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Torah Observant?

  • Posted on October 15, 2011 at 12:19 pm

ANDREW’s NOTE: Below is an excellent study of this subject by Jim Pruitt. We already discussed the dangers of the ‘Hebrew Roots’ movement some time ago. I truly don’t mind people calling Jesus “Yeshua” – unless they want to force us all to do it.  Paul certainly wrote in Greek, and “Iesous” (or ‘Jesus’) was the word he used.  But Yeshua is fine too. However I certainly DO mind when people start telling Gentile Christians to become “Torah Observant” – back under the Old Law. This is deadly deception in my view – directly opposed to the New Testament. But this movement has been growing and we need to be aware of what the Bible clearly teaches on this subject. Jim Pruitt’s study below will help us do that-

The INSIDIOUS NATURE of FALSE DOCTRINE
-by Jim Pruitt

Three issues have popped up in other areas within the public arena and it is important to address them before they become defacto doctrine. In the first century some of the Jewish Christians sought to impose these behaviors on Gentile Christians and they were addressed in several places in the New Testament (most notably in Acts 15).  They are the doctrinal view that all Christians should worship on Saturday (as opposed to Sunday), should abstain from non-kosher foods, and that the Jewish holidays and festivals should still be observed. Adherence to these behaviors were explicitly commanded by God of the Hebrews in the Old Testament and most were from the book of Leviticus.

However, when Christ came He fulfilled the law (Matthew 5:17-20) and “things which were a mere shadow of what was to come” were no longer applicable.

Here are verses which specifically address the Sabbath and Jewish holidays and festivals:

Colossians 2:16,17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day–things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Romans 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

John 9:16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath ” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them.

Mark 2:27 Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

If you read these verses without preconception (i.e., without a doctrine that you’re trying to rationalize), then their meaning is perfectly clear and self-explanatory. It’s wrong to consider someone as sinning because they don’t keep the Old Testament definition of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is made for man. If you want to consider every day holy then that’s fine. If you want to pick one day or a series of days as above others to worship God, then that’s fine, too. You won’t find any verses in the New Testament which contradict this.

Here are verses which specifically address food (in addition to Colossians 2:16,17):

Mark 7:18-20 And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.”

1 Timothy 4:3-5 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.

Romans 14:14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself…

Colossians 2:20-23 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)–in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

1 Corinthians 8:8 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.

Again, these verses are self-explanatory and you will find nothing in the New Testament which offers any contradictory stance concerning food. Jesus declared all foods clean. The dietary restrictions delineated in Leviticus no longer apply.

How Is It That You Compel The Gentiles To Live like Jews?

In Acts 15, Jewish Christians tried to get the Gentiles to follow their traditions.  However, after a heated discussion between those who advocated having them observe Jewish customs and the Apostles (including Paul), they only advised them to keep a minimal set of rules. There was no mention of having them observe the Sabbath, restricting their diet to kosher foods, or observing Jewish holidays. In addition, in all of Paul’s epistles to the Gentiles, there is no mention of it. In fact, I can find no indication in the New Testament or in historical records of the early church of any time where Christian Gentiles were instructed to do so. If it is not mentioned much less commanded in the New Testament, why is it important for us to reinstitute it now?

Looking at these three issues brings to mind Galatians 2 where some Jews had secretly infiltrated the Gentile Christians in order to “spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage.” When Paul met with the Apostles, Peter began to refuse to sit or speak with the Gentiles (which he would normally and which was against Jewish tradition) because he was trying to keep from offending the Jewish Christians who were present. But Paul wouldn’t let it slide:

Galatians 2:13-16 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

I find no evidence in the New Testament or in the early church histories where Gentile Christians worshipped on Saturday, ate only kosher foods, or observed Jewish holidays.   Scripture clearly indicates that these subjects are a matter of personal choice and that we are not to allow anyone to try and bring us into bondage by saying that God’s Word says otherwise.

Causing A Brother To Stumble

However, there is clear guidance concerning not offending someone by what you eat or by what days you worship in Romans 14:

Romans 14:2-4 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Romans 14:5,6 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

Romans 14:14-17 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:20-23 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.  The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.  Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.  But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Personal Choice versus Doctrine

How should we interpret Romans 14 in light of the other scriptures we find in the New Testament concerning food? Should we allow doctrines such as we are discussing to be taught and promoted without challenging them? If so, where does the deviation from sound doctrine end? Hasn’t history taught us that error uncorrected only increases in magnitude over time?

I think the key is in the phrase “one person.” Romans 14 is talking about how to interact with a Christian brother who has made a personal choice concerning diet or observance of one day over another. If someone chooses to eat only vegetables or restrict their diet in some other way because they believe it is better for them, or they feel God leading them to do so for a time, or any other personal reason then we should respect that. To try and get them to eat something which they don’t want to (for whatever reason) would be to try and cause your brother to stumble or sin because they would be doing something that they believe is wrong.  The same goes for religious observances on certain days.  If they feel God leading them to pray, or study the Bible, or worship on a certain day or days then we should respect that.

However, it is entirely another matter when someone begins to teach their fellow brethren that God has commanded these behaviors and to do otherwise is to disobey God. It then is no longer a matter of respecting personal choice but a matter of legalism and the “leaven of the Pharisees” creeping in to restrict our liberty in Christ and begin to put us back into the bondage of the law. Although its initial effects may be innocuous, such thinking inevitably leads to further restrictions until at last we find ourselves back trying to earn God’s favor through works.

All Things To All Men

One reason put forth as justification for such restrictions is that our liberty gives offense to Jews and Muslims who still adhere to these sorts of doctrines. Granted, it is entirely scriptural to avoid giving offense to those of another culture or religion where it is possible without disobeying God when trying to minister to that group:

1 Corinthians 9:20-22 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

But to say that such restrictions are to be observed at all times as a way of life in order to avoid offending anyone is to misrepresent the meaning of the passage. Paul himself didn’t live like a Jew except when he was trying to reach Jews. Paul didn’t stay “weak” in order to avoid offending those who were weak but only when he was trying to reach them.

What Does Christ-Like Mean?

