The original Colour Conference

It’s a sin to tithe

Associates For Scriptural Knowledge write…

“Thankfully, Jewish theologians know better than their Christian counterparts. They are well aware that only Levites have the right to receive tithe of the people. After all, the Jewish leaders have the Old Testament as their Scripture and that’s what it commands. And since there is no Temple in existence (and consequently no ordained Levites or Priests serving in a Temple), then a major factor in fulfilling the laws of tithing does not exist in our modern world.

In regard to this, it may be profitable to relate an event that happened to me over thirty–five years ago when I was just starting to study theology in college. A letter had been given to me for answering. It was from a woman who heard that modern Jews were not tithing. She wanted to know whether the information was true, and if so, why the Jews seemingly violated the plain laws of the Bible which spoke of tithing as a law to be obeyed?

Having read the letter, I began to share her concern. To resolve the matter I telephoned three rabbis in the Los Angeles area for their explanation. Much to my dismay, all three independently of each other informed me that no religious Jew should tithe today. I was startled at their replies. This appeared to be evidence that the Jews were so lax with their biblical interpretation that they were abandoning even the simple words of their own Scripture about the laws of tithing.

By the time I spoke with the last rabbi, my youthful indignation was beginning to emerge. But that rabbi then wisely began to show me my ignorance (not his) in the whole matter. First, he admitted that none of his congregation paid one penny of tithe that was demanded in the Old Testament. He then said: “If any member of my synagogue paid tithe in the scriptural manner, he would be disobeying the law of God—he would be sinning against God.”

I was staggered by his answer. He went on to inform me that since the Bible demands that the tithe be paid to Levites, he said it would be wrong to pay it to anyone else. And further, because there is presently no official Levitical order of Priests ministering at a Temple in Jerusalem, this makes it illegal at this period to pay any biblical tithe. He went on to say, however, that the moment a Temple is rebuilt, with its altar in operation and with the priesthood officiating at that altar (and the Levites there to assist them), then every Jew who lives in the tithing zones mentioned in the Bible will be required to tithe according to the biblical commands.

This teaching was a revelation to me (as it may be to some of our readers), but the rabbi gave the proper biblical answers. To pay the biblical tithe at this time, without Levites and Priests in their regular ordained offices and doing service in the Temple, would be “sin” both to the giver and the receiver. The rabbi told me: “If we are to obey the law, we cannot pay tithe unless we pay it to the ones ordained by God to accept that tithe.”

The rabbi explained that though he was the chief rabbi of his synagogue, he was not a Levite. He said he was descended from the tribe of Judah and was thereby not eligible to receive tithe. The same disqualification applied even to Christ Jesus while he was on earth since he was also reckoned as having come from the tribe of Judah. This same restriction was applicable to the activities of the apostle Peter (because he was as well from Judah) and it applied to the apostle Paul (because he was from the tribe of Benjamin). Neither Christ nor those apostles were Levites so they were all disqualified from receiving any part of the biblical tithe. It is just that simple. And listen, if Christ, Peter and Paul did not use the biblical tithe for any of their work in the teaching the Gospel, Christian ministers today should not use the biblical tithe either. The Jewish religious authorities are wise enough to read what the Word of God states about the tithe and, thankfully, they abide by it. But our Gentile preachers and priests care very little what the biblical texts actually state and go merrily on their way by devising their own laws of tithing which are different from those of the Bible.

The rabbi then gave me some information on the method that many Jews use today to secure adequate funds with which to operate their religious organizations. He went on to say that the activities of his synagogue were financially supported through the adoption of the “patron system” by its members. That is, families would buy seats in the synagogue for various prices each year. The rabbi mentioned that many of his congregation actually paid more than a tenth of their income to get better seats in the synagogue. This method for raising funds is perfectly proper (from the biblical point of view) if Jews wish to use it. This is because the money is paid to the synagogue and not to an ordained Levitical priesthood.

The final rabbi was correctly interpreting the teaching of the Holy Scripture. While many Christian ministers today teach that Christians may be in danger of missing salvation itself if they do not pay tithe to the church, Jewish rabbis know better than to say such a thing. They realize that it is biblically improper (actually, it is a blatant disobedience to the laws of the Bible) for anyone to pay or to receive the biblical tithe today. And any minister or ecclesiastical leader who uses the biblical tithe (or any one who pays to a minister the biblical tithe) is a sinner in the eyes of God.”

From http://www.askelm.com/tithing/thi003.htm

An American fundie in Dumbleyung

Michael Bunker blogs…

“…………After Breakfast. It was just past the middle of October in 2002 and we were in the last few days of our bus tour of the southwest part of Australia. We had been out of Perth for a good long time, and we had relaxed for over a week at Tony’s ranch down by Albany on the southern coast of Australia.“The Alpha Course”, which basically was an attempt to create a broad ecumenical movement (bringing all the so-called “denominations” together, including Protestants and Catholics) with the added impetus to infiltrate the more conservative denominations with Charismatic influences like tongue-speaking and faith healing.

On the trip back we visited some national parks, saw some huge trees, and crossed some rivers in the bus on narrow dirt roads that had no bridges.

We had an interesting stop in a small, small town off a very narrow road in the middle of nowhere Australia. I think the town had a population of about 200. It may have been called Dumbleyung, but I may have that mixed up – I really don’t remember the name of the town. Anyway, this was a small town that looked like many of the small towns in West Texas. We had the meeting at the football (footie) club. Of course the sport they call footie in Australia is neither American football or soccer. Footie is Australian rules football, which looks to me a lot like rugby though I’m told it is different. It seemed every small town we drove through had a large footie field (or do they call it a “pitch”? I don’t know) and next to the field would be a clubhouse – which was more like an American Legion hall or a country club or something, with a bar, etc. Anyway, we had the meeting in this small town in the footie club and I was shocked because it seemed like the whole town plus a few people from out of town showed up. It was standing room only and the people were on fire for the truth.

The local “church” leaders were there too, and they were not as happy. I learned during the first break from a dozen or so of the townspeople that:

a) They had never been taught any semblance of the Doctrines of Grace, though they always wondered why the “church” never spoke about all of the talk of election and sovereign grace in the Bible. Ephesians, and Romans chapters 8 and 9 were never a subject of any teaching there. In fact, I’m pretty sure there wasn’t much expository preaching at all.

b) The “church” had recently been pushing a pretty corrupted Bible version on the people and was trying to get all the people to go through a heretical teaching called “The Alpha Course”, which basically was an attempt to create a broad ecumenical movement (bringing all the so-called “denominations” together, including Protestants and Catholics) with the added impetus to infiltrate the more conservative denominations with Charismatic influences like tongue-speaking and faith healing.

c) Through the Alpha Course and other teaching there had been a de-emphasis on sin, obedience, and judgment. Instead, the “church” there was emphasizing ecumenism, unity, and more of a secular morality.

After learning this during the first break (I spoke for somewhere around 3 hours), you can probably guess what I preached about for the next 2 hours! I strongly condemned what the so-called “church” was doing there in the town, and I preached vociferously on sin, judgment, and obedience. I identified the apostasy of the age, the importance of rejecting corrupt Bible translations (like the NIV, which was what was being pushed by the Alpha Course apostates), and on the importance of a right view of a sovereign God. I spoke of apostasy and heresy, and then I basically went through the lessons in Swarms of Locusts and how Popery had infiltrated and corrupted the mainline Protestant denominations with Arminianism and other Jesuit teachings. As you can imagine, during the second break, the “church” leadership was first in line to talk to me. They couldn’t say much, except that they were confused and hoped they hadn’t done any harm with what they were teaching. They said “we’ll have to pray about it”, which generally means that they had not been convicted and they were probably going to do nothing but wait until Michael Bunker was out of town to start damage control.

The people, however, were of a decidedly different mind. When I finished speaking, they rushed our tour bus and surrounded it. They begged me not to leave. They wanted me to stay and preach to them. They asked me when I was going to return, and they would only leave the tour bus and let us go if I would assure them that I would do whatever I was able to do to return to them some day. I exhorted them to go out and get a good King James Bible and to study and pray that the Lord would give them truth. I asked them to study what the true Church believed throughout history (until the corruptions of Romanism, and eventually the counter-reformation ushered in our modern apostate religion) and to never let the insitutional “church” push new and apostate doctrines on them. I do feel badly that I was never able to return, but I also am convinced that God freed all of those whom He loves and that He will do a mighty work in those whom He calls.

Sorry for that side story, but I thought it was important to include it here, particularly when it can be placed in contrast to how we were received by the religious pharisees of Perth.

We returned to Perth with less than two weeks left on our trip. We still had a major address planned at the University of Western Australia there in Perth, so the fellas and I got to work planning my presentation. We learned through the grapevine that the host “church” and its very, very angry leadership was working to try to make sure no one attended the university talk. We had been exhorting the leadership of that group to sit down with us and talk for several weeks, but they let us know in no uncertain terms that they just wanted me to get on a plane and go back to Texas. When the day of the university talk came, we gamely headed there to set up the lecture hall. We found out on our arrival that someone had cancelled the talk, and there was only an hour or so before the meeting was scheduled to begin. Not only had they cancelled the rental on the lecture hall, but they had gone around campus with professionally produced CANCELLED stickers and had pasted them on the posters that had been posted all over campus. I’m not talking about someone writing cancelled on the posters with a marker… no… they actually had bright red CANCELLED stickers printed up and pasted across the posters announcing the meeting.

