C

Contending ontending
earnestly
December 2011

cetf Ffaith
for the

aith

Volume 17.4

Issue 58

Forward into the Past

That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun Ecclesiastes 1:9 NKJV. Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. From The Life of Reason (19051906) by George Santayana (1863-1952) . [1] ******* As I write this editorial Christmas is just around the corner. It seems hardly yesterday when 2011 began and now we are near its end. Several people have remarked to me that it feels like time is speeding up. Does the Bible and/or science provide a clue, I wonder? ... except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened - Matthew 24:22. In A New Spin on Earth's Rotation (25 February 2005) author Michael Schirber writes: The Earth is known to constantly slow down and speed up, which imperceptibly alters the length of our days.[2] He quotes scientist David Salstein, Atmospheric & Environmental Research, Inc. (Lexington, MA): We are taught that the day is 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds. That is true, but there are irregularities on the millisecond[3] level.[4]
Footnote:
[1] http://cetf.co/tCNeqn [2] http://cetf.co/vNUjpj [3] A millisecond is one thousandth of a second - http://cetf.co/txRNeF [4] http://cetf.co/vNUjpj

Meanwhile Richard Gross of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, USA has calculated that the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that ravaged Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011 also shortened Earth's day by 1.8 microseconds [5] and shifted the Earth's axis by about 6.5 inches.[6] By changing the distribution of the planet's mass, the quake likely caused the Earth to spin a tiny bit faster, thus shortening the time the planet takes to rotate each day.[7] The change is imperceptible so the Bible statement and data from science produce a speculative clue at best. That aside, Calendar events, including Christmas, just come and go and those of us who try to work to deadlines seem to have less time to do it. We had hoped to have this issue of CETF in circulation before the end of the year, but it was too big an ask. This year Christmas falls on a Sunday, something that won't occur for another five years, 2016. How old will you be then? I think I'll give the thought a miss! So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom - Ps 90:12.

Due to the aforementioned coincidence CWM-F will hold a Christmas day service this year, which is not a regular occurrence with us, not that I personally object to such a custom. However, recognising the pagan origin of the Church festival, we have chosen always not to make much fuss about it. We think it's legitimate and good to use the opportunity for witness, so some will go carolling. On
Footnote:
[5] A microsecond is one millionth of a second - http://cetf.co/u5Pkjd [6] 6.5 inches = 16.51 Centimetres [7] http://cetf.co/tecxX2

visit our website @ www.cwm.org.au

Forward Into The Past ................................................................1 Have You Heard? ........................................................................2 Lessons from the Welsh Revivals (Part 2) ......................................4 Are You A Saint? .........................................................................9 Doctrines of Classic Pentecostalism (Part2 ) ..............................10 The Capture of the Ark (Part 3): Haemorrhoids and Mice and the Future of the Gentile World ....................................12 Hellsong - The Music of Hillsong - In Praise of Folly (Part 3) ................14 CWM Resources .......................................................................17 In for a Penny, In for a Pound....................................................22 Where is your Conscience? .......................................................23 News, Views and Your Letters...................................................26 Eugene Petersens Message ......................................................30 On Theosis, or Divinization: What does it mean to be partakers of the divine nature? ................................32 Gods Plan for the Clueless .......................................................34

URL links have been shortened to save space. Visit our website for full URL link references.

...because God is Perfect, God's love does NOT mean that God's Justice and Holiness can be left unsatisfied or ignored.

Sunday/Christmas morning, we will use the occasion as an opportunity for evangelism by the children as they present the nativity scene and the message of the Incarnationwhen God became man and dwelt among us in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ; EMMANUEL God with us (cf. Matthew 1:23). All this has happened before and until Jesus Christ returns it will continue to happen, which leads me to another point relating to the Ecclesiastes verse and the George Santayana quote above. In my previous editorial I promised to i n c l u d e a re p o r t o f t h e C W M Conferences on The Vanishing Gospel and the Call to Preach the True Gospel which were conducted throughout Australia and New Zealand in September 2011. A new website was launched for the purpose www.thevanishinggospel.com which we plan to continue and update as required. It is not a new theme and certainly no one can claim originality or copyright to the idea. Ever since the Gospel of Christ was first preached the Kingdom of God has been advancing and extending. Throughout that time the True Gospel has been under attack. The problem, in our time, is that treachery among leaders is unprecedented and the "dumbing" down among the populace so widespread that the trumpet must constantly sound an alarm and a call to

arms. This in essence is a summary of the purpose of the CWM Conferences in 2011. Were they successful? Well that depends on your yardstick. Numerically the conferences and rally meetings certainly reached more people than our previous in house annual Conferences which attracted 80+ people to each annual event, mainly from Australia and New Zealand with a few international travellers. Conservatively we can say that this year there were 80 people in each of the Conference venuesSydney, Melbourne, Palmerston North, Brisbane and Adelaideand at the ralliesAuckland, Hamilton, Bulls, Wellington (Lower Hutt) and Christ Churcha conservative estimate of say 800 different people. That's not huge by modern standards but as I say it depends on your yardstick. Financially we reached a break-even point as we have always done since the Conferences began in 2004. There were three international and five national speakers whose travel and incidental costs were met as were the administrative costs at all of the events. We are grateful to the Lord for His goodness and to His faithful people for their kind support. The teaching is available through the

CWM Resource, (see centre pages). I encourage you to purchase the DVDs or CDs as full sets. The messages will challenge and inspire you and could prove to be life changing as the Holy Spirit quickens truth. Future Conference plans are uncertain at this stage. Originally the idea was to have national regional Conferences one year and to return to the international, inhouse Conference the following year. A decision will be made and our readers advised as soon as possible. In the meanwhile please pray for the guidance and blessing of the Lord in respect of future plans. Finally, as with all previous CETFs, I commend the following writings and writers to your prayerful diligence. It is fairly certain that former Jesuit trained priest Richard Bennett and former Roman Catholic, Thomas McMahon will be visiting Australasia in 2012 under the auspices of CWM see pages 18, 19 and 36. Happy Christmas Please help us circulate the message by distributing CETF far and wide.

Philip L. Powell
www.cwm.org.au

Have You Heard?

By B. Michael Bigg The first four books of the New Testament are called Gospels. Gospel comes from the Greek word (Gr. euvagge,lion - euaggelion) meaning good news. These four Gospels recount the Good News of Jesus Christ. But what is this news, and what makes it good? The news is that God has made a way to bring man back into right relationship with Himself. Where man, because of sin (man's corrupt nature with its wrong and incorrect thoughts, words and actions), has been estranged from God, God has enacted a means by which God's infinite holiness, justice and righteousness can be fully satisfied and God's infinite love, mercy and grace
2
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displayed and poured out. God's Satisfaction God is infinite there is no limit to His knowledge, His power, His love, His Grace, but equally so, there is no limit to His Holiness, Righteousness and Justice; God is Perfect. And because God is Perfect, God's love does NOT mean that God's Justice and Holiness can be left unsatisfied or ignored. So how does an infinite loving God satisfy His justice and holiness in bringing corrupt humans back into relationship with Himself? What God did was to take into Himself the finiteness of man; God allowed Himself to be born and live as a man to experience a human life in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived amongst us and with us, but unlike us He lived a perfect, sinless life despite having a

body that had temptations; a body which hungered, became thirsty, and grew tired and weary. Despite His perfect, sinless life, Jesus gave Himself up, to die on our behalf. Convicted by weak and corrupt religious and political systems, Jesus was flogged, beaten and crucified. The infinite God took the finite into Himself and willingly died in our place. Physical death is a consequence of sin; just as spiritual death (separation, rejection and the judgement of God) is also the consequence of sin. Jesus was perfect death should not have touched Him. But He took the penalty due to us upon Himself. He did what we could not the perfect infinite God satisfied His own requirements of justice and holiness for all people throughout all time by sacrificing Himself.

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Romans 3:28

But the news of God's sacrifice on our behalf doesn't end there. As God, Christ has in Himself LIFE; He doesn't just have life He IS life. Therefore, though dying on the cross, death could not hold Him - Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and Christ offers His sacrifice and resurrection to us. It is a free gift offered to all but it does cost. We must come to God on His terms, not ours. Putting one's faith (faithful, trusting belief) in God, Jesus Christ and His sacrifice means that we must repent. We must change our minds and opinion on what we think is acceptable, right and true and conform to what God says is acceptable, right and true. As we read God's Word (the Bible) we will conform our thinking to God's thinking, and thus our way of life (our thoughts, speech and actions) to what God desires and expects of those who TRULY have faith in Him. So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. John 8:31-32 (NAU[1]) You cannot say that you truly believe, have faith in and trust God, Jesus and His Good News if your life remains unchanged. For if you truly and absolutely believe something to be true you WILL act accordingly. To say you believe but live as if you do not shows that your confession is but lip service and is not true saving faith. Faith and Works are the two sides of the same coin; faith will produce works and the works reveal where your faith lies. Does this mean that you will automatically become perfect? No! But God gives forgiveness to those who seek Him. Seek His forgiveness, believe in Him and trust His means of Salvation: you can always go back to God and confess that you've messed up knowing that God will accept your prayers and heart-felt confessions. Some will endeavour to do all kinds of penance and works as if they can earn their way to heaven. You cannot. Salvation is a GIFT offered by God something you cannot earn or buy. Faith in God will be revealed in your works and your works will reveal your faith. The
Footnote:
[1] NAU All Scripture in this article is from the New American Standard, Updated 1995.

following verses of Scripture are, for some, a paradox or a contradiction, and yet they are all true. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Romans 3:28 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. Galatians 2:16 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. James 2:24

You must recognise and acknowledge

Jesus and His sacrifice as the ONLY means of being brought back into right relationship with God.
You must recognise and acknowledge

Jesus' death, burial and resurrection.

You must recognise and acknowledge

Jesus' lordship you must bow your knee and heart to His rule over your life.
You must truly repent of (reject and

turn from) your sinful past, way of life and practices. And in turning, you must turn to what God says is acceptable. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a free offer from God and by God which is available to all. The Good News is that God has made a way for corrupt man to hear and respond to His Gospel but God will respect your decision NOT to listen. God has satisfied His eternal holiness, justice (and wrath) by Christ's sacrifice - rejecting that sacrifice means that YOU yourself will have to face the consequences of that decision. The choice is yours. This is the difference between biblical Christianity and the religions of the world. In them one attempts to appease God or gods by deeds and/or sacrifices in the attempt to make yourself clean or make your good deeds outweigh your bad. But God the true and only God says you are filthy and corrupt: any deeds you do, no matter how good, are corrupt. The only sacrifice that can be acceptable to God is God's own sacrifice. Here is the News, and it is Good News indeed. Have you heard it or do you merely dismiss or reject it? Have you heard?

The Good News is: God has made a way. God has Paid the Price, and God offers life. But God offers it

on His terms.

Good deeds, works, rigidly following do's and don'ts will not save you, will not justify you before God. Nevertheless, an honest, true, faithful belief and trust in God WILL produce good deeds and works which SHOW that you truly have faith in God. You cannot have faith and yet fail to have works that is a contradiction. For what you truly believe will be shown in how you act. You cannot make an outward claim of faith in God and yet ignore, disregard and/or reject what God says to do for that is but hypocrisy and it is a contradiction. The Good News is: God has made a way, God has Paid the Price, and God offers life. But God offers it on His terms.
You must believe that God (i.e. the

about the author

B. MICHAEL BIGG, and his wife, Kathryn, came out of the Word-Faith movement. Michael has a concern for the preaching of the truth (or lack of it) in many of today's churches. He has a desire to assist in the education of the elect and reaching the lost.
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God of the Bible) IS.

You must recognise (realise and

acknowledge) your own sinful and corrupt state before God.

You must recognise the true and just

guilty verdict before God and that you can NOT do or say anything to justify yourself.

Revival is a work of grace. Wherever and whenever it occurs, invariably the prime mover of this distinctively divine activity is revealed to be God the Holy Spirit.

Lessons From The Welsh Revivals Part 2

By Aeron Morgan THE AWARENESS AND IMPACT OF GODS PRESENCE IN REVIVAL Revival is a work of grace. Wherever and whenever it occurs, invariably the prime mover of this distinctively divine activity is revealed to be God the Holy Spirit. In his account of the 1904 Revival in Wales, David Matthews begins with these words: Divine movements have their birthplace in the heart of Deity.[1] While that may seem to be an obvious and thus unnecessary expression, regrettably there are many who have the idea today that we can originate Revival, hence the many foolish and outrageous imitationsand the sad lack of true spiritual discernment by leaders who have embraced what is patently false as being true, leading many trusting souls to inevitable disillusionment and, in some cases, utter spiritual disaster! impassively to see IF God will visit us. Rather, our concern for the spiritual state of Churches, generally speaking, and that of our respective nations, must drive us to our knees to seek the face of the Lord for His merciful favours and sovereign intervention cf. Psalm 4:6; 27:8; 80:3, 7, 19; 105:4. This should be the constant disposition of Gods people, in general and of His ministers (servants) in particular. It is the prompting of the pious heart so as to know His nearness, adore His person, discern His will, and always to obey His voice. And this is not just the act of the individual believer but it must be a corporate act too. Regrettably, in many churches today the prayer arena is deserted ground. We need to recover the prayer meeting! How challenging are these words of C.H. Spurgeon: How can we expect a blessing if we are too idle to ask for it? How can we look for a Pentecost if we never meet with one another, in one place, to wait upon the Lord? Brethren, we shall never see much change for the better in our churches till the prayer meeting occupies a higher place in the esteem of Christians.[2] We will only get to the prayer closet, of course, when we have a true sense of the prevailing need, and a preparedness to enter upon times of desperate intercession. David Matthews, writing about Revival, says that whenever God predisposes the inauguration of a period of blessing intended for the uplift of humanity, His Church in particular, multitudes of His chosen ones become mysteriously burdened with the birth pangs of a new era. Intercessions are stained with the crimson of a splendid agony. Undoubtedly at such a time, Gods people pass through their Gethsemane.[3] When Isaiah pleaded with God in such anguish of heart, Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down (Isaiah 64:1) he was very much aware that we cannot have a visitation of God on our own terms! God never lowers His standards to accommodate us. It is GOD who rends the heavens; it is WE who rend
Footnote:
[2] From a sermon, The Kind Of Revival We Need. [3] op cit, 9.

our hearts, overcome with true repentance for our sins and backslidings, throwing ourselves upon His mercy and grace to forgive, cleanse and restore us, and to vindicate His Holy Name! This is what we may find too difficult to do. Oh, what an urgent need we have for a people who know how to cry to God, like Isaiah that He will rend (tear open) the heavens and come down.

Revival has been defined in many ways, but maybe in the simplest of expressions it is God rending the heavens and coming down.
I recall the late Donald Gee once saying, We have lost the art of waiting on God! Sadly, we must now add that we have also lost the art of supplication. I feel sure that if we had a greater appreciation for the nature, privilege, and ministry of prayer we would engage all the more in it. We need the urgency and fervour of Isaiah. His prayer grips and moves me, as at first he asked God to LOOK DOWN from heaven (63:15). How humbling that God is unfailingly mindful of our hopeless misery! Something more, however, was needed. Hence the anguished cry: Oh that You would rend the heavens and COME DOWN (64:1). Isaiah evidently knew that nothing was more urgent or affecting than the Presence of God, for he knew that mountains flow down at (His) Presence (63:7-15), as Israel had known in its turbulent history. That God looks down is rightly assumed, thus seeing all things in their truest light; but that He will come down is fervently pleaded, to mercifully address what He sees is needed. Revival has been defined in many ways, but maybe in the simplest of expressions it is God rending the heavens and coming down. Rev. John Bonar of Larbert, Falkirk, Scotland (1696-1752), writing on the source of Revival observed:

Revival is a work of grace. Wherever and whenever it occurs, invariably the prime mover of this distinctively divine activity is revealed to be God the Holy Spirit
When examining the accounts of Revival in both biblical and Church history, such seasons of spiritual refreshing from the presence of the Lord are seen to emerge in the providence of God, and so often at such a critical time when the spiritual condition of Gods people is in evident decline, the Word of the Lord is scarce, and the lamp of God burns low in the land cf. 1 Samuel 3:1-3. What a description of the present condition of the Churches across our nations. However this does not mean we just wait
Footnote:
[1] David Matthews, I Saw the Welsh Revival [Chicago: Moody Press, 1957], 9.

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Such a confrontation with Infinite Holiness is no trifle; it is no amusing or light thing.

A revival of religion (is) an unusual manifestation of the power of the grace of God in convincing and converting careless sinners, and in quickening and increasing the faith and piety of believers It is the lifegiving, light-imparting, quickening, regenerating and sanctifying energy of the Holy Spirit, converting the hardened sinner, and reclaiming the backsliding or dormant Christian.[4] Such a confrontation with Infinite Holiness is no trifle; it is no amusing or light thing. It is always most discomforting when one is subjected to, and searched by, the inescapable rays of Him whose eyes are as a flame of fire (Rev. 1:14 cf. 19:12). That is no fun time! When God came down at Sinai in the sight of His people it was truly terrifying (Exodus 19). When God manifested His Presence in the early Church it was accompanied by great power, great grace, and GREAT FEAR (Acts 2:43; 4:33; 5:11). And in the great Revivals of Church history it was just like that. R.B. Jones, the renowned Welsh preacher of the last century, as an eyewitness and one used of God in the 1904 Revival in Wales, recalled something of the glory of it: A sense of the Lords presence was everywhere. It pervaded, nay, it created the spiritual atmosphere. It mattered not where one went the consciousness of the reality and nearness of God followed. Felt, of course, in the Revival gatherings, it was by no means confined to them; it was also felt in the homes, on the streets, in the mines and factories, in the schools, yea, and even in the theatres and drinking saloons. The strange result was that wherever people gathered became a place of awe, and places of amusement and carousel (revelry) were practically emptiedThe pit-bottoms and galleries became places of praise and prayer, where the miners gathered to worship ere they dispersed to their several stalls. Even the children of the Day schools came under the spell of God.[5] We dare not underestimate or fail to acknowledge this remarkable feature of the 04 and other wonderful spiritual awakenings in Wales, when the Lord came down. Many have been the times when the Church needed a divine visitation to rouse her from spiritual apathy, backsliding, and worldliness; from her materialism and carnality; from her lack of God-fearingness and
Footnote:
[4] Revival It's Source [Strathpine, Qld: Covenanter Press, 1976], 10. Lectures on Revival by various ministers of the Church of Scotland in the early 19th century; edited by W.J. Ham, of Brisbane. [5] R.B. Jones, Rent Heavens [1931, London: Pioneer Mission, reprinted 1950], 41.

Christcentredness; and to restore her to the place where Gods presence and power were again evident in her midst, in order that His purposes for and through her might be realized. In his new book just published, Dr. David Jeremiah comments on the growing irrelevance of the Christian church in the eyes of our society. He says that while society may be biased, the Church needs to ask itself whether, by its impassivity and lack of zeal, it has lost the right to be heard.[6] That is one of the reasons why I say we are in need of a Divine awakening. I am filled with gratitude that the history of the Church encourages me through its wonderful evidences of God graciously coming again and again in renewing grace to an apostatising, declining Church. It is comforting to note past divine visitations taking place against the background of a spiritless, dormant and unconcerned Church. This was the case in Wales prior to the Revivals, as David Allen notes in his book:

ministering in Amlwch, on the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales. He had been preaching from Isaiah 6, and wrote of the evident transforming power of God manifest in those gatherings as the Holy Spirit bore witness to the truth being faithfully proclaimed. Conviction of sin, and of its terrible desert, was so crushing that a feeling almost of despair grew over all hearts. So grievous a thing was sin; so richly and inevitably did it deserve the severest judgment of God that hearts questioned, Could God forgive? Could God cleanse? Then came the word about the altar, the tongs, and the live coal touching the confessedly vile lips, and the gracious and complete removal of their vileness. After all, there was hope. God was forgiving, and He had cleansing for the worst.[8] The following is a description of a meeting during an earlier visitation experienced in the Principality of Walesthe 1859 Revivalunder the humble ministries of Humphrey Jones and David Morgan, whom God blessed so mightily,[9] when an estimated 110,000 souls were added to the Churches during that remarkable outpouring. This is the account of a prayer meeting: It was in its terrors that the Eternal became a reality to them first. They seemed plunged into depths of godly sorrow For some weeks it was the voice of weeping and the sound of mourning that was heard in the meetings. The house was often so full of the Divine Presence that ungodly men trembled terror-stricken; and at the close, sometimes they fled as from some impending peril.[10] I wonder if we are prepared for such a revelation of the Holy One, and a like spiritual shaking. Would we really want to see such a manifestation of Gods Presence? Further questions are prompted to my heart: Can we truly be satisfied with anything less than such a manifestation of the Presence of Divine Holiness? Can we possibly be content with the superficiality, carnality, and materialism in our churches that never seem to be boldly challenged and corrected? What might be the impact of God rending the heavens and coming down among US? Isaiah gives us some idea of the impact of the Divine Presence. Observe what he says in chapter 64:1-3: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains
Footnote:
[8] Rent Heavens, op cit, 42. [9] Humphrey Jones was the young man, untrained but filled with a passion to preach the Gospel and to see Revival in his native Wales at a time of spiritual decline. He was known as the young man who lit the fuse. God in His wisdom also raised up Rev. David Morgan, an older man, as a leader in the 1859 Revival. [10] J.J. Morgan, The '59 Revival in Wales [Published by Author, Mold, 1909], 13.
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How glad I am that God is so faithful that He should respond to the heart cry of concerned people who prayed about such prevailing situationsand came down!
Though Chapel still played an important part in the lives of the vast majority of people in Wales, things were not quite what they used to be. The spiritual lamp had burnt low; and many of the chapels had become preaching locations at best and thinly disguised social clubs at worst.[7] How glad I am that God is so faithful that He should respond to the heart cry of concerned people who prayed about such prevailing situationsand came down! This gives me hope amid the deteriorating moral and spiritual culture in which we live, as well as the evident intensifying of spiritual conflict taking place around us. Only God can change the situation locally or nationally. R.B. Jones recalled the meetings during the 1904 Revival, where he himself was
Footnote:
[6] David Jeremiah, I Never Thought I'd See The Day [Brentwood, TN: Faith Words Publishing, 2011]. [7] David Allen, The Unfailing Stream [Lancaster, UK: Sovereign World Ltd, 1994].

