.
"And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel." Ezek 14:9
"Our sovereign God permits and sustains these movements in His over all purpose. Lord willing, I will add to this blog a few thoughts this evening as to maybe a deeper view of such as we see with the Todd Bentleys and their healing crusades. No doubt some will be healed. As to the end results I just don't know. I have a couple testimonies to add about a couple friends that were miraculously healed in a such meetings. Their later demise saddens me to this day and I still scratch my head as to the why."
I left the preceding paragraph at the bottom of our last blog. Instead of adding to the last post I thought to include my thoughts and the comments of Eliyah and Moredkai on a new one and continue an address of the phenomena of these amazing healing revivals many of us have read about or even attended in the past.
The first account I care to share is from a period of great excitement in the early seventies which was and is still coined the "Jesus movement." This was a period when God gathered multitudes like myself that had just a few years earlier been enveloped and eventually wasted in the wave of "sex drugs and rock and roll."
This is a story of John, a strikingly good looking young man and a likable fellow. He had a beautiful wife and a four year old daughter. John was going through the breakup of his marriage as drugs had played havoc in his and his wife's lives. God had just recently saved this young man, rid him of his desire for drugs and was in the act of restoring his broken marriage when we both found ourselves sitting together at a Revival. John Wesley Fletcher, the great evangelist and healer was was in town for a series of meetings. Fletcher was also the sordid character that would a few years later set up the dalliance between Jim Baker and Jessica Hahn. This sexual liaison eventually became publicized and caused the eventual downfall of the 700 club with it's millions of dollars of investment and millions of followers.
So I was sitting in there in the pew as John squeezed into line to get John Wesley to pray for his fused wrist which had hampered his work, as a carpenter, for a number of years. John was not one to exaggerate, but if anything would understate things and when he came back to his seat and told me his wrist had been healed, I believed him. He had the most amazed look of joy and amazement on his face as he continually circled his hand in a full 360 degree arc. He was stunned and I could see it. This was real. A bonafide physical healing. What happened later is where it gets sad, very sad and to this day I scratch my head as to the why.
God would also heal John's marriage during this time and even restore his broken relationship with his adoptive parents who were believers. After a year or so John and his family would move sixty miles to the north of our city and I would lose contact with him. A couple years later I would be called on to assist in carrying John's casket after he was killed in a gun battle with drug enforcement agents. His wife would years later commit suicide after a long battle with drugs and alcohol. Lord knows what ever happened to their beautiful little girl.
It so hurts in the recalling of John's story that I haven't the heart now to tell the next account of the demise of my other friend who was healed at the hands of this same John Wesley Fletcher. It is equally as sad and it also involved a wife and child left behind. Who get's healed by these flashy men that usurp Christ? I scratch my head as to the who?
Is Todd Bentley of the same ilk as John Wesley Fletcher? No, he is worse as the times of increasing darkness require it!
Interesting to note, I overheard Joian sharing with a friend of mine when she came to visit me in Jackson Hole. Joian was speaking of this Lakeland Revival with this woman who is still in the system. I just gathered bits and pieces of this conversation but at the end of their visit this woman told Joian that she knew of some people that had their cavities in their teeth restored to new by one of these flashy healers. This woman closed the conversation with a quizzical look on her face as she recounted how some months after the Revival these people that had received the miraculous dental work, found their old crowns and silver fillings had returned. Go figure!
I can only scratch my head and thank my blessing that I know the Real Healer, the Great Physician and He lives in me. I don't need no meeting because I have the deep sweet waters of His healing grace to swim in right here at home. Ain't that some real Good News! Will you share the same news with me and will you share it with your neighbor before she or he gets on that plane to fly to some Revival Meeting to have the latest Charlatan lay hands on them. I hope so.
Our dear sister, Elyiah gave this testimony(below) as a comment with our last blog and how precious was our God to reveal to her the truth of the matter. I have had the blessing to visit with Eliyah and her husband Mordekai by phone a few times this last month. WOW! has God taken them on a journey to know and experience so much that they might share with others the Truth they have recently found to rest in. Isn't that the way it is with many of us.
Eliyah writes (parenthesis mine):
"All tables (from which the Church is fed) are filled with vomit and filthiness, so that there is NO PLACE CLEAN" (Isa. 28:8"
That verse says it all.
I was so grossed out by what I read...and it made me angry too.
I read the whole Mike Kirkland article(last blog) and it was very real & raw.
I have been to a conference OF Todd Bentley... the operative word is OF.
Everything that Mike wrote was my experience too.
The Lord is so good though...b/c in my search for the deeper waters HE KEPT me from drowning. I went to one of Bentley's conferences in Abbotsford Canada...by myself...determined to experience 'the glory'. I had never been to a christian conference so I was excited to see what it would be like...(this was my first and so far has been my last).
As soon as my plane left Houston, Tx I strangely started getting a bronchial infection...but I was determined to not let that effect me...I would PUSH through to RECEIVE the glory, the fire...blah,blah,yada,yada.
When I first got to the conference I was struck with the hippie vibe that was so prevalent, it felt like a christian WOODSTOCK. I looked at the stage of musicians (Don Potter..who I actually really like)...the dancing/swaying/jitter-twitching movements...I actually thought 'this is cool, I am digging this, I am going to LOVE THIS...there is so much FREEDOM IN THE SPIRIT'...
(YEAH RIGHT--, NO!!!!)
What I soon learned is that the 'freedom' had no foundation in HOLINESS. I also sensed very little fruit of the spirit...no kindness or for that matter common courtesy.
I also was struck with how much everything cost...for books/tapes ect. I so wanted to get as much 'revelation' as I could and take it back with me...but it was soooo EXPENSIVE! It was such a sacrifice for my family to put me on a plane, pay for hotel, food, that I couldn't justify spending MORE on tapes,(b/c at that time in our lives we were in the HEAT OF THE REFINING FIRES...we had lost everything and had very little money, so this was truly a sacrifice.) I bought as much as I could to give as gifts to others and a few tapes for myself.
The last day of my trip Bentley was going to 'lay hands' on everyone and pray/give a 'word'...and called everyone (1,000) people to line up. I was motioned to come up to the front of the stage to stand in line. As I was walking I told a man walking beside me...'this never happens to me, I am always the one in the back..I sit in the back...I never am one to sit up front...this is weird". So as I made it to the front I was in the position of being the VERY FIRST PERSON in the VERY FIRST LINE....and once again I told the man next to me..."o.k., this is REALLY WEIRD b/c I never am the first person in anything.." and to tell you the truth in my spirit I was perplexed b/c part of me was thinking that maybe this was a sign that times were getting ready to change for my family, but then I also was sad b/c I kept thinking of the verse that says 'the last shall be first and the first last'.
So what was going on???
All the sudden as the last person got in line the Host of the conference took the mike and announced..."NOW ABOUT FACE"....
LOLOLOLOLOL!!!! I then looked at the guy I had been talking to and said..."now this is more like it!!!"
I was actually smiling and so happy in my spirit b/c now I was the very last person in the very last line.
It only was a couple of weeks later after getting home that I started have MAJOR CHECKS in my spirit that all the 'revelation' that I was receiving was not good, and that I did not want to be deceived. So I threw away the tapes/cd's that I had bought and gave some away to others that had asked for them (letting them know that I had major concerns about listening to them, but you need to discern yourself). I have also gone to those that I bought tapes for and asked their forgiveness for ever 'introducing them to Todd Bentley'.
That was 2005...and I just briefly viewed a youtube video of Bentley and it was as if I was seeing him for the first time...for this time he looked to me ALIEN....very pale, and honestly I could see the darkness ON HIM...the tattoos (which I didn't notice back then, are so proudly displayed now), the bald head is so PROPHETIC...on & on.
OH! THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR MERCY.
For truly I am what I am by HIS GRACE ALONE.
I give our Father praise & GLORY b/c through it all...He has led me, kept me, preserved me, taught me, had pity on me and LOVED ME.
I love you .....
eliyah
In closing this extended message on Todd Bentley, and others like him, this below fell into my lap tonight as I was viewing a Christian forum. I truly don't go looking for this stuff but it just seems, that which He wants me to share comes my way. Hopefully this is the last word we have to share about this guy on our blog.
JOYNER, WAGNER, ARNOTT "Commission" BENTLEY-Andrew Strom.
Here is how Charisma announced the news of what took place in
Lakeland just a couple of days ago: "Leaders Commission Todd
Bentley at ‘Lakeland Outpouring’... The special service was billed
by leaders as one of the greatest moments in revival history."
The article continues: "Canadian revivalist Todd Bentley, leader
of the Lakeland Outpouring, was commissioned as an evangelist
last night in a special ceremony in Lakeland, Fla., that was
broadcast into millions of homes by God TV...
"Participating leaders at the ceremony included [C. Peter] Wagner;
Ché Ahn, pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena, Calif.; John
Arnott of Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship in Canada; Bill
Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, Calif.; and Rick
Joyner, founder of MorningStar Ministries in Charlotte, N.C."
(EDITOR's NOTE: If you saw a video of this commissioning, you
may have noticed that Staci Campbell, one of the main 'Toronto'
leaders who spoke, had her head shaking so violently - literally
whipping back and forth - that it was hard to hear her. Of course
this happens all the time and they say it is the "Holy Spirit").
CHARISMA ARTICLE continues:
Wagner said to Bentley on the platform: "This commissioning
represents a powerful spiritual transaction taking place in the
invisible world. With this in mind, I take the apostolic authority that
God has given me and I decree to Todd Bentley, your power will
increase, your authority will increase, your favor will increase,
your influence will increase, your revelation will increase..."
"I am no church historian, but I do not know of any other time in
history, since the book of Acts, have so many different apostles
and so many different prophets and movements and leaders been
represented," Bentley said of the capacity crowd.
The article goes on to talk a little about why some have opposed
the revival: "Critics complain that Bentley entertains extra-biblical
practices and has devoted some of his past teachings to third
heaven experiences and angelic encounters. They say it’s bizarre
for him to claim he has met the apostle Paul and angels named
Winds of Change and Emma. They also object to what they
believe are exaggerated claims of healings and resurrections."
For me though, one of the most grievous statements in the whole
article is this one:
"Leaders who have expressed private concerns about Bentley’s
ministry turned down Charisma’s request for public comment."
(Article source - www.charismamag.com)
ANDREW STROM: DId you see that last sentence? -Even though
some leaders have been privately expressing their concerns, they
actually refused an opportunity to speak out in public! So where
does this leave the poor sheep? Are these men so concerned with
their "reputation" that they are afraid to speak out at such a pivotal
moment? How will history judge such a thing? Isn't it simply the
"fear of man"? And Isn't this the exact reason why the Charismatic
movement is in such a mess in the first place? Have we completely
forgotten the old saying- "Evil prospers when good men do nothing"?
Who is going to stand up and declare the TRUTH in this situation?
To me, this revival has all the hallmarks of the most blatant of
Last Days deceptions spoken of in Scripture. And yet it is
prospering because good men do nothing!
Todd Bentley is claiming a city-taking, nation-taking anointing...
We’re going to the cities, then the nations." And look at the lineup
of heavyweights that have now openly joined his crusade to
promote this "impartation" around the world: Peter Wagner, Rick
Joyner, Bill Johnson, John Arnott (of the 'Toronto Blessing'), Che
Ahn - and more!
'Who could possibly oppose such a lineup?' They think, 'What
madman would even entertain the idea? Why - his ministry would
be finished, his reputation ruined, his friends made into enemies
overnight.' Oh yes - they seem to have it all sewn up now. And
so, this "drunken glory" anointing with its angels, its 'jerking', its
epileptic-type seizures - is free to spread around the globe and be
imparted to God's precious sheep everywhere. And all the while,
so-called "concerned" Christian leaders shirk and shiver in the
shadows, never daring to openly speak out.
Shouldn't we be calling this exactly what it is - "COWARDICE"
of the worst kind? Can anyone imagine a crisis in the Spirit-filled
church that is more urgent than this one? Isn't silence simply
aiding and abetting the deception? Who will God hold accountable
for doing nothing? CHRISTIAN LEADERS - SPEAK UP!!
We aren't leaders in the church and hopefully like us, most of you have vacated the system long ago. We are hidden in Him and will remain so, until the day of His revealing. For this we are blessed and abundantly thankful. We also know heresy must come to try the Truth. It must come also to separate God's son's from the confused and wandering herd. Oh, to be a separate and peculiar people ....... a little flock .......... hidden in Him!
Isn't it good to rest in Jesus. Is there a better place to be found. We think not, for the better part is ours. Let us ever be hidden in the cleft of His side near the Father's heart.
Jack and Joian
"For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you" 1Cor 11:19
.
We cannot contain the overflowing cup of His love thus we share with you these messages of the Life of our Lord as lived out in His saints.
"one dog barks at a shadow ...... a hundred bark at his sound"
.
From a video transcript Todd Bentley states:
The woman was standing in the back of the room when the faith of God hit the meeting, and her tumor exploded out of her right leg, slid down her leg onto the floor! (audience applause)
I said, "God! I prayed for like a hundred crippled people. Not one?" He said, "That's because I want you to grab that lady's crippled legs and bang them up-and-down on the platform like a baseball bat." (audience laughter)
I walked up and I grabbed her legs, and I started going, BAM! BAM! I started banging them up-and-down on the plat[form]! She got healed!
And I'm thinking, God, why is not the power of God moving? He said, "Because you haven't kicked that woman in the face." (audience laughter)
And there is this older lady worshipping right in front of the platform. (audience laughter) And the Holy Spirit spoke to me--the gift of faith came on me--He said, "Kick her in the face with your biker-boot." (audience laughter)
I inched closer and I went like this [Todd Bentley performs a kick with his right leg and yells] BAM! (audience laughter) And just as my boot made contact with her nose, she fell under the power of God.
The remaining moments of the video speaks for itself and demonstrates what happens to Todd Bentley when he is overcome by the so-called "gift of faith." In what may be termed an award-winning theatrical performance, Bentley claims that "God" told him to: run and knock a person to the ground; "Ground and pound;" choke a man; run and hit a man so hard "it drove him back several feet! He hit the ground and his tooth popped right out of his mouth!" (audience laughter)
The video ends with Todd Bentley claiming that "God" instructed him to perform a "leg-drop" on a pastor.
And the audience laughed...
You decide: Todd Bentley or the Holy Spirit?
The laughter from Todd Bentley's audience is heartbreaking, and clearly demonstrates how easy it is for people to be conformed and conditioned into believing anything, regardless of how non-Christian it is. (Bud Press)
Everybody has to have a Todd Bentley message and this is ours. We've have spent much time identifying the New Age practices and doctrines lately so I was wondering how Todd Bentley's Rootin Tootin Holy Ghouls Bammin and Boomin Revival is associated with such. Yes there is a connection as the narrow path of Christ is increasingly being perverted into a broad highway leading to confusion and destruction. Surely these must the last days of the passing age, as they are filled with apostasy and perplexity(confusion) of the nations. Joian and I often marvel and wonder, "how that which is the Truth in Christ will be known when the counterfeits so masterfully appear on all sides, as holding a false substance paralleling real Faith." I truly don't know but I am darn sure excited to find out. My spirit tells me it will not be long.
So the other day, I discovered an article that tied Bentley to the Indian Christian Mystic and Evangelist Sindar Singh who was a Universalist. Personally, Singh is a little more "mystical" than I personally have found myself comfortable with. I believe Sindar broadened the path a little bit and his mystical wanderings were not of the sort which I would recommend. Anyway, I mention this only to say, I can only follow and share that which has Life for me and I didn't find that with Sindar's teachings. Below are a few excerpts that illustrate Bentley's ties to Singh and when I read them I thought, "Oh, so there is the possibility of the eventually tying together of this world wide money making apostate revival with Universal Reconciliation through Christ Jesus. This gives me rise once again to repeat my earlier pondering, "How will God reveal the Truth to the world when all that is Truth is surrounded with a foul facsimile that arises from the carnal souls of ambitious men?"
These two quotes are taken from a fundamentalist site and an article titled "Todd Bentley -God is Releasing a Sundar Singh Anointing" by Mishel. They should give you pause.
"According to Todd Bentley, God is releasing a Sundar Singh type anointing of revelation to the church .......
Now let’s take another look at the Vision that Todd Bentley claims God gave him. "...in a vision, the Glory Cloud of Revelation descending upon the church. It was also during this time of prayer that God took me in a vision to what I believed to be the Himalayan Mountains. I saw an Indian man with a turban on his head and heard the whisper of the Spirit say, "This is Sundar Singh. I am releasing anointing of revelation like this." I had no communication with this old saint, nor did he say anything to me. The experience lasted only a moment...." from "The Glory Cloud of Revelation & Prophetic Mantles"- Todd Bentley
A fellow I know from the forums made this statement after his reading of the full article mentioned above. He succinctly describes Todd Bentley and gives hint to the dilemma Bently might be presenting.