Another rationalization given for these doctrines is that they make you more “Christ-like” since these were behaviors that we believe Jesus observed since he was, after all, Jewish. However, if that is the reason for doing these things then where does it end? There are many rituals and customs which were commanded by God in the Old Testament and which were observed by the Jews of Jesus’ time. Are we now to say that God commands all Christians to observe the following:

Christians are to be considered unclean and untouchable for period of time after having had contact with a dead non-kosher animal (for instance, touching bacon), during menstruation, after giving birth, and after a seminal emission (Leviticus 11,12 and 15)

* Women can’t wear men’s clothing and vice-versa (Deuteronomy 22:5)

* It is forbidden to wear a garment where wool and linen are mixed (Deuteronomy 22:11)

* You can’t eat the fruit of a tree for the first three years after you plant it (Leviticus 19:23)

* Anyone who works on the Sabbath shall be put to death (Exodus 35:2)

* Anyone who curses their mother or father, commits adultery, or has sexual relations with someone in their immediate family or of the same sex will be put to death (Levitius 20:9-13)

* If you’re in fulltime ministry, then you can’t shave your head or trim your beard (Leviticus 21:5)

* If you have a garden or are a farmer, then every seventh year you are forbidden from sowing any seed, gathering any crops, or weeding and trimming (Leviticus 25:4,5)

These are just a handful of the restrictions found. If the commandments concerning observing the Sabbath only on a certain day, eating only kosher foods, and observing Jewish festivals are still in effect then it stands to reason that all the others are also still in effect. Isn’t it hypocrisy to pick out one or two and choose to just obey them? Isn’t that part of the “leaven of the Pharisees” that Jesus spoke against?

There are many aspects of Jesus’ life which differs from most people today. Unlike Jesus, most of us drive when going long distances, have homes and mortgages, bathe daily, and use deodorant. It is obvious to even a casual student of the Bible that trying to be “Christ-like” means to emulate His character and not his cultural customs.

The Appearance of Wisdom

There is something in our “old self” (Colossians 3:9) which longs for religious ritual and self-abasement. It has to do with the same reason that Christ and salvation by grace is a stumbling block to those of other religions and non-Christians. We have trouble accepting the fact that there isn’t something which we can do to earn our own salvation. If we can do things to show how pious we are, then we can feel better about ourselves. It’s all part of a “works” mentality (Ephesians 2:8,9) and helps to feed the most common of sins… pride.

The pride we take in how devout we are is something which all the other religions of the world can relate to. Those who sincerely seek to follow those religions must by nature focus on discipline and what they can outwardly achieve. When your spiritual future is entirely up to what you can accomplish by the force of your own will then you can count on many tasks and rituals being required so that you have a means of measuring your success. Again, this is one of the reasons that followers of other religions hold much of Christianity in such contempt because we insist that we are saved by grace alone and that there is nothing we can do to merit it.

Within Christianity, the concept of being saved by grace alone often causes people to stumble into extremes at both ends of the spectrum. On the one hand, you find those who believe they have their “fire insurance” so they can pretty much do what they feel is right (often phrased as “being led by the Spirit” in order to make it sound spiritual). On the other, there are those who set out to offset that very perception and go right past sanctification and wind up in the same techniques used by other religions to curry God’s favor.  Of course, we should be led by the Spirit but the Holy Spirit will never lead you to ignore the Word of God. And we should seek sanctification as we continue in the process of repentance and maturity but that doesn’t mean seeking to revive restrictions from the Old Testament which the New Testament has removed. Doing so may have the “appearance of wisdom” (Colossians 2:23 ) but is actually just a step towards putting yourself back into the bondage of the Law.

Conclusion

There appears to be a wider (and more bizarre) variety of false doctrines among Pentecostals and Charismatics (which I consider myself a member of). I think the reason for this is that we have swung more towards the experiential in our efforts to know God and have begun to neglect the Word of God. The Word of God should be our standard against which we measure any experience or compulsion which we believe is from the Spirit. If we did so, then many of these aberrations could be avoided.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

In summary, we need to respect the personal choices of our fellow Christians even if we find no Biblical basis for them as long as they do not actually conflict with God’s Word.  However, when false doctrines begin to be taught which go beyond personal choice and declare that God has commanded something which His Word contradicts, then we need to address it before it multiplies and mutates. Satan (although better known for his tactical methods eliciting immediate gratification) has been around for thousands of years and acts strategically as well. He can take the long view to achieve his means and, failing to get us to abandon our faith outright, he will use methods both subtle and gross in an attempt to bend our passion for God. Remember, brothers that each bizarre doctrine, sect, and denomination which is in the world today started but with a single man.

Galatians 5:9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.

Galatians 5:1-4 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Romans 7:6 But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

-Please comment on this topic at the website below-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2011/10/14/torah-observant-a-deception/

Article source-

http://www.cyshift.com/false_doctrine.html

–
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Why Hell?

  • Posted on July 20, 2011 at 3:57 pm

NOTE: This piece by pastor and author Greg Gilbert contains a lot of insights

WHY HELL is INTEGRAL to THE GOSPEL
-by Greg Gilbert.

For some, the horror of the Christian doctrine of hell—that it is a place of eternal, conscious torment where God’s enemies are punished—has led them not just to avert their eyes and minds, but to deny it entirely. “Surely,” they say, “hell is a fictional construct used to oppress people with fear; a God of love would never allow such a place to really exist.” There’s an emotional power to this argument, to be sure. No one, certainly no Christian, likes the idea of hell. At the same time, this doctrine isn’t just drapery on the side of the Christian worldview, something with no relevance to the structure of the faith itself. Nor is the doctrine of hell an embarrassing, unnecessary, primitive wart that we believe just because we’re told we have to.

On the contrary, the doctrine and reality of hell actually throws the glory of the gospel into sharp relief for us. It helps us to understand just how great God really is, how sinfully wretched we really are, and how unutterably amazing it is that he would show us grace at all. Moreover, the reality of hell—if we don’t push it out of our minds—will focus us, above all, on the task of proclaiming the gospel to those who are in danger of spending eternity there.  With that in mind, here are five biblical statements about hell which,taken as a whole, demonstrate why hell is integral to the gospel.

WHY HELL is INTEGRAL to THE GOSPEL

1. Scripture teaches that there is a real place called hell.  I won’t belabor this point. Others have made this case with crystal clarity. Suffice it to say that medieval bishops didn’t invent the doctrine of hell as a way to scare the serfs; they got it from the apostles. And the apostles didn’t invent it to scare the pagans; they got it from Jesus… At the most basic level, therefore, if we claim to be Christians and to believe that the Bible is the word of God, we have to recognize that the Bible teaches the reality of hell. But there’s more.

