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Many who once stood firm on the solid foundation of biblical doctrine have gone soft. So soft, in fact, that one can hardly differentiate between the so-called born-again Christ followers and the carnal world.
Jesus is not surprised at all, as He warned that this would happen.
A a few years ago a writer named Gregory Reid penned an insightful article on the great falling away that is happening in Christendom, which he allowed me to reprint. I share it again because it’s an important historical primer for anyone who missed it the first time:
The Progressive Disease of Spiritual Deception in Our Time
There was a time when ideas like yoga or eastern meditation in the church were only associated with Christ Science churches, Universalist Churches, and a few spurious non-biblical fringe places. In a few scant decades, the walls have been so completely torn down that we not only see no harm in these things, we promote them.
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From “More Books and Things …”
While wondering what the difference is between a heresy hunter and a watchman on the wall, I decided to find examples of hunters and watchmen in the Bible. (I use blueletterbible.org to search and study, with KJV, ESV or NASB versions)
Bible Examples of a Hunter:
I’m guessing that hunting became the thing to do shortly after the flood, when animals turned wild as God put the fear and dread of man in every beast of the earth, and gave every moving thing for meat (Genesis 9). There are only a few verses here and there about hunting, like “the slothful man (who) roasteth not that which he took in hunting” (Pro 12:27), and a parent’s counsel to a son to deliver himself from “the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler” (Proverbs 6:5). As for hunters, I could only find the names of two in the Bible.
And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. Genesis 10: 8-9
Nimrod, great grandson of Noah, was the very first hunter mentioned in the Bible, and we all know what he turned out to be. His name means ‘rebel’, and that is what he was. Nimrod built the tower of Babel and eventually founded Babylon, later used by God to judge his rebellious people, the spirit of which still lives on.
And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison Gen 25:27-28
Esau’s hunting and savory venison got him into a stew. It’s why he lost his birthright.
To simplify, according to the above verses, a hunter could be mighty or cunning. His hand was also something to be delivered from. The lazy hunter ate his steak raw. Even a mighty hunter before God can rebel against Him. One can become so focused on the hunt that one misses out on a blessing.
Bible Examples of a Watchman:
There are a few more watchmen mentioned in the Bible than hunters.
Finish HERE
Are there modern day Apostles?
By Amir Tsarfati
May 25, 2020
“Those new apostles that show up every morning nowadays and call themselves apostles. We better be very, very careful in how we say that and about who. These are the Apostles appointed by God through the Holy Spirit that’s why the Bible says that the church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets and Jesus is the chief cornerstone built on top. And that’s why these Apostles wrote the Bible. I mean modern days apostles can they write the Bible? Can they change the Bible? No. Now I don’t underestimate the role of an apostle when it comes to being sent, that’s a different story. But if someone thinks that he is a new version of the Apostles of the first century, that is wrong.”
Bible Bite: Modern Day Prophets?
We live in an age where there is an overabundance of claimants to the office of apostle or prophet. Most, if not all, claim to speak through direct revelation from God, making their statements equal to the written Word of God.
Sadly, some of them gain huge followings in spite of the fact that the Bible makes no mention of such a group being called and anointed and empowered by God in the last days (or at any time during church history, for that matter).
Jesus warned of the rise of such people in the last days who use His name to validate their ministries.
Mark 13:21-23
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
Remember the word christ means “anointed”. Therefore, what Jesus said was that false claims of being anointed by God and false prophets would arise in the last days (according to the context of Mark 13).
Revelation 2:1-3
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
Remember, this is Jesus talking to His church in the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3. He commends the church at Ephesus for testing those who claim to be apostles, and Jesus Himself refers to them as liars.
Are the followers of those who claim to be apostles doing the same today and testing those who make that claim? It appears that they are not, for the criteria of being an apostle in the same sense as, Peter, James, John and Paul is clearly laid out in scripture.