I am sure that Evan Roberts did not fully anticipate what God would do so powerfully throughout the Principality

might quake at your presence, as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil, to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. [11] So, what takes place when God comes down? 1. DEFIANT MOUNTAINS OF RESISTANCE FLOW DOWN Like the impact of God descending on Sinai, when the mountain quaked greatly (Exodus 19:10-18) all resistance is vanquished. The prophet Micah also saw the Lord coming forth threateningly, saying, For behold, the LORD is coming out of His place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place (Micah 1:3-4, ESV).

judgment but in restoration. For our present thoughts on Revival it is the principle that is taken from this, so as to see God coming down to His Church and for His Church, not in judgment but that she might be recovered from the desolate place she has been in. Mountains represent what is solid and strong on the face of the earth, things that seem so unflinching and persistent; and so imposing it appears nothing can change their situation. I admit I have wept as I have pondered if there is a way back for the Church, a Church that seems to have gone so far astray from the old paths of truth and righteousness (Jer.6:16). However, Isaiah encourages me to believe for such mountains to flow down at His Presence, at least at the local church level. I believe we can know the blessedness of spiritual renewal in our local fellowships, whatever may be taking place elsewhere. It is Gods prerogative as to what He might do in His sovereign purposes beyond what is local, as in past times of Revival when He touched the entire nation. I am sure that Evan Roberts did not fully anticipate what God would do so powerfully throughout the Principality, and well beyond, [12] when God came down at his home church, Moriah Chapel in Loughor, South Wales. He was twentyfive years old when the 1904 Revival broke out in that small Welsh community. It must be said that as a boy he was unusually serious and very diligent in his Christian life, daily attending the Chapel. It is worthy of note that he believed emphatically, and proclaimed fearlessly, his faith in the inerrancy and inviolability of Gods holy Word. All his service was built upon this elevated understanding of divine truth. The Bible had been his inseparable companion since early childhood days. It was not surprising that even at 13 years of age he began to develop a heart for a visitation from God. He later wrote, I said to myself: I will have the Spirit. And through all weathers and in spite of all difficulties I went to the meetings for ten or eleven years I have prayed for Revival. I could sit up all night to read or talk about Revivals. It was the Spirit who moved me to think about Revival. [13]
Footnote:
[12] Dr. Edwin Orr documents the far-reaching impact of the 1904 Welsh Revival, affirming that it touched every Continent in the world. His book, The Re-Study Of Revival And Revivalism [Pasadena, CA: School of World Mission] is a very enlightening and inspiring history of the Spiritual Awakenings in the 18th to 20th centuries. He writes: The Welsh Revival was the farthest-reaching of all the Movements of the Awakening, for it affected the whole of the evangelical cause in India, Korea, China, renewed the revivals in Japan and South Africa, and sent an awakening over Africa, Latin America and the South Seas The story of the Welsh Revival has often been told. Most Christian people, including scholars, have been unaware of the extent of the Awakening in the rest of English-speaking countries, in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada, South Africa, Australia and faraway New Zealand. (pages 42-44) He also speaks of the impact throughout Scandanavia and Europe.

And God does come in answer to prayer! What He did for and through young Evan Roberts, He can do todaywith the mountains of apathy, unfaithfulness and general barrenness; mountains of superficiality and worldly compromise among us in the Church, all needing to be urgently addressed. God alone knows how deeply entrenched are the inroads of idolatrous sin and corruption in our societies at this time. But as surely as GOD came down so mightily in times past, He can come yet again into our current situation: into our lives, homes, Churches, communities, and even our nation, and bring about the needed change so that HE might be glorified. Nothing abides His all-consuming Presence! Well might we pray O God, come down! It is the only answer.

Evan Roberts

I admit I have wept as I have pondered if there is a way back for the Church, a Church that seems to have gone so far astray from the old paths of truth and righteousness
2. GODS NAME BECOMES KNOWN TO ALL to make Your name known to Your adversaries (Is. 64:2). His name represents the sum of all of His glorious perfections i.e. all that He is. First of all, we must recognize that it is time for the Church itself to come to a true knowledge of God. This means that Gods servants must not fail to constantly reveal some measure of His glory through sound expository teaching and preaching; that w h i c h m a g n i f i e s H i s g re at n e s s , supremacy and sovereignty. We must know God for who He IS and not be sufficed with mere notions concerning Him, whether such notions are the product of how He is enunciated from shallow pulpit preaching or (God forbid) the invention of our own deficient imagining. I concur with John Pipers assessment of things in the Church today, when he says that our people are starving for the greatness of God. He states our people need to hear God-entranced preaching! [14] Preaching that does not have the aroma of Gods greatness may entertain
Footnote:
[13] Brynmor Pierce Jones, An Instrument of Revival, Bridge Publishing, 1995. [14] John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching [Leicester, UK: Inter-Varsity Press, 1990], 9,11.

That is the description of God coming in His judicial might. The context in Isaiah 64, of course, is also one of judgment, God coming to deal with enemies who seemed to be unrelenting, so that He might vindicate His people. The desire is that God would come in His marvellous providence, manifesting Himself both to His people and for them, in their behalfnot in
Footnote:
[11] English Standard Version (ESV).

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Unless we see the return of the true fear of the Lord in our churches, we will not see it in the streets of our towns and cities, or in the seats of our governments

for a season, but inevitably it will fail to satisfy the hearts cry to see Gods glory. Seeing God in His awesome splendour has to start in the church. Then we must believingly pray to behold Him arise in His majesty and might and see conditions changed and lives transformed. Dr. A.W. Tozer was so right when he wrote: The gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at any given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always, the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid, for her silence is often more eloquent than her speech Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character. The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He isin itself a monstrous sinand substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness A god begotten in the shadows of a fallen heart will quite naturally be no likeness of the true God.[15] We must get it right about the God we profess to know and serve. Yes, God IS with us and may we never deny nor despise the day of small things (cf. Zechariah 4:10). But, O for that revelation of GOD, first to us as His people, and then to see our communities impacted through us as we faithfully make known His excellences in our Gospel witness. Programs originating in the minds of men, with their presentations that merely inflate the human ego, will never achieve that. Gods manifest Presence alone will prove sufficient to confront and conquer those sinister forces that are at work in shaping our society! And NO adversary can stand before HIM when he comes down in His glory. What must never be forgotten is the fact that Revival must be fervently sought, and primarily stemming from a passion for the honour of His name. It is the answer to our prayer, as Jesus taught us to pray: Hallowed be Your name! Or, to paraphrase it, Let Your name be celebrated, venerated, and esteemed as holy everywhere, and receive from all people proper honour. It is not without significance that this is the first element in the Lords Prayer, and all that follows is
Footnote:
[15] A.W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy [San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row Publishers, 1961], 1,3.

grounded in the revelation of who God the Father is, the Holy One in whom essential and moral perfection is inherently found. He himself must be glorified, held everywhere in proper adoring reverence! God himself insists: Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 38:23) See also Isaiah 37:20. This is what is apparent in times of spiritual awakening. It was so in the Welsh Revivals. All reports uniformly tell of churches everywhere not only aflame with passionate religious enthusiasm but the fact that this derived from an incredible unveiling of the majesty of God in their midst, and the indisputable signs of His matchless grace being poured forth on the people. It is worth noting that the 1904 Revival reached almost every nook and corner of the Principalitywhilst the ministry of Evan Roberts, whom God used mightily, was, with little exception exercised within only one of its counties at that time. Revival fires burned brightly in places Gods servant did not visit, and, in other places where he was invited, the fire was already burning before he arrived.[16]

your God? (Psalm 42:3 cf. verse 10). When David was confronted by that question, he said that such mocking provocation was like a sword in my bones. (Psalm 42:10). But, today, WHO CARES that the godless seem to be at the helm, dictating even to the Church with their utter disregard for God and His righteous Law cf. Psalm 2:1-3. And things are predicted to get even worse! Who knows that with the increasing apostatising evident around us we might well experience severer persecutioneven from within the ranks of Christendombecause of our love for and faithfulness to the Truth, and our stern refusal to compromise? There are churches and leaders who want to sink differences, stress the points on which they are agreed, and unite a unity based on compromise not conviction, one that is organizational and not organic. Such an ecumenical hotchpotch disturbs no demons, embarrasses no government, and will never cause our decaying generation to sit up and take note of GOD Almighty. Its the whore of Revelation 18. How fearful the description (verses 2-3): the habitation of demons and the prison of every foul spirit a cage of every unclean and hateful bird For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. We need Revival, to save churches and leaders from being partakers of her sins and of the plagues she will suffer in endtime judgment (verses 3-8). In one hour she is going to be made desolate (verse 19). After all is said and done, our task is not to patronize our society but to confront it with GOD, and with His Holy, infallible, and unbending law; to proclaim a pure and uncompromised Gospel of grace, so as to see souls turned from the very jaws o f h e l l . A n d t h at ca n o n l y b e accomplished by a restored and renewed Church, true and righteous and holy. Unless we see the return of the true fear of the Lord in our churches, we will not see it in the streets of our towns and cities, or in the seats of our governments. Dr. Eifion Evans, in a published lecture he gave in 1960 on Revivals, said that the Revivals of the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries came to an apostate, declining, expiring Church, while those of the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries took place against the background of a dormant, listless, and unconcerned church. The former situation witnessed the emergence of particular, leading doctrines and outstanding figures, while the latter situation was radically altered by invigorated prayer together with a return to the
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What must never be forgotten is the fact that Revival must be fervently sought, and primarily stemming from a passion for the honour of His name.
It was NOT man; it was GODand God in His glory and for His own honour coming down. The disgusting lauding of men in our timesmen who profess to be specially anointed for the claimed but false Revivals of the past couple of decades, and thus blasphemously celebrated like Hollywood starsmust be utterly grievous to the blessed Holy Spirit! 3. A SHAKING TAKES PLACE OF EXTRAORDINARY EXTENT that the nations may tremble at Your Presence Isaiah 64:2. The cynical challenge put before the Church by the world today is, Where is
Footnote:
[16] Rent Heavens, op cit., 17

We must have Revival, and if we seek the Lord I dare to believe He will rend the heavens and come down. But theres a price to pay.

apostolic preaching of the whole counsel of God.[17] In a day when there appears to be a fever for the spectacular, the quest for what is showy, sensational and sensual, we need to be reminded that all true Revivals reveal God consistently using the ordinary means of grace to procure and promote Revival fervent prayer and the faithful preaching of the Word of God, just as Dr. Evans clearly recounted. He went on to say that when the churches had been thus led to pray, the preaching of the Word became more powerful, and the substantial truths of the Gospel, presented plainly and earnestly, and applied closely and personally, were signally used TO THE RECOVERY OF MULTITUDES OF MEN. [18] Our lands are filled with darkness, but precious souls are not beyond the reach of Divine grace. Joel saw them, Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision (3:14); tumultuous masses driving blindly onward to their own destruction. Yet the Church does not seem to care, being so taken up with itself, complacently content with its reputation and riches and human resourcesits Laodicean religion and its corrupt pretence at worship? Could it be some even deem the situation beyond recovery, or perhaps are baulked by the personal cost involved in doing something to resolve the situation? As I review the works of God in the great Revivals of the past, I clearly see that while such hopeless moral and spiritual chaos prevailed in a locality and in a nation, GOD came down in His sovereign grace and divine pity to bring a clean thing out of an unclean (cf. Job 14:4) far beyond human competence or contrivance. David Matthews tells of what took place when God came down: Down in the bowels of the earth, miners not only discussed the services but actually sang boisterously the grand old hymns taught them in their childhood and almost forgotten through sin. Everything sprang into new life. Former blasphemers were the most eloquent, both in prayer and praise. These men appeared to be making up for lost timethe years that the locust has eaten (Joel 2:25). Drunkards forgot the way to the saloons, which in fact were empty in a few nights. All the former inebriates were worshipping It was the young people who responded with greatest eagerness to the searching challenge
Footnote:
[17] Eifion Evans, Revivals: Their Rise, Progress, and Achievements [Bridgend, Wales: Evangelical Press of Wales, 1960], 6-7 [18] ibid, 12.

of absolute surrender and consecration to the service of the Lord. Wherever they went, the very air became vibrant with songs of praise.[19] Can God do it again? Of course He can! Well, end times are upon us! The day of grace hastens to its close. We desperately need God to come down, for with His dreadful Presence alone will we see a nation tremble before Him, and sinners brought to Him in true repentance and saving faith! IF we do not see GOD come down in spiritual renewal, then our nations will be left to His coming down in severe retribution, that which is solemnly predicted in Revelation. Swiftly they will come to naught. Does not this stir us to seek the Lord?

How empty and meaningless is the average Church service today the form of godliness is there, and often the form is perfected till it is an aesthetic triumph. Music and poetry, art and oratory, symbolic vesture and solemn tones combine to charm the minds of the worshipper; but too often the supernatural afflatus is not there In the average service the most real thing is the shadowy unreality of everything.[20] Please dont brush that off, as though it applied only to (what we might call) the mainline denominational churches; it well describes a lot of the neoPentecostal scene. O, God help us! Ah, in those times of true spiritual renewal, holy men, by any Scriptural measure, when confronted by the Holy One were overpowered within their own beings, smitten as with a sword, and often prostrated in awe before Him; for no flesh can abide, let alone glory, in His Presence. God was never familiar and gatherings never an entertainment. Maybe this is why we have few who will stir themselves to lay hold of God (Is. 64:7) to plead for Him to truly rend the heavens and come down. Its too terrible! But there is no other answer to our need. O God, please come down! Will you consider the present desperate situation, generally speaking and seek the Lord as never before. This is a challenge to the whole Church today. Its crucial. We must have Revival, and if we seek the Lord I dare to believe He will rend the heavens and come down. But theres a price to pay. I purpose to address this and the crucial matter of Prayer and Revival in my next article.

It seems that in genuine Revivals, Gods coming to His Church always carries with it the unexpected, the amazing, that which is truly awesome
4. AWESOME THINGS OCCUR BY GODS SOVEREIGNTY. You did terrible things that we did not look for Is. 64:3 It seems that in genuine Revivals, Gods coming to His Church always carries with it the unexpected, the amazing, that which is truly awesome. I do not mean the bizarre! His holiness precludes that. But everything now appears to be so predictable. The spontaneity of Spiritcontrolled gatherings is rare, for everything is directed and orchestrated to follow out some plan. The dummy run during the week before the Sunday services, and the polishing of the music programme, is all to secure effectiveness. Amateurs are trying to be professional as if GOD is interested in our slick, sophisticated presentations! There has never been so much talk of the anointing and yet never so little of its true experience and dynamic expression. The vain profession to such renewal and fullness of the Holy Spirit is such an insult to the true character, power and objectives of Pentecost. What Dr. A.W. Tozer had to say about conditions in the Church half a century ago is just as relevant today:
Footnote:
[19] op cit, 23.

Footnote:
[20] The Best of A.W. Tozer, ed. Warren W. Wiersbe [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House]

about the author

AERON MORGAN and wife Dinah, have served the Lord for more than fifty years. They are Welsh and have pastored churches in the UK and Australia, where they now reside. Aeron served on the National Executives of the British and the Australian AoG fellowships. He was the first General Superintendent of the British AoG, and was Principal of the Australian National Bible College for twelve years. He was also an adjunct faculty member of the South Pacific Bible College in Suva, Fiji. Now retired from active pastoral ministry he fulfils an extensive itinerant ministry in many countries speaking at churches, Conferences, ministers' seminars, and short-term teaching in Bible Schools. Aeron has a website - www.aeronmorgan.org

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It all boils down to a question of definition. We either follow Gods infallible Word or Romes false tradition

Are You A Saint?

By Alan C. Clifford If ever a religious event highlighted the difference between true Christianity and its counterfeit, it occurred in Rome on 1 May 2011. As reported by BBC News: The late Pope, John Paul II, has been beatified at a ceremony at the Vatican in front of hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful. Among those at St Peter's Square is French nun Marie Simon-Pierre, who says she was cured of Parkinson's disease. Her apparently miraculous cure is part of the case for the beatification, the last stage before sainthood. It comes amid criticism of the Church for the speed of the beatification and the clerical child sex abuse scandal. Much of the abuse, or its alleged cover-up, occurred while John Paul II was Pope, from 1979-2005, and the Church has been criticised for not doing enough to punish those found responsible.[1] It is astonishing how anyone reading the New Testament could recognise any similarity between the religion of Rome and the plain teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and His Apostles. According to the Scriptures, a saint is a sinner saved by grace, one set apart for the service and worship of God. Saint is a common term for Christian (see Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2, Philippians 4:21-2, etc). Translated from the Greek hagios, it indicates a transforming holiness enjoyed by true believers in Christ, without which one cannot be a Christian. It is something started in this life, not just a perfect attainment at death. So, if one doesnt live and die as a saint, no God-approved, Church-initiated after-life process exists to start what never began on earth! One sometimes hears the honest confession, Im no saint. If it simply means, Im not perfect, then no mere mortal deserves the title. However, while growth in personal holiness is a necessary feature of the Christian life, perfection is never attained in this life. It is never taught in the New Testament that saints are perfect believers. Our saintliness is defined in terms of being righteous and holy in Christ Jesus (see Ephesians 1:1-4) and being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In short, a saint is one who is justified and sanctified. [2] This is where the religion of Rome and biblical Faith part company at a fundamental level. Justification is not
Footnote:
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13251415 [2] Sanctified means set apart or made holy which is both a state and a process

through baptism but by faith in Christ alone (see Romans 5:1-9) with direct access to Him (not Mary) as sole Mediator (see Matthew 11:28; 1 Timothy 2:5). The idea that the merits of the faithful are a necessary contribution to their salvation undermines the all-sufficiency of Christs merit. Romes traditional mistake in making sanctification a part of justification arises from her reliance on the Latin justificare instead of the Greek dikaioo. While the former verb means to make righteous, the latter means to declare righteous by the remission of sins through faith in the blood of Christ (see Romans 4:5-8; 5:1, 9).

According to the Scriptures, a saint is a sinner ??? saved by grace, one set apart for the service and worship of God.
While good works are a necessary and certain fruit of saving faith (see Galatians 5:6; Ephesians 2:8-10), their imperfection rules them out from justifying us. Our persons and our performances alike always require pardon. That said, Christian sainthood is the present status of true though imperfect believers (see Ephesians 1:1-2) not that of dead believers canonised by the Church of Rome. It all boils down to a question of definition. We either follow Gods infallible Word or Romes false tradition, as a great (though grossly neglected) English Reformed churchman, Dr Edmund Calamy (1671-1732) makes clear: If the Scriptures are divinely inspired, the whole foundation of the Popish religion is rotten. Our [Protestant] religion is bottomed upon the Scriptures, which having been given by inspiration of God, cannot deceive us. The Scriptures, which came from God, and were drawn up under His conduct and influence, as a directory to His Church and People in all ages, are with us a thousand times more venerable, and unspeakably more sacred, and of greater authority, than

According to the Scriptures, a saint is a sinner saved by grace, one set apart for the service and worship of God.

the doctrines, or sentiments of any creatures whatsoever. One little sentence of those divine books; that sentence in particular which declares, that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have everlasting life [John 3:16], with us deserves incomparably more respect and regard, than all the definitions or determinations, resolutions or decrees, of princes or doctors, popes or councils, men or angels. We keep so close to those Scriptures, being satisfied of their heavenly original, that our pastors and teachers can safely join in with the great Apostle, and say, Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed [Galatians 1:8]. And this is our glory. Herein lies the peculiar firmness of our religion, and that which distinguishes it from all others that it came entirely from those Scriptures that were divinely inspired.[3] So, let us glory in that Grace of God that makes us saints, in the here and now! Let our assured faith be in Christ alone, our reliance on the Holy Spirit alone, our convictions based on the Bible alone!
Footnote:
[3] The Inspiration of the Holy Writings of the Old and New Testament (London: 1710), pp. 313ff

about the author

ALAN C. CLIFFORD was born and educated in Hampshire, England, where he pursued a career in mechanical and electrical engineering at the Royal Aircraft Establishment and the Institute of Aviation Medicine at Farnborough. Converted within Anglicanism in his teens, a change of religious conviction led eventually in a Nonconformist direction. Graduating in Philosophy in the University of Wales in 1969, he was ordained at Primrose Hill Congregational Church, Northampton. Pastorates on Tyneside and in Norfolk facilitated further part-time academic study in philosophy and theology (MLitt, 1978; PhD, 1984). Dr Cliffords doctoral thesis Atonement and Justification was published by Oxford University Press in 1990. Since 1994, he has been the pastor of Norwich Reformed Church. Concerned with several social and ethical issues, he was involved in broadcasting on television and radio for two years. In recent years, besides several other publishing projects expounding the Reformed Faith, Dr Clifford has been involved in controversy over Islam. He was invited to address the Campaign for UK Conservatism Conference at Oxford Brookes University on Islamic issues in November, 2005. The lecture was published as Christianity, Islam & British Politics. Dr Clifford is married to Marian. They have four grown children (three sons and a daughter), three granddaughters and a grandson.
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There were of course other reasons, for my withdrawal, including the blatant nepotism and cronyism among the top leaders.

