TO SHARON FROM BETHEL CHURCH: A RESPONSE TO YOUR REBUKE

 

 

 

TO SHARON FROM BETHEL CHURCH: 

A RESPONSE TO YOUR REBUKE 

BY BUD AHLHEIM

SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/02/02/to-sharon-from-bethel-church-a-response-to-your-rebuke/; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Dear Sharon,
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. Be assured that yours is not the first “rebuke” that we’ve received for what is viewed as an “attack” on Bethel Church, nor will it be the last.
But I would, at least, like to offer a response of my own to you.   I attempted to reply privately to the email address you provided. However, my email was undelivered as the address you provided was invalid.
It is true that I have engaged – and Pulpit & Pen has engaged – in vigorous polemics against Bethel Church. But it has been done as a result of something that you actually mentioned in your email – it’s because “the Bible itself says.”
In places like Jude 3, “the Bible itself says” to “contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.” This is what compels me – and others – to write or speak in a polemical fashion against Bethel. The “faith” that Bethel represents is clearly not the “faith once for all delivered.” (You can review the many assessments about the dangers of Bethel by going HERE.)
I contend not for the sake of winning an argument, but in the hopes that you, and those like you, being deceived by evident and identifiable error, might be prompted to “examine yourself to see if you are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5)  It’s as a result of a Berean-like comparison (Acts 17:11) of Bethel’s practice and teaching against Scripture that I – and many others – realize that Bethel is a toxic-waste dump spewing spiritual poison at undiscerning, emotions-driven souls.  We contend because those souls matter and Scripture tells us to contend.
“The Bible itself says” in Romans 16:17-18 that we are to “watch out” for those who come along with “contrary doctrine” who not only “cause divisions” in the church, but also who, with “smooth talk and flattery,” “deceive the hearts of the naïve.” It’s in those same verses where we are explicitly told to “avoid them.”   But, Sharon, “avoiding them” does not preclude me, or any believer, from warning those caught in the clutches of their deception. To not tell the blind man he’s about to plummet over the unseen-by-him-but-assuredly-approaching precipice would be, as “the Bible itself says,” sin.

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James 4:17

Like the summertime ice cream truck as it drives by the playground broadcasting child-enticing melodies through its loudspeakers, so too does Bethel appeal with its spiritual charms that offer the exact thing that fallen human nature desires – an experience that empowers us beyond the often mundane realities of our sin-ridden human existence.
It’s not, as you say Sharon, that they “do it different than you” that prompts the polemics. It’s that they do it wrong – not according to my standards – but according to God’s, in His Word.  The “Jesus” lauded by Bethel – though the “Holy Spirit” gets lauded far more often, and as equally illegitimately – is not the Jesus of His Word.  The real Jesus revealed in Scripture is not driving the Bethel ice-cream truck as it plays enticing tunes to the world promising treats for your soul.  The driver of Bethel’s vehicle is far more nefarious, far more deceptive.  The real driver is an imposter who’s favorite alias is “Jesus,” and he’s selling spiritual treats in return for your soul.
It’s because, Sharon, that “the Bible itself says,” in places like Matthew 7:15, that “false prophets” will most certainly plague the church. You said, “I hardly think Satan could be behind such great fruit!”   Again, however, “the Bible itself says” that these false prophets Jesus warned against would come attired not in the garb of the devil. The enemy doesn’t appear with fangs dripping blood and an angry, whipping pointed tail, bearing in his long-nailed clutches a scythe of death and mayhem. Jesus said the agents of the enemy will appear superficially just like the sheep, but that they are “inwardly ravenous wolves.”
Please be reminded also that “the Bible itself says,” in 2 Corinthians 11:14, that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” That’s the very logical reason that his deception works. It works because it masquerades as authentic, and those who don’t actually know what “the Bible itself says” are intentionally naïve and vulnerable to false teachers, false doctrines, and eternal destruction.  It is imperative that we know exactly what “the Bible itself says” in order to recognize deception, especially the deception that comes slathered in an appealing veneer of Scripture and Christianese.

“The Bible itself says that it cannot possibly contain everything that could have been written.  There is so much more to Him.”  Sharon from Bethel Church

The Apostle John wrote, in John 21:25, that “there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” But Sharon, your implication about this is decidedly different than that of the Apostle, or, indeed, of the rest of the testimony of Scripture.
John’s intent in writing what he did – by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – was very clear. “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)  While there is indeed “so much more to Him,” there is nothing “more” that we need to know in order to arrive at the saving knowledge of Him for which John wrote his inspired Gospel, which happens to be the point of ALL of Scripture.  God did not leave the Bible unfinished and lacking; He gave it as complete, closed, and sufficient.

