Eternal Father, we come before You as we begin to read the following article, and humbly ask that all misconceptions, all misunderstandings, all human error and false intuition be put aside, as we lay aside ourselves and ask that You impart to us all an understanding of the things we are discussing here, and please help us – everyone of us – to remember that we see in part, and know in part, but that You alone see and know all things as they ought to be seen and known. We look to You then, to open the eyes of our understanding as we open our hearts and Bibles to You, and we humbly ask that You bring us to a knowledge of Yourself greater than what we have come to know thus far, so that we can continue growing in Your grace and truth, and speak to one another this truth in love. We ask this in the precious name of the Lord Jesus, amen.
A CLARIFICATION BEFORE WE BEGIN
Quite often, when one is compelled to address unbiblical behavior, even sin when practiced by another party within the body of Christ, and in the process of doing this, it is misunderstood by some to mean that one is in disagreement with the party over something that is so flagrantly heretical, what happens is that one is then thought to be in agreement with the heresy being addressed – albeit perhaps in an unbiblical manner by that party.
I have included this clarification at the beginning of this article, because I can discern that in some circles this may already be the case, and especially when we are dealing – as we are in these posts – with people who make a living being ambulance chasing heresy hunters who spend their days searching for the latest heresy and most salacious scandal to showcase prominently on their websites and talk about on the radio programs like a bunch of preening and self-righteous yentas.
Let me make this clear to everyone, and I will list these clarifications below in bulleted points to underscore what I mean, lest the ambulance chasing heresy hunters begin to think I am advocating the growing apostasy within the church and the intrigues of the Vatican as we near the Lord’s return. My clarifications are in bulleted points below.
v We need to be discerning (1John 4:1-6). This requires that we be biblically literate (Ezra 7:10, 2Timothy 2:15, 1Peter 1:13), informed and aware of the times we live in (1Chronicles 12:32, Esther 1:13), and spiritually awake (1Corinthians 15:34, 1Thessalonians 5:6, 8) and sober (2Timothy 4:5) also walking and (Galatians 5:16, 2Timothy 1:14, 1Peter 4:7, 5:8) praying in the Holy Spirit (Colossians 4:2, Jude 1:20).
v Anyone who advocates otherwise ignores the many admonitions Scripture (Titus 2:6-8).
v We must oppose Ecumenicism in all its manifestations and permutations wherever it manifests itself regardless of who the personalities who promote it are. We follow Christ, not celebrity televangelists and pastors (Colossians 3:23).
v I agree with Misters DeYoung and James above that we must oppose the unification of Protestant believers within the Word of Faith Movement and Roman Catholic Charismatics (Ephesians 5:5-13).
v I oppose with every fiber of my being Kenneth Copeland’s move towards the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church (Revelations 18:4-10, 24).
v Unless the Roman Catholic Church disavows all its unbiblical pagan beliefs, doctrines, and dogmas; and its worship and veneration of the Queen of heaven and all its hosts, as the ancient Israelites did (Jeremiah 7:17-19, 44:17-19, 24-26); many of which it has professed since its founding, no Protestant Evangelical Christian has any business associating with it in any way, because he/she will be in violation of the commandment not to associate with organizations who go too far (2 John 1:8-11) and profess another gospel (Galatians 1:8-9).
v Having made these clarifications, I must underscore that the points where I disagree with Misters DeYoung and James, as well as a few within the “discernment” camp; is in the methods used by these in addressing differences of secondary and tertiary theology with other Christians.
v I disagree with them targeting Evangelicals they disagree with or believe to be in error, rather than reaching out to them and dialoging with them, and working to resolve their differences with them before they make these differences public; rather than be factious and divisive, such people we are told to be vigilant of (Romans 16:17-18) and avoid (Titus 3:10-11).
v I do not advocate that any Protestant Christian Evangelical dialogue with members of the Roman Catholic Church unless it is for purposes of evangelization – that is, to bring Christ, the Living Christ, and His salvation to the religious lost in both the Roman Catholic Church and to segments of Protestant Christianity. The second may sound like an oxymoron, but it is not, because there are many “professing Christians” within the Protestant churches of America who do not know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior and are lost.
v Part Two of these two posts will describe with more specificity the precise biblical metric that is proper for us to engage in contending and defending our faith against the heretics of our day, and the infiltrators in our ranks and their work of apostasy. Indeed, at the heart of it is the question that the Holy Spirit asks through the pen of the Apostle Paul of ambulance chasing heresy hunters, where he asks, I quote:
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
WHY I DO THIS, WHY I HAVE GOTTEN INVOLVED
A cousin of mine asked me the other night why I get myself involved with these people? Why pay them attention at all? According to him, they’re unknowns and nobody knows about them. They’re not in the stature of a Billy Graham or a R.C. Sproul, or Charles Stanley not even in the same leagues – according to him; so why bother with them at all? I understand what he means, and agree with him to a point. I tried explaining to him what I have come to realize myself. I am not certain that he fully understood what I was trying to say, or how I feel about this, and why he thinks it’s a waste of time, because I’ve already engaged some of them biblically, and according to him, it’s time to move on – to let them go and release them to God’s grace, according to the Scriptures. I do this for three reasons. They are:
1.) As part of my calling to share the truth in love by teaching God’s Word, I am called to contend and defend the faith with those who misuse it, abuse it, rail against it, and mock it knowingly and unknowingly, be they misguided brethren or those outside our faith.
2.) I do this so that men will not have to face the Lord in judgment and account for a wrong done to another. I would rather see these misguided and sometimes, but not always, well-meaning brethren face the facts now about what they’re doing and how God’s Word teaches against it, see them seek God in personal repentance, take immediate remedial action by personally apologizing to the offended brethren they’ve slandered and vilified in public, retract their publicized open reproaches of those whom they’ve offended, and put up corrections to what they’ve written and said about them. If they do not do this here and now, they will face and account for these things later in the presence of Almighty God. Make no mistake about it. It will happen, because God’s Word makes this very clear, and no amount of self-justifying obfuscation and theological argumentation will allow them to wiggle themselves out of it.
