I wonder why Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking for financial records from a targeted group of Ministries beyond the scope of what is requested by the IRS. In Washington DC Grassley, a member of the Senate Finance Committee is investigating what has become known as the Grassley Six:

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Benny Hinn, Creflo and Taffi Dollar, Bishop Eddie Long, Joyce and David Meyer, and Randy and Paula White.

I would get the picture if the Democratic Party controlled Committee was pushing for the investigation because the (nearly) Godless Left does not appreciate strong Biblical value minded Christians to be an influence in politics.

Do notice I said Christians, apparently it is politically correct for Mohammedan's to spout politics and retain their 501(c)3 non-profit donation status.

Anyway Senator Grassley definitely is a Slanted Right Conservative; therefore I have to believe he has acquired some information on the Grassley Six. The information must not be the smoking gun that has convinced Grassley to investigate financial abuse of these Ministries. I did see an MSM piece on Benny Hinn photo-documenting a lavish lifestyle which the MSM piece was financed by Hinn's 501(c)3 Ministry. I do recall the network that did the piece rudely harassed Hinn in public because Hinn would never agree to an interview. The program would show public questioning Hinn and trap him into answers that there was no way Hinn was prepared to answer. Hinn would give off the top his mind answers and if it did not jive with documented information the program already had, a clip would follow with facts and figures staining Hinn's reputation.

I do understand the motivation behind the Slanted Left MSM. These six Ministers that have gained the appellation of the Grassley Six are all Ministers that do way more than preach prosperity. These are Faith people who believe in Divine Healing and Divine Intervention via the Biblical Gifts of the Spirit. This is a practice that many Christians antagonistic to this literal form of Faith have labeled heresy. What better way to put a dent into faith then to show these Ministers as liars or living the high life on non-profit tax deductable donations.

I must give Grassley credit though. If the Grassley six are living lavishly on Ministry funds rather than the salary from the Ministry coupled with investments, then there is a taint on the image of Christ. That would invalidate that whole teaching of faith, healing, miracles and prosperity to many who have followed this movement for years.

Can you tell I am one of those followers? The Bible is the Bible and it is true rather or not a few Ministers treated their charitable donations as their personal funds. I still believe in the power of God for all the Faith movement teachings because it is taken directly from the Bible; however I do believe some have become too engulfed in materialism and comfort rather than setting an example of Kingdom of God living that Jesus preached.

I pray Grassley's investigation exonerates the Grassley Six of any wrong doing. Would that not slap the accusers on the Left? If or there is any wrong doing revealed I pray it is in ethics not in the rule of law. That way many good men and women of God can reassess what is personal money or what is Ministry money and still be a benefit for the Kingdom of God.

Now one thing that is a pet peeve of mine is this ludicrous infringement the government has made for Christian Ministries to be a Godly influence in elections. If a Ministry is discerned to be making public endorsements of candidates the IRS will swoop down and remove their 501(c)3 status. Thus it is a hinky way allowing free speech yet punishing the life blood of a Ministries existence.

I don't know how Kenneth Copeland swung it be he had Mike Huckabee on his weekly show. I did not have the chance to watch the TV programming; however I intend to catch it on the Internet. Copeland's Believer's Voice of Victory broadcasts can be seen at the Kenneth Copeland Website. The cool thing I liked about Baptist Minister and Presidential Candidate Huckabee is that he is taking a public stand with the Copelands as Grassley's investigation proceeds. This is interesting for Baptists and Pentecostal/Charismatic Christian do not see eye to eye on many theological issues. That means Huckabee is willing to take a political hit while his poll numbers are actually rising. I have heard some bad things about Huckabee ethics wise when he was Governor of Arkansas; however it takes a man to stand tall when a friend is under a Senate investigation.

I will close with this thought. It is wrong to impose Freedom of Speech restriction on Christian Ministries under the delusion that the Constitution's First Amendment proclaims there is a separation of Church and State. There is NO SUCH LANGUAGE in the First Amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Notice the First Amendment says that Congress will make no law respecting an establishment of a religion (i.e. No State Church) or the prohibiting the free exercise thereof (i.e. the Federal Government cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion). The Federal Government is prohibiting the free exercise of religion when the IRS is used as a tool to keep various Christian denominations from taking political stands.

The whole so-called "Separation of Church and State" concept comes from a letter delivered by President Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Church using that phrase.

HELLO the letter is not part of the Constitution of the United States of America.  

I know "The Golden Compass" has been out since Friday December 7; however this email notice that I finally opened provides pretty good reasons as to why this is not a movie Christians should patron with their money or have their children's malleable minds subjected to the subtle anti-Christian under tones of the movie.

Incidentally the movie was tamed because of expected criticism; however the books from the "The Golden Compass" are based are overtly anti-Christian and the author is an avowed atheist.

JRH 12/9/07

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The Golden Compass-Pointing Children in the Wrong Direction

Kellie Copeland

Email Notification: December 7, 2007

KCM.org

In the days we are living in it is imperative that we be aware of God's plan for this generation. At the same time, we must not be ignorant of Satan's plan and devices. He has launched an all-out attack on our children in an effort to control their hearts and minds. Many Christian parents, while aware this is his goal, will unknowingly allow the enemy the access he is after.

The Golden Compass, a children's fantasy movie starring Nicole Kidman, and scheduled for release December 7, is one such doorway into the minds of children. The movie is based on a novel written by avowed atheist Phillip Pullman. The Golden Compass is the first book in a trilogy called "His Dark Materials" which also includes The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass (for a summary of these books go to http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/index.html.)

Many of you are aware of the anti-God, anti-church, anti-authority message of these novels. However, some parents will allow their children to see the movie where the anti-God message will be toned down significantly for the screen. Many will be deceived into allowing their children to read the books. As believers, we must take our position in opposition against anything that would exalt itself against the Word of God.

Despite saying he is only telling a story, the author is very passionate about his beliefs. This should be enough to keep believers away from seeing the movie or allowing their children to read these books. The purpose of this article is not aimed solely to discuss what is right or wrong, but reveals God's purpose and plan for this generation and expose the enemy's objective as being the destruction of God's position in the home, family and church.

Satan is afraid of this generation of believers and is doing all he can to divert their attention from the Lord. In "His Dark Materials" the content is the antithesis of everything the Lord has planned for our kids.

Consider the collective impact of the following points taken from interviews and quotes from the series and by Mr. Pullman himself:

THE FALL IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN

• It is considered a positive step towards enlightenment and the improvement of life. It is a central theme of the trilogy. Lyra and Will (the two main characters) represent Adam and Eve, whose temptation was their love for each other.

• In a recent interview[1], Mr. Pullman states, "...the Satan figure is Mary Malone, not Lord Asriel and the temptation is wholly beneficent. She tells her story about how she fell in love, which gives Lyra the clue as to how to express what she's now beginning to feel about Will, and when it happens, they both understand what's going on and are tempted and they...fall-but it's a fall into grace, towards wisdom, not something that leads to sin, death, misery, hell and Christianity."

• In another recent interview[2], Mr. Pullman says, "...The thrust of the story, the sympathy of the story if you like, seems to be with the side that many traditionally minded Christians in particular have thought to be the wrong side. The general theme, the general gist of the whole book is that the famous story of the Temptation in the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Man so-called, when Eve gave way to the temptation to eat the fruit of knowledge and tempted Adam to eat it as well, that this traditionally [has] been presented as being a very bad thing and Eve was very wicked and we all got covered in sorrow and sin and misery from then on as a result of this...well, I just reversed that, I thought wasn't it a good thing that Eve did, isn't curiosity a valuable quality? Shouldn't she be praised for risking this? It wasn't after all, that she was after money or gold or anything, she was after knowledge. What could possibly be wrong with that?"