“I pray that you would not be afraid of the ‘more’ of God, knowing Him, not just His written Word”  Sharon from Bethel Church

The Apostle John did NOT suggest, encourage, advise, or endorse the need for – or the practice of – going beyond what had been written. In fact, God Himself has told us specifically NOT to do this. “The Bible itself says,” in places like Deuteronomy 4:2, that “You shall not add to the Word which I am commanding you.” “The Bible itself says,” in Proverbs 30: 6, “Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.” Again, in Revelation 22:18-19, “the Bible itself says,” in a very dire warning, that “if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this Book; and if anyone takes away from” what “the Bible itself says” that “God will take away his part from the tree of life.”
There are many ways we may “add to” or “take away” from Scripture.  To do either doesn’t mean we take actual ink to paper, penning what we presume are missing parts, pasting them in as an addendum to the actual bound book.  We add or take away by failing to comprehend the Book we already have.  We can do it by our professed theology, but, more often, we do it by our behavior.  (Bethel does both, btw.)  We naturally – or, as Paul would say it, “in the flesh” – want to avoid the difficult truths of Scripture while embracing the ones that comfort, console, and encourage us.  This neglect of Scripture, though, is taking away from it.  But, by falsely validating our desired behavior with favorite verses we’ve twisted to fit our ends, we are adding to that Word.
But your comment above is very reminiscent of what the “apostle” Bill Johnson wrote in his Scripture-twisting book, isn’t it?  (No, though C. Peter Wagner referred to Johnson as an apostle, be assured of this: there are NO apostles on the planet today.  If you want to hear from one, read their inspired New Testament works.  They’re still talking today … in the Bible.)

“Those who feel safe because of their intellectual grasp of Scriptures enjoy a false sense of security. None of us has a full grasp of Scripture, but we all have the Holy Spirit. He is our common denominator who will always lead us into truth. But to follow Him, we must be willing to follow off the map—to go beyond what we know.”  Bill Johnson, When Heaven Invades Earth

It’s the mixture of truth with error that serves a lethal cone to the undiscerning Bethel ice-cream buyer.  Johnson is correct that “none of us has a full grasp of Scripture.”  And he is correct that for those who are authentically regenerated by Him – and false teachers are NOT among them – “we all have the Holy Spirit.”  The Holy Spirit will lead us into truth.
However, the truth taught by the Holy Spirit is NEVER found by following “off the map” of His inspired Word as Johnson claims.  It is precisely because we have not grasped the fullness of Truth in Scripture that the Holy Spirit drives us deeper into that Word.  The Holy Spirit never, ever, ever takes you off the path of Scripture.
The explicit point of God’s revelation in Scripture is so that we may KNOW Him and His redemptive Truth in Christ.  The Holy Spirit does not lead us “beyond what we know” through ecstatic experiences but, instead, always leads us to more and deeper knowledge and continually growing understanding of His Truth so long as we “abide in my word.” (John 8:31).  But this knowledge – this understanding- based on Truth, is divinely given as objective and propositional, not subjective and emotional.  Unlike the off-roading Bethel ice-cream truck, the Holy Spirit will only drive you down the narrow path bounded by the guard rails of His inspired Word. (Matthew 7:13-14)
(For some worthwhile verses on the importance of “knowing” from Scripture, consider Colossians 1:9-10, Galatians 4:8-9, Colossians 2:2, Proverbs 2:1-6, Ephesians 4:17-24, Philippians 1:9-11, 1 Peter 1:13, John 17:3)
Sharon, it’s very much worth your study to consider another place where “the Bible itself says” that altering God’s word, adding to it, deleting from it, or seeking for “more” beyond it, brings condemnation, not the life-promising “more” offered warmly by the subtle deceiver of souls. In Mark 7:9-13, “the Bible itself says” that Jesus was engaged in dialogue with some Pharisees. Jesus chided them in Mark 7:9 by saying, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” This had to be a shock to the Pharisees. They were the experts in the Law. They were the religious elite of the day.
But what did Jesus say about them?   Look at Mark 7:13 … they were “making void the word of God” by their “tradition.” The handed-down tradition of the Pharisees missed the intent of the Law of God and made His Word void. The “tradition,” Sharon, was their behavior. It was how they acted by adding “more” to God’s Word. They demanded behavior and practices un-endorsed by God for the people of God that promised – by adherence to them – righteousness.  The Pharisees were driving an ice-cream truck of legalism that promised “more.”  But, if you’ll look over at what “the Bible itself says” in Matthew 23:15, you’ll find that the “more” of the Pharisees was not positively affirmed by the Lord. Rather, it was condemned.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!   For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”

