Gabriel buys bread in Tesco
Did you know you can see an angel at a cinema
near you? And one in the hairdresser. And two on the bus. Oh yes, the
archangel Gabriel buys his bread at Tesco (a large UK supermarket), and maybe half a dozen angels
are in your church. Did you know all that?
I don't normally poke fun at people, but this story invites it! In a
well-known Swansea church there are 'Christians' (???) who truly believe
they are angels from heaven! No joke. One says he is the archangel
Gabriel. The others, about half a dozen or so, all claim to be fellow
angels. They refer to each other by their angel names, even in the
church.
Where on earth is the pastor in all this? And are those folk possessed,
or just plain barmy? I must add that I had the misfortune to attend that
church for a few years and I remember back then how one man blatantly
told a group of us in a Bible study that angels were the souls of the
dead, attached to earth by a plasma umbilicus! I was compelled to tell
him off in no uncertain terms, because the assistant pastor was present
and he said nothing to the man at all.
I am appalled to discover that these daft people are now masquerading as
angels in the church. I wonder - are they souls of the dead, and where
do they put their plasma umbilicals when they go to church and Tesco?!
I know that some from that church read this newsletter - I challenge
them to show this article to the angels amongst them, and to ask them to
contact me, so that I might have a share of their heavenly wisdom…and
if angels drink coffee, I wouldn't half like to meet them in a café one
day for a chat about their special mission on earth!!
I cannot help it. When I read sob stories
concerning homosexuals and so-called 'transsexuals' I become very angry.
Even a daily newspaper, the Daily Express (7th March), persisted in
referring to a male transsexual as 'she', and this really annoyed me.
Why? Because 'she' is not a she at all, but a male in drag! A photo of
the man dressed in a black female ensemble adequately proved the point,
as 'Hannah' walked outside the office.
William Benson said he was forced out of his job by 'taunts'. Let's be
fair - he deliberately walked in to work wearing high heels with his
suit! He is now trying to get compensation, saying he was unfairly
dismissed on sexual equality grounds. What a grossly bizarre thing to do
- but such cases will continue to come before courts as homosexuals gain
in confidence. They will continue to push hard for 'equality' when there
is nothing to be equal to!
A man is a man, no matter how many operations he has. When he has
removed all outward vestiges of male appearance, and adds-on false
female parts, he is still a man, albeit disfigured or looking stupid.
The usual claim, that 'I am a female trapped in a male body', is
ludicrous. What if I said I was a dog trapped in a human body? Would my
doctor change my bits and add on doggy pieces? Of course not! But,
sadly, doctors in our age are succumbing to the folly and sin of
homosexuals and others, whose delusions get the better of them. The
claim that a man or woman can be 'trapped' inside a body of the opposite
sex is psychological, if not demonic, and has no basis in reality. It is
about time we called a halt to these ludicrous claims by stopping the
operations that tend to give them credibility.
Even South Yorkshire police have fallen to this crass stupidity. They
have a female police officer who is to undergo a sex-change operation
(which, as we have just said, is ridiculous because having bits removed
or added does not change one's sex) and who now wants to be called
'James'! Her employers have agreed to it.
They have, like everyone who agreed that the king had new clothes,
because everyone else said so (to appease political correctness), agreed
that the woman has a 'man trapped inside her body'. I don't know whether
to laugh or cry! The approval is a sign of immense weakness of character
on their part, as they follow this deluded woman, pulled this way and
that by the ring in their noses. They, and even The Times, referred to
the woman as 'him'! I just can't believe how gullible these people are.
How many others will allow these deluded few to call the shots, when
they are really just, well, playing games!
1 Timothy 5:20 tells us this: "Them that sin
rebuke before all, that others also may fear." This is a command,
not an option. And it applies to each one of us. At BTM we have a duty
to expose, and deal with, the lies and deceptions of charismatics in
particular. Why them? Because they are at the forefront of deception and
lies today. The longer they are allowed to continue unchallenged the
stronger becomes their basis of power, because they learn to be more
subtle, yet far more bold.
So, rebuke charismatics. Do not let them get away with their lies. It is
not possible to exhort a true charismatic, because he is unsaved. But it
is possible to change the path of a charismatic who is one by name only,
who may be deluded but saved.
In face-to-face meetings we must be gentle and patient. But we must not
be fools or led by bad scriptural teaching, or any attempt to silence
us. Love must be shown to those who are deluded, but we must not love
those who outwardly declare opposition to God. We may encourage and
exhort those who are willing to listen, but our duty stops when they
refuse such teaching. And whilst we might say "There go I but for
the grace of God" we may not say "I give sympathy because of
it".
