SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : General Topics : Where is all of this leading to ?

Print Thread (PDF)

Goto page ( 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Next Page )
PosterThread









 Where is all of this leading to ?

[b]William Branham and off shoots

[url=http://www.moriel.org/articles/discernment/church_issues/four_current_movements_in_church.htm]Four Current Movements in the church.[/url][/b]


William M. Branham
http://www.discernment.org/precedin.htm by Rev. Robert S. Liichow, 1997
"Apart from the fact that almost everything he said or taught publicly is available in one form of another there is a more lasting and damaging legacy left behind. Branham was responsible in a great part for the formation of what came to be known as the New Order of the [b]Latter Rain.[/b] Branham believed in the distributing of spiritual gifts by the laying on of hands, he believed in restored prophets and apostles. He was the vanguard of many more to come who will operate in this end-time glory and power."

(2) Branhamism/William Branham http://www.watchman.org/profile/branpro.htm
False teachings of William Branham. Also, check this article by Watchman Fellowship on Branham.

(3) Apostate Occult Oneness Prophets: The Evil Of William Branham & The Manifest Sons Of God http://www.bloomington.in.us/~lgthscac/apostateoccultprophets.htm
Copyright © 1997 Zenith Harris Merrill
"William Branham, the "father" of the Manifest Sons of God" theology, and much of the Charismatic movement, which has inspired the Citi-Church, Universal DAWN movement and C. Peter Wagner's Spiritual Mapping of today, was empowered by Satan. C. Peter Wagner, in his book, Engaging the Enemy, attributes much of his information on "Territorial Spirits" to practising Witchdoctors and former Satanists, rather than God's Word. William Branham was Baptist, until his wife died in childbirth, and he had "angelic" visitors who told him it was because he needed to be teaching and preaching "Oneness," instead of the Trinity. He then joined a Oneness Pentecostal church and taught nothing else for the rest of his life. He believed in what the early Church Fathers called the error of Modalism, also known as Monarchianism and Sabellianism: that Jesus is all there ever was of God - He says that God "always had skin on him," but that Jesus sometimes functioned either as the Father or as the Holy Spirit, instead of Himself. Branham taught that God could only function as one at a time, much like an actor playing one role and then another. Where did he ever get such an idea? Everything he believed was from "his" angel of light."

(4) William Branham's Beliefs http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain4.htm by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 12/10/01
Updated! What he said and taught.

(5) Was Branham Elijah? http://letusreason.org/Latrain26.htm
by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, 4/04
...and the 7th angel in revelation and the angel to the Church of Laodicea?

http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/fprophets.html#wbranham


Branhamism/William Branham
http://www.watchman.org/profile/index.htm

The next Sunday Branham's first challenge, a woman dying with cancer, was brought before him. Just as the angel had said, he had a vision and prayed for the woman. She was healed. His fame spread far and wide (Ibid., p. 80). From that time forward, Branham claimed the angel was with him night and day. He stated that he was unable to minister unless the angel was at his side (Occult Bondage and Deliverance, pp. 49, 50).

Branham was a poorly educated man and had no formal Bible education. His ministry was proclaimed with alleged supernatural manifestations and empowered by a spirit being.

DOCTRINE --- TRINITY: Like the "Jesus-Only" Pentecostals Branham denied the Trinity doctrine teaching a form of Modalism. Instead of three Persons in the Godhead, Branham taught that there was only one Person (Jesus) going under different titles or modes at various times in history. Branham's teaching is a variation of a second century heresy taught by Sabellius know as Modalistic Monarchianism or Patripassianism (see Monarchianism, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, pp. 727-28). Branham explained, "...not one place in the Bible is trinity ever mentioned...It's Catholic error and you Protestants bow to it" (Conduct, Order, Doctrine Q and A, p. 182). "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is offices of one God. He was the Father; He was the Son; He is the Holy Ghost. It's three offices or three dispensations,..." (Ibid., p. 392). This view of the Godhead is called Modalism and has been held to be heretical by both Catholic and Protestant churches.
BAPTISM: Branham claimed that proper baptism was needed to avoid the "Mark of the Beast" of denominational churches and escape the danger of missing the rapture and entering the Tribulation. Proper baptism must be in the name of Jesus only. Baptism with the Trinitarian formula of Matthew 28:18 ("in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost") is unacceptable to God.

Branham explained, "There never was a person baptized in the name of `Father, Son, Holy Ghost' until early Catholic church" (Ibid., p. 178). "Look down on your Bible and see if that says `in the names of...' Does it? No, sir... It said, `in the NAME...'" Branham attempted to explain the distinction, "You see, you misunderstand it then. It's one God in three dispensations.... And when He said, `Go baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit,' it was Jesus Christ. And that's why we baptize in Jesus' Name" (Ibid., pp. 181, 184).

If an incorrect formula was spoken during baptism, Branham felt the convert would go into darkness. "But a tritheist, triune baptism was never recognized in the Church, the New Testament... Now you know what to do, that's right; and if you refuse to walk in Light when Light's brought forth, you turn to darkness. Right! Amen!" (Ibid., p. 190).

Other Doctrines
1) Serpent's Seed: Branham taught that Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3) was sexual in nature. According to Branham, Eve was seduced into a sexual relationship with the serpent and became pregnant with Cain. He explained, "Here is what actually happened in the Garden of Eden. The Word says that Eve was beguiled by the serpent. She was actually seduced by the serpent. He was as close to being a human that his seed could, and did mingle with that of the woman and cause her to conceive" (The Original Sin, pp. 2, 3). The serpent's seed was Cain and all his descendants. They are predestined for Hell. The Godly seed is Seth and his descendants who have been revealed by their call to Branham's ministry. A third group, represented by those still in denominational churches have free will to choose Heaven or Hell. The Godly seed are the Bride of Christ and will be raptured before Tribulation. Denominations are or eventually will be the Mark of the Beast and those who remain therein will go through the Tribulation. (Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, p. 96).

