January 20, 2012 Show: My Perspective on Don Stewart

The biblical requirements of an elder in the church of Jesus Christ is clearly spelled out in the epistles of Paul in Titus and 1 & 2 Timothy. An elder must have a good reputation with outsiders so that he would not fall into reproach. He is to be the husband of one wife and have his house in order before he can take care of the church of God. 

The Bible-believing Church used to take these things very seriously. If a pastor and his wife got a divorce, the pastor would be put on sabbatical until the conditions of the divorce could be looked into and the determination could be made if there was a biblical out for the pastor.  If there was not, he was sent packing. However, that doesn't seem to be the case today as the rate of divorce and remarriage in the church is equal to that of the world. 

There are only two biblical reasons for divorce in the Bible: if the unbelieving spouse abandons the believer; or one of the parties commits adultery. That does not mean that the offending party is free to marry again - but that frees up the victim to move on and remarry.

But even if an elder's divorce meets the biblical requirements, he should still step down from leadership, at least for a time, while he is going through such an emotional upheaval in his life. A man of integrity knows this and will relieve himself of duty in the church until he can sort out his personal problems. 

PASTORS PERSPECTIVE

Pastors Perspective is the name of the daily radio program of Don Stewart and Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. The two men also co-host a weekly one-hour program seen on HisChannel called World News Briefing. I share their eschatology and have been blessed by their insights into Bible Prophecy and the Word of God. They have helped many people calling into their radio program seeking understanding into the Word and guidance with personal issues. I have no ill will toward either men; I see them as brothers in Christ. Both of them have been a blessing to me in their teaching ministry.

On October 24, 2011 a friend of Don Stewart's posted this on his facebook page: "Just heard the news, CONGRADS!!!!!!!!" Don responded with, "Thanks Joyce; the Lord is indeed good!" Other friends chimed in asking Don if he just got married; none of them seemed to have known about it. One poster wrote, "Aren't you already married?" Then on the next day, Don's 15-year-old daughter posted this to the thread: "Are you getting remarried, dad??????" That got my attention.

I then posted my inquiry in the thread writing, "As a Christian pastor/leader Don I think you need to give the church at large - since you're a pastor at large - some sort of statement to explain your short few months of not wearing a wedding ring and then showing up wearing a brand new one. Should we just suppose you had biblical grounds? You can nip the tongue-wagging in the bud if you stand up to the plate."

Don then took the thread down and privately messaged me saying, "I will be making a statement soon about my marital situation...Timing is providential. We're in the process of telling a few people individually before we make some sort of announcement." 

No doubt the people he needed to inform included his former wife and their two daughters. After the thread was removed, his daughter unfriended him in her own facebook. 

I received a private message from Don's former wife who had seen my comments and added me to her friends list on her facebook. She assured me that throughout their 20+ years of marriage she has always been faithful to her husband but couldn't speak for Don. She assured me that she is a devoted Christian and does not take any of this lightly, but was biblically free to divorce him and remarry. Her daughters were part of the wedding party; while Don's remarriage was an apparent elopement void of family.

I received other messages from people who had seen my confrontation of Don on his facebook before it was removed. One stood out in particular, though I will keep her name confidential. She wrote:

"'Luke 16:18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.' 

Jackie, can you please elaborate on this passage and how it relates to a pastor who divorces and remarries? I am having a huge problem with how Don Stewart who is on the radio every day answering Bible questions for us Christians can seemingly ignore this passage of Scripture. I don't get it. How does this stuff just seem to get swept under the carpet? There is a long post on Don Stewart's wall about his new marriage and I am trying hard to not respond and be a total jerk about this. I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday but even I can understand what that passage means. And I know pastors are held to a higher standard due to the possibility of wrecking a whole congregation of people. Can you give me some insight? Thanks in advance."

CALVARY CHAPEL PASTORS CONFERENCE

Another thread had appeared with many well-wishers on Don's new marriage. He never did issue any statement, he only posted photos and himself and his new wife. His itinerary filling in for pastors at various Calvary Chapels never abated and he was just recently featured as a speaker this week at the Calvary Chapel Pastors Conference. His facebook page displays pictures of his new wife tending his book table and he is carrying on in ministry as if nothing has happened.

On the other hand, I have been maligned for calling this into question publicly with accusations of touching God's anointed and gossiping. All I am trying to do is challenge the leadership at Calvary Chapel to address this situation and look into the causes of the divorce. This speaks volumes of the lack of accountability within Calvary Chapel.

While the conference was going on, I started a thread on the facebook of Calvary Chapel Network that was soon to be taken down. I wrote:

"Watching the CC Pastors conference - Don Stewart now coming up to speak. I'm surprised he hasn't missed anytime away from the pulpit and radio even as he went through a divorce from the mother of his teenaged girls and then eloped several months ago with a woman who he now brings along with him in ministry. Is there no accountability within Calvary Chapels? Could it be that to insist on accountability puts fellow CC pastors under scrutiny they don't want to have to live up to? Just thinking out loud!"

