ONESIMUS FILES

Computer problems

2012-02-02T10:20:00.001+11:00

I've been having trouble accessing my blogs over the last few days. I can get to the dashboard area but I can't view the main blog pages.

I know very little about computer things so don't know how to resolve the situation. At the moment I'm playing around with a new wordpress blog - trying to find out how it all works and trying to get the kind of "look" I'm happy with.

I'd hate to leave blogger completely. I've found it easy to use and it has suited my blogging needs so far, but I'll have to wait and see how things work out.

Repent, While There is Still Time by Rick Frueh

2012-01-19T11:15:00.001+11:00

excerpt:

… the outward signs and manifestations of a religion that says it is Christian but reveals everything to the contrary, are all around us. In fact, if you cannot see the open disfigurement of the faith once delivered to the saints you are deceived as well. And these are not minor disagreements that are more fringe than core. These modern displays tear at the very fabric of what Jesus came to do and what the church is ordained to do and be. Again I say that the situation is so horrifying and treacherous, that in good conscience most of the evangelical religious expressions can no longer be called Christian.

Full article here
http://judahslion.blogspot.com/2012/01/repent-while-there-is-still-time-i-can.html#links

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Discernment Ministry?

2012-01-18T12:33:00.001+11:00

Today there are many websites claiming to be involved with “discernment ministry”. Their main objective seems to be the exposure of error. Some of these sites offer a valuable resource, informing readers of dangerous teachings and practices that are gaining acceptance in the church.

However some can’t seem to understand the difference between penetrating darkness with light and the mere highlighting of darkness. Those sites seem to be mostly interested in posting criticism and accusation with no balance of encouragement or genuine concern. How often do they pray for those they “expose”? Are they concerned for them or do they merely take delight in writing about dark things?

I recently visited one site and left an encouraging comment for the site owner giving the following advice:

“While it is good to warn about the things that are wrong, be aware that discernment is perhaps more about highlighting what is RIGHT.
It is LIGHT that penetrates the darkness. It is not enough to merely say how dark it is.”

That comment was answered with an accusation that I had “severe NAR* influences in [my] camp”. What was that accusation was based on? The fact that I link to the websites of Andrew Strom and Voice of the Martyrs in the sidebar of this blog (both guilty of false teaching in the view of the “discerning” website owner). However there was no evidence that they had bothered to read further on my blog to see what I personally believed.

When referring to a “discernment ministry”, may I suggest that we assess where their priorities lie? Do they show concern for those in error? What is the standard by which they determine who is in error? Do they go beyond the exposé and ultimately point people to the truth? What is the site's theological bias and how does that affect their understanding of error?

*NAR, New Apostolic Reformation, associated with C Peter Wagner - a group whose teachings, philosophies and practices I categorically reject.

Seeking and Finding.

2012-01-03T13:55:00.003+11:00

1 Chronicles 28:9
"..the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever."

Proverbs 8:17
"I love those who love me,
and those who seek me find me."

Matt 7:7-8
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Acts 17:26-28

"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him,"

The "Diabolical" Gospel I believe...

2011-12-23T11:03:00.001+11:00

This will be the last post I make to this blog for 2011. I’ll be away over the Christmas/New Year break. Unfortunately it ends on a sad note. Yesterday a comment was left on my blog that I found quite disturbing – making me wonder what some people actually think the gospel is about.

The anonymous commenter quoted something I’d said earlier:

Many make the error of thinking that all sin, past present and future is already dealt with, that it no longer matters.
Through the new birth we are given new, clean start in life, however we are not given immunity from the effects and penalty of future sin.
We are given a new clean start, and then by His Spirit we are given the means by which we are able to continue living a clean life as long as we walk according to His Spirit
And praise God He did not stop there - He made provision for additional cleansing (through confession) if we fall back into sin.

The commenter considers this to be a “diabolical appraisal of what ... constitutes salvation ”.

So:

Is it diabolical to consider that sin still matters to God?

Is it diabolical to see that God gives us a new and clean start to life through the new birth?

Is it diabolical to recognise that we are not immune to sin and its effects and that if we continue in sin there is a penalty to pay?

Is it diabolical to see that God has given His Holy Spirit to equip us to live a clean life as long as we walk in the Spirit?

Is it diabolical to see that God continues to forgive and cleanse us from sin and its effects when we confess our sin?

Again I really wonder what “gospel” some people are following.

Thank God for HIS truth and thank God for the gift of His Son and the salvation available only through Him.

What will you make of Christmas?

2011-12-22T16:16:00.000+11:00

This is what we can MAKE Christmas be about despite all of the negative things associated with its pagan origins.

False Christ

2011-12-16T10:34:00.000+11:00

Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear ...

Matthew 24

SOS: Security Of Salvation

2011-12-15T09:45:00.000+11:00

A topic that often leads to arguments is the idea of OSAS (once saved always saved). It’s an idea that many passionately defend while others are equally passionate to refute.

Unfortunately many are introduced to Jesus through a “gospel” of easy believism and when we add OSAS to that mix a foundation of false security can be created.

While many adherents to the OSAS are NOT victims of easy believism, I think it is wise to recognise that easy believism more often than not promotes OSAS as part of its salvation package.

Could it be time become clearer on this issue to help break the false security that comes with a diluted gospel?
I propose a new outlook: IHAS or "In Him Assuredly Saved". While not quite as catchy as OSAS, I think it better portrays the reality.

We should be clear that we don't obtain guaranteed eternal salvation by saying a "sinner's prayer", or by inviting Jesus into our heart - and then going back to old ways and never giving Jesus another thought.

The security of salvation is found in Him and only in Him.
As we remain in Him our salvation is assured.

Can Good Fruit Come From Bad Seed?

2011-11-23T11:48:00.000+11:00

Just a little (very quick) research I did as part of a discussion on a Christian forum. Chiropractic seems to have become one of those widely accepted therapeutic practices that even Christians have no problem with.
But should we so easily accept its legitimacy and submit ourselves to it? I first had concerns about this in the mid-80s when I become interested in the widening influence of new age thought within the church.

In general reading about alternative therapies compatible with the “new age movement” I came across information about the origins of chiropractic.
I no longer have that 25 year old reference material, but in response to the forum discussion I took a look at Wikipedia and found the following information.

Daniel David Palmer or D.D. Palmer (March 7, 1845 – October 20, 1913) was the founder of chiropractic. Palmer was born in Pickering, near Toronto, Canada. While working as a magnetic healer in Davenport, Iowa, United States he encountered a janitor, Harvey Lillard, whose hearing was impaired. It was reported Palmer successfully restored the man's hearing. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer

Palmer founded a school based on his work that would become the Palmer School of Chiropractic in 1897. He regarded chiropractic as partly religious in nature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer

D.D. Palmer was a man with subjective and personal religious beliefs. As an active spiritist, he said he "received chiropractic from the other world" from a deceased medical physician named Dr. Jim Atkinson. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_David_Palmer#Palmer.27s_fundamental_idea

D.D. Palmer founded chiropractic in the 1890s, and his son B.J. Palmer helped to expand it in the early 20th century. It has two main groups: "straights", now the minority, emphasize vitalism, innate intelligence and spinal adjustments, and consider vertebral subluxations to be the cause of all disease; "mixers", the majority, are more open to mainstream views and conventional medical techniques, such as exercise, massage, and ice therapy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic

Vitalism has a long history in medical philosophies: most traditional healing practices posited that disease results from some imbalance in the vital energies that distinguish living from non-living matter. In the Western tradition founded by Hippocrates, these vital forces were associated with the four temperaments and humours; Eastern traditions posited similar forces such as qi and prana. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitalism

Many involved with present day chiropractic try to distance themselves from the origins of their practice. But can anything good emerge from such a false foundation? Can good fruit be produced by bad seed?

The divine "Mr Potato Head"?

2011-11-22T12:56:00.000+11:00

I often wonder whether people are really interested in the truth about God. It seems we would rather create our own God with a form and nature that WE find suitable.

It makes me think about Mr Potato Head, a plastic toy with interchangeable parts that can be used to create a “person” with facial characteristics of our own choosing.

Instead of selecting from a choice of different facial features, we can choose from a selection of scripture verses to build our own preferred image of God. But just like the toys, we don’t need to stick with the basic package of original parts. We are also offered supplementary features through countless extra-biblical texts and teachings. There are accessories we can add to “improve” our chosen Divine image – until all authenticity has been either replaced or obscured.

Maybe we would benefit significantly from time spent reassessing our motives and desires. Do we genuinely want GOD’s Truth; do we want GOD as HE really is? – Or do we want to follow a "plastic" God we have created for ourselves?

It’s (Past) Time for a Charismatic Reformation, by Lee Grady.

2011-11-03T09:29:00.005+11:00

There are some good points made in this article:

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/32228-its-past-time-for-a-charismatic-reformation

Regarding recent events I’d like to highlight part of Grady's 14th point:

“Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms.”

So many times people accept no accountability when words of "prophecy" fail. They do their best to sweep the failure under the carpet and hope it goes away without being noticed so they can move onto the next "prophetic" claim.

If it doesn't go away, all kinds of excuses will be made - or clarifications given - to explain why the word actually did come true (even if evidence shows otherwise) or why the outcome of the word was averted through intercession - and we could probably add a variety of other ways the prophet tries to cover their tracks.

How many prophecies of significant events have been made that have been proven to be false when the event did not happen? Have those "prophets" shown contrition and demonstrated repentance?

Or have they tried some way of justifying themselves and their predictions?

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Thoughts on How God's Judgement is Working Today.

2011-10-14T11:29:00.001+11:00

Does God judge nations and cities through sending disaster as was recently [falsely] predicted for Christchurch?

In scripture he tended to leave nations alone UNLESS they mistreated Israel*. I see the same thing indicated in end time prophecy. It is mistreatment of His people (church and Israel) that brings about His end time outpouring of wrath.

Romans 1 and 2 give a graphic view of how God judges sin in the present day. He gives people over to their sin so they "stor[e] up wrath ...for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgement will be revealed."

That is a very sobering passage of scripture as well as enlightening regarding the nature of God's judgement today (more subtle than blasting cities).

Those He loves He chastens - how tragic for those He ceases chastening and hands over to the "sinful desires of their heart". THAT is the most terrible judgement we could receive prior to that day of His wrath.

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* Israel has a unique position, being the only nation with whom God made a covenant with promises of blessing for obedience and curses for disobedience.
Blessing and cursing of other nations was stated as being conditional upon their treatment of the nation God promised from among Abraham's descendants. (Gen 12)

Prophetic or Pathetic Ministry?

2011-10-07T13:16:00.000+11:00

An article by Fred London:

So many of our prophetic words, dreams and visions are delivered with impunity, sort of "hit and run" tactics, with no sense of responsibility to the word or the people to which it is directed.. This lack of personal accountability to these “words” gives rise to ministerial malpractice. This ever- growing phenomenon must be called to account and be addressed for the sake of discernment and accurately knowing the Mind of Christ. With the myriads of prophetic words, dreams and visions posted on various websites, it is high time to examine these so-called “prophetic words” which are quickly compiling a track record of being scripturally unsound, or a “one size fits all” form of soothsaying, rarely coming to pass. “For God is not a God of confusion,” offering scores of contradictory “words,” heavy on power and blessing, and lacking in “Christ and Him crucified.”

Employing the Old Testament criteria for judging true prophets and their words would result in greatly reducing all of this free-wheeling prophetic hype we are currently being inundated with. In truth, it would almost be comical if it weren't so tragic. Not everyone who calls themselves a prophet, is a prophet. Based upon Scripture, it is therefore incumbent upon us to hold these messengers accountable and examine their words carefully, now more than ever. A line by line exhortation of Jeremiah 23 might work wonders in helping to eradicate the artificial and misappropriated prophetic words so commonplace in our day. It has become arguably a scourge of epidemic proportions, of the “prophetic word” made cheap. These things ought not to be.

Can the explanation for this ongoing “Mars Hill” prophetic circus, which continues to grow in popularity, be attributable to a true lack of the fear of God, an over active sense of self-importance or need to garner attention, and a lack of discernment by many who receive these words? Is it worth the risk of being found naked before God and men? You be the judge! Sooner or later, someone in the crowd will speak up and declare what should have been obvious to the multitude. “The king isn’t wearing any clothes!” Going along with the crowd in order to gain tacit approval or knuckling under to peer pressure simply will not fly. There is no escaping personal responsibility as it always comes down to, “Who do YOU say that I am?”

Here is an analogy. Terrorists are cowards at heart; bomb throwers, who use hit and run tactics, who avoid facing their targets directly, do not discriminate between combatants and innocents, and don't consider themselves accountable for their actions. This is what much of the so-called “prophetic ministry” has become, in word and practice. But, it is even more than that. It is a character issue. It is an integrity issue. It is a heart issue. It is time to come to grips with this matter. It is time to clean house. It is time to repent. It is time to treat this ministry as holy before the Lord.

Are we jealous enough to desire to see the reality and purity of the Lord’s testimony? It would serve us well to be restored to a healthy fear lest we “speak that which the Lord has not spoken.” What would be the result? It is quite likely that today’s glut of “prophetic words” would be significantly reduced and its scarcity would once again cause it be restored to its rightful preciousness. What should it be worth to us? No less than everything!

Fred London

Time to STOP!!!

2011-10-05T12:30:00.000+11:00

It is time to stop playing “prophetic” pass-the parcel and exchanging “prophecies” like trading cards and to start giving the prophetic word the seriousness it requires.

We can't continue to take such a casual attitude to prophecy, indiscriminately promoting and passing on everything we come across that is claimed to be a word from the Lord.

As scripture says don’t despise prophecy but test all things. Unfortunately the lack of testing has led to TRUE prophecy being despised.

Reliable Prophecy

2011-10-05T09:49:00.001+11:00

I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Christchurch "Prophecy" the aftermath.

2011-09-30T13:53:00.003+10:00

The deadline for the predicted Christchurch disaster has passed without the promised destruction.

Reports from Christchurch reveal that many stayed away from work and left the city for the day. Many school students didn’t attend class. Many were in fear of what could happen on the day.
Remember, this is a city that suffered terrible destruction and loss of life at the beginning of the year; where constant aftershocks are a reminder of what happened. Most citizens suffered personal loss or at least know someone close who did.

What has happened since the failure of the “prophesied” destruction on the 28th?

