Search Results - christian research network (2024)

Comment on: Topic 'Wilson: No more apologies for outburst against president': oe Wilson and wish more of our elected would stand up to obama and his dirty politics! if they censure Wilson, I hope you all will contact them and let them know this is wrong and that you support Wilson. we MUST start standing up for what is right in this nation. standing up means doing something! use our computers to contact elected and let them know our Christian views and wants, research elected and political issues (do not think you are getting any true facts from the mainstream media), contact companies and networks to stand up for Christian values, etc... i could go on and on but you get the point. we all must start being more like Rep. Joe Wilson and taking a stand even if it is not popular!…; Added by betty j. maye to Politics at 12:49pm on September 16, 2009

Comment on: Topic 'Dominionism and the New Apostolic Reformation': be brought under (reconstructed) the lordship of Jesus Christ in all areas: social, moral, political, judicial, military, family, art, education, music, etc. Christian Reconstructionism advocates the restoration of Old Testament civil and moral laws in order to reconstruct present American society into an Old Testament type Mosaic form and that the three main areas of society - family, church, government - should all be biblically modeled, the Bible being the sole standard. This would include severe punishments for law breakers. Some Christian reconstructionists would advocate death for adulterers, abortionists, idolaters, murderers, hom*osexuals, rapists, etc.Reconstructionts maintain a strong belief that the Bible is true and inerrant. Generally postmillennial 'that through the preaching and teaching of the gospel, the world will be converted to Christianity and that Christ will return after a period of time after the world is converted.Christian reconstructionism advocates removing prisons and and replacing them with the practice of restoration of damages done. Christians are the new chosen people of God, replacing national Israel. Other religious systems would be strongly resisted.There is a debate among some Christian reconstructionists on whether or not slavery should be reinstituted; not all are in agreement.Opposes evolution. Teaches Jesus will physically return to Israel.Christian reconstructionism began with the publication of the Institute of Biblical Law by R. J. Rushdoony in 1973. This 800 page work expounded on the 10 Commandments. After Rushdoony's death in 2001, his son-in-law Gary North took the reins and has become a prolific writer, further advocating Christian Reconstructionism.Publications: Conspiracy, published in 1986, also Was Calvin a theonomist, published in 1990by Gary North, Ph.D, president of the Institute for Christian Economics; By What Standard, The Roots of Reconstructionism, The Mythology of Science, The Biblical Philosophy of History, Institutes of biblical law, by R. J. Rushdoonyhttp://carm.org/christian-reconstructionism-theonomyThe New Apostolic ReformationAugust 24, 2011An emerging Christian movement that seeks to take dominion over politics, business and culture in preparation for the end times and the return of Jesus, is becoming more of a presence in American politics. The leaders are considered apostles and prophets, gifted by God for this role.The international "apostolic and prophetic" movement has been dubbed by its leading American architect, C. Peter Wagner, as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Although the movement is larger than the network organized by Wagner — and not all members describe themselves as part of Wagner's NAR — the so-called apostles and prophets of the movement have identifiable ideology that separates them from other evangelicals.More by Rachel TabachnickTwo ministries in the movement planned and orchestrated Texas Gov. Rick Perry's recent prayer rally, where apostles and prophets from around the nation spoke or appeared onstage. The event was patterned after The Call, held at locations around the globe and led by Lou Engle, who has served in the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders of the NAR. Other NAR apostles endorsed Perry's event, including two who lead a 50-state "prayer warrior" network. Thomas Muthee, the Kenyan pastor who anointed Sarah Palin at the Wasilla Assembly of God Church in 2005, while praying for Jesus to protect her from the spirit of witchcraft, is also part of this movement.On Wednesday's Fresh Air, Rachel Tabachnick, who researches the political impact of the religious right, joins Terry Gross for a discussion about the growing movement and its influence and connections in the political world.Tabachnick says the movement currently works with a variety of politicians and has a presence in all 50 states. It also has very strong opinions about the direction it wants the country to take. For the past several years, she says, the NAR has run a campaign to reclaim what it calls the "seven mountains of culture" from demonic influence. The "mountains" are arts and entertainment; business; family; government; media; religion; and education."They teach quite literally that these 'mountains' have fallen under the control of demonic influences in society," says Tabachnick. "And therefore, they must reclaim them for God in order to bring about the kingdom of God on Earth. ... The apostles teach what's called 'strategic level spiritual warfare' [because they believe that the] reason why there is sin and corruption and poverty on the Earth is because the Earth is controlled by a hierarchy of demons under the authority of Satan. So they teach not just evangelizing souls one by one, as we're accustomed to hearing about. They teach that they will go into a geographic region or a people group and conduct spiritual-warfare activities in order to remove the demons from the entire population. This is what they're doing that's quite fundamentally different than other evangelical groups." http://www.npr.org/2011/08/24/139781021/the-evangelicals-engaged-in...In My opinion - The people in these movements Love the Lord. The fundamentals’ of their theology is basically historical/biblical Christianity, but some of their theology has the potential for disaster when it falls into extremes.…; Added by David Velasquez at 10:08am on September 28, 2011

Topic: IS CHRISTIANITY UNDER ATTACK?: up for a Washington event called War on Christians and the Values Voters of 2006 this week. Speakers gave impassioned testimonies about Christian persecution across the country.At the event, Tom DeLay had this to say,"We are, after all, a society that abides abortion on demand, has killed millions of innocent children, degrades the institution of marriage and often treats Christianity like some second-rate superstition. Seen from this perspective of course there is a war on Christianity."TONY PERKINS, PRESIDENT, FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL: It's not just me, Chris. A poll by the anti-defamation league end of last year, 64 percent of Americans say religion in America is under attack. Eighty percent of evangelicals agree that religion in this country, in particular, Christianity, is under attack.MATTHEWS: What are the specifics of that charge?PERKINS: Well, clearly, it's not a war on Christianity like we talked about last week with Abdul Rahman and what he was under, but it's a hostility nonetheless. I mean, just last week in San Francisco, 25,000 young evangelicals gathered there for a rally, and the board of supervisors passed a resolution.It's first time I've ever seen a legislature pass a resolution condemning them as a right-wing Christian fundamentalist group that spreads hate. That was the official language. I mean, you see that. You see Indiana were the legislature there no longer allowed to open their sessions in prayer, if they pray in the name of Jesus.I mean, you ask any parent if America today, they're concerned. Their kids cannot pray in school, graduations, football games, no prayer, even the pledge.MATTHEWS: But those are court decisions, aren't they?PERKINS: They are court decisions, but nonetheless it is a branch of government and most of the time spurred on by the ACLU, that many times is funded with taxpayer dollars.MATTHEWS: Reverend Sharpton, do you think that Christianity and religion as such are under attack by our secular institutions?REV. AL SHARPTON, NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK: I think there's a difference when you say that polls say religion is under attack and saying Christianity is under attack and then acting as if Christianity and the right-wing are synonymous. I think that the right wing has got Christianity under attack or Christianity that was the basis of the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-war movement.It's certainly not the Christianity that they are talking about. So I think that we've got to really narrow in what we're talking about, and to say that someone stops a prayer that makes others that may pray a different way feel like they're being imposed upon and then to act like the symbol of Christianity is Tom DeLay is a great leap. And I think that is where many of us that are Christian are offended by this group trying to misuse these kinds of situations.MATTHEWS: Do you believe, Tony, that you feel under attack? Or is this a clever marketing tool?PERKINS: No.MATTHEWS: You know, if you say circle the wagons to anybody, that's a great way to get them rallied, that's a way to get them juiced up, and they may vote more frequently. They may get out there and vote, where if they don't feel under attack they're not going to vote. It's human nature.Related contentRead the 'Hardball' blog -- Hardblogger'Hardball' homepageNOW THAT YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE ABOVE, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT I HAVE TRULY "STUDIED" AND IT HAS BROUGHT ME TO MY KNEES IN PRAYER FOR "CHRISTIANITY" WHICH I SHOULD REALLY CALL " CHRIST FOLLOWING DISCIPLESHIP":The Lie: EvolutionGenesis 1:1 & Romans 1:17-25As Contributed By Rev. James MosesThese are from a series on Creation vs. Evolution. The info came from Ken Ham (Back to Genesis) and Arlo E. Moehlenpah, D.Sc.