Looks Like I'm Finished

Hmmmm...now what language do they speak in Finland...Finnish? Looks an old Todd Bentley post of mine is being discussed on a forum from Finland (here)...does that mean I'm...finished? Can anyone out there translate? Oh well...it's no wonder...Normal? is the most read post on this little brown blog...with nearly 2000 hits this year alone (700 just this week)! I'm sure it'll cool off when the Florida "revival" cools down.

~just thought that was the interesting thing of the day...in my little world~

Oh, and by the way, found this earlier:

Florida Revival: In-Depth Radio Interview
pjmiller.wordpress.com

And now, I really am finished for the week, with blogging anyways...it's the weekend...sun is shining, birds are singing...garden is calling...

Prince Caspian

Tonight is the release of Prince Caspian, the CS Lewis book that’s been made into a movie. Some Christians say don’t go. Some say go. Some say it’s evil and pagan and dangerous and was never intended to be an allegory. Others say it’s delightful and full of biblical themes. Here’s some related things they are saying about this book/movie and what's behind it, pros and cons, in no particular order:


'A Poorer Story, but a Better Movie'
www.christianitytoday.com

What are the Christian themes in Prince Caspian?
www.gotquestions.org

Here’s the review from Plugged In:
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
www.pluggedinonline.com

Book Review - Inside Prince Caspian
www.challies.com

A book review of Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
Awakening Narnia with Bacchanalian Feasts
www.crossroad.to

So I’m making a simple anonymous poll in the right side column that will look like this (vote if you like):

Are you going to see Prince Caspian?

• Yes
• No
• Undecided

A thing I like but hate

I like this. I like it but I hate it. Watch it, and you will understand:

RW Twisting what The Book says, here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVth6gtHBNk

And if you like and hate that, you will want to listen to this one too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBSXT443Ge8&eurl

And if you think the scripture twisting thing is bad, look at all the scripture twisters Mrs. RW is going to be keeping company with here.

You know, discerning people were warning about this a few years ago. Now look, and people are still following the music of the pied piper.

New Worship Thing

Have you ever heard of a thing called Ekstasis Worship?

Well Patricia King thinks it’s just great and sells a video about it (here):

“In this video, Caleb and Patricia King share on “Ekstasis,” and how you can go beyond regular worship and enter into a place of body, soul and spirit where you feel freedom to dance and celebrate your love for Jesus Christ with an all new abandoned level of expression and experience.”

Hmmm...really? I watched a youtube showing Caleb and Patricia doing the Ekstasis Worship thing, here. To me, it looks like a glorified rave, complete with strobe lights, dancing, etc. Here is what one discernment ministry has to say about this:

“One of the more recent and blatant examples of neo-paganism in the church...is Patricia King's endorsement and embrace of trance-dancing as a Christian form of worship that she and Caleb Brundidge, one of her itinerant ministers, call "Ekstasis Worship." Brundidge is a traveling "prophetic" D.J. that calls his show "Club Mysterio." (Repetitive "rave" or "trance" music has been so-called because nightclubs around the world use it to enable patrons to enter a euphoric altered state of consciousness--with or without the assistance of drugs such as "ecstasy"--through extended freestyle and sensual motion set to repetitive music tracks.

It doesn't take an anthropologist to recognize parallels between modern trance dancing and ancient forms of ritual dance that is still used in many cultures to produce identical altered states and "spirit travel." But what many may not know is the increasing popularity of "yoga trance dance," which could well become the new "jazzercize" that turns this form of Hindu worship into an aerobic activity for "everyday" gym members.

Space does not permit a full analysis with comparison to Scripture, but as the quotes below reveal, patrons of Brundidge's "Club Mysterio" may indeed feel "ecstasy"--but rather than realizing the true joy of the Lord, they might experience either a "head rush" from spinning in circles (a practice of the "whirling dervishes" of Islamic mysticism) or they could meet instead an angel of light--one of the same "divine" deceivers as encountered by yogic dancers seeking all-night tantric pleasure with Hindu deities.

Which brings us to an ancient-future spiritual law: "apostasies attract." With "Christian yoga" and mystical methods for "meeting God" on the rise--and "Christian trance-dancing" now in vogue, what other "Christianized" demonic practices lie ahead?”

--Mark Dinsmore, "APOSTOLIC" APOSTASIES ATTRACT -
Extreme Charismatics Increasingly Adopt "Emerging" Pagan Practices
http://www.thebereancall.org

By the way, here is a glimpse into DJ Caleb’s Club Mysterio where he says you go ‘outside of your mind and go into the ecsatasy of God’…the “light club, not the night club.”

