing emphasis upon experience over doctrine: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tm 4:3). Christ declares,

 

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Mt 7:22-23)

 

These apostates of whom Christ speaks do not lose their salvation; they were never saved (“I never knew you”). Yet they are high-profile Christian leaders apparently performing signs and wonders in the name of Christ. Tragically, they seem to think that their ability to prophesy and to perform wonders proves that they belong to Him. The signs and wonders are so impressive that doctrine no longer matters – exactly what we see today!

 

Surely these of whom Christ speaks in Matthew 7 must be the same “false Christs and false prophets” to whom He refers in Matthew 24. Moreover, the signs and wonders they are able to perform are apparently so impressive that without discernment by the Holy Spirit even the very elect would be deceived by them. Obviously, something more than mere trickery is involved. These miracle workers are backed by the power of Satan, whom they unwittingly serve in the name of the Lord.

 

The Bible clearly predicts a last-days signs and wonders movement – but it will be of Satan, and thus a delusion that will deceive many. After a solemn warning that in the last days “perilous times [not revival!] shall come,” Paul makes this remarkable statement:

 

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these [apostates] also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (2 Tm 3:8)

 

Jannes and Jambres were the magicians in Pharaoh’s court who, through the power of Satan, duplicated (up to a point) the miracles that God did through Moses and Aaron. Paul thus declares that the last-days opposition to the truth will not come so much from outside the church but from those within who are reprobate concerning the faith: depraved men who corrupt the truth. And they do so by performing apparent miracles in Christ’s name some of which (when more than mere trickery) are actually of Satan. In that way, they deceive and lead many astray – not out of the church but into false doctrine and thus a false hope within the church. Satan has no more effective tactic to damn souls!

 

Such [deception] involving the whole gamut of today’s revival scene must be seriously faced! Videos of the services show people crawling on the floor, howling like wolves, barking like dogs, roaring like lions, going through bodily contortions impossible without the aid of some spiritual power, unable to speak or even remember their names when they try to give a testimony – and worse. Many of those being baptized seem to lose consciousness or shake so violently that they must be carried out of the baptismal tank or they would drown. Others flail about so wildly as to require several men to handle them. That such things could now be widely accepted as evidence of the Holy Spirit can only testify to the depths of the delusion!

 

Jude exhorts us to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Contend against whom? Surely not primarily against godless enemies outside the church. The warning concerns those within: “For there are certain men crept in unawares” (v. 4). Crept in can only mean inside the church.

 

Paul confirms Jude in addressing the Ephesian elders: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). The spiritual deception of which Christ warned would be rampant within the church.

 

In further confirmation, Christ warned His disciples that “the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (Jn 16:2) – a most remarkable prophecy. He can’t be referring to the slaughter of Christians by the Caesars or by Mao or Stalin or Hitler, for they did not believe they were thereby serving God. Yes, when the Jews of Jesus’ day killed the early Christians, they thought they were serving God; so did the Roman Catholics when they slaughtered the true Christians before and after the Reformation; and so it was when Muslims killed Christians. But none of this was the complete fulfillment of Christ’s prophecy.

 

“Whosoever” is the key. Neither the Pharisees, the popes, nor the Muslims were alone in killing Christians. Others pursued them to the death at the same time. But Christ is saying that a time is coming when whosoever (in other words, everyone) who kills Christians will think he is serving God thereby. That can only mean that a world religion to which everyone must belong is coming, a religion that will seek to exterminate true Christians in the name of God. John saw the same scene in the future:

 

And it was given unto him [Antichrist] to make war with the saints, and to overcome them….And I beheld another beast…he exerciseth all the power of the first beast…and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast….And he had power to…cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Rv 13:7-15)

 

To summarize, the scriptural warnings foretell the very delusion we find in our day: 1) a false signs and wonders movement led by many false prophets; 2) many being deceived through these seeming miracles; 3) the rejection of the biblical teaching concerning apostasy, and the insistence that we are in the midst of, or at least building up to, the “greatest revival in the history of the church.” The promise of revival will be part of the last-days deception, Paul warns, so beware! Instead, in the days preceding the Rapture there will be a great apostasy, a falling away from the faith. Don’t be part of it!

