Chuck Pierce Smells in New Ways

Chuck Pierce, from his email bulletin dated 30th March 2009 here says – [Amber Pierce is one of Chuck Pierce's relatives, by the way.]

“Amber Pierce has created two new items for this new year: a perfume for women and a cologne for men. The perfume for women is Secret Chambers, and the cologne for men is Roar of Judah!  This is a year to taste and see the Lord is good.  [endtimespropheticwords comment - what it is not in other years?!]  Allow Him to develop all of your senses so you smell like Heaven is calling you to smell!”

Smell like heaven is calling you to smell?! What will they come up with next?!

Note again the New Age/occultic undertones about developing the senses which has more in common with Wicca than Christianity, and all the nonsense about the seasons which aligns with the Kabbalah that Pierce plagarises [see here].

And as if that ain’t bad enough, here’s the product write-up from Chuck Pierce’s extensive Glory of Zion webstore -

“Roar of Judah Cologne [link] 

Amber Pierce of New Wine Lights  has created two new items to help us press into the new Hebraic year.  Just released at our Firstfruits Gathering for Nissan (Abib), Secret Chambers (a perfume for women) and Roar of Judah (a cologne for men) will help you better understand the fragrances of His creativity.  Remember, this is a year to taste and see the Lord is good.  Allow Him to develop all of your senses so you smell in new ways and embrace His call in this season.”

What brazen merchandising. But they are right about one thing - Chuck Pierce and his partners in crime do  smell in new ways - their sins stink to high heaven.

Chuck Pierce Blowing His Own Shofar

Here that follows is an advert from Chuck Pierce’s Glory of Zion newsletter, dated 30th March 2009 [source].  This is so Christ denying, just like Chuck Pierce’s anointing oils, his charm bracelets, his signet rings [it's a year of the signet ring, don't you know?], and all the fragrances  and candles and all the rest of that kind of tatt he brazenly merchandises and profits from, while claiming it to be ‘anointed’ .

The advert is for a Sound the Shofar  CD by Allen Faubion. Allen Faubion taught on ‘the shofar and the significance of its sound’ at Chuck Pierce’s recent Judah School [see this post: Training for apostolic worship and the new sound].

Chuck Pierce’s advert text states of this Allen Faubian product [the bold and red emphasies are mine, but to be honest this is so bad I could have bolded and redded all  of it. Note the usual Latter Rain NAR buzzwords, the alignment to new age and occultism and all the heresy contained within just these few lines - Chuck Pierce's sound clearly denies and the replaces Christ's work on the cross!] -

“The Spirit of God is moving throughout the earth and among God’s people to bring forth significant shifts and change. He is sending forth into the earth a sound to open the portals between heaven and earth. This sound of the Lord causes the heavenly realm to move on the earth and it opens the way for those on the earth to move in the heavenlies. From the earliest of times God chose the ram’s horn or “shofar” as one of His instruments to release this sound. Awesome things take place when the shofar sounds according to the command of the Lord God Almighty. Walls fall down (Jericho), enemies are destroyed (Gideon), the presence of God manifests (Sinai), and God’s people enter into the covenant cycle of blessing God has prepared for us (Feasts). On this CD, Allen Faubion both shares on and demonstrates the power and anointing of sounding the shofar according to the command of the Lord. Sound the Shofar! ($10)”

The same product in Chuck Pierce’s webstore has a slightly different write up preceding the exact same text as quoted above -

“On this CD, Allen Faubion both shares on and demonstrates the power and anointing of sounding the shofar according to the command of the Lord.” [source]

with a clear link to two Shofar pendants also on sale. Here’s the first and then here’s the second.

Chuck Pierce the magician surely does not miss a trick!

Snakes’ Roundtable with Bill Johnson, Rick Joyner and Todd Bentley

The fifth video in the Todd Bentley restoration saga  is here, entitled Mercy over Judgment and is dated the 21st March. This time Bill Johnson features to scripture twist and to spiritually abuse and manipulate. It seems an extra mouth doing more of this as done by Rick Joyner on the 18th March - that is to demonise the opposition and spiritually abuse the opposition and the flock.

The following article is by Phoenix Preacher, commentating on the same restoration video which is also up on Youtube.

“I am going to present the latest video propaganda from Rick Joyner concerning Todd Bentley’s restoration with my comments.

I’m doing this not just to provide a polemic against the men involved, (though it will be that as well) but to give us an opportunity as a community to learn to recognize religious manipulation and spurious doctrines clothed in faux holiness.