Sharon, it’s the “more” that you encourage and seek that is the precise problem with Bethel. There is no “more” that we need, have been given, or are to seek.   In John 8:31, “the Bible itself says” that a disciple of Jesus would be known by one preeminent thing: they would “abide in my word.” It is by abiding in that Word that such wonderful – and authentic – fruit of the Holy Spirit is generated.  As He guides us to grasp more understanding of His biblically-revealed Truth, the more we grow in legitimate spiritual fruit.  That fruit is never found outside the boundaries of that “Word.”
The “more” traditions of the Pharisees, born outside the Word, are no different than the behaviors of Bethel which are also clearly outside the Word. Both bring condemnation – despite how good, spiritual, righteous or ecstatic those behaviors make you feel.  Regardless of how enticingly soul-soothing the melodies of Bethel’s attractions are, its intentional willingness to “go beyond” what God has revealed in His Word will result in a Pharisee-like condemnation by the Lord.
Sharon, when I read your line about the “more of God,” I hear someone who has been deceived by the subtlety of an enemy doing the very same thing he did with Eve in the Garden. It’s the same sin-inducing query of “Hath God said?” He’s appealing to you that there is “more” to be had and that God is holding out.  Sadly, Sharon, for you – and others at Bethel – the subtle echoes of an Eden serpent’s suggestive appeal “What else hath God said and how can you get ‘more?” is being heard – and you are following that voice at your peril.
But Sharon, from the fall of man onward, the deceit of the enemy has always been the subtle suggestion promising “more.”   If he’s not trying to persuade that there is no God, he’s trying to suggest there are many ways to Him and that He is instinctively holding back the good until you get it right.  But “the Bible itself says” that God has given us, by His divine power in the revealed Truth of His Word, “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3) In fact, the Apostle Peter, a few verses later, in 2 Peter 1:19, said that “we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed” – the “prophetic word” is, by the way, the Bible.   But Peter adds a sobering reminder that “you will do well to pay attention” to that Word.
And that “Word,” Sharon, must always be the “Word” in your hands, consumed by your study, and comprehended by your mind. It is not a voice in your head, an impression in your soul, or a sensation in your emotions. By studying it, we may be “approved unto God,” as the KJV puts 2 Timothy 2:15.  We are not approved to – or by – going beyond it in a destruction-sure pursuit of “more.”  The lure of an Eden-esque “more” always leads away from the “rightly handled word of truth.”  So Sharon, when someone suggests an extra-biblical detour, you should take note and be warned.  The Holy Spirit will NEVER abandon His holy, inspired Word.
We are to “know the truth,” (John 8:32) so that we may be set free; not “feel” the truth.   Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” He didn’t say “I am the experience. Go beyond my word to find “more.”  We do not know Jesus outside His Word.  The presence of His Word, the Bible, is more than a mere clue about how He intends to reveal Himself and His Truth.
The ultimate end of our Christian life is holiness. Though we will only be fully sanctified when finally in His eternal presence, the process goes on here by the illuminating and convicting work of the Holy Spirit. But sanctification – this process of becoming “holy as I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16)– is also not driven by experience nor confirmed by emotions, regardless of how ecstatic. Sanctification is through His Word. “The Bible itself says,” in perhaps the most epic chapter of the entire Bible, that Jesus prayed to the Father for our sanctification.  Note the mechanism highlighted by our Lord for that sanctification.   “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)  Truth is not experientially apprehended, it is objectively comprehended.  Truth comes not from feelings, but from understanding.  It is found exclusively in “your word.”
It is not the “Holy Ghost gold dust” blowing from Bethel’s air ducts that indicate the presence of God.  The evidence of God’s presence in a believer isn’t experientially spiritual.  Rather, it is propositionally spiritual.  We understand Truth, apprehend it, comprehend it – and that Truth develops within us a renewed mind (Romans 12:2)  and authentic fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23)  We think differently and, as a result, we act differently, in accordance to the Word, not in addition to the Word.  Spiritual fruit is never grown in an off-the-narrow-path orchard that is beyond the rightly handled Word of God.
Sharon, I’m not trying to win an argument here.  But you have much to lose.  Bethel, by its practice and by its proclamations, goes beyond the explicit, evident, and perspicuous Truth of God’s Word, twisting it to validate its appealing, though illicit, endeavors.
For the sake of your soul, Sharon, please consider that you are being deceived by an appeal from the wide path.  And you can be absolutely sure it is from the wide path because it goes far beyond the boundaries of God’s Word.  And once you fail to heed precisely what “God hath said,” you open yourself up to deception in this life and destruction in the next.  (Matthew 7:13-14)
Sharon, once you are willing to go beyond what “the Bible itself says,” you have opened yourself up to certain deception, for you have nothing against which to compare truth from error. Outside the known revealed Truth of Scripture, you will be deceived by an enemy bent on your destruction.  Warm-fuzzies and ecstatic spiritual “highs” don’t validate truth and those experiences quickly become our goal.  Only knowing what “the Bible itself says” can you, or I, be absolutely certain about our faith, our practice, and our feelings.  Emotional experiences can often deceive; God’s Word never does. Please don’t sell your soul in exchange for such temporal charms.
But, again, thank you for commenting, Sharon.  I will pray for you, and the others caught in the deceptive trap of Bethel.  To body-tackle the blind man approaching the cliff may appear unloving and cruel to one who cannot see the approaching precipice, but for those who see the danger, it’s the most loving thing that could be done.  Such is this, Sharon. Such is this.
God bless you.
Bud Ahlheim
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 Bethel "Church", Redding, California / Bill Johnson / 

Kris Vallotton / Etc.

SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/information-database/bethel-redding-bill-johnson-kris-vallotton-etc/; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Pulpit & Pen Resources

• Defrauding Millions: Bethel Church and Benny Hinn Together
• Bethel Redding, Danny Silk Mocks People Who Question Their ‘Glory Clouds’
• Strange Fire Pentecostal out of Bethel Redding Attacks John MacArthur
• Bethel Music – Unfruitful Works of Darkness
• Bill Johnson’s Feelings Hurt for Being Called a False Teacher

Other Resources

• The Berean Call: Bethel Redding a Christ-denying Cult
• Pirate Christian: Bethel Church Tells Witch that She’s “On the Right Path” and “God is So Proud of Her!”
• Pirate Christian: Bethel Church Cancels ‘Serious Death’
• Pirate Christian: Heidi Baker’s Demonic Impartations at Bethel Church
• Pirate Christian: Kris Vallotton, Bill Johnson – Release the November Surprise
• 
  
• An Invasion of Error-Book Review of “When Heaven Invades Earth” by Bob Dewaay
• Off The Map: Bill Johnson and the Pursuit of Extrabiblical Revelation by The Christian Research Institute
• The New Age Propensities of Bill Johnson by Lighthouse Trails Research
• Bill Johnson’s Christology-A New Age Christ? by CrossWise (with links to more articles)
• Bill Johnson-A Comedy of Errors by Marsha West (with links to more articles)
• False Apostle Bill Johnson by Apostacy Watch (with links to more articles and videos)
• Bill Johnson: “Jesus was so empty of Divine capacity” by My Word Like Fire (with links to more articles)
• Bill Johnson’s $400.00 Thumb Drive
• The Physics of Heaven by Herescope (multi-part series)
• Warning: Bill Johnson and Bethel Church by Andrew Strom
• Bethel Church Tells Witch That “God is So Proud of Her” and “She’s on the Right Track” by Steven Kozar
• The Charismatic Day of Infamy by Steven Kozar
• List of Fighting for the Faith episodes with Bill Johnson
• Errors of Bethel and Jesus Culture by Tony Wood
• Cross Encounters Radio: Bethel Church by Tony Miano
• Bill Johnson in Denial by Bud Press
• Bill Johnson Uses Non-Biblical Story to Correct Bible-Believers by Steven Kozar

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ALSO SEE OUR NUMEROUS POSTS ABOUT BILL JOHNSON, BETHEL CHURCH, & NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION

THERE'S A WOLF IN THE HOUSE: 18 SIGNS OF APOSTASY

THERE'S A WOLF IN THE HOUSE: 

18 SIGNS OF APOSTASY 

BY MATT SHERRO 

SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/02/02/theres-a-wolf-in-the-house-18-signs-of-apostasy/; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

There is a danger that has come into the sheepfold; apostates have come in and they probably have always been here. However, with the prevalence of social media, their influence has spread and it is more important than ever before to recognize the marks of an apostate, a person who at one time knew and maybe even taught the truths of the Bible but walked away or a person who consistently teaches false doctrines to the Church. Jude, the Lord’s youngest human brother, points out several signs of an apostate and I want to draw your attention to them.
(This may be a different post than what you are used to from Pulpit & Pen but I write from a primarily pastoral approach so I hope it will be helpful to you.)
Book of Jude (HCSB),

1 Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:
To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ.

2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

3 Dear friends, although I was eager to write you about the salvation we share, I found it necessary to write and exhort you to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all. 4 For some men, who were designated for this judgment long ago, have come in by stealth; they are ungodly, turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying Jesus Christ, our only Master and Lord.
Right away we begin to see the characteristics of the Apostates that Jude warns about…
1.) Apostates are ungodly (v. 4)
When the New Testament writers say that a person is ungodly, it does not simply mean that the person does not know God, it also means that he does not have a character that is consistent with the revealed Person and Nature of God.
2.) They are morally perverted (v. 4)
In the NIV, promiscuity is translated as “license to commit immorality.” Among other things, these apostates teach that there is no need to struggle to overcome sin. The Greek word rendered as contend, or contend earnestly (NKV, NASB) is agonizomai from which we derive the word agonize. Because our sinful nature will not easily be transformed into Christlikeness, it can seem agonizing, at times to give up that sin in order to be more like Christ.
Many, many apostates teach instead that God will give you all the things you want: health, wealth, possessions, influence, etc and all you have to do is “sow the best offering that you can” without any call to true repentance or humility. Examples of such teachers include but are not limited to Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagin, Jesse Duplantis, Rod Parsley, Joyce Meyer, TD Jakes, Mark Chironna and scads of others. One has even gone so far as to say that anyone who tells you to deny yourself is from Satan. These ignore the command of Jesus to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24).
In truth, you do not even have to teach grace as a license to sin however you please to turn grace into license, all you have to do is refuse to teach the truth of God’s grace, that it saves you from sin and its power not simply that it saves you from hell. And just in case you were going to object and say that such things are not perverted, the definition of perverse is something that is contrary to the generally accepted standard or practice. Since the Bible is our standard, anything contradicting the Bible or anything taught in the pulpit that does not match Scripture is, by definition, perverted.
3.) Apostates Deny Christ (v. 4)
Ultimately, this leads to a denial of Christ; the Jesus taught and embraced by the apostates simply is not the Jesus of the Bible.
Apostates: Past and Present

5 Now I want to remind you, though you know all these things: The Lord first saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe; 6 and He has kept, with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, the angels who did not keep their own position but deserted their proper dwelling. 7 In the same way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them committed sexual immorality and practiced perversions, just as angels did, and serve as an example by undergoing the punishment of eternal fire. 8 Nevertheless, these dreamers likewise defile their flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme glorious ones.

