Two Charismatic leaders question there own discernment and actions in regard to Todd Bentley. That is a good first step but it seems the initial corrections only comes from Christians outside their movement. Only after the circus act is exposed by secular reporters or the leaders fall from their own immoral lifestyles do the Word-Faith leaders claim to see the errors of their ways. These circus acts have been going on for over thirty years in the Charismatic Word-Faith arenas. I have witnessed one after another.

So don’t you Word-Faith Charismatics think it is about time to fix the problem by returning to knowledge of scriptures rather than relying on your tingly feelings and the words from your self appointed anointed? Remove the hucksters and profiteers from among you, and admit that the leaders that you have been putting on pedestals are just fallible people who should always be checked out against God’s Word. They are not a new wave of prophets, healers and apostles bringing new revelations signs and wonders. Until you face up to that fact, the three ring circus will just get a new ringmaster and move somewhere else. Just like it has for decades.

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - The Needed Closure on Todd Bentley

I dodged the questions about the revival in recent radio interviews I did in other parts of the United States. Finally, I refused to answer the hundreds of e-mails I got about the “revival” from other folks all over the world. In essence, I protected my flock from the three-ring circus and hoopla but did nothing to protect the Body of Christ as a whole.

Hindsight they say is 20/20. It now turns out that all of the rumors were true. It now turns out that the scriptural discernment was correct. It now turns out that this was the same craziness without accountability that the leadership of the sponsoring church is known for. The three-ring circus has been packed up, the tents have been taken down, and the moral failure has been announced. Everyone involved is pushing back, and thousands of hurting people are left questioning God and their salvation.

The question that I now have to ask myself and the question that will haunt me for quite a while is this. Did I sit on the sidelines while the playing field burned? Should have I blogged about it and spoken out about it publicly — done more to get the word out to the rest of the world that this whole thing was about Todd and not God? I took care of my own house — but should I have done more to take care of the entire neighborhood?

Charismatic leader Dutch Sheets also humbled himself stating, “My assignment from the Lord is to repent on behalf of the leadership of the Charismatic Body of Christ. We have failed the Lord and His people in many ways. We must repent if we are to be trusted in the future. We, the leaders of the Charismatic community, have operated in an extremely low level of discernment. Frankly, we often don’t even try to discern. We assume a person’s credibility based on gifts, charisma, whether they can prophesy, or work a miracle.”

Full article

I always said wait until the counterculture hippies grew up and they got into positions of power. Well that day has arrived and they have taken control of the education system, political system, national media, and the religious systems of America. They also produced postmodern brainwashed children who now believe themselves to be the norm. So unless real Christians and real conservatives win this cultural war it is the end of this nation. When the far left hippies and their offspring gain total control they will embrace a totally pagan fascist world system. Woe to any who oppose them.

Had anyone said that America would decline this rapidly fifty years ago people would have thought you were smoking dope. Now half of our society is smoking dope or worse and they all think that they are perfectly sane. The Democrat running for President even claimed to be a crack user himself but does anyone care? The Democrat running for President never distinguished himself in any position he ever held but does anyone care? The hippies and their offspring just want change toward a secular idealism that is not possible with man’s evil nature. They like murder of the unborn being their own choice, so they all hail the Obamanation. They like it that homosexuality is destroying morality in America so they will have no moral restraints, so they all hail the Obamanation. They think Christianity is creating a world utopia on earth for people to continue in their abominations, so they all hail the Obamanation. All the idol worshipers now worship the Obamanation because he has the same demented values of the old hippies and their young offspring.

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - Jezebel and the Cultural Creatives

The Emergent Village and “progressive” Christian liberalism are but a drop in the progressive bucket. To their left, “cultural creatives” or “new progressives” are brimming over with an optimistic vision for taking political power.

Who are the “cultural creatives”? They define themselves as the “organic food-buying, national-health-care-supporting, yoga-practicing, misunderstood counter-culturalists.” According to the high-end spirituality magazine, What Is Enlightenment? (August/October, 2008), their ranks continue to swell, thanks to Al Gore’s movie, Barack Obama’s “change”, and Eckhardt Tolle and Oprah Winfrey’s “New Earth” webinar (see NC #47). This movement favors “ecological sustainability (read: green collectivism), non-traditional spirituality (neo-pagan religion), civil rights (rights for all sexual expressions) and grassroots politics (non-democratic, non-governmental organizations working under the geo-political umbrella of the United Nations). They also distinguish themselves from “modernism” (secular humanism) and “traditionalism” (Christianity).

Their appearance is of immense historical and religious significance. They explicitly identify themselves as inheritors of the “values revolution [of] the Sixties [that] is still developing and maturing.”

They are the maturing fruit of a development that no one expected. We all thought the Sixties was an ephemeral social event driven by marginal drop-out hippies. Whoops, they dropped back in! In the Left Coast New Age spirituality we witnessed the first signs of a major religious and social revolution. Its conquering march through the institutions has established as normative a worldview of drug-aided mystical, neo-pagan spirituality, radical egalitarianism and total sexual license. The marginal cult has now morphed into a master plan, a full-blown all-inclusive spiritual worldview to transform every aspect of life on the planet. The bizarre views of the Sixties counter-culturalists, though few knew it, signaled the disturbing germination, in “Christian” America, of the age-old alternative to biblical theism, namely spiritual paganism.

Full article

I was waiting for someone to go on the biblical offensive and get it right about the political forum at Saddleback led be pastor Rick Warren. Coach Dave Daubenmire single handed takes out the whole defensive line of Rick Warren in this article. The Coach really defines in this article the whole problem with this superstar and his whole team.

All I heard from most Evangelical leaders was how great this political forum was but few mentioned that “America’s Pastor” is not even using the Christian playbook, he is using the playbook of the losing team. What gospel was heard from “America’s Pastor”? The gospel of which politician has the best band-aids to fix a nation already condemned without Christ?

To prove once again the weakness of this New Evangelical offense, Rick Warren again gets the opportunity to go on Larry King and again misses the opportunity to share the Gospel to anyone, but Bill Maher goes on Larry King and he fully explains quite aptly to the whole world why he mocks Christianity. Where is the Christian witness of America’s CFR superstar pastor on these world platforms he is given? Where is the call of the nation to repentance? Where is the call to reject evil and to turn to Christ? Is anyone getting this?

Couch Daubenmire skillfully explains in this article how sin causes the aids, the poverty, the abortions and the other social problems in the world. Deal with the sin and you will cure the social problems. Treating the symptoms of what evil produces is not going to fix the world. Some Christians have got their worldly cart before the heavenly white horse rider? Read the article, if you still don’t get it you may be one reason why Rick Warren is still “America’s Pastor”.

Dave Daubenmire — Does Evil Exist?

That was the defining question asked by Pastor Rick Warren at his “Christian” forum the other night.

Even though both candidates disagreed on how evil should be dealt with, both McCain and Obama made it clear that they believe there is such a force.