Some of our supporters were able to contact the university and get our lecture hall unlocked, so we set up for the meeting expecting that no one would actually show up. Unhappily for our attackers, we had a very, very good showing. The most boisterous and supportive of the groups that attended the meeting were representatives from the Underground Church in China. They were a group that smuggled Bibles and materials into China from Australia by boat. One of the most touching and emotional moments of the trip happened when this group of Chinese radicals came up to me after the talk. They had a sandwich bag of American dollar bills and coins. It was money they had raised to donate to my ministry. I was stunned. These people didn’t have any money, and what they did have was spent on travel and expenses to get smugglers into China, but they had taken an offering among themselves to give me a donation. Of course I tried to refuse it, but they would not hear of it, and I was informed by others that I would offend them greatly if I did not receive the gift. That gesture was one of the most humbling things that happened to me on the whole trip.

Back to the excitement. When the talk was over, I was busy talking to people and answering questions for quite a while. The guys were breaking down all the equipment as most of the audience was filing out. Not too long after that, one of our supporters came to me and said, “They broke out all the windows of the cars in the parking lot!” I shook my head, “What? Who broke out the windows”. He said, “Apparently whomever it was who didn’t want you to speak here tonight”. We were finished packing up, so we all headed out to the parking lot. There were just a few cars left in the lot, but there was glass all over the ground. The two cars other than the one we came in (we came in Adrian’s) had broken windows. I was stunned. We were very sorrowful that someone had sunk to such depths as to damage property in order to threaten people who were preaching the Gospel. I wrote a letter which appeared on my website that listed all that we had gone through in Australia, and it seemed that people everywhere were appalled. What I had taught all along was proven. The basics behind persecution never change. Sometimes, as many great Christian historians have taught, our enemies may not be enabled by law to kill us. Sometimes, due to conditions and political realities out of their control, our enemies may not be able to crucify us, burn us, or pull us usunder; but never, ever think that they would not do so if they could. If it were lawful and acceptable for our enemies to take our lives, they certainly would, and we have ample proofs of that. Their intentions and their crimes are no less heinous and wicked just because they happen to live during a time when they are restrained by God from doing that which they would do if they were free to act. The day is coming, and it may come in your lifetime, when your enemies will kill you for what you believe. But they will only kill you if you really believe it, and they will only know you really believe it if you live it. Most modern “christians” are persecution proof because they do not live what they say they believe. Most modern professors are Alpha Course “christians” whose lives and worldviews threaten no one. They do not shine as lights in darkness, rather they blend in with darkness and defend it as evangelism.

After that, we had several meetings in Adrian’s back yard, and each meeting got bigger and bigger. The last sermon I did in Perth (entitled ELECTION) was a standing room only affair. People were walking up and down the neighborhood borrowing chairs from neighbors. Many people had to park blocks away just to get to the house.

A day or so before we were to leave Perth, Adrian received a call from his former Pastor. He wanted to meet with me before I headed back to Texas. Adrian put him on hold and came to me and asked me what I thought. I smiled at Adrian. I said “He wants to meet with me, meaning just the Pastor?” Adrian asked him and he said “Yes, he would be coming alone”. I said, “Ok, I’ll be glad to meet with the Pastor, and since he said he would be coming alone, I will expect him to be alone”. Adrian passed on the message and then hung up. As soon as he hung up the phone, I looked at Adrian and Craig and I said, “He’ll show up here with the whole ‘church’ leadership, and he’ll probably have your Pope of Perth (Steve the exorcist) with him. Adrian said, “Nah, if he said he’ll come alone – he’ll come alone”.

Right…”

From http://michaelbunker.com/2009/03/persecution-and-reflection-part-8.html

He’s been a tax cheat, a fraudster and he kept mistresses. Vote 1 – Henry J. Lyons (again) for Church President

Associated Press reports…

“The ousted former president of a national organization of black Baptist churches is running for the position again, a decade after he was sent to prison for stealing millions of dollars from the group. The Rev. Henry J. Lyons was forced out as leader of the National Baptist Convention USA in 1999 after an investigation revealed he abused his power in the convention to steal about $4 million. He used the money to buy luxury homes and jewelry, and to support his mistresses.

Lyons currently serves as pastor of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla., and lost a bid to become president of the convention’s Florida chapter in 2007.

Lyons is running against one other candidate, the Rev. Julius R. Scruggs, pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, in Huntsville, Ala., who also serves as vice president at large for the convention. The election takes place in September.

Aldon Morris, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University, who’s written extensively about the convention, says Lyons faces an uphill battle and he doesn’t expect him to win.

“I think there’s significant numbers of leaders in the group across the county who feel it’s fine to forgive, but why have a leader with this sort of baggage?” Morris said. “The organization was very embarrassed by the charges against him. He certainly left it in bad shape.”

But Lyons isn’t without supporters. The Rev. Darin Freeman, pastor of Metropolitan Baptist Church in Charleston, W.Va., praised Lyons for reducing the convention’s debt by two-thirds in four years and skillfully handling divisions between churches of different sizes.

“Smaller churches around the country felt like they were equal with megachurches,” Freeman said. “A local pastor of 300 is equal to a pastor of 30 or a pastor of 3,000. All of us have a say.”

Lyons didn’t respond to several attempts by the The Associated Press to reach him by phone. But he told The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville that while he damaged the convention’s reputation, he’s a changed man who deserves a second chance as president.

“The shame of it I don’t believe it will ever go away. There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said.

Current president the Rev. Dr. William J. Shaw can’t seek a third five-year term under convention rules.

Lyons’ downfall came after his wife Deborah set fire to a $700,000 waterfront home he co-owned with a mistress, and the resulting investigation revealed he’d stolen money from the organization. The Lyonses have since divorced.

Lyons was convicted of racketeering and grand theft in 1999. He resigned as president of the National Baptist Convention and pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax evasion, fraud and making false statements.

Scruggs, who hopes to increase church participation in convention activities if elected, declined to say much about Lyons’ candidacy.

“I prefer building on the present and the future and being as positive as possible and really don’t want to go back to that era and talk about those negatives,” he said..”

From http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jWfDVL_iHmmeGGGG6q4OnEisG4YwD975V5IO0

How safe are your credit card details at church?

WXIA11 reports…

“Who can you trust if you can’t trust the pastor of your church? That’s what parishioners at a Covington church are asking after their pastor was arrested on identity fraud charges.

Pastor Alan Thompson, 35 of the Calvary Baptist Church in Covington is charged with two counts of financial identity fraud and one count of financial transaction fraud. He’s accused of stealing the identities of some of his parishioners.

Calls to the church about his status were not returned. Pastor Thompson’s name is still on the church’s marquee.

Thursday night he was at the church’s parsonage where he has lived with his wife and child for the past three years as pastor. Thompson answered the door but would not comment on his arrest. “I really don’t want to comment,” he told 11 Alive News.

One of Thompson’s victims, according to police, is a former pastor at the church. 11 Alive News has learned that former pastor Roy Kiser went to Covington Police Detective Daniel Seals on March 18 about a credit card bill he received in the mail.

“He came to me unfortunately with a very, very heavy heart,” Detective Seals said, “He explained to me that he believed it might be his friend, the current pastor at the church.”

Detective Seals says Thompson used information from church records to fill out credit card applications on the internet. “Right now I have three victims that have made reports,” Detective Seals said, “I’m currently talking to at least two more.”

Detective Seals says Pastor Thompson ran up one card to $2,700. He is waiting on the credit card companies to respond to subpoenas to learn what he purchased. “This is a trusted individual, the most trusted individual you might say in our communities,” he said.

Seals says Thompson, who investigates most of the financial fraud cases for the police department, said this is one of the saddest cases he has investigated. “He took information from those who trusted him and used it for his own gain.”

One church member who wanted to remain anonymous said “If he (Thompson) asked his parishioners for anything, they would have given it to him.”

Detective Seals says he is uncovering information in the case by the hour. He is asking any church member who might think they’re a victim to call Covington Police at 770-786-7605.”

From http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=128436&catid=3

Sunday Adelaja warned not to flee Ukraine

The Kyiv Post reports…

“The Ukrainian Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko has said that he hopes the head of Embassy of God church, Pastor Sunday Adelaja, will not break his pledge not [to] leave the country.

“He will not be able to leave Ukraine. The responsible authorities will not let this happen,” the minister told the press in Kyiv on Tuesday.

The minister hoped the pastor would not even try to leave, as “he might bring down punishment on himself for that.”

Lutsenko also denied Adelaja’s claims that he is being persecuted by the police for religious reasons.

“It’s not true, the case is on financial fraud,” the minister said.

As reported, The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has accused the pastor of the Embassy of God, Sunday Adelaja, of defrauding citizens of money. Adelaja was accused as part of the investigation into a criminal case on the financial group King’s Capital opened in January 2009. Part 4, Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, under which he has been charged, envisages five to 12 years of imprisonment, along with confiscation of property.

