Life Center of Brandon

Should I Want to Be

2011-06-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

Should I Want to Be

Why do so many Christians expect God to shield us from suffering?

2010-05-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays with Tozer--Wounds Out of Ur Conversations for Ministry Leaders

Small Churches are the Next Big Thing

2010-05-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Small Churches are the Next Big Thing Out of Ur Conversations for Ministry Leaders

"What in the world has gotten into you!" by Dr. Jon Jenkins

2010-04-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

I can still hear my Mom, with her stern, concerning voice, asking that question of me: “What in the world has gotten into you!”

It is a question that, no doubt, deserves an “honest to God” answer.

In II Corinthians 1:9 Paul declares that we each have the “sentence of death” in us, not just on us.

In Mark 7:15, 20-23 Jesus declares that the true defilement in a person’s life is not that which enters into the body from the outside, but it is that which comes out from the inward part of our being.

Remember this scripture? “Be sure your sins will find you out.” In other words, be sure that any sins on the inside of you will soon work their way out of you —through attitudes and actions that will be seen by others.

For some of you TV watchers, you have heard of the “who done it” shows. In many cases you will hear the investigator say, “This was an inside job.”

Have you ever wondered why there is such a drug problem in prisons? It is because the “drug lords” on the outside of the walls have an inside man working within the prison.

I have heard comments from people who were concerned about a possible arrest by police and they would say, “At least they have nothing on me.”

In John 14:30 Jesus declares that even though the prince of this world was coming after me, he has nothing in me.”

Now we understand how powerful I Thessalonians 5:23 effects our living. “Now may the very God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The outside “world” can never have any power of influence on us when our inward heart is cleansed from “worldliness.”

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us (inside) from all unrighteousness.”

In the world but not of the world,
Brother Jon Jenkins

Dr. Jon Jenkins is a regular speaker at Life Center of Brandon. He and his beautiful wife and Helen are ordained with the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and presently reside in Troutman, North Carolina. They were pastors for 25 years and resigned from their church in Tampa, Florida, in 1996 to pursue God’s calling to the church at large. Jon’s pastoral heart with his prophetic anointing have been instrumental in bringing great encouragement to leaders and renewed vision for many churches throughout the country.

You can visit their website at:
http://www.inhouseministry.com/

A Return to the Spirit of Christ

2010-03-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

THE CAMBRIDGE DECLARATION

of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

April 20, 1996

Evangelical churches today are increasingly dominated by the spirit of this age rather than by the Spirit of Christ. As evangelicals, we call ourselves to repent of this sin and to recover the historic Christian faith.

In the course of history words change. In our day this has happened to the word "evangelical." In the past it served as a bond of unity between Christians from a wide diversity of church traditions. Historic evangelicalism was confessional. It embraced the essential truths of Christianity as those were defined by the great ecumenical councils of the church. In addition, evangelicals also shared a common heritage in the "solas" of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation.

Today the light of the Reformation has been significantly dimmed. The consequence is that the word "evangelical" has become so inclusive as to have lost its meaning. We face the peril of losing the unity it has taken centuries to achieve. Because of this crisis and because of our love of Christ, his gospel and his church, we endeavor to assert anew our commitment to the central truths of the Reformation and of historic evangelicalism. These truths we affirm not because of their role in our traditions, but because we believe that they are central to the Bible.

Sola Scriptura: The Erosion Of Authority

Scripture alone is the inerrant rule of the church's life, but the evangelical church today has separated Scripture from its authoritative function. In practice, the church is guided, far too often, by the culture. Therapeutic technique, marketing strategies, and the beat of the entertainment world often have far more to say about what the church wants, how it functions and what it offers, than does the Word of God. Pastors have neglected their rightful oversight of worship, including the doctrinal content of the music. As biblical authority has been abandoned in practice, as its truths have faded from Christian consciousness, and as its doctrines have lost their saliency, the church has been increasingly emptied of its integrity, moral authority and direction.

Rather than adapting Christian faith to satisfy the felt needs of consumers, we must proclaim the law as the only measure of true righteousness and the gospel as the only announcement of saving truth. Biblical truth is indispensable to the church's understanding, nurture and discipline.

Scripture must take us beyond our perceived needs to our real needs and liberate us from seeing ourselves through the seductive images, cliche's, promises. and priorities of mass culture. It is only in the light of God's truth that we understand ourselves aright and see God's provision for our need. The Bible, therefore, must be taught and preached in the church. Sermons must be expositions of the Bible and its teachings, not expressions of the preachers opinions or the ideas of the age. We must settle for nothing less than what God has given.

The work of the Holy Spirit in personal experience cannot be disengaged from Scripture. The Spirit does not speak in ways that are independent of Scripture. Apart from Scripture we would never have known of God's grace in Christ. The biblical Word, rather than spiritual experience, is the test of truth.

Thesis One: Sola Scriptura

We reaffirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written divine revelation, which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured. We deny that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian's conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or contrary to what is set forth in the Bible, or that personal spiritual experience can ever be a vehicle of revelation.

Solus Christus: The Erosion Of Christ-Centered Faith

As evangelical faith becomes secularized, its interests have been blurred with those of the culture. The result is a loss of absolute values, permissive individualism, and a substitution of wholeness for holiness, recovery for repentance, intuition for truth, feeling for belief, chance for providence, and immediate gratification for enduring hope. Christ and his cross have moved from the center of our vision.

Thesis Two: Solus Christus

We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.

We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ's substitutionary work is not declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.

Sola Gratia: The Erosion Of The Gospel

Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature. This false confidence now fills the evangelical world; from the self-esteem gospel, to the health and wealth gospel, from those who have transformed the gospel into a product to be sold and sinners into consumers who want to buy, to others who treat Christian faith as being true simply because it works. This silences the doctrine of justification regardless of the official commitments of our churches.

God's grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace.

Thesis Three: Sola Gratia

We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life.

We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature.

Sola Fide: The Erosion Of The Chief Article

Justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. This is the article by which the church stands or falls. Today this article is often ignored, distorted or sometimes even denied by leaders, scholars and pastors who claim to be evangelical. Although fallen human nature has always recoiled from recognizing its need for Christ's imputed righteousness, modernity greatly fuels the fires of this discontent with the biblical Gospel. We have allowed this discontent to dictate the nature of our ministry and what it is we are preaching.

Many in the church growth movement believe that sociological understanding of those in the pew is as important to the success of the gospel as is the biblical truth which is proclaimed. As a result, theological convictions are frequently divorced from the work of the ministry. The marketing orientation in many churches takes this even further, erasing the distinction between the biblical Word and the world, robbing Christ's cross of its offense, and reducing Christian faith to the principles and methods which bring success to secular corporations.

While the theology of the cross may be believed, these movements are actually emptying it of its meaning. There is no gospel except that of Christ's substitution in our place whereby God imputed to him our sin and imputed to us his righteousness. Because he bore our judgment, we now walk in his grace as those who are forever pardoned, accepted and adopted as God's children. There is no basis for our acceptance before God except in Christ's saving work, not in our patriotism, churchly devotion or moral decency. The gospel declares what God has done for us in Christ. It is not about what we can do to reach him.

Thesis Four: Sola Fide

We reaffirm that justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ's righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God's perfect justice.

We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us, or upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ's righteousness in us, or that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.