There is also more on this thing here:

Extreme and Dangerous Teachings
pjmiller.wordpress.com

Paganism: Ekstasis Worship
pjmiller.wordpress.com

Just more pagan silliness from the Extreme Prophetic camp…funny how it makes me think of another camp scene…as the children of Israel were waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain…

Oprah things...

I came across some interesting things that add to the Oprah controversy while reading some news headlines this morning...

Oprah Discerns a Demon in Eckhart Tolle's Pain Body - A New Earth free from Demonic Influences

Oprah & Eckhart Tolle review A New Earth, discussing the pain body as Eckhart calls it. Tolle warns us not to underestimate the pain-body's cunning & cleaver ability. Oprah discerns demonic activity within the entity. Demon possession making monsters

Read that @ www.prlog.org HERE.

Then there was this one:

Oprah & Eckhart Tolle's controversy: A New Earth interfering with religious beliefs, Christ question

Can spirituality transcend religion? Does Christ consciousness abide with all of us? Is Oprah's Christianity a bit inaccurate and lacking? Hear what Oprah says to a Catholic lay minister.

That one is @ www.prlog.org HERE.

End Time Things

Just a few end time things today...

Is it The End of the Age? by Ray Comfort
christianworldviewnetwork.com

Johnny Cash - Goin' By The Book
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DnnTwyByui0

Crazy thing of the day

I am somewhat embarrassed to admit it, but I used to watch Kim Clement on TBN, back in my dumber days, and actually thought he was kind of ‘cool.’ But thanks to God’s mercy on my stupidity and His grace that has opened wide my half shut eyes, I now wonder, as the things he says are getting more obviously unbiblical, how intelligent people can still be following a guy like this…

Kim Clement & Lance Wallnau, Chicago Prophetic Blast May 2008
endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com

If you can’t read the whole thing, at least watch the video on this post. (It is somewhat funny, not to mention shocking...but when it was over, I found myself feeling quite sad, especially the way the interviewers sat there agreeing...and to think of all the people watching on TV who are falling for these terrible lies.)

Answering a few things...again...

I recently received a question from someone who went to the trouble of getting a blogger account just so they could leave their comment on an older post from last year (that was totally unrelated to the comment - it was a link to picture at a satire site). And so, since the question is regarding a current issue, I have decided to bring it up to the front where it can be addressed.

Here is the question from 'Matthew':

Question; Do any of you critics have clothes that are made of more than one type of material (like gym socks)? What about your beards; do you trim them? You may want to read Leviticus 19:19 and 19:27. What about sacrificing animals? Do you do that? WHY NOT? Do you make your wives sleep outside during they're time of the month? WHY NOT? It's all right there in Leviticus. While your're at it, you should check out Leviticus 19:16 and then James 2:10 and James 4:11. If you want some fruit to judge, try judging the fruit out of your mouth against someone who is proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ. Whether he's looney or not, you don't know his heart and you can't judge his motives; Jeremiah 17:10. You're looking through mere human eyes, you don't know what God sees, and He doesn't judge the way we do (1st Samuel 16:7). That's what grace is about. LAW points the finger, judges, criticizes, and is merciless. Maybe Todd's convictions aren't the same as yours; maybe he can eat food sacrificed to an idol with a clear conscience but you can't. STOP JUDGING AND SLANDERING our brothers and sisters!!! If you're really so concerned, use your time, energy, resources and words to pray for him, not conjure up some 10 page reprimand. Again...JAMES 4:11.

Matthew may not come back to read his answer, but I will answer anyways, as I believe he speaks on behalf of many who believe that the Florida outpouring is a true revival. Here are the verses that Matthew has referred to:

Leviticus 19
19 " 'Keep my decrees.
" 'Do not mate different kinds of animals.
" 'Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
" 'Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
27 " 'Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
16 " 'Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
" 'Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.

James 2: 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

Jeremiah 17: 10 "I the LORD search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward a man according to his conduct,
according to what his deeds deserve."

1 Samuel 16
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

James 4
11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

Dear Matthew, you have gone to the trouble of providing quite an assortment of Bible passages, so you deserve an answer. I am not a very knowledgable or important person, but I will try my best from what I have been taught from God's Word.

First of all, while we can certainly learn about or Christian walk from Leviticus and God's dealings with Israel, those rules you mentioned are not for believers today. There certainly were a lot of instructions for the Israelites to follow under the Law, weren’t there? (There were actually 613 of them!) But the law was merely a tutor to show us that we can never live up to the standards of God’s holiness and perfection. While many of those instructions were for health reasons and beneficial to them, I am so very glad that we are under the New Covenant and do not have to worry about those rules (besides the fact that I am a Gentile). And I am also glad that Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law (because we could not), and was our spotless Passover Lamb (in our place), the final sacrifice once and for all, and we do not need to use the sacrificial system or live under the Law anymore.