Seeing how this was a debate involving self-proclaimed Christians, in a Christian church, hosted by a Christian pastor, this was a great opportunity for America’s leading evangelical to define for all America the root cause of our nation’s problems.

Instead, Pastor Warren moved on to climate change, adoption, and other peripheral issues. Perhaps I am wrong, but I would expect “America’s Pastor” to handle the debate in a manner that would reflect the attitude of the Berean Christians who “searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Sadly, Pastor Warren looked more like Tom Brokaw than John the Baptist.

How could a Christian pastor not more aggressively defend the Cross? Why are CNN, Time Magazine and the God-hating media fawning over this “evangelical” pastor? Could it be that they love his non-judgmental form of Christianity? Are you aware that Rick Warren is drifting towards an affiliation with “the religious left.” From a political perspective, “left” usually is a synonym for “liberal” or “socialist”, while “right” refers to “conservatives” or “capitalist.” The “left” believes that government is the answer to most of America’s problems, while the “right” believes that government IS the problem.

Government is replacing God and Pastor Warren is leading God’s ouster. The same group that loves to scream “separation of church and state” wants the government to determine morality. Abortion is moral, global warming is immoral. Homosexual sex is moral, lack of AIDS funding is immoral. Shacking up is moral, failure by taxpayers to pay for fatherless children is immoral. Failure to drill for oil is moral, driving a car is immoral.

The religious left wants to treat the symptoms. Our pastors should be fighting to eliminating the cause.

Monday night Rick Warren was on with Larry King. Once again he failed to clearly share the Gospel. Larry King is lost. If I were on his show I would tell him so. I would pin him down. I would make him uncomfortable. He is heading towards a future without God. He would never invite me on the show again. Maybe that’s why Warren swallowed his tongue. The fear of man is a snare…

Last night the God-mocking Bill Maher was Larry’s guest. He made fun of God. He poked fun at Christianity. He is a radical fundamental secularist. He wants God driven from America. He wasn’t worried about offending anyone. He is proud of his agnosticism.

Maher was prouder of his lies than Warren was of God’s Truth. For an hour Maher preached the foolishness of Jesus.

Warren spoke of global warming, AIDS, and adoption. He failed to mention sin. He never talked about the need for repentance and redemption He speaks only of treating symptoms.

Maher thinks Christianity is evil. He doesn’t believe in sin. Warren believes in sin, he just doesn’t think it is evil.

Evil exists alright. The problem we face is how to recognize it. Sadly, before the whole world Warren came up empty. He hid the Light under the bushel of politics.

Sometimes I wonder who the real enemy is.

Full Article

I believe Hal Lindsey will be correct that Russia will now actively seek to regain its former empire. It might not be all the same nations of the former USSR at least at first. But Russia will intimidate the nations of Eastern Europe to join a regional alignment of states to counter the West. Especially if the West is mired in the economic and Islamic caused turmoil that looks almost certain to come. These Eastern nations were not in the original Roman Empire and they will not be in the revived.

My advice to the U.S. and Israel is not to wait too long to take out Iran’s nuclear capabilities because within a very short time Iran will be protected under a Russian nuclear umbrella (thou hast been to them for a guard., Ez 38:7, YLT) and then we will not be able to take them out without a nuclear war with Russia. The cold war between East and West is coming back fast. If NATO can claim that an attack on any of their alliance of states is an attack on them all, then Russia feels it can and will do the same with the nations in their sphere of influence.

Right now the U.S. can delay a nuclear Iran by 10 to 20 years by almost complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear and missile facilities. Israel cannot do this alone. The most Israel can do is set them back is a few years and there will not be any second chance because of the Russian umbrella that is about to open. If we get a weak president like Obama you will see Russia open this nuclear umbrella near the start of his term. If McCain gets elected they might not risk it just yet.

Oh, my Gog! (Hal Lindsey)

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, most of these republics broke with Russia to form new alliances with NATO and the West – an event for which I was widely ridiculed at the time.

How could most of Magog, like Ukraine, Georgia and Turkey, all firmly allied with the West, also be part of Russia’s Gog alliance?

I didn’t know. But I didn’t pen Ezekiel’s prophecy. I only reported it.

Now, Gog has evidently decided to reclaim its former Soviet empire, starting with Magog. Despite weeks of promising to withdraw almost any minute, the Russian military continues to dig in and consolidate its forces in and near the Georgian port of Poti on the Black Sea.

The Russians introduced tight restrictions of movement on Georgian citizens, refusing to accept anything except Russian documents. Despite agreements to the contrary, the Kremlin now says that “Russian forces will leave in their own time.”

When Poland was contemplating an agreement that would allow the U.S. to deploy missile interceptor batteries in its territory, Russia warned them that by entering the treaty agreement they ran the risk of a Russian nuclear attack. When the Poles signed the treaty in defiance of the Kremlin, Russia promised its response would “rise above the level of diplomacy,” a reference to the principle that “war is the result of failed diplomacy.”

The Russian invasion and apparent occupation of Georgia is feared by many analysts, particularly those from former Soviet republics, that Vladimir Putin plans to re-conquer and restore the former empire.

Full article

It would seem rather bazaar that there would be no emergency action plan in place to deal with the aftermath of an EMP attack on the U.S. It poses the greatest immediate and near future danger to the survival of the U.S. other than an all out nuclear attack by Russia or China.

Both Russia and China have hinted at using an EMP against the United States and definitely have the capability. We also know from the missile tests of Iran and N. Korea that they could have that capability soon, not to mention that terrorists could obtain the capability on their own if they have or acquire a nuclear bomb. So why is there no public plan in place when both Congress and the military clearly know of this EMP threat?

There may be an explanation. Perhaps there are plans in place but they are Top Secret Emergency Actions plans. Such plans would be found among the top secret plans of a nuclear attack against the United States from a foreign power.

Your not going to find these types of top secret military plans in the Department of Homeland Security’s Public Emergency Plan booklet. Most in Homeland Security would not even know of these plans because they do not have the required security clearance. Even the few that do know of them are not going to share top secret information with local governments and the public. There is quite a bit of classified information that the government does not make known to the public for good reason.

I think I can tell you the crux of EMP Emergency Action Plan in one sentence. The problem would be so devastating and so widespread that there would be the suspension of the Constitution, complete military marshal law, and government control over everyone and everything. The same as it would be after a massive nuclear attack on the U.S. by Russia or China. I believe the government already has these plans in place and if an EMP would occur they would implement them.

U.S. still naked to EMP threat

Electricity grids down, uncontrolled fires from exploding gas transport systems, no communication to call for help, no water to battle fires: It’s all part of a catastrophic scenario some scientists predict could happen under an electromagnetic pulse attack – and the Department of Homeland Security’s 83-page emergency plan includes no mention of EMP or how it might respond to such an attack.

When WND contacted the Department of Homeland Security, a representative explained why a course of action was not included in the National Emergency Communications Plan – a strategy that relies heavily on the ability of authorities at all levels of government to communicate using radios, computers and other electronic devices that could be disabled by an EMP attack.