1) Some have taken the predicted route and claim credit for their intercession averting the disaster.
2) Others continue as if the failure presents no real problem and they stick with their view that Christchurch is due for another disastrous “shaking”, that only the timing was wrong
3) Some (praise God) have confessed to their error and are seeking God, genuinely repentant for their involvement.

One factor that clearly helped the Christchurch prediction to be circulated as “prophecy” was the preconceived idea that God intended to judge Christchurch, or at least the “disobedient church” in Christchurch.
Were these expectations being voiced PRIOR to the two major quakes, the second of which led to massive loss of life? Or were these “prophetic” voices informed BY the two quakes – Prophetic “insight” AFTER the fact? Is this why so many latched onto the false 28 September prediction? They saw it as a validation of their own alleged prophetic insight?

I know of some who publicised the 28th prediction but expressed doubts about the dating; accepting the rest of the "word" because of a conviction that God WILL “shake Christchurch” again – not as a judgement on the city but as a judgement on the church!

Is that the way God acts? To cause death and massive destruction among unbelievers to punish disobedient believers?

Do we kick the dog to punish the cat that has torn the curtains? Maybe we do – but would a God of justice do that?

Sept 28 Christchurch Prophecy

2011-09-28T15:54:00.002+10:00

One of the most maligned spiritual gifts is prophecy. It is either dismissed as being obsolete or it is approached so casually that it is not surprising many people have convinced themselves that it is obsolete.

An example of how little REAL respect is given to prophecy is being demonstrated as I write. A prediction has been made of yet another catastrophe in Christchurch New Zealand. That city seems to draw attention from a sector of the “church” which delights in the idea of God pouring out His wrath on other people. Christchurch seems to be a favourite target for a few reasons. It has already been the victim of disaster and its name makes it a handy metaphor for those critical of the state of the church. Put the two together and we have God showing His displeasure with Christ’s church.

The current prediction has been very specific – giving today as the day when terrible things will happen again to the city. It has had a polarising effect within the Christian community. Some reject it out of hand because they reject the validity of all present day prophecy. Others have embraced it without question, appearing to take delight in the idea of God’s judgement being demonstrated against others.

I take a different view. I am totally accepting of the validity of prophecy today but I strongly reject this particular prediction. I find nothing in it to indicate it is a true prophetic word.

Yesterday, 27th September, I resigned from my role as the moderator of a Christian forum because of the way this prediction was being addressed. As a result I have been asked not to contribute to that forum for three months.

It is clear that the forum owner accepts the validity of the prophecy in part. The only aspect that troubles him is the dating of the predicted disaster. A few other members have been more supportive, accepting all of it as a true message from God. They expect disaster to strike Christchurch today. Maybe even more disturbing than this expectation is the impression that they won’t even have their certainty shaken when the predicted event fails to happen. They will merely latch onto the next “word of prophecy” and run with that one until it also fails.

These people are more than willing to see Christchurch take the brunt of God’s wrath because of the state of the church (as they see it) and yet they are blind to the fact that THEY are no less disobedient, wilful and misled. They are no less guilty of error and stubbornness –all demonstrated by their refusal to test the “prophecy” according to God given, scriptural principals.

Prophecy is something that we can not afford to take lightly. We can not be casual with it. In the Old Testament false prophets were given no leeway. According to God’s instructions, they got it right – or they lost their lives.

Today false prophets are not faced with stoning. Some may see this as God’s mercy at work. I see it slightly differently. Maybe the Old Testament way was more merciful – it made people more aware of the seriousness of saying “God said” when God had said nothing of the kind. Maybe the freedom for “prophets” to speak without immediate consequences is itself a judgement on the church, separating the wheat from the chaff, separating those with a love and desire for the the truth from those who prefer baseless sensation.

There are still several more hours of the 28th (NZ time) to go. As yet I’ve heard no news of destruction in Christchurch. I’ll stick my neck out a little right now and say the rest of the day will pass with a similar absence of news, and then tomorrow the excuses, self-justification and back tracking will begin: anything to avoid accountability for the lies that have been promoted and supported.

Could You Become False Prophet or Teacher?

2011-09-21T10:06:00.001+10:00

False teachers/prophets start somewhere.
I’m not sure that total non-believers decide that preaching is the best way to fame and fortune and start up their own ministry.

Their journey starts with them being led into error. They start off deceived and later become a deceiver through the encouragement they receive, firstly from those they respect and admire and later from the followers they accumulate. They become motivated and led by the praise of man instead of testing their way by the word of God.

One of the clearest indications that someone has become a false prophet/teacher is their refusal to face their mistakes and failed predictions with REPENTANCE. Instead they will either make excuses or they will ignore and refuse to acknowledge their error.

All of us at one time or another can make mistakes – the thing that separates the mistake from the false is the action taken when the error is made evident.

Repentance or cover-up?

If we take the “cover-up” or denial path we are taking our first steps along a very dangerous route where we will not only be held accountable for ourselves, but also for the damage done to others.

Day 3 part 2

2011-09-12T15:51:00.000+10:00

"Cross words"

2011-09-12T09:31:00.002+10:00

Paintings by Gloria, the words of Jesus on the cross:

Individually:

Those who are exceptionally observant may notice differences between the red Eloi painting here and the one illustrated on an earlier post. Gloria painted a new version of this painting to complete this series and sent the original to a highly valued friend.

Gethsemane

2011-08-16T08:02:00.000+10:00

Believe!

2011-08-08T10:38:00.003+10:00

Vessel of Honour

2011-08-02T10:22:00.001+10:00

IONA - no longer recommended.

2011-08-01T14:39:00.003+10:00

Impulsive and disappointed – two words accurately describing a recent CD purchase. Impulsive because I quickly included a link on my blog to recommend the music of a group called Iona: a recommendation based on past experience. I had three of their older CDs and had never been able to find any more. Last week I found their website and saw they had many more albums available for purchase through the site.

I quickly ordered their newest album. It arrived last Friday.

A very brief look at the accompanying booklet started alarm bells ringing – and listening to the first CD (the album is a double) my mood sank further. Their songs have been influenced by the extreme charismanic-“prophetic” teachings of people like Rick Joyner (quoted as an influence of at least one of their songs) and the Bethel Church of Bill Johnson (both strong supporters of disgraced Lakeland “Revival” figurehead Todd Bentley).
Their lyrics include references to “portals” – an idea that in certain places on earth the fabric separating heaven and earth is thinner than in other locations and therefore encounters with God are more likely in those locations. It is an idea from occultism that has been appropriated by a certain section of the “christian” community, an idea that has absolutely no biblical foundation.

Previously Iona had been a group I enjoyed a lot. Their use of traditional Irish instruments and other traditional music influences made them stand apart among Christian groups. I love traditional music and instruments and so few Christian musicians use them. However, their demonstrated sympathy for false doctrines with occult origins means their songs, influenced by those doctrines, are severely tainted.

I have now deleted the link from my blog.

From the Cross

2011-07-25T10:38:00.004+10:00

In earlier posts I've shared some scripture related artworks, some done by myself and others done by my friend Chris.

Now my wife has put paint to canvas. This is the first she did. She is now painting a series based on Jesus' words from the cross.

And a work in progress (to be replaced by completed painting when ready)

Painting Pentecost

2011-07-19T08:33:00.003+10:00

Christian Witness from a Masterchef.

2011-07-15T11:09:00.004+10:00

Sorry Tim Costello and Bill Crews (Baptist “ministers”) if the report at the following link is correct you have exposed yourselves as counterfeits.

Unlike Masterchef contestant Kate Bracks who stood her ground and refused to acknowledge the Dalai Llama as “Your Holiness”.

Kate has been a family favourite on the show since we found she was almost a local (from Orange NSW) – this revelation of her Christian faith makes her doubly a favourite.

We'll be praying for you Kate, and if you win Masterchef we'll definitely be buying your cookbook.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/a-dalai-lama-dilemma-in-masterchef-recipe/story-e6frewz0-1226094947126

Sound Doctrine: A Biblical Imperative

2011-07-12T15:09:00.002+10:00

Sound Doctrine: A Biblical Imperative
by Fred London

We have all heard at one time or another the declaration from a fellow believer, “I don’t get into doctrine!” This is usually taken to mean that doctrine is relatively unimportant when compared to the pursuit of unity within the Body of Christ. On the surface this has the appearance of legitimate spirituality, a God-given mandate beyond dispute. But, are we commanded to have unity at all costs, even at the expense of sound doctrine? Is the depreciation of sound doctrine acceptable in the light of God’s word?

Let us be clear at the outset that we are not speaking of relatively minor doctrinal points; issues over which true men of God have disagreed for centuries, and to our shame have provided the basis for the various denominations which now exist. Nor are we speaking of such issues on a par with hair length which Paul addressed in I Corinthians, Chapter 11, and yet after making his case was unwilling to split a church over it. It is not the minor points that concern us here. It is not legalism that we are embracing. It is the apprehension of the Mind of Christ, a fuller and more accurate expression of His thoughts and His ways in accordance with His purposes.

Likewise, there is the concern that an excessive desire for unity in the Church has taken on subtle forms characteristic of ecumenicalism, while others have elevated spiritual experience over Scriptural basis. Therefore, it is worth taking a closer look at God’s thought on this matter because the Scriptural fact is, doctrine does matter, and first and foremost, it matters to God.

As one man has argued, “It is better to be divided by truth than united in error.” Paul had this to say to the Corinthians, “For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you” (I Cor. 11:19). Yes, contrary to popular belief, there actually can be divisions according to the will of God. We are continually reminded of Jesus’ words, “that they may be one, just as we are one” (John 17:22b).

However, what is generally overlooked is the critical phrase, “just as We are one.” Our oneness is predicated upon the same characteristics of oneness as the Father and the Son. In fact, the entire passage which envelopes the preceding phrase speaks of a relationship based upon truth and love, for both ingredients are inseparable. That is why Paul wrote, we are to “speak the truth in love.” And that is why Jesus prayed to the Father to “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth; And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.”

The familiar saying, “You are what you eat,” is consistent with Scripture. Since, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he,” and, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks,” then what we consume doctrinally will have a direct impact upon who and what we are and in how we express what we believe.

What is meant by sound doctrine? We know that doctrine refers to teaching. It is the term, “sound,” that is so critical to our understanding. In this context, “sound,” means to be healthy, free from defect, damage, or decay, safe, stable. This definition is also indicative of the fruits of sound doctrine. Peter expressed it in this way; “like newborn babes, long for the pure (unadulterated) milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (I Pet. 2:2). The writer to the Hebrews exhorted them to “not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace...” (Heb. 13:9a).

Paul admonished us that we “should no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine... but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ” (Eph. 4:14a, 15). Paul went so far as to say to the Galatians, “... if any man should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:9). Try telling Paul that doctrine doesn’t matter.

What is the hallmark of sound doctrine? Paul wrote to the Corinthians that the essence and sum total of his teaching all boiled down to this; “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Is this overly simplistic? No, it is the beginning and the end of all doctrinal truth, for “He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” and, “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.” That is why what is commonly referred to as The Book of Revelation should more accurately be referred to as The Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is more than just a prophetically oriented book of futuristic events, but rather a book which for many of us redefines what prophecy in reality should be.

In fact, God has revealed in this very book His definition of prophecy where he says, “for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev. 19:10c). God furthermore reveals to us that His Son’s name is called “The Word of God” (Rev. 19:13b). And if this be so, it is incumbent upon us, and in particular teachers of the word, to “handle accurately the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15b). We therefore need to be very clear on this point, that an accurate representation of Christ cannot be apprehended apart from the promulgation of sound doctrine.

Make no mistake, God expresses grief and anger when we misrepresent His Son and His purposes as is so often cited in His word. This is not in reference to the innocent trespass of a lack of understanding due to the reality of “looking through a glass darkly,” but rather due to impure motives of the heart. The Old Testament not only speaks of severe judgment upon false prophets, but also placed equal culpability upon those who would hearken to them. The New Testament also warns of false prophets and teachers. Even genuine believers are told, “Let not many of you become teachers..., knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (Jas. 3:1). Why this sober warning? Because doctrine does matter.

However, in the New Testament the majority of warnings are to the hearer as opposed to those of the perpetrator, for since we have access to the Spirit of truth, we are ultimately without excuse. Paul forewarns, “for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate to themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths” (II Tim. 4:3-4).
And again, Timothy is exhorted to “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me...” (II Tim. 1:13a). “But the spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,... In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following "(I Tim. 4:1, 6).

Furthermore, one of the chief qualifications for leadership in the Church is that of a man, “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). One of the strongest forewarnings is given by Peter when he declares, “but false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies..., And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words” (II Pet. 2:1-3a).

Do you see the common thread of culpability among the hearers? Phrases as, “but wanting to have their ears tickled, teachers in accordance to their own desires,” and, “will follow their sensuality". Deception begins with an act of the will, and as such, it is we who allow ourselves to be enticed by teachers and teachings who appeal to our flesh and soul, and not to our spirit.

What is deceptive is the subtleties by which we are ensnared. There does seem to be common ingredients contained within much of our popular, but spiritually tainted teaching of our day. If we look very closely, we would be able to detect one or all of these characteristics spelled out by John in his first letter, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (I John 2:16).

If we were to apply this litmus test to what we hear, we would soon come to discover what large amounts of doctrinal leaven are hidden within so much of our present-day teachings. Paul expressed the same concern in the strongest of terms and defined false teaching in similar fashion when he wrote, “for many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Phil. 3:18-19).

There is no clearer evidence as to Christ’s own zeal for sound doctrine as is revealed in this strong admonition to the Church in Pergamum; “but I have a few things against you, because you have their some who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality. Thus you also have some who in the same way hold to the teaching of the Nicolatians. Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and will make war against them with the sword of My mouth” (Rev. 2:14-16).

Christ is quite jealous in regard to His testimony, and especially towards those who presume to speak on His behalf. Sound doctrine is imperative because it is the primary vehicle through which Christ is revealed to us and how He is represented to the world. God longs for us to see His Son as he truly is, and that we might manifest the true Christ, and not another, that we might preach the true Christ, and not another.

Jesus asked Peter this question, “Who do men say that the Son of Man is?” It is as apparent now as it was then that men perceive and represent Him as being many things. The real question for us is the follow-up question asked of Peter, “But who do you say that I am?” The correct response compelled Jesus to reply, “Blessed are you...”
　　
Fred London

Important Lessons Learned

2011-07-11T15:18:00.002+10:00

Some very important things I have learned:

Don't to rely too much on man's teachings and don't put too much trust in man's testimony.