Doctrines of Classic Pentecostalism

Part 2
By Philip L. Powell As an introduction I refer briefly to some misconceptions about: The Origin of C l a s s i c Pe n t e c o s t a l i s m ; a n d T h e difference between the Pentecostal and the Charismatic movements. ORIGINS I have often been asked whether I trace my Pentecostal roots to the so called Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles, USA. I always answer No, basically for three reasons: 1. It was at Topeka, Kansas (1900) not Azusa Street, Los Angeles (1906) that American Pentecostalism really commenced[1] 2. Unbiased scholars see the origin of the movement as being linked, at least to some degree, to the great worldwide th Evangelical Awakenings of the 19 Century, predating both of the above, which are in effect two streams from the one fountain head from which there are a number of other streams. 3. I reject Azusa Street as the root of the Pentecostalism of which I am part because I am British not American. The British movement is more directly linked to the Welsh Revival (19041905), which also predates Azusa Street. I have provided a reasonably extensive historic survey of the Pentecostal experience and movement in the book I co-authored entitled Gathering the Faithful Remnant (Part Nine) and in my series of articles entitled Cessationism v. Biblicism previously published in this journal and available on line as a series starting at http://cetf.co/sWudFf It is neither my desire nor my intention to repeat that information here. I do however remain open for interaction on the topic, space and time permitting. THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT When I suggested in one of my meetings in UK in 2009 that much of the so called movement of the Holy Spirit within the Charismatic Movement of the 1960-1970 period had been false, I raised the ire of a woman in the congregation who objected vociferously. She had obviously been a part of it. Here I simply direct your attention to the excellent article by Richard Bennett (see pages ?? - ??) who was also formerly a part of the Charismatic movement and who now sees, as a former Roman Catholic priest, how it was largely a ploy by the Vatican to
Footnote:
[1] http://cetf.co/v3j8QS

regain and retain their own people and to seduce evangelicals and even Pentecostals. I really need say no more on that topic except to emphasise that the big difference between Classic Pentecostals and the more modern Charismatics is that the former relied on Scripture and emphasised biblical doctrine whereas the latter virtually jettisoned the Bible in favour of experience. That disparity still exists but sadly to a greater extent as many traditional or classic Pentecostals have also succumbed to the experience trumping truth scenario. In the Assemblies of God of which I felt honoured to be a participant (1959-1978) such was NOT the case. There was little

outside and some inside the movement, including myself. In Part 1 (see CETF # 57 pp 9-11) we looked at the biblical teaching of Healing in the Atonement, which is vastly different from that taught by most Pentecostals, especially the extremes from e.g. Kenneth Hagin, Ken and Gloria Copeland, Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis et al. We now come to the matter of tongues speaking and the related gifts of the Holy Spirit known as Interpretation of Tongues and Prophecy. Classic Pentecostals have always linked these three gifts together, for two good reasons: 1. All three gifts are verbal in their function (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 14:2, 3, 5, 13 etc); 2. Biblically they are inter-related cf. 1 Cor. 14:5more on that later. In cutting to the chase and avoiding repetition of my previous articles (see above) on this topic I need to establish some parameters, examine some false notions and provide biblical support for my position. Distinction Difference - Danger? Traditional or Classic Pentecostals taught that the speaking in tongues associated with the Baptism into the Holy Spirit as on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) is different from the gift of tongues mentioned by Paul in his Corinthian epistle (cf. chapters 12 & 14). In the former the gift is the Holy Spirit Himself (cf. John 15:26; 16:7) who brings with Him the innate ability to speak in a new language. The latter is one of the nine special manifestations of the Holy Spirit given severally as He wills (1 Cor. 12:11 cf. verse 30) for the edification of the local body of believers. This distinction enabled the holders of the view to reconcile the anomaly of the rhetorical question do all speak with tongues (1 Cor. 12: 30) with the idea of what was called the doctrine of the initial evidence, w h i c h d e r i v e s f ro m a d e ta i l e d examination of all the cases in the book of Acts, where followers of Christ received the Holy Spirit. Initial Evidence affirms that speaking in tongues is the first (hence initial) outward sign that a person has been baptised into the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 3:11 cf. Acts 1:5, 8; 2:4 etc). The biblical doctrine is clearly established on a three fifths majority case basisActs 2; 10 and 19. In the second incident (Acts 8) the outward manifestation was obviously immediate, supernatural and different to miracles and healings, seeing Simon the sorcerer

It cannot be disputed that the two most obvious distinctives of Pentecostalism are Healing and Speaking in Tongues.
room for the public endorsement of experience or teaching that was NOT founded firmly in the Scriptures. This was one of the major reasons for my raising my voice against the teaching and trends of the Assemblies of God in Australia when I was National General Secretary (1989-1992) and for my eventual exclusion. There were of course other reasons, for my withdrawal, including the blatant nepotism and cronyism among the top leaders. The outworking of that is obvious from the trends of the church in the present time with its rank worldliness, promoted by the next generation, sons of those leaders. I again direct you to my articles on AoG and Elim Living in a Fools Paradise and other of my related writings: http://cetf.co/pN0vUG Speaking in tongues, Interpretation of tongues and Prophecy. It cannot be disputed that the two most obvious distinctives of Pentecostalism are Healing and Speaking in Tongues. Both have been widespread practices within the movement from the outset and, I add as a Pentecostal, in my opinion have been subject to much abuse resulting in rightful criticism by many

10

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There is no scripture which says that speaking in tongues is the least of the gifts.

offered the apostles money for the power to transfer the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands and he didnt make such an offer to Philip who had previously performed miracles (cf. Acts 8:5-19). That leaves Acts 9, the case of Saul of Tarsus (Paul), where speaking in tongues is not mentioned (Acts 9: 17-18). Later, however Paul rejoices that he speaks in tongues more than you all (1 Cor. 14:18). My point is that classic Pentecostals, including Assemblies of God, who adopted the doctrine of the initial evidence, did have biblical warrant. However in my view there are two inherent dangers in promoting the idea of initial evidence: Firstly, it makes fundamental what is at best an important incidental; and secondly it shifts the focus from the Holy Spirit to the sign. We need to note from the biblical record that: 1. There was no expectancy to speak in tongues in any of the cases listed in the book of Acts; 2. There was no prior instruction other than the command to be filled with the Holy Spirit or to wait for the Holy Spirits advent; and 3. There was no back ground hype or hysteria as a build up to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In my view these important facts have been overlooked or ignored by Pentecostal leaders to the detriment and deception of our fellowships and people. Had they been noted and acted upon we would have been protected from those ambitious leaders who made a killing out of getting people through into the baptism as it was termed. False teachers and in some cases immoral men built their reputations and popularity on the practice. Also we would have largely avoided the situation where so many were told that they had been filled with or were baptised in the Holy Spirit when they werent. This has proved to be faith destroying. 1 Corinthians Chapter 14 It is a complete fallacy to claim that biblical teaching about the gifts of the Holy Spirit is isolated to just the Corinthian passages, which is a view that I have heard from cessationists or quasi cessationists. The point that they try to make is that seeing there are only two or three chapters in the whole Bible given over to this topic, it must be of very limited importance. They are wrong. Even a cursory reading of Bible makes it abundantly clear that the subject can be discovered in many passages through the st pages of Holy writ. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 presents us not with a new topic but with the climax of something that Paul introduced near the start of his epistle and has been building up to as he approaches the end. Like other of his epistlesespecially RomansPaul is developing a total argument, which he
st

introduced in chapters 2 and 3 where he lists three types of people (things) 2:14 the natural (STRONG 5591 psuchikos = sensual or soulish) man; 3:1 carnal (Strong 4559 sarkikos = fleshly); and 3:1 cf. 2:13, 15 spiritual (STRONG 4152 pneumatikos). In 12:1 Paul returns to consider the highest levelthe SPIRITUAL. In the KJV the words gifts is in italics denoting that it is not in the original. Here the apostle is dealing with the PNEUMATIKOS or the PNEUMATIKON and in doing so he includes the gifts (STRONG 5486 charisma) v.4 or manifestations (STRONG 5321 phanerosis = shining forth) v.7 of the Holy Spirit.

3. Speaking in tongues is prayer so all interpretation should be directed to God. 4. Paul condemned speaking in tongues. 5. Christians are not encouraged to seek spiritual gifts. An intelligent reading of the above passage of scripture, in the context of the entire chapter, immediately shows that these assertions are biblically false for the following reasons: There is no scripture which says that speaking in tongues is the least of the gifts. What it does say is that prophecy is greater than tongues unless public speaking in tongues is accompanied by interpretation, the reason being that the church may receive edification. The obvious and only logical conclusion is that public tongues + interpretation = prophecy, which we are told is for edification (i.e. to build up) and exhortation (i.e. to stir up) and comfort (i.e. to cheer up). One of the misleading claims that emerged during the Charismatic Renewal was, speaking in tongues is your prayer language. This expression was never used by Classic Pentecostals and, while there is a measure of biblical truth in the idea, the widespread usage of the phrase h a s l e d to m i s co n c e pt i o n s a n d misunderstandings. Private speaking in tongues is a legitimate form of prayer providing the speaking in tongues is legitimate i.e. inspired by the Holy Spirit. Public speaking in tongues may also be a prayer, but its not always the case and is an exception not the norm. Our passage teaches that all public expressions of the gifts, including speaking in tongues, should be to the building up on the body. Remember tongues speaking + interpretation = prophecy. So the major outworking is man ward and not God ward as Charismatics affirm. Another widespread misconception is that Holy Spirit inspired tongues speaking is always in a known (understood) human language. Yet verse 2 above affirms: For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries 1 Corinthians 14:2 NKJV. To affirm as some do that all biblical speaking in tongues was in a known human language you have to say that the expression no one understands him is an exaggeration, because someone somewhere will inevitable understand a known human language. With this topic as with all divine truth you have to face the hurdle of the word mysteries. We dont know nor do we understand everything. That aside there are more human languages than most of us realise more than 1,000 in India alone.
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One of the misleading claims that emerged during the Charismatic Renewal was, speaking in tongues is your prayer language.
Space does not allow for a detailed treatment of chapter 14, which provides us with the major New Testament teaching on our topic, so well take some key verses of the chapter and hopefully remove some of the misunderstandings and controversy.
Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification 1 Corinthians 14:1-5 NKJV.

I have underlined phrases above as they serve to help remove some false notions regarding the three gifts of the Holy Spirit which we are considering. Briefly they may be listed as follows: (Remember what we are saying is that biblically the following assertions are false.): 1. Speaking in Tongues is the least of the gifts. 2. Biblical speaking in tongues is always in known (understood) human languages.

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They did not formulate the words themselves. It was not 40% human and 60% divine. It was all divine.

As a young man in the ministry I was concerned about what sounded like babble coming from a dear lady in our fellowship. I mentioned it to a pastor who was my senior by many years. He told me of a similar situation that he had faced. William Burton a veteran Pentecostal missionary, from a Brethren back ground, was visiting so he mentioned his concern to brother Burton, who sat by the sister one Sunday morning. After the service brother Burton said, Brother you need have no concern about that sister. It is not babble. She was speaking in an almost extinct language that I have heard in the Belgium Congo. She was praising the Lord in terms that would only be used about one of the highest chieftains in the tribe.
Paul the apostle wrote: But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way 1 Corinthians. 12:31. S o m et i m e s a n d i n exc e p t i o n a b l e circumstances speaking in tongues may rank the best gift as for example on the

day of Pentecost when those simple, untravelled and uneducated Galileans began to speak in languages that they had never learned. Among the crowd were those who did not understand what was going on and were sceptical. Also among that crowd were those who heard and who understood the languages spoken. Here we need to observe two important biblical issues: And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance Acts 2:4. Literally they spoke what the Holy Spirit gave them to articulate. In other words what happened was Holy Spirit inspired and initiated. They did not formulate the words themselves. It was not 40% human and 60% divine. It was all divine. God the Holy Spirit took over completely and the great miracle of Pentecost began; may it continue. It did on that day for the events of the Upper Room with the tongues of fire and

the rushing mighty wind and the miracle of languages were not the end of the matter. These were all preliminary to the powerful Gospel preaching by Peter: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this per verse generation." Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them Acts 2:36-41. The genius of God directs everything within His Kingdom towards evangelism AMEN.

The Captureandof Future of the GentilePart 3 the Ark: World Haemorrhoids and Mice the
By Bill Randles Now the hand of the Lord was heavy on the Ashdodites and He destroyed them and smote them with haemorrhoids, both Ashdod and its territories - 1 Samuel 5:6. Then the Lord awoke as one out of sleep and like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine. And He drove His enemies backwards, and put on them a perpetual reproach Psalm 78:65-66. The Philistines thought they were celebrating one of their greatest victories, when they routed Israel, killed the sons of the High Priest, and captured the Ark of God refer Parts 1 and 2 (CETF # 56 pp. 27- 28 & # 57 pp. 12-14). But when they found Dagon, their god, prostrated before the Ark (1 Sam. 5:3), and then the next day found his face and hands broken in the presence of the Ark (verse 4), they realized that the God of Israel was neither dead nor defeated. This was a foretaste of an even greater future victory, which was hidden in apparent defeat. had they (the princes of this world) known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Corinthians 2:8. First Samuel chapter five recounts the story of the Ark in captivity, and how the gentiles dealt with the custody of it. 12
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Each of the five major cities of the Philistines took custody of the Ark for a season and each of them was visited by plagues such as, emerods (tumours, haemorrhoids) and plagues of mice. People were dying as a result and the reason for the plagues and the deaths was not lost on the people.

But first, like the Exodus of Egypt, the Philistines consulted their own priests and diviners, as to what to do with the Ark. And they said, if you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty; but in any wise return him a guilt offering; then you shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why His hand is not removed from you. Then said they what shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to Him? They answered, five golden haemorrhoids, and five golden mice, according to the number of the Lords of the Philistines, for one plague was on you all and your Lords 1 Samuel 6:3-4. The advice given was to make a trespass offering, which amounts to a confession of sin. The trespass offering is in essence a prayer that, We admit that we have sinned, trespassed, and that we deserve these plagues - please receive this offering and forgive and heal us of the wrath we have brought upon us. The logic of the offering is substitution. That which is offered is to be seen as a substitute for the one doing the offering. It is a representation. Every offering is a confession to God; each gift is a representative substitute. Should it be a lamb or a bull, the worshipper is saying I deserve to die, I am a sinner, behold the lamb I offer in my place, see it as me!

When the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, the Ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us for His hand is severe on us and on Dagon our god 1 Samuel 5:7. So Ashdod sent the Ark to Gath, and Gath sent it to Eshkelon, and they to Ekron, and so on. Everywhere the Ark went, the plagues broke out, and people died. The Philistines virtually played hot potato with the Ark of God, until they decided to send it back to Israel, as a tacit admission of defeat and the superiority of Israels God.

He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock - Jeremiah 31:10.

When the wise men of the Philistines told the five Lords of the Philistines to cast five golden haemorrhoids, and five golden mice, they were in effect having them confess to the God of Israel, Not only do we have haemorrhoids and mice as plagues from you for our trespasses, WE ARE HAEMORRHOIDS, WE ARE MICE, these substitutes represent us, have mercy on us and heal us! The God of Israel did receive the offerings, for the plagues ceased upon the humiliating confession of the five Lords of the Philistines. This too is representative of the future history of Israel and the Gentiles. The Messiah of Israel, upon being turned over to the Gentiles, remains among them, being received by multitudes of Gentiles and Jews, from every tribe and nation, who have made the trespass offering, confessing that Jesus Himself is their sin offering, as Paul testified in 2nd Corinthians 5:21: For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The Ark Return - 1 Samuel chapter 6 Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh and went along the highway lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left, and the Lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh. Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark and rejoiced to see it 1 Samuel 6:12-13. The Ark of the Covenant of God had been in exile for seven months, when the five lords of the Philistines had a conference to determine how to send it back home. The narrative is reminiscent of the Exodus, with the Philistine priests and diviners standing in for Pharaohs magicians. But their advice proved to be sound, almost inspired. What is the guilt offering which we shall return to Him? They answered, Five golden haemorrhoids, and five golden mice, according to the number of the Lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and your lords. Therefore you shall make images of your haemorrhoids, and images of your mice that ravage the land, and you shall give the glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you from your gods, and your land. Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? - 1 Samuel 6:4-6. In spite of being pagans, the advice of the Philistine priests was astute. Note first of

all that what happened in Egypt was common knowledge to them. Also they knew that a trespass offering to the LORD was the only way they could be saved. The theology of the trespass offering, as we discussed above, amounted to a confession of sin and abasement before the LORD, which they knew would glorify God. Also like the Exodus out of Egypt, the Ark left Philistia with treasures. Finally the priests caution not to repeat Pharaohs calamity by hardening their hearts no doubt saved the lives of the Philistine lords. To be assured that the plagues were truly caused by God and that it was the right thing to send the Ark back, two milk cows were enlisted to draw the cart. The instinctive thing for the cows to do would be to stay where they were, that they might nurse their calves. But after harnessing them, loading the Ark and the golden trespass offering for sacrifice, they released the lowing cows which immediately headed straight towards Israel, leaving their calves behind.

no temple, no sacrifice, no Ephod? But when the priests of Beth Shemesh lifted up their eyes to see the Ark making its way back, they rejoiced! Thus is the culmination of history prophesied by this story, the climax to which we are all headed, the return of the Ark to the people of Israel, rather, the return of the One whom the Ark prefigured, and of whose person and work the Ark was the great object lesson. The restoration and reinstatement of the Priestly nation - He comes back to them. And I will pour out on the inhabitants of the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me, whom they have pierced. Yes and they will mourn for him as for an only son and they shall weep over him bitterly Zechariah 12:10. What was it that those priests saw as they surrounded the Ark and wondered at the golden objects? They certainly saw the confession of sin, the trespass offering of the Gentiles. And furthermore, they must have realized that their God would not ever allow Himself to be used as a fetish, an object of leverage by a sinful nation. Another thing they must have perceived was that God who can humble Himself, and that even by what appeared to be an apparent defeat, He executed one of His greatest triumphs! Finally, they would note, that in spite of their obstinate rebellion and sin, their God came back to them. He returned to His people. O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; take words with you, and return to the Lord, say to Him, take away all iniquity; receive us graciously. For we will offer the fruit of our lipsI will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For my anger has turned away from them - Hosea 14:1-4.

Thus is the culmination of history prophesied by this story, the climax to which we are all headed, the return of the Ark to the people of Israel, rather, the return of the One whom the Ark prefigured, and of whose person and work the Ark was the great object lesson.
This too foreshadows a momentous event that has been happening all over the world, the exodus out of the ends of the earth of Jewish people, heading back to Israel, fulfilling the prophesies, Behold I will bring them from the North country, and gather them from the ends of the earth, the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labours with child together; a great throng shall return there. They shall come with weeping and with supplications I will lead themHear the Word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock Jeremiah 31:8-10. Beth Shemesh, the city to which the Ark returned, was a priestly city. But what good is a priest, if there is no Ark? How can a nation perform the priestly function, the ministry of mercy, sacrifice, intercession, and teaching if there is no presence of God among them or if there is

about the author

BILL RANDLES came out of the Word of Faith Movement and is the founder and pastor of Believers in Grace Fellowship in Marion, Iowa which has been in existence since 1982. He is the author of 4 books: Making War in the Heavenlies, Weighed & Found Wanting, Beware the New Prophets, and Mending the Nets. He has travelled to Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, England, Australia, New Zealand, India, Russia and the Philippines preaching the gospel and contending for the faith that has been delivered to the saints. He and his wife, Kristin, have 6 children and 10 grandchildren. Bill recently spoke at the CWM Conferences in Australia and New Zealand in September 2011.
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We have talked about revival to the point where we should have turned the world upside down by now

- The Music of Hillsong - In Praise of Folly

By Lance Goodall
PART 3, last in the series (For parts 1 & 2 see CETF # 56 pp. 13-16 and # 57 pp. 30-33 or see http://cetf.co/rXoVTT for completed article).

our source, all the time. We have made music and entertainment our new refreshment. In heightened treachery we have carried on our programmes regardless. Regardless of what style of worship, the music and lyrics have left God out of the picture. Dr A.W. Tozer said, We took a downward trend when we left the great objective hymns that talked about God, and began to sing the Gospel songs that talk about us. There was the day when men sang Holy Holy, Holy, and O worship the King... then we backslide into the gutter where we still are, where everything is about I. Im so happy, Im so blest, Im so good, always I. The difference between Heaven and Hell is the difference between God and I. Jesus Christ by cancelling his I, was the Christ of God, not as I will, but as thou wilt. .. (Sermon: Ezekiel). [3] It was this reality of singing the mantra of man centred worship, that woke me up to the need to reassess my being involved long term with Hillsong Church. I was standing on stage one Sunday morning, up in the choir, singing about freedom, and my heart changed the words so that I could lift praise to God instead. I left 6 months later. Christian Metal in diverse places on shaky ground Within the world of Rock-n-Roll, and specifically in heavy metal bands, musicians are idolized. These bands promote immorality, Satanism, suicide, sadomasochism and masochistic behaviour, drug abuse, obscene language, and even direct blasphemy of God and His Holy name. In the 1980s, so called Christian metalglam rock band, Stryper, pranced around wearing mascara, lip gloss, eye shadow, earrings, spandex and womens hair styles, deliberately mocking 1 Cor. 6:9-10 (No effeminate. . . shall inherit the kingdom of God). Strypers popularity and perversion of Christian music broke two platinum and four gold records in the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) scene! Robert Sweet of Stryper, made a startling admission about Christian rock in RIP magazine: (http://cetf.co/vziGxP) As a matter of fact, the band was one thing that was making us turn and
Footnote:
[3] http://cmalliance.ca/aw-tozer--p3071.php

The Worship of Entertainment Your own personal Jesus We have talked about revival to the point where we should have turned the world upside down by now, but let me say itGod cannot and will not send clouds of revival to a stubborn, hard hearted, stiff necked people. We have made c h u rc h a p a r t y p l ayg ro u n d fo r unrepentant prodigals instead of a place of prayer. There has been no repentance and no sackcloth and ashes. Instead we have had our revivals that have brought nothing but Bentleys bedlam, Houstons heterodoxy [1], and Hinns hysteria [2]. These, and others like them, who masquerade as ministers of Christ are impostors, hirelings, false prophets, clouds without rain (cf. Jude 1:12). Those who follow them are no better for they prefer a lie to the truth, (2 Thess. 2:10-11) so their leaders give the people what they want (Jeremiah 5:31). All this has

walk the opposite direction from Christianity. . . If youre doing something you like doing, and God says not to do it, then youre not going to pay attention (RIP, April, 1987 p. 49) [4] Tim Gaines of Stryper, revealed to Hard Music (HM) Magazine: (http://cetf.co/uVVQ2m) From the end of 1988 til February of this year [1997], I was drunk every day.[5] This begs the questions: What is a Christian band? What are they supposed to be? Are Stryper just a band whose members are supposedly Christian, or is it a Christian Band? Is there a difference? Heres another quote from a member of the Stryper band: We're not religious fanatics who are trying to convert everybody we meet.. .We honestly believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour, but we're about the most unreligious Christian band you could imagine. [6] Strypers latest 2011 CD has covers [7]

It was this reality of singing the mantra of man centred worship, that woke me up to the need to reassess my being involved long term with Hillsong Church
Footnote:

contributed to the bringing of Gods judgement of deception, and drought of the Word of God to Gods people. In fact the extent of this rift from orthodoxy is such, that it has been a systematic tearing down of the foundations of our faith. The temple has been desecrated with human hands! We have committed two sins before Godforsaking Him, the fountain of living waters; and digging cisterns for ourselves, broken cisterns that hold no water (cf. Jeremiah 2:13). We have chosen to dig for our own water, when Christ the living water should have been
Footnote:
[1] heterodoxy - any opinions or doctrines at variance with the official or orthodox position heresy - http://cetf.co/tk80fD [2] Some of the hysteria is about the man while other is directly produced by Hinn methods.

that run the gamut from 1970s era classic rock (Led Zeppelins Immigrant Song, Deep Purples Highway Star, Kiss Shout It Out Loud, etc.) to 1980s era heavy metal (Black Sabbaths Heaven and Hell, the Scorpions Blackout, Iron Maidens The Trooper, etc.).
Footnote:
[4] http://cetf.co/w2OUia - further -- http://cetf.co/v5sUlr [5] HM, Mar/Apr 97 #64, p.47). [6] Robert Sweet, of Stryper (Hit Parader Nov, 1986, p. 21) [7] A cover is a new recording of previously recorded/released music/song.