Strike 1: He yells "BAM!" and hits/kicks people
Strike 2: He has conversations with a female angel named "Emma"
Strike 3: He endorses 'aberrant' universalist beliefs
Result: World wide Revival!!!
Go figure.
(Byron)
So if you haven't had your fill of Todd Bentley yet, I give you a few quotations from, and the link to, a fascinating and entertaining writing by a disillusioned believer who knows the revival game well. This one opened my eyes as to how it is all done to get people moving into a expectant soulish mindset to receive just about anything. You've experienced it and so have I. And I shudder at the thought, however it makes me ever want to cling tighter to Jesus and bury myself deeper into the Father's breast.
Here are a few quotes and should you read the whole article describing this particular "healing revival meeting," I believe you will be as pissed off as this man was. I certainly was and the descriptions of the angelic little girl broke my heart, only to add pain to my anger. (parentheses are mine)
(Intro)
"Todd Bentley is a healing evangelist holding revival crusades all over the world. His quick rise to fame is all but miraculous, and the fact that he has garnered the support of heavy hitters like Bob Jones, Bobby Conner, Paul Cain, Rick Joyner and others, tips the scales of his charisma-cred. They're calling it the "thing" they've been waiting for, the next big move of God, "this is it!"
.
(before the meeting)
As I made my way around the floor seats I noticed several wheel chaired individuals, people with various infirmities and some with obvious deformities. Some were old; some were young; like this one little girl with dark hair and angelic smile. Her legs had not formed properly and they hung from the wheelchair motionless but most notable thing about her was the way she brightened up the space around her with her presence.
(during the meeting)
"One-by-one they sifted through and gave their testimony with Bentley ending each with his signature "BAM!" (which he totally ripped from Emeril) and an open handed push to the forehead which sent ninety-nine percent of them to the floor resulting in a quivering pile of mush."
(after the meeting)
"I saw the angelic little girl, still lighting the path with her smile, head back to her seat along with all the other wheelchair faithful. They're the ones that need the miracle. No amount of suggestion can heal them. Hypnosis cannot create body parts or even restore life to them and these folks are the evidence of that. They are also evidence that Bentley's healing revival is merely a revival of hype with no actual substance. All of the physically impaired individuals with very real and evident medical problems were not healed. They're still in their chairs Todd; they're still in their chairs and you're pissing me off."
"Walking to the car I noticed a young lady being lifted out of her wheelchair into a van. She's still in the chair Todd and you're still pissing me off."
The rest of this article entitled, "Leaving Lakeland" by Mike Kirkland can be found here and it is I believe well worth the read:
http://www.darinhufford.com/article.php?id=19
I used an old saying as the title of this blog and in closing I want to leave you with a couple more sayings along with a scripture that seemed apropos for the subject addressed tonight. Allow me also to share some thoughts on an upcoming message that I have been pondering for a couple weeks. It is a positive and encouraging word for those that have "surrendered all unto Jesus" while groaning for the healing of this confused and pained world.
"All tables (from which the Church is fed) are filled with vomit and filthiness, so that there is NO PLACE CLEAN" (Isa. 28:8).
"This is the difference between two ministers that preached.
After the first one, people said "Oh what a wonderful preacher!!"
After the second one, the people said "Oh what a wonderful Savior and Lord!!"
"Ah, how rare is it to find a soul still enough to hear God speak!"
Lord willing in the next couple of days I want to share on what it means to me to be a "friend" ..... a friend of God, my friend and my best friend. I will also add a beautiful message from Fellership Forums posted by Joian on the subject of "friendship" It so humbled me and gave me great encouragement to carry the Cross of Christ" a little further. How we need to pray and speak encouragement into the lives of the small handful of friends He gives us.
Todd Bentley and others like him will minister to the fickle thousands looking for the loves and fish to feed their flesh. But there are a only a few, a little flock, that lay their heads on Jesus breast to feel and know the Father's heart. I know some like that. I have some friends, a few, and I am so thankful!
"Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved." Jn 13:23
and remember to "always drink upstream from the herd,"
Jack and Joian
* PS. Our sovereign God permits and sustains these movements in His over all purpose. Lord willing, I will add to this blog a few thoughts this evening as to maybe a deeper view of such as we see with the Todd Bentleys and their healing crusades. No doubt some will be healed. As to the end results I just don't know. I have a couple testimonies to add about a couple friends that were miraculously healed in a such meetings. Their later demise saddens me to this day and I still scratch my head as to the why.
* Bless you Eliyah for sharing your testimony of the Todd Bentley meeting you attended. I hope our readers will view your comment. I often use the "last will be first" verse as it has so much to do with sonship. And how often I say, "follow the money."
Eliya you shared both points eloquently and I thank you for the time you took to write your message.
.
From a video transcript Todd Bentley states:The woman was standing in the back of the room when the faith of God hit the meeting, and her tumor exploded out of her right leg, slid down her leg onto the floor! (audience applause)
I said, "God! I prayed for like a hundred crippled people. Not one?" He said, "That's because I want you to grab that lady's crippled legs and bang them up-and-down on the platform like a baseball bat." (audience laughter)
I walked up and I grabbed her legs, and I started going, BAM! BAM! I started banging them up-and-down on the plat[form]! She got healed!
And I'm thinking, God, why is not the power of God moving? He said, "Because you haven't kicked that woman in the face." (audience laughter)
And there is this older lady worshipping right in front of the platform. (audience laughter) And the Holy Spirit spoke to me--the gift of faith came on me--He said, "Kick her in the face with your biker-boot." (audience laughter)
I inched closer and I went like this [Todd Bentley performs a kick with his right leg and yells] BAM! (audience laughter) And just as my boot made contact with her nose, she fell under the power of God.
The remaining moments of the video speaks for itself and demonstrates what happens to Todd Bentley when he is overcome by the so-called "gift of faith." In what may be termed an award-winning theatrical performance, Bentley claims that "God" told him to: run and knock a person to the ground; "Ground and pound;" choke a man; run and hit a man so hard "it drove him back several feet! He hit the ground and his tooth popped right out of his mouth!" (audience laughter)
The video ends with Todd Bentley claiming that "God" instructed him to perform a "leg-drop" on a pastor.
And the audience laughed...
You decide: Todd Bentley or the Holy Spirit?
The laughter from Todd Bentley's audience is heartbreaking, and clearly demonstrates how easy it is for people to be conformed and conditioned into believing anything, regardless of how non-Christian it is. (Bud Press)
Everybody has to have a Todd Bentley message and this is ours. We've have spent much time identifying the New Age practices and doctrines lately so I was wondering how Todd Bentley's Rootin Tootin Holy Ghouls Bammin and Boomin Revival is associated with such. Yes there is a connection as the narrow path of Christ is increasingly being perverted into a broad highway leading to confusion and destruction. Surely these must the last days of the passing age, as they are filled with apostasy and perplexity(confusion) of the nations. Joian and I often marvel and wonder, "how that which is the Truth in Christ will be known when the counterfeits so masterfully appear on all sides, as holding a false substance paralleling real Faith." I truly don't know but I am darn sure excited to find out. My spirit tells me it will not be long.
So the other day, I discovered an article that tied Bentley to the Indian Christian Mystic and Evangelist Sindar Singh who was a Universalist. Personally, Singh is a little more "mystical" than I personally have found myself comfortable with. I believe Sindar broadened the path a little bit and his mystical wanderings were not of the sort which I would recommend. Anyway, I mention this only to say, I can only follow and share that which has Life for me and I didn't find that with Sindar's teachings. Below are a few excerpts that illustrate Bentley's ties to Singh and when I read them I thought, "Oh, so there is the possibility of the eventually tying together of this world wide money making apostate revival with Universal Reconciliation through Christ Jesus. This gives me rise once again to repeat my earlier pondering, "How will God reveal the Truth to the world when all that is Truth is surrounded with a foul facsimile that arises from the carnal souls of ambitious men?"
These two quotes are taken from a fundamentalist site and an article titled "Todd Bentley -God is Releasing a Sundar Singh Anointing" by Mishel. They should give you pause.
"According to Todd Bentley, God is releasing a Sundar Singh type anointing of revelation to the church .......
Now let’s take another look at the Vision that Todd Bentley claims God gave him. "...in a vision, the Glory Cloud of Revelation descending upon the church. It was also during this time of prayer that God took me in a vision to what I believed to be the Himalayan Mountains. I saw an Indian man with a turban on his head and heard the whisper of the Spirit say, "This is Sundar Singh. I am releasing anointing of revelation like this." I had no communication with this old saint, nor did he say anything to me. The experience lasted only a moment...." from "The Glory Cloud of Revelation & Prophetic Mantles"- Todd Bentley
A fellow I know from the forums made this statement after his reading of the full article mentioned above. He succinctly describes Todd Bentley and gives hint to the dilemma Bently might be presenting.
Strike 1: He yells "BAM!" and hits/kicks people
Strike 2: He has conversations with a female angel named "Emma"
Strike 3: He endorses 'aberrant' universalist beliefs
Result: World wide Revival!!!
Go figure.
(Byron)
So if you haven't had your fill of Todd Bentley yet, I give you a few quotations from, and the link to, a fascinating and entertaining writing by a disillusioned believer who knows the revival game well. This one opened my eyes as to how it is all done to get people moving into a expectant soulish mindset to receive just about anything. You've experienced it and so have I. And I shudder at the thought, however it makes me ever want to cling tighter to Jesus and bury myself deeper into the Father's breast.
Here are a few quotes and should you read the whole article describing this particular "healing revival meeting," I believe you will be as pissed off as this man was. I certainly was and the descriptions of the angelic little girl broke my heart, only to add pain to my anger. (parentheses are mine)
(Intro)
"Todd Bentley is a healing evangelist holding revival crusades all over the world. His quick rise to fame is all but miraculous, and the fact that he has garnered the support of heavy hitters like Bob Jones, Bobby Conner, Paul Cain, Rick Joyner and others, tips the scales of his charisma-cred. They're calling it the "thing" they've been waiting for, the next big move of God, "this is it!"
.
(before the meeting)
As I made my way around the floor seats I noticed several wheel chaired individuals, people with various infirmities and some with obvious deformities. Some were old; some were young; like this one little girl with dark hair and angelic smile. Her legs had not formed properly and they hung from the wheelchair motionless but most notable thing about her was the way she brightened up the space around her with her presence.
(during the meeting)
"One-by-one they sifted through and gave their testimony with Bentley ending each with his signature "BAM!" (which he totally ripped from Emeril) and an open handed push to the forehead which sent ninety-nine percent of them to the floor resulting in a quivering pile of mush."
(after the meeting)
"I saw the angelic little girl, still lighting the path with her smile, head back to her seat along with all the other wheelchair faithful. They're the ones that need the miracle. No amount of suggestion can heal them. Hypnosis cannot create body parts or even restore life to them and these folks are the evidence of that. They are also evidence that Bentley's healing revival is merely a revival of hype with no actual substance. All of the physically impaired individuals with very real and evident medical problems were not healed. They're still in their chairs Todd; they're still in their chairs and you're pissing me off."
"Walking to the car I noticed a young lady being lifted out of her wheelchair into a van. She's still in the chair Todd and you're still pissing me off."
The rest of this article entitled, "Leaving Lakeland" by Mike Kirkland can be found here and it is I believe well worth the read:
http://www.darinhufford.com/article.php?id=19
I used an old saying as the title of this blog and in closing I want to leave you with a couple more sayings along with a scripture that seemed apropos for the subject addressed tonight. Allow me also to share some thoughts on an upcoming message that I have been pondering for a couple weeks. It is a positive and encouraging word for those that have "surrendered all unto Jesus" while groaning for the healing of this confused and pained world.
"All tables (from which the Church is fed) are filled with vomit and filthiness, so that there is NO PLACE CLEAN" (Isa. 28:8).
"This is the difference between two ministers that preached.
After the first one, people said "Oh what a wonderful preacher!!"
After the second one, the people said "Oh what a wonderful Savior and Lord!!"
"Ah, how rare is it to find a soul still enough to hear God speak!"
Lord willing in the next couple of days I want to share on what it means to me to be a "friend" ..... a friend of God, my friend and my best friend. I will also add a beautiful message from Fellership Forums posted by Joian on the subject of "friendship" It so humbled me and gave me great encouragement to carry the Cross of Christ" a little further. How we need to pray and speak encouragement into the lives of the small handful of friends He gives us.
Todd Bentley and others like him will minister to the fickle thousands looking for the loves and fish to feed their flesh. But there are a only a few, a little flock, that lay their heads on Jesus breast to feel and know the Father's heart. I know some like that. I have some friends, a few, and I am so thankful!
"Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved." Jn 13:23
and remember to "always drink upstream from the herd,"
Jack and Joian
* PS. Our sovereign God permits and sustains these movements in His over all purpose. Lord willing, I will add to this blog a few thoughts this evening as to maybe a deeper view of such as we see with the Todd Bentleys and their healing crusades. No doubt some will be healed. As to the end results I just don't know. I have a couple testimonies to add about a couple friends that were miraculously healed in a such meetings. Their later demise saddens me to this day and I still scratch my head as to the why.
* Bless you Eliyah for sharing your testimony of the Todd Bentley meeting you attended. I hope our readers will view your comment. I often use the "last will be first" verse as it has so much to do with sonship. And how often I say, "follow the money."
Eliya you shared both points eloquently and I thank you for the time you took to write your message.
.
"The Way Is A...."
.
This has been a most unusual two years in the Lord……Even apart from meeting and starting the Sonshine blog with Jack........
About a year and a half ago I was awakened in the early morning with a startling sensation. It felt like low voltage electricity moving up and down my body, stopping at my shoulders and then circling around again. Along with this sensation was an overpowering presence of the Lord. I began to lift my arms and Praise God. It both released and increased the sensation…..It is so hard to explain but so real.
In my heart I kept asking, what is this? What IS THIS? The spirit answered saying, this is the “quickening”. Up to then, I had few hints as to what that meant and couldn't even recall this familiar scripture:
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:10-12
My only thought as this continued throughout the day was of my own experience with quickening. After five pregnancies I understood and expected that first movement on the inside of me with each new life. That was my assurance that all things were coming along as they should and that first flicker let me know this little one was indeed, alive. That's about as far as my deductions had taken me and I finally settled my waverings, God could do as he wished with me and change my understanding/traditions at the drop of a hat if he decided to..........He truly is God and I am not....lol...In these days I hold lightly, the things I've been taught. God is moving and sweeping us clear of the traditions of men. At times, I could just scream with joy realizing no box of tradtion will hold our God..........he is INDEED MIGHTY....
I had been taught that Romans 8, was an event that happened after our death at our own physical resurrection..........and now it seemed my own experience would belie tradition.....How I wondered at what was happening and spent the day switching between tears and singing praises.
The sensations continue to this day on and off. Most often as something is made real to me by the spirit, when I read an anointed message…or if someone is praying for me…..I believe it could be much like the record of Elizabeth exclaiming to Mary, the child inside leapt when he heard your salutation so it must be that the spirit in me bears witness with the spirit in you and leaps with joy. As strange as this “sensation” continues to be, I have grown accustomed to it and even find myself longing for it's return as it assures me of life within. Still I wonder. Yet, something is alive on the inside of me and is capable of leaping for joy at the Lord's voice..........
The last couple of months, as I am coming awake in the morning I am congnizant that I am having dialogue in my dreams with the Lord. When awake I am unable to recall what was being said in the dream, just an impression that it was important.
Tuesday morning, I distictly remember hearing, “the way up is a……", then I came fully awake. Those five words kept rolling around in my head all day. I started to tell them to Jack but they seemed so inconsequential, until today....when I read a link Jack posted by Eby.
At this part of Eby's message (below), I nearly came out of my seat as suddenly I was able to remember what the Lord had been saying to me while I slept…As I read Eby's article, the words from Tuesday were recalled, “the way up is ABOVE”. Sometimes my lunch time readings are not conducive to a restaurant setting and this day was no exception, I began to weep realizing just how real and yet hidden the dealings of the Lord are. Eby’s whole article was directed toward me by the Holy Spirit………..I love it when He does that………
The Law of nature is: Except a mineral be born "from above,,—from the kingdom just above it—it cannot enter the kingdom just above it. And except a man be born "from above, he cannot enter the Kingdom just above him.
“Birthed Into the Kingdom”
It is not said, in this statement of the Law, that if the condition be not fulfilled the natural man will not enter the Kingdom of God. The word is, cannot. It is not that God arbitrarily shuts out the spiritually dead from the kingdom of the spiritually living. There is a great Law involved here. Paul by inspiration pointed out this Law: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned,, (I Cor. 2:14). It is not simply that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit, but he cannot. It is as utterly impossible for the carnal mind to know spiritual things as it is for a stone to spontaneously generate life. The entrance of the natural man into the world of the Spirit of God is simply a scientific impossibility!