3.) To bring peace and restoration to the body and help those engaged in this aberrant behavior not to repeat it so that the body of Christ is spared the no so “friendly fire” of these so-called “discerners” who truly lack the sensitivity and understanding, as well as the Scriptural knowledge – regardless of their accreditations – to know how to properly apply God’s Word in a judicious and prudent manner in wisdom and with discretion and consideration so as to restore the backslidden, teach the mistaken, and save the lost as is worthy and seemly of those who call themselves ambassadors of Christ.
Not everyone understands this, and unless their calling is in this area; there is a good chance they won’t, especially if they’re the types who understand such things, though they do possess knowledge in a good many others. So I am very careful of about this, because I too am like my brethren, just a man of flesh and blood with like emotions and a regenerated sinner who by God’s grace and calling, now practices God’s righteousness through the indwelling Spirit of Christ who empowers me to live for God and no longer for myself, though like all men, I also wrestle with spiritual forces of wickedness in high places and sin, though I am no longer a habitual uncaring practitioner of sin, but a son of righteousness by faith in Christ and Him alone, and His substitutionary death on the cross for sins, and His resurrection from the dead for my justification.
THE STENCH OF GOSSIP MONGERING THAT IS COMING FROM OUT OF THE HOWSE THESE DAYS
As I write this and post it, elements within the “discernment” camp are getting progressively worse in their reckless behavior and public statements. On his April 9th Worldview Weekend radio program, Brannon Howse mentioned that on a previous program he intended to get a stamp for his library that said, "Heretical garbage For research purposes only," but someone beat him to the punch and sent him one. He said he would stamp it in “Purpose Driven Life” and "Jonathan Cahn's book," so that no one would think he promotes those books.
Howse and Thomas Ice also mentioned Rabbi Cahn on his Worldview Weekend program, and again today (April 16th, 2014) Howse mentioned Jonathan Cahn again. Their carelessness is exposing them as nothing but cranks, and some of them are complaining that their following is not as large as it used to be. They fail to comprehend that when the daily bilge that is being broadcasted and passed as biblical nourishment to the masses – I’m referring to the idle gossip mongering, the attacks against other Christians, the references to their works as “heretical literature,” and other such public reproaches and mocking – there comes a point when truly discerning people see this for what it is as nothing but absolute reckless slander and evil report, and take their support and money elsewhere, because they see the handwriting on the wall. “YOU HAVE BEEN WEIGHED IN THE SCALES AND FOUND DEFICIENT.” (Daniel 5:27)
There is no Gospel in what these people engage in; no grace; no forgiveness of sins; no reconciliation, but alienation; no remedial acts of righteousness to correct the wrongs done previously by them; no public apologies and confessions of wrongdoing; no retraction of errors of judgment and mistakes made against Christian ministries and brethren; nothing that in any way makes it self-evident that what these men engage in daily has anything to do with the Bible and is Christian Orthopraxy as practiced correctly by men of God whose hearts have been transformed and lives changed by the Savior, because their behavior and public statements towards other members of the faith belie such a transformation has taken place. I have something to ask you:
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
THE LIBERTY UNIVERSITY/BENNY HINN KERFUFFLE: A RUSH TO JUDGMENT BEFORE GETTING ALL THE FACTS
He who gives an answer before he hears,
It is folly and shame to him.
(Proverbs 18:13)
“Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”
(John 7:51)
The latest kerfuffle created by one of these ambulance chasing heresy hunters is the show that Brannon Howse broadcasted this past week, where he assailed Liberty University for – as Mr. Howse claimed – Liberty University is working on a project with Benny Hinn. Here is a classic example of what these people do over and over and over again, and in fact, it is how they earn their pay, because it is nothing short than shameful that there is an audience out there of professing Christians who support this “gossip monger.” This is nothing but gossip. I present first Brannon Howse’s show description, followed by Liberty University’s own public statement regarding this sad episode. From Worldview Weekend’s Friday, April 4th, broadcast, I quote:
~~Breaking News: After you hear the shocking audio clips that reveal the heretical theology of Benny Hinn concerning Jesus Christ, you will wonder why Liberty University is working on a project with Benny Hinn. After we went off the air Liberty University released a press release saying “Liberty not Partnering with Hinn.”
So we are not to believe our ears, (or eyes if you see the video), when we hear the Liberty University Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ronald Godwin, on the program of Benny Hinn? Dr. Ronald Godwin was a guest on the television program of false teacher Benny Hinn. Hear some audio clips of Godwin along with Dan Reber of Liberty University Institute of Biblical Studies. (These are the titles on the screen given to each man as they are being interviewed by Benny Hinn).
Hear audio of Benny Hinn as he promotes a 20 hour course, through the Liberty Home Bible Institute, and then tells his audience that if they take this course he will then ordain them. The Liberty University website describes Dr. Ronald Godwin as “the second-highest ranked academic official of the University.”
Why did they allow him to go on Benny Hinn and promote what Benny Hinn on his website describes as follows: “For some time now we have been in dialogue with Liberty University Institute of Biblical Studies in Lynchburg, Virginia, and we recently agreed that we should join hands to form a powerful, worldwide ministry connection that will touch the world and impact your eternally.” The website of Hinn also declares, “Upon completion of this course you will receive a diploma from Liberty University…In addition, you will be invited to attend the World Healing Fellowship conference and ordination ceremony in December and receive your official licensing and ordination credentials.”
News & Events
Statement: Liberty not partnering with Hinn
April 3, 2014 : Liberty University News Service
Update:
Liberty University is not partnering with Benny Hinn. Liberty transferred the operations of Liberty Home Bible Institute, a non-accredited biblical studies certificate program, to Mr. Dan Reber in 2011. Mr. Reber was granted certain licensing rights to use Liberty’s name because the Liberty name was deeply imbedded in LHBI course materials. Earlier, in 2009, Liberty engaged a company of Reber’s, Internet Marketing and Communications, LLC, to market Liberty Home Bible Institute and the Institute of Biblical Studies, another non-accredited biblical studies certificate program. Liberty University has maintained ownership of both programs. It is our understanding that Dan Reber or his company is working with Benny Hinn but Liberty University is not aware of the extent of the relationship or the terms. A review of the relevant contracts demonstrates that any such cooperative venture, branding initiative or partnership with Benny Hinn regarding these Liberty University properties violates the terms of its agreements with Mr. Reber and Internet Marketing and Communications, LLC. Liberty University has placed them on notice of this breach and is taking steps to stop the unauthorized use of its intellectual properties and trademarks. It is true that a senior administrator of Liberty University appeared on a Benny Hinn program where a certificate program was promoted, but no other Liberty officials had prior notice of the planned broadcast. The administrator appeared after he was misinformed regarding the extent of Mr. Reber's contract rights. Again, Liberty University is not involved in any cooperative venture with Benny Hinn.