Charismaticism is part of the wider goal of Satan, to deceive and to
bring together diverse pagan entities. Charismaticism is the 'bridge'
between 'Protestantism' and Romanism. Fellow Christian, can you see the
dangers?
Here is a prophecy, but not from me. It is taken
from The Revelation given to John. Though it is a prophecy given to
John, it is up to preachers (mainly) to discern when prophecy is coming
to pass.
The prophecy is this - one day soon the Roman Catholic false church will
be completely torn down. It will occur swiftly and with such force that
everyone will know it has happened.
Linked with this is the growing opposition to this false religion, which
is Satanic in origin, from its own supporters. The European Union, for
example, began its life on the back of the Romish spirit. Many of its
logos and other signs are Romish in origin. And our laws are reverting
back to Roman law, whose tenets include being guilty unless being proven
innocent. This fundamental change alone means that anyone, anywhere, can
be put in prison at any time.
However, the interesting thing is that the EU is now trying to eradicate
all 'Christian' (meaning 'Catholic' in particular) influence on itself
and Europe. It is becoming most ambivalent toward Rome and toward
genuine Christianity. This is prophesied in The Revelation.
Allied to this coming demise of Rome is the giving of sympathy to Rome
by those who are otherwise 'Reformed'. Most Protestant groups are now
Rome-bound or have sympathies toward Rome. Most now accept the pope as
their spiritual head. In the coming days, more staunch fellows will
start to veer toward Rome in the name of peace and understanding, though
we are not called by God to have peace with error, or to understand it
in any way.
I know that genuine Reformed folk will do this, soon, because of the way
charismaticism is finding its way in to Reformed parlance, preaching and
thought. Today, there is growing tolerance for charismaticism, even
amongst those who saw the Toronto Blessing as evil. This is all part of
the end times scenario.
Those who could not be bothered to look in to the evils of the Toronto
Blessing, or in to the real nitty-gritty beliefs and thought processes
of charismaticism, have no idea what they are dealing with. They have a
vague, or even detailed, idea, second-hand, of the activities they
termed as 'excesses'. But even this is wrong, because an 'excess'
implies that there is merely an extra bit added to something that is
legitimate. And that is how most Reformed folk see charismaticism. They
don't see it as it really is, because they have not bothered to search
out the real spirit behind it all. (But they are very quick to criticise
those of us who have spent a lot of time unravelling it).
You see this wavering theology in mainstream bodies such as the EA in
particular. The result is that the EA is now firmly charismatic in
spirit and thinking. It is also pro-Alpha, as are many in the Reformed
churches. Once again, they see Alpha as merely good, with a few bad
spots. They do not look at the most fundamental issue of all - is it
Biblical!
Alpha is a Christian philosophy, and an humanistic offering, but it is
NOT Biblical. This is because it preaches Arminian heresy and not the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is charismatic in spirit.
This leads us back to Rome! How? Because, at its root, charismaticism is
an arm of Roman Catholicism. It will not take much to 'convert' Reformed
and other Protestant people to Rome, because they already have wide
sympathy for charismatic thought and Alpha.
This is Biblical prophecy friends, coupled to discernment of the times.
It is happening before your very eyes, so please take note. BTM's
articles on The Revelation will be available very soon, perhaps within
the next month or so. As our web site says, we offer no frills or
spiritualising, just hard facts based on scripture. You will not find
fantasy or speculation, only the truth and what we perceive to be
immediate and not so immediate future events.
Be prepared, friends, and don't be fooled by Rome or its allied forces
of charismaticism, ecumenism and Alpha.
We received a revealing email recently in
response to our web site material. The man responded from Australia and
I quote what he says, almost in full:
"It is interesting that you mentioned so-called 'refugees' in
your nation who are disobeying laws and who push their way in to the
nation. The same story is occurring in my own nation, Australia.
Many Muslim 'refugees', so-called, are trying to push their way in to
the country, and will not obey Australian law, either. In fact, they
make no bones about their affiliation to Saddam Hussein, who these same
people claim to be fleeing from!
They expect first-class treatment, and yet would not give others the
same kind of treatment back in their own environment. Foolish leftists
in our country are trying to accuse those who oppose these doubtful
people, as 'racist', 'xenophobic', 'anti-Muslim', and so on. Little do
they realise that many of these-so-called 'refugees' are keen on being
destructive rather than constructive. Or, if they are, they sure have
something 'dirty' in their minds.
Our government is doing the right thing (Ed. In putting tight security
around them), no matter what these stupid leftists say. This is an
attempt to overthrow our God-given privileges as a nation to enjoy
freedom of religion, etc., which is foreign to the Islamic
mindset."