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but in the last few years they ... now have much of the church careering down a cliff of musical genres

Thats right you read it correctly. They are doing covers of Christ-hating heavy metal bands. Are these men deceivers? Were they ever Christians who turned away, and have now returned to their vomit (cf. 2 Peter 2:22). We must agree with the Word of God that by their fruit you will know them. What fruit is the tree of Heavy Metal producing? From the frank admissions above, it would appear that these men did not make any solid commitment to Christ. We now begin to see that music is more than a few tunes and some lyrics. Music is able to move mans soul for good, or for evil. We in our day have this other branch of t h e co nte m p o ra r y w i l d sto c k Planetshakers. They are a Christian youth movement that began as an annual conference in 1997, and grew into an international ministry and large church in Melbourne, Australia. The conference was born out of Paradise Community Church, Australia run by Pastor Russell Evans. Planetshakers expanded and in 2004 moved to Melbourne to begin a church ministry. The 2003 Australian Idol winner Guy Sebastian was part of The Planetshakers band for several years, taking both lead and backup vocal parts on the 2002 and 2003 albums and conferences.

their own personal Jesus (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:4). The methodology of the modern Church has raised up a new breed of demigods. Young people, still caught up in the idolatries of the media and music worlds, have come from obscurity to stardom on the back of todays Christian music industry. Gone are the days of not putting novices in places of leadership and responsibility; a young convert no longer wants to follow Christ with The cross before me, the world behind me, but covets the place of the Christian Rock Star. Planetshakers recent songs, Jump around, Get Up, Dance now, and Boom have all the hallmarks of Bon Jovi, Metallica, Guns n Roses, AC/DC, and Nirvana. Their songs are the modern equivalent of the current rock groups We are Kings, Friday Night Boys, The Downtown Fiction, All Pop Punk, Alternative Rock, and Power Pop bands. Planetshakers performances are now fully-fledged concerts with a complete array of sound and lighting equipment LED panels, Light show, smoke, and guitars, amps, keyboard, and drums. These stage sets cost thousands of dollars.[9] I challenge anyone to search the above songs, and then tell me Im not talking about a major shift away from biblically based and Holy Spirit inspired music, lyrics and songs! In 2007 Planetshakers' pastor Rob Bradbury said,"It's important that we connect with youth culture." [10] But a recent comment on the bottom of Planetshakers Youtube clip of the song Boom noted, ROCK ON!!! I love this song!! I am a guitarist!! Thats the reason I love Planetshakers!! Because most of your songs are rock type - and I love rock music! [11] So much for reaching this generation! Now metal is mainstream Christian Music! We should have no appearance of evil. We should reprove, not approve, acts of darkness! The albums (CDs, DVDs and online) of Hillsong, and Planetshakers are now all over world! It seems this musical mayhem has spread like a cancer. And sadly a lot of this supposedly "great music" comes from the shores of Australia! The promoters, producers, performers and followers have become rebellious people, reprobate silver, undisciplined children.
Footnote:
[9] Get up http://cetf.co/u5kf8w Dance Now http://cetf.co/sqzfHe Boom [10] http://cetf.co/rCBbHI [11] http://cetf.co/tOcyS3

For whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are i l l e g i t i m a te a n d n o t s o n s Hebrews 12: 6-8 (NKJV). To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hear: behold, the word of the LORD is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it. ... Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Listen to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not. ....They are all hardened rebels, walking about to slander: they are bronze and iron; they all act corruptly. The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed by the fire; the refiner melts in vain: for the wicked are not purged out. Rejected silver shall men call them, because the LORD has rejected them... Jeremiah 6: 10, 17, 28 30. Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me Isaiah 1:2 (KJV).

Young people, still caught up in the idolatries of the media and music worlds, have come from obscurity to stardom on the back of todays Christian music industry.
Satans Saints [12] Rock Rocketown Each man a god to himself Michael W. Smiths Rocketown was founded in 1994 in Franklin, TN and in 2002, found a new home in downtown Nashville. They have opened an additional centre in Ft. Lauderdale FL., with each facility being part nightclub, part coffeehouse, and part activities centre, for young people, held a night of heavy metal bands in 2009. The clubs mission is to share, ... Christs love with youth through creative programs and mentoring relationships that are culturally relevant and eternally significant. [13]
Footnote:
[12] ED - the word Saint connotes the ideas of sacred or holy see article pp. 9 [13] http://cetf.co/u4T9MF
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Russell Evans - Planetshakers

Their stated mission is to "empower a generation to win a generation." [8] They may have produced some songs of intensity and dedication over their short history with the intent to bring to a new group of young people a glimpse of God. They may have begun in sincerity, and with a zeal for God, but in the last few years they have quickly pushed through all plausible barriers of legitimate Christian worship, now have much of the church careering down a cliff of musical genres - hard rock, heavy rock, metal, thrashing Guitars, and club mix. They have become a milder, softer version of Stryper. This group of young people, under the Evans brothers tutelage, have produced
Footnote:
[8] http://cetf.co/skJ2FI

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This is where we will all end up, if we dont mend our ways, lives will be ruined and in pieces, at the bottom of the spiritual cliff.

And indeed Rocketowns website is full of references to ministry and Christ. Yet, Rocketown hosted a night of Hardcore Satanic Metal bands on Oct th 27 , 2009, with a lineup that included The Black Dahlia Murder, Toxic Holocaust, Skeltonwitch, and Trap Them. [14] One of the bands, Toxic Holocaust, says in their biography that they have a deadly fixation on the evil in man and a postapocalyptic world [15] and their songs are unforgettable anthems that could be the soundtrack to civil unrest in a postapocalyptic world gone mad. [16] That might explain their song: Nuke the Cross. Did you pick up on what they said a post apocalyptic world or a world in the aftermath of destruction, and devastation (see also CETF #57 page 32)! The progressive metal group, Between the Buried and Me, filmed their live CD/DVD Colors at Rocketown, on August 2, 2008. The Christian metal band Demon Hunter also filmed a live show at Rocketown for their live DVD/CD. Wikipedia describes the music genre at Rocketown as Rock, Punk, Alternative, Hardcore, Metalcore, Indie Rock, Hip Hop and Rap[17] This is the extreme audio diet of these youth centres. To purport to minister Christ to these young people by giving them a line up of bands who hate Christ is beyond comprehension and is reprehensible! Michael W. Smith says on his website, he wants to be remembered as a God fearing man... But how can he be, having set up these centres of subversion? I dont want to say it ---- but ... I told you so!! We have come full circle This is where we will all end up, if we dont mend our ways, lives will be ruined and in pieces, at the bottom of the spiritual cliff. If we do not repent, and follow the old paths, and walk in them, we will have lost the fight. All of this is way beyond serving God with strange fire (cf. Leviticus 10:1) that He never condoned or permitted! These people are going in the way of Cain bringing unacceptable worship (cf. Jude 1:11). They are attempting to bring to God worship from lives that have never been placed under the blood. [18] God has given us over to believing a lie We are under Gods judgement! Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: O Israel, if you will listen to me; There shall no strange god be in you; nor shall you worship
Footnote:
[14] ibid [15] http://cetf.co/vMqscA [16] http://cetf.co/rYXq6g [17] http://cetf.co/tybtTE [18] They are singing their own song, lyrics and tune they have no desire for God Himself

any strange god. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt: open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people would not listen to my voice; and Israel would (have) none of me. So I gave them up to the stubbornness of their heart and to walk in their own devices. Psalm 81: 8-12, KJV And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God? Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me: Jeremiah 16:10-16 KJV

of music, and lyrics whose source is anything but God. A different Jesus, a different spirit, a different godspell [19] Rick Warren claims that God enjoys rock music. He makes this comment without any qualification? What is his claim based on? Remember Rick Warrens rhetoric There is no such thing as Christian music; there are only Christian lyrics. [20] Now we have neither! In his article, Match the music to the people, Rick Warren stated, It's the words that make a song spiritual. If I were to play a tune for you without any words, you wouldn't know if it was a Christian song or not.[21] Really! What about Amazing Grace? Rick Warren needs a lesson in context and reality. Let us consider, for a minute, Henry Van Dykes 1907 poem, Joyful, Joyful, which was published in the 1911 edition of The Presbyterian Hymnal. Van Dykes intent was to express Christian feelings of confidence in God and His Kingdom; so by singing it as a nice sounding song, or as a performance in a competition, does NOT make it spiritual, let alone an act of praise and worship. Furthermore, has Rick Warren never gone to a music concert? Or never seen a music-video clip on TV even in passing? Music matches purposes and intent. Even hard rock band Guns N Roses produced an operatic song (November Rain) which is regarded by many as being a ballad. But that is what you expect from a song whose major theme is love? Even with its rock guitar solo the songs style certainly doesnt promote the frenzied bobblehead antics of heavy metal proponents. Clearly a marching tune fits a military scene, jazz fits a night club, and rock fits a concert, so there is a certain kind of music that suits a prayer meeting - and its not the rock, rap and jazz that the purpose driven churches has borrowed from the world. Music that has a corrupt origin, employs sensual rhythms, with singers who pose, gyrate, and dance provocatively. This is unsuitable for the spiritual praise of God (cf. Eph 5:19), because it is of the flesh. Listen again to the telling words of Jimi Hendrix, Atmospheres are going to come through music, because the music is a spiritual thing of its own ... you
Footnote:
[19] Godspell is the name for the Broadway musical. [20] Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995) 240,281. [21] http://cetf.co/vedXNS

Deceived by seducing spirits and false shepherds, true ministers of Christ are no longer in control of the way the music is going for they have been usurped or replaced in these so called Churches.
Did you hear what God said? If they had sought Him, he would have given them the lyrics, the sound, and the songs to sing. If Gods people would truly seek Him, He would fill them with True Bread and open their mouths to worship in Spirit and Truth, songs that are pleasing to the Lord. But they chose to reject Him, and delighted in false worship, so Gods judgment allowed them to go the way their hearts desired. Israel would none of me. That is, would not be content alone with me, would not take quiet contentment in me (as the Hebrew word signifies); the Lord was not good enough for them, but their hearts went out from him to other things. - Thomas Sheppard, (1605-1649.) http://cetf.co/uDuIsd Quote in article taken from http://cetf.co/szYWZv This new tribe of Israel now entertain themselves, they are happy worshipping worship, having nothing to do with God, desiring to worship in manners, styles

Continued on page 21

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???

BOOKS
TEMPORAL DELUSIONS by Tom McMahon
If you seek to understand current church trends in the light of Gods Word, youll find this easy to read book helpful concerning the true state of the church today. This book will encourage and equip us to redeem the time. B456 AU$15.00

s What New

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HEAVEN by Dave Hunt

More than 2 decades after the original printing, Dave probes the question thoroughly and provides easy to understand explanations of all the many issues and beliefs and shows us that Heaven really is our home and brings new clarity to why we lost that hope and how it can be regained. B457 AU$19.00

STOP COUNSELLING AND START MINISTERING by M & D Bobgan Reasons are revealed why counselling, because it is problem centred, inevitably involves sinful conversations. Central to ministering is helping individuals in need to overcome their fixation on their problems and encouraging them to become Christ-Centred on a daily basis.
B459 AU$21.00

REMOTE CONTROL by Carl Kerby Carl has researched the impact of evolution on entertainment for more than a decade and challenges audiences everywhere to understand and guard against the messages that permeate todays entertainment. Excellent for Youth Pastors, children and teens.
B455 AU$15.00

MILLENNIAL ESCHATOLOGY by Ron Merryman This introduction to last things in the Bible examines and resolves the issues of OT eschatology as it relates to NT eschatology. Excellent graphs and illustrations throughout.
B458 AU$21.00

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Tom McMahon
New Zealand Tour 10 19 February 2012
T.A. McMahon is president and executive director of The Berean Call ministry, editorin-chief and contributing writer for The Berean Call newsletter, co-author of The Seduction of Christianity, The New Spirituality, Understand the Times, and author of Showtime for the Sheep? Holder of a master's degree in communications, he has researched and written numerous documentaries and scripted several feature films. His writing/producing for Christian videos includes The Cult Explosion, The God Makers, The New Age: Pathway to Paradise? The Evolution Conspiracy, A Woman Rides the Beast, Israel, Islam & Armageddon, and Psychology and the Church. Tom is the executive producer and co-host of two weekly radio programs, Search the Scriptures Daily (with Dave Hunt) and According to God's Word (with Jim McCarthy, Greg Durel, and Mike Gendron). He is also cofounder and an executive committee member of Reaching Catholics for Christ.

NORTH ISLAND
Pakuranga, Auckland Saturday 11 February, 7.30PM
Social Room Te Tuhi Centre for the Arts Community Centre 13 Reeves Road, Pakuranga Contact:Clive Hughes (021) 920 531

SOUTH ISLAND
Upper Riccarton, Christchurch Thursday 16 February, 7.30PM
Middleton Grange School Hall 50 Acacia Avenue, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch
(Entrance is halfway down avenue, street parking only)

Rothsay Bay, North Shore Sunday 12 February, 9.30AM

Crossroads Christian Congregation 5 Bayview Road, Browns Bay North Shore Pastor Fanie Du Toit Contact:Clive Hughes (021) 920 531

Contact:David Maples (021) 178 2898

Queenstown Friday 17 February, 7.30PM

Queenstown Bible Chapel 127 Hallenstein Street, Queenstown 9300 Contact:Henk Hoogvliet (03) 442 3728

Hamilton Monday 13 February, 7.30PM

Calvary Chapel Hamilton Vardon School Hall 36 Cunningham Road , Hamilton Contact:Pastor Steve Jones (021) 100 2660

Dunedin Sunday 19 February, 10AM

All Saints Hall 786 Cumberland Street, Dunedin Contact:Ross Pettigrew (03) 472 8887

Palmerston North Tuesday 14 February, 7.30PM

Emmanuel Congregational Church Cnr Broadway and Victoria Avenues Palmerston North Contact:Bruce Teulon (06) 326 8533

Queens Drive Gospel Hall Sunday 19 February, 7PM

(Combined Churches Service) 33 Queens Drive St Kilda, Dunedin Contact:Ross Pettigrew (03) 472 8887

Wellington Wednesday 15 February, 7.30PM

Central Baptist Church 46 48 Boulcott Street, Wellington (Parking available across road at Tournament) Contact:Rick Jenkins (04) 565 0820

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Tom McMahon
Australia Tour 20 February - 4 March 2012
T.A. McMahon is president and executive director of The Berean Call ministry, editorin-chief and contributing writer for The Berean Call newsletter, co-author of The Seduction of Christianity, The New Spirituality, Understand the Times, and author of Showtime for the Sheep? Holder of a master's degree in communications, he has researched and written numerous documentaries and scripted several feature films. His writing/producing for Christian videos includes The Cult Explosion, The God Makers, The New Age: Pathway to Paradise? The Evolution Conspiracy, A Woman Rides the Beast, Israel, Islam & Armageddon, and Psychology and the Church. Tom is the executive producer and co-host of two weekly radio programs, Search the Scriptures Daily (with Dave Hunt) and According to God's Word (with Jim McCarthy, Greg Durel, and Mike Gendron). He is also cofounder and an executive committee member of Reaching Catholics for Christ.

SYDNEY
Shellharbour, NSW Monday 20 & Tuesday 21 February, evenings.
Shellharbour Christian Fellowship. Venue TBA. Contact: Andrew - mob: 0421 040 625; OR Evan - mob: 0419 510 863 Email: scfellowship@live.com.au

MELBOURNE (continued...)
Frankston, VIC Sunday 26 February, 4:00pm & 5:30pm
Cornerstone Gospel Church 24-26 High St, Frankston, VIC. Contact: Lionel Letcher - mob: 0439 039 079 email: lionel@cgc.org.au

MELBOURNE
Clayton AoG, Melbourne, VIC Thursday 23 February, 7:30pm.
7 Olive St, Clayton, Victoria Contact: Ps Cedric LaBrooy - Ph: 03 9544 3252 email: claytonaog@iprimus.com.au

Narre Warren Nth, VIC Tuesday 28 February, 7:30pm

NarreHills Family Church 86 Hallam Nth Rd, Narre Warren Nth, VIC. Contact: Darryl Wiggs - Ph: 03 9707 5975 email: dwiggs@netspace.net.au

BRISBANE
Mt Gravatt, QLD Friday 2 March, 7:00pm
Finnish Pentecostal Church Cnr Crewe & Dewsbury Sts, Mt Gravatt Contact: Jouko Hakola Ph: 07 3849 6331 / mob: 0418 911 379 email: jphakola@internode.on.net

Endeavour Hills, VIC Friday 24 February, 6:30pm.

First Romanian Baptist Church 139-149 Reema Blvd, Endeavour Hills, VIC. Contact: Daniel Bradea - mob: 0409 025 401 email: danielbradea@gmail.com

Saturday 25 February, 7:30pm.

Calvary Chapel Melbourne Thomas Mitchell Primary School 75 Thomas Mitchell Drive, Endeavour Hills, VIC. Contact: Ron Gloss - Ph: 03 9704 2461 / mob: 0410 563 091 email: rcgloss@bigpond.com www.calvarymelbourne.com.au

Eight Mile Plains, QLD Saturday 3 March, 4:00pm & 6:00pm Sunday 4 March, 9:30am & 6:00pm
Christian Witness Ministries Fellowship (CWMF) 2759 Logan Rd, Eight Mile Plains Eight Mile Plains (enter from Millers Rd) Ps Philip Powell Contact: Ros or Ria - Ph: 07 3137 1031

Glen Waverley, VIC Sunday 26 February, 10:00am.