We begin with Joyner speaking clearly that the objective is to “restore” Bentley to “ministry” with the assumption that the only issue is his adultery and abandonment of his family.

The issues of his compulsive lying, violence, and blasphemy are evidently not issues to these men…

Let’s watch this first part, paying careful attention to Bill Johnson’s “teaching”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2xDbwez_w4

Note first that Joyner has some bizarre concept of sin entering through “gates of hell” that need to be shut where sin comes in.

Where is that in the Bible?

Johnson then constructs a “teaching” on “mindsets”

There is the mindset of Herod and the mindset of the Pharisees, the former representing a “political spirit”, the latter a “religious spirit”.

This is contrasted with the “mindset of the Kingdom” which Johnson attributes to Christ.

According to Johnson your perspective on life is determined by which mindset you have.

Naturally if you don’t support restoring Bentley you’re either a Herodian or a Pharisee.

Johnson then gives a teaching on the woman caught in adultery where he says that when Jesus wrote in the sand it “released a grace into the atmosphere” that caused the bad guys to flee.

The implication being made is that any opposition to Bentley is graceless and opposed to the “mindset of the Kingdom”.

It sounds really good… it sounds right.

It’s a crock of scripture twisting excrement.

The problem here is that these teachings are…unique.

You will find no commentary or scholar that ever said anything similar in expositing these verses.

This is religious manipulation for the profit of the manipulators.

Lets go to the second part of the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNHHClfilAY

Two things here…first the incredible manipulation of information concerning Shonna Bentley and the children.

How low can you go?

Next is the attempt to use Todd as a symbol for all those suffering the pain and stigma of divorce in the church.

It is evil, pure evil to present this fornicator /adulterer as a representative for those broken by the divorce epidemic.

If these spiritual bastards want to show how to restore victims, send Todd off to find a job and let’s visit with Shonnah and the kids every week.

You were just exposed to intense religious manipulation and Biblical abuse in these videos…how much did you catch and how much did it work?

_______________

There were also some really good comments there including -

“The last thing we want to do is compromise any biblical standard.” Sorry. If that were the case, this video series trying to explain the ‘restoration’ process wouldn’t be necessary at all. The fact is they *know* they are compromising a biblical standard & that’s why they have to defend it from all the critiques.

“Public sin needs a public restoration.” What about a public repentance? He’s still divorced from his wife & married to his mistress. Despite their protestations, there’s been *no* repentance as of yet… just a desire to move on.

And did anyone notice how manipulative they were with the idea of “punishment”? As if keeping TB out of ministry was some sort of “punishment” that is inflicted upon him. Since when is ministry a right? The last time I read my Bible, it seems to be a calling & a privilege. TB’s removal from ministry is a consequence of his sin; not a punishment. Taking him out back to stone him would be a punishment, for example. There’s nothing punitive about denying the pulpit to an unrepentant adulterer. At the most, this ought to be viewed as the chastisement of the Lord (and that’s if one is being generous), which is something to embrace; not deny, as Bill Johnson would have us do.

Other areas of manipulation:

- the “political spirit appears right when we’re not.”  This of course assumes that *they* are the ones in the right & can determine when everyone else is in the wrong.
- “This isn’t just about Todd.” Of course it is; they wouldn’t be going through all this if it weren’t. But by making it about the untold masses, it pulls on people’s heartstrings to look beyond Todd’s individual sin.
- “We don’t want to gloss over anything.” They can say this as much as they want (and I lost count of how many times Joyner alluded to this), but it doesn’t make it true. They definitely want to avoid all consequences… which is the same as glossing over the sin.

Watching these videos is always a bit alarming to me. Here are guys who claim to be “apostles” & thousands of people look to them as Biblical experts. But their twisting of the Scriptures makes it plain they don’t understand them in the slightest. They rip texts out of their context & just stretch it to whatever seems appropriate at the time. It makes me think that less people are fooled by Oprah & Eckhart Tolle. At least they are obvious about their misuse of Scripture.

________________

…. It seems that restoration would happen in this order:

1. Repentance and personal restoration to fellowship with the Lord.
2. Restoration in marriage (if a marriage had been torn apart).
3. Restoration to fellowship.
4. Restoration to ministry/service.

The first three could probably run somewhat concurrently, once the first step was underway. The last step would take a long time to complete, if ever, depending on exactly where the person was being restored to. I’m sure there are areas that fallen leaders could serve while being restored (cleaning, setting up, ushering, helping with events, etc).