 

That we must earnestly contend for the faith against those who have crept into the church implies that the battle is not so much one of faith against unbelief, but rather of true faith against false faith. And that, too, is precisely what we see today. Articles in leading medical journals cite studies showing that those who have any “religious faith” are more likely to recover from illness. Christianity Today ran a major article naïvely promoting these studies as though they were supportive of the truth.1 Thus God has been reduced to a placebo that can come in any shape, size, or color.

 

Multitudes of Christians imagine that faith is believing that what they are praying for will happen and that if they truly believe, they will have whatever they ask. Obviously, if things happen because one believes they will, then one doesnʼt need God. This is mind power, not the faith in God that Christ taught (Mk 11:22)….

 

An Afterword from T. A. McMahon

 

In the eighteen years since Dave wrote the above article, the apostasy has intensified in ways that are mind numbing. I write this from the perspective of one who worked with Dave for more than three decades and learned from him how to discern trends that are taking hold in the church, drawing both professing and even true Christians away from the Word of God. I remember that just three years following our book The Seduction of Christianity: Spiritual Discernment in the Last Days (1985) we were astonished by how much worse things had become, spiritually, during that short time. But that was then. 

Today seems like light years (or “dark years”) away. At that time, the New Age was dawning. Today we have “Christian” yoga practiced in church sanctuaries. Back then, evangelical leaders were dialoguing with Roman Catholic leaders; today Lent, Ash Wednesday, and the sacred Catholic ritual of the Stations of the Cross have become popular among “Protestants.” In those days, Christian youth were mostly being entertained in their fellowships; now they are being led into emergent contemplative and social gospel ideas. Then, the cults were making headway; today cultic teachings abound throughout Christendom. Then, “Christian” psychology was infecting the church; now, that pseudo-science has contaminated “biblical” counseling. Bible studies (where the Bible was actually studied) and prayer meetings were then rare; currently, books by popular Christian authors have displaced Scripture completely, and prayer has turned into “Lord, give me…” sessions. Back then, faith was being turned into a “force”; today, rare is the Christian who can tell you what biblical faith even is. False prophets used to be found primarily on “Christian” TV; now they proliferate on bestseller lists and head up prosperous “non-profit” organizations. We used to see TV preachers encouraging greed; currently, they sell survival food that they promote through fear-mongering techniques.

 

We are in those days characterized by Scripture as ones in which the church “will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tm 4:3). Discernment has all but disappeared. The only antidote lies in the Word – diligence in studying it, reading it, and obeying it by the Spirit.

 

 

The topic on everyone’s lips and mind today is revival. Christian TV and radio and best-selling books persuasively argue that we are in the midst of the greatest revival of Christianity in the history of the world….It comes as a shock to many to learn that the word “revival” does not appear even once in the entire King James Bible. The hope of revival, which excites so many today, is not even a biblical concept. Ask yourself a few questions: Is Christ not indwelling us? Is He not in our midst each time we meet? Are we not to be filled with the Holy Spirit at all times? Is not the Word of God sufficient? Why, then, run after signs and wonders as though unusual manifestations prove that God is at work while neglecting what God has already given us? In the meantime, undertake a study to see what the Bible says. Check every source (including TBC) against Scripture! Be a Berean.  TBC

 

First published in October 1997 

 

EndNotes

  1. Christianity Today (Jan. 6, 1997), 20-30.

 

 

Bibiographic details:

 

The Way of the World…And the Way of God

February 24, 2015 in Christians, Church, Life, religion, Spiritual Life | Leave a comment

Favorite Scriptures #4 – God chose the weak and the foolish things of the world to shame the strong and the wise. ( 1 Corinthians 1:17 – 2:5)

The Way of the World…And the Way of God

 From Following  Jesus Christ.

***Favorite Scriptures #4*** – God chose the weak and the foolish things of the world to shame the strong and the wise. ( 1 Corinthians 1:17 – 2:5)

“But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” 1 Corinthians 1: 27-29

No scripture quite annihilates the patterns of this world – and sadly modern Christianity – as powerfully and as comprehensively as 1 Corinthians 1:17 – 2:5. In that passage, which I will quote in full below, Paul expounds, in clear and incisive language, on how exactly God chose and chooses to influence this world. It is a direct indictment of every earthly institution – including the modern church. He does not use the rich, the eloquent, the beautiful and the powerful. Instead, God chooses the weak and the foolish and the broken. He chooses empty things and lonely things, and things that are not to nullify the things that are so that no one…may boast before him.