(He taught at CLC Stockton, CA.)Christianity is Under AttackYears ago, our society was based on Christian absolutes. People knew what was right and what was wrong. Behaviors such as sexual deviancy, easy divorce, public lawlessness, abortion on demand, p*rnography, and public nudity were considered to be wrong. Varying punishments for offenders were meted out by society. Value judgments were basically built on biblical principles (for example, the Ten Commandments). Most people accepted or respected a belief in God.Recently more and more people have rejected the God of the Bible. As belief in God has been abandoned, people have questioned the basis of the society in which they live. For instance, if there is no God, then why should they obey the Ten Commandments? Why should anyone say that hom*osexuality is wrong? Why should women be barred from having abortions whenever they desire? Once people eliminated God from their consciences, they set about to change any laws based on Christian absolutes that held god as Creator (and thus owner) of everything.Christian absolutes have been diluted or removed as the basis of society and replaced with a world view that says, "We do not have to accept that the Christian way of doing things (basing our world and life view on biblical principles) is the only way; we must tolerate all religious beliefs and ways of life." However, this "tolerance" really means an intolerance of the absolutes of Christianity. This false idea of tolerance has subtly undermined Christianity, and most Christians have not recognized what was really happening. Many Christians have been deceived into believing they have no right to impose their views on society. We are told, for instance, that anti-abortionists have no business impressing their particular bias on society. Have you ever heard anyone say this about the pro-abortion groups? The result is one bias being imposed on society by the pro-abortionists - legalized abortion on demand! No matter what you do, you cannot avoid the fact that a view is being imposed on someone by someone. There is no such thing as neutrality, although many Christians become ensnared in the trap of believing there is.The idea of open-mindedness comes from the notion that there is no such thing as absolute truth, or that truth cannot be absolutely known. Some say, "There are no absolutes." Ironically, this premise has become their one absolute. Such ideas are derived from an anti-biblical philosophy, which holds that everything is relative.Christian absolutes - those truths and standards of Scripture, which cannot be altered - are becoming less and less tolerated in society. Eventually this will result in the outlawing of Christianity. When Christian absolutes were the basis of society, immoral activities such as hom*osexual or lesbian lifestyles and p*rnography were outlawed. There has been a fundamental shift. Our society is now based on a relative morality: that is, a person can do what he likes and is answerable to no one but himself as long as the majority of people can be persuaded that their interests are not being threatened. This results in society's being told that no one can say anything against those who choose to be sexual deviants, go naked publicly, or do whatever they want (within the limits of the law, which is also changing to become more "tolerant" of people's actions).Most people have the wrong idea about what the creation/evolution question involves. Instead of perceiving the real issue, they have been deceived into believing that evolution is science. It is not a science at all. It is a belief system about the past. We do not have access to the past. We only have the present. All the fossils, all the living animals and plants, our planet, the universe - everything exists in the present. We cannot directly test the past using the scientific method (which involves repeating things and watching them happen) since all evidence that we have is in the present.It is important to understand that special creation, by definition, is also a belief about the past. The difference is that creationists base their understanding of creation upon a book which claims to be the Word of the One who was there, who knows everything there is to know about everything, and who tells us what happened. Evolution comes from the words of men who were not there and who do not claim to be omniscient. This whole issue revolves around whether we believe the words of God who was there, or the words of fallible humans (no matter how qualified) who were not there.Atheists, agnostics and revelations (and theists) hold to religious positions; and what they do with the evidence will again be determined by the assumptions (beliefs) of their religious positions. It is not a matter of whether one is biased or not. It is really a question of which bias is the best bias with which to be biased.The reader needs to be aware that, when we discuss creation/evolution, in both instances we are talking about beliefs, that is, religion. The controversy is not religion versus science, as the evolutionists try to make out. It is religion versus religion, the science of one religion versus the science of the other.Evolution is a religious position that makes human opinion supreme. As we shall see, its fruits (because of rejection of the Creator and Lawgiver) are lawlessness, immorality, impurity, abortion, racism, and a mocking of God. Creation is a religious position based on the Word of God, and its fruits (through God's Spirit) are love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The creation/evolution issue (is God Creator?) is the crux of the problems in our society today. It is the fundamental issue with which Christians must come to grips. The creation/evolution issue is where the battle really rages.The Root of the ProblemWhy do evolutionists not want to admit that evolution is really a religion? It is related to the fact that whatever you believe about your origins does affect your whole world-view, the meaning of life, etc. If there is no God and we are the result of chance random processes, it means there is no absolute authority. And if there is no one who sets the rules, then everyone can do whatever he likes or hopes he can get away with. Evolution is a religion, which enables people to justify writing their own rules.The real battle is aligned with the fact that these people do not want to accept Christianity because they will not accept that there is a God to whom they are answerable. Perhaps this is why one evolutionist lecturer said: "You will never convince me that evolution is religion." In other words, no matter what we were able to show him concerning the nature of evolution, he refused to accept that it was a religion. He did not want to accept that he had a faith because then he would have to admit it was a blind faith. And he would not be able to say that it was the right faith.The public has genuinely been misled into thinking that evolution is only scientific and belief in God is only religious. Evolution is causing many people to stumble and not listen when Christians share with them the truth of the God of creation. You will notice in humanist opposition (through debates, the media, books, etc.) to the creation ministries that they very rarely identify any evidence for evolution. The main reason is, of course, that there is none.Genesis Does Matter- It Gives Us A FoundationLet us look in detail at some important Christian doctrines, to show why this emphasis on a literal Genesis must be accepted.Suppose that we are being questioned concerning the doctrines Christians believe. Think carefully how you would answer in detail:Why do we believe in marriage?Why do we promote the wearing of clothes?Why are there rules - right and wrong?Why are we sinners - what does that mean?Why is there death and suffering in the world?We will consider each one carefully, as it is important to have reasons for what we believe. In fact, God expects His children to be ready to give answers - to give reasons for what they believe. In 1 Peter 3:15 we read, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."Christianity, as distinct from atheism, is not a "blind" faith, but an objective one…our object is Jesus Christ.He does reveal himself to those who come by faith believing that He is. John 14:21 says, "And I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." Hebrews 11:6 "For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."If reasons for the validity of the Christian's faith are not forthcoming, His witness is weakened and open to ridicule. Christians must be prepared to make an intelligent defense of the gospel by arming themselves with knowledge and an understanding of the form unbelief takes in these days. Many Christians do not know how to communicate the fact that God's Word and God's laws are true. The net result is generations of wishy-washy Christians who believe in many things, but are not sure why. Personal witnessing can lose its impact if the Christian fails to share intelligent reasons for his faith. This must be avoided, lest ridicule and dishonor come to the name of Christ.…; Added by Ramona P. Jacobsz at 10:59am on November 11, 2008

Blog Post: The Bible and Evolution: Added by Dave Gaurino at 9:36pm on January 10, 2011

Topic: PROSPERITY GOSPEL: nd grow. The commandment to make disciples of people (fishers of men) is, to me a very important one. I have become aware of Pastors and Public Speakers (who have a gift to speak and write) are commercialising Christianity. I pertently mention Oprah and Joyce Meyer and you will see from the article appended hereto that other names are mentioned...Tithing is something that does not get mentioned in our Methodist church per se, it is something which must be decided by the individual. Also, Rev Ray Godess, our pastor, says that what I have always been doing is quite acceptable. I give what I can afford to our church as we all know that in order to function a church must have funds. (If an individual joins a club there are club fees attached). I know this may not sound correct but it is just an example that I am using to illustrate the point.After all, all that we own, everything we have, comes from God and can be taken away in a second! When we die we cannot take anything with us... Possessions are BLESSINGS.