No matter how "right" man's words may seem, no matter how appealing they may be, no matter how much they make sense, no matter how well they may "work":

Test all things.

Search the scriptures.

Trust God and His word not man and his word.

Art Evangelism

2011-06-30T09:31:00.007+10:00

My friend Chris paints scripture. He is the one who encouraged me to start doing do the same.

He believes that scripture in art can access places and reach people where scripture would not normally be read. His paintings are displayed in doctors’ surgeries, hospitals, shops and in private homes.

He is the one who introduced me to the art of Colin McCahon .

These are examples of Chris’s work.

In the Beginning

2011-06-29T08:14:00.003+10:00

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said...

Broken Body Shed Blood

2011-06-24T09:38:00.005+10:00

The photo above was taken with a flash. The following was taken in natural light.

Déjà vu all over again!

2011-06-21T09:35:00.001+10:00

One thing that is continually being made clear is how often people will take a brief excerpt of scripture, interpret it, and base their theological understanding on their interpretation of that brief excerpt.

Will some people ever recognise that scripture is not a collection of isolated sound-bites of truth that can be applied according to whim?
Will they ever recognise that we need all of scripture and we need to look at the overall picture instead of trying to know God through isolated verses?

Yes, this is another rant about context.

Blindness to context is one of the major factors contributing to false doctrine and false teaching in the church today.

VICTORY OVER DEATH 2

2011-06-14T09:29:00.005+10:00

Yesterday I saw the most powerful artwork I’ve ever seen: Colin McCahon’s “Victory Over Death 2”.

I was at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra and I lost interest in everything else I saw after it. It left me trembling and too emotional to speak.

It was painted on a huge loose canvas. The words “I AM” dominated the work, and portions of bible verses are scrawled on various panels of the canvas.

When I got home I had a quick look at some articles about McCahon that I downloaded from the internet. I read that the painting had been given to Australia by the New Zealand government and that the Australian press had treated the gift with derision and mockery.
An article included a copy of a cartoon mocking the painting’s “I AM” statement.

I confess that after seeing that cartoon I felt like a third Boanerges, wanting to call down fire from heaven in judgement.

____________

Information about the painting can be found here:

http://artsearch.nga.gov.au/Detail.cfm?IRN=57282

An image of the painting can be found here:

http://www.mccahon.co.nz/cm001502

Refined not Redefined

2011-06-08T10:33:00.005+10:00

Two of the proof texts favoured by the promoters of replacement theology are:

Rom 2: 28-29 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit

And

Rom 9: 6-8 For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

But to use those texts as support for their theology, the replacement promoters need to totally ignore the clear context of their proof texts.

Regarding Romans 2:28.

Go back several verses and you will read in verse 17:

“ Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God…”

It is specifically addressed to Jews who were trusting in their blood heritage and their relationship to the law. Paul was saying their heritage was not enough. It was not addressing gentiles and saying they have been made Jews through "circumcision of the heart". It was addressing Jews, saying that MORE than heredity and law observance were needed to be part of God’s people. An inward change worked by the Spirit is necessary.

Regarding Romans 9.

When Paul writes “not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” He is referring to a faithful remnant of the descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

The statement is excluding SOME of those descended from Israel - it is NOT a statement intended to include others who are not descended from Israel.

It is not a statement that redefines what Israel means. It is a statement that refines what Israel means.

It does not shift the identity of Israel from one group to another - it narrows down the identity of Israel from a wider inclusive ethnic group to a smaller specific section of that wider group.

It pinpoints the faithful remnant AMONG the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not transferring attention outside of those descendants.

It's like saying that not all born into a Christian family are Christian - only those who have their own faith in Jesus.

Israel the nation wiped off the map: what would it mean?

2011-06-06T13:00:00.003+10:00

On a forum I frequent someone asked:

“Lets say hypothetically Israel the nation was wiped of the map. What would that mean to everyone?”

This is my answer to that question:

It should mean nothing to those who look to the truth of God's word instead of to the world's political map.

Israel as nation WAS wiped off the map for almost 2000 years - and was restored in 1948.

Their long absence from the map is one of the reasons for the creation of replacement theology. With Israel gone, the church needed to give meaning to the many scriptural promises made to Israel, so they assumed that the church had replaced Israel in God's plans.

They overlooked the clearest meaning that Israel's existence did not depend on man's political "realities", but on God's promise. And HIS promises are kept and fulfilled according to HIS timing.

So even if the present day political nation of Israel is wiped off the map again, it would merely mean that Israel will be restored to the land again at some future point in accordance with the prophetic promises given by God.

We should not confuse today's political nation of Israel with the Israel of God. God's Israel takes into account people descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob no matter where they live. Despite the creation of the nation state, the majority of Israel remains in exile. One day that exile will end and God's Israel will be totally returned to the land He promised them and they AS A COMPLETE NATION will recognise their Messiah, Jesus and will enter the new covenant through faith in Him.

A Radical Step to Church Transformation.

2011-06-02T11:38:00.015+10:00

Five Steps to Transform Your Church in Seven Months, Guaranteed

Interesting suggestions from Dan at Cerulean Sanctum.

Article here:

Five Steps to Transform Your Church

.

Are Gentile believers in Jesus “spiritual Jews” or “spiritual Israel”

2011-05-26T11:04:00.003+10:00

Are Gentile believers in Jesus “spiritual Jews” or "spiritual Israel"?

Here is a link to an excellent article looking at this question.

http://dailyminyan.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/are-christiansgentile-believers-spiritual-jews-or-israelites-part-i/

Recent David Pawson Sermons

2011-05-19T16:15:00.003+10:00

Some more David Pawson sermons can be found here:

The Uniqueness of Christ

See also:

Israel and the Church

They were recorded at IHOP over the last few days (with some still to come). The links may contain sermons by other preachers who I do not know and therefore cannot recommend.
But I have confidence in David Pawson's teaching.

Posts regarding David Pawson are the most viewed on this blog. Next are some about the Arminianism/Calvinism debate. Those with an interest in the latter may find the two part sermon entitled "Grace: Saving, Sovereign, or Free?" interesting. It can be found through the "Uniqueness of Christ" link.

Thanks to Kevin Jackson for telling me about these.

The LORD is One !

2011-05-06T11:07:00.003+10:00

In the quote below, Jesus prays for unity in the church – just as there is unity between Him and the Father.

John 17:10-12 (English Standard Version)

10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

Is Jesus praying to Himself asking for His followers to lose their individual identity and existence – to become one being with many names?

Certainly not!

This prayer reveals God in unity, not God in singularity.

It reveals a God in relationship (here between Father and Son), not a God in isolation, not a single God with multiple identities.

Obama and Osama: Conspiracy or the Gospel?

2011-05-03T13:31:00.004+10:00

The last few days have really got the conspiracy-mongers buzzing.

A Royal wedding (did you know William is the antichrist?)

The release of Obama’s birth certificate which proves he’s a natural born Kenyan (despite revealing he was born in Hawaii).

And the death of Bin Laden (who was killed years ago but the US Govt had reasons to keep that quiet until now).
Of course the Sept 11 attacks that Bin Laden was accused of masterminding were really an inside job authorised by George W Bush so he could erode American freedoms.

The disturbing thing is not that these claims are being made – there will always be weird people with even weirder agenda’s to push – the disturbing thing is that these wild conspiracies are being picked up and distributed by “Christians” on Christian websites and forums.

Standing apart from all of this ridiculous distraction; addressing what is REALLY important in relation to Bin Laden’s death, is an article at this link:

Muslims Still Need Jesus

http://arminiantoday.blogspot.com/2011/05/muslims-still-need-jesus.html

Another Gospel: David Wilkerson

2011-04-29T10:16:00.006+10:00

A powerful sermon preached by David Wilkerson on a visit to Australia:

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=14354

.

David Wilkerson May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011

2011-04-28T14:34:00.005+10:00

The Cross and the Switchblade was one of the first Christian books I read as a teenager. It gave me a view of Christian life and ministry far different to anything I’d known before.

As a result of that book and the story it told, David Wilkerson became a genuine Christian celebrity – but he didn’t seem to be seduced by the trappings of celebrity and unlike so many of today’s preachers he didn’t water down his message.

Sadly he has been killed in a car accident in Texas.

More details can be found here:

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2011/April/Rev-David-Wilkerson-Killed-in-TX-Car-Crash/

A memorial service will be streamed live by the Times Square Church he established. Details will be posted on the Time Square Church website.

http://www.tscnyc.org/

"Jesus Christians"

2011-04-13T09:38:00.001+10:00

There has been an interesting development. The people I have mentioned in my previous two posts have been exposed as being part of the same religious group.

Previously any suggestion that they were in any way connected had been deflected with mocking references to “conspiracies”.

They are a group who live in community. New members are required to sell their possessions and hand the proceeds over to the community. (Hence their means of support without paid work).

They promote the belief that Jesus alone is “the Word of God” and that while scripture is inspired it can be fallible. Therefore they can promote their interpretation of Jesus teaching without reference to anything else in scripture.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Christians

Words of Jesus vs. The New Testament

2011-04-12T08:50:00.000+10:00

A situation mentioned in my previous post continues. Several extreme doctrines are being promoted by a few newcomers on a forum I frequent. They dismiss scriptural evidence against their ideas because they have a very selective approach to scripture. They see “the words of Jesus” as having more authority than the rest of scripture.

The thing that is being missed is that we don’t have “the words of Jesus”. We have the scriptures which contain reports of a small sample of what Jesus taught. The people giving those reports were either witnesses themselves or they compiled reports from others who were witnesses.

If we take the parts of Jesus’ teaching that are reported as part of scripture and remove them from the context of the rest of scripture we are highly prone to misinterpreting and misapplying those teachings.

If "Jesus words" were more important than the rest of scripture then God could very easily have given us books of His sayings and teachings alone, instead of giving us four gospels, an account of the early church, several letters and a book of prophecy.
But He chose to reveal Himself and His purposes through latter.

Work and Words.

2011-03-25T16:26:00.002+11:00

One of the interesting things about Christian forums is that they can give exposure to all kinds of weird and not so wonderful beliefs that are being paraded in the name of Christ. They give a picture of what is happening outside of our familiar Christian environment.

It’s not surprising that Jesus warned that many deceivers would come in His name.

The latest thing to hit a forum that I frequent is the claim that working for money (that is, working to earn a living), is evil.
Paul’s insistence that he who doesn’t work should not eat is seen to be contrary to Jesus’ alleged teaching on the matter. Also the fact that Paul worked as a tentmaker is seen as weakness displayed by Paul.

These people* support their view by saying that Jesus’ words should take priority over any of Paul’s words. That is: the parts of scripture that record Jesus sayings are more reliable than the parts of scripture expressing Paul’s teaching.

Further to this it seems that some of these people are promoting the idea that the “mark of the beast” from Revelation relates to money – that those who work for money are in more danger of taking the mark of the beast.

I’m not sure how these people are supported, where their food and clothing comes from. They won’t say. They merely say “the Lord provides”.

It seems to me that scripture isn’t so reticent to say how God provided. Scripture tells of manna and quails in the wilderness, ravens feeding a prophet. It tells of a never ending supply of oil feeding a prophet and a widow. And there is Jesus feeding 5000 and 4000 people with a few loaves and fish.

The most dangerous thing being promoted by these people is the idea that we can pick and choose which bits of scripture are more truthful. They say they choose Jesus’ words over Paul’s words – but they ignore the fact that Jesus’ words have been presevered and given to us by the very same group of writers they deem to be unreliable.

Jesus Himself didn’t write down His teaching. Jesus Himself didn’t record His acts in writing. He entrusted this to men. If we can’t trust the teaching of these men. If we can’t accept ALL their writings as Spirit inspired and authoritative – then why should be accept anything they have written – even their accounts of Jesus’ words?

And on this point their arguments and their doctrine collapses.
_____________

*it’s interesting how these controversial things always seem to be promoted by groups people who arrive on a forum at the same time out of nowhere

One of the Many?

2011-03-16T09:12:00.002+11:00

Read the scripture quote given in the previous post (Matt 24: 3-14), take special note of the word "many" and see what the word is being applied to.

In summary it refers to many deceivers (of various types) and many who will be deceived and fall away.

Can we grasp what that means?

What greater encouragement do we need to make sure that we keep our eyes on Jesus and that we keep faithful to His word - to ensure that we are NOT one of the many.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matt 7:13-4)

Signs and Warnings in Today's World

2011-03-14T15:13:00.006+11:00

So soon after the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand comes even more devastation with the earth quake, tsunami and the potential nuclear disaster in Japan. At time like this many Christians call to mind Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

While wars, famines and earthquakes have been happening to varying degrees throughout history, they seem to be increasing in intensity in our own time. And usually these are the things that bring the believer’s attention to Jesus’ words quoted above.

But overall, there is not much the Christian can do about these things. We can pray and we can contribute to aid appeals, if we have the skills and the opportunity we can personally assist those who are suffering. If we are in an affected area we can trust God for the safety of ourselves and our family.

And of course we can note them as the signs they are.

However some of Jesus’ predictions don’t attract so much attention, maybe because they are not always so obvious, and they don’t get the same kind of media coverage given to political and natural disasters. While it is understandable that the world pays no attention to these things, for the church to ignore them is foolishness. In fact Jesus has more detailed things to say about these than He does about the wars, earthquakes and famines. These are things that believers can do something about, things that we can avoid falling victim to.

Jesus starts his discourse with this warning:

“Watch out that no one deceives you”.

But why is it necessary for Him to say this?

Because many deceivers will come in the name of Jesus and they will go unnoticed if there is not due diligence; they may not be as obvious as we expect and clearly we need to “watch out” for a reason: so “no one deceives” us.

Jesus says they will come proclaiming Jesus as Messiah or maybe they will be promoting themselves as being messiah, “the anointed one” coming in His name (or likely both). They will convey an image of Christian legitimacy.

Jesus also warned there will be persecution against the saints leading to martyrdom – not only in localised areas but ALL NATIONS will be involved. That many will turn away from their faith and betray others and false prophets will arise deceiving even more people.
Wickedness will increase and the love of MOST will grow cold. But whose love will grown cold? Is this a broad sweeping statement about mankind in general or is it referring to those who had been believers?