Acts 1:21-22
“Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
This was the criteria for joining the eleven apostles, and later, Paul would be the exception to the rule as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:
1 Corinthians 15:8
Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
Paul lists having to see Jesus in resurrected form as criteria for apostleship. Thus, according to the biblical requirements, any claimant to the office of an apostle must have seen Jesus in His resurrected form or have been with Jesus throughout His earthly ministry. This is the case from the time of John the Baptist through Jesus’ ascension to heaven. Obviously, none of those who claim to be apostles today meets the latter criteria.
That means they must have seen the resurrected Lord, which would require a trip to heaven on their part or a trip to earth on Jesus’ part. Neither of which is true, yet the modern-day apostles claim to have made such a trip. We also know when Jesus comes again, He’s coming for the church to meet us all in the air, and then with the church to destroy His enemies and rule the earth in righteousness from Jerusalem.
There is no New Apostolic Reformation because there are no new apostles in the sense of the first-century apostles. These ministered with Jesus and wrote most of the New Testament.
We do need to recognize that the word apostle means “sent one”. There are millions of “sent ones” today and that would include all of us who have been commissioned by Jesus to “Go to the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) The group who claims to be handpicked by God to lead the church in the last days, however, does not simply claim to be “sent ones”. They don’t claim to speak from God’s Word, but rather, the words they speak, they claim, are God’s word.
Romans 16:17-18
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
This group is to be avoided as are those who claim to be prophets in the Old Testament sense. We also need to recognize the difference between the gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet. Men like Elijah, Isaiah and Ezekiel, who spoke on God’s behalf to the people and were used to foretell future events, are a thing of the past.
Matthew 11:13
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
Jesus said John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets, Hebrews adds this:
Hebrews 1:1-2a
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.
The New Testament “gift” of prophecy is distinct from the Old Testament prophets in that the word means “to speak by divine inspiration”. Old Testament prophets spoke through direct revelation. To speak by divine inspiration is to be anointed by the Holy Spirit as you speak the word of God, not reveal the future by direct revelation from God. Words of knowledge via the Holy Spirit can certainly include information pertaining to an individual’s future. However, there are no direct revelations from God that relate to directing or informing the whole world about future events or new information concerning God’s plan and will.
2 Peter 1:2-3
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.
Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Zechariah and the other Old Testament prophets, along with the apostle John, have given us all things we need to know about the future. The New Testament epistles have told us all we need to know about living for God in the present.
1 John 2:18-21
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
These groups that are rising up and making false claims about positions of power, anointing and appointing from God remind us the end of all things is at hand. Jesus said not to “believe them” or “go after” (meaning follow) those who make such false claims at the time of the end (Luke 21:8).
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Bible Teaching: A Prophet Like Moses
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Yesterday’s Prophecy, Today’s News
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by Timothy P. Carney
| March 27, 2020 02:11 PM
You simply knew this opinion piece was going to come out sooner or later.
The argument appeared in any Twitter thread that touched on religion and the coronavirus: Mike Pence put in charge of the coronavirus task force? He’s anti-science! Will he try to pray it away?! A Christian kindergarten teacher dies of the virus? I guess the prayers didn’t work!
It showed up in second-rate left-of-center media such as Salon.com. (“Is the Christian right now in charge of public health,” they ask, because “Redfield and Birx are both evangelical Christians”?)
Through this lens, a certain portion of the Left gets to see our current crisis in the most self-congratulatory way. Blaming anti-science evangelicals for this all satisfies the vanity and ideological appetites of a certain type of liberal.
Simply hating evangelicals isn’t good enough. No, it’s far better to look down on them as self-deluded, anti-science rubes (because certain liberals really love science) who offer up prayers instead of scientifically proven scientific solutions!
And now this trope has bubbled to the very top, to the opinion pages of the New York Times
“The Road to Coronavirus Hell Was Paved by Evangelicals,” a New York Times article tells us in the headline.
The piece is by Katherine Stewart, an author whose recent book fits in a broad category of paranoid literature that is basically the Left’s version of the “Sharia law is coming” conspiracy theory. Hers is about the 1000th book in the past 20 years to warn that America is about to become a theocracy.
“Trump’s response to the pandemic has been haunted by the science denialism of his ultraconservative religious allies,” the subheadline reads.
“Science Denialism!”
“Ultraconservative religious!”
Perfect catchphrases!