• In a speech[3], Pullman states "We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts: we need books, time and silence. ‘Thou shalt not' is soon forgotten but ‘Once upon a time' lasts forever."

• ‘Wisdom isn't gained from God but from experience and making your own choices." [3]

THE CHARACTER CALLED GOD IS THE ENEMY

• In The Amber Spyglass[4], it reads: "The Authority, god, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El, Adonai, the King, The Father the Almighty-those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves-the first angel, true, the most powerful...The Authority was the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie."

THE REPUBLIC OF HEAVEN

• Mr. Pullman says[5], "We're used to the kingdom of heaven; but you can tell from the general thrust of the book that I'm of the devil's party, like Milton. And I think it's time we thought about a republic of heaven instead of the kingdom of heaven. The king is dead. That's to say I believe that the king is dead. I'm an atheist. But we need heaven nonetheless, we need all the things that heaven meant, we need joy, we need a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives, we need a connection with the universe, we need all the things that the kingdom of heaven used to promise us but failed to deliver. And furthermore we need it in this world where we do exist not elsewhere, because there ain't no elsewhere."

• In yet another interview[6], Mr. Pullman says, "The republic of heaven...stands for a sense of community. It stands for joy. It stands for a sense that the universe and we together have a common meaning and a common destiny and a purpose...I don't want to do without heaven, but I can no longer believe in a kingdom of heaven, so there must be a republic of heaven of which we are free and equal citizens-and it's our duty to promote and preserve this."

• This philosophy is promoted by the main character, Lyra, who speaks of the Republic of Heaven[7]: "‘We have to be all those difficult things like cheerful and kind and curious and patient, and we've got to study and think and work hard, all of us, in all our different worlds, and then we'll build....' ‘And then what?' said her daemon sleepily. ‘Build what?' ‘The Republic of Heaven,' said Lyra."

• When asked about Jesus' statement[1] "Unless you become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" Mr. Pullman responded, "He wasn't right all the time."

THE NAME OF THE TRILOGY, "HIS DARK MATERIALS" IS DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED TO THE WORD OF GOD

• Everything in this universe is made up of light at its core. When God said, "Light Be" (Genesis 1) it was! God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth (1 John 1:5-8). We are children of the light. Darkness does not comprehend us.

THE CHURCH IS ESTABLISHED AS THE ENEMY, AS ARE THE PARENTS

• The main characters are hunted, kidnapped by the "Church." They seek to destroy Lyra and Will and others.

THE SOUL OF LYRA AND OTHER CHARACTERS EXIST OUTSIDE THEIR BODIES IN ANIMALS CALLED "DAEMONS"

• The dictionary defines daemon as "a spirit, evil spirit, demon."

• On Philip Pullman's official Web site[8] he states, "...readers have told me that the daemons which at first seem so utterly fantastic soon become so familiar and essential a part of each character that they, the readers, feel as if they've got a daemon themselves. And my point is that they have, that we all have. It's an aspect of our personality that we often overlook but it's there."

• BBC Radio 3 interview[9]...the daemon is conceived of as being the gift of the rebel angels. Now in the course of the myth, the rebel angels are on the side of right and decency and goodness and consciousness, and all these things. [T]he rebel angels...gave to the beings in each world who were evolving, a gift that would help them understand themselves and become wise. In some worlds, they gave them a daemon.

• The Golden Compass Movie Web site[10] states in a character summation that, "In Lyra's world, a person's soul lives on the outside of their body in the form of a daemon-a talking animal spirit that accompanies them through life, always close to it's corporeal half. In a description of daemons, they say that in our world it is possible that people have daemons as well, only they are invisible. You can create your own daemon avatar to take into the world with you by selecting "meet your daemon" on the Web site.

THE CULMINATION OF THIS SERIES IS THE DEATH OF "GOD"

• With his death, society is freed from control, and the main characters are able to be free from danger and from a "king."

Consider the message sent: God is the enemy; the church is a dangerous enemy and a big mistake; the most mature and enlightened thing you can do is to disregard authority (include parents in that); fallen angels are the good guys; your "daemon" will speak to you from outside of your body and God is dead. This is mind-altering stuff at 9, 10 and 11 years old. When a child reads or watches this type of demonic message, it will influence the thought processes and the heart toward God you have worked so hard to develop by prayer and discipline. Seeds will be planted that may not show up for years to come. But they will produce a harvest.

It is God's harvest and His plan for this generation that is at stake. He desires a people holy unto Himself. At the 2007 Southwest Believers' Convention, the Word of the Lord came to Kenneth Copeland regarding His plan for them. Read it carefully (I've edited it somewhat for brevity. The entire prophecy can be found at http://www.kcm.org/pdf/Go%20Boldly.pdf).

"There is a generation," saith the Lord, "that's being raised up and even has already come on the scene. A generation that believes the Word; a generation that will exchange their thoughts for God's thoughts: a generation that will believe who they are in Christ Jesus and who they are walking in the power and in the life of God...We know we're children of God. We know we're born of God, we know we are bone of His bone and spirit of His spirit. We know that He dwells within us; we know that His commandment is life everlasting. We know that His Word is alive and we know in whom we have believed. And we look like Him and we talk like Him and we act like Him..."

God is calling this generation to a place in Him we've never known before, to walk in such a degree of obedience that their very thoughts are exchanged for those of God. He says they've already come on the scene! The Superkids at Eagle Mountain International Church are truly walking in this prophecy, and there are thousands more like them around the world. In The Amplified Bible, Isaiah 55:7-9 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the Lord, and He will have love, pity, and mercy for him, and to our God, for He will multiply to him His abundant pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

People read this as though God is saying, "too bad, you can't have My thoughts; they are too high for you." No! He is saying in verse 7 to forsake your own way and thoughts, and let Him take over! Isaiah 55:11-13 tells us that His thoughts (Word) go forth out of His mouth and according to verses 12 and 13 they produce THE BLESSING!

We call it "The Sweet Life" at Superkid Academy. God makes things work for you and He turns rough places into victories. You can only live in THE BLESSING when you walk in obedience and take His thoughts as your own. He isn't holding them back from you. He has freely given you His Word so you can walk out His plan for your life. Romans 8:28 says it clearly, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

It's a privilege to teach and train children who desire to obey God and choose His way and not their own. They are mighty upon the earth already, but as parents and grandparents, even our imagination can't fathom THE BLESSING this generation of young believers will experience (see 1 Corinthians 2:9). They are so in love with Him that being obedient is the only choice.

The call on us as ministers and parents is to protect that love and teach them to walk in THE BLESSING! We must pay attention to what they put before their eyes. It is our duty to say "no" when they ask to go to a movie, read books or fill their minds with things that are in opposition to God. It is OK for them to be the only person in their class who haven't seen The Golden Compass.

I encourage you to go online and do the research for yourself. Sit down with your children and talk with them. Inspire your children by reminding them frequently of the amazing plan God has in store. Teach them of His faithfulness. Teach them about THE BLESSING!

We are on the brink of a mighty move of God in this generation. They don't settle for less than God's best for them. They've exchanged their thoughts for God's thoughts. They are bold to stand out. They are ordinary kids doing extraordinary things through the power of God's Word. This is who they are.