(In a slightly lighter vein, I will tell you a little joke): An extremely wealthy man lay on his death bed and he simply could not stand the thought of leaving his earthly possessions behind. As his wife and family and friends stood by his bedside he asked his wife to promise him that, when he passed on, she would put all his money into his coffin. The obedient and loving wife replied : "Of course, my darling, I will do that for you". At the funeral a curious friend asked the wife: "Did you keep your promise and put Arthur's money in his coffin?" The widow replied: "Of course, I would never dream of disobeying my darling deceased husband. I wrote a cheque and put it in the coffin (cask as the Americans call it)...But, seriously, I am grieved about the "wolves in sheep's clothing"... People are going to "Christian" Preacher/healers who must be paid to pray for them. Pastors are dressing up in designer clothes and living in palacial mansions... I actually saw on internet what Joyce Meyer's "compound" where she and her family lives... I was quite taken aback! Pastors are driving the most luxurious cars and fly in their own Jets...Jesus Christ came to earth to wash his disciples feet! He was humble and we read that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven... (Of course, I am sure that it is not a sin to be rich but....)What I love about our Methodist church is the humility of our building... The building is about 105 years' old but the SPIRIT of God is definitely there. I know, of course, that the church is just a building and our congregation is the church. BUT WOW! What a congregation - so full of love and compassion! I am so delighted as we have been awarded the title of being the CATALYST in HEIDELBERG.Now to give you the quotations which saddened me and I think all Christ Followers who are aware of what is going on should take hands and pray about this:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The ‘Faith' Movement may be Prospering but is it HEALTHY ?by Stuart A. St.John--------------------------------------------------------------------------------What would you say, I wonder, if you were told that there is a teaching sweeping through evangelical churches in our day that not only has made changes to, but has also taken out the very core of the Gospel and replaced it with a fake?Such is the message being propagated by Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Marilyn Hickey, Charles Capps, Fred Price, Robert Tilton, Doyle "Buddy" Harrison and Ray McCauley. (These people have international followings numbering thousands, several having their own TV broadcasts.) Many believers who see these ministries at a distance know that something is not right about them, but most see them as the Gospel plus healing and prosperity on demand.Research carried out in 1994 among a number of Christians from many different backgrounds has confirmed this. Almost 100% held this idea that the ‘Faith' message was only the Gospel plus. None had any idea of the extent of its error. In fact, a certain well-informed Baptist pastor expressed real surprise when he read what Kenneth Copeland teaches about the Creation, Fall, and Redemption of man. "I never knew it was this bad," he said. "...This is sheer heresy."You might think it a fair question to ask whether these ‘Faith' teachers themselves are aware that they are teaching anything other than the historic, Biblical Gospel. After all, you could say, all of us make mistakes at times - maybe they're just a little confused about what happened on the Cross. But the following comment from Copeland's tape "What happened from the Cross to the Throne" indicates clearly his thinking that traditional Christianity has covered up his beliefs in ‘traditional church teaching': "Tonight I want to show you some things from the Word of God . . . It's very little talked about, almost non-existent in traditional church teaching . . . because it's been covered up and hidden in tradition... The thing that's necessary for the life of a Christian is knowledge of what happened from the cross to the throne, what took place in the three days and three nights."So, then, we see that far from being a misunderstanding of what happened at the Cross, Copeland has uncovered a previously ‘hidden' teaching (what the ‘Faith' movement terms ‘Revelation knowledge') which you will see presents us with another ‘Jesus' and ‘another gospel'. The quotes which follow are all from Kenneth Copeland:"This man [Jesus] is a carbon copy of the one that walked through the garden of Eden." ("What Happened from the Cross to the Throne", tape.)"Every prophet that walked the face of the earth under the Abrahamic covenant could have paid the price if it were a physical death only" ("What Happened...")"When he said ‘It is finished' on that cross, he was not speaking of the plan of redemption. The plan of redemption had just begun, there were still three days and three nights to be gone through." ("What Happened...")"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)"Jesus went into hell itself and suffered the penalty for sin" (Believer's Voice of Victory magazine, May 1994, page 5.)"[Jesus] accepted the sin nature of Satan in His own Spirit, and at the moment that He did so, He cried ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'." ("What Happened...")"He [Jesus] was down in that pit and there he suffered the punishment for three horrible days and nights for Adam's treason... There is a new birth takes place in the very depths of the earth, when the command of God says ‘That's enough, loose him and let him go'." ("What Happened...")A good summary quote of this teaching from a fellow ‘Faith' teacher is this: "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 serve time in hell separated from God... Satan and all the demons of hell thought 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." (Fred K.C. Price, Ever Increasing Faith Messenger, June 1980, p.7)It has become obvious that Copeland's belief about "what took place in the three days and three nights" has nothing to do with orthodox Bible teaching, and has not been "covered up and hidden in tradition"! Yet Copeland ends his tape "What Happened from the Cross to the Throne" with the following remark: "‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel' - what is the gospel? Just exactly what I have been telling you for the last hour."So Copeland believes that it is not what happened ON the Cross (when the real Jesus poured out His precious blood to pay for our sins), but what happened AFTERWARDS that really matters - when his imaginary ‘Jesus' (who had died spiritually and become "one with Satan" on the cross) was being tortured by Satan (his "step-father") in hell.Commenting on this teaching the late Dr Walter Martin, a world expert on cults, said the following: "It is the height of theological folly to reduce God the Son, the second person of the holy Trinity, to a lost sinner with the nature of Satan and then send Him to hell with the requirement of regeneration before He can complete the work of redemption." (p.104, Agony of Deceit, Moody Press: Chicago, 1990)Before looking into more of the specific teachings of the ‘Faith' movement (also called the prosperity movement and the ‘Word-Faith' movement) it will be helpful to see where it comes from. Many Christians have been taken unawares by it because they think it comes from the Pentecostal/charismatic movement. Such is not the case at all. In the latter half of this century, the acknowledged father-figure of the movement has been Kenneth Hagin. It is from him that Copeland and others have directly borrowed their message. However, the real father of the ‘Faith' message is E.W.Kenyon, who was teaching the same things before Kenneth Hagin was even born (Kenyon died in 1948). To the casual observer, the ‘Faith' movement has certain similarities in experience, etc., to the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. However, the core of the message, and its origins, are widely divergent. Kenyon, its founder, inadvertently ‘borrowed' from the ideas taught by Christian Science, New Thought and Unity School of Christianity. In the book A Different Gospel, D.R. McConnell documents clearly the progress of Kenyon's ideas while studying at Emerson's New Thought college in Boston. Though Hagin has tried to deny his obvious plagiarism of Kenyon's "The Wonderful Name of Jesus", saying that he only saw the book in 1978, as McConnell points out, "The problem is that two years prior to 1978, the first date that Hagin admits to having read Kenyon's The Wonderful Name of Jesus, he had already copied extensively from this book for an article published in his magazine in 1976. That article never mentions the name of E.W.Kenyon."..."He has plagiarised Kenyon both repeatedly and extensively. Actually, it would not be overstated to say that the very doctrines that have made Kenneth Hagin and the Faith movement such a distinctive and powerful force within the independent charismatic movement are all plagiarised from E.W.Kenyon." (p.7, A Different Gospel).He also points out the very obvious similarities between statements of Kenyon and those of New Thought writer R.W.Trine. Trine wrote concerning the ‘law' of prosperity: "To hold yourself in this [positive] attitude of mind is to set in operation subtle, silent irresistible forces that sooner or later actualize in material form that which is today merely an idea. But ideas have occult power and ideas rightly planted and rightly tended are the seeds that actualize material conditions" (R.W.Trine, In Tune with the Infinite, p.138 [emphasis mine]). Those familiar with any of the modern writings on prosperity and positive confession will see, in the light of this quotation, that they have more in common with the writings of Trine (via Kenyon and Hagin) than with the Scriptures.To give a wider picture of the teachings of the ‘Faith' movement there now follows a list of some of the key teachings: [Under each heading the position of the ‘Faith' teachers is outlined, with any relevant quotes, and then follows the Biblical view on each topic.]Adam:They teach that he had the nature of God and great inner creative power as God had. E.W. Kenyon taught that man "must partake either of God's nature or of Satan's nature", and therefore he has no distinct nature of his own. Charles Capps puts it like this: "God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness. The word likeness in the original Hebrew means "an exact duplication in kind."... Adam was an exact duplication of God's kind!" (Authority in Three Worlds, p.15-16. [Emphasis in original]. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, 1982.)What Capps is putting to us here is made crystal clear for us by his fellow Faith-teacher Kenneth Copeland when he states quite emphatically that "God's reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself, and in the Garden of Eden He did that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even.... Adam is as much like God as you could get, just the same as Jesus - When He came into the earth He said ‘If you've seen Me you've seen the Father'. He wasn't a lot like God - He's God manifested in the flesh. And I want you to know something: Adam, in the Garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh!" ("Following the Faith of Abraham", part I, side 1). [Cassette obtained from Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Bath, UK, Summer 1994]What the Bible says:In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 the Hebrew word Elohim is used only of God, not of man (who was only a creature). Adam was created with a sinless human nature. He had a nature that was made ‘in the image of God' but was distinct from it. (Genesis 1:26 and 2:7)Adam's Dominion:They teach that he was a little god who owned the planet earth and all God's creation. According to Kenneth Hagin, man "was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God's presence without any consciousness of inferiority... Man lived in the realm of God. He lived on equal terms with God." (Zoe: The God-Kind of Life, p. 35-36, Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc. 1989.) According to some of the ‘Faith' teachers he was given total ownership for a 6000 year period. His spoken words would cause food to grow and feed him. Meanwhile, God was "outside looking in" (as Copeland tells us on his tape, "What Happened...") and "powerless to do anything" - He had given the Earth to man freehold.What the Bible says:Adam's dominion was only a stewardship to look after what God had made, to tend the garden of Eden and look after the animals (Gen. 1:28; Gen.2:15). The Earth and everything in it still belonged to God - Adam was God's tenant. (See, for example, Lev. 25:23, Deut.4:39, Jer. 27:5, Psa. 24:1- "The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it"). Andrew Brandon, in his book Health and Wealth (which gives an excellent overview of the movement), gives the following illustration: "Man was given dominion over the earth, but this must not be confused with legal authority. Man was God's viceroy, representing him in Creation. The situation was not unlike the position of Mountbatten in India before independence. As viceroy of all India, he represented the power and interests of the British government. Because of the authority delegated to him, he was allowed to use his own initiative in some matters. Nevertheless, he was answerable to the British government and could be deposed at will if he was found to be unsatisfactory." (Health and Wealth, p.104, Kingsway Publications, 1987)The Fall:They teach that Adam lost God's nature and suffered ‘spiritual death' taking the nature of Satan, and so he became "a step- son of Satan". He became powerless; he lost his creative power. Again, I quote from Charles Capps' book Authority in Three Worlds: "Adam had revelation knowledge that flowed from God, the Father. But when Adam bowed his knee to Satan, he shut God out. God found Himself on the outside looking in. His man, Adam, had lost his authority. Satan... had... become the god of the world system.... Satan had gained ascendency in the earth by gaining Adam's authority, and God was left on the outside. God couldn't come here in His divine power and wipe them out. He had to move in an area where it would be ruled legal by the Supreme Court of the Universe." (pages 50-51) Now observe how clearly Frederick K.C. Price states the belief of the ‘Faith' teachers: "Adam, as I said, gave it [the earth] away to the serpent, to the Devil. As a result of it he got his behind kicked out of the garden. He went out of Eden, out of the garden. He began to wander around, and he has troubles from day one. Now God was out of the business. God was out of the earth realm. God had no more stock in this earth realm. No more. None at all. Nothing He could do. Not a thing in the world He could do.... The only way God could get back into this earth realm, He had to have an invitation. Ha-hah! He had to have an invitation." ("Ever Increasing Faith" program on TBN [1 May 1992], audiotape #PR11.)The Earth, then, had become the legal property of Satan: "When Adam gave that creature the authority that God had given him, he made Satan the god of this world." (Copeland: "What Happened...") This meant that God was not only "outside looking in" but was also utterly powerless to do anything on Earth. Without man's cooperation God was LOST!What the Bible says:At the Fall, Adam's distinctive human nature became sinful. He was separated from God by his rebellion (Rom.5:19). Again, Brandon's illustration is helpful: "Man, like Lord Mountbatten [see above], was God's representative on earth. He was permitted a certain degree of freedom, such as naming the animals, but was ultimately responsible to God for his stewardship of the planet. The fall, rather than being the exile of God from earth, was the exile of man from God. It is significant that after the fall, God excluded Adam and Eve from Eden and left angelic guardians barring their return (Gen 3:24)." (Ibid. p.104)God's plan of redemption:The ‘Faith' teachers say that since Adam's sin deserved suffering in hell, someone had to go there and suffer in Adam's place. Kenneth Hagin states it like this: "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." ("How Jesus Obtained His Name", side 1, tape #44H01. Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries.) The quotation earlier by Fred Price also promotes this view. (Can he really compare the death of Jesus Christ with that of a guilty thief? You must judge for yourself.)What the Bible says:God brought to fulfilment His blood sacrifice system; hence the statement of John the Baptist, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29) One perfect [i.e. not just a prophet or any other sinner] blood sacrifice was to be made which would pay for our sins (Isaiah 53:5,10 and 11; Hebrews 10:10).Jesus:Copeland (and the rest) inform us that He was a ‘carbon copy' of Adam (e.g. Copeland: "What Happened..."). It is clear from many statements on the subject that they deny the pre-existent Jesus, since Copeland teaches that Jesus is only the product of God's positive confession: "The angels spoke the words of the covenant to her [Mary]. She pondered them in her heart, and those words became the seed. And the Spirit of God hovered over her and generated that seed, which was the word that the angel spoke to her. And there was conceived in her, the Bible says, a holy thing. The Word literally became flesh." ("The Abrahamic Covenant", side 2, audiocassette #01-4405, Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1985.)Elsewhere (as we saw) Adam and Jesus were both "God manifested in the flesh". In the ‘Faith' message the fact must be seen that neither is ‘God' in a Christian understanding. Rather, both are said to have the ‘nature of God'. Copeland says that Jesus "has got to be all man. He cannot be a God and come storming in here with attributes and dignities that are not common to man. He can't do that. It's not legal." ("The Incarnation", side 1, audiocassette #01-0402, emphasis in original, Fort Worth, TX: KCM, 1985.)What the Bible says:Jesus is the only one (Greek: monogenes - meaning 'One of a kind' or 'Unique') who is God Himself come in flesh. He is fully human and fully divine. (John 1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9) Although called the eternal Word of God, he is not one of God's spoken words.Born Again ~ An Incarnation?:E.W.Kenyon said, "The Lord Jesus was not, however, a ‘one-of-a-kind.' ‘Incarnation' can be repeated in each and every one of us. Every man who has been ‘born again' is an Incarnation." (E.W.Kenyon: The Father and His Family, p.100)Hagin says, "You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was. Every man who has been born again is an incarnation and Christianity is a miracle. The believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth." (Kenneth Hagin: Word of Faith, December, 1980, p.14)"You don't have a god in you. You are one!" (Kenneth Copeland: "The Force of Love", tape.)"Dogs beget dogs, and cats beget cats, and God begets gods. You are all little gods" (Kenneth Copeland, speaking on Trinity Broadcasting Network's Praise the Lord show)"Jesus is no longer the only begotten Son of God... Jesus is known as the first begotten from the dead. If there is a firstborn, then there has to be a secondborn, a thirdborn, a fourthborn, etc." (Copeland: "Now Are We in Christ Jesus", p.24, Kenneth Copeland Publications, Texas.)"I say this and repeat it so it doesn't upset you too bad... when I read in the Bible where He [Jesus] says, ‘I AM,' I say, ‘Yes, I AM too!'" (Kenneth Copeland: Spoken during a crusade meeting, 19/7/1987)What the Bible says:Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God (John 1:18, John 3:16) The statements by Kenyon, Hagin and Copeland are sheer blasphemy, and surely so obviously so that no Bible references are really needed. Check out just about any book of the Bible! (Try, for a start, Deut. 6:4 and Isaiah 43:10. Genesis 3:5 shows that the idea of being ‘like God' was the lure of the serpent in the Garden of Eden.)Jesus on the Cross:The ‘Faith' teachers insist that Jesus became a sinful, ordinary mortal man with Satan's nature - a "stepson of Satan". Ray McCauley has taught that "while on the cross, He (Jesus) was going to have to take Satan as His stepfather." [McCauley, who was trained under Kenneth Hagin (at RHEMA Bible Training Center), allegedly repented of this teaching (according to a letter dated 17/11/90), but since then has continued selling and distributing materials teaching exactly this message.]The cross apparently accomplished nothing, being a place of ‘failure and defeat'. Jesus did not bear our sins in his body on the cross.What the Bible says:The ‘Lamb of God' remained sinless while bearing our sins. He did not become a sinner, but was treated as one. His physical death was the blood sacrifice which paid for our sins. (Heb. 9:12,14,28; Heb. 7:27)The Atonement for Sin:Not by the blood sacrifice on the cross, they say. E.g. "if His death paid it then every man could die for himself " (Fred K.C. Price). "The plan of redemption had just begun. There were still 3 days and 3 nights to be gone through." (Copeland) He was dragged by demons into hell and tormented for 3 days and 3 nights as the payment for sin. Adam's suffering in hell was then substituted for. Then ‘Jesus' had to be BORN AGAIN to lose his Satanic nature and regain a righteous God nature. Thus we find also that, "Sin was not reckoned to Him. Sin was not set to His account. He became sin." (E.W.Kenyon, Identification, p.12)"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" (Fred Price)"Physical death would not remove our sins. He tasted death for every man - spiritual death. Jesus is the first person ever to be born again. Why did His spirit need to be born again? Because it was estranged from God. Do you remember how He cried out on the cross, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'"... "Sin separates from God. Spiritual death means separation from God... Spiritual death means something more than separation from God. Spiritual death also means having Satan's nature." (Kenneth Hagin: "The Name of Jesus", pp. 29-31)."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. Cited in A Different Gospel, p.120]What the Bible says:Sin was paid for on the cross BY THIS SACRIFICE (Heb. 10:10; Matt. 27:51). The veil of the Temple was torn by the Father. This shows that the blood sacrifice was accepted and thus man's sins were paid for. We can now enter the Holy of Holies by the Blood of the Lamb. Check out the following Bible verses: Ephesians 1:7, 2:13 and 2:15; Colossians 1:20-22; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:24, 4:1.Centrality of 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) [emphasis mine]. As usual, the others merely echo Kenyon's ideas about this.What the Bible says:"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14). "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those who are being saved it is the Power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18) See also Ephesians 2:16; Colossians 1:20 and 2:15.