In search for the Egyptian horse, this is what your soul truly seeks

Over 5,500 people have come here looking at the link I put on the pale horse in Egypt. I take this opportunity to thank you for visiting my place. But, more importantly, I point you to the One thing your soul is truly looking for. A pale horse — whether am image created by man, or not — is not all that important in the scheme of things. No, a pale horse never died on a cross for me, nor did one ever raise from the dead. No one, but One ever did that for me and you. What is important, is who do you serve? What do you worship? What is it that your soul goes after? Believe, me my friend, when I say I have things my soul goes after that is not always God-centered. I am not perfect, yet. And will not be until I see my glorious Savior face-to-face, then I shall be like Him. But for now, I trust that He who began a good work in me, is faithful to complete it. It’s no accident you are here. Will you not call out to the Friend of your Soul?

Joel Osteen’s other gospel

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=262469

By Tom Flannery

Are we all born basically good, children of God by birth?

If you listen to the hugely popular happy-talk preacher Joel Osteen, the answer is yes. But if you read the Bible, it’s a definitive “No!”

During a recent interview on CNN with Piers Morgan (he’s the new Larry King), Osteen assured a worldwide audience that we’re all born children of God, so we’re all basically good in our nature.

This includes Adolf Hitler, by the way, a man personally responsible for the Holocaust where millions were systematically murdered and World War II where tens of millions more perished.

Osteen told Piers that he couldn’t explain Hitler’s monstrous evil, but he’s sure he wasn’t born that way. And if Hitler was born good, then so too were Stalin, Mao and all of history’s other mass murderers, ethnic cleansers, serial killers, child rapists … well, everyone.

Yet the Word of God tells us the exact opposite is true. The Bible declares that all of us have sinned throughout our past and continue falling short of God’s standard of righteousness in our present (Romans 3:23). Isaiah 53 reveals that we have all gone astray like wayward sheep and have “turned, every one, to his own way.”

Therefore, Psalm 53 says God looks at all mankind and declares: “Every one of them has turned aside; they have all together become corrupt. There is none who does good; no, not even one” (emphasis mine).

Indeed, when the rich young ruler called Jesus “good,” He responded: “No one is good but God” (Luke 18:19). The young man didn’t have the spiritual insight to understand that Jesus is God, so the exchange ended there. Still, Jesus made it clear that only God is good, and no human being meets that lofty standard.

Jesus told us that we must be perfect, even as God is (Matthew 5:48). This is God’s standard of goodness – absolute perfection. This has been called Plan A for salvation. As someone once remarked: “Thank God for Plan B,” which is salvation by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ’s finished redemptive work on the cross for us (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, etc.).

We consider ourselves good because we compare ourselves to other people, and we can always find someone worse than we are. Scripture describes those who “commend themselves” (for their goodness, good works, etc.) as being the ones who “measuring themselves by themselves are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).

That’s because Charles Manson is not the standard by which we’re measured. Neither is the guy down the street who gets drunk and beats his wife. Nor any other person. The One we’re being measured by is Christ Himself, who is good because He lived a perfectly sinless life – in His actions, words and thoughts. Anything less than that is unacceptable to a perfectly holy, perfectly just God who cannot tolerate sin (Habakkuk 1:13). He can only punish sin.

Of course, as Piers pointed out in questioning Osteen about his elusive views on homosexuality, the perpetually smiling preacher doesn’t have a whole lot to say about sin. In fact, hardly anything at all. Nor does he like to delve into such issues as eternal judgment or the reality of hell. They’re “too negative.” They bring people down.

Yet these are the very issues God most wants us thinking about and dealing with, for the Bible says His Spirit is in the world with the express purpose of convicting all mankind “of sin, righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). Sin because it’s our sin that separates us from God; righteousness because there’s a righteous standard we all fall infinitely short of meeting but which Christ has attained for us, and offers us as a free gift when we trust in Him alone for salvation (John 3:16, 3:36, etc.); and judgment because apart from trusting in Christ alone, we have nothing to look forward to but eternal judgment.

This doctrine of original sin (for which the whole world already stands condemned before God) lies at the heart of the gospel message Christ said should be proclaimed by His servants throughout the world until He returns.

But if we’re all children of God from birth, then why bother with such dour material? That’s clearly Osteen’s position, although here again, God’s Word says something completely different.

According to the Bible, none of us is born a child of God. Instead, we must be adopted into His family (Romans 8:14-15, Galatians 4:4-7, Ephesians 1:5-6) by trusting Christ. Scripture explains that believers are “all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26); we “become children of God” when we accept Christ by faith alone (John 1:12, emphases mine).

Because the scourge of sin entered mankind through the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, we all have a sin nature. This means we are born separated from God and can only be saved by means of a second (spiritual) birth (1 Peter 1:23). As Jesus put it: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. … You must be born again” (John 3).

 

Joel Osteen and other so-called “prosperity preachers” are directly contradicting God’s Word on the fundamental tenets of the faith, opting instead to preach a message of worldly riches and continual temporal blessings. They have forsaken the one true gospel to proclaim a false message, a “different gospel which is really no gospel at all” (Galatians 1:6).

This “other” gospel won’t save you, but it does make preachers filthy rich, tickles the ears of their followers and fills football stadiums with people willing to give until it hurts (so they, too, can cash in, you see).

It’s a far cry from the One who said: “My kingdom is not of this world.” But when there’s so much money to be made in this life, who wants to wait for eternal blessings and rewards in heaven?

That would be such a total downer!

Is the Lord preparing to set you in a broad place?

I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. — Psalm 118:4-6 –

He also brought me out into a broad place;He delivered me because He delighted in me. –2 Samuel 22:20 –

Anyone who has been visiting this blog for some time, know by now what I’ve been about. You’ve known I have hated lies, deceptions, darkness, etc. — both within the church and in political/social matters.

So much so, that it has greatly vexed my soul at times to see and know what all is going on in these areas. I stopped watching all news network well over a year ago. I’ve gotten my news sources online for the most part. Day after day, week after week, month after month, for a couple of years now, I have witnessed nothing but debauchery and deception in what is called “the church” and in the social/political arenas. It had made my soul sick.

Blessedly, the Lord spoke through a dear sister a little while back telling me: “you spend a lot of time exposing things with a negative slant. You should take a step back, because it affects the way you see even the good things going on.”

I was not offended. I know her heart for me is for good and not of evil. I took her words as coming from God to speak to something in me. So I did as she said: I backed off for a bit.

By doing so, I was able to see that the vileness of the things I hate had actually become part of me. Yes, it is right to hate evil. Yes, it is right to speak the truth at all times. Yes, it is right to never compromise. May God help me to always stand for what is right now and forever –  both publicly and in my personal life. However — as an ambassador of God — I have failed miserably in presenting the truth at times. Perhaps, I have hurt a little lost sheep in search of truth. For that I am sorry. Truly sorry. I never want to hurt the sheep.

(Don’t misunderstand me: I still believe there are times to kick devil butt when he comes as a deceiver. And I just do not see that changing in me. So I am sorry if any have gotten your hopes up in creating an image of me that is not exactly accurate.) 

Maybe there are others who have just had it with all they see and hear going on in areas of life. Maybe the drama of family members have gotten you down so much you don’t know if you are coming or going. Maybe you have fretted over this or that, day after day, week after week — even unto years and you are just worn out. You feel like you may be reaching the end, yet something on you keeps telling you “hang on.” Hang on to what? Hang on to a hope that things may get better? Friend, it may never get better. It may get worse. So why hang on? Even hanging on, can be a form of works.

Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all you who are heavy laden. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.” I don’t believe He ever once said, “hang on” did He? (If I’m wrong, someone correct me, please.)

No, we are to be still and know He is God. The moment we let the Lord make us still, is the moment God begins to change things. He may not change that circumstance; that loved one that gives you fits — still may give you fits, that job you are wanting — you may never get, that house payment still may be late, that unsaved family member still may walk in outright rebellion toward God. Whatever these things may be for each and every one of us, they may never change. BUT, God’s desire is to bring us into a broad place away from those things.

I believe He prepares us to bring us into such a place. Because if we knew He was going to do it, no doubt a lot of us would go kicking and screaming yelling, “No, no, I don’t want to go, Lord! Don’t you see how hard I’m trying?! Why all the empty space over there, it’s too much God. There ain’t one thing going on over there that interests me, don’t you know?!” That is probably what I would have said. However, in my case, I didn’t see it coming. His preparation was merely letting me get so sick and tired of everything. I saw myself with the enemies of my soul on every side. How I abhored it. And there was not one thing I could do about it. Not one thing.

It was the mercy of God that reached out to me, when one day, I finally saw that in spite of the rotteness going on that I hate, I was not in the middle of it anymore! It even felt empty all around me. As if there were miles and miles between the things that vexed my soul and me.   

I believe with all my heart God is wanting to prepare His remnant by getting us away from the things that vex our soul. Not to say that we will never have to deal with things — because we will alway have to deal with life. But it does not have to have a stronghold on us. 

See, it is His desire to deliver us. He delights in us, even though we think/know/feel we have failed. He loves us so much He has ways of operating on us even when we don’t know it! How cool is that?! –that the awesome God of the universe can go where no man can go and do what no man can do?!

So precious Bride of Christ, if you are finding you are getting sick and tired, do not hang on. Take the Lord’s hand and let Him lead you to that broad place where there is freedom. He cares for you!

He who the Son sets free is free indeed!

The “JESUS DIED SPIRITUALLY” DECEPTION

This is a very long read. However, I have found it to be the greatest find on one of the false teachings that has risen out of the charasmatic movement over the past couple decades.

If you find your pastor teaching that the Cross is not enough, or that Jesus had to go to hell to pay for our sins, you are under false teaching.  

http://wwwcrossfocus.blogspot.com/2009/12/jesus-died-spiritually-deception.html

Under inspiration, Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 12:3: “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, (anathema) and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Anathema meant a thing devoted to God without being redeemed, doomed to destruction (a sinner, or satanic being). If Christ became sin He is accursed, which is exactly what some Bible teachers are saying today. While Jesus became a curse in our place this is a different word than accursed.

The Bible commends those who study to show themselves approved by rightly dividing the Word of truth. This often takes time and effort to get a true revelation from the Scriptures. There are those who claim to have a revelation, but investigation determines that their source was not the Scriptures but knowledge from another source outside of Scripture. They then conform the written Word to this new revelation. “New” more often means false! As the saying goes, if it’s new it’s not true: if its true it’s not new. There is too much untrue new today that has replaced the old that is true. Peter says, “you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior” (2 Peter 3:2).

There is no greater example of this than from the word faith teachers who have taken certain Scriptures as proof text of their teaching that Jesus died spiritually not only physically on the cross. They claim when he was on the cross he became sin, he died sinful and descended into the earth for three days. He did not recover from this condition until after he became born again, as the first born of many brethren. They state the reason he needed to be born again is because he died spiritually and became sin. Then Jesus found himself in the same position as anyone else born in sin. This makes Christ a sinner without being born in sin or ever sinning.

The question everyone needs to ask is, does the Bible actually teach this? If so we should embrace it. If not, what does it do to the Jesus of the Bible?’ Numerous cult groups have changed Jesus into a mere man or an angel, or someone other than the God who became sinless man and was victorious by dying on the cross. This Jesus could be worse.

To start we need to look at their view of the cross and what exactly was accomplished there. Lets hear them tell it for themselves…Kenneth Hagin, “The death of Jesus Christ was not a physical death alone. If it had been a physical death, Abel would have paid the price for mankind. He was the first man that died because of honoring God and His Word. If it had been a physical death only, it wouldn’t have worked! And if He hadn’t died spiritually, that body never would have died.” (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne, Tape #00-0303)

Notice the distortion of understanding the Biblical facts. Abel was murdered by his brother, it was not a willing sacrificial death. Jesus, although murdered by his brethren, went willingly. It was not a mistake. It was done at a specific place at a specific time in a specific way. God ordained it through the hands of men of Israel and the Roman authorities.

Kenneth Hagin again states, “He (Jesus) tasted spiritual death for every man. And his spirit and inner man went to hell in my place. Can’t you see that? PHYSICAL DEATH WOULDN’T REMOVE YOUR SINS. He tasted death for every man. He’s talking about spiritual death.” (How Jesus obtained his name tape # 44HO1 side 1)

Kenneth Copeland also reiterates what his mentor says, “When His blood poured out it did not atone.” (Kenneth Copeland: From a personal letter to D.R.McConnell, dated 12/3/79. Cited in A Different Gospel, p.120) Just to be sure this is not misinterpreted he says the same to The Christian Research Institute that requested a statement “…When His blood poured out, it did not atone. It did away with the handwriting of the ordinances that were against us.” (K. Copeland, Form letter, March 12, 1979 )

Copeland teaches, “Because his physical death was not enough for the payment of sins there was a another way for sins payment. Jesus put Himself into the hands of Satan when He went to that cross, and took that same nature that Adam did [when he sinned].” (Kenneth Copeland, The Incarnation (Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1985, audiotape #01-0402) side 1.)

What actually did happen to Christ’s spirit is seen in Luke 23:46: “Father, into Thy hands I commit My Spirit” ( Matthew 27:50; John 19:30). Jesus put Himself into the hands of the Father, not Satan. He pronounced His time of departure, yielding His spirit to God the Father, and then breathed His last. He gave His body for us, and committed His spirit to God. His spirit did not die, or go to sleep, nor was it taken captive in hell. The cross was a place of victory not of defeat. In response to CRI concerns of his view of the atonement and spiritual death Copeland sent to answer their questions concerning his view of Christ’s atoning work – “Since He (Jesus) was made to be sin, He had to pay the penalty for sin. He had to die spiritually, which took Him into the regions of the damned, before He could redeem us.” K. Copeland, Form letter dated March 12, 1979 (Christian Research Institute).

