WORD @ WORK Supplement
A Handle on Habakkuk by Abraham Gan
“Habakkuk” probably means “to clasp.” A contemporary of the Prophet Jeremiah, Habakkuk lived around the end of the 7th Century BC during the uncertain days before the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians (Harper Study Bible).
TOUGH QUESTIONS 4 THE TIMID?
Basically, Habakkuk had pondered long and hard on three areas:
1. CRIME, VIOLENCE AND LAWLESSNESS (1:2)
Why is the law of the jungle still in operation? Why are the powerful bullying the weak unchecked?
2. JUSTICE IN THE MARKETPLACE (1:3-4)
Why do evil people enjoy success and the good guys are just surviving and suffering?
3. CRISIS OF FAITH (1:13-17)
Why is our God who is the Great Eternal God, the Holy One and the Rock (v.12) seemingly unwilling or uninterested in intervening in the terrible human mess we are in?
ASK and YOU WILL BE ANSWERED
God graciously revealed the basis of His apparent inaction to Habakkuk.
1. NO CRISIS OF FAITH
God is active and working behind the unfolding of global events. God says, “I AM going to DO…I AM raising up…” (1:5-6)
2. SEE THE BROAD PICTURE
You need to look further down the future and adopt a panoramic view of life. Record down what God is showing you as you ponder your questions. Digest it and place your observations alongside the current events unfolding in the world (see 2:2).
Time is of the essence. There is no room for impatience (see 2:3, 3:16). The God of time and space is working out His will and purpose not just for one individual or one nation here and now. But in His wisdom and mercy, God includes the well being of all peoples of all time. He is conscious of His covenant with the saints of old and yet is full of sunny promises for the generations to come.
3. THE RULES OF GOD STILL STAND
The proud will be demoted and the humble promoted (2:4-5). The greedy will be buried under the weight of their illegal fortune (2:6-7). Those who live by the sword will perish by the sword (2:8-13). The crafty will be caught in their own traps (2:15-16). Those who seek other gods will reside in blind alleys (2:18-19).
THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL LIVE BY FAITH (2:4)
It’s not enough to do right and live right. The song says, “I Am A Believer.” We need to keep faith in who God is. We should celebrate His fame and deeds, His mercy and glory, His praise and splendor, His power, His ways and His salvation!
We need to affirm our trust in His ability and creativity in handling the affairs of the human world. Habakkuk pictures God as the Warrior King in a royal battle against evil and evil doers. Bristling with divine anger & wrath, He delivers the people suffering under the senseless injustices of the world (3:3-15).
A BRIGHT NEW WORLD!
We face the bleak prospect of a world with no room, no food, no jobs, no money, and no law!
But the prophet Habakkuk has this calm assurance that with God, we can grow happier and stronger and go higher than ever! (see 3:16-19)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
THE CURSE OF RESTORING ERROR
C.H. Spurgeon
"Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho" (Joshua 6:26).
Since he was cursed who rebuilt Jericho, much more the man who labours to restore Popery among us. In our fathers' days the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would rebuild that accursed system upon its old foundation. O Lord, be pleased to thwart their unrighteous endeavours, and pull down every stone which they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error which may have a tendency to foster the spirit of Popery, and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world. This last can be done in secret by fervent prayer, and in public by decided testimony. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel truth, and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like owls, hate daylight. Are we doing all we can for Jesus and the gospel? If not, our negligence plays into the hands of the priestcraft. What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the Pope's bane and poison? Are we casting abroad good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, "The devil hates goose quills" and, doubtless, he has good reason, for ready writers, by the Holy Spirit's blessing, have done his kingdom much damage. If the thousands who will read this short word this night will do all they can to hinder the rebuilding of this accursed Jericho, the Lord's glory shall speed among the sons of men.
Reader, what can you do? What will you do?
"Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho" (Joshua 6:26).
Since he was cursed who rebuilt Jericho, much more the man who labours to restore Popery among us. In our fathers' days the gigantic walls of Popery fell by the power of their faith, the perseverance of their efforts, and the blast of their gospel trumpets; and now there are some who would rebuild that accursed system upon its old foundation. O Lord, be pleased to thwart their unrighteous endeavours, and pull down every stone which they build. It should be a serious business with us to be thoroughly purged of every error which may have a tendency to foster the spirit of Popery, and when we have made a clean sweep at home we should seek in every way to oppose its all too rapid spread abroad in the church and in the world. This last can be done in secret by fervent prayer, and in public by decided testimony. We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel truth, and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like owls, hate daylight. Are we doing all we can for Jesus and the gospel? If not, our negligence plays into the hands of the priestcraft. What are we doing to spread the Bible, which is the Pope's bane and poison? Are we casting abroad good, sound gospel writings? Luther once said, "The devil hates goose quills" and, doubtless, he has good reason, for ready writers, by the Holy Spirit's blessing, have done his kingdom much damage. If the thousands who will read this short word this night will do all they can to hinder the rebuilding of this accursed Jericho, the Lord's glory shall speed among the sons of men.
Reader, what can you do? What will you do?
Monday, August 16, 2010
High Offices in the Church
(J. C. Ryle, "The Gospel of Luke" 1858)
"The leading priests and teachers of religious law were actively plotting Jesus' murder." Luke 22:2
High offices in the church do not preserve the holders of them from great blindness and sin.
The first step in putting Christ to death, was taken by the religious teachers of the Jewish nation. The very men who ought to have welcomed the Messiah, were the men who conspired to kill Him. The very pastors who ought to have rejoiced at the appearing of the Lamb of God, had the chief hand in slaying Him! These were the very men who crucified the Lord of glory! With all their boasted knowledge, they were far more ignorant than the few Galilean fishermen who followed Christ!
Let us beware of attaching an excessive importance to ministers of religion because of their office.
Ordination and office confer no exemption from error.
The greatest heresies have been sown, and the greatest practical abuses introduced into the church by ordained men!
We must test all teachers by the unerring rule of the Word of God. It matters little who says a thing in religion. But it matters greatly what it is that is said.
Is it scriptural?
Is it true?
This is the only question.
The lengths to which men may go in religion, and yet be without grace, is far greater than we suppose.
"The leading priests and teachers of religious law were actively plotting Jesus' murder." Luke 22:2
High offices in the church do not preserve the holders of them from great blindness and sin.
The first step in putting Christ to death, was taken by the religious teachers of the Jewish nation. The very men who ought to have welcomed the Messiah, were the men who conspired to kill Him. The very pastors who ought to have rejoiced at the appearing of the Lamb of God, had the chief hand in slaying Him! These were the very men who crucified the Lord of glory! With all their boasted knowledge, they were far more ignorant than the few Galilean fishermen who followed Christ!
Let us beware of attaching an excessive importance to ministers of religion because of their office.
Ordination and office confer no exemption from error.
The greatest heresies have been sown, and the greatest practical abuses introduced into the church by ordained men!
We must test all teachers by the unerring rule of the Word of God. It matters little who says a thing in religion. But it matters greatly what it is that is said.
Is it scriptural?
Is it true?
This is the only question.
The lengths to which men may go in religion, and yet be without grace, is far greater than we suppose.
Unholy Ministers
(Thomas Brooks, "The Unsearchable Riches of Christ")
"Watch your life and doctrine closely." 1 Timothy 4:16
Heavenly doctrines should always be adorned with a heavenly life.
Ministers must preach Christ as well in their life—as in their doctrine. They must not be hot in the pulpit, and cold and careless in their lives. The lives of ministers oftentimes convince more strongly than their words; their tongues may persuade—but their lives command.
What is it, which renders the things of God so contemptuous and odious in the eyes of many people but the ignorance, looseness, profaneness, and worldliness of those who are the dispensers of them. Unholy ministers pull down instead of building up. Oh the souls who their lives destroy! These, by their loose lives, lead their flocks to hell—where they themselves must lie lower most!
Wicked ministers do more hurt by their lives—than they do good by their doctrine. Every minister's life should be a commentary upon Christ's life!
"Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." 1 Timothy 4:12
"Watch your life and doctrine closely." 1 Timothy 4:16
Heavenly doctrines should always be adorned with a heavenly life.
Ministers must preach Christ as well in their life—as in their doctrine. They must not be hot in the pulpit, and cold and careless in their lives. The lives of ministers oftentimes convince more strongly than their words; their tongues may persuade—but their lives command.
What is it, which renders the things of God so contemptuous and odious in the eyes of many people but the ignorance, looseness, profaneness, and worldliness of those who are the dispensers of them. Unholy ministers pull down instead of building up. Oh the souls who their lives destroy! These, by their loose lives, lead their flocks to hell—where they themselves must lie lower most!
Wicked ministers do more hurt by their lives—than they do good by their doctrine. Every minister's life should be a commentary upon Christ's life!
"Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." 1 Timothy 4:12
The Way to Be Wealthy and Happy!
James Smith, 1859
“The lions may grow weak and hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:10
To be in need is painful, especially to be in need of some particular things. Originally man had no needs, everything was provided for him, and presented to him in abundance. But when man sinned, he forfeited his inheritance, and was reduced to poverty and degradation. Now need is common, it is universal. Where shall we go, to whom shall we speak—to find a person who has no needs?
However many mistake wishes for needs. And while the Lord has promised to supply all his people’sneeds, he has no where promised to gratify all their wishes. Needs are painful enough, and oftentimes hard to be borne—but wishes are more so. Let us now,
Look at the painful condition of many. They are in need, and in need of good things. Some need good things for the body, as food, clothing, health, home, or friends. Poverty is a sore evil to the flesh. It is a heavy cross. To a proud person—it is a crushing burden.
But the number of those who need good things for the soul is greater. What multitudes there are . . .
who are condemned for sin—and need a pardon;
who have troubled spirits—and need peace;
who have polluted hearts—and need purity;
who have anxious spirits—and need satisfaction;
who have aspiring minds—and need nobler prospects.
For the lack of these things, they are unhappy, they have no settled rest, no solid peace. And the worst feature of the case is—that they don’t even know their needs, or what is necessary to make them happy! If they did, they might soon be raised above their needs, for here we have,
The divinely prescribed way to rise above need. “Those who seek the Lord, shall not lack any good thing.” The way to be wealthy, is to seek the Lord, for the blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. If we would escape from need, we must seek to know the Lord. He has revealed himself in his word. He has manifested himself in the person and work of his Son. He reveals himself to the soul, by the teaching and operations of his Holy Spirit. It is not enough tohear of God, to think of God, to speak of God, or even to pray to God; but we must truly know God. Know him so as to yield the heart to him. Know him so as to confide in him, and delight to obey him.
We must seek to please him. Everything we do, either pleases, or displeases, the Lord. Man by nature never troubles himself about pleasing God—but if the Spirit of God dwells in us, the grand end of life, and the principal aim in every action will be, to please God. The highest eulogy that could be passed on Enoch was, that before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Let us please God—and then it is of little consequence whom we displease.
We should seek to enjoy God. God in Christ is the source of all real happiness. There is in God, everything to make us happy. If therefore we know God, and seek to please him—we shall be made happy by him. His presence, his word, and his grace will make us happy anywhere, and under any circumstances; and will enable us to say, “Whom have I in heaven but you, and there is none upon earth, that I desire beside you!” Seeking to know, please, and enjoy the Lord, we have—
A positive assurance is given us, that we shall not lack any good thing. This assurance is given us by a man of experience and observation, who could say, “I was young and now I am old—yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” It was given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore may be implicitly depended on.
Those who seek the Lord may be sick, or poor, or tried, in a variety of ways; but the Lord will send them supplies, OR give them the grace of contentment, so that they shall not lack.
We really need very little—therefore the apostle says, “If we have food and clothing—we will be content with that!” 1 Timothy 6:8. And again, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said: Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
“They shall not lack any good thing.” That is, they shall not lack whatever is really good for them at the time, and under the circumstances. Whatever will promote their holiness and happiness—shall be conveyed to them.
Therefore with confidence we say, “Look to the generations of old, did ever any trust in the Lord—and were confounded?” Or with the suffering Savior, “Our fathers trusted in you; they trusted, and you delivered them.”
Those who seek the Lord are sure of necessary supplies, for four reasons:
First, the Lord is ABLE to supply them. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.
Second, he DESIRES to supply them. “Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him. He knows our frame—he remembers that we are dust.”
Third, he has PROMISED to supply them. “The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” “My God shall supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Fourth, he ALWAYS HAS supplied them. Look at Jacob, at David—and at all who have already arrived in glory. If the question, put by the Lord Jesus, to his disciples, when they returned from their missionary tour, on which he sent them without purse or bag, was put to them, “Have you lacked anything?” Every one of them would readily answer, “Nothing, Lord!”
As therefore we know not what is before us in this world, it is wise to prepare for the worst and to secure all good things. But as this can only be done by seeking the Lord, let us seek him at once, with all possible earnestness, and let us seek him always. If we sincerely seek him - he has promised that we shall find him. If we seek him, we shall know his will, prove the truth of his word, and enjoy his happy-making blessing.
If we seek to know him experimentally, to please him universally, and to enjoy him as our chief good—he will shine into our hearts, giving us the knowledge of himself! He will visit us, sup with us, and smile upon us! He will shed abroad his love in our hearts, and confer foretastes of heaven upon us. And, O blessed testimony of our beloved Lord, who speaking to his Father said, “This is life eternal, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
“The lions may grow weak and hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:10
To be in need is painful, especially to be in need of some particular things. Originally man had no needs, everything was provided for him, and presented to him in abundance. But when man sinned, he forfeited his inheritance, and was reduced to poverty and degradation. Now need is common, it is universal. Where shall we go, to whom shall we speak—to find a person who has no needs?
However many mistake wishes for needs. And while the Lord has promised to supply all his people’sneeds, he has no where promised to gratify all their wishes. Needs are painful enough, and oftentimes hard to be borne—but wishes are more so. Let us now,
Look at the painful condition of many. They are in need, and in need of good things. Some need good things for the body, as food, clothing, health, home, or friends. Poverty is a sore evil to the flesh. It is a heavy cross. To a proud person—it is a crushing burden.
But the number of those who need good things for the soul is greater. What multitudes there are . . .
who are condemned for sin—and need a pardon;
who have troubled spirits—and need peace;
who have polluted hearts—and need purity;
who have anxious spirits—and need satisfaction;
who have aspiring minds—and need nobler prospects.
For the lack of these things, they are unhappy, they have no settled rest, no solid peace. And the worst feature of the case is—that they don’t even know their needs, or what is necessary to make them happy! If they did, they might soon be raised above their needs, for here we have,
The divinely prescribed way to rise above need. “Those who seek the Lord, shall not lack any good thing.” The way to be wealthy, is to seek the Lord, for the blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. If we would escape from need, we must seek to know the Lord. He has revealed himself in his word. He has manifested himself in the person and work of his Son. He reveals himself to the soul, by the teaching and operations of his Holy Spirit. It is not enough tohear of God, to think of God, to speak of God, or even to pray to God; but we must truly know God. Know him so as to yield the heart to him. Know him so as to confide in him, and delight to obey him.
We must seek to please him. Everything we do, either pleases, or displeases, the Lord. Man by nature never troubles himself about pleasing God—but if the Spirit of God dwells in us, the grand end of life, and the principal aim in every action will be, to please God. The highest eulogy that could be passed on Enoch was, that before his translation, he had this testimony, that he pleased God. Let us please God—and then it is of little consequence whom we displease.
We should seek to enjoy God. God in Christ is the source of all real happiness. There is in God, everything to make us happy. If therefore we know God, and seek to please him—we shall be made happy by him. His presence, his word, and his grace will make us happy anywhere, and under any circumstances; and will enable us to say, “Whom have I in heaven but you, and there is none upon earth, that I desire beside you!” Seeking to know, please, and enjoy the Lord, we have—
A positive assurance is given us, that we shall not lack any good thing. This assurance is given us by a man of experience and observation, who could say, “I was young and now I am old—yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” It was given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore may be implicitly depended on.
Those who seek the Lord may be sick, or poor, or tried, in a variety of ways; but the Lord will send them supplies, OR give them the grace of contentment, so that they shall not lack.