On November 24, 2008, Kyiv police officers arrested the leader of Kyiv-based financial group King’s Capital, Oleksandr Bandurchenko, on suspicion of large-scale fraud. Vice Speaker Mykola Tomenko earlier asked Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko to investigate the activities of King’s Capital due to reports about the group’s doubtful activities, and in connection with this, the company’s refusal to pay funds to its depositors.

Lutsenko reported the involvement of Adelaja in organizing the activities of the King’s Capital financial group on November 25, 2008.

On March 14 the pastor signed a pledge not to leave the country.”

From http://www.kyivpost.com/city/38165

The Todd Bentley charm offensive

Rick Hiebert blogs…

“At last, new trophy wife in tow, Todd Bentley, the Canadian evangelist who has been having many problems over the past year (to put it lightly) has entered rehabilitation. Over seven months after the collapse of his internationally famous revival in the U.S., he has at last gotten around to going to North Carolina to come under the mentoring of charismatic leader Rick Joyner. Mr. Joyner is to help him return to ministry. Yet, already, in the annoucements and videos that are coming out with Mr. Bentley, there’s more backspin than at a convention of billiards players evident, which is not a good omen for those hoping that Mr. Bentley can return to his work with integrity and a good character.    

As videos began to be released a couple of days ago, there was a flurry of commentary and a bit of news coverage. Blogger Miriam Franklin has already weighed in with several pointed critical posts on Mr. Joyner and Mr. Bentley. I’d definitely agree with her on one point she has made, namely that people are concentrating too much on Mr. Bentley’s divorce and quickie remarriage to Jessa, whose affair with the evangelist seems to be the proxinate cause of the “Lakeland revival”. Not so. The affair was a symptom not a cause. That is to say, Mr. Bentley had a character problem that exhibited itself in lying from the pulpit about, for example, raising people from the dead. There were some aberrant, heretical things being said and done at Lakeland. And he was canoodling with a younger, prettier intern while his wife was either watching the kids or taking the pulpit herself to promote what her husband was doing. Marrying Jessa will likely not fix what leads to these sorts of actions.

My blogging friend Bene Diction makes an excellent point in a post that notes that many prominent charismatic groups and churches are slumping in the amount of people that are logging on to their sites. This relates to several things that I have been seeing on The Elijah List, an e-list that caters to charismatics, to the effect that people with alleged prophetic insight are commenting that God will bring Christians through the current economic woes, or bless them in amazing ways financially. There are reports of layoffs at ministries, and the tone of requests for donations has been stepped up. All this backs up Bene Diction’s suspicion that there may be a lot of pressure to get Bentley out on the road prematurely so, as the “star” of the ”Lakeland revival”, he can start to draw the crowds again.

Mr. Joyner’s first letter, announcing that Bentley and new wife had arrived, also noted that Mr. Bentley has a new ministry, Fresh Fire USA, which is organized under Mr. Joyner’s own ministry for now. Those wanting to help Mr. Bentley were offered Fresh Fire USA’s address. So, I had to smile when religion editor Frank Lockwood of the Arkansas Democrat, on his religious news blog, titled his note on Mr. Bentley’s restoration process: ”Sorry about the adultery. Please send $$$” . 

Charisma, the magazine of record for charismatic Christians in the U.S., is covering this too. Their own story has an intestesting note. At the tail end of Bentley’s time in Florida, a team of charismatic leaders and ministers lead by C. Peter Wagner held a special commissioning service for Bentley which was broadcast worldwide via Internet, in which the “Revival Alliance” members predicted that Bentley would go from success to success. They welcomed Bentley as a member of their group and even gave him a special ring, but Charisma’s story quotes Revival Alliance member John Arnott (known for pastoring the “Toronto Blessing” in the 1990s) as saying that Bentley is no longer considered a “member in good standing” of their group. Mr. Wagner and Mr. Arnott revealed some of Bentley’s misdeeds in the aftermath of his leaving the revival, so Mr. Bentley has evidently decided to form alliances with those who are more sympathtic to him, such as Mr. Joyner.

Mr. Joyner features in another Charisma item as well. Charisma editor J. Lee Grady, in his latest column,  is disgusted with the rush to bring Bentley back too quickly, calling it a ”travesty”. Mr. Grady is righteously indignant, but what I find telling is Mr. Joyner’s response. He writes, in part:

‘Lee, I love some of the things you write, but I also feel that some are straight from the mouth of the accuser.’

I’ll need to translate this for non-Christians. Mr. Joyner is referring to Revelation 12:10 which mentions that Satan is the “accuser of the brethren” (i.e. christians). So, what Mr. Joyner is saying here is that Mr. Grady, editor of a charismatic Christian magazine, is channeling Satan, basically.

It should go without saying that if you are a professing Christian, one of the worst possible insults that you could use would be to say that your opponent is being used by the devil as a ventriliquist dummy.

One would think that “fighting dirty” would be abhorrent for a Christian such as Mr. Joyner.

Mr. Joyner, as the conservative site  Apologetics Index notes has a history of doing other things that would raise the eyebrows of many Christians. He has a reputation of being “prophetic” and having special insight from the Lord, but non-Christian sceptics would no doubt be amused that he occasionally sees through a glass very darkly, such as his prediction of Los Angeles being levelled by an earthquake and nuclear bombs in the 1990s.

Mr. Joyner’s occasiional intemperance, as exhibited in his response to Mr. Grady, may also be shown in one of his famous prohetic words, in his book The Final Quest, about the “Blues and the Grays”. He predicts a coming civil war in Christianity, with the winning side (of which Mr. Joyner is a part, of course) defeats the Christians who have been misled by Satan being defeated and removed from their positions of authority in the church.  We must “remove the cancer from our midst” he writes in his book. (I wonder, given the violence waged between Christians in history, and in our own time, whether it is appropriate to share these sorts of visions in public. Certainly, Christians should “contend for the faith”, but so sadly, they do not need encouragment to turn to violence in the direst of circumstances.)

I note these things and note that Mr. Bentley, when not kneeing cancer victims in the stomach, has often delighted in telling his audiences about times that he has kicked old ladies in the head with his biker boot and such. (As I write, some of these stories are preserved on YouTube.) Amongst the fruits of the Holy Spirit that should be exhibited by an evangelist such as Mr. Bentley are meekness, gentleness and self-control. I have to ask whether Mr. Bentley’s mentor, Mr. Joyner, would be effective in advising him here when Mr. Joyner himself–this week–accuses his opponents of speaking on Satan’s behalf, and cherishes visions of winning a “war in the church”. Yes, often the flawed have to help the flawed, but this is not promising. 

On to the videos that have been released to explain Mr. Bentley’s rehabilitation process. The first video from Mr. Joyner’s ministry has Mr. Bentley himself as a guest. I’m posting a copy of most of the first video that has been saved on YouTube in case the videos start to disappear from Mr. Joyner’s own website.

Some things that jump out at me:

1. You’ll notice that Mr. Bentley is full of talk of mistakes and errors, but never mentions the word “sin”. Even Jimmy Swaggart had the grace to cry “I have sinned,” when he next appeared before the public after he sinned.

Not that people would demand a pound of flesh, of course. But talk of sin and sinning would indicate that Mr. Bentley is a lot more serious about making things right than his critics think that he is. The evangelist already has the problem that it took him over half a year to begin this supposedly important process, so he needs to be seen to be taking it seriously.

2. I don’t really believe that in an age of fax, e-mail and videoconferencing that it was impossible for Mr. Bentley to be working on his visa appeal with the U.S. customs officials while moving to North Carolina. I’m sure that it is done all the time for compassionate reasons, for example. I sincerely doubt that it would be impossible as Mr. Bentley implies.

3. As a Canadian, I am a little dismayed to hear Mr. Bentley say this:

“….Shonnah’s doing everything she can to help with my immigration process….”

It would appear that Mr. Bentley is trying to become a landed immigrant or even a U.S. citizen. No points for guessing that his marriage to Jessa was designed to help with this.

If we grant for a moment that Mr. Bentley’s faith, giftings and burden to convert non-Christians are valid, this is sad. Yes, Canadian Christians have been moving to the U.S. to pursue their calling since Aimee Semple McPherson, but the United States already has so many ministers and so much resources. If Mr. Bentley is who he says he is, the church in Canada needs  people like him. Of course, his critics would say that Mr. Bentley should not let the door hit him on the behind as he leaves Canada. But the need is acute. If Mr. Bentley’s style of faith-healing evangelism is what is needed, then it is particularly sad that he never devoted much effort to the nearest major city to where he lived, Vancouver. (The last time that he himself ministered in the city was at a medium sized church over five years ago.)

Of course, Mr. Benley’s citics could question how committed Mr. Bentley was committed to “revival” in Canada’s cities and towns in the  first place, based on his decision to move.

4. Mr. Bentley, 7:30 into the video, starts talking about how he dealt with problems as an unsaved teenager:

“….That old [sin] nature in you is when you hurt someone, you just want to give up and run away from the whole thing. That’s how I dealt with pain as I grew up as a child. If I was hurt or rejected or I disappointed my mother or disappointed my father, I just packed up and moved to the next town. When I burned all the bridges there, I just packed up and moved. This time we want to deal with everything square in the face….”