Look at the context in verses 10-13, the statement is sandwiched between “many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people” and “but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Surely there is at least a strong hint contained there?Also a person needs to have love in the first place in order to have it grow cold. And the word used for love here is agapē, which seems to imply that it refers more to the believer than a non-believer.

While the wars, earthquakes and famines get so much attention – how many are paying attention to the other things, the subtle deceptive things that Jesus warned about that could have very personal consequences for the believer’s relationship with the Lord?

All of these latter signs are portrayed as being interrelated: deception, falling away, persecution. Many who are deceived and fall away will be the ones who persecute and even kill those who stand firm in the faith. This may be hard for the Christian to comprehend or even accept as truth, but this is what Jesus reveals as some of the signs preceding His return.

If this section of scripture went no further than the “signs” mentioned above it would seem very discouraging, but praise God it doesn’t end with doom and gloom. It ends with important promises.” The one who stands firm to the end will be saved”, and “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come”. Along with the increasing problems and apostasy - the gospel of the Kingdom WILL be preached in the whole world prior to the end. The true church WILL be effective, and the bad times WILL be brought to an end by the return of Jesus.

We have been given signs that point to the coming of Jesus and the end of the age. But while these signs increase in the world today, they are only SIGNS of something bigger and much more important. They are not intended to draw attention to themselves but they do help to point us to the right direction. If we heed the directions Jesus gave we will remain secure on His path (on the Way) and that path will take us to the correct destination.

The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart

2011-03-10T12:04:00.001+11:00

An excellent article on the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart can be found here:

http://wesleyanarminian.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/the-hardening-of-pharaohs-heart/

Time flies...life is a mist.

2011-02-24T16:11:00.007+11:00

I am only a few months away from my 53rd birthday and I’ve been thinking about the years behind and the years ahead. Clearly, after passing the half century mark it is most likely that I have fewer years in front of me than I have behind.

I recall hearing (and saying) that time seems to go faster as we get older. Those school years seemed like they would never end – but as an adult time seems to slip away far too quickly (although the hours at work still seem much slower than hours at home).

I’m beginning to see the reality of growing older and how short our time on earth is.

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

I’m not sure which experience gives the greater understanding of the passing of time and the aging process. Is it my own physical body, its greying/receding hair; the increase in aches and pains; the recognition that I’m not as agile or fast on my feet? Is it the realisation that the daughter I saw being born into this world is now 26 and married? Or maybe it’s seeing my parents fading away with old age and ill health, my dad barely holding on to prove a doctor’s predicted 9 month lifespan has been wrong by at least three years…

Should I still be around twenty years in the future I would have exceeded my “three score years and ten”. I look back twenty years and it seems so close, almost yesterday. At that time I was at University as a “mature age” student, hoping for a new start in life. Putting 13 years of mundane work behind me to increase the chances of getting a job I enjoyed.

While those hoped for changes were never realised and I didn’t seem to gain anything from my studies, I did eventually regain a faith that had slipped away years earlier. No, not merely a regained faith – a renewed faith! In earlier days I had been tossed to and fro from one appealing teaching to another, always searching for something real to give substance to what I knew I needed to believe. I relied on others to show me the way, but each time found my guide was just as desperate and blind as I was.

This renewed faith is more focused. It centres on God and His word rather than the latest “spiritual” fad to hit the church. It centres on God and His word instead of theologies that have been handed down through church systems. It centres on God and His word instead of popular religious opinion.

The Bible describes this as a narrow way accessible through a narrow gate. It is the only way according to Jesus. The way He established. The way centred on Him. He is the Way.

And it is that Way; it is Jesus and Him alone who makes the reality of aging, the reality of the shortness of life, a non-issue.
While this life may be brief – it’s not the be all and end all. There is something far more glorious to come.

“Jesus said … ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.’”

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

AWFUL SHAKING in CHRISTCHURCH – Andrew Strom

2011-02-23T13:52:00.008+11:00

Andrew Strom wrote the following article about yesterday's earthquake in Christchurch New Zealand.

In the continuing news coverage I have seen a few severely damaged church buildings. I think what Andrew says might shed some light on a reason for this.

AWFUL SHAKING in CHRISTCHURCH – Andrew Strom

It was with terrible sadness that I learned yesterday of another huge earthquake hitting the New Zealand city of Christchurch. It has only been 2 months since we left that city and we have many dear friends there. The first earthquake last year had no fatalities but this one looks to have many dead and injured.

I want to share a few things about our time in Christchurch that left me quite disturbed and concerned when we left. But I want to be sensitive because of the terrible sadness associated with this new quake.

As some of you know, one of the main things that I hoped to do in Christchurch after the first quake was to organize a large open worship event in the city – to praise and glorify God that nobody had been killed even in a huge 7.1 earthquake. I found that no such event was being planned, but there were thousands of evangelical Christians in Christchurch, and I felt very strongly that it was important for us to publicly glorify God for the miracle of surviving such a disaster with no-one killed. The place was traumatized and it was obvious that a sensitive Worship event would do much good – and even many non-Christians would likely attend. But sadly it was not to be. And this is the disturbing part.

I have organized large events before, so the Christian Radio network knows me – and quickly agreed to promote the event for free. The PA sound people also agreed to supply excellent sound for a very low cost. And the Christchurch City Council couldn’t have been more helpful. Everything was looking good. But then we ran up
against the Christian leaders.

One of the main “networking” Pentecostal leaders in the city told me that we could count him OUT of any support for the event. Then I spoke personally with the Dean of Christchurch Cathedral who told me that we could NOT use the main Square in Christchurch for a worship event for the whole Body. (Today this man’s Cathedral
lies in ruins. It had survived the first quake, but it did not survive
this new one).

I called a number of prominent pastors and worship bands around Christchurch. I said we had the support of Radio, the Council, the sound and everything. No response. Worship bands not interested. Pastors not returning calls. (You might think they were busy after the quake – but remember no-one died and Christchurch was up and running pretty fully after only a couple of weeks). I simply couldn’t understand it. The evangelicals of Christchurch had made no public acknowledgement of God at all – no public worship for this miraculous escape – no public glorifying of Jesus. Even the secular News and the politicians were calling it a “miracle”. People were traumatized everywhere. Wasn’t it a “no-brainer” that we should be doing such a thing? Doesn’t God deserve public praise after protecting so many people from harm?
In fact, it was such a no-brainer that the secular people themselves decided to do something. A number of the top bands and musicians from New Zealand came down and gave a free concert in the park for the traumatized city. It was heavily advertised on Radio – and 20,000 people showed up. Of course it was a secular event – not
Christian. The Pentecostals, Charismatics and Evangelicals of Christchurch had made virtually no public sound at all.

I felt strongly that I could not push things any further without some basic support from the church. We managed to hold a couple of outdoor concerts for the homeless, and got involved with distributing “care packages” and things, but I was so disappointed. In fact I was more than disappointed – I was alarmed and deeply disturbed. I even told some friends that it was “dangerous” to offer no public praise
after God has just so obviously saved your city. I felt so strongly about it – and deeply saddened for the state of the Body of Christ.
But I could do nothing more.

On December 17, 2010, my family departed from Christchurch. OnDecember 28th we boarded a plane for Australia. I believe it may be some time before we ever return.

My heart truly goes out to the people of Christchurch – and to all the world so poorly served by the church of our day. This was truly one of the worst “lost opportunities” that I have ever witnessed in all my years with the church. And Christchurch was truly one of the most beautiful cites I have ever seen. The people are so dear to us. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, my friends. May God bless and protect you all in these dark times.

Yours with great sadness,

Andrew Strom.

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2011/02/23/awful-shaking-in-christchurch-andrew-strom/#more-894

Illustrating photos from gallery here:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/news-gallery/a/-/article/8882846/image/1/devastating-earthquake-strikes-christchurch/

See also:

http://onefiles.blogspot.com/2011/09/sept-28-christchurch-prophecy.html

http://onefiles.blogspot.com/2011/09/christchurch-prophecy-aftermath.html

Jesus gives empty warnings!

2011-02-22T11:43:00.002+11:00

Jesus wastes His breath through making empty statements:

Matt 24: 4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

Of course my introductory statement is a total lie. Jesus’ warnings are not empty. They are serious and need to be heeded, yet so many who profess belief in Jesus do NOT believe they need to heed His warnings. They consider themselves immune from deception. They believe they will be kept from deception.

Perhaps their main assurance is the single phrase “if that were possible” that Jesus adds when He mentions“the elect” . However I think that assurance is based on presumption: people PRESUMING they are part of this deception-proof elect – and yet they assume they don’t have to heed Jesus’ words of warning.

Can anyone really be part of “the elect” if they don’t consider that ALL of Jesus’ words need to be personally heeded?

Within the context of these warnings we are told that “he who stands firm to the end will be saved". Jesus did not say those who are saved will stand firm to the end.

I see the matter of the elect and deception in this way. It will not be possible for “the elect” to be deceived because “the elect” are those who DO take Jesus seriously enough to avoid falling for the various false ministers He warned about.

We should not see the single phrase “if that were possible” as assurance of safety, but we should take the rest of Jesus prophecy as an indication of the strength and danger of the deceptive forces – that extreme diligence is required to ensure we stand firm to the end and are counted among “the elect”.

Lady Jane Grey

2011-02-11T09:46:00.003+11:00

On February 12th 1554, Lady Jane Grey was executed at the age of sixteen. Part of her story is told in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and she is deemed by some as being the first protestant martyr of Queen Mary’s reign.

Jane was designated by Edward VI to be his successor to the throne of England, overruling the succession decreed by his father Henry VIII. According to Henry’s instructions, the successor to a childless Edward would be Edward’s half sister Mary.

However, during Edward’s short reign the religious climate changed drastically.

While Henry is usually credited with taking England away from Catholicism and into Protestantism, the real changes began under Edward.

Henry attempted to break away from the Pope’s political influence while retaining most of the Roman Catholic Church’s beliefs, but Edward moved to establishing religion more in line with the teachings of the reformers. As illness made Edward’s premature death a foregone conclusion he was advised to pass the throne to his cousin Jane to avert the certainty of a return to Rome should his sister Mary be crowned Queen.

Under Henry’s decreed order of succession, Jane would have been next in line after Mary and Elizabeth, but since Henry had previously had these two daughters declared illegitimate their position in the line of succession was legally questionable. Therefore to a degree, Jane had a legitimate right to the throne.

Upon Edward’s death, moves were quickly made to establish Jane as Queen and to take both Mary and Elizabeth prisoner to remove any threat of them raising opposition. However the plan went terribly wrong when Mary avoided capture and was able to draw strong support.

Jane’s reign lasted less than two weeks. She was imprisoned by Mary who was accepted by the people as the rightful Queen. Initially, despite constant pressure from advisers, Mary resisted suggestions to execute Jane, recognising that Jane had been reluctant to take the crown.

But political complications interfered. Firstly Jane’s father helped lead a revolt against Mary, making Jane seem to be a threat as a potential figurehead for future hostilities against Mary. Also, Mary was keen to marry Phillip of Spain and the possibility of this marriage was made doubtful while Jane lived. The Spanish requiring the threat of protestant Jane to be dealt with before the marriage could go ahead.

Mary tried to give Jane a lifeline by sending a trusted Catholic priest to persuade her to turn away from her protestant beliefs. Her execution may have been averted had she converted to Mary’s religion. However Jane stood firm and her execution became unavoidable.

Can Jane be rightly as a martyr of Mary’s reign, one of the first of many?

I think both yes and no, and in explanation I’ll deal with the “no” first.

Her execution was not primarily a religious act it was political. Had it not been for her father’s involvement in the revolt against Mary, Jane may well have been spared from the executioner and may have eventually been given her freedom. Her religious convictions were not the condemning factor.

However, she would not have been in her position had she not had strong protestant beliefs. She allowed herself to be made Queen, with strong misgivings, because she had been made to see that the security of Protestantism in England was on her shoulders. Then later, when given the opportunity to deny her faith and to convert to Catholicism to possibly save her life, she saw death as the preferable option.

As a young teenager, Jane demonstrated strong faith in her God. Her convictions were strong and well considered. And when it really counted she knew what was most important.
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Our understanding of history is always shaped by our sources of information. I’ve read several accounts of Jane’s life and from those sources I have drawn my own understanding of her life and the reasons for her death.

See for reviews of my sources. http://out-shadows.blogspot.com/2011/01/visiting-lady-jane-grey-and-tudor.html

Not Another Rant About Context???

2011-02-02T12:14:00.006+11:00

Here I am AGAIN repeating what I have said before – but the problem will not go away.

The most frustrating Christian practices I continually see is the use of bible quotes out of context to support a favoured doctrine. Most times this is done the context CLEARLY gives no validity for using the quote in that particular way.

We’ve all done it.

And we are all prone to doing it – often with memory verses that come to mind when we want to support what we are saying.

Maybe its time for honest, for integrity. At least it is if we genuinely want to know and promote the truth.

Before applying a “text” for a chosen purpose make sure that it is REALLY supporting the point without the need to stretch or force meaning into the “text” that was never intended.
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illustration credit "Open Bible by Petr Kratochvil

Conspiracy and Ideological Sleight of Hand.

2011-02-01T11:50:00.004+11:00

Last night I listened to an audio recording that claimed information had been gained from some high level government sources warning of the downfall of the American dollar. (I think March this year was mentioned as the time of trouble).

The dollar's downfall is supposed to be a major step towards a one world currency. While I was thinking about this I realised that a one world currency is NOT on the way. If we are waiting for one to come we are probably waiting in vain, we are too late.

We ALREADY have a one world currency - but we don't realise it because our different nations still use different notes and coins on a daily basis. But the thing behind those notes and coins is the REAL currency, the electronic data that makes up the world's financial system.

I have suspicions about the "high level sources" that have leaked this information about the dollar's downfall. In the last week I have also heard reports of other "reliable government sources" leaking information about other things - such as ufos, alien technology and treaties with alien beings... I have also heard (again with reference to a government source) that the extreme weather around the world is caused by a "weather weapon".

Rather than these sources leaking reliable, truthful data to prepare the world for great changes ahead, there is perhaps something else going on - our gullibility is being put to the test and our attention is being distracted. The question is - what are the distractions designed to stop us from seeing?

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illustration from here: dollars

Desire to Believe

2011-01-24T12:59:00.007+11:00

The Desire to Believe and the Way it Shapes Perception.
(Christians Don't Lie part 3)

In my article about Ghosts, I started with some personal experiences. Here I continue my thoughts on the topic, but will widen the perspective to include some related issues.