Glen Waverley Community Hall 700 Waverley Rd, Glen Waverley, VIC. Contact: Ps Werner Schulz Ph: 03 9727 4098 / mob: 0412 441 917 email: admin@amfgraepel.com.au

For further information contact:

Clive Leembruggen Ph: 07 4669 8438 / mob: 0408 784 900 Email: clivendonna7@gmail.com

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The Vanishing Gospel and the Call to proclaim the True Gospel
For me to live is Christ by Philip Powell God, who is Love, has two supreme objectives - to maintain His Glory and win the lost. This always manifests itself in those who are His true ministers. Our text expresses this truth in respect of Paul the apostle. DVD353 CD600 The Call to the True Ministry by Philip Powell General ministry is service and to that everyone is called. However, biblically there is a high and holy calling to the full-time ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12. This is our consideration here. DVD354 CD601 The Nature of the Gospel by David Powell The Gospel means Good News - the Good News of the Kingdom of a King who is Saviour and Lord and of His Grace - Life not Death. This is the transforming message to which we are called and committed. DVD355 CD602 Renewing our Commitment to the True Gospel by Aeron Morgan God and His Gospel are more than sufficient. The True Gospel is the ONLY power of God unto salvation. Our daily responsibility is to live worthy of Gods calling and to renew our commitment to the True Gospel. DVD356 CD603 The More Sure Word of Prophecy by Aeron Morgan God has not left us to our own devices or inclinations. He has provided His protective and corrective Word, as of a Light that shines in a dark place. All experience must be examined by the Bible, Gods Word. DVD357 CD604 The Vanishing Gospel in Legal Circles Part 1 by Mark Mullins While Satans primary attack is upon the Church, all the world, including legal and political arenas, are affected. Romans, starting at chapter one, provides the background and basis of Gods dealings with us. DVD358 CD605 The Vanishing Gospel in Legal Circles Part 2 A Correct View of the Church and Government by Mark Mullins Only a true understanding of Gods Word will prevent a blurring of the roles of Church and State. Paul deals with this in his epistle to the Romans, especially in chapter 13. We must take heed and be obedient. DVD359 CD606 How to order Postage

ce ren CWM 2011 onfe C DVDs & CDs

DVDs: AU$15.00 ea

Brisbane

CDs: AU$7.95

The God of the Gospel by Bill Randles God is the origin of the Gospel. It therefore follows that those who preach it must understand something of the nature of God and they must experience the transforming power of God and His Gospel in their lives. DVD360 CD607 Cain or Christ by Bill Randles The 3 NT references to Cain - Heb 11:4, 1 John 3:12, Jude 1:11 - when viewed in the light of the Cain and Abel story, provide the basis for this inspiring and instructive message regarding our theme. DVD361 CD608 The Value of a Soul by Bill Randles Who can value a soul? Only God knows its true worth. This message should produce care and devotion and prayer and witness to the lost. DVD362 CD609 Bewitched: Evil Eye over Evangelicalism by Larry DeBruyn Satan, the enemy of God and His people, is hell bent on frustrating Gods purpose and destroying mankind. Now, in increasing measure Satans attacks are on Gods own in the inner sanctum - the evangelical church. DVD363 CD610 Apostatising from the Apostles by Larry DeBruyn The 12 apostles, as a group, will never be replaced or repeated. To suggest they will, is biblical heresy that leads to apostasy. The Gospel / Bible proclaimed by the apostles is Gods final Word to us. DVD364 CD611 The Stranger Church: from Bride to Harlot by Larry DeBruyn We are living in the espousal period of our relation with Christ our Bridegroom - 2 Cor 11:2. Satan seeks to corrupt those called to become the Bride of Christ and to seduce them into harlotry in the world. DVD365 CD612 Dialogue with Deception: Visions, Voices & Visitations by Larry DeBruyn Pentecostals believe and teach that God does communicate with His people, at times supernaturally. This message, in context, is a timely warning against the bizarre, non-biblical claims being so widely made today. DVD366 CD613 Contact Details
CETF P.O. Box 353, Loch Sport, VIC, 3851 t: (03) 5146 0280 f: (03) 5146 0270 e: maureen@christian-witness.org

Cheque or Money Order Direct Deposit Credit Cards accepted: See separate Order Form

WITHIN AUSTRALIA Up to $20 . . . . . .$7.00 $21-$60 . . . . . . .$12.00 $61-$100 . . . . . .$16.00 over $100 . . . . . $20.00
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CETF 58 December 2011

Whatever the inspiration may be, we know that something has changed in the attitude, style, lyrics and overall message of the music Continued from page 16

hypnotize people.... Thats why the name electric church flashes in and out. [22] There is a solemn warning here that the church has not heeded. Atmosphere is going to come, (and indeed has already arrived) and one of the major vehicles through which it will come to this new generation of young rockers, is through the Electric Church. This quasi-spiritual belief, that this type of music brings out emotions, feelings, and creative ideas in people, and encourages spiritual maturity. Hendrix designed his music so that it would be able to go "inside the soul of the person, and awaken some kind of thing inside ...[23] Is it possible for the Church of God to play the music of the world, in the name of God? Deceived by seducing spirits and false shepherds, true ministers of Christ are no longer in control of the way the music is going for they have been usurped or replaced in these so called Churches.

We have conned ourselves into believing a lie, that we can serve and save the world through a relevant message and a guitar solo.
This style of music does nothing but lead people away from everything sacred, and everything that had a scriptural basis. Done deliberately it was never just to have a new style of music; it was to lead us away from God and all that is to do with Him in His holiness. I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpents cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough 2 Corinthians 11: 1 4. Marketing music and true worship are complete opposites. The two cannot
Footnote:
[22] Hendrix, interview with Robin Richman An Infinity of Jimis, Life magazine, Oct. 3, 1969. [23] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Church

legitimately co-exist. Whatever the You can spot the INFLUENCE our society inspiration may be, we know that a n d t h e c h u r c h h a v e something has changed in the attitude, embracedSatanic values in so many style, lyrics and overall message of the ways, but the visible evidence of multiple music. The industry has produced album body piercings and tattoos are the after album, year after year and with strongest of all. what results other than the fame and fortune of the producers and the A tattoo is the latest fashion statement performers? within the teen and youth culture driven by sports stars, celebrities, and pop stars. Receiving "another" Jesus also entails the Not a day goes by without seeing receiving of a "different spirit" (v. 4b). If someone on the "Jesus" they believe and the "Spirit" street who the sports field, or on the has significant tattooing they receive, are not the ones Paul and the other New Testament apostles beyond a name of a spouse or child. preached then clearly the "gospel" they Few people understand the use Satan have embraced is false and damning! makes of piercing and tattoos to control There isn't "another" Jesus. There's only the person! one TRUE Jesus. Chris Brown (American Rhythm & Blues These heavy metal bands have become (R&B)[25] singer) and Todd Bentley the new benchmark of inspiration for the (evangelist/preacher Lakeland Revival, modern seeker sensitive church. This FL) are two obvious examples why you rampant deterioration brings a deep dont get a tattoo! Joel Houston worship sense of foreboding when reflecting on leader with Hillsong United has a tattoo the sound and the lyrics now coming out on his upper right arm. Christian leaders of the Hillsong, and Planetshakers music should know better than to follow the machine. worlds fashionleaders whose mark is being stamped on the susceptible minds A different spirit is now taking over! of those who often lack healthy and And what I do I will continue to do, in mature Christian role models. order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will co r r e s p o n d to t h e i r d e e d s 2 Corinthians 11: 12 15. Why are we pushing the envelope? Or perhaps a better question is, who is Joel Houston - Hillsong pushing the envelope? Famous witch and author Laurie Cabot Guy and that Girl - Tattoos and Parables notes that the origins of tattoos and Australias current favourite Christian tattooing came from ancient magical music sensations, Brook Fraser and Guy practices. [26] Even today, in many Sebastian, have gained success in the countries (including the United States), secular music chart and with fans, as well the tattoo is believed to be a bridge into as respect from the world. They would call this INFLUENCE, but is it the right kind the supernatural world. of influence? After all, who is really Brook Fraser discussed her position on influencing whom, when Fraser and being a Christian music artist. She said Sebastian (based on their songs) are she doesnt want to merchandise the giving the world what it wants. gospel, but is happy being a Christian INFLUENCE? God calls it apostasy and artist in the secular world. She said some backsliding. in the industry were upset about the Guy during his rise to success got himself merchandising of the gospel. Who was a tattoo. The Bible condemns the she meaning? I hope she wasnt meaning - Hillsong? (sarcasm) branding, or marking of our body: You shall not make any cuttings in Although she writes worship songs that your flesh for the dead, nor print any are for the building up of God's people in marks upon you: I am the LORD the Church,... she at the same time Leviticus 19:28. recognises the importance of other songs Guy got the tattoo in 2009 So what was as being like parables... taking the his tattoo? Scripture? His wifes name? A cross? No...You guessed it, the Phoenix! Footnote: [25] http://cetf.co/tydDU7 [24]
Footnote:
[24] http://cetf.co/nDrIRq and http://cetf.co/vU4lXu [26] Laurie Cabot, Power of the Witch, cited in Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated by Dr. Cathy Burns, p. 301
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The church has gone from a Bible-believing Christianity to a Cool Christianity; from SOMETHING real and vital to a Commercialised and a Compromised Christianity.

Church to people who would never walk into a church...[27] (Maybe she needs to introduce them to Jesus rather than to the church.) But that would mean telling people the gospel. Sincere Im sure, but deceived. Here we go again... saving the world through music. They are just going to hear our great tunes and lyrics, and come flocking to Jesus. Oh yes thats right...Jesus told parables too? But it was so the people of the world wouldnt understand see Matt 13:10,11; Mark 4:1012. So there you have it, Christians giving the world our version of their music. We have conned ourselves into believing a lie, that we can serve and save the world through
Footnote:
[27] http://cetf.co/rFNm39

a relevant message and a guitar solo. But this is something even the world doesnt believe. All that has happened is the Church has been polluted to its very core. This belief has lead to numerous Christians entering or trying out for talent quests like Idol, and all in the name of Jesus. Christians running around in the name of Kingdom Now, when it is simply going after earthly rewards, with little concern or impact for the Kingdom of God. It is the promotion of a degraded and decadent church, and not Christ as the hope of the world. It is the corrupt a m a l g a m o f C h r i s t i a n i t y, w i t h Commercialism. The church has gone from a Bible-believing Christianity to a Cool Christianity; from SOMETHING

real and vital to a Commercialised and a Compromised Christianity. Entrenched among us is a Christ-less Christianity, one that enslaves, one that seems free because it doesnt Cost; the end result is a Counterfeit Christianity. Without doubt the great falling away is well underway!

about the author

Lance Goodall and his wife Norilyn left the Australian church growth movement in 2009. They both have a concern for the knowledge of God and His glory. They carry in their heart, a love for Gods honour, for His Word, and for the salvation of the lost. Lance can be contacted via email

lancegoodall21@gmail.com

in for a penny - in for a pound

By Anthony Sargent By way of introduction here's an extract from Steve Penny's blog http://cetf.co/tF4acj It reveals much about the man, who has called himself the Prophet of Prosperity for the rebranded Assemblies of God in Australia (ACC) group of churches. Note his humility great men of Godself praise is no recommendation; his willingness to deceivetry another entrance, take our place among the dignitaries; and there is more receiving benefit for masquerading as being someone whom he wasn'tamazing amounts of food and wine laid on for all the city greats. You be the judge. Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you" 2 Corinthians 6:17 plp. ******* One of the highlights of my time in Cape Town occurred last night. We had been out to dinner three of us all Great men of God. On the way home at about 9pm we noticed the brand new soccer stadium yet to be opened was all lit and a huge number of cars in the car park. It was obviously a very big occasion with many dignitaries present the security people told us as they directed us to leave the area. Being great men of faith we all declared the faith mantra as we left the scene. If at first you don't succeed try another entrance. So this time we went to another gate and acted boldly as though we belonged. The night was planned for us. This time we were ushered right into the inner car park and then shown the way right 22
CETF 58 December 2011 www.cwm.org.au

into the stadium. As we entered the stadium the symphony orchestra whipped itself into a frenzy and rose to an absolute crescendo as we climbed the stairs to take out place among the dignitaries of the city. It was like God had arranged this amazing night so that His humble servant could be one of the first people to put his foot upon the hallowed pitch of the coming world cup. And I got to share the moment with two of the greats of the Hillsong church here in Cape Town. And there is more. One item after we arrived they announced intermission with amazing

The sermon contained very little reference to the Scripture, and God hardly got a mention!
amounts of food and wine laid on for all the city greats. I felt like I was hosting a party for the Elders of the city. When you watch the world Cup on 2010 remember God allowed us to bless the pitch and be there before it was opened. Moral of the story there is always a way. If you don't succeed at first try another entrance. SJP

n the 10th July 2011, I had reason to find myself in the evening service of Church 180 in Newcastle, where Phil Camden is the senior pastor. As advertised, Steve Penny (SP) was to preach at this service and I thought it would be interesting to hear if this Assemblies of God heavyweight had changed his methods or message over recent years. Sadly, Penny lost a son, Andrew, to cancer in 2003, and I wondered if as a result he had departed from the health and wealth heresies he held to so strongly for all the years overseeing AOG churches (ACC[1]) 'mega-churches' in Brisbane, Sydney, and the Sunshine Coast. Following the Hillsong rock concert that passes as a worship service in ACC churches these days, Camden introduced Steve Penny with a great deal of pomp and praise. Mr Penny spent the first few minutes arrogantly spouting about how wonderful his denomination is and he was not backwards about his own contributions to the growth of ACC. Proud Penny then spent at least ten minutes explaining how great he is in Poland and Europe at the moment and the opportunities that continue to open up for him to 'minister' internationally. 'Prophet' Penny's introduction started with a lofty declaration that this was going to be a powerfully prophetic message that would change the way Church 180 ministered to the Newcastle community. He based his sermon on Ezekiel 37:1-14 and made five points about the Christian's potential to raise the dead 'non-Christian' back to life, without at any time placing his message in the context of the passage. If any person attending, including this writer, was expecting the Word of God to be
Footnote:
[1] Australian Christian Churches

Paul teaches us to rightly divide the Word of Truth

e x p o u n d e d a n d t a u g h t f ro m a b i b l i ca l / t h e o l o g i ca l p e rs p e c t i ve , disappointment would be the only result. The sermon contained very little reference to the Scripture, and God hardly got a mention. Rather, the content was mostly a lesson in pop psychology with some lifestyle principles thrown in. Perhaps the most disturbing content was the total disregard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and SP's intentional digression from biblical doctrine in relation to repentance and salvation. Penny stated very clearly that he considered the clear teaching of Scripture was wrongly interpreted and that if the body of Christ was to reach the upcoming generation and raise up young leaders for future ministry then 'we' had to come away from the old ways of doing things and reach this current generation a different way. Penny based his tirade around the Four Spiritual Laws, stating that these were wrong and that when Christians witness to non-Christians by starting with repentance that the method is backwards; that our witness should start with the love of God and convince the person that God has a great plan and purpose for their life, and that eventually they would get to being 'sorry' for their past mistakes. At no time did the preacher refer to any Bible verse to back his theory and the clear teaching of New Testament

passages such as Matthew 3:1-12, Luke 5:29-32, Luke 24:46-48, Acts 2:32-41, Romans 2:4-10, 2 Corinthians 7:9-10, and 2 Peter 3:8-10 found no place in his discourse; he chose to completely ignore the biblical doctrine of repentance to suit the god of relevance that is pervading modern churches. SP said several times that the Church has got it wrong in preaching repentance when the Bible simply declares this as the initial step to our being found in Christ. Another point that was terribly disturbing about Steve Penny that night was that he did not mention the name of Jesus in his message. Originally, I thought the distress I felt may have been subjective and that I was simply responding emotionally to a hard night of heresy, but upon further reflection I concluded that Penny resisted the mention of Jesus' name in his sermon intentionally because he somehow perceives that the mention of this most precious name will cause offence to the non-Christian listener. This idea ate away at my thinking for two nights and I decided a good way to deal with this was to check Steve Penny's web site. Ten pages on http://www.stevepenny.org/ were researched and I found not one mention of the name of Jesus. Conclusion As a prominent leader of the modern Pentecostal movement, Steve Penny is

promoting a false gospel, and a false path to God. His teaching has not improved or become more Bible based; rather his message is more steeped in the godless lie of prosperity and health and wealth. Further, Steve Penny is preaching a different Jesus to the Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed in the Holy Bible. The Saviour we proclaim through standard biblical doctrine is not the weak god of plans and purposes and money proclaimed by Steve Penny and those whom he follows and leads.

about the author

Anthony Sargent was saved in 1983, and has served the Lord in full time ministry for 25 years, pastoring AOG, COC, Churches of Christ in Australia (not the same as the Independent Churches of Christ cult), and the Baptist Union (NSW) churches in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand. Anthony is a Bible student with a passion for theology, history, politics and current affairs. He did his ministry training with the Australian College of Ministries (ACOM), Rhema Bible College (QLD), and the Southern Cross Bible College (Katoomba, NSW). Anthony, and Michelle, his wife of 24 years, live in Port Stephens NSW. They have three sons, all of whom love the Lord.

Where is your conscience?

By Mark LR Mullins In April 1521 Martin Luther was summoned before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms[1] to recant. It was there that he uttered his famous words: I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God.[2] As the historian, Scott H. Hendrix, wrote: This was not, however, a modern plea for the supremacy of the individual conscience or for religious freedom. Though already excommunicated by Rome, Luther saw himself as a sworn teacher of Scripture who must advocate the right of all Christians to hear and live by the gospel.[3] Luther's point was that once a person becomes a Christian his or her conscience
Footnote:
[1] Diet means Meeting. Worms is a German city south of Frankfurt. [2] http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/news/2002/apr12.html [3] Author of Luther and the Papacy: Stages in a Reformation Conflict (Fortress, 1981)

must at all times be governed by the scriptures and a quickened conscience will always reflect the Scriptures. Today we live in a world where it seems that almost every man does what is right in his own eyes, just as they did in Israel at the end of the book of Judges[4]. It is easy in such circumstances to confuse what is a genuine matter of freedom of conscience between Christians and what is a fundamental of the faith over which the Bible must govern our conscience. Primary and Secondary Issues Paul teaches us to rightly divide the Word of Truth[5] and I have no doubt that if we do so then we can find the truth out about every doctrine in the Bible. Notwithstanding, Christians have a different view on a whole range of issues from the existence of hell as a place of eternal torment to the age of the earth, whether the church has replaced Israel, whether Christians should experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit and whether evangelicals should unite with Roman Catholics for evangelism. To what extent
Footnote:
[4] See Judges 17:6

is there freedom of conscience to individuals in regard to such issues? Plainly we cannot preach the gospel with others where there is disagreement over a doctrine which is foundational to salvation. This prevents us joining with Roman Catholics who believe in salvation through the sacraments rather than salvation through faith alone, in Christ alone, although, in my view, this would not prevent us acting as co-belligerents on certain pro-life issues which do not re q u i re u s co m i n g to ge t h e r a s Christians.[6] It will prevent some of us j o in in g w it h t h o s e w h o p rea c h annihilation because the fear of judgment is diluted if not removed altogether. This subject demands much fuller treatment but I touch on it in passing to establish the ground-rule of conscience. In short it is this: we must allow freedom of conscience to other Christians on any issue where the breach does not affect the eternal destiny of a
Footnote:
[5] 2 Timothy 2:15 [6] Some Christians prefer not to have any association with churches with fundamentally different doctrinal stances so as not to mislead others about what they themselves stand for.
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Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that substitute darkness for light, and light for darkness; that substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter - Isaiah 5:20.

soul or as the Puritans put it, freedom of conscience in things indifferent.[7] Or again, are these issues primary or secondary ones? If they are primary, then they cannot be issues of conscience over which Christians can disagree because the Bible is clear that the unrighteous shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven but will instead be consigned to the Lake of Fire. Application to Contemporary Legal Issues How do we apply these principles to the contemporary topics such as homosexual relationships and/or marriage, abortion and euthanasia? Are these areas where evangelicals can agree to disagree and remain in fellowship?

Peter Jensen

Today we have a multitude of such laws that allow immoral practices. They range from abortion, to granting rights to unmarried heterosexual couples, to civil partnerships for homosexual couples (in which they are granted virtually all the same rights as heterosexual married couples) to adoption by homosexual couples and the use of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment which not only involves the destruction of human embryos but can also involve the mixing of anonymous persons' gametes. The list is getting steadily longer. It should not be necessary to explain to genuine Christians why each of these laws is contrary to the law of God except to those who have not looked into the issues. In relation to abortion and IVF the Bible is clear that life starts at conception.[8] Since both of these practices involve destroying human life th t h e y a r e fo r b i d d e n b y t h e 6 Commandment which says: You shall
Footnote:
[7] See, for example Thomas Manton's sermon: A Persuasive to Unity in Things Indifferent - http://cetf.co/ul8Oda [8] Matt 1:20, Jer 1:5, Ps 51:5

not Murder (Exodus 20:13 read with Matthew 5:19). Taking any human life, no matter how young or old is murder. In relation to giving rights to unmarried couples, whether homosexual or heterosexual, this is wrong because it involves the State rewarding immoral sexual conduct. Support for Immoral Laws by the Church Christians have been hesitant to criticise such laws and some have even welcomed them. Peter Jensen, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, has made a number of valid points against homosexual marriage in an article called Real Marriage, which was posted on the Sydney Anglicans' website in August 2011. However this is how he begins that article: Over the years, I've said little about same-sex relationships. My opposition is known but I hope I put my views with respect. I have supported legislation to register relationships and to extend economic rights. I condemn violence against homosexual people. Like most Australians, I prefer to live and let live.[9] Peter Jensen's attitude reflects that of Jim Wallace from the Australian Christian Lobby who has campaigned for several years for relationships registers for both heterosexual and homosexual couples as a way of preventing homosexual marriages. We only have to see the effect of civil partnerships as a stepping-stone to homosexual marriage in the UK to realise that this was always going to be a futile hope. In September I wrote to Peter Jensen expressing my dismay. His Executive Officer, Dr Philip Selden, gave me a gracious response justifying the Archbishop's position on the grounds that he could not realistically oppose what was seen as a matter of justice. This is deeply troubling when one considers the church's duty to speak out on the Bible's justice for those committing sexual immorality, which is eternal damnation just as it is for all who commit sin and do not repent. It is only from that stance we can proclaim the mercy available through Jesus Christ. The Duty of Government under Romans 13 For Christians to encourage the Government to pass laws that encourage immorality is to deny our calling to be salt and light and instead we become salt that has lost its saltiness.[10] It also demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding about the role of the State which is so clearly set out in Romans 13. The Government is appointed by God to punish evil and reward good behaviour.[11] The New Testament is silent about the precise nature of the laws that should be passed and the penalties that should be attached when they are broken. There is good reason for this
Footnote:
[9] http://cetf.co/tG2XR8 [10] Matthew 5:13 [11] Romans 13:4

since the penalties in the Old Testament were designed to keep Israel as a Holy Nation and this could only be done by despatching evildoers or otherwise punishing them. However Christ has now fulfilled the law and borne the penalty of our sins.[12] Whereas Old Testament Israel was a theocracy the Church and State are now separate (although constitutionally Britain is a kind of theocracy with the Queen as both head of state and head of the established church). The only penalty for sinful or heretical conduct within the church in the New Testament is excommunication although the ultimate penalty for the impenitent is eternal hell.[13]

For a state to pass laws that promote or encourage evil behaviour is for the state to deny its God given mandate to punish evil and reward good behaviour.
For a state to pass laws that promote or encourage evil behaviour (as defined by the Bible) is for the state to deny its God given mandate to punish evil and reward good behaviour. Isaiah summed it up perfectly when he condemned such ungodly law making in the Old Testament: Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that substitute darkness for light, and light for darkness; that substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter - Isaiah 5:20. And again Woe to them that enact evil statutes, and to those who constantly record unrighteous decisions - Isaiah 10:1. Sodom and Gomorrah Sodom and Gomorrah were both located in Canaan[14] and we know that widespread immorality was practised there including homosexual sin of a grievous kind.[15] We do not know precisely the nature of their laws except that they did not have the effect of curbing this behaviour at all. In Leviticus 18:3 the Lord warned Moses: ... after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, you shall not do: neither walk in their statutes. It is significant that the rest of the chapter included laws against the same sexual
Footnote:
[12] 1 Peter 2:24 [13] 1 Corinthians 5 and Titus 3:10 [14] Genesis 10:19-20 [15] Genesis 19:5 and Ezekiel 16:49-50

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When Government ceases to rule consistently with God's law then we must have nothing to do with those laws.

immorality that was rife in Sodom and Gomorrah. The Tyranny of Godless Laws There can be no mandate for any ruler to govern outside the authority of God's Word. When it does then the result is tyranny as it became in Sodom and Gomorrah. Great constitutional crises came to England when that was attempted by James I and then by his son Charles I in the 17th Century. Under James II it eventually led to the Glorious Revolution in 1689 and the crowning of William of Orange as King of England. In The True Law of Free Monarchies written in 1598 James I wrote that the monarch is the absolute master of the lives and possessions of his subjects; his acts are not open to inquiry or dispute and no misdeeds can ever justify resistance.[16] This theory was to be put to the test in 1608 when the common law courts issued prohibitions to curb the power of the Ecclesiastical Court. This led James I, as head of the Church of England and therefore head of the Ecclesiastical Court, to call together judges and bishops to a meeting of the Privy Council for him to decide the issue. James I told Sir Edward Coke, then Chief Justice, that judges were but delegates of the King, and that the King may take what causes he shall please from the determination of the judges and may determine them himself.[17] Coke asserted ... the King in his own person cannot adjudge any cases... (cases) ought to be determined and adjudged in some court of justice according to the law and custom of England.[18] After being accused of treason by James I, Coke responded with a quotation of Henry de Bracton, a mediaeval legal philosopher that the King should not be under any man, but sed sub Deo et Lege.[19] In other words a King could not rule as he liked; being under God also meant being under the Laws of the land. This, of course, would not make sense unless those laws also reflected the Laws of God because otherwise the King would not be the ruler of his people under God, in accordance with Romans 13, but instead ruled over by his subjects who dictate the law. However imperfect the laws of the land were in those days Christianity was considered to be an integral part of them.[20] This principle that a Monarch was subject to the laws of God was reflected in the trial of Charles I in 1649 while he was still King of England. Despite losing two Civil Wars against Parliament his sole purpose was to abrogate powers residing with
Footnote:
[16] http://cetf.co/sr0RPl [17] The Reports of Sir Edward Coke, the Eleventh Part (available from Google Books). [18] I have taken this account from the speech of Lord Judge (Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales) on the King James Bible given on 5th October 2011 at Westminster Abbey and available at http://cetf.co/ssPHYI [19] Meaning under God and the Laws [20] In 1763 Sir William Blackstone wrote about the historic common law: Christianity is part of the laws of England

Parliament to himself. Charles' only real argument against being tried for treason, murder and tyranny in 1649 was that the court had no jurisdiction to try him because he was the only lawful authority encapsulated in Rex est Lex (the King is Law). When it came to passing sentence against Charles I following his conviction, the judge, Chief Justice Bradshaw, explained to him that for the crime of murder the common law of England and the law of God laid down the sentence of death and it laid down for everyone, kings not excepted.[21] Genesis 9:6 demonstrates that no man is above the law of God and answers a tyrant who believes that by virtue of being the head of a nation he is above any other law and can take life with impunity. The Bible makes it clear that no man is above the Law of murder and that the blood of the murderer is required at the hand of the lawfully established authority (Romans 13).