Soli Deo Gloria: The Erosion Of God-Centered Worship

Wherever in the church biblical authority has been lost, Christ has been displaced, the gospel has been distorted, or faith has been perverted, it has always been for one reason: our interests have displaced God's and we are doing his work in our way. The loss of God's centrality in the life of today's church is common and lamentable. It is this loss that allows us to transform worship into entertainment, gospel preaching into marketing, believing into technique, being good into feeling good about ourselves, and faithfulness into being successful. As a result, God, Christ and the Bible have come to mean too little to us and rest too inconsequentially upon us.

God does not exist to satisfy human ambitions, cravings, the appetite for consumption, or our own private spiritual interests. We must focus on God in our worship, rather than the satisfaction of our personal needs. God is sovereign in worship; we are not. Our concern must be for God's kingdom, not our own empires, popularity or success.

Thesis Five: Soli Deo Gloria

We reaffirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God's glory and that we must glorify him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God and for his glory alone. We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem or self- fulfillment are allowed to become alternatives to the gospel.

Call To Repentance And Reformation

The faithfulness of the evangelical church in the past contrasts sharply with its unfaithfulness in the present. Earlier in this century, evangelical churches sustained a remarkable missionary endeavor, and built many religious institutions to serve the cause of biblical truth and Christ's kingdom. That was a time when Christian behavior and expectations were markedly different from those in the culture. Today they often are not. The evangelical world today is losing its biblical fidelity, moral compass and missionary zeal.

We repent of our worldliness. We have been influenced by the "gospels" of our secular culture, which are no gospels. We have weakened the church by our own lack of serious repentance, our blindness to the sins in ourselves which we see so clearly in others, and our inexcusable failure adequately to tell others about God's saving work in Jesus Christ.

We also earnestly call back erring professing evangelicals who have deviated from God's Word in the matters discussed in this Declaration. This includes those who declare that there is hope of eternal life apart from explicit faith in Jesus Christ, who claim that those who reject Christ in this life will be annihilated rather than endure the just judgment of God through eternal suffering, or who claim that evangelicals and Roman Catholics are one in Jesus Christ even where the biblical doctrine of justification is not believed.

The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals asks all Christians to give consideration to implementing this Declaration in the church's worship, ministry, policies, life and evangelism. For Christ's sake. Amen.

THE CHICAGO STATEMENT ON BIBLICAL INERRANCY

2010-03-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

THE CHICAGO STATEMENT ON BIBLICAL INERRANCY

Preface

The authority of Scripture is a key issue for the Christian Church in this and every age. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God's written Word. To Stray from Scripture in faith or conduct is disloyalty to our Master. Recognition of the total truth and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture is essential to a full grasp and adequate confession of its authority.

The following Statement affirms this inerrancy of Scripture afresh, making clear our understanding of it and warning against its denial. We are persuaded that to deny it is to set aside the witness of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit and to refuse that submission to the claims of God's own Word which marks true Christian faith. We see it as our timely duty to make this affirmation in the face of current lapses from the truth of inerrancy among our fellow Christians and misunderstanding of this doctrine in the world at large.

This Statement consists of three parts: a Summary Statement, Articles of Affirmation and Denial, and an accompanying Exposition. It has been prepared in the course of a three-day consultation in Chicago. Those who have signed the Summary Statement and the Articles wish to affirm their own conviction as to the inerrancy of Scripture and to encourage and challenge one another and all Christians to growing appreciation and understanding of this doctrine. We acknowledge the limitations of a document prepared in a brief, intensive conference and do not propose that this Statement be given creedal weight. Yet we rejoice in the deepening of our own convictions through our discussions together, and we pray that the Statement we have signed may be used to the glory of our God toward a new reformation of the Church in its faith, life, and mission.

We offer this Statement in a spirit, not of contention, but of humility and love, which we purpose by God's grace to maintain in any future dialogue arising out of what we have said. We gladly acknowledge that many who deny the inerrancy of Scripture do not display the consequences of this denial in the rest of their belief and behavior, and we are conscious that we who confess this doctrine often deny it in life by failing to bring our thoughts and deeds, our traditions and habits, into true subjection to the divine Word.

We invite response to this statement from any who see reason to amend its affirmations about Scripture by the light of Scripture itself, under whose infallible authority we stand as we speak. We claim no personal infallibility for the witness we bear, and for any help which enables us to strengthen this testimony to God's Word we shall be grateful.

A SHORT STATEMENT

1. God, who is Himself Truth and speaks truth only, has inspired Holy Scripture in order thereby to reveal Himself to lost mankind through Jesus Christ as Creator and Lord, Redeemer and Judge. Holy Scripture is God's witness to Himself.

2. Holy Scripture, being God's own Word, written by men prepared and superintended by His Spirit, is of infallible divine authority in all matters upon which it touches: it is to be believed, as God's instruction, in all that it affirms, obeyed, as God's command, in all that it requires; embraced, as God's pledge, in all that it promises.

3. The Holy Spirit, Scripture's divine Author, both authenticates it to us by His inward witness and opens our minds to understand its meaning.

4. Being wholly and verbally God-given, Scripture is without error or fault in all its teaching, no less in what it states about God's acts in creation, about the events of world history, and about its own literary origins under God, than in its witness to God's saving grace in individual lives.

5. The authority of Scripture is inescapably impaired if this total divine inerrancy is in any way limited or disregarded, or made relative to a view of truth contrary to the Bible's own; and such lapses bring serious loss to both the individual and the Church.

ARTICLES OF AFFIRMATION AND DENIAL

Article I

We affirm that the Holy Scriptures are to be received as the authoritative Word of God.

We deny that the Scriptures receive their authority from the Church, tradition, or any other human source.

Article II

We affirm that the Scriptures are the supreme written norm by which God binds the conscience, and that the authority of the Church is subordinate to that of Scripture.

We deny that Church creeds, councils, or declarations have authority greater than or equal to the authority of the Bible.

Article III

We affirm that the written Word in its entirety is revelation given by God.

We deny that the Bible is merely a witness to revelation, or only becomes revelation in encounter, or depends on the responses of men for its validity.

Article IV

We affirm that God who made mankind in His image has used language as a means of revelation.

We deny that human language is so limited by our creatureliness that it is rendered inadequate as a vehicle for divine revelation. We further deny that the corruption of human culture and language through sin has thwarted God's work of inspiration.

Article V

We affirm that God' s revelation in the Holy Scriptures was progressive.

We deny that later revelation, which may fulfill earlier revelation, ever corrects or contradicts it. We further deny that any normative revelation has been given since the completion of the New Testament writings.

Article VI

We affirm that the whole of Scripture and all its parts, down to the very words of the original, were given by divine inspiration.

We deny that the inspiration of Scripture can rightly be affirmed of the whole without the parts, or of some parts but not the whole.

Article VII

We affirm that inspiration was the work in which God by His Spirit, through human writers, gave us His Word. The origin of Scripture is divine. The mode of divine inspiration remains largely a mystery to us.

We deny that inspiration can be reduced to human insight, or to heightened states of consciousness of any kind.

Article VIII

We affirm that God in His Work of inspiration utilized the distinctive personalities and literary styles of the writers whom He had chosen and prepared.

We deny that God, in causing these writers to use the very words that He chose, overrode their personalities.

Article IX

We affirm that inspiration, though not conferring omniscience, guaranteed true and trustworthy utterance on all matters of which the Biblical authors were moved to speak and write.

We deny that the finitude or fallenness of these writers, by necessity or otherwise, introduced distortion or falsehood into God's Word.

