One of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes starred the late character actor Burgess Meredith. No, I’m not referring to the one where he survived the atom bomb and broke his glasses before he could sit down to read his piles of books from the devastated library. I’m talking about the 1961 episode called “The Obsolete Man” in which he stands trial for his life as a librarian since the totalitarian State considers it a useless occupation. He is sentenced to death for being “obsolete” because he loves books, owns a Bible, and believes in God Whom the State has declared does not exist. [See Wikipedia synopsis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Obsolete_Man ]
Back in the early ‘60s, it was unthinkable that a government could declare that there is no God. We thought only a communist country like Russia or China could dare to outlaw religion and persecute believers. After all, the United States has “In God we trust” on their dollar bills.
Sadly, it looks like forces of God-haters are rising up in power in our country to lobby for their collective belief in atheism. They have a public relations campaign to win others to their views and even have celebrity endorsements to spread their message of the supremacy of man in the universe. Now they have a well-attended annual convention (next one in April in Des Moines, Iowa) to help them galvanize the godless masses into a powerful special interest group who can campaign for change in Washington. [ http://atheists.org/ ] They want to remove “one nation under God” from our Pledge of Allegiance and ban prayer in any public place. Instead of trusting God, they only have themselves to trust in. What a miserable position to take.
These atheists have the zeal of evangelists in spreading their message that God is a bad invention of man and responsible for all the wars and hardships throughout history. They have especially targeted the Evangelical Church as public enemy number one.
Since atheism is indeed a negative and hopeless ideology, their PR machine is putting a positive spin on their message. Comedian/magician Penn Jillette, for example, has been interviewed all over television testifying that his acceptance of atheism has brought joy and hope to his world.
Other celebrities that inspired him to come out of the atheist closet were Martin Mull, Randy Newman, and Frank Zappa. Jillette says they are just behind the Gay Lobby in coming into prominence and influence. The YouTube clip of his testimony can be seen here: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFdOGQbP1i0] At the end of his tape, Jillette rejoices in the fact that if atheism were a religion, he is part of the fastest growing religion in America.
Former Saturday Day Night Live not-ready-for-prime-time-player, Julia Sweeney, has taken her atheist one-woman-show on the road to packed audiences. Her “Letting God of God” routine is now on film and is also popular on YouTube. One clip shows the audience response and the people sound as if they’re talking about an inspirational gospel message in how much it meant to them. [see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_FLLzbRVT8 ]
Could the atheist lobby be a portent of things to come and a rise in persecution of Christians in America? Certainly this movement is not surprising when we consider it as just another sign of the times. The Bible tells us that before Jesus returns iniquity would abound. So this should not surprise us. However, it does sadden us to see how the Creator of all is being lampooned by His creatures. One day these very people may be the ones of whom it is written prophetically that will shake their fists at God when judgment falls.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
January 7th Show: Pat Robertson does not hear from God & other false prophets
Every January prognosticators and forecasters in the world, the church, and the occult publish their predictions for the coming year. When we look back at their track record, we're not very impressed. Some are hit & miss; others are downright off target; none are 100% accurate.
Recently the economic experts have most people's attention. They base their predictions on their understanding of the financial market. Meteorologists forecast weather patterns to expect in the coming year. Astrologers supposedly see into the future via the study of the constellations and superstitious beliefs in their influences. And self-appointed prophets in the visible church prophesy according to a supposed dream, vision, or audible voice from God.
All these voices have a common appeal: worldliness. They attract people who are afraid of the future and want to know that their comfort in this life is secure for another year. Yet that focus is contrary to the Bible. Jesus told us not to concern ourselves with those needs but to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and leave the rest to Him.
Yet every year we are bombarded with so-called prophecies of how we need to do certain things in order to prosper and get through the year. CBN founder/president Pat Robertson hears from God, he says, every year. God just happens to keep the same calendar as the former presidential candidate. But his record for accuracy is abysmal.
Back in 1999, for instance, he said that God told him that those who do not double their giving that year would not survive the year 2000. Benny Hinn quoted him on TBN's Praise-a-Thon in order to twist people's arms to give more than they could afford. When 2000 came and went, there was no apology from the 700 Club or TBN.
According to the Bible, that makes Pat Robertson a false prophet. And we certainly should not listen to him.
"When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." - Deut 18:22
This year, according to Robertson, God is again worried about His people's bank accounts. Pat prefaced his prophecy he gave to the 700 Club audience with a warning: "this is what I'm writing and what I'm saying this is what the Lord said." Then he pontificated about his favorite subject: the economy.
"Your country is in grave peril. The leaders have hearkened to the demands of interest groups and have led your nation into bankruptcy. In two years will come a time of reckoning - it's not now, but it's gonna be two years from now. Your creditors will demand payment and there will not be enough to satisfy their claims. Your currency will shrink in value, your bonds will lose value, people on fixed incomes will suffer, unemployment will escalate, and there will be turmoil."
The economic forecasters could have said as much and they didn't require some audible voice from God. Since Robertson has already demonstrated his propensity to say "thus saith the Lord" when the Lord hasn't spoken to him, why should we listen to him now? And besides, he didn't say anything important at all anyway.