Mike Ovey, Principal of Oak Hill Theological College, related the breaking of God's law to the imposition of tyranny in this way when speaking at the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship Annual Dinner in 2006: ... the 'tyrant' is one who repudiates law in the way he or she exercises authority.[22] Tyranny in that sense can arise in any arena where God has called humans to exercise authority, in family, state or church. The point is if I am a tyrant I throw off the law by which God regulates those areas. I may do that by claiming an authority God has delegated to another. I may do it by exercising an authority God has given me in a way He has forbidden. At that point I have become arbitrary, out with the law, a tyrant, a defier, not an observer of law. English Common Law Sir William Blackstone was the great compiler of the English common law. He was Chief Justice of England from 1770 to
Footnote:
[21] 4 State Trials, p1017 and 1128 taken from The Tyrannicide Brief by Geoffrey Robertson QC [22] The classic formulation is John of Salisburys Policraticus ca 1159

1780 and made the same point in a different way in his Commentaries on the Laws of England: ... if any human law should allow or enjoin us to transgress the natural or divine law then we are bound to transgress the human law, or else we must offend both the natural and divine.[23] When Government ceases to rule consistently with God's law then we must have nothing to do with those laws. Returning to Mike Ovey's speech to the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship: I wonder whether we are so astute in asking whether we have been complicit with tyranny in this strict sense, a lawless exercise of lawfully delegated power. That would be a tragedy, would it notfor lawyers to be complicit in lawlessness? Application to Today's Tyranny Let us try and apply this principle of tyranny to abortion. What justification can a judge have for authorising an abortion or a doctor for performing it, save to defend the mother's life? If the mother were heard to say with cause, 'this foetus is killing me', it seems that both the laws of the land and God's biblical law would allow self-defence or prevention by another? Abortion in other circumstances is a lifestyle choice and such the taking of life is and should be described as murder.[24] Furthermore Genesis 9:6 requires that a lawful authority must punish those who perform the act. The Government's failure to do so is ultimately no protection for that judge or doctor before God, just as Pilate washing his hands of Christ's death did not absolve him from his personal responsibility. Several Christians have been forced out of their jobs recently because they have refused to implement national laws that break God's moral law. Lilian Ladele was sacked because she refused to perform civil partnership ceremonies between homosexuals; Gary McFarlane was sacked for refusing to provide sexual therapy counsel to same sex partners. Their cases are shortly to be heard by the European Court of Human Rights where the issue to be decided is whether the UK has breached their rights to freedom of religion under Article 9 of the Convention. Yet the real issue in these cases is that the law should not be protecting sinful behaviour in the first place. While these cases will be pleaded as cases where the Government should respect the consciences of these Christians, there is in truth no freedom of conscience for Christians to do other than refuse to follow laws that break the Law of God as Martin Luther made plain at the Diet of Worms. In Acts 4 Peter and John were forbidden by the High Priest's Council to preach the
Footnote:
[23] Page 42, Volume I of Commentaries on the Laws of England by Sir William Blackstone [24] Exodus 20:13; Matthew 19:18
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The justifications may be different but the results are the same: a tyranny resulting from the government arrogating to itself the power to make laws independent of God's laws.

Gospel. Peter refused to obey in these words (v19): Whether it be right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. The reality is that we are living under a similar tyranny to that which the Stuart kings tried to impose where the king became law irrespective of God's law. The difference is that the Stuarts believed that they had a divine mandate to make the law whereas today's government derives its authority from secular humanism. The justifications may be different but the results are the same: a tyranny resulting from the government arrogating to itself the power to make laws independent of God's laws. The Psalmist makes it clear that God will not be mocked: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sits in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision - Psalm 2:1-4. Jesus prayed in John 17 that His people would not be taken out of the world but instead kept from evil. This is the challenge for us in a world, which is in rebellion against God where part of that rebellion involves enacting laws in defiance of the Royal Law of God. Conclusion If we implement laws that reward evil then we become agents of tyranny and of a system that is opposed to God and which will, in the final analysis, be judged

by Him. If we are to keep clear consciences then we can have no part in implementing laws that directly reward sin (by granting benefits to people based on their sinful conduct alone such as same-sex marriage or same sex adoption) or directly lead to sin being committed (such as laws to end life through either abortion, IVF, or euthanasia).[25] As Paul wrote in Romans 2:13: For not the hearers of the law are just before God but the doers of the law shall be justified.

Abortion in other circumstances is a lifestyle choice and such the taking of life is and should be described as murder.
It is therefore not enough merely to disapprove of the ungodly laws we may be called upon to implement but we must demonstrate our disapproval in our conduct by refusing to implement them. Support for any form of legal recognition of homosexual or (unmarried) heterosexual relationships is against God's law, and is therefore a non negotiable position for Christians who take God's Word seriously. Therefore one must conclude that they should not be countenanced by any Christian, let alone
Footnote:
[25] 1 Timothy 5:22

an evangelical archbishop of the Anglican church or the leader of an organisation which calls itself 'The Australian Christian Lobby'. That will leave many laws that are themselves neutral but may lead in individual cases to sinful results, such as for instance, renting a room to a homosexual couple or selling them a house where the thing transacted is morally neutral but which nevertheless facilitates their sin. There will be cases where it is not clear-cut whether a Christian is facilitating sin and we should, in my view, always err on the side of generosity in allowing Christians the maximum freedom to decide themselves how to respond to these issues of conscience. However there is a line to be drawn which no Christian should cross as the previous paragraph demonstrates. Paul was able to say in Acts 24:16: And herein I do my best to always have a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. Let us all, as Christians, pray for each other that our consciences will be captive to the Word of God and that we will not unwittingly become agents of tyranny.

about the author

Mark Mullins is a practising barrister at the Bar of England and Wales. He is also an elder at Stroud Green Christian Assembly (a traditional Pentecostal church started out of a Smith Wigglesworth crusade in the 1920s). The Assembly has had links with CWM since CWM was formed (www.sgca-online.org).

News, Views & Your Letters

Letters may be edited for brevity. Editorial Comments unless otherwise specified are by Philip L. Powell (plp). ******* FROM THE CWM BLOG To comment go to http://www.christian-witness.org/blog/ Find the thread (topic) and make your comment at the end of that thread: ASSEMBLIES OF GOD: http://cetf.co/idmBN4 Other interesting posts may be viewed at the following: http://cetf.co/enIs1l http://cetf.co/ggIV3f 26
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FROM THE REGULAR MAILER To subscribe go to http://cetf.co/suBmJk And follow the prompts: ******* Christ being made SIN Fri 14/10/2011 8:17 AM Dear Pastor Powell: A friend sent me [the CWM] article on ... Hellsong written by Lance Goodall [LG]. It was very informative and good for warning, however, I was greatly alarmed by the [statements] by LG [following] his reference to a verse from Hillsong United, Break Free (Abridged) 2007: Now we have a Christ, whose love doesn't hold us back, and a love that is

"taking a stand" on the cross. When you look at the importance of songs in conveying a message, this song falls short of the traditional Christian canon. In fact it is downright repugnant! Christ paid our price on the cross. He took our place. He took our penalty for sin, and received the very wrath of God poured out on Him. He died a physical death, as the Eternal God in human flesh. He who had no beginning ever present with the Father, was cut off for the first time from God. (My highlights.) The Scripture reference He used was 2 Corinthians 5:21. Now my question is, "How could the Lord

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.- 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV.

Jesus Christ, who is God, be cut off from God?" Is there a division in the Godhead? I do not believe there is. I believe Psalm 22 is Messianic. Verse 24 says: For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath He hid His face from Him; but when He cried to Him He heard. Does this look like God the Father abandoned God the Son on the cross? I also appeal to you to look into the [meaning of] 2 Cor. 5 v 21 because it is widely taught that the Lord Jesus became 'sin' literally on the cross and not a 'sin offering'. How could God accept a "sinfilled" offering? Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19. And as we are told by Peter the Apostle, many things Paul says are hard to be understood that those who are unlearned and unstable wrest to their own destruction ....... 2 Corinthians 5:19 says God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. As a young Christian, I used to be confused by the words of the Lord Jesus from the cross, My God, my God why hast thou forsaken me? - Psalm 22:1. I now believe that He was identifying Himself who He was and it is the prayer of a righteous man and the Righteous One who was to come. Does God ever forsake a righteous man? I have been young, and now am old: yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. - Psalm 37:25. I truly believe that the doctrine of the sinfilled Saviour abandoned by God the Father on the cross is one of the damnable doctrines we are warned about. Sent in Christian love AL - Sydney ED - Thank you AL for your thoughtful letter. I will endeavour to respond to all the issues and to answer your five questions, albeit necessarily briefly. As a general principle of biblical interpretation we must accept the notion that the Bible always explains itself. Any anomaly or paradox needs to be examined in the context of a good biblical hermeneutic.[1] This means that we must never ignore what the Bible says or simply
Footnote:
[1] Hermeneutics in this context may be defined as the science or art of Bible interpretation.

interpret a difficult text or passage arbitrarily on the basis of what we think or even truly believe, no matter how sincere we may be. So let's apply that immediately to the matter under review. Psalm 22 is, as you say a Messianic Psalm all of it not just verse 24, which you cite followed by a strong conclusion. You have also quoted verse 1, but then you appear to dismiss the obvious meaning of that verse. Note it is directly quoted (almost verbatim) by Christ on the cross cf. Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. You are right when you say that it is the prayer ... of the Righteous One that was to come but we still must explain the meaning of why have you forsaken me, which becomes clear when you carefully examine the entire Psalm. Verse 22 is the turning point in the Psalma sort of water-shed in the sufferings of Christ. In the previous part of the Psalm we have a detailed declaration of the sufferings of the Saviour including the mystery of His being God-forsaken as implied in verse 1. Effectively in these verses our Messiah is looking in four directionsUP to God; BACK to history; DOWN to His bodily sufferings; and OUT to His enemies. Those directions of His gaze are not in strict sequence but through meditating on the Psalm one can grasp the pattern.[2] Verses 22-31 embrace the future. Here Christ looks onward to TRIUMPH which culminates in the victorious cry of verse 31 he has done this cf. it is finished John 19:30. This explains verse 24 which you allude to and which seems to trouble you re the notion of Christ being God forsaken. The mystery linked to the opening of this Psalm 22 is explained by the closing section of the Psalm and this too reflects upon the Corinthian verse that you mention. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV. FIRST we should clear away some misconceptions. Many people have tried to overcome the perceived problem of Christ, the perfect Saviour becoming sin, by replacing sin, in this verse, with sinoffering but that doesn't fit textually. The word sin (STRONG 266 hamartia) appears twice in the verse. If you render it sin offering once, consistency requires that it be done both times, but that doesn't make sense. Christ was of course our sin offering but this verse is saying more than that. The type of the Day of Atonement offering of the two goats (Leviticus 23) helps us to
Footnote:
[2] I have preached a message on Psalm 22. I think it may be entitled The Scarlet Worm and should be available at CWM Resource ask Maureen O'Brien at 03 5146 0280, for the tape or CD.

understand what Paul is saying. Both goats carried the sins of the peoplethe Lord's goat in an act of death; and the scapegoat in an act of removal. In each case the sins of the people were symbolically transferred to each animal by the imposition of the priest's hands. In effect both goats became or were made sinantitypically, Christ our offering, beautifully and completely being the fulfilment of the types of both the Lord's goat and the scapegoat. In the garden of Gethsemane our Lord desired that a cup should be taken from Him, but then He submitted totally to the Will of God see Luke 22:39-42. What was this cup? Obviously it was something momentous, as the thought of it, caused our Lord to sweat as it were great drops of blood. I and many others have concluded that this was the cup of human iniquity.
Death and the curse were in our cup: O Christ, 'twas full for Thee; But Thou hast drained the last dark drop, 'Tis empty now for me. That bitter cup, love drank it up; Now blessing's draught for me.[3]

This is one of the great mysteries of the Gospel and I know that some people will say, Ah there you go again. When you can't explain something you revert to the mystery excuse. But the fact is there are a number of inexplicable mysteries associated with the Gospel. A mystery in the Bible sense is something hidden to those who are on the outside but gloriously clear to those who have been initiated. This is really what we are up against here. Some stumble at it, others use the entire idea to express something greater and more vital. It has inspired our greatest poets and hymnists of history. Another example is Charles Wesley who wrote: Tis mystery all: th'Immortal dies! Who can explore his strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine. 'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore; let angel minds inquire no more.[4] Tis mystery all the immortal dies! Who can fully explain that? It's a MYSTERY and our entire salvation is based upon it. We do well to follow the example of the angels in Wesley's hymn and give up inquiring and the same applies to this matter of Christ the eternally righteous one being made or becoming SIN for us. He didn't take sin into His nature. He didn't become sinful. He was made by the Father to be SIN i.e. the essence and extent of sin. Not as Kenneth Copeland and his Word of Faith associates teach, to be dragged to hell
Footnote:
[3] From Oh Christ What Burden Bows Thy Head by Anne R. Cousin (1824-1906) - http://cetf.co/sCWDSi [4] From And Can it be that I should Gain? http://cetf.co/st96mi
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A proper understanding of Psalm 22 makes it clear that our Saviour secured victoryHis and oursnot in hell but upon the cross.

until his wormy spirit was quickened so that he flexed his muscles and broke free in triumph from the caverns of hell. That is heresy and rubbish. A proper understanding of Psalm 22 makes it clear that our Saviour secured victoryHis and oursnot in hell but upon the cross. It also teaches that He was temporarily God-forsaken, so your expressions sin-filled Saviour and sinfilled offering do not accurately reflect the teaching. Christ was NOT totally abandoned or cut off by God on the cross. There is no division in the Godhead. Psalm 37:25 remains inviolateGod does NOT forsake the righteous though in the case of Christ on the Cross He did withdraw the sense of His presence for a period of at least three hours, see Matthew 27:45-46; Mark 15:33-34; Luke 23:44-46 - plp. Bad Blood Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:14:52 +1100 Dear CWM, I noted that you have booked Tom McMahon ... during the period February 10 to March 8, 2012. This may be a big mistake as he has been working with Dave Hunt for many years on his radio program and monthly newsletter The Berean Call. Although they both find many targets for proving apostasy from the many that are out there trying to call themselves the prophets of Christianity, they are not consistent in their own teaching. In one case their tradition of "Man's free will" being sovereign over who is saved and who is not, they used an heretical website to prove that Acts 13:48 has been translated incorrectly (apparently an anti-Trinitarian Yahwist website claims the first 15 chapters were originally written in Hebrew, but they have absolutely no evidence to support this) so that it was not those who were appointed unto salvation, only those who were positively disposed towards the message were saved. This, if it were true, would mean we could have no confidence in scripture as our final authority and then we would need someone like the pope to make it clear to us what we should believe and what we should not. I don't think that sort of organization should be promoted at any of your events. You may say that Tom isn't Dave, but their whole group work together under the writings of both Dave and Tom. I have heard them trying to explain where this anti-Trinitarian Yahwist idea came from once and it appeared that they didn't know what the source was. It was one of their workers who had found the site and passed the idea on to them for their use and as they had no idea of how to get around this text they grabbed it and added it to their next edition of "What love is this". BTW, they have not removed this error from later 28
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editions even though it has been shown to them to be wrong and a serious problem as an example of how to exegete a passage of scripture. See http://cetf.co/sGBGcM for a complete disclosure. They continue to use sloppy exegesis as you will see from this web page about one of their latest claims? http://cetf.co/uGzqJU. If, after reading this evidence, you still think that they are good people to promote true Christianity then please remove my name from your mailing list as I don't want to associate with such people (1 Timothy 4: 16; 6: 3-16; 2 Timothy 2: 204: 5; Titus 3: 3-11). Regards Peter ED I wrote two emails to Peter Thursday, 27 October 2011 9:18 PM and Mon 7/11/2011 11:01 PM. To date (20/12/2011) there has been no response. CWM is pressing ahead with the visit of Tom McMahon, who along with his mentor and associate, Dave Hunt (DH) is held in very high regard by all associated with CWM. If you select the links provided by Peter, in the above, you will arrive at Alpha & Omega Ministries Apologetics Blog of which we are told James White (JW) is Director, Richard Pierce is President and Barry Ladden is Vice President. The first cleverly yet cynically is headed To Dave Hunt: The Bereans Called. They Want Their Name Back. Sad as is this unwarranted public cynicism of a high profile Christian leader the following statement which is part of the blog is far worse blatantly dishonest obfuscation all in a failed attempt to save face for in it DH is accused of two serious acts which impugn his character. Firstly that DH's motive is to save face; and secondly that he is being dishonest. It is one thing to engage in vigorous debate. It is quite another to beg the question by attacking your opponent's character and that is clearly what JW is guilty of here. More than that he ignores DH's basic argument viz. that his interpretation of Acts 13:48 is not based upon the website which he unfortunately had drawn upon, but upon other things. For JW to avoid that point is unfair. The English ordained and its Greek equivalent (STRONG 5021 tasso) does allow for connotations other than that adopted by JW and his Calvinistic associates. Strong tells us that the word contains the idea of mutual agreement, which suggests a dual act - divine and human. Peter in his email to me refers to the tradition of man's free will as being at the base of what he thinks is DH's error. My own view is that only God has free will, but in that free will He has chosen that men and women have freedom of choice to accept (receive cf. John 1:12) or refuse God's offer of salvation. I see no

conflict there, but, and here is the point, it is most discourteous and bordering on being unchristian to interpret another man's view upon the basis of what is one's own. I think both Peter, whoever he is (p_b_grace@hotmail.com ) and JW have fallen into that trap. The second link leads to another Alpha & Omega Ministries blog with the heading Dave Hunt: A Man Who Refuses to Be Corrected. I found the opening statement concerningagain for its obvious cynicism and for its irrelevance. What did Dave Hunt's dress, which JW apparently found odd have to do with the issue or for that matter what did JW's exercise lifting (presumably weights) bear (pardon the pun) on the matter - the mind boggles. JW may have a point that, contrary to what he says DH claims, the Bible does use the words elected, predestined, chosen other than in reference to ser vice. I su sp ect that JW h as misrepresented DH here, notwithstanding the good responsive points he makes to the danger of diversion from context, leading to erroneous conclusions. My concerns are two-fold. 1. Lack of generosity. This can be from both sides. I s i m p l y c i te J W ' s u n fo r t u n ate remarkthe fact that Dave Hunt is not honest enough to stop telling falsehoods when it comes to Calvinism. I personally know DH, have stayed in his home and shared platforms with him. He is definitely sincere in what he believes and makes a good case for it in his many presentations. He does not warrant the dismissive treatment Peter offers. 2. Lack of specifics. This too can be from both sides. DH is said to be a man who refuses to be corrected. I have heard the same said about JW. Dave Hunt is considerably my senior and very much senior to James White. To make such a claim of an older man is discourteous and completely contrary to the biblical requirement of showing respect and honour to one's elders. In addition, and contrary to the blog's claim, I found that DH is always open to possible correction in line with what is implied by the name of his ministry The Berean Call. For example as I drove him around Brisbane, some years ago, we discussed the implication of Ephesians 2:8-9 saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. One of Dave's statements in his book What Love is This suggested to me that it is some form of human faith that saves a person. I pointed out to Dave that this would constitute works and gave my own view on what occurs in this area at the point of salvation. Saving faith is not apart from the human individual will, but

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

it is not of the individual human will. Human choice is involved but the faith that saves is derived from God at the time of surrender of the human will to the Gospel call. Dave agreed. Another occasion was when I chaired a meeting at which DH spoke. The old bone of contention of eternal security was raised. DH does believe in eternal security as a result of which some have dubbed him a one point Calvinist, which he denies as his conclusion is not derived from the Calvinistic perspective. As Chairman of the meeting I suggested that it is always a dangerous thing to project the idea that it does not matter what we do after salvation, we will always remain saved. Dave again agreed and this time publicly. It is not a question of once saved, always saved which is a very dangerous statement to make and doctrine to embrace. It is more a matter of once saved really saved. Now what is the point of all of this? On Friday October 21st, 2011 I listened to an excellent debate in South Brisbane between Roger Perkins, a United Pentecostal and James White, on the TriUnity of God. JW undoubtedly got the better of the argument as he expertly and graciously presented the orthodox view and backed RP into a corner. JW was brilliant. On the Sunday after the debate (23/10/2011) I drove James for approximately 30 minutes to the Brisbane airport for his flight back to the USA via Sydney. I reminded him that we had communicated sometime previously and that it was in respect of Dave Hunt. He seemed not to recall the exchange and when I asked if he knew that DH is now 85 and very unwell, he said he had not heard. I was hoping that my gentle hint might have helped heal a rift. In my opinion both DH and JW are good men of God, who according to my biblical theology will both spend eternity in heaven. They need to be reconciled. My first email from Peter quoted above was dated October 27, 2011 just 4 days after my encounter with JW. Is there some association, I wonder? Will my going public on the matter produce anything valuable? Peter has threatened to disassociate from us over his perception of DH and our links. That is a mean spirited attitude. Quite clearly Peter has been influenced by James White, who uses expressions like Calvinistic and Reformed in my opinion inadvisedly and in an elitist sense. Personally I take the position that I am being reformed and am not yet totally REFORMED and won't be until Christ returns: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. - Philippians 3:21. In the meanwhile we are all in the making.