As speaking in tongues and the gifts of the Spirit are the evidences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, so the redemption of our bodies from the power of decay and death is the evidence of the manifestation of the sons of God. "We ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the Spirit—a foretaste of the blissful things to come—groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal our adoption, our manifestation as God's sons" (Rom. 8:23, Amplified Bible). This change in our bodies shall not come by the mighty working of Christ crashing down through the clouds, but by the DIVINE INWORKING OF HIS INDWELLING LIFE as Paul by inspiration said, "He shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. "
The Kingdom of God means many things to many different people, according to their understanding. This is only natural, because of the many figures under which the idea was presented by Jesus, and also because people are at different stages in their progress along the way to the Kingdom, which means that they have attained different degrees of growth as children of God in the family of God. Jesus said that one must be born again in order to "see,, or "enter,, the Kingdom. Here we find Jesus laying down the preliminary requirement for an understanding of the Kingdom, as well as entrance into the Kingdom. But He does not say that upon being born again one would immediately fully see or completely enter into the Kingdom. But spiritual birth is the prerequisite. Understanding the Kingdom spiritually and laying hold upon its reality can only follow the new birth—not precede it. Until you are born from above you have neither the ability to see nor the potential to enter into the Kingdom of God.
First of all, then, the Kingdom is not a natural state, for it must be entered following a new birth. And a man can no more bring about his second birth—the birth into the spiritual world—than he could have brought about his first birth—the birth into the physical world. It comes to one from another world. He is given birth from a higher realm. lt is the work of God alone. It is a new order that one enters into under entirely new conditions. It becomes accessible by the experience of a new life, a new identity, a new citizenship, a new spirit, a new nature, a new will, a new attitude, a new ability, a new objective.
When men come into the world, they are born outside of the Kingdom of God, and they cannot see into it. They may go round and round it, and examine it from the outside, and pass an opinion on it. But they are no judges. They are not seeing what they are speaking about. For that which is born of spirit is spirit, and that which is born of flesh is flesh; and fleshly men can only give an uninformed and unenlightened criticism about something spiritual that they do not and cannot understand. Therefore the critical value of a natural man’s opinion on spiritual matters is nothing. His opinion is simply ludicrous—he is talking about a thing that he has never seen. (Link to full article by Eby below)
This has been a most unusual two years in the Lord……Even apart from meeting and starting the Sonshine blog with Jack........
About a year and a half ago I was awakened in the early morning with a startling sensation. It felt like low voltage electricity moving up and down my body, stopping at my shoulders and then circling around again. Along with this sensation was an overpowering presence of the Lord. I began to lift my arms and Praise God. It both released and increased the sensation…..It is so hard to explain but so real.
In my heart I kept asking, what is this? What IS THIS? The spirit answered saying, this is the “quickening”. Up to then, I had few hints as to what that meant and couldn't even recall this familiar scripture:
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:10-12
My only thought as this continued throughout the day was of my own experience with quickening. After five pregnancies I understood and expected that first movement on the inside of me with each new life. That was my assurance that all things were coming along as they should and that first flicker let me know this little one was indeed, alive. That's about as far as my deductions had taken me and I finally settled my waverings, God could do as he wished with me and change my understanding/traditions at the drop of a hat if he decided to..........He truly is God and I am not....lol...In these days I hold lightly, the things I've been taught. God is moving and sweeping us clear of the traditions of men. At times, I could just scream with joy realizing no box of tradtion will hold our God..........he is INDEED MIGHTY....
I had been taught that Romans 8, was an event that happened after our death at our own physical resurrection..........and now it seemed my own experience would belie tradition.....How I wondered at what was happening and spent the day switching between tears and singing praises.
The sensations continue to this day on and off. Most often as something is made real to me by the spirit, when I read an anointed message…or if someone is praying for me…..I believe it could be much like the record of Elizabeth exclaiming to Mary, the child inside leapt when he heard your salutation so it must be that the spirit in me bears witness with the spirit in you and leaps with joy. As strange as this “sensation” continues to be, I have grown accustomed to it and even find myself longing for it's return as it assures me of life within. Still I wonder. Yet, something is alive on the inside of me and is capable of leaping for joy at the Lord's voice..........
The last couple of months, as I am coming awake in the morning I am congnizant that I am having dialogue in my dreams with the Lord. When awake I am unable to recall what was being said in the dream, just an impression that it was important.
Tuesday morning, I distictly remember hearing, “the way up is a……", then I came fully awake. Those five words kept rolling around in my head all day. I started to tell them to Jack but they seemed so inconsequential, until today....when I read a link Jack posted by Eby.
At this part of Eby's message (below), I nearly came out of my seat as suddenly I was able to remember what the Lord had been saying to me while I slept…As I read Eby's article, the words from Tuesday were recalled, “the way up is ABOVE”. Sometimes my lunch time readings are not conducive to a restaurant setting and this day was no exception, I began to weep realizing just how real and yet hidden the dealings of the Lord are. Eby’s whole article was directed toward me by the Holy Spirit………..I love it when He does that………
The Law of nature is: Except a mineral be born "from above,,—from the kingdom just above it—it cannot enter the kingdom just above it. And except a man be born "from above, he cannot enter the Kingdom just above him.
“Birthed Into the Kingdom”
It is not said, in this statement of the Law, that if the condition be not fulfilled the natural man will not enter the Kingdom of God. The word is, cannot. It is not that God arbitrarily shuts out the spiritually dead from the kingdom of the spiritually living. There is a great Law involved here. Paul by inspiration pointed out this Law: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned,, (I Cor. 2:14). It is not simply that the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit, but he cannot. It is as utterly impossible for the carnal mind to know spiritual things as it is for a stone to spontaneously generate life. The entrance of the natural man into the world of the Spirit of God is simply a scientific impossibility!
As speaking in tongues and the gifts of the Spirit are the evidences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, so the redemption of our bodies from the power of decay and death is the evidence of the manifestation of the sons of God. "We ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the Spirit—a foretaste of the blissful things to come—groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal our adoption, our manifestation as God's sons" (Rom. 8:23, Amplified Bible). This change in our bodies shall not come by the mighty working of Christ crashing down through the clouds, but by the DIVINE INWORKING OF HIS INDWELLING LIFE as Paul by inspiration said, "He shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. "
The Kingdom of God means many things to many different people, according to their understanding. This is only natural, because of the many figures under which the idea was presented by Jesus, and also because people are at different stages in their progress along the way to the Kingdom, which means that they have attained different degrees of growth as children of God in the family of God. Jesus said that one must be born again in order to "see,, or "enter,, the Kingdom. Here we find Jesus laying down the preliminary requirement for an understanding of the Kingdom, as well as entrance into the Kingdom. But He does not say that upon being born again one would immediately fully see or completely enter into the Kingdom. But spiritual birth is the prerequisite. Understanding the Kingdom spiritually and laying hold upon its reality can only follow the new birth—not precede it. Until you are born from above you have neither the ability to see nor the potential to enter into the Kingdom of God.
First of all, then, the Kingdom is not a natural state, for it must be entered following a new birth. And a man can no more bring about his second birth—the birth into the spiritual world—than he could have brought about his first birth—the birth into the physical world. It comes to one from another world. He is given birth from a higher realm. lt is the work of God alone. It is a new order that one enters into under entirely new conditions. It becomes accessible by the experience of a new life, a new identity, a new citizenship, a new spirit, a new nature, a new will, a new attitude, a new ability, a new objective.
When men come into the world, they are born outside of the Kingdom of God, and they cannot see into it. They may go round and round it, and examine it from the outside, and pass an opinion on it. But they are no judges. They are not seeing what they are speaking about. For that which is born of spirit is spirit, and that which is born of flesh is flesh; and fleshly men can only give an uninformed and unenlightened criticism about something spiritual that they do not and cannot understand. Therefore the critical value of a natural man’s opinion on spiritual matters is nothing. His opinion is simply ludicrous—he is talking about a thing that he has never seen. (Link to full article by Eby below)
http://www.gem-international.org/eby/kog-5.htm
Love you,
Joian and Jack
.
The Old Rugged Cross
.
My father was sixteen years older than my mother who was a widow with three children when they met. It was just after WWII. Long Beach was overflowing with sailors returning from the war. Often my Dad would stop and ask one of the young men if they would like to join us for a homecooked meal.
On those occasions, Dad would turn to one of us kids and say pick a sailor so and so......which meant we were going to have company for dinner and many times the night. My Dad had a playful side to him that delighted in surprises and bringing a stranger to dinner was just one of them. If Mother scolded him he would just pinch her hiney and say, just doing our part for the war, and Mother would quickly get over the inconvenience.
A couple of times a year my father's, father would join us with my grandmother for the holiday. Since my father was already fifty when I was born...........his parents seemed ancient to me. Besides being very old, my grandfather never spoke to me or acknowledged my existance . It didn't seem odd or hurtful to me. Instead, I just assumed that was how grandfather's were. He never really spoke to anyone much except my Dad. Because of that I knew he could talk,......lol....Yet, I was unaware of what was obvious to everyone else, my Grandfather was nearly deaf.
I am only assuming now but I have to believe that my Dad wanted to share his new found belief with his father, as we all do when we find the Lord but would have been unable to because of the hearing loss.
So perhaps the last surprise he gave came as a gift to his own father. At my father's funeral as The Old Rugged Cross was being sung, my grandfather leaned over to my grandmother with tears in his eyes and said," I can hear, I can hear every word"..........and some very powerful words they were..........how merciful is our Heavenly Father.........
Old Rugged Cross
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
.
In that old rugged cross,
stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;'
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I'll share.
.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown.
(George Bennard 1913)
Love,
Joian
My father was sixteen years older than my mother who was a widow with three children when they met. It was just after WWII. Long Beach was overflowing with sailors returning from the war. Often my Dad would stop and ask one of the young men if they would like to join us for a homecooked meal.
On those occasions, Dad would turn to one of us kids and say pick a sailor so and so......which meant we were going to have company for dinner and many times the night. My Dad had a playful side to him that delighted in surprises and bringing a stranger to dinner was just one of them. If Mother scolded him he would just pinch her hiney and say, just doing our part for the war, and Mother would quickly get over the inconvenience.
A couple of times a year my father's, father would join us with my grandmother for the holiday. Since my father was already fifty when I was born...........his parents seemed ancient to me. Besides being very old, my grandfather never spoke to me or acknowledged my existance . It didn't seem odd or hurtful to me. Instead, I just assumed that was how grandfather's were. He never really spoke to anyone much except my Dad. Because of that I knew he could talk,......lol....Yet, I was unaware of what was obvious to everyone else, my Grandfather was nearly deaf.
I am only assuming now but I have to believe that my Dad wanted to share his new found belief with his father, as we all do when we find the Lord but would have been unable to because of the hearing loss.
So perhaps the last surprise he gave came as a gift to his own father. At my father's funeral as The Old Rugged Cross was being sung, my grandfather leaned over to my grandmother with tears in his eyes and said," I can hear, I can hear every word"..........and some very powerful words they were..........how merciful is our Heavenly Father.........
Old Rugged Cross
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
.
O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
.
In that old rugged cross,
stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;'
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He'll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I'll share.
.
So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the Old Rugged Cross
And exchange it some day for a crown.
(George Bennard 1913)
Love,
Joian
A FATHER'S DAY TRIBUTE
.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY
Good morning and happy father's day,
As I am sitting here on a already somewhat humid Mississippi morning, drinking my coffee, I was contemplating whether or not to write something regarding Jack's invite to share what father's day means to me.
At first, I was not led to write anything until I heard the sweet voices of my children downstairs, eating their special father's day pancakes in raspberry syrup. My wife Eliyah was sharing with them a story about each one of them when they were babies.
One was afraid of the slick marble floors at the mall, thinking they were ice. The other did not like touching the grass with his bare feet and would raise his legs up as much as possible as one of us would try to lower him onto the grass. So on and so on.
Reminiscing and hearing the laughter of my children made me realize that this is what father's day is all about. Remembering what being a father is all about. To me it is very simple. The sweet sounding laughter of my children lets me know that all is well. For as long as I hear that intoxicating laughter, I know that I am doing the right things as a father.
I planned on taking it easy today and do absolutely nothing. Well, it's a plan anyways. I know that I will end up doing something out in the yard, or a "project" around the house. I am just not one to just sit and do "nothing". Just know that no matter what I choose to do, or not to do, I will be listening for that child's laughter..................and smile.
Happy Father's Day
Mordekai
.
.
I was so privileged this morning to share a wonderful Christ filled phone visit with our newly discovered friends, Eliyah and Mordekai. I cried and laughed during our conversation but most of all I was moved deeply by the tenderness and encompassing love I found in these two dear saints. At the end of our two hour visit I had prayer with Eliya as Mordekai took his turn tending to their four young children. I ended my part with prayer for Mordekai; that God would continue to bless him as the father of this Godly family.
I also reflected after sharing with this good brother, of how wonderfully this man honors and of how beautifully his wife and children (got to talk to the 2 and 4 year olds too) honor God and Mordekai as fathers with their walks and their words.
With that said, Joian and I desire to give you, our readers, opportunity to honor your fathers or even share what it means to be a father. Please, share whatever is on your heart concerning the subject of "fatherhood."
If you care to write a short message please E-mail it too me at:
jahennes@q.com
I will add your message here on the top of this blog as soon as I get it.
We know this is Florian's first Father's Day, celebrated with the recent arrival of Raphael. Joian and I thrill to imagine how he will feel tomorrow as he gathers his wife and baby in his arms and heart for the first time as a father on Father's Day.
My tribute would be the sharing of the link of an old blog and a favorite message of mine entitled "INTO A DAUGHTER'S HEART." It is a praise message to the grace of Our Father and an account of my personal foretaste of, "how we shall miss nothing, but one day enjoy all the goodness of this world on an incredibly higher level."
http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2007/04/into-my-daughters-heart.html
Be blessed and we so hope you might share with us whatever is on your heart this Father's Day,
Jack and Joian
.
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY
Good morning and happy father's day,
As I am sitting here on a already somewhat humid Mississippi morning, drinking my coffee, I was contemplating whether or not to write something regarding Jack's invite to share what father's day means to me.
At first, I was not led to write anything until I heard the sweet voices of my children downstairs, eating their special father's day pancakes in raspberry syrup. My wife Eliyah was sharing with them a story about each one of them when they were babies.
One was afraid of the slick marble floors at the mall, thinking they were ice. The other did not like touching the grass with his bare feet and would raise his legs up as much as possible as one of us would try to lower him onto the grass. So on and so on.
Reminiscing and hearing the laughter of my children made me realize that this is what father's day is all about. Remembering what being a father is all about. To me it is very simple. The sweet sounding laughter of my children lets me know that all is well. For as long as I hear that intoxicating laughter, I know that I am doing the right things as a father.
I planned on taking it easy today and do absolutely nothing. Well, it's a plan anyways. I know that I will end up doing something out in the yard, or a "project" around the house. I am just not one to just sit and do "nothing". Just know that no matter what I choose to do, or not to do, I will be listening for that child's laughter..................and smile.
Happy Father's Day
Mordekai
.
.
I was so privileged this morning to share a wonderful Christ filled phone visit with our newly discovered friends, Eliyah and Mordekai. I cried and laughed during our conversation but most of all I was moved deeply by the tenderness and encompassing love I found in these two dear saints. At the end of our two hour visit I had prayer with Eliya as Mordekai took his turn tending to their four young children. I ended my part with prayer for Mordekai; that God would continue to bless him as the father of this Godly family.I also reflected after sharing with this good brother, of how wonderfully this man honors and of how beautifully his wife and children (got to talk to the 2 and 4 year olds too) honor God and Mordekai as fathers with their walks and their words.
With that said, Joian and I desire to give you, our readers, opportunity to honor your fathers or even share what it means to be a father. Please, share whatever is on your heart concerning the subject of "fatherhood."
If you care to write a short message please E-mail it too me at:
jahennes@q.com
I will add your message here on the top of this blog as soon as I get it.
We know this is Florian's first Father's Day, celebrated with the recent arrival of Raphael. Joian and I thrill to imagine how he will feel tomorrow as he gathers his wife and baby in his arms and heart for the first time as a father on Father's Day.
My tribute would be the sharing of the link of an old blog and a favorite message of mine entitled "INTO A DAUGHTER'S HEART." It is a praise message to the grace of Our Father and an account of my personal foretaste of, "how we shall miss nothing, but one day enjoy all the goodness of this world on an incredibly higher level."
http://jack-sonshine.blogspot.com/2007/04/into-my-daughters-heart.html
Be blessed and we so hope you might share with us whatever is on your heart this Father's Day,
Jack and Joian
.