2) Last Days Prophet: Branham's followers claim that he held a special role as God's uniquely empowered end-time prophet. "Now, I'm just your brother, by the grace of God. But when the Angel of the Lord moves down, it becomes then a Voice of God to you...But I am God's Voice to you... Now, see, I can say nothing in myself. But what He shows me" (Footprints On The Sands Of Time, p. 214). The angelic visitor told Branham that he would be given two gifts and that he would restore Bible truth.

Branham's followers identified him as the prophetic Elijah of Malachi 4 and the seventh angel of Revelation 10. Speaking of himself, Branham said, "...we are promised a return of that Spirit [Elijah] just before the end-time. He won't start another church, because there is no more church ages to come... because the Laodicea Church Age is the last age, and the messenger of the Seventh Angel,... is the fellow that is going to reveal, by the Holy Spirit, all of these mysterious things.... Notice. This last message of the last church age is not a reformer, he is a PROPHET!" (The Seven Seals, pp. 144, 45).

According to his disciples, Branham is not just a prophet but a major prophet. "A MAN SENT FROM GOD. That the ministry of William Branham qualifies to be that of a major prophet and thus fulfill Malachi 4, 5 and 6 and Revelation 10:7 should become abundantly clear to any who take time to conduct even a brief investigation..." (The Message, Bible Believers, Inc., p. 7).

 2006/4/17 1:04









 Re: Where is all of this leading to ?

.
[b] "He that is not zealous against error, is not likely to be zealous for Truth." J.C. Ryle [/b]

[url=http://www.sliceoflaodicea.com/archives/2006/01/emergent_church_19.php][b]The Emerging Church.[/b][/url]

[b]"The point we need to focus on right now is this: Do we not see the Lord prompting men like Dr. John MacArthur to correctly point out that Evangelical Christianity is fighting for its very life. But for now I wonder, can we afford to almost rule out the spiritual side of our faith while we waste our time arguing about some nebulous concept of essential doctrines as opposed to non-essential ones ?
Could it be that while we're caught up in discussions about whether cessationism is true or not true, perhaps we are in danger of forgetting that at least this much is true: Christianity is a supernatural faith and whether or not God is using certain gifts or not is really not the main point at this critical time.

Could it actually be possible God the Holy Spirit may be trying to alert our Lord's Church to a pagan cult which has been growing right under our very noses where even their own pastors aren't being told the whole truth by these Emergent leaders they trust? Man can become God; I know I've heard that somewhere before. Ah yes, here it is: Genesis 3:5 - Ye shall be as gods. Where are the voices being raised against this oldest lie in the Book? And why are these men being allowed to teach as Evangelicals at the Zondervan"[/b]

[url=http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/emergingchurch.htm][b]The Emerging Church and Contemplative Spirituality - More Connected Than You May Think ![/b][/url]

[b]"'Emergent' folks are Christians who are impatient with rigid megachurch formulas and noisy doctrinal in-fighting.... They're hammering out a theology that's friendly to ancient faith practices (contemplative prayer, labyrinths, hospitality) in a postmodern world of quantum physics, 24/7 media and coffee-house culture."[/b]

[b]On the Emerging Church:[/b]

[b]"In the young people that I have spoken with from various backgrounds and various fellowships, there is a keen lack of discernment for the dangers that we all face as believers,"
by Steve Muse
Eastern Regional Watch[/b]

[url=http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c29.shtml][b]Revival or Return to Darkness ? by Roger Oakland[/b][/url]
[b]Understand The Times
International
P.O. Box 27239
Santa Ana, CA 92799 USA
(800) 689-1888 [/b]

[url=http://www.bereanbeacon.org/The_Emergent_Church_pdf/The_Emergent_Church_Markets_Catholicism.pdf][b]The Emeging Church Markets Catholicism, by former Priest.[/b][/url]

[b]The Lamb is rarely seen there in the emerging church.
There is no sense of gospel wonder.
-Geoff Thomas[/b]

 2006/4/17 3:59









 Re: Where is all this leading to ?

The Responsibilities Of A Good Shepherd
by Sandy Simpson, 5/20/05

There was a good reason why the illustration of a shepherd with his sheep was used so often in biblical times ... because it was an illustration people could easily identify with in their cultural context. The illustrations we use are most effective when they are understood easily by the culture to which God has sent us to minister. Middle eastern cultures understood what shepherding was all about. It was about feeding the lambs and the sheep, bringing them to good pasture lands and water, grooming and clipping them, delivering new lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, going off after the wandering lost ones, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold. We are all under shepherds and Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. We need to emulate what the Good Shepherd does for the sheep.

John 21:15-17 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep".
There are many other aspects of this deep passage I could dwell on such as the Lord's use of the word "agape" and Peter's use of the word "phileo", or the paralleling of the three denials with Peter with the three commands of Jesus ... but I want to look at the three statements of Christ and think about the excellent illustration of shepherding by the Shepherd Who is showing us how to be good under shepherds.
Feeding

First Jesus says "feed my lambs." Emulating the foundational apostles such as Peter, we are told to feed the lambs. Lambs need milk. They need the basics of the Gospel and simple biblical precepts to grow. We are then to "take care of the sheep". That means we are to do everything I will get into in a moment. Finally we are to "feed my sheep". Remember, these are the sheep of the Lord, not our sheep. We are caretakers of sheep that belong to the Master. The point is we are to move beyond feeding the lambs milk to feeding the sheep solid food.