Article X

We affirm that inspiration, strictly speaking, applies only to the autographic text of Scripture, which in the providence of God can be ascertained from available manuscripts with great accuracy. We further affirm that copies and translations of Scripture are the Word of God to the extent that they faithfully represent the original.

We deny that any essential element of the Christian faith is affected by the absence of the autographs. We further deny that this absence renders the assertion of Biblical inerrancy invalid or irrelevant.

Article XI

We affirm that Scripture, having been given by divine inspiration, is infallible, so that, far from misleading us, it is true and reliable in all the matters it addresses.

We deny that it is possible for the Bible to be at the same time infallible and errant in its assertions. Infallibility and inerrancy may be distinguished, but not separated.

Article XII

We affirm that Scripture in its entirety is inerrant, being free from all falsehood, fraud, or deceit.

We deny that Biblical infallibility and inerrancy are limited to spiritual, religious, or redemptive themes, exclusive of assertions in the fields of history and science. We further deny that scientific hypotheses about earth history may properly be used to overturn the teaching of Scripture on creation and the flood.

Article XIII

We affirm the propriety of using inerrancy as a theological term with reference to the complete truthfulness of Scripture.

We deny that it is proper to evaluate Scripture according to standards of truth and error that are alien to its usage or purpose. We further deny that inerrancy is negated by Biblical phenomena such as a lack of modern technical precision, irregularities of grammar or spelling, observational descriptions of nature, the reporting of falsehoods, the use of hyperbole and round numbers, the topical arrangement of material, variant selections of material in parallel accounts, or the use of free citations.

Article XIV

We affirm the unity and internal consistency of Scripture.

We deny that alleged errors and discrepancies that have not yet been resolved vitiate the truth claims of the Bible.

Article XV

We affirm that the doctrine of inerrancy is grounded in the teaching of the Bible about inspiration.

We deny that Jesus' teaching about Scripture may be dismissed by appeals to accommodation or to any natural limitation of His humanity.

Article XVI

We affirm that the doctrine of inerrancy has been integral to the Church's faith throughout its history.

We deny that inerrancy is a doctrine invented by Scholastic Protestantism, or is a reactionary position postulated in response to negative higher criticism.

Article XVII

We affirm that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the Scriptures, assuring believers of the truthfulness of God's written Word.

We deny that this witness of the Holy Spirit operates in isolation from or against Scripture.

Article XVIII

We affirm that the text of Scripture is to be interpreted by grammatico-historicaI exegesis, taking account of its literary forms and devices, and that Scripture is to interpret Scripture.

We deny the legitimacy of any treatment of the text or quest for sources lying behind it that leads to relativizing, dehistoricizlng, or discounting its teaching, or rejecting its claims to authorship.

Article XIX

We affirm that a confession of the full authority, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture is vital to a sound understanding of the whole of the Christian faith. We further affirm that such confession should lead to increasing conformity to the image of Christ.

We deny that such confession is necessary for salvation. However, we further deny that inerrancy can be rejected without grave consequences both to the individual and to the Church.

Exposition

Our understanding of the doctrine of inerrancy must be set in the context of the broader teachings of the Scripture concerning itself. This exposition gives an account of the outline of doctrine from which our summary statement and articles are drawn.

Creation, Revelation and Inspiration

The Triune God, who formed all things by his creative utterances and governs all things by His Word of decree, made mankind in His own image for a life of communion with Himself, on the model of the eternal fellowship of loving communication within the Godhead. As God's image-bearer, man was to hear God's Word addressed to him and to respond in the joy of adoring obedience. Over and above God's self-disclosure in the created order and the sequence of events within it, human beings from Adam on have received verbal messages from Him, either directly, as stated in Scripture, or indirectly in the form of part or all of Scripture itself.

When Adam fell, the Creator did not abandon mankind to final judgment but promised salvation and began to reveal Himself as Redeemer in a sequence of historical events centering on Abraham's family and culminating in the life, death, resurrection, present heavenly ministry, and promised return of Jesus Christ. Within this frame God has from time to time spoken specific words of judgment and mercy, promise and command, to sinful human beings so drawing them into a covenant relation of mutual commitment between Him and them in which He blesses them with gifts of grace and they bless Him in responsive adoration. Moses, whom God used as mediator to carry His words to His people at the time of the Exodus, stands at the head of a long line of prophets in whose mouths and writings God put His words for delivery to Israel. God's purpose in this succession of messages was to maintain His covenant by causing His people to know His Name—that is, His nature—and His will both of precept and purpose in the present and for the future. This line of prophetic spokesmen from God came to completion in Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Word, who was Himself a prophet—more than a prophet, but not less—and in the apostles and prophets of the first Christian generation. When God's final and climactic message, His word to the world concerning Jesus Christ, had been spoken and elucidated by those in the apostolic circle, the sequence of revealed messages ceased. Henceforth the Church was to live and know God by what He had already said, and said for all time.

At Sinai God wrote the terms of His covenant on tables of stone, as His enduring witness and for lasting accessibility, and throughout the period of prophetic and apostolic revelation He prompted men to write the messages given to and through them, along with celebratory records of His dealings with His people, plus moral reflections on covenant life and forms of praise and prayer for covenant mercy. The theological reality of inspiration in the producing of Biblical documents corresponds to that of spoken prophecies: although the human writers' personalities were expressed in what they wrote, the words were divinely constituted. Thus, what Scripture says, God says; its authority is His authority, for He is its ultimate Author, having given it through the minds and words of chosen and prepared men who in freedom and faithfulness "spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (1 Pet. 1:21). Holy Scripture must be acknowledged as the Word of God by virtue of its divine origin.

Authority: Christ and the Bible

Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is the Word made flesh, our Prophet, Priest, and King, is the ultimate Mediator of God's communication to man, as He is of all God's gifts of grace. The revelation He gave was more than verbal; He revealed the Father by His presence and His deeds as well. Yet His words were crucially important; for He was God, He spoke from the Father, and His words will judge all men at the last day.

As the prophesied Messiah, Jesus Christ is the central theme of Scripture. The Old Testament looked ahead to Him; the New Testament looks back to His first coming and on to His second. Canonical Scripture is the divinely inspired and therefore normative witness to Christ. No hermeneutic, therefore, of which the historical Christ is not the focal point is acceptable. Holy Scripture must be treated as what it essentially is—the witness of the Father to the Incarnate Son.

It appears that the Old Testament canon had been fixed by the time of Jesus. The New Testament canon is likewise now closed inasmuch as no new apostolic witness to the historical Christ can now be borne. No new revelation (as distinct from Spirit-given understanding of existing revelation) will be given until Christ comes again. The canon was created in principle by divine inspiration. The Church's part was to discern the canon which God had created, not to devise one of its own.

The word canon, signifying a rule or standard, is a pointer to authority, which means the right to rule and control. Authority in Christianity belongs to God in His revelation, which means, on the one hand, Jesus Christ, the living Word, and, on the other hand, Holy Scripture, the written Word. But the authority of Christ and that of Scripture are one. As our Prophet, Christ testified that Scripture cannot be broken. As our Priest and King, He devoted His earthly life to fulfilling the law and the prophets, even dying in obedience to the words of Messianic prophecy. Thus, as He saw Scripture attesting Him and His authority, so by His own submission to Scripture He attested its authority. As He bowed to His Father's instruction given in His Bible (our Old Testament), so He requires His disciples to do—not, however, in isolation but in conjunction with the apostolic witness to Himself which He undertook to inspire by His gift of the Holy Spirit. So Christians show themselves faithful servants of their Lord by bowing to the divine instruction given in the prophetic and apostolic writings which together make up our Bible.