2. Hell shows us how heinous our sin really is. Have you ever heard someone make the argument that no human sin could possibly deserve eternal torment in hell? It’s an interesting argument, one that reveals a lot about the human heart. Why is it that when people think about hell, they always conclude that God must be at fault and not themselves? You can see how the doctrine reveals our hearts: when we consider our own sin, our first inclination is always to minimize it, to protest that it’s not that bad and that God is wrong to say it deserves punishment.

The reality of hell stands as a massive refutation of that self – justification.   Non-Christians will always see the horrors of hell as an indictment of God, but as Christians who know God to be perfectly just and righteous, we must understand that the horrors of hell are actually an indictment of us. We may want to minimize our sin, or excuse it, or try to argue our consciences down. But the fact that God has declared that we deserve eternal torment for those sins should remind us that they are not small at all.  They are enormously evil.

3. Hell shows us how immovably and unimpeachably just God really is. People have been tempted throughout history to think of God as a corrupt judge, one who sets aside the demands of justice simply because he likes the defendant. “We are all God’s children,” the argument goes. “How could God hand down such a horrible sentence on some of his children?” The answer to that question is simple: God is not a corrupt judge. He is an absolutely just and righteous one. Over and over the Bible makes this point. When God reveals himself to Moses, he declares himself to be compassionate and loving, but he also says, “Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.” The Psalms declare that “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.” What an amazing statement! If God is to continue being God, he cannot simply set justice aside and sweep sin under the rug. He must deal with it—decisively and with exacting justice. When God finally judges, not one sin will receive more punishment than it deserves…

The Bible tells us that on that day, when God sentences his enemies to hell, the whole universe will recognize and acknowledge that what he has decided is unimpeachably just and right. Isaiah 5 makes this point with bracing clarity: “Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opens its mouth without measure.” It’s a grotesque image, the grave widening its mouth to swallow the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And yet by this means, Isaiah declares, “The Lord of Hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.” Similarly, Romans 9:22 tells us that by the torments of hell, God will “show his wrath and make his power known,” so that he might “make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy.”  We may not understand it fully now, but one day hell itself will declare God’s glory. It will—even in its horror—testify together with the psalmist, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.”

4. Hell shows us how horrific the cross really was, and how great God’s grace really is. Romans 3 tells us that God put forth Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement “to demonstrate his justice.” He did this “because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished.”  Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? It was because that was the only way God could righteously not send every one of us to hell. Jesus had to take what was due to us, and that means he had to endure the equivalent of hell as he hung on the cross. That doesn’t mean that Jesus actually went to hell. But it does mean that the nails and the thorns were only the beginning of Jesus’ suffering. The true height of his suffering came when God poured out his wrath on Jesus. When the darkness fell, that wasn’t just God covering the suffering of his Son, as some have said. That was the darkness of the curse, of God’s wrath. It was the darkness of hell, and in that moment Jesus was enduring its full fury—the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. When you understand the cross in that light, you begin to understand better just how magnificent God’s grace to you is, if you are a Christian. The mission of redemption that Jesus undertook involved a commitment to endure God’s wrath in your place, to take the hell that you deserve. What an amazing display of love and mercy that is! Yet you will only see and understand this display of love clearly when you understand, accept, and shudder at the horror of hell.

5. Hell focuses our minds on the task of proclaiming the gospel.  If hell is real, and if people are truly in danger of spending eternity there, then there is no more urgent and important task than doing precisely what Jesus told his apostles to do before he ascended to heaven—proclaim to the world the good news that forgiveness of sins is offered through Jesus Christ!

I think John Piper got it exactly right in a Gospel Coalition interview:  “It’s very hard to give up on the gospel if you believe there is hell, that after this life, there is an endless suffering for those who did not believe in the gospel.” There are all kinds of good things that Christians can do — and in fact should do! But if hell is real, it is worth keeping in mind — no, it is imperative that we keep in mind — that the one thing that Christians can do that no one else in the world is ever going to do is to tell people how they can be forgiven of their sin, how they can avoid spending an eternity in hell.

CONCLUSION

There is no doubt that the doctrine of hell is horrible.  The doctrine is horrible because the reality is horrible. But that’s not a reason to avert our eyes and ignore it, much less to reject it. There are those who think that, by rejecting or at least ignoring the doctrine in their preaching, they are making God more glorious and more loving.  Far from it! What they are really doing is unwittingly stealing glory from the Savior Jesus Christ, as if what he saved us from was… well, not so bad after all. In fact, the horrific nature of what we have been saved from only intensifies the glory of what we have been saved to. Not only so, but as we see ever more clearly the horror of hell, we look with ever more love, ever more gratitude, and ever greater worship to the One who endured that hell for us and saved us.

-Please comment on this topic at the website below-
http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

Article Source-
http://www.9marks.org/ejournal/why-hell-integral-gospel

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Just One Roar of the Lion

  • Posted on May 7, 2011 at 10:20 pm

ANDREW’s NOTE:  I believe this is one of the most powerful words that I have seen in the last 5 years. It comes from a Christian lawyer from India named Swarna Jha – and it was posted on our Forum a couple of years ago. Time to re-read it again-

VISION: “JUST ONE ROAR of the LION”

-by S. Jha.

I saw this vision on the 22nd of August 2006

I saw a Lion. I walked with Him to a very high Rock. The Lion then Climbed the Rock, and Stood on the very top of this high Rock. I stood below, looking up at Him.

He let out a LOUD ROAR.

And EVERYTHING in the atmosphere / universe changed.

In a flash I had a 360 degree vision, and what I am about to relate happened in a flash, but I spent the whole of the 22nd of August, just waiting on God to see in ‘slow motion’, what I had seen in a speedy flash, and understand what I had seen.

I was told that my mind could not grasp the vastness of the changes I saw in the Vision. So I stayed at home, and did not take up any duties but spent the whole day, off and on, every few hours just re-visiting this vision and seeing it unfurl in more detail, now at a speed that I could cope with. I don’t think I have ever seen such a lengthy vision, condensed into a 360-degree vision flash before.

Frame by frame this is what I saw:

I saw Empires fall, and wars begin.

I saw that where previously, formulas and general understanding were proven, it did not work any more, where there were people and places overflowing with money one moment, the next morning the moneyed had nothing.

I saw many ‘proven’ thoughts, and ways now nullified.

I saw that the balance was tipped in favor of the East.

I saw Angels who had been working in the North and Northwest, recalled and sent East.

I saw children snatched out of the hands of some of the parents.

Fresh food stopped in the western area and was diverted to the East. The fertile became barren and the barren became fertile.