*More answers to questions on the issue are listed below.
Provost's statement, 4/4/14:
As the Liberty University Official who appeared on the Benny Hinn TV show I offer the following in order to explain why and what actually occurred.
As the Liberty University Official who appeared on the Benny Hinn TV show I offer the following in order to explain why and what actually occurred.
The reason why I appeared on Pastor Hinn’s show was because of my understanding that small church pastors in multiple countries are facing government takeovers of their churches and the loss of their own rights as pastors. It was explained to me that there are literally thousands of pastors and churches in imminent danger.
Mr. Reber's contribution to the project would have provided pastors with at least a modicum of Bible education and a diploma certifying same and Pastor Benny Hinn’s contribution would have been to ordain those pastors through his worldwide church, thus providing a double shield of protection against government takeover.
Because of the urgency of the request and the assurances by Mr. Reber that he had been authorized since 2009 by Liberty University to sell Liberty University Institute of Biblical Studies courses via Benny Hinn Ministries, I agreed without hesitation to appear on the Benny Hinn TV show with the understanding that I would have the opportunity to confirm what I believed at that time to be true: That Liberty University does grant college credit for Institute of Biblical Studies courses successfully completed.
What I failed to anticipate was that what I actually said would be lost beneath the weight of the gravely wrong assumption that I was announcing a partnership between Liberty and Benny Hinn. And I further relied on Pastor Hinn’s personal assurance that no public pronouncements would be made without my approval — which approvals I never gave, orally or in writing.
Today I was informed by Liberty University’s attorney that Mr. Reber apparently does not have the authority to market LUIBS courses on Benny Hinn’s program. But I want to go on the record that I still believe today that Mr. Reber sincerely believed he had such authority when he asked me for my help. And I believe that Dan Reber’s motivation was to provide Bible education to pastors in desperate need of such education.
It is my sincere prayer that the mistake I made in attempting to generate desperately needed help for pastors around the globe will not result in further hardship for those pastors and further distractions for Liberty University and its mission.
Dr. Ronald S. Godwin
Provost, Liberty University
ONE COMMENT FROM A LISTENER:
In the official statement by Liberty University: "It is true that a senior administrator of Liberty University appeared on a Benny Hinn program where a certificate program was promoted, but no other Liberty officials had prior notice of the planned broadcast. The administrator appeared after he was MISINFORMED regarding the extent of Mr. Reber's contract rights. Again, Liberty University is not involved in any cooperative venture with Benny Hinn." http://www.liberty.edu/news/in...
After Liberty University put out their statement, the next day, Brannon Howse was joined by JD Hall on his Worldview Weekend radio program to discuss the topic. From Worldview Weekend’s Monday, April 7th, broadcast, I quote:
emailtwitterfacebookBrannon Howse: Aired April 4, 2014
Guest: JD Hall and Dr. Jimmy DeYoung. Topic: We start out the program discussing the press release from Liberty University that seem to try and convince folks that what we saw and heard when their Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs appeared on the program of Benny Hinn was not what we saw and heard. Topic: Cancellation of the Palestinian prisoner release has stopped the peace process and the Palestinians threaten violence. Topic: Palestinian leaders say that Israel is planning to destroy the mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Topic: An apocalyptic Moslem prophecy is the driving force in the Syrian civil war. Topic: The general election campaign has begun for the national elections in Iraq which is bound to bring about an increase in violence. Topic: We take your calls on the Liberty University/Benny Hinn topic.
In the Pulpit and Pen radio program on the Worldview Weekend website, for Tuesday, April 8th, 2014, JD Hall falls over himself when he gets the news of Liberty University’s public statement, he was unaware of. Below is the program description for the day’s broadcast:
On today's program, JD discusses a number of news topics, including the forced resignation of Mozilla's CEO because he supported the pro-marriage Proposition 8 in California. Also discussed is WorldVision's reversal and the "tens of thousands" of children now going unsupported and Rachel Held Evan's "official" exodus from evangelicalism. In the Daily #DOWNGRADE, JD discusses Liberty University's alleged partnership with Benny Hinn, in which Liberty University's Provost and Senior Vice President appeared on the Benny Hinn program.
After Brannon Howse fell over himself, he brought JD Hall back on his Worldview Weekend radio program and Justin Peters. Below is a description of the broadcast for Tuesday, April 8th.
Guest: Justin Peters and JD Hall. Topic: Liberty University puts out yet another press release and now they admit much of what we reported since day one. Topic: Liberty University has yet to denounce the false teaching of Benny Hinn. Topic: One SBC author writes and article calling those of us that reported on this uninformed and angry. Why is this a uninformed and false statement? Topic: Justin Peters weighs in with us for the first time on Liberty University and Benny Hinn. Justin has been to numerous Benny Hinn meetings to see firsthand the heretical actions.
This is just gossip. There is no Gospel in this. There is no mention of Christ, no mention of His resurrection, and worst of all, there is no offer to help anyone involved in this, and no offer of salvation through the substitutionary work of Christ. And if these people are so fixated on Benny Hinn, why don’t they offer to help him get things “right” theologically, so that he may be restored doctrinally to the right teachings of Christianity, as Priscilla and Aquila did to Apollos? There is a very good motivating reason for this. It is because gossip attracts the most base of our emotions, and it feeds the ego’s need to have one up on everyone else. It panders to the worst in human nature, and human nature – the natural fallen man – feeds on this stuff day in and day out, and of course, it gets these people a lot of fans, followers and dollars for doing this.