As far as 'fruit' goes, the fruit of the spirit is listed in Galatians 5:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Do you see self control in the manifestations displayed on and in front of the stage by Mr. Bentley or those who fall down? Now I ask you - are out of control thrashing, jerking, falling, crawling, shaking, convulsing, groaning, roaring, screaming, shrieking, staggering, laughing uncontrollably and being drunk “in the spirit” displays of self control? Or are they manifestations of the flesh (or worse)? (The works of the flesh are listed in the previous verses in Galatians.) I propose that, not only are many of those works of the flesh showing up on stage at the revival, I believe it is much more than that, namely, demonic activity.

As far as Mr. Bentley proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ goes, Jesus himself said this:

21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt.7

You are right, we are not to judge a man’s heart, but we are instructed in the Bible to know them by their fruit (Matt. 7:16) and judge the public teaching of those within the church.
(For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? 1 Cor. 5:12) You are correct that it’s irrelevant what a person looks like on the outside, as God is no respecter of persons and uses the humble and lowly and uneducated. But when a person in ministry changes and uses his outward appearance/image (while he is in the minstry) to draw attention to himself, or tells people that they must come to him for the anointing, or tells people on a cell phone to look at him on their TV to receive their healing...these things are huge red flags. We ARE to judge and test everything, not to point our finger at a person, but at a person’s teachings, words and actions. If the teaching is public, it is open to public critique.

You are also right in that we must not slander our brothers and sisters. And here is a question: If a man (or woman) teaches more about angel encounters, visits to heaven, contagious anointings, gold and fire pillars and out of body experiences through open portals than he does about Jesus...when he talks more about the contagious anointing than he does about the Word of God...when he keeps company with, and honours well known marked false prophets...when he shouts “Come and get some” and “Come and get IT” instead of exhorting people to “Repent and come to Jesus or you will die in your sins”…is that man really our brother? Or is he a false teacher?

By the way, I just happened to read something this morning that dealt with a similar issue over at Cecil Andrew’s website, Take Heed, where he gives good biblical advise on calling out false teaching (in this case it had to do with Willowcreek). He says this:

If you study closely the life, witness and ministry of the Apostle Paul he exercised a ministry where he was constantly telling people to ‘take heed’. Should faithful believers today be any less vigilant?

Even if you don’t read the whole thing, read the following scriptures and the red letters explaining them, under “Reply sent to Isobel” here:
http://www.takeheed.net/TIME_HAS_COME.htm

There is much much more I could say, but I don't know if Matthew or anyone will even read it, and I am out of time. Hopefully what I have written makes sense, and that anyone reading this will test it and measure it with the Word of God. Most of all, pray and ask God for discernment about these things!

And once again, I shall plug the excellent discernment page over at Eastern Regional Watch:

Discernment Ministries and Articles:
http://www.erwm.com/Discernment.htm

Let's all be good little Bereans and do our homework as this enormous spiritual battle all around us intensifies. If you don't arm yourself with the Word, you will fall (for anything).

Are These Things Real?

People have been writing and asking me what I make of the miracles coming out of the Florida revival. If it is a false revival led by a false prophet, what about the 'evidence'? Are these things we are seeing coming from Florida real? So here is my take on it:

As far as all these miracles go…they are either faked, imagined or real.

Faked (of man): The enemy of the false prophet and miracle healer is time.
Question: have they been documented? Even if they have, there have been many charlatans who have paid people off to say they have been healed. I’m not saying that this is what they are, but it is one possibility. There is big money in revivals and miracles, as you can see by the Benny Hinn type of 6 figure incomes, private jets, and mansions, etc. There have been many faith healers who have said people are healed, but later on it turned out to be imagined, hype, or fake. They did not last. Many of Todd’s miracles are “in progress, incomplete”, or he tells them to come back tomorrow for the rest of the healing. Some apparently were gradual and took three days. Jesus heals instantly and completely.

Imagined (or hearsay): Many people under a hypnotic trance, or the effects of kundalini, have reported a tingling sensation, heat, a euphoric feeling, or an absence of pain. Natural endorphins are also pain killers and can be produced by emotions. Therefore, a person can feel very good, but that feeling will be temporary. A lot of the healings at these meetings are things that cannot be documented or confirmed (like, ‘she felt her tumor shrink,’ ‘she thinks her cancer is gone,’ etc.) If people are getting their artificial eyeballs replaced with real eyeballs and old kidneys with new kidneys, it would make the medical journals. They also claim that during this revival people are being raised from the dead. This is hearsay. Where are the facts? A few years ago a very convincing video was being sold (for $40) by Reinhard Bonke about a man that was raised from the dead in Africa. It was later rumoured to be a fraud.