Let’s follow his logic. Mr. Bentley says that it is sinful, or at least immature, to deal with problems by running away from them. This is after he has divorced his wife and not only “packed up and moved to the next town” but moved to the next country. He has “burned all his bridges” with his ex-wife, turning in for a new model, instead of ”dealing with everything square in the face” of Shonnah Bentley, his first wife.

How can you teach someone to stand and deal with their problems when they have just run away from most of them? What is preventing Todd Bentley from packing up and giving up on Mr. Joyner’s restoration process when by implication, spending the past few months running from everything that is painful to deal with is quite all right?

Did Mr. Joyner even try to persuade Mr. Bentley to stay with his wife and kids and stay in Canada? 

5. An offhand remark of Mr. Bentley’s at the 8:55 mark will raise some eyebrows:   

“There’s so much that I’ve learned on all this. There’s triumph. There’s tragedy. And, you know, there’ll be a message. There’ll be a whole series of messages….”

Tragedy I can understand. Triumph? The only triumph that there would be is Christ somehow cleaning up the pig’s breakfast that the evangelist has made, but the ”restoration process” has only just started. Rather, are we seeing a “triumph of the will” specifically Todd Bentley’s will? He got the wife he wanted. He got the parenting situation that worked best for him. He got a very sympathetic mentor to counsel him. He has a lot that he wants, and that might not be good for him.

Watching this video may bring a sense that Mr. Bentley is not being asked to be serious about his mistakes. This is an unease that is shared, according to Cary McMullen of the Lakeland Ledger newspaper, who has done a lot of great reporting on Mr. Bentley’s revival and its aftermath. In a post on the reaction to the plans to restore Mr. Bentley in “Pentecostal circles”, McMullen notes that many  seem to fear that “this is just further evidence that Bentley and his supporters are frauds”.

Mr. Bentley and Mr. Joyner have their work cut out for them. If they are truly wanting to do the right thing, there is a lot of scepticism to deal with. Well-founded scepticism, I am afraid.”

From http://westernstandard.blogs.com/shotgun/2009/03/mr-bentley-enters-his-rehab.html

Church tells pastors to have vasectomies

The Sowetan reports…

“The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, the country’s fastest growing charismatic church, is little more than a money-making scam, say pastors who have been left to fend for themselves after making a fortune for the church.

The unhappy pastors say that they were even forced to undergo vasectomies to prevent them having children so they would not carry around any “baggage”.

Pastors and followers of the church (UCKG) are encouraged to surrender their wealth upon joining the church.

Although they had reservations about the church, they decided to break their silence after some of them were off-loaded because of ill-health.

When Pastor Michael Louw, 49, joined the church 16 years ago, his banker wife surrendered her car and her pension.

“When you join, they tell you that pastors are not supposed to own anything, not a house, a car or even a bank account. I used to make money for them, but today I am sleeping in a sleeping bag,” said Louw.

“When people warned us that these Brazilians were here to make money we did not want to believe them. But now we know. They brainwashed us into believing that God would take care of us, but when they kick us out we have nowhere to go,” he said.

Congregations run as many as six services a day in which members are constantly exhorted to make donations.

“There is not a single service in which we are allowed to preach without asking for contributions,” said Louw.

Sowetan recently visited the church in Brixton and in central Johannesburg. Different pastors continually emphasised the importance of giving the church money.

“Give in abundance and you will be blessed,” said one pastor.

The congregation was then presented with Nedbank deposit slips to “give to God”.

Prophet Paul Sibeko of the Soweto branch in Diepkloof said he made R6million in one campaign.

“When I was shot by intruders inside the church, my leaders never asked what happened. All they asked was if I had made the target.

“I replaced a pastor who was making R7000 a month in Mpumalanga. I ended up making R60000 a month. You are not allowed to make less than the previous amount,” said Sibeko, who served the church for 13 years.

Their disillusionment was echoed by George Ndionga, 40, who quit as pastor last year after 11 years.

“My branch in Ebony Park used to make R90000 a month; in Springs I would make between R35000 and R45000. When I left they gave me a mere R6000,” Ndionga said.

“What they do is unbiblical. Deuteronomy 15 says you may release a slave after he had served you for six years, but you can’t let him go empty- handed.

“I got nothing. It’s like I just came out of jail,” said Ndionga who gave up his business to join the church.

Ndionga said he was sidelined because of a knee injury.

Asked if he believed the church was a scam, Ndionga said: “In the beginning it was a church for saving souls, but things changed. They used to be concerned with the number of people we recruited, but now they are concerned with the amount of money we bring in,” Ndionga said

“If you don’t make money, they put you aside. We have been brainwashed,” he said.

The church’s chief executive Elvis Presslin dismissed the claims.

“There is no basis to this claim. The UCKG is the only church that has its books independently audited every year even though we are not obliged to do so. All assets belong to the church. The pastors and the bishops do not own anything,” Presslin said.

Pastor Godfrey Adolf, 40, said: “They have turned us into their moneymakers.”

He has been with the church for 17 years.

“When they came into the country they had nothing, but today they are rich. They told us to give up all we had. We realised too late that these people were a family and were running a business,” he said.

Adolf, who heads the Lawley branch near Lenasia, said a congregant once made a R100000 donation.

“When they build cathedrals, it is simply to make more money. The sad part is that this money comes from our poor people. I am also quitting. This is probably my last day,” Adolf said.

Pastors Samuel Mpiza and Erick Dube told us that they were off-loaded after the one was injured on duty and the other one was accused of being defiant.

UCKG spokesperson Nametso Mofokeng confirmed that their pastors undergo vasectomies.

“There are countries where pastors are, where conditions may not be as favourable for a pastor with children, and for this reason pastors are advised of this possibility and the challenges they may face.

“No pastor is forced to undergo a vasectomy. Those pastors who have undergone this medical procedure have done so of their own accord,” said Mofokeng.

She added that the church has in some cases offered financial assistance for this procedure.”

From http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=963106

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God has a church in Sydney at Liverpool.

Rhema builds the family business

The Independent Online reports…

“In these economically trying and troubled times, religion, it seems, is good business.

Rhema Ministries, the church that last Sunday famously hosted ANC presidential candidate Jacob Zuma at a service in Randburg, Gauteng, on Friday announced an income of “slightly above R100-million” (A$15.15m) for the past year.

The bulk of this was gathered in the form of “tithes and offerings” from its about 40 000 congregants.

According to financial manager and group accountant Alison Whittall, the church has grown its balance sheet “in spite of a higher interest rate environment and a general economic meltdown”.

“This demonstrates the congregants’ commitment to the vision of the church,” she said in a statement.

Asked where the R100-million came from, church deputy administrator Vusi Mona said: “Mainly from tithes and offerings; about R68-million from that, the rest comes from the wholesale bookstore, television [service] and the bible school.”

To “tithe” means to hand over a tenth of one’s income to a religious institution. [Yeah...right - Ed] Tithing has its origins in the early Middle Ages, and its application in the modern world is based on interpretations of various texts in the Christian bible.

Asked what the church’s policy was on tithing, Mona replied: “We encourage it.”

According to the statement, Rhema’s total assets grew during the course of the past year to R51,2-million, up from R47,8-million in 2007.

“Notably, the church achieved its salaries bill-income levels set for the year under review. The salaries costs to income ratio were 52 percent, while it was 59 percent for the previous year.”

Fifty-two percent of R100-million means Rhema’s salary bill was R52-million last year. According to Mona, the church has “167 salaried staff”, which would mean a salary per staffer of about R311 000 a year if the full amount was split evenly between them.

The statement also quotes Rhema’s “senior pastor” and founder, Ray McCauley, as saying the church and its trading entities had “maintained financial sustainability and shown healthy growth”.

He said the goal looking forward was “to post even much stronger results that will enable the church to fulfil its mandate of taking the gospel to the world and looking after the poor”.

In a separate statement on Friday, Rhema Ministries also announced the appointment, among others, of McCauley’s son, Joshua, as executive director of the ministry’s television, publishing and wholesale operations.”

From http://www.iol.co.za:80/index.php?art_id=nw20090320155345789C481540&set_id=1&click_id=13&sf=

I think I might have been the ‘member of the public’ arguing with the man on the box in this story :)

The Sunday Times reports…

“Perth transforms itself from Dullsville to Godsville every Friday night as bellowing evangelists flock to the busy city centre to praise the Lord and try to convert shoppers.

The Murray St mall turns into a mini Bible belt, and Hare Krishna followers often add to the open-air church atmosphere, parading through the CBD chanting, banging drums and ringing bells.

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi has adopted a live-and-let-live approach.

“The City of Perth is and always will be welcome to all people,” she said. “People are free to ignore or engage with any groups who are in and around our city.”

Not everyone agrees with her philosophy. Merchant Coffee House assistant manager Jaina Sun said: “I don’t like them hanging around. It is bad for business and intimidates customers.”

Friday night preacher Rob Ferguson, 31, of Armadale, recently left a Baptist church and, like many others in the mall, is no longer associated with an established church.

He claimed most of the people preaching in the mall had left denominational churches because they no longer accurately preached the Gospels.

He described his preaching as a “normal Christian doing his obligated duties” and was open to others with a non-evangelical message to speak.