The Bible-God was reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians5:19). Jesus never had the fallen nature of Adam. If he did, it would have disqualified Himself as the sacrifice. How could he reconcile the world if he became something other than the sinless sacrifice? The Bible teaches that Christ was separate from sinners and did not atone for himself.

Common sense should prevail. God in Isaiah 53:11 calls Jesus as His “righteous servant” during the time of His suffering on the cross? If Jesus were truly transformed into a Satanic being or had the nature of Satan he could not be called righteous by God. If Jesus took on the nature of Satan he would hardly be praying for His enemies, instead of “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” (Lk.23:34) he would also be asking for revenge. Satan’s enemy is the Church, so then Christ would not be dying for the forgiveness of sins. He would not want to remove sin if he had the nature of Satan, instead he would want to promote it. Which is unconsciously what the faith teachers do when they move the atonement event to a later time and place.

Which death paid for our sins

Because of their expanding theology, which brings the atonement as a continuation, they have read into passage to conclude Jesus died a double death, both physically and spiritually. One of the main texts they make use of to promote the double-death of Christ (physical and spiritual) is Isaiah 53:9, “He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death…” In the Hebrew the word for death in this verse is in the plural form, deaths. This is interpreted as proof that Jesus suffered a double-death, both physical (his body) and spiritual (his spirit) death on the cross! Was Jesus’ death both a physical as well as spiritual one?

The word for DEATH in Hebrew is mawet; it appears 150 times in the Old Testament. The foremost and obvious interpretation of this passage is in the context itself. “With the rich in His death;” this is in reference to his body being buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. (Matthew 27:57-60) It would be ridiculous to say that both his body and spirit were in the tomb, since that would go against Scripture as well as the doctrine the faith teachers are promoting.

D.R McConnell explains the Hebrew plural in this text in relation to Kenyon’s teachings: “Plural nouns are extremely common in the Hebrew Scriptures. They are not just used to denote numerical plurality, but also to emphasize a particular meaning of the noun. In Hebrew, plural nouns express majesty, rank, excellence, magnitude and intensity. In Isaiah 53:9, ‘deaths’ is a plural of intensity used by the writer to indicate that the death mentioned was a particularly violent one. It no more means that the king of Tyre died two deaths than that the Messiah died two deaths.” (D.R. McConnell, p.128.)

V. 9 reads: “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his deaths” (bemotav). In his deaths is a Hebrew way of speaking and means in His violent death or something of that type. That the word death is plural and says nothing about the servant. For even though the plural death is used, the reference remains singular: his. There is no reference to a subject, or to a servant, in the plural form. That would be, in their deaths, bemotehem.

The verse has, “in his deaths.” The word “deaths” is in the plural. The Hebrew plural form “deaths” can also mean violent death. Then the translation would be: “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his violent death.” Christ’s death was not something he deserved, but did for us.

Isa.53:9 The plural deaths intensifies the force, Adam by sin `dying died’ (Gen. 2:17, margin) incurred death physical and spiritual. So Messiah, His substitute, endured death in both senses: spiritual, during His temporary abandonment by the Father; physical, when He expired. (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)

Greek Scholars agree it was a violent death. Another example of this interpretation is in Ezek. 28:8-10, which depicts the violent and certain death of the king of Tyre: “you will die the death of those who are slain.” Keil and Delitzsch, in their Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. 7, Isaiah, inform us that in both the Isaiah and Ezekiel passages, the plural form for death is an example of pluralis exaggerativus: “it is applied to a violent death, the very pain of which makes it like dying again and again.” It obviously does not mean that you will literally die more than one death, no one dies over and over. It is describing of the intensity of that one death.

Jesus himself explained what his death meant when he told us to remember him by partaking in both the body and blood. These are physical elements of a physical activity with a spiritual meaning (Luke 22:19,20; 1Corinthians11:24-26). In 1 Corinthians 11 we are told that as often as we eat the bread and drink the cup we are “proclaiming the Lord’s death till He comes.” Which death are we announcing? This Scripture speaks of only one death involved in redemption, a physical death. This is the death we are to remember him by. The wafer represents His body and the wine represents His blood. The wafer was made with no leaven in it, as leaven is a symbol of sin. Therefore Christ was sinless. Mark 14:22-24 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.” Paul states in 1 Cor. 10:16-17: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? Hebrews 13:21 calls this sacrifice the “blood of the everlasting covenant.” In other words, without the blood we cannot have a relationship with God; this involves his physical death. There is no element in the Lord’s Supper to remind us of his “spiritual” death. Jesus spoke of laying down His physical life in John 15:13, not his spirit.

In John 6:51, Jesus describes Himself as, “…the living Bread which came down from heaven, and the bread which I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” He did not speak of giving his spirit with his body nor his spirit separately- but HIS FLESH for the life of the world. The word “flesh” indicates the body. Jesus never teaches anything about his spirit being involved in the atonement.

This sacrifice is dependent upon a physical death. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. The atonement came by the blood, the life of man. The blood atones, not any suffering by itself, before or after the cross. All the Old Testament types and symbolic usages of sacrifices show Christ as the fulfillment of the law and the sacrifices. No Old Testament animal sacrifice had any relationship to a spiritual death. John uses Old Testament typology as he introduced Jesus as “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”; this was done by death.

The Bible- Col.1:20: “And by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross… yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”

This is related to a physical death. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Even if he did die spiritually, Its not his spiritual death that could have any importance but the atonement through the blood, the life of man. The blood atones, not any suffering by itself before or after the cross. The whole Old Testament types and symbolic usage’s of sacrifices show Christ as the fulfillment of the law.

Both Paul’s epistles to different churches explain the very same things.

Col. 1:14: “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Eph. 1:7: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

Heb. 10:19-20 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.”

Revelation 1:5“…To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.”

He suffered only one death and it was on the cross, the death of his flesh. In this death he became obedient to the Father (Philippians 2:8). It is by this act of submission that we were redeemed and restored to fellowship.

BECOMING SIN FOR US

2 Corinthians 5:21 Word-Faith promoters confuse the meaning of this passage, since it is important for their doctrine of substitution and validates the idea of Jesus suffering in hell. Paul says: “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might be the righteousness of God in him.” Isaiah 53:5 tells us that the chastisement of our peace was laid “upon” Him. Isaiah 53:6 say’s the Lord laid our iniquity “on” him, not “in” him; there was no change in nature. Our sin was laid to his account. He bore its penalty as a punishment, as our substitution; he carried it away (fulfilling the typology of the scapegoat in Lev.16), not becoming sin or crushed by it. As it says in v.10, it pleased the Lord to bruise him. How? By being a lamb led to the slaughter. V.12 tells us he made intercession for the transgressors, which would be hard to do if you became one of them. Since God does not hear the prayer of a sinful man, especially the sin fullest human that ever lived. (the faith teachers he became worse than all having every sin imaginable).

It was E.W. Kenyon that explained “When this happened, spiritual death, the nature of Satan, took possession of His Spirit…. He was to partake of Spiritual Death, the nature of the Adversary…. Jesus knew that the moment had come, and He was to be made Sin. He must partake of that dread nature of the Adversary. His body would become mortal. Satan would become His master…. He [Jesus] had been lifted up as a serpent. Serpent is Satan. Jesus knew He was going to be lifted up, united with the Adversary.” (What Happened from the Cross to the Throne Kenyon’s Gospel Publishing Society, 1969, 20, 33, 44-45)

Creflo Dollar “He’s got to look like a sinner. Or they’re not going to receive Him into hell, you’ve got to be a sinner. He’s got to somehow look like that serpent on that stick in Moses’ day. He’s got to look like a serpent in order to be taken in. And Jesus who had never sinned, made an exchange with His covenant partner. He says “Let Me wear your coat of sin. It’ll make Me look like a sinner. I’ve never sinned, but if I can put your coat of sin on, when I get back I’m going to give you my coat of righteousness. So The bible says that He who had not sinned was made sin. (Our Equality with God Through Righteousness 1/21/2001)

Jesus had to “accept the sin nature of Satan.” (Kenneth Copeland, What Happened from the Cross to the Throne, side 2.)

Nowhere in the Scripture does it say, God made Him to be a sinner’ but ‘He had made Him to be sin.’ This occurred by taking our place as a substitution. Contrary to Kenyon’s theology Jesus always was mortal in his human nature, and nowhere does Scripture say Satan became his master. God subject to Satan is not the teaching of the bible in any shape or form.

Jesus speaking to Copeland teaches him, “It was a sign of Satan that was hanging on the cross….I accepted, in my own spirit, spiritual death; and the light was turned off.” (Kenneth Copeland, What Happened from the Cross to the Throne, side 2.)

Benny Hinn agrees “Ladies and gentlemen, the serpent is a symbol of Satan. Jesus Christ knew the only way He would stop Satan is by becoming one in nature with him. You say, ‘What did you say? What blasphemy is this?’ No, you hear this! He did not take my sin; He became my sin. Sin is the nature of hell. Sin is what made Satan…It was sin that made Satan. Jesus said, ‘I’ll be sin! I’ll go to the lowest place! I’ll go to the origin of it! I won’t just take part in it, I’ll be the totality of it!’ “ (Benny Hinn” program, TBN, 12/15/90 )

First we need to know that the origin of sin was not Hell nor does Hell have a nature, therefore Jesus did not become or go to hell. The origin of sin for mankind the bible teaches is found in Adam the first man (Rom.5:12). Many of these men teach on Hell not as a place to avoid for punishment from our sin, but a place that Christ went because of sin! (Think about it, you rarely hear about eternal judgment as the consequence of not having your sin forgiven).

Paul warns in 1 Cor. 12:3 “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, (anathema) and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. “ Anathema meant a thing devoted to God without being redeemed, doomed to destruction (a sinner, satanic being). If Christ became sin he is accursed, which is exactly what the faith teachers are saying. This would be different than the curse of the law in Gal. 3:13-14 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) this shows he took the law away that made one guilty when they did not keep it perfectly. It also shows it occurred on the cross.( Col.2:14-15)

2 Cor. 5:21 In Adam Clarke’s commentary he states “He made him who knew no sin (who was innocent), a sin-offering for us. The word hamartia (NT:266) occurs here twice: in the first place it means sin, i.e. transgression and guilt; and of Christ it is said, He knew no sin, i.e. was innocent; for not to know sin is the same as to be conscious of innocence; … to be conscious of nothing against one’s self, is the same as … to be unimpeachable.

In the second place, it signifies a sin-offering, or sacrifice for sin, and answers to the chaTa’ah (OT:2401) and chaTa’at (OT:2401) of the Hebrew text; which signifies both sin and sin-offering in a great variety of places in the Pentateuch. The Septuagint translates the Hebrew word by hamartia (NT:266) in 94 places in Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, where a sin-offering is meant; and where our version translates the word not sin, but an offering for sin. Had our translators attended to their own method of translating the word in other places where it means the same as here, they would not have given this false view of a passage which has been made the foundation of a most blasphemous doctrine; namely, that our sins were imputed to Christ, and that he was a proper object of the indignation of Divine justice, because he was blackened with imputed sin; and some have proceeded so far in this blasphemous career as to say, that Christ may be considered as the greatest of sinners, because all the sins of mankind, or of the elect, as they say, were imputed to him, and reckoned as his own. One of these writers translates the passage thus: . … God accounted Christ the greatest of sinners, that we might be supremely righteous. Thus they have confounded sin with the punishment due to sin. Christ suffered in our stead; died for us; bore our sins (the punishment due to them), in his own body upon the tree, for the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all; that is, the punishment due to them; explained by making his soul-his life, an offering for sin; and healing us by his stripes. (from Adam Clarke’s Commentary)

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown’s Commentary on 2 Cor. 5:21 “…the representative guilt-bearer of the aggregate sin of all men past, present, and future. The sin of the world is one; therefore the singular, not the plural, is used; its manifestations are manifold (John 1:29: cf. Rom 8:3-4; Gal 3:13). [For us]-Greek, `in our behalf’ (cf. John 3:14). Christ was represented by the brazen serpent, the form, but not of the substance, of the old serpent. At his death on the cross the sin-bearing for us was consummated.(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)

Albert Barnes notes on 2 Cor. 5:21, If the declaration that he was made “sin” hamartian (NT:266) does not mean that he was sin itself, or a sinner, or guilty, then it must mean that he was a sin-offering-an offering or a sacrifice for sin; and this is the interpretation which is now generally adopted by expositors; or it must be taken as an abstract for the concrete, and mean that God treated him as if he were a sinner. The former interpretation, that it means that God made him a sin-offering,”

2 Cor. 5:21 Locke renders this: probably expressing the true sense, “For God hath made him subject to suffering and death, the punishment and consequence of sin, as if he had been a sinner, though he were guilty of no sin.” To me, it seems probable that the sense is, that God treated him as if he had been a sinner; that he subjected him to such pains and woes as would have been a proper punishment if he had been guilty; that while he was, in fact, in all senses perfectly innocent, and while God knew this, yet that in consequence of the voluntary assumption of the place of man which the Lord Jesus took, it pleased the Father to lay on him the deep sorrows which would be the proper expression of his sense of the evil of sin; that he endured so much suffering, as would answer the same great ends in maintaining the truth, and honor, and justice of God, as if the guilty had themselves endured the penalty of the Law. This, I suppose, is what is usually meant when it is said “our sins were imputed to him;” and though this language is not used in the Bible, and though it is liable to great misapprehension and perversion, yet if this is its meaning, there can be no objection to it.