If this is their motivation, then they are not serving Christ, but are actually doing the enemy’s bidding. This is terrible. I have always enjoyed Christian Apologetics, but what these so-called “discerners” have done with Apologetics – to turn it in on itself against the church – and then mangle 1Corinthians 12 to justify gossip mongering is nothing less than the greatest deception Satan has yet devised to fool even the very elect! This is the type of behavior that we are strongly admonished, even commanded to stay away from and take no part in as ambassadors of God’s Gospel of peace. When you hear a person claiming to have a ministry devote that “ministry” to getting the scoop on every scandal that it can publicize, run from it as fast and as far as you can! They are not serving Christ.
Yes, Brannon Howse does have a predilection to run his mouth, and he does it quite often and as quickly as a runaway freight train. But it unfortunate that so often when someone runs his mouth as often as Brannon Howse does, it’s not the Gospel that’s coming out, but gossip mongering and dirt, and no less a target than someone inside and not outside of the church. It’s time to be truly discerning about these “discerners” because the Holy Spirit does not engage in this type of behavior, but we do know who the accuser of the brethren is, don’t we?
Here is the rest of what JD said when he was totally deflated on his program:
"Oh my! You know what, I'm just now realizing this as I read it. This is an update that I've just read to you from 2014 - ah, excuse me - from April 4th. On April 3rd, it doesn't say any of this... and, if you're listening to this and you say, 'Well no duh, I knew this since Friday', this, again, this program is recorded in advance and Monday's program is always recorded on Friday so this is very, very new. Then on April 4th, it says... okay - now picking up - I apologize - I was gonna say - this doesn't seem like what I've read before. Now, on April 4th it says - okay - so -
'It is true that a senior administrator at Liberty appeared on the program but he was misinformed regarding the extent of Mr. Reber's contract rights. Again, Liberty University is not involved in any cooperative venture with Benny Hinn.'
Now, this is uh - this is interesting. And this is new for me too so I'm talking about it while I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking and talking at the same time [which] is usually never a good idea for me. Usually the best course of action is - think first - talk second. But when they say that he was misinformed (pause) about Mr. Reber's rights to promote Liberty's products (pause) insinuating that Reber didn't have (pause) permission from the proper channels (pause) to shill the product line (long pause) and to use Liberty's name... (pause) One of the things that I talked to Brannon about on Friday (pause) was - how could they say that considering the Provost is sitting right there? And they're saying, well he was simply misinformed about Reber's contract with Liberty University. Here's my question... (pause followed by a sheepish laugh and another pause) Why does it matter (pause) if he was misinformed about Reber's (short pause) contract with Liberty? (Pause) Is he misinformed about Benny Hinn? (Pause) Does he not know who Benny Hinn is? Does he have that little discernment? And if you say that he doesn't know who Benny Hinn is, then that means he's out sh---illing a product (long pause) not knowing what he's selling (pause) or to whom he is selling it? (Pause) That's pretty shocking in and of itself so while I have this - uh - pulled up, it has other questions (pause) on the uh - on the issue..."
In broadcast for Monday, April 14th, 2014, Brannon Howse had Tomas Ice as his guest on his Worldview Weekend radio program on VCY America. On this program he again mocked a beloved fellow servant in Christ and longtime conservative Christian Apologist, Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries. My suspicions are for her strong biblical and courageous stand in support for Rabbi Jonathan Cahn and The Harbinger at a time when Mr. Howse joined Jimmy DeYoung, David James, and T.A. McMahon, and a few others to trash the book, and bash and defame its author. She and Eric Barger, Jill Martin Rischie, and Larry Kutzler did not join the bandwagon of defamation against a fellow Christian that these men engaged in, and since that time, Mr. Howse has taken snipes at them in one program or another, and at Jonathan Cahn with reckless abandon. This is a disgrace and beneath a servant of Christ to do to another in public, but it is par for the course with Brannon Howse these days. This was the program description for the day:
Guest: Dr. Tommy Ice. Expert Tommy Ice reveals why people using Joel 2 to claim the blood moons of 2014 and 2015 are prophetic signs are 100% wrong. We also hear from an astrophysics with Institute for Creation Research. Tommy Ice explained why talk show hosts and authors look silly when they make act like the blood moon is some kind of warning or harbinger of things to come. Topic: What are the different meanings of the term last days? Topic: 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is a controversial passage and some theologians believe the falling away that is discussed is the apostasy of the tribulation and others believe it is the rapture. How could two be confused and what is going on in the text that causes experts in Greek to disagree. This is a very interesting conversation about an often quoted text.
What you read above speaks volumes by itself. I post it here, because it additional evidence of how this group of ambulance chasing heresy hunters work. They do this every day, and it is a wonder how VCY America keeps them on the air! This is a Christian radio station? With this kind of behavior!!!???? Now let me ask you:
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
SOME QUESTIONS THAT MUST BE ASKED OF THOSE CALLING THEMSELVES “DISCERNERS”
Now before we go on, there are some fundamental questions we must ask about the actions, behavior, public statements, and writings being presented by some of these self-styled “discernment ministries” against members of our own faith. These are very basic, but very important questions that must be asked and considered by everyone, whether or not they are “discerners” or victims and targets of their public vituperations.
1.) Have these “discerners” contacted the people and or ministries they’ve decided to criticize to allow them to explain themselves?
2.) Have these “discerners” explain to them their concerns, and what Scriptures they’re basing their objections on?
3.) Have these “discerners” exhausted all efforts at mediation to arrive at a place where both or all parties can amicably and respectfully disagree or agree?
4.) Have these “discerners” allowed everyone the opportunity to present what they believe are the biblical basis for their beliefs?
5.) Have these “discerners” considered it possible for sincere Evangelical believers to disagree with one another over topics and matters of secondary and tertiary separation, and remain loyal servants of one another without tearing each other to shreds in public?
6.) Have these “discerners” questioned their faith, or pray for them faithfully?
7.) Have these “discerners,” when seeing their brother’s wick smoldering and their flame going out; does he snuff them out, or in the love of God offer to help, and with gentleness and humility, keep God’s flame alive in that struggling brother?