We really need very little—therefore the apostle says, “If we have food and clothing—we will be content with that!” 1 Timothy 6:8. And again, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said: Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
“They shall not lack any good thing.” That is, they shall not lack whatever is really good for them at the time, and under the circumstances. Whatever will promote their holiness and happiness—shall be conveyed to them.
Therefore with confidence we say, “Look to the generations of old, did ever any trust in the Lord—and were confounded?” Or with the suffering Savior, “Our fathers trusted in you; they trusted, and you delivered them.”
Those who seek the Lord are sure of necessary supplies, for four reasons:
First, the Lord is ABLE to supply them. “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.
Second, he DESIRES to supply them. “Like as a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him. He knows our frame—he remembers that we are dust.”
Third, he has PROMISED to supply them. “The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” “My God shall supply all your needs, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Fourth, he ALWAYS HAS supplied them. Look at Jacob, at David—and at all who have already arrived in glory. If the question, put by the Lord Jesus, to his disciples, when they returned from their missionary tour, on which he sent them without purse or bag, was put to them, “Have you lacked anything?” Every one of them would readily answer, “Nothing, Lord!”
As therefore we know not what is before us in this world, it is wise to prepare for the worst and to secure all good things. But as this can only be done by seeking the Lord, let us seek him at once, with all possible earnestness, and let us seek him always. If we sincerely seek him - he has promised that we shall find him. If we seek him, we shall know his will, prove the truth of his word, and enjoy his happy-making blessing.
If we seek to know him experimentally, to please him universally, and to enjoy him as our chief good—he will shine into our hearts, giving us the knowledge of himself! He will visit us, sup with us, and smile upon us! He will shed abroad his love in our hearts, and confer foretastes of heaven upon us. And, O blessed testimony of our beloved Lord, who speaking to his Father said, “This is life eternal, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Is Benny Hinn A Patron of the Arts?
An inquiring mind wanted to know
by Bud Press, Director Christian Research Service
www.christianresearchservice. com
August 13, 2010
The August 2, 2010 edition of the NATIONAL ENQUIRER hit the newsstands on July 23, and featured a two-page article on an alleged "Torrid Affair" between American televangelists Benny Hinn and Paula White.
The article sent shock waves through the hyper-Charismatic community, and prompted Hinn and White to issue written statements on their websites. They denied the affair, and denounced the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article as "False and Misleading."
While Hinn's statement disappeared one day after its publication, White's statement remained online for a few days, then disappeared.
But both statements were preserved in their entirety by Apprising Ministries at http://apprising.org/2010/07/ 30/benny-hinn-and-paula-white- side-by-side
Later, Benny Hinn would issue a more detailed statement during a July 30 crusade in Oakland, California. But more on that later.
Invites to the Vatican
In his original written statement, Benny Hinn told his readers a "truth," in that he and Paula White "traveled independently." He further stated that,
I was invited by Vatican officials to visit the Vatican to discuss future ministry opportunities there. Paula was likewise invited to have meetings in the region, and, although we spent time together, we were never alone and were in the constant company of staff and family members.
Likewise, Paula White stated that she and Hinn "traveled independently" and met with officials at the Vatican:
I publicly profess and forcefully renounce assertions that the recent trip to Italy to meet with Vatican officials suggests that the friendship is in any way improper or morally impure .We traveled independently to the region for respective ministry duties and, while there, spent time together along with others.
Again, both statements are available on the Apprising Ministries website at http://apprising.org/2010/07/ 30/benny-hinn-and-paula-white- side-by-side
What is a Patron of the Arts?
Established in 1982, the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums is a donor-sponsored project that is dedicated to the restoration, upkeep and preservation of the "vast and unique collection of art contained in the Vatican museums" (http://www.vatican-patrons.org/home.html ).
Depending on the type of membership desired, monetary fees range from $250 to $500 to $1000 annually. Once the requirements are met, the individual or family is designated a Patron of the Arts (Ibid.).
It is important to note that when a Patron of the Arts visits the Vatican in Rome, Italy, they are "received in the Office of the Patrons of the Arts in the Apostolic Palace," and given a "complimentary tour of the Vatican Museums with a private guide..." (Ibid).
Verbal statement from Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn's original written statement, dated July 24, was followed up with verbal statements during a July 30 crusade in Oakland, California. The telecast was aired August 5 on Hinn's This Is Your Day! program, and aired again on August 13 ( http://www.bennyhinn.org/media/2010-8-13.asx ).
During the crusade, Hinn revealed additional details about his invitation to the Vatican, his becoming a Patron of the Arts, and traveling arrangements with Paula White:
The Vatican did invite me a few days ago. They made me a Patron of the Arts in the Vatican two weeks ago. And that's a fact! A Patron of the Arts means you support the Vatican so they can maintain all the work of Michelangelo. I'm one of the guys now that supports what they do. And that is a fact. I was there, and we were taken around by a man named Wilhelm Kramer [or Cramer]. And they asked me, literally they said, "Do you know people that can help us financially?" I said, "Alright."
Now here's where I made my mistake: I let her [Paula White] come with me to Rome, so she can donate money. That was stupid on my part. And for that I do ask forgiveness. But that was an innocent mistake, nothing to do with stupid stuff. [To our Partners... A Special Message from Pastor Benny Hinn, Miracle Crusade, Oakland, California, July 30, 2010, http://www.bennyhinn.org/media/2010-8-13.asx ].
To recap, during the crusade, Benny Hinn told his partners he was invited to the Vatican in Rome, Italy, that he agreed to financially support the Patron of the Arts program, and that he was made a Patron of the Arts. Hinn also said that he let Paula White come with him to Rome, "so she can donate money."
However, there is another side to Hinn's and White's statements.
Statement from a Vatican official
Mark Haydu is a Catholic priest and the International Coordinator/Director of The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, located in Rome, Italy. Along with The Patrons of the Arts membership, Haydu maintains that "Our sole interest is to assist the Holy Father [Pope] in his desire to preserve, promote and protect the wonderful and historic treasures found in the Vatican Museums" (http://www.vatican-patrons.org/internationaldirector.html ).
With Benny Hinn's and Paula White's statements in mind, Christian Research Service wrote the following letter to Mark Haydu and two staff members within the Patrons of the Arts program:
August 10, 2010
The Patrons of the Arts
in the Vatican Museums
Palazzo Apostolico,
V-00120 Vatican City State, Europe
Tel: 011-39-06-698-81814
Fax: 011-39-06-698-82147
To Whom it may concern:
Recently, the American televangelist Benny Hinn said he had been invited to the Vatican, and became a Patron of the Arts to maintain the work of Michelangelo.
Also, Benny Hinn said he was accompianied by a woman named Paula White, who said she traveled to Rome to meet with Vatican officials.
I am requesting your verification on the following:
1. Was Benny Hinn invited to the Vatican?
2. Did Benny Hinn become a Patron of the Arts?
3. Did Paula White meet with Vatican officials, and did she donate money?
Thank you. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely in Christ,
Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
www.christianresearchservice.com
[End of letter]
In his reply on August 11, Mark Haydu stated that,
To my knowledge, Paula White or Benny Hinn were not invited to the Vatican Museums in any official context, nor did we find anyone on our donors database of Patrons under those names. [Original on file with CRS]
Haydu went on to say that because the Vatican employs thousands of people, he isn't aware of everyone who is invited to the Vatican. "I am just aware of the Patrons of the Arts and the Vatican Museums," he stated.
Christian Research Service thanks Mark Haydu for his prompt reply and honesty.
Closing comments...
Based on the information above, it appears that Benny Hinn and Paula White have, once again, deceived their followers. If those who follow the modern-day false teachers would develop an inquiring mind--the type that demands the truth--perhaps they would know that Hinn and White cannot be trusted.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart (Proverbs 3:3).
Related reading and viewing:
The Confusing World of Benny Hinn Written by R. Richard Fisher and M. Kurt Goedelman, the book "is a hard-hitting investigation of the best-selling author and healing evangelist. The reader is furnished with solid research and irrefutable documentation to unmask the bizarre teachings and contradictory spiritual experiences of the faith healer some have dubbed, 'The Miracle Man.'" This is the best book of its type available, and may be ordered at http://pfo.org/confusing.htm.
Benny Hinn Admits 'Friendship' With Paula White But Tells TV Audience It's Over http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/29089
by Bud Press, Director Christian Research Service
www.christianresearchservice. com
August 13, 2010
The August 2, 2010 edition of the NATIONAL ENQUIRER hit the newsstands on July 23, and featured a two-page article on an alleged "Torrid Affair" between American televangelists Benny Hinn and Paula White.
The article sent shock waves through the hyper-Charismatic community, and prompted Hinn and White to issue written statements on their websites. They denied the affair, and denounced the NATIONAL ENQUIRER article as "False and Misleading."
While Hinn's statement disappeared one day after its publication, White's statement remained online for a few days, then disappeared.
But both statements were preserved in their entirety by Apprising Ministries at http://apprising.org/2010/07/ 30/benny-hinn-and-paula-white- side-by-side
Later, Benny Hinn would issue a more detailed statement during a July 30 crusade in Oakland, California. But more on that later.
Invites to the Vatican
In his original written statement, Benny Hinn told his readers a "truth," in that he and Paula White "traveled independently." He further stated that,
I was invited by Vatican officials to visit the Vatican to discuss future ministry opportunities there. Paula was likewise invited to have meetings in the region, and, although we spent time together, we were never alone and were in the constant company of staff and family members.
Likewise, Paula White stated that she and Hinn "traveled independently" and met with officials at the Vatican:
I publicly profess and forcefully renounce assertions that the recent trip to Italy to meet with Vatican officials suggests that the friendship is in any way improper or morally impure .We traveled independently to the region for respective ministry duties and, while there, spent time together along with others.
Again, both statements are available on the Apprising Ministries website at http://apprising.org/2010/07/ 30/benny-hinn-and-paula-white- side-by-side
What is a Patron of the Arts?
Established in 1982, the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums is a donor-sponsored project that is dedicated to the restoration, upkeep and preservation of the "vast and unique collection of art contained in the Vatican museums" (http://www.vatican-patrons.org/home.html ).
Depending on the type of membership desired, monetary fees range from $250 to $500 to $1000 annually. Once the requirements are met, the individual or family is designated a Patron of the Arts (Ibid.).
It is important to note that when a Patron of the Arts visits the Vatican in Rome, Italy, they are "received in the Office of the Patrons of the Arts in the Apostolic Palace," and given a "complimentary tour of the Vatican Museums with a private guide..." (Ibid).
Verbal statement from Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn's original written statement, dated July 24, was followed up with verbal statements during a July 30 crusade in Oakland, California. The telecast was aired August 5 on Hinn's This Is Your Day! program, and aired again on August 13 ( http://www.bennyhinn.org/media/2010-8-13.asx ).
During the crusade, Hinn revealed additional details about his invitation to the Vatican, his becoming a Patron of the Arts, and traveling arrangements with Paula White:
The Vatican did invite me a few days ago. They made me a Patron of the Arts in the Vatican two weeks ago. And that's a fact! A Patron of the Arts means you support the Vatican so they can maintain all the work of Michelangelo. I'm one of the guys now that supports what they do. And that is a fact. I was there, and we were taken around by a man named Wilhelm Kramer [or Cramer]. And they asked me, literally they said, "Do you know people that can help us financially?" I said, "Alright."
Now here's where I made my mistake: I let her [Paula White] come with me to Rome, so she can donate money. That was stupid on my part. And for that I do ask forgiveness. But that was an innocent mistake, nothing to do with stupid stuff. [To our Partners... A Special Message from Pastor Benny Hinn, Miracle Crusade, Oakland, California, July 30, 2010, http://www.bennyhinn.org/media/2010-8-13.asx ].
To recap, during the crusade, Benny Hinn told his partners he was invited to the Vatican in Rome, Italy, that he agreed to financially support the Patron of the Arts program, and that he was made a Patron of the Arts. Hinn also said that he let Paula White come with him to Rome, "so she can donate money."
However, there is another side to Hinn's and White's statements.
Statement from a Vatican official
Mark Haydu is a Catholic priest and the International Coordinator/Director of The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, located in Rome, Italy. Along with The Patrons of the Arts membership, Haydu maintains that "Our sole interest is to assist the Holy Father [Pope] in his desire to preserve, promote and protect the wonderful and historic treasures found in the Vatican Museums" (http://www.vatican-patrons.org/internationaldirector.html ).
With Benny Hinn's and Paula White's statements in mind, Christian Research Service wrote the following letter to Mark Haydu and two staff members within the Patrons of the Arts program:
August 10, 2010
The Patrons of the Arts
in the Vatican Museums
Palazzo Apostolico,
V-00120 Vatican City State, Europe
Tel: 011-39-06-698-81814
Fax: 011-39-06-698-82147
To Whom it may concern:
Recently, the American televangelist Benny Hinn said he had been invited to the Vatican, and became a Patron of the Arts to maintain the work of Michelangelo.
Also, Benny Hinn said he was accompianied by a woman named Paula White, who said she traveled to Rome to meet with Vatican officials.
I am requesting your verification on the following:
1. Was Benny Hinn invited to the Vatican?
2. Did Benny Hinn become a Patron of the Arts?
3. Did Paula White meet with Vatican officials, and did she donate money?
Thank you. Your assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely in Christ,
Bud Press, Director
Christian Research Service
www.christianresearchservice.com
[End of letter]
In his reply on August 11, Mark Haydu stated that,
To my knowledge, Paula White or Benny Hinn were not invited to the Vatican Museums in any official context, nor did we find anyone on our donors database of Patrons under those names. [Original on file with CRS]
Haydu went on to say that because the Vatican employs thousands of people, he isn't aware of everyone who is invited to the Vatican. "I am just aware of the Patrons of the Arts and the Vatican Museums," he stated.
Christian Research Service thanks Mark Haydu for his prompt reply and honesty.
Closing comments...
Based on the information above, it appears that Benny Hinn and Paula White have, once again, deceived their followers. If those who follow the modern-day false teachers would develop an inquiring mind--the type that demands the truth--perhaps they would know that Hinn and White cannot be trusted.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart (Proverbs 3:3).
Related reading and viewing:
The Confusing World of Benny Hinn Written by R. Richard Fisher and M. Kurt Goedelman, the book "is a hard-hitting investigation of the best-selling author and healing evangelist. The reader is furnished with solid research and irrefutable documentation to unmask the bizarre teachings and contradictory spiritual experiences of the faith healer some have dubbed, 'The Miracle Man.'" This is the best book of its type available, and may be ordered at http://pfo.org/confusing.htm.
Benny Hinn Admits 'Friendship' With Paula White But Tells TV Audience It's Over http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/news/29089
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Sad Secret of the Church
William Lau of The Elijah Challenge
Note: We are very grateful to the Lord for those who have lovingly supported us with their finances, and we pray the Lord's richest blessings upon them. This article does not reflect how we feel toward them who are our partners in the Great Commission.
The Church has a secret hidden away in her closet. It is actually an open secret. But most believers are reluctant to talk about it. They would rather be “tolerant” and “loving” and not face the accusation of being judgmental. But Jesus taught that if we first take the plank out of our own eye, then we will see clearly to remove the speck from our brother’s eye. Thus Scripture teaches that we can speak up under that condition.
The spirit of greed has invaded a significant segment of the Church of Jesus Christ (but certainly not all of it). This segment has become fat by living in a post-Christian culture that places a premium on not what we can do for God, but what God can do for us. The emphasis is on what we must do in order for God to bless us spiritually, materially, and so forth. We are taught correctly that God wants to bless us so that we can be a blessing to others. We see that there is an end and that there is a means to that end. The end or the ultimate purpose is for us to be a blessing. The means is God’s blessing upon us. But some have lost sight of the end and now focus on the means. They are more interested in being blessed than in being a blessing. Partially as a result of this the Church in the West is largely neglecting and failing to fulfill the Great Commission entrusted by Christ to us.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Because of the deceitfulness of our hearts, “prosperity teaching” in its various forms has now become very popular in certain segments of the Church. For example, just turn on your television to a certain type of Christian program, and you will learn all the ways God wants to bless you here on earth. More often then not, these messages end with an appeal to the viewer to sow their seed in some ministry by the giving of their finances. Sow and you will reap. Give and it will be given back to you. Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Yes, it is the Lord’s will for believers to support churches and ministries with their offerings. But because of the deceitfulness of the human heart, we focus on what we can receive by giving. It is of course not wrong to experience a measure of enjoyment when we receive. But it is not difficult for the heart to cross the line to where it desires to receive predominantly to finance a very comfortable lifestyle. It is not wrong for a believer to be wealthy and to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Rather it is a question of the priorities of his heart. Some of us preachers, whether unwittingly or otherwise, encourage wrong priorities in the hearts of God's people.