*** Poison! ***Given that the ‘Faith' message has totally different views of the nature of man, of God, of Jesus Christ, of the incarnation, and of the atonement, it must be questioned whether any Bible-believing Christian should have anything to do with the movement. Should Christians attend conferences where even one speaker is a known adherent to such teachings? In the summer of 1994 Ray McCauley spoke at several meetings alongside top names from the British Pentecostal/charismatic movement. Should this kind of thing happen? Do you think that our leaders should share speaking platforms with Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses as well?Not only has McCauley polluted Africa for 15 years (as Kenneth Hagin Ministries) and done nothing about it, but he continues to sell materials in South Africa and the U.K. (as Ray McCauley Ministries) which teach the false atonement of the ‘JDS heresy' (as summed up in Fred Price's statement) and the ‘little gods' doctrine.Many object to such a clear-cut view of the ‘Faith' movement, saying that since the Bible is so often quoted in the writings of these teachers they must be Biblical. But again we must ask ourselves a question: How much error is really required before someone's theology can be labelled ‘dangerous' and must be disposed of?The late Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, speaking on a similar issue gave this helpful illustration: "[Imagine] a man with a bottle in his hand. There is a coloured liquid in the bottle and there are many ingredients in that bottle. There's water in it and there's colouring matter, and they're all excellent ingredients. But there happens to be an amount of prussic acid, and though it's a very small amount it can kill anybody who drinks out of that bottle! What's the point of praising the good ingredients when there is rank, lethal poison in the bottle?" The ‘Faith' message contains no small amount of poison! To simply acknowledge their ‘use' of the Bible and ignore their heretical ideas in the name of ‘Christian unity' is surely spiritual suicide.CULT SAFEGUARDSIt is abundantly clear from what they say and write that the ideas and teachings promoted by Hagin, Copeland, and the rest, are heretical, and so it would be expected that anyone realising this would turn away from the teaching and its propagators. However, this has not often been the case. Although it is not an organised cult in the sense of having one particular leader and an organizational headquarters, the ‘Faith' movement has managed to condition those inside and out with its ‘safeguards' against Bible-based evaluation. Perhaps if you, the reader, have come under such teaching you may have been clearly warned not to criticise or question "God's anointed men". (Also, they are prone to yell "critical spirit" or, "you're only arguing about words!" Yet such is clearly not the case.) Another aspect of the control by the movement's leaders is seen in one of Kenneth Hagin's ‘revelations', in which ‘Jesus' told him that those pastors who didn't accept Hagin's prophetic word would die in their pulpits (see, for example, I Believe in Visions, pp. 114-115). Also a certain leader of one of the Rhema Bible Churches stood up before the congregation with a copy of D.R. McConnell's book (mentioned already) and told people that if they read it they would lose their salvation. Of course, these are not ‘God's anointed' and need not be feared.People are also very concerned that if they begin to analyse the movement's teachings for themselves (i.e. think critically) then God might be angered and they will lose their healing and financial security, etc. It may sound rather odd to those on the outside, but to those involved it is a very serious matter indeed.APPARENT REPENTANCESAnother aspect of this struggle is found in the October '93 issue of Alpha magazine (UK). In its feature on Benny Hinn, it quotes him at one point (October '91) saying "I really no longer believe the faith message. I don't think it adds up." He comments that for 10 years he filled his life with ‘Faith' books, but then he adds: "I respect these teachers as men of God." On 8 June 1992, Hinn told his Trinity Broadcasting Network TV audience that those who spoke out against ‘Word-Faith' teacher Kenneth Copeland were "attacking the very presence of God." Had Benny Hinn really understood that the message he read about and preached for so long has no power to save?Another more serious example is that of Ray McCauley of Rhema South Africa: In October 1994, a contact in Johannesburg went and bought a copy of What Happened from the Cross to the Throne by E.W. Kenyon, as well as Copeland's tape Following the Faith of Abraham I, from the Rhema Bookshop. Copeland's What Happened from the Cross to the Throne was also available there, as well as a plethora of ‘Faith' publications. This shows very clearly that 3 years and 11 months after Ray McCauley claimed to have repented of such teaching, he is still wilfully propagating it! Yet when people have asked "Do you teach that Jesus died spiritually?" he replies "No". The difference between ‘teaching' and ‘propagating' is merely used as a means to deceive.CHANGE?Some Christians are convinced the ‘Faith' teachers are in fact changing. The scrutinizing of their teachings after such proclaimed revisions is documented by Dan McConnell, the author of A Different Gospel. He comments that "The Faith teachers may have toned down their rhetoric and altered some of their jargon", but goes on to say that "the Faith controversy has never been resolved at the doctrinal level, nor will it until the Faith teachers recant [their] doctrines and practices. Cultic and heretical doctrine cannot be ‘moderated', as if all that is necessary are a few cosmetic alterations and word changes... Moderated heresy is still heresy" (p.188).Walter Martin has determined that "those who propagate these erroneous views (the little gods, the born-again Jesus, and so on) have sadly crossed over into the kingdom of the cults." (p.104, Agony...) As Hank Hanegraaff concluded in the book Christianity in Crisis, "at stake is no less than salvation itself." Evidently, Benny Hinn, Ray McCauley, and all those who have been involved with the ‘Faith' movement, need some clear understanding of the choices involved, and their consequences.Yet those who have sought to help them see the errors were despised. The authors of Agony of Deceit attempted to contact those under scrutiny: "We have sought out those in question," they report. "We have asked them, ‘Did we get this right? Do you really believe this?' We have asked them to reconsider their positions in the light of Scripture and have repeatedly attempted to settle confusion behind closed doors. All attempts have failed..." (p.13 Agony of Deceit)Many of the movement's leaders thus simply will not listen to the voice of reason - they have their visions, their ‘revelations' from God, and anyone who disagrees with them is automatically dismissed. This is due to their Gnostic claims to have ‘revelation knowledge'. Those who disagree with them are said to have only ‘sense knowledge' (i.e. the Bible's literal, straightforward interpretation.)CHRISTIANS?For a Mormon to become a Christian, he would have to repent of his false beliefs about Jesus and the gospel and then put his trust in the real Jesus. This should be the case for those who realise the errors of the ‘Faith' movement, too. Have you ever met a converted Jehovah's Witness who still thinks that Charles Taze Russell (their founder) was a sound Bible teacher? What about a converted Mormon who thinks that Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormons) ought to be held up along with Daniel, Isaiah and Jeremiah as a true prophet of God?! Of course not!It is a shame that this booklet had to be written. It would be nice if those teaching ‘Faith' and ‘prosperity' doctrines would meet with evangelical leaders and scholars and settle matters quietly. Even if they came to no agreement, at least, perhaps, the ‘Faith' teachers could agree to stop calling themselves Christians and masquerading as Bible-teachers among the unsuspecting Christian public.Sadly, this has not yet happened. Instead, the ‘Faith' teachers mock sound theology, calling it ‘traditional church', and so on. Paul Crouch, the head of Trinity Broadcasting Network (the world's largest Christian TV network) has hardened himself against all attempts at correction: "To hell with you! Get out of my life!" was his response on one occasion. He referred to sound theology as ‘doctrinal doodoo' and in the same broadcast said "I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there! Don't even call me if you want to argue doctrine, if you want to straighten somebody out... criticize Ken Copeland... or Dad Hagin. Get out of my life! I don't even want to talk to you... I don't want to see your ugly face!" He evidently sees his that his ‘godship' puts him beyond accountability, resorting on a different occasion to the following outburst on his Praise the Lord show (July 7, 1986): "I AM A LITTLE GOD... I am a little god. Critics be gone!" (This is the attitude of the man whose TV network propagates many of the teachers quoted in this article.)What should we do?After examination of the details given above we must come to some conclusions. So, what should we do? The Bible exhorts us to "hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught", so that we can "encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it" (Titus1:9). Elsewhere, the Apostle Paul tells us that "If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:9)Evidently Paul took these matters very seriously. So should we. If you, the reader, have been involved in the ‘Faith' movement, especially if you have accepted the false gospel documented above, then please read the following Bible passage: Acts 19:18-19. This shows the right response to God and His truth.