All this, from Just One Roar of the Lion.

I saw 3 long lines of writing in the sky. It read:

Lost, Lost, Lost.

But below, it I saw the word:

Gain , gain, gain……..where this line ended I could not see, as it just continued on, endlessly.

I saw that the East gained money, food, etc.

The losses were loss of power, prestige, money, position.

I saw:

Where a soldier stood to load his gun, to shoot, even the last single bullet he had was taken away.

Where a soldier stood ready for packing his gun, where truce had been declared, divine bullets loaded his gun, and led him to shoot.

In the Universe, expected cosmic events were diverted and unexpected ones were brought forth.

Deserts bloomed, greenery was made barren. Light that had focused on the West, now moved East.

This was so sudden that it was like saying…”One morning I woke up, and all was changed”.

(Scripture: Amos 3: 8: )

The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

The Lion has Roared.

Dark clouds disintegrated from one place and gathered in another.  Whilst there was a West to East exchange on a large level, on individual levels there were changes too. Everything, everything, everything, was changing.

All this from, Just One Roar of the Lion.

Just that One Roar, and things from here, were flying there and vice versa. People/ Nations, who had got used to a way of life/of thinking, were in for either a shock or a surprise.

CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE.

The hungry were fed, and the fed, went hungry. All opposites were happening.

Many homeless were housed, and many of those with homes became homeless. Light became dark and dark became light. Whatever the present situation, the opposite was happening.

Many rich became poor and many of the poor became rich.

All this, from Just One Roar of the Lion.

Clouds that were meaning to rain, suddenly disintegrated and it rained elsewhere, where least expected.

People were in puzzlement. They said to themselves, ”but I thought….”  No, nothing would be as “I thought. “

Many were saying, “But it always worked this way”. Now no more.  For those who said, “It’s never worked for me,” they were surprised to know that it will, now.

Heralds blew trumpets, proclaiming: “ End of empire, end of empire”.

Anyone who had been a Specialist, Monopolist, the kingpin in any area of his life/business, now that would begin to end. Nations that had empires or aspirations building towards it, would now see the beginning of the end of those empires.

Nothing was the same. Everything, everything had changed.

Just One Roar Of The Lion.

And He Has Roared.

Empty pockets were filled, the filled emptied.

Strategic changes were taking place. Whatever had worked like clockwork would not work now. People of peace were making war, and warring nations calmed down.

For the warring nations it was like the wind was taken out of their sails.

Just as Egypt, Persia, Babylon, Rome, Britain etc were all once super powers/empires, but their reign and era ended, so now any ‘super power’ or aspirations thereof, was being diffused. Nations that were looked up to were now beginning to be looked down upon and vice versa.

Balance of power and favor had shifted East.

Angels in the West, held Gold Books. One book was titled “Most Wanted”, the other, “Most Favored”.

‘The Most Wanted’ Book had living photographs of the most evil people, the traitors etc. Each one was dealt with and disposed.

The Most Favored, in the other gold Book with living photographs, were some of those, who had lived through most desolate conditions, such were lifted up.

(All that is related here, remember, was happening all at once.)

In the midst of all this, I heard the Angels sing: Glory, Glory, Glory.

Time was sped up in some places, in others, it was slowed down.  Wild beasts were all crouching in fear, afraid. I saw the milk inside of cows curdle.

Just One Roar Of the Lion.

I saw Eagles, fitted with miniature bells. The bells were so minute, it was hard to believe that if they rang any could hear. Eagles did not speak, they just carried the bells that were fitted to their beaks.  People were to ‘read’ the sounds.

Wheresoever the Eagles flew, to some the ringing of the bells was as a very high, deafening pitch. I was not allowed to hear this high pitch sound, but it was revealed to me, that it was an unbearable/ deafening high pitch sound.

But there were others who heard the same bells, which the Eagles had attached to their beaks, and to these the sound transmitted was different. It was sheer music. I heard this. Such people, had their hands lifted high and they were happily sighing and exclaiming, “Finally!”

I saw Angels collect gold crowns from those in the North, and they dipped the crowns in a smoky place (the kind of smoke one sees with dry ice), and when the crowns emerged from the smoke, they looked exactly the same, but now they were silver.

No matter in which direction I looked all had changed.

It seemed that the very nature of nature changed.

Volcanoes that were dormant, the ashes were removed, and a new fire was lit in them. It seemed that certain species, suddenly became extinct.

Reams of paper fell from the sky; paper and pens were sent down, for Chroniclers and Historians, for it was going to be a busy time for them.

Nothing of all creation was left untouched, at Just One Roar of The Lion.

Outside, the earth looked still, but within were rapid-fire changes.  Quick, sudden, some were devastating, others surprisingly favorable, but this favor was mostly for the East.

I saw what looked like a flight-path that normally airlines describe on their brochures, as routes of flights/destinations.

For prophets, their flight -paths were moved from here to there, as if randomly, but it was not random, it was the Plan of God for prophets. Prophets will be suddenly moved, and see things from a new vantage point.

I saw some people become tar, whilst others became fountains of water.

Just One Roar Of The Lion

Many changes took place in the Universe.  On earth, snows of old melted, and water in unlikely places froze.

It is no ordinary thing, when the Lion Roars.

Those dressed warm in the winter, had their clothes taken away, they were left naked. But the naked street-dweller was clothed.  There was a divine transfer of wealth, knowledge, and understanding.

People, who’d talked and talked for years, had their mouths taped.  But, as in Ezekiel 24: 2, those that had been mute for a season now spoke.

As the vision progressed, I heard the Lord Say:  My People have no roof over their head. I Am their Roof.”

I was flown speedily, over building after building, and as we flew, I heard the Lord Say: “ Not Mine, not Mine, not Mine, not Mine, not Mine, not Mine, not Mine.”

Now I was despairing. What then was God’s?

Then I was shown, people in the fields, with instruments. They had no roof over their heads. These were God’s own.

The buildings we flew over, were demolished by an elephant’s trunk and many T.V. Studios had a fire underneath them.  Apparently these buildings had been re-built on the same grounds where prior buildings had been condemned and burnt. These new buildings had been built on the foundations of charred remains and ashes.

I saw oil poured out from the sky, in two separate ways. One fell over people who gladly received it over them and laughed in the ‘oil rain’. On the other hand, for others, the oil rain caused to be set aflame all that was below.

All that was up to the present became obsolete, and new technology, the secrets of which were hidden in nature, appeared.

Science made simple but profound discoveries. I saw Scientists have a ‘Eureka’ moment. For many who were researching, studying, looking for, the ‘thing’, it was right there before their very noses. Once they saw it they slapped their foreheads, lamenting, “Silly me!”

Follies of science were exposed. The simplicity of the discoveries to come were mind-boggling.

Just One Roar Of The Lion

The very nature of nature seemed to be changing. It was as unbelievable as Isaiah 11: 6-8, ‘the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;……

In some places, I saw an overabundance of wheat, which flowed into the sea, as it was so plentiful. But in other places, I saw land, which was once green, and was now parched land where nothing grew.

I saw beautiful blooms on cactus/desert plants.

He, who understands these changes, will prepare.

The Earth was in a global eclipse. One half had light, the other half was in darkness. It seemed that plates were shifted/removed from the earth. There were people who raged against God. “ We’ll do what we have to, let Him do what He Wants to”, they were saying.

Trees trembled. They knew that their time to be cut had come. To many, prophets and counselors were restored, but from others, the prophets and counselors departed. Sadly, those from whom they departed noticed it not.

Focus/emphasis of the Church, and the world, due to the presence of new circumstances, changed.

All this, by Just One Roar Of The Lion.

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2010/12/02/most-powerful-word/

-Please give your thoughts on this word at the website below-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

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Prophetic Movement

  • Posted on May 7, 2011 at 8:49 pm

PROPHETIC MOVEMENT in AN UPROAR

-Andrew Strom.

Earlier this week we published big chunks of Dennis Cramer’s “Word for 2011″ in which he basically tears into a lot of the flakey and dangerous “New Age”-type practices found in today’s Prophetic movement. Well, to my great amazement, I found that the Elijah List had actually published Cramer’s piece as well! And it caused such a storm that they had to remove it after just one day – for “clarification”! But then they re-published it – only slightly changed!

For those who don’t know, the Elijah List is the main email List for the Prophetic movement – publishing the likes of Todd Bentley, Patricia King, Rick Joyner, Bob Jones, etc. It also sells mounds of their books and CD’s. For the Elijah List to publish something that basically refutes all the “Spirit Travel” and “Third Heaven Visitation” stuff is simply unbelievable. It would almost be like the Pope refuting the veneration of Mary!

I don’t know what the Elijah List was thinking, but I’m sure glad they did it. Now maybe there’s a chance that some of their readers will get out from under those dangerous deceptions.

But I am left a bit dazed by it all – because the very ones who have been advocating “spirit travel AT WILL” and “Trance dancing” and ‘Third Heaven visits AT WILL’ are the very ministries that the Elijah List has been promoting all these years!

Here is what the Elijah List founder Steve Schultz wrote after they pulled the first article when it caused such a storm-

“Dear Elijah List Readers,  There was a huge number of people who were unclear on a few issues with Dennis Cramer’s word… The most controversial aspect was the “AT WILL” issue. Apparently, there are some out and about who are teaching that you can transport or go to Heaven “AT WILL” – i.e. whenever you want. This is truly not taught in Scripture. The word “Doctrine” is another word for “teaching.” It’s an untrue teaching that anytime you want, you can go to Heaven or be transported… As soon as Dennis Cramer sends us a more in-depth explanation of the items he listed, we plan to repost my friend’s word.”

ANDREW AGAIN:  Steve – I’m so glad you wrote this, but do you truly realize what you are saying? Don’t you know that Bob Jones and Todd Bentley and Patricia King, etc, are the VERY BIGGEST promoters of all this “AT WILL” deception that you are talking about? Patricia King even has a whole movement of “Ekstasis” Trance dancing! These guys have entire reams of teaching on how to “visualize” your way into the Third Heaven ‘AT WILL’. They have been promoting it for years. Surely you know this? That’s why your readers are so upset. Dennis Cramer is finally exposing and rebuking this stuff as the ‘New Age’ heresy that it really is.

On January 15, Elijah List reposted the “re-clarified” word from Dennis Cramer on their website. It was a little softer in places, but still it said the following very clearly: “One cannot go to Heaven like Paul or be transported physically like Phillip simply because they want to or because they feel like it (at will). Teachings like this often crossover into dangerous methods and techniques that resemble New Age, Mysticism, Spiritism or other occult manipulative practices. A Believer cannot and must not force, manipulate, or otherwise attempt to reproduce a sovereign supernatural Bible experience by merely following a method, a series of steps, or worst of all “willing it” to happen.”

In the same re-posted word, Dennis Cramer went on to say-

• “Open Heaven/Spiritual Portals = BAD DOCTRINE

• Third Heaven Experiences At Will = BAD DOCTRINE

• Going to Heaven At Will to Get Your Gifts = BAD DOCTRINE

• Transporting Physically At Will = BAD DOCTRINE

• Over-Emphasis on Angels and Specifically Arc-Angels = BAD DOCTRINE

• Going into Trances At Will = BAD DOCTRINE

• Trance Dancing = BAD DOCTRINE

• Hyper-Grace: Christians Do Not Need to Repent of Sin = BAD DOCTRINE”

Well – there goes the Prophetic movement!!  Seriously – I cannot believe they posted this on the Elijah List! Steve – This is exactly all the stuff your followers have gotten into! Most of the guys you promote – these are the exact ‘New Age’-type practices that they teach! Surely you know this?

So now, to finish this article, I need some “clarification” from Steve Schultz. I am very encouraged by this apparent change of heart, Steve, but I need to know if you will now CEASE forthwith any and all publication of the materials and teachings of these people – until they publicly repent and apologize for this ‘New Age’ heresy. And I need to know if you – Steve Schultz – will now publicly renounce the promotion of these deceptive preachers around the world. (Sorry to be so blunt about it, but we really need to hear this from you). I am so glad that you published Cramer’s piece. But now we really need to know where Elijah List stands – and whether things have truly changed or not. We look forward to your reply.

And I ask everyone reading this to please forward it to your Charismatic friends. People need to know that this stuff is finally being declared as “BAD DOCTRINE” – even by the Elijah List itself. Please let everyone know, so this deception can be stopped. You would be amazed how widespread it is.

-You can comment on this article at the following website-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

God bless you all.

-Andrew Strom.

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Time of Shaking

  • Posted on May 7, 2011 at 5:23 pm

PROPHECY – THE TIME of SHAKING

-Lance Lambert.