Years ago when I was a local pastor in New York City we hosted an evangelist who had a gift for ministering to the sick. He had high expectations for a big offering from the people. In those days I had a degree of proficiency in getting people to give generously - something I had learned by watching successful and well-known preachers take offerings. Feeling the pressure to receive a large offering for our guest evangelist, I exhorted the people to give so effectively at the meeting's end that one person said my exhortation was better than our speaker’s evangelistic message. After my short but very persuasive "give-to-get" message, we collected a large offering from God’s people that evening. But afterwards I felt badly, as if I had “prostituted the anointing” of the Lord.
There is another side to this coin. Some of what God’s people give so generously ends up financing the opulent lifestyles of some full-time ministers of the gospel. Here, "full-time" indicates those who preach the gospel and receive their living from the gospel according to the Lord's command in I Corinthians 9:14. Some of them have become wealthy off the gospel. They insist on being lodged in the most expensive hotels. One celebrated evangelist stayed in a hotel costing a reported US$18,000 per night during an overseas Crusade. Others live in multi-million dollar homes, walk around in shoes costing thousands of dollars, insist on luxury limousine service, charge thousands of dollars for speaking engagements, or fly around in their own jet planes and helicopters. Some are willing only to minister in large churches; smaller churches cannot afford them. And they use Scripture very convincingly to justify such things. Yes, there may appear to be some justification for them. But the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
It is not an exaggeration to say that the "celebrity-superstar" spirit of Hollywood is invading a segment of the Church.
Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. …21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I am not pointing to any particular preacher as a false prophet. However, Jesus commanded us to "watch out" for them. False prophets look and sound like sheep. They preach the gospel and win souls for Jesus Christ. They can even prophesy, drive out demons and perform miracles in the name of Jesus Christ. But their ability to minister in the supernatural does not mean that they are true servants known by the Lord-even Judas Iscariot as one of the Twelve was given authority to heal the sick and drive out demons. It is well known that Judas had a problem handling money. False prophets will have to account to the Lord for how they have handled the matter of money. The Greek word translated “ferocious” in Matthew 7:15 literally means “rapacious” or “ravenous” as when describing an extortionist or a robber. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “rapacious” as “excessively grasping or covetous” and “living on prey.” Wolves prey on sheep to satisfy their excessive covetousness.
It is time for this “secret” to be revealed openly and for the Church to clean house before God judges us. Which should be the Church’s highest priority: completing the work which our Lord has sent us to accomplish and fulfilling the Great Commission? Or is it to maximize our comfort and wealth in this life through the Lord’s material blessings? Some may answer that we can have both in this life. However, remember what Jesus told the rich ruler who came to Him asking about eternal life. Jesus knew the priorities of this man's heart.
Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
When Jesus told the ruler he had to choose either riches or following Him, he become very sad. Now the Lord knows our hearts and does not require every person to choose between the two. But if we also balk like the rich ruler if and when we are asked to choose, then we may need to reconsider our priorities. We understand better what Jesus meant when he then said, “how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” It is not impossible, but according to Jesus it is hard. Perhaps it is because of our deceitful hearts which only God can cure.
The Church is getting dangerously close to fulfilling the prophecy of the Church of Laodicea.
Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. …19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
But the Lord is giving us an opportunity to repent. May God grant us repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
Note: We are very grateful to the Lord for those who have lovingly supported us with their finances, and we pray the Lord's richest blessings upon them. This article does not reflect how we feel toward them who are our partners in the Great Commission.
The Church has a secret hidden away in her closet. It is actually an open secret. But most believers are reluctant to talk about it. They would rather be “tolerant” and “loving” and not face the accusation of being judgmental. But Jesus taught that if we first take the plank out of our own eye, then we will see clearly to remove the speck from our brother’s eye. Thus Scripture teaches that we can speak up under that condition.
The spirit of greed has invaded a significant segment of the Church of Jesus Christ (but certainly not all of it). This segment has become fat by living in a post-Christian culture that places a premium on not what we can do for God, but what God can do for us. The emphasis is on what we must do in order for God to bless us spiritually, materially, and so forth. We are taught correctly that God wants to bless us so that we can be a blessing to others. We see that there is an end and that there is a means to that end. The end or the ultimate purpose is for us to be a blessing. The means is God’s blessing upon us. But some have lost sight of the end and now focus on the means. They are more interested in being blessed than in being a blessing. Partially as a result of this the Church in the West is largely neglecting and failing to fulfill the Great Commission entrusted by Christ to us.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Because of the deceitfulness of our hearts, “prosperity teaching” in its various forms has now become very popular in certain segments of the Church. For example, just turn on your television to a certain type of Christian program, and you will learn all the ways God wants to bless you here on earth. More often then not, these messages end with an appeal to the viewer to sow their seed in some ministry by the giving of their finances. Sow and you will reap. Give and it will be given back to you. Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Yes, it is the Lord’s will for believers to support churches and ministries with their offerings. But because of the deceitfulness of the human heart, we focus on what we can receive by giving. It is of course not wrong to experience a measure of enjoyment when we receive. But it is not difficult for the heart to cross the line to where it desires to receive predominantly to finance a very comfortable lifestyle. It is not wrong for a believer to be wealthy and to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Rather it is a question of the priorities of his heart. Some of us preachers, whether unwittingly or otherwise, encourage wrong priorities in the hearts of God's people.
Years ago when I was a local pastor in New York City we hosted an evangelist who had a gift for ministering to the sick. He had high expectations for a big offering from the people. In those days I had a degree of proficiency in getting people to give generously - something I had learned by watching successful and well-known preachers take offerings. Feeling the pressure to receive a large offering for our guest evangelist, I exhorted the people to give so effectively at the meeting's end that one person said my exhortation was better than our speaker’s evangelistic message. After my short but very persuasive "give-to-get" message, we collected a large offering from God’s people that evening. But afterwards I felt badly, as if I had “prostituted the anointing” of the Lord.
There is another side to this coin. Some of what God’s people give so generously ends up financing the opulent lifestyles of some full-time ministers of the gospel. Here, "full-time" indicates those who preach the gospel and receive their living from the gospel according to the Lord's command in I Corinthians 9:14. Some of them have become wealthy off the gospel. They insist on being lodged in the most expensive hotels. One celebrated evangelist stayed in a hotel costing a reported US$18,000 per night during an overseas Crusade. Others live in multi-million dollar homes, walk around in shoes costing thousands of dollars, insist on luxury limousine service, charge thousands of dollars for speaking engagements, or fly around in their own jet planes and helicopters. Some are willing only to minister in large churches; smaller churches cannot afford them. And they use Scripture very convincingly to justify such things. Yes, there may appear to be some justification for them. But the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
It is not an exaggeration to say that the "celebrity-superstar" spirit of Hollywood is invading a segment of the Church.
Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. …21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I am not pointing to any particular preacher as a false prophet. However, Jesus commanded us to "watch out" for them. False prophets look and sound like sheep. They preach the gospel and win souls for Jesus Christ. They can even prophesy, drive out demons and perform miracles in the name of Jesus Christ. But their ability to minister in the supernatural does not mean that they are true servants known by the Lord-even Judas Iscariot as one of the Twelve was given authority to heal the sick and drive out demons. It is well known that Judas had a problem handling money. False prophets will have to account to the Lord for how they have handled the matter of money. The Greek word translated “ferocious” in Matthew 7:15 literally means “rapacious” or “ravenous” as when describing an extortionist or a robber. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “rapacious” as “excessively grasping or covetous” and “living on prey.” Wolves prey on sheep to satisfy their excessive covetousness.
It is time for this “secret” to be revealed openly and for the Church to clean house before God judges us. Which should be the Church’s highest priority: completing the work which our Lord has sent us to accomplish and fulfilling the Great Commission? Or is it to maximize our comfort and wealth in this life through the Lord’s material blessings? Some may answer that we can have both in this life. However, remember what Jesus told the rich ruler who came to Him asking about eternal life. Jesus knew the priorities of this man's heart.
Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
When Jesus told the ruler he had to choose either riches or following Him, he become very sad. Now the Lord knows our hearts and does not require every person to choose between the two. But if we also balk like the rich ruler if and when we are asked to choose, then we may need to reconsider our priorities. We understand better what Jesus meant when he then said, “how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” It is not impossible, but according to Jesus it is hard. Perhaps it is because of our deceitful hearts which only God can cure.
The Church is getting dangerously close to fulfilling the prophecy of the Church of Laodicea.
Revelation 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. …19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
But the Lord is giving us an opportunity to repent. May God grant us repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
DEATH of the USURPER CHURCH by Stephen St Louis
God has ever kept for Himself a remnant who have not bent a knee nor kissed Baal (1 Kings 19:18). We may be looking at that even now. Several months ago, the Lord gave me an insight during worship that I felt compelled to write down. I shared it with my pastor. The jist of it was that God was going to deal harshly with the Usurper Church and her leaders so that His true bride might take her rightful place once more. Whether this will happen before Christ comes back or when He comes back I can’t tell you, nor do I believe it is particularly important. The main focus (and the reason why I gave it to my pastor in the first place) is that we need to make sure we are part of the Bride and not the Usurper.
The PROPHECY ITSELF
I was in church having listened to an announcement about the money needed for the elevator ($30,000) thinking to myself, "Do we really need it? What else could that money be used for? If they can raise that money that fast to put an elevator in, why can't they do the same to put towards missions or helping those in need in our own community?"
As worship started again, I felt this welling up inside that just had to come out so I wrote it all down (hence the desire to have the actual words). It started off with almost a rebuke about not doing those things which the Bible clearly calls us to: looking after the needs of the poor, the lost and the hurting.
Then it went into what God was going to do about it. Firstly, he was going to deal harshly with, as I said before, the Usurper, meaning the people that call themselves The Church but are not. He was using words like "expose her ugliness" and the image that I had was of a beautiful bride in a veil who is discovered to be ugly and fat and diseased when the veil is lifted. God said He was going to remove the usurper and restore His true bride to her rightful place.
Now as for the bit about the usurper's leaders I believe the words used were "fall by the hundreds and by the thousands."
I came across another "word" that I'd written down about a month before (dated April 18th 2010). The two go surprisingly hand in hand.
Again I was sitting in church during the worship. I believe I had my Bible open to 1 Samuel 5 (either that or the Lord brought that story to mind).This is what He said.
"... How much time do you think you have? Repent. Repent of substituting my idea of church for yours. I did not build my church with bricks and stone but with hearts and minds... I am going to crush the idol of mammon like I did Dagon only worse. Those that worship that idol will be crushed beneath it. Those whose hope is in mammon will be devastated by its destruction."
The image that I had in my head while I was writing this was of an idol of stone being exploded violently such that only the tiniest pieces remained. It was shattered beyond description or repair.
The PROPHECY ITSELF
I was in church having listened to an announcement about the money needed for the elevator ($30,000) thinking to myself, "Do we really need it? What else could that money be used for? If they can raise that money that fast to put an elevator in, why can't they do the same to put towards missions or helping those in need in our own community?"
As worship started again, I felt this welling up inside that just had to come out so I wrote it all down (hence the desire to have the actual words). It started off with almost a rebuke about not doing those things which the Bible clearly calls us to: looking after the needs of the poor, the lost and the hurting.
Then it went into what God was going to do about it. Firstly, he was going to deal harshly with, as I said before, the Usurper, meaning the people that call themselves The Church but are not. He was using words like "expose her ugliness" and the image that I had was of a beautiful bride in a veil who is discovered to be ugly and fat and diseased when the veil is lifted. God said He was going to remove the usurper and restore His true bride to her rightful place.
Now as for the bit about the usurper's leaders I believe the words used were "fall by the hundreds and by the thousands."
I came across another "word" that I'd written down about a month before (dated April 18th 2010). The two go surprisingly hand in hand.
Again I was sitting in church during the worship. I believe I had my Bible open to 1 Samuel 5 (either that or the Lord brought that story to mind).This is what He said.
"... How much time do you think you have? Repent. Repent of substituting my idea of church for yours. I did not build my church with bricks and stone but with hearts and minds... I am going to crush the idol of mammon like I did Dagon only worse. Those that worship that idol will be crushed beneath it. Those whose hope is in mammon will be devastated by its destruction."
The image that I had in my head while I was writing this was of an idol of stone being exploded violently such that only the tiniest pieces remained. It was shattered beyond description or repair.
Two ASTOUNDING TESTIMONIES
by JohntheBaptist
The first is rather sad, the second is very encouraging:
(1) J. BYRON writes-
"I see the gray being far more dangerous to Our Lord's Body than the black and white. Good churches full of good people who get caught up in “The Church System”. Meaning the administration of a church as a business, maybe it must be...
My home church has one of the Godliest pastors I’ve known, his teachings are obviously directly from the heart of God, yet I personally watched a poor widow come into the church in desperate need of medicine for her daughter, and she was told, “We can’t do that, if she had a reaction we could be sued”.
Another time a young teen boy was living in a tent in the woods with no family, money or food. I called this very good church to see if WE could get him help. I was told they are not equipped. Upon pressing the point and reminding the church of my rather sacrifical tithing habits, they said, 'Well bring him in “sometime” and we’ll see'. Not wanting the child to reject God, my family took care of him.
This is a “well funded” congregation, 1,000-1,200 strong. Good godly people, a wonderful Godly Pastor.
Somewhere in the Administration, The technicalities, the worries of lawsuits, the concern, "if we help one, word will get out and we will be bankrupted". I’m not sure, maybe someone of more depth can see better than I..."
(2) RUTH FARLEY writes-
"MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE IN THE INNER-CITY. WE LIVE IN A BUILDING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED POOR BY MOST IN THIS NATION, HOWEVER WE ARE BECOMING A FAMILY HERE. WE BEGAN PRAYING AND FEEDING PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING AND THE FATHER HAS TOUCHED MANY LIVES. THOSE WHO WANT TO USE ARE BEING SLOWLY REMOVED. ALL THE METH IS GONE AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON HERE.
WE HAVE TWO BOYS WHO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY THEIR MOTHER, THEY ARE 14 AND 17. THEY READ THE BIBLE EVERY NIGHT, AND THE YOUNG ONE CRIES AND IS DEEPLY WOUNDED AND ANGRY. THERE IS ANOTHER HERE WHO HAS CANCER AND IS CRYING OUT TO YHWH FOR HELP. THERE WERE NEVER ANY CHILDREN HERE, BUT SINCE WE HAVE MOVED IN YHWH HAS BROUGHT US 7 BABIES. TWO OF THE MOTHERS WERE SEVERELY ABUSED AND HAD TO RUN TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN.
THERE USED TO BE SEVERAL GAY COUPLES, BUT THEY HAVE ALL MOVED, AS THEY DONT LIKE THE SPIRIT HERE. ONE OF THEM THOUGH A WOMAN, WHO IS GOING TO JAIL, HAS ALLOWED ME TO SHARE THE GOSPEL AND HAS TAKEN A BOOK FROM ME TO READ CALLED 'THE GREAT FALLING AWAY' BY MILTON GREENE. I PRAY SHE REPENTS AND IS DELIVERED FROM THAT DEMON AND BROUGHT INTO THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT.
LIVING WITH THEM FROM DAY TO DAY, I HAVE SEEN MANY MIRACLES THE FATHER HAS DONE, SUCH AS BROUGHT US MONEY TO HELP PAY THEIR RENT, MEDICAL BILLS WIPED OUT, APTS FURNISHED. HE EVEN BROUGHT A LADY UP TO ME ON THE STREET WHO ASKED ME IF I COULD USE THINGS FOR THOSE IN THE BUILDING, AND NOW ONCE A MONTH SHE BRINGS DIAPERS FOR THE BABIES, MILK, CEREAL, CLOTHING TOWELS, SHEETS, FURNITURE, ETC. AND THEY HAVE TO DRIVE 90 MILES TO GET HERE, NOW THAT IS LOVE IN ACTION.