Real: God is perfectly capable of healing anyone, anywhere, anytime. Could some of these healings be real? I suppose so. On the other hand, they could be counterfeit. Can the devil heal? I believe he can based on what the Bible tells us. The devil is a master counterfeiter. He has power and his workers can perform miracles. Also, God gives people what they want as a judgment if they reject his truth and His warnings…they want signs and wonders, he will give them over to signs and wonders.

And of course, the spirit of anti-Christ deceives by acting in the place of Christ, but it always teaches something wrong about Jesus. The real Holy Spirit always points to Jesus.


Here are some verses dealing with these things (miracles, signs and wonders) that really need to be read in context, so I’ll post them here, but please read them in your Bibles:

"And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods."
-Exodus 7:10-12

"And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. " -Exodus 8:7,

He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,Upon Pharaoh and all his servants. -Psalm 135:9

"And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it." -Luke 4:6

" Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' -Matt. 7:22

For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. -Rev. 16:14

And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. -Rev. 19:20

John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us." -Mark 9:38 (v 30 is interesting: 39But Jesus said, "Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.)

John answered and said, " Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us." -Luke 9:49

"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.
-Matt 24:24

for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect. -Mark 13:22

“that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,” -2 Thess. 2:9

"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live." -Revelation 13:14

"For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." -Revelation 16:14

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." -Revelation 19:20

"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." -2nd Corinthians 11:14-15

Here’s another thing I found:

Bible Miracles and Modern Day Imposters
www.bible.ca

It says this:

"Some pertinent points regarding the healings of Christ will serve as practical tests for professed healings today.
(1) Jesus did not publicize His healings to create a sensational reputation, nor as an excuse for raising money; rather He at times commanded those healed to "tell no man' (Matthew 8:1-4, 9:27-31).
(2) He healed all sorts of infirmities, with special attention to hopeless situations, for divine power does not fail.
(3) He performed no partial healings. People were "made whole" by Christ. (Matthew 15:29-31; Mark 7:31-37).
(4) Jesus never failed to heal a person He attempted to Heal. He never had any embarrassing explanations to make for failures.
(5) No question was ever raised of the genuineness of His healings - as to whether the patient had actually been ill, or was actually healed.
(6) Jesus did not heal by faith alone but by divine power. In only one case out of 31 examples did Jesus require faith. (Matt.9:27-3 In some situations the patient had no faith at all. (Luke 7:11-17; John 5:2-13)."

I would be profitable, if you are not sure whether the Florida revival (or any so called revival) is "real" or not, to compare these things with what you are seeing there. And most of all, ask God to reveal to you whether this is from Him or not.

And finally, this is a good one:

Do All Signs and Wonders Determine Truth?
pjmiller.wordpress.com

New Link

I'm adding a new link to my side column...(under Research Sites)

Ray Yungen's new website:

A Time of Departing Ministries
www.atimeofdeparting.com

Next Narnia Thing

Of course I am going to see the new Narnia movie when it comes out. I read and loved the books as a child, and I think The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was done very well, and I think that the story theme is okay - good conquers evil, evil is portrayed as bad, and good is good (as opposed to some newer books where there is good evil and bad evil). It's not the gospel, it's just a book made into a movie (and I do think it is way too scary for small kids). But what the bigger problem may be is where Hollywood is going to take this next one, and the impact it might have. I just read something that I fully agree with regarding a thing that has always bothered me in one of the books. Even as a child, I knew that there was something not quite right with the guy who worshipped a false god called Tash but who got to go live with Aslan anyways. Can you spell u-n-i-v-e-r-s-a-l-i-s-m? Will Hollywood take off with this theme in this movie? Read this, it's very good:

FANS OF NARNIA BEWARE, THE WORST IS YET TO COME
By Russ Young
Posted: 05/12/2008

Let me begin by stating that this column is not about the faithfulness of the cinematic release of Prince Caspian to the book. Neither is it a review about the movie’s theatrical merits, or lackings, whatever they may be. Rather, it is concerned with where The Chronicles of Narnia theologically leads. While applicable to the written stories it is more concerned with the most probable outcome of Hollywood’s take on them.

To be sure, the first of the Narnia books, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was pleasingly faithful to the original story. The special effects animation of the animal characters was of such quality that C.S. Lewis’ own concerns, about animating the Narnia stories, may even have been countered had he lived to see what has become possible with computer graphics.

Nevertheless, my concern at the time of the first movie, as now, is not with the quality of the movies but their impact....