By authenticating each other's authority, Christ and Scripture coalesce into a single fount of authority. The Biblically-interpreted Christ and the Christ-centered, Christ-proclaiming Bible are from this standpoint one. As from the fact of inspiration we infer that what Scripture says, God says, so from the revealed relation between Jesus Christ and Scripture we may equally declare that what Scripture says, Christ says.

Infallibility, Inerrancy, Interpretation

Holy Scripture, as the inspired Word of God witnessing authoritatively to Jesus Christ, may properly be called infallible and inerrant. These negative terms have a special value, for they explicitly safeguard crucial positive truths.

lnfallible signifies the quality of neither misleading nor being misled and so safeguards in categorical terms the truth that Holy Scripture is a sure, safe, and reliable rule and guide in all matters.

Similarly, inerrant signifies the quality of being free from all falsehood or mistake and so safeguards the truth that Holy Scripture is entirely true and trustworthy in all its assertions.

We affirm that canonical Scripture should always be interpreted on the basis that it is infallible and inerrant. However, in determining what the God-taught writer is asserting in each passage, we must pay the most careful attention to its claims and character as a human production. In inspiration, God utilized the culture and conventions of His penman's milieu, a milieu that God controls in His sovereign providence; it is misinterpretation to imagine otherwise.

So history must be treated as history, poetry as poetry, hyperbole and metaphor as hyperbole and metaphor, generalization and approximation as what they are, and so forth. Differences between literary conventions in Bible times and in ours must also be observed: since, for instance, non-chronological narration and imprecise citation were conventional and acceptable and violated no expectations in those days, we must not regard these things as faults when we find them in Bible writers. When total precision of a particular kind was not expected nor aimed at, it is no error not to have achieved it. Scripture is inerrant, not in the sense of being absolutely precise by modern standards, but in the sense of making good its claims and achieving that measure of focused truth at which its authors aimed.

The truthfulness of Scripture is not negated by the appearance in it of irregularities of grammar or spelling, phenomenal descriptions of nature, reports of false statements (e.g., the lies of Satan), or seeming discrepancies between one passage and another. It is not right to set the so-called "phenomena" of Scripture against the teaching of Scripture about itself. Apparent inconsistencies should not be ignored. Solution of them, where this can be convincingly achieved, will encourage our faith, and where for the present no convincing solution is at hand we shall significantly honor God by trusting His assurance that His Word is true, despite these appearances, and by maintaining our confidence that one day they will be seen to have been illusions.

Inasmuch as all Scripture is the product of a single divine mind, interpretation must stay within the bounds of the analogy of Scripture and eschew hypotheses that would correct one Biblical passage by another, whether in the name of progressive revelation or of the imperfect enlightenment of the inspired writer's mind.

Although Holy Scripture is nowhere culture-bound in the sense that its teaching lacks universal validity, it is sometimes culturally conditioned by the customs and conventional views of a particular period, so that the application of its principles today calls for a different sort of action.

Skepticism and Criticism

Since the Renaissance, and more particularly since the Enlightenment, world-views have been developed which involve skepticism about basic Christian tenets. Such are the agnosticism which denies that God is knowable, the rationalism which denies that He is incomprehensible, the idealism which denies that He is transcendent, and the existentialism which denies rationality in His relationships with us. When these un- and anti-biblical principles seep into men's theologies at [a] presuppositional level, as today they frequently do, faithful interpretation of Holy Scripture becomes impossible.

Transmission and Translation

Since God has nowhere promised an inerrant transmission of Scripture, it is necessary to affirm that only the autographic text of the original documents was inspired and to maintain the need of textual criticism as a means of detecting any slips that may have crept into the text in the course of its transmission. The verdict of this science, however, is that the Hebrew and Greek text appear to be amazingly well preserved, so that we are amply justified in affirming, with the Westminster Confession, a singular providence of God in this matter and in declaring that the authority of Scripture is in no way jeopardized by the fact that the copies we possess are not entirely error-free.

Similarly, no translation is or can be perfect, and all translations are an additional step away from the autographa. Yet the verdict of linguistic science is that English-speaking Christians, at least, are exceedingly well served in these days with a host of excellent translations and have no cause for hesitating to conclude that the true Word of God is within their reach. Indeed, in view of the frequent repetition in Scripture of the main matters with which it deals and also of the Holy Spirit's constant witness to and through the Word, no serious translation of Holy Scripture will so destroy its meaning as to render it unable to make its reader "wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15).

Inerrancy and Authority

In our affirmation of the authority of Scripture as involving its total truth, we are consciously standing with Christ and His apostles, indeed with the whole Bible and with the main stream of Church history from the first days until very recently. We are concerned at the casual, inadvertent, and seemingly thoughtless way in which a belief of such far-reaching importance has been given up by so many in our day.

We are conscious too that great and grave confusion results from ceasing to maintain the total truth of the Bible whose authority one professes to acknowledge. The result of taking this step is that the Bible which God gave loses its authority, and what has authority instead is a Bible reduced in content according to the demands of one's critical reasonings and in principle reducible still further once one has started. This means that at bottom independent reason now has authority, as opposed to Scriptural teaching. If this is not seen and if for the time being basic evangelical doctrines are still held, persons denying the full truth of Scripture may claim an evangelical identity while methodologically they have moved away from the evangelical principle of knowledge to an unstable subjectivism, and will find it hard not to move further.

We affirm that what Scripture says, God says. May He be glorified. Amen and Amen.

From the Files of "ARE YOU CRAZY!?!?!?!?"

2010-02-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

A BBC reporter admits on camera to killing an ex-lover.

"I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead”, says documentary maker Ray Gosling.

In subsequent interviews, he tells the BBC about the killing:

“I did the right thing,” he told the BBC. “If there’s a heaven and he’s looking down, he’d be proud of me.”

Proud? Are you kidding me? No, in fact, ARE YOU CRAZY!?!?!?

You can read the entire article here.

Video is posted here.

Voodoo, Haiti and Earthquakes: Is There a Connection?

2010-01-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

If you think the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti was a consequence of its national allegiance to Voodoo (it is after all, the official religion of the nation), consider the words of Christ found in Luke 13:1-5

"At that time, some people came and reported to Him [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
And He responded to them, "Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all Galileans because they suffered these things?
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!
Or those 18 that the tower in Siloam fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the people who live in Jerusalem?
No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!"

Sin is sin in the eyes of God. Whether its voodoo, murder, lieing or adultery, the wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23).

Are the Haitian people greater sinners than the rest of humanity?

Albert Mohler writes:

"The arrogance of human presumption is a real and present danger. We can trace the effects of a drunk driver to a car accident, but we cannot trace the effects of voodoo to an earthquake -- at least not so directly.

Why did no earthquake shake Nazi Germany? Why did no tsunami swallow up the killing fields of Cambodia? Why did Hurricane Katrina destroy far more evangelical churches than casinos? Why do so many murderous dictators live to old age while many missionaries die young?”

(You can read his entire article here)

And to paraphrase the words of Christ: unless all of us repent, turn from our sins and put our faith in him, we will suffer the fate of eternal death and separation from our only source of eternal life, joy and happiness - God.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Roman 6:23

Because of sin, the entire world is suffering under the weight of calamity and death.

The judgment to come is going to be infinitely worse for unrepentant sinners than the greatest of natural tragedies and earthly calamities.