“Warren”, of Byford, is another unattached agent of God.

“I’m not here for the money and getting people to my church,” he said. “I’m not here for any of that, just to preach about Christ and the Bible.”

Standing on his one-step podium, Bible in hand, he shouted: “I’m a Christian and I’ve got things to tell you about God.” His warnings of death and heavenly judgment quickly drew a crowd of about 50, who yelled a mixture of abuse and support. Teenagers giggled.

Regular Friday night shopper Sharon Lyster said she was not impressed by all the soapbox evangelism. She said she witnessed an argument in the mall several months ago between a man on a box and a member of the public that was “a bit much”.

Farther east in the mall, more Christians use an amplified accordion and singing with guitars to tune the public to God.

“If I was sitting having a coffee I wouldn’t hang around,” Ms Lyster said.

Osborne Park shopper Tony Lynch, 64, was dismissive of the hymn-singing.

“It can be bloody annoying and hell for the retailers,” he said.

Rangers asked five-year mall preaching veteran and accordion player Kevin Horst, his wife and their friends whether they had a valid busking licence.

“It needed renewing,” Mr Horst said. “There’s a new system we didn’t know about.”

But Liberty Christian Centre member Rocky Cardillo said: “We’ve been here for years and never been asked.”

Thornlie Bible reader and weekly city shopper James Grieves, 21, asked what right the evangelists had to preach on the street.

“Warren” retorted: “If the public don’t want to listen, they can walk on. That’s the beautiful thing about freedom.”

Thank God it’s Friday

Some of the religious groups in the mall on Friday night:

Victory Life Church, an evangelical church based in Osborne Park that says it is training “an army of people who know they are in Christ”. Former tennis great and pastor Margaret Court is one of its leaders.

Applecross Liberty Christian Centre, led by Pastor Rocky Cardillo.

The Without Wall Ministry, which holds weekly “Revival Fire Meetings” in North Perth.

Potter’s House Church of Australia, which has about 500 WA members. Its seven-strong mall contingent from the Beechboro church _ all men in their early 20s _ were promoting the Bible as a harbour from addiction, depression and relationship break-ups.

There is also an assortment of solo preachers. One, father-of-three Rob Ferguson, said: “The main thing we seriously believe is there is a heaven and a hell, and anyone who has broken (God’s) laws will go to hell.”

From http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,27574,25220293-2761,00.html

Sinful, racist, smug, arrogant, heartless, loveless Aussie street preachers

Sunday bloody Sunday

The Times of Nigeria reports…

“Ukrainian law enforcers on Tuesday formally charged the ethnic Nigerian leader of a hugely popular evangelical Christian church of complicity in bilking his congregation of millions, the Interfax news agency reported.

Pastor Sunday Adelaja, senior pastor of Embassy of God in Kiev, Ukraine, was among the ringleaders in an international scheme to attract funds from Ukrainian churchgoers into questionable Nigerian businesses run by friends and relatives, the accusation read in part.

The main beneficiary of investment money funneled from Embassy of God accounts to Nigeria was the Lagos-headquartered Kings Capital investment company, a firm according to Ukrainian prosecutors without real business activity.

Ukrainian police last week arrested the head of the Kiev branch of King Capital, an Adelaja associate and Embassy of God member, on similar charges. The firm despite promises of high returns in November stopped paying dividends.

Adelaja, a former university student turned charismatic preacher, frequently suggested to churchgoers they invest their money in King’s Capital, as he knew its management were “Godly men.”

Adelaja has denied the prosecutor’s charges and claimed the Ukrainian government is targeting him because of the Embassy of God’s growing popularity, and on racial grounds.

Ukrainian police have served Adelaja with an order to remain in Ukraine until the charges are dropped.

Adelaja faces the formal charge of “financial machinations in especially large volume,” a crime carrying a sentence of 5 to 12 years in prison.

Starting as a weekend prayer meeting in Adelaja’s apartment in the early 1990s, the Embassy of God church has ballooned into according to media reports East Europe’s largest evangelical church, with more than 25,000 active members in Kiev alone, and branch churches in fifteen more Ukrainian cities, according to the church web site.

The Embassy of God and its leadership have done nothing wrong, and any formal charges will be faced and defeated in court, Adelaja said last week.”

From http://www.thetimesofnigeria.com/TON/Article.aspx?id=1511

You spin me right ’round Jesus, right ’round, like a record Jesus, right ’round, ’round, ’round – sock-waving mix

Hat tip:Jane

Been there done that. ‘Living Waters’ doesn’t work

The St George and Sutherland Shire Leader reports…

“A Ramsgate church has attracted national attention for its programs to guide people out of sexual “brokenness”.

Of most controversy is a program to help homosexuals overcome same-sex attraction.

But director of Living Waters ministries, Ron Brookman, said the controversy was misdirected.

Mr Brookman married his second wife, Ruth, in 1994, and the pair have three children. But he said he can recall being attracted to men from age five.

“I believe homosexuality is a tendency, not a tyranny,” Mr Brookman said.

After successfully completing the program, Mr Brookman said he had not acted on homosexual impulses.

“I’m so thankful to God, and I want to proclaim his goodness, and give other people hope that change is possible,” he said.

“The years I was gay were the worst of my life … This is the happiest time of my life.”

A Sutherland Shire man, 40, who did not wish to be named, completed the Living Waters program and is now married with two children.

He said he was never content with his life as a homosexual man.

“The gay scene is known for its promiscuity and for its lack of commitment. There were days where I had more casual encounters than people have hot meals in a day,” he said.

“But I dealt with depression, I felt suicidal, because the lifestyle I had conflicted with what I believed in my heart.”

Ben Gresham, 20, went to programs similar to Living Waters. But for him, they did more harm than good.

“I had really bad depression when I realised nothing was changing, and I started to self harm. Then I started to attempt suicide. I thought because I couldn’t change, I needed to be punished.”

He was jolted out of his fixation with change when a fellow program member committed suicide.

Lloyd Jones, 24, was encouraged to embrace his homosexuality when his mother came out as a lesbian after experiencing many conversion programs, including Living Waters.

Despite their experiences, both Lloyd and Ben said they believed that people who ran conversion programs were only trying to do good.

STRAIGHT TALK

Living Waters began as part of Exodus International, an inter-denominational Christian organisation founded in 1976.

It came to Australia in 1972 to help homosexuals change their sexual orientation.

Using Christian counselling and prayer, it is a six-month program that encourages people to confess homosexual acts or impulses and pray for healing.

For some time it was offered as a referral service from Hillsong Church, but this is no longer the case.”

From http://stgeorge.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/church-aims-to-change-gays/1463075.aspx

Jim Bakker renounces the ‘prosperity gospel’

Sects, religion and politics prompts Rhema walkout

allafrica.com reports…

“About 50 people walked out of the Rhema Bible Church [Sunday], in apparent protest at its inviting African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma.

Zuma’s address to the church’s main congregation in Randburg was part of the ANC’s attempt at drawing the religious vote, seen as up for grabs.

Although Rhema is sometimes regarded as the “ANC at prayer”, it could not prevent the walkout by congregants unhappy that the church service had been “turned” into a rally. Others felt Zuma was getting a privilege not open to other political parties.

Rhema spokesman Vusi Mona said if there was a walkout, it was undetectable in the 7500-seat auditorium and therefore “statistically insignificant”.

Mona said Zuma was not the only politician to visit the church, which had previously hosted former president Nelson Mandela, and such luminaries as Mathews Phosa and Tokyo Sexwale.

“If it was a walkout, whoever was involved should open their hearts; the church is open to everyone, sinner or saint,” Mona said. While other political parties were free to visit the church, taking the podium was not an automatic right, he said.

Not every member of the congregation agreed with the walkout. Businesswoman Noluthando Gosa said the church had an interest in hearing politicians speak so that it could hold them to their word later. “For us, it’s in our selfish interest that he (Zuma) takes to the podium,” she said.

Another church member, Vuyo Magwentshu, said if politicians were to be taken seriously, their attendance should not be just occasional. “I would prefer that he (Zuma) did it often, not only when he is campaigning,” she said.

Yesterday’s service was beamed by satellite to the church’s other congregations in Braamfontein, Alexandra and Soweto. Outside the church, officials from the Congress of the People (COPE) were busy handing out campaign leaflets.

With more than 30000 members countrywide, Rhema is popular among the black middle class, including government officials, business people and celebrities such as soccer star Lucas Radebe. It has also been linked with such controversial characters as disgraced cricketer the late Hansie Cronje, and former ANC spokesman Carl Niehaus.

Zuma called for a partnership to help the ANC realise its moral vision. He said that after next month’s elections the new administration would be banking on an alliance with faith-based organisations. “We need the support to release our people from the slavery of poverty and all its manifestations,” he said.

Although occasional differences between the state and the church were inevitable, such as on abortion and same-sex marriages, Zuma said the question was how disagreements were handled. “The solution is to have dialogue and discussion.” Constructive criticism and suggestions were welcome, he said.

The ANC’s first president, John Langalibalele Dube, was a priest. “The historical association of the ANC and the church cannot be doubted,” Zuma said.

Himself a lay pastor, Zuma said his favourite reading was the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament.