SOME DAYS IT LOOKS AS THOUGH NOTHING IS HAPPENING, AND I BECOME DISCOURAGED, BUT THEN, SOMETHING HAPPENS LIKE THE LADIES HERE ASKING THAT I START A BIBLE STUDY FOR THEM, WHICH HAS GOT TO BE YESHUA, BECAUSE IT IS NOT WHAT I WOULD CHOOSE TO DO. I LOVE TO SHARE THE WORD.
OH, LET ME NOT FORGET TO MENTION OUR SINGLE FATHER, WHO TOOK HIS SON BECAUSE MOM IS ON THE STREETS DOING HER OWN THING. HE SUFFERS FROM A MEDICAL ISSUE, OF HIS BLOOD NOT CLOTTING, AND HAS TO TAKE SHOTS IN HIS STOMACH DAILY. THE LITTLE BOY WHO IS ABSOLUTLEY PRECIOUS WAS A DRUG BABY AND AT 4 IS MORE LIKE A 2 YEAR OLD, BUT HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND LOVES HIS TRUCKS. HE ALSO ASKED FOR A BIBLE. THOSE BOYS WILL HAVE TO MOVE THIS MONTH IF MOM DOES NOT SHOW UP. AM PRAYING FOR THEM.
AND SO IT GOES ONE DAY AT A TIME, SWEET JESUS. WHO LOVED US WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS..."
The first is rather sad, the second is very encouraging:
(1) J. BYRON writes-
"I see the gray being far more dangerous to Our Lord's Body than the black and white. Good churches full of good people who get caught up in “The Church System”. Meaning the administration of a church as a business, maybe it must be...
My home church has one of the Godliest pastors I’ve known, his teachings are obviously directly from the heart of God, yet I personally watched a poor widow come into the church in desperate need of medicine for her daughter, and she was told, “We can’t do that, if she had a reaction we could be sued”.
Another time a young teen boy was living in a tent in the woods with no family, money or food. I called this very good church to see if WE could get him help. I was told they are not equipped. Upon pressing the point and reminding the church of my rather sacrifical tithing habits, they said, 'Well bring him in “sometime” and we’ll see'. Not wanting the child to reject God, my family took care of him.
This is a “well funded” congregation, 1,000-1,200 strong. Good godly people, a wonderful Godly Pastor.
Somewhere in the Administration, The technicalities, the worries of lawsuits, the concern, "if we help one, word will get out and we will be bankrupted". I’m not sure, maybe someone of more depth can see better than I..."
(2) RUTH FARLEY writes-
"MY HUSBAND AND I LIVE IN THE INNER-CITY. WE LIVE IN A BUILDING THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED POOR BY MOST IN THIS NATION, HOWEVER WE ARE BECOMING A FAMILY HERE. WE BEGAN PRAYING AND FEEDING PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING AND THE FATHER HAS TOUCHED MANY LIVES. THOSE WHO WANT TO USE ARE BEING SLOWLY REMOVED. ALL THE METH IS GONE AND THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON HERE.
WE HAVE TWO BOYS WHO HAVE BEEN ABANDONED BY THEIR MOTHER, THEY ARE 14 AND 17. THEY READ THE BIBLE EVERY NIGHT, AND THE YOUNG ONE CRIES AND IS DEEPLY WOUNDED AND ANGRY. THERE IS ANOTHER HERE WHO HAS CANCER AND IS CRYING OUT TO YHWH FOR HELP. THERE WERE NEVER ANY CHILDREN HERE, BUT SINCE WE HAVE MOVED IN YHWH HAS BROUGHT US 7 BABIES. TWO OF THE MOTHERS WERE SEVERELY ABUSED AND HAD TO RUN TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN.
THERE USED TO BE SEVERAL GAY COUPLES, BUT THEY HAVE ALL MOVED, AS THEY DONT LIKE THE SPIRIT HERE. ONE OF THEM THOUGH A WOMAN, WHO IS GOING TO JAIL, HAS ALLOWED ME TO SHARE THE GOSPEL AND HAS TAKEN A BOOK FROM ME TO READ CALLED 'THE GREAT FALLING AWAY' BY MILTON GREENE. I PRAY SHE REPENTS AND IS DELIVERED FROM THAT DEMON AND BROUGHT INTO THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT.
LIVING WITH THEM FROM DAY TO DAY, I HAVE SEEN MANY MIRACLES THE FATHER HAS DONE, SUCH AS BROUGHT US MONEY TO HELP PAY THEIR RENT, MEDICAL BILLS WIPED OUT, APTS FURNISHED. HE EVEN BROUGHT A LADY UP TO ME ON THE STREET WHO ASKED ME IF I COULD USE THINGS FOR THOSE IN THE BUILDING, AND NOW ONCE A MONTH SHE BRINGS DIAPERS FOR THE BABIES, MILK, CEREAL, CLOTHING TOWELS, SHEETS, FURNITURE, ETC. AND THEY HAVE TO DRIVE 90 MILES TO GET HERE, NOW THAT IS LOVE IN ACTION.
SOME DAYS IT LOOKS AS THOUGH NOTHING IS HAPPENING, AND I BECOME DISCOURAGED, BUT THEN, SOMETHING HAPPENS LIKE THE LADIES HERE ASKING THAT I START A BIBLE STUDY FOR THEM, WHICH HAS GOT TO BE YESHUA, BECAUSE IT IS NOT WHAT I WOULD CHOOSE TO DO. I LOVE TO SHARE THE WORD.
OH, LET ME NOT FORGET TO MENTION OUR SINGLE FATHER, WHO TOOK HIS SON BECAUSE MOM IS ON THE STREETS DOING HER OWN THING. HE SUFFERS FROM A MEDICAL ISSUE, OF HIS BLOOD NOT CLOTTING, AND HAS TO TAKE SHOTS IN HIS STOMACH DAILY. THE LITTLE BOY WHO IS ABSOLUTLEY PRECIOUS WAS A DRUG BABY AND AT 4 IS MORE LIKE A 2 YEAR OLD, BUT HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE AND LOVES HIS TRUCKS. HE ALSO ASKED FOR A BIBLE. THOSE BOYS WILL HAVE TO MOVE THIS MONTH IF MOM DOES NOT SHOW UP. AM PRAYING FOR THEM.
AND SO IT GOES ONE DAY AT A TIME, SWEET JESUS. WHO LOVED US WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS..."
Friday, August 13, 2010
CHRISTIAN ALL-Time WORST FUNDRAISING GIMMICKS by J. Lee Grady
Let's stop the hypnotism, the guilt manipulation and the high-pressure gimmicks. It's time to reclaim our lost credibility.
Normally I'd rather go to the dentist for a root canal than watch a telethon. But while channel surfing a few nights ago I tuned into PBS and discovered that Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, was hosting a fundraiser for the network. Seated at a piano, she was offering a 5-CD collection of classic rhythm and blues hits in exchange for a donation to public television.
It was simple. There were no gimmicks, no games and no strings attached in Aretha's offer. If you gave the suggested gift, she explained, PBS would mail you a big slice of American pop culture—including songs by Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson, the Four Tops, Al Green and Aretha herself, singing her classic "Respect."
My respect for PBS was still intact when the telethon ended, thanks to this low-key, no-pressure approach to fundraising. I can't say that for some Christian networks, which have shamelessly extorted money from viewers over the years using heavy handed guilt manipulation, hypnotic control and bizarre Scripture-twisting.
During the PBS telethon I wondered why Christian networks couldn't simply offer music, books or other premiums instead of resorting to the typical arm-twisting and tear-jerking that we've come to expect. We need an overhaul in this area. Somebody needs to lead the way in pioneering a new style of on-air fundraising that doesn't treat people like brainless zombies.
Here are five of my least favorite fundraising tactics. I wish all of them could be banned from the airwaves.
Gimmick #1: The magic Bible verse. You know the drill. The evangelist quotes Psalm 37:37 and then announces that if you will send $37.37 ("No more, no less!") God will unleash all the blessings of King David upon you. (Hint: The phones seem to ring more frequently when the number seven is included in the Bible reference.)
Gimmick #2: The urgent, time-is-running-out plea. Before the preacher asks you to reach for your wallet, dramatic music is piped in. Then "Reverend Cheatem" talks about how the crippled man waited by the pool of Bethesda, hoping that the angel would trouble the waters so he could be healed. "God is troubling the waters right now, my dear friend," the preacher says with his eyes closed. "Go to the phones now, before it is too late. Only those who give in this holy, anointed moment will receive a supernatural blessing in return."
Gimmick #3: The memorialized gift. One popular evangelist announced on-air that she needed thousands of dollars to build a prayer room. She promised that those who funded this noble effort would receive recognition with special brass nameplates that would be mounted on the wall of the facility. The implication was that people could buy prayer coverage, sort of like a spiritual insurance policy. (I'm not surprised—since this woman offered her loyal followers the status of "spiritual son" or "spiritual daughter" if they paid a $1,000 annual fee.)
Gimmick #4: The debt-breaking anointing. One preacher who specializes in telethons has raised millions by telling audiences that they are just one donation away from eliminating all red ink. All they have to do is give a sacrificial gift (usually four figures) to the TV network in the next few minutes. If they do this, God will wipe out their debts, no questions asked. No lifestyle changes necessary. (This technique was especially popular before the mortgage crisis.)
Gimmick #5: The Day of Atonement offering. This particularly odd strategy has been popular in the last couple of years, especially among gullible Christians who believe God blesses anything and everything that has the word "Israel" attached to it. The preacher announces that if you write a check to their network, and wave it in the air before you mail it (preferably while wearing a Jewish prayer shawl), God will forgive your sins, restore your health, bring back your wayward children, provide angelic protection and bless you with more than a dozen other special favors.
I still don't know what is more outrageous: That programmers allow such insanity on Christian television, or that gullible Christians fall for it year after year. Hopefully, emerging leaders in the religious broadcasting industry will restore our lost credibility by insisting on integrity, authenticity and good taste.
-J. Lee Grady is former and contributor editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale.
Normally I'd rather go to the dentist for a root canal than watch a telethon. But while channel surfing a few nights ago I tuned into PBS and discovered that Aretha Franklin, the legendary Queen of Soul, was hosting a fundraiser for the network. Seated at a piano, she was offering a 5-CD collection of classic rhythm and blues hits in exchange for a donation to public television.
It was simple. There were no gimmicks, no games and no strings attached in Aretha's offer. If you gave the suggested gift, she explained, PBS would mail you a big slice of American pop culture—including songs by Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson, the Four Tops, Al Green and Aretha herself, singing her classic "Respect."
My respect for PBS was still intact when the telethon ended, thanks to this low-key, no-pressure approach to fundraising. I can't say that for some Christian networks, which have shamelessly extorted money from viewers over the years using heavy handed guilt manipulation, hypnotic control and bizarre Scripture-twisting.
During the PBS telethon I wondered why Christian networks couldn't simply offer music, books or other premiums instead of resorting to the typical arm-twisting and tear-jerking that we've come to expect. We need an overhaul in this area. Somebody needs to lead the way in pioneering a new style of on-air fundraising that doesn't treat people like brainless zombies.
Here are five of my least favorite fundraising tactics. I wish all of them could be banned from the airwaves.
Gimmick #1: The magic Bible verse. You know the drill. The evangelist quotes Psalm 37:37 and then announces that if you will send $37.37 ("No more, no less!") God will unleash all the blessings of King David upon you. (Hint: The phones seem to ring more frequently when the number seven is included in the Bible reference.)
Gimmick #2: The urgent, time-is-running-out plea. Before the preacher asks you to reach for your wallet, dramatic music is piped in. Then "Reverend Cheatem" talks about how the crippled man waited by the pool of Bethesda, hoping that the angel would trouble the waters so he could be healed. "God is troubling the waters right now, my dear friend," the preacher says with his eyes closed. "Go to the phones now, before it is too late. Only those who give in this holy, anointed moment will receive a supernatural blessing in return."
Gimmick #3: The memorialized gift. One popular evangelist announced on-air that she needed thousands of dollars to build a prayer room. She promised that those who funded this noble effort would receive recognition with special brass nameplates that would be mounted on the wall of the facility. The implication was that people could buy prayer coverage, sort of like a spiritual insurance policy. (I'm not surprised—since this woman offered her loyal followers the status of "spiritual son" or "spiritual daughter" if they paid a $1,000 annual fee.)
Gimmick #4: The debt-breaking anointing. One preacher who specializes in telethons has raised millions by telling audiences that they are just one donation away from eliminating all red ink. All they have to do is give a sacrificial gift (usually four figures) to the TV network in the next few minutes. If they do this, God will wipe out their debts, no questions asked. No lifestyle changes necessary. (This technique was especially popular before the mortgage crisis.)
Gimmick #5: The Day of Atonement offering. This particularly odd strategy has been popular in the last couple of years, especially among gullible Christians who believe God blesses anything and everything that has the word "Israel" attached to it. The preacher announces that if you write a check to their network, and wave it in the air before you mail it (preferably while wearing a Jewish prayer shawl), God will forgive your sins, restore your health, bring back your wayward children, provide angelic protection and bless you with more than a dozen other special favors.
I still don't know what is more outrageous: That programmers allow such insanity on Christian television, or that gullible Christians fall for it year after year. Hopefully, emerging leaders in the religious broadcasting industry will restore our lost credibility by insisting on integrity, authenticity and good taste.
-J. Lee Grady is former and contributor editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
UNCTION: Heaven's Knighthood by E M Bounds
Unction comes to the preacher, not in the study, but in the closet. It is heaven's distillation in answer to prayer. It is the sweetest exhalation of the Holy Spirit. It impregnates softens, cuts and soothes. It carries the Word like dynamite, like salt, like sugar; makes the hearer a culprit or a saint, makes him weep like a child and live like a giant; opens his heart and his purse as gently, yet as strongly as the spring opens the leaves.
This unction is not the gift of genius. It is not found in the halls of learning. No eloquence can woo it. No industry can win it. No clergies hands can impart it. It is the gift of God -the signet set to His own messengers. It is Heaven's knighthood given to the chosen true and brave ones who have sought this anointed honor through many an hour of tearful, wrestling prayer.
Earnestness is good and impressive. Genius is gifted and great. Thought kindles and inspires, but it takes a diviner endowment, a more powerful energy then earnestness or genius or thought - to BREAK the chains of sin, to WIN estranged and depraved hearts to God to repair the breaches, and restore the Church to her old ways of purity and POWER! Nothing but this holy unction can do this. Unction is the anointing of the Holy Ghost, separating unto God's work and qualifying for it. Without this unction there are no true spiritual results accomplished.
Unction may be simulated. There are many things that look like it, there are many results that resemble its effects; but they are foreign to its results and to its nature. The fervor or softness excited by a pathetic or emotional sermon may look like the movements of the divine unction, but they have no pungent, penetrating, heartbreaking force. No heart-healing balm is there in these surface, sympathetic, emotional movements. They are not radical, neither sin-searching nor sin-curing.
This divine unction is the one distinguishing feature that separates true gospel preaching from all other methods of presenting truth. It backs and interpenetrates the revealed truth with all the force of God. It illumines the Word, and broadens and enriches the intellect, and empowers it to grasp and apprehend the Word. It qualifies the preacher's heart, and brings it to that condition of tenderness, of purity, of force and light that are necessary to secure the highest results. This unction gives to the preacher liberty and enlargement of thought and soul - freedom, fullness, and directness of utterance that can be secured by no other process.
Without unction on the preacher the gospel has no more power to propagate itself than any other system of truth. This is the seal of its divinity. Unction in the preacher puts God in the gospel. Without the unction, God is absent, and the gospel is left to the low forces that the ingenuity, interest, or talents of men can devise to enforce and project its doctrines.
It is in this element the pulpit often fails than in any other element. Unction is the consecration force, and its presence the continuous test of consecration. It is this divine anointing on the preacher that secures his consecration. It is this divine anointing on the preacher that secures his consecration to God and his work. Other forces and motives may call him to the work, but this only is consecration. A separation to God's work by the power of the Holy Spirit is the only consecration recognized by God as legitimate.