As we have said many times before, we are not racist or xenophobic. We
have no problem with giving asylum to anyone who is truly hounded by
their own leaders. But we have no time for people who come here with the
express purpose of fleecing us of our hard-earned money, via handouts.
As we have pointed out before, the violence of these people is notable.
They readily kick laws in the teeth and disappear in to our country.
Others take handouts and housing etc., that is not even available to our
own citizens, and then they commit crimes because they say they do not
have enough to live on, even though our own people have had to live on
such meagre money for a very long time!
We have also noted that many of these 'refugees' are Islamic, and they
flaunt legal systems to get their own way, passing through many other
countries to reach the UK and its idiotic hand-out system to all who
come here, regardless of their legitimacy. We even take in people who we
know to have used false information to get here! And it is also known
that large numbers of the refugees are Islamic hardliners or criminals.
I watch in amazement as these 'refugees' spit in the face of
authorities, overtake the Channel Tunnel and its facilities, and tell us
on TV that they intend ignoring the law as much as they can until they
get their own way! And the authorities accept it! Is my mind stupid and
unreasonable, or is it our government?
I honestly believe (as our Australian friend proposes) that Islamic
extremists are being told to come here, and to other countries of
similar background, in order to populate them with hard-core Islam. What
better way to infiltrate western civilisation? And what other conclusion
can we come to, given the above circumstances? If British criminals
stormed a UK police station, would they be given handouts and asylum?
No, they'd get put in jail, and rightly so! This is a case of the tail
violently wagging the dog. Isn't it about time we began to oppose the
lunacy of false asylum? Do our leaders honestly think that such people
will become model citizens if allowed in to this country, when they have
displayed such violence, disorder and law-breaking even before they get
here?
Anyone who truly is a refugee would be grateful for any and all help
given. He would not deliberately overthrow the police and laws of his
intended host country! And he would tread carefully so as not to offend.
I make no apology for making my views known on this topic, for I know I
am being more than reasonable, as well as scriptural.
In the past I have been asked about the Findhorn Foundation. Well,
here's a potted summary that shows very clearly that it is not a
Christian community:
The Foundation also runs a college at Cluny Hill, Scotland, UK. In 1962,
Eileen and Peter Caddy, their three sons and a friend, Dorothy, moved to
a caravan by the sea to escape the rat-race of hotel work. They grew
vegetables whilst on the dole. He used to be an hotel manager and had
always relied on his wife's spiritualism to get him through, via the
spirit-world.
At one point, his vegetables were suffering from carrot root fly and so
he asked Dorothy to get in touch with the spirits to tell him how to
deal with it. He received an answer and then enjoyed a huge crop.
Hippies in the area noticed the vegetables and disciples came from near
and far to enjoy the spirit-led community that was growing in the
caravan park. There were no rules or teachings. Today there are 450
residents in the community, 95 of whom are employees. They get 14,000
visitors a year, who are fed by bad cooks with exceptional vegetables!
Every piece of equipment and each bit of food in the kitchen is given a
personal name, because they all have their own 'spirit'. When the food
is served, someone shouts "Let's merge" and everyone stands
and clasps hands. Then, eyes closed, one of the cooks 'prays', thanking
each piece of equipment and food by name for their help. He or she
finishes by hoping that the food would be 'nourishing to the highest'.
In one kitchen the cook felt that the 'kitchen angel' was masculine
because he felt the presence. Everything was done under 'inspiration'.
So, Findhorn is New Age and founded in spiritualism. There's not much
more we can say about the place.
Since September 11th, we consistently demanded, on our web site, that
all Islamic countries condemn the outrage as terrorism. At last,
Malaysia has done so. They have also condemned suicide bombing by
Palestinians or Israeli's.
Malaysia made the statement after it held a Muslim Nation conference in
Kuala Lumpur. I hasten to add that they did not come to this decision as
a result of our own efforts on the internet, but some have seen it. The
aim is to help the USA and the UN to define 'terrorism' and thus to show
that Islam is moderate and wiling to stop terrorism. However, the
statement is put in such a way that only attacks on civilians are
outlawed.
At least, that is the stated aim. Perhaps they have not heard of Saddam
Hussein and others of like frame of mind? It should be noted that
Hussein now has a weapon called a 'dirty bomb' (source: The Times). When
dropped, it spreads small particles of radioactive material over a very
wide area. Nice chap, eh? He also has many other radioactive weapons
ready for use, together with chemical and other nasty surprises.