“When we look at the strategic threat picture, when we look at patterns of criminal activity that all levels of government show, when we look at what is ultimately going to involve limited resources, we have to get to a point where we prioritize,” DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said. “We prioritize based upon threat vulnerability and consequence. As we speak today, there’s nothing in the threat picture that would suggest an imminent EMP attack.”

However, Congress has expressed concern regarding the threat of EMP. A top scientist warned the House Armed Services Committee in July that America remains vulnerable to a “catastrophe” from a nuclear electromagnetic pulse attack that could be launched with plausible deniability by hostile rogue nations or terrorists.

William R. Graham, chairman of the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack and the former national science adviser to President Reagan, testified before the committee and issued an alarming report on “one of a small number of threats that can hold our society at risk of catastrophic consequences.”

He identified vulnerabilities in the nation’s critical infrastructures, “which are essential to both our civilian and military capabilities.”

Not taking the steps necessary to reduce the threat in the next three to five years “can both invite and reward attack,” Graham told the committee.

Full article

This article is very long. I admit it is not for everyone. However, if you are an intellectual you might want to read about Pope Benedict’s views on the decline of Western civilization. He sees the early American Republic model of government as the best way to save Europe. For a European Pope to say the West is in decline and to say the American Republic form of government is the answer for the West is quite unexpected.

Benedict’s latest views on postmodernism and cultural relativism where cultural has separated from truth are also very astute observations.

Meanwhile, Liberals in America are now rapidly moving us in the wrong direction away from an authentic Constitutional Republic to the Western system that the Pope believes has caused the Western decline. Pope Benedict is correct.

The Pope’s quest to save Western civilization

Pope Benedict XVI has identified several causes for the intellectual, moral, cultural, and spiritual decline of the European civilization. I was thrilled to learn about this because I have independently come to some of the same conclusions. Allow me to recapitulate his conclusions as five theses:

1) The West has declined because of the modern separation of faith and truth.

2) The West has declined because of the modern separation of metaphysical truth and practical truth.

3) The West has declined because of the modern separation of freedom and truth.

4) The West has declined because of its postmodern rejection the old rapprochement between Christianity and the classics of ancient Greece and Rome.

5) The attempt to rehabilitate of West by returning to the culture of premodern Catholic Europe would be a mistake. He points to another way forward.

Benedict points to the American Republic

Benedict encourages Europe to learn from the 18th and 19th century Anglo-Saxon world and its balance of freedom, order, truth, and morality in the public and private spheres. The American experiment as described by Alexis de Tocqueville is particularly instructive, according to Benedict!

American conservatives who are seeking the restoration of the old Republic and authentic constitutional government should take heart. What we are seeking is what the pope says Europe should be seeking to find their way back to the right road. American conservatives, whether Protestant or Catholic, are in the vanguard of history.

Note to the Reader: Since writing this essay, I discovered that Pope Benedict has identified yet another way that the West has gone wrong. The postmodern West has separated truth from culture. The result is cultural relativism, which is the triple fallacy that: 1) man has no nature, but is a cultural construct, 2) all cultures are equally valid, and 3) “truth” is culturally determined. A separate essay will be needed to deal with the myth of multiculturalism that is based upon this triple fallacy
(bold emphasis mine).

Full article

There seems to be trend among all the Word-Faith “wavers” their personal life is a complete train wreck. Discerning people all knew that the whole Todd Bentley circus act was all presumption or deception as are the older circus ringmasters like Benny Hinn.

Now we hear this cop out that those that lacked discernment did so because of their raw zeal for God. Come on! These acts have been going on for more than thirty years in the Word-Faith arena. You lack discernment because you do not know the word of God and you continually need new mystical tinkly feelings and magic shows to make you feel a relationship with God that you should have got from learning sound doctrine and fellowship with Him.

You also put men on pedestals, call them anointed and will not listen to anyone who speaks words of correction toward the men you worship. Well maybe it is time you realized that they are not anointed prophets, healers and miracles workers. They are circus performers and all those attending either paid admission or they are one of their clowns.

I guess at least Lee Grady of Charisma Magazine finally agrees with what I said a few months ago to those attending these freak shows. It time for Word-Faith Christians that are following these circus performers to finally grow up. Or will another act just soon start up somewhere else? I will bet on the later.

Evangelist Bentley stepping down (OneNewsNow.com)

In a recent article in Charisma magazine on the meetings, editor Lee Grady said many of those who defended Bentley displayed a “lack of discernment,” in part because of a “raw zeal for God.

“Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs, and wonders than have a quiet Bible study,” the Christian journalist wrote. “Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.”

Grady also criticized GodTV for telling people that any criticism of Bentley was “demonic.”

Full article

“The Shack”, by William P. Young is still a hugely popular and very deceptive book that is likely to become a movie. Those that believe there is a Christian message or theme in this book are totally deceived and must not believe biblical doctrine themselves at all. The book presents another God, another Christ, and another path to salvation. “The Shack” really promotes “New Age” all paths Universalism much like A.A. which itself was founded by a man who got messages from the occult. The book is blasphemous toward God presuming to speak for God while actually promoting a “Queen of Heaven” type God that does not exist.

This pluralistic theme where many paths lead to the same God is now being promoted everywhere thanks to A.A., other 12 step programs, and the postmodern redefining of Christianity by high profile religious and secular media figures. Nevertheless, no true Christian should be sucked into such an unbiblical “New Age” postmodern concept. There is only one way to the Father (not the mother) according to the teaching of the only God/Man that ever walked the earth. That way is only through Jesus Christ as He is defined in the Bible and not as Jesus is redefined in the light of “New Age” demonic darkness.

Any Christian leader promoting “The Shack” should be immediately removed from their position because they are promoting doctrines of demons and the lie of the adversary that leads people to Hell.

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - The Shack is A.A.’s higher power.

According to the author, the god of The Shack dwells in everybody, and apparently does not condemn any to eternal punishment—or, as The Shack would address this, “She does not punish anyone.” The novel’s “christ” is the “best way” to salvation, but apparently not the only way.

What about Alcoholics Anonymous? The A.A. Big Book states, “We found that God does not make too hard terms with those who seek Him. To us, the Realm of Spirit is broad, roomy, all inclusive; never exclusive or forbidding to those who earnestly seek. It is open, we believe, to all men. When, therefore, we speak to you of God, we mean your own conception of God.”[19] According to the A.A. Big Book, God is “deep down within us.”

Thus are the seeds of the New Age planted in the soil of both The Shack and Alcoholics Anonymous. The tentacles of various heresies are reaching out and linking. The false “christ” of The Shack seems poised to be welcomed into, or serve as a catalyst for, emergent/contemplative/12 Step Spirituality.

Many Christians have superimposed their beliefs upon The Shack, supposing it a novel written by a Biblical Christian. As James De Young and others have pointed out, this is not necessarily the case. Over the decades, many Christians have also jackhammered their God into AA’s anti-Biblical system

Full article

The article I link to in this post says a lot and not just about contemplative prayer. It explains the demonic deceptions that are going on in many churches today in the name of being relevant to our postmodern society. I doubt that there are many large evangelical churches that are not to some extent being negatively influenced by this by either the pastor, some assistant pastor or one or more lay leaders. Certain influential national leaders are mixing various amounts of poison wrapped in Christian speak and Christian sounding programs and many are buying into their deadly deceptions because they never hear any biblical counter argument.