The divine unction, this heavenly anointing is what the pulpit needs and must have. This divine and heavenly oil put on it by the imposition of God's hand must soften and lubricate the whole man - heart, head, spirit - until it separates him with a mighty separation from all earthly, secular, worldly, selfish motives and aims, separating him to everything that is pure and Godlike. It is the presence of this unction on the preacher that creates the stir and friction in many a congregation. The same truths have been told in the strictness of the letter, but no ruffle has been seen, no pain or pulsation felt. All is quiet as a graveyard.
Another preacher comes, and this mysterious influence is on him; the letter of the Word has been fired by the Spirit, the throes of a mighty movement are felt. It is this unction that pervades and stirs the conscience and breaks the heart. Unctionless preaching makes everything hard, dry, and, dead. This unction is not a memory or an era of the past only; it is a present, realized, conscious fact. It belongs to the experience of the man as well as to his preaching. It is that which transforms him into the image of his divine Master, as well as that by which he declares the truth of Christ with power. It is so much the power in the ministry as to make all else seem feeble and vain without it, - and by its presence to atone for the absence of all other feebler forces.
This unction is not an inalienable gift. It is a conditional gift, and its presence is perpetuated and increased by the same process by which it was at first secured; by unceasing prayer to God, by impassioned desires after God, by estimating it, by seeking it with tireless ardor, by deeming all else loss and failure without it.
EXCERPTED FROM, POWER THROUGH PRAYER BY E M BOUNDS
This unction is not the gift of genius. It is not found in the halls of learning. No eloquence can woo it. No industry can win it. No clergies hands can impart it. It is the gift of God -the signet set to His own messengers. It is Heaven's knighthood given to the chosen true and brave ones who have sought this anointed honor through many an hour of tearful, wrestling prayer.
Earnestness is good and impressive. Genius is gifted and great. Thought kindles and inspires, but it takes a diviner endowment, a more powerful energy then earnestness or genius or thought - to BREAK the chains of sin, to WIN estranged and depraved hearts to God to repair the breaches, and restore the Church to her old ways of purity and POWER! Nothing but this holy unction can do this. Unction is the anointing of the Holy Ghost, separating unto God's work and qualifying for it. Without this unction there are no true spiritual results accomplished.
Unction may be simulated. There are many things that look like it, there are many results that resemble its effects; but they are foreign to its results and to its nature. The fervor or softness excited by a pathetic or emotional sermon may look like the movements of the divine unction, but they have no pungent, penetrating, heartbreaking force. No heart-healing balm is there in these surface, sympathetic, emotional movements. They are not radical, neither sin-searching nor sin-curing.
This divine unction is the one distinguishing feature that separates true gospel preaching from all other methods of presenting truth. It backs and interpenetrates the revealed truth with all the force of God. It illumines the Word, and broadens and enriches the intellect, and empowers it to grasp and apprehend the Word. It qualifies the preacher's heart, and brings it to that condition of tenderness, of purity, of force and light that are necessary to secure the highest results. This unction gives to the preacher liberty and enlargement of thought and soul - freedom, fullness, and directness of utterance that can be secured by no other process.
Without unction on the preacher the gospel has no more power to propagate itself than any other system of truth. This is the seal of its divinity. Unction in the preacher puts God in the gospel. Without the unction, God is absent, and the gospel is left to the low forces that the ingenuity, interest, or talents of men can devise to enforce and project its doctrines.
It is in this element the pulpit often fails than in any other element. Unction is the consecration force, and its presence the continuous test of consecration. It is this divine anointing on the preacher that secures his consecration. It is this divine anointing on the preacher that secures his consecration to God and his work. Other forces and motives may call him to the work, but this only is consecration. A separation to God's work by the power of the Holy Spirit is the only consecration recognized by God as legitimate.
The divine unction, this heavenly anointing is what the pulpit needs and must have. This divine and heavenly oil put on it by the imposition of God's hand must soften and lubricate the whole man - heart, head, spirit - until it separates him with a mighty separation from all earthly, secular, worldly, selfish motives and aims, separating him to everything that is pure and Godlike. It is the presence of this unction on the preacher that creates the stir and friction in many a congregation. The same truths have been told in the strictness of the letter, but no ruffle has been seen, no pain or pulsation felt. All is quiet as a graveyard.
Another preacher comes, and this mysterious influence is on him; the letter of the Word has been fired by the Spirit, the throes of a mighty movement are felt. It is this unction that pervades and stirs the conscience and breaks the heart. Unctionless preaching makes everything hard, dry, and, dead. This unction is not a memory or an era of the past only; it is a present, realized, conscious fact. It belongs to the experience of the man as well as to his preaching. It is that which transforms him into the image of his divine Master, as well as that by which he declares the truth of Christ with power. It is so much the power in the ministry as to make all else seem feeble and vain without it, - and by its presence to atone for the absence of all other feebler forces.
This unction is not an inalienable gift. It is a conditional gift, and its presence is perpetuated and increased by the same process by which it was at first secured; by unceasing prayer to God, by impassioned desires after God, by estimating it, by seeking it with tireless ardor, by deeming all else loss and failure without it.
EXCERPTED FROM, POWER THROUGH PRAYER BY E M BOUNDS
Monday, August 9, 2010
Say Goodbye to the Untouchable Preachers
Wednesday, 04 August 2010
J. Lee Grady - Fire In My Bones
God is shaking His church and removing corruption. But we share the blame for giving charlatans a platform.
Al Capone once controlled all of Chicago. The notorious 1920s gangster bribed the city's mayor, bought the police and presided as king over an empire of casinos, speakeasies and smuggling operations. He dodged bullets for years and lived above the law—and earned the nickname "untouchable" because no one could bring him to justice.
Before Capone finally went to prison in 1932, he justified his crimes by saying: "All I do is satisfy a public demand." He didn't take responsibility for the pain he caused because he knew mayors, policemen, community leaders and bootleggers supported him the whole way.
"There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money."
I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone's most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks.
And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them.
These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them.
But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let's hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn't have happened without help from us.
We were the gullible ones. When they said, "The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now," we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us.
We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, "I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet," we didn't ask why a servant of God wasn't humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us.
We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us.
We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn't feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, "Don't criticize! The Bible says, ‘Touch not the Lord's anointed!'" God forgive us.
We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone—as if they were untouchable—and as a result their corruption has spread throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are—insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional.
If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money.
When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 ("Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm," NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people.
On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty—and we certainly aren't showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it.
J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. Follow him on Twitter at leegrady.
J. Lee Grady - Fire In My Bones
God is shaking His church and removing corruption. But we share the blame for giving charlatans a platform.
Al Capone once controlled all of Chicago. The notorious 1920s gangster bribed the city's mayor, bought the police and presided as king over an empire of casinos, speakeasies and smuggling operations. He dodged bullets for years and lived above the law—and earned the nickname "untouchable" because no one could bring him to justice.
Before Capone finally went to prison in 1932, he justified his crimes by saying: "All I do is satisfy a public demand." He didn't take responsibility for the pain he caused because he knew mayors, policemen, community leaders and bootleggers supported him the whole way.
"There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money."
I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone's most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks.
And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them.
These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them.
But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let's hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn't have happened without help from us.
We were the gullible ones. When they said, "The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now," we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us.
We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, "I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet," we didn't ask why a servant of God wasn't humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us.
We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us.
We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn't feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, "Don't criticize! The Bible says, ‘Touch not the Lord's anointed!'" God forgive us.
We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone—as if they were untouchable—and as a result their corruption has spread throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are—insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional.
If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money.
When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 ("Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm," NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people.
On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty—and we certainly aren't showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it.
J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma and author of the new book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale. Follow him on Twitter at leegrady.
"Can Or Should Christians Judge One Another?" Must read!
This Bible study was written and submitted in April 2001 by: Joseph M. Willmouth, Pastor of Trinity Bible Church in Biloxi, Mississippi 39532. This contributed article is copyright protected, and the sole property of the contributing author. It may be freely copied and used provided the above credits are included. Document expiration: indefinite.
Today, one of the most quoted verses that we hear thrown out by people is "Judge not, that ye be judged." Therefore meaning, "who are you to judge me?" "Don't you know that you are not supposed to judge people?" Usually this is what comes out of a person's mouth when confronted about their behavior, their personal beliefs, or for what they are teaching. Is this really what the New Testament teaches, or is this just a smoke screen to cover-up unbiblical behavior or teachings? Let's look at what the New Testament teaches concerning a Christian's position when it comes to making judgments.
Let's start with the most often quoted passage in Matthew 7:1-5 where is says, "1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." If we stop with the first verse, as most people do, it would seem to teach that to judge anyone is totally wrong. The problem with this is that it pulls the verse out of the context in which it was written. By the time you get to verse 5, it is clear that Jesus is talking to hypocrites (i.e., the Jewish religious leaders) who are condemning others for not living up to their standards. The context for this section along with Luke 6:39-42 is the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ was rejecting Phariseeism as a means by which a person could attain righteousness that would make them fit to enter the kingdom of heaven. The Pharisees claimed to have the most authoritative voice in Israel in matters pertaining to Moses' law. Therefore they demanded explicit submission to their teachings (i.e., the oral traditions). Jesus Christ says this about the Pharisees in Matthew 5:20, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Christ wasn't declaring that the Scribes and Pharisees were righteous, but was pointing out that their righteousness fell short because it was based upon the legalism of their oral traditions and not God's Word. So no one could enter the kingdom of heaven by trying to live up to their standards. People do the same thing today when they go beyond what God has declared and set their own standards, and then expect others to live up to their standards. The fallacy of this is how can sinful man set higher standards than a totally holy and righteous God can? The nation of Israel and its leaders were blind to the God's truth, and Christ told them in this passage what they needed to do to remove their blindness in verse 5, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." When we remove the beam of legalism from our eyes then we can begin to see what God expects of us, and then we are able to help others who are stumbling also. The point of this whole passage was a warning about judging others based upon their own standards because they would be judged according to their own standards, which they themselves could not even live up to. Jesus also reinforces this in John 7:24 where He tells the crowds not to judge according to mere appearances (their superficial understanding of Him healing a man on the Sabbath), but they were to use a righteous judgment. If this is not the case then Jesus Christ contradicted Himself in Luke 12:54-59, where he tells the people to judge for themselves what they were seeing and hearing from His ministry to see if it was right according to what was taught in the Scriptures concerning the Messiah. So it is clear from just a brief look at what Jesus taught in these few verses that He wasn't teaching that all judgment was wrong, but only when it is based upon human opinions and motives, and not God's Word. With this said, now lets turn our attention to what the Bible teaches about judging.
1. Areas that we should withhold judgment on.
a. When it comes to personal convictions or preferences (non-moral issues) on which the Bible has no clear teaching then we should not judge someone who makes those choices. Romans 14:1-23 speaks about not judging another believer because of their eating preferences (vv.1-4), or how they view the significance of special days (vv.5-8). But Paul does make it clear that our opinions or convictions on these matters should not become a stumbling block to other believers, then it would become a moral issue (vv.13-23).
b. We should not judge people just by their outward appearance (John 7:24; James 2:1-4). This is superficial judgment that is often based upon how someone looks or talks, and is not based upon what they are actually doing for the Lord. The problem with this type of judgment is that it usually has it roots in legalism and not Scripture.
c. We should withhold judgment upon another Christian's service (1 Corinthians 4:1-5). The context of this passage is dealing with divisions in the church a Corinth because of factions and false teachers who all calming superiority over the others. As a result some were criticizing Paul's ministry because they felt that he wasn't doing what they thought that he should be doing. The problem wasn't Paul's ministry or what he was teaching, but it was the attitude of some in the church. This doesn't mean that we are not to be discerning about a ministry, but that we are not supposed to condemn others because they are not doing what we think they should be doing. We need to keep in mind that some plant and some water, but ultimately it is God who causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3:1-9). An example of this would be when we start thinking that we could preach or write better sermons than the preacher, or we think that we could do a better job than what someone else is doing in another area of ministry. Or that we think that a person isn't doing something in a way that we think it should be done. When you do things like this, you are in a sense looking at individuals more like chess pieces and not people chosen by God to do the best they can with what God has given them.
d. This last area tends to build off of the other areas, and that is letting our tongues express our opinions about others (James 4:11-12). When we criticize others, we are placing ourselves in the position as judge and pronouncing judgment upon them when we may not know or understand all the details of why someone is doing what they are doing. Again, let me remind everyone that these passages are addressing non-moral issues. When it comes to sin, false teaching or ministries, the Bible clearly teaches that we are to be discerning which means we need to make an judgment based upon God's Word.
2. Areas that we should make judgments on.
a. Christians are to judge disputes between members of the local body of believers so they can settle these disputes (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). This is so that the problem doesn't spill over into the non-believing world, which discredits the church's witness to the lost.
b. The local church is to judge the unrepentant sins of its members, and to take the appropriate actions. Unconfessed sin needs to be publicly judged rightly and condemned (1 Corinthians 5:3-5). When we do this, it must be done according to God's Word (see Matt.18:15-20). The purpose of this judgment is not to condemn, but to restore the sinful believer into useful service (Galatians 6:1-5). If the sinful believer refuses to repent, then we are to break fellowship with them until they do repent (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 3:6). Christ rebuked the church of Thyatira for not judging a woman who was a false teacher and prophetess, and who was sinning (Revelation 2:20-24).
c. We are to rightly judge the doctrinal teaching of preachers and teachers by God's Word (Matthew 7:15-20; Acts 17:10-11; 1 Corinthians 14:29; Titus 1:10-16; 3:10; Hebrews 13:7; 1 John 4:1; Revelation 2:20-24). Peter and John both told the Jewish leaders to judge what they were saying to see if it was true or not according to God's Word (Acts 4:19). Paul tells the Corinthians to judge what he was saying (1 Corinthians 10:15). It does need to be pointed out that we are not to listen to accusations against our pastor/leaders unless there are at least two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19-20).
d. We are to rightly judge potential Elders/Pastors and Deacons to see if they measure up to the qualifications given in the Scripture (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). The reason why many churches have the problems that they have is because they fail to obey God's Word and appoint people who are not qualified according to God's Word. This means that we have to discern or judge others by God's standards in order to be obedient to God's Word.
e. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 to "admonish the unruly." In verse 15, we are told to "see to it that no one repays another with evil for evil." So it is clear that we as believers have to be discerning about other believers. This doesn't mean that we are to go around looking for every little speck or flaw, but that when we see people doing things that are clearly unbiblical then we are to speak up and say something.
f. We are to examine or scrutinize ourselves to see if our faith is real (2 Corinthians 13:5-7). This testing is to see if we are truly saved and if we are doing right in the sight of God. We are also told to judge (scrutinize) ourselves before we partake of the Lord's Supper to see if our spiritual condition is correct (1 Corinthians 11:31).
Conclusion. The reason why so many Christians today think that they don't have a right to judge anyone is because they have been indoctrinated with the worldly teaching of "tolerance." To the world tolerance means that truth is subjective, and there is no absolute truth. This means no one has to right to tell someone else that they are wrong, because one person's opinion is just as good as someone else's. Therefore we hear such things as, "who are you to judge me, or to tell me if I am right or wrong?" According to the latest statistics (The New Tolerance, by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler, pages 173-174) 50% of Christians youth do not believe that an objective standard of truth exists, while 53% of the adults do not believe in absolute truth; Two-thirds of the 70% of Americans who say it is important to follow the teachings of the Bible reject moral absolutes. This is why many Christians today think that no one has the right to say anything to them, because that is judging them. When you bring this attitude into the church you have to ignore the Scriptures, because they do teach that there are absolute truths. Scriptures plainly teaches that believers are not to walk around blindly, ignoring sinful behavior or false teaching; and if we do then we are in direct conflict with clear teaching of God's Word. Christians need to take to heart the words of Peter and other apostles in Acts 5:29 when told that we are not to judge anyone, "...We ought to obey God rather than men." Christians, nor churches can afford to ignore God's Word and turn a blind eye to those who propagate the false teaching that no Christian has a right to judge another. To do so will only lead to confusion and division among the church body, and shows a contempt for God's Word. But we must also acknowledge that when it comes to judging, we need to always check our motives before we say something to another believer. If what we are doing is not based squarely upon God's Word and a love for our brother or sister in Christ, then it is best to keep our mouths shut.