So, will the Muslim Nations' Conference also condemn such Islamic
leaders as Hussein? I doubt it, as they have already said they will not
tolerate any attack on Iraq, though Hussein is a prime mover of
terrorism. Sadly, I cannot see Islam as anything other than a religion
of hate and retribution.
Look to the Sudan, for example, where women are stopped in the street by
gangs of army soldiers. They ask one question "Are you Christian or
Muslim?" If they answer Muslim, they are set free. If they answer
'Christian' they are gang-raped, have their breasts cut off, and left to
die of bleeding, the body allowed to lay where it is an example to
others. This is the true face of Islam. Don't be fooled.
(Late note: Leaders of militant Islamic groups in the Middle East have
condemned the Conference decision and say it has betrayed the
Palestinians. They claim that jihad 'has become a religious duty of
every Muslim'. I am unable to understand why Israel is being blacklisted
for retaliation, when Muslims continue to bomb and kill their way
through Israeli people and places. And, in Afghanistan, the Al-Qaida
terrorists have offered $50,000 for any dead Westerner, and $100,000 for
a dead one).
St Philippus Protestant church in Berlin has hit on a great way to
celebrate Easter. The pastor, with a psychotherapist, will 'laugh out'
two hymns and the Hallelujah, instead of singing them!
They are doing it to get the congregation to think of Easter as a time
of rejoicing. The pastor, I might add, is female. "God would like
this" she said. I can't recall, though, any mention of people
laughing when Christ was crucified, can you?
At least in the Philippines 21 people will crucify themselves as part of
their religious observances, because they do not see the time as
anything to laugh at. Though they are Catholics, the RCC does nothing to
stop them so miserably copying the death of Christ. They are always
pulled down before they become unconscious, but what a way to
'celebrate' Easter!! It is a pagan activity fully allowed by the
so-called 'church' of Romanism. No doubt the 21 men will think they gain
extra points from God for doing what they do.
'The Team Extreme', of Australia, has the temerity to call itself a
'ministry'. It tells congregations that if they do not tithe they are
cursed by God and God will not help them! Those who tithe can have their
sins overlooked by the leadership…another form of the RC sale of
indulgences! (Source: CWM). In the Old Testament people tithed produce.
Not cash. And no-one was reported to anyone else for not paying tithes
in New Testament days.
· Pat Mesiti was one of Australia's most prominent evangelists, but he
has gone in to hiding after being discovered in sexual misconduct. He
happens to be a charismatic.
A vicar in Newcastle, UK, has adapted the words of several well-known
hymns as a tribute to Newcastle United football team, praising
footballers Bobby Robson and Alan Shearer.
Now his congregation sing words like "Onward Bobby's Soldiers"
and "All things black and beautiful"! Do you think that this
vicar knows anything at all about the Almightiness of God?
Satan is not always so blatant, but he certainly captured one youngster
in Germany. The 16 year old boy, from Wenden village, slit his parents'
throats because they banned him from going to a Satanist club, and then
cooked himself a meal. Over the past two years alone there have been 30
gruesome Satanist murders in Germany. Readers should note that Germany
is the witchcraft centre of the western world, and has been for a long
time. Hitler was a Satanist, as were his top partners in crime. And it
is Germany that gave us a theological framework for denying God
throughout the churches, at the beginning of the 20th century.
If you wish to devalue prayer why not take a leaf out of this misguided
lot?…the 'Boiler Room' prayer centre in Manchester, UK, invites club-ravers
to text them on their mobile 'phones when their friends take too many
drugs on their night out! This dubious 'Christian' venture says it
wishes to help people worship at unsociable hours! What…clubbers out
all night with friends who overdose on drugs?? The so-called
'ministries' we come across nowadays are nothing short of blasphemous.
It seems to me that bishops have no idea, and that their control over
vicars is non-existent…or maybe they have no true belief themselves.
Stephen Girling, a vicar in Hampshire, UK, has just started to screen
world cup football matches after the Sunday morning services. He says it
is in an effort to attract people back to church. Maybe he ought to read
the accounts of how thousands flocked to hear preachers in the past,
simply because they spoke of Christ crucified and the need for
repentance. Or maybe he ought to find out if he is saved himself!
Another foolish vicar in Covent Garden gets visiting preachers to go to
the cinema with the congregation, to watch films such as Lord of the
Rings and Harry Potter. Then, they have to deliver sermons based on what
they saw. You have to admit, this is very close to how scripture
describes preaching, eh? (That was a joke, by the way!!).