If TB and his “handlers” want to make this a public thing, then they need to stop white washing it and deal with the real issues. TB needs to be willing to frankly, honestly, and without DEFENSE take responsibility for his actions, and the consequences.

Within the narrow confines of his failed marriage, he needs to acknowledge that he is 100% responsible for his failings. He doesn’t even need to mention, hint at, or otherwise imply anything about his wife’s contributions to the failure.

I’m not holding his wife blameless here – I’m simply stating that, from my perspective (and given what I have and am going through I think I can speak with some degree of experience and first-hand knowledge) that nothing good will come out of his saying “Yes, I did this or that, but my wife did that or this.”

The second you do that, especially when the other person is not present to present their side, you run the very high risk of cheapening your apology, or more importantly justifying your actions and giving, at the least, the appearance of not truly owning or even understanding your shortcomings.

At the end of the day, the only person you can control is yourself. Yes, people in your life, especially your spouse, can make it easier or harder for you – but what they do or don’t do does NOT change what your position in Christ is, nor how you should act.

What TB needs, IMO, is godly sorrow. He needs to be absolutely sick at the things he has done – even if they were done in ignorance or through no ill-will. I recently had a counselor ask me that, in regards to my marriage – if I was sick over anything I had done. Yes…many, many things.

It’s not a pleasant thing to go through…and it’s certainly not something I would want to share with the public at large. But it is only at that point will you be broken enough to finally surrender to God and allow Him to do that which you have been unable to do.

Unfortunately, I don’t see any of that in Todd at this time.”

____________________

See also

Todd Bentley’s Comeback – The Process To Date With Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson and Jack Deere

____________________________

Solar storm could cause planetary disaster at any time, warn scientists

Article by Claire Bates Daily Mail 26th March 2009

“The Government was urged today to make contingency plans for a freak solar flare that could ‘knock out’ the National Grid and create severe water and food shortages.

Labour former minister Graham Stringer said Britain should be prepared for a repeat of the solar storm of 1859, which hit Earth and paralysed much of the telegraph system.

In a Commons motion, Mr Stringer said such an event could now ‘knock out the National Grid, which would lead to a loss of water supply, transport and food and therefore create a national emergency’.

The so-called ‘Carrington event’ was a magnetic storm that struck Earth in 1859 and caused the failure of telegraph systems all over Europe and North America. Auroras were reportedly seen as far south as Florida.

Now a report funded by NAS claims such a storm today would lead to ‘planetary disaster.’

The NASA study released this January outlined the devastating impact it would have. For instance it could leave half of the US without power within 90 seconds, without coal after 30 days and would take the country a decade to recover.

Such a scenario would also cost an estimated £1.5trillion – and that would just be in the first year.

Science fiction? Not according to Mike Hapgood who chairs the European Space Agency’s space weather team.

‘I don’t think the NAS report is scaremongering,’ he told the New Scientist.

‘This is a fair and balanced report.’

Our 21st century way of life relies heavily on technology, but scientists say this has left society at risk of a ‘planetary disaster.’

Unlike many recent natural disasters, a huge solar flare would cause the greatest suffering in developed countries.

Plasma balls blasting out from the surface of the sun could wipe out our modern electricity grids, which would draw the energy to them like antennas and quickly overload.

This would have a knock on effect on many of the systems that support our lives,  including water and sewage treatment, medicine cooling, supermarket delivery, power station controls and financial markets.

To rebuild the grid, the melted transformer hubs would need to be replaced but new ones take up to a year to make to order.

At present NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) is the most important indicator of incoming space weather. It can give 15 to 45 minutes warning of geomagnetic storms and power companies need 15 minutes to prepare systems for a critical event.

However, ACE is 11 years old and already operating beyond its planned lifespanm with no planned replacement.

‘We will largely lose the early warning capability,’ Mr Hapgood said.

As well as this, the flare emitted during the Carrington event travelled so fast it took less than 15 minutes to reach Earth anyway.

The NAS report was released to spark debate and chief author Daniel Baker from the University of Colorado hopes it will push decision-makers into action.

‘It takes alot of effort to educate policy-makers, and that is especially true with these low-frequency events,’ he said.

‘But we are moving closer and closer to the edge of a possible disaster.’

China ‘could use BT network to launch cyber attack and cripple Britain’

By Rebecca Camber, Daily Mail, 30th March 2009

“China could shut down Britain with a cyber attack using BT’s new £10billion network, ministers have been warned.

