Concerned To Discern

Concerned To Discern
Published October 30, 2009 by Pastor Larry DeBruyn
Herescope

“Why then has this people, Jerusalem, Turned away in continual apostasy? They hold fast to deceit, They refuse to return.”
(Jeremiah 8:5, NASB)

As could be agreed upon by most believers, Christians have the right, even the duty, to evaluate and hold accountable to Holy Scripture professing evangelical Christians who, for reason of their manifest beliefs and behaviors, appear to be departing from the faith.[1] Jude told his readers to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). To shirk this responsibility means that believers are being disobedient to the faith once for all delivered. To all Christians the Spirit gives His anointing which places upon them the responsibility to discern the “spirit of truth” from the “spirit of error” (1 John 4:6; 2:20-21, 27). To the congregation at Rome Paul wrote:

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Romans 16:17-18; Compare Philippians 3:17-19.)

This same apostle also warned the elders at Ephesus:

“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.” (Acts 20:29-31)

In one context, Paul even named the false teachers! (2 Timothy 2:17; Compare 1 Timothy 1:18-20.)

Thus, in fidelity to the apostolic injunctions, in an open forum known as Herescope, we attempt to differentiate truth from error. We do so because mainstream Christian publishers and churches–not wanting to become overly controversial and therefore risk the loss of membership and/or sales revenue–ignore issues that we, for the integrity of God’s truth as revealed in Holy Scripture, are compelled to engage. In past generations, the pan-evangelical movement exposed and faced down the errors presented by Christian-like cults without, but has, for whatever reason, been quite unwilling to expose equally destructive heresies within. As John MacArthur noted fifteen tears ago, an undiscerning spirit amongst evangelicals has bred and is breeding “reckless faith.”[2]

Recent emails to the Herescope blog’s administrator have questioned the spirit with which its discernment ministry is conducted; specifically, that some writings are too critical and therefore unloving. As we proceed with further website posts, we shall consider this criticism. We desire to approach our ministry in a godly spirit and therefore consider that such criticism may reveal a spiritual blind spot. If and where valid, we will strive to take the issue raised into consideration. As he did to the Ephesians, Paul does admonish believers to speak “the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).

Interestingly, this admonition of the apostle follows on the heels of Paul’s stating his hope that the Ephesians would have matured to the point where they would no longer be “children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). Thus, one evidence of spiritual maturity involves the ability to differentiate spiritual truth–those beliefs and behaviors which accord with Holy Scripture–from spiritual error–those which do not agree with Holy Scripture. It is therefore understood that discernment must pursue the truth, but must do so in a spirit of love. At times, and given the fleshly nature that remains in every Christian (none of us is perfect), this can become a difficult balance to keep.

Yet on this point we note that though recent emails have accused Herescope of being un-loving, they do not accuse nor document that we are untruthful, that we lie. This of course, raises a tangential issue: can speaking of truth offend some persons to the degree that it will create in them an emotional impression that those who speak the truth do not love them?

On this point, we ought to remember that Proverbs inform us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Proverbs 27:6, NASB). We might also remember the instance when Jehoshaphat inquired of the king of Israel about where he could find a prophet of the Lord to make inquiry to. So the king of Israel informed Jehoshaphat: “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil” (1 Kings 22:8). On another occasion Ahab addressed Elijah: “Have you found me, O my enemy?” (1 Kings 21:20). It is evident that the kings perceived the messages of these prophets, Micaiah and Elijah, to be unloving. Of the latter’s encounter with Ahab, Anglican pastor J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) noted something that is as relevant today as it was in his day. He observed:

Alas, there are many like Ahab in the nineteenth century! They like a ministry which does not make them uncomfortable, and send them home ill at ease. How is it with you? Oh, believe me, he is the best friend who tells you the most truth! [3]

We would note that received communications have not challenged the truth of what has been posted on Herescope –the documented facts, biblical citations and theological arguments employed–but only personal impressions that blog articles have been unloving. In syllogistic fashion, this perception might be stated as follows:

Christians are to love other Christians.
Discerning Christians appear not to love other Christians.
Therefore, discerning Christians and discernment are un-Christian.

This is the implication implied in the scriptural citations we have received, especially 1 John 4:20-21 which says: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.”

Our response to this does not rest upon the truth of the NT passages that have been pointed out to us (John 17:23; 2 Timothy 2:14-16; James 4:11; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:7-8; 1 John 2:9, 11; 4:20-21; Jude 18-21). Agreed–we are to love genuine brothers and sisters in the Christian faith. But, like Jesus, we are forced to ask, especially in the days of apostasy in which we live, Who are our brothers? (See Matthew 12:48.) Any definition of brotherhood must rest upon NT passages that define “brotherhood” to include those individuals who evidence submission and fidelity to the beliefs and behavior of Holy Scripture, who together manifest that we’re members of the born-from-above family of God. In Christendom, there are professors and possessors, for Paul wrote that, “they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel” (Romans 9:6). Ultimately, Jesus will separate the wheat from the tares (Matthew 13:36-43). That is why what we engage in is a ministry of discernment, not judgment.

Nevertheless, let’s look at 1 John–the epistle that, with the exception of 1 John 4:1, we have been chided as being unfamiliar with–to see if it confirms the assumption that division and differences are invariably wrong, that discernment hinders the greater Christian community from aggregating itself into a single polymorphous “Kumbaya.”

We note John wrote his first letter to a hurting church that false teachers/antichrists had devastated with their false teachings. False teachers–professed Christians, who for reason of having subtly introduced destructive and divisive heresies into the body of Christ, revealed they were not Christian–had devastated the church to which John was writing at that time and place (By the way, where’s the “love” on the part of false teachers?). The naïve sheep did not know what had hit them, what had ruined the loving fellowship they had once enjoyed. Wolves in sheep’s clothing are very unloving and destructive. The biblical metaphor implies them to be the natural born killers. So John informed the remaining believers: “They” [i.e., the false teachers and their followers] “went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:19). Discernment ministry is necessary to expose unbiblical beliefs and behaviors which destroy the blessedness enjoyed by the beloved. Discernment is necessary to expose those who, often contrary to their claim to be otherwise, are not “of us.” We note the division in the fellowship was instigated by those who pretended to be Christians but were not. So John added: “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you” (1 John 2:26).