BUTT PRINTS IN THE SAND ..... LOL
.
.
BUTT PRINTS IN THE SAND
One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
but mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord,
"What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
but Lord, they are too big for yours or my feet.
My child, He said in somber tone,
For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait.
You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you, on your butt.
Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight and one must climb.
When one must rise and one must stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.
.
BUTT PRINTS IN THE SAND
One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
but mine were not along the shore.
But then some stranger prints appeared,
And I asked the Lord,
"What have we here?"
Those prints are large and round and neat,
but Lord, they are too big for yours or my feet.
My child, He said in somber tone,
For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait.
You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith, you would not know.
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you, on your butt.
Because in life, there comes a time,
When one must fight and one must climb.
When one must rise and one must stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand.
.
.
( this version must have been written
by a "free will" guy because God kicked
my butt down the beach until I cried
out for Him to carry me . LOL )
.
.
JUDGEMENT ........ "A Poor Widow, Stanford and Jesus"
.
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" 1 Cor 6:2,3
"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement." Jn 7:24
How often of late as I have visited and shared on the New Age/New Tolerance and Pantelist(a nasty new one that cuts the cross short) forums I have been rebuked for judging their novel lifeless beliefs. Speaking of "novel it seems so many of late are looking for the newest exciting thing. Meanwhile I often find myself thrilled to discover a message written even centuries ago. What's up with that (LOL). Is this gospel story ageless? I think so. Anyway, getting back to the subject of judging the doctrines of the New Thought camps, it seems their rebukes are often accompanied with a quotation from John, "the Father judgeth no man."
I have discovered that those that share this quote are also the ones that are working hard to lessen the position of Christ Jesus and place all emphasis on the Father. Is it not surprising that they would leave off the last part of this verse they quote, which purports, "all judgement has been committed unto the Son."
I could go on and further this train of thought and show how in the realm of time and space it is the the Son within the sons that still even judges today, but I will refrain. Instead I want to share three short messages on "judgement." They are all different and I believe worth the read. The first is a personal account, the second one I believe echoes beautifully my story and the last is a message shared by Florian on a forum. Florian's quoted message by Kruger, gives a wonderful picture and consequent lesson built around Jesus' words, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Jn 5:22
We pray your soul is edified and the Son within you is lifted up by these messages,
Joian & Jack
The Poor Widow Lady and a Lesson Learned
I was in my early twenties and my reputation was growing as a craftsman. I was beginning to work on the nicer homes as a paperhanger and painter when I got a call to do a small job in the poorer section of my town. I had a day in between a couple of big jobs so I acquiesced. As I pulled up to this tiny weather beaten lopsided house I thought this is almost beneath "my dignity." When I entered the house I knew it was, as the place was ramshackled with old furniture and a kitchen that resembled something out of squatters camp. There was actually an old Coleman stove on a counter used for cooking. The old widow woman who lived in the house was congenial enough and I set out to work. Now, if you know anything about hanging wall paper you know a smooth surface is very important along with the architectural members being plumb. Well this room I was papering was far from either, and I cussed my way through the challenging installation of each piece. I was in more than a foul mood when I completed the job, kicking myself for taking on a chore so far beneath my talents and reputation. I only wanted to collect my wages and flee this place when I was dealt one the the greatest lessons of my life.
When this little toothless widow woman paid me, she told me how delighted she was with her new wall paper and she wanted to bless me with a little gift. She handed me an extra ten dollar bill on top of the sixty she owed me. I then drove across town to home, just weeping as my heart was rent. I saw the hardness of my prideful soul contrasted by this dear woman's generous heart. My life was truly changed from that day on.
After that job I went on contracting for thirty more years and I worked on hundreds of multi-million dollar properties. For my services I have been paid by some of the wealthiest people in the world. You know, that "ten dollar" bill given to me by that poor old widow woman is the only bonus I ever received. There is a lesson there ...... a lesson on many levels and I weep as I contemplate them tonight.
Today, I find myself poor in the material things of this world but I am truly rich in Christ. And I do so look forward to one day soon sitting down with that little widow woman at the Father's bountiful table. I shall thank her for that "ten dollar bill" that broke my heart and changed my life.
"But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind" Lk 14:13
A True Story
A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge. She frowned.
"We want to see the President," the man said softly.
"He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped.
"We'll wait," the lady replied.
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away.
They didn't and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the President, even though it was a chore she always regretted.
"Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.
The President, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."
The President wasn't touched, he was shocked. "Madam," he said gruffly. "We can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."
"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard"
For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now. And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University? Why don't we just start our own?"
Her husband nodded.
The President's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the university that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.
You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.
Malcolm Forbes
Judgement
By C. Baxter Kruger
In John chapter 5, Jesus is in the thick of things with the Jewish leadership. He has just healed a man who had been sick for 38 years, which the Jewish leaders completely overlooked, because Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath, thus breaking one of their rules. As they attacked Jesus for ‘breaking the Sabbath,’ he defended his healing by appealing to the fact that he was only participating in what his Father was doing (v. 17). At this the leadership’s attack on Jesus moves from ‘persecution’ to an intense desire to ‘kill’ him, "because he not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God (v. 18). And so begins an argument, at the heart of which is an unstated question from Jesus, ‘who is really making themselves out to be equal to God here?’ In Jesus’ mind, he is only doing what he sees his Father doing, and thus living his life in submission to the Father. The Pharisees, however, have not heard the voice of the Father (v. 37), do not have His word abiding in them (v. 38), are unwilling to come to Jesus to have life (v. 40), do not have the love of God in themselves (v. 42), receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that is from the one, true God (v. 44), and do not even believe in Moses, the one in whom they have placed their hope (v. 46). It is a classic Jesus flip. He turns the accusation of the Jews back upon themselves, with withering, and hopefully, liberating exposure of the fact that they have no interest whatever in submitting to God. So who is making themselves out to be God?
In the midst of this storm there is a fascinating sequence on judgment. First, Jesus lays down a shocker one that many people today cannot believe he actually said. For not even the Father judges any one, but He has given all judgment to the Son (v. 22). Relinquishing His own right to judgment, the Father has given all judgment to Jesus. I think this is related to v. 27: And He gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. It is as if the Father is saying, ‘look, Jesus, you are in the trenches here. I trust you completely. Whatever you say goes, in heaven and on earth.’ So much for hierarchy. The implicit point to the Jewish leadership is clear. ‘Be careful, boys, I don’t think you know who you are dealing with here, but you will.’
There is a play in Jesus’ words on two of the Greek words which we translate judge or judgment. One word is krino, which means to separate, discern, consider, or evaluate or to decide. The other is krisis, from which we derive the English word crisis. Jesus is saying, the Father judges (krino) no one, but has given all judgment (krisis) into the hands of His Son. Jesus has the authority to execute crisis, because he is personally present, and his personal presence means crisis (nowhere to hide exposure) for all in darkness, including religious darkness.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his (Jesus’) voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good, to a resurrection of life, those who did the bad, to a resurrection of judgment (krisis) vv. 28-29. Jesus, of course, is not saying that salvation comes by works. He is saying, to the Jewish leadership, ‘the day is coming when the ones who gave themselves to participate in life will get what they wanted life, the Father himself. And the ones who opposed life and participated in darkness (did not seek the glory of the one, true God) will rise to a rude awakening, a crisis, for they will rise and meet Me again. I, the Father’s Son, the way, the truth and the life, the savior and salvation itself, will be standing on the other side of the end of all God-playing, religious nonsense.’ Jesus is the judgment.
It is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes krisis (Hebrews 9:27).
.
"Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" 1 Cor 6:2,3"Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgement." Jn 7:24
How often of late as I have visited and shared on the New Age/New Tolerance and Pantelist(a nasty new one that cuts the cross short) forums I have been rebuked for judging their novel lifeless beliefs. Speaking of "novel it seems so many of late are looking for the newest exciting thing. Meanwhile I often find myself thrilled to discover a message written even centuries ago. What's up with that (LOL). Is this gospel story ageless? I think so. Anyway, getting back to the subject of judging the doctrines of the New Thought camps, it seems their rebukes are often accompanied with a quotation from John, "the Father judgeth no man."
I have discovered that those that share this quote are also the ones that are working hard to lessen the position of Christ Jesus and place all emphasis on the Father. Is it not surprising that they would leave off the last part of this verse they quote, which purports, "all judgement has been committed unto the Son."
I could go on and further this train of thought and show how in the realm of time and space it is the the Son within the sons that still even judges today, but I will refrain. Instead I want to share three short messages on "judgement." They are all different and I believe worth the read. The first is a personal account, the second one I believe echoes beautifully my story and the last is a message shared by Florian on a forum. Florian's quoted message by Kruger, gives a wonderful picture and consequent lesson built around Jesus' words, "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son." Jn 5:22
We pray your soul is edified and the Son within you is lifted up by these messages,
Joian & Jack
The Poor Widow Lady and a Lesson Learned
I was in my early twenties and my reputation was growing as a craftsman. I was beginning to work on the nicer homes as a paperhanger and painter when I got a call to do a small job in the poorer section of my town. I had a day in between a couple of big jobs so I acquiesced. As I pulled up to this tiny weather beaten lopsided house I thought this is almost beneath "my dignity." When I entered the house I knew it was, as the place was ramshackled with old furniture and a kitchen that resembled something out of squatters camp. There was actually an old Coleman stove on a counter used for cooking. The old widow woman who lived in the house was congenial enough and I set out to work. Now, if you know anything about hanging wall paper you know a smooth surface is very important along with the architectural members being plumb. Well this room I was papering was far from either, and I cussed my way through the challenging installation of each piece. I was in more than a foul mood when I completed the job, kicking myself for taking on a chore so far beneath my talents and reputation. I only wanted to collect my wages and flee this place when I was dealt one the the greatest lessons of my life.
When this little toothless widow woman paid me, she told me how delighted she was with her new wall paper and she wanted to bless me with a little gift. She handed me an extra ten dollar bill on top of the sixty she owed me. I then drove across town to home, just weeping as my heart was rent. I saw the hardness of my prideful soul contrasted by this dear woman's generous heart. My life was truly changed from that day on.
After that job I went on contracting for thirty more years and I worked on hundreds of multi-million dollar properties. For my services I have been paid by some of the wealthiest people in the world. You know, that "ten dollar" bill given to me by that poor old widow woman is the only bonus I ever received. There is a lesson there ...... a lesson on many levels and I weep as I contemplate them tonight.
Today, I find myself poor in the material things of this world but I am truly rich in Christ. And I do so look forward to one day soon sitting down with that little widow woman at the Father's bountiful table. I shall thank her for that "ten dollar bill" that broke my heart and changed my life.
"But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind" Lk 14:13
A True Story
A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge. She frowned.
"We want to see the President," the man said softly.
"He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped.
"We'll wait," the lady replied.
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away.
They didn't and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the President, even though it was a chore she always regretted.
"Maybe if they just see you for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, but he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.
The President, stern-faced with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. And my husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."
The President wasn't touched, he was shocked. "Madam," he said gruffly. "We can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."
"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical plant at Harvard"
For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. He could get rid of them now. And the lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a University? Why don't we just start our own?"
Her husband nodded.
The President's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the university that bears their name, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.
You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who can do nothing for them or to them.
Malcolm Forbes
Judgement
By C. Baxter Kruger
In John chapter 5, Jesus is in the thick of things with the Jewish leadership. He has just healed a man who had been sick for 38 years, which the Jewish leaders completely overlooked, because Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath, thus breaking one of their rules. As they attacked Jesus for ‘breaking the Sabbath,’ he defended his healing by appealing to the fact that he was only participating in what his Father was doing (v. 17). At this the leadership’s attack on Jesus moves from ‘persecution’ to an intense desire to ‘kill’ him, "because he not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God (v. 18). And so begins an argument, at the heart of which is an unstated question from Jesus, ‘who is really making themselves out to be equal to God here?’ In Jesus’ mind, he is only doing what he sees his Father doing, and thus living his life in submission to the Father. The Pharisees, however, have not heard the voice of the Father (v. 37), do not have His word abiding in them (v. 38), are unwilling to come to Jesus to have life (v. 40), do not have the love of God in themselves (v. 42), receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that is from the one, true God (v. 44), and do not even believe in Moses, the one in whom they have placed their hope (v. 46). It is a classic Jesus flip. He turns the accusation of the Jews back upon themselves, with withering, and hopefully, liberating exposure of the fact that they have no interest whatever in submitting to God. So who is making themselves out to be God?
In the midst of this storm there is a fascinating sequence on judgment. First, Jesus lays down a shocker one that many people today cannot believe he actually said. For not even the Father judges any one, but He has given all judgment to the Son (v. 22). Relinquishing His own right to judgment, the Father has given all judgment to Jesus. I think this is related to v. 27: And He gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. It is as if the Father is saying, ‘look, Jesus, you are in the trenches here. I trust you completely. Whatever you say goes, in heaven and on earth.’ So much for hierarchy. The implicit point to the Jewish leadership is clear. ‘Be careful, boys, I don’t think you know who you are dealing with here, but you will.’
There is a play in Jesus’ words on two of the Greek words which we translate judge or judgment. One word is krino, which means to separate, discern, consider, or evaluate or to decide. The other is krisis, from which we derive the English word crisis. Jesus is saying, the Father judges (krino) no one, but has given all judgment (krisis) into the hands of His Son. Jesus has the authority to execute crisis, because he is personally present, and his personal presence means crisis (nowhere to hide exposure) for all in darkness, including religious darkness.
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his (Jesus’) voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good, to a resurrection of life, those who did the bad, to a resurrection of judgment (krisis) vv. 28-29. Jesus, of course, is not saying that salvation comes by works. He is saying, to the Jewish leadership, ‘the day is coming when the ones who gave themselves to participate in life will get what they wanted life, the Father himself. And the ones who opposed life and participated in darkness (did not seek the glory of the one, true God) will rise to a rude awakening, a crisis, for they will rise and meet Me again. I, the Father’s Son, the way, the truth and the life, the savior and salvation itself, will be standing on the other side of the end of all God-playing, religious nonsense.’ Jesus is the judgment.
It is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes krisis (Hebrews 9:27).
.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO RE-INVENT THE WHEEL HERE
.
I have had other's on occasion tell me that I share too much, the writings of others. They then chide, "tell me what you think, Jack." (lol)
Well, that is exactly what I am doing by sharing a message by another and I am a firm believer that if I am sharing a message of truth whether I wrote it or another penned it, it comes from the same source ....... the one source in Whom all truth resides, Christ Jesus. My purpose is not to re-invent the wheel but only share that which I believe will benefit someone on the road to becoming an overcomer. I share for Joian, her family, my children and many others God sends us and I only care they all see our precious Jesus more clearly, by what ever means available. With that care, I must share the writings of others that express the truth of a subject so much better than I could. I can only pray you will understand and appreciate the varied gleanings we feel led to share. This blog is truly not about us, but about our precious Lord and Saviour and our statement of purpose at the top of our blog speaks to our situation.
We cannot contain the overflowing cup of His love thus we share with you these messages of the Life of our Lord.
Jack & Joian
(This below echoes so much of that which Joian, Eliyah and myself have been sharing on the different internet forums we participate on. The message below is one I shared on a forum made up of "full preterists and pantelists" of which I am not. Following my copied post is the whole of Chip Brogden's message of which I quote a part. I believe it will confirm that which many of you are seeing and experiencing in the Kingdom today)
Paul says he has no confidence in the flesh. Over-confidence is a deadly form of pride, and relying totally on positive, encouraging input is a recipe for disaster. Maybe your only hope is to lose confidence! If you are in the flesh then you need to be brought to a place of discouragement - the sooner the better! Maybe the secret to overcoming is not in shouting the victory but crying out to God in despair and admitting defeat. What if, instead of embracing positive and encouraging thoughts about ourselves, we go to God and freely admit that in spite of all our positive and encouraging helps we have made a total mess of things and we don't know what to do?
(Brogden)
The Kingdom of God is filled with paradoxes and I believe one of the most important and encompassing is "the way up is down." Depending on what season God has you in, you may be resting in the heavenlies or making your bed in hell. I am one that believes the cross and resurrection are so closely tied together in our lives that when we are in a hellish state of cross bearing we are closer to our resurrection.
Seven years ago my life came tumbling down about me and I am still digging out of the mess I made. Truly as this author writes above, I find myself everyday now crying out, "I don't know what to do!"
Seems, God likes that. As when I am in the state, "of not knowing what to do," He does the doing. Can I lean on him any harder? Every succeeding day it seems I am. Surely this is the way of an overcomer. May I ever more lean on "Him, who overcame the world."