(Certainly Christ’s being made sin, is not to be explained of his being made sin in the abstract, nor of his having actually become a sinner; yet it does imply, that sin was charged on Christ, or that it was imputed to him, and that he became answerable for it. Nor can this idea be excluded, even if we admit that “sin-offering” is the proper rendering of hamartia (NT:266) in the passage. “That Christ,” says an old divine commenting on this place, “was made sin for us, because he was a sacrifice for sin, we confess; but therefore was he a sacrifice for sin because our sins were imputed to him, and punished in him.” …”All such views as go to make the Holy Redeemer a sinner, or guilty, or deserving of the sufferings he endured, border on blasphemy,” etc. Nor is it wiser to affirm that “if Christ was properly guilty, it would make no difference in this respect, whether it was by his own fault or by imputation.” What may be meant in this connection by “properly guilty,” we know not. But this is certain, that there is an immense difference between Christ’s having the guilt of our iniquities charged on him, and having the guilt of his own so charged.” (from Barnes’ Notes)

A.T Robertson states He made to be sin (hamartian epoieôsen). The words “to be” are not in the Greek.
“Sin” here is the substantive, not the verb. God “treated as sin” the one “who knew no sin.” But he knew the contradiction of sinners (Heb 12:3). We may not dare to probe too far into the mystery of Christ’s suffering on the Cross, but this fact throws some light on the tragic cry of Jesus just before he died: “My God, My God, why didst thou forsake me?” (Matthew 27:46). (Robertson’s Word pictures)

Robertson’s comment,” We may not dare to probe too far into the mystery of Christ’s suffering on the Cross.” Meaning its depth is left to God alone. But this is exactly what the faith teachers do, and because of this they come to the wrong conclusions. By going beyond what the Scripture states!

I John 3:5 says, “And you know he appeared to take away our sins, and in him, THERE IS NO SIN,” literally meaning that he had no sin before, during, nor after the cross. While many shift the atonement event to after the cross, there are some who may not understand that they are saying that there is NO salvation in the cross! But Paul states in 1 Corinthians1 that there is no salvation apart from the cross.

The UNFINISHED WORK ON THE CROSS

E.W. Kenyon wrote “We have sung `Nearer the cross’ and we have prayed that we might be `Nearer the cross’ but the cross has no salvation in it. It is a place of failure and defeat” (Advanced Bible Course, p.279)

Here is where Hagin and Copeland his disciple get his non-fundamental ideas. No salvation in the Cross! What does Paul say in 1 Cor.1, there is no salvation apart from the cross.

“Satan conquered Jesus on the Cross and took His spirit to the dark regions of hell” (Kenneth Copeland, Holy Bible: Kenneth Copeland Reference Edition 1991 p.129) To put this statement in the bible as a commentary (his edition) shows ones contempt for the truth.

Did Jesus say, “It is unfinished!”? Or “FINISHED” The Greek word for “it is finished means “paid in FULL.” It was used to wipe away any debt that someone would owe to another.

Copeland is adamant “The plan of redemption BEGAN when Jesus said “It is FINISHED”.” (Classic Redemption, p.13) “Jesus death on the cross was not enough to save us.” (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne, Tape #00-0303), (Believer’s Voice of Victory, September 1991)

After he dies spiritually he is not made alive (born again) until his suffers for our sin in HELL. According to Frederick Price’s gospel: “Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross? If that were the case, the two thieves could have paid your price. No, the punishment was to go into hell itself and to serve time in hell separated from God…Satan and all the demons of hell thought that they had Him bound and they threw a net over Jesus and dragged Him down to the very pit of hell itself to serve our sentence.” (Frederick K.C. Price, Ever Increasing Faith Messenger (June 1980) 7)

The evidence of Scripture is overwhelming testifying to the fact that Christ’s death upon the cross was a physical death only, there was no suffering in hell. He had victory on the cross, not defeat! (John 2:19-21; Ephesians 2:15; Col. 1:22; Hebrews 10:10; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 4:1). One does not have to investigate all the Greek definitions to understand this. All they need to do is rightly divide the Word, looking at all the information on salvation and the crucifixion, to see what God has said about the event and what occurred.

The Bible- Galatians 6:14: “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Cor.2:2. “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Why say this if it is a place of defeat?

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Romans 3:25).

“How much more shall the blood’ of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).

A sin offering was to be pure without ANY DEFECT! What made Jesus’ offering acceptable to God was that His was a sinless offering, a Holy and unblemished offering to God. How could Jesus have literally become sin when Hebrews 9:14 tells us that He offered Himself “without blemish to God”. “ Leviticus 6:25-29 clearly shows that the sin offering was “most holy” to God both before and after its death! 1 Peter 1:18-20 “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. …a Lamb without blemish. “ Just as 1 Jn.3:5 states, in him was NO SIN.

“How much more shall the blood’ of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14).

Paul wrote the Ephesians that “Christ loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” (Eph. 5:2).

Benny Hinn actually says, “Had He (Jesus) not offered Himself through the Holy Ghost, He would not be accepted in the eyes of God the Father. Nor would He have endured the sufferings of the cross. Had He not presented Himself through the Holy Ghost, His blood would not have remained pure and spotless. And let me add this: Had the Holy Spirit not been with Jesus, He would have sinned.” (Benny Hinn, Good Morning Holy Spirit, (Word, 1991) p.135)

What Hinn is proposing is that Christ was not God in his intrinsic nature and needed the Holy Ghost to keep him sinless. While it is true as he was in a state of submission that the holy Spirit was involved, it does not mean he lost his nature as God at any time, not before nor after the cross. But Hinn says he took on he nature of Satan when he was on the cross. In a conversation with Paul crouch he states Benny Hinn: “Jesus Christ destroyed the power of Satan on earth, but destroyed Satan in the under world, the Holy Ghost wasn’t there. Think about that.” Yes, Think about that!

Notice what the book of Hebrews states, which is a NT commentary on the book of Leviticus.

The Bible Heb. 9:11-13 “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. “So he entered the most holy place. How could he do this if he was made sin if he was defiled in ANY way?

Heb. 9:18-22 “Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

Heb 10:4-10 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come–In the volume of the book it is written of Me–To do Your will, O God.’ “ Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Lev. 17:11 for …the life of the flesh is in the blood…it is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul.”

Going to Hell to suffer

The faith teachers explain that all was lost on the cross, nothing won. Jesus became the victim of the satanic kingdom tortured unlike any other because he came to save us.

Jesus said on the cross before he expired “Father into your hands I commit my Spirit,” but according to their view it didn’t happen he was committed into Satan’s hands. This means the Father did not accept the sacrifice, but instead rejected it by allowing him to be taken into the enemy hands. Lets hear them tell it as they express it in many different ways.

Hagin “Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross? If that were the case, the two thieves could have paid your price. No the punishment was to go into hell itself and to serve time in hell separated from God … Satan and all the demons of hell thought that they had him bound, and they threw a net over Jesus and they dragged Him down to the very pit of hell itself to serve our sentence.”

“Satan conquered Jesus on the Cross and took His spirit to the dark regions of hell” (Kenneth Copeland, Holy Bible: Kenneth Copeland Reference Edition 1991 p.129.)

“Jesus went into hell to free mankind from the penalty of Adam’s high treason . . . When His blood poured out it did not atone. . . . Jesus spent three horrible days and nights in the bowels of this earth getting back for you and me our rights with God”. (Kenneth Copeland: From a personal letter to D.R.McConnell, dated 12/3/79. found in his book A Different Gospel, p.120)

Notice the clear statement, he went to hell to pay the price. But more importantly is his distorted view of what Jesus is paying for. Its not about high treason its about the sin nature we inherited from Adam and have thus become separated from God.

Copeland defends this, declaring, “it must be preached because it’s … the Truth and it sets people free.” “The day that Jesus was crucified, God’s life, that eternal energy .. moved out of Him and He allowed the devil to drag him into the depths of hell as if He were the most wicked sinner who ever lived..[and] to come under Satan’s control .. [or] His body would have never died. …” ( Believer’s Voice of Victory, quoted in Berean call September, 1991)

Copeland describes “…Got Him (Jesus) in there. Jesus said three days and three nights the Son of Man will suffer in the heart of the Earth like Jonah in the belly of the whale. Suffered there. suffered your penalty. Suffered my penalty. … the moment God was satisfied, He said, and He shouted right at the very portals of Heaven, and His word went into the pit, into that pit, the lousy guts of this earth, and He bypassed paradise…Jesus is down in that pit. He’s suffering down in there and all of a sudden (yells)”Thy throne O God is Forever !!!(crowd cheers) He went deeper into that pit than any man had ever gone. He suffered all sin. No man has ever committed “all” sin, but that One suffered all sin, all sickness, all disease – the entire curse of the Law. “Made a curse for” – we don’t have any concept of what He went through down there in the bowels of that place called Hell. (Believers voice of victory, Copeland 9/24/97) despite his saying this he is able to describe in detail what the bible does not.

“He [Jesus] allowed the devil to drag Him into the depths of hell….He allowed Himself to come under Satan’s control…every demon in hell came down on Him to annihilate Him….They tortured Him beyond anything anybody had ever conceived. For three days He suffered everything there is to suffer.” (Kenneth Copeland, “The Price of It All,” 3.)

The Bible says it was for three hours on the cross the judgment of God fell on Jesus for our behalf. This is not enough according to Copeland and others, so it becomes days long. The location, HELL!

Joyce Meyers writes, “During that time He entered hell, where you and I deserved to go because of our sin. He paid the price there. …no plan was too extreme. …” (The most important decision you will ever make p. 35, J. Meyers)

To her credit she also says……. that sinless blood had been shed to pay for man’s sins.” p. 38. But she then writes, “For three days He was alone paying for our sins as “only a man.” Its somewhat confusing on what she actually believes. Which is it, the cross or the cross plus. To say he atoned for our sins as “only a man” seems to deny the hypostatic union of the two natures in the person of Christ as well.

Fred Price has allegiance in the same camp as he also teaches “Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross? If that were the case, the two thieves could have paid your price. No, the punishment was to go into hell and to serve time in hell separated from God….Satan and all the demons of hell thought that they had Him bound and they threw a net over Jesus and they dragged Him down to the very pit of hell itself to serve our sentence.” (F.K.C. Price, Ever Increasing Faith Messenger, Newsletter Crenshaw Christian Centre, Inglewood, CA. June 1980, p.7.)

How does Price also describe something the bible does not? The devil drag Him into the depths of hell! Satan doesn’t run Hell. He hasn’t even been there, and He has every intention of never being there. Neither will he have the ability to torture lost souls in Hell, because He (they) will themselves be tortured.

It becomes clear that the faith teaching states there would have been no price paid for sin if Jesus had finished his work on the cross and went to Paradise.

Charles Capp’s says “ If there’s any part of hell Jesus did not suffer, you’ll have to suffer it. But, thank God, Jesus suffered it all, for you! In the place of the wicked dead, all the demons of hell and Satan rejoiced over the prize. The corridors of hell were filled with joy. ‘We’ve done it! We’ve captured the Son of God! We’ll no longer be in the pit of the damned! The earth and all that is therein is ours! Forever it will be ours!’ Rejoicing in hell had never been so great as it was that day. But it was short-lived.” (Authority in Three Worlds, 143 )

The word/faith teachers deny What Jesus told the apostles “This is My blood…which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mt. 26:28).

If Jesus was not victorious on the Cross, then he wasn’t victorious AT ALL!

Did Jesus enter Hell or Hades?

Matthew 12:40, “…so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” The use of this word heart meant the interior of a thing or of being in it. Here it is referring to the tomb he was in. Yet he did continue to exist as a Spirit (who is God in his nature).

Because they do not believe he was God in the flesh, but a man empowered by the spirit they can come to the erroneous conclusion that he was tortured in Spirit (if you think this is not so. Go to quotes on this teaching)

When Jesus used Jonah as an example it was to point to a location, and the manner of death not to punishment.

Kenneth Copeland states this as Bible when he says, “For three days He suffered everything there is to suffer. Some people don’t want to believe that. They want to believe that after His death, Jesus just stayed in that upper region of Sheol that the Bible calls paradise, but they’re mistaken! If He had simply stayed there, there would have been no price paid for sin.” (Believer’s Voice of Victory, Vol. 19, No. 9, Sept. 1991)

Cerflo Dollar echoes his mentor saying, “So now Jesus entered in legally into hell. But He was there illegally. Because once you get to hell there’s got to be some record of your sin. Now He had to stay there 3 days and 3 nights. You better hope He went to hell because if He didn’t go you and I would have to. You better hope He became every sickness, disease and depression and every piece of mess in the world because whatever He didn’t become you and I would have to become ”(Our Equality with God Through Righteousness 1/21/2001).

Copeland again states “I can’t understand Christians that refuse to believe that Jesus went to hell. I want to tell you something if he didn’t go, you’re going to have to.” (The Christian Channel Europe “(Believer’s Voice of Victory” May 1998)

No, the point is that He shed his blood on the cross so you would not have to. To put him in the exact place we end up (as sinners) as an equalizer is wrong, dead wrong! He was speaking of the work the Father had given him to do. Then Jesus’ statement “it is finished on the cross” was a lie for it was not finished yet, then Eph. 2:16 is false, “that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross” is not possible. It should read through suffering 3 days and nights in Hell!

Joyce Meyers echoes Copeland showing the ties she has with his heresy and this movement.

“There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth I am presenting. You cannot go to heaven unless you believe with all your heart that Jesus took your place in hell” (In her 1991 booklet, The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make).