Heb. 5:12-14 & 6:1-3 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
What then is solid food? It is training in righteousness so that the sheep can be fully equipped, able to stand in the day of testing.
2 Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Stories, pop psychology and worldly methodology do not feed sheep. They must be fed on the written Word of God as it is exegeted properly and applied by the Holy Spirit.
Watering

Genesis 29:3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
Water, in the Bible, is often used as an allusion to the Holy Spirit. It certainly is in the case of water baptism. An under shepherd will lead his flock to water regularly. He will roll away the stone of hard hearts and prepare those hearts to be receptive to the nourishment of the Holy Spirit. This can only be accomplished by rolling away the stone of the "self" culture so the light of God's written Word can shine through teaching and proper exegesis, through prayer, and living in obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ.
Grooming

A shepherd grooms his sheep, keeps them clean and free of contamination from the world, the flesh and the devil. He then prepares them to be disciples, followers of the Good Shepherd, so they will, in turn, go out and minister to others.

Matt. 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Shearing
Duet. 18:4-5 You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, for the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’s name always.
At times sheep must be sheared. This is a useful and profitable process for both the sheep and the shepherd. This is an offering to the Good Shepherd. For the benefit of all, the sheep must be sheared ... disciplined, encouraged and rebuked ... to keep them fit for service to the Lord.
2 Tim.4:2-5 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage— with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Heb. 12:7-11 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Titus 2:15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Delivering Lambs
Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
We are to deliver the lambs. We preach the Gospel, the Holy Spirit then convicts the sinner, and if some repent and believe they can be born again.
John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Only the Lord Jesus Christ can save and cause a person to be born again. But when a lamb is newly born, the under shepherd still has responsibilities.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
John 11:39-44 "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

We roll the stone away by preaching the Gospel to let the light of the Son shine in the darkness. When a lamb is born, they come out wrapped in placenta. They still have the vestiges of of the old man wrapped around them. They need to be helped to put off the old man and put on the new lamb! This is called discipleship. Then when the lamb is relatively free, we let them go to grow on to maturity and live their faith out in action.
Leading

The under shepherd leads the flock in the world, while helping them not to be "of the world".

Ps. 23:1-6 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Following the lead of the Good Shepherd as under shepherds we are to lead the sheep to pasture and water. We teach them and restore them. We guide them in paths of righteousness. We protect them from wolves and beasts in the world with the rod and staff. The rod and staff are for discipline of the flock and protection for the flock.
Proverbs 23:14 Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.
1 Samuel 17:40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

We are to discipline the sheep to be aware of the pitfalls of the world. We are to lead the flock out and teach them to stay together in unity. Sheep automatically have one type of unity, which they are to "keep".
Ephesians 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
The only way to be a sheep is to be born again. Otherwise you are a goat or a wolf. Those who are born again have a bond of peace, a unity of the Spirit. But there is another unity that we must build the sheep up into ... the unity of the Faith.
Eph. 4:12-14 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
This unity is unity of belief, unity of doctrine. There is no way for sheep to by unified with wolves in sheep's clothing because there is no unity of the Faith.
Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Wolves are those who pretend to be in unity with the sheep just long enough to come in and drag sheep away into sin. They look and talk like sheep, but they expose who they are by their fruits, false teaching and false prophecies. We need to teach the sheep to be shrewd and be on the watch for the pitfalls of the world, the flesh, the devil and of false religion.
Wandering Sheep

True under shepherds will make an effort to look for wandering sheep.

Luke 15:4 "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Bible is clear that many people have and will continue to wander from the Faith.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
1 Timothy 6:20-21 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.

James 5:19-20 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

We need to help people who have wandered, fallen into the fire, while being careful not to get burned ourselves or soil our own clean clothes. This means we need to be careful about hanging out with false teachers and those who are deceived because we are also in danger of being deceived.
Jude 1:22-23 Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear— hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
We need to be mindful that we have all wandered at times, we have gone astray, but the point is to return to the Shepherd.
1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Protection
The shepherd would bring the flock home to the fold at night. He would then lay down in the gate physically to protect the sheep from wolves coming into the sheepfold. He literally put his life on the line for the sheep.

John 10:1-13 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
We learn some important things about being a good under shepherd in this passage. First of all we are to be watchmen. There are not only savage wolves out in the world, there are savage wolves who are entering the fold at an alarming rate.
Acts 20:29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
Matthew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

The wolves who try to enter the fold make themselves look like sheep. They talk like sheep, they pray like sheep, they make themselves look ultra-holy, they say "Lord, Lord", they claim to be doing miracles, casting out demons, making prophecies in the name of the Lord ... but by their fruit you will know them ... the fruit of lying, of false works, false prophecy, false teaching, false anointings, following false apostles, and trying to be justified by their works. The Shepherd sees through their ruse and calls them what they are ... evildoers.
Matt. 7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
If we as under shepherds do not protect the flock against these wolves, we are just as liable for the destruction they cause under our watch as they are.
Ezekiel 33:6-7 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’ "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
God has made every under shepherd a watchman. There are many gates into any church. The gate of the bookstore, the gate of the music ministry, the gate of the pulpit, the gate of the bulletin board advertising upcoming so-called "Christian" events, the gate of the women's ministry, and the gate of people who come into the body but have an agenda to take people away from unity in the Faith. We need to lay our bodies down in the gate to protect the flock at the risk of our reputations, friendships, our livelihood, and perhaps even our lives. There are too many "hired hands" in the churches today who are not doing their job because they do not want to take a stand against anyone or anything. By their inability to make the hard stands they make themselves useless to the Good Shepherd, and allow great evil a foothold under their watch.
Conclusion

Those who are called to be servant under shepherds in the body of Christ must take that responsibility seriously. There are far too many who claim to be called to servant leadership, but demonstrate clearly that they are not qualified to be shepherds according to God's criteria. We need to be feeding the lambs and the sheep, bringing them to good pasture lands and water, grooming and clipping them, delivering new lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, going off after the wandering lost ones, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold.

 2006/4/17 4:20









 Re:Where is all this leading to ?