(This prophecy was given by Lance Lambert in 1986 in a Prophetic Conference in Jerusalem. 153 prophets from 30 to 40 nations had gathered to wait upon and to hear from the Lord. The highlights of this prophecy to the entire body of Christ are as follows…)

“It will not be long before there will come upon the world a time of unparalleled upheaval and turmoil. Do not fear for it is I the Lord who am shaking all things. I began this shaking with the first world war and I greatly increased it through the second world war. Since 1973 I have given it an even greater impetus. In the last stage, I plan to complete it with the shaking of the universe itself, with signs in sun and moon and stars. But before that point is reached, I will judge the nations and the time is near. It will not only be by war and civil war, by anarchy and terrorism, and by monetary collapses that I will judge the nations, but also by natural disasters: by earthquakes, by shortages and famines and by old and new plague diseases. I will also judge them by giving them over to their own ways, the lawlessness, to loveless selfishness, to delusion and to believing a lie; to false religion and an apostate church, even to a Christianity without me.

Do not fear when these things begin to happen, for I disclose these things to you before they commence in order that you might be prepared, and that in the day of trouble and of evil you may stand firm and overcome. For I purpose that you may become the means of encouraging and strengthening many who love me but who are weak. I desire that through you many may become strong in me, and that multitudes of others might find my salvation through you.

“And hear this! Do not fear the power of the Kremlin, nor the power of the Islamic Revolution, for I plan to break both of them through Israel. I will bring down their pride and their arrogance, and shatter them because they have blasphemed my name. In that day I will avenge the blood of all the martyrs and of the innocent ones whom they have slaughtered. I will surely do this thing for they have thought that there was no one to judge them. But I have seen their ways and I have heard the cries of the oppressed and of the persecuted and I will break their power and make an end of them.

Be ye therefore prepared for when all this comes to pass, to you will be given the great opportunity to preach the Gospel freely to all nations. In the midst of all the turmoil and shaking, and at the heart of everything, is My Church. In the heavenlies. She is joined to Me in one Spirit and I have destined Her for the throne. You who are My beloved, whom I have redeemed and anointed – you are Mine. I will equip and empower you and you will rise up and do great things in My Name, even in the midst of darkness and evil. For I will reveal My power, and My grace and glory through you. Do not hold back nor question My ways with you for in all My dealings with you I have always in mind that you should be part of My Bride and reign with Me. Do not forget that this requires discipline and training. So yield to Me that I might do a work in you in the time which is left for I plan even during all this shaking the Bride will make Herself ready.

“For in the midst of these judgments multitudes upon multitudes will be saved from the nations. You will hardly know how to bring the harvest in, but my Spirit will equip you for the task. And to Israel, will I also turn in that day, and I will melt the hardening which has befallen her. I will turn their blindness into clear sight, and tear away the veil on their heart. Then shall they be redeemed with heart bursting joy, and it will become a fountain of new and resurrection life to the whole company of the redeemed.

“Do not fear for these days, for I have purposed that you shall stand with Me and serve Me in them. Fear not, for I love you and I will protect you and equip you. I, the Lord, will anoint you with a new anointing and you will work My works and fulfill My counsel. You shall stand before Me, the Lord of the whole earth and serve Me with understanding and with power and you shall reign with Me during these days. Above all, I call you to be intercessors.”

-Please comment on this topic at the website below-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

SOURCE-

http://www.faithontheearth.com/HTMLobj-675/Fall_2007.pdf

(Scroll towards bottom of newsletter)

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Vision – The Boom

  • Posted on May 7, 2011 at 5:16 pm

NOTE:   This vision was first published in Germany in Dec 2008.

VISION- THE BOOM from THE SEA and “MOBILIZATION”

-Joh Matutis. (2008).

While I was praying this morning, God gave me a vision. He showed me a great, world-wide “mobilization” I saw myself strolling along a beach. Suddenly, there sounded a loud boom, which became stronger and more massive. It was not the noise of the sea or of the wind. It was completely still outside. The sea water was as smooth as glass.

The deep booming sound which was like the sound of the mountains about to cave in, a banging sound which I had up till now never heard in my whole life, came from the other side of the ocean, from far away. It became so strong and mighty, that the earth began to quake and shake.

It sounded like the blasting of a deep bass trumpet. I had never heard this sort and depth of bass sound before now. The whole air vibrated. I holed myself up in the dunes of the embankment, face down, and waited to see what would come out of this natural spectacle.

When the booming refused to stop, and instead became stronger, I saw myself begin to pray in the vision, and to speak with my God.

Then I heard a voice saying, “my child, fear not. That is my mobilization call, a signal, from the other world. I am calling my people out from all peoples. I myself am shaking the earth and the sea. The sinners and godless will pass away for fear and the fearful expectation of the things which are to come. Understand, my child, that all these have been initiated by the financial crises. That was just the beginning of ruin. The foundation of today’s society will be so shaken that the people will lose all that they have acquired, and saved up till now.

Every infrastructure and welfare will collapse with time. Life will be very difficult for very many people. The general security will get out of control and there will be a proliferation of crime such that life on earth will be massively threatened. But you, who fear my name will I save from ruin. I am holding my arm of protection over you.

Although not even a silent wind blew, and not even a small wave was seen on the sea, the booming was so mighty, that my heart threatened to stop beating. Then I thought to myself, “I will now also die”. And then the Lord said to me, “my child, do not fear. You are to live and continue to declare my works. Arise, go home and tell your loved ones. Let them know that the coming of my son is very close at hand, at the doorstep. I am setting everything in motion in order to take my people home, and I am now stripping them of everything that is holding them back, or blocking them.

As I stood up to obey God’s voice, starting to make my way homewards, I saw very many people, lying in the dunes. They had come out from their houses, racing towards the sea to see and experience this extraordinary natural spectacle. They lay on their faces as if paralyzed, exactly as I had lain a few minutes before now. As I passed by them on my way home, despite the continuous distant booming sound, these people called to me saying “you are crazy; you cannot make it home in this situation. It is too dangerous”. They then buried their heads even further in the dunes, because they feared what would happen next. They no longer wanted to hear or know of anything.