She explains Christ’s atonement: “During that time He entered hell, where you and I deserved to go (legally) because of our sin. He paid the price there … no plan was too extreme … Jesus paid on the cross and in hell” (The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make 1991 p. 35,). “He went to hell to pay the debt you owed. (p.41 first edition)

“His spirit went to hell because that is where we deserved to go.” (The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make 1991, p.36.).

The Bible- I Peter 3:18, He writes “ For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being “Put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) This does not mean that He died spiritually and now he is spiritually resurrected, or by the Spirit. It means he died in the body, he was “Put to death in the flesh” not the Spirit. The spirit of Christ did not die, his flesh did. He continued his life existing in the spirit.

Christ died in body only and continued too exist in Spirit as he was before he came to earth. He was put to death in the sphere of the humanity but continued to be alive in the sphere of the Spirit. So his existence in his earthly life ended but continues He continued his life existing in the spirit inside the earth.

I Peter 3:18 states, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) by the Spirit.” This does not mean that He died spiritually and then was spiritually resurrected by the Spirit. It means He died in the body, He was “put to death in the flesh,” not the spirit. The spirit of Christ did not die; His flesh did. He continued his life, existing in the spirit. Christ died in body only and continued to exist in spirit, just as He did before he came to earth. He was put to death in the sphere of the flesh but continued to be alive in the sphere of the spirit. So His existence in his earthly life ended but he continued his life existing in the spirit inside the earth before he resurrected.

V. 19-20: “By whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.” The spirits He went to preach to were those from the time of the flood; the word for “preach” is in Gr. Kerysso, meaning to proclaim or announce (judgment). This is different than to evangelize and proclaim the good news of reconciliation for salvation, which is used in 1 Peter 4:6. This proclamation is directed to either the fallen angels or the human souls that died in the flood (Jude 6; 2 Peter 2:4). Probably having to do with announcing that their judgment is imminent, as he had just come from the victory on the cross. Col. 2:15, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it.” When? On the cross (v.14), this could never have occurred if Christ was suffering in Hell, as they claim.

The Bible-Acts 2:27, “For you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.”

Christ experienced no suffering from others, since that would be corruption. Peter repeats himself just a few verses later in Acts 2:31: “His soul was not left in Hell (Hades), nor did his flesh did see corruption.” Notice it says neither soul nor body saw corruption. Certainly to say that he became sin and was tortured as any other sinner would mean He did see corruption. The verse quoted by Peter is Psalm 16:10. The King James Version uses the word hell; a more accurate translation would be Sheol in Hebrew, which encompasses both Abraham’s bosom and hell. Sheol is used 65 times in the Old Testament; rarely is it used to denote a place of torment. The customary meaning is realm of the dead, meaning the state of death or the grave (Gen. 37:35; 1 Sam. 2:6; Psalm 141:7). In New Testament Greek the equivalent for Hades is often interpreted as the realm of the dead. We find in Luke 16:23,25 that Hades can mean a place of torment, though it may equally be described as a place of rest, in Abraham’s bosom, depending on which side you are on. The context should bear it out.

Jesus never suffered in hell under the torments of Satan. In fact, He told the thief on the cross that he would be with Him in paradise that very day (Luke 23:43). If the atonement had not been completed on the cross, He could never have said that the thief would be in paradise with Him. The thief would have then entered suffering with Jesus.

There is no salvation apart from His blood sacrifice; without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Hebrews 10:29: “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? The Bible teaches that our redemption comes “through the blood of the cross” nothing else (Ephesians 1:7; Col. 1:14, 20).

His victory in HELL

After the three days of a mockery and the torture Charles Capps writes “When Jesus was in the pit of hell. in that terrible torment, no doubt the Devil and his emissaries gathered around to see the annihilation of God’s Son. But in the corridors of hell, there came a great voice from heaven: ‘Turn Him Loose! He’s there illegally!’ And all of hell became paralyzed.” (Authority in Three Worlds, 143 )

“Why did He (Jesus) need to be begotten, or born? Because He became like we were: separated from God. Because He tasted spiritual death for every man….Jesus was the first person that was ever born again.” (K. Hagin, How Jesus Obtained His Name, Tulsa: Rhema, audiotape #44H01)

Contrary to his human reasoning the meaning is the firstborn from death unto eternal life. It has to do with physical body not the Spirit.

Hinn teaches Christ’s “rebirth” in hell: “My, you know, whoosh! The Holy Ghost is just showing me some stuff. I’m getting dizzy! I’m telling you the truth-it’s, it’s just heavy right now on me…He’s [referring to Jesus] in the underworld now. God isn’t there, the Holy Ghost isn’t there, and the Bible says He was begotten. Do you know what the word begotten means? It means reborn. Do you want another shocker? Have you been begotten? So was He. Don’t let anyone deceive you. Jesus was reborn. You say, ‘What are you talking about?’…He was reborn. He had to be reborn…If He was not reborn, I could not be reborn, I would never be reborn. How can I face Jesus and say, “Jesus, You went through everything I’ve gone through, except the new birth?” (Benny Hinn, Our Position ‘In Christ,’ Part 1 (Orlando, FL: Orlando Christian Center, 1991), videotape #TV-254)

Consider the concept “If He was not reborn, I could not be reborn.” According to the Scripture Christ was not reborn so that means you were not either! [To be reborn means one needs a new nature because they are a sinner.]

Copeland states “Jesus was reborn in the pits of hell.” (What Happened From the Cross to the Throne)”He was the first man to ever be born again from sin to the righteousness of God. Hallelujah !!! (9/24/97 video)

“The day I realized that a born-again man had defeated Satan, hell, and death, I got so excited..!” September, 1991, Believer’s Voice of Victory)

“God rose up from His throne and said to demon powers tormenting the sinless Son of God, ‘Let Him go.’ Then the resurrection power of Almighty God went through hell and filled Jesus … He was resurrected from the dead – the first born-again man” (The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make, pg. 36, 1991 booklet)

Contrary to their imaginations he did not become born again in Hell only those who have the nature of sin need a new birth.

Ask yourself What kind of teaching is this that Christ suffered in hell only to be reborn like any other man? No one in Church history had taught such a thing until today’s new spiritual revelators came along.

Charles Capp’s goes even further, “Jesus was born again in the pit of hell. He was the firstborn, the first begotten, from the dead. He started the Church of the firstborn in the gates of hell… He went down to the gates and started His Church there….The Church started when Jesus was born again in the gates of hell.” (C.Capps, Authority in Three Worlds, op. cit. p.212-213)

The Bible-Acts 2, the Church was born on Pentecost when the Spirit of God was sent to those in the upper room and the gospel was preached at Jerusalem where 3,000 were saved.

Heb.10:29: “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”

The Bible teaches that our redemption comes “through the blood of the cross” (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14, 20).

“The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 Jn.1:7). All Sin; which means there was nothing needed to be added. When He said, “it is finished” on the cross, that is exactly what He meant.

We receive this gift is by faith: “It pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe” (I Cor. 1:21). Believe what? The Gospel! It is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.” (Rom 1:16). Believe what? I Cor. 15:1-4 that “Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again.” That is it, no more no less.

Where did He die for our sins becomes the crucial question? I ask you, do these teachers present the blood of Christ as the finished atonement for sin or suffering in Hell. If a Bible teacher presents the blood of Christ as not the finished atonement for sin and further suffering is included; whether Gethsamane or Hell is required, this is a false representation of Jesus’ work to atone for sin. This is no different than one mischaracterizing the person of Jesus at the incarnation. It becomes a different Jesus, and a different Gospel – a Jesus who did not save through the atonement on the cross, and instead redeemed us in Hell! What a terrible distortion of the most important event God did for mankind. Only teachers in biblical ignorance and sinister ministers would promote this “new, improved version” of the New Covenant.

Philippians 3:18: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.”

RUN FROM THESE WHO PREACH HERESY.

A change will be taking place

I am letting the readers know, there will be some major changes around here within the next few days, weeks etc. However long it takes, God knows. Some articles, catagories, etc will be taken down. Please bear with me as God does this new thing. Thank you.

Who is your covering?

This pearl was found here:

http://annointing.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/who-is-your-covering.pdf

It was refreshing to see someone has gotten it right on authority. Please go give his blog a look. Something tells me it is going to be a place of refreshing. 

There is a popular teaching coming from the pulpits of many apostate churches today which claims that Christians must have a “spiritual covering”. This teaching as it is presented in today’s church is a far cry from what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 11.

The covering taught by most pastors today is the idea that a Christian must be a member of a church and must be spiritually submitted to a particular pastor. Many will tell you that if you are not submitted to a church hierarchy you are out of the will of God and are under the influence of Satan. All of this is evidence of the Nicolaitan error Jesus spoke of in Revelation 2:6

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 1Cor 11:3

Notice that Paul does not say the head of every man is his pastor, or an apostle, or any other church official. The head of every man is Christ. Period!

Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 1 Cor 11:4-5

Paul is not talking here about wearing a hat or a prayer shawl or the length of ones hair. What he is saying is this. Every man who covers his head by submitting himself to another man dishonors his true head which is Christ. And any woman who worships without the covering of her husband dishonors her husband.

There is no higher authority in the body of Christ than the individual believer. All Christians are seen by God as kings and priests. All are called saints. All who do the will of God are counted as sons of God. Every man will be accountable by himself for his own actions or inactions vis-à-vis his relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Your pastor or apostle to whom you’ve submitted yourself will not
be there to speak for you.

Some will point to Hebrews 13:17 as a reason we should spiritually submit to men. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Heb 13:17

The Greek word which is translated them that have the rule is the word hegeomai {hayg-eh’-om-ahee} which means to lead or to go before. Our misunderstanding of this principle stems from our conformity to the world and the way leadership is exercised in this earthly realm.

But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Mat 20:25-27

We see here that leadership in the Kingdom of God consists of servanthood. Those who God has called to the five fold ministry are placed there to be your servant not your master. You are not called to serve them. So those who have rule over us must be those who give of themselves to see that we are conformed to the image of Christ. What they will give account of is how well they performed their role as servant.

Unfortunately, just as Paul prophesied in Acts 20:29, grievous wolves have entered into the church intent on drawing away disciples unto themselves. One way they do this is to intimidate people into following them. It is amazing the amount of fear and guilt these supposed shepherds put on the unsuspecting sheep.

I’ve heard one pastor tell his congregation that all their prosperity is due to his faith. He talks often about people who have left his church and are now poor and sick. The people who sit under him are afraid to leave.

I listened once to Clarence McClendon tell a congregation that God put them under their pastor and that if they ever left that pastor they were in rebellion to God. People were whoopin and hollerin and cheering him on. He went on and on getting all worked up until he finally said: “I know you have Jesus but Jesus is not enough!” A stunned silence filled the auditorium. McClendon got a funny look on his face as if he himself was surprised that those words had come out of his mouth. After a moment he composed himself and began to tap dance and back track trying to explain what he really meant. But I knew what he meant. Jesus said out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45). That was the spirit of antichrist (in place of Christ) talking out of that man’s mouth. What is really sad is that not one person got up and left. After a couple of awkward minutes they were back whoopin and hollerin for this wolf in sheep’s clothing.

I know that there are rebellious people in the body of Christ who refuse to submit to any authority. This is not what I am counseling. I have no problem submitting to Godly authority when I see it. I must say that Godly authority is a rare thing in the church today but it does exist.

The people to whom you should submit are those who have gone before you. Those who know more than you do. No single individual, be it pastor, teacher, apostle prophet, or evangelist has all the answers for every situation you will face in life. We are all only parts of the body. No single person is the complete body except Christ. That is why you should submit to Him. If Christ leads you to an individual for a time of instruction then sit and learn from that person. But understand that it is the gift in them to which Christ has led you, not the person.

So, the lesson here is this. Submit yourself to Christ. He is your head. Allow him to be your teacher. If he sends you to a person for a season fine, learn from that servant . But you should never allow that person to exercise rulership over you in the earthly sense. If you are born again and filled with the Holy Ghost, you are perfectly capable of hearing from God yourself. You are perfectly capable of understanding the bible yourself. You are perfectly capable of obeying God yourself.

WARNING GRAPHIC — abortion, and a plea for LIFE

The following videos can be seen here:

http://www.abortionno.org/index.php/audio_video

I was not able to embed them here. I’m not even sure if WordPress would have allowed it. So you will have to go the above link.

However, be forewarned, it is GRAPHIC. But, what did you expect? Abortion is MURDER. There is no other name for it. And THIS is just one of many reasons God will judge this nation. But that is for another post.

Right now, I talk to women of all ages: I do not care what your political views are. Democrat or Republican, black or white. Does not matter to me. I speak to you woman to woman. I speak to those who would be grand-mothers: Do you really want yourgrandchildren butchered in the safety of their mother’s womb? That’s what it is, you know. Do you expect to find mercy on the day you should need it? You may never get it if you yourself think it no crime to kill the defenseless. We all reap what we sow.

I speak to that unwed mother who may be peeking in right now. Those who would tell you it is not a baby are lying to you. They do not care for you OR your baby. You are just an object to the abortionist to prod with instruments of doom and torture to a living human being with a soul.

Satan, yes, Satan is a hater of all human kind. He has no mercy. He sees the young woman scared, going to these doctors and he laughs. He laughs at what he knows will take place once you go through those doors. He laughs at your fear, your anquish. He taunts you with this: ”You’re young, you’re uneducated. Who do you think you are to take care of a baby?” Or perhaps he says this: “Look at you. You have your whole life ahead of you. You’ve got college to think about, a career. Surely a baby will be in your way.” Either way, what he is really saying to you is: “Give me your suffering. Give me the baby and all your suffering will end.” He lies. His plan for you is destruction and he will do everything he can to bring it up on you. He will pretend he cares through the very people you trust: Doctors and nurses in white lab coats, friends and family who speak soothing words of “It’s ok, you can end the pregancy,” Counselors who will tell you, “you have to do what is best for you, it is your right.”