Why God Holds Pastors Responsible
By Pastor Bill Randles

“A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”

— Jeremiah 5:30-31 (KJV)

“I think you’ll find that the prophets are pretty nice people, by and large. I’ve come to know them and love them. We’ve invited several of them here, I think maybe five or six, that are from the Kansas City Fellowship. And then we have Paul Cain ...” (John Wimber, “Unpacking Your Bags,” audio tape)

eremiah 23 is a polemic against false prophets, which starts out by putting the blame where it really belongs. Who does the Lord make responsible for the explosion of false prophets, initially? Not the false prophets, nor the congregations, but the Pastors! God knows that the ministries of these false prophets would be all but impossible without pastors opening up their platforms and pulpits to them.

“Woe be unto the Pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:1-2)

How would these false prophets even exist without the shepherds opening up their pulpits to give them meetings? Therefore, it is the shepherds God addresses when He opens up this passage about false prophets. Pastors are supposed to feed their sheep the Word of God and protect them from wolves. The flourishing of false prophets is an indictment against us for failing to faithfully do this! The Word of God, like manna, has failed to satisfy the lust too many have for the novel and exciting! A good number of us shepherds are going to have to answer to charges that for gain, and out of greed, or fear of being left out, we have opened our flocks to the teachings and prophecies of these men who speak such great swelling words of great vanity.

The current false movements have succeeded in creating an incredible peer pressure in the ministry. The pressure is on to distinguish yours as a church which is “cutting edge,” in pace with the latest of the current religious fads. The last thing anyone would want to be accused of is being “dead” or “religious.” Thus, a good many pastors are “desperate,” but it is not the type of desperation that pushes an individual to seek God. The kind of desperation many pastors are experiencing these days is the desperation to keep up with the fast-moving trends in the religious world of today. “If we don’t open up to the Pensacola revival, the church down the road just may; and I’ll lose half of my people.” This desperation never leads one to fasting and prayer but rather to conferences and church-growth seminars. When asked about why he plunged his church into Toronto, in spite of his admitted reservations, one pastor candidly replied,

“I wasn’t sure if it was of God or not, but we were so dry, and so desperate, we couldn’t afford not to take the chance ...”

Results. Truth is secondary these days, just give us some results, generate some excitement, or we will scatter in this wilderness. Hirelings are defined as those who run when the wolf comes rather than lay down their lives to protect God’s sheep. Who are the modern hirelings? The ones who know these new religious fads are unscriptural but are afraid of standing up to them, lest they lose their numbers, prestige, “anointed” reputation, and so forth. Like Aaron in the “Golden Calf” incident, they know this is wrong; but in order not to scatter the people, they are willing to offer them something to see, feel, and experience. They don’t advocate a new God, but they inaugurate ways — of worshiping Him and “points of contact” to Him — that He, Himself, never instituted. This is called “Will Worship” in the Scriptures, the worship of God on our own terms. As in the “Golden Calf” incident, they have proclaimed a “feast unto Yahweh” where there is no feast (Exodus 32:5)!

There are a lot of Aarons these days in Pentecostal and Charismatic leadership who know these movements — Toronto Blessing, Pensacola, Promise Keepers, drunkenness in the Spirit, ecumenism — are wrong, but they are afraid of losing their lives and ministries for truth; so they compromise. Besides that, it is profitable to cater to recent religious fads. When Aaron took an offering for the golden calf, it was one of the most willing offerings ever taken, for people will gladly pay for their idols.

“And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me, and all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears and brought them unto Aaron.” (Exodus 32:2-3)

The Assemblies of God are an example of this, for they condemned Toronto and the laughing revival, until they had their own version of it. What is the difference between Toronto and Pensacola? One gave birth to the other. Pensacola sprang from the Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London, England — the church which virtually blanketed England with the Toronto Blessing and literally coined the phrase “Toronto Blessing.” Can both good and bad water come from the same source? ... How the Assemblies of God could have shone brightly these days by holding up the truth of the Gospel! There are many independent Pentecostals who have looked up to the Assemblies because of their previous strength, experience, and holiness. I have no doubt, there are still many within the denomination who are grieved over the apostasy, but the leadership seems to have taken the “ends justify the means” approach. These new revivals are appealing because they do generate excitement!

Going back to Jeremiah 23. It is because of the hireling mentality of the shepherds, the pastors, that the people of God were affected by the prophets. And what are those effects?

Folly and Error

“And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; They ... caused my people Israel to err.”

(Jeremiah 23:13)

There are numerous examples of the folly and error that false prophets have brought upon God’s people. Jacob Prasch tells of the British Prophet Gerald Coates ... who foretold of an earthquake in New Zealand which persuaded the leaders of a Pentecostal denomination to appear on national television to warn the nation. The national news coverage leading up to it featured churches taking survival courses on the basis of that “prophetic” word. When the predicted date came and went, the Christian church was made into a national laughing-stock. A sincere, but naive Christian leader was made a fool of in his own nation, all because he allowed himself and many others to listen to a false prophet’s predictions.

Profaneness

“... for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.”

(Jeremiah 23:15)

Do you know what the word “profaneness” means? To profane something means to make it into something common, nothing special at all. It is the opposite of the words “holy” or “sacred” which mean “special, set apart.” God’s Word is Holy — special and set apart. It is to be regarded as Holy by His people. When Christians — who have been bought with the blood of the Lamb, have received the Holy Spirit, and have been exposed to the Bible — then feel they need to go out crossing land and sea to get a “word from the Lord” (through people like the Kansas City prophets), they are profaning the Holy Word of God. The Word of God is being profaned by those who are constantly saying things like: “God is a lot more than God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Book,” or “God is a lot bigger than a doctrine,” or even, “The church is so hung up on ‘Bible study’ they don’t really know Jesus.” These are the same people who produce reams and reams of prophecies, expecting you to take those seriously! This profanity will spill out into other areas for it cannot long be contained. I believe the prophecy movement is partly responsible for a kind of “been‑ there-done-that” attitude to the teaching and preaching of the Word of God.

They Make You Vain!

“Thus saith the LORD of Hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you; they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.”