I find it all so incredible - a physics professor at the University of
Connecticut, USA, is building a 'time machine' which, he says, will
actually take a person to the future or to the past. Has this man's
brain dropped out? I would not normally make such a statement, but the
man is well educated, for goodness sake! To travel back in time, or
forward, is impossible.
A woman won the right to die by having her life-support machine switched
off. Readers might be shocked by this decision by the courts. As a
nurse, I have to make decisions daily that may, or may not, lead to
someone's death. But, this is usually when death is imminent. In the
case of a woman on a life-support machine we have a very modern dilemma.
When we invent a machine that keeps someone artificially alive, we then
have a moral duty to use it and not to stop its use. The dilemma is that
the person may one day come out of her condition and breathe on her own.
On the other hand, is a machine breathing for a woman 'life' in the
proper sense? Does the machine stop the process of death?
Every day I have relatives speak to me of the 'quality' of this or that
resident's life. Some even ask me to shorten life to alleviate
suffering. Nearly every relative asks me to foretell when death will
occur. In many cases I can be accurate within a few hours or even
minutes, because of medical knowledge about the condition. But, I cannot
and will not 'act God'.
Only God can give life. Only He can remove it again. Belief in
predestination means belief in the fact that when a person dies, it is
the exact time elected by God for that person. It does not matter if the
person has had an accident, has a terminal disease, or dies suddenly
without known cause - the time of death is always determined by God.
Even if a person 'dies' and 'returns' for an extended span of life, it
has all been in the elected plan of God for that person.
The woman who asked for her machine to be switched off bases her
decision on her 'human right' to refuse treatment, even if it kills her.
In my job I have to deal with many older people who refuse treatment, so
I have to watch them die, by law.
I cannot force them to have medication or any other intervention,
because such intervention is called assault!! Even so, no-one can force
another person to remain alive. And, either way, that person will die
when God says so, not because a machine has been switched off, or
medication has been refused.
An Italian RC archbishop called on Italians to stop sending text
messages for one day, as a 'sacrifice to God'. Good Friday, he said,
would become the 'day of short messages abstinence'. I cannot help
cringing when I hear of these and similar trite demands made by Romish
heretics.
There is no such thing as evolution. Did you know that? Yet, even
scientists get it wrong. They now say they can predict the course of
evolution. Doctors are using a computer to 'accurately predict how
bacteria will evolve immunity to medicines'.
They are confusing the hypothesis (a word that means, really, a 'good
guess') of evolution with the legitimate and proved process of mutation,
which is very different. Bacteria can mutate, which means they can
change their shape and properties, etc., but will remain within their
own species. This, friends, is not evolution! So, when you read such
stories, remember that they are just stories, without a shred of proof
for their legitimacy.
Pop-singer Robbie Williams bought an ordination from a USA 'ministry',
over the internet. He then donned a dog-collar and married his friends.
The ceremony was legal and so was his dog-collar! Christians ought to
understand what 'ordination' really is, as shown in scripture. (See BTM
articles).
How's about visiting the latest 'Christian' theme-park in Romania,
called Dracula Land?
Romanian authorities have released a video called 'Dracula and the Good
Lord' to convince tour operators that the theme park portrays Romania as
deeply religious, whilst pushing it as the land of Dracula (???).
It is likely that Mother Theresa, soon to be dubbed a saint by the RCC,
but called the arch-enemy of Christ by BTM, was led, if not possessed
by, demons. For more details read the next Roman Catholic News from BTM.
A cleric in the USA has been suspended by his bishop for using sermons
he found on the Internet. What's so bad about unsaved and uncalled
clerics using copies of possibly unscriptural sermons? After all, it
makes no difference to his congregation, if they are led by an
unbeliever anyway! This story reminds me of the way Anglican vicars
complain that they find it 'very hard' to write a Sunday sermon that
'has to last up to ten whole minutes'!! Some take all week to write
their gems!
Every so often I am contacted by Christians who ask about
'seeker-sensitive programmes' within the churches. Basically, these are
the brainchild of Willow Creek, which you might have heard about. We are
preparing a sheet on these programmes, showing their unbiblical nature.
An etched lead sheet has been found in the USA. It claims that the
founder of Mormonism (after Joseph Smith), Brigham Young, is linked to
one of the worst massacres in the USA's history.
Young ordered the deaths of 120 settlers, after they had been promised
safe passage through Mormon-held land. Behind the founding of many false
religions there is the spectre of violence and murder.
Schools are in the forefront of removing the rights of parents. Now,
they are going to use meditation techniques to try to calm-down school
thugs. The idea started in the South of England and several schools
there have already initiated meditation classes. If these are
successful, the idea will spread.