There is another who speaks to you. Jesus, the Friend of your soul. He cares like no other. He loves you and your baby like no one else can. He is the Lord of Love. He says to you,“Come to Me. Trust Me. I love you and your baby. I will never leave you or forsake you. I am a gentleman and I know how to treat a woman. I will never abuse you, hit you or taunt you. I am a Father to the fatherless. I can be your Husband. I am a Redeemer. I can give you beauty for ashes. I can make all things new. I love you and your baby. Won’t you please trust Me?” 

He allowed you life for a reason. Should the same not be said for your baby? 

And last and least I speak to the doctors, the butchers who commit these gruesome acts in the name of women’s health care: 

and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. — 1 John 3:15 –

YOU ARE MURDERERS OF THE VILEST KIND. May God have mercy on your souls. 

Why is China building eerie ‘ghost cities’?

Image of “ghost cities” below. My thoughts on the matter are depopulation/One World/New Age.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=260645

Google Earth photographs reveal towns completely devoid of people

Why is China constructing large, well-designed “ghost cities” that are completely devoid of people?

Google Earth photographs of China depict city after city of vast complexes consisting of office skyscrapers, government buildings, apartment buildings, residential towers and homes, all connected by networks of empty roads – with some of the cities located in China’s truly most inhospitable locations.

Images of these “ghost cities” – after countless billions of dollars have been spent on the towns’ design and construction – reveal nobody lives in them.

“The photographs look like giant movie sets prepared to film apocalyptic motion pictures in which some sort of a neutron war or bizarre natural disaster has eliminated people from the face of the earth while leaving the skyscrapers, sports stadiums, parks and roads perfectly intact,” Corsi noted. “One of China’s ghost cities is actually built in the middle of a desert in Inner Mongolia.”

Business Insider ran a series of photos of these Chinese ghost cities. One showed no cars in the city except for approximately 100 parked in largely empty lots clustered around a government building, and another showed a beautiful wetland park with people added using Photoshop.

China now has an estimated inventory of 64 million vacant homes. It is building up to 20 new ghost cities a year on the country’s “vast swathes of free land.”

Horrible prophetic type dream

I found this at my friend’s place; the Mad Jewess.

http://themadjewess.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/horrible-prophetic-type-dream-i-had/

She describes a horrible dream she had and goes on to explain her thoughts on it. I agree with her.

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I picked up this book at the Goodwill store the other day. It was called “Americas last stand” by David Wilkerson (He is a Christian and also gifted in prophecy-I believe). He wrote this book, I believe, in 1998-99.

It makes me tremble with fear to think that many things in this book he had written have happened, and happening now. People are so hard against God, that it is baffling to me. They just keep giving over to evil. Everywhere you look, evil is “OK”. There is no law, there are no Christian principles in America today- none, whatsoever. This turning away from the Holy One will insure our total disaster. History reveals this to us: That any nation that forsakes the Living One will be judged and without much mercy-especially a nation like America, that has been blessed beyond all comprehension.

The following is a dream I had about 12 years ago. I was reminded of it for two days as I read Wilkersons book- for those of you who have an ear- all that I can beg, is that you HEAR.

I was in the fields, just walking, this happened to be outside of Salinas, CA, near Castroville. I was gazing at the artichoke fields. They were in full bloom with purple flowers, and mustard flowers all around the plants. Day turned to night and I was still there. It was now night-time…. I heard a sound, not a far off sound, either. It was close, and it was getting closer and louder. When I looked up to see this sound and noise, I could not believe my eyes. It was an army, such of the likes that I had never seen before. They were on horses, they were equipped with swords that looked ancient as well. The army was one that was many nations-they did not have features of one nationality. They marched on, closer, louder, thundering. I was trembling, and hiding in the field under an artichoke plant. When I looked again, I heard a battle cry. I looked up, with great fear, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that we-America- could NEVER defeat this army that was marching through our land. I was safe in a hiding place…………..

I must say to my friend Mad Jewess now if she is reading this, it is odd you would mention a hiding place. The Lord has been speaking to my heart about being hidden in Him in the days to come. I have yet to learn what all that means because I have been too busy wanting to fight the good fight with my big mouth. He will teach the likes of you and me what that means in the days to come. He will teach us all who are called by his Name for His purpose.  

You may mock what I am going to tell you, but I dont really care. America will be utterly defeated and collapsed. We WILL be invaded, in this lifetime by foreign armies. Count on it. We have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. We have allowed the outright murder of babies to take place, millions, 40-50 million murdered babies. We have allowed homosexuals to become militant, so now we allow them to invade even conservatism and GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED BY THIS EVIL GENERATION. We will ALL suffer. ALL OF US because of this evil that WE have allowed.

Go take it up with God, I am weary of watching this nation crumble into godlesseness and every wickedness under the sun. My eyes have failed me for tears over what has happened to my nation and our people. I AM SICK with seeing this sin out of control, and WE WILL PAY A PRICE FOR IT.

I have had many, many dreams of this nature. I will post more on it. For those of you who think you can come and mock, note this;

YOU WILL NOT EVER BE ALLOWED TO POST HERE. We all toss your ‘liberal’ evil in the ash can where it belongs.

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Same goes for this place. No mocking will be allowed here either. 

Mad Jewess, my end time friend, God strengthen us both in the days to come and may we be His witnesses come what may.

The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. — Proverbs 18:10 –

Run to that High Tower, MJ! Run! I’m right with you, sister.

Essentials For False Leaders

I dare say that if you see the following in your own church, chances are you are sitting under a hireling. You may want to leave. Contrary to what some of you may believe, I am NOT seeing how many people I can get to flee from their churches. I am trying to protect you from dangerous influences. 

Jesus did not come to bring peace — but division, seperating truth from lies. If you choose to stay under these influences, then you are at a great risk of being deceived.

Wonderful article by Todd Tomasella found here:

http://bewarefalseprophets.blogspot.com/2010/11/essentials-for-false-leaders.html

Essentials For False Leaders
The Unspoken Creed of Modern Hirelings
(this is some of the evil learned from their church growth marketing industry gurus)

Cardinal Rule #1: Thou shalt not obey Jesus Christ and preach repentance. This is what He prescribed in order that He might grow His true Church as He wills. Ignore the severe truths of the Bible because it won’t make you successful in men’s eyes and maximize your monetary earning potential in this life. Instead, seek out popular men who can tell you how to be a good church growth student and farm your community to grow your church business.

Cardinal Rule #2: Thou shalt not teach people that God is holy, that sin separates men from Him, and that without exception He requires all who will be eternally saved to “be ye holy for I am holy.”

Cardinal Rule #3: Thou shalt tend only to the light fanfare of fun things like coping, financial prosperity, physical healing, getting blessed, pop psychology, and light things catering to building up the self life which Jesus commanded men to “deny.”
Cardinal Rule #4: Thou shalt entertain sinful goats who think they are saved and not feed sheep. Only say things that make the largest segment of society feel comfortable at all costs. This is how you will be able to build a large church business. Never ever, ever tell the people that Jesus Christ requires them to deny themselves, take up their cross daily and really and truly follow Him are they are not His.

Cardinal Rule #5: Thou shalt make people feel like they are apart of a community. Make them feel like they belong and that they are accepted without question or exception and that God okays them in their sins whether they repent or not.
Cardinal Rule #6: Thou shalt be friendly and sensitive to seekers while ignoring the need to fear God and preach the undiluted full-counsel of His Word. Oh, make sure you use one of the many artificial, corrupt new versions of the Bible that are supposedly easier to read and have removed and distorted the central doctrines of the Christian faith. Beware because using the real English Bible (KJV) would convict people of sin and might actually cause people to have to learn new English words, increasing their vocabulary and making them smarter and wiser and able to discern who you really are (Ps. 19:7; 119:99-100).

Cardinal Rule #7: Thou shalt not preach on the vivid reality of hell and eternal judgment to come and how Jesus spoke more about hell than Heaven. This might make people feel uncomfortable in their sins and not patronize or pay you to continue to lead them astray.

Cardinal Rule #8: Thou shalt purposely ignore and dodge all the myriad of Scriptures that deal with crucifying the self life, denying sinful pleasure in this life and truly following Jesus. This would offend and alienate people from your cause.

Cardinal Rule #9: Thou shalt not preach any convicting word that brings shame on sinful consciences. If so you would run some off and they would no longer help you build your local church business.

Cardinal Rule #10: Thou shalt act as if you believe the Bible is God’s Word and yet don’t really spend much time getting directly into it. Rather, bring in fad books written by best selling authors who do not exalt Jesus Christ by declaring His Word – undiluted. If you want to grow your own financial portfolio, do not preach the full-counsel of God’s Word – holiness, repentance, being born again, hell, denial of self, judgment to come, etc. Make sure you do not make one of God’s 66 glorious divinely-inspired books the text book for smaller group studies. People might get convicted of their sins, repent, and begin to personally learn God’s Word for themselves and won’t allow you to continue to mislead them and will not see the need for you (“Pastor Wonderful”) to tell them what to believe.

Cardinal Rule #11: Remember that your whole goal is to look successful in the eyes of men and to grow your congregation numerically and not spiritually. Thou shalt not specifically and by name preach on sin and call men to repent of their life of iniquity. The blessed and ancient altar call must be removed. Since you won’t be preaching repentance from sin before a just and holy God and Judge, you will not need an altar call. Obeying Christ by calling men to repent is not conducive to your own personal cause and popularity among men and may cause people to get truly saved and begin serving Christ and having an eternal perspective and not buying in to your selfish interests to build your entertainment club disguised as a church. Be careful to remember that people who truly know and fear God do not support false prophets and if you truly preach the Word some will repent and see who you really are and leave your circus act.

Cardinal Rule #12: Thou shalt completely ignore the New Testament book of Acts and the baptism in the Holy Ghost which would empower and make His disciples true witnesses of the KING of all kings and draw their allegiance to Jesus and advancing His eternal kingdom which would take away their heart affections and energies from your own self-serving program and cause.

Cardinal Rule #13: Thou shalt not truly and ceaselessly preach the Word of God since that would make true disciples. If so they might realize they really don’t need you but rather the nail-scarred risen Savior and LORD and go forth doing His bidding ministry – building up the saints and winning the lost – which would lessen your own importance and position.

Cardinal Rule #14: Only deal with surface issues like self-esteem, relationships, coping, and things pertaining to selfish interests. Make sure those in your little bless me club are comforted in their sin and believe they are eternally secure no matter what filth and wickedness they get into after their initial profession of faith. This will tickle their ears and embolden them to continue to live in sin and enjoy being led to believe that God will still accept them into His holy Heaven. This is another good way to get people to feel good and continue to come and give their money to your little entertainment club. Do not preach God’s Word as Paul told Timothy to do. Most people want to be told ear-tickling lies and so in order to have a large following, you must be selective about what you preach.

Cardinal Rule #15: Jesus told you that you must lose your life in this world to gain it. If you were to obey what He said, you would then lay it all down and truly be Christ’s and serve Him and no longer be a “deceitful worker” and pawn of Satan (2 Cor. 11:12-15; Phil. 3:17-19). Also, be aware that if you truly repent you will no longer be a hireling wolf who preys upon people, using them as a means to your own selfish end. If you were to really get right with the LORD you may lose the riches of this fleeting world and begin laying up eternal treasure.

Joyce Green: Finding my place

This woman and her husband (who since have gone to be with the Lord) have blessed me with the truth more than any other over the years.

Come join me for church this morning by watching the videos.

I know some of you will hear exactly what you have been needing. I know I have.

My prayer to those who take the time to watch and listen: Father in heaven, You see Your many children who feel they have no place. They struggle with the desire to belong and be accepted. They are the ones who will not compromise the truth for the sake of acceptance either within the world or with those in teaching lies. My prayer for each and every one is that we come to know and realize we are accepted in the Beloved and that is more than enough. I pray that each finds their place hidden in You. Bring healing to all those who have been hurt. Break the chains of unforgiveness, the chains of bitterness, the chains of anger. Lord, bring the gift of repentance to all those who desire to call upon You with a pure heart. Release us from our any idols we may have set up through vain imaginations. Help us to be children of light in the darkness to come. Light bearers for truth. Jesus, may You set the captives free today! God bless each and every one with Your truth and Your truth alone. Help us to pick up our cross –whatever that is for each of us –and die to self so that You may live through us.

bfamonlinevideos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Purpose Driven Resisters – Must Leave or Die

Article below sent to me by a friend. It appears to have been written in 2006. 

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/resistersdieorleave.htm

Those who oppose the “program” are called leaders from hell.

I will interject something here: The leaders from hell, are men like Rick Warren who is pushing this New Age gospel and jesus.

The phone calls and emails started coming in about three years ago. Sometimes the caller was in his mid-eighties, sometimes the caller was crying. But all of them had the same kind of story to tell – when their churches decided to get involved with 40 Days of Purpose, everything began changing and when they questioned these changes, they each soon found themselves silenced, ostracized and eventually without a church to attend. Now today, nearly five years after Purpose Driven Life was released, thousands of believers are scattered throughout the world, having been ridiculed and demoralized for even just the slightest questioning of the Purpose Driven program. In one email we received, the young man was handed a letter from his pastor. The letter had been written by a Saddleback field representative who told the pastor to do what he had to do to get rid of those opposing the new program.

