Showing posts with label heresy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heresy. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Church Fails to Give Moral Lead - Charles Gardner ISRAEL TODAY

Church Fails to Give Moral Lead

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 |  Charles Gardner  ISRAEL TODAY
The Church of England has once again failed to give a moral lead to the nation.
Their Synod (parliament) has voted against the Bishops’ recommendation that, in the face of huge pressure to allow same-sex ‘equality’, they should continue to take the traditional view of marriage.
Those within the church desperately trying to honour the clear biblical teaching – that a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife (Genesis 2.24) – have reached a discouraging impasse.
Is it not time to say: ‘enough is enough’? Undermining the authority of the Bible only leads to heresy within and confusion without. Sure, the watching world sees a church divided, and some would say that is a bad witness. But there are surely issues over which it is impossible to compromise.
Endless debates create much heat, but bear little fruit. What, after all, is there left to debate? If the choice is whether or not to follow Scripture, then the advice from the Apostle Paul is: “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6.17) Those pushing for same-sex marriage are surely touching something ‘unclean’.
At the end of the day, we will all stand before God to give account of the decisions we have made or haven’t made. (Romans 14.12)
The letters to the seven churches of Asia recorded in the Book of Revelation give as much emphasis on teaching as on behaviour – the key doctrines of Christian belief are hugely important.
The Apostle John, in his first letter, reminds his hearers that those who were spreading false teaching had come from within the churches. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us,” he wrote. (1 John 2.19)
Heresy was a great danger in the early church, just as Jesus predicted it would be in these latter days. When his disciples asked him about signs of the end of the age, the first thing he said was: “Watch out that no-one deceives you.” (Matthew 24.4.)
Yes, Jesus prayed passionately for unity among his followers. It was never meant to be unity at any cost, however, but the sort of oneness about which Paul spoke in his letter to the Ephesians when he explained that the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers were there “to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature…” (Ephesians 4.12f)
The context is clearly about developing maturity within the body of Christ as disciples learn to walk in harmony with the Word of God.
But because the modern church has failed to give a moral lead on the issue of homosexuality, the entire Western world is now in the grip of ‘redefining marriage’, if that is really possible.
We have seen the same thing happen over Israel. Undermining the authority of the Bible has led to the heresy of ‘replacement theology’, teaching that the church has replaced Israel in God’s affections. As a result, there is very little understanding of Israel in the UK church today, and yet God’s end-time purpose is for Jew and Gentile to work together for the gospel! How far we have fallen behind God’s programme!
Tragically, the church has succumbed wholesale to worldliness, ignoring the Bible’s directive: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12.2)
For example, as the mainstream media demonizes President Trump as a fool and a fascist, Christians will all too willingly pick that up without considering whether the truth may well have been stretched and muddied.
Lynne Patton, a black female executive for the Trump Organization, released a statement last year defending her boss against accusations of being a racist and a bigot, tearfully revealing how she’s struggled with substance abuse and addiction for years. But instead of kicking her to the curb, she said that Trump and his entire family loyally stood by her through “immensely difficult times.”
This was revealed in an article by Liz Crokin, an entertainment correspondent who has been reporting for the past ten years on Trump – especially over his involvement in The Apprentice TV show.
“Trump’s kindness knows no bounds and his generosity has and continues to touch the lives of people from every sex, race and religion,” she wrote. “When Trump sees someone in need, he wants to help.”[1]
Isn’t it time we re-committed ourselves to seeking the truth, perfectly demonstrated in Jesus Christ – “the way, the truth and the life”? (John 14.6)

  1. townhall.com, 13 February 2017, also published by Joy Digital, South Africa  ↩

Charles Gardner is author of Israel the Chosen, available from Amazon, and Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com
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Friday, February 26, 2016

Rev. Raphael Cruz - NRB Nashville - Proclaiming Justice To The Nations speaker on support for Israel


Rev. Raphael Cruz - NRB Nashville 
Proclaiming Justice To The Nations (PJTN)
Support for Israel
Feb. 25, 2016 in Nashville, TN





Published on Feb 26, 2016
Rev. Raphael Cruz - NRB Proclaim16 in Nashville - Proclaiming Justice To The Nations(PJTN) speaker 02.26.16

A strong supporter of Israel and the Christian's role in standing with the Lord for His plans and purposes.

Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin - to give appreciation to and love for those we support, through Love For His People, Inc.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

God and Atheists in Hollywood by Geoff McClelland

God and Atheists in Hollywood 

by Geoff McClelland

Identity Network
 
Hollywood's Year of the Bible
 
Earlier this year Hollywood released the Bible-based blockbuster Noah to the tune of $100 million in box office receipts. Christians gleefully anticipated the epic ark-building adventure. But glee quickly turned to ire once the movie premiered. The Noah character was wrong, God was misrepresented, and fallen angels were portrayed as good guys - a few heresy issues.
 