All of us have a right to our take on the state of the church today as we also have our right to express scripturally informed views pertaining to the same. May God’s truth win out as competing views play out in the blogosphere. Yet amidst it all, Jesus’ warning ought to be heeded:

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:15-23, KJV)

Jesus’ words serve as a solemn warning to all who profess to know Him, including anyone and everyone in discernment ministry. Therefore, Paul tells us: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Again, the apostle instructs believers to “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22; See Ephesians 5:11.). Yet again, he states:

“If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.” (1 Timothy 6:3-5)

In light of these scriptural admonitions–and others abundantly extant in both testaments–Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951) observed:

Of late, the hue and cry has been against any and all negative teaching. But the brethren who assume this attitude forget that a large part of the New Testament, both of the teaching of our blessed Lord Himself and the writings of the apostles, is made up of this very character of ministry . . . [4]

He then went on to state:

Error is like leaven of which we read, A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Truth mixed with error is equivalent to all error, except that it is more innocent looking and, therefore, more dangerous. God hates such a mixture! Any error, or any truth-and-error mixture, calls for definite exposure and repudiation. To condone such is to be unfaithful to God and His Word and treacherous to imperiled souls for whom Christ died. [5]

To genuine Christians love “does not,” indeed cannot, “rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). Meanwhile, as the age unfolds and plays itself out, all of us ought to heed the question of Jesus:

“Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh,
shall he find faith on the earth?”
(Luke 18:8)

ENDNOTES
[1] We ought to remember that through two-thousand years of history, Christian churches, even the Roman Catholic, have declared certain beliefs to be incompatible with the Christian faith. Discernment ministry has thus had a long history in the church! Discerners are not an odd group, but find precedent even with the Protestant Reformation itself. Remember, the heart of the word Protestant is “protest.”
[2] John F. MacArthur, Reckless Faith, When the Church Loses Its Will to Discern (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1994).
[3] J.C. Ryle, “Unsearchable Riches,” Holiness (Durham, England: Evangelical Press, 1879) 281.
[4] Dr. Harry Ironside (1876-1951) was a Bible teacher and author who for eighteen years served as pastor of Chicago’s Moody Memorial Church (1930-1948).
[5] Ibid.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

          Order The Truth War, Faith Undone & Out of India

Order The Truth War by John MacArthur: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, Faith Undone by Roger Oakland: The Emerging Church-A New Reformation or an End-Time Deception & Out of India by Caryl Matrisciana: A True Story about the New Age Movement directly from Amazon.com by clicking on the book images below.

         
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Technorati Tags: discernment ministry, discernment ministries, discernment ministry-a biblical defense, contending for the faithm, standing for the faith, discernment, discernment in the church, discernment sound doctrine, false doctrines in the church, discernment, definition of discernment, is discernment unnecessary in the church, discernment unwanted in the church, discernment mean spirited, what is discernment, definition of discernment, biblical discernment, what is biblical discernment, discernment in the church negativism, discernment in the church divisive, refuting those who contradict sound doctrine, exhortation in sound doctine, is there a place for discernment in the church today, what has happened to discernment in the church today, necessity of biblical discernment, objections to biblical discernment in the church, objections to discernment, apostasy in the church, departing from the faith, christians departing from the faith, spirit of truth vs. spirit of error, marking and avoiding christians who teach false doctrine, false teachers in the church last days, discerning truth from error, current destructive heresies in the church, destructive heresies in the christian church, are discernment ministries too critical, speaking the truth in love, what does in mean to speak the truth in love, what does the bible say about speaking the truth in love, winds of false doctrine blowing through the church today, discernment must pursue truth, the gift of discernment, discernment ministries unloving, truth has become judgment, truth offends, christians are to love other christians, discerning christians appear not to love other christians, discerning christians and discernment are un-christian, how to discern who our true brothers and sisters in christ are, separating the wheat from the tares, discernment vs. judgment, false teachers and antichrists devasting the church last days, professed christians false teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing unloving and destructive, the purpose of discernment ministries, false teaching causing division in the church last days, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, truth and error mixing in the church last days, truth and error mixing in the church end times, exposing false teaching in the church, exposing false teachers in the church, exposing false doctrine in the church

 

Discernment Ministry-A Biblical Defense

Discernment Ministry-A Biblical Defense
Published October/November 2009 by Gary Gilley
Southern View Chapel

We live in an environment in which it is most difficult to stand for the faith.  Not only will those who attempt to be on the front lines of discernment face the guns of those in opposition, but they may be hit by “friendly fire” as well.  For example:  I recently wrote what I thought was a rather innocuous article expressing a high view of Scripture including a belief in its sufficiency.  I was nevertheless surprised to receive a quick e-mail rebuke by a pastor who also claimed to believe in the inerrancy, authority and sufficiency of the Bible and who ultimately accused me of taking what he called a “biblical charismatic” view.  When I inquired as to how that could be since I believe God speaks to us today only through Scripture and charismatics believe God speaks through means beyond the written Word, he did not reply.  I did not mean to imply to this pastor that I reject general revelation in which “the heavens are telling of the glory of God…” (Ps 19:1-6), but that specific, authoritative revelation for this church age is confined to the Old and New Testaments.  God is not adding new revelation or inspired texts to supplement the canon of Scripture.  I believe that such revelations are unnecessary today because God has promised that the Scriptures are “adequate [to] equip [us] for every good work” (2 Tim 3:17).  Our task is not to seek “fresh communication” from God, either in the form of prophecies or tongues (as most charismatics do) or through our inner feelings and hunches (as many non-charismatic evangelicals do), but to rely on the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Pet 1:19), the Holy Scriptures.  This understanding leads us to be followers of Christ who are “diligent to present  [our]selves approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:14).  Our assignment is not to search for secret communication from God but to observe and live out the things revealed by the Lord (Deut 29:29).  Truth emerges from the inspired text, and that text can be trusted to reveal God’s will in all matters “pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3).

But even at the risk of being misunderstood by those in our own camp, one of our privileges in light of this understanding of revelation is to examine all ideas, teachings and thoughts through the lens of Scripture.  The apostle Paul modeled this approach for us when he wrote, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).  Since much, if not most, of the ideas, worldviews, and philosophies that we encounter in a fallen world would be in competition with truth, we are obligated to take all of these things and run them through the grid of Scripture.  Those ideas which make it through this biblical grid intact can be embraced, for by God’s grace mankind is enabled to end up on the right side of truth.  But those ideas that lack biblical foundation must be disposed of as “lofty thing[s] raised up against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor 10:5).

For these reasons, one of the qualifications for an elder is that he understand the Scriptures well so that he can both “exhort in sound doctrine” and “refute those who contradict” sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).  A pastor or elder is not equipped to lead the church of Christ because he makes an excellent CEO, has an MBA, knows how to win and influence people or has a sunny personality – although none of these things rule him out either.  But  the Holy Spirit did not mention any of these criteria when laying out the requirements for church leaders, although an intimidating list of personal and spiritual qualifications is given (Titus 1:5-8; 1 Tim 3:1-7).  Instead the Spirit focused on the need for elders to know biblical truth and be able to communicate and defend it against false doctrines and teachers.

Unfortunately for the Christian leader in the twenty-first century, what God considers essential many consider optional at best and often a real detriment to what is considered “ministry.”  Rare is the church today that attracts large crowds because of the careful, systematic teaching of the Word.  People will flock to churches with great programs for all ages, a well-organized sports schedule or to hear professional level music (of almost any genre), but sound doctrine holds little attraction for most Christians.  Yet, it is sound doctrine that God mandates.  Lives are not changed by programs and entertainment; they are transformed by the renewing of our minds which can only come about through exposure to the truth of God’s Word (Rom 12:2). 

If the teaching of sound doctrine is unappetizing to many, to expose false doctrine is utterly repulsive.  Discernment is considered unnecessary, unwanted, and down-right mean-spirited in a relativistic age.  To spend even a small fraction of time critiquing false teachings (as our Lord directs us to do) is to invite charges of negativism, division and worse.  Yet we must decide whether we want to please the Lord or men and, since the Lord commands us to “refute those who contradict” sound doctrine, we have no choice.  This is not to say that we spend the bulk of our teaching time on issues that don’t measure up to Scripture; for to do so would throw us out of balance very quickly.  I believe that the vast majority of teaching from the pulpit and other forums within the church should be “exhortation in sound doctrine.”  But we must be willing to handle issues that threaten the spiritual health of the body of Christ, and we must not shy away from teaching on such subjects as we work through the Scriptures.