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------APPENDIX ~ Useful books on this subject:Health and Wealth - Andrew Brandon, Kingsway Publications, 1987This book was widely available in Christian bookshops until 2 or 3 years ago. Stocks of it burned at a warehouse in Cumbria and Kingsway have sadly never reprinted it. After trying unsuccessfully to order it from most of the main UK wholesalers, I eventually found my copy among some second-hand books which came into the City Mission bookshop in Birmingham! For those who would see more of Andrew Brandon's book on our bookshelves, Scripture Union UK has acquired the copyright and need your encouragement to reprint it. Brandon writes very well, and doesn't play games when it comes to dealing with the issues at stake, for he exposes the 'Jesus' of the prosperity gospel to be other than the real One. Chapter 7, 'Another Jesus', under the subtitle A Jesus who is less than God, begins a section which strikes at the heart of the deceptive 'gospel', which indeed does not lead to the real Jesus. This book deals clearly with both the spiritual and moral flaws of the teachings emanating from the 'Faith' Movement.A Different Gospel - D.R. McConnell, Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA., 1988Originally written as a Master's thesis this book addresses the 'Faith' Movement's origins and its denial of the blood atonement in a clear, concise manner. McConnell takes us from Kenneth Hagin's plagiarizing of the writings of E.W.Kenyon to the origin of Kenyon's beliefs - the occultic thinking of Christian Science and New Thought metaphysics. Here, he says, Kenyon developed his belief in the power of the mind and the confession of the mouth as the source of life's blessings and difficulties. In other words, man, by his mental attitude and the words he speaks, becomes the creator of his circ*mstances. Just why Kenyon decided that the blood atonement was 'sense knowledge' and that Jesus actually had suffered 'spiritual death' on the cross and then suffered in hell to pay for sins is not known. But that he is the originator of this modern day pollution, via Hagin et al, is absolutely certain. Available from Evangelical Press.The Agony of Deceit - Various authors, Editor: Michael Scott Horton, Moody Press, 1990This book exposes an all-important part of the 'Faith' teaching which wasn't covered by McConnell: the denial of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. (For example, "Jesus said 'I didn't claim to be God when I walked the earth'" - Kenneth Copeland.) It also deals with the 'Faith' belief that the born-again believer is a little god. Although a good portion of the book deals with the question of the validity of TV Christian ministry, this is certainly a good question for us given that an organisation called Vision Broadasting is sending us Copeland and other ‘Faith' teachers via satellite. Available from Scripture Press.Christianity in Crisis - Hank Hanegraaff, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR., 1993In a unique presentation, Hanegraaff brings together all that has been exposed in these other books. Furthermore he presents a broad account of the ‘Faith' message, from Adam to the born-again believer. This is important in understanding the statement, "particular groups within the movement are clearly cults" (p.41). He also provides us with a wide range of short biographical sketches of the actions and beliefs of modern ‘Faith' teachers (e.g. Avanzini, Price, Hickey, Tilton, Cerullo) which is really what we needed to be alerted to those who are counted amongst them. As he progresses through the book he provides ample documented quotations incriminating the ‘Faith' proponents in various areas, including the ‘God' of their beliefs. For instance, Copeland's ‘God' "measured out the heavens with a 9-inch span. See, God is not 437 feet tall, weighing 4000 pounds, and got fist a fist big around as this room..." Rather, he is "a being that stands somewhere around 6'-2", 6'-3", that weighs somewhere in the neighbourhood of a couple of hundred pounds or a little better, has a span of 9 inches across." (Copeland: Spirit, Soul and Body I, audiotape #01-0601. Cited on p.356 Christianity in Crisis). Furthermore, his forthright assessment has brought to light the heart attitudes of men who, it is plain, seek greedily the money of the weak, while claiming "Jesus had a nice house, a big house" (John Avanzini on Trinity Broadcasting Network, January 1991.) Such attitudes we find are only equalled by the "don't touch God's servant" threats made publicly by Benny Hinn against the author of this book. The true heart of the ‘Faith' teachers is laid bare. We are grateful for Hanegraaff's bold, much-needed assessment of the ‘Faith' Movement. Clearly he is right when he states that "the stakes are high - no less than salvation itself."BE BLESSED IN CHRISTRAMONA P.…; Added by Ramona P. Jacobsz at 12:58pm on June 28, 2008

Topic: New Life Broadcasting News 3-24-2014: to heat hospitals, an investigation has found.Ten NHS trusts have admitted burning foetal remains alongside other rubbish while two others used the bodies in ‘waste-to-energy’ plants which generate power for heat.Last night the Department of Health issued an instant ban on the practice which health minister Dr Dan Poulter branded ‘totally unacceptable.’At least 15,500 foetal remains were incinerated by 27 NHS trusts over the last two years alone, Channel 4’s Dispatches discovered.The programme, which will air tonight, found that parents who lose children in early pregnancy were often treated without compassion and were not consulted about what they wanted to happen to the remains.One of the country’s leading hospitals, Addenbrooke’s in Cambridge, incinerated 797 babies below 13 weeks gestation at their own ‘waste to energy’ plant. The mothers were told the remains had been ‘cremated.’Another ‘waste to energy’ facility at Ipswich Hospital, operated by a private contractor, incinerated 1,101 foetal remains between 2011 and 2013.They were brought in from another hospital before being burned, generating energy for the hospital site. Ipswich Hospital itself disposes of remains by cremation.‘This practice is totally unacceptable,’ said Dr Poulter…”View Original ArticleIslamist group calls for Hollande assassinationMarch 24, 2014The Times of Israel reports: “A jihadist group repeated its calls for French president Francois Hollande‘s assassination in revenge for the European nation’s recent interventions in Africa, terrorist monitoring group SITE said Sunday.The al-Minbar Jihadi Media Network, a militant Islamist web site with ties to al-Qaeda, says it wants Muslims to stage attacks in France and on French interests elsewhere in support of Muslims in Central African Republic and Mali.‘Supporting them is an easy matter for every honest and loyal person, because the embassies of France fill the lands of the Muslims, not to mention the lions of our Ummah who live in the West,’ it said in a message introducing the latest campaign, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.On its online forum, it posted 22 posters, a video, an article, and a poem, adding to the campaign it began earlier this month urging terror attacks in France and for Hollande‘s killing.‘To our lone wolves in France, assassinate the president of disbelief and criminality, terrify his cursed government, and bomb them and scare them as a support to the vulnerable in the Central African Republic,’ the March 9 message read.‘Neither Hollande, nor his soldiers will know peace in France as long as the Muslims of Mali and the Central African Republic cannot live properly in their country,’ it said…”View Original ArticleHamas Lawmaker: Koran Says We Must Massacre JewsMarch 24, 2014Israel National News reports: “A lawmaker from Hamas recently called for a ‘massacre’ of Jews, explaining that Koran indicates that this must be done.In a televised address the lawmaker, Yunis Al-Astal, also said that Jews must be forced to pay the ‘ji*zya’ tax, which under the strict Islamic Sharia doctrine, non-Muslims living under Muslim sovereignty must pay in return for the ruler's protection. Jihadist rebels who have taken control of areas in Syria have imposed such a tax on Christian minorities.Al-Astal’s address aired on March 6 on Hamas’s Al-Aqsa TV. It was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).‘In today's show, we will discuss the demand that the Palestinian people recognize [Israel] as a Jewish state, so that the occupation will graciously hand them out scraps. I would like to begin by quoting what Allah said about them: ‘The worst of beasts in the sight of Allah are those who disbelieve. They are the ones with whom you made a covenant, but they break their covenant every time,’’ said Al-Astal.‘The obvious question is: What is the solution to this gang of people? The Al-Anfal chapter of the Koran provides us with the answer,’ he continued. ‘After He said: ‘They are the ones with whom you made a covenant, but they break their covenant every time,’ Allah added: ‘If you gain mastery over them in a war, use them to disperse those who follow them that they may remember.’ This indicates that we must massacre them, in order to break them down and prevent them from sowing corruption in the world. They are the ones who still spark the flame of war, but Allah has taken it upon Himself to extinguish it.’…”View Original ArticleEgypt Court Sentences 529 Morsi Supporters to DeathMarch 24, 2014Haaretz reports: “A court in Egypt has sentenced to death 529 supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, reported the BBC.The convicts, members of the Muslim Brotherhood, are part of a group of 545 defendants on trial for the killing of a police officer, attempted killing of two others, attacking a police station and other acts of violence.Only 123 of the defendants were present. The rest were either released, out on bail or on the run. Sixteen of the original defendants were acquitted.The court referred the defendants to the Grand Mufti, who issues legal opinions and edicts, and who must approve death sentences before they are carried out, Egyptian state television reports…”View Original Article…; Added by Marshall Ray Blake to New Life Broadcasting at 11:27am on March 24, 2014

Comment on: Topic 'WHAT IS ARMINIANISM AND CALVINISM': bt a clear thing that Mr. David and I belong to the same category, even though the Body is one but we Christians did not see what happened during the time of the apostles as example. When Paul addressed Corinthians telling them the gospel is one: no one should say he is of this, or of that but we are all of Christ. I find it difficult to attend theology class because I fear I might get influenced with wrong doctrines. I came from a country where the gospel is used to make money instead of spreading the truth, so I have never considered going to a theology class as I believe the word of Jesus and it's working for me (Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come...KJV) I strongly believe in this, even though I visit many websites to learn more about written words of other believers, I always allow the spirit to judge the words I receive and accept. But my visiting this site has given me a clear idea of why theology is important, but nevertheless, I thank God for someone like David who takes his time to discuss topics like this not from a personal point of view (from all empirical and biblical observations) but according to the words of the Bible.Now to draw back to the topic about the believe of predestination, I will like to add to what David had taught. Christ told his disciples that those that comes to him are drawn to him by God (John 6:44) and supporting it with the below verses, you will see that our salvation depends totally on God's decision and not our will to choose what we want.Joh 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (Please take note of the words "chosen, ordained and "your fruit should remain")KJVJoh 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. (also take note of chosen)KJVAc 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. (Here God was talking about Saul who later became Paul)From all the above verses, you will notice that predestination is not a matter of our will but God's will. The scripture tell us that he had predestined us from the foundations of the world; we should not try to explain this with human wisdom. The statement tarries with the case of Jacob whom was chosen from the belly, that of King David, and even John de Baptist.The case of Prophet Samuel is another example. Many people will say it was because Samuel's mother vowed to God that she would dedicate her son to God forever that made Samuel a Prophet and also he could have decided not to be a true servant of God. God predestined Samuel from the beginning. The case of Jeremiah is also another example, he was suppose to continue his duty as a priest but he could not help but to speak what he was told to speak by God. The case of Jonah is not an exception, everyone agrees that Jonah rejected God's order but God did not give up on him because it was his destiny to proclaim the word of God to the people of Nineveh. If you ask me, I'll say Jonah was forced to accept to deliver the message to the people of Nineveh because he totally rejected the instruction and was heading his own way when suddenly God arrested him in the belly of a mighty wale (It’s like going through torture in police custody to confess against your will). Everyone will agree with me that it wasn't Jonah's will to preach to the people of Nineveh.I have done a lot of research on people that choose God and found out that they easily backslide. Many were allured by the wonderful teachings of some pastors and so they fall in love with the pastor's teaching instead of God. David's statement about inner call is absolutely right. My case is a clear example. I did not choose God, He choose me. I did not know why but now I know. As I speak, I am currently in my place of assignment (Asia). No pastor sent me here, the Spirit himself sent me and he positioned me in the exact place I'm to start from according to His will. God took me through series of trials and tests which he confirmed with Psalm 66. He gave me the verse to explain why I had to go through all those trials and sufferings. It was training for my assignment. There was a time in my life when I almost killed myself, but that was when he reminded me of how he called me when I was 12.Thinking of all the disappointments I had seen in life and how my mates had left me, I was about to commit suicide when he sent a preacher to me. (I still believe that person was an Angel) because this preacher did not preach any message in this public bus I entered, he simply went straight to the point "there is someone here who wants to kill himself because of what he had gone thought and because he thinks there is no need to continue living life, you may have visited many witch doctors and many places for solutions but I tell you that your solution is and only is in Jesus". After he made this statement, he immediately came down from the bus and went his way. Then the main conversion started inside of me. Who else could this young man be talking to? I asked myself, could there be someone else in this vehicle who is thinking of what I'm thinking of doing (Suicide)? Then I made up my mind to follow Christ. Even though I did make up my mind, I was still heavily in sin. In this state I was, I found out that I receive revelations about things that were to come. I see things before they happen in my environment. This took my memory back to when i was between 10 and 12 years, at this time I see dead ghosts in my father's house walking at night when people are already asleep. I was just a child who did not know what the gift of the eyes was but was only concerned about the harm these dead people will do to me. But in all my thoughts, they always mind their businesses. It was as if they don't see me but I see them. A time came when I went to the priest of the Church I attended (St. Paul Catholic Church) at that time and he blessed some water for me and they became holy water. When it was night, I sprinkle some of it around my room and use some of it to wash my face so that I don't see them again. But when the hour comes, I still see them walk here and there in my father's house. Because of this, I lived my entire teenage life with the fear of these dead people. Whenever there is a funeral close to my house, I get scared because I think I would see their ghosts but it was not so. I only saw them in my father's house. When I remembered all the experiences I have had which of course are bad ones, I had no other reason within me to further resist God. Because I used to tell him that He should allow my will be done in my life instead of his will. When I thought of all these things and how broken hearted I was, I submitted to him in all truth and prayed for His will to be done in my life. Since then, my life went through a total revolution. It was as if I started from when I was 12 years old, because that was where I missed the line of His plan.This is just a little tip of my story, whenever I think of the assignment He had given me, I sometimes wonder how I can handle the task because there are many people out there who are highly spiritually filled that could have been better for the task but I don't have the power to question what He had said from the beginning, I'm simply following my destiny.Another testimony is the case of a muslim friend. When I was still in my home country (Nigeria) I used to see the muslim boy in virtually all the revelations I receive. He was always with me everywhere I went in my ministration. When I got here, there comes a muslim guy whom I have looked deep into his heart and concluded he would be a good shepherd. He keeps drawing close to me; I showed the people in my environment a good example of a Christian, not the hypocrite one. He saw all the characters of a Christian in me. I did not preach to him in any way, but I was kind to all of them (Please note that I'm not trying to elevate myself, I simply want to share a testimony of the Spirit). This boy came to me one day in class and told me he had a Bible. I was shocked and I asked him what are you doing with it? He said he was studying it. He told me to explain some things to him and I did, and shared with him some of my experiences and how I arrived in Malaysia. Having taught him that day, he told me everything was contradicting. I replied him and said “it's because the Spirit which is the root of the word is not in him. You only read with your head, which is why you can never find the truth in the holy Book”. Then he asked me what I thought about the muslim religion and I told him I don’t have anything against any religion but according to my believe Christ is the only way. He explained the Koran to me and as he was speaking, I saw many bugs and many things that were against man’s concept of serving God i.e. a muslim must not convert to any other religion. I had my questions but I saw him as someone whom the Lord had chosen for himself. Then he asked me if I had seen anything about him, I replied, no. He said I should pray about him and let him know what the Lord says, I replied I will but I cannot tell when the Lord will speak because He speaks when He wills. So I came home and behold I entered a very strong prayer for his sake. I told God I would not preach to the boy to become a Christian, I can only explain Christianity to him; if he wills then he will choose himself. Then I prayed that He should show the boy who he is because I knew he did not come to me by mistake. Some two weeks later, the boy asked me in class if I had seen anything about him, I replied, no. And he told me he had a dream about him and me. Then I said can I hear it? He replied, why not? He told me the dream and it went this way…. I was driving in a vehicle on a straight road and you sat close to me and we got to a place where two Malaysian men (like policemen) were seated at our back. They were giving me advice on how to live and not get into trouble. “They said I should clap my hands twice whenever I notice any danger of getting into trouble”. He said that was all he could remember. I told him I understood the meaning of the dream but I was not going to tell him now. I told him to continue reading the Koran and follow the laws at it is, and that he’ll get more dreams about the two of us. I promised to give him the explanation of the dreams when the time comes. When he told me this dream, I knew God has started working on his salvation but the picture has to be clearer to him before I can hit the nail on the head. He is very important in my ministry here in Malaysia and so he needs the conversion of the spirit himself (i.e. the way I was converted) so that no wind can blow him off. When his heart is fully broken, I’ll give him the explanation of his dreams and give him the option of confession of Christ which he cannot reject because the conversion had been done in his heart.I do not believe in the many that are called but the few that are chosen which is why I spend time to convert this muslim guy because his salvation is an access card to many other muslims in Malaysia: the guy is a shepherd product.If you look at the case of this guy, he is a chosen one just as we all are which is why he keeps finding himself drawing closer to me. I have never thought of anyone to be pure and humble the way this young man is. All he needs to be saved is confession of the Lordship of Jesus. His moral life had been taken care of by God himself.I shall share the final testimony when God has fully converted him and i will from time to time introduce muslim converts to this network.When I look deep into my heart, I sometime think of why I cannot do certain things but others can. But the answer is obvious, I was not meant to do them because for my kind of person/destiny, those things are not included.This is what I believe… God has predestined me from the beginning and my will cannot change that because I was someone that fought for my will but I did not get the chance to do them because they did not work out."Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5)....This is a clear example.Thank God for choosing us, I pray that He chooses others that we all may enjoy his unending love.Please pray for the muslims, God is interested in them also.God bless you all in Jesus Name...AMEN…; Added by Louis Akporiaye to Theology Group at 11:02am on October 29, 2010

Topic: God’s purpose for Patrick, a special person….: transfer home, from Malabon (1997), then stayed 8 yrs in Bulacan then now me and my family reside in Pampanga.I saw Patrick, my nephew from my first cousin Reverie… a handsome guy with unshaved beard..wow… Patrick is a big man now!!! Taller than his Tita Kaka ( oh, they used to call me in that name in Malabon)Patrick is not an ordinary person.. He’s special, an autistic person…(search: http://www.autistics.org/library/whatis.htmlPatrick is now 21 yrs. old , born December 12, 1987… I remember Patrick when he was 7 or 8 yrs. old, Ate Reverie showed a drawing of Pato ( Patrick’s nickname ) .. a logo of one TV program here in Philippines name EAT BULAGA … yes he was able to draw the logo of EAT BULAGA but what amazed me is not the logo but the names of all the staff of Eat Bulaga from engineering department to camera men!!! From then I know there is something special to Patrick!!!I Thank God for giving me an opportunity to go to Malabon … and revealed so many things… I’ve learned that Pato is living with his grandma, Mommy Angie’s house , just behind of Ate Reverie’s house ( within a compound )… after a coupled hour Patrick already shaven his beard.. ahhhhh… since he was a boy until now… Pato wearing headphone, always listening to his disk man… I asked Mommy Angie how’s Pato today, He is very responsible in all things, all in pie order… He is like a normal person… no… may I say>.... more than a normal person that’s how I see at that time… a blessed one!!! For not all youth today can be responsible like him… cleaning the house, preparing plates and food for his love ones, washing the dishes, and going to school even in his situation—an autistic youth!!! Now, Patrick will be a first year high school in Dalandanan Sped ( Special Educ.) this coming school year… Upon knowing it… I said to our Lord… “Lord, I do hope you will let my son Japhet Moel to make serious in his studies after being baptized in Spirit, and in water ( happened in youth convergence last April 22-24 ) for there are many youth who wants to go to school but parents can not afford to send them in school….. And this my nephew, Patrick.. Even in his situation it is not a big hindrance to go to school and be excel in their class…”One more thing I am blessed to see Pato… playing organ without any chords/note supported… I was able to take him video. I know Pato is a music lover but he is not familiar to Christian songs, so when I sing it… hahhahaahahha all I can say are: God bless you, I am blessed, you are so blessed … hahahhahaa because if youth can use their talents in music to glorify God and not to be conformed to this world… Well God will be please to them…please watch the video:Patrick is also a calendar wizard. .. I discovered this also when Patrick was 10 yrs. old… please watch the video…Search : http://www.paulsadowski.org/BirthDay.asp ( Birthday Calculator )to check the exact day of birthday I’ve mention in the video clip… in elmo’s birthday Pato said it was Sunday but then when I repeat it.. because their dog was barking so loud, Patrick mention another day.. but then all the days are all correct you just need to make clear your voice.. I think he find hard in hearing words… even Marchie, my second daughter was shock upon asking her kuya Patrick about the day she was born , for Marchie knows the exact time, date and day of her birthday --- March 12, 1993.. and Patrick answered her Friday.. According to Ate Reverie, mother of Patrick, they have already human calendar up to year 2089!!!While I was looking to Patrick’s piano I saw 4 post card… when I looked at it.. I laughed!!!! Why? Because Patrick is a avid fan of GMA, one of the largest TV Networks here in Philippines… He showed me all the compilations of his GMA shows and people in GMA programmes .. He knows the telecast , the time slots and all the people there in one programme, and oppps… he also share with me his works in school .. yes Patrick is an artist… kindly take a look His photos: Find more photos like this on All About GOD That night as I was praying to God… And thinking about Patrick,I recall the Purpose Driven life of Rick Warren---- we are not an accident here on earth…In Isaiah 44:2a: “I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born”Every birth was no mistake or mishap, and our life is no fluke of nature.Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He was not at all surprised by your birth. In fact, he expected it.Long before you were conceived by your parents, you were conceived in the mind of God. It is not fate, nor chance, nor luck, nor coincidence that you are breathing at this very moment. You are alive because God wanted to create you! The Bible says, The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me (Psalm 138:8a NIV).God prescribed every single detail of your body. He deliberately chose your race, the color of you skin, your hair, and every other feature. He custom-made your body just the way he wanted it. He also determined the natural talents you would possess and the uniqueness of your personality. The Bible says, You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something (Psalm 139:15).Because God made you for a reason, he also decided when you would be born and how long you would live. He planned the days of your life in advance, choosing the exact time of your birth and death. The Bible says, you saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your Book! (Psalm 139:16 LB).God also planned where you’d be born and where you’d live for his purpose. Your race and nationality are no accident. God left no detail to chance. He planned it all for his purpose. The Bible says, from one man he made every nation and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live (Acts 17:26 NIV).Nothing in your life is arbitrary. Its all for a purpose.Most amazing, God decided how you would be born. Regardless of the circ*mstances of your birth or who your parents are, God had a plan in creating you. It doesn’t matter whether your parents were good, bad, or indifferent. God knew that those two individuals possessed exactly the right genetic makeup to create the custom you he had in mind. They had the DNA God wanted to make you. While there are illegitimate parents, there are no illegitimate children. Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God. Gods purpose took into account human error, and even sin.God never does anything accidentally, and he never makes mistakes. He has a reason for everything he creates. Every plant and every animal was planned by God, and every person was designed with a purpose in mind. Gods motive for creating you was his love. The Bible says, Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love (Ephesians 1:4a ).God was thinking of you even before he made the world. In fact, thats why he created it! God designed this planets environment just so we could live in it. We are the focus of his love and the most valuable of all his creation. The Bible says, God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made (James 1:18 NCV).This is how much God loves and values you!God is not haphazard; he planned it all with great precision. The more physicists, biologists, and other scientists learn about the universe, the better we understand how it is uniquely suited for our existence, custom-made with the exact specifications that make human life possible.Dr. Michael Denton, senior research fellow in human molecular genetics at the University of Otago in New Zealand, has concluded, All the evidence available in the biological sciences supports the core proposition that the cosmos is a specially designed whole with life and mankind as its fundamental goal and purpose, a whole in which all facets of reality have their meaning and explanation in this central fact. (Michael Denton, Natures Destiny: How the Laws of Biology Reveal Purpose in the Universe, New York: Free Press, 1998, p. 389.)The Bible said the same thing thousands of years earlier: God formed the earth. He did not create it to be empty but formed it to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18 GW).Why did God do all this? Why did he bother to go to all the trouble of creating a universe for us? Because He is a God of love. This kind of love is difficult to fathom, but its fundamentally reliable. You were created as a special object of Gods love! God made you so he could love you. This is a truth to build your life on.The Bible tells us, God is love. (1 John 4:8)It doesn’t say God has love. He is love! Love is the essence of Gods character. There is perfect love in the fellowship of the Trinity, so God didnt need to create you. He wasn’t lonely. But he wanted to make you in order to express his love.God says I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you (Isaiah 46:3-4 NCV).If there was no God, we would all be accidents, the result of astronomical random chance in the universe. You could stop reading this article, because life would have no purpose or meaning or significance. There would be no right or wrong, and no hope beyond your brief years on earth.But there is a God who made you for a reason, and your life has profound meaning! We discover that meaning and purpose only when we make God the reference point of our lives. The Message paraphrase of Romans 12:3 say, the only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us.And these are also the things that I wanna share with all of you, especially the youth…God’s purpose for Patrick, being a special person so to show to all youth no matter who you are, God can be use you to be a reflection to others… remember the 8 beatitudes…3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4Blessed are those who mourn,for they will be comforted.5Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth.6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,for they will be filled.7Blessed are the merciful,for they will be shown mercy.8Blessed are the pure in heart,for they will see God.9Blessed are the peacemakers,for they will be called sons of God.10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Another one..to put in shame those people who doesn’t know how to LOVE, to render CARE for someone and GIVE THANKS to our Creator…Patrick has it all…. And God loves him so much.. for before he was created God already knows the best for him… If Patrick will be like an ordinary person.. is he going to make his day showing love to his grandma, papa, mama, brother and sisters, or he prefer to stay with his friends… If Patrick will be like an ordinary person, will he care for everything he has today or prefer to be outside playing online games, gigs, smoking en to be worsening – addicted in drugs?“You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something” (Psalm 139:15).Now, you who read about Patrick… it’s not too late… God has also a purpose why He let me share this article for you… to open our spiritual eyes and ears.. If Patrick can show his love and care .. and acknowledge God’s goodness… how much more you… as an ordinary person….physically fit… and must be also spiritually fit…To God be all the glory..…; Added by kathleen aldea to CHRISTIAN CONVERGENCE at 1:15am on May 7, 2009

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