According to Rick Warren, these people are resisters and are standing in the way of Purpose Driven progress. In a June 14th article written by Rick Warren on his website (What Do You Do When Your Church Hits a Plateau? ), Warren told pastors and church leaders not to be discouraged about slow change in their churches. He told them it would take time … and in many cases it would take these resisters either leaving the church or simply dying. Warren stated:

“If your church has been plateaued for six months, it might take six months to get it going again. If it’s been plateaued a year, it might take a year. If it’s been plateaued for 20 years, you’ve got to set in for the duration! I’m saying some people are going to have to die or leave.

Moses had to wander around the desert for 40 years while God killed off a million people before he let them go into the Promised Land. That may be brutally blunt, but it’s true. There may be people in your church who love God sincerely, but who will never, ever change.”

For Warren to couple his statement about dying or leaving with a statement about God killing off a million people is ignorant at best, subliminal at least. Coupled with his mention of 40 years in the desert and Warren’s teaching that God always did good things in numbers of 40, Warren’s intention in this statement seems obvious. In addition, the concept of get with the program, change or die is very common in New Age circles, that those who don’t get on board (or ride the wave as Leonard Sweet puts it), will have to die. Listen to the words of renown New Ager Barbara Marx Hubbard:

“Christ-consciousness and Christ-abilities are the natural inheritance of every human being on Earth. When the word of this hope has reached the nations, the end of this phase of evolution shall come. All will know their choice. All will be required to choose…. All who choose not to evolve will die off.” (See The Plan)

Furthermore, Leonard Sweet, in his book, Soul Tsunami, says that:

“A sea change of transitions and transformations is birthing a whole new world and a whole new set of ways of making our way in the world…. It is time for a Postmodern Reformation … Reinvent yourself for the 21st century or die. Some would rather die than change.” (pp. 17, 75).

Perhaps like those who willingly went to the flames rather than to denounce the truth? Those whom the world is not worthy of.

Rick Warren (whose endorsement sits on both the front and back covers of Sweet’s book) says that Soul Tsunami “shows us why these are the greatest days for evangelism since the first century.” In an audio set done by Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet called Tides of Change, the two men elaborate on this and make it clear that those who don’t ride this new wave will not make it.

One of the tools Rick Warren uses to help churches become Purpose Driven is a book called Transitioning: Leading Your Church Through Change. The book is sold on Rick Warren’s website and is written by Dan Southerland. According to pastors.com (Rick Warren’s website to pastors), Southerland is the director of “Church Transitions Inc., an organization that trains pastors and church leaders to effectively manage major transitions. Southerland … is the leading expert on implementing the Purpose Driven paradigm in existing churches.”

Chapter six of Transitioning is called “Dealing with Opposition” and is just one of many ways Rick Warren tries to convey the fact that those who oppose him are less than desirable. Southerland states:

“We have experienced two major sources of criticism during our transitions. The first is Christians from more traditional backgrounds…. Not all of our traditional backgrounded Christians have been critical – just the ornery ones. Our second source of criticism is traditional church pastors. Again, not all traditional church pastors – just the meaner ones.” (p. 116).

I have to say, I guess I’m one of those ornery ones. Because I will NEVER back down from these apostates.

Southerland tells readers that “some folks are going to get very angry.” He goes so far as to liken opposers of Purpose Driven to “leader[s] from hell.” He says:

“If you have read Nehemiah recently, you will remember that Sanballat is Nehemiah’s greatest critic and number one enemy. Let me put it plainer than that. Sanballat is a leader from hell. We all have some Sanballats in our churches. This is the guy who opposes whatever you propose…. You cannot call this guy a leader from hell to his face – but you could call him Sanballat.” (p. 115).

In 2003, during Saddleback’s 25th anniversary, Rick Warren recited, along with 30,000 participants, the Purpose Driven Covenant. In that covenant he stated that he would do “whatever it takes” to accomplish his goals. For us at Lighthouse Trails it has become increasingly evident that he wasn’t kidding when he said that. Last year, as some of you may remember, we issued a press release that showed the connection between Rick Warren and Ken Blanchard. In Warren’s own words, he acknowledged that Blanchard, a New Age sympathizer, had “signed on” to help implement Warren’s global P.E.A.C.E. plan. Warren stated this at a Saddleback service as well as at the 2003 Lead Like Jesus conference in Alabama. However, a month after we issued the press release, Lighthouse Trails received an email from Rick Warren. The email was sent in the middle of the night, and by the following morning, Warren had given permission to a colleague to post his email online. We contacted Saddleback and confirmed this. Needless to say, countless people found out about this email. However, what most who read his email did not realize was that the majority of the statements in his email were not true. We posted a public response but knew that most people would either only read Warren’s email to us or refuse to believe that America’s pastor was lying and we were speaking the truth.

Lighthouse Trails learned of Rick Warren’s connection to Ken Blanchard through a book called A Life With Purpose, written by Hollywood biographer, George Mair. Ray Yungen discusses this in his book, A Time of Departing:

In the spring of 2005, someone handed me a book called A Life with Purpose by George Mair. The book is written as a positive account of Rick Warren’s life. In fact, the subtitle on the front cover reads: America’s Most Inspiring Pastor. It is clear that the author had a great admiration for Warren. While Mair wrote the book, he spent many Sunday mornings at Saddleback church services, listening to Rick Warren and donating financially. However, after Rick Warren found out about the book, he publicly criticized it. In addition, Saddleback church sent out emails to an undisclosed number of people, discrediting Mair’s book.

I personally believe Warren’s effort to debunk the book was an attempt to conceal some of its observations. What George Mair didn’t realize was that in his candid account of Warren, and in his efforts to offer this testament of praise, some things were revealed about the pastor that might have gone undetected by the average person. For instance, Mair explains how New Age prophet Norman Vincent Peale was at the foundation of the church-growth movement and furthermore “many of Peale’s uplifting affirmations originated with an ‘obscure teacher of occult science’ named Florence Scovel Shinn.” Referring to many of the methods that Peale taught and his “unification of psychology and religion,” Mair says, “Saddleback distinctly bears the stamp of Reverend Norman Vincent Peale.”

In November of 2003, Rick Warren announced to his Saddleback congregation his global P.E.A.C.E. Plan. In the same sermon, Warren introduced the congregation to Ken Blanchard, playing a video clip of Blanchard’s visit to Saddleback a few days earlier. Warren informed his large congregation that Blanchard had:”… signed on to help with the P.E.A.C.E. Plan, and he’s going to be helping train us in leadership and in how to train others to be leaders all around the world.”

In light of the fact that Ken Blanchard has promoted Buddhism and Eastern style meditation for over 20 years, it became very alarming to know that Rick Warren was using Blanchard to train leaders around the world.

The weeks following Rick Warren’s email to us, we received phone calls and emails from different men from Saddleback, one of them telling us to stop “lobbing dead cats [and grenades] over the wall.” It was confirmed also that an email was sent out from Saddleback to an unknown number of people, discussing the Blanchard issue. That email stated that Lighthouse Trails had lied and they should not be listened to.

And then in December of 2005 a very strange thing happened – a woman sent us an email she had received from Rick Warren’s personal email address, which stated:

“The website you refer to [Lighthouse Trails] below is well-known for publishing lies, which can easily be proven false…. The Bible says “Satan is the father of lies”, so those who intentionally spread them are doing Satan’s work for him. That is evil. We suggest you avoid listening to evil people who have a habit of lying about ministers of the Gospel. Study the Scriptures every day and flee from those who make their reputation by lying.”

We contacted Saddleback about the email, and we received the following reply, suggesting that the email had been written by a computer hacker: “We are sorry that this public mailbox has been shut down due to vandalism and stolen identity. Federal enforcement officers are tracking down the source in either Africa or the Pacific Northwest.” At first, we thought this was a joke because we (who live in the Pacific Northwest) had recently issued a press release about an evangelist in Africa who had been opposing Purpose Driven. Hearing that Federal officers had narrowed down an investigation to either our location or the evangelist’s location seemed preposterous. We contacted Saddleback by phone requesting the names of these Federal agents because of the threatening nature of the “anonymous” email. A few days later a Saddleback staff member called and told us that Federal agents were doing an investigation on their web server being broken into and that Saddleback suspected Lighthouse Trails. We again asked for the names of the Federal agents as well as the Saddleback communications director that was handling the case. However, we were told they would not give us any names. We have not heard anything from Saddleback since.

We testify of these things, not to distract you from the issues at hand (of exposing contemplative and emerging spirituality within the church), but rather to show that Rick Warren, as well as other leaders, will go to great lengths to preserve their status and to complete their tasks, even to the point of lying, threatening, discrediting and deceiving. While we have postponed releasing this information for several months, because of Rick Warren’s continuous brazen remarks against the body of Christ and because Purpose Driven is an avenue through which the New Age is entering the church, we believe it is of utmost importance to relay this documentation to believers who are working so diligently to defend the gospel message of Jesus Christ in a time when a great falling away appears to be at hand.

The question we must ask is just how far will Rick Warren go to help rid churches of those they consider “leader[s] from hell,” who in reality may be part of the very Bride of Christ.

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Special Note: Recently the Calvary Chapel movement (founded by Chuck Smith, Sr.) made a bold declaration when they decided to reject the emerging and contemplative prayer movements and to discontinue their support and use of all Purpose Driven materials. Many applaud this bold and sacrificial action.

A Visit to Rick Warren’s Health Seminar

Unless he repent, men like Rick Warren will actually help set up the anti-christ. He is already doing it! Rick Warren worshippers, do not come here trying to defend him. Time is short and I am not going to waste time trying to convince you of the truth. You have a duty, an obligation, a command to TEST ALL THINGS. I have pointed you to the truth. What you do with it, is your buisness.

Following article gotten here: http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/011/lighthousetrails/warren-seminar.htm

I first arrived to Saddleback’s campus only to be told that “all parking lots were full.” I drove across the street to see if there were any spots available in the business lots, and they were full too. I ended up parking in a housing tract and walked a mile or two back to Saddleback’s campus. As I arrived, I overheard a parking lot attendant say they estimated about 6,000 people had come to the seminar.
I was a little late, so I was grateful to my nephew who went online and began to relay what was being said in the opening comments, as I didn’t want to miss what was to be the foundation of the talks that day. I was a little taken aback when my nephew told me the first speaker, Dr. Amen, made reference to the Egyptian pyramids and how they were built upon an “idea,” and if man could build something like that all those thousands of years ago, what could he do today if he put his mind to it? I found that to be somewhat disturbing, as the pyramids, no matter how impressive they were, represent the ancient pagan religions which got their start in Babylon when Nimrod gathered men (the community) together to commit idolatry by building a tower to honor themselves as gods (Gen. Ch. 11).[1]

And yet here it was, the analogy that was chosen to illustrate this new “idea” Saddleback would launch their 52 week program with. No matter what Dr. Amen’s intent was, I believe the analogy was appropriate, and the subtle message is telling…”MAN CAN DO ANYTHING HE PUTS HIS MIND TO.” Sound familiar? (Read Gen. 3:4-5).[2]

As I began to head up the hill toward the main sanctuary, a Saddleback tram pulled up and the driver asked if I wanted a lift. I said I preferred to walk, but thanks. The driver yelled, “Let’s all give her a hand folks, she’s started the Daniel Plan already!” And the people on the tram cheered. Never mind the fact that I have been walking my entire life because I enjoy doing so, not because of some health and fitness campaign. I sensed I was entering a nightmare.

The main sanctuary was full, & it was standing room only. They told me the overflow areas were full too. So I found a spot on the patio outside the main sanctuary looking in. I had a good view and could see the stage perfectly. Their outdoor sound system made it so I could roam around, observe the audience, continue to listen to the guest speakers, and take notes.

To begin, I’d like to state that Saturday Jan. 15th, 2011 will go down in the history books as the day Saddleback Church was sold a bill of goods. The masses had come out in droves for answers to their weight loss difficulties & health problems, but unbeknownst to them, they were being given a prescription for restructuring society & population control.

The prescription goes by the name Agenda 21, a.k.a. “Sustainable Development” or “Smart Growth.” Agenda 21 is a published document put out by the United Nations with the intent to put limits on population and to restructure nation-states into a global society.[3] Rick Warren’s “new friends” had dubbed it, “The Daniel Plan – God’s Prescription For Your Health.” A more appropriate title would’ve been, “Sustainable Living – Destroying Inalienable Rights, One Community at a Time.”

By the time I settled into listening more intently, the second speaker, Mark Hyman, began. It didn’t take too long to figure out what the basis of his message was: We “need to heal with community” (he termed this “accompaniment”), “we’re here for the sake of each other,” this plan “is our way out,” this plan “saved me,” and in fact will “change the world.”

Saddleback was being told they were a “test community” to show the world how to live “healthy and sustainably.” When I heard these words, my heart sank. It was as I’d feared. I knew which buzzwords to listen for, and he was hitting them all. The audience was told they would be champions in health to show the world what “living sustainably” was all about, but Dr. Hyman is a leftist who is more than a champion in health, he’s a change agent for the global elite, as is Dr. Oz & Dr. Amen. Dr. Hyman is the founder and medical director of the Ultra Wellness Center, he advises Dr. Oz’s healthcore group, and he’s a nominee to President Obama’s advisory group on prevention, health promotion, and integrative and public health. [4] Hmmmmmm. I smell an agenda.

Dr. Hyman practices what’s known as “functional medicine,” which means he uses a “whole systems” approach to medicine; in other words, he practices medicine “wholistically,” This is also known as “Mind Body” medicine. At Saddleback’s seminar, “mind body” or “functional” medicine was presented as if it’s completely scientific. Any scientist worth his salt will tell you that yes, the body can be measured scientifically, but the mind falls into an entirely different category which can never be measured by science. As stated by Dave Hunt in his book Occult Invasion – The Subtle Seduction of the World and Church, “Physical science, by very definition, can make no judgments concerning a nonphysical realm” as is the mind & the soul.[5] In other words, the mind and the soul are scientifically immeasurable.