4.) They defile the flesh (v.7& 8)
As we are seeing today, apostates defile the flesh in ungodly and unbiblical ways. Some of my evangelical brethren will immediately point to homosexuality but what about other sins: drunkenness, gluttony (I think I have only heard one sermon on gluttony in 25 years), fornication, domestic violence (yes the Bible actually addresses this topic which I have never in my life heard addressed in the pulpit).
Defiling the flesh refers primarily to sexual sin (1 Corinthians 6:18) which is a sin against one’s own body, but this is not exclusive. Remember that Jude’s oldest half-brother, the Lord Jesus Himself, even went so far as to equate contemplating the sin with the actual sin itself (Matthew 5:27-28). When is the last time you heard a sermon about sexual lust (lust of the flesh), greed (lust of the eyes), or counteracting the boastful pride of life by being poor in spirit?
5.)Apostates are Rebellious (v. 8)
By not teaching what the Bible actually says, these apostates live in and encourage rebellion in others. A pastor once told me that 1% out of submission is equal to being 100% in rebellion against God. To deny a doctrine, the reality of hell for example (Rob Bell) and to teach that denial to others is absolute rebellion against God. To refuse to yield to the Authority of Scripture is to refuse to yield to the Author. They go hand in hand; authority entails submission.
6.) Apostates Revile holy angels (v. 8)
This is a mark against Pentecostals if I ever saw one. Growing up Pentecostal, I cannot tell you how many times I have seen pastors “bind” satan or command him to do this or that; both of which are patently absurd. If Michael, the highest angel (archangel means chief angel) dares not to speak against the devil, what in the world possesses a “Christian” to do so? There is no biblical justification to think you can command an angel to do anything. Even fallen angels serve at the pleasure of God Almighty and Him alone. They advance His agenda and they fulfill His sovereign decrees and so, not matter how much your favorite teacher might tell you otherwise, you cannot command them to do anything and it is ridiculous to think the opposite.
7.) Essentially, Apostates are ignorant (v. 8)
The behavior we have discussed so far demonstrates and absolute willful ignorance of both the Things of God and of His Person. To know Him as He is demands that one is to submit to Him. Look to Revelation chapter one and see the reaction of John when he saw just a picture of the Resurrected Christ and you will see what kind of response a true knowledge of God the Son results in.

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when he was disputing with the Devil in a debate about Moses’ body, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people blaspheme anything they don’t understand. What they know by instinct like unreasoning animals—they destroy themselves with these things.

8.) Apostates are continually having vain ideas (vs. 8-10)
Continuing with the idea of ignorance, apostates have vain/foolish ideas. Word of Faith teachers, for example, tell you that you can name and claim your promise from Scripture and activate a response from God based on your faith. This is hubris and is no different than the idea of “binding satan.” I have heard them justify this nonsense by saying all the promises of God are yea and amen. That is only half the truth and is therefore not the truth. All of God’s promises are yea and amen but only in so far as to the person(s) they apply to. I will bless them that bless you and curse them that curse you is a very true promise but it only applies to the Nation of Israel for that is whom God made the promise to.
It is utter vanity and foolishness to presume anything upon Him Who sits upon the Throne. Do not allow yourself to mistake God’s patience for tolerance. Every person living will have their appointed time before the Throne; the Righteous will see the Bema (the Judgment Seat for rewards) and the wicked and apostates will see the Great White Throne as Heaven’s court dispenses eternal justice.
9.) Apostasy leads to self-destruction (v. 10)
What is the natural end result of apostasy? Self-destruction. God does not have to directly do anything to these, all He has to do is say to them, “thy will be done” and step aside. How many ministries have been damaged and even destroyed by ministers who thought they could get away with this or that? I would list names but that is impractical.
I can say from personal experience, getting your own way can be deadly, to your soul as well as your body. After all, there is a way which seemeth right unto a man and the end thereof is destruction. (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25)

11 Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam for profit, and have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

The Apostates’ Doom

12 These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs[e] at your love feasts. They feast with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn—fruitless, twice dead, pulled out by the roots; 13 wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever! 14 And Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied about them: Look! The Lord comes[f] with thousands of His holy ones 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict them[g] of all their ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against Him. 16 These people are discontented grumblers, walking according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.

Apostates are…

10.) Grumblers (v. 16)
11.) Fault finders (v. 16)
12.) Self-seeking (v. 16)
13.) Arrogant speakers (v. 16)
14.) Flatterers (v. 16)

I will deal with all of these together: they are person centric and reflect the oldest sin in the book, pride. Pride is that sin which caused Lucifer to lose his place in heaven and it will do you the same favor. Pride looks at another, finds his/her deficiency and then exalts self because you don’t have that particular deficiency. It causes one to puff up and think of oneself more than he/she really is. Pride, the oldest known sin, is the truest and surest mark of the apostate. No matter what other signs you see, the Christian that demonstrates pride is on treacherous ground and in real danger of going where one does not want to be, apostasy.