We should applaud ideas that stop violence, but it is not part of
Christian belief to have peace at any price. Meditation is based on New
Age/eastern spiritist techniques, so instead of having thugs we will
have young people implanted with anti-God elements. Watch your local
school!
Readers who have been with us for some time know that we have an
aversion to publishing letters of praise to us. But, we would like to
share some of the comments recently sent to us by a lady who came out of
a Vineyard church in Canada.
We do so because we think readers ought to see that their donations to
us help support a vital Internet presence that teaches sound doctrine:
"I would like to thank you for putting out this fine website…the
(articles) really provide me with solid and sound teaching…It seems to
me that Christians are not grappling with real issues and try to live in
an Alice in Wonderland world of polite civility. However, it dawns on me…when
I read the Bible, what a radical shift in reality and world view it
confronts us with….
This is why I like your website so much - you present the Biblical world
view and use the Bible as your framework to evaluate and judge all
things…thank you for your faithfulness…(in providing) logical and
reasoned Biblical teachings…(which are) so helpful."
We get a steady stream of such letters, showing that the website, though
hard work for those who maintain it, is important and extends this
ministry throughout the world. It is also a contact point for many who
seek Biblical counsel on a wide range of matters, including proper
theological reasoning.
We pray that God will continue to use this website (and the two that
will soon follow) and thus spread His true word to Christians who are
being starved of real teaching. As for praise - it belongs to God, for
we are only passing-on to others what we know God says in His word.
When cloning first hit the headlines, we predicted that scientists would
not be able to resist trying to clone human beings. And the prediction
has come true, as a woman now carries the first cloned baby. Once the
technology existed, it was just a matter if time, regardless of
laughable 'laws' supposedly protecting against such things.
So, we have now entered in to the world of designer-babies! It can only
get worse.
Following criticism from one of our young website readers, we have
updated our Outline on Rock Music. This is now article A-00170.
Derek Owers has graciously given us permission to publish one of his
recent articles as part of our own publications' list. It is a
well-researched article about the charismatic movement and its devilish
attachment to Rome. Ask for A-00171.
Everyone has a breaking point. I don't care how tough people think they
are - sometimes the only thing between them and snapping is a thin
length of elastic. But, given the right circumstances, that elastic will
break - often with disastrous results. That's because one's life has
been stretched to the limit and once the breaking point is reached,
there is simply no more stretch to take up the slack.
Let me put it this way…most people have an 'escape mechanism' they use
when they are under excessive stress. Some might eat chocolate. Some
will take a long bath. Some will go for a long walk. Some will throw
things about in an empty room. Even keeping fit can be such a mechanism.
There are other fruitless mechanisms. Such as depression, sleeping for
long periods, going off to be alone for days on end, throwing ones' self
in to work or some activity that takes a long time and great effort.
There are thousands of escape mechanisms.
It might seem okay to do these things. But, by using escape mechanisms
we are not dealing with the real problem, which is internal. What we are
doing is building a massive edifice on the outside, with a hollow core
on the inside. The taller we build our defence (or, what we think is our
defence) the more likely it will be to fall. And the bigger the defence
the bigger will be the fall when it comes.
Some try to combat this by doing meditation. Some by seeing an external
'authority' such as a professional counsellor, psychotherapist, or
psychiatrist. Some try to do it by reading scripture. Many of the
activities we undertake to combat great stress are, in themselves, good
and proper. But, when we rely on them to keep us sane and happy, we are
already on to a loser.
Sadly, many Christians who suffer from stress, suffer not because of
this or that external problem, but because they are living life without
relying on God, so they enter in to sin daily, then complain because
they feel stressed!
We need to get to the position where each of us stands alone before God,
with no human supports of any kind. We must be strong alone. If we are
not, then the enemy will slowly find his way toward us, getting through
our various defences. Indeed, once Satan knows what we are using as our
defence, he will expertly dismantle it, bit by bit, until he can use it
against us! Yes, we must have close communion with other believers, but
we must not use them as our 'crutch'. If we are strong only when we are
with other people, then we are just as prone to fall as anyone else,
once the crowd disappears.
How, then, do we become strong inwardly? It is not done by reading
scripture, or meditating on His word, or praying. These are all things
we must do as a part of our everyday Christian lives, but they are not
magical charms, warding off what harms us. Yes, we must pray, because
that is how we communicate with God, and He with us. We must read
scripture, because that is how we gain in doctrinal knowledge. We must
meditate on His word, because that is how we understand doctrine, and so
on. But these will not give us that inner strength we need.