I had an interest in strange phenomena from my childhood. I think it started with UFOs. I grew up during the “space race” and like many young boys at the time I became fascinated with the space programme. Around the same time UFOs were getting a lot of publicity with many parts of England experiencing a “UFO flap”.

Somewhere along the way my interest broadened to include other unexplained things. It was an interest I kept well into adulthood and I read a great deal over the years about UFOs, the Bermuda Triangle, ghosts, and anything else that defied rational explanation. I strongly believed there was something beyond our everyday world and I was so willing to believe that I never considered that any of the things I read might be less than truthful. Why would anyone make these things up? I was beyond trusting, I was totally gullible. I believed some of the wildest claims.

Even after becoming a Christian in my teens I managed to keep one foot in each camp – without seeing any contradiction between the two. Somehow I kept things separated in my mind. My main concession was to attribute experiences of ghosts, aliens and other aspects of “the unexplained” to demonic activity. That conclusion was even supported by some UFO writers who didn’t have a Christian bias. Jacques Vallee, John Keel and Whitley Streiber all made comparisons between UFO activity and folkloric accounts of demons – suggesting that UFOs were a modern day way of interpreting what previous generations had seen as spiritual entities: fairies demons, angels etc.

Those non-religious writers confirmed my own conclusions. But they were conclusions based on the assumption that the reports of experiences were trustworthy. Here I would like to stress an important point. Note the change in emphasis at the beginning of this paragraph, from “experiences” to “reports of experiences”.

My own understanding began to change slowly. Perhaps this started with my personal UFO encounter.
One morning I was driving to work. The road followed the shores of a lake so there was a clear view across the water with an open unobstructed sky. I saw something above me, coming across from the lake. I glanced up and saw it was a very strange, clearly mechanical object. It had a narrow, elongated hourglass-like shape. After my brief sight of the object I turned my attention back to the road and then looked up again for a second look. This time everything became clear. The object turned and revealed itself to be a common light plane. My initial view of it had been from an unusual angle and my mind hadn’t correctly processed what I saw.

This experience reminded me of a UFO report I’d read a few years earlier. I think it came from a book called The Flying Saucerers by Arthur Shuttlewood. Shuttlewood was a prominent figure in the 1960s UFO “flap” that helped spark my childhood interest. In that book he wrote of an experience where a UFO approached him, changed into a plane when it was overhead, and then after passing turned back into a UFO. I think the similarity to my experience is easy to see – the big difference being the degree to which each observer (myself/Shuttlewood) was willing to continue believing an extraordinary conclusion even when faced with clear evidence for a very ordinary explanation.
I can only wonder what the results of my own experience may have been if I hadn’t taken that second look to see that the object was only a plane, if that first glimpse had remained as the only “fact” to build my conclusions upon.

Around the same time as my “UFO” experience, I was introduced to a new concept related to UFOs, one that I didn’t come to understand until many years later. I had written to a well known British UFO expert and had mentioned a series of iconic UFO sightings. In her reply she referred to those sightings as mostly “media hype”, it was a concept that I later realised could be extended to other reported experiences of anomalous phenomena. And I had to consider the extent of which our knowledge and understanding of those phenomena is totally dependant on the quality and veracity of the information we receive.

Another eye-opening encounter I had was with the writings of Jim Schnabel. His book Round in Circles rescued me from any remaining gullibility. The book was about crop circles, but instead of merely investigating the circles himself, he also spent time with the major players in crop circle research – the ones who provide US with the reports about all of the various formations found (mainly) around southern England. He clearly showed how public understanding of the crop circles was formed by the information being fed to them by investigators who were often far from objective in their reporting. Schnabel gave the example of a crude circle he had personally created being announced as “genuine” – even though his own muddy footprints were clearly evident across the circle
Not surprisingly Schnabel was accused of being an agent of CIA disinformation by those who refused to be swayed from their belief.

Basically, people believe what they want to believe. They are not swayed by evidence. They do not even consider evidence. They will merely collect and refer to stories that seemingly support what they believe, no matter how dubious those accounts may be. And Christians aren’t immune to this. We are often too quick to swallow the same kind of stories, but instead of seeing spirits of the dead, or alien spacecraft we interpret these things as demonic manifestations. Effectively we give “credit” to demons when in most cases credit is definitely not due.
Before we think of attributing a reported experience to demonic manifestation, we should be certain that the experience was a reality and not a misperception, a misunderstanding or even a lie. Through being too credulous in accepting everything as valid, we can effectively undermine the evidence and acceptance of those experiences that ARE genuine.

"God of Love part 5", teaching from David Pawson

2011-01-18T14:55:00.001+11:00

"God of Love part 4", teaching from David Pawson

2011-01-18T14:53:00.002+11:00

"God of Love part 3" teaching from David Pawson

2011-01-18T14:52:00.003+11:00

"God of Love part 2" teaching from David Pawson

2011-01-18T14:51:00.002+11:00

"God of Love part 1" teaching from David Pawson

2011-01-18T14:40:00.005+11:00

Audios not videos.

A few things I've learned

2011-01-18T12:24:00.004+11:00

I have learned these things from interaction on Christian forums:

1) Relativism rules! – Everyone seems to have his/her own truth and we are expected to tolerate everyone’s right to determine truth. (However, that tolerance is not extended to those who deny that truth is relative).

2) If you insist a biblical foundation is required for what we believe, and if you question someone’s right to their own truth, you are a Pharisee.

3) Some things are just too hard and cause too much strife so we are better off avoiding them.

4) Play the Word vs Spirit game, taking the side of the Spirit if you want to appear REALLY free in the spirit (unlike those dogmatic Pharisees).

5) Promote sound teaching and someone will take offense or will contradict it.

I have learned these things in my own relationship with the Lord – through allowing the Holy Spirit to teach me from His word.

1) Doctrine reliant on selective proof texts is highly questionable

2) Scripture is not a book of doctrine – it is a biography, a history, a love story all centred on God and His relationship with mankind, culminating in Him presenting His Son with a pure bride, after which they GENUINELY live happily ever after.

3) Before I can understand a single verse, a single chapter, a single book from the bible, I need at least a basic understanding of the whole bible and how each part fits together.

4) ALL doctrinal disputes would be resolved if EVERYONE looked at what scripture ACTUALLY says in context rather than trying to reinterpret parts of scripture to support a desired belief.

Ghosts

2011-01-14T11:39:00.004+11:00

How do ghosts fit into a biblical view of reality?

On one of my other blogs I questioned the possibility of an authentic Christian ghost story. The article was partly of a review of a book I’d recently read (see here: review ).

Within that article I mentioned I’d had some “ghostly” encounters of my own without giving a lot of detail.

The first happened in my Sydney home. One morning I’d been getting ready for work when I saw a shadowy figure on the other side of the room where the dining room merged into a hallway leading to the front door. It was only a momentary glimpse and apart from feeling slightly startled I thought little more of it, until later that day.

In the afternoon, my wife and I were sitting at the dining table when she saw someone/something standing behind me – in exactly the same place as the figure in my experience. Again it was only a momentary glimpse.
She told me what she had seen and it was only then that I told her what I had seen earlier that day.
Despite the strangeness of the experience, there was no fear associated with it, neither then or any other time while we lived there. We were merely curious.

On another occasion we were on holiday and staying at a motel in Tamworth, NSW. We were there for two nights. At 1.00am on the first night I woke up and saw that the bed was surrounded by several human shaped shadowy figures. Even though the room was dark, the standby light on the TV cast enough light to give definition to the figures around me. I lay there watching them for some time until eventually I fell asleep again. In the morning I more or less dismissed the experience as a trick of my half-asleep brain.
Then the next night a sudden sound, a sharp rap woke me. I looked at the clock and saw it was again 1.00am (exactly the same time I’d woken the previous night) and this time I saw a single figure near the bed; it seemed to have a bottle in its hand which it raised up to drink from, tipping its head back in the process.

The next morning I told my wife of both experiences and she was annoyed that I hadn’t woken her to let her see what was happening. Again, like the time at home, I felt no fear from the experiences.

The question that arises from this is what was really going on? What did we see? Were they disembodied spirits caught between the physical world and the afterlife? Were they demons masquerading as something else? Or were they merely tricks of the mind, misperceptions or the result of over active imaginations.

How often do we think we’ve seen something but soon dismiss it as a misunderstanding? We see the hunched figure in the corner of a darkened room – only to turn on the light and find it is a coat, a wayward curtain, or a piece of furniture. Also interrupted sleep can bring us into a semi-woken state in which we think we are more alert than we actually are and we find our real surroundings becoming part of dream-like experiences.

But despite these mundane solutions, some reported experiences can’t be so easily explained away. Are they all hoaxes or did something out of the ordinary really happen?

No matter what the experiences may infer, no matter what theories seem to fit the situation. The only conclusions a Christian can draw are those compatible with God’s revelation in scripture. (to be continued later...)

Rain Without Repentance update

2011-01-11T08:43:00.003+11:00

The force of the water in this video is amazing and totally unexpected. Here is a bit of geography from wikipedia:

Toowoomba sits on the crest of the Great Dividing Range, around 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level. A few streets are on the eastern side of the edge of the range, but most of the city is west of the divide.

It is NOT low lying - it is in fact located on a watershed from which water will either flow east to the sea or west inland. Surely not the usual place we would expect such devestation from flooding.

8 confirmed dead and dozens missing according to this morning's news.
The 10 year drought didn't lead to repentance - it merely led to prayers for rain.
Rain has now come will repentance follow?
Or will people merely shake their fist at God?

“When in Rome” and Irresistable Grace, by Kevin Jackson

2011-01-10T09:20:00.003+11:00

I recently saw the film When in Rome but I failed to see the parallel with Calvinist doctrine that Kevin Jackson brings out in the inspired article here:

http://wesleyanarminian.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/when-in-rome-and-irresistable-grace/

Thanks Kevin for sharing that inspired insight.
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CONTEXT, CONTEXT, CONTEXT!!!

2011-01-05T12:51:00.002+11:00

The importance of scriptural context can’t be stressed enough. So often we jump to conclusions and make interpretations of a particular verse without taking into account what the surrounding context is saying. This can lead us to a totally different understanding to the one intended by the writer.

Today I came across a very clear example of this in the comments section of another blog.

The writer was trying to prove that baptism was only a symbolic act and he quoted 1 Peter 3:21 “this water symbolises baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.”

“Woa!” the writer says – “Peter emphasises the symbolic nature of water baptism…”.

Woa! I say – what about context? What is being presented as the symbol? Is it baptism or is it something else?

Let’s look at the context – let’s look at the preceding verse.

20…God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolises baptism that now saves you also…

Here we can see a totally different meaning to the one the comment writer proposed. It is not the waters of baptism that are being presented as the symbol; it is the water of the flood that is being presented as symbolising the waters of baptism.

A TOTALLY different meaning arises out of a CONTEXTUAL reading of the text.

I have seen this happening over and over again.

I have found myself doing the same thing, but now I have learned to be cautious whenever a verse comes to mind.

I stop and check it again.
Are my thoughts consistent with the overall context?

Don’t be lazy about it.
Don’t take the risk of deceiving yourself and others.

Can You be a Saved Sinner? by Latter Days Ministry

2010-12-20T11:10:00.004+11:00

An interesting and challenging article.

Sin is Past

Can You Be A "Saved" Sinner?

http://thelatterdays.blogspot.com/2010/12/sin-is-past.html

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Responsibility for the Jewish Condition by Fred London

2010-12-16T10:51:00.002+11:00

I wanted to share the following that I received from Fred London, a friend who is a Jewish believer in Jesus who was involved with the “Messianic Jewish Movement” in its early days but is now “on the outside”.
I always benefit from the perspective his experience gives, but most importantly I benefit from the way he insists we would see things through the truth of scripture.
_________

Responsibility for the Jewish Condition

There is no question that for most of the last 2,000 years, the predominantly Gentile church has been primarily engaged in provocation rather than the Biblical mandate expressed by Paul to "provoke the Jews to a spiritual jealousy." Yes, to a significant degree, it has contributed to a hardening of Jewish hearts to the Gospel. Having said that, though, it may, and continuing to be, a valid negative influence upon Jewish openness to the Gospel, it is, ultimately, no excuse for their rejection of the Gospel. We are all "without excuse." It is Christ, Himself, who is a "rock of offense," a stone of stumbling." "For when you search for Me with all your heart, then you will find Me."

Moreover, it is also true that much of this rejection is due to a religious self-righteousness of which Paul speaks of in Romans 10:2-3 by the Orthodox Jewish community and ranging to a general indifference or humanism not unlike Gentile unbelievers by non-religious Jews. The bottom line has always been, and will forever be, "But, who do you say that I am?" That is the ultimate question, which demands the ultimate answer. That is the literal heart of the matter. Not unlike much of the "new and improved" Emergent Church, in my opinion, much of the Messianic Jewish Movement has also bought into the philosophy of "Maybe if they like us, they'll like our Jesus, too?" So there is plenty of culpability to go around.

I have been on the "inside" for many years and on the "outside" for many years. Although one can certainly draw from those experiences in deepening their understanding of the dynamics involved, they can only be validated by applying them to the truth of Scripture, which is "able to discern between soul and spirit." And, if rightly applied, is able to trump any soulish bias related to personal experience, something I always endeavor to apply in my own Biblically-related inquiries. Although I may not always hit the mark, I at least know where to aim, and therefore, in that regard, I myself am without excuse.

David Pawson: “Between Death and Resurrection”

2010-12-14T16:03:00.002+11:00

David Pawson , 10 part series on Revelation and a 2 part teaching, “Between Death and Resurrection”

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/viewcat.php?cid=528

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Dave Daubenmire -- How Great is That Darkness

2010-12-14T09:21:00.004+11:00

Quotes from Dave Daubenmire:
Most Christians are not. Not really disciples of Jesus that is.
_________
Everyone wants to “follow Jesus” until they find out where He is going… He is heading to a Cross… and He asks you to take up yours and follow Him. This flies in the face of popular Christianity and its “felt needs”…

See the full article here:

Dave Daubenmire -- How Great is That Darkness

Rain or Repentance?

2010-12-09T09:23:00.005+11:00

Eastern Australia has recently suffered a ten year drought.

4 ½ years ago I moved from Sydney to a country town 4 hours to the west. In church there was regular prayer for rain. Living in the country where farmer’s livelihoods are dependant on suitable climatic conditions it is very easy to empathise with that desire for rain. Without the rain their crops will fail, they get no income. Many have given up. Many have been forced from repossessed farms, driven into debt by years without a saleable crop.