But God does offer lost humanity a way of escape.

Will you admit you are a sinner? Will you admit you desperately need God?
I implore you to place your faith in Christ Jesus.

Unlike us, Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. He was the perfect and eternal Son of God.

In John chapter 1 verses 1-5 we read this of Christ:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men."

Since he was perfect - without sin - he was able to die in our place and thus pay the wages we owed God for our sin.

He died horrifically by crucifiction.

He was punished so we could be set free from the judgement and wrath of God against us.

"For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm."

1 Peter 3:18

And after God accepted his sacrifice for us on the cross, God raised him from the dead.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."

1 Peter 1:3

Christ not only made the way possible for you and I to be forgiven of every sin we have ever committed, but he made the way possible for you and I to be adopted as sons and daughters of God.

"But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name..."

John 1:12

And if we receive him (by putting our faith in him), not only are we adopted into God's own family and all of our sins are forgiven, but Christ said he would grant us God's gift of eternal life:

"For this is the will of My Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

John 6:40

Will you believe in Him today?

If you are now seeing Jesus as you've never seen him before - as the eternal Son of God who died to pay the price for your sin and who rose again to give you the hope of eternal life - then you are being born again right now in the spirit by God.

If that's the case, then you are now free to confess Jesus as Lord of your life.

"if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation."

Romans 8:9-10

Will you believe?

"The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him."

John 3:36

Pastor Ellery

originally posted on www.lifecenterofbrandon.org

Doctrine of Demons

2010-01-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

From: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/uganda/6944292/Human-sacrifices-on-the-rise-in-Uganda-as-witch-doctors-admit-to-rituals.html

Human sacrifices 'on the rise in Uganda' as witch
doctors admit to rituals

Witch doctors in Uganda have admitted their part in human sacrifice amid concerns that the practice is spreading in the African country.

Published: 6:00AM GMT 07 Jan 2010

One man said he had clients who had captured children and taken their blood and body parts to his shrine, while another confessed to killing at least 70 people including his own son.

The latter has now given up the ritual and is campaigning to stamp it out, according to BBC News.

The African country's government claimed human sacrifice was on the increase.

According to officials trying to tackle it, the crime is directly linked to rising levels of development and prosperity - and an increasing belief that witchcraft can help people get rich quickly.

During its investigation, to be broadcast on Thursday on Radio 4 and Newsnight, the BBC team witnessed antisacrifice campaigners torching the shrine of a witch-doctor in northern Uganda, who agreed to give up the practice.

He said clients came to him in search of wealth.

"They go and capture other people's children. They bring the heart and the blood directly here to take to the spirits," he said.

"They bring them in small tins and they place these objects under the tree from which the voices of the spirits are coming."

The witch doctor, who said he was paid 500,000 Ugandan shillings (around £160) for a consultation, denied any direct involvement in murder or incitement to murder, saying his spirits spoke directly to clients.

Moses Binoga, the assistant police commissioner who is head of the Ugandan anti-human sacrifice and trafficking task force, said there were 26 murders thought to be part of ritual sacrifice last year compared with three cases in 2007.

"We also have about 120 children and adults reported missing whose fate we have not traced," he added. "From the experience of those whom we recovered, we cannot rule out that they may be victims of human sacrifice."

© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2010

Offended Christians

2009-09-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have found those most consumed with themselves are most prone to offense.

Thoughts on The Human Heart from Jeremiah 17:9

2009-08-26T09:22:00.000-07:00

"I love to lie but hate being lied to. I love to cheat but hate being cheated. I love to cause pain but hate being hurt. I love to steal but hate to be stolen from. I love being critical but hate to be criticized. Who am I? I am the human heart and I am incurably wicked in my own power."

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperatley wicked (Hebrew: 'anash, meaning sick, ill at ease, scarcely curable), who can know it?"

Jeremiah 17:9

2009-06-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

Order a print of this image here.

Popular Eagle Story is a Myth

2009-05-09T19:47:00.000-07:00

Found this tidbit on http://baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle-myths.html

" For those of you ...wondering if it's true that an eagle goes into seclusion, plucks all of its feathers, sheds its beak and talons, and then renews itself, is a myth. An eagle's beak and talons grow continuously, because they are made of keratin, the same substance as our hair and fingernails. Eagles molt in patches, taking almost half a year to replace feathers, starting with the head and working downward. Not all feathers are replaced in a given molt. An eagle without feathers, talons, and a beak would die of starvation and exposure."

G20 and the New One World Currency

2009-04-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

It's all here!

Et tu, UN?

2009-04-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

First China, now the UN is proposing its own version of a one world currency.

Read it here.

When Does it Count?

2009-03-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

"When it's hard is when it counts."

Pastor Loraine Aguayo

A One World Currency in the Works

2009-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

"China yesterday threw down a challenge to America’s 50-year dominance of the global economy as it proposed replacing the dollar as the world’s main reserve currency with a new global system under the control of the International Monetary Fund."

Read the entire article here and here.

This is interesting:
The standard for a one world currency would have to be BIG.
Think a quintillion:
1,000,000,000,000,000,000

A quintillion is 1 million to the third power.

1,000,000 x 1,000,000 x 1,000,000

That's 3 sets of 6 zeroes.

Get it?

Who would have thought?

Secrets of Life #1: Worldly Success

2009-03-02T09:19:00.000-08:00

When you get to the top, there's nothing there.

TOUGH ENOUGH?

2009-02-18T21:27:00.000-08:00

"True toughness is how you respond to adversity."
Coach Tony Dungy

Gotta Love this Song

2008-11-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

'Muddy Water"

Written by Monty Criswell and Rick Huckaby

Performed by Trace Adkins

Video stars born again Christian actor and celebrity Stephen Baldwin.

30 Years After Jonestown

2008-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

It's been thirty years to the day since the horror of Jonestown.

It was then, on Nov. 18th, 1978, that 909 members of The Peoples Temple, under the crackpot leadership of the 'Rev.' Jim Jones, commited mass suicide by drinking cyanide laced Flavor-Aid.

Reports indicate that some members were forced to drink the deadly cocktail while others (namely the elderly) were injected with the poison against their will.

More info on the event here, here, here and here.

But who was this Jim Jones, the infamous leader of the doomed Peoples Temple?

According to the Rick Ross Institute:

"Jones began his group in San Francisco and was once a respected community leader. He started programs to help the elderly and poor. His circle of friends once included leading politicians, who once defended him against allegations of abuse.

...the Rev. Jim Jones was a popular figure and something of a religious celebrity in San Francisco [who] participated in fashionable charity events...

Jones was...an ordained minister of the Disciples of Christ, a respected mainline denomination. At one point his congregation numbered 8,000. It was composed largely of poor African Americans.

Jones...was embraced by liberal politicians such as U.S. Representatives Phillip and John Burton, Assemblyman Willie Brown and Mayor George Moscone.

After the tragedy at Jonestown these politicians found it difficult to explain how Jim Jones so easily took them in.

One of Jones' long time followers Tim Stoen explained, "There wasn't anything magical about Jim's power. It was raw politics. He was able to deliver what politicians want, which is power. And how do you get power? By votes. And how do you get votes? With people. Jim Jones could produce 3,000 people at a political event.''

Jones first step on his path to political influence began in the Fall of 1970. He created a fund for the families of slain police officers. This was the beginning of a viable process he used to make valuable friends through charitable contributions.

The first bad press Jones received in the Bay area was a somewhat critical story run by the San Francisco Examiner in 1972. The paper exposed that Jones had claimed to be a "prophet" and said he could raise the dead.