Today, one of the most quoted verses that we hear thrown out by people is "Judge not, that ye be judged." Therefore meaning, "who are you to judge me?" "Don't you know that you are not supposed to judge people?" Usually this is what comes out of a person's mouth when confronted about their behavior, their personal beliefs, or for what they are teaching. Is this really what the New Testament teaches, or is this just a smoke screen to cover-up unbiblical behavior or teachings? Let's look at what the New Testament teaches concerning a Christian's position when it comes to making judgments.
Let's start with the most often quoted passage in Matthew 7:1-5 where is says, "1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." If we stop with the first verse, as most people do, it would seem to teach that to judge anyone is totally wrong. The problem with this is that it pulls the verse out of the context in which it was written. By the time you get to verse 5, it is clear that Jesus is talking to hypocrites (i.e., the Jewish religious leaders) who are condemning others for not living up to their standards. The context for this section along with Luke 6:39-42 is the Sermon on the Mount, in which Christ was rejecting Phariseeism as a means by which a person could attain righteousness that would make them fit to enter the kingdom of heaven. The Pharisees claimed to have the most authoritative voice in Israel in matters pertaining to Moses' law. Therefore they demanded explicit submission to their teachings (i.e., the oral traditions). Jesus Christ says this about the Pharisees in Matthew 5:20, "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Christ wasn't declaring that the Scribes and Pharisees were righteous, but was pointing out that their righteousness fell short because it was based upon the legalism of their oral traditions and not God's Word. So no one could enter the kingdom of heaven by trying to live up to their standards. People do the same thing today when they go beyond what God has declared and set their own standards, and then expect others to live up to their standards. The fallacy of this is how can sinful man set higher standards than a totally holy and righteous God can? The nation of Israel and its leaders were blind to the God's truth, and Christ told them in this passage what they needed to do to remove their blindness in verse 5, "Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." When we remove the beam of legalism from our eyes then we can begin to see what God expects of us, and then we are able to help others who are stumbling also. The point of this whole passage was a warning about judging others based upon their own standards because they would be judged according to their own standards, which they themselves could not even live up to. Jesus also reinforces this in John 7:24 where He tells the crowds not to judge according to mere appearances (their superficial understanding of Him healing a man on the Sabbath), but they were to use a righteous judgment. If this is not the case then Jesus Christ contradicted Himself in Luke 12:54-59, where he tells the people to judge for themselves what they were seeing and hearing from His ministry to see if it was right according to what was taught in the Scriptures concerning the Messiah. So it is clear from just a brief look at what Jesus taught in these few verses that He wasn't teaching that all judgment was wrong, but only when it is based upon human opinions and motives, and not God's Word. With this said, now lets turn our attention to what the Bible teaches about judging.
1. Areas that we should withhold judgment on.
a. When it comes to personal convictions or preferences (non-moral issues) on which the Bible has no clear teaching then we should not judge someone who makes those choices. Romans 14:1-23 speaks about not judging another believer because of their eating preferences (vv.1-4), or how they view the significance of special days (vv.5-8). But Paul does make it clear that our opinions or convictions on these matters should not become a stumbling block to other believers, then it would become a moral issue (vv.13-23).
b. We should not judge people just by their outward appearance (John 7:24; James 2:1-4). This is superficial judgment that is often based upon how someone looks or talks, and is not based upon what they are actually doing for the Lord. The problem with this type of judgment is that it usually has it roots in legalism and not Scripture.
c. We should withhold judgment upon another Christian's service (1 Corinthians 4:1-5). The context of this passage is dealing with divisions in the church a Corinth because of factions and false teachers who all calming superiority over the others. As a result some were criticizing Paul's ministry because they felt that he wasn't doing what they thought that he should be doing. The problem wasn't Paul's ministry or what he was teaching, but it was the attitude of some in the church. This doesn't mean that we are not to be discerning about a ministry, but that we are not supposed to condemn others because they are not doing what we think they should be doing. We need to keep in mind that some plant and some water, but ultimately it is God who causes the growth (1 Corinthians 3:1-9). An example of this would be when we start thinking that we could preach or write better sermons than the preacher, or we think that we could do a better job than what someone else is doing in another area of ministry. Or that we think that a person isn't doing something in a way that we think it should be done. When you do things like this, you are in a sense looking at individuals more like chess pieces and not people chosen by God to do the best they can with what God has given them.
d. This last area tends to build off of the other areas, and that is letting our tongues express our opinions about others (James 4:11-12). When we criticize others, we are placing ourselves in the position as judge and pronouncing judgment upon them when we may not know or understand all the details of why someone is doing what they are doing. Again, let me remind everyone that these passages are addressing non-moral issues. When it comes to sin, false teaching or ministries, the Bible clearly teaches that we are to be discerning which means we need to make an judgment based upon God's Word.
2. Areas that we should make judgments on.
a. Christians are to judge disputes between members of the local body of believers so they can settle these disputes (1 Corinthians 6:1-8). This is so that the problem doesn't spill over into the non-believing world, which discredits the church's witness to the lost.
b. The local church is to judge the unrepentant sins of its members, and to take the appropriate actions. Unconfessed sin needs to be publicly judged rightly and condemned (1 Corinthians 5:3-5). When we do this, it must be done according to God's Word (see Matt.18:15-20). The purpose of this judgment is not to condemn, but to restore the sinful believer into useful service (Galatians 6:1-5). If the sinful believer refuses to repent, then we are to break fellowship with them until they do repent (1 Corinthians 5:11-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 3:6). Christ rebuked the church of Thyatira for not judging a woman who was a false teacher and prophetess, and who was sinning (Revelation 2:20-24).
c. We are to rightly judge the doctrinal teaching of preachers and teachers by God's Word (Matthew 7:15-20; Acts 17:10-11; 1 Corinthians 14:29; Titus 1:10-16; 3:10; Hebrews 13:7; 1 John 4:1; Revelation 2:20-24). Peter and John both told the Jewish leaders to judge what they were saying to see if it was true or not according to God's Word (Acts 4:19). Paul tells the Corinthians to judge what he was saying (1 Corinthians 10:15). It does need to be pointed out that we are not to listen to accusations against our pastor/leaders unless there are at least two or three witnesses (1 Timothy 5:19-20).
d. We are to rightly judge potential Elders/Pastors and Deacons to see if they measure up to the qualifications given in the Scripture (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). The reason why many churches have the problems that they have is because they fail to obey God's Word and appoint people who are not qualified according to God's Word. This means that we have to discern or judge others by God's standards in order to be obedient to God's Word.
e. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:14 to "admonish the unruly." In verse 15, we are told to "see to it that no one repays another with evil for evil." So it is clear that we as believers have to be discerning about other believers. This doesn't mean that we are to go around looking for every little speck or flaw, but that when we see people doing things that are clearly unbiblical then we are to speak up and say something.
f. We are to examine or scrutinize ourselves to see if our faith is real (2 Corinthians 13:5-7). This testing is to see if we are truly saved and if we are doing right in the sight of God. We are also told to judge (scrutinize) ourselves before we partake of the Lord's Supper to see if our spiritual condition is correct (1 Corinthians 11:31).
Conclusion. The reason why so many Christians today think that they don't have a right to judge anyone is because they have been indoctrinated with the worldly teaching of "tolerance." To the world tolerance means that truth is subjective, and there is no absolute truth. This means no one has to right to tell someone else that they are wrong, because one person's opinion is just as good as someone else's. Therefore we hear such things as, "who are you to judge me, or to tell me if I am right or wrong?" According to the latest statistics (The New Tolerance, by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler, pages 173-174) 50% of Christians youth do not believe that an objective standard of truth exists, while 53% of the adults do not believe in absolute truth; Two-thirds of the 70% of Americans who say it is important to follow the teachings of the Bible reject moral absolutes. This is why many Christians today think that no one has the right to say anything to them, because that is judging them. When you bring this attitude into the church you have to ignore the Scriptures, because they do teach that there are absolute truths. Scriptures plainly teaches that believers are not to walk around blindly, ignoring sinful behavior or false teaching; and if we do then we are in direct conflict with clear teaching of God's Word. Christians need to take to heart the words of Peter and other apostles in Acts 5:29 when told that we are not to judge anyone, "...We ought to obey God rather than men." Christians, nor churches can afford to ignore God's Word and turn a blind eye to those who propagate the false teaching that no Christian has a right to judge another. To do so will only lead to confusion and division among the church body, and shows a contempt for God's Word. But we must also acknowledge that when it comes to judging, we need to always check our motives before we say something to another believer. If what we are doing is not based squarely upon God's Word and a love for our brother or sister in Christ, then it is best to keep our mouths shut.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Accountability: The Way to Touch God's Anointed
by Clete Hux
If anything has been learned about the recent scandals of modern televangelists which could be summed up in one word, that one word would be accountability (or lack thereof).
That word, more than any other, has surfaced and has been expressed by both the secular public and the body of Christ as a desperate desire to bring some kind of reform to the practices of certain popular TV preachers.
Most of the outcry has been as a result of the immoral conduct and lack of financial accountability on the part of Christian leaders who were supposed to be examples of clean Christian character.
Christians are to hold one another accountable for one another's behavior (1 Jn. 3:17; Gal. 6:2; Tit. 1:9; 1 Tim. 1:3,4; 4:16; II Tim. 4:2; Matt. 18:15-16). There is no doubt about being "thy brother's keeper"! However, the fact that seems to escape most Christians is this: a person's actions are the result of their beliefs. A person lives a certain way because a person believes a certain way. Doctrine frames behavior.
Christians are to be accurate and balanced when giving criticism. When a person or group that claims to be Christian and yet seriously departs from the historical biblical doctrines of orthodox Christianity, one cannot stand idly by in silence. (Matt. 18:15-16). To not speak out would be dishonoring to God and unloving, not only to Christians, but also to the propagators of the error.
When the Word of Faith (WOF) movement's leaders, who through their own revelation knowledge, bring extrabiblical doctrines into the church, one must be prepared to respond correctly in accordance with God's revealed will in scripture.
Watchman Fellowship is not the first to call attention to the unorthodox doctrines of the WOF movement, sometimes known as the Positive Confession movement.
Scores of scholars for years have spoken out. Those include Dr. Walter Martin, a charismatic theologian, and D. R. McConnell, also a charismatic and author of the recent book, A Different Gospel. Michael Horton, a well-known Christian author, has addressed the doctrinal issues in his book, The Agony of Deceit, as well.
As the issue is drawn into clearer focus, the reader needs to understand that this is neither a charismatic nor a non-charismatic issue. It is an issue of biblical truth and accountability to that truth versus heretical doctrines.
It is common for the word-faith teachers to warn, "touch not the Lord's anointed", meaning that one cannot criticize or question in any way the Word of Faith teachers and what they are teaching. Some of the WOF teachers have said to do so carries serious consequences.
For example, the Christian Research Institute has documented that John Avanzini, along with TBN's Paul Crouch have said that the reason Walter Martin died is that God killed him because he spoke out against them. The implication is "that's what will happen to anyone who does speak out against them" (Quote used on the "Bible Answer Man" broadcast from the Spring 1990 "Praise-A-Thon" on TBN).
It seems that if one disputes these leader's words or deeds it is equivalent to questioning God Himself. Those who advocate such authority assume that scripture supports their view.
They point to biblical proof texts such as Psalm 105:15, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm" (KJV). But if one looks at the passage, it will reveal that it has nothing to do with questioning the teachings of church leaders.
In the Old Testament the phrase, "the Lord's anointed", is used to refer to the kings of Israel (I Samuel 12:35; 24:6, 10, 16, 23; II Samuel 1:14, 16; 19:21; Psalms 10:6), and not to prophets. In the context of Psalms 105 the reference is to patriarchs in general (vv. 8-15; ef, I Chronicles 16:15-22).
Psalms 105:15 has nothing to do with the issue of questioning the teachings of any of God's "anointed". In the context of this passage, the words "touch" and "do harm" have to do with inflicting physical harm upon someone.
Specifically, in I Sam. 24:6, the phrase "touch not the Lord's anointed" refers to David's refraining from killing King Saul when he had the opportunity. It means in that context, "not to kill".
The fact is that David did rebuke Saul publicly more than once and called him to account for his actions before God. He said in I Sam. 24:12, "The Lord judge between me and thee, but mine hands shall not be upon thee".
If this touch not mentality is applied in the way that the WOF leaders say to do, then it could also be argued that no one who claims to be a spokesman for God should be called to account for what he or she teaches.
No one would be rebuked, and one would have to accept the teachings of all who claim to be Christian, including Joseph Smith and Mormonism, the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Society. Virtually all teachings, whether cultic or not, would be credible. The truth is that nobody's teachings or practices are beyond biblical judgment, especially those who are seen as leaders.
What allows Christians to claim Joseph Smith is a false teacher? It is not the fact that he claimed to speak "revelation knowledge". It is because one examines the doctrine in comparison to the Bible. Doctrine must be the means of measurement.
Christians are not called to render a condemning judgment upon anyone (for that alone is in God's hands), but are to render a discerning judgment upon all teachings. It is important for Christians to test all things by the scripture, as the Bereans did when they examined the words of the apostle Paul (Acts 17:11, I Thes. 5:2). The Bible is useful for correcting and rebuking, as well as for preaching and teaching (II Timothy 4:2).
Additionally, this is not a question of whether God has used these men in the salvation of many people. If and when the gospel is preached, "it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16). The problem is unbiblical doctrine which corrupts the essential Biblical teaching of the Person and work of Christ.
It has not been easy to write this article, because the issue is sensitive. There are many sincere, committed Christians following these teachers, sometimes not even realizing what they are teaching. It is also a crucial issue. It is not a threat from outside the church, it is a growth from within. Spiritual surgery, which is long overdue, is needed to stop it from spreading further. The Body of Christ must speak out.
If anything has been learned about the recent scandals of modern televangelists which could be summed up in one word, that one word would be accountability (or lack thereof).
That word, more than any other, has surfaced and has been expressed by both the secular public and the body of Christ as a desperate desire to bring some kind of reform to the practices of certain popular TV preachers.
Most of the outcry has been as a result of the immoral conduct and lack of financial accountability on the part of Christian leaders who were supposed to be examples of clean Christian character.
Christians are to hold one another accountable for one another's behavior (1 Jn. 3:17; Gal. 6:2; Tit. 1:9; 1 Tim. 1:3,4; 4:16; II Tim. 4:2; Matt. 18:15-16). There is no doubt about being "thy brother's keeper"! However, the fact that seems to escape most Christians is this: a person's actions are the result of their beliefs. A person lives a certain way because a person believes a certain way. Doctrine frames behavior.
Christians are to be accurate and balanced when giving criticism. When a person or group that claims to be Christian and yet seriously departs from the historical biblical doctrines of orthodox Christianity, one cannot stand idly by in silence. (Matt. 18:15-16). To not speak out would be dishonoring to God and unloving, not only to Christians, but also to the propagators of the error.
When the Word of Faith (WOF) movement's leaders, who through their own revelation knowledge, bring extrabiblical doctrines into the church, one must be prepared to respond correctly in accordance with God's revealed will in scripture.
Watchman Fellowship is not the first to call attention to the unorthodox doctrines of the WOF movement, sometimes known as the Positive Confession movement.
Scores of scholars for years have spoken out. Those include Dr. Walter Martin, a charismatic theologian, and D. R. McConnell, also a charismatic and author of the recent book, A Different Gospel. Michael Horton, a well-known Christian author, has addressed the doctrinal issues in his book, The Agony of Deceit, as well.
As the issue is drawn into clearer focus, the reader needs to understand that this is neither a charismatic nor a non-charismatic issue. It is an issue of biblical truth and accountability to that truth versus heretical doctrines.
It is common for the word-faith teachers to warn, "touch not the Lord's anointed", meaning that one cannot criticize or question in any way the Word of Faith teachers and what they are teaching. Some of the WOF teachers have said to do so carries serious consequences.
For example, the Christian Research Institute has documented that John Avanzini, along with TBN's Paul Crouch have said that the reason Walter Martin died is that God killed him because he spoke out against them. The implication is "that's what will happen to anyone who does speak out against them" (Quote used on the "Bible Answer Man" broadcast from the Spring 1990 "Praise-A-Thon" on TBN).