Parts of the system installed by a telecoms firm linked to China’s army could be used to halt supplies of power, water and food, the intelligence services say.

The components can also be manipulated to disrupt transport and financial systems, and to spy on anyone who uses the network, including MI5, MI6, government departments and the military.

A confidential document sent to Whitehall by the intelligence services warns that while BT has taken steps to reduce the risk of attacks by hackers or organised crime, ‘the mitigating measures are not effective against deliberate attack by China’.

News of the danger came as it emerged that a cyber spy network based in China had hacked into computers in 103 countries, including the private office of the Dalai Lama, to steal classified documents from government and private organisations.

Alex Allan, chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, is understood to have briefed the ministerial committee on national security about the threat in January.

The meeting, led by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, heard that ministers had ‘not paid sufficient attention to the threat in the past’, despite repeated warnings from the intelligence services and the security arm of the Government’s listening centre GCHQ.

BT signed a multi-million pound deal in April 2005 to get key parts of its new communications network from telecoms firm Huawei, which was allegedly founded with significant Chinese state funding.

The firm’s head is Ren Zhengfei, a former director of the telecoms research arm of China’s three-million-strong army.

Huawei provides parts in BT’s telephone exchange that receive signals, and identify whether they are telephone or data-related and then send them on to customers.

The committee heard that BT’s Huawei components might already contain malicious elements gathering intelligence, which could be activated in a cyber attack that would have a ’significant impact on critical services’ that depend on computers.

This could disrupt power and water supplies, food distribution, transport, the financial system, phones and TVs, the meeting was told.

The intelligence services report says that while the risk of China exploiting this capability is ‘low’, because of current friendly relations, ‘the impact would be very high’

John Tindle, telecommunications engineering professor at Sunderland University, said software or hardware could sit hidden in a network.

‘If an unauthorised person were able to gain control of the equipment, its mode of operation could be changed,’ he added. ‘The ability to move traffic across the network could be switched off.

However, ministers are concerned that replacing the Chinese components with British parts would go against their policy on competition and would be too expensive.

The number of cyberwarfare attacks from China has grown significantly in the past few years.

A report by Cambridge University said a spying operation based in the Communist state had broken into computers in 103 countries.

It found more than 1,295 compromised computers from the ministries of foreign affairs of Iran, Bangladesh, Latvia, Indonesia, Philippines, Brunei, Barbados and Bhutan.

Reseachers also discovered hacked systems in the embassies of India, South Korea, Indonesia, Romania, Cyprus, Malta, Thailand, Taiwan, Portugal, Germany and Pakistan.

The Chinese reportedly targeted Whitehall in 2007. In the same year, MI5 chief Jonathan Evans warned 300 British businesses that the Chinese were hacking into their systems and stealing information.

Last week a U.S. intelligence report identified Huawei as a key part of the cyberthreat from China, reporting that it retained ‘close ties’ with the People’s Liberation Army. A merger of Huawei with U.S. firm 3Com, which provides computer security for the Pentagon, was blocked last year on the grounds of national security.

Yesterday a Huawei spokesman dismissed links to the Chinese military. BT refused to comment.”

Lee Grady Calls For No More Monkey Business in the Ministry

On the 18th March 2009, Rick Joyner came out with two videos on his website, one directly addressing the Lee Grady situation [see here for the post on the Rick Joyner video on Lee Grady's 'Thing' That's Got A Grip On Him], the other video indirectly addressing the Lee Grady situation  in an obvious attempt to save face [see We're not justifying anything YET re Todd Bentley]  

On the same day, March 18, Lee Grady published a post entitled No More Monkey Business in the Ministry  in his editorial column in Charisma [source]. While the column does not mention by name Todd Bentley, Rick Joyner or Bill Johnson, it is more than evident this is who Grady is referring to here – this article ain’t really about Jamal Bryant! 

Even some of Rick Joyner and Bill Johnson’s own well-known excuses to justify Todd Bentley have been cited in the article and countered. And most know the NARzies are always talking about Todd Bentley being a ‘David’ to whitewash his adultery and neglect his proper restoration - they use similar excuses and scriptural distortions that Jamal Bryant used for himself.

And then there is the answering of Rick Joyner’s charge against Grady for being a pharisee, coming out the same day as Joyner’s video with that charge. [It's a shame Lee Grady's mate, Robert Ricciardelli, doesn't take heed of what Grady says and apply it to his own name-calling labelling NARzie critics as 'pharisees'] -

Lee Grady -

“In this day of compromise, we must restate the obvious: God requires leaders to play by the rules.