(Jeremiah 23:16)

The false prophets will make you vain! This is the warning of Jeremiah to those who would be enamored of these new “seers.” In biblical thought, vanity is a blight to be avoided for it means “lightness, irrelevancy, to be futile and of no consequence.”

Think about it; we live in a world that is in spiritual and moral confusion, and a good many thinking people — both saved and unsaved — are aware of this. At a time when the Christian church could be holding forth substantial answers that actually speak to the current dilemma of man, answers that are a part of our inheritance from Christ, we are, instead, being seduced into abandonment of our thinking faculties by the Rodney Howard-Browne’s of this world; who beckon us to “turn off your mind and go with the flow.”

This false prophetic movement has made us vain! It has promised renewal to countless thousands of pastors and churches, but it has, instead, tended to self-absorption. That shouldn’t surprise us when you consider the content of the bulk of these prophecies. They fall into the categories of either the “You-are-the-greatest-generation-of-the-church-ever” variety or more along the lines of an “Annanias-and-Sapphira-are-the-fate-of-those-who-dare-question-this-movement” type of utterance. After 20 years or more of this, anyone would be vain. Pastors, we are responsible for this. Why have we opened the flocks up to this? What were we looking for when we sought these ministries? We have succeeded in making our people vain, when they could be sharp, sober, and ready — able to give an answer for the hope we have in Christ — instead of being self-absorbed, drunk in the Spirit, living for the next “outpouring.”

I warned in my earlier book, Weighed and Found Wanting: Putting the Toronto Blessing in Context, that spiritual drunkenness is real, but it is not a blessing from God but rather a judgement on an unfaithful and unbelieving church! Isaiah proclaims,

“His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, everyone for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.”

(Isaiah 56:10-12)

They Encourage Them That Despise The LORD

“They say unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh in the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.”

(Jeremiah 23:17)

There is a tremendous judgement coming upon our nation for her many sins and, of course, judgement must begin in the house of God; for as Peter has rightly said, “If the righteous scarcely be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?” (1 Peter 4:18). Peter and the Apostles called the church to soberness, vigilance, good works, and so forth in view of the coming day of God’s judgement.

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God ...”

(2 Peter 3:11-12)

Those who “despise” the Lord are not necessarily those who “hate” the Lord for, in biblical usage, to despise is “to esteem lightly, to fail to take a person seriously.” The new prophets are dangerous, because they make the church the issue and not the Lord. Their prophecies, as I have already demonstrated, are about the coming greatness of the church — what we will do, how we will reign, our exploits (of course, “in the power of God”). The actual bodily return of Jesus is not the true goal of the new prophets in many cases; rather it is the coming glory — the “presence of God” — that has been prophesied by these in order to envelope the church in the days immediately preceding the bodily return of Jesus. Instead of calling men to “... Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgement has come ...” (Revelation 14:7). An indulgent church is being urged to “soak up” as much of the “anointing” as possible, to get drunk on the new wine, and to enlist themselves into Joel’s army — an army that, itself, is doomed to be judged by God (Joel 2:20)!

They encourage them who despise the Lord to carry on in a thousand-and-one ways! For example, if a man really fears the Lord, he will want to exercise discernment, to think critically, and not to just throw open his spirit to every passing religious fad. These new prophets strongly discourage this — to the point of mockery and threatenings! They have helped to foster an antagonism in the church between the ones they have seduced and those who are more cautious. The “Civil War” prophecy of Joyner, Campbell, Bob Jones, and James Ryle, the sarcasm of Rodney Howard-Browne (rarely missing an opportunity to mock and castigate his detractors), the whole “us vs. them” mentality has given much encouragement to those who despise the Lord enough to relish this division.

“But if they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.”

(Jeremiah 23:22)

In Conclusion ...

The pastors have been given the charge to feed and protect the flock of God which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). Therefore, the responsibility for the false prophets, in part, is laid to rest at their feet. These false prophets would not be able to operate if the people of God had been fed sound doctrine and the shepherds were willing to bark! Therefore, the chapter in Jeremiah that explicitly discusses false prophets, begins with “Woe to the pastors ...” (Jeremiah 23:1). In the very face of false predictions, outrageous teachings, and glaring misuse of spiritual gifts, too many pastors insist all of that can be overlooked for the potential benefits that these false prophets offer.

The staff would like to thank Pastor Bill Randles for his contribution to this issue of the Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc. Journal. This article is actually a chapter out of one of Pastor Randle’s books, “Beware the New Prophets” A Caution Concerning the Modern Prophetic Movement.

 2006/4/17 5:04
pastorfrin
Member



Joined: 2006/1/19
Posts: 1406


 Re: Where is all of this leading to ?

Hi Annie,

Very good post, I hope and pray that all will
read each one of these post, with much prayer.

Where is all this leading? Jesus said it plain
and clear,
Matt. 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am
Christ; [u]and shall deceive many.[/u]

2 Thess.2:1-3 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him,
2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, [u]neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us[/u],as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3. [u]Let no man deceive you by any means:[/u]for
that day shall not come, except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

2 Tim. 3:1-5
[u]This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.[/u]
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers,
false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those who are good,
4. Traitors heady, highminded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God.
5. Having a form of godliness, but denyiny the
power thereof: from such turn away.

Where is this all leading to? What its all leading to is more than a bunch of feel good
worship services are going to help.
Its getting late church, its time to wake up and
see the writing on the wall. The Lord is not coming for a bunch of bless me clubs, He is coming for a glorious church, a persecuted church, a church that will be tried and proved.

What does Jesus say, Matt. 24:21-25
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be.
22. And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved:
[u]but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.[/u]
23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here
is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24. For there shall arise false Christ, and false
prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect.
25. Behold, I have told you before.

Its leading to many, many, many, being led into
the pit of hell.
Jesus said in Luke 18:8 ( Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

I have said this before and I say it again,
WAKE UP, American religious system, YOU ARE
LIVING A LIE!