Someone needs to form an expense paid national conference for top pastors and evangelical leaders where they would hear the arguments of authors like John MacArthur, Roger Oakland, Dave Hunt, Bob DeWaay etc. to educate the church leadership on the doctrines of demons now being introduced in most large churches. Then the conference should be put on a internet site and on DVD and a copy should be given to all lay leaders in the church. We need some some Christian foundation or a group of discerning churches to fund this. If certain churches can put together postmodern rethinking and shifting conferences you would think that someone could also put together a biblical thinking conference to counter them.

Beware of This Doctrine of Demons

It’s called “contemplative” or “centering” prayer and if you haven’t heard about it yet, chances are unfortunately good that you will soon. It’s invading churches like a virus in which submicroscopic pathogens contaminate the body many hours or days before the victim is aware of its presence.
Contemplative prayer is one of a number of ancient mystical practices or spiritual disciplines, as their proponents refer to them, which are being encouraged at an alarming rate by evangelical churches. It is all part of something called Spiritual Formation and the Emergent Church, a movement that as John MacArthur states in his book, The Truth war, is subtly changing the beliefs and doctrines of the evangelical church as we know it.

In its pure form, contemplative prayer is practiced by sitting still, quieting, and concentrating on your breathing and repeating a word of choice (maybe the name Jesus, for instance) over and over again. You’re to concentrate on that word and your breathing, and work to eliminate all thoughts from your mind. Over a period of maybe 20 minutes — and with practice — you can enter into “the silence.” Your mind is blank. You have, in fact, hypnotized yourself. And it is in “the silence” where “God” allegedly speaks to you.

According to the testimony of one former, now-redeemed New Ager I recently read this is the exact method used by New Agers and Eastern mystics to enter an altered state of consciousness that opens a person up to demonic influence. Ray Yungen, author of the book, A Time of Departing, confirms this and says, “Unknown to most people, a blank mind in a meditative state is all that is necessary for contact with a spirit guide.” He also points out, “Those who lack discernment are at great risk.”

Read full article

Star Parker makes some excellent points on Rick Warren’s current political events at Saddleback Church that few have criticized.

While the political system is actively warring against Christianity in our culture some churches like Saddleback are enabling a political platform for the very same politicians that are warring against core moral beliefs of Christianity.

Thanks to the relativism of people like Rick Warren the church is getting its role all mixed up. Many now think they can join with the world and shape the political world system. The Bible indicates that the political system is under the administration of Satan and anyone who loves the world the love the father is not in him. Rick Warren is so concerned with world politics, world religion and world economics that he wants to give it a platform? What do you suppose the below passage is talking about if not the political, economic and religious system of the world?

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever

I would disagree with Star Parker that Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life” flicks on the lights for people that life is more than just about themselves. It does quite the opposite. Rick Warren book might state that this is his intent but the contents of the book really makes their purpose in life all about what they do. I did my own critique of The Purpose Driven movement that has spread through the teachings in this book, so I will not repeat that here. Let me just say here, “The Purpose Driven Life” book is not proper Christian teaching for many reasons.

Does anyone really think that Rick Warren got to be a member of the CFR by presenting a gospel that the world system hates?

Having said all that, I have heard from others that Rick Warren’s political forum was excellent (I have not yet see it) and so I congratulate him on the excellent job that he apparently did. Hopefully the secular media will learn from his example on how political candidates really should be interviewed.

Pastor Warren: Stop politicizing religion

For whatever good intentions Pastor Warren may have, by posturing as a neutral broker between different points of view, many of which have profound moral and religious implications, he contributes to the moral ambiguity we’d expect a pastor to be combating.

We have institutions for civic and political forums. The press, universities, town halls, etc. If they’re not delivering well, let the marketplace work to improve what we’re getting. But this is not the job of pastors or churches. If it is, where do we go to learn about good and evil?

What exactly is going on in America when our obsession is to cleanse every inch of public space from religion, yet somehow we think it is appropriate to bring a presidential political forum into church?

Our kids can’t pray in public school, or read the Bible or learn to apply traditional values in managing their lives. The Ten Commandments cannot appear in our courthouses. A crèche cannot be displayed in a public space during Christmas.

Yet somehow we think a church is an appropriate forum for hosting candidates for president?

Our world is turning upside down. Rather than raising our public and private lives to a higher moral standard, we’re politicizing religion.

It’s actually worse, I think.

The pretense of neutrality is really a left-wing illusion. It’s a sleight of hand to buy into relativism, and somehow Pastor Warren seems to have fallen into the trap.

When a pastor hosts a political candidate that has a 100 percent rating by NARAL Pro-Choice America and a 0 percent rating by the National Right to Life Committee, he gives legitimacy to that candidate. When legitimacy is given to a line of reasoning that says that poverty and AIDS are symptoms of anything other than moral breakdown, the relativist views of the left are justified.

To a disproportionate measure, when we are talking about poverty and AIDS in America, we are talking about black communities. These communities are in disarray because of moral ambiguity. They not only need moral clarity and leadership, they crave it.

Partisanship is not our problem today. Healthy partisanship is vital to freedom.

Our problem is moral ambiguity. Anyone that thinks this ambiguity is helpful in addressing poverty, crime and disease is misinformed.

We need political leaders that are more moral. Not church leaders that are more political.

David Flynn’s “Temple at the Center of Time: Newton’s Bible Codex Deciphered and the Year 2012, is probably all very interesting but can you really tell significant biblical events on the earth from the distance from the Temple in nautical miles or feet?

As in the Bible Code, what we have here more likely than not, is selecting what supports the theory and ignoring what does not. If God was going to make a unified system of Bible prophecy everything would fit not just what the author choose to select.

I also do not believe the Millennial temple will be at the Temple Mount of Old Jerusalem. It is much too large. So what does that do to the exact measurements when you do not even know the exact point on the earth to measure from? Are you measuring from Ezekiel’s Millennial Temple or the ancient Temple Mount?

Was God using our modern calenders and nautical miles for events? That would not be likely. Why measure to London just because it took over that area of the world in 1917 and then apply London to the year 1948 because it is 1948 nautical miles to London? The British hindered the return of the Jews in the end, so it seems more fitting to me use the nautical miles to the UN in New York city should be used but that distance would not fit the 1948 theory. Why were Nautical miles used in one measurement and feet in another? Just because they fit?

The book is being compared to the “Bible Code” but as far as I am concerned the Bible Code has been adequately debunked. These theories all sound good because the author stacks the deck. Only after
the scholars and skeptics give their reason why the theory does not hold up is there any balance brought to the speculations. It is like going to court and only hearing the case against the defendant and not ever
hearing the defense. This is why those that give doctoral theses also have to give a defense of their thesis.