I refuse to be silent and let Satan control their destiny in the name of entertainment. We are God's people and we live to please Him! (Philippians 2:12-13, New Living Translation)

FOOTNOTES

[1] http://www.thirdway.org.uk/past/showpage.asp?page=3949
[2] http://www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/enc/stories/s510312.htm
[3] http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/author/carnegie.html
[4] ‘Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings' by Richard Abanes, pp.33
[5] http://www.hisdarkmaterials.org/information/philip-pullman/home
[6] http://darkadamant.betterversion.org/BBC_Belief_Philip_Pullman.txt
[7] http://www.hisdarkmaterials.org/information/his-dark-materials-books/faq
[8] http://www.philip-pullman.com/
[9] http://darkadamant.betterversion.org/BBC_Belief_Philip_Pullman.txt
[10] http://www.goldencompassmovie.com/

Mary Malone is an ex-nun who says Christianity is a convincing mistake. (‘Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings' by Richard Abanes, pp.33-34)

The church is described as an entity that controls, destroys and obliterates every good feeling. (‘Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings' by Richard Abanes, pp.34)

John Hagee

John Hagee has written a book entitled "In Defense of Israel." Among Word of Faith, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Renewal, Prophetic (all kissing cousins) movements the book has stirred quite a controversy.

I have come across two critical essays upon the book. The first is by a person I am not familiar with, thus I kind of brushed it off. The second critical essay is by someone I am very familiar with (and no neophyte to controversy himself).

The heart of the controversy appears that John Hagee wrote a well intentioned book defending Jews and repudiating anti-Semitism; however both critics point to a section of the book that Brother Hagee claims Jesus Christ did not come the first time as Messiah to the Jews. The second critic alludes Brother Hagee said the Lord Jesus Christ came the first time as a Messiah to the Gentiles.

The second critic is a person I respect as a Minister just as much as I do of the many Ministers from the mentioned afore Christian Movements (which is certainly not an all inclusive list). That Minister is Rick Joyner.

The first critic was super harsh toward Brother Hagee and Brother Joyner writes more in a firm tone with respect to the valid insights of "In Defense of Israel." Brother Joyner is definitely harsh with a Love in his heart.

This might be one of those occasions of being as smart as a dumb cow: eat the hay and spit out the sticks.

Time will tell of clashing big dog Ministries find a consensus on the Word of God or allow egos to yet again cause another division in the Body of Christ.

At any rate, below are Brother Joyner's criticisms and praises (kind of).

JRH 12/16/07

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A Victorious Controversy?

By Rick Joyner

MorningStar Special Bulletin # 11

December 12, 2007

There is a growing controversy over elements in John Hagee's most recent book, In Defense of Israel. The teaching in this book that Jesus never intended to be the Messiah of Israel is a serious departure from basic Christian doctrine, as well as the clear testimony of Scripture. There is an abundance of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, as well as the Lord's own Words recorded in the New Testament and the apostolic Epistles, that very clearly refute this teaching. How something so clearly and abundantly stated in Scripture could be distorted by one of such visibility and influence in the body of Christ is a question that demands our attention. If we will address this question in truth and the right Spirit, it can do much good for the church and help deliver many others from such destructive teachings.

Because the teaching in John Hagee's book dilutes and changes the very purpose and place of Jesus as the Messiah, and so blatantly and irrationally distorts the clear teaching of Scripture, it could not be overlooked as even new believers have challenged its errors. This is encouraging, and therefore has forced the church to address this issue. The reaction to this has understandably been one of a great shock, grief, and outrage, but when emotions subside we will see the path to a great victory for all involved, including John Hagee.

First, let me address the three main problems with the teaching in this book:

1) The very basic diluting of the purpose and place of Jesus as the Messiah.

2) A remarkable twisting and distorting of the obvious meaning of a number of Scriptures.

3) The promotion of a teaching in such a confused and contradictory way that it defies basic, simple logic. 

Before we completely dismiss John Hagee, especially if you get a copy of just the portion of the book that is the point of controversy, this book has many brilliant and well-articulated insights. Also, Hagee's overall goal is a noble one-the refuting of anti-Semitism, the error of replacement theology, and confronting one of the most tragic evils in church history, the persecution of the Jewish people by Christians. Of course, it is a concern that this book has now done great damage to these causes. Let us hope not, but it is even more important that we defend the basic doctrines of faith that the teaching in this book undermines-especially the place of Jesus as the Messiah. Concerning this we are told most boldly in I John 2:21-22:

I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son (NKJV).

  
This is not to imply in any way that John Hagee is antichrist, but the spirit behind this teaching is without question antichrist. The Hebrew word translated "Messiah" in the Old Testament is translated "Christ" in the New Testament, which was written in Greek. Therefore, to deny that Jesus is the Christ or the Messiah is a most serious matter. It is the antichrist spirit that is continually attacking and trying to dilute His place as the Messiah because this is the most basic way that the salvation He brought as the Messiah can be denied to mankind. We may have different opinions about some doctrines and interpretations of Scripture, but this is not one of them. Nothing will so undermine the very foundations of the faith that lead to salvation as the surrendering of the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. Because the prophecies of the coming Messiah in the Old Testament make clear that He is being sent to Israel, to deny this is to deny that He is indeed the Messiah.

In his book, Hagee asserts that Jesus was the Messiah to the Gentiles and not the Jews, so therefore the Jews did not reject Him. The way that he attempts to establish this is quite bizarre. I sincerely do not mean to be disrespectful to anyone, but this book is written as if he did not think that anyone with any serious knowledge of the Scriptures, or power of reasoning, would be reading it. The way that the ministry of Jesus is interpreted is so contradictory to the testimony of the Gospels that it is hard to believe something like this could be written by a serious teacher, and it may be hard for Hagee to be taken seriously as a teacher to the body again after this. That would be a defeat for us all. My prayer is that it is handled in such a way that he is trusted even more, but that must be because he has been found trustworthy in the way he handles this. This is no small error.

The way that this section of the book is written could be evidence of what is working here. This does not seem to be John Hagee. As stated above, the book has many brilliant and well-articulated insights, but then you hit this one section in which it seems as if someone else has taken over the writing and reduced it to a level of spiritual foolishness that I do not believe I have ever witnessed in the writings of such a well-respected teacher and preacher before. Though this may be presented in a way that we think is an insult to our intelligence, I don't want to be insulted; rather I am grieved, and I want to understand how this happened, because it can happen to any of us if we become arrogant. A great champion has fallen and may be wounded, but the victory will be to see him standing in the fray again, stronger than ever. That must be our prayer and our resolve in this.

Israel was promised the Messiah, and though the prophecies do include the fact that He would also be a light to the Gentiles, the promises were overwhelmingly given to Israel. There are extensive works being prepared by others to refute the teachings Hagee promotes in this book, and there are many Scriptures to draw from which do this, but the following are just three Scriptures from the New Testament that very basically confirm the teaching that Jesus came to be the Messiah of Israel. 

But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24).

These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans,

but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 10:5-6 NIV).
 
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" (John 14:6).

These are fundamental truths that have been and will continue to be under constant assault, but which we must never compromise. There is salvation in no other name! When we compromise this truth, we are denying men their salvation. To deny that Jesus came to Israel is to deny Israel the salvation of God which He provided for them-and there can be no worse form of anti-Semitism than that.

Though Hagee does distort and undermine some of the most important and basic truths of Christianity in his book, and though this must be considered a most serious heresy, again we must not give up on John Hagee. In fact, if he can be delivered from this deception that has come upon him, he could be one of the strongest defenders of the truth. An example of this in Scripture is Peter.

Peter received the revelation that Jesus was the Christ, and the Lord told him how blessed he was, and how He was going to build His church on this revelation and promised to give Peter the keys to the kingdom (see Matthew 16:13-23). First, the church is built upon the revelation of Jesus as the Christ. This is the foundation of the church, and the truth that will shut the gates of hell as the Lord states here. This truth can never be compromised or diluted without opening the gates of hell. Then, right after Peter receives this greatest of blessings and the promise of the keys to the kingdom, he opens the gates of hell and gets called "Satan" by the Son of God!

I do not presume to know what is in John Hagee's mind or heart. However, falls like this are usually caused the same way that Peter was caused to fall here-the fear of man, or seeking man's approval, as we read in Matthew 16:23, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." When we become overly concerned about gaining the approval of men, we are in jeopardy of this kind of fall.

Even many years after Jesus Himself had called Peter "Satan" because of this, Paul, the youngest of the apostles, had to rebuke Peter publicly at Antioch again for basically the same influence, fear of the Jews, which had caused him to get so carried away that Paul said "he stood condemned" (see Galatians 2:11-15). If you read the Epistle leading up to this, Paul is resolutely teaching how their faith must be built on the revelation of God and the fear of God, and not the fear of man, as he states in Galatians 1:10, "If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ." The compulsion to please men is one of the most basic ways that we depart from being true bondservants of Christ.

The Jewish believers coming to Antioch caused Peter to get carried away in hypocrisy so that he was even denying the basic truth of the gospel, raising a dividing wall between the Gentile and Jewish believers at Antioch, which the truth of the gospel came to tear down to bring forth the "one new man" in Christ. Jesus is the Messiah of all, the Savior of all, and the Lord of all, including the Jews! As Peter concluded in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ-this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36).

Without question, some of the most diabolical doctrines and acts to arise in church history have been the persecution of the Jewish people by Christians, or at least those who claimed to be Christians. This is a most terrible blight in our history, which we do need to address and learn from. However, the teaching that Hagee asserts in his book, that Israel did not reject Jesus as Messiah since He did not come to them as their Messiah, because they already have a covenant with God and do not need a Messiah, not only denies Israel her Messiah and the salvation He came to give them, but it also attacks the most basic Christian truths upon which our faith and the true church must be built. Hagee's methods of biblical interpretation contradict the overwhelming testimony of Scripture so much that it undermines the authority of Scripture as well. 

Hagee asserts in his writings and in the first rebuttals against the outcry coming from this book-that he is a champion of the gospel and a most resolute preacher of Jesus as Lord and Savior. I have no doubt that he sincerely sees himself in this light, and I also greatly appreciate some of the bold stands he has taken, especially to honor Israel and combat the tragic persecution of the Jewish people by Christians. I in no way want to belittle the seriousness of this present issue, but before we write Hagee off as a heretic, we need to pray for him to be restored. False teaching is a serious issue, especially one of this magnitude that so attacks the foundations of the Christian faith, but as we are exhorted in Galatians 6:1:

Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.

Note that is says here "any trespass." So, if anyone stumbles in any way, the spiritual will always seek to restore them, doing it in the right spirit, and not becoming arrogant or self-righteous because such pride will open the door for our own ultimate temptation. This is not an option. We must not give up on anyone, regardless of what they have done or what they have taught, but seek their restoration.

There is a great danger to us if we do not seek John Hagee's restoration. There is a ditch on either side of the path of life, and sometimes, by overreacting to the ditch on one side, we end up falling into the ditch on the other side. It seems that in his attempt to honor Israel, there has been a very basic dishonoring of the Lord Jesus Himself, the One who came to be the Redeemer, Savior, and Lord of all, including Israel. Even so, this is not the real John Hagee, who I believe has been and will yet be, one who greatly honors the Lord and the gospel. By seeking to restore him to this, we also resist the tendency to overreact, which can leave us in just as much a ditch as he seems to be in now. Let us seek to pull him out, and keep out of these ditches ourselves.

Let us also consider that the Lord promised Abraham that his seed would be a blessing to all of the people on the face of the earth, and the Jewish people have been just that. They not only were used to bring forth the greatest blessing of all-Jesus the Messiah, but they gave us the Scriptures, as even the New Testament was written by Jewish believers. The Jewish people have also been a great blessing in every place where they have been found, bringing a love of learning, culture, and science, and yet they themselves have often been treated terribly, especially by those claiming to be Christians. I personally pray that in this rising controversy, Hagee's commendable attempt to honor and love Israel is not lost. This is very important for the church to do. Just as Paul warned in Romans 11 for believers not to become arrogant toward "the natural branches," lest we be cut off, we can find at the root of many terrible tragedies and deceptions entering the church this arrogance toward the natural branches, the Jewish people.

Even though John Hagee denies it, what he promotes in his book is classic "dual covenant theology." As stated, this is the basic teaching that the Jews did not reject Jesus as their Messiah because He did not come to be their Messiah, because they already have a covenant with God and do not need a Messiah, which is what is taught in the first edition of this book. The prophecies of the coming Messiah to Israel are so clear that He is either the Messiah of Israel or He is not the Messiah at all. He is the Messiah of Israel, and of all, and this must never be compromised.

In the first responses of John Hagee to the challenges in this of his book, In Defense of Israel, he claimed that this was a problem with wording, that some things were stated poorly. Then, in an attempted rewrite, it was presented that Jesus came to Israel as the suffering Savior, and not the reigning Messiah, implying that this is really a matter of semantics. This seemingly profound misunderstanding of how serious the errors promoted in this book have understandably caused even more alarm. I confess that I have not read anything that I can remember being so troubled about, and the initial responses have been even more troubling. This is much deeper and much more serious than that, and at this writing, it is obvious that John Hagee simply does not understand how serious it is.

Even so, if he comes to understand just how serious this error is, and clearly renounces it, I will trust him even more, not less. Though I have received many requests to respond to this issue from believers and Christian leaders, I waited for several weeks until I felt that I had the peace of the Lord, a love for John Hagee, and an appreciation for all that he has done for the church. An overreaction to this can be dangerous too, but it is even more dangerous not to challenge such a profound error being promoted in the body of Christ. 

So what good is going to come from this? Certainly the Lord is able to deliver John Hagee from this great deception. If he sees his error and repents of it with the zeal and openness that such repentance deserves, just as the Apostle Peter made some very grave mistakes but was also used to open the door of the gospel to both the Jews and the Gentiles, John Hagee may yet make his greatest contributions to the kingdom. He has been a champion of the faith in many ways, and we must not give up on him.

An even greater good that can come from this is a serious challenge for all of us to sink our roots deeper into sound biblical truth. The church has been greatly shaken because of issues of integrity and morality surfacing. The faithful did not fall away or become bitter because of this, but humbled themselves before the Lord and asked for His help in these matters and became stronger. This controversy has the potential to shake the church as greatly as the issues of integrity and morality have and maybe even more. Let us use this to resolve to be even more devoted to truth and sound doctrine. The noble will use such things to search the Scriptures to see what is really true.

The very first tactic of Satan to cause the fall of mankind was to get Eve to doubt God's Word. She must have already lightly regarded it because she had added to it. The Lord had simply told Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge, but she added "or touch it" (see Genesis 3:3). To doubt His Word, or to lightly regard it, is the open door that will lead to a fall. There is a constant and unrelenting assault on the Scriptures from many directions, but they are sure, they are the truth from God Almighty who cannot lie, and His truth will prevail. Let us build our lives on the Rock that cannot be shaken.
 
There are other issues and challenges that have arisen because of Hagee's new book and all of them can likewise cause us to come out of this much stronger if we address them rightly, in the right Spirit. There are extensive rebuttals being written to challenge this book from different perspectives, and the ones I have seen are well worth reading if for no other reason than to strengthen our foundations in the Scriptures. Even so, let us be sure to only hold to what is clearly biblically based and resist the overreactions that will cause us to fall into the ditch on the other side.

________________

MorningStar Ministries

Rick Joyner

I found this on the Paradosis Blog (which has the appearance of Roman Catholic and I am just an old Pentecostal).

Paradosis calls it a pre-Communion prayer; I call a just plain awesome prayer.

The Body of God both deifies and nourishes;
It deifies the spirit and wondrously nourishes the mind.

Thou hast ravished me with longing, O Christ, and with Thy divine love Thou hast changed me. But burn up with spiritual fire my sins and make me worthy to be filled with delight in Thee, that I may leap for joy, O gracious Lord, and magnify Thy two comings.

Into the splendor of Thy Saints how shall I who am unworthy enter? For if I dare to enter the bridechamber, my vesture betrays me, for it is not a wedding garment, and as a prisoner I shall be cast out by the Angels. Cleanse my soul from pollution and save me, O Lord, in Thy love for men.

Here is an awesome prayer to meditate upon relating to the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ:

"O GOD, who makest us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of thy only Son Jesus Christ; Grant that as we joyfully receive him for our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold him when he shall come to be our Judge; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen." - Scottish Book of Common Prayer (1912).

(Hat tip toward Acton Institute Power Blog)

I have to tell you the pastors of the Church I attend promote Paul Keith Davis, Bob Jones and a number of Prophets that run in that circle that have been dubbed the Kansas City Prophets.

I came across the Sign of Jonah Blog while I was checking out some Christian blogs on Christmas day.

The thing that caught my eye is a short first paragraph skim revealed that "Keith" was blogging about Paul Keith Davis and Bob Jones and a combined prophetic article posted on the Elijah List entitled, "The Season of the Basilisk."

My first thoughts were - "cool." Not only have I listened to Paul Keith Davis minister at my Church but I read his books. Also as I said before, the married couple who are jointly my Senior Pastors at my Church have highly promoted Bob Jones as one of the foremost prophets today in tune with the Holy Spirit in the prophetic realm.

Then I began to read the whole blog entry. The blog entitled "Prophetic Mythology" is extremely critical of Paul Keith Davis and Bob Jones.

So I re-read "The Season of the Basilisk." Frankly, quite a bit of the criticism though harsh could be explained with an understanding of supernatural faith and symbolism (seen temporary - unseen eternal: 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18). Also when I clicked on the blog author's about page I noticed he is an ordained Minister of the Southern Baptist Church (SBC). This usually means a belief in getting people "Born Again" or "Saved" but a questioning of New Testament supernatural acts for today or often times Holy Spirit Baptism with speaking in Tongues as a sign.

I was about to blow off the entry when I decided to read the comments. Again much of the agreement with the author could be explained by a Pentecostal/Charismatic perspective; however I came across some entries about the character of Bob Jones.

Bob Jones has been caught using his spiritual gifts in a most carnal light that I know God would not have a male do to a female. Jones had women go to his office and undress themselves to stand NAKED before the Lord for Jones to deliver a Word from the Lord. HELLO! It is this misuse of spiritual gifts that have given Pentecostal/Charismatics a bad name among our other Brothers and Sisters in the Lord. This appearance of evil are some of the reasons that SBC Baptists can call Believers who believe in the present day Holy Power of God as nut jobs, lunatic and heretics.

Even now I find myself having to re-examine the people I have been reading to see if they are guilty by association by condoning such evil combination of the carnal and the spiritual.

Ughhhhhhhhh!

JRH

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Prophetic Mythology

By Keith

August 24, 2007

Sign of Jonah

This is another Elijah List posting that I have been wanting to comment on for some time.  The original post was given by Paul Keith Davis and Bob Jones on June 21st under the title, "The Season of the Basilisk".   In this "message" not only do we find the modern prophets informing us of more things God forgot to put in the Scriptures but borrowing from mythology in order to do it.

Let's get a brief understanding of the basilisk.  The first occurrence of the word is in the second century BC by Nicander and it is almost certainly describing a real snake, possibly the horned viper because of the appearance of a crown.  However, by the time of Pliny the Elder in AD 79 the word had taken on mythological significance.  The basilisk came to be known as the king of snakes.  Even the look of its eyes could kill.  Its breath was supposedly able to wither plants.  Various accounts exist to explain the origin of this creature.  My personal favorite is that it came from an egg laid by a seven year old rooster that was hatched by a toad.  The name basilisk is sometimes used interchangeably with cockatrice, a word that unfortunately found its way into the Authorized Version of the Bible.  It may be ridiculous to have to say it, but it is important to remember that no such actual creature exists.  Early church fathers did use the word as a euphemism for the devil.  The creature shows up regularly in the writings of the superstitious church of the Dark Ages.

Now on to the prophecy.  Here's the gist of this meaty little teaching.

Bob Jones has been given a revelation of a Basilisk spirit that has apparently been operating since the beginning of time but which has been completely unknown in the history of man.  This spirit is given permission by God every year to have a heightened power and authority from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av in the Jewish calendar  (remember God operates on the Jewish calendar according to the prophets).

Davis writes:

"Apparently during certain cyclical seasons, a tremendous increase in power is given to this  spirit to cause death and destruction."

Elsewhere in the same article he writes,

"This great enemy of the Cross has authority to release extensive destruction and  misery in the Earth, especially if unopposed by the praying church."

This demon is so powerful that he cannot be combatted individually.

Now stop right here for a moment.  First off, where does the Bible ever say that God turns a particular season of the year over to one of Satan's henchmen.  Oh right, it doesn't!  But then look even further.  What kind of God would give the enemy great authority to create destruction and misery if unopposed by the praying church but then forget to tell the church about this little contest for 2,000 years!!!  So for all this time, this demon has been given nearly a month out of every year to create absolute mayhem if the church doesn't pray against him but the church was unaware of his existence.

Davis says, "This unique season has produced many of the most catastrophic events in Jewish history."  Well, it's about time then that God finally got around to letting somebody know what is going on.

Davis comments on this very thing stating:

"The Holy Spirit is now revealing that we have a common enemy who has set himself against the purposes of God in the earth."

Really?  The Holy Spirit is just now revealing this?  I know that Davis is writing about this supposed Basilisk spirit but the fact is that the Holy Spirit began to reveal this common enemy who has set himself against the purposes of God in Genesis chapter 3.  Sorry Mr. Davis, you're a bit late.

The nonsense continues:

"So well hidden is this spirit that he did not even require the darkness of the night to operate as most evil spirits.  He can operate and even prevail in the brightness of the noonday."

I hope that Davis means this metaphorically, though I couldn't tell.  Otherwise he is teaching that evil spirits have to wait until sundown.  But if it is meant metaphorically then I don't understand it at all.  The noonday would metaphorically mean out in the open but how is it that a hidden spirit is operating out in the open?  I'm sooooooo confused!!

Davis also says that this spirit, "showed considerable surprise at being exposed as he is accustomed to operating undetected".  Well I bet he did since he's a myth!  But I have to wonder how this spirit demonstrated this considerable surprise.  Did he scream and wrap himself in a towel when Bob Jones exposed him?

If all this is not bad enough, Davis then says that there is a Hebrew word for Basilisk and it can be found in the following passages, Ps. 91:13, Isa 14:29, Isa. 11:8, Zech 8:17, Prov. 23:32 and a number of others.  Davis then retranslates these verses sticking in the word basilisk where he thinks it should go.

This is the prophetic hermeneutic on display in all of its glory.  If the scripture doesn't support your revelations, just redefine the words if you need to in order to make the Bible say what you think it should.  The fact is there is no Hebrew word for basilisk.  It would have been impossible for David, Solomon or the prophets to be speaking about a Basilisk since the word wasn't even used until centuries later!  And none of the passages in question are speaking about demonic beings.  Davis resorts to one of his most common tactics by giving us the "deeper" meaning behind the text.

Davis also claims again that this demon spirit has been delegated the power of death.

Beloved this is nonsense.  We don't need thousands of Christians wasting time binding and warring against a non-existent demon. (I'm not saying that demons don't exist.  I don't believe this super-demon exists)  The Bible never teaches the kind of warfare praying that Davis advocates in this post.  The Scriptures that he quotes are all entirely out of context.  The word translated adder or viper in the Old Testament means, guess what?  Viper!

And the Bible teaches explicitely that God has the authority of life and death in Deut. 32:39, 1 Sam 2:6, 2 Kings 5:7, Rev. 1:18 and elsewhere.  God is sovereign and He doesn't take a three-week vacation while a particular demon runs amock

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COMMENT SECTION:

Comment by Rob on August 24, 2007 12:21 pm

....GASP....

Keith,

If I didn't know you were serious I would be laughing right now at this Internet Hoax. This is too bizarre to even know how to comment. Wow!

...take a deep breath...

I don't follow Bob Jones, but I thought that his prophecies had been discredited some years ago in a scandal at IHOP (or whatever its name was back then.) Am I wrong on this, and if not when did he come back on the scene?

-r

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Comment by Bill on August 24, 2007 12:27 pm

Excellent article.

Jones and Davis are really, really sick. But that;s been obvious for a long time.

remember God operates on the Jewish calendar what ever calendar is convienient according to the prophets obviously 7/7/07 and Y2K had no significance to the Jewish calendar, but the prophets loved it. Also witness the volume of prophetic garbage that comes out every year around January 1.

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Comment by charismania on August 24, 2007 12:36 pm

Wow, Bill, excellent observation about the prophets' opportunistic use of whatever calendar works for them at the moment.

Excellent article as well.

What I'm so curious about is, what is it about these sorts of teachings that make them attractive to people? Why do people who initially believed in the Bible set that aside and embrace this movement and all of the stuff that then goes with it? I have friends who breathlessly report this Elijah List stuff to me and make big plans to meet with others to "come against" this spirit and do spiritual warfare.

How do otherwise thinking people accept such OBVIOUS unbiblical silliness? And take it seriously? What's the attraction?

_______________

Comment by Bill on August 24, 2007 12:48 pm

What's the attraction? The idea that evil will triumph "especially if unopposed by the praying church" is central to MSOG/Dominion theology. Obviously, it makes these folks feel important, at the expense of God's soverignty.

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Comment by keithgibson on August 24, 2007 12:57 pm

Bill,

Good point about the calendar. I stand corrected.

Also, I agree wholeheartedly about the attraction. It makes people feel incredibly important and powerful.

Rob,

Jones was disciplined for a time at Metro Vineyard but like so often happens he sat on the sidelines for a few months and then took his act back on the road again. He is perhaps more popular than ever now thanks to the Elijah List. He is no longer associated with Bickle directly however. He now is a part of White Dove Ministries with Paul Keith Davis, Joann McFadder, Shawn Bolz and I think a couple of others.

-k

________________

Comment by keithgibson on August 24, 2007 12:58 pm

IHOP does however promote the books of Paul Keith Davis and Shawn Bolz so there is still an indirect connection.

-k

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Comment by http://signofjonah.wordpress.com/ on August 24, 2007 1:05 pm

Also, it was never his prophecies that IHOP disavowed, only his conduct. The very institution of IHOP exists because of Jones' prophecies.

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Comment by sara on August 24, 2007 1:06 pm

i have to add to keith's comment about IHOP promoting Paul Keith Davis & Shawn Bolz. I heard Shawn Bolz speak at an IHOP church-not the KC IHOP, but still IHOP nonetheless.

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Comment by Betsy on August 24, 2007 1:46 pm

Such a great post! I have been reading for a few months now, but this one takes the cake! Who is following this guy? I mean this stuff sounds like witchcraft! Good Grief!

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Comment by keithgibson on August 24, 2007 2:27 pm

Betsy,

Unfortunately Paul Keith Davis is very popular. He has written a number of books. His book, "Engaging the Revelatory Realm of Heaven" has sold very well. He and Bob Jones publish a yearly Shepherd's Rod that is given around the time of Yom Kippur when, according to Bob Jones, Jesus re-applies His blood for us to buy us another year and which states what God is intending for the coming year. (Drew has a post where Bob Jones is interviewed about this.)

And yes, their teachings frequently have more in common with the occult than Biblical Christianity.

-k

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Comment by Bill on August 24, 2007 2:53 pm

After Jones was "exposed" for having women strip naked to receive prophetic words (in Kansas City), Joyner took him under his wings. He's still a regular fixture at Morning Star, and in fact will be speaking there next week.

Women who can be convinced to strip naked for ministry should have no problem with the basilisk word.

________________

Comment by Rob on August 24, 2007 2:59 pm

I just don't get it. How do these guys get a pass? The only words that come to mind are...strong delusion.

-r

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Comment by charismania on August 24, 2007 3:11 pm

Rob, definitely, "strong delusion" about sums it up.

Yep...I don't get it either. Like I said, I have a couple of friends who used to forward me stuff from the Elijah List all the time. Because I liked these friends, I used to read their forwards, but I always thought a lot of it sounded WEIRD. And what didn't sound weird just seemed...so pointless and vague. If God has something so important to say that He'd use a sinful man (or woman) to get it out to His people, then why do these prophetic messages seem like so much gibberish? God isn't the author of confusion, after all.

When I tried to point out to my friends how different some of these "words" were from what Scripture says, they actually got really upset with me...like I was attacking them personally.

"Strong delusion," indeed.

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Comment by BereanOnTheWall on August 24, 2007 3:21 pm

This spirit is given permission by God every year to have a heightened power and authority from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av in the Jewish calendar (remember God operates on the Jewish calendar according to the prophets).

Dang, God forgot to tell Lou Engle this for the Call- actually- it seems he forgot to tell Bob Jones too because he gives the Shepherd's rod for the Gregorian year... Oh and Kim Clement- when he told us something huge was going to happen on March 11 "Easter Sunday" when Easter was actually in April... I can just see God going ‘Oh, my bad' (*rolls eyes*)

"This great enemy of the Cross has authority to release extensive destruction and misery in the Earth, especially if unopposed by the praying church."

Kim Clement, God's personal mouthpeice, didnt get wind of this either??? Apparently there is peace and no more war right now!!

"The Holy Spirit is now revealing that we have a common enemy who has set himself against the purposes of God in the earth."

Wow... like you said Keith- the Holy Spirit is just NOW revealing this??

The fact is there is no Hebrew word for basilisk.

Its interesting that you talk about this- last night I was in my room- someone had lifted my Bible *again...* and all I had by my bedside was my concordance (and being hugely pregnant just made me decide to let gravity win and I stayed there for a while LOL)- this word came to mind because I remember reading that they swear up and down that this is supported by Scripture * I read an article called the Lance of the Basilisk* Of course, it was nowhere- Im glad that you mentioned this today.

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Comment by BereanOnTheWall on August 24, 2007 3:31 pm

After Jones was "exposed" for having women strip naked to receive prophetic words (in Kansas City), Joyner took him under his wings. He's still a regular fixture at Morning Star, and in fact will be speaking there next week Rick Joyner was the best man in Jones' recent wedding- so yeah, definately not out of the prophetic circle's wingies.

http://www.bobjones.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=55353

http://www.bobjones.org/The%20Groom/Bob.7.gif

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Comment by Betsy on August 24, 2007 4:53 pm

I have some friends that I have known for over 15 years and they are moving to IHOP with their family. They are the second family I know to uproot their kids, leave their home church and join IHOP full time. What is going on up there that people are actually moving to commit their whole lives, jobs, and children to this place?

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Comment by iseeitdifferently on August 24, 2007 5:47 pm

"First off, where does the Bible ever say that God turns a particular season of the year over to one of Satan's henchmen."

Just real quick, Job was turned over to satan for a time, God actually allowed Michaiah to see or hear a scenario in Heaven in which God wondered aloud how He could send Ahab to his death. Some different angels had different ideas, then a demon came forward with an idea. God said, "you'll succeed".

So then Micaiah says in 1 Kings 22:23 that God actually sent the lying spirit to the 400 false prophets.

God sent an evil spirit to Saul.

God allowed satan to tempt Jesus.

God sent/allowed a thorn (messenger of satan) to toment Paul.

Jesus said that satan had an "hour" when his darkness reigned.

Having said that, Davis is still a whack job and isn't properly apprehending these times when God allowed or commisioned evil spirits for His own divine purposes.

Job got refined and satan had his nose rubbed in God's wisdom.

Saul was judged.

The 400 false prophets were judged.

Paul needed to stay humble because of what he saw in heaven.

Jesus kicked satan's butt with the word and the Resurection.

So heck no, this basilisk thing is just goofy.

Ugh, I need to go, I'm getting irked.

Keith, that wasn't meant to be a rebuke or anything....I think what you meant is still true, i.e. satan just runs amok with God's approval and God does that for no apparent reason.

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Comment by Lee on August 24, 2007 7:20 pm

"Davis writes:

"Apparently during certain cyclical seasons, a tremendous increase in power is given to this spirit to cause death and destruction."'

Then Keith comments in the original post:

"First off, where does the Bible ever say that God turns a particular season of the year over to one of Satan's henchmen."

To which ISID (Mark) makes his reply @ 5:47pm above

I believe Keith's arguement refers to the "cyclical seasons" quoted by Davis here, which I take to mean certain times of a given year (who knows which calendar); i.e., fall, winter, etc.

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Comment by Sarah Slancauskas on August 25, 2007 10:18 am

A thoroughly interesting post, Keith. It'll be interesting to see how many people actually swallow this stuff. It's totally outrageous in my opinion and is not the Biblical Christianity I follow, that's for sure.

________________

Comment by bereanonthewall on August 25, 2007 10:37 am

Sarah,

Its all over the Elijah List- Im sure they all have swallowed it.

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Comment by keithgibson on August 25, 2007 2:54 pm

Mark Jr.

There are a couple of very important distinctions between the examples you gave and the teaching that Davis promoted (and I realize that we both agree he's wrong.)

In the instances that you gave, God allowed the evil spirits activity either for judgment or testing of a particular person for a particular reason.

Davis is saying that there is a specific season of the year EVERY YEAR that this demon grows stronger and has authority to wreak mayhem OVER ALL THE EARTH unless opposed by a praying church. These ideas are completely unbiblical. God does not turn roughly one month of the year, every year over to one of satan's emissaries.

Blessings,

-k

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Comment by Bill on August 28, 2007 8:45 am

Davis writes:

"Apparently during certain cyclical seasons, a tremendous increase in power is given to this spirit to cause death and destruction."

Which is interesting since Jones has written:

"They themselves (the church) will be the generation that's raised up to put death itself underneath their feet."

Biblical Christianity believes that JESUS has put death under HIS feet. Any other belief denies the completed work of Christ.. Jones' comment is similar to Bickle's concerning the government being on the shoulders of the prophets and apostles. Both reflect the Manifest Sons belief that we shall attain deity, we (the corporate church) shall become the Christ.

__________________

Comment by IWanthetruth on August 28, 2007 9:07 am

Unbelievable, what timing for this post....

Ha, I was flipping through the channels on TV to get to a baseball game when all of a sudden on the Sci-Fi Channel a movie came on. What was it called?

"Basilisk"

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Comment by Bill on August 28, 2007 9:11 am

It's a sign!!

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Comment by TJ on August 29, 2007 4:20 pm

Well, one thing is for certain. There will be new anointed merchandises from the Elijah List to ward off these evils!

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Comment by michael on October 13, 2007 10:47 am

I pray that the Lord heals every hurt we have had from the hands of other christians. god bless you

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Comment by David on December 19, 2007 1:52 am

WOW!!! I agree gentlemen with the call out on these 2; obviously, confused individuals (Keith Davis, Bob Jones), but these 2 are easy targets, they haven't the Intellectual ability to even make an argument for their silly boasts of prophetic "revelations". I found it difficult to keep a straight face when i read the article. Seriously!! should these 2 not be exposed? This is the very poison injected into the simple faith of new believers that turns their hearts away. What next, revelations of "aliens"? Yes, thats how silly this whole thing has become. Which is the more dissapointing? The boasts of confused, self proclaimed "Prophets", or the people who havent enough common sense to smell a Scam? Have a good day gents,,i enjoyed this.

_________________

Comment by David on December 19, 2007 1:54 am

P.S. is "cyclicle" really a word? LOOOOOOOL

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Comment by David on December 19, 2007 1:59 am

LOL here we go ,,hey!!! heres a new concept" Seasonal Evil" Wonder how many books,,cd's they can sell on teachings of that? Seriously!! my side is hurting im laughing so hard

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Comment by David on December 19, 2007 2:06 am

Sounds like "Davis" has been watching too many sci-fi movies

Here is a fascinating Sparkling Gem from the Greek by Rick Renner on the subject of bitterness and unforgiveness. I wish I could provide the link to it but I am on the Sparkling Gem devotional e-list for Renner Ministries so the best I can do is point to the Ministry website.

The thing that got my attention was the subject matter: bitterness and unforgiveness.

Really I have managed to not allow those roots to develop in me; however I suspect the management system I use is not the best. If someone close to me (family or friend) has hurt me I deal with it by working extremely hard to forget it on the principle that it does me no good to mull and remember it.

Remembrance of hurts for me is bad because it re-awakens the old man still in the flesh. You see vengeance and anger management were issues for me before I became a new creation in Christ Jesus and worked hard to have the new man nature of my spirit to be supreme of the yet unredeemed flesh that still houses my spirit and soul.

The difficulty with the forgetting principle is that in life there is something that triggers a memory thus challenging the forgetting.

This is where Rick Renner's knowledge of the Greek and the times of the New Testament culture becomes a great read using the sycamine tree and all its symbolism of the New Testament Middle Eastern day.

JRH 12/27/07

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Why Jesus Compared Unforgiveness To the Sycamine Tree

Rick Renner

Rick Renner Ministries

December 27, 2007 E-Devotional

Sparkling Gems from the Greek

If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
- Luke 17:6

In Luke 17:1-6, Jesus taught His disciples about bitterness and unforgiveness and about how to remove these evil forces from one's life. As an illustration, Jesus likened these forces to the sycamine tree that was so well known in that part of the world. The word "sycamine" comes from the Greek word sukaminos, and it is the Greek word that refers to a tree that grew throughout the Middle East.

When you understand everything that is connected to the sycamine tree, you'll know exactly why Jesus chose to use this tree as an example of bitterness and unforgiveness in Luke 17:6. In that verse, Jesus told His disciples, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." Notice that Jesus said, "Ye might say unto this sycamine tree." The word "this" indicates that Jesus was pointing out something very specific to them.

Keep in mind that Jesus was speaking of getting rid of bitterness and unforgiveness. In Luke 17:3, He told the disciples that they needed to forgive those who sinned against them. He then took it to the maximum in Luke 17:4 by saying that even if a brother does something wrong seven times in one day and is each time truly repentant, they were to keep on forgiving that offending brother.

Forgiving once is already a challenge for most people. But to forgive someone seven times in one day almost sounds impossible to many folks. It must have sounded preposterous to the disciples as well, for they said, "Lord, Increase our faith" (Luke 17:5). This statement was the equivalent of their saying, "Lord, we don't know if we have enough faith to forgive so many times in one day. You'll have to increase our faith if we're going to do this seven times in one day!"

That is when Jesus began to teach His disciples about speaking to bitterness and unforgiveness. He said, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree." When Jesus used the word "this," it was the equivalent of Jesus' telling them, "Bitterness and unforgiveness are just like the sycamine tree - and if you really want to be free of these attitudes, you can speak to this menacing growth in your life and command it to be planted in the sea!"

Before we can understand what Jesus taught about getting rid of bitterness and unforgiveness, we first need to see why He used the sycamine tree to illustrate these destructive forces. Was there a particular reason why He didn't use an oak tree, an apple tree, or a palm tree in this illustration? Why did He use the sycamine tree to symbolize the detrimental effects of bitterness and unforgiveness in a person's life?

As you look at the characteristics of the sycamine tree listed below, I believe you will comprehend why Jesus used this particular tree in this context.

1. The sycamine tree had a very large and deep root structure.

The sycamine tree was known to have one of the deepest root structures of all trees in the Middle East. It was a vigorous and robust tree that grew to a height of thirty feet or more. Because its roots went down so deep into the earth, it was very difficult to kill. Hot weather and blistering temperatures had little effect on this tree because it was tapped into a water source down deep under the earth. Even cutting it to its base would not guarantee its death because its roots, hidden deep under the ground, would draw from underground sources of water, enabling it to keep resurfacing again and again. In other words, this tree was very difficult to eradicate.

No wonder Jesus used this tree as an example of bitterness and unforgiveness! Like the sycamine tree, bitterness and unforgiveness must be dealt with clear to the roots, or they will keep springing up again and again. The roots of bitterness and unforgiveness go down deep into the human soul, fed by any offense that lies hidden in the soil of the heart. That hidden source of offense will cause these evil forces to resurface in a person's life over and over again. It will take a serious decision for that person to rip those roots of bitterness and offense out of his heart once and for all so they can't grow back in the future.

2. The sycamine tree's wood was the preferred wood for building caskets.

In Egypt and the Middle East, the sycamine tree was considered to be the preferred wood for building caskets and coffins. It grew quickly and in nearly any environment, making it accessible in many different places. It also grew best in dry conditions - the kind of conditions for which the Middle East is famous. These are two reasons sycamine wood was used in so many places for building caskets and coffins.

Again, we can see why this illustration of the sycamine tree is so ideal for portraying bitterness and unforgiveness. Just as the sycamine tree grew very quickly, so does bitterness and unforgiveness. In fact, it doesn't take too long at all for these evil forces to get out of control and start taking over the whole place! When these fast-growing and ugly attitudes are allowed to grow freely, they not only spoil the condition of your own heart, but they ruin your relationships with other people.

Also, just as the sycamine tree grew easily in every environment, so does bitterness. It doesn't matter where people are from, where they live, what kind of cultural background they grew up in, or what level of society they belong to - bitterness and unforgiveness grow in human hearts everywhere, for they are universal in their scope of evil influence.

The sycamine tree grew best where little rain fell and water was sparse. Isn't this just like bitterness and unforgiveness? These negative attitudes flourish where spiritually dry conditions exist. You can almost count on finding bitterness and unforgiveness growing and blossoming where there is no repentance, no joy, and no fresh rain of the Spirit.

And don't forget that sycamine wood was the preferred wood for building caskets and coffins. What a powerful message this is! It tells us that bitterness and unforgiveness are deadly. Harboring bitterness will spiritually bury you more quickly than anything else! These attitudes are the materials that Satan uses to put you six feet underground!

Let me stress this point to you because it's so important: If you permit bitterness and unforgiveness to grow in your life, it won't be long until these attitudes have killed your joy, stolen your peace, and canceled out your spiritual life!

3. The sycamine tree produced a fig that was very bitter to eat.

The sycamine tree and the mulberry tree were very similar in appearance; the two trees even produced a fruit that looked identical. However, the fruit of the sycamine tree was extremely bitter. Its fruit looked just as luscious and delicious as a mulberry fig. But when a person tasted the sycamine fig, he discovered that it was horribly bitter.

Mulberry figs were delicious and therefore expensive. Because of the cost of this fruit, it was primarily eaten by wealthier people. But the sycamine fig was cheap and therefore affordable to poorer people. Because the poor couldn't afford the luscious mulberry fig, they munched on the sycamine fig as a substitute.

However, the sycamine fig was so bitter that it couldn't be eaten whole. In order to consume an entire sycamine fig, the eater had to nibble on it a little bit at a time. After a pause, the eater would return to nibble on it again, but he could never devour an entire piece of this fruit at one time; it was just too tart and pungent to eat at one sitting.

Jesus lets us know that like the sycamine fruit, the fruit of bitterness and unforgiveness is bitter, tart, and pungent. Like the fig, most people who are bitter and filled with unforgiveness chew on their feelings for a long time. They nibble on bitterness for a while; then they pause to digest what they've eaten. After they have reflected deeply on their offense, they return to the memory table to start nibbling on bitterness again - taking one little bite, then another little bite, then another. As they continue to think and meditate on their offense, they internalize their bitter feelings toward those who have offended them. In the end, their perpetual nibbling on the poisonous fruit of bitterness makes them bitter, sour people themselves.

And just as the primary consumers of the sycamine fruit were poor people, those who sit around and constantly meditate on every wrong that has ever been done to them are usually bound up with all kinds of poverty. Their bitter attitude not only makes them spiritually poor, but they are also frequently defeated, depressed, sick, and financially poor as well.

4. The sycamine tree was pollinated only by wasps.

It is very interesting to note that the sycamine tree was not naturally pollinated. The pollination process was only initiated when a wasp stuck its stinger right into the heart of the fruit. Thus, the tree and its fruit had to be "stung" in order to be reproduced.

Think of how many times you have heard a bitter person say: "I've been stung by that person once, but I'm not going to be stung again! What he did hurt me so badly that I'll never let him get close enough to sting me again!" It is likely that people who make such a statement have been "stung" by a situation that the devil especially devised to pollinate their hearts and souls with bitterness and unforgiveness. When a person talks like this, you can know for sure that the wasp of bitterness got to them!

Jesus said that in order to rid this nuisance from one's life, a person must have faith the size of "a grain of mustard seed." The word "grain" is the Greek word kokkos. It describes a seed, a grain, or a very small kernel. Jesus uses the example of a "mustard" seed in this example. The word "mustard" is the Greek word sinapi, which refers to the small mustard plant that grows from a tiny, miniscule seed.

By using this word, Jesus was telling His disciples that a great amount of faith is not needed to deal with bitterness and unforgiveness. Any person who has even a tiny measure of faith can speak to bitterness and unforgiveness and command them to leave - if that is really the desire of his heart.

So what is your desire today, friend? Do you genuinely wish to be free from the bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense that has festered in your soul for so long? Are you ready to rip those destructive roots clear out of your heart so they won't be able to resurface in your life again? Are you tired of those detrimental attitudes killing your joy, stealing your peace, and nullifying your spiritual life? If so, be sure to read tomorrow's Sparkling Gem so you can find out exactly how to permanently eradicate these attitudes from your life!

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MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, thank You for speaking to my heart about getting rid of bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense. I know from experience that these attitudes are a killer to my spiritual life. When I am filled with bitterness and unforgiveness, I become a sour hostage to my memories. When I am consumed with offense, I lose my joy and peace and my relationships with other people are horribly affected. I thank You for giving me all the faith I need to deal with this issue, Lord. Today I am asking You to help me start the process of ripping those foul roots out of the soil of my heart and soul.

I pray this in Jesus' name!

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MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I confess that I genuinely wish to be set free from bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense. I am weary of the way these poisonous roots have produced their deadly fruit in my life for so long. I am ready to do whatever is required to rip those roots clear out of my heart so they won't be able to resurface in my life again. By the power of the Holy Spirit and the authority God has given me, I repent of these detrimental attitudes that have been killing my joy, stealing my peace, and nullifying my spiritual life. By faith I am walking free from these enemies of my soul.

I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!

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Rick Renner Ministries | PO Box 702040 | Tulsa | OK | 74170