Almost two years ago a dynamic preacher from a growing church in the Southeast was caught in adultery. His distraught wife talked with the “other woman,” an exotic dancer from another country, and shared Christ with her. Meanwhile a small group of pastors “covered” the situation and hurriedly sent the embarrassed pastor to a few weeks of counseling. In the end, the pastor and his wife divorced and members of the congregation who didn’t have all the facts blamed her for the breakup.

Today this pastor is still in the pulpit—although his preaching has a hollow tone. Some members of the church left when they learned of the pastor’s unfaithfulness. Yet many others stayed because they felt they shouldn’t judge the pastor for his sin. 

“As painful as it is to remove a gifted leader from his or her position, it must be done to preserve the fear of the Lord.“

This situation has been repeated over and over in recent years. Jamal Harrison-Bryant, pastor of the 10,000-member Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock. His wife, Gizelle, citing adultery and cruel treatment, filed for divorce in 2008. Yet Bryant preached a now-famous sermon in the church in which he used King David’s story of adultery with Bathsheba to defend himself.

“I am still the man!” he shouted from the pulpit as worshippers stood and cheered. “The anointing on my life is greater than any mistake.” He made it clear that he had no intention of being defrocked or disciplined. To Bryant, anointing surpasses character.

All this moral failure among leaders today has average Christians confused. Is there ever a time when leaders are disqualified? Is restoration always immediate? Are we acting like Pharisees if we demand that leaders sit on the bench for a while to recover from their mistakes and prove their character again? It is time for us to restate some obvious rules:

1. There are definite qualifications for Christian leadership. The apostle Paul made it clear that there is a litmus test for leaders in the New Testament church. In 1 Timothy 3:2-7 he says a leader must be (1) above reproach; (2) the husband of one wife; (3) temperate (not an abuser of alcohol or other substances); (4) prudent; (5) respectable; (6) hospitable; (7) able to teach; (8) a good manager of his own family; (9) respected in the community; and (10) not a new convert.

In his letter to Titus, Paul offers a similar list and adds further qualifications, including (11) not self-willed; (12) not pugnacious; and (3) not fond of sordid gain.

Notice that only one of these qualifications (“able to teach”) involves anointing. Paul says nothing about a leader’s ability to prophesy, heal the sick, see visions, talk to angels, raise funds, sing, shout or make audiences swoon. Neither does he require certain academic credentials. Character is the key.

Many scholars agree that “husband of one wife” was a New Testament-era way of saying “he must be a one-woman man.” In other words, he cannot be an adulterer. (Nor can he be polygamous.) Leaders must walk in sexual purity. They must adhere to the biblical definition of marriage and stay faithful in that context.

2. Those who do not meet these qualifications must step down. If Paul demanded character of his leaders, it stands to reason that those who fail in any of these areas should be removed from office—at least until they regain the character quality after a time of rehabilitation. When leaders failed, Paul also recommended that they be strongly rebuked “in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning” (1 Tim. 5:20, NASB). Their sin was never to be minimized, excused or swept under a rug.

This strict approach was not optional—and Paul warned Timothy about the temptation to be partial. He told him: “Maintain these principles without bias” (v. 21). Biblical discipline cannot be sloppy. We can’t remove one guy for adultery and then offer kid-glove treatment to another guy just because he is our friend. As painful as it is to remove a gifted leader from his or her position, it must be done to preserve the fear of the Lord.

3. The church will not thrive if discipline of leaders is neglected. Paul sternly warned Timothy about ordaining any church leader prematurely. He wrote: “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim. 5:22). In other words, leaders actually incur a strict judgment from God if they ordain a leader who does not meet biblical qualifications. If ordaining unapproved leaders becomes a habit, corruption will take root in the church and we will eventually face God’s corrective judgment.

The Corinthian church was warned that the deceitfulness of sin would infect them all if they did not deal with the immorality in their midst (see 1 Cor. 5:7-13). John told the church in Thyatira that they would lose their influence because they tolerated false teaching that led to immorality (Rev. 2:20). Sin has sobering consequences.

We can’t rewrite the rules. I pray that leaders in the independent sector of the church today will stop the monkey business and restore biblical order.

Jamal Bryant’s “I’m Still the Man” sermon, click here.