8.) Have these “discerners” become “advocates for the prosecution,” or “advocates of God’s grace,” offering forgiveness and restoration?
In his inspirational little book about 9/11 about a prophetic dream he had two days before the tragic event about it, author Darren Hibbs, writes the following regarding the lessons that Scripture gives us from what happened to divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and the relevance this has to us today in America as God’s eminent Judgment stares US in the face. I quote:
“We can learn from our current situation from what happened to Judah and Israel. We have a much better record of God’s Word to Judah before their destruction and captivity, but we also need to learn from Israel (the northern kingdom of Hebrews) and their outcome as well.”
“We must start by asking the right questions. Often in church people learn to read scripture and see how bad the Israelites were without any concern for what we are supposed to learn from them. Many people today are blind to how similar we truly are. The same sentiment we have now existed in Jesus’ day when the leaders of Israel proclaimed, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets’ (Matthew 23:30).”
“They did not realize the tragic irony in that statement since they were soon to shed the blood of the greatest prophet of all. How could they be so blind?”
“They had studied scripture and were sure they had learned the right lessons from it. They had learned what made their forefathers so wrong. They had learned how not to be that way. But those were the wrong lessons. They were asking the wrong questions.”
“Instead of learning what they did and why their forefathers went so wrong, the Pharisees and leaders of Israel should have asked, ‘How did our forefathers miss it so badly? Why did they not see what we can see so clearly with hindsight?’ In the end, the leaders in Jesus’ day did not put themselves into the story to understand how they could possibly be just as bad as the leaders who had gone before them. They just assumed that since they knew the stories they would not repeat the history.”
“Instead of saying, ‘I know what they did and I will not do it now,’ they should have been asking, ‘In what ways am I exactly like them? In what ways am I vulnerable to make the very same mistakes they did.’ It is often said that ‘those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.’ In truth, the phrase should be, ‘Those who do not learn the appropriate lessons from history are doomed to repeat it.’ Often those lessons are lost on us because we refuse to acknowledge that we are of the same nature as those who went before us.”
And we have in the Scriptures one of Paul’s last warnings about the times we live in presently about such people. This is how he describes these times and these people among us, and how we should deal with them. I quote:
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
(2Timothy 3:1-5)
When the only thing certain people who profess to be Christians do is spend their days looking for dirt to throw at others faces, instead of sharing the Gospel that saves souls, instead of being a light to the oppressed among our brethren, to those among our brethren who falter, to those among our brethren who have fallen into a false doctrine, or to those among our brethren who need encouragement; but instead spend their days to slander them, judge them, put them to open reproach before the world to shame them and be their judge, jury, and executioner, being the first to cast the stone of judgment against them, while forgetting their own sin – then we are witnessing the very behavior from within our body described above prophetically in the Holy Spirit of God by Paul the Apostle. It is time to WAKE UP!
This is how we are told by the Scriptures on how to conduct ourselves, even more so as we see the return of Jesus Christ to this world approaches.
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
(Exodus 20:16. See also Deuteronomy 5:20)
“You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.
(Exodus 23:11)
The tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
(James 3:5-18)
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.[1]
Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?
(James 4:11-12)
Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
(James 5:9-11)
Now let me ask you once more, and please do not misunderstanding what I am doing here, do not misunderstanding me; I speak from my heart to yours my brethren;
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
RESPECTING OUR DIFFERENCES, DISAGREEING ON THEM, WITHOUT BECOMING DISAGREEABLE TOWARDS EACH OTHER
I believe it’s possible if we can respect those differences without compromising our own, especially celebrating more what unites us as born again believers in God’s grace, than sniping at each other over the secondary and tertiary differences that divide us, because those do not determine the most fundamental tenets of our faith – the Christian Faith. What do I mean by “respecting those differences without compromising own”?
They comprise the following:
Everyone, regardless of what side of the “discernment” equation one is in, that there fundamental confessions/affirmations of the Christian Faith that are prerequisites of whether or not a person is truly a Christian and lives in the grace of God in Christ.
The Godhead –– Who God is and His nature & the Deity of Christ.
“Declare and set forth your case; Indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me.
(Isaiah 45:21)
This is in the confession on the central tenets of belief that the Trinity, which defines God as three consubstantial persons, "one God in three persons." God is the Father; God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit. God is a Compound Unity of Three in One. The three persons are distinct, yet are one in "substance, essence or nature.” In this context, "nature" is defined as what one is, while "person" is defined as who one is. This is best personified in the Hebrew Shema, “Shema Yisrael, Adonai, Eloheinu, Adonai Echad” – “Hear, O Israel! The Lord, our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4, see Mark 12:29) The Hebrew word, “ECHAD” literally means compound unity. There is a Hebrew word for absolute one – it is the word YACHID. This word is not used in the Hebrew Bible to denote the unity and nature of the Godhead. This is the most fundamental teaching of the Christian Faith and is held sacrosanct by Jewish and Gentile believers.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend or overpower it.
(John 1:1-5)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
(Colossians 1:15-18)
The confession can be from God’s Word, contained in what scholars believe are among the oldest credo confessions of our faith preserved in Paul’s Letters. I quote:
By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: God who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
(1 Timothy 3:16)
Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.
(Titus 2:13)
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
For to which of the angels did He ever say,
“You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”?
And again,
“I will be a Father to Him
And He shall be a Son to Me”?
And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says,
“And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
And of the angels He says,
“Who makes His angels winds,
And His ministers a flame of fire.”
But of the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.
“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
And,
“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the works of Your hands;
They will perish, but You remain;
And they all will become old like a garment,
And like a mantle You will roll them up;
Like a garment they will also be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.”
But to which of the angels has He ever said,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I make Your enemies
A footstool for Your feet”?
Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?
(The Letter to the Hebrews, Chapter One)
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(2Peter 1:1)
This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus the Messiah; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One. And there are three that testify on earth, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are for the one thing in agreement.
And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
(1John 5:20)
to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
(Jude 1:25)
Confessing the Firm Belief That The Bible is God’s Inerrant Word and Authority On All Matters of Life
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
(2Timothy 3:16-17)
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
(Hebrews 4:12)
The Gospel of Jesus the Messiah, which is best described by the Apostle Paul.