One high profile Christian minister led nationwide prayer meetings to seek the Lord for rain. When the rain did come after one of his meetings, credit was taken for the breaking of the drought through prayer.

It is the natural thing to pray for the nation’s situation to be resolved through reliable rainfall. But while that is the “natural thing” was it the RIGHT thing to do?

Would the drought being broken bring people closer to God? Or would restored comfort mean increased complacency?

Over the last year the drought finally came to an end. Dams that had fallen to frighteningly low levels were filling. A few months ago a local dam was below 4% capacity. In recent weeks it rose to almost 60%.
Farmers were confident of their best crops ever.

Until two weeks ago!

In less than two weeks there have been record rainfalls. Major dams can’t cope and are now spilling excessive water into rivers. Flooding is extensive. The combination of rain and floods has destroyed much of the “best crop ever”.

Why? Is this the answer to prayer against drought?

While considering this situation a clear phrase came to my mind:

Rain without repentance.

In prayer should we be put earthly comfort first or should we take a more eternal viewpoint? What does this nation (and others) really need?

Rain or repentance?

_______________________

James 5:17-18 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
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Photo from here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/08/3087667.htm?site=westernplains§ion=news&date=(none)

David Pawson: ICEJ Recordings 2010

2010-12-08T09:16:00.005+11:00

More David Pawson sermons. These are from an ICEJ Conference held in the UK, June 2010.

To listen follow this link:

http://www.billingefamilychurch.org/media_icej.htm

To download right click on the following links and select "save target as".

Who is Entitled to Jerusalem?

http://www.billingefamilychurch.org/media/sermons/icej/2010/download.php?file=040610_david_pawson.mp3

Jerusalem and Israel in Galatians

http://www.billingefamilychurch.org/media/sermons/icej/2010/download.php?file=j050610_david_pawson.mp3

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Christmas?

2010-12-01T08:52:00.005+11:00

Christmas is nearly here again and another year is almost over.
Recently I've seen a lot of anti-Christmas articles written by Christians. I'm not sure whether that's because general Christian attitudes are changing or maybe it's just the kind of Christian company I keep.

Here is a link to an article I posted 5 years ago.

http://onefiles.blogspot.com/2005/12/word-for-christmas-and-beyond.html

Goodness separates many from God.

2010-11-26T13:34:00.002+11:00

[This is a part repetition/part expansion of my previous post]

We have been led to believe that sin has separated mankind from God – but that is not always the case.
Man’s goodness can be a greater hindrance than his sin.

Acknowledgement of sin can lead to repentance and a desire for forgiveness, but a man’s good deeds often blind him to his need. Surely his good deeds will outweigh those times everyone goes through, where the rules are bent or where behaviour is known to fall short. A few sinful acts will be overlooked when more good deeds are done – won’t they?
Surely keeping more commandments than are broken would give a pass mark (6 out of the 10; or 307 out of the 613 of the Mosaic Law)?

One of the more widely held theological doctrines is that of man’s “Total Depravity” – describing the innate condition which separates man from God. It’s a term I don’t like because it conveys a false impression. The word “total” speaks of fullness, completion, an UTTER state that can't be increased. The term “total depravity”: therefore conveys and impression that ALL men are equally depraved to the full capacity: that ALL men could not be worse than they are.

That is clearly NOT the case. Some men ARE worse than others. Not all are Hitlers, Stalins or Pol Pots. To portray mankind as ALL being equally and fully depraved is a misrepresentation.
How would an unsaved person who is “good” in human terms respond to being putting in the same “TOTAL” category as Hitler? Could they accept that judgement?

NO, because they can see it is not true. Therefore, what is likely to be their response to the offer of cleansing and forgiveness through Jesus?
They won’t see the need!

The thing separating man from God is NOT “total depravity” – it is PARTIAL depravity or SUFFICIENT depravity. To a God who demands perfection, a person does not need to be TOTALLY depraved to miss the mark. The slightest blemish of character will be enough to spoil the perfection required. It doesn’t need the breaking of all commandments or even a majority of them for a person to fall short of God’s standard. Break one and you’ve broken the whole law.
ALL men are sufficiently sinful (depraved) to separate them from God.

There is NOTHING mankind can do to earn or deserve any favour from God. ALL of mankind has fallen short of His perfect standard, with the exception of one man – Jesus. And it is through HIM and HIS righteousness (not our own) through HIS fulfilment of the law (not our own) that relationship with God has been made possible.
It is through trusting HIM instead of ourselves, trusting what HE did instead of what we do, that we will be accepted by God

Total Depravity?

2010-11-24T14:34:00.002+11:00

to•tal /ˈtoʊtl/

1. constituting or comprising the whole; entire; whole: the total expenditure.
2. of or pertaining to the whole of something: the total effect of a play.
3. complete in extent or degree; absolute; unqualified; utter: a total failure.
4. involving all aspects, elements, participants, resources, etc.; unqualified; all-out: total war.

From:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/total

I will always have a problem with the non-biblical terminology of "total depravity" because its theological application does not really mean TOTAL.

Total means there as absolutely no room for anything further to be added - it is complete and utter in its extent. Man's depravity is no where near "total", there is room for worse. Not everyone turns out to be a Hitler, a Stalin or a Pol Pot.

The problem with unsaved man's condition is not so much "depravity". A far greater problem is that area of "goodness" within and displayed by most of us that allows room for self-righteousness.

Having some good traits (NOT being totally depraved) obscures the destructiveness of the bad and allows us to feel justified within ourselves. To many people it is their “goodness” that keeps them separated them from God because they see no need for a saviour.

Reference to the “total depravity” of man is a stumbling block to the unsaved. Despite recognising and admitting their faults, most can also see that they are not as depraved in behaviour or attitude as they could be: that their depravity is not total and therefore such a claim is a lie.

Man’s unsaved state is NOT due to total depravity, it is due to PARTIAL depravity – when God requires absolute perfection, it only takes the smallest blemish for us to fail His standard.

Oil Depletion, Israel and the Nations

2010-11-16T15:15:00.005+11:00

The world will run out of oil around 100 years before replacement energy sources are available if oil use and development of new fuels continue at the current pace, a US study warns.

Full article here:
OIL Depletion

My comments:

What is partly HIDDEN in the article referenced above is the expected oil depletion date of 2054. Less than 44 years away.
And that year is stated to reflect a more “optimistic date” – which means oil is expected to run out well before then.

People are often most concerned about oil as a fuel and their immediate concerns are usually related to the COST of fuel.

But oil derivatives are essential components of modern food and material production. Our lives are dominated by products manufactured from oil. Many chemical based products rely on oil for components.

We should not live with the illusion that the end of oil production is a problem for the future, maybe beyond our lifetime. Reducing oil availability in the near future will cause greater problems than its eventual disappearance.

I guess we realise that the majority of oil comes from the Middle East – from countries that are strongly anti-Israel.
As the oil situation becomes increasingly dire, there will be more pressure placed on nations who have historically supported Israel. Oil supply will likely be affected depending on a country’s relationship with Israel.

Israel will increasingly be seen as a threat to world peace and security and will come under increasing pressure from the rest of the world to compromise on Arab demands. The nations of the world will be pressured into opposing Israel to maintain their supply of oil.

Ultimately the anti-Israel sentiment could lead to military threats from an oil hungry world. This is merely one scenario based on current world events and the status of world resources which has the potential to lead to the fulfilment of prophecy.

Is it coincidence that an anti-Israel, Arab world has most of the world’s oil resources? Is it coincidence that scripture lists these nations as a prominent part of an aggressive movement against Israel in the latter days? Is it likely that decreasing oil supply will give oil producing nations greater influence over the other nations of the world and their policies regarding Israel?

Auschwitz Album

2010-11-16T13:21:00.001+11:00

Auschwitz Album

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David Ryser

2010-11-16T08:49:00.008+11:00

One of the most visited posts on this blog relates to an article by David Ryser . The article was sent to me through Andrew Strom’s email newsletter.

I have now been given a link to the source of the article on Dr Ryser’s own blog.

http://catchthewindministries.blogspot.com/2009/03/lover-or-prostitute-question-that.html

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SECURE FOUNDATIONS

2010-11-10T13:44:00.002+11:00

At work we have an Occupational Health and Safety noticeboard where information about workplace safety can be posted. Occasionally there will be photos of actual cases of incredible carelessness (even stupidity) that put people’s lives at risk.

An example would be someone standing on a ladder balanced on a chair that they have placed on a table – all in the attempt to reach a height beyond the capability of the ladder.

This thoughtless approach and attitude brings to mind the way some people approach their relationship with Jesus.

The ladder in the above example lacks stability. It is not placed on the required foundation, and it is a danger to anyone who climbs it.

There are foundations to the Christian life. They are specifically mentioned together in Hebrews 6 and separately elsewhere. They provide the basics of Christian faith, a secure anchor point. Yet how often do arguments arise about their necessity?

Some people seem intent on seeing how few of the foundational things they need? Is baptism really necessary? What about repentance? Surely it’s enough to merely believe?

These people make me think of the man on that ladder: seeing how little contact he can have with a solid foundation without falling. Some even try to test things further, rocking the ladder to one side until it is balancing on one leg only.

The True Israel of God: recommended article

2010-10-27T10:17:00.002+11:00

There is an insightful and recommended article here:

The True Israel of God

It discusses God’s relationship with Israel as revealed through scripture, compared to God’s relationship with Israel according to man.

Where we stand on this issue depends on who we believe and who we follow: God and His word or man and apostate theology.

Dead sea scrolls to be made accessible online

2010-10-22T08:32:00.004+11:00

According to the following reports, the Dead Sea scrolls are to be made accessible online.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/israel-to-put-dead-sea-scrolls-online-20101020-16sow.html

http://www.theadvocate.com.au/news/world/world/general/dead-sea-scrolls-will-be-available-online/1974908.aspx

Yesterday I posted these links on a Christian forum and was amazed at some of the negative comments and how much suspicion was expressed regarding the scrolls.

Some saw them as a Roman Catholic conspiracy. Others saw them as a collection of false gospels.

So many ill informed views.

See also:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5irDsAlVqP9dA1_S-QrVlBYBNPcjw?docId=CNG.08a017b8b3490d607576c0b079e7359e.5a1

Christians and Conspiracy

2010-10-18T16:25:00.002+11:00

Recently on a Christian forum I have received a little flak because I questioned some of the “conspiracy theory” claims being made.
Too often some of the world’s wildest conspiracy speculation is swallowed by Christians because it “fits” with their ideas about end time events.

Before we fall for (and even worse) promote unsubstantiated speculation here are some facts that need to be considered:

1) Extreme claims need to be substantiated with much more than rumour and/or baseless “facts”.

2) It is up to the maker of extreme claims to provide EVIDENCE and not merely pass on what they have heard/read..

3) Christians should AVOID promoting wild and baseless speculation. It does nothing for our credibility.

4) The previous three points are saying the same thing: Christians should be FAR MORE diligent than the world with regard to extreme claims because we follow Jesus who IS the truth. The "truth" we promote reflects the Jesus we follow.

David Pawson Sermon Links (part 2)

2010-10-05T16:28:00.004+11:00

I found some more recordings of David Pawson's recent ministry. These are from South Africa, recorded in August-September 2010.

I know nothing about the group providing the recordings so this link is not any kind of endorsement of the site. But I am grateful to them for making Mr Pawson's ministry available.

So far I have listened to "How and Why to Read Your Bible part 1". This gives very good teaching on the need to approach the bible with context in mind. He makes the point that the bible is not a book. It is a LIBRARY of books - each of which needs to be considered according to its genre and according to the reason for it being written. For example, each of the four gospels was written with a specific readership in mind and the epistles were each written to address particular situations within the church.

I also listened to: "Tue 31 08 2010 Session 3", in which Mr Pawson gives a brief testimony and then starts to address the problems with the doctrines of both "Sovereign Grace" and "Free Grace". The latter is apparently addressed in the next session (which at time of posting I have not heard).

More David Pawson mp3 sermons

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Divisions and Heresies

2010-09-30T12:19:00.003+10:00

Why does God allow false teachers, false prophets and other deceivers to remain? Why doesn’t he deal with the problem of false teaching and remove its effect from the church and the world?

I think an answer is indicated in both Deuteronomy 13 and 1 Corinthians 11.

In the latter reference Paul writes:

“… when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.”(ESV)

While the term “divisions” or its synonyms seem to be most commonly used across various translations, the KJV uses the term “heresies” which has much stronger implications in the Christian mind.
But while the ideas of “divisions” and “heresies” are seen mostly in negative terms, Paul highlights a positive outcome resulting from their presence – that is to bring to recognition those who are genuine.

Other translations state this positive outcome in different terms. The NIV puts it this way:

“…there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval”.

It seems there is something about the existence of divisions/heresies/factions that brings to light those who are genuine, those who have God’s approval and distinguishes them from others who are clearly not genuine and lack God’s approval.

I see a link here with a warning God gives in Deuteronomy 13.

“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Here it is clearly stated that false prophets are used as a test of a person’s love for God. There is a choice to be made whenever we come across a teacher, a prophet, a teaching, a sign or a miracle. Are they from God or are they leading us astray?
No matter how genuine they may seem, the ultimate test is whether we are being directed towards GOD or towards something else. The One True God or an imitation.
When there are divisions that call for a choice of path to be taken, how do we determine which (if any) direction leads to God?

Would it be wrong to suggest that God given us the needed direction in His word? That we should test everything and everyone according to His revelation given in scripture?

I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
(Psalm 119: 104-105)

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
(2 Timothy 2:14-16 NIV)

I can see that “divisions” help determine those who have God’s approval and bring to light those who are genuine in two ways. Firstly those who put aside God’s word to follow man’s ideas (either their own or those of favoured teachers) are separated from those who give priority to God and His revelation.

The second relates to the way division is handled. Do we allow the differences to lead us into quarrelling and ungodly chatter?

It is in the second that I see myself needing the most help.

"Why I am no longer a Calvinist" by Dr Tim Pierce

2010-09-17T11:16:00.003+10:00

Here is a recommended article by Dr Tim Pierce.
It is part 4 in a series he has been writing. Parts 1 to 3 can also be found on his blog.

With this article he intends to: "begin addressing the primary elements of Calvinism, commonly identified as the 5 points of Calvinism".