______________

Endtimespropheticwords comment

Let us doubly emphasise that neither Todd Bentley, Rick Joyner or Bill Johnson are “gifted leaders”, let alone within the body of Christ. None of them have an ”ability to prophesy, heal the sick, see visions, talk to angels” – their anointings and gifts are counterfeit. Todd Bentley is a habitual liar and blatant charlatan. However it is right that even IF they could perform genuine signs and wonders, and speak genuine words of God,  their moral character would still disqualify them from ministry.

The leaders did not “fail” either, many were failures before they even became leaders. Though some genuine Christians are corrupted and led astray en-route, many are corrupt and false and not Christians to begin with. They were false from the start.  There is no character quality to “regain” for these, as they were always corrupt.

Though their characters stink, so do their gifts and teachings – it ain’t just about “moral” failure – adultery is but a symptom of a far bigger picture.

2 Peter 2

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them— bringing swift destruction on themselves.

2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;

5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men

8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.

10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;

11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord.

12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.

13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, revelling in their pleasures while they feast with you.

14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed— an accursed brood!

15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey— a beast without speech— who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.

18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.

19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity— for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

22 Of them the proverbs are true: A dog returns to its vomit, and, A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.

____________________

See also

Todd Bentley’s Comeback – The Process To Date With Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson and Jack Deere

____________________________

Being Jerked Around By Spiritual Manifestations

I do not doubt the sincerity of this young lady, Amy, or her sister Allison but …. what a crying shame to be led astray in this manner.

This video was from the Brownsville Revival aka Pensecola Outpouring some years ago – but it still the same delusion behind it as the more recent Lakeland Outpouring, and its Toronto Blessing predecessor.

I wonder how Amy and Allison are doing now, almost fourteen years on?

Cindy Jacobs and the Anzac Light Horseman anointing

Article by Patrick Wren from here

Cindy Jacobs on Australia

I get concerned when evangelists go to a country and all of a sudden have a revelation about it. Cindy Jacobs did not long ago regarding Australia, just as she once did in Zimbabwe. [endtimes comment - note this Cindy Jacobs 'prophecy' was from 2001 and has it any of it remotely even happened?!],

1. Australia is going to be a first fruits nation, an apostolic nation – a sending out nation. Note: On what basis does she relate that on?

2. God is releasing the Anzac Light Horseman anointing, especially upon the young people to take down the strongholds, and the Joshua anointing (great courage, determination, persistence ) to take the land. Note: The Anzac Light Horseman anointing? Is that a Zantac moment? Elijah List prophets seem to have an anointing for just about everything? How about a false doctrine anointing? In my last post I highlighted the Deborah anointing.

3. Australia will send out the greatest number of missionaries per capita. Note: That concerns me since Australia is a rather liberal believing nation.

4. Australia will be a nation that will help transform other nations (because despite what others have said Australia is not an “ugly ducking” but a “swan” nation). Note: It’s just that Jacobs prophecies have become an “ugly duckling”. Maybe Jacobs should have a “spelling anointing”?

5. Evangelism. The various ethnic groups in Australia are not here by chance but by God’s appointment. They will go back to their own countries with the Word of God to evangelise. This is especially so of the Asian people. Many Australians will go too. Note: Maybe it was time for Jacobs to go too and leave the borders of Australia far behind.

6. Australia will release much wealth to the nations. [endtimes note - now the G20 know who to turn to!] God is raising up “apostles to business” for this nation. The super rich will be born again. [endtimes comment - proclaimed as if they are MORE important?! More important to the NAR certainly, but not to God. Didn't Jesus turn away the rich young ruler?!]  God is going to use the giving of this nation and the structure of “apostles to business” as a model for others. Note: Wow! I was wondering when the Prosperity Gospel would be brought forth! Apostles to business? More like monkey business to me.

7. Australia has a specific anointing as a reconciling nation. Note: Another anointing? Hasn’t Jacobs been told that we have an oil shortage?

8. Australia will be a nation walking in holiness. The holiness movement is going to hit this land – purity, righteousness, set apart for God. This is especially going to hit the young people. A counter revolution of holiness and a counter culture. Note: Right! Holiness right alongside an apostle to business cycle. “You CANNOT serve God and mammon” Matthew 6:24. That is unless you are a member of the Elijah List.

9. We are a merry heart nation with a great sense of humor and able to laugh at ourselves. Note: Hopefully not holy laughter??