Sadly, in our pluralistic, postmodern age, even gracious critique is often viewed as negative and critical.  Why not tolerate the theological and philosophical views of others, even if those views are seriously flawed and unbiblical? After all, since we are brothers and sisters in Christ, aren’t we just airing our dirty laundry in public?  This short paper is for the purpose of showing the necessity of biblical discernment and critique and to respond to those who disapprove.

(Click Here To Continue Reading “Discernment Ministry-A Biblical Defense”)

__________________________________________________________________________________________

        Order Your 2009 New Releases Directly From Amazon

Order The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? (February 1st), Bankruptcy of Our Nation: 12 Key Strategies for Protecting Your Finances in These Uncertain Times (February 28th) and Inside The Revolution: How The Followers of Jihad, Jefferson and Jesus are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World (March 10th) directly from Amazon.com by clicking on the book images below.
   
              

__________________________________________________________________________

Technorati Tags: discernment ministry, discernment ministries, discernment ministry-a biblical defense, contending for the faithm, standing for the faith, discernment, discernment in the church, discernment sound doctrine, false doctrines in the church, discernment, definition of discernment, is discernment unnecessary in the church, discernment unwanted in the church, discernment mean spirited, what is discernment, definition of discernment, biblical discernment, what is biblical discernment, discernment in the church negativism, discernment in the church divisive, refuting those who contradict sound doctrine, exhortation in sound doctine, is there a place for discernment in the church today, what has happened to discernment in the church today, necessity of biblical discernment, objections to biblical discernment in the church, objections to discernment

 

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 1)

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 1)
Published October 31, 2009 by Pastor Adam Gislason
Great Adventure Ministries

Introduction (A Message First Given October 29, 2006)

On Tuesday, October 31^st much of America will be celebrating yet another Halloween. As Christians, it should come as no surprise to us that many of the lost or un-saved people in this country celebrate Halloween.

But the shocking statistic that exists today is the growing number of professed Christians who are participating in this American holiday which has become second only to Christmas in popularity and revenue.

What is it about Halloween that is so enticing to so many Christians? Why, after being delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, are they so eager to run back to the kingdom of darkness?

Why do so many churches and denominations sponsor Halloween parties and festivals? The situation quite frankly is very puzzling for me. To the best of my recollection of the scriptures, Jesus brought light into the world, not darkness.

He came that we might have eternal life.

Most Christians whole-heartedly embrace these scriptural facts. Yet, once a year many of them turn their focus to Satan and his kingdom, all the while denying that it really actually means anything.

In my two-plus years here at RBBC, I have never done a message on the subject of Halloween. We have, however, encouraged folks to view the film “Trick or Treat” that was put out by Jeremiah Films in 2004.

And I would still encourage you if you are a Christian here today that is still celebrating Halloween or still participating in some way, to spend $20 and one hour of your time to view this film that will change your opinion of Halloween forever.

This year I felt compelled to do a message on the subject of Halloween because I believe that there are so many Christians who are still in the dark on the origins of Halloween like I once was. Growing up in the small town of Buffalo, Minnesota I can’t remember missing out on one Halloween going door to door trick or treating.

Today I want us to examine this American holiday and see if the celebration of Halloween is really as “innocent” as people say. I want you to leave here today with a clear answer to this question: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

And in order to help you start answering that question, let’s first take a look at the origins of Halloween. Now how many of you can honestly say that you know the origins of Halloween?

Click Here To Read “Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?” (Part 2)

Technorati Tags: should christians celebrate halloween, what does the bible say about celebrating halloween, what does the bible say about halloween, american halloween holiday, halloween holiday, halloween in america, christians celebrating halloween, why is halloween so enticing to christians, why do churches celebrate halloween, should churches celebrate halloween, should churches have alternative harvest parties in response to halloween, why do churches sponsor halloween parties, halloween in the church, halloween deception in the church, halloween trick or treat, trick or treat jeremiah films 2004, origins of halloween, what are the origins of halloween, the origins of halloween, should parents let their kids trick or treat, should parents let their kids trick or treat, should christian parents let their kids trick or treat, is halloween real, what is halloween, the history of halloween, samhain, what is samhain, samhain and trick or treat, history of the jack-o-latern, history of trick or treat, what does the jack-o-latern symbolize, the history of dressing up in costumes on halloween, the tradition of bobbing for apples, bonfire, bonfire definition, what does the word bonefire mean, where does the word bonefire come from, the history of black cats halloween, history of brooms and witches halloween, witches, warlocks, witchcraft, the dangers of halloween, wicca religion, what is wicca, the history of wicca, the introduction of halloween into the church, is halloween just harmless fun, does halloween have real meaning, harry potter witcraft, the lie of harry potter, the real truth behind harry potter, pokemon, is pokemon just harmless fun, is harry potter just harmless fun, is halloween just an innocent holiday, celtic, wicca religion, should christians participate in halloween, is halloween harmless, does satan really exist, does the devil really exist, the pagan holiday of halloween, should christians celebrate the pagan holiday of halloween, all saints day, the history of all saints day, all hallows eve, the history of all hallows eve, hallow, what does hallow mean, christmas pagan, easter pagan, is christmas pagan, is easter pagan, the history of paganism in christmas, the history of paganism in easter, hell house, hell house program, the biblical perspective on halloween, should christians have anything to do with halloween, the deception of halloween, the deception of christians celebrating halloween, bible verses on witchcraft, bible verses about halloween, what should christians do on halloween

 

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 2)

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 2)
Published October 31, 2009 by Pastor Adam Gislason
Great Adventure Ministries

The Origins of Halloween

You see, whether we like it or not, we must accept the fact that Halloween is not just some made-up holiday. Matter of fact, if you do your homework, you will find that Halloween is part of the ancient pagan religion of the Celtics which originated in Ireland and Britain.

It’s a religion that is heavily involved with the spiritual realm and many, many pagan gods. This ancient “new age” religion has four Major High Holy Days (or festivals) each year.

And one of the festivals is called Samhain (sow-en). Now when you look at the word Samhain (sow-en) on paper, it looks like it’s pronounced “Samhain” spelled S-a-m-h-a-i-n.

Do you ever remember growing up hearing somebody say, “Where in the Samhain are you going?” I use to say it to impress all my buddies. “Where in the Samhain are you going?” That was the “politically correct” way to say it in the church, because nobody in church would be caught dead saying the word “hell.”

The funny thing is, I, along with a lot of other people, we are actually mispronouncing the word. Samhain is actually pronounced “sow-en”, with “sow” rhyming with cow. Samhain is celebrated every year on November 1st.

It is considered to be one of the most important celebrations as it is thought to mark the beginning of the Celtic New Year. According to the Celtic religion, the day before Samhain (October 31) is the last day of summer (and last day of the year) and the day after Samhain is the first day of the winter (and the first day of the new year). Follow?

And since Samhain is considered to be “between” the seasons or years, it is considered to be a very special time. The Celtics believe Samhain is a time when the division between the spiritual and physical realm becomes very thin, when hostile supernatural forces are active and spirits are free to wander as they choose.

Several traditions have arisen with the celebration of Samhain. One of these is “trick or treat.” While the origins are not clear, there are few legends that have come down to us over the years.

The first legend is that when beggars would come to the door, people would give food in return for blessings from spirits of the dead. Failure to supply treats would result in demonic retaliation.

A similar second legend said that beggars would go from village to village begging for “soul cakes” made out of square pieces of bread with currants. The more soul cakes the beggars would receive, the more prayers they would promise to say on behalf of the dead relatives of the donors.

A third legend has it that since the fairies were abroad on this night, an offering of food or milk was frequently left for them on the steps of the house so that the homeowner could gain the blessings of the “good folk” for the coming year.

Now I don’t know about you, but this third legend has an amazing similarity to the current false teachings in some parts of the church today regarding giving “seed” money to get a “harvest” of blessings for yourself. Many of the households would also leave out a “supper” for the spirits of the departed.

One thing that I have come to know in studying church history over the years is that Satan doesn’t have any new tricks. He just keeps re-packaging his old ones.

Another Halloween tradition is the “jack-o-lantern.” It also has two legends that surround its beginnings. One such legend states that originally the Irish would carve out turnips or beets as lanterns as representations of the souls of the dead or goblins freed from the dead.

However, when the Irish immigrated to America guess what? They couldn’t find many turnips to carve into jack-o-lanterns, but they did find an abundance of pumpkins.

The other legend has it that a man named Jack tricked Satan into a tree and trapped him there. After making a deal with the devil to let him go, Jack went on his way. He eventually died and the story goes, he was not allowed in heaven or hell and so was doomed to wander between the two realms.

The story concludes with the devil giving Jack an ember from the flames of hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out turnip.

According to the World Book Encyclopedia, the jack-o-lantern is a symbol of a damned soul. Candlelit pumpkins/skulls at a home signifies that the occupants were sympathetic to Satan and therefore received mercy from spirits and trick or treaters on their Halloween rounds.

The tradition of dressing up in demonic costumes came from the idea of trying to blend in with the evil spirits so that they wouldn’t recognize you-so that they would just “pass you by.”

The tradition of “bobbing for apples” is derived from a Celtic pagan marriage custom. A lot of marriage divinations had to do with apples. In Celtic tradition, the fruit was associated with female deities who controlled the ways of love.

One of the most popular divinations was for young unmarried people to try to bite into an apple floating in water or hanging from a string. This is something like the bouquet toss that still plays a part today in wedding receptions. The first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to marry.

The tradition of bonfires is perhaps the most sickening of all practices where human sacrifices occurred at midnight. Both adults and children would be thrown into huge fires while the celebrants danced around them in demonic fits of abandon. By morning, only the bones and ashes would remain.

And so that’s where we get the word bonfire from-it actually comes from the root word “bone.” So as you invite people over to your house in the future, no more bonefires. Camfires only!

Black cats were thought to be the re-incarnation of the evil dead and were thought to be possessed with supernatural power and knowledge.

Broomsticks and witches hats were objects that when used in witchcraft supposedly transformed the sexual energy released during orgasm into psychic energy. And speaking of witches…

Witches, warlocks and witchcraft are dominant themes of today’s Halloween. Witches and warlocks generally believe themselves to be followers of the ancient religion called Wicca. This is a religion which worships nature and is an attempt to return to worshipping ancient Norse, Greek or Celtic gods and goddesses.

And whether you want to believe this or not, the Wicca religion is growing incredibly in the United States today. According to some sources, Wicca is currently the fastest growing spiritual path in the United States.

Wicca witches are currently allowed to practice their pagan rituals on United States military bases. Fort Hood gave official sanction to the first Wiccan group by giving them a place to conduct their rituals, endorsing their selection of a priestess and providing them with an Army chaplain. That’s the fruit folks that we are seeing in this country from the “Freedom of Religion.”

So that’s just some of the origins of Halloween. Once again, I would encourage you to spend $20 and an hour of your time to watch “Halloween: Trick or Treat” for more in depth information. You can purchase a copy of this video at http://www.chistiananswers.net.

Click Here To Read “Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?” (Part 3)

 

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 3)

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 3)
Published October 31, 2009 by Pastor Adam Gislason
Great Adventure Ministries

The Introduction of Halloween into the Church

How did this happen, folks? Our natural tendency would be to just brush Halloween off as harmless fun, believing that it has no real meaning.

That same lie is behind Harry Potter.

That same lie is behind Pokemon.

Parents, in this day and age, you need to do your homework. Study what you’re allowing your kids to watch. Study what you’re allowing your kids to read. Study what you’re allowing your kids to play. There are so many subtle ways that the enemy is trying to get at your children without you even realizing it.

Halloween is not an innocent holiday. It is taken very seriously by those of the Celtic (including Wicca) religion and is considered one of their most holy days. And if that’s true, why would you want to participate?

Satan has worked very hard to get us, especially Christian, to think that Halloween is really harmless. In fact, part of the work of Satan has been to convince the world that he doesn’t exist.

And by doing so, satanic rituals such as the celebration of Samhain, are seen as not being real. When Christianity and the world celebrates the Festival of Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating their homes, schools, businesses and churches with occult symbols-Satanic power is glorified.

We are living in an age of plurality, but plurality started a long time ago. When Christianity spread to parts of Europe, instead of trying to abolish these pagan customs, people tried to introduce ideas which reflected a more Christian world-view.

Hmmm…now is that happening anywhere else in the church today-this blending of the world into the church to make Christianity more palatable? Do not be deceived folks-it’s Christianity Lite. It tastes great, but it’s less filling. This kind of deception is hitting the church today from every direction with very little discernment.

And because of this pluralism age we live in, Halloween has since become a confusing mixture of traditions and practices from pagan cultures and Christian tradition.

The Romans observed the holiday of Feralia which was intended to give rest and peace to the departed. Participants made sacrifices in honor of the dead. They offered up prayers for them and made oblations to them. This festival was celebrated on February 21st which was the end of the Roman year. However, in the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints’ Day to replace the pagan festival of the dead.

It was observed on May 13. In 834, Gregory III moved All Saint’s Day from May 13th to November 1st and for Christians, this became an opportunity for remembering before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the Christian community. October 31st thus became “All Hallows’ Eve” (hallow means saint).

And then somewhere, somehow down the line of history Satan tricked the church into coming up with the idea that it had the power to adopt pagan holidays and declare them holy to the Lord.

We see this in some of our Christian traditions of celebrating both Christmas and Easter. I hope if you are a Christian here today that you have noticed some things about both Christmas and Easter that have absolutely nothing to do with the Lord. That’s because the origins of Christmas and Easter are pagan. Do your homework.

The last time a checked, there is no scriptural basis for the church to adopt pagan holidays and declare them holy to the Lord. In fact, only the Lord is able to declare anything holy.

There is no evidence in scripture, in either the Old Testament or New Testament, of Moses, Joshua, the prophets, King David or Solomon, Jesus or the apostles ever “remembering before God all the saints who had died.”

That’s because their focus was always on God, not man. In an effort to separate itself from Israel, the church disregarded the holy days set forth by God in Leviticus 23.

Click Here To Read “Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?” (Part 4)

 

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 4)

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 4)
Published October 31, 2009 by Pastor Adam Gislason
Great Adventure Ministries

Hell House

A recent particularly strange phenomenon within many churches is the introduction of the “Hell House” program. Quoting from one website that promotes the program:

“Hell House is an outreach event that is structured very much like a typical haunted house that people visit and walk through. Hell House capitalizes on the “Halloween” time of year, when people are thinking about ghoulish and frightening images and attractions.

Hell House is much more than a haunted house. It is a spiritually-based adventure that takes people on a 7-scene journey, each scene depicting the hell and destruction that Satan and this world can bestow on those who choose to not serve Jesus Christ. Literally, choices that can also have an end result of ushering people into hell. There is even a “Hell House Outreach Kit” available.”

One of the greatest difficulties with this “program”, and there are others like it, is that it boldly states that the Word of God is not powerful enough to change someone’s life-so instead we need to put real satanic fear into them.

Another problem is this: The program doesn’t cause someone to humble themselves before God and submit to Him for who He is. Rather it focuses on the person so that they won’t have to spend eternity in hell.

In other words, the basic message is “save yourself from eternal damnation” instead of “worship the Creator, the God of the Universe, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob simply because He is worthy to be praised.”

The truth is we all deserve to spend eternity burning in hell for our sin because the Bible says that the penalty for our sin is death (or in other words hell). And it’s only because of God’s great mercy and His love for us that He has provided a way though his son, Jesus Christ, that we may spend eternity with Him.

The website goes on say, “Hell House is cutting edge, it is shocking, it is offensive. But it is Truth.” You know terrorism is also cutting edge, shocking, offensive and true (in the sense of reality), but I would not want my child to be in the midst of a terrorist attack in order to “understand” it. Would you?

Nor do I believe that a child must see an abortion being performed (or a dead unborn baby) to understand that killing babies is wrong. We do not have to see or experience these things to know that they are wrong or to come to know the Lord.

The Bible says that faith comes through hearing and hearing the Word of God. It’s sufficient, it’s powerful, it changes lives. The Word of God causes us to realize that we can’t make it on our own.

The Word of God causes us to come to the end of ourselves and makes us aware of our sin. The Word of God causes us to see God for who He really is-the Creator of all things, the only truly perfect and good thing in all of eternity.

The Word of God brings us to the understanding that we must come to know that He is the only One we can trust and that only by His mercy can we be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

Is fear the method that God uses to draw someone to Him? Not according to Proverbs 29:25 which says, “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.”

Not according to Psalm 23:4 which says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.”

God draws men to Him through love. For God so loved the world John wrote in John 3:16. It is Satan who draws men through fear. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And in 2 Corinthians 13:11 Paul writes, “Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.”

You see what God laid down in His Word should be sufficient-right? And if that’s true, then it’s is wrong to think that we must add the things of the world in order to make the Word of God more powerful or more palatable-right? Why have become seeker sensitive?

These things of the world will all be destroyed-they are merely paper and straw. It’s only the Word of God that will stand in the end. We are not the ones who do the calling anyway, it’s the Holy Spirit. He works in the hearts of men to humble them and bring them before the Lord. It’s not the work of man to humble another-it’s the work of God in a man’s heart.

Click Here To Read “Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?” (Part 5)

 

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 5)

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? (Part 5)
Published October 31, 2009 by Pastor Adam Gislason
Great Adventure Ministries

The Biblical Perspective on Halloween

What does Scripture have to say regarding the things of Halloween? You know the city of Ephesus was considered one of the centers of occult in the world during the first century. Paul told the church there in Ephesians 5:11 this, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”

The word “reprove” means to expose.

So according to this passage of scripture, not only are we to not have anything to do with the deeds of darkness, such as the celebration of pagan festivals, we are to expose them for what they are as satanic, evil and of the devil.

Ephesians 5:11 is a strong scripture for those Christians who maybe don’t buy into all of Halloween, but are still planning on just letting there kids go trick or treating. Is that really what you should be letting you kids do on Tuesday night?

I guess the question that I would ask you is this: Is that or is that not fellowshipping with the unfruitful works of darkness?

In the next verse (12) says that we are not to even speak of these things: “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

In Deuteronomy 12:30, God commanded Israel to not inquire after their gods saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’

Paul told the church at Rome to reject these things of the world. Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Contrary to some of the teachings in the church today, we are not to be conformed (or to conform the Word of God) to this world. We are supposed to renew our minds with the Word of God so that we may preach His message, not the message of Satan.

We cannot seek after God and the things of darkness at the same time. Paul new that. In 1 Corinthians 10:21-22 he wrote, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?”

We must separate ourselves from the world. It doesn’t matter if we look strange or if we are not “accepted”. Jesus Himself had much to say to His disciples (and us) regarding this very topic.

He said in John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. In John 12:25 he said, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”

A part of the reasoning from Christians who celebrate Halloween is that their children are part of this world and they want them to be accepted. They don’t want them to “miss out” on something.

This usually goes along with the belief that Halloween is not real anyway so what difference does it make if we celebrate it or not. And I can sympathize with wanting to be accepted.

However, as a follower of Jesus, we must die to the flesh, which is what is demanding to be accepted. Think about it. We don’t let our teenage children have sexual relations outside of marriage just because it is acceptable in the world today.

So why would we worry about their not being accepted because they do not celebrate a demonic holiday? We must point them to the light, not to the darkness.

The deception of the celebration of Halloween is so subtle folks. For some, it’s hard to see it as demonic and evil. After all, it’s just some children dressing up as monsters and witches, going door-to-door “trick or treating”, right?

Is there any real harm in it? People ask the same questions when reading horoscopes. Most people think it is just foolishness anyway, so why not do it? Is it just foolishness? Does God really care if we celebrate Halloween (or read horoscopes or Harry Potter)?

I would submit to you this morning that He does. Look again with me at or scripture for today: Deuteronomy 18: 9-14. God speaking through Moses to the Israelites said them, 9 “When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations. 10 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you. 13 “You shall be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 “For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so.”

And again in Exodus 22:18, “You shall not allow a sorceress (witch) to live.”

John in Revelation 21:8 heard a voice from the throne saying, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” God declared to Israel in Micah 5:12, “And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers.”

There are Christians around the world who are being persecuted for being “different”. They will not conform to the ways of the world. That’s a great lesson for us to learn in what it means to really be a Christian.

We are not enter into the ways of the world. We are in the world, but not of it. Can you see Peter and his wife taking their children “trick or treating” if it had existed at the time? Can you picture Jesus passing out treats at the door to the little children that He loved so much?

I don’t think so. Why, then, would the followers of Jesus do it?

By participating in the customs of Halloween whether in fun or ignorance, we are continuing in practices which have been consecrated to Satan. People who love the Lord should stand in separation from these things and not compromise.

Christians can gather together on Halloween and use the night to educate themselves on the dangers of paganism. They can hand out tracts that tell the real truth behind Halloween. They can pray against the powers of darkness in their community because the fight isn’t against flesh and blood.

The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Amen.

Other Related Articles

Halloween Symbols
Halloween: A Seductive Bridge Between Two Worlds
Rethinking Halloween
Yu-Gi-Oh & The Spirits of Halloween
Deliver Us From Evil or There Is No Sin or Evil
Twilight Obsession
_______________________________________________________________________________________

          Order The Truth War, Faith Undone & Out of India

Order The Truth War by John MacArthur: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, Faith Undone by Roger Oakland: The Emerging Church-A New Reformation or an End-Time Deception & Out of India by Caryl Matrisciana: A True Story about the New Age Movement directly from Amazon.com by clicking on the book images below.

         
_________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Now What Do We Do?

  
 
Now What Do We Do?
Published October 7, 2009 by Paul Proctor
NewsWithViews.com

Many, both here and abroad, are wondering now what will become of America. There’s a lot of intense speculation going on these days as to whether we should expect renewal, revival, revolution or the wrath of God.

People are losing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their families, their pensions and everything they’ve worked a lifetime for. And because the problem is so profound and systemic, there’s really nothing the public or private sector can do to stop our economy from collapsing around us in spite of all the disinformation and outright propaganda to the contrary being manufactured by the government’s mainstream media machine and all those who have a vested interested in keeping the illusion of prosperity alive.

Even the money we use to buy and sell with – the world’s reserve currency – is an illusion that is quickly losing its appeal in the global marketplace. Americans may soon be the only people on earth that take U.S. dollars for goods and services – but for how long is anyone’s guess.

As I write, the Independent is reporting “the demise of the dollar” – that “Arab states have launched secret moves with China, Russia and France to stop using the US currency for oil trading.” Japan and Brazil are reportedly following suit. And, there’s no reason to believe it will stop there.

Because the dollar has long been the world’s reserve currency, most of it has been in circulation and in storage overseas. Imagine what will happen to its value when all of that unwanted currency comes back home to America from the countries that no longer want it or need it.

Remember; the more there is of something, the less it’s worth. An item’s rarity and desirability are what determines its value – not the numbers printed on it.

Take a rock from your front yard down to McDonalds and see if they’ll give you a hamburger for it. My guess is, they won’t since the owner of McDonalds can’t buy more hamburger meat and buns from his supplier with rocks that customers offer him over the counter because rocks are not rare and therefore aren’t valuable. A homeless man can fill his pockets with rocks off the street – but they won’t buy him a hamburger no matter how many he gives the guy behind the register or what numbers he scratches on the rocks that he offers. They’re still just rocks.

When Americans wake up and realize that the dollars they have in their wallets and purses and on account at the bank are little more than surplus paper, they’re not going to desire them anymore than China, Russia, France, Japan or Brazil. When this happens, it’s going to be like shopping with rocks.

The day is coming when food is going to become a lot more rare and desirable than green paper with numbers on it. Even though I’ve never tried it myself, I’m quite sure that money is not very tasty, nutritious or sanitary, for that matter, though it could be filling, I suppose, if you ate enough of it. And, if the gas and electric company quit taking dollars, we could always burn them in our furnaces and fireplaces, if we had to, to stay warm in the winter.

As if our declining economy and currency weren’t enough to bear, we Americans are losing our country as well, along with all the rights, freedoms, privileges and responsibilities that came with being a citizen. In fact, it would appear the United States no longer belongs to its citizens. Even the word “citizen” has lost its meaning here. No, our country belongs to men of great wealth, power and privilege who rule from the shadows, recognize no borders and fear little in life but the light of truth.

From the pew to the pulpit – from Main Street to Wall Street and from the voting booth to Capitol Hill – it’s mostly a charade now – driven by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1st John 2:16)

Should we be surprised? After all, this isn’t the Garden of Eden – nor is it the Promised Land. That means we have no eternal guarantee from God that He’ll sustain us as a nation indefinitely though He did give warning long ago about the hell that awaits nations that forget Him. But, as great and powerful as America once was, I have yet to find any mention of it in scripture. That ought to be humbling and a little disquieting for professing Christians here.

You see, empires come and go. History has taught us that their “15 minutes of fame” is a little over two hundred years which means America has statistically run its course.

So, what do we do now?

Do we take up the sword and our own perceived morality to exact vengeance on those we believe are to blame for the fall of our kingdom or do we take up our cross and follow Jesus to His?

This is the controversial question before us.

America is collapsing not because we have failed to fight our enemies, but because we have forgotten God, and in doing so, have made Him our enemy. Sure, we vehemently claim Him as our own but live day to day like He’s not there or doesn’t care what we think or say or do – like America is God’s home and we have some divine right to reside here forever.

But, that home has become a vain, vulgar and violent place under the throne of a righteous and holy God whose kingdom is not of this world. And, foreclosure is coming friends, because we’ve been living large on borrowed money, borrowed blessings and borrowed time.

“…Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17b

Other Related Articles

The Demise of The Dollar
Dollar Reaches Breaking Point As Banks Shift Reserves
The G-7 Abandons The Dollar
U.N. Calls For New Global Reserve Currency

__________________________________________________________________________________________

        Order Your 2009 New Releases Directly From Amazon

Order The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? (February 1st), Bankruptcy of Our Nation: 12 Key Strategies for Protecting Your Finances in These Uncertain Times (February 28th) and Inside The Revolution: How The Followers of Jihad, Jefferson and Jesus are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World (March 10th) directly from Amazon.com by clicking on the book images below.
   
              

__________________________________________________________________________

Technorati Tags: the demise of the dollar, the declining dollar, what will become of america, renewal in america, revival in america, revolution in america, wrath of god in america, job loss in america, unemployment in america, housing market in america, global economic crisis in america, current global economic crisis in america, global economic crisis update, articles on the global economic crisis, america losing pensions global economic crisis, american economy collapse, the collapse of the american economy, is the american economy collapsing, will the american economy collapse, mainstream media propaganda, mainstream media disinformation, the decline of the world’s reserve currency the dollar, the dollar losing its appeal in the global marketplace, will america eventually be the only place on earth that takes u.s. dollars for goods and services, have the arab states china russia, japan, brazil and france stopped using the u.s. currency for oil trading, how long has the dollar been the world’s reserve currency, will be dollar become unwanted currency, the value of the dollar declining, the u.s. dollar declining, is the dollar just paper, the value of the dollar, the current value of the dollar, gold and the dollar, should christians be buying gold during this global economic crisis, the declining economy in america, the declining economy in the u.s., are we as americans losing our country, americans are losing its country, americans are losing its rights and freedoms, what does it mean to be a citizen of the united states, does the united states still belong to its citizens, what does the word citizen mean, citizen definition, does america now belong to men of great wealth power and privilege who rule from the shadows, america being driven by the lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and pride of life, 1 john 2:16 and america, will god continue to protect america as a nation, will god continue to sustain america as a nation, has america forgotten god, america without god, has america as a nation forgotten god, is america found in the bible, is america found in bible prophecy, america last days, america end times, the american empire and roman empire comparisons, the decline of the roman empire, the decline of the american empire, the rise the roman empire again last days, the rise of the roman empire again end times, has the american empire run its course, has america run its course, what should christians be doing during the global economic crisis, america is collapsing, america is collapsing because we have forgotten god, is america god’s enemy, the pride and fall of america, repentance in america, america living on borrowed money, america living on borrowed time, america living on borrowed blessings, dollar reaches breaking point as banks shift reserves, the g-7 abandons the dollar, will the world abandon the dollar as its reserve currency, u.n. calls for new global reserve currency

 

Report Says Iran Has Data To Make A Nuclear Bomb

Report Says Iran Has Data To Make A Nuclear Bomb
Published October 4, 2009 by Joel Rosenberg
Joel Rosenberg’s Weblog

Excerpts from the New York Times front-page story: “Senior staff members of the United Nations nuclear agency have concluded in a confidential analysis that Iran has acquired ’sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable’ atom bomb. The report by experts in the International Atomic Energy Agency stresses in its introduction that its conclusions are tentative and subject to further confirmation of the evidence, which it says came from intelligence agencies and its own investigations. But the report’s conclusions, described by senior European officials, go well beyond the public positions taken by several governments, including the United States. Two years ago, American intelligence agencies published a detailed report concluding that Tehran halted its efforts to design a nuclear weapon in 2003. But in recent months, Britain has joined France, Germany and Israel in disputing that conclusion, saying the work has been resumed. A senior American official said last week that the United States was now re-evaluating its 2007 conclusions. The atomic agency’s report also presents evidence that beyond improving upon bomb-making information gathered from rogue nuclear experts around the world, Iran has done extensive research and testing on how to fashion the components of a weapon. It does not say how far that work has progressed….Most dramatically, the report says the agency ‘assesses that Iran has sufficient information to be able to design and produce a workable implosion nuclear device’ based on highly enriched uranium. Weapons based on the principle of implosion are considered advanced models compared with the simple gun-type bomb that the United States dropped on Hiroshima. They use a blast wave from a sphere of conventional explosives to compress a ball of bomb fuel into a supercritical mass, starting the atomic chain reaction and progressing to the fiery blast. Implosion designs, compact by nature, are considered necessary for making nuclear warheads small and powerful enough to fit atop a missile. The excerpts of the analysis also suggest the Iranians have done a wide array of research and testing to perfect nuclear arms, like making high-voltage detonators, firing test explosives and designing warheads.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________

        Order Your 2009 New Releases Directly From Amazon

Order The American Apocalypse: Is the United States in Bible Prophecy? (February 1st), Bankruptcy of Our Nation: 12 Key Strategies for Protecting Your Finances in These Uncertain Times (February 28th) and Inside The Revolution: How The Followers of Jihad, Jefferson and Jesus are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform the World (March 10th) directly from Amazon.com by clicking on the book images below.
   
              

__________________________________________________________________________

Technorati Tags: joel rosenberg iran, report says iran has data to make a nuclear bomb, nuclear iran, is iran nuclear, when will iran be nuclear, when will iran be nuclear, un nuclear agency, iran atom bomb, international atomic energy agency iran nuclear bomb, did iran stop efforts to design a nuclear weapon in 2003, iran and hiroshima, iran testing nuclear arms, iran making high-voltage detonators, iran firing test explosives, iran designing warheads

 

“X-Men” Marked For Life: Discernment Ministry In Light of Ezekiel 9:1-11

“X-Men” Marked For Life: Discernment Ministry In Light of Ezekiel 9:1-11
Published September 16, 2009 by Pastor Larry DeBruyn
Franklin Road Baptist Church

Someone once said that sin is as much breaking God’s heart as it is His Law. When God looked down on the perversity of the people on earth before the Deluge, it was recorded that He “was grieved in His heart” (Genesis 6:6b). When confronted by resident wickedness both without and within the professing church, Christians can manifest one of three reactions: approval (1 Corinthians 5:2), indifference (Zephaniah 1:12), or disapproval as indicated by the presence of either anger (Psalm 119:53) or grief (Psalm 119:136). So the question becomes, as we see the worldliness-wickedness invading the church, how do we feel about it? Are we agitated by, indifferent to, or accommodating of it?

Not unlike the society and church of our times, during Ezekiel’s ministry Judah found herself in a moral and spiritual “melt down.” Fraud, violence, adultery, and idolatry were running rampant amongst God’s chosen people. Idols had been set up in the Temple (Ezekiel 8:17; 9:9). From his location in Babylon, the Lord took Ezekiel on a virtual reality tour of the Temple, the place where on the Mercy Seat beneath the Cherubim, God’s Shekinah glory was to have been seated (Ezekiel 8:4). What he saw in that place of worship stunned the prophet. On his guided tour of the inner court, the Lord showed the prophet where first the people had substituted an idol image for Yahweh; where second, the elders worshiped animals; where third, the women sobbed over the death of Tammuz, a mythological fertility god who had married the Egyptian goddess Ishtar; and where fourth, the priests worshiped the sun (Ezekiel 8:5-18). Up-close and personal, the prophet saw how the nation had abominated into apostasy, how Israel had turned from worshiping the Creator to idolizing the creation and its creatures (See Romans 1:21-23.).

Yet in the midst of all those “alternative spiritualities,” and like the remnant of Elijah’s day who refused to bow their knee to Baal and kiss the idol god (1 Kings 19:18), some believers preserved themselves to be holy unto the Lord. So the Lord instructed the angel dressed in white to mark an “X” on the foreheads of the faithful, a mark that would spare them from the coming divine judgment (circa 600 BC).[1] Most have heard about “the mark of the beast”, the mark the deceived will receive at the end of the age, an identity without which they will neither be able to buy or sell (Revelation 14:9-12). The prophet Ezekiel wrote about a different mark, an “X” that was to be written on the foreheads of those in Judah who had refused to go along with the popular spiritual trends of that day. The “X” would spare them from the coming divine wrath. So the Lord instructed the angel: “Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst” (Ezekiel 9:4). Pause with me . . . for a moment let’s project back to that era and ask ourselves the following question: If we had been alive in Ezekiel’s day, would the angel have marked us to be spared from divine judgment?

It was a remnant who strongly disapproved of the apostasy of the majority. In the words of the Lord, they groaned and sighed over the “abominations” (Ezekiel 8:6, 9, 13, 15, 17; 9:4) they saw being committed in the name of religion in their midst. What they saw sickened them to the core of their spiritual and emotional being. Would the angel have marked us if we had lived in that day? We should check out our feelings. Charles Feinberg observed: “Grief is always the portion of those who know the Lord in an evil day. The marked ones were penitent and faithful at a time of widespread departure from the will of the Lord.”[2] Another commentator adds that the criterion for receiving the mark was “an affair of the heart–a passionate concern for God and His people. Failing that, there was no mark . . .”[3]

Some in the mainstream Christian media have called those involved in discernment ministry “Christian attack dogs.”[4] Maybe a better metaphor-label would be “Christian guard dogs”! Discerners so love their Master (i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ) and His Bride (i.e., the church) that they agonize to protect His truth and her purity.

Allow me to propose a litmus test as to whether or not we might have been marked in Ezekiel’s day. But before asking some questions, we should note the Apostle Peter’s warning: “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you” (2 Peter 2:1; Compare Matthew 7:13-15; Jude 17-19.). Based upon Peter’s prediction, does the worldliness that is invading the church bother us? (James 4:4) Does it concern us when we see churches being manipulated by the mechanics of church growth, when the end of growth justifies any means to achieve it? (2 Corinthians 2:17) Does it bother our souls to see the goal of growth eclipsing the Gospel, to see methods employed usurping the Message preached? (Romans 1:16) Does it grieve us to observe the church believing God’s truth less while enjoying “worship celebrations” more? (Matthew 15:8-9) Does the rampant immorality amongst professing evangelicals cause us to sigh? (1 Corinthians 5:2) Were you bothered a few years ago when one evangelical leader, who led a movement in his state to preserve the institution of traditional marriage, was cornered into admitting that he solicited sex from a male prostitute? (Jeremiah 23:14) Do false teachers with their strange and unbiblical teachings annoy you? (Revelation 2:2) Given our media age, does the development of the personality cults around evangelical leaders and speakers, where appearance and a schmoozing style trump substance, concern us? (1 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Peter 2:3; Jude 16) Are some of us even unaware that there are such critters as false teachers who stupefy their followers with their heretical teachings? (Romans 16:17) Does it upset us to see the Christian faith being publicly maligned for reason of the immoral behavior and unbiblical teachings prevalent amongst professing evangelicals? (2 Peter 2:2) In short, are we discerners? (Hebrews 5:14) If we are not, then we should not expect to be marked.

Well, you might be asking, how can we know whether or not a person is a false teacher? Through Jeremiah the Lord provided this description of false prophets: “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds” (Jeremiah 14:14). Of such prophets Jeremiah said that, “They speak a vision of their own imagination, not from the mouth of the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:16b). Again, I ask you, do you know of any false prophets today? You may protest the question saying, “Well, I know men who speak for God who are true.” But that’s not the question. Do you know any false teachers? I know this is a discomforting question–but do you? If you don’t, I would say that you have a very grave problem . . . a very grave problem indeed. And it is this: You may not value God’s truth enough to know what it is and thereby be incapable of discerning “the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:4-6).

From his study of human history, a famous historian once remarked how he observed that the majority was seldom right. Jesus agreed. He said: “Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it.” He continued to say, “For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” Then the Lord concluded: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:13-15). Interesting, isn’t it . . . that the Lord warned the multitudes to watch out for false prophets in the very context in which He differentiated the way of the majority from the Way of the minority. Jesus knew that to their own destruction the majority will follow the way of the false prophets and teachers. They will not be marked out for salvation. They will not be “X-Men”. Like the compromisers of Ezekiel’s day, they went along to get along. So allow me to ask you again: Dear Reader, do you know of any false prophets around today, or are you living in denial, in “a spiritual never-never land”? Will you choose to remain unwarned by the very warning that Jesus and the rest of the prophets and apostles warned you about; mainly, that false prophets and teachers will arise who will lead multitudes to walk the broad way leading to destruction? Remember: Seldom is the majority right.

For any Christians concerned to discern, they may be comforted to know they’re taking the narrow Way. A spirit of discernment is symptomatic of true faith. The Lord’s sheep care, yes, even “sigh and groan” when they see fellow evangelicals lapsing into worldliness and ungodliness. Goats however, are unmoved (Matthew 25:31-46). Yet the caring can be comforted to know that their discernment evidences their solidarity with the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Being concerned to discern marks them out– “X” — as true believers (See 1 John 2:18-24.). Yet the overriding emotion of discernment ought to be that of grief. Yes, there may be a time for anger. God gets angry. He was with Ezekiel’s generation, so much so that after He had told the angel in white to mark the believing remnant, the Lord instructed the other six angels, “Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.” (Ezekiel 9:5b-6). Yet we must remember that, “the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).

So it’s truly a sad day when we see those professing to know God believing and behaving as if they do not. So it’s significant to note that the divine judgment was to begin in the sanctuary and then work its way out through Jerusalem and the rest of the entire nation (Compare 1 Peter 4:17.). This order of judgment compelled Paul to command the congregation at Rome: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17-18, KJV). But if we are to engage in such marking, we ought to be reminded that the accompanying emotion ought to be one of grief. Yet we ought also to be reminded that in the end those who refuse to mark false teachers may not be marked by the Lord to be spared divine judgment.

Pastor Larry DeBruyn

___________________________________________________________________________________________

ENDNOTES

[1] Charles Lee Feinberg, The Prophecy of Ezekiel (Chicago: Moody Press, 1969) 55.

[2] The mark was the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, a taw (i.e., the Hebrew “T”). Early Christian commentators noted that often the last letter was written as an “X” that could substitute for a person’s signature. See John B. Taylor, Ezekiel (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1969)103. The marking of the faithful finds precedent at the time of Israel’s exodus from Egypt when at the first Passover the Lord instructed the Israelites to “take some of the blood and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it,” after which He explained: “And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:7, 13).

[3] Ibid. 102.

[4] David Aikman, “Attack Dogs of Christendom,” Christianity Today, August, 2007, 52. Aikman writes: “By all means criticize fellow Christians if necessary, but do so with grace.” Real discerners do it with a sigh and a groan.
________________________________________________________________________________________

         
          Order The Truth War, Faith Undone & Out of India

Order The Truth War by John MacArthur: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, Faith Undone by Roger Oakland: The Emerging Church-A New Reformation or an End-Time Deception & Out of India by Caryl Matrisciana: A True Story about the New Age Movement directly from Amazon.com by clicking on the book images below.

         
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Technorati Tags: discernment, biblical discernment, marked for biblical discernment, how do i know i have the gift of discernment, the gift of discernment, discernment in the church, lack of discernment in the church, lack of discernment in the church last days, lack of discernment in the church end times, discernment ministry ezekiel 9:1-11, discernment ministries, discernment ministries minnesota, biblical discernment ministries minnesota, what is discernment, what is biblical discernment, discerning the times, how to use the gift of discernment, how should christians react to sin in the church, christian reactions to sin in the church, the church approving sin in the last days, the church approving sin end times, the church passiveness last days, the church passiveness end times, when we see worldliness-wickedness invading the church how do we feel about it, ezekiel’s ministry, the book of ezekiel, articles on the book of ezekiel, blogs on the book of ezekiel, websites on the book of ezekiel, the mark of the beast, 666, what is the mark of the beast, apostasy in the church last days, apostasy in the church end times, discernment ministry christian attack dogs, protecting the truth in the last days, protecting the truth end times, protecting god’s truth last days, protecting god’s truth end times, protecting the bible last days, protecting the bible end times, standing for truth last days, standing for truth end times, contending for the faith last days, contending for the faith end times, false prophets rising among the people in the last days, false prophets rising among the people end times, false teachers last days, false teachers end times, worldliness invading the church last days, worldliness invading the church end times, how can we know whether of not a person is a false teacher, false prophets of today, modern false prophets, false teachers today, modern false teachers, beware of false prophets they come to you in sheep’s clothing, false prophets and sheep’s clothing, ravenous wolves, wolves dressed like sheep, the spirit of discernment, does god get angry, are we to have fellowship with false teachers and false prophets, marking and avoiding false teachers, marking and avoiding false prophets, should we be in relationship with false teachers, should we be in relationship with false prophets, should we fellowship with those who cause divisions in the church, should we be in relationship with those who cause divisions in the church, marking and avoiding false teachers, marking and avoiding false prophets, what does the bible say about marking and avoiding false teachers and false prophets