The first response to my comment came from a leader at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Jim Hesterly who just said, "Right on." That speaks volumes, coming from a man who had been in the leadership of Calvary since 1970 and whose wife is a regular speaker at Calvary Chapel women's retreats around the world. I interpret that as an affirmation that what I was writing was indeed hitting the mark.

There is so much more I could say, but I am trying not to break any confidentiality. This situation is a scandal in the church and an indictment upon the health of Calvary Chapel where this was allowed to go on. Being on salary, I believe, contributes to a conflict of interest in doing the biblically right thing. When a minister is on the payroll, he certainly doesn't want to lose his "job" especially when he has child support to pay. 

His daughter has now refriended her dad and it is apparent from Don's facebook that he is trying to restore his relationship with his girls and acclimate them to the new step-mom, though they live with their mother. My prayers are for Don's family and that he would do the right thing and step down from ministry as he is now disqualified from leadership. If he won't do that, I hope the leadership at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa will do it for him.

For further info, listen to the January 20th 2012 program:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rapturereadyradio/2012/01/21/apostasy-alert-with-jackie-alnor

Tne New Exodus - 2006 article reprint by popular demand

The New Exodus

As trends take a hold of churches, attracting the lukewarm uncommitted professing Christians, the real believers are fleeing and being pushed out by the scores. Here’s how it might go. Let’s start with an imaginary couple, John and Jane.

♥♥♥

John and Jane Logan are both born-again believers. They love the Lord. They love each other. They love their two children. They love people and are gracious and hospitable. They study their Bibles together and are both very discerning since John was saved out of Catholicism and Jane was rescued from a cult. They don’t want to be led astray again.

When John’s company transferred him to another state, they had to find a new place to fellowship. A thriving Methodist church was the closest church to home so they decided to go there. However, the co-pastor turned out to be a lesbian and when they asked the senior pastor about it, he told them they were intolerant, and they were asked to leave.

They found a conservative church a little further away where the homosexual agenda never entered in. They were making friends and their children loved the Sunday School, but then the church brought in the Alpha Course and didn’t appreciate the Logans handing them a packet of information about it. The Logans overlooked that, but then the pastor wanted the men to go with him to the prayer breakfasts with all the other area churches, including the one they just left. John stayed home. The pastor’s teaching went downhill and he started proclaiming that God is through with Israel and the church has replaced her. He would ridicule those who read the book of Daniel or Revelation saying that it can’t be understood anyway and it is just allegory about the Christian life and not to be taken literally. When the pastor started promoting ecumenism with Catholicism and looked at John like he was crazy when he objected, they made the decision to leave.

These committed believers fled to the other side of town to a contemporary non-denominational church. The Logans, now a little more cautious, began making friends and entertaining them in their home. Then one day the pastor announced they are going to go through Rick Warren’s "40-Days of Purpose" and these believers expressed their displeasure. The pastor was not convinced by any of John’s objections and refused to read the packet of information John handed him about Rick Warren – calling it gossip. The Logans felt as though there was no place else to go and stayed on until the church grew so big and the sermons became so watered down that they started hunting for a place that shared their zeal for the Lord.

Another church down the street from that one seemed to be more on fire for the Lord so they tried there. They had a very good worship team. Jane was thrilled to be able to worship the Lord again since the last two churches had such dry and unfeeling music, it put her to sleep. But now she could really get into the worship, lifting up her hands in praise and getting so caught up in her adoration of Jesus. She prayed in her heart, "Oh Lord, please let this place be one that is true to Your Word." It didn’t take long for the Logans to pick up certain phrases the pastor used that put their antennae up. He would say things like, "plant a seed for your need," or "we’re the head and not the tail." But Jane was so happy with the worship time that she pleaded with John to let it go. John complied since Jane was finally happy with a church and was getting close to the women there. One Sunday a guest speaker was introduced. The pastor introduced him as an apostle and a prophet. The guest told the congregation that their pastor was their prophet and he told the congregation to "obey the prophet and live" or they would not be right with the Lord. He told them the pastor was their covering and that he would prophesy over their lives. From that time on the pastor became much more controlling and the joy in the worship music began to fade and was replaced with songs about taking dominion and stepping on the devil. When they expressed their concerns to the pastor, he responded, "If you don’t like it, leave. But you will be out of God’s will until you repent and submit." So they left and their friends from the church avoided their calls.

The Logans finally found a thriving Calvary Chapel in the next town over. They would just have to commute to find a church that put the Bible front-and-center. The pastor taught verse-by-verse and the worship team was musically very talented. The only problem is that some of the song selections were not biblical. Good songs were mixed in with bad ones that addressed  the Holy Spirit to come in more power and the Jesus songs took a back seat. The female vocalist couldn’t be followed because she sang in five octaves and held her high notes for 30 seconds or more. The songs were more about us and less about Him. The Logans spoke kindly to the worship leader about some of the song selections that came from the Vineyard songbook and he didn’t take kindly to being informed. He accused them of being "church hoppers" and judgmental and not filled with the spirit. Though they sought to use their gifts to help out teaching in Children’s Church and the Youth Group, they were never allowed to. Though very grounded in the Word they were looked at suspiciously and not allowed to be in any sort of leadership function but could only help out caring for infants or handing out bulletins.