It’s the same with the religions of “Mind Science.” Calling a religion “Mind Science” or “Scientology,” when there’s nothing scientific about it, is the same as calling a cereal “Grapenuts” when it contains no grapes or nuts. But we live in an era when the masses have been sufficiently dumbed down, and all it takes to impress is clever packaging and branding. If “they” say it’s science, then dog-gone-it, it’s science! After all, “these doctors are on television.”

As I sat through all 3 presentations by Dr.’s Hyman, Amen, & Oz, what came to mind were the traveling salesmen of the 1800s. They talk fast, so fast that the message that’s really being given, goes right over people’s heads. They used tactics to tug at the heart strings such as videos of sick little girls who suddenly got well from being on “the program” and have been “set free” from relying on medications. Then they flooded the audience with “facts” and “statistics” to scare any grandmother, such as “a tsunami of disease is hitting us,” “life expectancy is going down,” “1 out of 2 people are diabetic or pre-diabetic,” “70% of all agricultural land is taken up by growing animals to feed all the people,” “the bigger your body gets, the more your brain shrinks,” etc.

I about fell off my chair when Dr. Hyman stated, “The key to the success of the “Daniel Plan” is “group living” … “individuals” will not succeed, our only hope lies in “community.” [LT Note:This is exactly what the emerging church is teaching.] And with that, it was announced that the “Saddleback community” would be an example of “sustainable living” and would set the course to “change this world” … and the crowd went wild! [LT Note: Remember, when we reported how Rick Warren talked glowingly about a critical mass needed to change our world?]

Dr. Hyman said that he is a Jew, Dr. Amen said he is a Christian, and Dr. Oz said he is a Muslim. And doesn’t that represent the demographic of “most of the population of the world”? But then he said, “we’re all the same underneath.” True to his salesman fashion, Dr. Hyman didn’t define his terms. What in the world does he mean “we’re all the same underneath”? That can mean a number of things. Since he was speaking to a religious crowd, I’d venture to say some of the folks present took that to mean we’re all children of God (Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.), which is patently false according to the Bible. The Bible says there are only two groups, children of wrath and children of God. You’re either one or the other, a believer in Christ Jesus, or a non-believer. We aren’t “all the same underneath.” (Ephesians Ch. 2).[6]

The only way in which we’re “all the same underneath” is we’re all sinners in need of a Savior; and the Savior isn’t “sustainable living.” [LT Note: Remember, the New Age says the era of the single savior is OVER!] The Savior is Jesus Christ, and He is the only way unto salvation (John 14:6).[7] And to become a child of God, Jesus said, “You must be born again” (John Ch. 3). [8] The tragic thing about this day at Saddleback is, Jesus was never mentioned … and I mean NEVER. There were a few passing references to God; Daniel Amen mentioned that our bodies were “a temple of the Holy Spirit and the brain is the inner sanctum” [Amen means that all humans are the temple of the Holy Spirit], but Jesus never made the cut – ”sustainable lifestyles” and “group living” did.

Following Dr. Hyman’s talk, my best friend arrived to observe the day with me, only to hear Dr. Amen mention in his presentation that he did a brain scan on one of his clients who had a habit of cheating on his wife. The brain scan showed that there were “holes in the pre-frontal cortex of his brain” which controls the impulses. In other words, this man wasn’t sinful, he was “mentally ill.” All he needed was to get on the “Change Your Brain, Change Your Body” program, and his personal struggles with sin were remedied. Once again, Jesus was removed from the equation. My friend and I were dumbfounded when we listened to the Saddleback crowd cheer. My best friend couldn’t contain it any longer and let out a, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” My thoughts exactly!

Dr. Hyman recommended Yoga and meditation to the crowd. Dr. Amen gave a diplomatic denunciation of Yoga (which is contradictory since he has recommended it himself), but about 5 sentences later mentioned a study done by a friend of his named Andy Newberg who did brain scans on Tibetan nuns and Franciscan priests while in “prayer and contemplation” and the study showed that “spiritual connection” is healthy. Dr. Amen has been an advocate of “Sa Ta Na Ma” meditation.[9]

If by chance any attendees of the Saddleback “Health and Fitness Seminar” read this blog post, I encourage you to educate yourself about what globalism truly is. You also need to research Agenda 21. As stated earlier, the purpose of Agenda 21 is to restructure society. Sounds conspiratorial, I know. But it isn’t a conspiracy; it’s a published document of the United Nations that’s in full swing. Anywhere you hear the terms, “Sustainable Development,” ”sustainable living,” “smart growth,” ”going green,” etc., rest assured you’ve just been exposed to the U.N.’s Agenda 21. [10]

It shouldn’t surprise us that Rick Warren would allow a seminar of this nature at Saddleback; after all, he himself has “GONE GREEN.” [11] He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[12] This illustrates the natural progression of one being unequally yoked with non-believers & buying into heresies such as “Kingdom Now,” “Dominionism,” or “Restoration Theology.” Where these heresies reign, as they do at Saddleback, you will find that the focus subtly shifts from salvation in Christ alone, through faith alone, to misguided efforts to restore mankind & the earth through “community” works, sustainable living, and social justice. How convenient that these just happen to be the vehicles which the United Nations is using to further it’s own agenda to restructure society & unite the world under its governing body of global elites.

TRUE TRUTH: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

(I found it to be slightly humorous that, on page 9 of the booklet which Saddleback passed out to attendees, the symptom of “itchy ears” was listed in the “Medical Symptom/Toxicity Questionnaire”…oh, the irony!) (source: Ponderings from Patmos)

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Endnotes:
1. Genesis 11:4 – “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’”

2. Genesis 3:4-5 – “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

3. Agenda 21 – http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21

4. Mark Hyman’s presentation at “Authors @ Google” titled, The UltraMind Solution: Healthy Body, Powerful Mind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAZVpsd2Nao

5. Occult Invasion – The Subtle Seduction of the World and the Church, Dave Hunt, Harvest House Publishers 1998, pg. 61

6. Ephesians Ch. 2:1-5 – And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

7. John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

8. John 3:3 – “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

9. Dr. Amen recommends “Sa Ta Na Ma” meditation a form of Kirtin Kriya yoga. http://richardeward.com/kirtin-kriya-sa-ta-na-ma-meditation/

10. Agenda 21 – “The U.N. Plan for Your Sustainable Community. ” http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/la21_198.html

11. A Greener Spirit: Evangelicals Embrace “Creation Care”. http://environment.change.org/blog/view/a_greener_spirit_evangelicals_embrace_creation_care

12. Council on Foreign Relations Membership Roster. http://www.cfr.org/about/membership/roster.html?letter=W

For more information on Reiki and the New Age plan, read For Many Shall Come in My Name.

When government replaces God

Article by Truth Speaker Patrice Lewis, found here:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=259749

Americans used to roar like lions for liberty; now we bleat like sheep for security.– Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993)

Recently I saw a bumper sticker I hope was a joke. It said, “Who needs God? We’ve got Congress.”

Whether or not the bumper sticker was meant to be humorous, the sad fact is America has largely supplanted God with government. Or at least we’re moving steadily in that direction.

You see, when we looked to God to provide our needs, we knew He was unlikely to hand us a loaf of bread on a silver platter. The best we could hope for was the weather to stay fine so our wheat could grow to maturity; that the combine wouldn’t break down during harvest; that the truck didn’t stall while transporting the wheat to the mill; and that the supply chain didn’t falter while getting the ground flour to the grocery store so the housewife could buy the flour to make bread for her family’s dinner.

In other words, when we trusted in God, we worked hard to provide what we needed. But when we trust in government, we demand that it give us our daily bread. For free. Whether we’ve worked for it or not. After all, isn’t bread a right? 

One of the things that irks me about the attitude of progressives is the endless list of “rights” they manufacture out of thin air. They claim we have the “right” to food, housing, medical care, education, employment, abortion, etc. But here’s the distinction between true rights and false rights: True rights do not cost anyone else.

True rights derive from God, and those rights grant us the freedom and liberty to pursue our needs free from government interference and restrictions (within the bounds of the founding documents). False rights mean we point guns at people and force them to provide us with food, housing, medical care, education, employment, abortion, etc., at their expense.

Naturally this doesn’t mean there won’t be dumb people who do dumb things. Someone will always shoot themselves in the foot (literally). In the past when citizens knew their rights, our response was: “Well, he was an idiot to shoot himself in the foot. Maybe he learned a lesson.” Now we say, “Well, he was an idiot to shoot himself in the foot. We need to ban firearms so no one else ever shoots himself in the foot.”

In other words, in an effort to protect citizens from the occasional idiot, we legislate everyone. We allow emotionalism to become policy. The government loves that. It wants to protect us. It wants to grant us the “rights” of food, medical care and education. But make no mistake, the only reason the government is such an enthusiastic provider of “rights” is so it can become our master.

As government ascends in importance, the need for God retreats. We no longer beseech the Almighty for help in achieving our goals. Instead, we turn to Congress to provide us with whatever we don’t want to bother achieving on our own

Americans have come to believe everything should be “fair” and all playing fields should be level. But of course when government tries to impose fairness on us, it results in a profoundly unfair redistribution of our labor, resources and income. (“Spreading the wealth” is the current term.)

And because we’ve allowed emotionalism to become policy, we’ve become a nation of victims. It’s much easier to whine about our “rights” and claim that others are responsible for providing us with the things we “deserve” than it is to work for those things ourselves.

When we implore God to provide us with a place to live, we don’t expect a mighty celestial hand to drop a house key in front of us. Instead, we work our butts off at our job, save money for a down payment, keep our credit history clean and pray these efforts will convince a banker to loan us the money to buy a house.

But when government replaces God, we claim housing is a “right” that should be provided to us regardless of our efforts or worthiness to own that house. We expect and demand immediate fulfillment.

In other words, when the achievement of happiness takes the place of the pursuit of happiness – when we demand that the government make everything “fair” – then that government has replaced God.

But what, a progressive may ask, is wrong with that? Why not look to our government to provide us with our food, housing, medical care and education?

Consider this quote from Christine Smith: “We thrive when we work for what we achieve rather than having it given to us. The foundations which made this nation strong are being destroyed as families lose economic independence, send their children to failing government schools, and pay taxes for programs that destroy personal autonomy and wreak havoc worldwide. And as people suffer, they mistakenly look to government to solve their problems.”

John Rackliffe writes, “Welfare programs, Social Security and other government entitlements have increased the need for the collection of more taxes, putting pressure on the middle class to pay for the programs for the poor. What God and the founders did to bring people together, the Progressive movement and a growing government has undone, driving people apart across an economic divide that grows wider with each passing year.”

When we look to God for help, then we must by definition regulate our own actions. We become a self-disciplined people. But when we depend on the government to regulate us, we surrender the ability to regulate ourselves.

As long as we permit government to replace God, we will never ever regain the former stature of our nation. We will become, to paraphrase Peale, sheep bleating for security rather than lions roaring for liberty. We will continue our descent from proud Americans to whiny brats demanding endless entitlements.

If we pray to God for strength in these troubling times, He will give it. Praying to the government is worse than useless; it’s perilous.

STRANGE Pale White Horse in the chaos of Egypt!

I can not tell you if it is a quirk in the camera, or a purposely done trick. Or even something supernatural in nature or even perhaps man using a hologram. Perhaps it is Satan coming with his lying signs or wonders. Perhaps it is what it appears to be. I can not say. Whatever it is, it is very convincing specter of a horse and rider. Strange indeed!

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=260049

A mysterious, pale green figure seen in televised news coverage of the Egyptian riots has prompted some viewers to ask, “Could this be the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse?”

The footage, provided by Euronews and subsequently seen on MSNBC, CNN and uploaded over a dozen times to the popular video sharing site YouTube, captures the fiery, violent protests in Cairo this past week … and something else.

Between the crowds of protesters and barricades, the video shows a flowing, pale green image that resembles an erect rider atop a horse in Medieval-like barding. The ethereal figure remains for a few moments before floating over protesters’ heads and off the screen.

The last of the biblical Book of Revelation’s Four Horseman of the Apocalyse, the “pale rider” is said to be the bringer of death and the forerunner of “hell” on earth.

The Book of Revelation refers to a time when “the Lamb” – usually understood to be the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ – opens the seven seals of a scroll of judgment. Each of the first four seals is accompanied by a horseman of a different color, each bringing a separate calamity.

When the fourth seal is opened, Revelation 6:8 records, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

Is the image from Egypt a fulfillment of Revelation’s prophecy?

Comments from the tens of thousands of viewers who have watched the video on YouTube express a wide array of opinion.

Some claim the video’s “pale rider” is a sign and the greenish tint is somehow symbolic of Islam, while others insist the image has been added to the footage by editing technolgy. Still others point to three, trailing points of light in the footage that move away from the crowds at the same time and speed as the “horseman,” indicating that both the “rider” and the lights are merely smudges or reflections cast on the lens of a moving camera.

One comment, from a viewer calling himself TheRhythmhawk, also tried to explain the “pale rider” and the trailing lights as simply lens reflections, but eventually concluded, “The image of the horseman leaves more questions than answers.”

The strange image begins at the 1:19 mark.