It seems that if one disputes these leader's words or deeds it is equivalent to questioning God Himself. Those who advocate such authority assume that scripture supports their view.
They point to biblical proof texts such as Psalm 105:15, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm" (KJV). But if one looks at the passage, it will reveal that it has nothing to do with questioning the teachings of church leaders.
In the Old Testament the phrase, "the Lord's anointed", is used to refer to the kings of Israel (I Samuel 12:35; 24:6, 10, 16, 23; II Samuel 1:14, 16; 19:21; Psalms 10:6), and not to prophets. In the context of Psalms 105 the reference is to patriarchs in general (vv. 8-15; ef, I Chronicles 16:15-22).
Psalms 105:15 has nothing to do with the issue of questioning the teachings of any of God's "anointed". In the context of this passage, the words "touch" and "do harm" have to do with inflicting physical harm upon someone.
Specifically, in I Sam. 24:6, the phrase "touch not the Lord's anointed" refers to David's refraining from killing King Saul when he had the opportunity. It means in that context, "not to kill".
The fact is that David did rebuke Saul publicly more than once and called him to account for his actions before God. He said in I Sam. 24:12, "The Lord judge between me and thee, but mine hands shall not be upon thee".
If this touch not mentality is applied in the way that the WOF leaders say to do, then it could also be argued that no one who claims to be a spokesman for God should be called to account for what he or she teaches.
No one would be rebuked, and one would have to accept the teachings of all who claim to be Christian, including Joseph Smith and Mormonism, the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Watchtower Society. Virtually all teachings, whether cultic or not, would be credible. The truth is that nobody's teachings or practices are beyond biblical judgment, especially those who are seen as leaders.
What allows Christians to claim Joseph Smith is a false teacher? It is not the fact that he claimed to speak "revelation knowledge". It is because one examines the doctrine in comparison to the Bible. Doctrine must be the means of measurement.
Christians are not called to render a condemning judgment upon anyone (for that alone is in God's hands), but are to render a discerning judgment upon all teachings. It is important for Christians to test all things by the scripture, as the Bereans did when they examined the words of the apostle Paul (Acts 17:11, I Thes. 5:2). The Bible is useful for correcting and rebuking, as well as for preaching and teaching (II Timothy 4:2).
Additionally, this is not a question of whether God has used these men in the salvation of many people. If and when the gospel is preached, "it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16). The problem is unbiblical doctrine which corrupts the essential Biblical teaching of the Person and work of Christ.
It has not been easy to write this article, because the issue is sensitive. There are many sincere, committed Christians following these teachers, sometimes not even realizing what they are teaching. It is also a crucial issue. It is not a threat from outside the church, it is a growth from within. Spiritual surgery, which is long overdue, is needed to stop it from spreading further. The Body of Christ must speak out.
BECOMING PEOPLE OF PRAYER
David Wilkerson
TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2010
In Jeremiah 5, God pleaded, "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem…seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it" (Jeremiah 5:1). The Lord was saying, in essence, "I'll be merciful, if I can find just one person who'll seek me."
During the Babylonian captivity, God found such a man in Daniel. And today, more than ever in history, the Lord is searching for the same kind of godly men and women. He seeks faithful servants who are willing to "make up the hedge" and "stand in the gap," works that can only be accomplished through prayer.
Like Daniel, such a person will be found with God's Word in his hand. When the Holy Ghost came to Daniel, the prophet was reading the book of Jeremiah. It was then that the Spirit revealed that God's time of deliverance had come for Israel. As the revelation came, Daniel was provoked to pray: "I set my face
unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God" (Daniel 9:3–4).
Daniel knew God's people weren't ready to receive his restoration. Yet, did the prophet lambaste his peers for their sins? No—Daniel identified himself with the moral decay all around him. He declared, "We have sinned…to us belongeth confusion of face…because we have sinned against thee" (Daniel 9:5, 8).
God strongly desires to bless his people today—but if our minds are polluted with the spirit of this world, we are in no position to receive his blessings. Daniel made this powerful statement: "All this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our
iniquities, and understand the truth. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us" (Daniel 9:13–14).
Would to God we would examine our own walk with the Lord and let the Holy Spirit show us areas of compromise. We would do more than pray for a backsliding nation. We would be crying out, "Oh, Lord, search my heart. Expose in me all of the spirit of the world that has crept into my soul." Like Daniel,
we could then set our faces to pray for the deliverance of our families—our nation.
Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/devotions/2010/becoming-people-of-prayer
TUESDAY, JULY 6, 2010
In Jeremiah 5, God pleaded, "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem…seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it" (Jeremiah 5:1). The Lord was saying, in essence, "I'll be merciful, if I can find just one person who'll seek me."
During the Babylonian captivity, God found such a man in Daniel. And today, more than ever in history, the Lord is searching for the same kind of godly men and women. He seeks faithful servants who are willing to "make up the hedge" and "stand in the gap," works that can only be accomplished through prayer.
Like Daniel, such a person will be found with God's Word in his hand. When the Holy Ghost came to Daniel, the prophet was reading the book of Jeremiah. It was then that the Spirit revealed that God's time of deliverance had come for Israel. As the revelation came, Daniel was provoked to pray: "I set my face
unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God" (Daniel 9:3–4).
Daniel knew God's people weren't ready to receive his restoration. Yet, did the prophet lambaste his peers for their sins? No—Daniel identified himself with the moral decay all around him. He declared, "We have sinned…to us belongeth confusion of face…because we have sinned against thee" (Daniel 9:5, 8).
God strongly desires to bless his people today—but if our minds are polluted with the spirit of this world, we are in no position to receive his blessings. Daniel made this powerful statement: "All this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our
iniquities, and understand the truth. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us" (Daniel 9:13–14).
Would to God we would examine our own walk with the Lord and let the Holy Spirit show us areas of compromise. We would do more than pray for a backsliding nation. We would be crying out, "Oh, Lord, search my heart. Expose in me all of the spirit of the world that has crept into my soul." Like Daniel,
we could then set our faces to pray for the deliverance of our families—our nation.
Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/devotions/2010/becoming-people-of-prayer
Saturday, August 7, 2010
"The Untouchables: Are 'God's Anointed' Beyond Criticism?"
(An article from the Viewpoint column of the Christian Research Journal, Fall 1991, page 39) by Hendrik H. Hanegraaff. The Editor-in-Chief of the Christian Research Journal is Elliot Miller.
During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ exhorted His followers not to judge self-righteously or hypocritically. Is this necessarily what Christians do when they question the teachings of God's "anointed" preachers and evangelists? Many teachers who claim such anointing would say so, and many more of their followers commonly reply to all manner of criticism: "Touch not God's anointed."
Some of these teachers add that such actions carry literally grave consequences. Prominent "faith" teacher Kenneth Copeland affirmed in his taped message, "Why All Are Not Healed": "There are people attempting to sit in judgment right today over the ministry that I'm responsible for, and the ministry that Kenneth E. Hagin is responsible for....Several people that I know had criticized and called that faith bunch out of Tulsa a cult. And some of 'em are dead right today in an early grave because of it, and there's more than one of them got cancer."
In addition to certain "word-faith" teachers, such sentiments may be found among various groups involved with shepherding and other forms of authoritarian rule (from diverse "five-fold" ministries to a host of large and small "fringe churches"). The leaders of these groups are commonly regarded as having a unique gift and calling that entitles them to unconditional authority. To dispute any of their words or deeds is not distinguished from questioning God Himself.
Advocates of such authority assume that Scripture supports their view. Their key biblical proof text is Psalm 105:15: "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm" (KJV). But a close examination of this passage reveals that it has nothing to do with challenging the teachings of church leaders.
It first needs to be noted that the Old Testament phrase "the Lord's anointed" is typically used to refer to the kings of Israel (1 Sam. 12:3, 5; 24:6, 10; 26:9, 11, 16, 23; 2 Sam. 1:14,16; 19:21; Ps. 20:6; Lam. 4:20), at times specifically to the royal line de-scended from David (Pss. 2:2; 18:50; 89:38, 51), and not to prophets and teachers. While the text does also mention prophets, in the context of Psalm 105 the reference is undoubtedly to the patriarchs in general (vv. 8-15; cf. 1 Chron. 16:15-22), and to Abraham (whom God called a prophet) in particular (Gen. 20:7). It is therefore debatable whether this passage can be applied to select leaders within the body of Christ.
Even if the text can be applied to certain church leaders today, in the context of this passage the words "touch" and "do harm" have to do with inflicting physical harm upon someone. Psalm 105:15 is therefore wholly irrelevant to the issue of questioning the teachings of any of God's "anointed."
Moreover, even if we accepted this misinterpretation of Psalm 105:15, how are we to know who not to "touch"; that is, who God's anointed and prophets are? Because they and their followers say they are? On such a basis we would have to accept the claims of Sun Myung Moon, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, and virtually all cult leaders to be prophets. Because they reputedly perform miracles?
The Antichrist and False Prophet themselves will possess that credential (Rev. 13:13-15; 2 Thess. 2:9)! No, God's representatives are known above all by their purity of character and doctrine (Tit. 1:7-9; 2:7-8; 2 Cor. 4:2; cf. 1 Tim. 6:3-4). If a would be spokesperson for God cannot pass the biblical tests of character and doctrine, we have no basis for accepting his or her claim, and no reason to fear that in criticizing his or her teaching we might also be rejecting God.
Finally, if any individual Christian is to be considered anointed, then so every Christian must be as well. For this is the only sense in which the term is used (apart from Christ) in the New Testament: "You [referring to all believers] have an anointing from the Holy One" (1 John 2:20, NIV). Thus, no believer can justifiably claim any special status as God's "untouchable anointed" over other believers.
Nobody's teachings or practices are beyond biblical judgment especially influential leaders. Biblically, authority and accountability go hand in hand (e.g., Luke 12:48). The greater the responsibility one holds, the greater the accountability one has before God and His people.
Teachers should be extremely careful not to mislead any believer, for their calling carries with it a strict judgment (James 3:1). They should therefore be grateful when sincere Christians take the time to correct whatever erroneous doctrine they may be preaching to the masses. And should the criticisms be unfounded they should respond in the manner prescribed by
Scripture: to correct misguided doctrinal opposition with gentle instruction (2 Tim. 2:25).
There is of course another side to this issue: criticism often can be sinful, leading to rebellion and unnecessary division. Christians should respect the leaders that God has given them (Heb.13:17). Theirs is the task of assisting the church in its spiritual growth and doctrinal understanding (Eph. 4:11-16). At the same time believers should be aware that false teachers will arise among the Christian fold (Acts 20:28; 2 Pet. 2:1). This makes it imperative for us to test all things by Scripture, as the Bereans were commended for doing when they examined the words of the apostle Paul (Acts 17:11).
The Bible is useful not only for preaching, teaching, and encouragement, but for correcting and rebuking (2 Tim. 4:2). In fact, Christians are held accountable for proclaiming the whole will of God and warning others of false teachings and teachers (Acts 20:26-28; cf. Ezek. 33:7-9; 34:1-10).
We would do well to heed Scripture's repeated warnings to be on guard for false teachings (e.g., Rom. 16:17-18; cf. 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 4:16; 2 Tim. 1:13-14; Tit. 1:9; 2:1), and to point them out to believers (2 Tim. 4:6). With so much scriptural support, such actions can hardly be considered unbiblical.
Pastor John Kilpatrick condemning Hank Hanegraff for judging his ministry - Pensecola Revival
BROWNSVILLE PASTOR “PROPHESIES” DEMISE OF CRI
Pensecola or Brownsville Revival
Full Transcript here
A preacher says the days are numbered for Christian Research Institute and its president, Hank Hanegraaff, unless Hanegraaff repents of his criticism of the revival at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Fla.
Brownsville pastor John Kilpatrick angrily raised his rhetoric to a new level during an April 6 sermon, predicting CRI’s end in “90 days” unless Hanegraaff abandons his opposition to the revival.
Kilpatrick set the stage for his videotaped morning message with, “I got a Word from the Lord last night.”
Although Kilpatrick said, “Words of death ought not to come out of our mouths and curses ought not to come out of our mouth. ... God has called me forth to speak forth the blessings of the Lord.” The message, taken from the book of Numbers, was a blistering attack on Hanegraaff and the Southern California ministry founded by the late Dr. Walter Martin.
Kilpatrick went on: “And the Lord said, ‘I want you to go before my people and tell them something.’ ... He said, ‘Son.’ It’s what He said to me last night and I heard the Lord, friend.” Kilpatrick described a long conversation he had with God, taking his words from the realm of human pronouncement and guesswork and into the divine.
“I want to say something this morning to Hank Hanegraaff: Hank Hanegraaff, you may feel like you can put on the badge of heaven and put on your white cap and saddle up on your big horse and ride through the Kingdom of God straightening everybody out. But I don’t know who called you to be the high sheriff of heaven... . You may criticize other people and other moves of God and other ministries, but you’d better leave your hands off this one! ... If you want to keep any kind of a semblance of a ministry you better back off ... because I’m going to prophesy to you that if you don’t, and you continue to put your tongue in your mouth on this move of God, within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. I said within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. And I speak that as a man of God,” Kilpatrick said.
Kilpatrick’s message drew joyous outbursts from the congregation.
Evidently, in reference to Hanegraaff’s severe criticism of the head-shaking that has gone on at Brownsville meetings, Kilpatrick added: “I want to tell you something else, if you don’t want your head to start shaking... .”
The climax of the revelation was to refer to Hanegraaff as a devil: “Mr. Hanegraaff, and all other devils, listen up! ... this revival shall turn into a national awakening.”
The revival’s evangelist, Steven Hill, later in the service reaffirmed Kilpatrick and said the revival is already reaching into Washington, D.C., at the highest levels of government and eventually millions in America will be saved as a result of it.
Hanegraaff began a 90-day countdown to July 4 on his radio broadcast. He is calling for Kilpatrick to be held to the test of a prophet found in Deuteronomy 13 and 18. He told PFO that his mind is unchanged about the Brownsville revival and continues to see it as a clone of the waning Vineyard revival in Toronto.
CRI’s Bible Answer Man broadcast continues to receive daily calls from listeners telling of the spiritual harm Brownsville has created. —GRF
© 1997 - PFO. All rights reserved by Personal Freedom Outreach. This article may not be stored on BBS or Internet sites without permission. Reproduction is prohibited, except for portions intended for personal use and non-commercial purposes. For reproduction permission contact: Personal Freedom Outreach, P.O. Box 26062, Saint Louis, Missouri 63136.
Pro 16:18, 18:12, Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Before shattering, the heart of man is proud, and before honor is humility.
Transcript of Kilpatrick's apology to Hank Hanegraaff, Pastor John Kilpatrick
June 18, 1997
Dear Hank,
I called your office yesterday (6/17/97) at 12:30 Pacific Time. I talked with your secretary Lisa and wanted to speak with you personally. When Lisa asked what the purpose of my call was, I told her I wanted to apologize to you personally. She relayed the message to you and she got back with me and said you'd return my call last evening or today A.M. It's now been more than 24 hours since I made contact, so I want to send this communique.
Hank, I do sincerely humble myself and ask your forgiveness for unchristlike behavior. I repent before Jesus and I've asked Him to forgive me. I pray you will forgive me and I also ask the Body of Christ to forgive me. I was wrong. I take full responsibility for my words and behavior.
The statements I made in April were made in an inflammatory way against you and CRI. They were spoken during a message I was bringing to my local congregation entitled "God's Ears." I was emphasizing how God said that all that Israel had said in His ears he would do to them. It was taken from Numbers chapter 14, especially verse 28.
You had just appeared on Larry King Live that Friday night before and had made reference to a church in Pensacola and it was in the context of a discussion about cults and especially the Heaven's Gate Cult in California where scores of people had just committed suicide - with our nation feeling such disgust and I myself feeling nauseated with such deception, that well meaning people were so deceived that they took their own lives to meet up with a space ship. When I heard our church linked with such cultic deception, it caused me to feel anger and indignation. It's much like a mother dog - when her puppies are fooled with she bites. I bit you and it wasn't right. I should not have responded to the criticism. But most of all I felt indignation and anger and it was not appropriate to link my negative feelings with a sermon. I called you (and by implication, others) a devil -- that was wrong. I said, "Let Hank Hanegraaff and all the other devils, etc." - that was wrong of me. I ask your forgiveness.