Perhaps to preempt any further embarrassment Jones subsequently gave out grants to 12 newspapers. He even bussed his people to demonstrate in support of reporters who had been jailed for not revealing confidential sources. Ironically, the man who would later flee from the press and oppress dissent within his group once said in 1973 that he wanted "to defend the free speech clause of the First Amendment.''

In 1973 the San Francisco Examiner briefly ran articles critical of the Temple. However, Jones' political machine continues to garner him influence by helping to elect Mayor Moscone, District Attorney Joseph Freitas and Sheriff Richard Hongisto in 1975.

And Jones was still spreading money around to seemingly buy influence. A writer for the San Francisco Chronicle wrote in 1976, "Many a San Franciscan and many a project have received sizable checks from Peoples Temple, accompanied by only a short note from Jim Jones, saying, `We appreciate what you are doing,' ''

Jones gave money to the NAACP, the Ecumenical Peace Institute and a senior citizens escort service. Willie Brown and then-Governor Jerry Brown could be seen at his church services, apparently paying homage to their friend.

The Fall of 1976 seems to be the time Jones achieved his peak of power. The Burtons, Willie Brown, Williams, Moscone, radical Angela Davis, lawyer Vincent Hallinan, Lieutenant Governor Mervyn Dymally and publisher Carlton Goodlett toasted him at a testimonial dinner. And later Moscone gave him a seat on the San Francisco Housing Authority Commission. "

The video I produced above says it well. Don't be fooled by the signs and wonders of maniacal, charismatic figures.

Know the word of God as if your life depended on it (which, of course, it does).

It's too easy to be duped.

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect"

Matthew 24:24

Purpose

2008-11-06T17:38:00.000-08:00

"God is more interested in our purpose than he is in our pleasure."

Pastor Loraine

Reasons for Revival

2008-09-30T06:50:00.001-07:00

"Many pray for a revival. That certainly is a prayer that is pleasing to God, it is along the line of His will; but many prayers for revivals are purely selfish. The churches desire revivals in order that the membership may be increased, in order that the church may have a position of more power and influence in the community, in order that the church treasury may be filled, in order that a good report may be made at the presbytery or conference or association. For such low purposes as these, churches and ministers oftentimes are praying for a revival, and oftentimes too God does not answer the prayer. Why should we pray for a revival? For the glory of God, because we cannot endure it that God should continue to be dishonored by the worldliness of the church, by the sins of unbelievers, by the proud unbelief of the day; because God's Word is being made void; in order that God may be glorified by the outpouring of His Spirit on the Church of Christ. For these reasons first of all and above all, we should pray for a revival."

R. A. Torrey

Money, Money, Money....

2008-09-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

In light of the financial crisis facing America (prompting a $700 billion bail out of Wall Street), I thought it a good thing to re-post this quote from Teddy Roosevelt:

"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life."

This is just the reason why we are facing an attempt by Uncle Sam to circumvent an American economic meltdown by providing a $700 billion bailout plan to Wall Street.

This is a mess caused by greed and the LOVE OF MONEY.

There I said it: THE LOVE OF MONEY. Take that prosperity preachers!

And you remember what the LOVE OF MONEY is right?

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:10

Many griefs. That's nice. As a nation, we are now looking down the shotgun barrell of many griefs.

What's up with the greed, anyhow? Why is there a bailout now? Didn't ANYBODY see this coming?

Of course they did, but since their pockets were being lined with dirty money, they turned their cheeks away from the financial disaster looming on the horizon.

Where was the church during all this?

Some cried to the people to get out of debt. Some obliged.

Others followed the world's lead in its lust for things and money.

Preachers became the poster children of wealth and affluence.

Congregants gave beyond their means to supply celebrity ministries life changing amounts of cash.

Money and the things money could buy became the measure of spirituality.

Poverty became the worst sin a person could fall into.

This is sick.

The church has raised a generation of people that believe true prosperity is found in the amount of stuff they have.

Prosperity is not linked to stuff.

If you have alot of stuff and are in debt over your butt, YOU ARE NOT PROSPERING.

Its like losing weight due to a tape worm. The pounds may come off but your body is sick.

Our god has become money.

Our trust is in the cheap stuff we buy on the market.

That's right: CHEAP! I don't care how much it costs.

Your Bentley and your mansion are CHEAP compared to the wealth of godly character.

A good name is to be more desired than great wealth, Favor is better than silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:1

But where is our character?

We are a nation and a church without character.

But we won't be that way for long.

The fires of adversity have a way of forging strong character.

And there's a $700 billion fire being stoked right now.

Hilarious!

2008-09-24T17:44:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of a billboard ad for a local church. Got to admit, the idea is brilliant! Pure genius!

2008-09-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Your purpose is not found in the amount of your possessions.

Pastor Ellery

Wisdom #1

2008-08-23T07:52:00.000-07:00

"Humility is the outward expression of wisdom."
Pastor Ellery

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:13

From the Desk of J. Lee Grady

2008-08-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

Life After Lakeland: Sorting Out the Confusion
By J. Lee Grady

Todd Bentley’s announcement that his marriage is ending has thrown our movement into a tailspin—and questions need to be answered.

It was not supposed to end like this.

Evangelist Todd Bentley had heralded the Lakeland revival as the greatest Pentecostal outpouring since Azusa Street. From his stage in a gigantic tent in Florida, Bentley preached to thousands, bringing many of them to the stage for prayer. Many claimed to be healed of deafness, blindness, heart problems, depression and dozens of other conditions in the Lakeland services, which ran for more than 100 consecutive nights. Bentley announced confidently that dozens of people had been raised from the dead during the revival.

But this week, a few days after the Canadian preacher announced the end of his visits to Lakeland, he told his staff that his marriage is ending. Without blaming the pace of the revival for Bentley’s personal problems, his board released a public statement saying that he and his wife, Shonnah, are separating. The news shocked Bentley’s adoring fans and saddened those who have questioned his credibility since the Lakeland movement erupted in early April.

I’m sad. I’m disappointed. And I’m angry. Here are few of my many, many questions about this fiasco:

Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the beginning?

To put it bluntly, we’re just plain gullible.

From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning Christians raised questions about Bentley’s beliefs and practices. They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.

But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: “This is God. Don’t question.” So before we could all say, “Sheeka Boomba” (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.

I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We’re spiritual hungry—which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything.

Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.

Why didn’t anyone in Lakeland denounce the favorable comments Bentley made about William Branham?

This one baffles me. Branham embraced horrible deception near the end of his ministry, before he died in 1965. He claimed that he was the reincarnation of Elijah—and his strange doctrines are still embraced by a cultlike following today. When Bentley announced to the world that the same angel that ushered in the 1950s healing revival had come to Lakeland, the entire audience should have run for the exits.

Why didn’t anyone correct this error from the pulpit?

Godly leaders are supposed to protect the sheep from heresy, not spoon feed deception to them. Only God knows how far this poison traveled from Lakeland to take root elsewhere. May God forgive us for allowing His Word to be so flippantly contaminated.

A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after Bentley’s news hit the fan. He said to me: “I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ when he shows up because they have no discernment.” Ouch. Hopefully we’ll learn our lesson this time and apply the necessary caution when an imposter shows up.

Why did God TV tell people that “any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic”?

This ridiculous statement was actually made on one of God TV’s pre-shows. In fact, the network’s hosts also warned listeners that if they listened to criticism of Bentley, they could lose their healings.