Why I am no longer a Calvinist

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"A Simple Method of Study"

2010-09-09T13:46:00.001+10:00

On a Christian forum I was recently asked if I could recommend “a simple method of study. Here is the answer I gave. Some of this is a repetition of what I’ve written elsewhere on this blog:

A simple method of study I would recommend is to read scripture with prayer for understanding.

Avoid grabbing bits of scripture from here and there and trying to make sense of it. Scripture is not an unrelated collection of doctrinal facts that can be applied in isolation. It is an unfolding revelation of God’s relationship with His creation – mankind in particular.

Get a basic knowledge of how scripture fits together and how this revelation flows from Genesis to Revelation. My own understanding increased significantly when I finally understood how the different parts of scripture related to each other.
And a very important point is to not neglect the “Old Testament”. So often the impression is given that it isn’t as important as the “New” – but without the “Old” our understanding of God and His new covenant will be seriously lacking.

This obviously takes time and there’s no quick and easy way. It is often our impatience that leads us to turn to others for answers and makes us susceptible to accepting their word in place of scripture.

I don’t dismiss the importance of teaching from Spirit-led teachers but it’s not always easy to find teachers who ARE led by the Spirit. The majority of teachers we come across are merely passing on what they have learned from their church or seminary and they teach church doctrine instead of God’s word.

A Spirit led teacher does not merely pass on what he has learned from others. A Spirit led teacher is one who has received revelation himself through a personal encounter with the word and the Holy Spirit.

A Spirit led teacher will also GENUINELY encourage us to search the scriptures for ourselves. This is not only a safeguard for us – it also holds the teacher to account and provides a safeguard for him, reducing the chance of him leading us astray.

Sounds of Shalom: Messianic radio

2010-09-07T11:54:00.003+10:00

I learned of an internet radio station devoted to Messianic Jewish music through the Australian blog of Jews for Jesus.

Sounds of Shalom

I haven’t been able to listen to it yet, but they list contributions from some familiar Messianic musicians.

The Moral Problem of Determinism and Free Will.

2010-09-01T14:55:00.002+10:00

If God allows man to sin and lets sinful man go unpunished, there is a problem.
If God ordained man’s sin and then punished man for what God Himself had ordained – THAT is a far bigger problem.

However, if God gave man the freedom of moral choice, making man responsible for his own sin – and if God then provided a way for man to be free of the penalty of his sin by taking that sin and its punishment upon Himself. That is not a problem – that is GRACE.

"Will Jews be expelled again from their Land?" by Reggie Kelly

2010-08-30T12:09:00.004+10:00

Will Jews be expelled again from their Land?

Below is a link to a long but very interesting article about the return of Israel to their land and how it relates to the second coming of Messiah.

The article is by Reggie Kelly, a close friend of Art Katz.
Art Katz’s understanding of Israel’s future received a lot of opposition, particularly from Messianic believers in Israel.
While many see only good things ahead for the Jews and Israel, Katz understood there are still some very disturbing things to come.

After reading and listening to a lot of ideas about Israel I have come across two major, contradictory viewpoints from those who DO recognise that Israel as a nation has a future in God’s purposes.

One sees the restoration of Israel and the increasing number of Jews turning to Messiah as the forerunner of worldwide revival.

The other view (as seen by Art Katz) is not so optimistic about the immediate future. He saw another exile from the land during the great tribulation/ time of Jacob’s trouble. This period would be relatively brief (3 ½ years) and would end with the return of Jesus, when HE would bring His people back to their land, from which they would never again be uprooted.

For some time I have understood there will be a period in history that will eclipse the horrors of the holocaust. Through the ministry of Art Katz, and also articles like the one below, I have been encouraged that I have not been on the wrong prophetic track.

There is a lot in this article to consider and many supporting references to thoroughly check.

http://the.mysteryofisrael.org/2010/08/28/will-jews-be-expelled-again-from-their-land/

Responsibility With Teaching

2010-08-26T09:43:00.007+10:00

For some time now I have been trying to encourage people not to rely so much on man’s teaching. I have stated that all disagreement and division within the church is caused through adopting the teaching of one man above the teaching of another. The only division caused by the truth comes through the exposing of error: the dividing of darkness from light.

There is an urgent need for Christians to accept responsibility. We have the scriptures and we have the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be our teacher. God has provided everything we need to guide us and to keep us in the truth. We need to trust His Spirit to teach us His word instead of putting our primary (and often only) trust in man’s teachings.

When I’ve written about this before a common response has been to point out that teachers are included in the ministry gifts mentioned in Ephesians (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers.*)

There clearly is a God given place for GENUINE teachers.
Genuine teachers not only lead us to understanding in areas where we are lacking, they also train us to search the scriptures for ourselves, thereby decreasing our reliance upon their ministry.

Any teacher who promotes ideas contrary to scripture is not a God given teacher.

Any teacher who makes him or herself above question is not a God given teacher.

Any teacher who makes sure students remain reliant upon him/her is not a God given teacher.

Too often laziness encourages us to rely on teachers more than we should, to the extent that we don’t keep THEM accountable for what they teach. By holding them accountable, not only are we guarding our selves – we are showing true love to the teacher, helping THEM stay on the right path with their doctrine and teaching.
____________________________________
*Ironically, many who readily cling to teachers are equally ready to dismiss any present day reality of the first two ministries in that list

God’s Truth Not Man’s Opinion

2010-08-18T10:16:00.005+10:00

Two forms of replacement theology which favour man’s opinion above biblical revelation. (1. The church has replaced Israel, 2. Scripture has replaced Spiritual gifts)
____________________________________________________________

In an earlier post, here, I linked to a sermon about Romans 9-11. That sermon helped me to understand why replacement theology gained such a strong foothold in the church.

For most of the church’s history Israel as a distinct and recognisable nation had been erased from the world map. So what understanding could be brought to the NT references to Israel, and in particular Paul’s strong statements that God had not and would not forsake Israel?
Israel was no more – so was Paul mistaken? Was scripture wrong?

It’s not surprising that a different approach to understanding scripture was seen as necessary. Ambiguous hints could be found that might suggest that the position of Israel had been taken over by the church. So references to Israel were seen as being symbolic instead of literal and the church was seen as the NEW or SPIRITUAL Israel.

That was perhaps the most logical position to take…
…until 1948, when Israel again appeared on the map.

Not everyone had accepted the idea of the church replacing Israel. Some remained faithful to a literal reading of scripture and expected Jews to return to the land of their ancestors. They trusted the word of biblical prophecy instead of geographical and political appearances.

Why is it that today, over 60 years after the return of Israel, the majority of the church still rejects the literal word of scripture regarding Israel? That literal word prophesied both the exile of Israel to all the nations, and also the return of Israel to the land of their ancestors.

They still reject it because they prefer the theology and reasoning of men above the clear word of scripture. Loved traditions are hard to abandon. This example also shows how much man prefers to base his beliefs on his own observations and his own reasoning rather than on the revelation of the word of God.

A similar thing can be seen with regard to Spiritual gifts, in particular those mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians. Wide sections of the church deny the relevance of those gifts. They say the gifts were made redundant by the compiling of the scriptures. They even quote Paul:

“But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.”

Their explanation is based on the assumption that “when perfection comes” refers to the coming of the scriptures – and therefore scripture has replaced Spiritual gifts within the church.

How can such a leap of logic take place and be so widely accepted?
The foundation of this assumption comes from a very tenuous inference projected into the phrase “when perfection comes”. It is a case of looking for something that can be MADE to support the already held conclusion that Spiritual gifts no longer exist.

Again it’s a matter of looking at the world around us and basing theology upon what is seen and interpreting scripture to support that view, instead of accepting scripture as written and seeking answers about why our experience doesn’t match scripture’s clearest meaning.

The process goes like this:

Example 1: The bible speaks about Israel and God’s continued faithfulness to Israel – but Israel no longer existed, so the church must have replaced Israel.

Example 2: Spiritual gifts are missing from the church, so they obvious no longer exist.

The final step in both of these examples is to find parts of scripture that can be interpreted in a way that supports the favoured conclusions.

The question arising out of all of this is: Do we REALLY rely on the revelation given in scripture and interpret our world and experience according to what God has revealed?

Or do we insist on interpreting the world and scripture according to our experience and what we can see?

Israel, is to Blame!!!

2010-07-30T13:56:00.002+10:00

I’m reading a history of the 1967 Six day war, during which Israel regained control of Jerusalem. I’m only a short way into the book but I’ve learned enough to see how little things have changed over the last 43 years regarding anti-Israel propaganda.

The media today (and also many in the "church") have clearly taken a leaf out of the Soviet book:

…the hypocrisy of the rulers of the USSR, who permit themselves to mock at human intelligence when they put the blame on Israel. Every child in the street knows that the [1967] crisis is due to Nasser [President of Egypt] and he himself admits it. Yet [the soviet representative] at the UN, and his masters in the Kremlin, denounce the “aggression” of Israel. Nasser mobilises military forces and sends them to Sinai. Nasser entrusts the frontier to Shukeiry’s gangs . Nasser closes the Straits of Tiran. And Moscow yells that Israel is to blame…

From Mission Survival ed. R Bondy, O Zmora & R Bashan.

It’s MY blog and I’ll rant if I want to!

2010-07-29T15:59:00.004+10:00

What happens when a respected “Rabbi” takes offense at having his disobedience indirectly mentioned in the comment section of his blog?

Of course, as expected, he deletes the offending comment. Then he sends a personal email strongly conveying his displeasure.

Now what rudeness of mine sparked this response?

The gentile born “rabbi”, in justifying his choice to convert to Judaism (AFTER professing faith in Messiah) pointed to the legitimacy of conversion for those with a “healthy sense of identity and a persistent desire to belong to the people of Israel”.

I’m not sure when “healthy sense of identity” and persistent desire” were valid reasons to contravene clearly stated prohibitions written by the apostle Paul*. Can those reasons be used to excuse all of our disobedience? Is persistent desire a legitimate reason for giving in to any temptation?

What exactly caused the offense?
I made a blunt comparison.

I mentioned a person I know who was born male. However this person has a sense of identity with and a persistent desire to be female. As a result he has been living as a woman and intends to “convert” through a “sex-change” operation.
Does this person’s “sense of identity” (which he would consider healthy) and his “persistent desire” legitimize HIS conversion?

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* From the apostle Paul:

Gal 5:2
Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

And

1 Cor 7:18
Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised

One New Man and the Gospel of a Jewish Messiah.

2010-07-23T16:08:00.003+10:00

Paul writes of Jew and gentile believers in Messiah now being “one new man” – but the unity expressed in that description is not always being demonstrated.

As a gentile believer in a Jewish Messiah I need to consider my relationship with the Jewish people, especially those who have also recognised their Messiah. I need to consider the GENTILE side of the relationship and how I as a gentile believer can see the unity of “one new man” becoming a present day reality with true unity in Messiah between Jewish and gentile believer.

In the first years of the early church Paul went to great lengths for it to be seen that God accepted gentile believers AS gentiles and that we did not need to become Jews to be in relationship with Him.

However, when gentiles became the dominant authority within the church the same attitude was not taken with Jews who came to faith in Messiah. The church went to great lengths to disenfranchise Jewish believers, replacing the feasts of the Lord with alternative feast days adopted from pagan traditions; demanding they worship on Sunday instead of the Sabbath; and requiring change to their diet.

All of this went a long way to destroying any hope of a genuine “one new man” for more than 1700 years.

During that period it was more like a one-sided man, with very little Jewish representation. Such a “relationship” is like a “marriage” where there is only one “partner”. A husband by himself or a wife by herself is not a true marriage in which TWO become one and yet maintain individual identity and gender.

Gentile believers need to appreciate the truth of a comment I recently saw on a Christian forum:

“Personally I don't believe that God wants Jews to convert to ‘Christianity’ at all; He merely wants them to recognise Yeshua as their Messiah and accept him as their King”

We tend to remain (wilfully) ignorant of the fact that gentiles have been grafted into a JEWISH olive tree and not vice versa. It is THEIR Messiah and THEIR new covenant into which we gentiles have been admitted. And yet gentiles over the ages have done our best to take ownership of that tree and to make the natural, cultivated branches become more like the wild branches.

Jewish people, need to be presented with the Jewish Messiah and HIS gospel and not a gentilised religion which has given the impression of a Jew hating Jesus.

Jews do not need to celebrate Easter instead of Passover. They do not need to abandon the Sabbath and replace it with “Sunday worship”. They don’t need to abandon their diet and start eating pork and shellfish. They don’t need to bow to any gentile religious tradition.

They need to meet their King and bow down to Him.

More Romans 9-11

2010-07-21T08:54:00.003+10:00

In a previous post I gave links to sermons about Romans 9-11 by David Pawson. Here is another about the same chapters by Peter Tsukahira.

In the sermon he points out that this generation is the first since Paul’s time that is in a position to understand the situation Paul was addressing in his letter to believers in Rome. We live in a generation that can easily view these chapters literally.

Unfortunately, most Christians today miss the point because of their adherence to historical traditions and theologies. Those traditions were established in a time when the logical approach was to allegorise Paul’s references to Israel because to the natural eye Israel had ceased to exist. Replacement Theology was the result of that allegorical approach.

Romans 9-11

Personally I thought he was heading off track about halfway through by talking about revival around the world, but that was only a brief interruption. Others may not find that section to be a problem.

Observations of an Outsider

2010-07-15T14:43:00.002+10:00

I recognise and confess to the fact that the following is based on personal observations of a very small cross section of blogs that I've found. If anyone thinks I've drawn wrong conclusions, I would welcome being pointed in the right direction.

As an outsider I see little difference between what seems to be happening in the Messianic fellowships and what is going on in the “churches”. Considering how recently the current Messianic movement started, they didn’t waste time finding reasons for disagreement. Ironically, in its attempt to provide a Jewish context for expressing faith in their messiah, most of the controversy I’ve noticed in the Messianic blogs I’ve found has been about how Messianic Jews should relate to gentile believers. Some believe there is no room for gentiles in their congregations, that non-Jewish believers should restrict themselves to attending churches and leave Jewish believers to have congregations of their own. Others see there is room for both as long as the context of the fellowship remains authentically Jewish in its expression.

A contributing factor to the problem is the increasing number of gentiles seeking fellowship within a Jewish context. Some Messianic fellowships are reportedly predominantly gentile in membership. I have even read reports that seem to suggest a prominent (gentile born) Messianic teacher has undergone (or at least seriously considered undergoing) conversion to Judaism (with all that entails), to practice his faith as a recognised Messianic Jewish “rabbi”.