10. A great healing of the Vietnam Veterans is coming, and a healing of the soul of this nation concerning Vietnam. Note: That one I can pray for too!

11. Prayer and healing rooms will be opened across this nation. Note: Has this happened yet? Brother Swanson told me that Doyle Davidson has a healing room that he boasts of that to my knowledge has rarely been used.

12. There will be 24 hour churches – prayer chapels at churches, universities and schools. This will start to shift things in the heavenlies, the lost will get saved 2.00/3.00am in the morning. Note: I do so enjoy time specific prophecies.

I wonder where Jacobs will turn up next? Her globe trotting days might qualifiy her to head to Harlem and be a globetrotter with all the dribble she puts forth. Why not just “Preach the Word” and leave the prophecies to Jeanne Dixon?”

Barry Rubin’s Passover Kit Causes Outraged Jews To Cry “Trap”!

Article By Rebecca Dube from here

Why is this haggadah different from others? Well, it’s got Jesus

“Here’s a Passover riddle: When is a Haggadah not Jewish?

Answer: When it’s got more Jesus than a matzo has holes.

A Jewish anti-missionary group has succeeded in persuading Barnes and Noble booksellers to reclassify a Passover guide from a “messianic Jewish” publisher as Christian, rather than Jewish. The group is also pressuring Amazon.com and Wal-Mart to make similar changes.

If you judge a book by its cover, “Passover Family Pack: Everything You Need To Enjoy a Passover Seder Dinner“  looks like a traditional holiday starter kit. A festive drawing adorns the front of the package, which includes a Seder plate, a Kiddush cup, two copies of the Haggadah and a cassette tape of music, all for $39.99.

But a few pages into the Haggadah, it becomes clear to observant Jews that something is fishy – and it’s not the gefilte. The guide recasts the story of Passover as a mere setup for the arrival of “Yeshua the Messiah”: The text says the wine represents the blood of Jesus; the matzo represents his body; the three matzot represent the Christian Holy Trinity, and so on.

“They’re taking the traditions of the Jewish faith and using them as a blunt instrument to convert Jewish people to the Christian faith,” said Rabbi Tovia Singer, director of the anti-missionary group Outreach Judaism and host of a radio talk show in Jerusalem.

“It’s a paradigm of this entire nefarious movement. They use subterfuge to lure Jews who would normally resist a more straightforward evangelical message.”

The publisher of “Passover Family Pack” says he’s not trying to trick Jews into worshipping Jesus.

“Of course not, that would be a terrible thing,” said Barry Rubin, author of the Haggadah contained in the Passover kit and president and CEO of Messianic Jewish Communications, a division of distributor Messianic Jewish Resources International. He notes that the cover of the kit identifies the Haggadah as messianic – which it does, in small letters below a larger Hebrew title.

“It looks like a regular Seder kit because it is…. There’s nothing deceptive at all about it,” said Rubin, who is the rabbi of Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation in Maryland. He says he doesn’t believe that the Passover kit should be classified as Christian, as he considers himself a Jew. He thinks a good compromise would be for booksellers to establish a “Messianic Jewish” section.

In the absence of such a category, booksellers must choose whether to put such material in the Jewish section or in the Christian section.

When Singer complained to Barnes and Noble about stocking the messianic material in the Jewish section, the retailer quickly apologized and reclassified the kit as Christian. He is still waiting to hear from Amazon and Wal-Mart.

“We realized it really should be classified as Christian,” said Carolyn Brown, a spokeswoman for Barnes and Noble, which sells the Passover kit online only. “When it was brought to our attention, we immediately changed it.”

A petition on the Web site IsraelNationalNews.com asking booksellers to reclassify the kit has garnered more than 1,680 signatures. And concerned Jews have taken matters into their own hands by posting negative reviews on Amazon.com.

“Understand that this is NOT by Jews, for Jews – it is by an organization that tries to convert Jews by telling them that you can believe in Jesus and still be Jewish. It’s a TRAP!!!” Albert Passy wrote in his review. “Why don’t they call it ‘Passover With Jews for Jesus?’?”

Reached at his home in Houston, Passy said that he had received a warning about the book via e-mail and was dismayed to find that all the reviews on Amazon.com were positive.

“I know the power of Amazon reviews, so I wanted to lend some weight to the negative aspect,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of Jews who are fairly unconnected with their faith, and I always worry about proselytizing things like this, because they’re just insidious.”