Then I said, "I'm going to prophesy as a man of God that the Lord bring you down in 90 days," I was not speaking that as a prophet but as a shepherd putting something in the ears of God. I did not say, "Thus saith the Lord"; it was a "Thus saith John Kilpatrick," putting these words into God's ears in the context of the message I was bringing. Let me reemphasize again that was me speaking.
I don't want to be a "son of thunder" and have Jesus turn to me and say, "You don't know what spirit you are of." I had a wrong spirit. I was a son of thunder. That was wrong.
I know my congregation. I've pastored Brownsville Assembly of God for the last 15 and years, through thick and thin. I have buried their dead, married their living, cried with them, laughed with them, dedicated their babies -- and in April got in the flesh and lashed out at you.
I want to emphasize also that I did not wish you any harm personally. I was talking about your ministry, I was saying, "God bring down your platform for crying out and associating us with a cult." I did not nor do I wish you any harm. I ask your forgiveness if you thought I meant any harm to you personally. Honestly, before the Lord, I had your platform in mind, not the person Hank Hanegraaff.
This is by no means to be interpreted as an attempt to wiggle out of a prophecy. I would like to grant you the right to continue to count down the days and continue to comment about the 90 days. It's ammunition that I gave you in April. I only want you to know - it was me speaking that and not a "thus saith the Lord."
Hank, I hope we can get together personally where I could meet you face to face. I have never heard your program on radio, but I would like to sit down with you as a brother. Please also allow me the opportunity to speak a blessing over you. If you would let me I would be honored to. Peter tells us in his first epistle, chapter 3, verses 8-11:
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Hank, I bless you, your wife, your children, and your ministry at CRI, that God raise you up as a voice for good to this generation. May every concern and trouble that perplexes you be met with God's abundant wisdom and resources to continue what He has called you to do. May the grace of our Lord be with you and upon you. May His blessings overtake you.
Finally, I would like to ask the Body of Christ to forgive me for unnecessarily polarizing us by attacking Hank. I realize I attacked a man that is beloved by his followers and peers. I ask you to forgive me. I also know the Body of Christ has had to endure this kind of stuff for years and it has turned off many and hurt the cause of Christ. Now I have been guilty of doing what has hurt us all through the years.
What's going on at the Brownsville Revival is about holiness and repentance. Those themes are the most prevalent characteristics of this visitation of the Holy Spirit. Every revival brings to the surface impurities. It has brought impurities in my life to the surface - and it's ugly to have to deal with them. In keeping with the spirit of this revival I want to lead the way with public repentance.
Even though there is a revival going on here of great magnitude that is touching the world, it is being pastored and led by human beings that are flawed. I guess that's the way it's always been, and that's the way it will always be. We strive to demonstrate integrity, impeccable character, and dignity. Those are the ideals. Yet this treasure is in earthen vessels.
This communique and public statement of repentance has been entirely my own doing. I have not been instructed or constrained to do this. I am accountable to the leadership of my church and to the Assemblies of God, whom I love and respect, but this statement has been my own doing. I have been wrestling with this for some weeks and finally pinned my pride to the mat. I hope this brings healing and relief to the Body of Christ.
During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ exhorted His followers not to judge self-righteously or hypocritically. Is this necessarily what Christians do when they question the teachings of God's "anointed" preachers and evangelists? Many teachers who claim such anointing would say so, and many more of their followers commonly reply to all manner of criticism: "Touch not God's anointed."
Some of these teachers add that such actions carry literally grave consequences. Prominent "faith" teacher Kenneth Copeland affirmed in his taped message, "Why All Are Not Healed": "There are people attempting to sit in judgment right today over the ministry that I'm responsible for, and the ministry that Kenneth E. Hagin is responsible for....Several people that I know had criticized and called that faith bunch out of Tulsa a cult. And some of 'em are dead right today in an early grave because of it, and there's more than one of them got cancer."
In addition to certain "word-faith" teachers, such sentiments may be found among various groups involved with shepherding and other forms of authoritarian rule (from diverse "five-fold" ministries to a host of large and small "fringe churches"). The leaders of these groups are commonly regarded as having a unique gift and calling that entitles them to unconditional authority. To dispute any of their words or deeds is not distinguished from questioning God Himself.
Advocates of such authority assume that Scripture supports their view. Their key biblical proof text is Psalm 105:15: "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm" (KJV). But a close examination of this passage reveals that it has nothing to do with challenging the teachings of church leaders.
It first needs to be noted that the Old Testament phrase "the Lord's anointed" is typically used to refer to the kings of Israel (1 Sam. 12:3, 5; 24:6, 10; 26:9, 11, 16, 23; 2 Sam. 1:14,16; 19:21; Ps. 20:6; Lam. 4:20), at times specifically to the royal line de-scended from David (Pss. 2:2; 18:50; 89:38, 51), and not to prophets and teachers. While the text does also mention prophets, in the context of Psalm 105 the reference is undoubtedly to the patriarchs in general (vv. 8-15; cf. 1 Chron. 16:15-22), and to Abraham (whom God called a prophet) in particular (Gen. 20:7). It is therefore debatable whether this passage can be applied to select leaders within the body of Christ.
Even if the text can be applied to certain church leaders today, in the context of this passage the words "touch" and "do harm" have to do with inflicting physical harm upon someone. Psalm 105:15 is therefore wholly irrelevant to the issue of questioning the teachings of any of God's "anointed."
Moreover, even if we accepted this misinterpretation of Psalm 105:15, how are we to know who not to "touch"; that is, who God's anointed and prophets are? Because they and their followers say they are? On such a basis we would have to accept the claims of Sun Myung Moon, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, and virtually all cult leaders to be prophets. Because they reputedly perform miracles?
The Antichrist and False Prophet themselves will possess that credential (Rev. 13:13-15; 2 Thess. 2:9)! No, God's representatives are known above all by their purity of character and doctrine (Tit. 1:7-9; 2:7-8; 2 Cor. 4:2; cf. 1 Tim. 6:3-4). If a would be spokesperson for God cannot pass the biblical tests of character and doctrine, we have no basis for accepting his or her claim, and no reason to fear that in criticizing his or her teaching we might also be rejecting God.
Finally, if any individual Christian is to be considered anointed, then so every Christian must be as well. For this is the only sense in which the term is used (apart from Christ) in the New Testament: "You [referring to all believers] have an anointing from the Holy One" (1 John 2:20, NIV). Thus, no believer can justifiably claim any special status as God's "untouchable anointed" over other believers.
Nobody's teachings or practices are beyond biblical judgment especially influential leaders. Biblically, authority and accountability go hand in hand (e.g., Luke 12:48). The greater the responsibility one holds, the greater the accountability one has before God and His people.
Teachers should be extremely careful not to mislead any believer, for their calling carries with it a strict judgment (James 3:1). They should therefore be grateful when sincere Christians take the time to correct whatever erroneous doctrine they may be preaching to the masses. And should the criticisms be unfounded they should respond in the manner prescribed by
Scripture: to correct misguided doctrinal opposition with gentle instruction (2 Tim. 2:25).
There is of course another side to this issue: criticism often can be sinful, leading to rebellion and unnecessary division. Christians should respect the leaders that God has given them (Heb.13:17). Theirs is the task of assisting the church in its spiritual growth and doctrinal understanding (Eph. 4:11-16). At the same time believers should be aware that false teachers will arise among the Christian fold (Acts 20:28; 2 Pet. 2:1). This makes it imperative for us to test all things by Scripture, as the Bereans were commended for doing when they examined the words of the apostle Paul (Acts 17:11).
The Bible is useful not only for preaching, teaching, and encouragement, but for correcting and rebuking (2 Tim. 4:2). In fact, Christians are held accountable for proclaiming the whole will of God and warning others of false teachings and teachers (Acts 20:26-28; cf. Ezek. 33:7-9; 34:1-10).
We would do well to heed Scripture's repeated warnings to be on guard for false teachings (e.g., Rom. 16:17-18; cf. 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 4:16; 2 Tim. 1:13-14; Tit. 1:9; 2:1), and to point them out to believers (2 Tim. 4:6). With so much scriptural support, such actions can hardly be considered unbiblical.
Pastor John Kilpatrick condemning Hank Hanegraff for judging his ministry - Pensecola Revival
BROWNSVILLE PASTOR “PROPHESIES” DEMISE OF CRI
Pensecola or Brownsville Revival
Full Transcript here
A preacher says the days are numbered for Christian Research Institute and its president, Hank Hanegraaff, unless Hanegraaff repents of his criticism of the revival at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, Fla.
Brownsville pastor John Kilpatrick angrily raised his rhetoric to a new level during an April 6 sermon, predicting CRI’s end in “90 days” unless Hanegraaff abandons his opposition to the revival.
Kilpatrick set the stage for his videotaped morning message with, “I got a Word from the Lord last night.”
Although Kilpatrick said, “Words of death ought not to come out of our mouths and curses ought not to come out of our mouth. ... God has called me forth to speak forth the blessings of the Lord.” The message, taken from the book of Numbers, was a blistering attack on Hanegraaff and the Southern California ministry founded by the late Dr. Walter Martin.
Kilpatrick went on: “And the Lord said, ‘I want you to go before my people and tell them something.’ ... He said, ‘Son.’ It’s what He said to me last night and I heard the Lord, friend.” Kilpatrick described a long conversation he had with God, taking his words from the realm of human pronouncement and guesswork and into the divine.
“I want to say something this morning to Hank Hanegraaff: Hank Hanegraaff, you may feel like you can put on the badge of heaven and put on your white cap and saddle up on your big horse and ride through the Kingdom of God straightening everybody out. But I don’t know who called you to be the high sheriff of heaven... . You may criticize other people and other moves of God and other ministries, but you’d better leave your hands off this one! ... If you want to keep any kind of a semblance of a ministry you better back off ... because I’m going to prophesy to you that if you don’t, and you continue to put your tongue in your mouth on this move of God, within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. I said within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. And I speak that as a man of God,” Kilpatrick said.
Kilpatrick’s message drew joyous outbursts from the congregation.
Evidently, in reference to Hanegraaff’s severe criticism of the head-shaking that has gone on at Brownsville meetings, Kilpatrick added: “I want to tell you something else, if you don’t want your head to start shaking... .”
The climax of the revelation was to refer to Hanegraaff as a devil: “Mr. Hanegraaff, and all other devils, listen up! ... this revival shall turn into a national awakening.”
The revival’s evangelist, Steven Hill, later in the service reaffirmed Kilpatrick and said the revival is already reaching into Washington, D.C., at the highest levels of government and eventually millions in America will be saved as a result of it.
Hanegraaff began a 90-day countdown to July 4 on his radio broadcast. He is calling for Kilpatrick to be held to the test of a prophet found in Deuteronomy 13 and 18. He told PFO that his mind is unchanged about the Brownsville revival and continues to see it as a clone of the waning Vineyard revival in Toronto.
CRI’s Bible Answer Man broadcast continues to receive daily calls from listeners telling of the spiritual harm Brownsville has created. —GRF
© 1997 - PFO. All rights reserved by Personal Freedom Outreach. This article may not be stored on BBS or Internet sites without permission. Reproduction is prohibited, except for portions intended for personal use and non-commercial purposes. For reproduction permission contact: Personal Freedom Outreach, P.O. Box 26062, Saint Louis, Missouri 63136.
Pro 16:18, 18:12, Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Before shattering, the heart of man is proud, and before honor is humility.
Transcript of Kilpatrick's apology to Hank Hanegraaff, Pastor John Kilpatrick
June 18, 1997
Dear Hank,
I called your office yesterday (6/17/97) at 12:30 Pacific Time. I talked with your secretary Lisa and wanted to speak with you personally. When Lisa asked what the purpose of my call was, I told her I wanted to apologize to you personally. She relayed the message to you and she got back with me and said you'd return my call last evening or today A.M. It's now been more than 24 hours since I made contact, so I want to send this communique.
Hank, I do sincerely humble myself and ask your forgiveness for unchristlike behavior. I repent before Jesus and I've asked Him to forgive me. I pray you will forgive me and I also ask the Body of Christ to forgive me. I was wrong. I take full responsibility for my words and behavior.
The statements I made in April were made in an inflammatory way against you and CRI. They were spoken during a message I was bringing to my local congregation entitled "God's Ears." I was emphasizing how God said that all that Israel had said in His ears he would do to them. It was taken from Numbers chapter 14, especially verse 28.
You had just appeared on Larry King Live that Friday night before and had made reference to a church in Pensacola and it was in the context of a discussion about cults and especially the Heaven's Gate Cult in California where scores of people had just committed suicide - with our nation feeling such disgust and I myself feeling nauseated with such deception, that well meaning people were so deceived that they took their own lives to meet up with a space ship. When I heard our church linked with such cultic deception, it caused me to feel anger and indignation. It's much like a mother dog - when her puppies are fooled with she bites. I bit you and it wasn't right. I should not have responded to the criticism. But most of all I felt indignation and anger and it was not appropriate to link my negative feelings with a sermon. I called you (and by implication, others) a devil -- that was wrong. I said, "Let Hank Hanegraaff and all the other devils, etc." - that was wrong of me. I ask your forgiveness.
Then I said, "I'm going to prophesy as a man of God that the Lord bring you down in 90 days," I was not speaking that as a prophet but as a shepherd putting something in the ears of God. I did not say, "Thus saith the Lord"; it was a "Thus saith John Kilpatrick," putting these words into God's ears in the context of the message I was bringing. Let me reemphasize again that was me speaking.
I don't want to be a "son of thunder" and have Jesus turn to me and say, "You don't know what spirit you are of." I had a wrong spirit. I was a son of thunder. That was wrong.
I know my congregation. I've pastored Brownsville Assembly of God for the last 15 and years, through thick and thin. I have buried their dead, married their living, cried with them, laughed with them, dedicated their babies -- and in April got in the flesh and lashed out at you.
I want to emphasize also that I did not wish you any harm personally. I was talking about your ministry, I was saying, "God bring down your platform for crying out and associating us with a cult." I did not nor do I wish you any harm. I ask your forgiveness if you thought I meant any harm to you personally. Honestly, before the Lord, I had your platform in mind, not the person Hank Hanegraaff.
This is by no means to be interpreted as an attempt to wiggle out of a prophecy. I would like to grant you the right to continue to count down the days and continue to comment about the 90 days. It's ammunition that I gave you in April. I only want you to know - it was me speaking that and not a "thus saith the Lord."
Hank, I hope we can get together personally where I could meet you face to face. I have never heard your program on radio, but I would like to sit down with you as a brother. Please also allow me the opportunity to speak a blessing over you. If you would let me I would be honored to. Peter tells us in his first epistle, chapter 3, verses 8-11:
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Hank, I bless you, your wife, your children, and your ministry at CRI, that God raise you up as a voice for good to this generation. May every concern and trouble that perplexes you be met with God's abundant wisdom and resources to continue what He has called you to do. May the grace of our Lord be with you and upon you. May His blessings overtake you.
Finally, I would like to ask the Body of Christ to forgive me for unnecessarily polarizing us by attacking Hank. I realize I attacked a man that is beloved by his followers and peers. I ask you to forgive me. I also know the Body of Christ has had to endure this kind of stuff for years and it has turned off many and hurt the cause of Christ. Now I have been guilty of doing what has hurt us all through the years.
What's going on at the Brownsville Revival is about holiness and repentance. Those themes are the most prevalent characteristics of this visitation of the Holy Spirit. Every revival brings to the surface impurities. It has brought impurities in my life to the surface - and it's ugly to have to deal with them. In keeping with the spirit of this revival I want to lead the way with public repentance.
Even though there is a revival going on here of great magnitude that is touching the world, it is being pastored and led by human beings that are flawed. I guess that's the way it's always been, and that's the way it will always be. We strive to demonstrate integrity, impeccable character, and dignity. Those are the ideals. Yet this treasure is in earthen vessels.
This communique and public statement of repentance has been entirely my own doing. I have not been instructed or constrained to do this. I am accountable to the leadership of my church and to the Assemblies of God, whom I love and respect, but this statement has been my own doing. I have been wrestling with this for some weeks and finally pinned my pride to the mat. I hope this brings healing and relief to the Body of Christ.
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