I don't rank myself alongside either JW or DH. They are way ahead of me in knowledge, ability, and certainly in influence. I'm just like the boy who ran away to Scotland and who discovered some interesting things that caused him to wonder. So he stood in his shoes; And he wondered. He wondered; He stood in his shoes; And he wondered.[5] Is there a meeting point? Will my dream of building a bridge where good men can cross and stop wrangling and join forces in the greater work of preaching the Gospel, end up as a pipe dream? Sadly another poet has all too often been proved correct: No matter how subtle the wrist; No matter how closely each stands; If one man closes his fist; They cannot contrive to shake hands. I STAND IN MY SHOES AND I WONDER ... plp. **********

This [my] view of course would be contrary I believe to the position generally held ........BUT .. What does The Word have to say on the matter. Where in the New Testament are any of the epistles addressed to a pastor and how many times in the New Testament is pastor mentioned and if historically church government has been hijacked by the pastoral office what evidence does the New Testament provide for church government and what really is the role of a Shepherd/pastor and is there any definitive role and function that a pastor plays above any other. Thanks Roy Australia. ED We have addressed this issue previously albeit very briefly - see http://cetf.co/suBmJk last item; see also CETF # 56 p. 22. The English word pastor appears only once in the KJV of the New Testament (NT)Ephesians 4:11and that in the plural form: And He [Christ] gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors [STRONG 4166 poimen] and teachers Ephesians 4:11. The Greek poimen, from which the English pastors is derived, appears a total of 17 times in the NT and is most frequently applied to our Lord Jesus Christ by Himself and is rendered shepherd. From the farming analogy a pastor (shepherd) then is one who cares for the sheep of God's pasture. A true pastor will carry out three functions guarding, guiding and feeding God's flock. The chief or head shepherd is Christ. However, Peter clearly saw himself and others who shared his pastoral responsibility as under-shepherds, who are accountable to the chief Shepherd. The elders [STRONG 4245 presbuteros] who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder <4245> and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd [STRONG 4165 poimaino rendered feed KJV] the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers [STRONG 1983 episkopeo], not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd [STRONG 7 5 0 a rc h i p o i m e n ] appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away 1 Peter 5:1-4. You are right when you say that the term is not a title, except when it is directly applied to Christ who is called the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls (1 Peter 2:25 cf. John 10:11). A similar
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And He gave some apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers
Pastors in the New Testament Tue 18/10/2011 2:50 PM As a recipient of CETF I do admire and respect those who continue to seek after truth. HOWEVER, I have yet to find any proclaimer of God's Word point out to me the biblical basis for Pastoral oversight, Title or Seniority in relation to His Church-The Body of Christ. I have been unable myself to find any biblical foundation for Pastoral oversight or Senior Pastors in my research. From my studies I have found limited mention of pastors/shepherds and when discovered the biblical view was that where mentioned they were in most cases nothing but a disappointment to GOD. I am of the view that there is no solid evidence for the pastoral gifting and function to be operative from the position of Title or function above any other of the ministry giftings in the Body of Christ and furthermore even those holding to the title of pastor have elevated that function/ministry/gifting or office to Senior Pastor making them Senior and others lesser/subjective pastors....a little leaven leavens the whole lump as it were. Therefore to acclaim the pastoral role as Shepherd would then make Senior pastors as the Chief shepherd.
Footnote:
[5] From the Poetical Works of John Keats - http://cetf.co/tlIO9R

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Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself

truth applies to each of the other ministry gifts mentioned by Paul in Ephesians chapter 4. Not one of them is a titleapostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher. They are all functions within the body of Christ, each at the discretion and under the direct supervision of our Lord Jesus Christ, Head of His Church. So it naturally follows that you must be right in stating that the terms senior or head pastor are non-biblical i.e. they are extra-biblical, when applied to men. The same applies to each of the five ministry gifts mentioned. That, however does not necessarily mean that it is inherently wrong to adopt the word senior or head in a multiple ministry setting for designation purposes, providing any re q u i re d b i b l i ca l p r i n c i p l e s a re maintained. After all it's best if the buck stops somewhere and it is important that people know who should be held accountable. However, I do understand your concern and sympathise with your view of the danger of usurping the position that belongs ONLY to Christ. Throughout the NT governmental leadership, within the local Church, is generally seen as being multiple. Paul instructed Titus and Timothy to appoint (ordain)elders plural [STRONG 4245 presbuteros] cf. Titus 1:5 with 1 Timothy 3:1-7. Titus 1:7 shows that an elder in the NT Church was also called a bishop [STRONG 1985

episkopos] so called in 1st Timothy chapter 3, where we are told that such should be able to teach (v. 2) and to govern or rule (v.5). In other words they are to perform the duty or function of a pastor [STRONG 4166 poimen]. We are dealing here with function not title, so the d e s i g n a t i o n e l d e r , b i s h o p , pastoris not important; a rose by any other name remains a rose. There are of course biblical principles in respect of the character and operation of Church leadersall of them: Peter tells us that they must not lord it over God's heritage but rather they must be good examples to the flock see 1 Peter 5:3; Paul tells us that they must not be avaricious, violent, quarrelsome, immoral, covetous or given to wine 1 Timothy 3:3, 8 etc cf. Titus 1:7 etc. There is no absolute system of government taught or exemplified in the New Testament. The general pattern appears to be that of multiple elders with one being held particularly accountable cf. Revelation 2:1 etc (angel = Gr. aggelos [STRONG 32] = messenger). At times there was apostolic direction (command) see 1 Cor. 7:10; 2 Thess. 3:4, 6, 12; 1 Tim. 4:11. New so called apostolic direction no longer applies as we have the Word of God to direct us.

SUMMARY & CONCLUSION: Roy we commend you on making some very good points and helping to open up this topic for discussion. I think the major problem we face today relates to the abuse that has occurred from ambitious and self-serving men who have masqueraded as the minsters of Christ when they are nothing more than hirelings. There is no ideal form of Church government in either the NT or in the pages of history. There are principles of operation and when those principles are usurped abuse occurs. This also shows the wisdom of God. A pioneer person, whatever he may be called, inevitably performs a number of ministry and governmental functions. He is able to do that based on biblical precedent, which would not be possible if there were a clear cut biblically enunciated form of local Church government. As the work grows changes can be made without offending biblical truth. It happened in the NT and throughout history where God used various forms of Church government. Each has its strengths and its weakness but any fundamental problem derives from human pride, selfishness and/or ambition. The guiding light is possibly provided for us by Paul when he writes: Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself - Philippians 2:3 NKJV

Eugene Petersons Message

Part 1 (My 1994 Warning) By Warren B. Smith Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away - 2 Timothy 3:5. I first became aware of Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of the Bible in 1994, when I was doing a weekly segment on a syndicated radio show based on the east coast, USA. The producer of the show entitled my weekly spot Keeping Our Eye on the Enemy. It was based on a scripture from the First Book of Peter where he warned: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour - 1 Peter 5:8. From my perspective of having been involved in New Age teachings, I would comment on best-selling New Age books and other issues that had New Age implications for the Church. On one programme I expressed concern about 30
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a u t h o r E u g e n e Pe t e rs o n ' s n e w paraphrase of the Bible entitled The Message. On the first page of The Message, the book is described as: a contemporary rendering of the Bible from the original languages, crafted to present its tone, rhythm, events, and ideas in everyday language. In other words, Peterson took the carefully translated words of the Holy Bible and put them into his own chosen words and idioms. I expressed deep concern about The Message on my radio show. Anyone reading The Message should be able to quickly see how verses from Scripture often had their otherwise clear meanings obscured or even altered. Important details were sometimes omitted, while misleading words and phrases were often added. For example, when the disciples asked Jesus about His second coming and the end of the world, His reply in the Bible

was very straightforward and clear: And Jesus answered and said unto them. Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many - Matthew 24:4-5. These important Bible verses had opened my eyes to truth back when I was involved in the New Age. A Course in Miracles and my other New Age teachings had taught me that love is all there is. Everything else is fear and illusion. I had been told that because God is love, God is therefore in everyone and everything. There is no separation between God and His creation. Because everything is love and everything is God, we are naturally at One with God and Christ and all creation. Lesson 124 in A Course in Miracles taught us to affirm, Let me remember I am one with God.[1]
Footnote:
[1] Foundation for Inner Peace, A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume (Workbook), p. 222.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword ... a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart

When the Jesus of A Course in Miracles was asked if he was the Christ, he answered: O yes, along with you.[2] According to A Course in Miracles and my other New Age teachings, all of humanity is divine. We are all God and we are all Christ and we are all One. I remember the day when I read Matthew 24:4-5 and fully grasped what Jesus was saying. Thanks, in part, to that scripture, I suddenly understood how deceived I had been. I wasn't Christ, or a part of Christ, at all. Jesus is the one and only Christthere is no other. In my book The Light that was Dark, I described the importance of that scripture and its personal significance to me: Those of us who had believed the Course's Jesusthat he was the Christ and that we were toowere deceived . . . But in believing the Course and my other spiritual teachers, I had unwittingly become the very person that the real Jesus warned me to watch out for. Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.[3]

dynamics of the deception I had been a part of. But not so with Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of this same scripture. It fails to communicate what Jesus was really saying. When the disciples asked about Jesus' second coming and the end of the world, Peterson's paraphrase reads as follows: Jesus said, Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people.[4] By omitting the warning to let no man deceive you and paraphrasing it with only a general caution about doomsday deceivers and leaders with forged identities, Peterson's paraphrase completely missed exposing all of us who were in the New Age believing we were Christ. It also allowed false Christs who portray themselves as peace loving, and not as doomsday deceivers, to slip under the scriptural radar. Jesus was not limiting His comments about false Christs to doomsday deceivers. In fact, He wasn't specifying doomsday deceivers at all. His warning was all-encompassing. He said, Take heed that no man deceive you. He was warning about anyone who says, I am Christ. My wife and I were not doomsday deceivers. We were not leaders with forged identities. If we had been looking only at Eugene Peterson's paraphrase when we were unbelievers, we would have never seen ourselves and the whole New Age movement in that prophetic passage of Scripture. But thanks to a real Bible, we were clearly shown that we were the subjects of Jesus' warning. Coming into the faith we had learned first-hand how the precision of a properly translated Bible can be the difference between truth and deception. A verse in Hebrews beautifully conveys what we had learned and what I was trying to communicate to the radio audience about the difference between a poorly translated Bible and the true Word of God. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart - Hebrews 4:12. I was amazed that Peterson's book was being sold in Christian bookstores. I was concerned that if it ever became popular it could mislead a lot of people. I wondered how Peterson could add to, subtract from, and change God's Holy Word and not fear for his life. It seemed so obvious to me that part of the Bible's admonition to work out your own
Footnote:
[4] Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The New Testament in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, 1993, 2003), p. 60.

salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) meant that we were not to manhandle the Word of God. In the Book of Revelation, God warns: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book Revelation 22: 18- 19. However, when Peterson's book first came out there was no reason to think that one day it would be quoted as the Word of God. Back in 1994, The Message seemed to be just another strange s i d e l i g ht i n a n a l re a d y a l l to o undiscerning Christian marketplace. No one that I was aware of was taking it seriously, much less referencing it, as authoritative Scripture. But now here it was againRick Warren was quoting from Peterson's paraphrase as if it were the Word of God.

It was very sobering for me to realize that I was one of the people that Jesus was warning His followers to watch out for. This scripture enabled me to understand that my New Age belief that I was Christ was a definite false teaching. Because of that important scripture, I had been made to realize that Jesus' warning applied to the whole New Age movement that included my wife and me. This particular scripture helped to save my life. It gave me godly insight into the
[2] Ibid., (Teachers Manual), p. 87. [3] Warren Smith, The Light That Was Dark: A Spiritual Journey (Chicago, IL: Northfield Publishing, 1992), p. 144.

Excerpted from Warren Smith, Deceived On Purpose: The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church (Magalia, CA: Mountain Stream Press, Second Edition, 2004), pp. 23-27.

about the author

Warren Smith (B.A. University of Pennsylvania; M.S.W. Tulane University)A freelance writer and community social worker who was formerly involved in the New Age movement. He has served as a programme coordinator for people with special needs, directed several homeless programmes, and has worked as a Hospice social worker in New Orleans and on the California coast. He has written extensively on the subject of spiritual deception and has spoken on radio, television, and at seminars and conferences.
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The Apostle Paul wrote: Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his

On Theosis, or Divinisation
What does it mean to be partakers of the divine nature
By Larry DeBruyn For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust (emphasis added) 2 Peter 1:4, NASB. Introduction As defined by the Orthodox Church, deification (theosis) postulates that a Christian can become subjected to God's full and perfect penetration . . . in which [state of being] the operations and energies of human nature cease, having been replaced by the Divine Operations and Energies.[1] Though it has been part of the spirituality of the Orthodox Church for centuries, belief in divinization or theosis is emerging amongst today's evangelicals. Over two decades ago, Al Dager noted a trend among some Charismatics: But we are now hearing from prominent teachers in the Christian media that man was created with a divine nature which was lost due to the introduction of sin. By being born again by the Spirit of God we lose our sin nature and regain our divine nature.[2] Greg Boyd, an advocate both open theism a n d c o n t e m p l a t i v e s p i r i t u a l i t y, forthrightly states: We no longer have a sinful nature.[3] To this point (though personally I do not believe he believes in deification), John MacArthur has written that early believers were little Christs, because they were first called Christiani at Antioch (i.e., belonging to the party of, Acts 11:26).[4] Though Jesus warned of false Christs, neither He nor His apostles called believers little Christs (Matthew 24:24; cf. 1 John 2:18).
[1] Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology: A Concise Exposition, Hieromonk Seraphim Rose, Translator and Editor (Platina, CA: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 2005): Footnote 27, 221. [2] Albert James Dager, Vengeance is Ours: The Church In Dominion (Redmond, WA: Sword Publishers, 1990): 22. [3] Gregory A. Boyd, Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010): 164, Footnote 2. [4] John Mac Arthur, Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003): 125.

Again, MacArthur's inference that God was right inside the pagan philosophers at Mars Hill is troubling.[5] God is right inside believers only! The Apostle Paul wrote: Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his (Romans 8:9; cf. John 3:3, 7). Yet if scriptural precedent exists for the Christian to attain unto divinity, The only biblical text which seems to bear directly on deification is 2 Peter 1:4, where the destiny of Christian believers is described as becoming partakers of the divine nature.[6] Dager too noted that the man-becomesgod teaching is based upon a theosophical interpretation of 2 Peter 1:4 . . .[7]

today. Unto this understanding, the following translation of 2 Peter 1, verse 4, is offered: For by His own glory and excellence, the Lord Jesus has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises in order that by themHis precious and magnificent promiseswe participate in/with the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.[8] To understand what Peter stated in this verse, several points can be noted, some of which are obvious in the English text, and others that are not. In noting these points, it will become clear that the apostle was not teaching deification, that in this life Christian souls can be so consumed of divinity that the operations and energies of their human nature cease (i.e., a theotic state of being). No Divinization! First, let it be stated that contrary to the prevalent Hellenistic philosophy of his daythat once-upon-a-time preexistent human souls were part of deity, that amidst life's material matrix these souls have lost consciousness of their divinity, and therefore that the goal of the soul in this life is to recover the lost consciousness of feeling oneness with GodPeter's text assumes humans do not possess the potential to recover a lost divinity. As Kster states, 2 Pet. 1:4 presupposes the distinction between our weak mortal nature and the divine essence.[9] Kelly adds that, Union with God's being was not the natural possession of man but the effect of God's drawing him to Himself.[10] So Peter's statement contradicts the prevailing Gnostic and Platonic notion of his day; namely, that once-upon-a-time the human soul, whether individually or collectively, was part of God. This
[8] The antecedents in Peter's statement are obvious. Jesus' own glory and excellence are sufficient cause for Him to grant believers precious and magnificent promises by which they become partakers of the divine nature. [9] H. Kster, phsis [nature], Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume, Editors Gerhard Kittle and Gerhard Friedrich, Translated by Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985): 1286. [10] J.N.D. Kelley, The Epistles of Peter and of Jude (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1969): 303.

Union with Gods being was not the natural possession of man but the effect of Gods drawing him to Himself.
So the question becomes, does Peter's reference to partaking of the divine nature support the teaching that in this life a Christian can become deified? On the face of it, Peter might appear to be teaching that possibility. But upon a deeper investigation of the text, he does not. A Translation To understand partakers of the divine nature, the context, grammar and syntax of Peter's statement needs to be attended to, because if we understand what the apostle really communicated to the believers of that era, then we will be clear as to what he means for believers
[5] Ibid. 207. MacArthur bases this deduction on Acts 17:28 where the apostle told the philosophers, For in [the Lord] we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. [6] Rowan Williams, Deification, The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, Gordon S. Wakefield, Editor (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1983): 106. [7] Dager, Vengeance, 22.

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...participation in the divine nature is in accord with the precious and magnificent promises of Jesus.

theosophical view of reality is current among Charismatics within the New Apostolic Reformation and Latter Rain movements as well as today's New Age/New Spiritualists.).[11] Peter's statement indicates that there was never a time when pre-existent souls either possessed or participated in divinity. Therefore, in stating that Christians partake of the divine nature, Peter is not borrowing from Hellenistic philosophy as presupposed by many New Testament scholars. In fact, he is contradicting that idea! Second, participation in the divine nature is in accord with the precious and magnificent promises of Jesus. In his book The Mystical Union of the Eastern Church, Vladimir Lossky states concerning the false teaching of deification in Christendom's history: If God has given us in the Church all the objective conditions, all the means that we need for the attainment of this end [i.e. attaining thsis], we, on our side, must produce the necessary subjective conditions: for it is in this synergy, in this co-operation of man with God, that the union is fulfilled. This subjective aspect of our union with God constitutes the way of union which is the Christian life.[12] Clearly, the apostle Peter understood that any participation in the divine nature is not based upon synergy (God and man working together), but by God's grace according to His precious and magnificent promises. If synergy between God and man is involved, it will only be in the sanctification process whereby the Holy Spirit enables individual Christians to incorporate virtues of godliness into their lifestyles (2 Peter 1:5-7; See the seventh point below). Third, within the clause you might become partakers, both the verb and noun are plural.[13] The fact that the apostle addresses all his readers indicates that participation in the divine nature is not restricted to adepts, to persons specializing in spirituality. It is not for elite Christians who through spiritual disciplines or ascetic practices might attain deification (cf. Colossians 2:20-23), but for all believers who for reason of divine promises and the Spirit's indwelling presence, God enables to live
[11] Dager, Vengeance, 22. [12] Vladimir Lossky, The Mystical Union of the Eastern Church (Cambridge & London: James Clarke & Co. LTD, 1957):196. [13] Apart from its general use as a companion and fellow worker . . . koinnos is used in the plural of the recipients of the grace of in 2 Peter 1:4, where Christians are said to be partakers of the divine nature. See Peter Toon, Fellowship, Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Walter A. Elwell, Editor (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1996): 256. Kelley's observation that the consummation of the promised grace is to the individual, rather than to Christians as a body doesn't do justice to the plural verb and noun. See Kelley, Epistles of Peter, 304.

sanctified lives on earth as they await the consummation of sanctification, their glorification in heaven (Romans 8:29-30). As John confirms: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2; cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18). Participation in the divine nature is not discriminatory. It's on the group plan! Fourth, we should note that as communicated by English translations, the verb might become connotes possible participation in the divine nature. This however, is not the sense of Peter's statement.[14] Believers' participation in the divine nature is actual not potential, and will exist in continuum until the time at which they arrive in the Lord's presence. In accord with God's plan and purpose, the time is coming when for reason of His precious and magnificent promises, participation in the divine nature will be brought to its appointed consummation (1 Peter 1:3-5). As Paul affirmed:

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ - Philippians 1:6. For Christian believers, full participation in the divine nature, which is immortal and incorruptible, is future and awaits either our death or Christ's Second Coming. Fifth, we should note that the noun partakers (koinno) connotes the basic idea of one who shares in what is common or shared by all and may be best translated 'partner, participant'.[15] Thus, partaking of the divine nature carries more the idea of doing than being.
[14] The phrase in order that we might become consists of a conjunction (Greek hna) and a verb (Greek gnesthe) occurring in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. The aorist tense may be understood as consummative, that participation in/with the divine nature had begun and would one day be consummated. When combined with the subjunctive mood, the conjunction in order that (Greek hna) indicates that what God purposes is what happens and, consequently, hna is used to express both the divine purpose and the result. See Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996): 473. Wallace also observes: In many cases purpose and result cannot be clearly differentiated . . . As in Jewish and pagan thought, purpose and result are identical in declarations of the divine will. (Ibid. 206) [15] See William D. Mounce, General Editor, Participant, Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006): 498.