17 But you, dear friends, remember what was predicted by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; 18 they told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers walking according to their own ungodly desires.”

15.) In a sense, apostates are mockers (v. 18)
2 Peter 3:4, They will say where is the promise of His coming. I would add to that, they will say things like no serious Christian believes in Hell or, no loving, tolerant Christian rejects gays, or they will dismiss the creation account as a myth/a metaphor.
Mark it out, every single apostate has some passage or doctrine that he does not like and by dismissing it, they make a mockery of God…for now.

19 These people create divisions and are unbelievers, not having the Spirit.

16.) Cause division (v. 19)
17.) Worldly-minded
18.) Without the Spirit(v. 19)

Apostates cause division in the church because they are worldly minded and they are worldly minded because they do not have the Holy Spirit and they do not have the Holy Spirit because they are worldly minded.
It’s a vicious cycle once you walk away from the truth of Scripture and only the Holy Spirit can bring you back.
Exhortation and Benediction

20 But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. 22 Have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; have mercy on others but with fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.

Beloved, you may be reading this and say that you have seen some of these signs in your own life. That is both good and bad news. It is bad in that a propensity toward apostasy may exist but it is good in that the Holy Spirit is doing His work of convicting sin. What should you do if you see signs of apostasy in your life or if you are following a False Teacher? Repent right away. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you, agree with Him immediately and confess that sin. He will restore to communion with Him and you can continue to grow in grace.
Until next time, ahava v’shalom (love and peace)

RUSSELL MOORE IMPLIES SOUTHERN BAPTISTS DISAGREE WITH TRUMP'S TEMPORARY IMMIGRATION ORDER

 

RUSSELL MOORE IMPLIES SOUTHERN BAPTISTS DISAGREE WITH TRUMP'S 

TEMPORARY IMMIGRATION ORDER

SEE: http://pulpitandpen.org/2017/01/31/russell-moore-claims-southern-baptists-disagree-with-trumps-temporary-immigration-order/; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Invoking fellow Southern Baptists in his rebuke of Donald Trump a total of seven times, Russell Moore strongly sent the message that those in his denomination agree with his assessment that the president’s executive order temporarily halting immigration from hostile nations is morally objectionable.
In a letter to Donald Trump, which he also sent to majority leaders in both the House and Senate and published in the Washington Post this morning, Moore used his position as president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission to imply that Southern Baptists monolithically condemn the recent executive order.
First invoking a June 2016 resolution by SBC messengers that calls for compassion toward Refugees, Moore writes, “Southern Baptist churches throughout the United States lead the way in carrying out this calling.” The resolution in question, however, does not explicitly condemn applying common sense to the vetting process for Muslims hailing from nations prone to terrorism, who have used refugee status to carry out actions against citizens of the United States.
After tacitly comparing the President’s decision to not allowing Jews refugee status while fleeing the Third Reich, Moore reluctantly points out that the aforementioned resolution, calls for the government to “implement the strictest security measures possible in the refugee screening and selection process,” but doesn’t affirm the executive branch for doing precisely that last Friday. Instead, Moore claims that “refugees are already the most vetted category of immigrants,” implying that no further scrutiny or evaluation of our immigration policy is needed.
Moore continues to speaks for Southern Baptists, writing “…we have concerns about the Executive Order’s consequences,” citing a Southern Baptist lawmaker who opposed the President’s decision, before citing Ed Stetzer’s socially progressive article also lamenting the enforcement of United States immigration law. Rather than citing statistics regarding the potential harm posed to American citizens (and crimes already committed against Americans) by those of refugee status, Moore invokes the concern for Southern Baptist missionaries living in majority-Muslim nations who might face reprisals.
Moore, who has come under fire for signing an amicus brief demanding the federal government usurp a New Jersey township’s local authority and force them to allow the building of a Mosque despite their standard and non-prejudicial zoning ordinances, closed his rebuke of Trump by asking him that his policies not discriminate against Muslims, but rather, “affirm your administration’s commitment to religious freedom and the inalienable human dignity of persecuted people whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Yazidi or other.”
Moore, who serves on George Soros’ Evangelical Immigration Table, has called a border wall a “golden calf” and called Jesus an “illegal immigrant,” did not speak of his concern for Christians in America, who may be put at risk by radicalized Muslims who are not being properly vetted, and ended by again invoking as moral authority the will of Southern Baptists, writing “Southern Baptists know that our responsibility is to care for and serve refugees here in the United States and around the world, and we remain committed to that mission.”
If you are a Southern Baptist, do you agree with Russell Moore invoking your name in his rebuke of President Trump’s immigration policy?