No Discernment Wanted

This week, a dear sister in the Lord told me some church people came to her home trying to get her to join their church. She — being aware of the apostacy —  asked questions on what they believed and thought about certain teachers within the church. Rick Warren being one. They had no problems with him. She gave them information and they still were not interested in her findings. She asked if they would at least look at some info if she were to email it to them. They agreed and left.  She sent the preacher the info. The preacher comes to her house  –  tells her he wants her to join his church anyway, totally disregarding everything she had sent him. (They are trying real hard to build a new wing in the church, don’t ya know?) She politely told him she was not interested in joining his church. 

But isn’t that the way it goes with most, if not all churches today? They want you AND your money for every single cause, yet they don’t care to hear your concerns at all. If they do you give you 10 minutes of their time, they are quick to dismiss you unless you are willing to prop up their programs. Even then, you had better be willing to jump through their hoops. They do not have time to listen to nay-sayers who have nothing better to do than find fault with everything.

But…

“Ya say you got the gift of healing? We’ll take you!”

“Got the gift of giving? Come on in!”

“The gift of serving? Yeah, we’ll use you!”

And use you they do. They will use you till your pocket runs empty. Just as long as you hang unto their every word and dance a little jig plum up to the altar during the collection. Why, God just LOVES a cheerful giver and they make sure they can get you as cheerful as they can as you dance to the drum beat of their music.

I’m not being cynical here, church. I’ve seen it with my very own eyes. It is witchcraft.

What is sad about this type of behavior coming out of leadership within the churches, is they do not know how they hurt the flock of God who have something else to give. And in doing so, they hurt themselves and the rest of the sheep in their congregation. They do the rest of their flock a great injustice by not allowing those who have done extensive study and searching out the truth to come in and share their findings. It just might help someone not stray from the truth and at the very most, point someone to the truth.

Who are the ones not welcomed in church today? They are the ones who don’t blow a trumpet of “I have the gift of healing.” “My gift is prophecy.” “I speak in tongues.” “I have the gift of helps.” “My gift? Why, it’s mercy.”

No, you won’t find many of them in churches today. They are the ones who have tried to share their pearls of truth only to be flipped off as being critical, negative, divisive, unteachable, etc. No, they are not welcomed.

They will be the first to notice when something does not set right: ”Oh you say there is  a revival going on down south? Did you know it is occultic? They are practicing something called Kundilini. May I tell you what that is?… No? Ok.” Then they leave. And rightly so. For they have just been shown there is no need for them. Discernment not wanted.

Some try to stick around in hopes that someone will take them serious for just one minute. Perhaps one minute after church with the preacher. Or at that lady’s group. Or at the next Bible study. But it never happens. Why? Because the rest of the church is too busy chasing that latest sign and wonder. If not that, then they are busy with program after program.

It gets very lonely for the one little sheep and they are pressed to move on. Most of the time, they aren’t even missed! At least not until the funds start dropping in the church and then the preacher sends out recruiters to get the little sheep back. This is not a shepherd. It is a HIRELING.

I had wonderful beautiful fellowhip with that friend the other day on the phone. Never met her as of yet. I look forward to the day when we see each other face-to-face.  Too bad that preacher and his lady friends could not see her the way I see her as they sat across from her that day when they came to invite her to join their church. God just might want to use her to help the church in ways they have never known. I do not know who I feel more sad for. My friend; whom I know is a wonderful woman of God with great passion for the truth and discernment, or the church where no discernment is allowed.

The Amazing Braco – (The New Age Latest Scam)

This is a New Age version of healing. Much of it is not that different than what we see in the modern day church. To hear these people talk, they are no different than a Tod Bentley.

People actually PAY to have this man come out and STARE at them!

One follower said this concerning the new messiah: “Within 10 seconds, I saw him shape shift.”

Shape shifting is the actual manifestation of demons. We see Hollywood portray it now in many science fiction movies and TV shows. People turning into reptile like beings. I believe this is conditioning us to actually accept such a thing should this occur. Is it possible? I think so. Take a look how times have changed over the past few decades. Do you believe the world is getting more and more wi cked? I know it is hard to wrap your mind around this. But I take the risk of being ridiculed in bringing you what I believe will eventually happen on this earth. Evil abounding in such a way, where people have given over everything they are to Satan, and they actually turn into the very creature they worship. You don’t have to believe it. It is just what I believe. But if it should happen, let it be no surprise to you.

Instead of giving the Lord their sufferings, many are now giving their sufferings to the ruler of darkness.

Many will say, “well, if it works, what’s wriong with it?” Plenty is wrong with it. It is not looking to God. It is looking to man. It is trusting in the occult.

david1057:

Counterfeit “heaven” stories deceive even Christians

I found the following here:  

http://watchpraystand.blogspot.com/2010/11/counterfeit-heaven-stories-deceive-even.html

Long article but worth reading. I suggest all of those who are so caught up in all the stories about people dying and going to heaven, read it.

They believe they really went to heaven, you believe they really went to heaven, but have you made any effort to compare what they said with scripture or are you uncritically trusting in your own emotional reaction?

Out-of-body experiences and experiences of “heaven” are fairly common these days — seems we hear of one every few years at least. Now there’s the story of Colton, a boy who had such an experience during a life-or-death surgery at the age of four, met family members he’d never known, including a sister his mother had miscarried although he’d known nothing about that, and saw “God” and “Jesus.” He’s now seven and talking about it to the press.

The most distressing thing about these reports, it seems to me, is that sometimes Christians believe them. There are usually plenty of signs that the experiences are bogus but what happens is that people become dazzled by the mere idea of being out-of-body or transported to another dimension.

Part of the experience may be the kind of out-of-body experience in which the person, lying unconscious on an operating table, finds himself above the scene looking down on it, can see himself unconscious, can see other people in the area and hear what they are saying. Afterward those other people report that the unconscious person’s observations were correct, and what happens then is that others believe the story and think such details make the whole thing valid.

So then if during that same episode there is also an experience of going to “heaven,” that is also believed. In this boy’s case there are the apparently validating elements of his having talked to someone who claimed to be his sister that his mother had miscarried, and a great grandfather he had never met. Afterward his parents confirmed both stories. It turned out that the boy recognized a picture of the great grandfather when he was young though not when he was old, the idea being that “in heaven” everyone is young, and in the case of the sister his mother’s miscarriage was confirmed by his parents.

I have the bad habit of spending time studying something, such as this phenomenon of visits to “heaven,” only to leave it behind for something else so that when it reappears it catches me off guard and I’m surprised that anyone still takes it seriously. Years ago I was a member of a charismatic “parachurch” organization and heard the “testimony” of other members which usually include supernatural elements and in one case involved an experience of “heaven.” I accepted these stories, including the one of heaven, but found over time that I had an increasing unease about much of what was being said, which finally came to such a pitch that I prayed for clarity and was able to see the errors in them.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Clues to deception come to light when you pray
The credulity with which these stories are so easily accepted does have the effect of suppressing criticism, in spite of the fact that scripture counsels us to “test the spirits” and not be gullible. I was finally led to pray over my doubts and began to recognize deceptions that convinced me finally to leave the organization — and the charismatic movement in general. The questions I was having were all about the supernatural experiences, including the experience of “heaven.”

It had occurred as so many of them do, when she was very sick. She was taken out of her body and supposedly shown the throne room of heaven. She gave teachings to the group based on her experience, and the main tip-off to its counterfeit nature was her teaching on the “steps to the throne of grace.” I hadn’t questioned it when I heard it but when I prayed about it I saw that it contradicts the call in scripture to “come boldly to the throne of grace,” instead of having to laboriously meet the requirements of a series of “steps” to get there.

Heb 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Then other elements of the story also showed themselves to be counterfeit, although unfortunately I don’t have any notes handy to remind me of them so I can’t be very specific about them. As I recall, however, the Holy Spirit in this person’s vision was reduced to an empty image rather than a Person, in the form of a corner of a great train that was part of the garment of God that “filled the throne room” — a piece would break off and fall in the shape of a dove down to earth. I think imagery may be an important deceptive element in these experiences as it can mislead people into accepting a falsification of major doctrine, in this case the Trinity, by charming them with fascinating irrelevancies. That is, the common idea that “seeing is believing” is a perfect set-up for deception. There was also a part of this person’s vision that involved pigs, which I think ought also to have been a tip-off but unfortunately that part is less clear in my memory than the reduction of the Holy Spirit to a piece of cloth.

These things are most likely demonic
Since everyone in the group accepted this story without criticism, including me until I prayed about it, I appreciate how easily even Christians are deceived by such demonic shenanigans. And that is without doubt what they are. I don’t doubt that people have such experiences, and that they are REAL experiences, experiences of another dimension of spiritual reality, not hallucinations and not inventions of the human psyche, but I have learned to expect that they will turn out to be the work of demons.

In some cases there may be fraud involved, but there is no need to assume this as so many unbelievers do. For instance, Fox News has been ridiculed for accepting Colton’s story so uncritically, and rightly so but for the wrong reasons. They are sure it must be fraud. Well, it COULD be, but there is no reason to assume that it is. On the surface it sounds more like other experiences along the same lines that have the marks of demonic manipulation. And there are the usual “test” elements, his meeting people he knew nothing about otherwise.

There is nothing beyond the powers of demons to convey such knowledge to a little boy, and nothing beyond their motives to deceive either. They can easily impersonate people. That’s how the spirits of “dead people” appear in “haunted houses.” They are demonic impersonations of the people who once lived there (people who were most likely actually possessed by the demons who now impersonate them). In Colton’s case they also included in their deception false images of “God” — visualized as so “big” he can hold the Earth in his hands, and of “Jesus” “whose smile lights up the heavens” and has “sea blue” eyes. What disgusting poppycock, but CHRISTIANS believe this pap? Colton himself doesn’t even seem to believe it as he just rattles off the empty phrases by rote. Perhaps he actually experienced them and is simply tired of repeating it — or maybe as some suggest it’s a sign that it was made up and imposed on him. I don’t know. His father is supposedly a pastor. A deceived pastor obviously. But whatever the source, the images of God and Jesus are ridiculously phony.

It’s similar to what psychics practice
This is typical of the work of psychics too. Again, much of that may also be fraudulent but to the extent that there is reality to some of it the source of that reality is demonic activity. That is, psychics really can have knowledge of things that their clients know nothing about, OR can know things that ONLY the client knows, because demons convey the knowledge to them. I’ve wondered if sometimes there may also be a merely human psychic power that for some reason is developed in certain individuals and not others, but I think the most common cause is demonic intervention. This seems to have been the case with the “witch of Endor” who had a familiar spirit (a demon) who supplied the knowledge or perhaps even faked the appearance of a dead person to deceive her clients, just as all mediums have, but in the case of King Saul was pre-empted by the appearance of the REAL prophet Samuel, to her amazement and fear.

Some think a child is too innocent to be deceived by demons but this is a big mistake. Children are members of the fallen human race, after all, and may also inherit a special vulnerability to demonic activity through their fallen ancestors as well. They are in fact the perfect set-up for demonic deception because people do sentimentalize them as innocent. Satan and his demons have no scruples. They are out to deceive and kill and they have no tender feelings for humanity. There are many stories out there of people who had frightening experiences as children, of demonic beings that would visit them at night, shake their beds and do other frightening things. Demons do not leave children alone.

Sometimes special talents are imparted, even to children
There is another story about a four-year-old’s visit to heaven, the story of Akiane Kramarik now a teenager, whose unusual talents as a painter and a poet she ascribes to that visit. Her experience and amazing talents convinced her own atheistic family of the reality of “God” and she has dedicated herself to bringing her message of “God” to the world.

Can demons impart such talents? Well, Akiane says she sometimes simply receives her poetry fully written as it were. This is the same way the channelers of the religious doctrines, A Course in Miracles, the Seth Books, Urantia, and the teachings of Rael, also received their messages. As for the painting, I once talked to a woman deeply involved in Hindu / New Age practices who was also an artist and created similarly impressive realistic images, in her case sculptures, a talent she also attributed to “God.”

But the main problem with Akiane’s art is that her message is New Age although people mistake it for Christian because it includes images of “Jesus.” This is a romanticized “Jesus,” just as Colton’s “Jesus” is, a Jesus without the cross, a Jesus who didn’t die for sin but just mushily “loves” everyone. She even believes and promotes the New Age lie about Jesus’ supposed “lost years” in which they claim he went to India and was taught Hinduism. The truth is that Jesus grew up as a Jew, studying Torah in the Temple, learning carpentry from His earthly adoptive father Joseph. It is ridiculous to put Him in India instead, but that’s what the demons who inspire New Age phony religion have done. ANYTHING TO DECEIVE, even deceive the very elect who aren’t paying attention or who aren’t well taught by their pastors.

Take it to the Bible with prayer
A place to start to recognize such deception may be the few Biblical reports of experiences of heaven and supernatural realities. Start with Paul’s experience of visiting the “third heaven.” He said it was unlawful to describe it — there is a reverence for holy things in that attitude we simply do not find in any of the recent claims to have seen heaven. Then there is John who was taken up to the throne room of God, as he reports in Revelation chapter 4. He also saw the Lord Jesus in chapter 1, who gave him the messages to the seven churches before he was called up to heaven. Even encounters with true angels of God inspire awe and the impulse to worship from mere mortals because of their dazzling beauty and power, as both John and the prophets of the Old Testament attest. Encounters with the true God inspire even deeper awe, and a profound sense of personal sin and fear of judgment. Take a look at Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and more. There is NOTHING of this sort of feeling in the recent spate of out-of-body experiences. Instead we get the most casual of descriptions and a sort of breathless excitement over their mere supernatural unusualness. Or we get the nonsense of Shirley MacLaine who was taught through her encounters with otherworldly beings that SHE is “god.” Oh brother. NonChristians who reject the Bible may fall for this demonic deception, but Christians should not. And yet some do.