Read the rest HERE. (The comments under this article are quite interesting and worth looking at as well.)

BTW: I might also add that it's not until recently that I have come to understand the paganism that is in the Narnia stories. As an adult, I can watch these movies and read this books and critique them, and discuss them with older kids (I wouldn't recommend them for small kids), as we are in this world and not of it. Just wanted to clarify that lest I be perceived as one who compromises. That said, I don't condone reading or going to see things like Harry Potter or The Golden Compass as I believe these are far more dangerous.

For more on that see some articles by Berit Kjos by typing in Narnia to the search engine here:
http://crossroad.to/text/search.html

On World Vision’s Green Thing

Don’t get me wrong with what I am about to say…we have supported World Vision for many years and they do a lot of good. Many children have been saved, and have grown up to lead fulfilling lives. Many of them are Christians today because of World Vision. But I think it's safe to say (and sad to say) that World Vision is joining the Global Agenda and going green.

I got my Child View magazine last week (summer 2008), and on the cover is a green circle that says “The Green Issue.” Inside are various global warming related articles, like “Time for a Climate of Change,” “Solar Power,” “CO2 and You,” “4 Ways to Combat Climate Change at the Grocery Store.” There is definitely much more in this issue about all of us contributing to the environment and adjusting our lifestyle to change the climate than there is about spreading the gospel, which is what I thought World Vision was about.

But then, Word Vision did sign The Evangelical Climate Change Call to Action:

"The Evangelical Climate Change Call to Action was signed by 86 prominent leaders, such as Rev. Rick Warren, Rev. Dr. Jack Hayford, and Rev. Bill Hybels. Creation Care partners include World Vision, Youth with a Mission, and most Christian College Presidents. Do these Evangelical leaders actually believe that Christ is reconciled with such neo-paganism, or have they not spent the time necessary to understand the covenants they sign?"
(See Evangelical Leaders Converting to "Earthism"
http://www.word.ca/release250207.htm)

I am reminded of a thing I read by Jacob Prasch not too long ago:

“In the opinion of many people, World Vision has departed from its evangelistic origins and hence from its claims to be an Evangelical organization. It is now deteriorated into a mere social political organization in Evangelical masquerade with a social political gospel that biblically is no gospel at all.”
-James Jacob Prasch (www.moriel.org), An Open Letter to the UK Director of World Vision

It's good to feed and clothe the poor and supply water and farming aid and housing. But without the gospel, what gain is it? "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26). It's sad, but I guess it looks like World Vision is really just doing what it's name says...looking at the world instead of the Word.

These may also be articles of interest:

World Vision Promotes Brian McLaren
lighthousetrailsresearch.com

Conforming the Church to the New Millennium
www.crossroad.to

Marching toward Global Solidarity

Habitat II
The UN Plan For Human Settlements
by Berit Kjos

Global Warming Hoax archives
nwsarchive.wordpress.com

The Man Made Global Warming Hoax
www.prisonplanet.com

~~~

*Note: For those who wish to support an organization that is based 100% on the gospel that does not compromise by partnering with the global agendas of this world, Gospel for Asia is one such excellent choice:
http://www.gfa.org/

Three…no four things in one day! (UPDATED)

Not only was yesterday the Day of Pentecost on the church calendar, Mother’s Day, AND Global Day of Prayer…it was also Todd Bentley’s anniversary. (By the way, there has been some pretty strange fruit coming out of that Florida revival lately...see here and here.)

Okay, so a few things about the Global Day of Prayer:

GDOP USA:
www.gdop-usa.com
Among their links are Guidepost Magazine for prayer requests (not a Christian magazine as some may think, and I don't fully endorse the website at that last link) and the controversial 24-7 Prayer Rooms (Peter Creig). GDOP USA also promotes the pet project and social gospel of anti-semitic Jimmy Carter, Habitat for Humanity.

GDOP Canada:
www.gdoptoronto.com
This is something I found there:
Prayer at the High Places
On Saturday May 10 (which is the final day of "10 Days of Constant Prayer") we are inviting intercessors from throughout the Greater Toronto Area to come and pray in the high place of our area - the CN Tower and through prayer extend the blessing of Christ to all peoples from the top of our region and prepare the land for the King of Glory to come as we seek His Face on May 11th (Pentecost) the 2008 Global Day of Prayer.
Uhhh…high places? And so, since when does being up in a tower give you more spiritual power? Towers and high places generally don’t have a good reputation in the Bible. Just my thoughts...

Then there’s the official GDOP site:
www.globaldayofprayer.com/
www.globaldayofprayer.com/youth
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, what’s with the green lizard in the middle and the cross off to one side on the tribal generation thing here:
http://www.tribalgeneration.org/eng/index.php

On a side note, of interest might be the fact that also in this month is May Day (Beltane), as well as the supposed Crowning of Mary:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2012227/posts
“The month of may is dedicated to Mary, Queen of Heaven”

It's interesting because it's all about spirituality, but I don't have time to comment further, so that’s all I have to say about that. In the meantime, there is also something on the Global Day of Prayer here:
Global Day of Prayer by Sara Leslie