“The exodus from Egypt has always symbolised the liberatory character of the church.”

In the church’s huge auditorium, the ANC leader was greeted with enthusiasm in a service replete with symbolism.

Just before Zuma’s arrival, accompanied by mining executive Lazarus Zim, the church’s giant screens had displayed biblical messages, including: “Lord send the one that is in your likeness.”

The sermon delivered by the church’s pastor, Ray McCauley, on forgiveness, had a similar ring. “Our ethos in this church is no perfect people allowed, come as you are,” McCauley said.”

From http://allafrica.com/stories/200903160007.html

Christian men who assault women

The New York Daily News reports…

“Grammy-winning gospel singer Benjamin (BeBe) Winans has been charged with misdemeanor domestic assault after a dispute with his ex-wife in Nashville.

An arrest warrant filed Wednesday said 46-year-old Winans got into an argument with his ex-wife, Debra, about their children at her home.

“He pushed me to the ground in front of my children,” Debra Winans told CNN.

The argument happened in the driveway of her Nashville home on the eve of Valentine’s Day, she said.

“When you’re married to someone known all over the world, it has serious challenges,” she said.

They divorced six years ago after 16 years of marriage. They have two children – a 13-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son.

Winans, a judge on BET’s television show “Sunday Best,” was released from the Davidson County Jail Thursday after posting $1,000 bond.

He said in a statement that “the allegations are inconsistent with my character.”

From http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/03/14/2009-03-14_singer_bebe_winans_charged_with_pushing_.html

Phil Pringle photo fun

Predators of the deep (watch your wallet)

 

I’ve added my caption to the picture at the top of Phil Pringle’s new blog http://philpringle.wordpress.com/

Now it’s your turn.

Danny Nalliah Television (groan)

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Catch The Clap Ministries pastor Danny Nalliah’s recent ridiculous publicity binge is related to his newly-launched building fund-raising efforts.

He wants $650,000 so among other things, he can host some of the world’s wackiest fringe Christian celebrities….”to facilitate Kingdom gatherings focused on intercession, the prophetic & apostolic, with speakers such as Cindy Jacobs, Che Ann, Peter Wagner, Heidi & Roland Baker, John & Carol Arnott, Mike Berry and many others who move in this similar anointing….”

For ‘anointing’ ..read ‘psychological dysfunction’.

Nalliah’s pitch for funds includes this interesting revelation about his thinking.

“Producing programs for Television/ Multimedia, with the possibility of commencing a Christian television station (Long term)”

http://wprcreative.com.au/ctf/?page_id=2

What concerns me is there seems to be plenty of cashed-up Christians willing to fund this kind of lunacy.

It’s way, way, way, way too easy to become a Pente pastor

Lance rants…

I admit to having a bit of a bias against Pentecostal pastors. pond scum. It’s not a bias I set out to have, but it’s just the only possible conclusion that can be drawn, based on their bizarre thinking, antics and theatrics.

If you’ve ever wondered how Pente pastors are chosen to fill such an important role, then this might help.

You think I’m trivialising the pastor-selection process?

Well, have a look at this twitter message from Chief Twit Phil Pringle.

“Largest NZ C3 mtng last night near 800. About 20 decisions. I called for church planters. 17 came fwd. Dean n Fiona Rush r legends”

http://twitter.com/philpringle

So the recruitment of future pastors for church plants is based on an emotional response by volunteers (they could be psychopaths for all we know) in the peer-pressure hype of a public Pente meeting.

I’ve known a couple of C3 leaders and they certainly have no special pastoral skills (just the opposite) and became pastors, basically because they wanted to, and their previous church didn’t stand in their way (their churches were eventually swallowed-up by C3)

Compare this with the more traditional churches, where pastoral candidates go through exhaustive theological training for several years (instead of a few months in a church-based Mickey Mouse bible college) and then face even more rigorous scrutiny and testing before they can be allowed to have responsibility for a congregation.

In the Pente church, you only have to be the senior pastor’s son or daughter to get a gig.

Is it any wonder then that the Pente church has become the K-mart of Christianity; a, franchised warehouse of incompetant shop assistants competing for the attention of knuckle-dragging customers, itching to buy inferior goods that will conk-out on them after a couple of years.

The Cross And The Switchblade guy goes senile. It happens to most of us

David Wilkerson blogs…

“I am compelled by the Holy Spirit to send out an urgent message to all on our mailing list, and to friends and to bishops we have met all over the world.

AN EARTH-SHATTERING CALAMITY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT IS GOING TO BE SO FRIGHTENING, WE ARE ALL GOING TO TREMBLE – EVEN THE GODLIEST AMONG US.

For ten years I have been warning about a thousand fires coming to New York City. It will engulf the whole megaplex, including areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Major cities all across America will experience riots and blazing fires—such as we saw in Watts, Los Angeles, years ago.

There will be riots and fires in cities worldwide. There will be looting—including Times Square, New York City. What we are experiencing now is not a recession, not even a depression. We are under God’s wrath. In Psalm 11 it is written,

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (v. 3).

God is judging the raging sins of America and the nations. He is destroying the secular foundations.

The prophet Jeremiah pleaded with wicked Israel, “God is fashioning a calamity against you and devising a plan against you. Oh, turn back each of you from your evil way, and reform your ways and deeds. But they will say, It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart” (Jeremiah 18:11-12).

In Psalm 11:6, David warns, “Upon the wicked he will rain snares (coals of fire)…fire…burning wind…will be the portion of their cup.” Why? David answered, “Because the Lord is righteous” (v. 7). This is a righteous judgment—just as in the judgments of Sodom and in Noah’s generation.

WHAT SHALL THE RIGHTEOUS DO? WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE?

First, I give you a practical word I received for my own direction. If possible lay in store a thirty-day supply of non-perishable food, toiletries and other essentials. In major cities, grocery stores are emptied in an hour at the sign of an impending disaster.

As for our spiritual reaction, we have but two options. This is outlined in Psalm 11. We “flee like a bird to a mountain.” Or, as David says, “He fixed his eyes on the Lord on his throne in heaven—his eyes beholding, his eyelids testing the sons of men” (v. 4). “In the Lord I take refuge” (v. 1).

I will say to my soul: No need to run…no need to hide. This is God’s righteous work. I will behold our Lord on his throne, with his eye of tender, loving kindness watching over every step I take—trusting that he will deliver his people even through floods, fires, calamities, tests, trials of all kinds.

Note: I do not know when these things will come to pass, but I know it is not far off. I have unburdened my soul to you. Do with the message as you choose.

God bless and keep you,

In Christ,

DAVID WILKERSON”

From http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com/2009/03/urgent-message.html

Sydney church scam investigation

The Fairfield City Champion reports…

“A Wetherill Park couple are warning others about lending money to members of their church after they were the victim of a money scam known as a Ponzi scheme.

The couple, who lost more than $685,000 in three years, cannot be named because investigations into the scheme are still under way.

They say they were tricked by a woman who preyed on the generous spirit of the Filipino community, who work hard to give each other a hand-up in the world.

“Many will think that my wife is naive, gullible even to the point of stupidity, but her biggest mistake is giving her trust and friendship to the wrong person,” the husband said.

“She told my wife she was planning to expand her business and needed to borrow $20,000.

“Though unsure and not having lent anyone that amount of money, my wife willingly obliged.”

As the couple soon found out after nearly three years of increased payments to their friend, the Ponzi scheme asks for loans with regular and high-interest repayments to build the trust of the lender.

After a period of high interest, regularly paid repayments, the schemer asks to borrow more, relying on their good record.

As they borrow more, amounts are put aside to make initial repayments before more is borrowed.

A spokeswoman for the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) said Ponzi schemes are widespread throughout Australia, particularly in church communities.

“Fraudsters and operators of unlawful investment schemes sometimes target church groups in order to find their victims,” the spokeswoman said.

“When the schemes collapse, ASIC sees first-hand the financial ruin, personal distress and breakdown of relationships between friends, neighbours and members of their church.

“If you want to invest, talk to a licensed Australian financial adviser.”

Details on Ponzi schemes, visit www.fido.asic.gov.au  “

From http://fairfield.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/wetherill-park-couple-warn-of-swindling/1455980.aspx

How pastors fake ’slaying in the spirit’

Athiest hypnotist Derren Brown converts non-believers to Christianity, ’slays in the spirit’ and de-converts the believers.

Part 1

Click here for introductory Derren Brown video 

Part 2

“Derren Brown: Messiah

First shown on Channel 4 in January 2005

Derren Brown, mind-manipulator extraordinaire (who sparked the most ever complaints to Ofcom for his recreation of a séance on Channel 4 last year), has taken his latest debunking mission to America. In a country where his mind control skills are unknown, he sets out once again to show us, not that our beliefs are wrong, but just how easy it is to dupe people into believing 10 impossible things before breakfast.

Seal of approval

The five experiments he sets up vary from standard tests for psychic ability to physical methods of religious conversion. They cover all areas of belief, organised religion and purchasable salvation. In each case his stated aim is to get a reputable authority to endorse the results of the experiments in order to demonstrate the validity of people’s experiences in the confusing world of belief. By securing this validation, he aims show how little such endorsements mean, even if they are genuinely motivated. After all, we know that he’s not a Messiah – he’s just very good as pretending to be one.