I have not read the book so I cannot comment on the details in it but I surmise that after the scholars critique the book it will fittingly join with the Bible code.

It seems that an awful lot of people have figured out a date for the start of the tribulation or the second coming. Many are jumping on the 2012 to 2019 bandwagon others are picking 2032 2033 as the return of the Lord. Did we not also hear not so long ago about dating schemes built into the Great Pyramid where the end was going to come in 2000? Now we have the Mayan Calendar influence for 2012 that is plaguing us and helping to spawn these new theories. I have news to a certain TV Bible prophecy teacher and everyone else, God has no reason to follow pagan calendars and theories. Why should any Christian believe they contain truth?

I get documents from people writing books who have the timing of the second coming or the start of the tribulation all mathematically figured out to an exact year and feast day. However, I notice when one starts with what one believes to be the prophetic date and then makes all their data conform to fit that date it will come out to the date they want it to come out.

We are getting close to the end. We can see that by world events but when you are tossing out your precise theory of when Jesus will return or reading someone else’s profound theories on that date, you might not sell the farm quite yet.

Is Temple Mount God’s time bomb?

Was the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem more than a place of worship?

Was it, indeed, a roadmap to future events – a kind of prophetic landmark whose significance is only now revealed through the development of satellite imagery?

That is the contention of an explosive new book, “Temple at the Center of Time: Newton’s Bible Codex Deciphered and the Year 2012,” by David Flynn.

The book asserts it has “deciphered Isaac Newton’s greatest paradox: None other than ‘the unified field theory’ of Bible prophecy.”

The Romans established Londinium in about A.D. 47. It was a civilian settlement built where the Thames became narrow enough for a bridge to be built across it but was still deep enough to admit large ocean vessels. In the 16th century, William Camden believed that the “London Stone” was a Roman milestone from which all distances were measured in the province. In the 17th century, Christopher Wren was able to observe the foundations of the London Stone underneath Cannon Street during the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire. With this information, it is possible to extend a measuring line from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to the exact center of ancient London, and by fixing a point on the site of the temple mount, a measuring line extended over Jerusalem to the center of London produces 1,948.40 nautical miles.

Therefore, incredibly, recorded in the earth between the Temple Mount of Jerusalem and the historic center of London is what Flynn sees as the fulfillment of Newton’s own prediction: Israel became a nation again May 14th, 1948, corresponding perfectly to a distance between the temple and London of 1948 nautical miles.

As the reader moves through Temple at the Center of Time, these time-length correlations accumulate quickly, including numerous ancient dates such as 1441 B.C. when the Exodus from Egypt occurred. It turns out is 1,441,000 feet from the Jerusalem Temple to the Great Pyramid in Giza. Flynn finds dozens of other key dates in the past through similar satellite mapping measurements including some related to the United States, Russia and Rome.

Before it is even officially released, Flynn’s book is causing a sensation in some circles where it is being compared to “The Bible Code.”

Russia is obviously now making its move against NATO expansion and has plans to show the nations around them that this NATO tiger will not venture out of its cage. The invasion of Georgia was well planned by Russia in advance. Russia simply could not have moved this quickly otherwise.

It looks to me like Russia was behind the unrest knowing that the Georgian President would have to react. When he did Russia started putting their expansion plans into motion. The main objective is not Georgia it is first reasserting itself in the former USSR states that have a Russian speaking population. They also intend to stop NATO expansion and to counter U.S. influence in what they believe to be their Russian Empire. The major immediate threat probably always was and now is to the Ukraine.

After Russia controls the Russian speaking areas she will expand elsewhere and form alliances with nations like Serbia and Iran. The Gog of Ezekiel is now rising to control this region of the world. NATO will do nothing but bluster and provide arms for any resistance. Old Europe and the U.S. are not going to risk their own necks for Eastern Europe. Those nations in Eastern Europe that are joining NATO and the EU thinking that the West will fight Russia for them are living under a very false hope.

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide

Aug. 13 (Bloomberg) — Now that Russia has humiliated Georgia with a punishing military offensive, it may shift its attention to reining in pro-Western Ukraine, another American ally in the former Soviet Union.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s first order of business likely will be to try to thwart Ukraine’s bid to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Medvedev, 42, and Putin, 56, say Russia began the offensive in response to a drive by Georgia to restore control over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Now Russia has ousted Georgian forces from there and from Abkhazia, another separatist region, and destroyed much of the central government’s military.

Russia may find it convenient to raise the level of tension with Ukraine in the run-up to the December NATO review,” Citigroup Inc.’s London-based David Lubin and Ali Al-Eyd wrote in a note to clients. “If the conflict with Russia decelerates or reverses Georgia’s integration with the West, a similar fate could also affect Ukraine.”

Divided Country

Ukraine, a country of 46 million people that’s almost as big as France, has a large Russian-speaking population in the south and east that opposes NATO entry and looks to Moscow. Russian officials warn that if President Viktor Yushchenko pushes Ukraine into NATO, the nation may split in two.

A month ago, about 1,000 U.S. soldiers joined 600 Georgians and 100 from Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Armenia in joint exercises at the Vaziani military base near Tbilisi. Russia repeatedly bombed the base during this month’s war.

“The American role in the region has been weakened,” Jan Techau, a European and security affairs analyst at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, said in a telephone interview. “It’s a reassertion of Russia’s dominant role in the region.”

It’s somewhat reminiscent, in 1939, when Stalin attacked Finland,” former U.S. national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski told Bloomberg Television. “I think this kind of confrontation is the best kind of answer as to why they are seeking to be members of NATO.”

This is a very good analysis of the Russian Georgian conflict by Terry James. I also think that this is the turning point with Russia to achieve its manifest destiny. From now on you will see Russia act militarily or at least forcefully on conflicts that support their national interest of building a counter force to the West and in doing so Russia will attempt to achieve control over much of Europe’s energy. Yes, Russia is now totally controlled by the old KGB and thugs and Putin’s groomed fascist brown shirts will soon be put into positions of power. There has been no real change in Russia since the cold war. They just got a fresh start thanks to the West and don’t use the term communism anymore. They never were pure Communists anyway they have been and are again very much Fascists.

The next major step for Russia may be the Ukraine. The people in the Ukraine are torn with many wanting to join NATO and many of the Russian ethnics wanting to join with Russia. Russia will prevail. I doubt if NATO will have the guts to really oppose a nuclear power like Russia. After the Ukraine goes to Russia expect other dominoes near Russia to again fall into the sphere of a new Russian Fascist Union.

By the way, Check out this Bible prophecy Today Blog as often as you can. This Blog actually does have the best collection of the very latest thinking of astute Bible prophecy teacher/thinkers. I have a link to Bible Prophecy Today Blog on my sidebar.

Bible Prophecy Today • Bible Prophecy News And Commentary By Today’s Leading Bible Prophecy Scholars • News and Commentary From A Biblical Perspective

Gog And The Magog Chess Match

By Terry James

Russian moves, begun this past Friday in the Caucasus region and other parts of what was the former Soviet Union, should sound the siren alarm of things to come for the spiritually attuned Bible prophecy student.