Please, Please, Please, PRAYERFULLY READ these
post Annie has placed on this thread. It may
save your soul.

Love to All,

pastorfrin

 2006/4/17 20:48Profile
MrBillPro
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 3422
Texas

 Re:

Quote:

pastorfrin wrote:
I have said this before and I say it again,
WAKE UP, American religious system, YOU ARE
LIVING A LIE!

Please, Please, Please, PRAYERFULLY READ these
post Annie has placed on this thread. It may
save your soul.

Love to All,

pastorfrin



Could you please elaborate a little more of your own personal views why the American religious system, is LIVING A LIE all the scriptures were wonderful, but to really understand were your coming from we need you to guide us in a personal statement like even just some sort of example of how the American religious system, is LIVING A LIE, that info is really important for us to know to even begin to take a stand or get the message out. It's almost like a test with all the answers but no questions, with the scriptures being the answers.
Thanks Bill


_________________
Bill

 2006/4/17 22:13Profile









 Re: Sound Doctrine IS the answer.

[b]"The mission of amusement produces no converts.
The need of the hour for today's ministry is believing scholarship
joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other
as fruit from the root. The need is BIBLICAL DOCTRINE,
so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire." --CH Spurgeon[/b]

[b]The Need For Sound Biblical Doctrine[/b]

"2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:2-4 NASB)

Sound Biblical doctrine is desperately needed today in the body of Christ. Christianity is in crisis and has been for many years. Can you identify false doctrine? Do you know what non-Christian Cults believe? All non-Christian Cults reject essential Christian doctrines that reflect the nature of God and the Gospel that saves. All of the leaders of the various non-Christian Cults have come from a Christian background or affiliation. Christianity is in crisis and that reflects the whole body of Christ, not any particular Christian denomination. The purpose of this information is to sharpen the body of Christ and to give encouragement to grow in sound Biblical doctrine according to the word of God.

This Epistle was written to Timothy who was an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). However, I believe that each Christian is to be a witness for Jesus Christ, but most are not prepared to share their faith. Many Christians are not confident with witnessing because they have not had discipleship or training in this area. We need sound Bible teaching from the pulpits for equipping Christians to grow in their faith. Sound Bible teaching is going through the Bible, teaching the Scriptures in context, and seeing how they apply to us. Also, having Bible studies on certain topics helps Christians to be able to better understand what the Word of God teaches in those areas. May those in leadership today reach out to the body of Christ and equip them to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ.

Reading carefully 2 Timothy 4:2-4 we see the following:
We are to preach the word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2)

The word preach is the Greek word "kerusso" (Strong's #2784) which means: "to herald, to publish, to proclaim openly, to preach, public proclamation." This instruction was in reference to sharing the faith with those who are without Christ. Some people think evangelism or sharing Jesus with people is only for the Pastor, but that is a misunderstanding. The Bible teaches that those who follow Jesus are: "To be lights in a dark world (Matthew 5:13-16), to be His witnesses anywhere (Acts 1:8), to have an answer for the faith (1 Peter 3:15), contend for the faith (Jude 3)." Preaching can be done in various ways.

1- Sharing your testimony of accepting Jesus
2- Being a living example and letting people see Jesus in you
3- Through sermons by Pastors, teachers, etc
4- Purposely seeking people to share with
5- Through casual conversations with people

Paul instructed Timothy to be careful of those who were teaching false doctrines, which applies to us today. Christians have a testimony and a voice for the Lord, therefore, be noticed through your words and actions.

We are to reprove with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:2)

The word reprove is the Greek word "elegcho" (Strong's #1651) which means: "to correct, to admonish, to expose, to show ones fault, to call to account, to bring to light." Paul was a studier of God's Word and learned how to share with people of various beliefs. In order for Christians to be able to reprove those who are not of the faith they must learn what the Word of God says. They also must take time to study various beliefs. Paul says we are to reprove "with great patience and instruction." In order to be effective in sharing the faith with people it takes patience and instruction. It is important to have patience when you are sharing the faith someone because you want them to be able to understand what you are saying. Giving Biblical instruction means being able to show someone what the Word of God says and how it applies to them.

We are to rebuke with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:2)

The word rebuke is very similar to "reprove", but it has a stronger application. Rebuke is the Greek word "epitimao" (Strong's #2008) which means: "to reprove, to admonish severely, to censure sharply, to charge sharply." Rebuking is not something fun to do, but it is needed within the Christian Church today to expose false doctrines and beliefs. There were many false teachers during the times of the Apostles and there are many today. "How do we rebuke someone?" Consider the following:

Make sure you know what you are talking about

Make sure you know exactly what they believe

Make sure you have a cause to rebuke someone

A rebuke comes in response to someone who is purposely misleading people with false information

A rebuke comes in response to someone who has been warned repeatedly with accurate Biblical instruction. Rebuking is to be done with patience (time) and instruction (sharing accurate information from the Bible).

We are to exhort with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:2)

The word exhort is the Greek word "parakaleo" (Strong's #3870) which means: "to admonish, to beseech, to comfort, to give encouragement, to entreat." Encouragement is needed badly in the Christian Church. Many Christians and non-Christians need encouragement because life is rough and we cannot do it on our own. True Christianity is to be demonstrated in a way which glorifies God, and gives people hope, strength, and guidance. We are to be patient with people, bearing with them in their pains, and sharing the Word of God which will give them true spiritual food for strength and direction.