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel– not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength. 26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” 

Chapter 2

When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.

 The world, including, in very large part, our churches and Christian organizations, send us the message that we are to admire and follow the lead of successful businessmen, “Christian” politicians, the talented, the athletic, the wealthy and the beautiful. We are taught, in word and by example, to uphold those with obvious temporal gifts, and leaders are chosen accordingly. Why do we do this when it is contrary to everything we see in the scriptures? The Apostle John tells us “flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit to spirit.” (John 3:6). Yet time and time again, we as believers choose the temporal, the flesh, over the spiritual, when it comes to those we follow and admire.

Jesus was born to teenage parents…in a barn. He spent most of his life performing manual labor as a carpenter. Isaiah 53 makes it clear that he was not physically attractive so that people would not be drawn to his outward appearance – but to his spirit. During his time of ministry Jesus said that, even foxes and birds have holes and dens in which to live, yet He had no place to rest his head. The Living God did not even have a place to call home in while on this earth. The Apostle Paul, among others, followed this example and traveled the known world on foot and by cargo ship, seeking, not to gain wealth or temporal power but only to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that perhaps, some might be saved…for Paul was looking to an eternal kingdom, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the city of the living God. (Hebrews 12:22).

Jesus chose his disciples from among the uneducated and the despised. He chose fishermen and a tax collector to become the preeminent leaders in the kingdom of God. He chose men who were nothing in this world, to sit in judgment over the twelve tribes of Israel at the end of the age. Why didn’t Jesus choose successful merchants, political leaders – or even priests and military officers to be his disciples? Because such men were already full – full of pretense, and power, wealth and the admiration of men – just like the wealthy and the powerful today.

Jesus makes it abundantly clear that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven…very difficult. Why? Because their reputations and hopes are built on worldly achievements that have earned them, temporarily, financial security, the respect of men, and earthly power. Flesh truly does give birth to more flesh, and absent great brokenness and great humility, wealth and power are very difficult fates to escape.

In my experience I have rarely, if ever, seen a successful businessman or an influential person in the temporal sense, truly become a disciple of Christ – counting everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord, for whose sake Paul gladly lost all things. (Philippians 3:7-14) I have seen such men engage in church meetings and Bible studies, building friendships and gaining knowledge – and even tipping a little of the pride and wealth out of their full cup. But typically it seems that the purpose of this activity is to have better relationships with family, learn new principles of leadership and gain new friends – and even business partners – rather to than to learn what it means to fall face down in humility and repentance before the consuming fire who is the Living God.

Even in our churches, it is the beautiful and the hip who take center stage leading worship and often preaching. The deacon and elder boards are filled with successful businessmen who contribute financially to the church and thus, have more control than any man deserves…not because of their character in Jesus Christ, but because of money and standing in the community. The eloquent and the clever speak and teach…yet Paul came in weakness and fear and with much trembling so that his message and his teaching would not rest on his wisdom…but on God’s power. Unfortunately, the western church may have gained much of the world by embracing its culture and methods…but it has also perhaps, forfeited its soul. May we not do the same.

 

Find Article HERE

Finding God’s Will Is No Deep Dark Secret! Part 1

February 19, 2015 in Bible, christianity, Christians, Church, contemplative spirituality | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Finding God’s Will Is No Deep Dark Secret! Part 1

 http://standupforthetruth.com/2015/02/finding-gods-will-no-deep-dark-secret-part-1/

By Marsha West

Is itGod's will - decisions possible for a Christian to know God’s will and not have to agonize over it? Should a believer make a decision without first spending hours in prayer, asking God to reveal His will? Must a Christian avoid making a decision until he or she has a “peace about it”? What about waiting for a “sign” from God? Is it okay for a Christian to consult a psychic or a Ouija board to seek God’s guidance?

A married couple, John and Tina, is faced with a dilemma. They would like to move to Colorado to be closer to John’s family. They’ve been praying about it, asking God to show them His will. Their decision must be made before the end of the week, yet they’re still not sure what God wants them to do — should they stay or should they go?