~~~

**********UPDATE**********
I'm adding these as an urgent update:

• Kim Clement & Lance Wallnau, Chicago Prophetic Blast May 2008
• 2008, the year of revival and outpouring and the new pentecost - why?
• Global Day of Prayer for Transformation (Watcher's Lamp)
  

Pentecost

Today is Pentecost(1). Here are some things I've been looking at...about what this day is about, and what it is not about.

What Pentecost is NOT:

This youtube video is the dumbest thing I've ever seen.

"It" did not begin in 1906 on Azusa street, as this youtube video teaches.

It's not about being 'slain in the Spirit'.

What Pentecost is:

It began way before that, in the Old Testament, in the Book of Exodus (34:22), and the Hebrew name was/is Shavuot (see Pentecost or Shavuot Overview).

“The Feast of Weeks not only marks the end of the grain harvest at Passover time, but also signifies the process of freedom started with the Exodus at Passover, and concluded with the proclamation of the Law at Sinai. The Feast Of Weeks is an observance of the giving of the Torah by Yahweh (God) to the Jewish people over three thousand years ago on Mount Sinai.”
-Feast of Weeks in Bible Times
(also called Pentecost or Shavuot)
The Day Moses Received the Ten Commandments
(see biblicalholidays.com here)

“Pentecost not only memorializes the first giving of the law written on tablets of stone, but it also memorializes, on the same day many years later, the giving of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), when the law of God is written in the heart of the believer.”
-Messianic Significance of Feast of Weeks
(also called Pentecost or Shavuot)
(see biblicalholidays.com here)

Here are some more things about Pentecost:

The Reason for Pentecost (a series of audio teaching by Bob George)

Pentecost and the Rapture of the Church
www.gracethrufaith.com

The Mystery of the Date of Pentecost
www.levitt.com

The True Former and the Latter Rain
www.letusreason.org

THE GIFT OF TONGUES
www.letusreason.org

IS TONGUES THE EVIDENCE OF THE SPIRIT
www.letusreason.org

And last of all, I just found something quite wonderful - an online book about these things by one of my favourite Bible teachers:

Messages on Pentecost
By Prof. Johan Malan, Middelburg, South Africa (March 2008)
www.bibleguidance.co.za

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1) Pentecost on the Gregorian calendar is different than Shavuot on the Hebrew calendar, which will actually be on 9 June 2008 (Monday).

Hologram

There's an interesting thing to read about Prince Charles and the hologram over at Bob Mitchell's blog if anyone is interested:


THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST IS HERE....MAYBE
bob-mitchell.blogspot.com

Good Report from Myanmar

Isn’t it an amazing thing that all four orphan homes in Myanmar (Roger Oakland's ministry outreach) were unharmed in that massive cyclone that has killed thousands? Read the update here.

MYANMAR Update from Understand the Times
lighthousetrailsresearch.com

This is a very good thing to donate money to.

Tattoo Pictures

I've updated my Normal? post today by adding a link that has pictures of some things Mr. Bentley thought important enough to have permanently engraved on his body.

See a close up of 'revivalist' Todd Bentley's tattoos here.

( I don't necessarily agree with all the conclusions on this link.)

Israel's 60th Birthday

Here is a great little thing to commemorate Israel's 60th birthday this month. It's 60 years of history in 60 seconds, and it's pretty amazing.

Watch it here:

Israel - Then and Now
http://www.aish.com/movies/60Years.asp

Some Things in the Book Store Flyer

Here are some books that are in the latest flyer from our Christian book store...

On the front of the flyer is Donald Miller Greatest Hits – Three Books in One (this includes Blue Like Jazz; read a caution about Donald Miller and his emerging church spirituality here).

Also in the flyer is another promotion of The Shack that says “Prepare to have your notions about God exploded when you read this bestselling novel.” (Not a good thing, as Paul Young’s notions of God are anything but biblically correct...read this good review about The Shack.)

Also advertised is a book called The Gospel According to the Beatles by Steve Turner. I guess it’s not a big seller, as it’s 75% off the regular price. Among the endorsements on the back cover (which are all “praise for the author’s previous work”) is Bono.