This is cultic manipulation at its worst. The Bible tells us that the Bereans were noble believers because they studied the Scriptures daily “to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NASB). Yet in the case of Lakeland, honest intellectual inquiry was viewed as a sign of weakness. People were expected to jump first and then open their eyes.

Just because we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit does not mean we check our brains at the church door. We are commanded to test the spirits. Jesus wants us to love Him with our hearts and our minds.

Because of the Lakeland scandal, there may be large numbers of people who feel they’ve been burned by Bentley. Some may give up on church and join the growing ranks of bitter, disenfranchised Christians. Others may suffer total spiritual shipwreck. This could have been avoided if leaders had been more vocal about their objections and urged people to evaluate spiritual experiences through the filter of God’s Word.

Why did a group of respected ministers lay hands on Bentley on June 23 and publicly ordain him? Did they know of his personal problems?

This controversial ceremony was organized by Peter Wagner, who felt that one of Bentley’s greatest needs was proper spiritual covering. He asked California pastors Che Ahn and Bill Johnson, along with Canadian pastor John Arnott, to lay hands on Bentley and bring him under their care.

Bentley certainly needs such covering. No one in ministry today should be out on their own, living in isolation without checks, balances and wise counsel. It was commendable that Wagner reached out to Bentley and that Bentley acknowledged his need for spiritual fathers by agreeing to submit to the process. The question remains, however, whether it was wise to commend Bentley during a televised commissioning service that at times seemed more like a king’s coronation.

In hindsight, we can all see that it would have been better to take Bentley into a back room and talk about his personal issues.

The Bible tells us that ordination of a minister is a sober responsibility. Paul wrote: “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim. 5:22). We might be tempted to rush the process, but the apostle warned against fast-tracking ordination—and he said that those who commission a minister who is not ready for the job will bear some of the blame for his failures.I trust that Wagner, Ahn, Johnson and Arnott didn’t know of Bentley’s problems before they ordained him. I am sure they are saddened by the events of this week and are reaching out to Bentley and his wife to promote healing and restoration. But I believe that they, along with Bentley and the owners of God TV, owe the body of Christ a forthright, public apology for thrusting Bentley’s ministry into the spotlight prematurely. (Perhaps such an apology should be aired on God TV.)

Can anything good come out of this?

That depends on how people respond. If the men assigned to oversee Bentley offer loving but firm correction, and if Bentley responds humbly to the process by stepping out of ministry for a season of rehabilitation, we could witness a healthy case of church discipline play out the way it is supposed to. If all those who were so eager to promote Bentley now rush just as fast to repent for their errors in judgment, then the rest of us could breathe a huge sigh of relief—and the credibility of our movement could be restored.

I still believe that God desires to visit our nation in supernatural power. I know He wants to heal multitudes, and I will continue praying for a healing revival to sweep across the United States. But we must contend for the genuine, not an imitation. True revival will be accompanied by brokenness, humility, reverence and repentance—not the arrogance, showmanship and empty hype that often was on display in Lakeland.

We are weathering an unprecedented season of moral failure and spiritual compromise in our nation today. I urge everyone in the charismatic world to pray for Bentley; his wife, Shonnah; his three young children; Bentley’s ministry staff; and the men and women who serve as his counselors and advisers. Let’s pray that God will turn this embarrassing debacle into an opportunity for miraculous restoration.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. To read Charisma’s news story on Todd Bentley’s recent announcement, http://www.charismamag.com/cms/news/archives/081208a.php.

Gee, You Think?

2008-07-27T16:00:00.001-07:00

"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first
instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life."
-- Theodore Roosevelt

A Dark Batman for 'The Dark Knight'

2008-07-15T19:17:00.002-07:00

This one isn't for kids. Let's just get that out up front. Every review I've read so far has pegged this Batman as wickedly dark.

"Even darker and more relentlessly serious than "Batman Begins," writes David Ansen of Newsweek.

"...do not, despite the PG-13 rating, bring the children" warns David Denby of The New Yorker.

Richard Corliss of Time writes "it's a wonder, and a puzzle, why The Dark Knight snagged a PG-13 rating. (Don't take your 9-year-old son unless you think he'd enjoy seeing a kid just like him tremble in fear while a gun is held to his head by a previously sympathetic character.)"

Corliss also shares that "With little humor to break the tension, The Dark Knight is beyond dark. It's as black — and teeming and toxic — as the mind of the Joker."

Apparently, its the performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker (who died after filming the movie at the young age of 28 from a prescription drug overdose), that pushes this film to the edge.

Pete Travers of Rolling Stone writes:

"Miles from Jack Nicholson's broadly funny take on the role in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman, Ledger takes the role to the shadows, where even what's comic is hardly a relief. No plastic mask for Ledger; his face is caked with moldy makeup that highlights the red scar of a grin, the grungy hair and the yellowing teeth of a hound fresh out of hell."

MSNBC's Alonso Duralde makes the point that "Ledger’s Joker is so intense...that very young children may find it too disturbing."

Reviews have so far been stellar for this latest Batman outing. Adults may get a kick out of this overly serious comic book adventure.

But just because its based on an American superhero icon, doesn't mean it's safe for the kids.

Thoughts on Consumerism #1

2008-07-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

Best Buy is Toys 'R' Us on steroids.

Sin and the Good News of Jesus Christ

2008-07-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Without sin, there is no need for a saviour.
Human nature is sinful. We desperately need the finished work of the cross of Jesus Christ in our lives.

Keep praying, keep repenting from selfishness, strife and rebellion.

Christians who ignore their sin nature end up sugar coating their shortcomings and fall into self-righteous religiosity. They end up straining at the gnats of carnality in the lives of others while swallowing and making excuses for the camels of carnality in their own.

No one is exempt from the fallen nature of the human heart. No preacher, no Christian... Yet some live in the lala land of assumed victory while they leave a trail of immature garbage behind them for other people to clean up.

Only Jesus Christ can clean the mess of the human heart. Only he was sinless. Only he could take away the penalty of our sins so that we could boldly go to the throne of grace without fear of being condemned by a holy and righteous God.
The penalty of our sins (death) was taken upon him. He paid the ultimate price. And because he died (and rose again), I live eternally.

Let us not be deceived in this day and age of 'sinless' Christianity.

Just because we don't get drunk or engage in works of the flesh that are without a doubt sinful, does not mean there is not a monster within each of us, beating just below the surface, ready to break out and fullfill its every selfish ambition no matter the cost.

We need help. We need Christ.

Everyday.

1Jn 1:8-10

If we say, "We aren't sinful" we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we've done wrong.
If we say, "We have never sinned," we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.

A Word of Caution from Prophet Vaughn Clark

2008-06-07T12:39:00.000-07:00

Below is a portion of an extremely relevant message from Prophet Vaughn Allen Clark.

Click here to read it in its entirety.

"There is no new revelation or teaching--there is nothing new under the sun.

Beware of extra-Scriptural revelations and teachings/visions claiming a higher authority than the Word of God. Such enticement and "higher" spirituality is the source of every great delusion, deception, sect, cult, and false religion on the planet.

This sort of "new hyper-revelation" is mystery religion, actually old deception whose roots can be found in Babylon and in the apostolic battles for the Truth in the First Century Church.

The mystic ascent to "higher dimension spirituality" is the necrotic vomit of some demonic pit. Satan has reserved this vent for this tumultuous moment--God has allowed this underworld breaking forth because of idolatry and departure from the Faith.