When I am weak I am strong ....... another paradox.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2Cr 12:10
In his sweet Lord Jesus,
Jack
Positive and Encouraging?
by Chip Brogden
"And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, 'There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil" (I Kings 22:8).
At first blush there would appear to be nothing wrong with something labeled "positive and encouraging." Three Christian radio stations service my area, and all three of them make the same claim: that they offer positive and encouraging programming for the whole family. The appeal is obvious: no one wants to spend a lot of time dwelling on things that are negative and discouraging.
But I have discovered a flaw in this positive and encouraging, family-friendly environment that should be addressed. This desire to provide people with a positive and encouraging experience (whether it is by radio or by television or by church service or by website) creates an unrealistic expectation in the hearts and minds of the audience and congregation who have come to rely on "the ministry" to keep them properly fed. Content is judged not according to Truth, but according to how I feel about it. Do I feel good, positive, encouraged, uplifted, and happy afterwards? If so then all is well. Or is it?
We must seriously question things that pass themselves off as "ministry". It is clear that the practice of "ministry" - whether it comes in the form of a sermon or a song - is becoming synonymous with "Christian Entertainment." It is not so much what they say as what they fail to say. The most glaring omission in this positive and encouraging Christian sub-culture is meaningful reference and teaching along the lines of taking up the cross and denying self, and I would suggest this one thing sums up most of what is lacking in Churchianity today.
I do not mean a wistful remembering of the cross that Jesus died on for our sins, as this is given a fair treatment. I refer to the following "positive and encouraging" words from Jesus that somehow get overlooked:
"He that takes not his cross, and follows after Me, is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38).
"Jesus said to them all, 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).
"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:23).
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26,27).
"Someone asked, 'Lord, will only a few be saved?' Jesus answered, 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow gate, because I tell you this: many will try to enter but will not be able to'" (Luke 13:23,24).
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the Will of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord' and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
Since taking up the cross is basic to discipleship, why do we not hear more about it? Because crucifixions are not "family friendly"! Those who understand the cross in a practical way - meaning, those who are actually following the Lord Jesus as a disciple - know that this denial of Self is hardly a positive, encouraging experience. Dying is not easy! Letting go of my will and embracing the will of Another is hard! Being crucified daily is not a positive, encouraging event.
And so, in order to fulfill its obligation to its audience, Christian entertainers (pastors, preachers, prophets, and performers) must skirt the issue. If we look hard and long enough we might find anecdotal evidence of a song here, or a sermon there, or a few words sprinkled in that seem to hit the mark. Let us thank and praise God for anything we can get, but a few obligatory references to the true cost of discipleship every so often tend to get lost in a vast ocean of Christianspeak that mostly focuses on the positive and encouraging parts of the Bible and virtually ignores the hard, but necessary, sayings of Jesus.
Look at what the king of Israel says of Micaiah the prophet: "I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me." Yes, this is the heart of it. To a carnal, worldly generation the prophetic word is supposed to always be positive and encouraging, always speaking good things concerning me and always tickling my fleshly little ears.
The Micaiahs are not allowed on Christian television, and they are not welcome in Christian churches. In my spirit I get the sense sometimes that when you talk about anything that isn't deemed positive and encouraging the people are sticking their fingers in their ears, squinting their eyes shut, and shouting "la la la la la la la la" to themselves. Maybe if we pretend like we don't hear it or see it then it will go away. We do not want to hear the Truth because it is too depressing! It makes us feel bad. That, after all, is the most important thing - not whether a thing is Truth, but whether a thing makes me feel better!
Those who only seek the positive and encouraging route are those who gravitate towards the quick fixes and the easy answers; religious activities that do not require a lot of time and effort, and preferably, no effort at all. We have special numbers to call for prayer, and we have preachers to tell us what the Bible says, and we have Christian bookstores to give us things to read, and we have the Internet to keep us connected with other Christians, and we have Christian music playing in the background to keep us in the mood. What could be easier! Just think how much more effective and powerful the Early Church could have been if only they had the same positive, encouraging support system that we have today!
Do you realize that almost every false prophet mentioned in the Bible is positive and encouraging? That is not to say that to be positive and encouraging is to be a false prophet, but it illustrates something. It demonstrates a weakness, a flaw, in human nature. We naturally embrace those things that lift us up and make us feel good, and we naturally shun those things that are unpleasant to think about. A false prophet is able to deceive people precisely because there is something in humankind that desperately wants to believe nothing but positive, encouraging things about themselves.
What am I suggesting, that we seek out things that are negative and discouraging? No, we should not necessarily seek them out, but we should not automatically shut them out, either. We should seek Truth, regardless of how it makes us feel, whether it is positive or negative. Paul says he has no confidence in the flesh. Over-confidence is a deadly form of pride, and relying totally on positive, encouraging input is a recipe for disaster. Maybe your only hope is to lose confidence! If you are in the flesh then you need to be brought to a place of discouragement - the sooner the better! Maybe the secret to overcoming is not in shouting the victory but crying out to God in despair and admitting defeat. What if, instead of embracing positive and encouraging thoughts about ourselves, we go to God and freely admit that in spite of all our positive and encouraging helps we have made a total mess of things and we don't know what to do?
We need to revisit our Christianized value system and ask some hard questions. What makes a message "good"? What makes a church service "edifying"? What makes a Christian song "anointed"? What makes a ministry "positive and encouraging"? Does God even consider these things as important criteria at the judgment seat of Christ? Do I judge these things with righteous judgment, or do I judge them by my feelings?
Why are a certain Christian personalities popular? Why do I read their books and listen to their messages? Will a steady diet of positive and encouraging words cause me to see myself as I am, or will it seduce me into thinking I'm better than I really am? Do I wish to be entertained into spiritual dullness or challenged into spiritual maturity? Am I going to eat cotton candy and bubble gum for the rest of my life or am I going to seek strong meat?
Sometimes, in spite of my best efforts to put a happy spin on things, the most positive and encouraging thing I can say to a person is, "I encourage you to repent, because if you don't, I'm positive that your life will only get worse. I encourage you to lose all confidence in yourself, take up the cross, and put your life in the very capable hands of Another, because I am positive that apart from Him you can do nothing." The more self-centered you are the more negative and discouraging this sounds - and that is EXACTLY the way it should be.
.
I have had other's on occasion tell me that I share too much, the writings of others. They then chide, "tell me what you think, Jack." (lol)
Well, that is exactly what I am doing by sharing a message by another and I am a firm believer that if I am sharing a message of truth whether I wrote it or another penned it, it comes from the same source ....... the one source in Whom all truth resides, Christ Jesus. My purpose is not to re-invent the wheel but only share that which I believe will benefit someone on the road to becoming an overcomer. I share for Joian, her family, my children and many others God sends us and I only care they all see our precious Jesus more clearly, by what ever means available. With that care, I must share the writings of others that express the truth of a subject so much better than I could. I can only pray you will understand and appreciate the varied gleanings we feel led to share. This blog is truly not about us, but about our precious Lord and Saviour and our statement of purpose at the top of our blog speaks to our situation.
We cannot contain the overflowing cup of His love thus we share with you these messages of the Life of our Lord.
Jack & Joian
(This below echoes so much of that which Joian, Eliyah and myself have been sharing on the different internet forums we participate on. The message below is one I shared on a forum made up of "full preterists and pantelists" of which I am not. Following my copied post is the whole of Chip Brogden's message of which I quote a part. I believe it will confirm that which many of you are seeing and experiencing in the Kingdom today)
Paul says he has no confidence in the flesh. Over-confidence is a deadly form of pride, and relying totally on positive, encouraging input is a recipe for disaster. Maybe your only hope is to lose confidence! If you are in the flesh then you need to be brought to a place of discouragement - the sooner the better! Maybe the secret to overcoming is not in shouting the victory but crying out to God in despair and admitting defeat. What if, instead of embracing positive and encouraging thoughts about ourselves, we go to God and freely admit that in spite of all our positive and encouraging helps we have made a total mess of things and we don't know what to do?(Brogden)
The Kingdom of God is filled with paradoxes and I believe one of the most important and encompassing is "the way up is down." Depending on what season God has you in, you may be resting in the heavenlies or making your bed in hell. I am one that believes the cross and resurrection are so closely tied together in our lives that when we are in a hellish state of cross bearing we are closer to our resurrection.
Seven years ago my life came tumbling down about me and I am still digging out of the mess I made. Truly as this author writes above, I find myself everyday now crying out, "I don't know what to do!"
Seems, God likes that. As when I am in the state, "of not knowing what to do," He does the doing. Can I lean on him any harder? Every succeeding day it seems I am. Surely this is the way of an overcomer. May I ever more lean on "Him, who overcame the world."
When I am weak I am strong ....... another paradox.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2Cr 12:10
In his sweet Lord Jesus,
Jack
Positive and Encouraging?
by Chip Brogden
"And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, 'There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil" (I Kings 22:8).
At first blush there would appear to be nothing wrong with something labeled "positive and encouraging." Three Christian radio stations service my area, and all three of them make the same claim: that they offer positive and encouraging programming for the whole family. The appeal is obvious: no one wants to spend a lot of time dwelling on things that are negative and discouraging.
But I have discovered a flaw in this positive and encouraging, family-friendly environment that should be addressed. This desire to provide people with a positive and encouraging experience (whether it is by radio or by television or by church service or by website) creates an unrealistic expectation in the hearts and minds of the audience and congregation who have come to rely on "the ministry" to keep them properly fed. Content is judged not according to Truth, but according to how I feel about it. Do I feel good, positive, encouraged, uplifted, and happy afterwards? If so then all is well. Or is it?
We must seriously question things that pass themselves off as "ministry". It is clear that the practice of "ministry" - whether it comes in the form of a sermon or a song - is becoming synonymous with "Christian Entertainment." It is not so much what they say as what they fail to say. The most glaring omission in this positive and encouraging Christian sub-culture is meaningful reference and teaching along the lines of taking up the cross and denying self, and I would suggest this one thing sums up most of what is lacking in Churchianity today.
I do not mean a wistful remembering of the cross that Jesus died on for our sins, as this is given a fair treatment. I refer to the following "positive and encouraging" words from Jesus that somehow get overlooked:
"He that takes not his cross, and follows after Me, is not worthy of Me" (Matthew 10:38).
"Jesus said to them all, 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).
"So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:23).
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whosoever does not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26,27).
"Someone asked, 'Lord, will only a few be saved?' Jesus answered, 'Make every effort to enter through the narrow gate, because I tell you this: many will try to enter but will not be able to'" (Luke 13:23,24).
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the Will of my Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord' and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).
Since taking up the cross is basic to discipleship, why do we not hear more about it? Because crucifixions are not "family friendly"! Those who understand the cross in a practical way - meaning, those who are actually following the Lord Jesus as a disciple - know that this denial of Self is hardly a positive, encouraging experience. Dying is not easy! Letting go of my will and embracing the will of Another is hard! Being crucified daily is not a positive, encouraging event.
And so, in order to fulfill its obligation to its audience, Christian entertainers (pastors, preachers, prophets, and performers) must skirt the issue. If we look hard and long enough we might find anecdotal evidence of a song here, or a sermon there, or a few words sprinkled in that seem to hit the mark. Let us thank and praise God for anything we can get, but a few obligatory references to the true cost of discipleship every so often tend to get lost in a vast ocean of Christianspeak that mostly focuses on the positive and encouraging parts of the Bible and virtually ignores the hard, but necessary, sayings of Jesus.
Look at what the king of Israel says of Micaiah the prophet: "I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me." Yes, this is the heart of it. To a carnal, worldly generation the prophetic word is supposed to always be positive and encouraging, always speaking good things concerning me and always tickling my fleshly little ears.
The Micaiahs are not allowed on Christian television, and they are not welcome in Christian churches. In my spirit I get the sense sometimes that when you talk about anything that isn't deemed positive and encouraging the people are sticking their fingers in their ears, squinting their eyes shut, and shouting "la la la la la la la la" to themselves. Maybe if we pretend like we don't hear it or see it then it will go away. We do not want to hear the Truth because it is too depressing! It makes us feel bad. That, after all, is the most important thing - not whether a thing is Truth, but whether a thing makes me feel better!
Those who only seek the positive and encouraging route are those who gravitate towards the quick fixes and the easy answers; religious activities that do not require a lot of time and effort, and preferably, no effort at all. We have special numbers to call for prayer, and we have preachers to tell us what the Bible says, and we have Christian bookstores to give us things to read, and we have the Internet to keep us connected with other Christians, and we have Christian music playing in the background to keep us in the mood. What could be easier! Just think how much more effective and powerful the Early Church could have been if only they had the same positive, encouraging support system that we have today!
Do you realize that almost every false prophet mentioned in the Bible is positive and encouraging? That is not to say that to be positive and encouraging is to be a false prophet, but it illustrates something. It demonstrates a weakness, a flaw, in human nature. We naturally embrace those things that lift us up and make us feel good, and we naturally shun those things that are unpleasant to think about. A false prophet is able to deceive people precisely because there is something in humankind that desperately wants to believe nothing but positive, encouraging things about themselves.
What am I suggesting, that we seek out things that are negative and discouraging? No, we should not necessarily seek them out, but we should not automatically shut them out, either. We should seek Truth, regardless of how it makes us feel, whether it is positive or negative. Paul says he has no confidence in the flesh. Over-confidence is a deadly form of pride, and relying totally on positive, encouraging input is a recipe for disaster. Maybe your only hope is to lose confidence! If you are in the flesh then you need to be brought to a place of discouragement - the sooner the better! Maybe the secret to overcoming is not in shouting the victory but crying out to God in despair and admitting defeat. What if, instead of embracing positive and encouraging thoughts about ourselves, we go to God and freely admit that in spite of all our positive and encouraging helps we have made a total mess of things and we don't know what to do?
We need to revisit our Christianized value system and ask some hard questions. What makes a message "good"? What makes a church service "edifying"? What makes a Christian song "anointed"? What makes a ministry "positive and encouraging"? Does God even consider these things as important criteria at the judgment seat of Christ? Do I judge these things with righteous judgment, or do I judge them by my feelings?
Why are a certain Christian personalities popular? Why do I read their books and listen to their messages? Will a steady diet of positive and encouraging words cause me to see myself as I am, or will it seduce me into thinking I'm better than I really am? Do I wish to be entertained into spiritual dullness or challenged into spiritual maturity? Am I going to eat cotton candy and bubble gum for the rest of my life or am I going to seek strong meat?
Sometimes, in spite of my best efforts to put a happy spin on things, the most positive and encouraging thing I can say to a person is, "I encourage you to repent, because if you don't, I'm positive that your life will only get worse. I encourage you to lose all confidence in yourself, take up the cross, and put your life in the very capable hands of Another, because I am positive that apart from Him you can do nothing." The more self-centered you are the more negative and discouraging this sounds - and that is EXACTLY the way it should be.
.
SOMETHING NICE
.
Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness
when shared, is doubled.
Cardinal sent this simple little story to me, at just the right moment today. It allowed me to read something nice and have a little cry. God is so good like that.
Jack
Two men, both seriously ill,
occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour
each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his
time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end.
They spoke of their wives and families, their homes,
their jobs, their involvement in the military service,
where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon, when the man in the bed
by the window could sit up,
he would pass the time by describing to his roommate
all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed
began to live for those one hour periods
where his world would be broadened and enlivened
by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water
while children sailed their model boats.
Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every
color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen
in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite
details, the man on the other side of the room would
close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man by the
window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could not hear the band -
he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman
by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water
for their baths, only to find
the lifeless body of the man by the window,
who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants
to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man
asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch, and
after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow
to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window
beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled
his deceased roommate who had described
such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind
and could not even see the wall.
She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'
occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour
each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his
time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end.
They spoke of their wives and families, their homes,
their jobs, their involvement in the military service,
where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon, when the man in the bed
by the window could sit up,
he would pass the time by describing to his roommate
all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed
began to live for those one hour periods
where his world would be broadened and enlivened
by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.
Ducks and swans played on the water
while children sailed their model boats.
Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every
color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen
in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite
details, the man on the other side of the room would
close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon, the man by the
window described a parade passing by.
Although the other man could not hear the band -
he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman
by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days, weeks and months passed.
One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water
for their baths, only to find
the lifeless body of the man by the window,
who had died peacefully in his sleep.
She was saddened and called the hospital attendants
to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man
asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch, and
after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow
to take his first look at the real world outside.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window
beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled
his deceased roommate who had described
such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind
and could not even see the wall.
She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'
Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness
when shared, is doubled.
.
.
A TIME TO WEEP
.