Naturally John and Tina are confused and frustrated. John is leaning toward moving because he knows it will be good for the kids to live close to their grandparents. He’s even getting excited about it. Not Tina! She wants to wait for a “confirmation,” from God before they pull up stakes and move half way across the country.

John and Tina are in the proverbial pickle.

Many Christians talk about finding God’s will as though it were some deep dark secret, hidden away in the pages of Scripture. Maybe God doesn’t want us to find it.

Where does the Bible teach that God tries to hide His will from us?

Tina and John believe their heavenly Father loves them, yet they’ve decided that He’s hiding His will from them. Maybe God likes playing hide and seek.

Most good parents want what’s best for their children, right? So does it make sense that God would want to hide His will from those He loves? If Tina and John really believe He’s a loving Father, why are they clinging to the ridiculous notion that He wants to keep them in the dark?

 

Finish HERE

Christian Submission vs Belligerent Discontentment Before Civil Authorities

February 8, 2015 in Bible Study, Christian Martyrs, christianity, Church, Dominionism | Tags: | Leave a comment

I have been dismayed at the terrible  comments and pictures on social media that Christians post about our government leaders. As I read through scripture and obey it, I find that I have constantly examine myself to make that what I say and do as a conservative is pleasing to the Lord. Please read:

Christian Submission vs Belligerent Discontentment Before Civil Authorities

 From
airō
Surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ

http://airocross.com/2015/02/05/christian-submission-vs-belligerent-discontentment-before-civil-authorities/#comment-9909

lion

My heart is grieved by the growing discontentment, hostility, and anarchist attitudes by those who profess the name of Jesus Christ in America. As our nation grows more hostile, American Christians must grow more patient, longsuffering, merciful, and compassionate.

As American culture grows more belligerent, we must grow more eager to speak the truth in love and more boldly to proclaim righteousness and the Gospel of Peace.

As civil magistrates grow more intolerant of Christianity, more pluralistic in their views of religion, and more subjective in their rule of law, Christians must grow more in our prayer life petitioning God on behalf of our leaders, that they would be saved by Christ and enable us to live quiet lives.

Instead, professing Christians seem to be growing more belligerent, more disrespectful, more angry toward pagan society and less tolerant and less submissive to governing authorities. And, it seems, we are praying less as demonstrated by the growing hostility and lack of respect for our leaders in government.

So what is going on? As I mentioned in The Law of Nature Is the Law of God, having a wrong view of God’s Law can have severe implications. Additionally, wrong views of how God rules over the nations and how Christians should live in pagan societies can also have severe implications. These wrong views are all related, and, I believe, are responsible for the unbiblical attitudes and behaviors we are seeing among professing Christians today. More than ever, American Christians must stand out from the crowd, demonstrating we belong to God and are citizens of His kingdom.

This article, then, will address the Christian’s duty to submit to governing authorities, and serve as an admonishment to those who are going down the wrong path.

The Rotten Fruit of Dominionism

Let’s consider the rotten fruit of a theology that teaches the Mosaic law is not only still binding, but is binding upon nations to whom it was never given. Moreover, this theology teaches the church has a cultural mandate to redeem or Christianize every fabric and institution of society. Christian Reconstructionists (reformed) and Kingdom-Now Dominionists (charismatic or New Apostolic Reformation) share this common thread. Both have postmillennial views of the kingdom of God, and both want to establish a Christian society.

When one believes the only biblical laws for a nation are those found in the Mosaic law, or when one believes a government is illegitimate when it does not enforce Mosaic law, it can lead to a disposition of not respectfully submitting to civil authorities. Moreover, it fundamentally denies God has sovereignly placed the Christian under all civil authorities, and it can lead to positions that demand resistance and promote violence in the name of justice. Take for instance, Matthew Trewhella, pastor of Mercy Seat Christian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One must consider whether Trewhella is even qualified for ministry given his rebelliousness and how outsiders look upon him in light of Titus 1:6 and 1 Timothy 3:7 (demonstrated here). In any case, his message titled, “Tyranicide – To Kill a Tyrant“, Trewhella states around minute 24:

Everyone innately knows that it’s an honest and just thing to depose a tyrant…everyone knows it’s a just and noble thing to do, except of course the effeminate, the culture in which we have in this nation now after much conditioning by the media in our country, and the government schools. And also it doesn’t make no [sic] sense to your average butt-faced Christian who’s been raised in American 20th century Christianity, now 21st century Christianity, because they have no idea “[sarcasm] how could killing, how can anything other than love, have anything to do with God?” Right? Am I right? Of course I’m right. It’s the state of Christianity we live in. But anyone who hasn’t been ruined by those two things – rotten American Christianity or American culture…knows perfectly well it’s honorable and just to kill a tyrant. [bold emphasis added]

Trewhella asserts that killing tyrants is somehow a matter of the law of nature, as if it is a work of God’s Law written to the heart of every man. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and in fact, asserting such is calling God a liar. Anyone who takes up the sword to carry out revenge will die by the sword, as God considers this murder. Jesus affirmed this when Peter sought to kill the servant of the high priest (Matthew 26:51-52). Such a murderer deserves not only capital punishment by the state, but eternal punishment in hell under the wrath of God. Nevertheless, Trewhella determines it is “honorable and just to kill a tyrant.”

Beginning around minute 44, Trewhella states:

But that’s [the homosexual agenda] what they want to push upon our nation, that’s what they want to legalize in our courts, within our statutes, make normal within our media, and the men allow it. The effeminacy in this country is sick. The dumbing down that men have been influenced by is pathetic. It’s time for men in this nation to raise up and start killing some tyrants. Plain and simple. [bold emphasis added]

Based on the above, Trewhella is referring to any politician, including the President of the United States, who endorses and promotes the homosexual agenda, and he is suggesting they should be assassinated.

Finish  HERE

January 2, 2015 in apostasy, Bible, Church, contemplative spirituality, discernment, Rick Warren, Spiritual Life, Testimonies | Tags: , , , | 1 comment

 From Stand Up for the Truth
http://standupforthetruth.com/2015/01/suffering-truth-churches-force-members-leave/

Suffering for Truth: When churches force members to leave

Have you ever gone to church leadership because of some alarming things being taught in your church?

As the Great Falling Away continues in our beloved church communities, it seems that even those who once were thought “solid” are not immune to the yeast of false teachings and rogue leadership bent on silencing concerns.  It may have happened to you.

A friend of mine allowed me to re-publish her testimony on our site, and it’s one that might stir a lot of emotions for many of you. What happened to her and her family is very sad, but what her family is doing now serves as a tale and a trend you are going to be hearing a lot more about in the year ahead.

Family

Suffering for the Truth     By Jenna Guerette           (Originally published at Truth or Trend)

Ever since I was a child, I always found it important to stand up for the truth.  I’m talking about the truth that is only found in Scripture.  My childhood church turned emergent during the 1990’s.  I noted that something was wrong right away.  My family had held on there for years because of our friendships that we had there.  We knew that if we left we would lose them.  (Sounds like great friends eh?)  I was only taught Arminian doctrine.
Eventually, there was a complete exodus of most of the members of this church.  The next church my family attended went emergent and word of faith.  I didn’t know these terms back then.  I just knew something was wrong.  During my time at this church, I got married and had my daughter.  My parents and siblings continued to attend along with us.  One Sunday the pastor of the church announced that any who disagreed with the direction of the church could find their way to the nearest exit.  He said that he was leading the congregation south and we were welcome to head north.  Not surprisingly, we left that church.
My husband and I were left extremely discouraged.  We decided to try a church that a family friend had recommended.  Once we attended there, it was like a breath of fresh air.  The pastor preached from God’s Word.  He spoke out against Rick Warren, The Secret, Oprah, and The Shack.  He taught us about the errors of the Emergent Church , mysticism, and contemplative prayer.  For the first time in my life I felt like I belonged to a church family.  My husband, my parents, and I got involved in the church.  Our pastor introduced us to “The Way of the Master.”  My husband began an evangelism ministry that was fully supported by our church.  He and a number of other men went to the “Ambassador’s Academy.”  Every Friday night they would go out and share the gospel.  This ministry was thriving.  We had friends, ministries we loved, and the truth from the pulpit.  Life was great!
After being at the church for a number of years, things began to change.  Our pastor became cold and distant.  He took a six month sabbatical and wrote a book.  His wife (who called me frequently) became inaccessible.  The church had an elders’ board.  This was a unelected board.  The men on the board simply appointed new elders.  The head elder was always one of two men.  No others on the board would ever have this position. Our pastor became known as a “teaching elder.”
Strange things began happening.  The evangelism ministry was called into question.  The elders wanted the open-air preaching to stop.  Apparently, there were some complaints from our community about this ministry.  The men in the ministry were adhering to all the laws and bylaws for our community.  This was just persecution.  An executive decision was made by the elders to dissolve the evangelism ministry.  The people in the ministry could still go out and witness but they could not use the church’s name when witnessing.  They were to be completely separate from the church.
Around this time, a group named “Life Action Ministries” came to our church.  Prior to them coming, they sent a promoter.  It was kind of like what the circus would do in the old days.  Believe me, this was no less of a circus.  One of the men that came, spoke in detail about an adulterous affair he had had while on a business trip.  He credited “Life Action Ministries” with reviving him.  The whole thing was carefully scripted to elicit emotion from the congregation.  I knew that something was wrong with this ministry.
When their team visited our church eight weeks later, I was astounded.  They used every method of Charles Finney to manipulate the congregation.  They also endorsed Keswick Theology.  They believed that each Christian had to reach a crisis moment in their life.  At this point of crisis, they could achieve a second blessing or filling of the Holy Spirit.  The main speaker admitted that he had these revivals down to a “science.”  He took many verses out of context in order to achieve his goals.  Microphones were set up at the front of the church so that people could go and confess their sins openly to the congregation.  People were told to write down their idols on Styrofoam cups.  They were then to come to the front of the church and crush these cups with their feet.
A cursory look at the website of “Life Action Ministries” revealed that they had no problem with mysticism.  They had numerous books for sale.  Including those by Henry Blackaby, Priscilla Shirer, Jim Cymbala, Gary Thomas, and Mark Batterson.   They also quoted Catholic mystics such as Henri Nouwen and Brother Lawrence.  Here is a link to their beliefs – http://www.lifeactionministries.ca/about/.  Through two visits to my church they raked in about $62,000.  This ministry has long tentacles.  They are involved in the SBC, Moody, and The True Woman Movement.
This ministry received a cult-like following at my church.
The women in my church decided to attend a True Woman Conference in 2012.  As I looked at the list of speakers, I became alarmed.  Priscilla Shirer was one of the speakers.  I’ve already outlined the problems with this woman in a previous blog post.  I contacted the True Woman organization regarding my concerns with this speaker.  I was told that this conference wasn’t for a woman like me.  I also brought my concerns to my pastor ( teaching elder) and the head elder.  They weren’t going to stop the women from attending but they would go over what mysticism was with them.  They appeared annoyed that I’d brought this to their attention.
Unfortunately, I soon learned that the women in my church were reading “Jesus Calling” and “1000 Gifts.”  I discovered that the church library had books by Henry Blackaby and Richard Foster.  I became alarmed.  I brought my concerns to my pastor.  I was told that he and the elders couldn’t police the church.  They had too many strings on their violin to deal with it.  If I kept bringing disunity to the church then I would find myself in a home church.   I also tried to ask questions about Tim Keller and John Piper.  Both of these men do not believe in a literal six day creation.  They were constantly being quoted by our assistant pastor.  I wanted some clarification about what to do with this errant belief.  My pastor – teaching elder- told me to have grace for this error.  He also hoped that I would have grace if he ever “fell.” My husband, family, and I were puzzled by these words.  My Mom and I had used Facebook to try to warn the women of the church about Priscilla Shirer and to bring attention to these mystical books.  We soon found out that this was unappreciated.
On St. Patrick’s Day 2013 my family was kicked out of our church.  My husband and I were not present that day.  My husband had to work and I was home with our son who was sick.  My husband had been trying for 8 months to be able to meet with the elders board regarding the evangelism ministry.  They were still against open air preaching and my husband wanted them to show him from Scripture where it was wrong.  Instead the elders used a back door approach to get rid of us.  They decided to kick my parents out.  Three elders surrounded my parents.  My daughter and brother were present.  They did this in a back pew at the end of a service so that everyone could see it.  They told my parents that they were no longer welcome to worship with them.
One elder expressed that his wife would miss my children.  The elders didn’t like us warning the flock on Facebook.  Facebook wasn’t to be used as an outreach or for evangelism.  They were also appalled that my Mom had shared a sermon by John MacArthur about the seven year tribulation.  Our pastor – teaching elder- had his own, very original thoughts regarding the end times.  We were to accept these and no other teachings.  Also, the head elder expressed three times that he had no problem with lectio divina, contemplative prayer, and mysticism.  He also expressed that the church was going with “Life Action Ministries.”  He acted aggressively towards my parents.  He yelled at them saying, “Do you think you’re smarter than me?”  Our pastor – teaching elder- was out in the hallway.  He was waiting for their report.  Finally, the horrible interview ended.  These elders had the audacity to end it in a prayer about unity.  They mumbled something about an official meeting where my parents could plead their case.  Unfortunately, they neglected to give the time and place.  As of this writing, my parents have heard nothing from any elder or leader from our former church.
We were absolutely stunned.  I walked around like I was in a fog.  My husband was working 14 hr. days, 7 days a week.  I received 2 calls from the youth pastor of the church.  Each one, I let go to the answering machine.  I was in shock.  I sat down to write a letter.  I put nine hours into it.  Everything I said was backed up with proof.  My husband and I sent it to our elders and a few selected friends.  The only letter we received back from the elders was one full of personal attacks.  What we said was true but our tone was critical.  We were also told that we were responsible for the loss of numerous friendships for our children.  I was stunned.
The next Sunday, a congregational meeting was held.  They stated that my family hadn’t been kicked out.  Bits of my letter were read out of context.  A man who had eaten numerous dinners in our home, slandered my Mom and myself in front of the church.  A trusted friend told me what happened at this meeting.  All in all, the meeting was a complete snow job.  It was my family’s word against the elders.  The elders were anointed by God.  How could they be wrong?
Since this horrible event, we have tried another church in our community. At this church, we were frozen out.  Apparently, they had heard our story from the elders at our former church.  They made sure to make us feel unwelcome.  We also experienced errant teaching while we were there.   Finally, we couldn’t handle their unkindness towards us any longer.  So we decided to start a home church.
Another couple who had also been kicked out of our former church began joining us.  They were dismissed for Facebook infractions as well.  Each Sunday we meet in our home to sing and listen to a sermon podcast.  We also share in communion.  It has been a time of growth.  We have learned so much about doctrine.  We’d never been taught doctrine at all.  We were always told that it was divisive.  Finally, we understand doctrine.
I’m hoping that through sharing this that I can get over the trauma.  Perhaps some of you have experienced this type of abuse.  That is all I can call it – abuse.
Romans 8:18 ” For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Christmas 2014: Christmas in America