It must be said that some lovely Christians can be overwhelmed at times
by circumstances so dire that they cannot live as they wish. These are
usually 'big' things such as adultery of a wife or husband, sudden loss
of home and income, the death of a much loved person, and so on. To feel
sudden grief at these times of real and immense stress is
understandable.
Even so, after a short while, if our feelings continue to be led by the
stress, we will then enter in to a state that is less than good. Satan
is always ready to bring us down, and he will watch for signs of our
cracking under the strain. Then he will get in there and make matters
worse, maybe by using depression, or even suicide. His ploys are many,
and they catch out thousands.
The worst response in these times from Christians is sympathy, for it
tends to make matters far worse…the person you are sympathetic toward
might feel cocooned and safe, but he or she is being hidden from the
true source of help, the Lord God Almighty. His or her inner strength is
being sapped away by a growing reliance on self and feelings, which is,
really, the 'group' response of unbelievers.
I can understand how a Christian gets to that point, but, as a pastor I
could not let the situation grow, without comment or scriptural help. If
ever I am in a similar position, I sincerely hope others would approach
me with the same priority, for my own sense of truth and feeling may be
deficient. What love is there in letting a fellow Believer slide down a
wrong path, just to make him or her feel better, when, all along, it is
a path not acceptable to God?
True inner strength comes from one thing alone - obedience, voluntarily,
to God's word. When we obey, God then gives us peace through the Holy
Spirit, Who dwells with us actively and fully. When this happens, we
begin to understand our true freedom in Christ, which sets us free from
the very human responses to stresses that can so easily overcome us.
They overcome us because we are not reliant only on God.
To rely only on God is to relax totally. When we relax in Him, it is
because we fully trust Him (have faith). When we fully trust Him, we
know that nothing can harm us. Yes, things occur every day and things
'go wrong' in life - but they cannot harm us as spiritual beings who
have our existence in God!
When a Christian is in this marvellous state he is not perpetually
bothered by external problems and will not need all those crutches,
those escape mechanisms. Instead, he will simply say to God "Here
is my problem. I haven't got the strength on my own, please take over
for me and give me assurance." And He does. The trouble is, we tend
to try to fix things humanly and only turn to God when the going gets
rough. By that time, sadly, most of the damage is done and we are well
on the way to becoming emotional wrecks.
So, friends, if you truly want peace of mind, read the above again and
put it into action. Let the Lord take your response to stresses off you,
for they add nothing to your life except a degeneration of trust in God.
(The stresses themselves may remain as long as we live). You will become
truly relaxed in Christ and you will be able to look down upon your
problem and say "I wonder how God will deal with that!" You
will still need to work through the problem, but you will not be alone.
God will lead the way and you just follow in obedience - there is
nothing more off-putting to onlookers than a Christian going to pieces.
This shows everyone that faith is not worth much…if it does not give
inner peace, then what's the point of it all? See what I mean?
You cannot 'get' this inner peace on demand. You must pray to the Lord
for it, for it is a gift. If your heart is toward Him, He will give you
that gift. But if all you want is a temporary quick-fix, forget it! I
know that many readers have this problem, so you now have a tremendous
challenge! You either mean what you say, about belonging to Christ, or
it is all a sham. Which is it with YOU? Sort it out NOW before that
elastic snaps with a resounding twang, and your whole life falls in to a
real mess.
Your biggest enemy in all this is yourself, no matter how 'Christian'
your life is in the main. If you are not willing to hand over your life
fully to God, then you will not get the peace you sorely need, and which
God offers to His children. Do not retain even a small part of your life
as your own property - give it all to God…everything you are,
everything you earn, everything you say, everything you think,
everything you do. And make sure that everything in your life is worthy
and praises God.
God bless you as you begin to think of handing over everything to God.
Do not think you have plenty of time, for that extra stress that breaks
your piece of elastic may be just around the corner! And don't think you
will be free of feelings. As humans we will continue to feel sadness and
grief, but we will no longer be enslaved by them.
Those I know who have gone through great stresses and who have
discovered how to hand it all over to God, are usually marked by their
depth of wisdom and understanding, their ministry being strengthened by
their inner peace.
(Note. The bulk of this text, plus expanded notes, are found in Article
A-00172).
We had a letter recently asking us to donate to Reinhard Bonnke's
'Christ For All Nations' ministry. In it he boasts that '10 million
people (have been) won to the Lord through our crusades'!
I am impressed by his breadth of vision, but not by his work or his
grasp of the truth. I simply don't believe his claim. His claim is that
of a hardened charismatic. As with all similar 'ministries', including
Alpha, the boast is always in what the ministry does. Thus, the 10
million who were supposedly saved were saved not by God, but by Bonnke's
crusades!