How often I have told Joian that God has long directed me to write using unbending absolutes when trading thoughts with many that are discounting Jesus Christ as the embodiment of all Truth, Healing and Salvation. With that God has also often told me to give no quarter to those that widen the "Narrow Way." Tonight I share a paper on our blog that is as important as anything we have ever shared before. It so confirmed what God has been speaking to me about absolutes in Christ and how we shall never bend them to accommodate a different path besides Jesus, the Saviour of all men. You will be enticed by the reasonings of those that come mixing both Christ and the "New Tolerance" and if you don't partake of this subtly foul philosophy I believe they will come and get you one day when things in the world go south. This "New Tolerance" multitude is tolerant of everyone except those that aren't tolerant. The New Age/Christ mixture in particular is very powerful and I have even felt the strong enticement to my soul. As this author points out it has come and will continue to come like an "overwhelming swarm of ravenous locust" to eat up everything that is not built solidly on the foundation of Christ Jesus. This New Tolerance shrouds itself in an appeasing, loving "one world view" that allows every man to fashion his own God and damn the narrow minded man or woman that would be so shallow to speak of Jesus and the Cross.
This is as well written and comprehensive an explanation of what is happening as anything I have read. We pray that if you cannot read it all now you might copy it or bookmark it for later.
Jack & Joian
A TIME TO WEEP
A Prophetic Call to God’s Priesthood Company
"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!" ---Jeremiah 8:20
Picture the scene with us. It’s the end of the agricultural year, the time of the celebration of the Feast of Ingathering, whenever the final crops should be harvested, and brought into the garners for storage. The streets should be crowded with joyous, happy people, who are dancing, singing and praising God for His abundant provisions throughout the course of the year. Instead, there is weeping, and a pitiful wail of despair heard throughout the land. Joy is withered from the sons of men.
Why is this? Because the harvest of the field is perished. The wheat, barley, and corn crops are completely wiped out. The oil and the wine is languished. The vine is laid waste, and the fig trees are made bare. In fact, all the trees of the field are withered. They have all been stripped bare, barked white, ravaged by something that took no thought or consideration of the condition in which it left things.
What could possibly have produced such devastation? The answer is a simple one. A mighty swarm of locusts has invaded the land, strong and without number. They have come, and brought with them heartache, misery, and woe. They have ravaged the land, insomuch that, behind them, the earth looks as if it has literally been scorched by fire. Not only have they made spoil of the fruit, but they have left the groves and vineyards in such a state that, without a miracle from God, they will never produce again. The future looks bleak indeed!
Unless you have witnessed such a thing with your own eyes, it’s hard to even imagine how something as small as a locust could produce such widespread destruction. But it must be remembered that their strength is in their numbers! The sight of millions upon millions of ravenous locusts would be an overwhelming one indeed...and the progression of such a vociferous army would be practically unstoppable! A description given in Adam Clarke’s commentary drives the point home even further.
Should our eyes be opened in the Spirit, I firmly believe that this is the vision we would see. It is the same as that described in the Book of Joel, which is given in typical prophetic symbolism. "Ah," but some will say, "that’s such a negative message. Shouldn’t you be preaching a positive, uplifting word to God’s people?" Sure... if we were at liberty to pick and choose our messages. But we cannot help but speak what we have seen and heard!
Beloved brethren, we may as well be honest with ourselves. If what we are seeing today is what we have been expecting for so long, then, let me be the first to confess that my expectations have exceeded reality. By this time, I had hoped to see the fullness of the Spirit manifested in the lives of God’s people (mine included), ultimately leading to the ingathering of a worldwide harvest of souls. I had hoped to see a full deliverance from the bondage of corruption, beginning first of all, with a firstfruits company, and afterward, to the rest of the groaning creation. I had hoped that we might see this, not just by faith, but in actual fact. But I am forced to conclude that we are not collectively experiencing the fruitfulness of Tabernacles, and we are not corporately partaking of the abundance of harvest blessings, for a definite reason known by God. Without a doubt, HE HAS THE ANSWER. And He is interested in a people who will look to Him, in order that He might reveal that answer. Once it has been revealed, He is waiting for that people to assess the situation, acknowledge their condition before Him, and be willing to do whatever it is He tells them to do, in order to see the change come that is necessary. This, we believe, is what God’s people need to hear more than anything else; and this is what He has dealt with our hearts to share. WE CAN have the experience typified by the Feast of Tabernacles; and we don’t have to pretend that we’ve already possessed it. But we MUST follow His instructions precisely as He reveals them!
JOEL’S VISION
Regarding the book of Joel, there is much we do not know for certain. There are, however, a few things which we can put together, which will help us understand the circumstances surrounding it. We do know that Joel was a prophet to Judah; and, his prophecy is believed by many to have been contemporary with that of Amos (who, as you recall, was a prophet to the house of Israel). According to Amos 7:10, we know that Amos’ prophecy was given during the reign of Jeroboam; so that gives us a general idea of the time frame.
Regardless of when it was issued, our main concern in this message is how it applies to us. Traditionally speaking, the first two-thirds of Joel’s prophecy has been relegated to the past. Because of Peter’s remarks on the Day of Pentecost, most folks immediately place it (with the exception of chapter 3) in the category of church history, as something that has already been fulfilled, and no longer relevant. But we have found it to be of greater relevance now than at any time prior to this!
There are a number of reasons why we believe this, but two of the primary ones are worthy of note. First, as we have already alluded to in our opening lines, the harvest described in the Book of Joel is not that which was gathered during the Feast of Pentecost, but, rather, that which was to be brought in at the end of the agricultural year, namely, during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. The fact that we have only now arrived at the time of this symbolic Feast should indicate that Joel’s message remains pertinent in our times. Our second reason will be brought out a little later in the message.
"THE TOLERANCE BUG"
It should go without saying that the cankerworm, the caterpillar, the palmerworm, and the locust of Joel, chapter one, should presently be considered for their symbolic significance, rather than for some natural form of fulfillment. Furthermore, they should not be viewed as differing creatures with similar destructive capacity. Rather, they should more accurately be seen as varying stages of the same beast. This becomes apparent from an examination of the original language.
We are not saying that this is it’s only application, but, as we see it, this plague of locusts carries a contemporary theme. It represents a philosophy, an attitude and a mindset which is prevalent in the world today. Each of it’s stages can be chronologically tracked down through history, and right up to the present Postmodern existential day in which we live. Furthermore, as each stage has had it’s development in the world, we can also see it’s devastating effects in God’s "vineyard", as well. This is the area of greatest concern with us.
What, you may ask, is this ideological "insect" that possesses such enormous influence? And what is this attitude that has gained such broad, universal ground around the world? Our answer may surprise you. It has to do with a newly evolved idea of tolerance. It has come to bear tremendous weight on society, and has undeniably altered the face of the spiritual and cultural landscape both in and among us.
"But," someone will surely say, "what’s wrong with tolerance? Isn’t it a ‘Christian’ virtue?" To that, we would answer: it depends on what you mean by the word tolerant. You see, whenever that word was used in conversation in the not-so-distant past, it generally held the same meaning for everyone living within the framework of a Judeo-Christian society (that is, a society built upon the principles found in the Old and New Testaments), regardless of age, race, or gender. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that everyone who heard it attempted to practice it, as it was interpreted; but at least, there was a minimal amount of confusion regarding the word itself. People, upon hearing it, immediately understood its implications, and could therefore respond to its meaning with confidence that they were correctly comprehending its connotations. Not any more. It’s as if we are reading from two radically different dictionaries in use today...the "Old World Dictionary", as it were, and the "New". And, believe you me, it makes a tremendous difference which one you use!
Traditionally speaking, the word tolerance was understood to mean a respect for the rights of others to hold views, beliefs, and / or practices which differ from our own. It described the ability to understand others, how they think and feel, in order that we might respond to them in a loving and considerate manner. And it called for the exercise of patience with them, even though we didn’t necessarily agree with their conduct or point of view. The new definition of tolerance, however, includes more than just a simple respect for those who hold differences. It insists upon, and demands acceptance of the beliefs and practices, themselves, treating them as being equally true as our own. Can you see the difference? A failure to accept and to praise the truth claims and values of others, no matter what they may be, invokes charges of bigotry, hypocrisy, prejudice and intolerance. It becomes an invitation for attack, and an opportunity for ridicule.
Let me ask this question. What has been one of the primary obstacles facing the proper interpretation of Scripture? Would it not be the failure on the part of translators to recognize certain changes which have occurred in the meaning of words? Over the course of history, certain words have taken on drastic changes from their original meaning. Most of these have been gradual, making small, almost non-discernable changes over a period of several generations, until they arrived at their present definition. But what we have witnessed is a radical redefining of the idea of "tolerance", over just the past few years... and this has happened, for the most part, without the majority of folks ever even recognizing it!
Think about it! It used to be a complement to refer to someone as being "discriminate" (i.e. "He has discriminating tastes"). But nowadays, it would be considered the ultimate insult! This should give us some idea why this matter is so difficult to understand, much less to address. We can no longer just take it for granted that words still mean what they used to in public. They may very well carry the opposite meaning from the way we intended them!
Christian apologist Josh McDowell has written an excellent book, entitled, "The New Tolerance". In it, he very accurately identifies the spirit of this age. Here are just a few of the points he makes:
1) The new tolerance excludes justice.
How can anyone actually plead for justice, when the demands for the new tolerance have taken preeminence in a society?
2) The new tolerance breeds indifference.
Why should anyone care what his neighbor believes, if all beliefs are considered to be equal, and ultimately lead to the same goal?
3) The new tolerance demands acceptance and applause of beliefs and behavior which is contrary to the Word of God. If everyone is to feel loved and accepted in this world, how can anyone reject what others believe, regardless of what those beliefs might be? And if one belief is worthy of celebration in a free society, should not all be?
4) The new tolerance suppresses the expression of righteous indignation.
What right would anyone have to be outraged over an alternative lifestyle or belief system? After all, who can judge what is right or wrong?
5) The new tolerance teaches tolerance to the tolerant, but allows for, and actually encourages intolerance toward the intolerant (that is, toward those who are considered exclusivists). Since the belief in absolutes calls for decisions (i.e. "either this is true, or that, but not both at the same time"), and decisions create divisions, then those who hold them are viewed as insurrectionists, and as enemies to the new social order. Would not an exception for the rule of the new tolerance be justified, yea, and even be required, in their case?
As we’ve said, few have grasped the full implications of what all this means. It’s more serious than we might imagine. Francis Schaeffer once said, "If there is no absolute beyond man’s ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups, whose moral judgments conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions". This gives us an idea of the magnitude of the problem. It affects every aspect of society, where judgment is required!
Already, we have reached a point in history where, if you challenge even the most blatantly destructive teaching or lifestyle, you are immediately labeled a "Pharisee". You are seen as a mean-spirited, and intolerant "hate-monger", who seeks to censor and oppress the free expression of others. And, beloved, if God should tarry, this is only the beginning! The attacks will only escalate, as more and more people come under the influence of this unholy, seducing spirit! You see, it’s not the substance of the challenge that invokes the charge; it’s the act itself. That you would even dare suggest that there is an adequate base by which to compare truth-claims, or that you are somehow qualified to decide what is true and what is false makes you a "know-it-all", a bigoted, high-minded, and narrow-minded meddler, who makes it his business to "police" the beliefs of others, and impose his opinions on everyone else around him. I tell you, if ever there was a time when Isaiah’s prophecy was applicable, that time is now: "Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey..." (Isa. 59:14-15). We are witnessing these conditions right now!
I’m sure it’s the same the world over (and we’ve heard reports that it is), but one of the ways in which the new tolerance has gained a foothold in western civilization is through the privatization of convictions. What is meant by that is that there is no such thing as community convictions on matters of morality or ethics (unless, of course, the community favors a position other than those held in the traditional Judeo-Christian value-system). Every individual must be free to decide for himself, without outside interference or criticism, which set of values he or she chooses to embrace. This, strangely enough, is the way in which a united global community is thought to be brought about. No one can be criticized for the path that he or she chooses, as long as that choice does not interfere with the rights and beliefs of others.
Another reason why the "fig tree" has been so "barked"and beaten by this new tolerance is that we’ve failed to see how it naturally appeals to the easily-offended, overly-sensitive, and childish feelings of the flesh. How does it do that? Easy. The new tolerance makes no distinction whatsoever between who a person is with what that person believes. What this means is that you cannot disapprove of an individual’s lifestyle, beliefs, or truth claims, without disapproving of the individual himself. It’s made into a personal matter, as if any question is an attack on the person, rather than simply a disagreement with his or her worldview. This, probably more than any other reason, has stymied God’s people from speaking out for truth in our times, and has left them "exposed to the elements", so to speak, in a barren and defenseless position. Because of an abhorrence to the name calling, because we have not wanted to offend others, and because we have been afraid of somehow misrepresenting the Lord to others, it has made many of us reluctant to publically speak out on certain issues, for fear that our words might be perceived as unloving, prejudicial, and intolerant. The truth of the matter is, in one way or another, and at one time or another, we’ve all been affected by "the tolerance bug"!
RETRACING THE SWATH OF DESTRUCTION
Nothing could possibly be more devastating than the worldwide epistemological shift which has occurred. This subtle, but subversive shift is responsible for the current cultural crisis in which we find ourselves. Furthermore, it is directly responsible for causing "the seed to rot under the clod"(that is to say, for robbing the truth of its effectiveness in the lives of individuals and in society as a whole). It has broken down the barns, and left the garners desolate (Joel 1:17; which would be another way of saying that it has broken down people’s ability to receive and retain the truth). But how did we manage to get in this condition? And what has brought us to this peculiar point in time? A brief review of history would be helpful, in order to understand this. (Please bear with me through this section, since history has not been my major. I’ll relate it as best I can!)
During the 14th century, the principal influences of the Renaissance began to produce a slightly inflated view of man alongside a slightly deflated view of God. From the artist’s paintbrush, the sculptor’s chisel, and the writer’s quill, this new view began to take shape. To be sure, God was still in the picture. But man, with all of his awesome abilities and vast, untapped potentialities, had definitely been given the greater emphasis. The primary image was that of man, august and supreme, capable of overcoming every obstacle set before him, and accomplishing things which had previously been seen as being impossible. The spotlight was clearly upon him!
The Renaissance period would not have been so significant, had it not been for what immediately followed. After it came the Age of Enlightenment, which placed an even greater emphasis on man and his ability to reason, and less on God and His revelation. To be noted, secular thinkers were primarily responsible for this shift in emphasis. They took the initiative, and aggressively led the way. But theologians also made a significant contribution, by promoting the idea of deism. As was to be expected, this teaching corresponded well with those of popular French philosophers of the era, and proved to be extremely useful in the paradigm shift of public opinion. It was this philosophical "marriage" between secular thinkers and liberal theologians that led to the birth of the worldview now commonly known as "Modernism".
In the early stages of Modernism, scientists and social theorists didn’t necessarily deny God’s existence to the populace; they simply set out to redefine Him in the words of their theological colleagues. Where once God had been seen as having providentially guided His creation and creatures by His unseen hand, they had now learned better than that. It was understood that He’d left the running of the world to impersonal laws; and reason and logic were man’s only means of discovering truth. Of course, that naturally gave the fact-gatherers and observers of nature greater authority than either the Bible or its proponents on life’s most important questions. But because they were absolutely objective and unbiased in their conclusions (or so they claimed), they could be trusted to debunk truth from myth; and, as a result, give a more perfect understanding of the world and its origin.
Gary DeMar, in his book, "War of the Worldviews", wrote, "Modernism taught that certain knowledge of ourselves and the world was possible because nature was a closed, static system of natural laws waiting to be discovered. Modernism did not deny certainty or fact, but made man his own god, to determine those truths for himself.
"Unlike pre-Modernism before it, Modernism rejected the supernatural and proclaimed the sufficiency of logic and normal sense experience. Even biblical scholarship was tainted by this high evaluation of man; reliance upon reason instead of revelation became the basis for so-called higher criticism. These higher critics rejected miracles, the incarnation, and other supernatural doctrines. Modern scholars sought to ‘demythologize’ the Bible and free it from the superstitious shackles that had bound it for so long." —end quote.
Predictably enough, Modernism eventually led to the conclusion that, not only was God not needed, He was not even there. This became known as Naturalism. Man came to look at himself as his own god, with the power to control his destiny. Through the analysis of scientific fact, all of mankind’s problems could be corrected, be they psychological, biological, sociological, or whatever. But the concept of God first needed to be removed from man’s consciousness, in order that he might save himself. This, according to the Modernist, was the task at hand; and it was pursued with vigor.