They met another couple at Calvary Chapel, the Bakers, who shared their concerns and decided to come together with their two families every Saturday night and study the word together. Jane brushed up on her guitar skills and sang her favorite worship songs and John and Bob brought the teaching. Betty cooked and taught the smaller children their Bible lessons. Both families still went to their church on Sundays, but they got so much more out of their little home fellowship and it was beginning to grow with other like-minded outcasts from local churches.

♥♥♥

This testimony can be heard from born-again believers all over the world. They are beginning to feel like outcasts from their churches, even though the Bible gives us the imperative: "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).

The Day of the Lord is certainly approaching. The biggest sign is the rise of the church of the Laodiceans to whom Jesus said, "because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Rev. 3:16).

The virgins with the oil in their lamps certainly don’t want to assemble with the ones targeted for that destiny. But they have a dilemma – where are the others who are not marked out for this condemnation? They are being forced out of the churches by the droves. And all the marketing ideas that man can create in his efforts to fill the pews won’t bring them back.

95 Specious Lies of Rome

Luther nailed his 95 Thesis to the door of the Wittenburg church, thus launching the great Reformation of Protestantism. Much of what the Reformers fought and died for is being tossed out the window by voices in New Evangelicalism calling for ecumenism with Rome. In honor of Luther I've updated his complaints to reflect the de-evolution of the Church of Rome today. She (the Mother Church) no longer has the power to torture and kill her opponents, so I can safely lay it all out here. Would welcome comments of those who think it needs to be tweaked - better examples of lies can replace any of these.

95 Specious Lies of Rome

1. The Roman Catholic Church was founded by Jesus.

2. Mary is the mother of God.

3. There is a place sinners go after death called Purgatory.

4. The RCC has the Melchizedek priesthood.

5. Catholic priests are Christ as they offer mass.

6. The pope’s authority is from apostolic succession.

7. Bones, hair and fingernails of dead saints are worthy of veneration.

8. The pope is the Vicar of Christ and the head of Christ’s church.

9. The pope is infallible in matters of faith and morals.

10 Priests turn bread and wine into the body, blood, soul & divinity of Christ.

11 The communion elements are to be worshipped as God.

12 The RCC has the authority to determine what dead people are saints.

13 Saints are to be prayed to & sought after for miracles.

14 Access to Jesus is thru Mary.

15 Sins must be confessed to a priest for absolution.

16 Penance, not repentance, is required for forgiveness.

17 Indulgences to get dead ones a reduced sentence in Purgatory is still taught.

18 No person can know for sure they are saved; that’s the sin of presumption.

19 The higher the clerical position, the closer to God.

20 Making the sign of the cross has spiritual benefits.

21 Clerical vestments are holy.

22 Kissing the pope’s feet shows honor to Christ.

23 Priests should be addressed as Father.

24 The pope is the Holy Father.

25 The Commandment not to make any graven image is not in the RCC’s list.

26 Holy water is beneficial in sanctifying people and objects.

27 Statues of saints can be bowed to.

28 Self-flagellation is accepted by God for penance.

30 The host is to be adored as it passes in a bejeweled monstrance.

31 Priests must take a vow of celibacy and not to marry.

32 Some sins send you to hell, some to Purgatory - mortal & venial.

33 Catholics must refrain from eating meats during Fridays in Lent.

34 Mass cards can be bought to help spring loved ones from Purgatory.

35 Some hosts have miraculously turned into actual human flesh.

36 Some chalices of wine have miraculously turned into human blood.

37 Chanting the Rosary is a form of legitimate prayer.

38 Reciting the Hail Mary gives one grace with Mary.

39 Mary can hear all prayers just as God can.

40 Meditation by making a mind blank brings one closer to God.

41 Keeping the RCC sacraments is necessary to get to heaven.

42 All other Christian denominations are inferior and the separated brethren.

43 Ex-Catholics are lost until they come back to Rome

44 The scapular gives spiritual protection to the one who wears it.

45 The miraculous medal of Mary will spring the dead person out of purgatory.

46 Mary never died, but was transported to heaven alive in the Assumption.

47 Mary’s apparition has appeared and is appearing with miraculous signs.

48 Seminarians must obey those above them even if they ask them to sin.

49 Mary stayed perpetually a virgin and had no other children.

50 Joseph never consummated his marriage to Mary.

51 Mary was born without original sin and never sinned.

52 Dead saints, like pagan gods, rule over a particular life’s need or position.

53 The Roman Catholic Church is Christian.

54 The Reformers are heretics, worthy of the executions the RCC put on them.

55 The unity of all religions under Rome is a Catholic goal, i.e. Assisi.

56 The RCC has replaced Israel.

57 Rome has replaced Jerusalem as God’s holy city.

58 The RCC is the Mother Church.

59 God recognizes all annulled marriages as if they were never joined.

60 The RCC can change truth with the authority to bind on earth as it is in heaven.

61 The RCC has the right to cover up the sins of their pedophile priests.

62 Baptizing babies makes them part of Christ’s Church.

63 Drinking blood during the mass is A-OK.

64 The faithful received Christ into their stomachs, not their hearts.

65 Rats can eat God.

66 Unbaptized babies do not enter into heaven.

67 Church tradition is equal to the Bible in faith and practice.

68 Peter, a married man, was the first pope.

69 Levitation is a miracle that many saints have engaged in.

70 Grace is not unearned favor, but a special blessing one can earn thru works.

71 The archangel Michael is a saint.

72 To be a saint, miracles have to be attributed to the person after death.

73 Dead loved ones can be present among their families.

74 Exorcisms are performed with the use of the crucifix and holy water.

75 Eucharist adoration keeps Jesus company while he’s stranded in the tabernacle.

76 Jews have no biblical right to the Holy Land.

77 Communion cup forbidden to laity.

78 Jesus’ sacrifice needs to be reoffered daily in a bloodless manner.

79 Vows of silence earns grace with God.

80 The Magisterium holds the mysteries of Christ.

81 The Catholic Church gave us the Bible.

82 Mary is a co-mediatrix between God and man.

83 Jesus died so we can all become gods.

84 Incense and candles create a holy atmosphere.

85 Icons and religious art can be venerated.

86 Mary statues that cry or bleed are holy signs.

87 The stigmata wounds cause saints to suffer like Christ for the sins of others.

88 The infant Jesus is an entity that can be addressed in prayer.

89 Stoicism and deprivation of the needs of the body are acts of holiness.

90 Jesus cannot turn down requests from his mother.

91 OK to pray to body parts such as the sacred heart or immaculate heart.

92 The RCC is the guardian of salvation - they hold the keys to the kingdom.

93 Doctrine and truth evolve.

94 Christ’s payment for sin is insufficient; we must suffer for our own sins.

95 The Roman Catholic Church is the one true Church.

July 30th Show: DO YOU REALLY WANT TO JOIN THE RALLY?

DO YOU REALLY WANT TO JOIN THE RALLY?

Christians around the world reacted in such shock that the media would dare to label the Norway terrorist a “fundamentalist Christian,” when in fact he was a hate-filled degenerate with no connections to the Christian faith whatsoever. But these allegations did not come out of a vacuum.

There are voices in the “Christian” media chanting slogans all over the public airwaves calling for Christians to rise up and take dominion over the entire world. There are groups that gather in large numbers at political prayer gatherings chanting affirmations such as: “We’re taking back the world for Christ” “We’re the head and not the tail”- and the world takes notice. Preachers in mega-churches are telling their congregations to “take back what the devil stole” in the marketplace, economics, entertainment, politics, and everywhere in society.

This chatter that permeates social media is bringing persecution upon all professing Christians who get labeled as one of them - especially when all streams in this polluted river join together for a show of force and unity. But where did this cocky collective Christian attitude originate that appears to the onlooking public as a threat to their freedoms? Besides from the prince of the power of the air, it comes from his agents who have wormed themselves into the professing church and seek to climb to the top of the heap.

Unbelievers cannot differentiate between Islam’s professed aim to dominate the planet and the boastings of professing Christians who are boldly proclaiming that they’re the ones who will rule the world and create Christ’s kingdom on earth before He returns.

Hitching their star to a presidential candidate, such as Texas Governor Rick Perry, the Joel’s Army visionaries are trying to position themselves to expand their power base. The Response (name of the prayer rally in Houston for America on behalf of Perry’s potential presidential bid) is an attempt of the Mother Harlot to ride the Beast of secular power. The new “Holy Roman Empire” is to rise again!

JOEL’S ARMY ON THE MARCH

There have been many efforts over the past couple of decades by Joel’s Army leaders to capture a critical mass of people and rally the troops behind them. A leading “prophet” in the movement is Bill Hamon, founder of Christian International Ministries in Florida. He calls the current effort to bring people together “the Saints Movement” in an ongoing effort to achieve what he calls “the restoration process” of the Church - the idea of restoring secular authority back to the Church that was once held by the Roman Catholic Church.

In an interview with The Voice Magazine, he describes where he believes we are now in the restoration process.

“We are at the prophetic-apostolic. The prophetic movement of the 80s brought in the prophet. And in the 90s it was the apostle. Now we have all five ascension gifts fully restored. Now we can get busy, working, training, equipping, and activating the saints to demonstrate the Kingdom of God...Now it’s the whole Body of Christ arising and demonstrating the supernatural. We will see the Body of Christ coming forth in the Saints Movement. We’ve crossed over the Jordan. The moment you cross over Jordan you’re going into warfare. As fanatical as it may sound to fundamental evangelical Christians, the Church is destined to subdue all things and put all things under Christ’s feet before He actually literally returns from heaven...The Church is being prepared now for the next moves of God. After the Saints Movement will be the Army of the Lord Movement. The next movement after that will be the Kingdom Establishment Movement.”

[Source: http://www.thevoicemagazine.com/ApoMoments_BillHamon.htm ]

The only thing holding them back, according to Hamon, is the belief in the Rapture.

“Rapture teaching is one of the most faith deadening teachings ever preached. It has the most neutralizing affect on a Christian's aggressive growth process...If you don't have a big comprehensive vision, both restorationally and eternally, then what motivation is there to do much except try to win a few souls to get a big reward in heaven?”

At the same time “The Response” is taking place in Houston, the Roman Catholic Church is holding a prayer rally in Maryland. Called “The Summer of Mercy,” sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington and the Archdiocese of Baltimore, this Catholic event also includes Protestants coming together with them under the pro-life cause. 
http://summerofmercy.com/ 

The website announcing the Summer of Mercy event, shares the testimony of a person who attended the last one a decade ago:



“We (Catholics and Protestants) prayed together... rallied together... sang together... processed together... attended church services together. It was peaceful and it was prayerful unity. In response to what the Holy Spirit is doing in this hour, we are inviting Christians and people of good will from all across America to come to Germantown, Maryland and be involved in the Summer of Mercy 2.0. Our desire is to see a sovereign God powerfully move, shift history, bring awakening to our nation and end abortion. Join us July 30 though August 7, for this historic season of prayerful and prophetic witness in Maryland.  We will be having; 24/7 prayer and worship, inspiring evening rallies with national political and Christian leaders and cutting edge public events.”

Protestants and Catholics together, united in prayer and power to “shift history” - Is that the purpose of the body of Christ today? Jesus told His disciples, “they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.” [Matt. 24:9] and the Apostle Paul wrote, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” [Phil. 3:20]

POO-POO PROPHET

So-called prophet Bob Jones is one referred to in the circles of dominion-seeking “Protestants.” Leaders like Rick Joyner of MorningStar and Mike Bickle of IHOP point to him as the one who gave them their marching orders. Jones blatantly teaches the Joel’s Army idea that the end-times church will go to war with the world and come out on top before the Lord’s return. How odd that Jones is still admired when he was exposed as the pervert he is years ago when he used his “prophetic office” to molest women.

Jones claims to be taken up to heaven on a regular basis. On one occasion, he described his heavenly garments as diapers. “I had a pamper on,” Jones told Mike Bickle who was interviewing him. “And I really messed it good. It was running down both my legs. And the Lord had ahold of my hand and I was a bawlin and a squallin...And so it was like the angels come and changed my pamper and washed me up and the next thing I knew I was back in bed.”

Jones revealed where he gets his marching orders in the 2008 Shepherd’s Rod publication. He wrote, “In our own ministry, we have been emphasizing the importance of honoring healing revivalists such as A. A. Allen, John Alexander Dowie, John G. Lake, William Branham and others. Some of these have been the most dishonored individuals of the 20th century Church, yet used most notably in soul winning and the miraculous. Our adversary has effectively attempted to neutralize the testimony of these individuals as forerunners by overly emphasizing their shortcomings and weaknesses. Even so, the Lord is allowing a body of people to recognize the pioneering influence these individuals conveyed in order to position us to carry forward the unfinished commissions.”

[For background on these “healing revivalists,” see my article on “God’s Generals” at: http://www.apostasyalert.org/generals.htm.]

These men did indeed have dishonored lives that included homosexuality, alcoholism, false doctrine, denial of the deity of Christ, and unverified claims of healings. Before joining with these groups in their prayer/political rallies, a Christian needs to pay heed to the warnings of the discernment ministries against associating with errant brothers. 

Mike Bickle may put disclaimers on his website, denying that he believes in the Joel’s Army teachings, but that would carry more weight if he would apologize to the church for promoting them in the past. After all he published the writings promoting Joel’s Army by men like Bob Jones and Paul Cain in his newsletters when he was their pastor overseeing the “Kansas City Prophets.” 

But he and Joyner and the other associates of the New Apostolic Reformation have picked up the mantles of the “unfinished commissions” and are vying for the top positions in the end-times army. Their slogan to take back America has caught on with the apostate lukewarm church with the help of the “Christian” TV networks and the compromising broadcasters who have joined hands with them by appearing on their networks without pointing out their errors. 

The war has begun, and the persecution of the true saints is at hand.

July 15th Show: "Christian" Psychic-Medium

(Since I have written so much on my first topic of the show, I'll not elaborate except to give a link to one of my previous articles):
http://www.apostasyalert.org/REFLECTIONS/Seeds%20&%20Tares.htm

The following is an email from a lady in Australia trying to set me straight on my views of mediumship. My comments in red:

“Hi Jackie-
“I have just read your website, and I am surprised how adamant you are that all prophets outside of your immediate beliefs are corrupt....what a lot you have to learn! I am a Gran, and a Christian, and yes I was born with gifts to see spirit and prophesy. In Romans it says "The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable". 11:29. God does not take away spiritual gifts on the grounds of religious politics.”

Hi Heather– My immediate beliefs are that the Word of God, the Bible, is as it says it is, God-breathed. And as such, my beliefs are all subject to what the Lord has revealed in His Word. So they are not corrupt. We always have a lot to learn and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I too am a grandmother and a Christian as defined by the Word. I too was born with gifts, certain human talents, as were we all. Those are not to be confused with spiritual gifts as described in 1 Corinthians 12 that are bestowed upon the believer by the Holy Spirit when they are baptized in Christ Jesus. If you have a natural-born sensitivity to spiritual things, you all the more need the gifts of the Holy Spirit to discern the voices you’re tuned in to. Remember, it was Eve, not Adam, who first tuned in to the voice of the devil and was thereby deceived. We women tend to be more tuned in to the spirit realm, which is why we’re also more susceptible to deception – especially if we are not grounded in God’s Word and trust His revelation to us. We’re instructed to test every spirit to see if they are of Christ – we test them by His Word.

 
“I was aware at a very early age of my gifts, and was condemned for them by my own church, a very strict fundamentalist church called the Exclusive Plymouth Brethren. You could not find a this 'phenomena' should have been bestowed on me. Once upon a time, the intollerance was palpable, and now that I have overcome the damage caused by it, I now work for God's glory.....as a Psychic, Reader and Medium. It is very easy for a 'tidy' Christian like yourself to condemn others. You have not been given the gifts, obviously, or you would be a lot wiser.”

I would venture to guess that you have people in your family line who also manifested what you consider gifts from an early age.  Those are not gifts of the Holy Spirit as poured out upon the born-again believer, but familiar spirits handed down in your family. If a valid church condemned them, they must have tested how your "gifts” were manifesting and discerned they were not trustworthy. I think there’s a lot left out of your story here. You call yourself a “Medium” and yet the Bible clearly instructs God’s people not to turn to mediums, but to turn to the living God. Read the 16th chapter of the book of Acts, starting at verse 16. You remind me of that damsel who followed the Apostle Paul around who practiced soothsaying for money for her masters yet at the same time proclaimed Paul as a servant of God. Paul responded to her as I’m sure the Plymouth Brethren responded to you. They did not want to see a young girl remain in spiritual bondage. Before I came to repentance and received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, I had encounters with deceiving spirits and just thought of them as benevolent ghosts looking out for me. Then after my born-again experience, they turned on me and their true nature was revealed. Oh yeah – I had those “gifts” – I praise my glorious Saviour for rescuing me from their games. They went from being little pranksters to downright bullies overnight. It took the new outpoured gift of the discerning of spirits for me to see them for what they really were.

“As for the scriptures ...... do your homework and accept that they are very contradictory and can be quoted to suit any advantage.”

How sad is that? You have no foundation for testing the spirits you’re hearing from since you reject God’s revelation to mankind. They are NOT contradictory – if there is an apparent contradiction, it is because you do not know Scripture well enough to understand how it all fits together. You are not even capable of coming to that understanding until you are given spiritual eyes to see. You must be born again by the Spirit of Christ for that to happen. And that will only happen when you lay it all before Him, die to yourself, and live your life in submission to the Lord Jesus. Lay down all your opinions, beliefs, possessions, biases, etc., and submit them to Him, repenting that you have been going your own way, calling your own shots and commit your way to Him from now on.

 
“There are as many verses supporting 'divination' as not. The ancient Jewish Urim and Thumin were divination articles, as was the light reading done from the stones on the breast plates of the priests, and the ancient Jewish Kabbalah is in fact the roots of the Tarot: Palmistry. "God seals up the hand of man so that every man may know his work."-Job. ""Length of days is on the right hand, honour and riches on the left"....Proverbs. Fate...."And in your book they were written. The days fashioned for me when as yet there were none of them"- Romans. The Lord Jesus Christ was the greatest metaphysician of all......preached to the people in hades…did remote healing and discerned spirit, and taught others to do the same. He started many of his prophesies with ‘verily I say unto you ’Where is the cut off point for others doing the same? Where does acceptable prophecy and divination begin and when exactly does it become evil?”

Heather, I have news for you – the Kabbalah is not Scripture. You will find divination promoted in it, but not in the Bible. The high priests during the Temple period in the Old Testament served the Holy of Holies where the Ark of the Covenant was kept in the Inner Sanctuary. Their breastplates with the stones were modeled after a heavenly vision. God’s Shekinah glory was in that Temple and so they had access to God then in a way that does not exist today. After the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus of Nazareth, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, those filled with the Holy Spirit are the temples. The veil in the Temple at Jerusalem was torn asunder when Jesus proclaimed from the cross, “It is finished.” He paid the ransom for our sins by His blood. And you must be cleansed by that blood in order to enter into His glory. I find it odd that you would condemn the Bible in one sentence, and use it to justify yourself in another. Jesus was not a metaphysician, He was God manifested in human flesh - the ONLY begotten Son of God. (With the emphasis on "only.")
                                 
“Jackie, I think it is political!!!!!   Every faith believes that they alone are true, and that everyone else is imitation. If you truly want to walk in truth, make no statements publicly to attack others. For as surely as you do, God will give you a lesson in humility to prove you wrong. Many of the people you have spoken about come from Christian homes. I lovingly hope you gain some experience through tests and heart felt personal conflict of your own, costly though it might be. It is the only way you will grow past your pre potted perspective.”

I’m not into politics. I have no particular denomination to promote. So you are mistaken in your rash judgment of me. I only speak of Jesus. I don’t tell anyone how to vote, what church to attend, or anything that can be construed political in any way. The Word of God is Truth. Jesus is the Word (See the 1st chapter of John). The Word of God is living and sharper than a two-edged sword (look that one up in a concordance). The wise (wo)man will test all things by those things that proceed from the mouth of God. My trials and tribulations in my life have taught me that Jesus is closer to me when I’m in the fire – just like He was there with the three friends of Daniel who were thrown in the flames for not bowing down to the Babylonian king. My trials prove to me that the Holy Spirit lives in me and gives me peace in the midst of turmoil. I don’t receive your curse on me for more trials. I do however pray for you that the nature of those spirits to whom you give ear will be revealed for who they really are. Read the book, “The Beautiful Side of Evil,” by Johanna Michaelsen and you will see that not all that glitters in the spirit realm is benevolent. Satan and his cohorts disguise themselves as messengers of righteousness and without the full armour of God as described in the 6th chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, you are at their mercy and they are merciless. You’ll see that breastplate there – you’ll need it.

 
“Please be honest and add this to your web page.”

Don’t mind if I do

 
“Yours sincerely, Heather Grace. Adelaide, South Australia.”

Sincerity never saved anyone. You happen to be sincerely wrong. I will continue to intervene on your behalf. I look forward to reading your testimony after you have been set free. Until then-

 
Yours truly, in Jesus,
Jackie Alnor

Apil 29, 2011 Show: Legalism vs. License - The Fine Line in Between

There are two extremes that saints can fall prey to in their walk with the Lord: legalism or license. Both are killers to our witness and our fellowship with Jesus.

It seems like the overall condition of the church flits between those two sides of the pendulum. One occurs in reaction - or should I say overreaction - to the other. It’s a fine line to walk in the balance of the two.

Back in the 1970s/1980s, what was known as the Discipleship movement became popular. Those who recognized its error termed it Shepherding - and rightly so. Shepherding groups sprang up all over the place, led by strong oppressive leaders who demanded submission of the sheep to the control of the shepherd and his elders.

Groups that used this heavy-handed legalistic rule over the people included groups such as The Walk, The Church of Bible Understanding,The Boston Church of Christ, and Faith Tabernacle, among many others. However, the origin of the Shepherding Movement falls upon what was known as the “Florida Five,” of whom were Derek Prince, Bob Mumford, Don Basham, Charles Simpson, and Ern Baxter. Mumford and Baxter reportedly denounced their involvement years later, but the toll their teachings took upon the church was immeasurable.

The book, Shepherds & Sheep: A Biblical View of Leading & Following, came out in 1983 to equip the saints with the biblical view of leadership and expose the errors of shepherding. Written by Jerram Barrs, a graduate of Covenant Theological Seminary and co-director of L’Abri Fellowship in England, it remains today the best tool to use when confronting legalistic leaders.

Barrs defines legalism on page 21 as: “the establishment of a rigid set of evangelical dos and don’ts. On the one hand are the don’ts: you must not drink, smoke, dance, go to movies, play cards...On the other hand are the dos: you must wear particular kinds of dress, attend certain meetings, give the outward appearance of spirituality. The problem here is that we can become genuinely confused about our spirituality: we may feel that because we are fulfilling these regulations we are truly spiritual. This, however, is the very mistake the Pharisees made.”

The Shepherding movement took things even further. Some Shepherding groups told people who to marry; when to fast; to break ties with unsaved family; not to carry insurance (lack of faith); and not to use modern medicine. The laity were told they had to have a spiritual “covering” consisting of an elder to whom they would submit all major decisions in their life.

In reaction to such legalist extremes, the notion of license came into popularity. Also called “cheap grace,” this idea says that since there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, it doesn’t matter how you live as long as you believe in Jesus. The “you can do all things” verse was taken to mean you could “sin all the more that grace may abound.”

The license crowd loves the teachings of people like Robert Schuler who popularized the “gospel of self-esteem” that teaches we should stop preaching against sin but to build up people’s self-esteem. When the Crystal Cathedral sings “Amazing Grace,” they change the word “wretch” to “soul” so as not to offend anyone.

Joel Osteen is the pastor of the biggest church in America because “sin” isn’t even in his vocabulary. He teaches sinner and saint alike how to manipulate principals to be the best and achieve your dreams to become a better you.

Sadly, the predominant view in the visible church today is license. Tolerance of sin and sinful lifestyles is seen as showing grace. Those who preach obedience to Christ are now falsely tagged “legalists.”

A case in point: At a church I used to attend, I sat next to a young lady at the church potluck who I had seen many times but had never met. She began venting against our pastor. She was angry at him because he refused to perform her wedding ceremony because she wanted to marry an unbeliever she was shacking up with and with whom she had a baby. I of course sided with the pastor much to her chagrin. But I had to wonder what she was doing at our church when she was flagrantly living in open sin.

The Bible tell us - “not to keep company with sexually immoral people” [1 Cor 5:9]. And to remove such people from the church to give them space for repentance.  “For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves” [2 Cor 5:12-13].

Such admonitions fall on deaf ears today as the goats appear to be at the helm of most pulpits in America. The most popular teachers are the ones who wink at sin or certainly don’t bring the subject of sin up in their messages. The day of the holiness preachers appears to be over, now that the last of that dying breed, David Wilkerson, has gone on to glory.

We need to strike the right balance in our church fellowships today, so that we don’t fall into either error of license or legalism. We need to be accountable to one another, confess our faults one to another, bear up one another’s burdens and not be high-minded one against another. We need to hear messages that encourage us to obey Christ and forsake sin, while at the same time not pay attention to messages that take away our freedom in Christ to make our own decisions in life as the Spirit leads us.

Walk the line!

March 11, 2011 Apostasy Alert Show: Walter Martin's Last Stand on TBN

In light of another Calvary Chapel pastor making an appearance on TBN's Praise-the-Lord program, I thought it apropos to share a tape in my collection of how a Bible believer should behave when invited onto TBN or any of the other errant "Christian" network. What sort of message is communicated when a solid Bible teacher shares the platform with heretics and does not bring reproof? Certainly it gives the impression that the guest endorses the teaching of the hosts and /or founder of the Christian network.


Some argue that if they can't go on TBN due to its corruption, then they couldn't show up on ABC, NBC or CBS either. They don't understand the distinction between being salt and light to the unsaved world and practicing biblical separation from so-called Christians who are spreading false teaching against Jesus Christ. To the unsaved, we can use their media to spread the Gospel, but to the errant brother we are to bring correction and divide if they do not stop their false teaching. For a proof-text consider 1 Corinthians 5:11:


"But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person."

When Calvary Chapel Albuquerque's pastor Skip Heitzig went on TBN last week acting like he and his host Phil Munsey were old friends, it was a shame to the spirit of that passage. Phil Munsey and his brother Steve Munsey are two of the most infamous extortioners in the field of Christian television. Munsey has used new age ideas of paradigm shifts and panentheism to spread his unbiblical dominionist views. 

In contrast to the compromisers, the late Walter Martin tried to bring correction the last time he made an appearance on TBN. This video tape has never circulated and has not been available anywhere until now that I have posted it to YouTube.

Back in 1985 my younger sister was Martin's secretary. She and my older sister and I all regularly attended his weekly Bible study. I used to share my research with him and also with my friend author Dave Hunt. Walter and Dave disagreed on many things regarding their styles of apologetics and discernment. Whenever there was a difference of opinion between the two of them, I usually agreed with Dave. 


I had had some discussion with Dr. Martin over Dave's book, The Seduction of Christianity. Walter had been critical about it on the radio having never read it but based his criticisms upon what his personal editor had told him. 


One day my older sister was watching Praise-the-Lord when Hal Lindsey was a guest. He was her pastor at that time. Back then Hal used to challenge the teaching of other TBN regulars and Paul Crouch put up with it. However, that got old with the Crouches and when Hal wouldn't stop criticizing the Kingdom Now doctrine, he was put on the shelf until he learned to kow-tow to them. When my sister heard Hal bring up Walter's name in the show, Paul and Jan agreed that he was a brilliant man and Hal said you should have him on some time. They both responded - oh sure we will.


So she informed our little sister who told Walter and Walter told her to call TBN and arrange it which she did. However, the Crouches wouldn't host him so they got prophecy teacher Doug Clark to do so. My younger sister called me on the day of the taping saying that Walter wanted me to go through Dave Hunt's book, The Seduction of Christianity and highlight things he would be in agreement with. I was happy to do so for him. He used that information to challenge TBN's blackballing of Dave Hunt and other whistle-blowers. 

I stayed home to work the VCR I didn't know how to program, while my two sisters attended, one in the green room and one in the audience we had stacked with many friends. Walter gave it to them with both barrels. Not only was the program not replayed at its regular slot, but the tapes were not available when people followed up to request one. Back in those days any Praise-the-Lord program could be bought on audio cassette for a small fee. And both Walter Martin and Doug Clark were never invited back. We had heard years later from Doug Clark that during the interview he kept receiving notes via the stage manager from Jan Crouch calling in telling Doug to "shut that guy up" and other nasty comments.

I found a way to post the interview in its entirety to YouTube - so look at it before it gets cut. I had to put it into several parts due to space restrictions, but I completed the task. I honestly think this is the very best tape of Walter Martin that is in existence. When he talks about the things he disagrees with Hunt on, keep in mind Hunt was right. 


Here are the links:


Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4-DFSFBeT8
Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0h0ya1DlD4
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeAzrRcjFXA
Part 4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAs-Ypxdpxk
Part 5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7AAvNhOvT4  - a surprise addendum


I actually went on a program on TBN back in 1986 called Joy in the Morning. I used to call the host whenever I saw any of his guests spreading error. He would thank me graciously and so I kept monitoring his show and called him when an infiltrator would slip in. We all had some hope for TBN back in that day, but at some time the Crouches went over the line, never to return to orthodoxy. I posted that interview on YouTube as well. Here's the link:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w22d1pXjh4M


Enjoy the memories and spread the links.