Which reminds me, here is a brand new article to check out for a reminder on what Bono is really all about:

Bono, Universalism, and the Emerging Church?
Commentary Opinion by Brannon S. Howse
www.christianworldviewnetwork.com

Perhaps you are not very familiar with Bono, the lead singer of the rock group U2, but you need to become familiar with him now!

The back of the Beatles book also says: “The spiritual journey of the Beatles from fun-loving agnostics to drug-inspired mystics was a microcosm of the pilgrimage taken by a generation…
(The author) defines what the Beatles were all about and distills the message of love, peace, freedom, and transcendence that was at the heart of their gospel.”

The Beatles certainly did have their own gospel. They are responsible for bringing Eastern meditation and yoga from the East to the West. They studied under Hindu yogis and achieved altered states of consciousness through meditation and drugs. As their music indicates, they were entrenched in the religions of the East. Take My Sweet Lord for example, that ends like this:

Hm, my lord (hallelujah)
My, my, my lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (hare krishna)
My sweet lord (krishna krishna)
My lord (hare hare)
Hm, hm (gurur brahma)
Hm, hm (gurur vishnu)
Hm, hm (gurur devo)
Hm, hm (maheshwara)
My sweet lord (gurur sakshaat)
My sweet lord (parabrahma)
My, my, my lord (tasmayi shree)
My, my, my, my lord (guruve namah)
My sweet lord (hare rama)

And to think that as a kid, I used to sing along with that song without a second thought. Eeks!