Another feature muddying the Messianic waters is a belief being promoted by some non-Jews that they are descendants of the allegedly lost tribes of Israel. This modern day manifestation previously associated with British Israelism and also adopted by Mormons and the late Herbert W Armstrong’s Worldwide Church of God, has pushed its way into the Messianic movement. Of course, there is no genealogical evidence to indicate the validity of this belief. It is all attributed to “spiritual revelation”. Some Jewish believers see the intrusion of these Israelite wannabes as another example of replacement theology in action.*

The questioning of whether gentile and Jewish believers should fit together in fellowship has its foundations in carnality. There should be no separation. We are one in Him. However, due to the actions of the gentile church for at least 1700 years, a division has been created. The theological error and bigotry of a dominant, apostate, gentile church has helped to further harden Jews against the gospel of THEIR Messiah.

In the present day, when Jews are coming to faith in Messiah in increasing numbers, they are still kept at a distance by the majority of the church through the lie of replacement theology or through an apathetic ignorance regarding God’s purposes for the Jewish people. Centuries of hostility and forced assimilation are difficult to overlook, especially when present day theologies show no real evidence of repentance.
Jewish believers are therefore understandably suspicious in their relationships with gentile believers. I’m sure they want to avoid a repetition of history.

Where does the answer lie?
Scripture reveals that salvation came to the gentile to make Israel jealous.
How would that happen?
Clearly not through hostility and bigotry towards the Jewish people.

But then again, is it likely to happen through gentiles envying the Jew and trying to blend into a Jewish cultural expression?

For gentile believers to succeed in making Israel jealous, their relationship to both Israel and more importantly the God of Israel needs to stand up to God’s expectations instead of being driven by faulty theology and/or misguided sentiment.

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* It was a belief that I had not personally come across before (though I was aware of it. However in the past month I have seen it increasing promoted in a variety of places.

Messianic Disunity

2010-07-14T09:37:00.002+10:00

In my reading about Jewish expressions of faith in Messiah I’ve had a look at several blogs. Through those blogs I think I have gained a wider perspective than is possible through reading published books.
Blogs give access to a more ground level reality. Books have to fulfil certain market-driven requirements which include not biting the hand that feeds them.
Bloggers are not subject to such restraints, and while that open ground also gives voice to all kinds of weird and not so wonderful ideas, occasionally it is possible to stumble across something worthwhile and enlightening.

The following article may be of interest to others. It is written by a gentile believer desiring and attempting a more Hebraic approach to his faith. I think his experience highlights the problems that unfortunately maintain the divisions between Jewish and Gentile believers.

http://searchingforthelightonthepath.blogspot.com/2010/07/forked.html

One thing that isn’t addressed in the article is the question of whether ANY of the examined worship styles and fellowship groups is “legitimate” in God’s eyes. Do any of them fulfil the genuine fellowship characteristics of a healthy and united body of believers? Or is it all about favoured form and ritual?

While the article addresses the current situation, scripture describes something totally different. Unity in Messiah still seems a long way off – but perhaps the disunity is nothing that an experience of severe, shared persecution won’t fix.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Messianic Meditations: some personal thoughts

2010-07-02T14:11:00.002+10:00

I have wanted to write more about the topic I looked at in my two previous (Messianic) articles. There is so much more to cover.

But my reading continues as I try to understand more about the relationship between the church, Jewish (Messianic) believers, and non-Messianic Jews.

I have also sought comment from a Jewish friend and brother who was involved with Messianic Judaism in its early days and in his words he saw “the good, the bad and the ugly” sides of the movement and has not been involved with them for many years, though he maintains His relationship with Jesus.

One of his observations was to compare the Messianic Judaism movement with the emergent church, saying “much of the Messianic Jewish Movement has also bought into the philosophy of maybe if they like us, they'll like our Jesus, too.”

Do the Messianic groups lean too far towards Judaism in their attempt to make the gospel relevant to other Jews? Through a week of looking over Messianic blogs and web pages I could easily conclude that some do.

There is perhaps no less variation of style and belief between the Messianic fellowships than there is among traditional Christian churches. There are a range of expressions from the ritual and liturgy of the “High church”, through to the informality associated with charismatics and house churches.

There is also a broad range of doctrines held, from strict views of “torah keeping” in which gentiles are expected to adhere to “torah” – (Paul’s Galatian letter comes to mind when I come across these) to others who recognise clear differences between requirements for Jewish believers and gentile believers.

Thinking over what I have discovered, from the very brief exposure I’ve had, I see a danger of a maintained division. The gentile church throughout history has treated Jews and even Jewish believers atrociously. Because of that, it would be easy for Messianic fellowships to maintain a distance and go their own way with no interaction with their gentile brothers and sisters. I suspect many are taking that route.

Another danger would be for both Jewish and Gentile believers to try to bring about the fulfilment of prophecy through their own efforts. I have seen several statements about the salvation of the Jews leading to revival among the gentiles. I have read accounts of a supposed increase in conversions throughout the world since the beginning of the growth in the Messianic movement. One figure stated that approximately 1/5 of the world’s population now confessed Christ as saviour. I would strongly doubt the accuracy of that statistic. Only the broadest and loosest definition of “Christian” would encompass such a number of people today*.

While the increasing numbers of Jews finding salvation through recognition of their Messiah is a reason for celebration. We need to hold to what scripture says to determine the truth of the situation. Does scripture reveal that more Jews will come to Messiah as a result of Jewish believers holding more closely to their Jewish traditions and heritage? Is that what has been foretold by the prophets? Will Jews come into relationship with Jesus apart from gentile believers? While that seems to be a logical possibility and while that seems to be the expectation of many Messianic Jews, that is not what is revealed in scripture.

Paul clearly reveals that “salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous”. The journeys of gentile and Jewish believers are therefore not intended to be separate. What divisions there are between Messianic and gentile believers cannot and will not continue as long as both sets of branches (the natural and the wild) are maintained by the same root. Continued division can only result in the cutting off of the offending branches.

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* This claim is an attempt to show the fulfilment of Paul’s statement regarding the Jews, that “if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring”. The assumption is that their “fullness” has now begun and that the “greater riches” means world revival

Reclaiming Messiah

2010-06-22T15:37:00.007+10:00

(Continuing my companion piece to “Messianic Quintet” which began with the article “Hijacking Messiah”.)

In his book Betrayed, Stan Telchin describes how horrified he and his wife (both Jewish) were when their daughter revealed she had found faith in Jesus. He writes “To mention the name of Jesus is awkward enough. To consider Him as the Messiah is to betray our people, to join the enemy and to desecrate the memory of all our ancestors over the last two thousand years”. He continues with the reason for this: “…the knights of the Crusades…descended on Jews with a cross in one hand and a sword in the other. They murdered and raped and pillaged, all in the name of Christianity.”
“Then there was the Inquisition in Spain in 1492, when refusing to convert to Christianity would cost a Jew his life…”

The realities of a 2000 year history of persecution are not easily brushed away. And it is not distant history when we recognise how recently 6,000,000 Jews were added to the number of those murdered in previous vendettas of “Christendom” against the Jews. However Telchin didn’t need to look to history, even recent history, to make the point recalling, at the age of 5 or 6, of being labelled a “Christ-killer”.

Yohanna Chernoff in Born a Jew…Die a Jew reveals another reason Jews have found it difficult to accept the gospel: the fear of losing or forfeiting their cultural identity. What other national group have been required to abandon or hide their cultural roots? Do Americans stop being Americans after coming to faith in Jesus?
Jewish believers faced rejection from two sides – from other Jews who see belief in Jesus as betrayal, “Are you going to become like those people who have been persecuting us for two thousand years?” And from gentile believers, who foster barely disguised anti-Semitism in their expectation that Jews give up their Jewish identity.
This has been expressed most clearly in replacement theology which insists that the Jews are a people rejected by God having been replaced in His affections by the church.

Yohanna Chernoff and her husband Marty were among the recent pioneers of a movement among Jewish believers in which they celebrate their Messiah as Jews. They started one of the earliest successful Messianic Congregations in America, with the mission of taking the gospel to Jewish families and bringing them into an expression of Messianic faith that joyfully embraces its Jewish roots. This mission not only brought opposition from more traditional church groups, it attracted massive protests from orthodox Jewish groups. This story is told in the book Born a Jew…Die a Jew.

Prior to the late 1960s/early 1970s, there were few Jews expressing faith in Jesus the Messiah. This was the time of the “Jesus Movement” through which many young people started to find the Christian message appealing. This influx of young people, often from the hippy community, also affected the new Messianic fellowships. The Chernoffs saw this as the fulfilment of a vision received by Marty which referred to a “ragged righteous remnant”. Their Beth Yeshua (House of Salvation) fellowship gave a spiritual home to many young people searching for truth and was the birth place of Lamb and Kol Simcha, two groups of singers/musicians who introduced popular, Jewish influenced music to the wider church.

While many still insist that God has rejected Israel and replaced them with the church –thought of as “new” or “spiritual” Israel - they cannot honestly deny that a wonderful move of God has begun within the Jewish people. The numbers of Messianic Jewish believers has grown significantly over the last 30-40 years. Even so, while acknowledging this fact, many still insist that there is no future for the people of Israel. And in this insistence there is not only a denial of what is happening around them, there is a wilful denial of what the apostle Paul reveals in his letter to the church in Rome. His words should take away ALL doubt. He categorically states that God has not rejected the Jews, and he is equally categorical when he states that ALL Israel will be saved in the same way that gentile believers have been saved. This will happen after an unspecified number of gentiles have come to faith.

Don Finto’s God’s Promise and the Future of Israel brings an overview of what God has been doing among the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It gives a perspective of the history of Israel and the church, and moves on to the future that both will share together, becoming members of the one family of God. He writes of the important part that Israel plays in God’s future purposes, a future in which the Messiah will return to earth to establish the Kingdom promised throughout countless prophecies in scripture.

Finto believes that the coming of this Kingdom is very near. The re-establishment of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent repossession of Jerusalem as its capital in 1967 are seen as major signs of the imminence of the Kingdom. Could these events be fulfilment of the return of Israel foretold by the old testament prophets: a return from ALL the nations (clearly a different event from the return from ONE nation after the exile to Babylon)? Those prophecies also promise that the people returning to the land of their ancestors will never again be uprooted – again the return from the Babylonian exile does not fulfil that condition considering they WERE uprooted again in 70AD.

Is it coincidence that Jerusalem came under Jewish control and an increase in the number of Jews recognising their Messiah started around the same time?

Hijacking Messiah

2010-06-22T10:10:00.005+10:00

On my “literary” blog I will be posting an article called “Messianic Quintet”. It will briefly “review” five books with a common theme that I’ve been reading recently.

Three of the books are autobiographical while the other two offer personal observations of influences that have separated Christianity from its Jewish origins. This article is a companion piece, touching on the historical background of the relationship between Christianity and Israel. Following articles will look at the direction ahead.
This is a complex and potentially controversial issue I hope I’m able to address it with a degree of clarity and not merely add to the misunderstanding. Of course there is no way that the whole matter can be addressed in full and I can only touch the surface.

For the first decades of church history, the Christian faith was predominantly Jewish. It was not considered to be a new religion. Its followers recognised Jesus as “the Messiah”, the King of Israel, whose coming had been prophesied for hundreds of years.

Eventually, the message of the Messiah spread to a non-Jewish audience. The original followers of Jesus then had to decide whether it was necessary for the growing number of gentile followers to convert to Judaism, adopting its laws and traditions in order to be accepted by God.

At a conference in Jerusalem it was recognised that God had accepted gentile believers just as they were and conversion to Judaism was unnecessary (Acts 15)

Moving forward a couple of centuries and the nature of the church had changed significantly. The gentile influence had increased, far outweighing that of Jewish believers.

When the council of Nicea met in 325AD (during which some of the basic Christian beliefs were established as recorded in the Nicene Creed) they excluded all Jewish input. No leader from a Jewish background was invited to attend. It wasn’t long before all influence from Jewish believers was rejected.

The early Jewish leadership of the church saw that gentiles could become followers of Jesus without converting to Judaism, but when gentiles became the dominating influence the same liberty was not extended to Jews. They were expected to desert their Jewish culture and adopt gentile behaviour and lifestyle. It was forgotten that the Jesus at the heart of the church was Himself a Jew who had been proclaimed as King of the Jews.

For the most part of the last 2000 years, Jews have suffered at the hands of those professing to be Christians. “Christian” nations have treated them with scorn and violence, from the Spanish Inquisition, to the Russian Pogroms and of course the Holocaust, during which 1/3 of the world’s Jews was murdered by Hitler’s Nazis. These experiences throughout history contributed to the further hardening of the Jews against the Christian message.

During the church’s first years, prior to the coining of the term “Christian”, believers in Jesus called their faith and lifestyle “The Way” and considered themselves followers of The Way.
Steve Maltz has used this name in the title of his book How the Church Lost the Way. Throughout the book Maltz demonstrates how the Hebraic influence of the original followers of Jesus was replaced by the influences of Greek philosophy and how the acceptance of Jews within the church was ended.
I mentioned the council of Nicea earlier. Of this Maltz writes:

“…the first great Council of the Christian Church now takes a sinister turn and validates a policy that is going to result in nothing less than persecution, leading to genocide, of the Jewish people for centuries to come.”

This statement relates to an official letter circulated from the Council by the Emperor (and chairman of the Council) Constantine regarding the distancing of “Easter” celebrations from the original celebration of Passover, when Jesus was crucified according to the Jewish calendar.

“…it seemed to everyone a most unworthy thing that we should follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this most holy solemnity, who, polluted wretches, having stained their hands with a nefarious crime, are justly blinded in their minds…Let us therefore have nothing in common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews.”

Maltz continues, that this was “… the start of a long slide away from the Jewish roots of the faith” and notes that subsequent councils, “threatened excommunication for any Christian celebrating Passover with the Jews…” and “…extended this to all Jewish festivals as well as the Saturday Sabbath”.

In so clearly and categorically rejecting the Jewish origins of faith in the Jewish Messiah, the church did incalculable harm to itself and the integrity of its doctrines and practices. But also it did great harm to the Jew’s relationship with their long awaited King, helping to further harden them against Him and the message He preached.

(see Messianic Quintet