ACTIVIST JUDGE JAMES ROBART STOPS TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION POLICY

 JUDICIAL TYRANNY
 

ACTIVIST JUDGE JAMES ROBART STOPS 

TRUMP'S IMMIGRATION POLICY

SEE: http://www.newswithviews.com/NWV-News/news565.htm; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

 By 
        NWV Senior Political News Writer, Jim Kouri
       

Legislating From The Bench and putting America in danger

The federal judge -- who on Friday issued a restraining order on President Donald Trump's program to prevent Muslim refugees and visitors from a number of terrorist hotbeds from entering the United States until they can be vetted and certified as no threat to American citizens -- is an activist who believes his job is to provide social justice rather than interpreting the U.S. Constitution. www.judicialselectionstrikeforce.org

Ironically he is the same judge who made national headlines in 2016 when he ruled that “Black Lives Matter” in a federal courtroom, thus giving a radical, violence-prone group legitimacy.

U.S. District Court Judge James Robart made his Black Lives Matter declaration while hearing a case against the Seattle (Washington) Police Department that opposed the implementation of new police procedures that city. According to Lt. Stuart Larkingwicz of the American Federation of Police, Robart's actions and statements amounted to a federal judge officially supported the activist group from the bench.

A check of Robart's overall career reveals he once represented Southeast Asian immigrants attempting to "jump in front of the immigration line” prior to his judicial work for the federal court system. His biggest case involved police and black citizens in Seattle:

The Seattle Police Department was accused of using excessive force against non-whites in the city. The police chief and other officials promised to make changes in order to avoid federal civil prosecution. But Robart insisted the police union had been dragging its feet implementing changes.

Robart then scolded the police officers' union during an August 2016 hearing. “The court and the citizens of Seattle will not be held hostage for increased payments and benefits,” he said. “I’m sure the entire city of Seattle would march behind me.”

"This decision was all politics and no substance. It's not based on anything in the U.S. Constitution, either. When Obama had a ban on Iraqis and others coming into the country, where was Judge Robart? He was on the bench then, as well. He's a part of the RINO [Republican in name only] wing of the GOP and sees his job as being someone who will mete out 'social justice' to the downtrodden," said former military officer, police commander and political strategist Michael Baker.

Also, on Saturday, veteran watchdog Larry Klayman, the founder of both Judicial Watch and now Freedom Watch and a former Justice Department prosecutor, issued a statement in the wake of the what he calls an illegal decision by a federal judge in Seattle to place a temporary restraining order on the recent executive action by President Donald Trump to put a 90-day hold on immigration from 7 Middle Eastern countries, all of which harbor huge numbers of Muslim terrorists bent on harming the United States. www.freedomwatchusa.org.

Klayman had this to say:

“The ruling is regrettably not surprising, as this judge not only disobeyed and flouted the law but apparently was more intent on making a name for himself in a very leftist state, Washington, and around the nation. While he was nominated by former President George W. Bush, this means little to nothing. The Bush family and many of its Republican establishment officials, after the unsuccessful presidential campaign of Jeb Bush, not only harbor an animus against President Trump, but W.’s appointed federal judges during his failed administration were generally not strict constructionists of the Constitution, or the rule of law. In addition to this renegade Seattle judge, James Robart, who also has taken over control of the Seattle Police Department, I am reminded of another W. appointee, federal judge Murray Snow who presides in the federal court in Phoenix, Arizona, who not only also has taken control of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, but unethically persecuted former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, boasting to his wife that he was bent on destroying Arpaio while presiding over a contempt trial sparked by the ultra-leftist and itself unethical ACLU.

“The bottom line is this: Judge Robart has illegally and unconstitutionally blocked executive power to curtail immigration of non-citizens and non-permanent residents, all of which have no rights to enter this country at will. Here, there was not even a bar put in place by President Trump, but simply a temporary hold on issuing visas to allow time to put in place an extreme vetting process to weed out terrorists. 

 Thus, President Trump’s reaction to this outrageous grab of judicial power was mild. Judge Robart should be impeached for his blatant political act and illegal grandstanding, obviously designed to make a name for himself. www.freedomwatchusa.org.

 “Finally, this underscores why Freedom Watch’s Judicial Selection Strike Force Coalition is so important an endeavor. There currently are about 100 judicial vacancies on the federal lower courts and we intend to vet and recommend judges to President Trump for appointment who adhere to the Constitution and the rule of law in general, like Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Currently, by and large what we have on the federal bench, with some exceptions, are ‘politicians in robes.’ This is very dangerous, as federal judges are our most important public servants, as they were intended by the framers of the Constitution to be independent and free of politics to protect We the People from the tyranny of the other two branches of government. What we see with Judge Robart’s illegal ruling ironically is ‘judicial tyranny’!”

_______________________________________________________

 Is Judge Blocking Trump Travel Ban 

Committing Treason?