Elijah List, the umbrella group of false prophets, published a transcript of Pat Robertson's latest prophecy for 2011 and put in a ridiculous disclaimer to protect Pat and other false prophets for being labeled for what they are. The publisher Steve Shultz wrote:
"Some are confused because there are so many differing pieces of the puzzle as we have posted words for 2011. That is because there would not be a need for thousands of prophets unless this was a large puzzle...Keep in mind that prayer can change any negative prophecy."
Yet Pat Robertson did not deliver his word from God with any conditions. Shultz got this unbiblical idea from the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders [ACPE], headed up by C. Peter Wagner and Cindy Jacobs. They put together a collective prophecy from all their false prophet underlings every year and because of their horrible record they had to change the Bible's requirement for 100% accuracy.
Last year the ACPE prefaced their prophecies with this disclaimer:
"This is the word given through a compilation of the prophetic releases and consensus of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders. There are differing variables that can affect the timing and/or coming to pass of theses words:
- All prophecy not contained in scripture is conditional.
- The timing of when the prophecy comes to pass may occur over a longer period of time than one calendar year. Some take many years to fulfill.
- It is possible that prophetic warnings will cause either the person or nation to repent and so turn away the judgment prophesied. Biblically, this happened when Jonah prophesied to Nineveh and the city repented, causing God to relent."
This gives a whole new definition of a prophet. There hasn't been a single failed prophecy given by any of the Elijah List or ACPE "prophets" that could be interpreted to have failed due to repentance as in Nineveh. And when they specify a time-frame to their prophecy and it does not come to pass, they have no right to say it can happen later. To say that all prophecy is conditional when no conditions were put on them is an insult to everyone's intelligence.
The true prophet Jeremiah told us what our attitude toward false prophets should be and we need to apply that to these "thousands of prophets" that have crept into our churches:
"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of the LORD.'" -Jer. 23:16
Saturday, January 1, 2011
December 31st Show: Witnessing with Bible Prophecy
Witnessing with Bible Prophecy
The natural outcome of recognizing the signs of the times for the Christian should be the urgency to share the gospel with others. It is inconceivable to think about the looming wrath of God being poured out upon those we love who will be left behind if they do not receive the free gift of salvation before the rapture.
It has truthfully been said that “apologetics is the handmaiden of evangelism.” You cannot proclaim the truth without being prepared to defend it. The defense of the faith and the proclamation of it are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other.
When witnessing to others it is so important to find common ground upon which to begin the conversation. There are no formulas to follow; we must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit because we cannot argue anyone into the Kingdom. It is a work of God upon the heart and all we can be are vessels God uses to speak on His behalf. Those who have ears to hear will listen, and those who have been given over to their own devices will respond accordingly.
A good conversation starter in this day and age is the condition of the world. Even the world in its fallen state recognizes that civilization is on a path toward the final event. The media in all forms - television, film, print, internet, video games - are filled with references to Armageddon, Apocalypse, and Antichrist. The understanding that we’re on the brink of judgment seems to be in the very DNA of all peoples.
When witnessing to unbelievers we can make a connection by giving them the hope of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the soon return of the King of kings as a lifeline to escape the wrath to come. We can show them how Bible prophecy is history written in advance and that the world is not spinning out of control into chaos, but that all is happening according to God’s plan. God is in control.
We can show them fulfilled prophecy regarding the first coming of Christ and how all things happened as it was written in advance, and that we can trust the Word of God to be what it is: the Word of God to fallen man. From there we can share the Gospel of salvation and the call for repentance for the forgiveness of sins that Jesus Christ purchased for us on the cross of Calvary.
As the world seems to recognize the approach of Armageddon, the visible church is now overrun with scoffers who say, “where is the promise of His coming? All things remain the same.” For such Christians, there is no urgency to go out into the highways and byways to gather the wheat.
There are two influences that people are listening to both within and without the church: the voice of Christ and the voice of antichrist. The Bridegroom is telling His bride to be ready for His soon appearing when He will take her to the place that He has prepared for her. He is warning the churches not to get caught up in the cares of this world, recalling Lot’s wife who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.
The spirit of antichrist however speaks as one who only has this world to offer. He is anxious to start his earthly reign over the kings of the earth and so he deceives many with the allure of global peace and security. As the devil unsuccessfully did to Jesus in the wilderness, he tempts others to sell their souls by bowing down to him. In exchange he offers them riches, power, and influence.
An example of the spirit of antichrist’s efforts to win over the masses can be seen in a trailer for an upcoming film called “The Shift.” [theshiftmovie.com] Today’s heroes are featured trying to sell everyone on the idea that if we all join together, lay down our differences, and become a Collective we can achieve the transformation of humanity into divinity. The cast of leaders include Desmond Tutu, Deepak Chopra, Al Gore and Oprah Winfrey’s spiritual advisor, Marianne Williamson.