December 24, 2014 in Christians, Church, Life, religion, Spiritual Life | Tags: , | Leave a comment

OBSERVATIONS

One Christian’s Thoughts on the Christmas Season

by Jeremiah Jameson

A few observations about this Christmas season, the time of the year when Americans are most likely to honor with their lips–if only for a moment or two–Jesus Christ. Some thoughts about a time known as Christmas in a country known as the United States of America.

“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
–Matthew 15:7-9

1- A popular saying at this time of the year among Americans who wish to wear the label of “Christian” is: “Jesus is the reason for the season.” This writer has perhaps seen this slogan more in 2014 than in all of the previous Christmas seasons together.

“Jesus is the reason for the season.”

Yet those who proclaim this motto seem to do it most frequently while out shopping for gifts, waiting in line or after some particularly-egregious tale of excessive spending.

“Yes, I probably shouldn’t have spent all that money on that 85-inch HD TV, but you know, you only live once.  And we all know Jesus is the reason for the season, so…”

Jesus is on their lips, but their actions and preparations speak something else: Santa Claus, eating and drinking, Black Friday shopping sprees

For a holiday season which is claimed to be centered on Jesus Christ, Our Saviour sure gets very little attention.

Finish at link:

https://endtimesprophecyreport.wordpress.com/2014/12/23/christmas-2014-christmas-in-america/

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