A time would come that people would not endure sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3)

During the time of the Apostles there were many false doctrines concerning the identity of Jesus and the Gospel. Paul's Epistles had warnings about false doctrines, and those same warnings have application today for the Christian Church. The following Scriptures are some of Paul's warnings:

"8. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." (Colossians 2:8-9 NASB)

"18..."You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21 solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 "And now, behold, bound in spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24 "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. 25 "And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face. 26 "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 "Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears." (Acts 20:18-31 NASB)
The other half can be found here ... http://www.mts.net/~acts1711/The_Need_for_Sound_Biblical_Doctrine.htm

[b]Why We Need Doctrine[/b]
Richard L. Mayhue

..... The student's confusion reflects a prevailing mind-set among American evangelicals today. But Christian ministry cannot be isolated from Christian theology. Every aspect of the Christian life is founded on the biblical message. That's why the apostle Paul instructed Timothy, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Tim. 4:16)

[b]Detouring the Faith[/b]
The 20th century distaste for sound doctrine is not entirely new. Christ lamented in His day, as did the prophet Isaiah, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” (Matt. 15:8,9; Isa. 29:13). All sorts of strange teachings troubled the first-century church (Eph. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:3,4; Heb. 13:9; etc.).

The neglect of biblical doctrine poses one of the greatest threats to American Christianity today. Without a clear understanding of truth, we are easily sidetracked or detoured. Take the “Toronto Experience.” How do we know whether the convulsive laughter, hysterics, and other bizarre behavior are actually of God? How can we distinguish this from similar experiences outside of Christianity?

Many Christian leaders, even those sympathetic to “charismatic renewal,” have hesitated to endorse these experiences because they have no biblical basis. Without a standard of truth to help us discern the real from the counterfeit, we are like sheep, easily led astray.

Another example is “Evangelicals and Catholics Together,” an unofficial document signed by prominent evangelicals and Roman Catholics in 1994. The accord sought to encourage broader cooperation against social problems such as abortion, homosexuality, and pornography. Unfortunately, while seeking to establish common ground, it also minimized the essential doctrine of justification by faith alone.

The words of Paul remind us that we must careful never to compromise the gospel message: “But even if we or an angel from heaven preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Gal. 1:8,9).

For the rest ..... http://pastors.crossmap.com/article/why-we-need-doctrine/item321.htm

[b]A Departure from SOUND DOCTRINE[/b]
What is new from the pulpit has become more important than expositional teaching on what God has written. Because of this emphasis, many do not know how to identify error, nor have a clue on what to do about it. Because of this lack of conveying doctrine to the assembly, we also find people that believe they can be Christian without the confines of doctrine. They like the moral teaching and higher ethics Jesus offers, they will emulate Jesus but they do not find it necessary to do it by the book. Jesus becomes their mentor and helps reinforce their views of what they think is right in life.

Paul wrote to young Timothy who was trained in the Jewish Scriptures since his youth. 2 Timothy 4:3-5: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Paul spoke prophetically bout that that “time” which should be apparent to all has come. They “will not endure sound doctrine.” They will NOT put up with those who teach correctly. Why? Because they have a need to scratch their ears with something new (like the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill). They intentionally turn from hearing the truth and appoint teachers that will speak (scratch) to what their itch (desire) dictates.

Some in the Church that have been persuaded not to sit under sound Bible teaching that will awaken them. More pulpit time is devoted to storytelling, jokes and illustrations (stories- fables and myths) than the exposition of the word. The sheep’s diet consists more of entertainment, with music, skits and dances with sermons that are like drinking warm milk that will only help them go to sleep.

This was a small segment from .... http://www.letusreason.org/Doct56.htm

[b]The Need, The Nature, and the Neglect of Doctrine[/b]
By Rev. Bill Prater
"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know
understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law." Proverbs 4:1-2

We have come to the place today where, among many followers of Christ,
doctrine is no longer an issue. There was a time when hard and fast
lines were drawn between people on the basis of their particular brand
of doctrine and those lines were not crossed. The popular thing today
has been to replace concern for sound doctrine with concern for
experience. It doesn't matter what you believe in many circles, as long
as you have "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ." While I
certainly would not challenge the need to have a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, to do so at the expense of correct doctrine makes
for a meaningless relationship. A true relationship with Jesus Christ
must be based upon the truth.

We are living in an age when those in the religious spotlight are
telling us that doctrine is not important and that it doesn't make any
difference what you believe as long as you are sincere. However,
doctrine IS important to God and it DOES make a difference what you
believe. Consider 2 John 9, "Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not
in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the
doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son". John's words
do not sound like he is advocating a "doctrine-less" Christianity.
The rest of the story at .... http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/needdoct.htm

[b]"The Bible: Sound Doctrine"[/b]

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared, having a form of godliness, denying its power." (~1Tim 4:1-2, 2Tim 3:5)

For many years people have jumped on the band wagons of "new ideas" as they follow various pied pipers. "For the time will come [is NOW HERE, ed.] when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers and turn their ears away from the truth."(2Tim4:3-4)

We live in a generation of "acceptance, positiveness, non-judg- mentalism, self-esteem;" that requests "Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits." (Is 30:10)

And furthermore, the "positive theology" has turned into overt rejection of God and His Word as "They hold fast to deceit, they refuse to return. They do not speak aright, no man repented of his wick- edness...a horrible thing has been committed in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so" (~Jer 8:5-6,5:30-31) "Professing to be wise, they became fools." (Rom1:22)

"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us?' Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have?" (Jer 8:8-9) Last month we observed how Bible translations were developed to accommodate man's rebellion.

HOWEVER Titus is instructed, "Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine...holding fast the faithful word...by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict." (~Tit2:1,1:9)

Timothy is encouraged "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus...give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." (~2Tim 1:13,1Tim 4:13-16)

Timothy is further warned against relying on worldly wisdom. "Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and vain babbling and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-by pro- fessing it, some have strayed concerning the faith." (1Tim 6:20)

WHAT exactly IS "DOCTRINE?" Is it some metaphysically difficult thing that only a seminary graduate can understand? Simply stated "Doc- trine" means "That which is taught, teaching, precepts." Expanded slightly, it also incorporates the concept of a "body of understanding which forms a belief system."