I quote:
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
(1Corinthians 15:1-8)
The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 28)
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him. Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe; and they were amazed. And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has risen; He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’” They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons. She went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.
After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.
Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
[So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.]
[And they promptly reported all these instructions to Peter and his companions. And after that, Jesus Himself sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.]
(The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16)
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling clothing; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.
And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” They began to relate their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.
While they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.” But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; and He took it and ate it before them.
Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.
(The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24)
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
(The Gospel of John, Chapter 20)
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
(1Corinthians 15:12-19)
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.
(1John 1:1-4)
This confession can be creedal, as contained in what is known as The Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
First, there Must Be an Awareness, Acknowledgement, and Confession That Every Human Being Is Hopelessly Lost in Sin and Needs God’s Salvation Through Jesus the Messiah and Savior
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
(Psalm 51:5)
If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
(Psalm 130:3)
Both Jews and Greeks are all under sin; as it is written,
“There is none righteous, not even one;
There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
“Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
“Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
(Romans 3:9-31, see also Psalm 14:1-3)
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
(Roman 8:6-8)
Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
(Galatians 3:19-22)
Then, Personal Sin Must be Confessed and Brought Before God So That God’s Grace May be Given To US
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
(Psalm 32:3-5)
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
(1John 1:5-10)
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
(Revelations 3:20)
Then Know for Certain That There is Only One Way of Reconciliation With God, & It is Through Jesus the Messiah
Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.
(Isaiah 50:10)
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
(John 3:16-17)
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
(John 3:18)
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.”
(John 5:39)
And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
(Acts 4:12)
“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
(Acts 10:43)
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
(Colossians 1:19-20)
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
(2Peter 3:9)
Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
(2Corinthians 5:18-19)
God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.
(1Timothy 2:3b-6)
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
(1John 2:1-2)
Understand & Know That Redemption in Christ Brings the New Birth – the New Life in Christ – Necessary to See and Enter the Kingdom of God
[The New Birth] Then Samuel took the flask of oil, poured it on his head, kissed him and said, “Has not the Lord anointed you a ruler over His inheritance? When you go from me today, then you will find two men close to Rachel’s tomb in the territory of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say to you, ‘The donkeys which you went to look for have been found. Now behold, your father has ceased to be concerned about the donkeys and is anxious for you, saying, “What shall I do about my son?”’ Then you will go on further from there, and you will come as far as the oak of Tabor, and there three men going up to God at Bethel will meet you, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a jug of wine; and they will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hand. Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre before them, and they will be prophesying. Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily, and you shall prophesy with them and be changed into another man. It shall be when these signs come to you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you. And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do.”
Then it happened when he turned his back to leave Samuel, God changed his heart; and all those signs came about on that day. When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. It came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?” A man there said, “Now, who is their father?” Therefore it became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?” When he had finished prophesying, he came to the high place.
(1Samuel 10:1-13)
[The New Birth] …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
(John 1:13)
[The New Birth] Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
(John 3:1-7)
[The New Birth] However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
(Romans 8:9-11)
[The New Birth] Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
(2Corinthians 3:12-16)
[The New Birth] Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
(2Corinthians 5:17)
[The New Birth] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
(1Peter 1:3)
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
(1John 3:4-10)
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
(1John 5:1)
We can continue on and on, but these the most fundamental and necessary confessions of the faith, as well as everything that is necessary for the new life in Christ, which every born again child of God possesses, professes, and practices ().
Then, Appreciate That the Assurance of Salvation Is through and in Christ Alone by Placing One’s Faith in His Completed Work of Our Redemption Of Us for God
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
(Psalm 30:5)
How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
(Psalm 32:1-2)
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
(John 1:12-13)
Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
(Romans 8:1-4)
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
(Romans 10:8-10)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
(Romans 8:31-35)
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
(2Corinthians 5:14-15)
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
(Ephesians 2:8-10)
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
(Colossians 1:13-14)
But when Messiah appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Messiah also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
(Hebrews 9:11-15, 27-28)
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
(1John 5:13)
And now allow me to ask you again from my heart to your heart these questions:
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
SOMETHINGS WE NEED TO ASCERTAIN ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON
Even after securing that the person or persons profess a confession that conforms to those here, there are still questions about the person’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are a lot of people who profess Christ, but do they know Him, or just know about Him? There are many Catholics and Protestants who profess to believe in Christ, but are not born again, nor do they know Him personally. There are questions that need to be asked.
1.) Is the person born again of the Holy Spirit of God? (John 3:3, 5-6) And God evident in this person’s life? (1John 2:3, 29)
2.) Does the person confess Christ as Lord in their life, and is the evidence of that faith evident in their life – their behavior, manner of speech, how they conduct their business and interactions with others, such as do they share the Gospel?
3.) Does the person acknowledge God by giving Him glory spontaneously from the heart when something good happens or good news is heard? (Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 8:23)
4.) Is the person self-centered and self-serving, or does he/she think of others, and put their needs before his own? (Romans 12:10)
5.) Is there evidence of good works and are they active in some way in service? Church? Charity? Community? Public service?
6.) Is there evidence of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the person’s life? (Galatians 5:22-23) Or are they the complete opposite to what they claim to be?
7.) Is there evidence of humility in the person, meaning does he/she receive reproof when given, or does he/she scornfully reject and even tries to justify themselves? (Proverbs 3:7-8)
Additionally, it must be remembered that no one is exempt from mistakes, errors, or sin – no one – and if anyone believes that in any manner they are, then they have not come to true repentance of their sin and reconciled with God by accepting His free gift of salvation in Christ.
It is by the Sword of the Word of God in the Holy Spirit that we wage this war and not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:10-18) – and we are bringing into submission every lofty and high sounding claim that lifts itself up against the authority of God in Christ (2Corinthians 10:5), being careful not to wield this sword and wage this war and contend with our brethren, but with those outside of our faith.