This latest New Age effort at accomplishing this paradigm shift has now caught on with society as a whole. Back in 1982 the effort failed big time. Remember when all those full-page ads appeared in major newspapers around the world announcing that “The Christ is Now Here”? The ad said that “soon the Christ will acknowledge his identity and within the next two months will speak to humanity through a worldwide television and radio broadcast. His message will be heard inwardly, telepathically, by all people in their own language. From that time, with his help, we will build a new world.”
Well, he never showed up and his handler, Benjamin Creme, is a laughing stock, still claiming this guy is going to come to the forefront very soon.
It appears that those who are against the true Christ are indeed hearing the voice of the antichrist inwardly. And those whose hearts are open to the true Christ hear His voice as He promised that His sheep would. It is reminiscent of the Stephen King thriller, The Stand. In that book/film, 99% of the population was wiped out by a government experiment in germ warfare gone wrong. All the bad guys dreamed of being drawn to go to Las Vegas, while the nice survivors saw a sweet grandma in their dreams beckoning them to Boulder, Colorado. The final stand between good and evil ensued, and of course the good guys won.
Today we must warn nonbelievers that if they are hearing the voice of the true Christ not to harden their hearts. The voice of the antichrist is being heard and accepted even within the walls of the church. Conferences have sprung up looking for this “Shift” and bringing in the same global unity agenda as the New Age Shift.
The angel told Daniel that the prophecies of the time of trouble would be closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Only the wise would understand, while the wicked would not. [Daniel 12] And those who turn many to righteousness would shine like the stars forever and ever. As in The Stand, it is time to choose sides and tune in to the voice of the Master.
The natural outcome of recognizing the signs of the times for the Christian should be the urgency to share the gospel with others. It is inconceivable to think about the looming wrath of God being poured out upon those we love who will be left behind if they do not receive the free gift of salvation before the rapture.
It has truthfully been said that “apologetics is the handmaiden of evangelism.” You cannot proclaim the truth without being prepared to defend it. The defense of the faith and the proclamation of it are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other.
When witnessing to others it is so important to find common ground upon which to begin the conversation. There are no formulas to follow; we must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit because we cannot argue anyone into the Kingdom. It is a work of God upon the heart and all we can be are vessels God uses to speak on His behalf. Those who have ears to hear will listen, and those who have been given over to their own devices will respond accordingly.
A good conversation starter in this day and age is the condition of the world. Even the world in its fallen state recognizes that civilization is on a path toward the final event. The media in all forms - television, film, print, internet, video games - are filled with references to Armageddon, Apocalypse, and Antichrist. The understanding that we’re on the brink of judgment seems to be in the very DNA of all peoples.
When witnessing to unbelievers we can make a connection by giving them the hope of the Gospel of the Kingdom and the soon return of the King of kings as a lifeline to escape the wrath to come. We can show them how Bible prophecy is history written in advance and that the world is not spinning out of control into chaos, but that all is happening according to God’s plan. God is in control.
We can show them fulfilled prophecy regarding the first coming of Christ and how all things happened as it was written in advance, and that we can trust the Word of God to be what it is: the Word of God to fallen man. From there we can share the Gospel of salvation and the call for repentance for the forgiveness of sins that Jesus Christ purchased for us on the cross of Calvary.
As the world seems to recognize the approach of Armageddon, the visible church is now overrun with scoffers who say, “where is the promise of His coming? All things remain the same.” For such Christians, there is no urgency to go out into the highways and byways to gather the wheat.
There are two influences that people are listening to both within and without the church: the voice of Christ and the voice of antichrist. The Bridegroom is telling His bride to be ready for His soon appearing when He will take her to the place that He has prepared for her. He is warning the churches not to get caught up in the cares of this world, recalling Lot’s wife who looked back and turned into a pillar of salt.
The spirit of antichrist however speaks as one who only has this world to offer. He is anxious to start his earthly reign over the kings of the earth and so he deceives many with the allure of global peace and security. As the devil unsuccessfully did to Jesus in the wilderness, he tempts others to sell their souls by bowing down to him. In exchange he offers them riches, power, and influence.
An example of the spirit of antichrist’s efforts to win over the masses can be seen in a trailer for an upcoming film called “The Shift.” [theshiftmovie.com] Today’s heroes are featured trying to sell everyone on the idea that if we all join together, lay down our differences, and become a Collective we can achieve the transformation of humanity into divinity. The cast of leaders include Desmond Tutu, Deepak Chopra, Al Gore and Oprah Winfrey’s spiritual advisor, Marianne Williamson.
This latest New Age effort at accomplishing this paradigm shift has now caught on with society as a whole. Back in 1982 the effort failed big time. Remember when all those full-page ads appeared in major newspapers around the world announcing that “The Christ is Now Here”? The ad said that “soon the Christ will acknowledge his identity and within the next two months will speak to humanity through a worldwide television and radio broadcast. His message will be heard inwardly, telepathically, by all people in their own language. From that time, with his help, we will build a new world.”
Well, he never showed up and his handler, Benjamin Creme, is a laughing stock, still claiming this guy is going to come to the forefront very soon.