But the giveaway is the weasel phrase there: “haunted by.” She’s trying to imply causality that she knows she cannot assert.
Finish HERE
By Rick Becker
FAMINE IN THE LAND
Scripture warns us that in the last days some will depart from the faith, and be deceived by evil spirits and teachings of demons. Those who teach false doctrines are not on the fringes of christianity, they are in the center in the form of the Evangelical Industrial Complex. Bethel, Hillsong and other NAR “churches” have infested the visible church like gangrene. Those who are saved from this deception, try to warn their friends and family still caught up in the quagmire of celebrity teachers and false doctrines. When we warn them of the precarious position they are in, they usually resort to arguments we are all familiar with. This post deals with some of those questions.
Do you know them personally ?
It is not necessary to know figures such as Brian Houston or Bill Johnson personally to test their teachings. Those of us who come out of these churches know what it takes to work your way up the hierarchical structure in order to “get to know them personally.” Have they taken the time to get to know the people whose faith has been shipwrecked due to their teachings? Do they care that their sponsored posts reach millions of naive and biblically illiterate people? Not content with shepherding their own congregations, these hirelings spread their doctrines with impunity. They are not contributing to the body of Christ, but building their own empire.
Their teachings are in print, on social media, in the public domain and therefore open to public scrutiny. It is their teachings we examine and compare to the word of God – as instructed in scripture. If the apostle Paul’s teachings were compared to scripture, why give modern day apostles a pass?
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so”
Acts 17:11
“ Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1-2
Have you approached them directly ?
Finish article HERE
By Elizabeth Prata
Sufficiency of scripture is an important topic for me as a woman, because so many of the books aimed at women loading the shelves at Christian bookstores, and so many women’s ministries telling us we should be hearing from God or are touting some author’s experience from having heard from God.
I listened to Phil Johnson and Justin Peters at the Truth Matters Conference last night. The topic this year is sufficiency of Scripture and by contrast, that we are not hearing personally from God in these days. If one is hearing from God outside of scripture it means the canon is not closed, and it means the scripture we have is not enough, or, isn’t sufficient. But scripture itself declares that it is.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16)
It is a daily grief to me to see so many women ‘Bible teachers’ casually telling auditoriums full of eager female listeners of their wonderful conversations with God. It hurts my heart to see the devotional “Jesus Calling” on friends’ shelves with bookmarks in them. It makes me mourn to hear friends sigh and say they wish they could hear from God like ___________fill-in-the-blank teacher.
For example, the founder of the wildly popular IF:Gathering Jennie Allen heard a directive from allegedly God audibly telling her to equip this generation. Gee, even Paul didn’t receive such an impressive mandate. He was told he must suffer for the name. (Acts 9:16).
In another example, the wildly popular HGTV mogul and lauded Christian celeb Joanna Gaines allegedly heard directly from God specific promises of coming fame and success in her chosen career.
Sarah Young of Jesus Calling regularly hears whispers and voices from the other side, so much so she filled a book with His exact words, allegedly. Or two. Or three. If she is hearing from Jesus and writing His words down in quotes, she is writing scripture. Do you believe Jesus Calling is scripture?
Queen of the audible silent whispers in her ears and voices on heart Beth Moore hears from God in such casual terms so frequently you wonder if He has taken up residence in her living room.
Ladies, God is not speaking personally now, to anyone on earth. He is in heaven, interceding, preparing a place for us, and sustaining the universe by the power of His word. (Romans 8:34, John 14:3, Colossians 1:17). Making such a claim strikes directly at the sufficiency of scripture. We have Jesus, the second person of the trinity, and the Spirit, the third person of the trinity, speaking to us through the written word and illuminating it to our minds and conscience. If that is not enough for you, please ask yourselves why.
Meanwhile, here is the short blog essay by Jeremiah Johnson and Justin Peter’s short response to the title question:
Finish HERE
20 New Age Practices that are Infiltrating the Church
by Doreen Virtue
When Jesus saved me and I left the New Age to follow Jesus, I thought that I was done with it. I was shocked to find how many New Age practices have infiltrated the church. The devil is sowing tares amongst the wheat!