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION: IT IS NOT THE COMPANY THAT YOU KEEP, BUT HOW YOU KEEP THE COMPANY
“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
(Matthew 11:19, see also Luke 7:34)
The true mark of a servant of Christ who faithfully serves by spreading His message, is to go everywhere to everyone without discrimination and without limitation. This is why Paul sought to preach the Gospel in places where it had never been preached before, so that it would receive the maximum amount of exposure, because people’s souls were at stake, and this is what Jesus died and resurrected for. Who am I to put religious limitations to the message because somebody is a Mormon? Or a Freemason? Or an atheist? Or even – God forbid – a Satanist, Luciferian, Occultist, a Gnostic, or a Wiccan? Who do I think that I am to put limits on where I go with this message? To whom I will extend the grace of God that I am commissioned to share without limits to all creation?
This is the argument I have with those who criticize Jonathan Cahn for taking the message of repentance of The Harbinger to Benny Hinn, to Glenn Beck, to anyone and everyone, because this is part of the Great Commission. Rabbi Cahn is not sitting down to break bread with these people and fellowship with them; he’s there to bring the light of the Gospel through the message of repentance contained both in Rabbi Cahn’s book, The Harbinger and my book, The Truth about The Harbinger: Addressing the Controversy and Discovering the Facts About This Prophetic Message – a message that needs to reach the lost for Jesus Christ. Who do we think we are? Better than they because of God’s grace? We didn’t earn it, and we’re sinners like they, except, someone took the time to share with us what some of our brethren believe these people are unworthy to hear; the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Have we become Pharisees?
I struggled with this personally at one point, because I have deep and serious reservations about some of these people, but by God’s grace, I have come to see the Holy Spirit’s witness in this. We’re called to bring God’s salvation to the lost. This means Mormons, Freemasons, people of the Protestant and Catholic Faith, indeed people of all faiths who do not know Christ, Observant Jews, atheists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and all others. We are to evangelize the lost regardless of where they are, what they believe in, or whether they believe us or don’t. Going on a radio or television program to call all men everywhere to repentance and to Jesus Christ regardless of the venue, is what we are called to do. So if any one of us are invited to speak at one of these programs, and we will, it is our calling, it is our duty, and our responsibility to bring Christ to the lost regardless of what they believe. Remember, before we came to a saving knowledge and faith in Christ, we too were as lost as they. Who are we to shut God’s door in their face?
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
A SUMMARY OF THINGS WE CAN AND SHOULD DO
We’ve spent plenty of time discussing what is aberrant behavior by the so-called “discernment ministries” now let us examine what the Scriptures say we can and should do with our time, which really isn’t our time, but God’s as He has given each of us a measure of His grace in which to do His works and fulfill His calling on our lives for the Gospel in reaching the lost.
There are so many divergent theological points of view because as Paul, (who wrote most of the New Testament) attested for himself and for us, we know in part and we prophesy in part; (1Corinthians 13:9) and now we see in a mirror dimly (1Corinthians 13:12), and it is precisely because “the perfect” (1Corinthians 13:10-12) has not yet come, and writing of himself, and of us, now I know in part, (1Corinthians 13:12) and we as well know in part and we prophesy in part, that there are so many divergent theological points of view. But, as believers cognizant of this, we allow for such divergence as long as Christ is preached and we hold to the most cherished and basic tenets of our faith. We do not attack one another for them, we embrace one another in Christ, while respecting our differences and different ministries. This is because those of us who can respectfully differ on these things, are told to have and practice faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1Corinthians 13:13) Nobody would ever knowingly do or say anything to hurt someone they love; why would any of us do it to anyone?
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
We are to examine all things, hold fast to what is good, reject all forms of evil.
As much as it is possible on our end, be at peace with all men, and not to revile our brethren, not to bear false witness, to lie, cheat, steal, or harm anyone in any way.
Love our brethren as Christ has loved us.
And endeavor to reach as many people as we can with the good news that there exists the assurance for them to be reconciled with God and secure His favor by accepting His provision He established for all of us through His Son, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, by calling on that name, and placing complete and implicit trust in Him for this provision, and recognize that there is absolutely no other way than through Him to God.
These are the fundamentals of what we must do and how we must live and conduct ourselves in this fallen world.
TAKE REMEDIAL ACTION NOW NOT LATER
What I write here is not in reference to anyone’s salvation, inasmuch as our salvation is not conditional upon our works, but I speak of our works – good and bad – and our responsibility to take responsibility for it, and realize that if we don’t, we will be at the day in which all of our works will be tested with fire (1Corinthians 3:13-5, 1Peter 1:7), the earth and its works will be burned up (2Peter 3:10), and we are made to account for ourselves before the Judge of all Creation. Now I speak to my brethren who engage in these activities, and leave them with one question:
What makes you think that you can escape God’s rightful discipline, when you engage in the same kind of activity daily that Paul did before he came to faith and realized what he had been doing to his fellow Jews, which activities Christ considered and told Saul/Paul he had engaged in against Him, for He said to him, “‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’” (Acts 22:7-8); when you do these things against members of our own faith? What made you think that you can do this and think you’re still serving Christ?
But how does Jude describe these men? He warns that they have crept in (Jude 4), and their as to their behavior and deeds, he writes, that when the Lord returns, He will convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. (Jude 15, 16) Take note, that Jude warns that these people will be convicted of what they “have spoken against Him,” spoken against whom? Spoken against Christ, because what they’ve done to God’s servants, they’ve done to Christ.
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
Now don’t misunderstanding me, I am not going to make the same mistake these people make, by painting every person, every act, every public statement, with a very big and broad brush, because in some cases, when someone has been privately notified and has ignored and even rejected every reconciliatory measure of remedial, then it is appropriate to speak out about either a false doctrine, or inappropriate behavior – when there is one, and to mark that person as divisive and possibly (if it fits) an apostate from the faith. I am not referring to those situations, but when genuine servants of Christ have been publicly maligned and slandered by these so-called “discerners.”
Wake up, and seek God on this, repent, and take immediate remedial action for what you have done and said against your brethren whom you have injured, I plead for your sakes, and for the Lord’s!!! You know what you need to do. Now do it, and never again repeat what you have done and said against another brother or sister, because you will not be guiltless if you persist in this type of behavior. You will be held accountable for it, and will suffer the shame of having your works burned up (1Corinthians 3:13-15), which is why Christ said, “For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:49-50) Salt is used in keeping things from going rancid, rotten – in preservation of things. Salt is also used in adding flavor to food. What are you?