But there is another agenda in the programme: to encourage people to investigate what they believe more rigorously. Derren himself used to be an evangelical Christian until his mid-20s. Then he started to realise that his faith was just as vulnerable to suggestion as any of the New Age theories that annoyed him so much. His faith was rocked and he abandoned it. That could certainly be one response to this programme since, while we know that his amazing acts are done by suggestion, they are immediately endorsed by almost all the ‘authority’ figures he approaches.

Good questions

Derren Brown causes a lot of anger (and complaint!) through his experiments because he causes a lot of fear. Fear that your whole life has been based on a lie, that you have been manipulated, that there is no comfortable higher authority making sense of your world – or that there is. This is powerful stuff. But what, after all, is wrong with his questioning of people’s beliefs? If you haven’t investigated what you believe independently and looked at the arguments standing against you, your beliefs have little validity. Investigation doesn’t have to mean the end of your world view, it can be a very constructive process, providing confirmation of what you already thought, or showing you new avenues for development.

Derren Brown is right. Many people are being duped, innocently maybe, and this programme exposes how easy it is to do that. However, it doesn’t necessarily follow that all the belief systems he investigates are fraudulent – just that a fraudster could use them. It is up to us to ensure that we approach our beliefs with an open mind; that we allow them to be challenged and perhaps through that learn more about what real truth is.”

From http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/C/can_you_believe_it/debates/derrenbrown.html

Bullfighter Danny ‘brings Islam to its knees’

Danny Nalliah blogs…

“Prophechy From Jill,  

Prayer meeting Wednesday 20/2/08

Opened with Psalm 1.  We need to meditate on the word day and night and draw our strength from having our roots planted by the water.

The major focus of the meeting was praying about the Parliament of World religions meeting in Melbourne in late 2009.  We need God’s strategy to counter this major move of the One World Religion in our city.  We need to exalt Jesus as the ONLY WAY.  1 Kg 17 – confrontation with Baal.  Judges 6.  Gideon had to first pull down the altar that his father had built and then build the altar to God in the same place.  The false altars in the church (interfaith) need to be confronted first before the true altars can be built in their place (Jesus as the only way).  The challenge must go out which will bring the true ministers of the gospel to light in the church.  They will be strengthened and move together.  Others will fall away.

Picture of a bullfight.  There was a crowd gathered for a bullfight, which was about to start.  The angry wild bull was let into the ring and the Toreador was taking on the bull.  It was very clear that the bull represented Baal, who was worshipped in the form of a bull.  The ‘One Way Jesus’ event would be the red rag to the bull, but in the ring the bull was closed in and his end was near.  It had taken the bait.  There was one (Danny) who was willing to take on the bull. Toreadors do not take on a bull unless they think they can win and they understand bulls.  Some of the crowd were barracking for the bull and some for the toreador.  The fight will attract much media attention (probably world-wide). 

God has chosen Melbourne for this conference because there is an Elijah here who is willing to confront the bull.  Elijah overcame Baal when he built the altar of God to challenge the false gods.  We must build the altar, put the sacrifice on it and God will send the fire.  He will dramatically intervene to silence the gods.  Man has his plan but God is ultimately in control (Prov 19:21).  The Elijah spirit will confront Baal and when this is poured out it will lead to a revival.  The Lord had been preparing us for this confrontation by training us to pray for the rain!!  We must be the living sacrifices on the altar and be prepared to burn.

Joel 2:21-32

Jill’s notes:

Danny has been chosen for this task because he has won the first battle and brought Islam here to its knees.  Islam has been forced to bow down.  The next step is to take on humanism, which is the major stronghold over Melbourne.  Melbourne was the first place of government in Australia (at federation), and as such it has a governing authority in the nation.  What happens at the One Way Jesus event will affect the nation.  This battle will be costly and hard, but will raise up the army that will march across this land and bring in revival.

The coat of arms of Melbourne says “Vires acqirit eundo” which means “men achieve equality”.  That is man-made equality!!!!

The symbol of the European Union in Brussells is the Woman (Europa) riding the beast (bull).  It is based on the Greek myth of the Rape of Europa.  Zeus sees a beautiful woman (daughter of the Phoenician King Agenor) on the beach of Phoenicia.  He disguises himself as a white bull with horns in the shape of a crescent [Islam???] to seduce her.  She climbs on his back and is carried away to Crete.  They had a son.  Zeus disappears into the sky and becomes the constellation of Taurus.  Europa became the Queen of heaven.”

From http://catchthefire.com.au/blog/prophetic-words/prophetic-words-continued/

How do you disarm a dangerous pastor of his witch’s hat?

Funny, I thought worship was about, well, worshipping God, not about seeing a band. My mistake.

ccmtbyyouth shrieks…

“You heard right! We are taking a group of worship lovers to the Nokia Theater in LA for an amazing worship concert with Australian band, Hillsong United. 

Tickets are only $35 and include transportation, parking, and admission. Mark your calendars for Monday, April 20th, 2009 (5:30PM-10:00PM).

Space is limited! If you are interested, speak to Bianca or Juny and signup immediately

Holla’ for Jesus!”

 

From http://ccmtbyouth.com/blog/?p=216

Multiple broken windows, doors boarded-up, large-scale graffiti. What Hill$ong has already brought to Rosebery

Pic: Courtesy Sydney Central

Sydney Central reported…

“South Sydney residents are preparing for another period of uncertainty after Hillsong leader Brian Houston said the Christian group was “going to put all [its] efforts” into expanding its activities into Rosebery.

Speaking in a video posted on Hillsong’s website, Mr Houston said: “Rosebery is a work in progress. We’ve always had the feeling, I’ve always said… that we’re going to put all our effort into seeing a campus developed in Rosebery for our city campus, where the need is desperate.”

Hillsong owns the former RTA headquarters on Rothschild Avenue, where it last year attempted to get approval for a $78 million super church.

The plan, which involved a seven-storey office block, 2700-seat auditorium and parking for almost 700 cars, was withdrawn by Hillsong after a Sydney Council planning report recommended rejection.

Mr Houston said Hillsong was not yet ready to reveal exactly what its plans were for the site.

“We’re open to God, that He’s got a better idea and it will become clear. And so, right now we’ve been in the process of looking at the different potential outcomes for Rosebery,” Mr Houston said on the video.

Last year it was speculated that Hillsong had pulled out from the RTA site and was planning on buying the former South Sydney Hospital site in neighbouring Zetland, which is owned by Sydney Council. But to date no deal has been struck.

“We’ve been getting a lot of advice,” Mr Houston said on the video. “We’ve got a building committee now, of people who all have expertise in various areas of property and development and financing and so on, and that’s been a real positive thing. So I would like to be able to say ‘this is what we are going to do at Rosebery’ but we’re not quite at that point yet but I think [in] 2009 it will become very clear.”

Rosebery Residents Action Group spokesman Graeme Grace said residents remained opposed to any large scale development that would generate excessive traffic, but were happy for “suitable development” to take place.

“We are encouraged by Hillsong’s formation of a building committee to examine options,” Mr Grace said. “We have always maintained that the key to solving this… is probably in Hillsong working on a land swap deal with other land owners. There are many parcels of land… which are well removed from residential dwellings and are situated on major roads.”

Mr Grace said that since Hillsong had withdrawn its DA for the Rosebery site, it had fallen into disrepair. “Since [Hillsong withdrew its DA] the building sports multiple broken windows, other windows and doors are boarded up and the building is defaced by large-scale graffiti.”

At the time of writing, Hillsong had failed to return Central’s phone calls.

——————

Former Insider speaks out

The TACTICS employed by Hillsong to gain support for its proposed Rosebery super church are typical of the organisation, according to former Hillsong devotee Tanya Levin.
Ms Levin blew the whistle on the evangelical group’s inside workings and culture in 2007 with her book People in Glass Houses.
The author, who grew up as a Hillsong member but left when she began to question its practices more than a decade ago, said the church would do “whatever it takes” to reach its goals.
“There’s very few means that could not justify the end; be it political donations, fraudulent petitions, you would not put anything past these people,” Ms Levin said.
“Evangelical Christianity is as determined to achieve its goals as any other fundamentalist group, they are seeking to convert people to an absolute way of life and total devotion to their cause.”
Ms Levin said Hillsong needed to build its super church because the organisation needed to be in a state of constant expansion to survive.
“They have to keep recruiting because the turnover is enormous,” she said.
“In five years the people there now won’t be around and they must be replaced; without church growth and planting the church will die.
“It’s seen as a competency thing, if you are seen to have stagnant or falling numbers you can’t be that close to God.”
The church also needed its new facility to be on a large scale, Ms Levin said, because of the type of services it runs.
“The technology that is required to produce theatre on the scale that they use, it’s a very staged production, it won’t work in a wooden church on the corner of the street,” she said. 
“You need the lights and the mirrors, they’re required to reproduce the emotional response in people, they need an entertainment centre.”
Hillsong had failed to return Central’s calls at the time of going to press. “

Story:Robert Burton-Bradley

From http://sydney-central.whereilive.com.au/news/story/hillsong-trusts-in-the-lord/

Homer Paxton – your time has come

The Washington Times reports…

“The long-expected resignation of Focus on the Family’s James Dobson highlights an open secret among America’s roughly 70 million evangelicals: There are no obvious successors to the group of evangelical leaders who created massive organizations or built up media empires in the 1980s and ’90s.