Here is a list of 20 New Age practices that all Christians should avoid and rebuke:
Not preaching the Gospel: Stay away from churches that avoid teaching the Gospel that Jesus died to save us from the penalty for our sins. In the new age, there’s no discussion of anything that could offend someone. So no one learns about sin, hell, repentance, Jesus’ work on the cross, or salvation. In the new age, the belief is that everyone is going to heaven. New agers also believe that you go to heaven by “being a good person.“ That is a salvation-by-works belief, which is unbiblical. Tragically, the lack of Gospel teaching sends unsaved new agers straight to hell. People need to realize that we are all sinners, and that we need Jesus as our Savior.
Downplaying or doubting the Bible; adding to the Bible with “special revelation” that contradicts Scripture: The new age says that the Bible is tampered with, and incomplete with missing books. “Special revelation messages” contradict what the Bible says; therefore, they are false. Everything must be compared against the Bible.
Yoga: each pose is bowing to a specific pagan deity. Yoga is not just stretching; it is idolatry.
Music with unbiblical lyrics: We have to compare the worship music lyrics against scripture. We also need to avoid listening to or singing music from new age-infiltrated churches like Bethel, Hillsong, and Elevation. Paying licensing fees to these churches, only encourages their apostate actions, and can cause the congregation to believe unbiblical ideas.
Prophets / speaking a prophetic word over someone: This is psychic work, forbidden by the Bible, and it’s nothing like the old testament prophets. Prophetic messages contradict what the Bible says; therefore, they are false. Everything must be compared against the Bible.
Finish Article HERE
Link HERE
Link right now using the Download Audio below in blue or click the link below and search the site by entering Defecting from Bethel.
https://apologiastudios.com/cultish/defecting-from-bethel
Part 1.
Defecting From Bethel
In this highly anticipated Cultish exclusive, co-hosts Jeff Durbin and Jeremiah Roberts are joined in Studio by former BSSM student Lindsay Davis.
Just a few weeks ago, Lindsay created much controversy with the announcement that she was expelled from the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry for publicly speaking out against the school.
Why did this happen?
What caused her to doubt Bethel’s cause and begin to think differently than she had a few months prior?
In this three-part series, we speak in depth with Lindsay Davis about her time at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and discover what makes this worldwide movement so alluring.
We also discuss some very concerning psychological and sociological cultish behaviors which line up with descriptions given by experts like Steven Hassan and Rick Allen Ross, who have extensively researched recent cultish movements in the United States.
Most importantly, we discuss the theological cultish behaviors that fall under Walter Martin’s classic definition:
“ a group of people gathered around a specific person or person’s misinterpretation of the Bible. “
Additionally, we explore the physical and supernatural manifestations happening at Bethel, which brings up the question: are these experiences movements of God, psychosomatic episodes, or something else?
Could it be possible to experience healing and the supernatural apart from God?
There is no doubt that Bethel Church has worldwide influence, and because of this, it is imperative to have this conversation.
We invite you, regardless of where you stand on this issue, to be part of this conversation and listen to Lindsay’s story with an open mind.
By Amy Spreeman
My heart is heavy for Christians who have been so exposed to false doctrine that they are floundering. Many are women who are oh-so easily deceived by the incredible amount of fluff that passes for women’s ministry materials.
I recently received a letter from a woman whose seemingly solid pastor has a big heart and a large blind spot when it comes to naming names and helping his sheep discern. The fruit of these “spiritual cataracts” is a women’s ministry rife with yeast, and ladies who delight at being tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching that comes in pretty pink packages.
I know full well that women become very angry when you challenge their favorite teachers and conferences, and will accuse you of all sorts of vile motives. Those who believe the branding of these “real, raw, transparent sincere” celebrities don’t mind a little apostasy as long as it’s fun.
Sadly, our women are being led off by every conceivable feel-good movement out there; the newer the better. They don’t check the speakers to see if they’re solid, but they do check to see if these speakers can bring in the numbers. Thus, far too many women in our churches resemble the women described in 2 Timothy 3:1-7:
Finish HERE
DiscernIt 
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