And then said the Lord to me: “for you, my children, who fear my name, this is the  day of my “mobilization”. For you my “sun of salvation” arises, with which I gather my true children, and bring them together. Go, my son, and tell this to everyone you can reach”. Then I asked the Lord “what shall I tell them?” “Tell my children, The Lord said”, “they are no longer to occupy themselves with perishable things, but rather, much more with the immortal, the eternal things. They are to seek me and study my word. They should forgive one another, so long as there is still time, and make peace with one another. They should stop being envious of, and pointing fingers at one another. They should neither accuse nor suspect one another. Everyone should do what he is supposed to, and can do. Tell them to free themselves of every unnecessary thing, and to stop fighting spasmodically (intermittently) for their rights. From now on, I will ensure your rights, and provide for justice for you. Great changes are about to occur all over the world, in every area of life. Adjust yourselves therefore and be prepared. Nothing is going to be as it has been before now…”

The further I moved away from the beach, the less of the booming sound I heard, even though I was of the opinion that the sound had become stronger and even more massive. I felt as if I had been secured in a glass case. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying “I will bring my children into safety in my own way. You will see everything I will do in the world, which will experience all the “plagues of Egypt ” before I withdraw my children unto myself, before Pharaoh releases you forever. My people hold together! Stay with one another, encourage one another. Soon, you would have made it!”

That was the last thing I took with me from this vision.

As I thought about all that I had seen, and what I should do with it, the Lord spoke to me saying “spread this revelation I have given you this morning about my “mobilization” overall further to my children, and encourage them to do likewise, for I am at the door (I am coming soon). And tell them, especially my people, that they should be serious about their relationship with Me (God), before it is too late….”

-Please comment on this topic at the website below-

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/

Source-

http://www.preach-in.de/content/view/225/85/

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Falling Down

  • Posted on May 5, 2011 at 2:10 am

WHAT About FALLING DOWN??
-by Andrew Strom.

After reading what we have published regarding the dangers of Kundalini, etc, a lot of people may be wondering what is “OK” – what is really from the Holy Spirit?

Does the Holy Spirit sometimes cause people to “fall down” under the power of God? Yes – sometimes He does. But He does not need to make some big “show” about it. And neither does He need men to “push” people over, either. There are counterfeits for everything.

What about the gifts of the Holy Spirit – like tongues, prophecy, healings, discernment and the casting out of demons, etc? Yes – I believe very strongly in ALL the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are right the way through the New Testament. But the key is this word “Holy.” The real gifts of God have a holiness and purity about them. You can sense this. Counterfeits tends to have a “weirdness” or ugliness about them.

Let me give you an example. I received the following account from a preacher in England several years ago: “There were about 20 fellow ministers all gathered together in one large room at a local minister’s house. We were introduced to the special guest… The next 3 hours were the weirdest three hours I have ever had to endure. We started listening to [her] testimony which seemed very powerful, next she spoke of the times that she meets with the Angel Gabriel and other spiritual beings, next we moved on to portals between this world and the next and then finally to how she was going to open up a portal to Heaven in the room that we were all in. Now things started to happen, really crazy things and strange noises… As [she] moved around the room ministering to individual people they were crashing to the ground, bouncing up and down, running around as if on fire and making all sorts of sounds. When she came to me she had no prophetic words for me and nothing happened to me so she just moved on. My Vineyard friend was the first to crash to the floor. Since that day his church has taken on a different guise, it is not the same church any more.”

Please notice that the PREACHING was different from true Biblical preaching – and the SPIRIT that the lady was ministering in did not seem like the pure Holy Spirit. Can you tell the difference?

We need to watch out for preachers who bring unbiblical or “New Age”-sounding terms into their preaching – or who talk about “angels” all the time. Can people have true encounters with real angels? Yes – but always these beings that come from the presence of a Holy God carry His “holiness” with them. Angels in the Bible always carried this weighty presence of a Holy God. There is too much weirdness, ugliness and silliness in a lot of Christian meetings today. And I believe a lot of these encounters are not real angels at all.

So should we go forward with prayer needs for healing, etc? Absolutely! -If the preaching is sound and biblical and they are not putting on some big “show.” As long as the preacher has not gotten some weird “impartation” from one of these strange “revival” meetings then they are probably fine. In fact, I am all for the real power of God being demonstrated in the earth! I wish we were seeing a lot MORE true healings and deliverances and miracles – not less! Jesus said, “These things will you do – and greater things than these”! (Jn 14:12).

Just think about the Book of Acts for a moment. Not only are there healings and miracles and demons being cast out right through the whole book, but there are also occasionally angels appearing with instructions from the Lord, and an abundance of dreams, visions and prophecies, etc. So we see that God is definitely a SUPERNATURAL GOD. He does do “unusual” things. Angelic visitations DO HAPPEN. Prophetic signs DO OCCUR. But please notice that all of these things have a certain holy “character” about them. And that is the key right there. They have a holy character, because they come from a holy God.

I believe in a true Revival that has the piercing “word” of a John the Baptist or a Jonathan Edwards or a Charles Finney – accompanied by the most powerful MIRACLES that anyone has ever seen. I believe in a Revival like that – the “word and Spirit joined.” True, piercing ‘holiness’ preaching with real signs and miracles following. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is what the Book of Acts shows us again and again. Bring it on, Lord!

So please be discerning – but don’t be afraid of the real super-natural power of God. Without it, we simply cannot reach this lost and dying world in the way that God has called us to. The devil wants us to be so afraid of the “counterfeit” that we run right over to the other extreme – where we don’t want God’s power or anything “unusual” at all. This is just as big a trap as the “Charismania” excesses on the other side. The devil loves to push us to extremes – either hyper-Charismania or dead orthodoxy. I believe in a powerful balance right in the middle – the “word and the Spirit” joined. That is where real Revival is to be found. Don’t let the devil rob you by pushing you to either extreme, my friends.

God bless you all!

Andrew Strom.

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Love People Please!

  • Posted on May 1, 2011 at 6:22 am

-by Andrew Strom

When I was a young Christian I was a total zealot. There is nothing wrong with that, but sadly I was often a zealot without wisdom – and also WITHOUT LOVE. I cared for “truth” more than I cared for people, and I did not even notice that I was often using Truth as a sword to crush people with, rather than set them free.

A lot of young zealous Christians are like that – but I was particularly bad because I had a ‘prophetic’-type personality – very intense, very black and white. I would walk into a room full of Christians and start an argument at the drop of a hat. I was not afraid to “blast” anyone. Truth was king – the most important thing – and that was all I cared about. This was not just an “occasional” problem with me – this was the way I lived and breathed. Total, all-out zealotry.

I do not have this approach to life any more – though I still care deeply about truth. (-For that is the way God made me). Sometimes I will still debate things with people – though very rarely.

Over the years God changed me utterly. In fact, to change my hardened heart He had to break me and break me and break me some more. And each time He did so, a little bit of LOVE got in. I’m sure He is still doing so today.