Mr. Dobson, 72, who resigned last week as board chairman of one of the country’s most influential evangelical organizations, is one of the last of a great generation of evangelical leaders.

Some have died: the Rev. Jerry Falwell, Moral Majority founder; theologian Carl F.H. Henry; Florida pastor D. James Kennedy; Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright; and Christian philosopher Francis Schaeffer, who founded L’Abri Fellowship.

Others have either retired or have passed on the bulk of their duties, such as the Rev. Billy Graham, 90; televangelist Pat Robertson, 78; author and activist Tim LaHaye, 83; and Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson, 77.

“It’s a changing of the guard,” said Brian McLaren, 52, cited in 2005 by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America.

“There is a possibility the religious right will collapse on itself. Or someone will articulate a new religious center. The evangelical community has been slowly diversifying, and there may not be a center anymore.”

The Rev. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and the man picked to deliver the invocation during the inauguration of President Obama, seems an obvious choice to fill the void.

“But I don’t know if he is the guy,” said John Whitehead, 62, founder of the Rutherford Institute in Charlottesville, who was an attorney for Mr. Schaeffer in the late 1970s and early 1980s. “He doesn’t seem to be garnering a huge following, and he doesn’t seem to want to be in the spotlight.”

Evangelicals also lack a galvanizing issue these days, Mr. Whitehead said.

“It used to be the pro-life movement,” he said, “but I am not sure there is an issue now. The issue evangelicals key on is the gay movement, but they have lost that issue. There is no cause for a leader to emerge in now.”

That may be a result of American evangelicals being a disparate group with liberal and conservative wings, Mr. McLaren said.

“James Dobson was never a leader of evangelicalism as a whole, but he was a leader of the conservative side,” he said. “The question is: Who will fill those shoes on the conservative side? I wonder if Rick Warren will take that mantle. He strikes me as a good candidate.

“The more moderate or progressive side doesn’t need the authority figure in the same way,” he added. “There tends to be a kind of collegiality among us – a lot of good leaders, rather than just a few.”

Another possibility is Tony Perkins, 45, head of the Family Research Council, founded by Mr. Dobson in 1983 as the Focus on the Family’s policy arm.

“He is telegenic, he’s young, he has all the credentials for the conservative wing of American evangelicalism,” said D. Michael Lindsay, Rice University sociologist and author of “Faith in the Halls of Power,” a book about influential evangelicals.

Other possible successors include politicians, such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 53, or Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, 45, both of whom campaigned unsuccessfully for the White House last year.

“Huckabee is doing an interesting thing with this TV show,” said Mr. Lindsay, referring to Mr. Huckabee’s weekly Saturday talk show on the Fox News Channel, “and building his fan base.

“He’s got that sort of cosmopolitan air, and he appeals to various bases. He plays the bass guitar, and he also goes hunting.”

Other famous evangelicals who have drifted in and out of nationwide exposure include the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, 55, a mentor to former President George W. Bush; apologist and philosopher Ravi Zacharias, 62; rock band U2 vocalist Bono, born Paul Hewson; Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land, 62; Sojourners President Jim Wallis, 60; evangelist Franklin Graham, 56, the eldest son of Billy Graham; and the Rev. Joel Hunter, 60, an evangelical megachurch pastor from Florida.

“There’s no one with quite the niche Dobson has,” said Mr. Land, who also made Time magazine’s list. “He’s not a minister but a psychologist. That puts him in a unique category. No one person will succeed him. You’ll see a broader group of leaders with their own constituencies, but not a narrow band.”

But, he cautioned, “Anyone who thinks evangelicals are going away as a social force is smoking something illegal.”

From http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/04/dobsons-retirement-ends-era-for-evangelicals/

The church chess game

The Sydney Morning Herald reported…

“Every morning, the men of St Petka play chess in the community centre attached to their Rockdale church. The children and teenagers practise Macedonian dancing every afternoon and the women light candles for God.

But there are no services at St Petka, once the largest Macedonian Orthodox church in Australia. They finished five years ago – just one casualty in a bitter battle seemingly about money and power between the association that owns the church and the Macedonian bishop.

The litigation is estimated to have cost $4 million and the association has sold assets and taken a second mortgage on its community child-care centre to defend itself against the legal action brought by Bishop Petar Karevski.

“This is a sad church,” said Boris Dimcevski, the president of the association. “There’s no services, no priest here. What people come here for, they sit here, light candles and see each other and that’s all.”

The dispute began with the 1996 appointment of the Very Reverend Father Mitko Mitrev to St Petka, whose staunch allegiance to the Macedonian hierarchy became a flashpoint that has apparently polarised the congregation and split families. But it is really a stoush over whether the bishop or the association has control over the church.

When Father Mitrev dispersed a portion of the church’s collection money to the Melbourne and Sydney diocese under orders from the bishop, some members of the congregation accused him of stealing. The association sacked him in 1997.

The bishop and priest declared the termination invalid and sued the Macedonian Orthodox Community Church St Petka Incorporated – also known as the association – to assert control over a church they claimed had gone rogue.

Bishop Karevski now allegedly refuses to authorise any other priest but Father Mitrev to conduct services at St Petka, while the association says it will accept any other priest but him.

Peter Cotevich, the secretary of the association, said Macedonian immigrants had built the church from scratch with voluntary labour and financial contributions and it was therefore entitled to manage its own affairs.

But Father Mitrev said the association was acting outside the authority of the church.

“The public should understand this is a conflict between a group of people who call themselves an association and the Orthodox Church,” Father Mitrev said.

“It’s the same group of people who are controlling the finances in two other churches.”

Last month the congregation came close to having their prayers answered for services to be resumed when Bishop Karevski agreed to officiate at St Petka for the Macedonian Christmas on January 7.

But the service was cancelled after the association got word that he planned to bring along Father Mitrev.

David Sachs, the solicitor for Bishop Karaveski, said the religious leader had been spat at, sworn at and threatened with violence, but he only wanted St Petka to come back within the Orthodox diocese of Australia and New Zealand…..”

From http://www.smh.com.au/national/church-legal-battle-divides-macedonian-congregants-20090220-8doj.html?page=-1

Hill$ong relevant only to itself

The Thinking Theologian blogs…

“Besides the performance mentality and all its associated mass-marketing, there are deeper issues which spring out of the Hillsong world-view. I have touched on the church service, and discussed the sloppy theology inherent in sermons and worship; now let’s have a look at the foundational beliefs behind this mal-practice.

“Relevance”

If anyone questions the appropriateness of trends or methods, or even events, they are likely to be told: “church has to be relevant”. Do we really need to reduce our worship to a rock concert? Must we have black-light dance parties after youth services? The answer is always the same: “Relevance”.

On the face of it, being relevant seems all well and good, but what does it actually mean? To hold an event at a nightclub (Hillsong London!) in the interests of being relevant to today’s youth culture is a questionable application of a term that has not been adequately defined. Where is the qualification? The church can become more and more relevant until there is no distinction between it and the world.

Perhaps the church should be relevant to the world only insofar as paracetamol is relevant to a headache?

Leadership

I remember sitting in a night rally at Hillsong Conference a few years ago, reflecting (yes, my capacity for free-thought was not entirely quenched!) on this ideal of leadership. And it occurred to me (during one of Joyce Meyer’s orations, I think) that there’s a glaring inconsistency there.

We’re implored to practice our “God-given authority” and “take a stand”, or to “invest in yourself” by purchasing the preacher’s latest and greatest product – uh, I mean, “resource”.

But hang on a minute… if we live according to all these sermons and books, all we’ve really achieved (apart from lining the preacher’s pockets) is becoming more like Brian (for instance). We may even one day become a popular preacher, too. But what then? We inspire others to become like us? But this is just recreating leadership and influence. These things are means to an end, perhaps; but certainly not the end in themselves.

Leadership is only worth something if it leads people somewhere. If you’re only leading people in to leadership, then its purpose is circular and not meaningful in any way at all.

And the outcome is a group of people more concerned with being leaders than with simply being Christian. Perhaps there is even a sense in which people become “Christians” (“make a commitment” as they say) only in order to climb the ladder of leadership?

Ego is an ugly thing. But in the Church, it’s a life-destroying virus.

Cult Characteristics

I should say here that I don’t think Hillsong church is strictly a cult. But there are staff and other members of the church who are undoubtedly cult followers. They hold to Brian’s teachings unquestioningly and unswervingly. They’d defend the teachings, and Brian himself, to the bone. One could place the responsibility of such cultish behaviour solely on the followers in question, but their behaviour is condoned, even encouraged, by the leadership – some of whom are also cultish in their follow-ship, and expect the same level of devotedness from their underlings.

I’ve talked a bit about this “cult of personality” in my reflections on the Michael Guglielmucci case, so won’t go on any more here. Suffice it to say that the true Church is a gathering of believers, not the following of a personality or celebrity. “

From http://thethinkingtheologian.blogspot.com/2009/03/at-heart-of-hillsong-part-vi.html