As Caryl Matriciana explains in her EXCELLENT documentary (order DVD here), the Beatles are largely responsible for the influence of mysticism we see in North America today in the form of yoga, meditation, and even "Christian" contemplative spirituality we see in many churches. Watch a clip of this fascinating documentary HERE (click on PREVIEW).

~~~

Well, enough of that. While I often wonder what on earth some of these books and things are doing in a Christian store, I must be fair and mention that there are some good ones in the flyer too.

Some things about that blood moon scenario

There are some interesting videos on the internet everyone is talking about:

Signs in the Heavens Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cy9cR0DtBo

Signs in the Heavens Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2IrCyNxn5o

Well I just found something regarding the things said on those videos:

The Blood Moon Scenario
Ikvot ha'Mashiach
Perspective by Jack Kelley

There's a video currently on the web, promoted by a well known prophecy website, that a whole bunch of you have either sent links to or asked about it or both. Here's my response.

This video shows the result of tracking solar and lunar eclipses and comparing them with Levitical Feasts, and notes that the only time in this century when 4 consecutive full lunar eclipses, known as a tetrad, will coincide with either Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles is in the years 2014-2015. Lunar eclipses are also known as "blood moons" because the moon often takes on a red cast during an eclipse....

Read the whole thing - HERE.

Then there's this...

Remarkable Discoveries in This Week's 'Koenig's Eye View
from the White House' - May 2 (watch.org)
Executive Summary

Inside the White House -- 'Blood-red' moons occurred on back-to-back years on the first day of both Passover and Sukkot seven times in 2000 years, with the eighth coming in 2014 and 2015....

Pretty interesting stuff for pro-Israel prophecy buffs.

Some things about Alcoholics Anonymous

Hats off to free-lance writer John Lanagan, who has stuck his neck out on the line and written an expose of America's beloved anonymous religion called AA (careful, it may shock you)...

Alcoholics Anonymous: Pluralistically Praying unto the Higher Power

It was good that believers sounded the alarm about the National Day of Prayer. Or, to rename the event, the Day of Pluralistic Prayer. These are strange times. We should never allow the world to think Christ may be included in some generic prayer, where His name is not mentioned, nor should we worship alongside those who bow to strange gods. Interfaith prayer and worship are not for followers of Christ.

That being said, many Christians do exactly this every day. For seventy years we have joined with unbelievers in the “spiritual program” of Alcoholics Anonymous. If the idea of opening the National Day of Prayer without acknowledging Christ is upsetting, bear in mind that AA meetings always include Christless corporate prayer. The Serenity Prayer and Lord’s Prayer are invoked at every meeting. These are prayed out loud, together, and in unity.

Who are Christians praying with? Could be just about anyone, really....

Read the rest of this brand new article here:
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/3477/By_John_Lanagan

I can attest to the fact that the Alcoholics Anonymous program, while it may have helped some people, is a replacement for the gospel of the One Step Program (of Jesus Christ) and a substitute for the true fellowship and unity that can only be found in Christ, who came to set captives free. The god of AA is the Anony god who can be anyone - the earth, a tree, or the powers that be. Sad to say, we have a friend who is brainwashed by the religion of AA.

Note: You may recognize John Lanagan's name from his recent book review of The Shack that appeared on the Lighthouse Trails Research blog (HERE).

Some things about Angels (part 1 & 2)

With current revivals and talk of angels visitations and such...this is very timely:

Supernatural Powers Part 1 Award-winning video-journalist Caryl Matrisciana and Jan discuss her film, "Supernatural Powers: The Battle Between Good and Evil." The discussion includes God's angels, fallen angels, the power and characteristics each have, and how they may play a role in our lives. But God's angels are mentioned 300 times more in the Bible than fallen angels!

Listen HERE.

Update:

Listen to Part 2 HERE.

Something good to read...

Here's a thing I just got in the mail:

Your Weekly Dose of Gospel...Beware the subtlety of spiritual treason by Steve Camp
www.christianworldviewnetwork.com

Talks about faulty methodology, post-modernism, doctrines of demons, and contending for the faith.

How to be saved, according to RW

I know this happened a few months ago, but it's one of those must blog things:

What Rick Warren Said We Need to Do to Get to Heaven
www.christianworldviewnetwork.com

For those who have not watched it yet, it's a must watch.

Oprah, of course...and other things

Here is one of the best write ups I've seen so far that explains in detail exactly what Oprah is teaching, what A Course of Miracles is all about, and how that all lines up with the big shift that Brian McLaren and the emerging church is a part of. Talk about converging...this falls into line with my last post.

Oprah Shifts to the Dark Side

By Marsha West

www.christianworldviewnetwork.com

It's quite lengthy and well documented so it's not something you can just skim read through. (And don't read the last paragraph until you read the whole thing.)

*This is another thing that goes hand in hand with that:
Are You a Shifter?
www.christianworldviewnetwork.com

Converging Things

I have had more trouble with this post than any other post I've ever made. It just doesn't want to be blogged. So this is not what I intended it to be, but it is now blogged, as is:

The book I came across is called WHY NOT WASTE TIME WITH GOD? by Mike Evans of Wholeness Ministries (www.wholeness.org/). It's basically about taking the time and "sitting quietly with your Father God, you can be confident that you are significant, accepted and loved."

It's endorsers are quite a mix.

"CAUTION: the FIRE of HEAVEN is on This Book!" -Bill Johnson-Senior Pastor

"If you want to have his lovely story become your personal experience, read Mike Evan’s powerful book on the irreplaceable importance of ‘holy loitering with God’"- Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel

Bill Johnson is into the supernatural heaven invading the earth/ angels manifest thing and teaches with the Freshfire signs and wonders crowd (see here). He is linked to every Elijah List (false) prophet you can think of. And of course, everyone knows about Brennan Manning and his contemplative spirituality. Francis MacNutt, Catholic Priest/inner healing teacher (founder of Christian Healing Ministries) also strongly recommends this book. (You can read about him here: http://www.christianhealingmin.org/whoare.htm)

At Mike Evans website (where this book they've all endorsed can be found) you can read a thing called HEALING MASS - ST. DENNIS CATHOLIC CHURCH, about the testimony of someone’s experience at a Healing Mass on April 5th , 2008…

When Mike laid his hand on my wife and I at the same time, I began to vibrate and shake. I felt a force come over me but felt I could have broken it at this point. I trustingly heard Mike's voice say something like just go with it. I fell to the floor and began to breathe rapidly and shake. I felt a vibrating, strong force over my entire body from head to toe. I could not stop and after 5 minutes of this, it was so strong that I started to get worried. I opened my eyes and saw a friend I have known since childhood and I knew that I was ok. She was speaking in tongues and telling me that this was the Holy Spirit. I became very happy and did not want this to stop. I was surrounded by angels and heard wind blowing. I heard voices giving me messages. They told me my name was Paul, which was my confirmation name. Lori and another woman were praying over me. I was laughing ecstatically and I started speaking in tongues.

Shaking, vibrating, angels, wind blowing? Sounds like the same thing that's happened at recent Todd Bentley signs and wonders meetings, or at the Toronto Blessing. (And sure enough, if you scroll down to the bottom of the wholeness.org page, you will see John Arnott's picture -of the TAC- and see he is also involved with Mike Evans).

So my point is (and my first post was oh so much better)...this book shows in a nutshell what I've been noticing lately. That the the signs and wonders/prophetic movement appears to be converging with the contemplative movement, and those are both converging with the ecumenical movement, which is converging with the interfaith/New Age thing. It's all coming together.

I had more links regarding this but deleted them all, if I find more I'll add them, but for now, here's a few that are related (I'm sure that those who are keeping an eye on these things will have noticed it as well):

Pope calls for a new Pentecost to launch renewal of American Church
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=12394

Todd Bentley and Contemplative Meditation
lighthousetrailsresearch.com