While Modern thinkers thought they were doing mankind a service by removing God from the scene, what they did not anticipate was the problem it would create. You see, while they idealistically offered a vision of a humanistic utopia to mankind; a golden age of peace, prosperity, equality and universal enlightenment for all to enjoy; there was one question which they failed to consider. That was, how could this be accomplished in an objective manner? With the absence of God, there was no fixed point of reference, and no final authority to which they could refer. This meant that someone, or something had to fill the void God had left, in order to make their vision a reality (this explains the rise of competing humanistic ideologies, such as communism and socialism, on the world scene. They all claimed to have the solution). But since there was no consensus among them, how would this be decided? The philosophy of "might makes right" was their answer.
The disillusionment with Modernism had been growing, especially since the second world war. But it reached its height during the decade of the sixties, when campuses all across the country erupted in violent, bloody protest. The dreams of Modernity had been admirable; but in the light of contemporary history seemed unable to deliver on it’s promises. It had promised to produce a perfect, rational, planned, and compassionate world, without the need for God; but had failed miserably in its efforts. It offered peace; but gave the world war. It proclaimed a glorious future, based on reason and logic; but, in the process, left men with a sense of purposelessness and despair. From Modernism came nihilism; and with it, a blanketing sense of hopelessness that settled over humanity. Therefore, as a reaction to Modernism, and all of its failures, Postmodern Man was born.
How might Postmodernism be best described? As reactionary. It is by nature the antithesis of Modernism, which, as we’ve said, is a worldview based solely on reason. Postmodernism, then, is un-reason; that is to say, it refutes the idea that reality can be known or understood at all through logical means. It is totally beyond man’s ability to comprehend, and therefore, cannot be described by any metanarrative.
Again, we quote from Gary DeMar.
"The system is both complex and ambiguous, but, basically speaking, Postmodernism is anti-worldview. It denies the existence of any universal truth and questions every worldview. The Postmodernist will not tolerate any worldview that claims to be universal in application. But this is not enough. The goal of Postmodernism is not only to reject worldviews as oppressive, but also to reject even the possibility of having a coherent worldview.
"There are many worldviews around today, and the Postmodernist believes that it is his responsibility to critique each one. Worldviews must be ‘flattened out’, so that no particular approach or belief is more ‘true’ than any other. What constitutes truth, then, is relative to the individual or community holding the belief.
"Whereas Modernism and Christianity clashed by each claiming truth, Postmodernism attacks the concept of truth itself. For Postmodernism, truth is simply ‘what works for you’." ---end quote.
Gene Veith has written, "In the past, when one framework for knowledge was thought to be inadequate, it was replaced by another framework. The goal of Postmodernism is to do without frameworks altogether. In Postmodern jargon, ‘metanarratives’ are stories about stories, ‘large-scale theoretical interpretations purportedly of universal application’; that is to say, worldviews. Postmodernism is a worldview that denies all worldviews." And Steiner Kvale gives this Postmodern perspective: "The Postmodern age is a time of incessant choosing. It’s an era when no orthodoxy can be adopted without self-consciousness and irony, because all traditions seem to have some value." Confusing, isn’t it? Nothing can be accepted as absolutely certain; therefore, everything must be accepted, in order to have a "level playing field"! This is the ridiculous rationale of the Postmodern mind.
For the past nearly forty years, Postmodernism has progressively grown to fruition. From its revolutionary beginning in the sixties (during which time, you recall, folks fearlessly experimented with every conceivable means available to them, i.e. "free love", drugs, Eastern meditation, etc., in an effort to discover the "indescribable" experience denied by Modernism), it has mushroomed like a giant cloud over the whole of society. And there is nothing that has escaped it, either. It has infiltrated every facet and function of modern civilization, be it personal, political, educational, entertaining, commercial, or religious; and it has woven itself into the very fabric of our thought lives. The form in which it is most clearly seen is this new definition of tolerance.
THE DIRECTION OF THE SWARM
Though differing in its approach, Postmodernism is but another attempt to bring about a perfect, unified world, offering its citizenry a comfortable environment in which to live, but without a reliance upon any ultimate authority to sustain it. Its aim is to eliminate the walls which exist between nations and people, and find a common ground upon which all may stand. But the biggest obstacle to the inclusivist’s dream is exclusivism. You see, exclusivism produces convictions; and convictions are seen as the things which cause wars. Therefore, in order for inclusivism to emerge victorious, and in order for all people to live in peaceful co-existence one with another, it must conquer it’s greatest foe.
Perhaps, now, you’re beginning to get the picture. Unless one’s religious beliefs are compatible with the Postmodernist’s dreams, they will, of necessity, have to be eliminated. They will have to be silenced, by whatever means necessary. This, of course, makes classic Christianity a prime target, since it in no wise allows for integration with rivaling religions. And this explains why there has been such a growing contempt in the world for those who hold to its tenets.
On the other hand, this also explains why Eastern religions found such widespread acceptance during the early days of the Postmodern era; and why they continue to do so even now. It is because there is a natural compatibility between the ideals of Postmodernism and those of Eastern philosophies; a mutual agreement of purpose.
Those who are acquainted with them understand that there is an intrinsic relativism within Eastern Monistic traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. This is seen in their belief that everything is a part of one divine essence. Since they view everything as being a part of the whole, then everything would naturally contribute to the overall perspective. Everything, they say, possesses a measure of truth; therefore, instead of looking at things from an antithetical perspective, they take the approach of synthesis.
Whenever adherents to Eastern philosophy are confronted with seeming contradictions, they will usually just discount them as illusions (for the Hindu, this would be Maya). But, oddly enough, while they will reject reason as a necessary tool for discovering truth (like Postmodern relativists, they believe that truth is created by the individual, not discovered), they will then turn right around, and utilize contradiction from a rational perspective, in an effort to lead disciples into "the higher echelons of spiritual understanding". As one defender of Buddhism has said: "Zen (Buddhism) does not follow the routine of reasoning, and does not mind contradicting itself or being inconsistent...in other words, Zen wants to live from within. Not to be bound by rules (of logic), but to be creating one’s own rules—this is the kind of life Zen would have us live. Hence, its illogical, or rather superlogical, statements. However logically impossible or full of contradictions a statement made by the Prajnaparamita may be, it is utterly satisfying to the spirit. That they are not at all logical does not mean that they are untrue. As far as truth is concerned, there is more of it in them". Thus, contradictions are not a problem to the Eastern religious thinker. They will either be rendered irrelevant, or else they will become instrumental. After all, we’re all saying the same thing, whether it sounds like it or not!
Well, having said that, it should be easy for anyone to see why the Eastern dialectic mindset parallels perfectly with the Postmodern worldview. In both systems of thought, relativism rules!
The alliance formed between them has created a tremendously powerful force in the world; and one which has definitely had its influence in the West. "Nothing shall escape them", the prophet said. And we would have to agree. For, of all places where it should be prohibited, it has even found its way among the elect!
The results of this invasion are predictable: an erosion of the belief in absolutes. A devaluation of the truth as it is in Christ. A breakdown of convictions which separate us from the world. And an inability to offer unto the Lord even that which is required of us (as expressed in Joel 1:9a..."The grain offering and the drink offering have been cut off from the house of the Lord"). This has resulted in a consumption of every living thing upon the face of the earth, leaving the moral and spiritual landscape stripped and barren.
Beloved, we don’t have space to go into it here, but we must be willing to acknowledge how the "locusts" of liberal theology is effecting the body of Christ. By allowing it into our pulpits, we have left room for New Age teachings to creep in. This, in turn, has had varied ramifications, all of which has caused the new wine to be cut off from our mouths (Joel 1:5). No wonder joy has withered away from the sons of men!
I realize that some will say that we are just straining at gnats, while swallowing camels. They will argue that we’re making too much of such an insignificant thing, or that we’re misinterpreting this prophecy altogether. But this attitude could only come from those whose eyes are still blinded, and whose spirits are still in slumber. It’s time to awake to the fact that an enemy has entered into the land, strong and without number. And he’ll not go away, until the right steps have been taken!
In our next message, we intend to share what we believe is the proper response of God’s royal priesthood in a Postmodern world. Whether we realize it or not, this is one of the greatest challenges facing us in the 21st Century. Both the gravity of the matter, and the urgency to deal with it, are seen in the words of the prophet:
"Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has ANYTHING like this happened in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell your children about it, let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.
Blow the trumpet in Zion...let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, SPARE YOUR PEOPLE, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God’?" Joel 1:2-4; 2:15a, 17
Indeed, why?
(Terry & Tykie Crisp)
http://www.geocities.com/goodseedpub/writings.htm
.
How often I have told Joian that God has long directed me to write using unbending absolutes when trading thoughts with many that are discounting Jesus Christ as the embodiment of all Truth, Healing and Salvation. With that God has also often told me to give no quarter to those that widen the "Narrow Way." Tonight I share a paper on our blog that is as important as anything we have ever shared before. It so confirmed what God has been speaking to me about absolutes in Christ and how we shall never bend them to accommodate a different path besides Jesus, the Saviour of all men. You will be enticed by the reasonings of those that come mixing both Christ and the "New Tolerance" and if you don't partake of this subtly foul philosophy I believe they will come and get you one day when things in the world go south. This "New Tolerance" multitude is tolerant of everyone except those that aren't tolerant. The New Age/Christ mixture in particular is very powerful and I have even felt the strong enticement to my soul. As this author points out it has come and will continue to come like an "overwhelming swarm of ravenous locust" to eat up everything that is not built solidly on the foundation of Christ Jesus. This New Tolerance shrouds itself in an appeasing, loving "one world view" that allows every man to fashion his own God and damn the narrow minded man or woman that would be so shallow to speak of Jesus and the Cross.This is as well written and comprehensive an explanation of what is happening as anything I have read. We pray that if you cannot read it all now you might copy it or bookmark it for later.
Jack & Joian
A TIME TO WEEP
A Prophetic Call to God’s Priesthood Company
"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!" ---Jeremiah 8:20
Picture the scene with us. It’s the end of the agricultural year, the time of the celebration of the Feast of Ingathering, whenever the final crops should be harvested, and brought into the garners for storage. The streets should be crowded with joyous, happy people, who are dancing, singing and praising God for His abundant provisions throughout the course of the year. Instead, there is weeping, and a pitiful wail of despair heard throughout the land. Joy is withered from the sons of men.
Why is this? Because the harvest of the field is perished. The wheat, barley, and corn crops are completely wiped out. The oil and the wine is languished. The vine is laid waste, and the fig trees are made bare. In fact, all the trees of the field are withered. They have all been stripped bare, barked white, ravaged by something that took no thought or consideration of the condition in which it left things.
What could possibly have produced such devastation? The answer is a simple one. A mighty swarm of locusts has invaded the land, strong and without number. They have come, and brought with them heartache, misery, and woe. They have ravaged the land, insomuch that, behind them, the earth looks as if it has literally been scorched by fire. Not only have they made spoil of the fruit, but they have left the groves and vineyards in such a state that, without a miracle from God, they will never produce again. The future looks bleak indeed!
Unless you have witnessed such a thing with your own eyes, it’s hard to even imagine how something as small as a locust could produce such widespread destruction. But it must be remembered that their strength is in their numbers! The sight of millions upon millions of ravenous locusts would be an overwhelming one indeed...and the progression of such a vociferous army would be practically unstoppable! A description given in Adam Clarke’s commentary drives the point home even further.
Should our eyes be opened in the Spirit, I firmly believe that this is the vision we would see. It is the same as that described in the Book of Joel, which is given in typical prophetic symbolism. "Ah," but some will say, "that’s such a negative message. Shouldn’t you be preaching a positive, uplifting word to God’s people?" Sure... if we were at liberty to pick and choose our messages. But we cannot help but speak what we have seen and heard!
Beloved brethren, we may as well be honest with ourselves. If what we are seeing today is what we have been expecting for so long, then, let me be the first to confess that my expectations have exceeded reality. By this time, I had hoped to see the fullness of the Spirit manifested in the lives of God’s people (mine included), ultimately leading to the ingathering of a worldwide harvest of souls. I had hoped to see a full deliverance from the bondage of corruption, beginning first of all, with a firstfruits company, and afterward, to the rest of the groaning creation. I had hoped that we might see this, not just by faith, but in actual fact. But I am forced to conclude that we are not collectively experiencing the fruitfulness of Tabernacles, and we are not corporately partaking of the abundance of harvest blessings, for a definite reason known by God. Without a doubt, HE HAS THE ANSWER. And He is interested in a people who will look to Him, in order that He might reveal that answer. Once it has been revealed, He is waiting for that people to assess the situation, acknowledge their condition before Him, and be willing to do whatever it is He tells them to do, in order to see the change come that is necessary. This, we believe, is what God’s people need to hear more than anything else; and this is what He has dealt with our hearts to share. WE CAN have the experience typified by the Feast of Tabernacles; and we don’t have to pretend that we’ve already possessed it. But we MUST follow His instructions precisely as He reveals them!
JOEL’S VISION
Regarding the book of Joel, there is much we do not know for certain. There are, however, a few things which we can put together, which will help us understand the circumstances surrounding it. We do know that Joel was a prophet to Judah; and, his prophecy is believed by many to have been contemporary with that of Amos (who, as you recall, was a prophet to the house of Israel). According to Amos 7:10, we know that Amos’ prophecy was given during the reign of Jeroboam; so that gives us a general idea of the time frame.
Regardless of when it was issued, our main concern in this message is how it applies to us. Traditionally speaking, the first two-thirds of Joel’s prophecy has been relegated to the past. Because of Peter’s remarks on the Day of Pentecost, most folks immediately place it (with the exception of chapter 3) in the category of church history, as something that has already been fulfilled, and no longer relevant. But we have found it to be of greater relevance now than at any time prior to this!
There are a number of reasons why we believe this, but two of the primary ones are worthy of note. First, as we have already alluded to in our opening lines, the harvest described in the Book of Joel is not that which was gathered during the Feast of Pentecost, but, rather, that which was to be brought in at the end of the agricultural year, namely, during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. The fact that we have only now arrived at the time of this symbolic Feast should indicate that Joel’s message remains pertinent in our times. Our second reason will be brought out a little later in the message.
"THE TOLERANCE BUG"
It should go without saying that the cankerworm, the caterpillar, the palmerworm, and the locust of Joel, chapter one, should presently be considered for their symbolic significance, rather than for some natural form of fulfillment. Furthermore, they should not be viewed as differing creatures with similar destructive capacity. Rather, they should more accurately be seen as varying stages of the same beast. This becomes apparent from an examination of the original language.
We are not saying that this is it’s only application, but, as we see it, this plague of locusts carries a contemporary theme. It represents a philosophy, an attitude and a mindset which is prevalent in the world today. Each of it’s stages can be chronologically tracked down through history, and right up to the present Postmodern existential day in which we live. Furthermore, as each stage has had it’s development in the world, we can also see it’s devastating effects in God’s "vineyard", as well. This is the area of greatest concern with us.
What, you may ask, is this ideological "insect" that possesses such enormous influence? And what is this attitude that has gained such broad, universal ground around the world? Our answer may surprise you. It has to do with a newly evolved idea of tolerance. It has come to bear tremendous weight on society, and has undeniably altered the face of the spiritual and cultural landscape both in and among us.
"But," someone will surely say, "what’s wrong with tolerance? Isn’t it a ‘Christian’ virtue?" To that, we would answer: it depends on what you mean by the word tolerant. You see, whenever that word was used in conversation in the not-so-distant past, it generally held the same meaning for everyone living within the framework of a Judeo-Christian society (that is, a society built upon the principles found in the Old and New Testaments), regardless of age, race, or gender. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that everyone who heard it attempted to practice it, as it was interpreted; but at least, there was a minimal amount of confusion regarding the word itself. People, upon hearing it, immediately understood its implications, and could therefore respond to its meaning with confidence that they were correctly comprehending its connotations. Not any more. It’s as if we are reading from two radically different dictionaries in use today...the "Old World Dictionary", as it were, and the "New". And, believe you me, it makes a tremendous difference which one you use!
Traditionally speaking, the word tolerance was understood to mean a respect for the rights of others to hold views, beliefs, and / or practices which differ from our own. It described the ability to understand others, how they think and feel, in order that we might respond to them in a loving and considerate manner. And it called for the exercise of patience with them, even though we didn’t necessarily agree with their conduct or point of view. The new definition of tolerance, however, includes more than just a simple respect for those who hold differences. It insists upon, and demands acceptance of the beliefs and practices, themselves, treating them as being equally true as our own. Can you see the difference? A failure to accept and to praise the truth claims and values of others, no matter what they may be, invokes charges of bigotry, hypocrisy, prejudice and intolerance. It becomes an invitation for attack, and an opportunity for ridicule.
Let me ask this question. What has been one of the primary obstacles facing the proper interpretation of Scripture? Would it not be the failure on the part of translators to recognize certain changes which have occurred in the meaning of words? Over the course of history, certain words have taken on drastic changes from their original meaning. Most of these have been gradual, making small, almost non-discernable changes over a period of several generations, until they arrived at their present definition. But what we have witnessed is a radical redefining of the idea of "tolerance", over just the past few years... and this has happened, for the most part, without the majority of folks ever even recognizing it!