In retrospect, this shouldn't have been terribly surprising. A self-proclaimed atheist wrote, produced, and directed the movie. Darren Aronofsky is a filmmaker - a great one at that. But a theologian? Not so much.
 
Another Bible-based movie is slated for release later this year - Exodus: Gods and Kings - which is based on, as you might have guessed, the story of Moses and the Hebrews' flight from Egypt. An even bigger Hollywood talent is producing and directing this one: Sir Ridley Scott. He is not just a great director - he's legendary! However, he is also a self-proclaimed atheist.
 
What's Going on Here?
 
The question we ought to be asking here is, "What is provoking Hollywood moguls to produce Bible-based films?" Some suggest it's for the love of money. After all, who in Hollywood doesn't love money? But there are hundreds of movies that don't mention God and still make a lot of money (you may have noticed this.) There's a trend in Hollywood to produce established, epic stories right now. What is more established and epic than the story of Noah's ark? But I don't think this is it either. The answer may not be what you think.
 
Think about this: The great flood is a testament. Four thousand years of literature across multiple cultures (plus archeology and geology) all indicate that something profound occurred. Aronofsky's movie, in spite of artistic license and flawed biblical accuracy, is one more testament of the flood. Every testimony of God's sovereignty is a strike against the enemy. One of two key factors in overcoming the enemy is "the word of our testimony." Jesus put it more poetically, but He basically said the devil doesn't do the work of God. So it doesn't make sense to hold the position that the devil prompted the making of a movie that testifies against him. That would indicate a house divided.
 
Likewise, the Exodus narrative testifies of God's faithfulness to deliver His people out of slavery from Egypt. God told the Israelites to remember this throughout their generations by writing it on their doorposts, talking of it often with their children, and setting up stones as a reminder of all that He had done. What is the enemy's best strategy regarding this story? Deny, deny, deny! But make it a major Hollywood movie? Hardly. Any error caused by the enemy in these films is damage control, not strategy.
 
Are We Living in the Last Days?
 
The prophet Joel said in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh! How much flesh?  All flesh.  That possibly includes everything that has breath. Is God pouring out His Spirit on believers in these days? Of course He is. But everyone is eligible to hear the Spirit of God in the last days (this does not imply salvation.) If "all flesh" includes unbelievers, it would seem even they have the ability to pick up on the unction of the Holy Spirit.  Albeit they may neither recognize the source or properly steward the call. Atheists don't believe in God, but that doesn't mean God doesn't believe in them. Could it be that God is planting the desire to retell these biblical stories into the hearts of Hollywood kings who don't even acknowledge His existence?
 
Let's interpret the times. Jesus compared the days prior to His second coming to the days of Noah. The ark underwent construction for the better part of a century, serving as a sign for that generation. The plagues of Egypt were signs to the Egyptians, but they serve as signs to us as well. God used Moses to demonstrate to Pharaoh that the Egyptians' resistance to His will is futile. For some reason, God has chosen at this time in history to highlight these historical events once again as a testimony to the world. And He has made use of the multi-billion dollar worldwide distribution system of the film industry to help with this task.
 
God is Sovereign
 
Psalm 135 tells us that the Lord does whatever He pleases, in heaven and on earth. To use an atheist to accomplish His will is not beyond the scope and ability of God. Just ask Cyrus the Great. Over a century before the birth of Cyrus, Isaiah prophesied that he would perform all God's desire; he would declare Jerusalem to be rebuilt and the foundations of the temple to be laid again (Isaiah 44:28). It all came to pass, just as God had foretold, but Cyrus was a Persian king, not a Hebrew. He worshiped false gods - Marduk, Bel, and Nabu - not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet God still chose to use him to fulfill His plans of restoration for that generation.
 
I can hear some Christians protesting, "What about the bad doctrine and biblical inaccuracy in these movies?" Thankfully God isn't hung up on bad doctrine. We should all cultivate sound biblical doctrine, but we also must realize that everyone is in process. Nobody on earth has infallible doctrine, yet everyone seems to think of himself as the one person closest to it. Pope Francis recently said that if we try to build unity around doctrinal issues, we will only achieve it after the apocalypse. When the criminal hanging on the cross next to Jesus said, "Remember me when You come into Your kingdom," Jesus didn't respond with, "Well, first let's examine your theology and see if you hold correct beliefs."
 
In fact, the religious leaders in Jesus's day were so hung up on correct doctrine that they couldn't accept Jesus as the Messiah when He was standing right before their very eyes. They said, "No one will know where the Messiah comes from, but this guy is from Bethlehem." "Nothing good can come from Nazareth," others suggested. Some even asked, "Would the Savior touch lepers or heal on the Sabbath?"
 
What about today? Could strict adherence to doctrinal beliefs blind us from seeing the work of the Spirit as it did to religious leaders in Jesus's day? Oddly enough, prostitutes and tax collectors didn't have a problem with Jesus. They were open to His genuine love and divine wisdom.
 