In a pamphlet for 'prayer partners' we find these very Arminian and
erroneous words: "It is God's desire for all men and women to
receive salvation. He inspires us to pray for such a day to come - the
day when all mankind will know the Glory of God and experience His love,
His peace, and His forgiveness."
Friends, if this is truly how God operates, then Bonnke's ministry is
totally irrelevant. So is the Gospel. For, if God intends saving
everybody ('all mankind') then all we need to do is to wait, and God
will take us in to His fold anyway, regardless of what state we are in.
Like so many 'ministers' within charismaticism, Bonnke uses a mixture of
truth and error. Don't support him or his like, for they are not
ministers of God, but ministers of error and lies.
As I write, the siege of the Church of the Nativity in Israel by Israeli
troops, continues. It is a Catholic church and many Palestinian gunmen
are inside. The pope has repeated his feelings of 'distress' that
violence is occurring 'at the church over the site where Jesus was
born'.
I know many would think I am nit-picking, but Rome is very good at
adding thousands of extras to the truth. This 'church' is claimed to be
built over the very site where Jesus was born. Oh yes? I think I'm right
in saying that the site was chosen after a nun had a vision quite some
time ago. Could be wrong. But, the fact is, no-one knows the exact
position of the stable. Like the shroud, it is just a myth used to
deceive the people.
Unless common sense and reality steps in, the farce of 'gay pride' will
roll on and on until this gross sin covers the earth. A 17 year old
homosexual is suing his school for not allowing him to take his male
'partner' to the school prom as his 'date'.
Presently, I am discussing the matter of support for gay nurses, given
by my professional association, the Royal College of Nursing. It has set
up a support group for homosexual nurses, and I have objected that my
fees are being used to support what is a sexual choice.
So far they have tried to snub any proper argument, so I will continue
in my opposition. The RCN, by doing this, is ignoring very plain facts -
that there are no scientific or medical reasons why a man or woman is
'gay'. It is merely a bad sexual choice. So, why support it?
Even if they say it is a 'legitimate' sexual choice, they have no
grounds to officially support it. Otherwise, they may as well support
paedophile members, or those who enjoy incest or bestiality! Why
distinguish one sexual choice from another? At the moment they cannot
see how ridiculous and unethical their support is.
When I first wrote about AIDS some 17 years ago, I said that a cure
would not be possible, because there are multiple strains of the
disease, and even one strain mutates each time someone gets it.
That remains the case thus far, but now there appears to be a vaccine
that can immunise against the most common strain in Africa. This is
hailed as something wonderful, but it hearkens back to something else I
predicted back then - that such a medication will increase incidences of
the disease.
So far I have not been wrong in any of my predictions, which are all
based on what I know about people, about homosexuals and about the
disease. So, watch incidences rise yet again. Millions already have the
disease, so it remains a plague. People will now become more complacent
than they already are. This is what happened with other sexually
transmitted diseases - oh, it's okay, I can get an injection for it!
Now, they are out of control.
The inventors of this new injection are not helping Africa, but
hindering it, by reinforcing the idea that wanton sexual behaviour is
still acceptable. It is about time that the simple code of moral
judgement was brought back.
How deluded can people get? Juan Carlos Arellano, who used to own a
clothing factory in Chile, has sold up on the advice of a stain, and has
become a full-time missionary! One of his workers showed him a stain on
a pair of jeans made in the factory. The owner thought it looked like
Jesus, and even said that the stain ('Jesus') spoke to him and told him
to go out full-time to preach the 'gospel of true love'. So that's what
he is now doing.
(Though this is typical Catholic nonsense, I suppose it isn't that
different from those thousands of men we get every day in Protestant
pulpits, who are deluded in to thinking they are called to preach, when,
quite evidently, they are not).
If called to do so, perhaps readers might pray diligently for my
position? Though my work presents no real problems to me right now, the
work of BTM is growing very fast and there are simply not enough hours
in the day to accomplish what is set before me.
With two more web sites coming online soon and a growing need to teach
sound doctrine, I pray that the Lord will show me how to do this
ministry full-time. I have to wait, but I must also pray for wisdom.
There is also the need to visit folk where they are, often isolated from
the churches and needing pastoral advice and teaching. Plus the need to
develop proper teaching materials for our courses, still in their
infancy after 17 years! Thanks.
My brother showed me a fax received by a friend of his. It was headed
'The Plan to Save Mankind from Armageddon is Coded in the Bible', and
was sent by The Lord's Witnesses, based in London. Anyone know what it
is all about? ¨
---oOo---
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