We have watched Iran’s posturing and repositioning during the past months, with the area of ancient Persia coming into focus as a predicted player on the regional chess board that will be part of the end game, as foretold by Ezekiel the prophet. Now, the nation-state that is at the heart of the coalition foretold to storm toward the oil-rich Middle East and Israel seems to be demonstrating intention to achieve its manifest destiny.

Pat Buchanan makes the case on Obama’s very extreme abortion position and implies that Catholics would not vote for Barack Obama. The problem is that most of the Catholics I know support Obama for President. So what does that say about their claim to believe in Catholicism? Let’s not forget that many Liberal Protestants and New Evangelicals also support Barack Obama. Seems to me that many “Christians” in this nation need to choose whom they will serve. Will they choose to serve the Lord or will they continue to serve the doctrines of abortion loving godless secular humanists?

A Catholic case against Barack

Obama is an abortion absolutist. “I could find no instance in his entire career,” writes Freddoso, “in which he voted for any regulation or restriction on the practice of abortion.”

In 2007, Barack pledged that, in his first act as president, he will sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which would cancel every federal, state or local regulation or restriction on abortion. The National Organization for Women says it would abolish all restrictions on government funding of abortion.

What we once called God’s country would become the nation on earth most zealously committed to an unrestricted right of abortion from conception to birth.

Before any devout Catholic, Evangelical Christian or Orthodox Jew votes for Obama, he or she might spend 15 minutes in Chapter 10 of Freddoso’s “Case Against Barack.” For if, as Catholics believe, abortion is the killing of an unborn child, and participation in an abortion entails automatic excommunication, how can a good Catholic support a candidate who will appoint justices to make Roe v. Wade eternal and eliminate all restrictions on a practice Catholics legislators have fought for three decades to curtail?

And which Catholic priests and prelates will it be who give invocations at Obama rallies, even as Mother Church fights to save the lives of unborn children whom Obama believes have no right to life and no rights at all?

For more than thirty years Word-Faith teachers have been making outlandish claims about unverified miracles. So color me skeptical about Marilyn Hickey’s outlandish claims. At least when a miracle is claimed to happen in the Catholic Church they take years investigating it before declaring if it was really a supernatural unexplained event. Nothing of the sort every happens with the Word-Faith crowd.

Who knows where the extra chicken really came from. Was there a second delivery, a mistake, a deliberate deception? Did someone on the staff go out and buy more chicken? (Why not? Many Word-Faith leaders claim they have healed and raised the dead but they never prove anything. Deceptions seems to be the Hallmark of Work-Faith hustlers).

So how about a through independent investigation before you announce to the world that God is reproducing Kentucky Fried Chicken in Boxes? Why is God deep fat frying chicken anyway? Were the people there three days without food and in danger of fainting on the way home because they were too far away from where they could get food? But you already told us that there were Kentucky Fired Chicken concessions in the area. Did You bless the boxes and break it and let his disciples feed the hungry for free and verify to all that Jesus is the bread of life and the Creator or was this just a give me your paid ticket, grab one box and then please leave the room inspired ceremony? So besides the food God also reproduces boxes, spoons, forks and napkins? He is progressing, how convenient.

I find it rather strange that Christian press would just pick this story up without doing any investigative reporting. Is everyone looking for the sensational without checking out the validity of any of it? Does everyone want to take part in the latest mockery of Christianity? Has anyone gone to the Kentucky Fried Chicken vendor employees and asked if they made more than 3,500 Chicken meals? Did you check all vendors in the areas? Did someone pay anyone to lie? Maybe this kind of food is not what these people eat so they returned the boxes to the room. Maybe there were not as many people as was claimed? Maybe an employee was holding back on the chicken and got cold feet and then brought out the rest? Did anyone even count the boxes in the trash? There are dozens of natural explanations and fraudulent explanations. Just to declare it a miracle and expect us to believe it is beyond the pale. Now why would they do that? Well I think we all know. Just look at all the press they are getting.

Now the real press needs to go out and debunk this fraud and after their investigation is complete if it really proves to be some divine miracle I will be the first to eat cro… Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Modern-day loaves-and-fishes miracle reported

A Denver-based Christian ministry claims it witnessed a modern-day loaves-and-and-fishes miracle in Egypt where the 3,500 Kentucky Fried Chicken meals it ordered for conference attendees served more than 5,000 and produced leftovers.

“There were tickets distributed for the lunches,” Hickey said. “The boxes were given out, leaving none in the room.”

But after the food was gone, the crowd swelled to about 5,000, and volunteers returned to the room and were “astonished” to discover 1,200 more lunches.

Hickey reported that after the lunches were handed out, another 1,200 appeared in the room, “leaving a surplus of food and dumbfounded witnesses,” Charisma reported.

Hickey’s staff called the incident during the recent Egypt trip a “loaves and fishes” miracle, the report said, after Jesus’ miracle in the New Testament in which a small boy’s lunch of loaves and fishes fed thousands.

Hickey told the publication she feels confident in proclaiming the event as a miracle because independent Egyptian and non-Christian sources verified the unexplained appearance of the lunches.

“It happened in such a way that [my ministry] was not at all associated with it, which left local volunteers and non-Christians marveling at what had happened,” she told Charisma.

The Georgian’s are not in a good position. The U.S. really cannot help them. Geographically they simply live where Russia is going to do what they want. In the end I think they are going to have to realize that Russia has annexed their province and to fight them will turn out to be suicide. They better now hope the Russian’s don’t use this war as an excuse to re-annex all of Georgia. All of this of course will further deteriorate Russia’s relations with the U.S. Other former USSR countries have similar problems and might have similar fates they also have geographical areas in their sovereign nations that are now mostly populated by Russians.

FOXNews.com - U.S. Calls for Russia to Halt Attacks as Fighting in Breakaway Georgia Province Escalates - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is expected to declare martial law within hours, according to the Georgian security council chief, Reuters reported.

This comes after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Russia Friday to halt attacks in South Ossetia, after Georgian troops entered the breakaway province in an attempt to crush separatist forces seeking control.

Rice’s announcement came as the European Union was working on a cease-fire with Georgia and South Ossetia separatists to end the violent conflict.

Georgia, a staunch U.S. ally, launched a surprise military offensive to retake South Ossetia and reportedly killed hundreds of people, triggering a ferocious counterattack from Russia that threatened to plunge the region into full-scale war.

Democracy is not in the future of the world. People always demand a king. God wanted ancient Israel to have a representational republic with the leaders following Him through the words of His prophets but the people said give us a King. Nothing has changed. All the nations will demand their king and reap the consequences. The vast majority of the population of the world today is not ruled by a republic or a democracy and those people who think they are in a democracy are usually living under a great illusion. The whole world will soon choose a king the book of Revelation calls him the Beast.

Democracy – a flickering star?

In a survey of 24 countries by Pew Research Center, the nation that emerged as far and away first on Earth in the satisfaction of its people was China. No other nation even came close.