I started to realize that from God’s point of view, the most precious thing in all the earth is PEOPLE. We can see this in the most famous verse in the Bible- “For God SO LOVED the world….” There it is – He so LOVES PEOPLE. He sent His son to die for PEOPLE. That is what it is all about.

There is an old Maori saying from New Zealand, which I have to love- “The most valuable thing in all the world is PEOPLE, it is PEOPLE, it is PEOPLE.”

And yet to me in those early years, it was not “people” that I deeply cared about at all. The only thing I deeply valued was the ‘Truth’ that I was trying to put across that day. And so I attacked and spiritually “hacked” at people all day long. I was a walking nightmare.

Do you realize the sheer amount of ‘breaking’ that has to go on in someone like that – to get them to LOVE? -Years and years of awful crushing and brokenness. -Because I was SO BAD – seriously – I was a danger to the church and to myself.
>
If you love your ‘Truths’ more than you love people, then you are an out-and-out Pharisee. Nothing less. And you will create condemnation and death in people, rather than ‘conviction’ and LIFE.

But if you can get BROKEN enough to truly LOVE PEOPLE – and value them more than anything in this earth – and then speak Truth to them out of that place of love – then you will become greatly effective. It is all about becoming BROKEN and learning to LOVE others from the heart. If you ask Him to, God will do “whatever it takes” to get you to that place.

This is not to say that you will never speak direct or piercing words. You will – but the whole motivation will be different. In fact, EVERYTHING will be different. You may be very confronting, and speak very direct truths – but it will be in the right spirit. And this God can greatly anoint.

I got a disturbing email recently from a relative of someone on our List who says that this person uses some of the things we send out as “ammunition” to attack people or argue or divide from them, etc. Listen, friends, you can do anything with Truth. You can use it to beat people up or set them free. You can use it to become the most “negative” person on the planet, or you can allow it to break your heart and make you a closer follower of Jesus. You can use it in love, or you can use it in zealous self-righteousness to hammer and condemn people. It is up to you – and the true state of your heart.

All I can pray is that those reading this will stop and consider for a moment. Don’t be like me, and take years to discover these most basic things.

Let me ask you a simple question- Do you truly LOVE PEOPLE more than the ‘Truths’ you are trying to make them listen to? Do you value them as God does – and realize that He sees them as the most precious thing in all the earth? (-Especially His children).

How deeply can we come to realize this truth – that GOD LOVES PEOPLE. Yes – repeat it – “GOD LOVES PEOPLE”. -And so must we, if we are to represent Him on this planet.

Please PRAY about these things, my friends?

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Posted in Articles by Andrew on April 28th, 2010 at 12:07 pm.

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2010/04/28/love-people-please/

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Legalism vs Holiness

  • Posted on April 30, 2011 at 4:18 pm

About LEGALISM – Andrew Strom.

During our “TV” discussion someone posted a very interesting poem. I can’t tell if it is somewhat “tongue in cheek” but it certainly opens up the discussion of what is ‘Legalism’ and what is ‘Holiness’. Below is a portion of this poem, followed by my own comments:

The HOLINESS PREACHER
by Bill Harper

The Holiness preacher, a Godly man, was seen riding his circuit with Bible in hand. He rode in sunshine and he rode in rain, he rode when he felt good, and he rode in pain…

Often he fasted, God’s will to achieve, striving for perfection, lest the Spirit he’d grieve. Often his congregation numbered just a few. He preached without compromise and he helped them pray through…

He preached against demon rum and the dance. He spoke against painted up women and games of chance. The Holiness preacher, a Godly man, kept up with the times, God’s kingdom to expand…

Few people attended in fancy clothes. They didn’t come to look at others, down their nose. As he entered into this modern age he preached against radio as though in a rage.

Avoid the theater also he’d say. Avoid worldliness, walk the strait narrow way. When moving pictures made their debut he preached against this devil’s invention so new.

Movies corrupted our morals said he, the things they portrayed weren’t fit for Christians to see. During the depression he bought a tent, in which to hold meetings, telling men to repent…

ANDREW AGAIN: The poem about “The Holiness Preacher” above is certainly well-done. But can I just say this, my friends – The old-time “Holiness” movement that concerned itself with “dancing” and “bobbed hair” and ‘no makeup for women’, etc, is NOT where I am coming from with this TV thing.

A lot of those concerns were about “outward” things – and easily descended into legalism. I truly believe that TV is gaining access to the “heart” of man – and that is my main concern. It slowly and gradually fills people’s minds and lives with complete junk.

To be frank with you, I don’t care about “bobbed hair” and I have been known to dance enthusiastically with my wife at weddings, etc. – and also to take her out to the Cinema on occasion. Does that make me “unholy”? Is that what we think “holiness” is about? Is it all about these ‘outward’ things?

I have to confess to you – when I first read the poem about the “Holiness preacher” the only thing that sprang to my mind was that it was not real Holiness – but rather “Legalism” that this man represented. And yes – this became a huge problem in the old Holiness circles. You had to have your hair the “right” way and your dress the “right” way and never attend movies or dances and on and on.

The only real Holiness I am interested in preaching is Holiness of the HEART. If our focus is on mere “outward” things then all we will get from our preaching is a bunch of ‘Legalists’ who do and say all the “right” things – but their hearts are proud and self-righteous.

I greatly fear that many “holiness” circles today have the same legalistic tendencies. It is all about the “right” music styles and head coverings and long dresses – and the ‘Heart’ is forgotten in the rush to get all these “outward” things right. This is no Holiness at all. God is after a pure heart. He wants the INSIDE of the cup to be cleaned – rather than all this focus on the ‘outside’.

We need to apply this Scripture – “To the pure all things are pure.” This is a place of tremendous freedom – but only if we truly have a pure heart.

Can we please learn the difference between Holiness and Legalism, my friends, so this generation does not repeat many of the same errors as our ‘Holiness’ forefathers?

http://www.johnthebaptisttv.com/2010/05/21/about-legalism-andrew-strom/

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God bless you all!

Andrew Strom.

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Andrew Strom Quotes

  • Posted on April 30, 2011 at 9:23 am

God looks at things from an “eternal” point of view. To Him the greatest disaster is for man to die in an unsaved state – totally unprepared for Judgment and eternity. God is even willing for there to be great shaking and turmoil in the earth, if it causes men to seek Him and find eternal salvation. – Andrew Strom

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