It appears that those who are against the true Christ are indeed hearing the voice of the antichrist inwardly. And those whose hearts are open to the true Christ hear His voice as He promised that His sheep would. It is reminiscent of the Stephen King thriller, The Stand. In that book/film, 99% of the population was wiped out by a government experiment in germ warfare gone wrong. All the bad guys dreamed of being drawn to go to Las Vegas, while the nice survivors saw a sweet grandma in their dreams beckoning them to Boulder, Colorado. The final stand between good and evil ensued, and of course the good guys won.
Today we must warn nonbelievers that if they are hearing the voice of the true Christ not to harden their hearts. The voice of the antichrist is being heard and accepted even within the walls of the church. Conferences have sprung up looking for this “Shift” and bringing in the same global unity agenda as the New Age Shift.
The angel told Daniel that the prophecies of the time of trouble would be closed up and sealed until the time of the end. Only the wise would understand, while the wicked would not. [Daniel 12] And those who turn many to righteousness would shine like the stars forever and ever. As in The Stand, it is time to choose sides and tune in to the voice of the Master.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
December 24th Show: Discernment Ministries vs. Apologetics Ministries: Is there a difference?
The field of the Christian study of apologetics stems from the command of scripture to:
“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” [Jude 3]
Jude was not addressing some uniquely called individuals in the church to some special office like pastor or evangelist, but makes it clear in the first verse that he was calling all believers to the task. “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.” [Jude 1]
Yet over the years the defense of the faith against “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” [2 Cor. 10:5) has become specialized due to the superabundance of cults, heresies, and isms that attack the faith from within and without the professing church.
To assist all the saints to sort out truth from error, God has raised up para-church ministries to the task of studying, researching and exposing the false ideas that threaten to overturn the faith of many. They give answers using Scripture and reason to equip the saints in their walk with Christ to battle against the deceptions and ploys of the enemy. To be forewarned is to be forearmed in the battle of ideas that would try to shipwreck their faith.
Since the time that Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses to the Door of the Wittenburg Church, defenders of the faith have made their mark on church history by rocking the boat to awaken a sleeping church. In our modern times, men like Francis Schaeffer and C. S. Lewis have written tomes of apologetics resources that have become the textbooks of modern seminaries.
It wasn’t until the formation of the Christian Research Institute in 1960 by the late Walter Martin, author of The Kingdom of the Cults, that the field of the study of apologetics became specialized according to area of focus. He had an entire research department with researchers who each had their specialty of study. [Though under CRI’s current leadership, there is only the voice on the radio and office workers filling orders.] Other apologetics ministries came along in the 1970s & 80s such as Watchman Fellowship, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, and Personal Freedom Outreach.
In those days, the terms apologetics and discernment were synonymous and interchangeable. Over the years, the terms took on new meaning as approaches to the defense of the faith diverged. A division arose between the theologically academic approach and the Spirit-led Bible approach upon the publication of Dave Hunt’s book, The Seduction of Christianity in 1985.
The book got panned by CRI insiders Bob and Gretchen Passantino, whose amillennial sensitivities were offended by Hunt’s recognition of the importance that Bible prophecy played in recognizing the spirit of antichrist at work in the infiltration of doctrines of demons into the church. [They later wrote a counter-offensive book, Witch Hunt, in which they faulted Hunt for his failure to follow Matthew 18 in not going to every church leader first before quoting from their published writings. Of course the Passantinos never lived up to this twisted logic in their own writing.]
Unfortunately, the Passantinos got the ear of Walter Martin who criticized the book on his Bible-Answer-Man radio broadcast based upon their warped review. At that time I was friends with both Martin and Hunt and became somewhat of a go-between. When Dave showed me a transcript of Walter’s criticism of Seduction I recognized it as a paraphrase of the Passantino’s writing. So the next Sunday I approached Walter after his Bible study that I regularly attended and asked him point blank, “Have you ever read the book?” He admitted to me that he hadn’t and I was astounded. I later went through Hunt’s book and highlighted important points he made with a highlighter pen and gave it to Martin who used it later to confront TBN on live television for the heresies Hunt had documented.
But sadly there was always a breach between CRI and Dave Hunt and any of us independent researchers who incorporated Bible prophecy into our recognition of the spirit of antichrist in the heretical teachings that were infiltrating the church.
Over the next several years, ministries that followed Hunt’s lead, recognizing the prophesied apostasy in the church via ecumenism with Rome, became labeled as “discernment ministries.” The view that the false teachings in the church were propelling the visible church toward a unification into a global false religious system was not seen as a valid paradigm by the academic type of apologists. So the latter tended to marginalize the former and look down their noses at those who believe we are in the end times. That idea just isn’t very scholarly to them.
Those who dare to believe what the Spirit of Christ has put in their hearts that His return is near are literally mocked and told “we have no need of you.” [1Cor. 12:21] Scoffers have risen up ridiculing us saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” [2 Peter 3:3-5]
So when you hear the term discernment ministries today, you will usually see a common belief that we are in the end times. When you hear the word apologetics, you will probably be around academics who speak using big theological words. It has just sort of evolved that way. Discernment ministries overall show respect to the academics, but rarely is the compliment returned.
“Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” [Jude 3]
Jude was not addressing some uniquely called individuals in the church to some special office like pastor or evangelist, but makes it clear in the first verse that he was calling all believers to the task. “To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ.” [Jude 1]
Yet over the years the defense of the faith against “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” [2 Cor. 10:5) has become specialized due to the superabundance of cults, heresies, and isms that attack the faith from within and without the professing church.
To assist all the saints to sort out truth from error, God has raised up para-church ministries to the task of studying, researching and exposing the false ideas that threaten to overturn the faith of many. They give answers using Scripture and reason to equip the saints in their walk with Christ to battle against the deceptions and ploys of the enemy. To be forewarned is to be forearmed in the battle of ideas that would try to shipwreck their faith.
Since the time that Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses to the Door of the Wittenburg Church, defenders of the faith have made their mark on church history by rocking the boat to awaken a sleeping church. In our modern times, men like Francis Schaeffer and C. S. Lewis have written tomes of apologetics resources that have become the textbooks of modern seminaries.
It wasn’t until the formation of the Christian Research Institute in 1960 by the late Walter Martin, author of The Kingdom of the Cults, that the field of the study of apologetics became specialized according to area of focus. He had an entire research department with researchers who each had their specialty of study. [Though under CRI’s current leadership, there is only the voice on the radio and office workers filling orders.] Other apologetics ministries came along in the 1970s & 80s such as Watchman Fellowship, Spiritual Counterfeits Project, and Personal Freedom Outreach.
In those days, the terms apologetics and discernment were synonymous and interchangeable. Over the years, the terms took on new meaning as approaches to the defense of the faith diverged. A division arose between the theologically academic approach and the Spirit-led Bible approach upon the publication of Dave Hunt’s book, The Seduction of Christianity in 1985.
The book got panned by CRI insiders Bob and Gretchen Passantino, whose amillennial sensitivities were offended by Hunt’s recognition of the importance that Bible prophecy played in recognizing the spirit of antichrist at work in the infiltration of doctrines of demons into the church. [They later wrote a counter-offensive book, Witch Hunt, in which they faulted Hunt for his failure to follow Matthew 18 in not going to every church leader first before quoting from their published writings. Of course the Passantinos never lived up to this twisted logic in their own writing.]
Unfortunately, the Passantinos got the ear of Walter Martin who criticized the book on his Bible-Answer-Man radio broadcast based upon their warped review. At that time I was friends with both Martin and Hunt and became somewhat of a go-between. When Dave showed me a transcript of Walter’s criticism of Seduction I recognized it as a paraphrase of the Passantino’s writing. So the next Sunday I approached Walter after his Bible study that I regularly attended and asked him point blank, “Have you ever read the book?” He admitted to me that he hadn’t and I was astounded. I later went through Hunt’s book and highlighted important points he made with a highlighter pen and gave it to Martin who used it later to confront TBN on live television for the heresies Hunt had documented.
But sadly there was always a breach between CRI and Dave Hunt and any of us independent researchers who incorporated Bible prophecy into our recognition of the spirit of antichrist in the heretical teachings that were infiltrating the church.
Over the next several years, ministries that followed Hunt’s lead, recognizing the prophesied apostasy in the church via ecumenism with Rome, became labeled as “discernment ministries.” The view that the false teachings in the church were propelling the visible church toward a unification into a global false religious system was not seen as a valid paradigm by the academic type of apologists. So the latter tended to marginalize the former and look down their noses at those who believe we are in the end times. That idea just isn’t very scholarly to them.
Those who dare to believe what the Spirit of Christ has put in their hearts that His return is near are literally mocked and told “we have no need of you.” [1Cor. 12:21] Scoffers have risen up ridiculing us saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” [2 Peter 3:3-5]
So when you hear the term discernment ministries today, you will usually see a common belief that we are in the end times. When you hear the word apologetics, you will probably be around academics who speak using big theological words. It has just sort of evolved that way. Discernment ministries overall show respect to the academics, but rarely is the compliment returned.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
December 17th Show: Oral Roberts Remembered
December 15th marked the one-year anniversary of the death of Oral Roberts. The university he named after himself, (a prideful act in and of itself), has honored his memory on the ORU website [www.oru.edu].
"Oral Roberts was a great man who profoundly impacted the world for Jesus Christ. We are deeply thankful for his life," said ORU President Mark Rutland.
"ORU is Oral Roberts' most enduring legacy. It represents everything he stood for - from healing evangelism to whole person living to academic excellence," said Thomson Mathew, dean of ORU's College of Theology and Ministry.
The ORU news release stated, “The university was founded as a result of Roberts' obeying God's mandate to build a university on God's authority and the Holy Spirit. God's commission to Roberts was to ‘Raise up your students to hear My voice, to go where My light is dim, where My voice is heard small, and My healing power is not known, even to the uttermost bounds of the earth. Their work will exceed yours, and in this I am well pleased.’"
Of course the source of that quote was Oral Roberts himself who had a nasty habit of speaking in first person singular as if channeling God.
But what is Oral Roberts’ true legacy? He was a foundation stone in the great apostasy we see in the church today due to his plagiarized invention of “seed faith.” The idea to twist scripture to say that if you see money as a seed that can be sown in the soil of a ministry or church and that it will have to result in more money (10-20-100-fold return) coming into your pocket was actually the invention of Gene Ewing. He has assisted countless televangelists in coming up with direct-mail fundraising appeals and has gotten rich in doing so.
Oral Roberts took this “money as a seed” idea and it has evolved into what became the Positive Confession movement that morphed into the Word/Faith movement that today we know as the Prosperity Gospel. This heresy has had many offshoots so that today some charismaniacs think they can call God’s glory down from heaven with their words.
Charles Capps wrote in "Seed-Faith Book Turns Life Around," from Oral Roberts' magazine, Abundant Life, May/June 1987, “Several years ago one of Oral Roberts’ books came into my hands, entitled Miracle of Seed-Faith. I suppose this book transformed my life as much as any book I have ever read . . . Oral put it in understandable form so that I could put it to work in my life.”
And from that Capps went on to systematize the Positive Confession theology that teaches that whatever you think and say can be yours so that all your carnal desires can be met.
The Word/Faith belief that Christians are little gods that can manipulate universal laws to get miracles for themselves spun off from that one seed-faith principle that Pat Robertson renamed the ‘law of reciprocity’ and it has defiled many believers ever since.
Those of us who approach God humbly in prayer asking that His will be done are seen as those of little faith who just don’t know how to use faith principles to get their miracles.
Time has shown that Oral Roberts never heard from God, yet still people lift him up as one who has and should be emulated. Dave Hunt put it well when he wrote:
“How about Oral Roberts? You know he had a seven-hour conversation with a 900-foot Jesus who told him to build a hospital in Tulsa that anybody knew wasn’t needed. Promises that there will be miracles, a cure for cancer. 777 beds. You know three 7s—that’s terrific! I don’t think they ever had more than 246 of them occupied. The thing went bankrupt. No cure for cancer. No miracles. Is that a false prophecy? You have to ask yourself seriously. Was Oral Roberts just lying to us or was he hallucinating or did he really have this conversation? I mean a 7-hour hallucination? That’s pretty long. Did he really have a conversation with some 900-foot being that claimed to be Jesus? That’s quite a delusion! But he continues to be quite popular.”
In a last ditch effort to kick God off the throne, before his death Oral Roberts promised his blind followers that he would look down from heaven upon them and guide them after his death. In a video on the ORU tribute page he said, “You’re in my heart; you’re in my prayers. When I go home to be with Jesus, I will take the memory of you with me and I will be sending back love and peace and joy forever into your life.”
Could this be why some of his loyal followers have claimed to have seen him in their visions and dreams after his demise? Did he make such a claim to divine power before he left so that he could retain his godlike status among his blind followers?
I love how a former member of his family summed him up Oral Roberts’ seed faith error. In her book, Ashes to Gold, Oral’s one-time daughter-in-law Patti Roberts wrote:
“Oral thought I was splitting theological hairs, but it seemed supremely important to me. If we give to God because we think by giving we have somehow placed Him in our debt and He is now required to come through for us and meet our needs, we have, I believe, perverted the heart of the Gospel. Our only motive for giving should be love. When we encouraged people to give in order to have their needs met or so that they would receive ‘a hundredfold in return,’ I believed we were appealing to their sense of greed or desperation, neither of which seemed admirable to me… Luther was incensed by the Church’s practice of selling indulgences—offering forgiveness of sin and a shorter period of time in purgatory in return for gifts to the church, I had a very difficult time distinguishing between the selling of indulgences and the concept of Seed-Faith inflated to the degree to which we had inflated it.”
Sunday, December 12, 2010
December 10th Show: Right and Wrong Kingdoms
"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. – Matt 24:14
Jesus was very clear of what this gospel of the kingdom was. He said, “My kingdom is not of this world.” His subjects are the citizens of the kingdom who are not of this world either. They are the strangers and pilgrims who are rejected by this present world and wait for the return of the King who is to set up His kingdom. In the meantime the god of this world is satan and his subjects are ruling.
The Roman Catholic Church historically believed that their Magisterium with the pope as the head and vicar of Christ ruled over the secular powers as Christ’s representatives on earth. They did not believe in the kingdom to come but wanted the kingdom now. Their hierarchy of so-called priests, cardinals, and popes ruled over one another; a total reverse of Jesus’ instructions that His disciples would not lord it over one another.
Today the NAR, New Apostolic Reformation with C. Peter Wagner at the head, are in a struggle with the ruling powers and principalities of this world to “take it for Christ.” They are putting the cart before the horse and joining with other “Christian” organizations to try and put their own people in power such as Sarah Palin. In their selfish ambition, they desire to rule over others in their new hierarchy of apostles and prophets.
One of their so-called prophetesses had a vision of the horses she said God is releasing to bring them the power to accomplish their takeover. Her silly prophecy was published by the Elijah List, the umbrella group of today’s false prophets whom Jesus prophesied would be in abundance before His return.
“Many are saying that they feel a tangible change and excitement in the air,” wrote Elijah List publisher Steve Shultz. “God is up to something BIG, even for this year we're still in. ‘Wow’ to this prophetic word of the hour by Eileen Fisher. It's a must read for the Body. The Spirit was hovering all over her as she gave it... that's for sure. Like Eileen shares below: this land is getting ripe and ready for revival and God's horses of revival are being released. (emphasis in original)And then Eileen Fisher’s prophecy that she gave November 16, 2010 at the Prophetic School of the Holy Spirit in Colorado Springs, CO, that says in part:
“You are releasing Your horses of revival. They are carrying the anointing, Father, in the saddle bags of glory and mercy. Father, we thank You for the horses that are being released by the Spirit tonight. Father, we thank You that they are going to go throughout our land. Their hoofs are going to go in the Spirit and are going to stomp and crush the plans of the enemy. We thank You that they are coming with fire in their mouths and that they are going to breathe down and melt and dissolve the plans and the schemes of the enemy. We thank You that the saddle is empty because You are putting Your Bride on that saddle. Your Bride is going to learn to rule and reign.” Yet, the only horses these people are going to see are the four horsemen of the apocalypse who come to carry God’s judgment upon them and all those who dwell on the earth after the true church is taken out of the way in the rapture.
Charles Spurgeon predicted that “a time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats.” Well that day is here.
These new false apostles and prophets are too many to list. However, if you saw the group of men and women who commissioned Todd Bentley to be the vessel of the third wave of the spirit in Lakeland, Florida, you can see the leaders. They include Rick Joyner, Che Ahn, Bill Johnson, Wendy Alec, Wes & Stacey Campbell, John & Carol Arnott and others. To identify the NAR leaders who are truly cult leaders, here is a list of their traits: (Source: http://hiswordfirst555.ning.com/group/newapostolicreformation/forum/topics/reflections-quantum-alchemy?xg_source=activity )
1) They believe that God is restoring the office of prophet and apostles to the church.
2) Claim that they alone have the power and authority to execute the plans and purposes of God.
3) Believe they are building a new foundation for a global church.
4) Believe they will literally establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
Believe in the formation of Joel's Army.
5) Place an inordinate emphasis on angels and the supernatural.
6) Claim extra biblical revelations that can not be scripturally proven
(progressive revelation).
7) Claim that God is doing a "new thing".
8) Frequently say that those not accepting their teaching are "Putting God in a box".
9) Teach that we should never question their authority.
10) They use the term "Touch not God's anointed" frequently when questions are raised.
11) They peg those that question their authority as bound by religion, legalistic, divisive, narrow minded, rebellious, and demonic.
12) Place a greater emphasis on dreams, visions and extra-biblical revelation than they do on the word of God.
13) They believe they will be the corporate incarnation of Christ.
14) They believe they will execute judgment upon those who oppose them (up to and including death).
15) They believe in a one world religion operating in sync with a one world government.
16) They believe in complete unity and believe that there is nothing they can not accomplish through this unity.
17) They believe they can bring Heaven down to earth.
18) They believe that we will be perfected here on earth (manifested sons of god).
19) They believe in aggressively organizing small group networks.
20) They believe in the organization of apostles under pre-eminent apostles.
21) They believe that ALL local churches must be under the authority of a regional or trans-local apostle.
22) They believe each city must have an apostle who has extraordinary authority in spiritual matters over other Christian leaders in the same city.
23) They consider themselves divine, little gods and equal to Christ.
24) They consider themselves the "Defenders of the Faith".
25) Place a great deal of emphasis on mysticism and hidden knowledge
.
26) Do not believe in the rapture (or believe the wicked are the ones that will be raptured). Most of them believe in Preterism.
27) Stress unity over doctrine and reject the literal interpretation of the Bible.
2) Claim that they alone have the power and authority to execute the plans and purposes of God.
3) Believe they are building a new foundation for a global church.
4) Believe they will literally establish the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.
Believe in the formation of Joel's Army.
5) Place an inordinate emphasis on angels and the supernatural.
6) Claim extra biblical revelations that can not be scripturally proven
(progressive revelation).
7) Claim that God is doing a "new thing".
8) Frequently say that those not accepting their teaching are "Putting God in a box".
9) Teach that we should never question their authority.
10) They use the term "Touch not God's anointed" frequently when questions are raised.
11) They peg those that question their authority as bound by religion, legalistic, divisive, narrow minded, rebellious, and demonic.
12) Place a greater emphasis on dreams, visions and extra-biblical revelation than they do on the word of God.
13) They believe they will be the corporate incarnation of Christ.
14) They believe they will execute judgment upon those who oppose them (up to and including death).
15) They believe in a one world religion operating in sync with a one world government.
16) They believe in complete unity and believe that there is nothing they can not accomplish through this unity.
17) They believe they can bring Heaven down to earth.
18) They believe that we will be perfected here on earth (manifested sons of god).
19) They believe in aggressively organizing small group networks.
20) They believe in the organization of apostles under pre-eminent apostles.
21) They believe that ALL local churches must be under the authority of a regional or trans-local apostle.
22) They believe each city must have an apostle who has extraordinary authority in spiritual matters over other Christian leaders in the same city.
23) They consider themselves divine, little gods and equal to Christ.
24) They consider themselves the "Defenders of the Faith".
25) Place a great deal of emphasis on mysticism and hidden knowledge
.
26) Do not believe in the rapture (or believe the wicked are the ones that will be raptured). Most of them believe in Preterism.
27) Stress unity over doctrine and reject the literal interpretation of the Bible.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
December 3rd Show: Christmas - Truth & Myth
The new billboards that have gone up showing the magi following the star with the caption, "You Know It's a Myth," is partly accurate. The atheists hope their message will turn people away from the truth of the incarnation of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, but they will only convince fellow atheists. Christians, on the other hand, need to face the facts that there are myths associated with Christ/mas - a mixture of truth and myth. "Christ" represents the truth; "mas" represents the myth.
It is a well-known fact that Christmas and the Advent season is a Roman Catholic invention that blended the truth of the story of the Incarnation with the pagan celebration of the winter's solstice. The pagan feast of Saturnalia was a celebration of the new season and a time of revelry, drinking, and gift-giving. A recent documentary on the A&E channel showed how the pagan celebration was so much a part of Roman culture. Now atheists and other unbelievers seem to want to return to its unchristianized roots.
Yet so much of today's Western culture has already taken Christ out of Christmas. It has become a time of materialism and greed known for its commercialism. Black Friday really captures the spirit of Christmas where people trample over one another to be the first one to grab the latest popular electronic device off the shelf.
Seeing how wordly Christmas is, how should a Bible-believing Christian celebrate it? Or should true believers even acknowledge it? We do have the freedom in Christ to honor the birth of Christ on December 25th or to shun it.
When deciding, consider a very important fact - Christmas is the one day a year that the world actually pays homage to the King of kings. It can be an open door to share the Gospel of Salvation with our lost family members and friends - so why would we let an opportunity go by?
But we must focus their attention on the truth part of Christmas - Christ. Sing the songs that lift Him up and stay away from the songs that celebrate that imposter Santa Claus. Teach our children the difference between the truth of Christ and the myth of the mass and Santa, and refuse to go along with our culture's pressure to lie to our children about who fills the stockings.
The song, "O Holy Night" is my favorite Christmas carol:
O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine! Oh night when Christ was born!
Oh night divine! Oh night! Oh night divine!
When unbelievers sing "Fall on your knees," I envision the time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). Even those who curse Him today, such as the ones who put up those awful billboards, will one day bow before Him even before being hurled into the lake of fire.
Christmas in some form will be around, I'm convinced, until He returns. When the two witnesses are killed by the antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation, could it be during the Yuletide season? After all, it will be a time of giving gifts according to the book of Revelation.
"And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” Rev. 11:10
It is a well-known fact that Christmas and the Advent season is a Roman Catholic invention that blended the truth of the story of the Incarnation with the pagan celebration of the winter's solstice. The pagan feast of Saturnalia was a celebration of the new season and a time of revelry, drinking, and gift-giving. A recent documentary on the A&E channel showed how the pagan celebration was so much a part of Roman culture. Now atheists and other unbelievers seem to want to return to its unchristianized roots.
Yet so much of today's Western culture has already taken Christ out of Christmas. It has become a time of materialism and greed known for its commercialism. Black Friday really captures the spirit of Christmas where people trample over one another to be the first one to grab the latest popular electronic device off the shelf.
Seeing how wordly Christmas is, how should a Bible-believing Christian celebrate it? Or should true believers even acknowledge it? We do have the freedom in Christ to honor the birth of Christ on December 25th or to shun it.
When deciding, consider a very important fact - Christmas is the one day a year that the world actually pays homage to the King of kings. It can be an open door to share the Gospel of Salvation with our lost family members and friends - so why would we let an opportunity go by?
But we must focus their attention on the truth part of Christmas - Christ. Sing the songs that lift Him up and stay away from the songs that celebrate that imposter Santa Claus. Teach our children the difference between the truth of Christ and the myth of the mass and Santa, and refuse to go along with our culture's pressure to lie to our children about who fills the stockings.
The song, "O Holy Night" is my favorite Christmas carol:
O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!
Oh night divine! Oh night when Christ was born!
Oh night divine! Oh night! Oh night divine!
When unbelievers sing "Fall on your knees," I envision the time when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11). Even those who curse Him today, such as the ones who put up those awful billboards, will one day bow before Him even before being hurled into the lake of fire.
Christmas in some form will be around, I'm convinced, until He returns. When the two witnesses are killed by the antichrist in the middle of the Tribulation, could it be during the Yuletide season? After all, it will be a time of giving gifts according to the book of Revelation.
"And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.” Rev. 11:10
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