WHERE DOES THE CHRISTIAN's DOCTRINE COME FROM? "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." (Ps 119:105,9,11)

Continued here .... http://www.a-voice.org/main/voice009.htm

[b]Discerning Error Within 'Mostly-True' Beliefs

What does rat poison have to do with apologetics and discernment? A lot, actually! That's because almost every cult and erroneous Christian fad involves some amount of truth.
And like Christians who lack discernment, the 4 legged victims of the rat trap are drawn in by the good ingredients contained in the box, being totally unaware of the very small but dangerous quantities of poison that are mixed-in with it.

It's interesting to note that the ingredients in most rat poison brands are actually far less than 1% poison; the rest of the product is well over 99% "good food". The key is, if there's too much poison, the rodent simply sniffs the bait, and then moves on his merry way without ever consuming any of it. And so it is with groups that promote erroneous doctrine or preach a distorted gospel message. In order for someone to accept the group's teaching, the error must be subtle, and packaged-in with other beliefs and practices that are "mostly true".

One of the challenges in communicating with groups (even Christian groups) that hold to false doctrine and methods, is getting past the conversational hurdle of their "99% good food", in order to discuss the 1% dangerous doctrinal ingredients.

I've been seeing this a lot lately; someone brings up an issue that clearly violates a biblical principle, and the other side responds by pointing in the direction of all that's good and right about their beliefs and practices (that's the other 99%). This can make communication with these groups nearly impossible, and forces them into an isolated world that's cut off from other Christians. Here are three examples of this "rat poison phenomenon": .......... http://www.oldtruth.com/blog.cfm/id.2.pid.133

"I cannot agree with those who say that they have 'new truth' to teach.
The two words seem to me to contradict each other;
that which is new is not true. It is the old that is true,
for truth is as old as God himself" -- Charles Spurgeon [/b]



[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=10217&forum=36&1]"Contending" for the Truth.[/url]

 2006/4/18 1:17
RobertW
Member



Joined: 2004/2/12
Posts: 4636
St. Joseph, Missouri

 Re:

Hi Annie,

Thanks for sharing. I wanted to say a few things along these lines if I may that really trouble me also. First of all, have you noticed how some of the most radical events in recent human history (Tsunami, New Orleans disaster, etc.) are being written off and have almost no real shock value in driving folk to [i]repentance[/i]. There is a [u]hardness[/u] that exists that troubles me deeply. No matter how odd or radical a 'change' or 'disaster' (or anything for that matter) occurs, there is a 'ho-hum' (almost yawning) attitude among people in and outside the church. I guess what I'm saying is that folk are becoming use to the out-of-the-ordinary, to the place to where it no longer matters that much of what is going on [i]today[/i] from inside the church to the weather and any thing in between in many ways has no historical precedent.

The attitude seems to be, "So what if its unprecedented!" This troubles me as folk can continue on and nothing arrest their attention. This 'factor' is what leads me to my real point.

I don't often watch TV, but a few days ago I happened to catch a special on PBS about the 'similarities' or 'commonalities' between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The level of falsehood and propoganda in this program was stunning. Some of the so-called 'experts' looked demonized. I don't mind saying that, because they looked like devils to me. I would just write it off as so much foolery, but even our President G.W. Bush has referred to Islam as a 'great religion'. I watched as scholars defanged the Koran and tried to make the people believe that it was in harmony with Judaism and Christianity. It was a systematic attempt to explain away the differences and [i]focus[/i] on the commmonalities between Koran, the Tenach and the New Testament.

Now this has happened before. But my point is, with so much so-called 'religious' violence in the world today it seems like the stage is being set for some radical deception that would make the JW's, Joseph Smith's, and William Branom's seem like school boys by comparison. All of the conditions seem to be coming together symphonically to usher in tremendous error, seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. In effect, it is almost like the enemy is trying to annex all three major religions into one Abrahamic religion that is willing to lay aside whether it was Isaac or Ishmael or Christ that was (is) the [u]S[/u]eed. :-o


_________________
Robert Wurtz II

 2006/4/18 8:17Profile
dohzman
Member



Joined: 2004/10/13
Posts: 2132


 Re: right on

Jud 1:3 Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
I believe ur right, Robert. We are being set up as a nation to embrasse something of hodgePodge of religious ideas all rolled up in one. The christian church is so far off the beaten path that they can barely discern the truth. Now there is this gnostic gospel that gaining head way: The gospel of Judas, can u believe that! PBS in our area explained that Jesus walked on water because it was a thin layer of ice! Unbelieveable! These things really get my anger on! Time to look up


_________________
D.Miller

 2006/4/18 9:05Profile









 Re:

Robert, you are right on.

First the "hardness" ... we don't even care about disabled people, hungry people, the homeless, and so on and so on.

Charlotte just for one, has what seems like a thousand churches (KJ could probably give a more accurate count), yet you would think that City wouldn't have "homeless" etc. But the Homeless Ministry has had to cut down some services to them because they can't get the funds.
That's just ONE situation there.

Yes, we're headed for the Mother of Deceptions and that is in our Bibles. Not your guessing or my guessing, we're on the very heels of it.

I wanted to start this thread for that very reason ... to track it.

And I do much appreciate your words and Dohzmans.

The thing that is being pushed quietly and for some time now is a "female deity type or counterpart to God".

Mary to some and the other religions and cults have their own female.

The reason Islam, Christianity and Judaism is standing out the most and will until they are all but annihilated, is because they are Mono-theistic.

The other religions, the world could care less about.

The coming deception will MERGE mostly "Christians" and "Messianics" .... but the tension between those and Jews with Islamics will never die down until antichrist makes temporary peace and then these "Christian/Messianic" types will be the target of his fury next ... if they don't take the mark, etc..

But false "Christianity" IS the conduit for the Strong Delusion on earth and where it all will come from.

Jesus said they will take you into their Churches-{G4864} and persecute you and put to death. Mark 13:9-13


Ho-hum-huh ?


Thanks you guys. I appreciated all your thoughts. And we'll just watch as the American Heretics pull this Mother Load in.

God Bless.

 2006/4/18 18:16





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy