THE NEXT WAVE MAGAZINE

The Voice of Global Apostolic Reformation

JULY 2012

International Circle of Faith 40,000 Ministers with 11 Million Constituents

Hell in Church History Inside: Abusive churches Living Authentically Your church will die Church busy-ness

What if I don't believe?

Editorial more. I see countless individuals flirting with religion, even going out on church dates each Sunday. Been there, done that and got the T-shirt.

When an attempt is made to enlighten these individuals they respond mechanically as if robotically pre-programmed with predictable answers, yet absolutely oblivious to the fact their responses sound like someone saying banana backwards ten times.

Religious zealots are a bore to listen to. Verbal outbursts do not mean you are communicating a anything intelligible. Sounds more like verbal diarrhoea.

M

y wife invited a church leader we had served for a number of years to our wedding, The person threw the invitation card on the floor. Another person was invited and they threw it in the bin. After some years I left this church as directed by God; 2 of the 4 ministers (I was one too) would not shake my hand before I left.

Religion will wine and dine you, then rape you - use you, abuse you then lose you. It will then return for

Humility is a distinguished attribute.

Listen carefully to those who have been where you are, believED what you do and abandoned the way you still think.

There is a more excellent way; it is an endless journey of education and enlightenment - a continual awakening.

James Peter Jandu, Editor

THE NEXT WAVE is a monthly publication of the International Circle of Faith (ICOF) Global Network and is distributed globally to Churches, ministries and Christian organizations.

CONTENTS Hell in church history What if I don't believe?

Drilling to hell Biblical christian?

Boxed church Your church will die Abusive churches A picture of religion The of God man Living Authentically Church busy-ness Love wins-no regrets Namaste Religitics Humor

1 3 12 14 17 19 21 26 29 30 32 34 35 41 47

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NEXT WAVE is the voice of Apostolic Reformation (Apostolic Restoration). Since the time of John Wycliffe there has been an interest of true believers in returning the Church to the tenets taught by the original Apostles and held by the New Testament Church. This Apostolic Reformation has seen many waves of the Holy Spirit. The last prominent wave of Apostolic Reformation was in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. It is our expectation that we are in another wave of Apostolic Reformation. The Next Wave is published by International Circle of Faith Global Network. To receive a complimentary copy of The Next Wave each month register your email on our website.

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Hell in Church History Christian History Institute, publisher of Christian History magazine, is pleased to provide this brief survey and resource guide on the history of Christian thought about hell. The doctrine of hell has sparked considerable debate, especially since the 19th century and most recently with Michigan pastor Rob Bell’s book Love Wins. We hope you’ll find that we’ve done our job as historians, so that this resource provides light in a debate where there’s a lot of heat.

Early Christian writings affirm a close link between moral behavior and one’s eternal destiny but show little interest in the details of the eternal punishment about which they warn. Such as the Apocalypse of Peter, go farther, providing lurid descriptions of the punishments that correspond to particular sins.

Adulterers, for instance, would be punished in this way: “And there were also others, women, hanged by their hair above that mire which boiled up; and these were they that adorned themselves for adultery.

And the men that were joined with them in the defilement of adultery were hanging by their feet, and had their heads hidden in the mire, and said: ‘We believed not that we should come unto this place.’” This theme would show up frequently in medieval visions of hell (including Dante’s) and also finds striking echoes in the Qur’an.

Justin Martyr (c. 103–165) Justin Martyr was a convert to Christianity from pagan philosophy, and his most distinctive theological contribution was the idea that the eter-

nal Logos, the Word of God, was active in “seed” form in all people.

This allowed Justin to argue that whatever is said well by pagans can properly be appropriated by Christians: “Whatever things were rightly said among all men, are the property of us Christians . . . For all the writers were able to see realities darkly through the sowing of the implanted word that was in them. For the seed and imitation imparted according to capacity is one thing, and quite another is the thing itself, of 1

which there is the participation and imitation according to the grace which is from Him.” While Justin was reticent about the implications of this idea for the eternal fate of pagans, his ideas about the Logos inspired later Christian speculation about “virtuous pagans” who might somehow have access to the truth of Christ apart from the usual channels—making Jus¬tin the father of the inclusivist tradition within Chris-

tianity.

Number of times the word ‘Hell’ occurs in the following Bible Versions

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–c. 215) Clement of Alexandria was arguably the first Christian writer to speak of the apokatastasis, the return of all created beings to God. He also suggested that the fire of judgment is a fire of purification rather than destruction. However, he did not develop his ideas systematically.

Origen (c. 185–254) Origen understood the drama of salvation history as the divine initiative to restore created “minds” to the ecstatic intellectual union with God in which they were originally made. The entire physical world, in Origen’s theology, was a purgatorial discipline created by God in order to give fallen minds the necessary stimulus to return from their state of apathy. Hell was simply an extreme form of that purgatorial discipline, and the Scriptural texts speaking of eternal punishment were benevolent deceptions by God meant to shock us into repentance.

While Satan and the demons are at a disadvantage because they lack bodies, Origen expressed hope that they too would return to God in the apokatastasis, the final restoration of all creation.

"In the first five or six centuries of Christianity there were six theological schools, of which four (Alexandria, Antioch, Caesarea, and Edessa, or Nisibis) were Universalist, one (Ephesus) accepted conditional immortality; one (Carthage or Rome) taught endless punishment of the wicked. Other theological schools are mentioned as founded by Universalists, but their actual doctrine on this subject is not known."

"The Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge" by Schaff-Herzog, 1908, volume 12, page 96

Martin Luther: When questioned whether the Blessed will not be saddened by seeing their nearest and dearest tortured answers, “Not in the least.”

Tertullian: “At that greatest of all spectacles, that last and eternal judgment how shall I admire, how laugh, how rejoice, how exult, when I behold so many proud monarchs groaning in the lowest abyss of darkness; so many magistrates liquefying in fiercer flames than they ever kindled against the Christians; so many sages philosophers blushing in red-hot fires with their deluded pupils; so many tragedians more tuneful in the expression of their own sufferings; so many dancers tripping more nimbly from anguish then ever before from applause."

“What a spectacle. . .when the world. . .and its many products, shall be consumed in one great flame! How vast a spectacle then bursts upon the eye! What there excites my admiration? What my derision? Which sight gives me joy? As I see. . .illustrious monarchs. . . groaning in the lowest darkness, Philosophers. . .as fire consumes them! Poets trembling before the judgment-seat of. . .Christ! I shall hear the tragedians, louder-voiced in their own calamity; view play-actors. . .in the dissolving flame; behold wrestlers, not in their gymnasia, but tossing in the fiery billows. . .What inquisitor or priest in his munificence will bestow on you the favor of seeing and exulting in such things as these? Yet even now we in a measure have them by faith in the picturings of imagination.” [De Spectaculis, Chapter XXX]

2

Can I Be A Christian If I Don’t

Believe?

By Doug Trudell

On May 31st, 2008, Kelly and I were blessed to have nine of our friends join us for our weekly get-together where we enjoy a time of discussion, fellowship and or course a meal where we all bring something to contribute. It is always amazing to see how great this meal turns out every week despite the fact that no one knows what anyone else is bringing and no matter how many show up.

The discussions on the 31st continued off and on from about 3:30 in the afternoon to about 9 PM. They were very interesting and challenging but I want to focus specifically on a short “statement” made to our group by one of the ladies and a question posed to me in particular but also to the group by this lady’s husband. Getting ready for bed that night, I found the statement and the question were the last things that I thought about. When I woke up the next morning, they popped into my head almost immediately.

identify us might be impossible. So forgetting the label, we just want to A) know God and B) experience an authentic transformative spirituality.

To help clarify the comments and questions I am going to focus on, unlike most within our group, the couple with the comments and question remain active within the Messianic movement and they also attend a Torah study at a Jewish synagogue in our hometown. fundamental Christianity. Most of us had then spent some time within the Messianic movement, but over the past couple of years, most had

As we were getting started this lady took the time to express what was on her heart. It doesn’t do justice to her words to give you the short “Coles notes” version, nor does the printed word convey the tenderness of her heart but she simply stated that with all the changes we have been discussing and experiencing, she doesn’t want to walk away from the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, nor does she want to walk away from Yeshua (Jesus) etc.

She is concerned that the changes may lead us away from the faith found in the Bible, as she understands it. It may

“In your move from evangelical fundamental Christianity to the Messianic movement and now to the place where you find yourself today, what are the “Core Essentials” that you have carried over from the first two to where you are now? It would be good to know because we may not agree.”

At that time, everyone in our little group had come out of evangelical,

stepped out of that world as well.

Trying to find a religious label to 3

be helpful for those reading this to know that we have had a few people leave our group because of the changes that we have implemented lately. As well, at one time we sent out articles and teachings to a few hundred people all over the world by way of e-mail. Though not the only reason, the changes are the major factor that resulted in our email list diminishing by about 80%.

Hopefully over time this will reverse and start to grow again.

Most, if not all of the responsibility for these changes, falls upon my shoulders since I am the one “teaching” these “new” concepts (which aren’t really new at all). However, I believe that I am simply putting into words and clarifying what several people in our group were already sensing in their hearts/spirits.

After some discussions in our living room, we decided to take the discussion outside and enjoy the beautiful day. As we heading out into our backyard, the husband of this lady asked the following question of me... “In your move from evangelical fundamental Christianity to the Messianic movement and now to the place where you find yourself today, what are the “Core Essentials” that you have carried over from the first two to where you are now? It would be good to know because we may not agree.”

What a terrific question!

To answer it, you have to really think, something many of us try to avoid at all costs most of the time.

For starters, we have to define the term, “core essentials.” Once defined, then we have to determine what we believe are the core essentials of fundamental Christianity and then do the same thing for the Messianic movement. Then we have to determine what our current “core essentials” are and determine if they are new or carried over.

Of course, all of this begins with a major problem and that is that each

of us may not agree as to what constitutes “core essentials.” Using an example that I have used previously, though most of fundamental Christianity would not include baptism as a “core essential,” there are parts of fundamental Christianity that would see it as an absolute essential. For those who believe that one can not be “saved” without being baptized, baptism would certainly be a core essential and yet some groups don’t baptize at all while others would see it as something important but NOT essential.

Defining Core Essentials According to the dictionary, core is defined as “the heart or inner part of a thing.” Essential is defined as “necessary to the constitution or existence of a thing.” So we are looking for things that are at the very heart of and without which a) fundamental Christianity b) the Messianic movement and c) where we find ourselves, in essence, would dissolve.

I decided to seek some assistance in defining core essentials for fundamental Christianity and the Messianic movement. So I turned to groups within fundamental Christianity and the Messianic world that could help me define what those core essentials would be. Rather arbitrarily, from fundamental Christianity, I chose to use the doctrinal statements of Dallas Theological Seminary, (DTS from now on) one of the most famous fundamental Christian seminaries in the world as well as the Assemblies of God doctrinal statement (AOG from now on), another very fundamental group. In the Messianic world I have used the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations doctrinal statement (UMJC from now on). These are all accessible on the internet. I think it would be fair to assume that if you include something in your doctrinal statement you see it as very important.

That said, important does not necessarily mean essential so I will have to insert my own view as to what may or may not be essential 4

though as you will see, DTS does that for me.

The UMJC doctrinal statement contains 9 points. The AOG statement contains 16 points. The DTS statement contains 21 points or articles as they refer to them. However, at the top of the DTS statement they state there are 7 essentials out of the 21 that their students must agree with.

“Doug’s Digression” - This is where I get off topic for a moment. We often call it a rabbit trail. I have spent the last few minutes carefully reading those doctrinal statements. The result -- I don’t know whether to laugh, cry, or get angry though I think the last one would win out if I let it. I almost feel at a loss for words though those who know me know that wouldn’t last very long. Did you know the following for example, and I quote from the DTS doctrinal statement, Article III Angels, Fallen and Unfallen?

“We believe that Satan is the originator of sin, and that, under the permission of God, he, through subtlety, led our first parents into transgression, thereby accomplishing their moral fall and subjecting them and their posterity to his own power;” Perhaps I am utterly naive, but I didn’t have the foggiest clue that God GAVE PERMISSION to Satan to take down all of humanity and if it is true, what a can of worms that opens up. It is “amazing” to think that most of humanity is going to burn in hell (lake of fire) forever and this catastrophic situation exists because God gave permission to “Satan” to go and deceive Adam and Eve. This is not meant to be sarcastic etc. or to make light of this DTS belief, but did Satan ask God for permission to be the originator of sin in the first place and if he didn’t, why would he bother to ask permission from God to take down all of humanity? And why would he think that God would grant him per-

mission? I have been taught (which is a big part of the problem for all of us) that Satan was in total rebellion against God, going against God all the time so why would he bother to seek out permission and why on earth (or in heaven) would God grant him that permission? If I give grant you permission to go and do something, how can I turn around and punish you for doing it? As bizarre as this would be, apparently DTS believes that Satan rebelled when he first sinned but secured God’s permission when it came to “destroying” humanity.

Can you imagine any parent giving permission to their worst enemy to go ahead and wreck havoc and destruction upon their children? And if that isn’t bad enough, the parent then decides that He is going to punish his/her children forever because of what they “became” unless of course those children do exactly what “Daddy” says to do and believe exactly what “Daddy” says to believe... even though many of those children are never going to be told in their lifetimes what it is exactly that “Daddy” wants them to do or what he wants them to believe?

How “logical” is that?

Further, why would any child trust “Daddy” if “Daddy” gave permission to the most evil entity in the universe to a) destroy them morally, b) cause them to end up under the power of said enemy, c) to end up totally separated from any relationship with “Daddy,” d) to become mortal and die physically and e) to be punished forever by “Daddy” despite the fact that He gave his permission for all of this to happen?

And if that isn’t enough, lets throw into the mix that this “wonderful Father” is going to tell all of His children how much He loves them and they are supposed to believe it, despite the facts listed above. And we scratch our heads and wonder why much of the world has no interest in the God of fundamental Christianity and often sees it as totally illogical.

I know, I know... God fixed it all by the death of Jesus. Really?

If you call the following scenario “fixed,” perhaps you can say that He did. If you consider a small remnant of His children end up “saved” and ignore the fact that most of humanity is doomed to all that we just described, then He “fixed” the problem. Of course, you must also be willing to admit that when God gave “Satan” permission to do this, God knew, being omniscient, that the end result would be that most of humanity would end up separated from Him, in a place God created called hell or the lake of fire where He would punish all of those wicked people forever for being sinners and despite this horrendous and catastrophic end result, God was apparently okay with it since He gave his permission for it all to occur, knowing the “end” even before the beginning. That story, that premise is simply ludicrous.

And we could also add more to the “equation.” Adam and Eve apparently had a choice, though in God’s mind there was no choice since He already knew what they would do.

No one else has ever had a choice to be a “sinner.” It was a “gift” inherited by each of us and according to the DTS doctrinal statement, this “gift” was made possible through the permission of God. And we expect people to believe that people are going to see a “loving” God in this “horrific fairy tale.”

Okay... enough of this “digression.” I realize that my words have been harsh but this ridiculous view of God needs to go away and the sooner the better. I believe that what I have said is an accurate presentation according to standard and common fundamental Christian theology. I also believe that this concept of God in which he not only will punish most of humanity forever but apparently gave his permission resulting in this catastrophe is not only completely wrong but this belief would actually violate the second commandment when it is properly understood - “do not take 5

the name of the Lord in vain.” That commandment isn’t about “swearing” as much as it is about presenting a “God” to people that denigrates the true character of God. At a later time I will have much more to say about this as well as some other parts of these doctrinal statements.

Back To The Subject - “Core Essentials” When we look at the three doctrinal statements, there are some things common to all of them. Perhaps these would be the core essentials so let’s look at some of them. One would think that the first thing in a doctrinal statement would be “We believe in God.” Rarely does that seem to be the case. The first item in all three doctrinal statements is a belief in the Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God. I understand why the first statement is a belief in the Bible because it is within the Bible that fundamental Christianity and the messianic world are going to define “God.” Obviously, the Bible being the “Word of God” requires a belief in a “God” so belief in God is included in the first statement. The actual belief in “one God, eternally existent in three persons, i.e. the Trinity” is the second component of all three doctrinal statements.

The Bible & the Trinity One would think that we have identified two absolute essentials within all of fundamental Christianity and the Messianic movement, the Bible and the Trinity - but have we? Truth be told, addressing the “Trinity” first, there are many within fundamental Christianity and the Messianic movement who reject the Trinitarian view of God completely.

For example, one might need to believe that to be part of the Assemblies of God, which is a Pentecostal denomination but there are other “Pentecostal fundamental Christians” who reject the Trinitarian doctrine outright. Despite the UMJC endorsing the Trinitarian view of God, a huge number of “Messianic

believers” reject the Trinity concept and in fact, many of them see the belief in a Trinitarian God as an extremely pagan belief. So this doctrine certainly is not “essential” within fundamental Christianity or the messianic movement based upon our definition of core essentials.

As to the “inspired inerrancy and infallibility” of the Bible as the Word of God, again it isn’t as cut and dried as it might appear initially.

Often doctrinal statements will note that it is the “original writings” that are inspired, inerrant and infallible.

Of course that does create a slight problem in that none of those originals exist. At best we have copies of copies that have travelled through the Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin languages before ending up in English, or any of the other current languages of the world.

It has been my experience that most of fundamental Christianity for all intents and purposes ignores this “problem” and treats their English versions very much as if they are inspired, inerrant and infallible.

Of course, we do have some people who believe that there is an English translation that is truly inspired, inerrant and infallible, i.e. the King James Only people.

What happens if we stay within Christendom but step out of the fundamental world? Well suddenly we find many people who claim to be Christians but do not believe the Bible is inspired, inerrant or infallible. Some suggest that the Bible contains the “words of God” but is not entirely the “Word of God.” Some would see the Bible as a document written by man expressing the writers’ views of God at the time of the writing. Despite their non-inerrant, non-infallible view of the Bible, they still see themselves very much as Christians.

What about the “Messianic movement?” Well again we will find that there are those in the Messianic

world who would disagree with the view endorsed by all three doctrinal statements we are using. As much as many fundamental Christians would disagree, there are those in the “Messianic movement” who would see the Old Testament as inspired, inerrant and infallible but not the New Testament or at least portions of it. For example, a couple of years ago, all “hell” broke loose within segments of the Messianic movement when a prominent leader within the movement made the statement that the writer of the book of Hebrews was a liar, didn’t know what he was writing about and the book should be removed from the Bible. Needless to say, it created quite a stir.

There is a core essential in this for me. It is that there is a GOD. Who exactly that God is or what that God “consists of,” I am not certain. Judaism has a term for this “ultimate God.” It is “Ayn Sof” meaning indescribable and unknowable. I have no problem admitting that this “being” through whom a universe came into existence is beyond my comprehension. However, the existence of this God/Goddess is something that has been and still is a core essential for me. However....

The question is, are these core essentials to me?

“But what about a 3 person Trinity God?”I am not sure that I have ever believed in the “Trinity” as portrayed within fundamental Christianity. As a result, I have never viewed it as all that important, and certainly not essential. If push comes to shove and you force me to express an opinion, then no, I don’t believe in the “God in 3 persons Trinity.” For example, when it comes to the Holy Spirit or Ruach HaKodesh in Hebrew, I believe that it is the presence, the power and the energy of God but not a distinct person separate from a Father and/or a Son. If you ask me if the Holy Spirit is God, my answer is yes. You cannot separate the Presence, Power or Energy of 6

God from God. And I don’t see an “eternal Son,” since we are told that the “Word” and not the “Son” became flesh. I have no problem with an eternal “Word” though I don’t see the “Word” as a separate person in a Trinitarian Godhead. The Word of God cannot be separate from God. As I said above, I am convinced more and more that God is absolutely indescribable and to even attempt to describe Him/Her/It is doomed to failure from the very beginning but humanity has this “need” to define God and so we do so using human qualities thereby creating an anthropomorphic God. We really have no choice. Any attempt to define or describe God is limited to the constraints of human language but the result is that we often end up with a “God” created far more in the image of man, than man created in the image of God. The Bible - Inspired, Inerrant, Infallible Personally, this is a much more difficult issue than the Trinity issue. I have taught the Bible for some 25 years and for much of that time, I saw it as all three. However, over time and especially during my time in the Messianic movement, I came to the conclusion that our English versions are far from inerrant or infallible, and that includes the KJV. Not all that long ago, I read two books by Marcus Borg entitled “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time” and “The Heart of Christianity.” What is ironic is that I would have probably tossed both books in the garbage a few years ago or would have been willing to burn them. I wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with “so-called Christian and biblical scholar,” Marcus Borg.

My fundamentalism wouldn’t have allowed it.

Well, someday perhaps I will get to apologize to Marcus Borg in person.

I would consider it an honour to meet him. Not that my opinion mat-

ters one iota, but Marcus Borg is definitely a Christian and not only a Christian but he is high on my list of Christians I would like to meet. However, “my oh my” does he have a view of the Bible that differs from the DTS, AOG and UMJC doctrinal statements. Quoting from page 45 in “The Heart of Christianity,” Borg states: “The Bible is the product of two historical communities, ancient Israel and the early Christian movement.”

“As such, it is a human product, not a divine product. This claim in no way denies the reality of God. Rather, it sees the Bible as a response of these two ancient communities to God.” “As their response to God, the Bible tells us how they saw things. Above all, it tells us how they saw their life with God. It contains their stories about God’s involvement in their lives, their laws and ethical teachings, their prayers and praises, their wisdom about how to live, and their hopes and dreams. It is not God’s witness to God (not a divine product), but their witness to God.” “As a human product, the Bible is not “absolute truth” or “God’s revealed truth,” but relative and culturally conditioned. To many, “relative” and “culturally conditioned” mean something inferior, even negative. But “relative” means “related”: the Bible is related to their time and place. So also, “culturally conditioned” means that the Bible uses language and concepts of the cultures in which it took shape. To use a non biblical example, the Nicene Creed uses the language of the fourth-century Hellenistic philosophy to express convictions that mattered most to the Christians who framed it. It is not a set of absolute truths, but tells us how they saw things. So also the Bible tells us how our spiritual ancestors saw things - not how God sees things.”

more with Marcus Borg’s views than the doctrinal statements of the DTS, AOG or UMJC. Some people within Christianity or the Messianic movement would vehemently disagree and perhaps see this as reason enough to label me, and maybe Marcus Borg, as a non-Christian, false prophet, heretic etc. Or as someone said to me recently by way of an e-mail, “I have no problem seeing you as a spiritual moron.” I understand that statement very well. I certainly don’t take offence.

In fact, I find it rather humorous especially when I am honest with myself and realize that there was a day not all that long ago when I could have said the same thing about people that I now appreciate greatly.

More Core Essentials On all three doctrinal statements we see that the deity of Jesus, his virgin birth, atoning death, bodily resurrection and ascension are all listed. Let me deal with the first two now and come back to the others later on.

The Deity of Jesus and the Virgin Birth Every Christian believes Jesus is God. Without question, that is a core essential, isn’t it? Well, it might be a core essential if we ignore the fact that many Christians and Messianic believers don’t believe that Jesus was God. Fundamental groups may define this as an essential, but who gives any one group such as fundamentalism the right to define who is a Christian and what is essential? Actually the “right” to define who is a Christian is a “prize” that man will fight, argue and kill to grasp hold of. It is sought by those who see themselves as leaders upon whom God has conferred the authority and power to rule and reign over the rest of humanity, or at least all the Christians who apparently cannot discern for themselves if they are a Christian nor what it means to be a Christian.

Today, I find myself agreeing much 7

Please understand that the following description of this historic event is a poor attempt to simplify a complex topic. Many people aren’t aware that the issue of Jesus’ deity versus his humanity was hotly contested during the first 300 years of Christianity. In fact, it was such a hot issue that a council was convened to deal with it. Bishops from throughout the Christian world were brought together to debate and settle this issue. Clearly, there would be no need for a council unless you had Christians lining up on both sides of the issue. No one would care what non-Christians believed.

The “winners,” who were ultimately declared so by the vote of Constantine, the Roman Emperor, were those who believed Jesus to be God. (Again, a simplistic statement to a much more complex issue.) The “losers,” if they didn’t “convert” faced excommunication and possibly worse. I find it amazing that Christianity could survive and some would say flourish for 300 years, all the while entertaining such diverse views of Jesus, only to come to the place where the hierarchy decided that such diverse views couldn’t be tolerated and the views (and those holding to them) needed to be obliterated. Unfortunately this is an all too common event in the history of Christianity. Those in “charge” determine what is “orthodox” and then proceed to remove any and all dissenters, using whatever force is necessary.

Indeed, history repeats. There are those within the Christian and the Messianic worlds today who do not believe that Jesus is God and often they are removed by the powers that be and thereby prevented from fellowshipping with those who believe that He is God. Of course, you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump - obviously they have got to ”eliminated” because their heretical views will leaven all those they associate with.

When it comes to the virgin birth, it is exactly the same as the divinity

issue. Most fundamental Christians and many Messianics believe in the virgin birth but there are a substantial number of Christian and Messianic believers that do not.

Whether they are “true Christians” depends, I guess, upon who you ask though the wrong view regarding this “essential” can definitely get you tossed out as well.

dynamic relationship with God. He wanted everyone to experience the life He was living.

As sacrilegious as this sounds, if the “virgin birth” was an essential,

Another Core Essential

So - Are these core essentials to me?

Short answer - NO! When it comes to being a Christian, neither one is “essential.” I simply cannot see how the belief or non-belief in the deity of Jesus or the belief or non-belief in the virgin birth would prevent anyone from following the teachings of Jesus/Yeshua which is how I would define a Christian. Whether I see Jesus as a 100% human being or I see him as God, how does either position prevent me from recognizing the teachings of Jesus to be universal truths and then following them?

I realize that people are going to turn to certain verses to “prove” their position but here is where an extremely important “truth” emerges for me. I wish these were my words but they are not. They are profound.

“We have traded in the spirituality of Jesus for a religion about Jesus.”

Think about it. Does the issue of whether he is fully God, fully man or somehow both or the issue of his virgin birth focus on the spirituality of Jesus or do they focus on a religion about Jesus? Jesus consistently directed our attention away from himself. He was always pointing people to God, not himself, though I would argue vehemently that He was constantly encouraging us to follow the spirituality that He was living out, an authentic spirituality that produced a living, vibrant,

Jesus. Instead, it was becoming a religion about him and your participation in this new Christianity wouldn’t be based on following and experiencing the teachings of Jesus, but instead, it would be based on what you believed about him as determined by the religious hierarchy.

why is it only mentioned briefly by Matthew and Luke? Why is it totally ignored when it comes to the writings of Mark, John, Peter, James and Paul? Can you show me a single verse within the “words in red” in the Bible where Jesus, himself, points anyone to his virgin birth in any of his teachings or makes it an issue?

And if we go back to that council, which by the way, was the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D., I don’t recall reading anywhere that the problem with those who believed that Jesus wasn’t God, had anything to do with their unrighteous, immoral behaviour. I don’t recall anyone saying that they weren’t following Jesus’ teachings. In fact, in some cases, I believe that you could argue that some of those who didn’t believe he was God had a better understanding of Jesus’ teachings and were doing a better job of following those teachings than those who believed he was God. And that is still true today!

To me, this is a sign that “the change” was already occurring in the early three hundreds. Christianity was already transitioning away from an authentic faith that followed the teachings of Jesus and led to experiencing the spirituality of 8

Though worded differently, all three of the doctrinal statements we are using include a belief in the resurrection of believers, i.e. the saved, to a life of bliss, glory etc. All three also believe in all of the unsaved being resurrected, judged and condemned.

The UMJC describes it as “a resurrection of damnation.”

Quoting the AOG statement, “There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works.

Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The DTS statement reads: “the spirits and souls of the unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and in misery until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power” I have sitting on my bookshelf a manuscript that I am writing on the issue of an eternal hell. Though this may sound bizarre, whether you see the Bible as a divinely inspired, inerrant, infallible book or you see it

as the product of man, I don’t believe the Bible teaches anywhere that God is going to punish “lost” humanity in some place called hell or the lake of fire forever so that should make it very obvious that I sure don’t see this as an essential belief. And yes, I am very aware of the 50+ verses in the KJV that mention hell and I am aware of the verses in which Jesus mentions Gehenna or to be more accurate, the Valley of Hinnom. For some reason the translators decided to insert the word hell into the text instead of Valley of Hinnon even though the Valley of Hinnom is used consistently in the Old Testament. I am also aware of the lake of fire in the book of Revelation and I am very aware of the words forever, everlasting and eternal and yet, it is my intention to fill our web site with articles showing the fallacy of this belief based upon the Bible itself.

and the Messianic movement. The words are not the same but all three of our doctrinal statements include the following essential.

The Death of Jesus/Yeshua - An Atoning Sacrifice Simplifying things -- Jesus’ death was an atoning sacrifice which, when acknowledged, confessed or accepted enables God to a) forgive people of their sins and b) through the Spirit of God, the spirit of this now forgiven person is regenerated producing the experience that is often identified using the term “born again.” The person is “saved,” no longer headed to hell but instead

who do not believe that God needed a “human sacrifice” in order to save and forgive humanity. That doesn’t mean that they don’t see Jesus as the Saviour but they would define “being saved” much differently. For many, Jesus died for us, not as a sacrifice for our sins, but because he was an enormous threat to those in power, both politically and religiously. In showing us the pathway to God which includes experiencing eternal life or true salvation, i.e. becoming a whole complete human being, prospering in body, soul and spirit and manifesting the image of God, Jesus became a target of the political and religious system of the world. They realized that if He were allowed to continue and if he succeeded, it would be the end of their control and power and so they did what they had to do to try and prevent Jesus from succeeding. Jesus definitely died to “save us” but in a very different way than fundamental Christianity believes.

“We have traded in the spirituality of Jesus for a religion about Jesus.”

This core essential is no different than all of the other “essentials” we have looked at. Again there are many Christians, including many who would see themselves as fundamentalists, as well as many Messianics who do not believe in God punishing most of creation forever. I have 106 “Christian” web sites bookmarked that reject this doctrine. This doctrine has been refuted by many Christians throughout all of Christianity’s history. Many believe that most of the first and second century Christians did not believe in eternal punishment.

There are volumes and volumes written exposing the errors in the belief that God is going to punish people for ever.

The Ultimate Core Essential Though our analysis so far doesn’t seem to have produced any truly essential doctrines that everyone must believe in, we will now look at the ultimate core essential when it comes to fundamental Christianity

will spend eternity with God. So far we have seen that minus the inspired, inerrant, infallible view of the Bible, minus the Trinity, minus the divinity of Jesus, minus the virgin birth of Jesus and minus eternal punishment, there are groups within the fundamental Christian and Messianic movements functioning quite well. It would seem however, to be impossible for the atoning, sacrificial death of Jesus to be anything but unanimously agreed upon as an essential. And yet, it isn’t.

Actually what I should say is that it is probably the one unanimous or nearly unanimous essential that all of fundamental Christianity and the Messianic world agree to but it is not unanimous among those who may identify themselves as Christians but reside outside of those worlds. There are many “Christians” 9

I once met an ultra-orthodox Rabbi who stated that though he wasn’t really sure what “reformed Judaism” was, he was sure that it definitely wasn’t “true Judaism.” Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if fundamental Christianity and the messianic movement adopted the same attitude towards those “Christians” who don’t see Jesus’ death from the same perspective as they do. They might say as well “I don’t know what it is that they believe but it certainly isn’t “true Christianity.” Despite that possibility, I believe that you can very much disagree with the fundamental view of Jesus’ death and still be very much a Christian.

So far, I have basically pointed out core essentials that I don’t believe actually are that essential. From a purely “Christian” point of view, I guess the only core essential I would say is to follow the teachings of Jesus, whatever you may think

they are.

So what is absolutely essential to me? It would certainly seem that I haven’t carried much, if anything over from fundamental Christianity and the messianic movement. I guess I see one thing and one thing only as essential. I will share it and then a couple of other things that are important personally but wouldn’t be as essential as this first one.

Ironically, a good friend, Kirk, who was part of our discussion, shared his new personal statement of faith.

It is "God IS... and so AM I." I really like it but I am going to alter it slightly and turn it into my primary essential. My version reads: GOD IS....and so...I am!

What is really the only essential for me is the existence of God, the ultimate source of all of creation including me. He/She/It is the supreme being, the creator, divine consciousness, universal awareness, infinite energy, unending life etc. Use whatever “name” you prefer. I exist because God exists. In fact, because God is the source of all of humanity, because all of humanity is in essence a part of God, there is no chance of any of humanity being separated from God at any time since to do so would require God to be separated from parts of Himself which is an impossibility. It is the awareness of this oneness with God and each other that will change humanity and the world. I believe in this God to the degree that I believe He/She/It will bring humanity to the place where everyone is an expression of the image of God. To quote the Bible, God is not willing that any should perish and I believe in a God whose “will” cannot ultimately be thwarted in any way.

In essence I could go so far as to say that the only thing that I would ever have to “worry” about is if God could cease to exist. No God - no me. No God - no you. No God - no universe. His existence however

eliminates the possible “worry.” The fact that "God Is" and has created all of this amazing universe convinces me that in the "end" all things will work out to the good for every single being He has created.

That is my primary and perhaps only true essential.

My second non-essential essential would be that for me personally, Jesus lived out what it means to truly know and experience God in his entire being. He experienced “eternal life” (which is far more than living forever) and if anyone a) studies his teachings and b) understands them and c) follows them and d) experiences them within themselves, then they can experience the same knowledge of God and experience the same life that Jesus lived, at least in quality of life.

He invites everyone to be his disciple and as such, live as He did and experience God as He did and does.

He is inviting all of humanity into oneness with God and each other.

He is inviting humanity to experience his spirituality and all that it entails as opposed to being a part of a religion that is more preoccupied with facts about Jesus.

I don't see it as absolutely essential that people acknowledge Jesus as Saviour in their lifetime though I believe completely that those who live out his teachings will experience true salvation meaning wholeness, oneness etc. so He is indeed our Saviour, just not in the way that it is often presented. I don't see it essential that people see Him as divine, believe in His virgin birth etc. and no, I don't think God needed Him to die to "forgive us." As sacrilegious as that sounds, I don't think Jesus taught such a thing. He certainly never once suggested such an answer when he was asked what people had to do to inherit eternal life. If people follow the teachings of some other spiritual teacher or simply their own inner guidance and those teachings mirror the teachings of Jesus, then I believe that they will experience the life and presence of God do the degree that 10

those teachings match the teachings of Jesus. As much as I believe Jesus to be the ultimate teacher and expression of God, I also believe that we can find universal truths in a lot of other places besides the Bible and I don't mind looking for them in non-Christian circles. Nature, for example is a great place to start. Buddhism has some wonderful teachings and more and more I am appreciating the teachings found within the native Indians of North America, the Mayans, Toltecs, Jewish kabbalism and yes all those new-agers that I condemned not all that long ago. Truth be told, I don’t see much difference in all of them when we get down to the core of what they teach.

What is ultimately essential for me is to know and experience God and to come to know who I truly am.

Meister Eckhart, a Christian mystic said the following: “A human being has so many skins inside, covering the depths of the heart. We know so many things, but we don't know ourselves! Why, thirty or forty skins or hides, as thick and hard as an ox's or bear's, cover the soul. Go into your own ground and learn to know yourself there.”

So you can see that when it comes to essentials, I am travelling very light.

God is... and so... I am--- that’s it. Or to put it another way...

“I am an experience God is having... and so are you.”

Personally, if the following words are true about me, then I will be making a great deal of progress. They are the words of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Thomas.

“When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.”

Bishop Bernie L. Wade, ICOF President The Mission of ICOF is to provide: Unprecedented unity to the body of Christ Communion of like-minded churches, ministries, education and charitable organizations Fellowship connection for church leaders and ascension Resources for training and equipping Mentoring relationships for ministry development Apostolic Covering for structure, order and protocol

P.O. Box 72 Sulphur, KY 40070, USA Tel: 502.410.4263 Email: administration@icof.net

drilling to Hell The "Well to Hell" is a putative borehole in Russia which was purportedly drilled so deep that it broke through to hell. This urban legend has been circulating on the Internet since at least 1997. It is first attested in English as a 1989 broadcast by Trinity Broadcasting Network, which had picked up the story from Finnish newspaper reports.

The legend and its basis

Propagation

The legend holds that a team of Russian scientists led by a certain Mr. Azzacov in an unnamed place in Siberia had drilled a hole that was nine miles (14.5 km) deep before breaking through to a cavity. Intrigued by this unexpected discovery, they lowered an extremely heat tolerant microphone, along with other sensory equipment, into the well. The temperature deep within was 2,000 °F (1,100 °C) — heat from a chamber of fire from which (purportedly) the tormented screams of the damned could be heard. The recording, however, was later revealed to have been a cleverly remixed portion of the soundtrack of the 1972 movie Baron Blood, with various effects added.

United States tabloids soon ran the story, and sound files— recordings of those alleged supplications from the damned—began appearing on various sites across the Internet. The supermarket tabloid Weekly World News may have made the first American report on the so-called Well to Hell.

TBN involvement The story eventually made its way to

gullibility, Rendalen decided to augment the tale at TBN's expense Rendalen wrote to the network, originally claiming that he disbelieved the tale but, upon his return to Norway, supposedly read a "factual account" of the story. According to Rendalen, the "story" claimed not only that the cursed well was real, but that a bat-like apparition had risen out of it before blazing a trail across the Russian sky.] Rendalen deliberately mistranslated a trivial Norwegian article about a local building inspector and submitted both the original story and the "translation" to TBN, along with a letter which included his real name, phone number, and address, as well as those of a pastor friend who knew about the hoax and had agreed to expose it to any-

However, TBN did nothing to verify Rendalen's claims and aired the story as "proof" of the validity of the original story.

The Soviet Union had, in fact, drilled a hole nearly eight miles deep, the Kola Superdeep Borehole, located not in Siberia but on the Kola Peninsula, which shares borders with Norway and Finland. Upon completing the borehole in 1989, some interesting geological anomalies were found, although they reported no supernatural encounters. Temperatures reached 180 °C (360 °F), making deeper drilling prohibitively expensive.

the American Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), which broadcast it on the network, claiming it to be "proof" of the literal existence of Hell as taught in the Bible. Åge Rendalen, a Norwegian teacher, heard the story on TBN while visiting the United States. Disgusted with what he perceived to be mass 12

one who called seeking verification.

Quotes

However, TBN did nothing to verify Rendalen's claims and aired the story as "proof" of the validity of the original story.

Rendalen explains that he had visited the US a few weeks earlier and had seen the host of a Christian television program enthusiastically relating the Drilling to Hell story. He told me: ‘I couldn’t believe that the hosts really thought the story was true and that they would broadcast it without apparently having checked it out.’

When he returned to Norway, Rendalen sat down and fabricated the graphic story of the bat-like creature and sent his letter to the television network. His prediction was that they would use the story without investigating it. To make an investigation easy for them, he included his name, address and telephone number on his letter. He also included what he claimed was an article on the story from ‘Norway’s largest and most reputable newspaper’. In fact, the article, which he falsely translated, was a piece in his local community paper about a building inspector.

Alternate versions Since its publicity, many alternate versions of the story of the Well to Hell have been published. Some hoaxster took this story, changed the facts completely and soon enough the story appeared in tabloids all over the world. In 1992, US tabloids published an alternative version of the story, which was set in Alaska where 13 miners were killed after Satan came roaring out of Hell. Other alternative stories included an alleged story where Jacques Cousteau quit diving after hearing "screams of people in pain" underwater.[citation needed] Additionally, another story told of one of Cousteau's men fainting in terror after hearing screaming voices in a trench in the Bermuda Triangle.

Augustine: “They who shall enter into [the] joy [of the Lord] shall know what is going on outside in the outer darkness. . .The saints'. . . knowledge, which shall be great, shall keep them acquainted. . .with the eternal sufferings of the lost.” [The City of God, Book 20, Chapter 22, "What is Meant by the Good Going Out to See the Punishment of the Wicked" & Book 22, Chapter 30, "Of the Eternal Felicity of the City of God, and of the Perpetual Sabbath"] Thomas Aquinas: In order that the happiness of the saints may be more delightful to them and that they may render more copious thanks to God for it, they are allowed to see perfectly the sufferings of the damned. . .So that they may be urged the more to praise God. . .The saints in heaven know distinctly all that happens. . .to the damned. [Summa Theologica, Third Part, Supplement, Question XCIV, "Of the Relations of the Saints Towards the Damned," First Article, "Whether the Blessed in Heaven Will See the Sufferings of the Damned. . ."]

Jonathan Edwards “The view of the misery of the damned will double the ardour of the love and gratitude of the saints of heaven.”

The sight of hell torments will exalt the happiness of the saints forever. . .Can the believing father in Heaven be happy with his unbelieving children in Hell. . . I tell you, yea! Such will be his sense of justice that it will increase rather than diminish his bliss. ["The Eternity of Hell Torments" (Sermon), April 1739 & Discourses on Various Important Subjects, 1738] Isaac Watts: During America 's "Great Awakening" the popular hymn writer, Isaac Watts (1674-1748), even set Christians' feet to tapping with this crisp little verse: What bliss will fill the ransomed souls, When they in glory dwell, To see the sinner as he rolls, In quenchless flames of hell.

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WHAT IS A BIBLICAL

CHRISTIAN?

by Ken Cascio

In this article you will find some indications of what a Biblical Christian is. For certain, you will rarely hear or read about these indicators from those who declare themselves to have been "called by God into the pastoral office." Many indications on the list might be shocking to some of you. But then again, should that be news?

The REAL JESUS CHRIST is just as shocking today as He was when He taught His own personal disciples.

The religious leaders of the time of Christ were appalled at the teachings of Jesus. They were horrified by Jesus because Jesus demolished their man-made customs, traditions, deceits, fraud, false teachings, false authority, greed, lust and power mongering (Matthew 23). The response of those religious leaders to Jesus was hate, sowing of discord, persecution, attempted murder, lies, false accusations and ultimately death to Jesus Christ.

Has anything changed in 2000 years? Yes. It’s gotten worse.

It was Jesus who rejected the authoritarian structure of his own religious heritage and anything that even came close to the carnal rule of men. Jesus unfolds this throughout His entire life and ministry! One notable example is: Matthew 20:2028: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles are lords over them, and those who are great exercise au-

thority (or are tyrants) over them.

YET IT WILL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU.

sive,” “un-submissive,” having a “proud, haughty spirit.” 1 Thess.

5:21; 1 John 4:1

If Jesus were to return today, there is not one church on the face of the earth who would dare hire Him to be their “Pastor”. Not one!

● A Biblical Christian is someone who stands up to carnal-minded church leaders and refuses to have them tamper with their marriage and family. Matthew 19:6

Make no mistake about it. The church that killed Christ two thousand years ago is the same church today, with the same type of leadership that would without delay, kill Christ all over again if He were here teaching us: “…YET IT WILL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant…”

If you think you know what a Biblical Christian is because you “go to church regularly” and follow its rules and have your morning devotions, think twice.

What is a Biblical Christian? ● A Biblical Christian is one who is able to worship God at any time and in any place and that doing so, he infuriates organized religionists.

John 4:23-24; Luke 22:1-2 ● A Biblical Christian obeys the scriptures to "test all things" and “prove the spirits” even though they are mocked and ridiculed from the pulpit, and labeled “Pharisees;” even though they are called “divi14

● A Biblical Christian is one who knows where the wolves are. They know they’re in the pulpits. Matthew 7:22-23 ● A Biblical Christian does not choose to serve their spiritual bullies in the pulpit, thinking all the while they are serving their Lord. No rather they expose them. Gal. 2:11; 1 Timothy 1:19; 2 Timothy 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:14; 3 John 9; Jude 11 ● A Biblical Christian is one who puts their family first; not their “pastor." Ephesians 5:22ff ● A Biblical Christian is bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus.

They do not become slaves of men and of human institutions. Slaves of Christ, Yes! Slaves of men, institutions, or religious systems, No! 1 Cor. 7:23 ● A Biblical Christian does not take up their cross weekly and follow their leaders, but takes up their cross daily and follows Jesus Christ.

Luke 9:23

● A Biblical Christian sees that the Jewish system of appointing certain ones to perform priestly duties has been done away with; that the work of Christ on the cross has rent the veil providing every believer free access to the Father (Matthew 27:51; Hebrews 10:20); that in Christ all believers are priests and have the responsibility to function as priests.

1 Peter 2:5-9

exercise. A Biblical Christian knows that the promise still stands that knowing the truth will set us free.

John 8:32 ● A Biblical Christian is one who does not passively sit in pews and observe the ministry of a select and highly privileged few. Romans 12 &1 Cor.12-14

● A Biblical Christian does not believe it is rebellion to question the teachings and practices of the pastors and churches. 1 John 4:1; 1 Thess. 5:21; 1 Cor. 14:29; 2 Tim. 3:5; Titus 3:10; 2 Cor. 6:17

● A Biblical Christian is one who is free to fellowship with people from denominations they once were taught were ungodly and unworthy of their company. Matthew 23:8 ● A Biblical Christian has nothing to fear by probing, discussion, debating, and searching for Truth. Only orthodoxy is threatened by such

● A Biblical Christian is one who does not worship in a place where only one side of a question is "allowed" to be taught.

Psalm 1:1-2

● A Biblical Christian does not believe that the foundation of life is their local church. John 14:6

● A Biblical Christian knows that it is not in any building made with hands that the Father is worshiped. Acts 7:48

● A Biblical Christian does not corrupt the necessary love within a family and succumb to the false teaching that so-called “church authorities” outside the family know best. Ephesians 5:22ff; Matthew 19:6

● A Biblical Christian is one who doesn’t follow the false teaching that states that group obedience to the elders in all things is from God. 1 John 4:1

● A Biblical Christian is not dumbed down to the level of not being able to think, reason or discern for themselves. Romans 12:2

● A Biblical Christian is free to follow their heart in giving to whomever they desire as God prospers them. 2 Cor. 9:7

● A Biblical Christian knows that many pulpits are occupied by masters of deceit, hiding under the guise of an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:13-15

ing every detail of their life. 1 Cor 7:23

●A Biblical Christian's "conscience is not bound to care for their pastors.” 2 Tim. 3:13

● A Biblical Christian is fully aware and on guard knowing that spiritual wolves wear suits and ties, look good, sound good, and appear to be "godly" in public. Mark 13:22 ● A Biblical Christian is one who will stand up for their family and spouse and say “NO” to the home-wrecking pastors who are usurping and seeking to steal, kill, and destroy.

Matthew 7:15ff ● A Biblical Christian knows that their "local pastor" has no more spiritual authority over them than does the town dog catcher. 1 Cor. 11:3 ● A Biblical Christian will not tolerate a “church leader” micromanag15

● A Biblical Christian knows that God does not move exclusively on Sunday morning at twenty minutes past eleven, following three choruses and two minutes of singing. His Spirit is everywhere, all the time.

John 4:24 ● Biblical Christians are not “dumb sheep.” Matthew 7:14 ● A Biblical Christian learns that the praise of God is not intended to be a spectator sport relegated to weekends only, but the pouring out of one's own heart to their Creator day after day. Acts 2:46; Acts 5:42 ● A Biblical Christian is one who has been called out by God into His royal Assembly, His family; called out, not only from among the world, but also even the RELIGIOUS world!

2 Cor. 6:17

● A Biblical Christian will not play the role of “God” in the lives of others. 1 Cor. 8:6 ● A Biblical Christian will not give their devotion and mind to men, a movement, or a local institutional system. Romans 12:2; 1 Cor. 3:19 ● A Biblical Christian does not acquiesce to unquestioned, uncritical agreement and allegiance to a human leader. Acts 17:10-11 ● A Biblical Christian does not believe: -Salvation is founded upon going to church; -Truth is only understood by pastors; -Church authoritarianism and hierarchy are ordained by Jesus Christ; -Institutional churches are what Jesus died on the cross to establish; -Giving of your tithes and offerings will make you prosper; The pastors words are inspired by the Holy Spirit and are infallible; Modern day "pastors" and "preachers" are "God's generals"; -Jesus Christ speaks to us only through "professionally" trained preachers; The clergy dressed in their fine business suits are “holy men.” 2 Tim. 3:1-7 ● A Biblical Christian will know that their religion is not predicated on the notion, "We must listen to a Sunday sermon." 1 Cor. 2:5 ● A Biblical Christian never leaves all the research and thinking to the

pastors, but researches issues and will think for themselves. Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1 ● A Biblical Christian is one who knows that there is no man whose word has power over another; that no one has the right in God's kingdom to "lord it over them" (exercise authority). Jesus has spoken and said "NOT SO!" Matthew 20:25-26 ● A Biblical Christian will never view the words of their supposed “spiritual overseers” as the words of God. 1 Cor. 2:1; Acts 10:26 ● A Biblical Christian is someone who was not aware of how spiritually dead they really were UNTIL they come out of the graveyards in which they worship! 2 Cor 6:16-17 ● A Biblical Christian does not think that Sunday church attendance is the definition and/or sign of being a Christian Col. 2:16-17 ● A Biblical Christian does not think that following Jesus Christ means going to church every week and hearing another sermon. 1 Tim. 4:1-2 ● A Biblical Christian is not called to weekend duty but worships 24/7.

John 4:23-24 ● A Biblical Christian will know that their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ did NOT SAY:

-"Blessed are those who go to church".

-"Submit to the authority of pastors".

-“Worship Me by giving of your tithes and offerings.”

-"Your sins are forgiven by going to church".

-"Life revolves around preachers and churches".

-"Touch not mine anointed".

-"Fear your leaders".

-"Attend church on Saturday or Sunday".

-"It is a sin to not go to church".

-"Build physical church buildings and fill the pews with financial contributors".

-"Let paid hirelings and professional clergy do your thinking".

-"Don't challenge religious leaders of churches".

-"Pastors are the living waters of life".

-"Follow seminary/academy trained clergy leaders".

-"Pastors, senior pastors, reverend pastors, and doctor pastors are a special class of people who rule over my followers".

“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.”

Bertrand Russell “Instead of encouraging people to become disciples of Christ, we have fallen to recruiting people to become disciples of Christianity,and there is a difference.”

Bishop Carlton Pearson “If man's will can prevail over God's will, then God cannot be sovereign” HAROLD LOVELACE “Jesus is supracultural. He is present within all cultures, and yet outside of all cultures. He is for all people, and yet he refuses to be co-opted or owned by any one culture.”

Rob Bell 16

BOXED CHURCH

By Gary Amirault

For most of us who have experienced boxed lunches at any time in our lives, they usually become a routine of pretty much the same food, the same taste. During my many years as a Christian, I have been in dozens of different denominations and literally hundreds of different churches. It got to the point where I could pretty much tell what denomination or movement I was in without looking at the sign outside the church. Simply by being in a few services in a particular church, one could come pretty close to figuring out what denomination the church belonged to. The church leaders and the congregation managed to “box” the worship in such a way that one could tell what man-made denomination created the church.

Cookie-cutter Churches I suppose there is something to be said for knowing what food you are going to be served every time you have lunch. One will never be surprised by getting something one can’t stand to eat. But then one will never experience the variety and riches of all the foods that are available. One of the problems with “canning” worship (after all, isn’t that what church is supposed to be about?), is that it is the same all the time, there is no room for anything different – anything different can’t be of God because the “true” form of worship had been already pre-established. After all, it’s in the church bulletin, we have to follow order.

God is a god of order, isn’t He?

Variety IS God’s “Order” A glance into nature and the universe reveals that our Creator is VERY creative. He likes variety. Each and every human being, each fingerprint, each snowflake is unique.

There are thousands upon thousands of species of living things on this planet revealing that God has no problem with variety. I enjoy looking at clouds. I am always amazed at the variety of patterns I find in clouds and the many different thoughts stirred in my mind as I gaze at them.

I have had many wonderful times worshipping our heavenly Father and Creator. Most of them have not been in a box called “church.” Most of them have been face to face in all the varieties of ways we meet fellow human beings created in God’s image, at work, in stores, on sports fields, in the highways and byways, ghettos, etc.

“Where there are two or three gathered in my name, there I am in your midst.” Real assembling to worship our Maker is not about a one or two hour ordeal Sunday morning. It’s about real life. “I have come that you might have life and more abundantly.” He didn’t come to box you in. He came to set you free.

Get out of the man-made boxed lunch you have locked yourself up in and “taste and see that the LORD is good!”

17

A glance into nature and the universe reveals that our Creator is VERY creative.

“It is our expectation that we are on the verge of yet another wave of the Spirit. We refer to this as The Next Wave. The Next Wave will be as radically different as the last wave. The opposition will come from the recipients of the last wave.�

Dr. Bernie L. Wade, President International Circle of Faith

Your Church Will

By Geoff Surratt

I think that your church will die. I don’t mean in the metaphysical dieto-self sense. I mean in the cease to exist, disappear from the planet, pushing up daisies sense. And not just your church; I think all churches will eventually die.

Die

into staving off the inevitable.

We build new buildings, we hire new staff, we adopt every new growth strategy that comes along to keep the appearance that we are a vibrant, expanding congregation. We struggle to hang on while all eviI don’t think it is dence points to because church our eventual deleaders are doing mise. What if we anything wrong. If accepted the inthat were the evitable and It is sad is that we pour so much of our time and so case every church leaned into the life planter who lived many of resources into staving off the inevitable. cycle of a church? before you did it What if we figured wrong too. Check out how to make at least one would have pulled the records. Every local church the death of a church something to through. We’d get a flyer in the mail planted in the last 2000 years has celebrate? saying, “Come celebrate First eventually died. (The building may If you knew from the day you Church’s 250th anniversary this still stand, but now tourists pay to planted a new church it would evenweekend. Help us break the 10 milsee the corpse. A building is not a tually die, how would that impact lion attender’s barrier.” The reality church.) The Apostle Paul was a how you do ministry? What would is that churches, all churches, have master church planter, and yet none be your long-term plan in light of a life cycle. They go from birth to of his churches survived. There are mortality? I have an idea. maturity to decline and eventually remnants of dead churches all over death. We can live in denial, we can the world, and your church will die Do you think all churches eventually lament the reality, or we can emtoo, trust me on this. decline and die? Why does that brace the truth. Churches die. happen? What should we do about Here is the ironic part; I think God it?

It is sad is that we pour so much of wants your church to die. If he wasour time and so many of resources n’t ok with dying churches it seems 19

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Buzz Words Used In Spiritually

Abusive Churches Accountable: Church members are told to be "accountable" to the pastor or elders, and get "godly counsel" on all personal and family decisions even when those issues are: 1) none of their business and 2) the pastor or elders have zero competence in the area involved.

Angry: What a person is judged to be when they tell the truth about something that has happened. Because you are "angry" and have a "bitter spirit," your legitimate concerns and issues can be written off and ignored. After all, "you are the one with the problem", not the actual offender, especially if the offender is a pastor or elder.

Apostate: A scornful and disdainful comment deliberately made about anyone who will not swallow the party-line hook, line and sinker.

Often used when speaking of those who have left the church, describing the supposed “uncertain fate” of those that left and never returned, and the horrors of the many and “mysterious dangers” lurking beyond the institutional walls. This word is to be said in a manner and tone that conveys fear to anyone who even thinks of switching to another church.

Backslider: 1) A person who has left the church. 2) Someone who finds it impossible to keep all the manmade rules and traditions peculiar to the church.

Bad Attitude: 1) If you don’t agree

with the pastor or church policy, you are classified as having a bad attitude. If you don’t repent and agree with the church elders, you would be barred from all church activities and officially shunned by other members. 2) People who have left the church because they had a "bad attitude" and were "troublemakers".

"Because I'm the pastor, that's why!": "How dare you doubt me!"

"Are you questioning my authority?"

"Don't be a troublemaker." "Submit to your elders." This type of thinking is a symptom of living under leadership that legislates and demands obedience to their authority. It rests upon a false basis for authority. The sole basis on which they grasped this authority was because of their so-called rank. In other words, their authority was NOT founded on the fact that they were wise, discerning and true. It was based solely in the fact that they were in charge.

Bitter spirit: 1) The charge made against a person because that person still stands by what they first said. 2) Former members who say anything negative about the church are charged with having "a bitter spirit," so what they say is not given any credibility and ignored even though it is factually true. 3) Said to shame, usually in a very public venue and/or in front of other people.

Black sheep: see Apostate Congregationalist: "Congregational21

ism" is the thing in which you are guilty of in an elder-ruled church when you try to hold an elder (or elders) accountable for how they are lording it over and abusing the sheep. For you to be labeled a "Congregationalist" means that the elders can ignore and dismiss your legitimate concerns regarding how they are ruling the church.

Disaffected: What a church member is labeled for believing and following God’s words instead of man’s words. See also: Divisive.

Disobedience: Disobedience set forth in your divine role model - your church constitution or made-made creed is disobedience to God Himself. It equates your system, your books, and your creed with the words inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself. It makes popes out of church leaders and dummies out of those who follow them.

Dissident: A term for someone who is against the church; the old "them against us" attitude.

Divisive: 1) What a person is called because some people actually realized what that person said was the truth so the church is split. 2) A term used of someone who refuses to imbibe everything that is said from the pulpit.

Duly-Authorized: A term where there are no checks and balances over the leadership. You are “duly authorized” by God and are answer-

able to no one else. The pastor is the Bishop of your soul; rules even over your conscience, and is accountable to God for your well being. He has the “awesome responsibility to God” to “guide” (control) your life. Of course, it’s always for “your own good.” You are duty bound to obey God’s “duly authorized authority” even if he is wrong, and God will “reward your obedience.” Such a system is nothing but Roman popery.

A Family Matter: 1) When the church leadership doesn't want the embarrassment of public disclosure in the community at large regarding a scandal in the church, that scandal becomes a "family matter" and is not to be discussed with people outside of the church; even when the matter involves sexual misconduct, a suspicious death, etc. 2) In such cases the primary reason for something to be "a family matter" is so the leadership can "save face".

3) Used many times to “cover” for a pastor and to keep him “in office.”

Heretic: A label used to instill fear in a church member if they dared to

speak against a particular and wellfavored church doctrine. The word “heretic” will keep you silent, for everyone knows the result: not a burning at the stake, but the principles and the plotting and the trickery are so similar.

Independent: Church leaders manipulate their followers into thinking that they can’t make decisions on their own. They are being continually encouraged to not think independently or make their own decisions. They become dependent on their "leader" or his underlings as their parent. The more dependent they are, the more controlled they are. It would be a terrible thing to be labeled “independent.”

Installation Service: A service that is necessary for turning men into church leaders. Before the special service takes place they were not in any way a Pastor/Elder/Overseer.

They were just mere men like the rest of us. But with the special installation service, they are exalted and lifted up to an official position over us! Before the installation, they were on an "equality" with the rest 22

of us. But now, with the installation service, these men are transformed "above us” and they are now “over us” as rulers and lords.

Isolationist: You become an isolationist when you refuse to bow the knee to the pronouncements of men. You have “isolated” yourself from the majority and have fallen into the minority, which has gone over the deep end.

A Jezebel Spirit: 1) A term used specifically to describe someone who is "unteachable". 2) Also used to describe a woman in the congregation who has the audacity to seek to publicly expose the unwanted and unasked for sexual harassment she received from the pastor.

Love Gifts: A term used by church leaders to get you to prove how "spiritual" you really are, and support "the work" by giving those "love gifts".

Means of Grace: What the church is all about and the only people “duly authorized” to dispense that grace are your church leaders.

Nondenominational church: Used to discredit other churches that don't dot the “I” and cross the “T” like you do. Of course only your church has it all together and has the "full truth".

Open and transparent: 1) Be sure you tell the pastors and elders what you're thinking or struggling with so that they can now administer their “godly counsel” and berate you for not "measuring up." 2) What the leaders publicly berate the congregation about while at the same time withholding from the congregation relevant information regarding church matters or problems in the personal lives of the pastor with family problems that would actually disqualify said leader from his leadership position.

Pastoral Visitation: (Oversight) A meeting where an elder or elders come to your home and ask you personal and intimate questions about things that are not really any of their business in the first place. This socalled visitation is also used as a time for incompetent pastors or elders to give incompetent and bad advice that causes disruptions in family relationships, most often between spouses, but also parentchild relationships, and extended family relationships. Refusal to engage in pastoral visitations is to have a negative attitude regarding "oversight" and is a sign of being "rebellious", and an indication of "backsliding" and "unsubmissiveness", and may lead to "apostasy".

Rebellious: 1) When a young person in the congregation asks the pastor an honest question about the justification for a particular practice in church, and the pastor is unable to answer the young person's question with an open Bible, then that young person has a "rebellious spirit" or heart. 2) Also used as another term for anyone who is "unsubmissive."

3) What a person is when they are "unwilling to reconcile". 4) Anyone who doesn't get with "the program".

Shunning: 1) A term used of someone who is very close, if not already has proven their “lost” condition.

Only those who are still attached to “the true church” are safe. 2) A death sentence used by pastors and elders to hang over the heads of those who don’t agree and obey them. 3) What in some churches is called "excommunication" or “disfellowshipping.”

Singleness: 1) An undesirable state, not conducive to church fellowship.

2) The state of a person after they see so many unhappy marriages in the church that were instigated and aggravated by the corrupt counseling of wicked shepherds, whose struggles in their own marriages was carefully hidden from the congregation.

Slander: To say anything negative about the church to anyone inside or outside the church.

Stated Meetings: Mandatory meetings where attendance is strictly recorded and the peculiar doctrines held by the church are repeated numerous times. Usually addressed as follows: "Any one who is a member of this congregation is expected to attend the stated meetings of the church unless you are providentially hindered." To miss one of these meetings is a grave sin and indicates that you may be "apostate."

Teachable: You are "teachable" when you passively accept what you are being taught without asking questions or studying for yourself.

The Eldership: When “guidance” and “example” through elders turns itself into “Rule By Elders.”

“The Eldership” is the sure result when the false teachings exposed on this website are assumed to be true.

The True Church: We are the only people that really believe and follow all that the New Testament Scriptures teach about the Church. Once 23

this attitude is imbedded in the heart and mind, it does not take long to reason therefore we are “The True New Testament Church.”

The "Work": 1) Backing the church and its leadership with our tithes, offerings and time. We are to sacrifice to keep the "The Work" going; Acquiescing to special sermons geared to increase your offerings for a special “work.” You are asked to sacrifice even more for “The Work.”

2) Usually, a covert scheme used by the pastor or elders to advance their own agenda in making a name for themselves in a particular movement or association. If you do not wholeheartedly support “The Work," then you are being "carnally minded" and lack "spiritual maturity."

The World: The classic them against us attitude. Anything outside of their church system, including other denominations, is of the world; used to keep you on an endless performance of jumping through the hoops in order to work out your own salvation. You never measure up, which is the cause of depression in many, and in rare cases suicide. Fear of “going over the deep end” is dominant.

This Ministry: Another loaded buzz word; similar to "the work." Members are constantly being warned about the consequences of our failure to live up to the light God has given to us in "this ministry." "This ministry" is to be humbly received without questioning. Those who dared to challenge this ministry would be forced to repent of their sin or be driven out and ruined. Beyond the walls of this ministry, the green pastures beckon, but...BUT they must not go forth!

“Church authorities” have done everything to insure that “this ministry” is forever emblazoned in the hearts of church members.

Consequently, they will be regularly reminded of the meetings and the stories told, like urban legends told

around a campfire, of the supposed “uncertain fate” of those that left "this ministry" and never returned, and the horrors of the many and “mysterious dangers” lurking beyond the walls of "this ministry."

Warned of the rebellion of feeding outside the confines of "this ministry," and handed yet another stale “Pastoral” biscuit to chew on, they withdraw back and languish away, somehow convinced it is their duty to do so.

Troublemaker: 1) Someone who has the audacity to think the elders should be effectively accountable to the congregation. 2) Anyone who had the nerve to see through the pastor's theatrical performance, and as a result refuse to accept the pastor's interpretation and application. 3) People who have left the church. They were just "troublemakers" so we don't have to give any serious thought or care as to why they left. 4) Anyone in a business meeting who asked critical questions the elders didn't really want to have to deal with even though the questions were very relevant to the issue at hand. 5) Anyone who voted "no" on a matter the elders favored. 6) Anyone who said anything that was in

any way negative about the church.

Unteachable: 1) You are "unteachable" when you have the audacity to go home and study an issue for yourself from the Bible, and come to a different conclusion than what you were taught. The sin in doing this is you are exposing the teacher’s ineptness. 2) Someone who is "unteachable" is on the road to apostasy; they have committed the highest offense a Christian can commit. 3) Also used to describe those who visit the church for a period of time, but then cease coming and go to another church.

Unsubmissive: 1) When you follow your own conscience in the light of your own understanding of Scripture instead of doing what the pastors or elders told you to do, you are "unsubmissive".

Unwilling to reconcile: What a person is when they will not accept the pastor's non-negotiable version of what took place and agree to back his version.

Work Ethic: A concept twisted by corrupt church leaders; Used to keep church members living on the

edge; working so much that you have no time for family or private study. You are dependant on your church leaders for all of your spiritual nourishment. Teaching you to work till you drop gives the church and its leaders control over every aspect of your spiritual life. The name of the game is control; by forcing you and your family to become perpetual spiritual babes and in so doing, you have become their slaves. In this condition, you will be easily pacified, distracted from biblical reality, controlled by your church rulers and easily manipulated by heretical teachings. It’s all by design.

“Your Elders”: A phrase that is deliberately and diabolically repeated numerous times over and over again, week in and week out; year in and year out, until your brain is numb with the phrase and you are thoroughly convinced that “the Elders” are “Your Elders” who now have the right to control every facet of your life. To now view them as not "YOUR ELDERS" indicates a serious malfunction in your character. You have now lost the ability to think and function for yourself.

Meeting at The Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Morgan (PAW) each Sunday.

“Instead of encouraging people to become disciples of Christ, we have fallen to recruiting people to become disciples of Christianity,and there is a difference.”

24

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A Picture of

Religion

by James Peter Jandu

Recently in the UK, a young girl was caught 20 pence (30 cents) short of the £5 ($7.70) bus fare. For eight minutes she pleaded with the driver to allow her to withdraw funds from a nearby cash point machine (ATM).

He flatly refused. She then promised her mother would be at the drop off point to pay the extra money.

He again refused [maybe QUOTING FROM THE RULE BOOK]. She looked expectantly to other passengers to loan her the extra money.

No one did.

according their warped mindsets and seared conscious, demanding adherence to the strict letter of the text.

Another recent story highlights an

Constantly under attack as a public standard-bearer for moral depravity when the anonymous internet porn barons were nowhere to be seen, I became a skilled defender of the indefensible. By quoting scores of carefully-selected global government reports and PhD papers that ‘proved’ porn wasn’t harmful.

She was thrown off, left to walk home in the dark. Within 30 minutes she was brutally beaten and raped.

She was thrown off, left to walk home in the dark. Within 30 minutes she was brutally beaten and raped. Her mother heard groaning sounds on the cell phone. When she arrived at the scene she discovered a girl in distress and did not recognize it was her daughter as she was so viciously beaten.

The rapist cunningly attempted to deceive the police by telling them he had been the one who discovered the girl like this.

This is a perfect picture of the rampant legalistic mindset amongst puny minded religionists who strictly demand faith and/or perfection in order for a lost soul to benefit from the extreme love and grace of God. They point their scrawny fingers at ancient texts which they interpret

important point. The editor of a soft porn men's magazine won numerous awards for his work and success of the magazine. He defended the magazine against accusations.

He said, “I never stopped to consider issues like the crass sexualisation of women. Moral naysayers were party poopers, and if they attacked me, I’d attack them back — harder. It was knowingly mindless, and for a while it was fun. Back then, it never once occurred to me that we were objectifying women or doing any harm. I fiercely denied that Loaded was a ‘gateway’ to harder pornographic magazines.

Pretty soon, we were accused of being pornographic, and there wasn’t a month when a minor Lib Dem MP or feminist lobby group didn’t try to make a name for themselves by demanding we were placed on the top shelf, or banned altogether.

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But such thoughts came home to roost five years later in 2009, when I finally grew up and became a father. My life changed forever. In May 2009, I became a father to Sonny. A month later, I turned 40. Almost overnight, my world view changed."

You see, he was convinced he was right. Then one event changed his world view.

You may feel your theology is perfect, especially in relations to what you consider the 'fundamentals.'

One word. One event. One Revelation can change your worldview.

Pray, "Divine Creator, if I am misled and a stumbling block, change my beliefs, enlighten me. I don't want to be found to be like the bus driver or the passengers on that bus." www.jamespeterministries.com

QUOTES (Newspapers reported people leaving his sermons and committing suicide from the fear he instilled in them.)

Reprobate infants are vipers of vengeance, which Jehovah will hold over hell, in the tongs of his wrath, till they turn and spit venom in his face!”

“For ever harassed by a dreadful tempest, they shall fell themselves torn asunder by an angry God, and broken by the weight of His hand, and transfixed and penetrated by mortal stings, terrified by the thunderbolt of God. So that to sink into any gulf would be more tolerable than to stand for a moment in these terrors.”

Jonathan Edwards (October 5, 1703 – March 22, 1758) was a Christian preacher and theologian. Edwards "is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian.

1785 “Here all judges have a mixture of mercy, but the wrath of God will be poured out upon the wicked without mixture. Imagine yourself to be cast into a fiery oven…and imagine also that your body were to lie there for a quarter of an hour, full of fire, as full within and without as a bright coal fire, all the while full of quick sense; what horror would you feel at the entrance of such a furnace? Oh! Then how would your heart sink if you knew that after millions and millions of ages your torment would be no nearer to an end than ever it was. But your torment in hell will be immensely greater than this illustration represents.” Works, vol. Iii. 260 “The pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive the wicked: the flames do now rage and glow. The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much in the same way as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked…He will trample them beneath His feet with inexpressible fierceness; He will crush their blood out, and will make it fly, so that it will sprinkle His garment and stain all His raiment.” Works, vii. 499.

“You cannot stand before an infuriated tiger even; what then will you do when God rushes against you in all His wrath?” Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

ICOF

www.icof.net

What are the benefits of being a member of the International Circle of Faith?

Membership in a truly multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, international Christian movement.

Listing of your ministry and your ministry web site inside ICOF website for all to see. If you do not have a web site for your ministry, our web design staff can build you a quality site at a significantly discounted rate.

If you are a business owner we will list and certify your business in the ICOF Christian Business Association. This gives you the ability to market your products and services worldwide through our network.

Networking with other businesses to bring more opportunities and to "Keep Kingdom Money in the Kingdom."

Opportunity to participate in any of our accredited university classes.

Certification and membership credentials for you and your ministry.

Annual International and National Conferences.

Membership in a worldwide network currently consisting of over 40,000 churches, ministers, ministries and Para-church organizations working together.

Your ministry maintains complete local autonomy in leadership and complete local ownership of church properties and resources because we are a network, not a denomination.

Access to members of our top leadership globally and also to any member of the general body for friendship, counsel and support.

A member of ICOF Congress is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!

Educational accreditation for your ministry's Bible College or Seminary.

Women's Leadership. Anointed women of God are given flexibility to be used by the Holy Spirit in leadership. Women are not "held back" from their God given calling.

ICOF sponsors conferences, breakout sessions and workshops oriented toward women and women in ministry. This continues our theme of ministering to the ministers.

Women in ICOF leadership roles plan and direct these meetings.

Youth Leadership. ICOF has structures for youth leadership to assist, support and involve youth ministers and ministries in all our activities, including conferences, concerts, retreats, etc.

Non-church Leadership for Christians who minister in the secular world and outside of normal "church" environments. ICOF has structures for leadership to assist, support, and mentor and train persons who minister in other areas (i.e.-Business, Para-Church ministries, music ministries, house churches, nursing homes, campus ministries, etc.)

Covering, Licensing, Fellowship and On-Going Support within an internationally recognized network of ministers, churches and para-church organizations that span every human endeavor.

We are here for you!

The

of God Man

2 Timothy 3:14-17 14 But you remain in what you learned and feel confident, knowing from whom you have learned it, 15 and that from childhood, you have known the Sacred Writings, the things that are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, for rebuke, for improvement, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God should be fully qualified, for completing every good work. (My Translation) It should be noted up front that 1 and 2 Timothy were personal letters written to Timothy for encouragement in his calling as an evangelist.

What is interesting is that we (Christians) tend to think that these letters where written to us, but they were written to Timothy! But, they were also written for us so that we could learn from them.

Most comments about this passage on the Greek text revolve around what πᾶσα γραφὴ θεόπνευστος (all Scripture is God-breathed) means, but I want to focus on the phrase ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος (the man/person of God).

The expression “the man of God” is scarce throughout the New Testament. In fact, it is only used in the singular twice (1 Timothy 6:11 and 2 Timothy 3:17) and in the plural once (2 Peter 1:21). Of the two singular expressions, 1 Timothy 6:11 refers to Timothy and it does not

have the definite article. In Koine Greek, the article is equivalent to the English word “the”, but carries a much wider range of meaning.

Therefore technically, ὦ ἄνθρωπε θεοῦ (O man of God) could not be rendered as “O “the” man of God”.

The second singular expression in 2 Timothy 3:17, on the other hand, has the article and can be rendered “the man of God”. This expression could mean Timothy alone, but it also could be a general expression for all of “God’s people” which included Timothy. Last but not least, the plural expression in 2 Peter 1:21 refers to Old Testament prophets and is not articular. Thus it is rendered as “men of God”. In the Old Testament, this Hebraic expression was used mostly with Moses and the Prophets. Of these three, we want to focus on the articular expression found in 2 Timothy 3:17.

I have often expressed in my New Testament teaching that the phrase “the man of God” is not a New Testament expression nor concept, of course I’m now corrected. But I will stand by the concept that “the man of God” is not some expression that should be “graced” upon people by people. In my lifetime, I have seen this expression used as a title given to preachers throughout Churches to elevate their status before the people. Often, the adjective “great” is added to the title to prop up the person further in eyes of the congregation. This somehow implies that “the man of God” stands above/over the rest of the congregation. Of course that concept of 29

separation between ministers and the people is foreign in the New Testament as all Christians are ministers in some way or the other. Also, the concept of leaders and people being separated is also foreign to the New Testament text (1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). Paul and the other letter writers always address their letters to whole congregations/assemblies which included the leaders. The exception of course is for personal letters directed to Titus, Philemon, and here, Timothy.

With all of that said, Scripture has a way of “putting us all in our proper place”. Thus, we have come to our Greek expression ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος (the man/person of God).

As I’ve stated above, this is the only time that the definite article is included with the expression in the New Testament. This is due to the probable fact that this phrase included all ministers/servers as a general expression. This would have included Timothy, but not necessarily just Timothy.

As I’ve stated in many of my teachings, in Greek, if an author wants to express the importance of something, they place that word or phrase first. So it is here. If we render ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος as indicated in word order, it would be translated as “the of God man/person”. Of course that is not proper English, so we render it “the man/person of God” or “God’s man/person”. What does all of this

mean? It means that no man/person is before God. Paul drives that point home with Timothy just by his word order alone. It is God who makes the man/person who he is.

Not the man/person himself, and certainly not other people.

So, if one wants to have the title “the man/person of God”, one must make sure that he/she and everyone else understands the title according to its proper place. God is first, then man. God is what makes one who he/she is. A minister is not exalted above everyone else.

Everyone else outranks the minister as a minister is a server to everyone, including the lowest of the low.

Ministers should argue τίς μείζων (who is greatest?).

who sent me.” (My Translation) Mark 9:33-37 33 And they came to Capernaum.

And after coming in the house, he asked them, “What were you discussing on the road?” 34 But they were keeping silent; for they had been arguing to one another on the road “who is greatest?”. 35 And after sitting down, he summoned the twelve and says to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he will be last of all and a servant of all.” 36 And taking a child, he placed it in the middle of them and after embracing it, he said to them, 37 “Whoever may receive one such as a child on the basis of my name, receives me; and whoever may receive me, he doesn’t receive me, but the one

In the first century, to be “last” was to be the lowest social scale. The lowest of the low was a child as they could do nothing for themselves. In order to be first in the kingdom, one must serve the lowest of the low, thus becoming even lower than the lowest him/herself.

Ministers today are modeled after those 1st century Apostles. Those Apostles went on to establish what we know today as “the Church”.

They did it by serving, not reigning.

Therefore, “the man/person of God” of today is also “the server of all” That person is “the of God man”!

Living Authentically: What I Learned from Bishop Carlton Pearson

by CJ Rhodes

At first sight Bishop Carlton Pearson didn’t look like a heretic. I met him this summer in Tulsa, where I for the first time attended his present church New Dimensions Worship Center. His persona was both calm and comical and meeting him was like meeting an old friend or a revered elder. He still sings as sweet as he did on all those AZUSA CDs that litter my house. And as before, he quotes Greek and speaks in unknown tongues in the same sermon. But, of course, things are different now. The crowds have gone; only a remnant of about three hundred members from his former

church remain, among them his loving parents and siblings. And the congregation is less Sanctified given the kinds of folk, usually not welcome at Pentecostal churches I’ve attended, who populate the pews. I guess that is the plight of heretics.

At fifty-four, the fourth generation classical Pentecostal is now more known for his new Gospel of Inclusion "heresy" than for his years as a prominent evangelist and megachurch managerial genius.

There will be a generation that at best knows him as the apostle pro30

Continued on page 38

Quotes “Religion produces very narrow, controlling people who demand others think and act exactly the way they do” Chip Ingram “Too many church leaders suffer from spiritual short-man syndrome in ministry.

These will be the ones out there trying to make their organization out to be the BBD (bigger, better deal). Nothing wrong with being first class in what you do, but a church doesn't run on AMBITION.” Ryan Rockich

www.icof.net

Church Busy-ness

By Shawn Lovejoy

Churches are busy— and proud of it, aren’t we? We love to boast about all we’re doing: whether it is on the Web, in worship guides, or even billboards. We’re often proud of “all we offer” to our community. One church I know of has boasted “over 152 ministries for you and your family.”

Most of us don’t go to these lengths to be a “user-friendly” church. However, if we’re honest, we all feel the tension to seek to provide ministries and programs for all ages. Everyone wants to know about our Children’s Ministry, Student Ministry, our College ministry, our Singles Ministry, our Senior Adult Ministry, our Bible Studies, and of course, our Men’s and Women’s Ministries. Parents want to know about our VBS, Awanas programs, camps, and youth activities we offer. Before you know it, if we’re not careful, to meet the needs, we have our calendars stuffed with dozens of programs offered every day of the week.

church’s busyness could actually be hindering the movement of God in our world?

What if I told you that our church busyness could be insulating our church members from the very people Jesus wants Christians to be interacting with? What if I told you that the essence of following Jesus is leaving the church and going out into the world and being a “friend of sinners”? When Jesus told us to “Go” he didn’t complete the sentence by saying: “Go to church.” He said to “Go and make disciple of all nations.” This phrase “all nations” is literally translated “all peoples”.

How can we help “all peoples” become followers of Jesus if we’re down at the church building every day surrounded by other Christians?

If we’re honest, many of us have got to rethink what discipleship really means, and we cannot define our ministry success by our church busy-ness.

“What if I told you that our church’s busyness could actually be hindering the movement of God in our world?

Here are my challenges with this approach to ministry in our churches.

First of all, when it comes to discipleship, busyness doesn’t equal ef-

fectiveness. Even pastors have bought into the myth that busyness = value. We love to feel needed. We love being problem solvers and crisis counselors. We feel important when the phone rings a lot and we have a lot to do. We enjoy telling people how busy we are. We wear our busyness as a badge of honor.

However, if we were honest, we’d admit that much of our activity is driven by the desire to be valued and needed; and deep down, we doubt if we’re making that big of a difference in the world. We may be right! Busyness does not equal effectiveness!

Excerpt(s) from The Measure of Our Success: An Impassioned Plea To Pastors, available today on Amazon.

Photo by Saint Bob.

Secondly, what if I told you that our

www.ShawnLovejoy.com

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SoJo Ministries is an anointed husband and wife team who were both born in Delaware and began their journey over 10 years ago when the Lord placed them together with a seed of music in their hearts.

Sophia & Joe sing and record all of the Lead and Background vocals.

Joe produces and composes all the musical tracks and together, Sophia and Joe write and arrange original songs that are inspired from their true life testimonies as a married couple, and from their individual

daily trials walking the narrow road to Eternity!

SoJo Ministries has a very diverse style that ministers to all ethnic backgrounds, generations, the saved and unsaved. Music is the voice that communicates to every genre, age group and social status.

Their mission is to touch hearts, minds, and souls with ministering songs that will inspire and encourage the hopeless, cheer broken hearts, spread joy, give words of 33

strength to the faint of heart and be humble vessels of the Lord to help heal the Nations one song at a time. Many are called but few are chosen. Please visit our website at www.sojojo2.com. SoJo Ministries will be releasing their first single entitled “Rejoice!� in April 2012 through all digital media outlets for download. May the God’s blessings be with you always!

Sophia and Joe Yancey SoJo Ministries www.sojojo2.com

Rob Bell says he has no regrets over Love Wins It's one of the most controversial Christian books to be released in years, but pastor and author Rob Bell said that he does not regret writing Love Wins despite the backlash.

Since its release last month, Love Wins has flown off the shelves, reaching No 2 on the New York Times bestseller list.

been “extraordinarily supportive and appreciative”, and that some had been set free because they realised they could be a Christian and “ask that sort of question”.

Whilst it has clearly struck a chord with people looking for an alternative to the hellfire and brimstone concept of God, many critics have pounded the book and denounced Bell as a universalist or a heretic.

They accuse Bell of distorting biblical truths about judgement, wrath and hell, and diminishing the meaning of the blood and the cross in salvation, with potentially devastating consequences for the spiritual fate of those who embrace his perspective.

“The Christian tradition’s quite diverse. It can handle the discussion.

It can handle different perspectives.

That’s part of its strength and its vibrancy.”

He said: “Some of the things people say and the way that they act, this can’t be the way of Jesus. There’s got to be a little higher standard of civil discourse.”

He added later: “My first thought is that [people] should read the book

Love Wins “My first thought is that [people] should was released in mid-March read the book first. That was a phenomenon and yet the that I didn’t expect, that there would be that firestorm had sort of level of discussion surrounding a already book that nobody had read.” erupted weeks earlier, first. That was a phenomenon that I when a short film announcing the book’s publication prompted a flurry didn’t expect, that there would be that sort of level of discussion surof responses. rounding a book that nobody had read.

Speaking to journalists in London yesterday, Bell said it was “tough” being misunderstood, misread and “accused of all sorts of devious things”.

Asked if he found it hurtful that some people had criticised the book before it was published, he responded: “It hurts more than me.”

“So when people said [about] the controversy, I was like: has anyone even read the book? Because then there is something substantive to knock around.”

Despite the fierce criticism from some corners, Bell said others had 34

Asked whether there was any moment in which he had regretted writing the book, he answered: “Any moment like that has been immediately followed up with an email or phone call or someone telling me ‘hey, thanks’.

“So no, this was sort of in my bones and this is just part of the cost of capturing it and writing it down and putting it out there.”

Later in the evening, Bell got up on stage to talk about his book in front of some 3,000 people at Methodist Central Hall in Westminster.

He told them it had never been his intention to be controversial but that his book was rather about “recapturing the Gospel” and pointing out that Christianity has a “wide variety of perspectives” on judgement and reconciliation.

“I don’t think that trying to be controversial is a noble goal. I don’t know if God honours those sorts of intentions,” he said.

Namaste and Luke 7

by Doug Trudell

The Divine In You and I During the period in which we transitioned from the messianic world into the world we now find ourselves in, I shared a teaching with our group that resulted in someone sending me an e-mail regarding a very specific part of that teaching.

The overall topic that I was discussing was how the parables that Jesus taught may contain within them the mysteries of the kingdom of God. I suggested that perhaps the parables were a road map showing us how to know and experience God and His presence in a greater way. Further I was suggesting that the parables are filled with universal truths meant to be shared with the whole world and that the principles in the parables of Jesus are valid and applicable no matter what religion one may be part of, assuming it is loved based.

In Matthew 13 we see a most interesting conversation take place.

Jesus’ disciples ask Him why He is teaching the people using parables.

Jesus’ response is that he does not want the religious leaders of that time, those in control and exercising their power and authority over the people to understand what He is teaching. He does want his disciples to understand however and so he explains the parables to them, away from the crowds. One might wonder why Jesus wouldn’t want the religious leaders to understand His teachings. There is another possible meaning when we consider Jesus’ words in Aramaic but for now let us consider the standard English

translation. I would suggest to you that he knew that greater knowledge and more power in the hands of those who are seeking control and authority for their own benefit is a dangerous situation. Jesus knew that what he was teaching were universal principles and laws that could be used in a positive way but also in an extremely negative way as well and so for the well-being of all who would suffer even more at the hands of unjust religious, economic and political leaders, Jesus spoke in ways that many would not understand. The mysteries of the kingdom are not trivial matters to dabble with irresponsibly or to hand over to those who are not committed to serving humanity.

What did I do during the teaching that brought about the e-mail that I mentioned? I brought up the term namaste (nah-mah-stay). You may not be familiar with the word but I 35

am sure many are familiar with what it actually is. In North America we often shake hands when we meet people. In other countries some other gesture is used. In some cultures the greeting is often “namaste.” Your two hands are pressed together and held near the heart with the head gently bowed.

In addition some will also speak the word “namaste.” Thus it is both a physical gesture plus a spoken word. This greeting seems to be definitely predominant within the Hindu culture. My emailer wanted to know what a Hindu greeting had to do with the parables of Jesus and expressed his concern that I would use a Hindu greeting in a “Bible teaching.”

I understand this view because there was a time when I wouldn’t have ever considered mentioning namaste in a teaching let alone consider actually using it as a greeting in my life. However, people change and we are definitely changing our thinking regarding our own personal spirituality.

So how do I somehow make a connection between namaste and Luke chapter seven? What follows is definitely more in depth than what I shared in that meeting.

I was discussing the possibility that the parables contain this wonderful road map that will lead us into a true and real experience of the kingdom of God in our lives, whether Christian, Buddhist, Jew, Hindu, etc.

Part of that process will involve humbleness, humility and an ability to forgive that is truly supernatural but not difficult. True transformation leads us to a place where these attributes are easy because they are our nature, our essence. The aspects of humbleness and humility led to my discussion of namaste.

While reading a book I came across the word namaste and “googled” it on the internet. I soon found myself immersed in a search that led me from one site to another. As I read more and more about namaste, a Bible story popped into my head and that is how namaste made it into my teaching. Perfectly clear, right? Not really?

Perhaps some more details might be helpful. Here is what I discovered about namaste. The greeting, the coming together of the two hands about chest level (heart) and the bowing of the head, has several meanings. According to one web site, this conveys the following meanings: 1) the spirit in me greets the spirit in you 2) I greet the place where you and I are one 3) I salute the Light of God in you 4) I recognize that within each of us is a place where Divinity dwells and when we are in that place, we are One 5) The God in me sees and knows the God in you and 6) May God within me, bless you.

I recognize that within every one of us is a place where Divinity dwells and when we are in that place, we are one!

There could be any number of additional meanings as well but I must admit that I like everyone of those six. This web site suggested that this greeting recognizes the equality of all and pays honour to the sacredness and interconnection of all as well as the source of that interconnectedness, which would be God to me. What would this world look like if we all believed this to be true about everyone we came in contact with? What would happen if

we actually lived our lives from a place of namaste? A friend sent me the quote below. I don’t know where it is from but I think it may be a song lyric.

“We can be so busy trying to do everything right, that we miss out on doing the right thing!”

According to Jesus we can be so fixated on proper doctrine that we forget the weightier matters of spirituality, thing such as justice, mercy and faith, all of which fall under one word -- love.

On the Wikipedia web site, I read the following regarding namaste.

“One hand represents the higher, spiritual nature, while the other represents the worldly self. By combining the two, the person making the gesture is attempting to rise above their differences with others, and connect himself or herself to the person they bow to. The bow is a symbolic bow of love and respect.”

I like that statement. I also read that when one brings their palms together there is more significance to this gesture. I discovered that it represented the joining together of two extremities: 1) the feet of the Divine and 2) the head of the devotee.

The right palm represents the feet of the Divine while the left palm represents the head of the devotee. In addition, I read that the “Divine Feet” constitute the place of ultimate solace for all sorrows. Paraphrasing one web site, it said that when we humble ourselves and touch the feet of the divine, it is in that place that we will experience forgiveness for all our sins.

As I continued to search the internet I found a very interesting teaching on the feet of the divine. Though written long ago for a different culture, I think that there is a rather profound message for us today in the following.

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“Nowadays if a person 1) due to his crooked ways does not fit in the society, or 2) if someone does not have any qualifications to pursue any other vocation, or 3) if someone is just lazy to work and earn his living and that person becomes a Pandit or Pujaaree, Mullan, Bhaaee or Granthee, Padre, Rabbi, clergyman, cleric, preacher, Guru or spiritual teacher, Yogi, Sant or Saint, Swami, Raagee, Paathee, prophet, and so on -- beware! He has found a well paying business indeed, wherein there need not be any investment and therefore, it is a safe activity of all gain and no loss! Also, there is not need to toil.”

The teaching continues: “it cautions us not to ever touch the feet of such hypocrites; because they are not what they appear to be.

Not to touch their feet simply means not to accept, approve, encourage or glorify their crooked ways. In other words, it means to beware of false prophets, and not to become a victim or a part of their corruption.

They will harm you, for a blind person cannot lead another blind person. One unlighted lamp cannot light other lamps. ...fake people adopt religious factors and features only for the sake of bread, not for spiritual cause.

Also, they are lazy for they live in a sense of weakness. They expect others to take care of all their needs. Their motto is sex, money, name, fame, power and status.

Generally, many people especially of Indian origin when they see somebody wearing saffron or claiming to be a Holy man, they fall on his feet. He may be a first-class thief under his outer covering, but nonetheless he is revered! Because, in ignorance, people readily accept anyone who says I will show you God, or who says I am God. Instead of searching the Truth ourselves, we accept such rascals who come along claiming to be Holy or God. Such thugs and swindlers are

pullulating nowadays every where in the world. (Pullulate = to spread rapidly) If one is not alert, he can be easily distracted, cheated, trapped and snared into their net of corruption.

Global mankind must be on the alert as this is what it means when he says don’t touch their feet.”

I think those words are very relevant for all of us today regardless of which religious or spiritual group you may be a part of. And based upon what you have read I think you can understand how it became a tradition to touch the feet and in fact, wash the feet of a true elder or religious leader of your faith.

Let’s say that when a Christian met Jesus, he/she bowed before Him and touched His feet with their head as a sign of humility and also recognition that He is their Lord, their teacher, Saviour, etc. Would any Christian see that as idolatrous or non-biblical? I doubt it. (In fact, many Christians would validate that action based upon their belief that Jesus is God.) However, many people would be against namaste because they would view it as a promotion of eastern religions. If I promoted such a thing, I would be guilty of taking a pagan tradition and incorporating it into Christianity. I would be mixing Christianity and paganism, something totally unacceptable.

Well, there are a couple of problems with that position. In Christianity Christmas and Easter are celebrated and both come out of what we call paganism. There is no Christmas tree in the Bible, at least not one used in biblical celebrations, nor will you find any Easter eggs. The fact is that many Christians in the past would never celebrate Christmas due to its pagan origins. Messianic Judaism etc. celebrates Chanukah which is not mandated in the Bible and often Passover Seders include elements

that again aren’t biblical. I am not going to get into any more detail but it is clear that we often judge without equal weights and measures and use a double standard to justify our actions while rejecting others.

Greeting one another with namaste just might bring out one of those double standards.

I realize that I might be labelled rebellious or even heretical if I should suggest adopting a “Hindu” greeting within Christian circles. Being honest, I would not be surprised if there are some people, even Christians, who you would prefer not shaking hands with. If for no other reason, using namaste as a greeting would be much better hygienically. (And bluntly, I could do without some of that “holy hugging” that goes on as well.)

However, that wasn’t what got my attention. Instead, a particular Bible passage came more and more into focus as I read about namaste.

Being raised in western culture and ignorant of most aspects of eastern culture is a hindrance to understanding the Bible. We simply miss some of the great truths contained in the Bible.

Summarizing namaste we see that bringing the hands together was a symbol of humility and humbleness.

The left hand represented the devotee’s head and the right hand the feet of divinity. Touching the feet was sign of recognition regarding a great spiritual leader and touching the feet of the divine with one’s head was said to be a place where one found forgiveness. As I pondered those facts, I couldn’t help but think of the following story.

Luke 7:36-50 “Now one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. As she 37

stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, if this man were a prophet, he would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner. So Jesus answered him, Simon, I have something to say to you. He replied, Say it, teacher. A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more? Simon answered, I suppose the one who had the bigger debt cancelled. Jesus said to him, You have judged rightly.

Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss of greeting, but from the time I entered she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfumed oil.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little loves little. Jesus said to her, Your sins are forgiven. But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this, who even forgives sins? He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

What a contrast between Simon the Pharisee and this woman. Her humility and humbleness burst forth in her actions and certainly differ from Simon’s. Her tears betray her brokenness and desire for love and forgiveness. Not only was she willing to touch the feet of Jesus with her head but she used her tears to wash them, she wiped the dirt off and dried them with her hair and she kissed them. In fact, Jesus makes it a point to mention the

kissing of His feet a second time, pointing out that she was continually kissing them. Can you think of a more humble action than kissing the feet of someone and doing it in the presence of people who look down upon you? Here you are, kissing the feet of this one called Jesus, while the religious guru at this event, as viewed by most people, wouldn’t even provide water for Jesus’ feet.

What a message we see here. The actions of this “sinner” suggest that she indeed recognized Jesus as agreat religious leader/teacher and perhaps even divine whereas Simon, the Pharisee, was sitting there thinking, if this man was really a great religious leader or prophet, he would know better than to let this woman touch him. And what was the result? Remember the teaching regarding namaste that says it is at the feet of the divine that one receives forgiveness. What does Jesus say to her? “Your sins are forgiven.” The woman found for-

giveness at the feet of Jesus. In Jesus, she saw God manifest and expressed and so she came with humbleness and humility to wash and anoint the feet of her Lord/Master.

So now you know the rest of the story regarding namaste and what prompted the e-mail. Some would say that we have the Bible and we don’t need to go outside it at all. I understand that view. However, I have used the planets, sun, moon and stars to teach spiritual truths.

Jesus used wheat, tares, the lily, yeast and a myriad of other things to teach spiritual truths. There are spiritual truths within the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. All of creation contains spiritual truths so I think we would severely hamper our quest to understand and experience God if we limited ourselves to the Bible alone.

Personally, I am going to look for God in everything and whenever and wherever I find something that

helps me raise my consciousness of God, myself and this universe, I will be thankful and gladly share it with others. Regardless of the religion or who the author is, if I discover a divine truth being taught in a wonderful way, a spiritual principle explained is such a way that it makes it easier to understand and apply, I am going to grab it, seek to experience it in my own life and share it with those who are interested. I am not offended if you disagree. That is your right.

In conclusion, from now on, every time I see someone greeting another person using a namaste gesture, my thoughts will be much different than they would have been not that long ago. Yes it is prominent within Hinduism and other eastern religions but that will not stop me from contemplating my oneness with God and oneness with other people. I will definitely think about the woman some 2000 years ago who showed us a wonderful example of humility and humbleness.

continued from page 30

claiming that hell will be empty, and At the end of the service that Sunself as much as the God he served. at worse a false prophet preaching day, held in an Episcopal church, This tongue talking worshiper, who the doctrine of demons. He proPearson stood before the motley had lost everything to find himself, claimed a message of love and was congregation. With tears streaming has genuinely arrived at a place met with some of the bitterest hadown his bronze cheeks he commu- where he cared more for his truth tred from the saints. That’s the rem- nicated his truth to us, saying that than he did the acceptance of othedy for heresy, I suppose. But with he finally loved himself. “It’s a woners. I was honestly moved by my all the inquisitions seeking to burn derful feeling to know that your enbrief entry into his inner rhapsody Pearson at the stake, as he looked us in our what is lost is that this faces and in a way, with“I use to hear Holiness preachers send man, whether because out saying it, gave us the Baptists to hell because they weren’t living permission to finally love of courage or insanity, risked all to follow what right and didn’t have the Holy Ghost as we ourselves too. “I use to he believed to be the perceive it, you know. Then I would see those be so intolerant, now I Word of the Lord. know that I am loved. You same Holiness preachers chasing women, Heretic or not, he had are loved!” Whatever the courage to be him- drinking, and getting high. Talk about double peace he had, the conself even if it would cost gregation wanted it, standards.

Were they going to hell too?” him everything. longed for it, craved it.

“There’s a quest in This wasn’t so much every question,” said Pearson, “and tire self and soul is loved. What about adopting a new theology as it the questions led me to this place. most churches do is gossip about was about being true to oneself.

I’ve told God that if I’m wrong tell Jesus. But gossip isn’t the Gospel, After several years of living for the me; even kill me. God has done nei- which is about love.” Without apolaffirming applause of other, bether and so I’m going all the way.” ogy, without one plea, this fourth tween whose clapping hands he exgeneration Pentecostal loved himisted, the Bishop was finally at a continued on next page

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place of rest.

I must admit I was inspired by his courage—or craziness—that caused him to do such a thing. He had found the belief in and for which he was willing to live and die and lost friends and gained new enemies because of it. Now, there are some things about his theology that some may wince at, including myself, but his overall willingness to think and love in spite of the repercussions proved that he was finally living authentically—even if his authenticity is considered foolishness to some.

Pearson, unlike many preachers of his caliber, had counted the cost of discipleship. He had seen the hypocrisy and the lived in a world were people wore masks. “I use to hear Holiness preachers send Baptists to hell because they weren’t living right and didn’t have the Holy Ghost as we perceive it, you know.

Then I would see those same Holiness preachers chasing women, drinking, and getting high. Talk about double standards. Were they going to hell too?”

Pearson pressed the questions, all of which were a part of his quest.

He found a universe without hell and full of Divine Love in whose presence he now lives authentically and with courage. To be sure, I gained an even greater respect for him after witnessing how his dignity under the weight of rejection and ridicule added to his royal mystique.

“If there is a hell,” Pearson weeps, “I’ve already been there.” And all of that got me to thinking about whether or not we, whether we are orthodox Christians or something else, have the courage to be authentic. If we were honest, there are a number of preachers more concerned with their kingdoms, but some of us know what goes on behind the conferences and cameras.

At least Pearson is “keeping it real” in a world that likes to wear masks in order to be approved. The crowds may be gone, but let Pearson tell you, he got himself back.

CJ Rhodes is a graduate of Duke Divinity School.

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Jeremy Taylor of the Church of England: "The bodies of the damned shall be crowded together in hell, like grapes in a wine-press, which press one another till they burst; every distinct sense and organ shall be assailed with its own appropriate and most exquisite sufferings."

“Husbands shall see their wives, parents shall see their children tormented before their eyes…the bodies of the damned shall be crowded together in hell like grapes in a wine-press, which press on another till they burst…”

“This temporal fire is but a painted fire in respect of that penetrating and real fire in hell.”

“It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.”

William Sloane Coffin 40

Religitics Christian group defends atheist over window sign The Christian Institute and the National Secular Society are speaking out on behalf of an 89-year-old atheist who claims he was threatened with arrest for posting in the window of his home a sign suggesting religion is a fairy tale. The organisations see the case as an example of why the Public Order Act needs to be revised.

John Richards is claiming that when police became aware of the sign hanging in a window of his home in Lincolnshire, they told him he could be arrested if it drew any complaints.

The sign Richards placed for passersby to see reads: "Religions are fairy stories for adults."

publication the Boston Standard last week.

"The police said I could be arrested if somebody complained and said they were insulted, but the sign was up two years ago and nobody re-

alarm or distress" to other people.

The part particular to Richards says that a person is guilty of an offense and could be arrested without a warrant if he "displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person" who would find the display distressing.

"Religions are fairy stories for adults."

"I am an atheist and I feel people are being misled by religion. I wanted to show people that if they thought they were alone there was at least one other person who thought that," Richards told local

Although he admits that the authorities did not explicitly threaten to lock him up for the sign, the elderly atheist said he felt threatened nonetheless.

sponded or smashed the window," the retiree said.

"I accept that the police emphasised the words could lead to an arrest but the implication is a threat to free speech which surely should be fought," Richards said.

Richards was reportedly told that the sign could be in violation of Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which prohibits causing "harassment,

Commenting on his case, The Christian Institute agreed with Richards that the suggestion of an arrest was damaging enough.

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Persecution Watch Ethiopian Christians languishing in Saudi jail byASSIST News Service Over the past month, Saudi Arabian officials have been making conflicting statements about why a group of 35 Ethiopian Christians were arrested at a prayer service in a private home in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last December.

International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the statements were made over a period of several weeks after staff members from multiple Congressional offices began calling the Saudi embassy in Washington DC to inquire into the situation.

On 7 May, a Congressional office told ICC that a source close to the Saudi ambassador had indicated the Christians were arrested as part of an investigation into a large scale human smuggling ring.

ICC says this explanation contradicted the original rationale published by Human Rights Watch in January that the group had been accused of the "illicit mingling of genders".

Nezamuddin changed the explanation and said that the Christians were involved in both drug and human trafficking.

ICC goes on to report that finally, on 21 May, in a meeting with staff members from multiple Congressional offices, representatives from the Saudi government said that the 35 Christians had been arrested for visa issues, but that they were also involved in some form of smuggling ring.

their arrest.

However, after two extended trips to the processing centre, the prisoners were returned to their cells without any new information as to when or if they will be released.

After speaking with some of the prison authorities, one of the prisoners reported being under the impression that orders had "come from higher up" for their release, but that the prison authorities may be reluctant to let them go.

ICC said: "When pressed for specifics, the Saudi officials reportedly demurred and changed the topic. At least one Congressional staff member left the meeting with the impression that neither Saudi official actually knew why the Christians were arrested in the first place."

Ryan Morgan, ICC's Advocacy Officer, said: "I continue to be baffled by the inability of the Saudi government to explain exactly why 35 Christians attending a prayer service at a private home were suddenly arrested almost six months ago.

Speaking with ICC, one of the prisoners reported feeling "very sad, and very surprised" at the constantly changing allegations.

"The story keeps changing, and it is very troubling to think that a key US ally in the Middle East may be lying to US government officials about why they are arresting religious minorities.

Three days later, Sarah Nezamuddin, a representative from the Embassy, told a separate Congressional office that the Christians had all been arrested for having issues with their work permits.

"Why haven't they brought us to court? Why don't they show us some evidence and bring charges against us?" said one of the prisoners. "[We feel like] the Saudis are trying to punish us for being Christians by keeping us in prison."

ICC proceeded to provide a list of the prisoners with legal work permit numbers to the Congressional office, and after some follow up, Ms

ICC further states that soon after the 21 May meeting, the prisoners reported being taken to a processing centre for the first time since 42

"I strongly encourage interested individuals to call the Saudi Embassy and express their concern at this alarming turn of events."

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“Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death�

Albert Einstein 43

“No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.”

George Bernard Shaw “It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.”

William Sloane Coffin “Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like trying to eat without swallowing.”

Anonymous

It is not at all incredible, that a book which has been so long in the possession of mankind should contain many truths as yet undiscovered. Bishop Butler

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Prayer Meeting Pastor Rebecca Goins of the ICOF US Synod leads a weekly prayer meeting via Skype. This meeting is held live every Tuesday 10.00 AM EST For more information: Email: rgoins@icof.net Skype: rebecca_goins22

"I can't love because I am ordered. Least of all can I love One who seems only to make me miserable here to torture me hereafter. Show me that He is good, that He is loveable, and I shall love Him without being told.

But does any preacher show this? He may say that God is good, but he shows Him to be very bad; he may say that God is 'Love', but he shows him to be hate, worse than any hate of man. As the Persian poet says; ‘If God punishes me for doing evil by doing me evil, how is he better than I?’ And it is hard to answer, for certainly the worst man would hardly torture his enemy, if he could, for ever.

And unless God has a scheme that every man is to saved for ever, it is hard to say in what He is not worse than man; for all good men would save others if they could…

It is of no use saying that God is just, unless we define what justice is. In all Christian times people have said that ‘God is just’ and have credited him with an injustice such as transcends all human injustice that it is possible to conceive."

Florence Nightingale 45

Quotes The letter of Scripture is a veil just as much as it is a revelation; hiding while it reveals, and yet revealing while it hides.

Andrew Jukes Man would indeeded be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death.

Albert Einstein Think of Jonathan Edwards who thundered the terrors of God and what Hell was like until men grasped their seats and hung on to them, fearing they were falling into Hell itself. Men were moved by fear to escape damnation.

That was believed to be Christianity. Why any coward wanted to keep out of Hell. He might not have had one idea in his soul of what was the real true earmark of Christianity.

John G. Lake

ROUNDTABLE withDr. Robert Straube ONLINE

Dr. Robert Straube, PhD, President ICOFCSU. Dr. Straube also serves as President of Christian Multiversity, Fivefold Apostle and Chief of Staff for ICOF President Bernie L. Wade.

A new forum I would like to highlight and introduce is the newly formed Presidents’ Roundtable; a group of Christian leaders involved in higher educational leadership. The Presidents’ Roundtable is a monthly get-together of men and women who collaborate to further advance Biblical education systems and structures, endeavor to find solutions to the challenges they are facing, and offer cutting edge, innovative ideas to better serve their students, staff and community.

This is the forum where educational leaders can help one another rise above the obstacles they may be encountering and offer a different perspective, or a new twist.

Sign-up is now in progress for the Presidents’ Roundtable, hosted by Dr. Robert Straube at chancellor@icof.net. Once we register those professionals who desire to participate, we will announce the date, time and on-line location for the forum.

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Humor

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Misinformation...

Hispanic congregation outgrows white congregation, muscles into Sunday morning slot LANSING — Templo Calvario, a Hispanic church which meets at First Lutheran Church, has outgrown its white host church and seized control of service times.

“We’re bigger, we’re more excited and we’re taking Sunday mornings,” said Fernando Gonzalez, the newly emboldened Hispanic pastor. “They can have 3 p.m. and see how they like it.”

The Templo crew also claimed the main church office, forcing First Lutheran’s staff into broom closets and back rooms which formerly housed Templo’s offices.

ary to the burgeoning congregation five years ago when a handful of people attended Templo Calvario.

The group met Sunday afternoons, but the city’s Hispanic population quadrupled and soon the Hispanic church was thriving while First Lutheran was not.

Maurice Weatherby, First Lutheran’s pastor, appeared caught off guard by the coup. His shrinking, aging congregation won’t have much choice but to give in, he said, standing with his staff on the lawn outside the building. Inside, the Hispanic pastors and their secretaries were having a party and singing “This is the day” in Spanish.

First Lutheran opened their sanctu48

“We let them use our facility, so yes, I’m surprised by this aggressive move,” Weatherby said. “Maybe someday our youth’ll get excited and we’ll grow and take back the best service times. Until then, I guess we’ll follow the afternoon schedule our hermanos in Christ have given us.” •