Footnote:

As Paul vouched for Titus: he is my partner [koinnos] and fellow worker [sunergs] among you . . . (2 Corinthians 8:23). Further, it can be noted that the English preposition Whereby (KJV) that introduces 1 Peter 1:4 (Greek words, di' hn) was used in ancient decrees pointing to the personal expenditures of a benefactor . . . Here Peter declares that God's boon [help, benefit] finds its source in his own 'glory and virtue'.[16] It is all from and of God. Just because God gives a believer a spiritual share in His Corporation does not mean that, for reason of divinization, he or she owns it! Sixth, and perhaps most importantly, we should note what the phrase partakers of the divine nature does not say (2 Peter 1:4). The Greek New Testament contains the following word order: theas [genitive adjective divine], koinno [nominative noun partakers], and phses [genitive noun nature]. Based upon Peter's word choice, we can surmise that if he had intended to teach d e i f i cat i o n o r t h e o s i s ( t h e re b y accommodating his statement to the Platonic-Gnostic philosophy of that era), he might have omitted the noun partakers (koinno). Then the phrase would have read that Christians were granted precious and magnificent promises so that they might become the divine nature (Greek theas phses).[17] But he did not. Instead, he inserted a nominative noun partakers between an adjective divine and a noun nature. In doing so, Peter stated that while by regeneration Christians participate in the divine nature (1 Peter 1:3, 23), they are not and will not be consumed of it. As Lewis Smedes (1921-2002) wrote of the interaction of the divine and human natures within a regenerate soul: Christ communicates Himself in a way that changes us without diminishing us, transforms us without deifying us, [and] Christianizes us without making us Christs.[18] Seventh, in this context (2 Peter 1:4-7), partaking of the divine nature regards not so much a believer's being as his/her doing. Faith does not live in a moral vacuum (Compare James 2:20, 26.). So having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust, Christians are to apply and supply; to diligently seek to add moral excellence to faith. [19] The moral excellence consists of a list of
[16] Gene L. Green, Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament: Jude & 2 Peter (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008): 184. [17] The genitive substantive functions semantically as the direct object of the verbal idea implicit in the head noun. This is common in the NT. See Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, 116. [18] Lewis B. Smedes, All Things Made New: A Theology of Man's Union with Christ (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970): 188. [19] It is recognized that full escape from the world's corruption will occur either when believers die or Jesus Christ returns (His Parousia).
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For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known

virtues in which the first virtue becomes foundational for the next, in which the latter grows out of the former knowledge ... self-control ... perseverance ... godliness ... brotherly kindness . . . [and] love (2 Peter 1:5-7). In other words, by God's grace, as believers build these virtues into their lifestyles, they participate in/with the divine nature. These virtues are God's. Yet if believers fail to cultivate these virtues into their lives by His power, they do not participate in the divine nature. As these qualities grow in their lives, believers will not carry out the desire of the flesh (Galatians 5:19). In this context, to be a partaker in the divine nature has more to do with divine ethics than divine essence. As in His incarnation Jesus partook of genuine humanity without becoming a sinner, so Christians partner in the divine nature without becoming God. While we fellowship in and with the divine nature, we don't own it. Participation in the divine nature for Christian believers is relative, not absolute. Conclusion Vladimir Lossky summarizes the false teaching of deification in Christendom's history: God became man in order that man might become god, to use the words of Ireneus and Athanasius, echoed by the Fathers and theologians of every age.[20] As Athanasius (c. 293-373) of Alexandria stated of Jesus: For He was made man that we might be made God ... [21] And again: He [Jesus Christ] was God, and then became man, and that to deify us ... [22] The implications of deification are far reaching. Its thinking extends to the false Roman Catholic teaching of justification where Christ's righteousness is infused
[20] Lossky, Mystical Theology, 134. [21] A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series, Volume 4, Phillip Schaaf, Editor, St Athanasius: Select Works and Letters, On the Incarnation of the Word, 54.3 (Albany, Oregon: The Ages Digital Library Collection, 1997): 341. [22] A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, Second Series, Volume 4, Phillip Schaaf, Editor, St Athanasius: Select Works and Letters, Four Discourses Against the Arians Discourse 1.11.39 (Albany, Oregon: The Ages Digital Library Collection, 1997): 852.

i nto s u b j e c t C h r i st i a n s ( p a r t i a l divinization) thereby enabling them to do the works necessary to help God effect their justification. Belief in mystic divinization also affects the doctrine of the Eucharist where, by and around the Eucharistic elements, a real corporeal presence of Christ is invoked (i.e., consubstantiation), or where alchemically, the elements morph to become the body and blood of Jesus (i.e., transubstantiation) which, when ingested, impart the divine nature to communicants.[23] As regards our union with Christ, John Flavel (1627-1691), a nonconformist English-Presbyterian clergyman, states it is, [Not] an essential union, or union with the divine nature, so that our beings are thereby swallowed up and lost in the divine Being. Some there be indeed that talk at that wild rate, of being godded into God, and christed into Christ; but O, there is an infinite distance between us and Christ, in respect to nature and excellency, notwithstanding this union.[24] Yet we believers ought to rejoice in our union with Christ, a togetherness that, for reason of our being baptized in/with and by the Holy Spirit, is spiritual (1 Corinthians 12:13; See John 17:22-21.). But while Christ's dwelling in believers is spiritual, it is not substantial. It is a union and communion facilitated by the Holy Spirit who sovereignly incorporates God's presence, not essence, in believers, this grandest of all unions being activated by faith in the atonement for sins by the Lord
[23] Robert L. Dabney, Union to Christ, Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972 Reprint of 1878 Edition): 616-617. [24] John Flavel, The Method of Grace: How the Holy Spirit Works (Albany, OR: Ages Software, 1997) 35. Dabney adds: We see nothing in the Bible to warrant the belief of a literal conjunction of the substance of the Godhead in Christ, with the substance of a believer's soul. See Dabney, Lectures, 616. [25] The believer's union with Christ is hidden; it has not yet been revealed (Colossians 3:3-4). In the sense that this union is hidden, it is mystical (mustika). This is a great mystery [that of the husband-wife union]: but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32, KJV). Many Puritan writers employ the word mystic to equate to the word mystery. However, their use of the word mystic does not mean thereby, that . . . they adopted the views held by the ancient and medieval Mystics, who taught an essential oneness of the human intelligence with the substance of the Logos to be developed by quietism and asceticism. See Dabney, Lectures, 616.

Jesus Christ. Paul wrote that this hidden mystery, this mustrion, then becomes, Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). [25] Daniel Whittle (1840-1901) wrote of this union in his hymn Christ Liveth in Me: As lives the flower within the seed, As in the cone the tree, So, praise the God of truth and grace, His Spirit liveth in me. Christ liveth in me, Christ liveth in me; Oh, what a salvation this, That Christ liveth in me![26] For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known - 1 Corinthians 13:12, KJV.
[25 continued] This may be how the fifth stanza of The Church's One Foundation ought to be understood (Yet she on earth hath union With God the Three in One / And mystic sweet communion With those whose rest is won.). While there's a contemplative mysticism that the Bible knows nothing of, there exists through the Holy Spirit a spiritual union and communion that believers have with Christ and each other. Because it's hidden (a mystery), some believers call it mystical. I state this so that we will be careful to distinguish an orthodox use of the word mystical from the heretical. Personally, I believe the evangelical church's failure to preach the union of a believer with Christ and with each other has created a vacuum into which theosophy and psychology now take up space, space that was formerly occupied by pastoral preaching on the spiritual life. If this be the case, shame on us. [26] Daniel W. Whittle, Christ Liveth in Me, Hymns of the Christian Faith (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publishers, 1978): 500.

Footnote:

about the author

Larry DeBruyn is a g r a d u a t e o f Ta y l o r University (B.S., 1968) and Dallas Theological Seminary (Th. M., 1974) where he received the Charles A. Nash Award in C h u r c h H i s t o r y. Currently, Larry resides in New Palestine, Indiana. He has been married to his wife Margie for forty-three years. They have two grown sons. After pastoring three local churches for forty three years, Larry now devotes his time to writing and teaching internationally. He has authored three books: "Church On the Rise, Why I am not a 'Purpose Driven' Pastor," (2007) "Drumming Up Deception, Whether in Celebration or Contemplation--'Feeling' the Beat," (2008) and most recently, "Unshackled, Breaking Away from Seductive Spirituality." (2009)

Footnote:

Footnote:

Gods Plan for the Clueless

A personal testimony By T. A. McMahon When I speak to young Christian adults, whether they are in the workplace or in college, a message that I hope encourages them concerns God's willingness to guide their lives if that is their desire. I use His involvement in my own life throughout my 67 years as an example. The following is an abridged version of God's gracious guidance, much of it well before I came to know Him personally. I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and baptised Thomas Aloysius McMahon in the Roman Catholic Church. In my early grade-school years, my family moved to Apple Creek, Ohio, where my dad was a psychiatrist at the state mental health facility. Our home was on the 2,000-acre grounds of the institution. That aspect of my background came to light during the times when Dave Hunt and I were both speakers at conferences. Dave enjoyed mentioning to the audience that Tom grew up in a mental institution, so you really need to be Bereans in checking out what he says.

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...even in the darkest periods of history, God never leaves Himself without a witness.

They thought he was joking until I admitted that he was correct on both counts. My education was mostly under Roman Catholic (RC) instruction, including elementary school, military school, and high school, as well as a brief time in a Roman Catholic fraternity. I enjoyed my RC upbringing and looked upon many of the nuns and priests in my life as extended family members. Those fond memories remain. I attended The Ohio State University, which brings to mind two quotes from my parents. When asked by friends what I was majoring in, my father noted with a touch of amusement, The path of least resistance. (I was a Fine Arts major in undergraduate school.) My mother, years later, surmised that my career objective seemed to be to stay in school. There's little doubt that my sense of humour sprang from both parents, although I'm not sure that Mom was kidding: I was entering my seventh year at Ohio State at the time of her comment! To be fair to myself (sort of), my last years there were in graduate school. I stayed on the path of least resistance by majoring in film, which primarily entailed watching lots and lots of movies. If I read a book during that time, I don't remember it. My goal from there was to earn a Ph.D. and settle into a teaching position, perhaps at Ohio State. Although it looked like a straight shot to achieving my final academic degree, I was troubled by a lack of professional experience on the part of those who would oversee my dissertation and thesis project. Only one of my professors had actually worked in the theatrical movie industry. So I decided to head for Hollywood, get some big-time experience, and then return to campus as a professor. Prior to that adventure, another adventure took place: I got married. There were complications, however. My bride-to-be, Peggy, was an Episcopalian. My plan was for us to be married in a ceremony co-officiated by a Roman Catholic priest and an Episcopal priest. The Church of Rome side, however, had some conditions to which Peggy had to conform. I was hopeful that the Paulist priests on campus would supply me with reasons that would make sense to my first-year law student fiance. What they offered, however, was basically the same response that I had received throughout my own days in RC elementary and high school: b e ca u s e t h e C h u rc h s ays s o ! Consequently, we were married in an Episcopal church, and that was the beginning of the end of my life as a practising Roman Catholic. Our trek to Southern California in our VW bus began with Peggy's transfer from Ohio State to begin her second year of law school (which she gave up the first day of class in favour of surfing, an activity that we both greatly preferred at the time over our potential career choices). Nevertheless, as our financial resources were thinning, I doubled my efforts to gain employment at any of the major film studios and, amazingly, was soon hired by 20th CenturyFox (TCF). This was surprising because my film education had no bearing on their

hiring me. It was rather my design background in fine arts! I worked in TCF's Advertising/Publicity department for a number of years, all the while trying to get a job on an actual movie production. Although I had met many film producers, they all said pretty much the same thing. Any movie position for which I was qualified was always meted out on the basis of nepotism, i.e., reserved for sons, daughters, nieces, and nephewsand no one was interested in adopting my services. One producer, who showed some interest in my dilemma, offered a suggestion: write a script, sell it, and make a production position part of the deal. Great idea! Except for the fact that I couldn't put two sentences togetherand I had the English Comprehension grades to testify to that fact. Yet it was my only hope. On the studio lot at TCF, there were a number of young wannabes: aspiring actors, directors, producers, scriptwriters, etc. In that group was a young lady who was a gifted writer. We teamed up. She supplied most of the writing and I learned how to write scripts in the process. My role, for the most part in the beginning, was to take our screenplays and try to sell them to the producers whom I knew at TCF. After a few good try, but not commercial enough rejections, we sold a couple of scripts and then had the opportunity to translate an epic novel to the screen: James Michener's Caravans. The movie starred Anthony Quinn and was shot on location in Iran, a country where the seeds of an Islamic revolution were being sown at the time by the Ayatollah Khomeini and eventually resulted in the overthrow of the Shah. By that point in my life, between my studio experience and film production involvement, I had accomplished my Ho lly wo o d ex p erien ce teach in g objectives and considered returning to school as a professor. But some dramatic events in our household now complicated that decision. Peggy was pregnant with our first child, and she had also become one of those bornagain Christians. I was very excited about the former, and perplexedeven put offby the latter. Although I had ceased to practise the faith of my youth, my attitude was: I was born a Catholic and I'll die a Catholic. That mantra, of course, had no basis in reason, logic, or any value whatever, particularly for someone like me, who hadn't been in a Roman Catholic church in nearly a decade. Nevertheless, I stuck to it as my main defence when evangelicalsincluding many of my former RC family membersbegan to witness to me. The onslaught at times seemed fierce, particularly when my three-year-old niece would call periodically and ask with a zeal well beyond her age: Uncle Tommy, have you asked Jesus into your heart yet? I managed rage control as I sweetly asked to speak to her mother, my sister. Then I let fly. I rejected every effort on the part of one and all to influence me spiritually. I rejected offers to attend church, lectures, special speakers, Bible studies, and so forth. I did attend Peggy's baptism, which only confirmed my bias against those nonC a t h o l i c s . N o t o n l y w a s s h e

dunkedshe was dunked in a swimming pool! How spiritual could that be? The most difficult part of maintaining my wall of resistance, however, was the group of evangelical friends that Peggy had met. I liked them a lot and enjoyed socializing with them, except for the annoying witnessing part. Of course, they and all my believing family members and their friends were praying for me, and God was working in unexpected ways. Peggy and her friends got me to go to an evangelical church for the first time by telling me that I could bring my surfboard. Surfing was not part of the service, but the meeting did take place at a beach. Initially, only the waves and the other aspects of beach life that might attract and distract a young guy captured my attention. But gradually, I spent more time listening to the message. That led to questions, an exercise that had often got me into trouble during my childhood catechism classes and that the priests had answered with the usual: because the Church says so! As I listened to the preaching, I began to ask our evangelical friends questions, just as I had the nuns and priests throughout my life. Rather than giving me a Church's authoritarian response or some expert's declaration, I was shown what the Bible had to say on the subject. That was different, even encouraging. Although not a believer yet, I participated in a couples Bible study, which for them was a bit like having a wolf in a sheepfold. However I was given much information that helped me understand that my sins had separated me from God, and that the only way I could be reconciled to Him was to accept by faith the reality that Christ had paid the full penalty for my sinspast, present, and future. I came to understand that there was no other way to be saved, yet my lingering Roman Catholic works-based salvation background kept me from making a commitment. I had a lot to think about during that period: a baby on the way, a potentially life-changing commitment to Christ, and a trip to Iran for the filming of Caravans. The last item was resolved quickly. It all came down to Anthony Quinn's and the producer's wife's alterations to the script versus this young writer's objectionsand consequently, someone had to go. I was unceremoniously put on the next plane to London and then back to the U.S. The good news in that experience was that it showed me that I couldn't trust in circumstances but rather that I needed to put my complete trust in the Lord, which I did by faith shortly after my return home. What followed can only be truly understood as God's further orchestration of my life. I was soon introduced by a Christian filmmaker to a man who had a story idea for a movie. The content involved UFOs, psychic phenomena, Eastern mysticism, and other rather bizarre ideas. After reading his story treatment, I returned to his house and told him that I had no clue what any of that stuff had to do with Christianity. I added that although it was certainly exciting, I nevertheless couldn't write the screenplay. I could help him, however, to put it into script form if he wanted to work together on it. (The script eventually became the basis for the novel Mind Invaders, formerly The Archon
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Honesty will admit the great need we have today for a Revival in our Churches.

Conspiracy.) Thus began thirty-some years of my helping Dave Hunt to do what God had called him to do. I had no understanding of what a biblical calling was, but I knew in my heart that I was to help this man whom I had just met by God's leading.

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Equipped with simply a calling and the gift of helps (1 Corinthians 12:28), I saw by faith God's amazing guidance in my life for His own purposes. The Berean Call (TBC) is a fairly complex, international ministry involved with newsletter publishing, book publishing, audio and video production, radio broadcasting, broad resource material sales and production, and an extensive website, etc. It began 20 years ago, with me, nearly computer illiterate, working on a card table in Dave's makeshift bedroom-turned-office. It was The Seduction of Christianity that motivated us to begin TBC. After Dave had written The Cult Explosion and The God Makers, and I had been involved in the production of the film documentaries of the same name, we received numerous letters from Christians who were concerned that many of the cult teachings that we had exposed were coming into their charismatic and evangelical churches. The Seduction of Christianity was written to address those biblically erroneous teachings and practices, which have grown exponentially over the last quarter-century. To underscore the point of this article, that God guides (in my case) the cluelessalso known as the foolish things of this world (1 Corinthians 1:27)here is a likely interview if the world were to consider hiring me today for the position of executive director of TBC based upon my background, education, and resume: Let's see, you grew up Roman Catholicyou spent a portion of your childhood at a mental institutionyou have a degree in Fine Artsyou majored in film in graduate school.HmmI see no business education or experience. I see no formal theological training. No seminary or Bible school.You worked for a major Hollywood movie studio. You wrote screenplays for movies. So, Mr. McMahon, why do you think any of that could possibly qualify you to direct a Christian ministry? The way the world thinks, I'm sure I would hear Are you sure you didn't wander into this interview by mistake? No, I wandered into Dave Hunt's house about 30 years ago by God's providence and direction, and I knew that I was supposed to help him do what God had called him to do. That was the only part about which I was not clueless. I had no other game plan, no vision, no marketing strategybut what I did have was a willingness to be used of the Lord in Dave's life. The Lord has orchestrated all the rest over the last three decades or so. Here are some examples of the Lord's practical orchestration. My Roman Catholic background has helped me to write extensively about the unbiblical teachings of Roman Catholicism. I was one of the cofounders of a co-operative ministry called Reaching Catholics for Christ, which was

supported by The Berean Call. My growing up in the mental health community helped me to write first-hand about the pseudo-science of psychological counselling. My Irish heritage has blessed me with a kiss of the blarney stone that has enabled me to do radio. My Fine Arts and film background have h e l p e d m e to p ro d u c e C h r i st i a n documentaries and videos such as A Woman Rides the Beast, Israel, Islam, and Armageddon, and Psychology and the Church. My screenwriting in Hollywood has helped me to learn a craft that was terribly foreign to me calledwriting. I tell young people that for the first 30 years of my life I wasn't a believer, yet who can deny that God was orchestrating my life? How much more so, then, will He do the same for those who know Him and are desirous of and pray for His will in their lives? All that a believer needs to be fruitful in his or her life in Christ is to be willing to be used of the Lord. God supplies the rest through the Holy Spirit, who leads, guides, directs, corrects, imparts gifts, and enables. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yes, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.

about the author

T.A. MCMAHON is president and executive director of The Berean Call ministry, editor-inchief and contributing writer for The Berean Call newsletter, coauthor of The Seduction of Christianity, The New Spirituality, Understand the Times, and author of Showtime for the Sheep? Holder of a master's degree in communications, he has researched and written numerous documentaries and scripted several feature films.

By Post: Write to your nearest CWM office (see addresses above) Web: (PDF, ePub and Kindle versions) http://cetf.co/tF5G1x LETTERS TO EDITOR By Post: see above e: editor@cwm.org.au RESOURCES For a full catalogue of all audios, cds, videos, dvds & books available, contact CWM Australia (see above) DONATIONS: Please make payment to Christian Witness Ministries EDITOR: Philip L. Powell e: philip@cwm.org.au ASSISTANT EDITOR: B. Michael Bigg e: bmbigg@cwm.org.au GRAPHIC DESIGN: Drew (Andrew) Caswell e: drew@cwm.org.au
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CETF 58 December 2011 www.cwm.org.au

Touring New Zealand & Australia Feb 12 - Mar 5, 2012

Full details nearer the time refer to

T.A. (Tom) McMahon (USA)

www.cwm.org.au or www.cwmfellowship.org

MORE DETAILS - Feel free to contact the following Organisers (coordinators) of the Tours:

NEW ZEALAND: Lester Fensom e: cwm-nz@cwm.org.au t: 021 936 403 AUSTRALIA: Clive Leembruggen e: clivendonna7@gmail.com t: 0408 784 900