The Bottom Line
 
I believe Noah and Exodus are modern-day testaments to a lost world at a key time in history. But I also believe God is trying to provoke His own people to jealousy through them. In the first century, God used Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles in order that the Jews might be provoked to jealousy. This was His wake-up call to break old mindsets and be open to the greater revelation of His purposes. New wine can only be put into new wineskins. And today is no different. God's ways are still higher than our ways, and He shakes our beliefs once in a while to separate that which is divine from that which is human.
 
If we want to see Bible-based movies made by Christians that will more closely adhere to the biblical narrative, then we must stop cursing the film industry (which is essentially just handing it over to the enemy). Instead, we should bless it and pray for those God has placed in its midst. This will bring it back under His authority and move us closer to "on earth as it is in heaven." Let him who has an eye keep watch. I believe God has much more to say through the film industry - hopefully through his people, not in spite of them.
 
Geoff McClelland

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Monday, February 10, 2014

Father, Son and the Other One: Is the Holy Spirit Too Weird for American Christianity? - CHARISMA

supernatural
If you’re a Christian and you have a pulse, then you’ve heard about the latest dustup between conservative Christianity and the modern charismatic movement. In his most recent book, Strange Fire, noted cessationist John MacArthur accuses charismatics of everything from doctrinal heresy to just being plain weird. He often cites the worst cases and passes them off as the normative charismatic experience.
 
To be fair, I do think some of the excesses and abuses in the book warrant correction today. I must also say that I agree with some of what MacArthur and his surrogates teach about the Holy Spirit.
 
For instance, it’s true that God wants our worship to be doctrinally sound (1 Tim. 1:3), intelligible (1 Cor. 14:19) and orderly (1 Cor. 14:27). We need to be reminded that the Spirit brings conviction of sin (John 16:8) and transforms our character (1 Cor. 13:1-7). MacArthur’s emphases on these vital aspects of the Spirit aren’t wrong.
 
But as I read, I wondered, “How is it that such a biblically educated believer can so blatantly and effortlessly screen out the supernatural content of Scripture?”
 
At worst, MacArthur just morphs Christianity into a mere doctrinal system—a checklist of sacred beliefs. At best, he portrays the Spirit as that silent member of the Trinity who is busy with the discreet work of inner transformation.
 
He doesn’t speak to us. He doesn’t lead us. And He has no interest in setting hearts, hands and lips ablaze with His presence. At least, not today anyway.
 
The Legacy of Radical Cessationism
 
Here’s the problem with all this. More than a century of mere doctrinal inculcation has left us with a generation of believers who don’t even believe in the doctrine of the Spirit anymore. It’s counterintuitive, I know. But just consider this:
These statistics are alarming when one considers the mass exodus of 18- to 34-year-olds from the church.
 
In effect, we have barred would-be worshippers from the fullness of the Spirit’s experience while insisting that they learn the Apostles’ Creed. But the Holy Spirit is not merely a doctrine we learn about. He’s not a dove on a stained-glass window. And he’s not the “silent member” of the Godhead. He is God himself—the God who has “invaded our lives with transforming presence,” as Craig Keener puts it. 
 
A diminished view of the Spirit’s work is dangerous for several reasons.
 
First, minimizing the Spirit compromises biblical truth. The Spirit is instrumental in our personal rebirth and renewal (John 3:3, 5-8). He fills us as we gather and worship (Eph. 5:19). He also empowers us to meet our obligations through Spirit gifts (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12). The same power of the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is available to the believer (Eph. 1:19-20). The Christian faith is a lot of things, but it is nothing without the Spirit. We may engrave His name in the bedrock of our historic creeds, but without His presence, we are not of Christ at all.
 
Second, minimizing the Spirit will jettison our mandate. Christianity is not a nice family religion. It is a living, active and missional enterprise. If we make the mistake of treating the Spirit as nothing more than a theological abstraction, an amorphous concept or the “silent partner” of the Trinity, we will utterly fail to disciple the nations and the next generation. This is why Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise—God’s empowering presence (Acts 1:4–8). Take the Holy Spirit away from the church and all we’re left with is a grace-deficient, family-based cult. Christianity doesn’t work when the Spirit is ignored, marginalized or sidelined in favor of our Spirit-less ingenuity.
 
We’re losing our culture to darkness. And Christianity cannot be seen as a credible option in a culture where it is reduced to a mere historic curiosity, devoid of wind and fire—absent the Spirit of life.
 
Jeff Kennedy is executive pastor of adult ministries and discipleship at Eastpoint, a large and thriving church in the Pacific Northwest. He also serves as an adjunct professor of religion at Liberty University Online. When he is not teaching, writing, training leaders or grading papers, he is spending time with his wife and four happy children. He is also author of Father, Son and the Other One. You can visit him at jeffkennedy.tv.