“Eighty-six percent of Chinese people surveyed said they were content with the country’s direction, up from 48 percent in 2002. … And 82 percent of Chinese were satisfied with their national economy, up from 52 percent,” said the Times.

Yet, China has a regime that punishes dissent, severely restricts freedom, persecutes Christians and all faiths that call for worship of a God higher than the state, brutally represses Tibetans and Uighurs, swamps their native lands with Han Chinese to bury their cultures and threatens Taiwan.

China is also a country where Maoist ideology has been replaced by a racial chauvinism and raw nationalism reminiscent of Italy and Germany in the 1930s. Yet, again, over 80 percent of all Chinese are content or even happy with the direction of the country. Two-thirds say the government is doing a good job in dealing with the issues of greatest concern to them.

And what nation is it whose people rank as third most satisfied?

Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Moscow is today more nationalistic, less democratic and more confrontational toward the West than it has been since before the fall of communism. Power is being consolidated, former Soviet republics are hearing dictatorial growls from Moscow, and a chill reminiscent of the Cold War is in the air.

Contrast, if you will, the contentment of Chinese and Russians with the dissatisfaction of Americans, only 23 percent of whom told the Pew poll they approved of the nation’s direction. Only one in five Americans said they were satisfied with the U.S. economy.

Other polls have found 82 percent of Americans saying the country is headed in the wrong direction, only 28 percent approving of President Bush’s performance and only half that saying they approve of the Congress. In Britain, France and Germany, only three in 10 expressed satisfaction with the direction of the nation.

Liberal democracy is in a bear market. Is it a systemic crisis, as well?

This report by Kuwait Times that two additional aircraft carrier groups are heading toward the gulf could be very important because the U.S. would insist on having four aircraft carrier groups in that area before it would give Israel any green light to strike Iran. The same is true if the U.S. decided to strike Iran itself.

If this report is true figure that it will take about a month to get all the ships in place and ready for action. So nothing will happen before early September but like I said before an attack in late September to early October makes more political sense than after the election if it looks like Obama might win. It should be very interesting that two additional carrier groups have been reported to be heading that way to fit the timing of a pre U.S. election strike.

When you actually see four carrier groups in the Gulf and Red Sea, it could mean a strike on Iran is imminent. The U.S. would not allow Israel to strike Iran without first having adequate air power in place.

‘2 US aircraft carriers headed for Gulf’ | Jerusalem Post

Two additional United States naval aircraft carriers are heading to the Gulf and the Red Sea, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Kuwait Times.

Kuwait began finalizing its “emergency war plan” on being told the vessels were bound for the region.

The US Navy would neither confirm nor deny that carriers were en route. US Fifth Fleet Combined Maritime Command located in Bahrain said it could not comment due to what a spokesman termed “force-protection policy.”

While the Kuwaiti daily did not name the ships it believed were heading for the Middle East, The Media Line’s defense analyst said they could be the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the USS Ronald Reagan.

Geoff Metcalf thinks we need to vote for the lessor of the two evils. He is correct that we cannot just throw a switch and return to constitutional government. Some people just do not live in reality. The liberals have been taking this country for a long time by incrementation. I guess constitutionalists will have to take back the country back little by little as well if that is possible. If not, I ask you what is the alternative outside of civil war and a break up of the Union?

When 50 percent of the people in the United States will vote for Obama, socialism and the amorality of the Democratic Party we are obviously a nation on the brink of change. So do Bible believing Christians attempt to hold high ground and try to fight another day by electing the lessor evil or do we just throw in the towel and let the party of Obama, Polosi and Reed totally control the country and change America into the Peoples Republic of Amerika?

After four years of those people in power there will be no going back because they will have changed the rules and free speech and free press will not exist. On the one hand, it is going to happen sooner or later anyway if our moral slide continues. On the other hand, voting for the lessor evil might give some people in the U.S. four years to regain their minds. That is choice to make this year.

Geoff Metcalf — Defending the Indefensible

By Geoff Metcalf

August 6, 2008

NewsWithViews.com

“Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.” –Thomas Henry Huxley

I was flooded with excoriating email in the wake of my suggestion we are compelled to accept the lesser of available evils and vote McCain.

It was bad enough I wrote it, and meant what I wrote, but various editors changed the original headline (‘Reluctantly Responsible’) to make my sins appear even more heinous.

Fans of Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin and Bob Barr all argue for ‘their’ guy being the solution to the cancer eating away at the GOP and the republic. If only that were true…

Many of the more abusive emails sounded a lot like reading Geoff Metcalf (circa ‘91/’98/’2000/and even 2004). I have been called a very comprehensive variety of nasty names and had my intelligence, insight, manhood and patriotism challenged.

I understand the vitriol and the frustration and the primary counter to my column. Frankly, I wrote much of the same during the Dole/Clinton election. I even quoted Aaron Tippin and Buddy Brock, “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything”

The republic has been eviscerated over time by chronic liberal incrementalism. It is politically impossible to restore the republic to a pre 1913 or pre 1865 condition with the flick of a light switch. Critics will attack me for endorsing ‘evil-lite’…and they are right. However, the incremental objectives should be to get evil-lite lighter and lighter.

Principles do matter. However, when faced with bad weather, bad terrain, superior enemy forces and inadequate logistics, it is not an abandonment of principle to change strategy and tactics.

Despite the flood of protestations to the contrary, MY principles are not compromised. MY beliefs are not abandoned, and MY recognition of the desperate need to restore the republic to the framers model as an imperative is not shaken.

However, reality cannot be ignored. Hate it, revile it, refute it, and make believe it ain’t so, but it WILL happen. Either John McCain or Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.

I also asked Novak how do you counter the apparent and ubiquitous media bias against almost any (real) Republican idea?

He said, “The problem is not that the media beats-up on the conservatives but that the conservatives are so weak-kneed and indecisive, retreating in short-order whenever someone turns on them.”

Marsha West put an article together on some on the latest Word-Faith cons from the same old con artists fleecing the same gullible people who never learn. A few samples of what they are doing are below but read the article. I wish Marsha would quit calling these people brothers though. If John Avanzini, Benny Hinn, and Kenneth Copeland and the rest of these predators are my brothers. I serve notice that I do not want to be where these despicable people are going.

One other thing, God is not going to take away your debt when you put yourself in debt and you put yourself in further debt by giving your money to hucksters like John Avanzini and the people who bring him to their venues to help rob you.

You people had better wise up or the only blessing your going to get is when your creditors come and take away everything you own and close your credit card accounts. You take money you do not have and cannot pay back (and thus rob) to support this white trash that is speaking blasphemy and robbing people and then you expect God to bless you?

Do you realized that if you did not support these con artist hucksters they would not exist and they would not now be robbing thousands of other poor Christian people. You therefore who fund them are in league with them and you enable them to keep their flam-flam-man show on the road and to rob other gullible sheeple. Do you really think God is going to bless you for this? Maybe its time for a spiritual reality check.