If we do not grow and mature in our faith here and now, by obedient and loving submission to God’s grace, and learn from His chastisements and loving corrections, part of which is to take remedial action on our part when it is necessary and prudent to do so, then we will be answerable hereafter in our deficiencies by having these works burned up. Salt adds flavor to food, every type of food, it also stings on open wounds, but it helps in the healing process as well. Don’t ignore the wound and allow it to fester any longer. But let’s be the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), and stop being a hindrance to one another (Romans 14:13), because God is going to remove both from His kingdom someday (Matthew 13:41). So I ask you once again, heart to heart:
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
I would encourage everyone to do this if they have offended another, if for no other reason than it is necessary to allow them to forgive you from their hearts for their own sakes, if not for yours (Matthew 18:21-35, Luke 6:33, 36-37, 46), just as Christ has done (Ephesians 4:32). If you can’t stand now when the grass is green by building the right foundation for yourself, how will you stand when it dries up and you are without the most basic foundation, which is obedience practiced in God’s grace by extending it to others? (Luke 6:4) And if you call yourselves Christ’s disciples, how can you make such a claim if you do obey His wishes? If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (1John 4:20-21) Brethren, when one seeks to diminish another, they only diminish themselves, because in seeking to diminish the other person, they should they lack the character themselves to allow the other person to grow, and they themselves betray their lack of good sense and maturity.
If you don’t hate a person, why treat them as though you do? And if that person is a member of your own faith – a brother in Christ – a brother or sister in the faith you and I hold precious – whom Christ gave His life for – then should we treat one another any different than Christ treats us? Of course not. If Christ surrendered Himself for that person, why do you treat them with contempt, mock and deride them as the world does in public? On the radio? In your writings? Why do act and speak as the world does and treat them as enemies? Is this what ambassadors of a Gospel of peace supposed to do to members of their own faith? Does this behavior honor or dishonor your brother?
Then make peace with your offended brother, and do it before the sun has set on your anger – don’t let another day pass without reaching out to them and doing what is right in the sight of God (Ephesians 4:26). The longer you wait, the more difficult it will become, because it is your will and not that of the other person, but your will, and willful pride is a reproach in the site of God, and a poor witness of God’s grace because you are denying it by your stubborn pride. If you have offended another party, take remedial action, and do it today so that the name of Christ will not be sullied by unbelievers and mockers who use these types of behavior among Christians to defame us before the world, and lie about and deny the grace of God. Do you think that when the Law commands not to put a stumbling block before the blind, it only means those who cannot physically see? (Leviticus 19:14) And what about the stern warning Christ gave regarding those who put stumbling blocks in other’s paths? (Matthew 18:7, Luke 17:1) They will have no part in God’s kingdom (Matthew 13:41). So then, in conclusion may I ask?
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
For my brethren in Christ whom I will name here – Jimmy DeYoung, David James, Brannon Howse, Thomas A. McMahon, Thomas Ice, Ken Silva, Paul D. Van Noy, Paul Barreca, Gary Gilley, Mark Dinsmore, Roy B. Zuck, Tim Challies, Jeremy James, Jim Eckman, Fred Butler, Dave Mosher, Mike Oppenheimer, Eric Douma, Bob DeWaay formerly of Twin Cities Fellowship (which incidentally, fragmented shortly after their attacks on Jonathan Cahn and The Harbinger), Christine Pack, and Berit Kjos, I implore you in Christ in the following manner. Consider what we have been given in Christ, and the price He paid on our behalf, and please consider in your hearts what I write next.
Don’t be a casualty of sin, but make sin the casualty in your lives. Christ paid the ultimate price for it, will you? Will you die to self, and reach out to your offended and hurt brethren? Reach out, make peace with the offended party, show Christ’s love to them, as He shows His love to you every day you draw breath in the land of the living. You’re still in ministry, right? Take this as God’s patience towards you, and show the same patience and forbearing spirit with your brother. God hasn’t cut you off, so why should you cut your brother off whom you’ve offended? Who are you to deny to another what Christ has not denied you? Are you above Christ? And why be so eager to be the first to hurl a stone to harm another in the name of “truth” when the first thing you should do is be a healer, a restorer, a peace maker, and an ambassador of God’s good will and His Good News – His Gospel of peace? Where is this Gospel of peace in your message? As Christ has done with and to you, so do to others; and never again put anyone who calls upon the name of Jesus Christ to open reproach. You reproach Christ and His good name when you do this, and bring shame to the faith. When you seek to discredit another member of your faith, you discredit yourself; when you seek to diminish another, you only diminish yourself. You don’t defend the faith by destroying another who professes it.
Look, I am the least of all of God’s servants; and I am not worthy to even write what I do here and I do so cognizant of my own failings and shortcomings – yes even sins – I am not exempt from these admonitions and include myself in them as well; but like every one of you, I too serve by God’s grace and for His purposes, and I have written this to strongly admonish you (including myself, and all others) in the grace of Almighty God and the love of Jesus Christ; to do this. Pray to God and do make your peace with the one whom you have hurt and offended for a period of over two years. And go beyond that, also make your peace and restore the broken relationships that have happened over these controversies, and love your brethren, as Christ has commanded. Make your apologies, retract what you have written, correct the mistakes you have made, apologize to your readers for what you have written and said about Rabbi Cahn and others, and please avoid as much as is possible to ever put anyone to such public reproach as you did Jonathan Cahn, ever again. If you do this, it will be well with you and with the body.
But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
(Romans 14:10-12)
I have provided below a list of the different ministries that go by the moniker of Discernment Ministries and their doctrinal/theological orientation. The site I pulled it from is decidedly Cessationist and Calvinist in orientation. It is called with CHRIST.org. I list it here so that those who read their articles will be aware of the doctrinal and theological “bent” or bias of the Critic’s Corner, as I like to call it in order to understand their approach.
|
| ||