 ________________________________________________________

 Soros Puppet Judge Aids ISIS by Blocking Trump 

Published on Feb 5, 2017

Seattle, Washington Federal Judge James Robart based his judgement of the Trump administration's decision to follow through with a travel ban of seven Muslim countries as "not rationally based". However, this purported logical judge was quoted by CNBC as stating "Black lives matter."
In August of 2016 Breitbart reported that The Black Lives matter movement was funded by U.S. National Security public enemy number one George Soros " ....in a detailed 69-page Open Society report on the agenda of an Open Society U.S. Programs board meeting held in New York October 1 to October 2, 2015." A portion of the Soros funded agenda read.
Recognizing the need for strategic assistance, the U.S. Programs Board approved $650,000 in Opportunities Fund support to invest in technical assistance and support for the groups at the core of the burgeoning #BlackLivesMatter movement"

Furthermore, Soros' shaping of Black Lives Matter was used to alter the 2016 elections, oddly never mentioned by the Democratic zeal to solely blame the Russians. As a hacked open society document stated "Leaders of #BlackLivesMatter and The Movement for Black Lives worked to influence candidate platforms during the 2016 primary season. This came alongside the recent acknowledgement by political strategists that African-American voters may be much more pivotal to the 2016 general election than previously forecasted."

President Trump responded to Judge Robart in a tweet stating"What is our country coming to when a judge can halt a Homeland Security travel ban and anyone, even with bad intentions, can come into U.S.?" The DHS has stopped flagging travelers. And direct flights have resumed from the previously banned countries to the United States.

After the DOJ quickly appealled Judge Robart's decision a Federal 9th Circuit Appeals Court declined to reinstate the Travel Ban. We are now playing Russian roulette with our National Security. Set into motion by a Federal judge basing his decision on political opinion rooted in the subversion of George Soros' Open Society initiatives.

Judge Robart's name won't fade into mainstream media history. Because when the next inevitable terror attack occurs on U.S. soil, we'll know exactly who to hold accountable for this dangerous subversion of U.S. National Security. Jon Bowne reports.

 _______________________________________________________

DOJ to defend Trump’s executive order on immigration

BY CHRISTINE WILLIAMS

SEE: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/02/doj-to-defend-trumps-executive-order-on-immigration; 

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

The showdown over President Trump’s executive order on immigration continues. District Senior Judge James Robart of Seattle has issued “a nationwide restraining order” to block Trump’s order, which restricts immigration from seven Muslim countries – countries selected by the Obama administration — suspends refugee admission for 120 days, and ban Syrian refugees indefinitely.
Lee Gelernt, the lawyer who successfully argued for a restraining order against Trump’s so-called “ban” in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, stated:

The courts have and will continue to recognize that this executive order favors Christians and disfavors Muslims and that is antithetical to American values and flatly inconsistent with the United States Constitution.

This erroneous comparison between Christians and Muslims aims to stir up division and once again reveals the myopia of leftists and the the anti-Trump camp. The reason for the Trump immigration policy is solely national security. How many Christians have been infiltrating the refugee stream for the purpose of murdering Westerners? How many Christians have been raping and sexually assaulting non-Christian Western women and girls all across Europe? How many Christian migrants have been committing crimes and wreaking havoc to the tune of the 46 billion dollars that German and European taxpayers now have to fork over to fix?
There is no discriminatory intent about the Trump order. At worst, it can be described as a drastic measure in a crisis. This obvious point was addressed by White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who said in a statement:

The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people.

“White House: DOJ plans to defend Trump’s immigration ban”, by Melanie Eversley, USA Today, February 3, 2017:

U.S. District Senior Judge James Robart of Seattle on Friday issued a nationwide restraining order blocking the travel ban put in place by President Trump last week.
Trump’s ban, created through an executive order, sought to block people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States.
In issuing his decision, Robart was siding with Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who filed a suit to block key provisions of the president’s executive order, which also bars Syrian refugees from entering the country.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer released a statement Friday night saying the Department of Justice would seek an emergency stay of this “outrageous order.”
“The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people,” Spicer said in the statement.
Statement by the Press Secretary:
At the earliest possible time, the Department of Justice intends to file an emergency stay of this order and defend the executive order of the President, which we believe is lawful and appropriate. The president’s order is intended to protect the homeland and he has the constitutional authority and responsibility to protect the American people.
As the law states, “Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or non-immigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, hailed Ferguson and applauded the decision.
“We should feel heartened by today’s victory and more resolute than ever that we are fighting on the right side of history,” the governor said in a statement. “Thank you to (Attorney General Bob Ferguson) and his team for making the case that no person – not even the president – is above the law.”
Amnesty International also applauded the development.
“This decision is a short-term relief for thousands of people whose lives have been upended, but Congress must step in and block this unlawful ban for good,” organization spokesman Eric Ferrero said in a statement. “Trump’s Muslim ban is in humane, unlawful, and discriminatory, which is why the courts and the public want it to be stopped.”
Ferguson said his team has been working around-the-clock for the last week on reversing the executive order.
“It’s obviously an historic decision and an important one for the rule of law and for the people of the state of Washington and the people of our country. I have said from the beginning: it is not the loudest voice that prevails in the courtroom, it is the Constitution, and that’s what we heard from Judge Robart today.”
The decision is effective immediately nationwide, Ferguson said.
A lawyer with the national office of the American Civil Liberties Union said the decision was significant.
“The decision in Washington reaffirms that the courts will stand up to the president,” said Lee Gelernt, the lawyer who successfully argued for a restraining order against Trump’s ban in federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y.
“The courts have and will continue to recognize that this executive order favors Christians and disfavors Muslims and that is antithetical to American values and flatly inconsistent with the United States Constitution.”….