It does not take faith to give what you do not possess. It only takes a fool living in some presumption that God has to obey man’s commands.

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - Televangelists Snicker All The Way To the Bank

What I’m about to reveal illustrates the great lengths two false prophets have gone to to add to their own personal wealth.

In a recent article “God Bless Your Credit Card” [1] Rapport news describes what occurred in Johannesburg during televangelist Benny Hinn’s Miracle Crusade. Around 18,000 people went to the Coca-Cola Dome in Randburg to hear Hinn’s message of healing and miracles. What they heard was that God wants to make people rich. Pastor Todd Koontz, who accompanied Hinn, spoke about financial burdens. He told the receptive crowd that 500 audience members would receive “an exceptional blessing.” He said the service would “yield millionaires and billionaires within 24 hours.” The “exceptional blessing” rested on everyone donating up to $1,000. Here’s the catch. To motivate people to part with their money the blessing would be poured out for only two minutes. That’s right. Folks had only two minutes to receive God’s “exceptional blessing.” Credit-card machines were at the ready to accommodate those who were convinced that the “anointing” was flowing through to them.

Avanzini had a whole new doctrinal revelation to tell us about: the doctrine of reverse entrapment. If you’ve never heard of that before, that’s because God just showed it to him right there. Reverse entrapment is when you put a gift to Avanzoni [sic] on a credit card and outsmart the lenders who are trying to get rich off your debt. When you put a gift on a credit card, I quote, ‘something happens in the spirit world.’ Here he tells everyone how to have a credit card breakthrough. Turns out Avanzini has a way for you to get rid of your mortgage debt. All you have to do is to give him a gift the size of your house payment and God will see that your mortgage gets paid off right away. If you don’t have a house, $500 will do nicely for future debt. Avanzini assured us that it worked for him.

“Perhaps the man sensed a few hostile vibes from the audience (from our row in particular) because he warned us not to let the devil keep us back from getting free from debt by putting a gift for his ministry on our credit card. The credit card ‘invitation’ began as the keyboardist began to noodle around with some mood music. Then Avanzini warned everyone again not to let the devil keep us away. The people streamed down to the stage area and wrote out their credit card numbers and house payment gifts and left them at the expensively shod feet of the speaker. While the people came down to the front to divest themselves of their money, Avanzini appropriately chose to tell an Al Capone joke. I doubt if one other person in the house recognized the irony.

“Avanzini then prayed an igniting prayer over the stones everyone was clutching. Presumably, we still have to ignite our own with a credit card gift, but maybe his igniting prayer was considered the first step. The entire thing was an unspeakable tragedy. These men target the poor in particular because they are the ones desperate enough to need a ‘breakthrough.’ That is the evil in all of this. The rich aren’t stupid enough to give away their cash to the likes of Avanzini. It’s the poor and the needy, the hurting and the ill who desperately need help who are vulnerable to these sharks.”

Please join me in “believing” that false prophets like Benny Hinn, John Avanzini, Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland will be exposed as frauds and go flat broke.

The National Association of Evangelicals and the World Evangelical Alliance don’t speak for me or any church that I will attend. I don’t know why we Bible believers need anyone to represent us anyway they always get off track sooner or later. If any Pastor starts preaching the good points of Islam from the pulpit or tells me that Muslims worship the same God. I will walk out of that church and never return. Islam teaches that Allah has no son and their Jesus did not died on a cross at all and did not die for the sins of mankind. They claim to have the latest revelation from God through his prophet Muhammad. Islam is a replacement theology for Judaism and Christianity and it is a salvation by works theology. There can be no agreement between the Sons of God and the sons of darkness. Jesus claimed that no one comes to the Father except through Him and the Bible claims that anyone who denies the Son denies the Father who sent Him. Any so called leader that cannot grasp those facts should not be leading any association or alliance that claims to speak for Evangelical Christians. Why are these people still in leadership?

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - ARE EVANGELICAL PULPITS ABOUT TO PRAISE ISLAM?

Over 140 conference participants unanimously approved a cooperative statement that signaled a “new beginning of collaboration between Christians and Muslims” where stronger assertions of faith would be required. So the statement began by affirming the “unity and absoluteness of God” and God’s merciful love as central to both religions.

Wait a minute! Allah has merciful love? And Allah is central to both Christianity and Islam?

In attendance and in agreement, sadly, were both the head of the National Association of Evangelicals and the World Evangelical Alliance. Those two organizations represent most evangelicals in America. But both faiths pledged to spend one week a year sharing the good aspects about the other’s faith. Our pulpits are already lacking in sound gospel preaching! Now we must take one week each year to learn that Islam might really be “a religion of peace?” And that Christians and Muslims worship the same God?

It is eye opening to realize that 80 to 85% of pastors support keeping kids in our demented public education system. Now you know why the Southern Baptist convention will not take up the issue even though Bruce Shortt tried to bring it to the floor. Most Christians parents are not teaching their children Christianity anymore either they leave it up to their church to educate their Children and most churches are doing a terrible job at doing that. So the kids get very little Bible teaching except for going over the popular Bible Sunday School stories. The children are then bombarded with anti Christian postmodern brainwashing day after day in the public schools that attack religious doctrine. Then we wonder why we lose almost all the youth as soon as they go off on their own.

The author suggests that even if they pass a marriage constitution amendment in California this year that when the next generation grows up in 25 years it will be repealed. I suggest that it will not take anywhere near that long. The next generation will have all the votes they need in five years if the church can even get this amendment to the Constitution passed this year. People calling themselves Christians are almost as postmodern as their children and most do not know the bible, nor do they believe in Bible absolutes.

We are reaping the consequences of what started happening 50 years ago and unless someone evangelizes the lost “church” in America there will be no U.S.A. in a decade.

Dobson may have warned us 6 1/2 years ago but nobody did much about a movement to take kids out of public schools including Focus on the Family. Since 85 percent of the pastors are not even getting the message out about the public school problem we have today, you know as well as I do that the end of the downward slide is not going to happen. The days when children will rise up against parents to enforce world hate speech laws and religious pluralism are just about upon us (Matt 10:21, Matt12:13).

Christian Worldview Network - Brannon Howse - Dr. James Dobson Warned Us Six and Half Years Ago About Today

Bruce Shortt in his book the Harsh Truth about Public Schools says, “About 85% of Christian children attend government schools, but the message that Christian parents are obligated to provide a Christian education is seldom heard from the pulpit.”

With 80 to 85 percent of Christian children attending public schools and roughly the same number of pastors supportive of public education, it is easy to see why Focus is reluctant to criticize public schools. Times are tough for parachurch ministries, and with the struggling economy, giving may be hurt.

Focus must call for the removal of our precious children from public schools, especially in California. Perhaps this will spark a national exodus. The new school year is upon us. The time to act is now.

It’s time to heed Dr. Dobson’s prophetic words, and focus on your family education.

“Those who control what young people are taught, and what they experience-what they see, hear, think and believe-will determine the future course for the nation.”

(Children at Risk, p.27) James Dobsin