It’s unclear whether any unaware Jew has actually bought “Passover Family Pack” and been disappointed (or converted) by it. One Amazon.com reviewer picked it up for free from a box of discarded books, hoping to add the family’s Haggadah collection. “We ended up recycling it once we saw it was a missionizing screed that pretended to be a Haggadah,” reviewer S. Norman wrote. “We thought, ‘Who wants to celebrate our deliverance from Mitzrayim by reading something that wants to re-enslave us!’”

Though this particular, rather unsubtle messianic Haggadah is unlikely to inspire many practicing Jews to convert, Singer says the missionaries’ bait-and-switch technique often works, especially on vulnerable populations such as college students and lonely elderly people.

Singer adds that efforts by far-right Christian churches to convert Jews erode the otherwise good progress of interfaith relations: “It’s toxic to Jewish-Christian relations.”

Again, Rubin disagrees. He notes that many of the hundreds of thousands of sold copies of his messianic Haggadah have gone to church groups that genuinely want to learn more about Jewish traditions.

“We’re not ashamed of what we publish,” Rubin said. “We think it has helped tens of thousands of Christians appreciate Jewish people, and I don’t see how that could be a problem. “

Joseph Prince, Pillar of Church Growth and Revenue?

Article from here -

$500,000 pay for New Creation Church employee

“THE New Creation Church, which made headlines for raising $19 million on one Sunday last month for its upcoming multi-million dollar building, pays good money to its staff too.

The independent church paid one employee between $500,001 and $550,000 in its last financial year, checks by The Straits Times showed.

The church did not confirm if the amount went to its leader, Senior Pastor Joseph Prince, but told The Straits Times that its policy is to ‘recognise and reward key contributors to the church and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church’s growth and revenue’.

$19 million in less than 24 hours

THE congregation at New Creation Church raised a whopping $19 million for the construction of its new premises at Buona Vista – in less than 24 hours.

In a show of support, a record number of 22,000 people turned up for services at the Rock Auditorium at Suntec City Mall three weeks ago.

The donations were collected over four services on Feb 15.

In comparison, a month-long charity drive by NTUC Income, Project Love, raised about $375,000.

Following the success of its fund-raiser, the New Creation Church announced the amount it raised to its members on Feb 22. However, when contacted, the church declined to comment.

New Creation Church-goer Angelique Lee, 26, a full-time student, said her donation was a form of thanksgiving and appreciation “for all that God has blessed me with”.

‘Attending church has helped to transform my life and make me a better person over time,’ she explained.

Graduate student Huang Wei Hsuan, 26, who is not a member of the church, felt that part of the funds could be used to “help those who are really in need, instead of being fully used to construct a new building”.

‘Is it really a good idea to build a new building now? Should the church members be advised to keep more for rainy days?’ he asked. But many others who are not from the church were heartened by the congregation’s generosity.

‘I feel it’s incredible that such kindness, empathy and generosity can be shown in such bad economic times,’ said Mr Shawn Chin, 24, a civil servant.”

_______________

It’s claimed that at Joseph Prince’s church they sing Jesus Loves Me differently. Instead of singing “they are weak but He is strong”, they sing “they are BLESSED ‘cos He is strong.”   The word of faith pulp prosperity gospel has no room at all for admitted weakness.

Note Joseph Prince’s roots -

“I give thank for God for my roots in the Word of Faith teachings. It is truly on the shoulders of great men of God like Brother Kenneth E. Hagin that we are able to see further into the Word of God today. Growing up, I learned a lot about faith from Brother Hagin who truly had a special revelation of faith from the Lord. I deeply honor and respect him for all that he has taught me.”

[Joseph Prince, Destined to Reign: The Secret to effortless success, wholeness and victorious living]

Effortless? I think the apostle Paul may have something to say about that! Such as 2 Corinthians 11:23 -

“Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times. Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea. I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers, in hard work and toil,   through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.”

Effortless? Effortless?!!!

And Joseph Prince says - 

“You are destined to reign in life. You are called to be a success, to enjoy wealth, to enjoy health and to enjoy a life of victory… He has called you to be the head and not the tail.”  

What kind of gospel is this? Not the early church’s that’s for sure. And what did the early apostles say about those preaching another gospel?

Galatians 1:8-9 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed …”

“For those who hate me, I don’t take it personally because they are actually hating the gospel.”  [Joseph Prince]

Err no, they are hating your gospel, not the  gospel. And we don’t hate you, buddy, we just hate your foul teaching and bad behaviour – oh and the ‘Christian’ television networks that air your trash.