Think about it! It used to be a complement to refer to someone as being "discriminate" (i.e. "He has discriminating tastes"). But nowadays, it would be considered the ultimate insult! This should give us some idea why this matter is so difficult to understand, much less to address. We can no longer just take it for granted that words still mean what they used to in public. They may very well carry the opposite meaning from the way we intended them!
Christian apologist Josh McDowell has written an excellent book, entitled, "The New Tolerance". In it, he very accurately identifies the spirit of this age. Here are just a few of the points he makes:
1) The new tolerance excludes justice.
How can anyone actually plead for justice, when the demands for the new tolerance have taken preeminence in a society?
2) The new tolerance breeds indifference.
Why should anyone care what his neighbor believes, if all beliefs are considered to be equal, and ultimately lead to the same goal?
3) The new tolerance demands acceptance and applause of beliefs and behavior which is contrary to the Word of God. If everyone is to feel loved and accepted in this world, how can anyone reject what others believe, regardless of what those beliefs might be? And if one belief is worthy of celebration in a free society, should not all be?
4) The new tolerance suppresses the expression of righteous indignation.
What right would anyone have to be outraged over an alternative lifestyle or belief system? After all, who can judge what is right or wrong?
5) The new tolerance teaches tolerance to the tolerant, but allows for, and actually encourages intolerance toward the intolerant (that is, toward those who are considered exclusivists). Since the belief in absolutes calls for decisions (i.e. "either this is true, or that, but not both at the same time"), and decisions create divisions, then those who hold them are viewed as insurrectionists, and as enemies to the new social order. Would not an exception for the rule of the new tolerance be justified, yea, and even be required, in their case?
As we’ve said, few have grasped the full implications of what all this means. It’s more serious than we might imagine. Francis Schaeffer once said, "If there is no absolute beyond man’s ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups, whose moral judgments conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions". This gives us an idea of the magnitude of the problem. It affects every aspect of society, where judgment is required!
Already, we have reached a point in history where, if you challenge even the most blatantly destructive teaching or lifestyle, you are immediately labeled a "Pharisee". You are seen as a mean-spirited, and intolerant "hate-monger", who seeks to censor and oppress the free expression of others. And, beloved, if God should tarry, this is only the beginning! The attacks will only escalate, as more and more people come under the influence of this unholy, seducing spirit! You see, it’s not the substance of the challenge that invokes the charge; it’s the act itself. That you would even dare suggest that there is an adequate base by which to compare truth-claims, or that you are somehow qualified to decide what is true and what is false makes you a "know-it-all", a bigoted, high-minded, and narrow-minded meddler, who makes it his business to "police" the beliefs of others, and impose his opinions on everyone else around him. I tell you, if ever there was a time when Isaiah’s prophecy was applicable, that time is now: "Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey..." (Isa. 59:14-15). We are witnessing these conditions right now!
I’m sure it’s the same the world over (and we’ve heard reports that it is), but one of the ways in which the new tolerance has gained a foothold in western civilization is through the privatization of convictions. What is meant by that is that there is no such thing as community convictions on matters of morality or ethics (unless, of course, the community favors a position other than those held in the traditional Judeo-Christian value-system). Every individual must be free to decide for himself, without outside interference or criticism, which set of values he or she chooses to embrace. This, strangely enough, is the way in which a united global community is thought to be brought about. No one can be criticized for the path that he or she chooses, as long as that choice does not interfere with the rights and beliefs of others.
Another reason why the "fig tree" has been so "barked"and beaten by this new tolerance is that we’ve failed to see how it naturally appeals to the easily-offended, overly-sensitive, and childish feelings of the flesh. How does it do that? Easy. The new tolerance makes no distinction whatsoever between who a person is with what that person believes. What this means is that you cannot disapprove of an individual’s lifestyle, beliefs, or truth claims, without disapproving of the individual himself. It’s made into a personal matter, as if any question is an attack on the person, rather than simply a disagreement with his or her worldview. This, probably more than any other reason, has stymied God’s people from speaking out for truth in our times, and has left them "exposed to the elements", so to speak, in a barren and defenseless position. Because of an abhorrence to the name calling, because we have not wanted to offend others, and because we have been afraid of somehow misrepresenting the Lord to others, it has made many of us reluctant to publically speak out on certain issues, for fear that our words might be perceived as unloving, prejudicial, and intolerant. The truth of the matter is, in one way or another, and at one time or another, we’ve all been affected by "the tolerance bug"!
RETRACING THE SWATH OF DESTRUCTION
Nothing could possibly be more devastating than the worldwide epistemological shift which has occurred. This subtle, but subversive shift is responsible for the current cultural crisis in which we find ourselves. Furthermore, it is directly responsible for causing "the seed to rot under the clod"(that is to say, for robbing the truth of its effectiveness in the lives of individuals and in society as a whole). It has broken down the barns, and left the garners desolate (Joel 1:17; which would be another way of saying that it has broken down people’s ability to receive and retain the truth). But how did we manage to get in this condition? And what has brought us to this peculiar point in time? A brief review of history would be helpful, in order to understand this. (Please bear with me through this section, since history has not been my major. I’ll relate it as best I can!)
During the 14th century, the principal influences of the Renaissance began to produce a slightly inflated view of man alongside a slightly deflated view of God. From the artist’s paintbrush, the sculptor’s chisel, and the writer’s quill, this new view began to take shape. To be sure, God was still in the picture. But man, with all of his awesome abilities and vast, untapped potentialities, had definitely been given the greater emphasis. The primary image was that of man, august and supreme, capable of overcoming every obstacle set before him, and accomplishing things which had previously been seen as being impossible. The spotlight was clearly upon him!
The Renaissance period would not have been so significant, had it not been for what immediately followed. After it came the Age of Enlightenment, which placed an even greater emphasis on man and his ability to reason, and less on God and His revelation. To be noted, secular thinkers were primarily responsible for this shift in emphasis. They took the initiative, and aggressively led the way. But theologians also made a significant contribution, by promoting the idea of deism. As was to be expected, this teaching corresponded well with those of popular French philosophers of the era, and proved to be extremely useful in the paradigm shift of public opinion. It was this philosophical "marriage" between secular thinkers and liberal theologians that led to the birth of the worldview now commonly known as "Modernism".
In the early stages of Modernism, scientists and social theorists didn’t necessarily deny God’s existence to the populace; they simply set out to redefine Him in the words of their theological colleagues. Where once God had been seen as having providentially guided His creation and creatures by His unseen hand, they had now learned better than that. It was understood that He’d left the running of the world to impersonal laws; and reason and logic were man’s only means of discovering truth. Of course, that naturally gave the fact-gatherers and observers of nature greater authority than either the Bible or its proponents on life’s most important questions. But because they were absolutely objective and unbiased in their conclusions (or so they claimed), they could be trusted to debunk truth from myth; and, as a result, give a more perfect understanding of the world and its origin.
Gary DeMar, in his book, "War of the Worldviews", wrote, "Modernism taught that certain knowledge of ourselves and the world was possible because nature was a closed, static system of natural laws waiting to be discovered. Modernism did not deny certainty or fact, but made man his own god, to determine those truths for himself.
"Unlike pre-Modernism before it, Modernism rejected the supernatural and proclaimed the sufficiency of logic and normal sense experience. Even biblical scholarship was tainted by this high evaluation of man; reliance upon reason instead of revelation became the basis for so-called higher criticism. These higher critics rejected miracles, the incarnation, and other supernatural doctrines. Modern scholars sought to ‘demythologize’ the Bible and free it from the superstitious shackles that had bound it for so long." —end quote.
Predictably enough, Modernism eventually led to the conclusion that, not only was God not needed, He was not even there. This became known as Naturalism. Man came to look at himself as his own god, with the power to control his destiny. Through the analysis of scientific fact, all of mankind’s problems could be corrected, be they psychological, biological, sociological, or whatever. But the concept of God first needed to be removed from man’s consciousness, in order that he might save himself. This, according to the Modernist, was the task at hand; and it was pursued with vigor.
While Modern thinkers thought they were doing mankind a service by removing God from the scene, what they did not anticipate was the problem it would create. You see, while they idealistically offered a vision of a humanistic utopia to mankind; a golden age of peace, prosperity, equality and universal enlightenment for all to enjoy; there was one question which they failed to consider. That was, how could this be accomplished in an objective manner? With the absence of God, there was no fixed point of reference, and no final authority to which they could refer. This meant that someone, or something had to fill the void God had left, in order to make their vision a reality (this explains the rise of competing humanistic ideologies, such as communism and socialism, on the world scene. They all claimed to have the solution). But since there was no consensus among them, how would this be decided? The philosophy of "might makes right" was their answer.
The disillusionment with Modernism had been growing, especially since the second world war. But it reached its height during the decade of the sixties, when campuses all across the country erupted in violent, bloody protest. The dreams of Modernity had been admirable; but in the light of contemporary history seemed unable to deliver on it’s promises. It had promised to produce a perfect, rational, planned, and compassionate world, without the need for God; but had failed miserably in its efforts. It offered peace; but gave the world war. It proclaimed a glorious future, based on reason and logic; but, in the process, left men with a sense of purposelessness and despair. From Modernism came nihilism; and with it, a blanketing sense of hopelessness that settled over humanity. Therefore, as a reaction to Modernism, and all of its failures, Postmodern Man was born.
How might Postmodernism be best described? As reactionary. It is by nature the antithesis of Modernism, which, as we’ve said, is a worldview based solely on reason. Postmodernism, then, is un-reason; that is to say, it refutes the idea that reality can be known or understood at all through logical means. It is totally beyond man’s ability to comprehend, and therefore, cannot be described by any metanarrative.
Again, we quote from Gary DeMar.
"The system is both complex and ambiguous, but, basically speaking, Postmodernism is anti-worldview. It denies the existence of any universal truth and questions every worldview. The Postmodernist will not tolerate any worldview that claims to be universal in application. But this is not enough. The goal of Postmodernism is not only to reject worldviews as oppressive, but also to reject even the possibility of having a coherent worldview.
"There are many worldviews around today, and the Postmodernist believes that it is his responsibility to critique each one. Worldviews must be ‘flattened out’, so that no particular approach or belief is more ‘true’ than any other. What constitutes truth, then, is relative to the individual or community holding the belief.
"Whereas Modernism and Christianity clashed by each claiming truth, Postmodernism attacks the concept of truth itself. For Postmodernism, truth is simply ‘what works for you’." ---end quote.
Gene Veith has written, "In the past, when one framework for knowledge was thought to be inadequate, it was replaced by another framework. The goal of Postmodernism is to do without frameworks altogether. In Postmodern jargon, ‘metanarratives’ are stories about stories, ‘large-scale theoretical interpretations purportedly of universal application’; that is to say, worldviews. Postmodernism is a worldview that denies all worldviews." And Steiner Kvale gives this Postmodern perspective: "The Postmodern age is a time of incessant choosing. It’s an era when no orthodoxy can be adopted without self-consciousness and irony, because all traditions seem to have some value." Confusing, isn’t it? Nothing can be accepted as absolutely certain; therefore, everything must be accepted, in order to have a "level playing field"! This is the ridiculous rationale of the Postmodern mind.
For the past nearly forty years, Postmodernism has progressively grown to fruition. From its revolutionary beginning in the sixties (during which time, you recall, folks fearlessly experimented with every conceivable means available to them, i.e. "free love", drugs, Eastern meditation, etc., in an effort to discover the "indescribable" experience denied by Modernism), it has mushroomed like a giant cloud over the whole of society. And there is nothing that has escaped it, either. It has infiltrated every facet and function of modern civilization, be it personal, political, educational, entertaining, commercial, or religious; and it has woven itself into the very fabric of our thought lives. The form in which it is most clearly seen is this new definition of tolerance.
THE DIRECTION OF THE SWARM
Though differing in its approach, Postmodernism is but another attempt to bring about a perfect, unified world, offering its citizenry a comfortable environment in which to live, but without a reliance upon any ultimate authority to sustain it. Its aim is to eliminate the walls which exist between nations and people, and find a common ground upon which all may stand. But the biggest obstacle to the inclusivist’s dream is exclusivism. You see, exclusivism produces convictions; and convictions are seen as the things which cause wars. Therefore, in order for inclusivism to emerge victorious, and in order for all people to live in peaceful co-existence one with another, it must conquer it’s greatest foe.
Perhaps, now, you’re beginning to get the picture. Unless one’s religious beliefs are compatible with the Postmodernist’s dreams, they will, of necessity, have to be eliminated. They will have to be silenced, by whatever means necessary. This, of course, makes classic Christianity a prime target, since it in no wise allows for integration with rivaling religions. And this explains why there has been such a growing contempt in the world for those who hold to its tenets.
On the other hand, this also explains why Eastern religions found such widespread acceptance during the early days of the Postmodern era; and why they continue to do so even now. It is because there is a natural compatibility between the ideals of Postmodernism and those of Eastern philosophies; a mutual agreement of purpose.
Those who are acquainted with them understand that there is an intrinsic relativism within Eastern Monistic traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. This is seen in their belief that everything is a part of one divine essence. Since they view everything as being a part of the whole, then everything would naturally contribute to the overall perspective. Everything, they say, possesses a measure of truth; therefore, instead of looking at things from an antithetical perspective, they take the approach of synthesis.
Whenever adherents to Eastern philosophy are confronted with seeming contradictions, they will usually just discount them as illusions (for the Hindu, this would be Maya). But, oddly enough, while they will reject reason as a necessary tool for discovering truth (like Postmodern relativists, they believe that truth is created by the individual, not discovered), they will then turn right around, and utilize contradiction from a rational perspective, in an effort to lead disciples into "the higher echelons of spiritual understanding". As one defender of Buddhism has said: "Zen (Buddhism) does not follow the routine of reasoning, and does not mind contradicting itself or being inconsistent...in other words, Zen wants to live from within. Not to be bound by rules (of logic), but to be creating one’s own rules—this is the kind of life Zen would have us live. Hence, its illogical, or rather superlogical, statements. However logically impossible or full of contradictions a statement made by the Prajnaparamita may be, it is utterly satisfying to the spirit. That they are not at all logical does not mean that they are untrue. As far as truth is concerned, there is more of it in them". Thus, contradictions are not a problem to the Eastern religious thinker. They will either be rendered irrelevant, or else they will become instrumental. After all, we’re all saying the same thing, whether it sounds like it or not!
Well, having said that, it should be easy for anyone to see why the Eastern dialectic mindset parallels perfectly with the Postmodern worldview. In both systems of thought, relativism rules!
The alliance formed between them has created a tremendously powerful force in the world; and one which has definitely had its influence in the West. "Nothing shall escape them", the prophet said. And we would have to agree. For, of all places where it should be prohibited, it has even found its way among the elect!
The results of this invasion are predictable: an erosion of the belief in absolutes. A devaluation of the truth as it is in Christ. A breakdown of convictions which separate us from the world. And an inability to offer unto the Lord even that which is required of us (as expressed in Joel 1:9a..."The grain offering and the drink offering have been cut off from the house of the Lord"). This has resulted in a consumption of every living thing upon the face of the earth, leaving the moral and spiritual landscape stripped and barren.
Beloved, we don’t have space to go into it here, but we must be willing to acknowledge how the "locusts" of liberal theology is effecting the body of Christ. By allowing it into our pulpits, we have left room for New Age teachings to creep in. This, in turn, has had varied ramifications, all of which has caused the new wine to be cut off from our mouths (Joel 1:5). No wonder joy has withered away from the sons of men!
I realize that some will say that we are just straining at gnats, while swallowing camels. They will argue that we’re making too much of such an insignificant thing, or that we’re misinterpreting this prophecy altogether. But this attitude could only come from those whose eyes are still blinded, and whose spirits are still in slumber. It’s time to awake to the fact that an enemy has entered into the land, strong and without number. And he’ll not go away, until the right steps have been taken!
In our next message, we intend to share what we believe is the proper response of God’s royal priesthood in a Postmodern world. Whether we realize it or not, this is one of the greatest challenges facing us in the 21st Century. Both the gravity of the matter, and the urgency to deal with it, are seen in the words of the prophet:
"Hear this, you elders, and give ear, all you inhabitants of the land! Has ANYTHING like this happened in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell your children about it, let your children tell their children, and their children another generation. What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; and what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.
Blow the trumpet in Zion...let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar; let them say, SPARE YOUR PEOPLE, O LORD, and do not give Your heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God’?" Joel 1:2-4; 2:15a, 17
Indeed, why?
(Terry & Tykie Crisp)
http://www.geocities.com/goodseedpub/writings.htm
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)