At the same time, the principles of the End-Time Harvest, the tares and the wheat, even the dragnet are in operation.

The Holy Spirit is being poured out on all flesh, our sons and daughters, our young men and old, will prophesy, dream dreams, have visions.

The Light is manifesting the darkness; the Glory of God is covering the earth--gross darkness is covering the people:

CHRIST IS FORCING ANTI-CHRIST INTO THE OPEN."

A Warning about the Current 'Lakeland Outpouring'

2008-06-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

A balanced, cautionary report on Todd Bentley and the Lakeland Outpouring from Dr. Leon van Rooyen, apostolic overseer of Life Center of Brandon:

A must read!

http://gmrinc.org/drleon/?p=12

The Lord Speaks: RESTORATION

2008-05-31T20:03:00.000-07:00

This is a prophetic word that was delivered by Life Center of Brandon church member, Julius Vaughn during our Friday night prayer meeting of May 30, 2008:

The quake is coming which will break the separation and bring the restoration. Breaking the self made walls of the world, lifting the walls of false protection - opening the doors of the church bringing those outside in and those inside out.

The Lord is bringing the quake - which will awaken us from our slumber of lies, deceit and selfish concerns.

We will walk out and greet those who do not dare come in.

The church will be restored and we will all rise a new creation.

Isn't it About Jesus?

2008-05-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

Todd Bentley claims God told him to promote an angel over Jesus.

Sound crazy? OF COURSE IT DOES!

Here's how Todd explains it:

God tells him, "Todd you’ve got to get the people to believe in the
angel."

To which Todd replies, "God why do I want people to believe in the angel?
Isn’t it about getting the people to believe in Jesus?"

God responds, "The people already believe in Jesus but the church
doesn’t believe in the supernatural."

Bentley expounds, "The Church has no problem believing in Jesus, what we don't believe in is the supernatural. We don't believe in angels. We don't believe in the prophetic. We don't believe in some of what's going on. And I'll tell you what, we need to have an awakening.

Listen in it's entirety here:
Living in The Way: AUDIO: Todd Bentley says it's NOT about Jesus?

It heretical to think that God the Father would take the attention off of His Son, the Christ, and place it on an angelic lesser being.

This is wide open for all kinds of dangerous doctrines and teachings.

Please be careful, folks!

Nightmares and the Lakeland 'Revival'

2008-05-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Some issues have come to light concerning the "Florida Outpouring" in Lakeland, FL.

These issues are serious and quite disconcerting.

First of all, some of the words that are shared are quite heretical.

Case in point, Saturday night, May 17.

Meeting officiator (I refuse to refer to him as any one of the five fold ministry gifts) Todd Bentley, was refering to the 'thick anointing' around his pulpit. He said this was due to an 'angel' that was standing next to his pulpit.

He told the people next to his pulpit that the 'angel' would heal them and 'COME INTO THEM'.

What is that?

This is unbelievable heresy! Only the Holy Spirit inhabits us as Christians, not angels!

The craziness continues.

Check out this link to his teachings on angels:

http://www.etpv.org/2003/angho.html

Be sure to read the part where he drops on all fours and roars like a lion in a convenience store.

I kid you not.

Several people we know personally have complained of bizarre experiences since attending these meetings with some regularity live or on-line.

The experiences have included:

1) Nightmares

2) Physical pain and worsening health

3 )Panic/anxiety attacks

4) Financial problems

5) Seeing glimpses of what looks like people standing in corners, sitting on furniture, strange lights in rooms and insects scurrying across walls.

Please remember these exeriences have happened AFTER being involved with Bentley's ministry.

If you think these are unrelated to Todd Bentley, please read this testimony I found online from Andrew Strom's website after I started hearing about and experiencing some of the above symptoms:

A Spirit-filled pastor that I know from the UK who has been following ToddBentley's ministry closely for some years wrote to me about what he himself has
observed since the year 2000:
"When Todd Bentley conducted a healing meeting
in a large charismatic church here in England in 2005, he laid hands on many
people who were apparently healed. I know of at least one instance where a
pastor's wife with cancer was prayed for by Todd. Soon afterwards she heard
voices in her head telling her to 'drown herself just like her father did'. The
poor woman ended up in a mental hospital, I believe she still has the cancer.

Taken from: http://www.revivalschool.com/florida.html

If you need more proof of heretical weirdness, please read what Bentley himself has said about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit:

Let me give you a little background. I was impacted years ago, and first
introduced to this kind of intimacy, through the ministries of Benny Hinn and
Kathryn Kuhlman. They opened the way for me to go beyond the power of God’s
Spirit, the gifts or any kind of experience like the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

http://www.freshfire.ca/index.php?Act=read&status=teaching&Id=231&pid=954&bid=955

You see that? "Go beyond the power of God's Spirit..." I didn't know there was such a place.

My concern right now is for all the people enamored with this ministry and the damage that will eventually follow.

This is why as Sr. Pastor of Life Center of Brandon, I, the church, its pastoral staff and its Board of Directors do not in any way endorse the ministry of Todd Bentley or the 'Florida Outpouring' in Lakeland.

There are a few preachers I do not agree with on certain points of scripture, but I have never, as a Christian or as a pastor, stepped out and labeled them as heretics as I do Todd Bentley.

Unbiblical, New Age and para-occult theology runs rampant in Bentley's so-called ministry along with some of his ministerial affiliates.

The word of God reveals that in the last days there would be false teachers and false doctrines that if possible, would even deceive the very elect.

Today's Christian must not be blown to and fro by every wind of doctrine.

To all those who are saying that anyone who speaks against this 'revival' is of the devil or 'pharisees', just remember all teaching and ministry must be judged according to the word of God. We must have 'black and white' for everything we teach and embrace.

Ironic how Bentley boasts on getting 'words of knowledge' about people but rarely seems to get an accurate word of knowledge about scripture.

There comes a time when a we must draw the line. That time has come. The line is drawn.

The Principle Thing

2008-05-13T12:54:00.000-07:00

"God's wisdom is the blueprint of life."

- Pastor Ellery

Raised from Dead

2008-03-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Click on the link below and check out this news story from WSVN NEWS in Miami, FL of a man wo was apparently raised from the dead by a Christian physician:

Raised from the Dead

President Who?

2008-02-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

'The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD.'
Proverbs 16:33

The outcome of the Super Bowl, every card game played in Vegas, every lottery, and even our Presidential elections do not take God by surprise.
He knows - and even determines - the outcome of every event.

Let's look at Proverbs 16:33 in several different translations:

'We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.' (NLT)

'The dice are thrown, but the LORD determines every outcome.' (God's Word)

'Make your motions and cast your votes, but God has the final say.' (The Message)

'The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly of the Lord [even the events that seem accidental are really ordered by Him].' (AMP)

So basically, we can live our lives to their fullest, knowing God controls the outcome of every event put into play.

Have your enemies risen up against you? Circumstances wearing you down? It ain't over until God says it's over.

Thanks 'LifeStories'!

2008-02-09T09:07:00.001-08:00

Christian Acoustic Duo 'LifeStories' recently performed at our Wednesday Worship Nights Cafe.
They truly blessed us with their worshipful sound, God honoring testimony and humble hearts.

Based out of Tampa, the duo consists of Talesha Hogan -vocalist / songwriter and Craig Garrison, acoustic and electric guitarist. Their music is a cross-section of originals and other contemporary standards that describe their life and journey with Jesus Christ our Lord.

For more info:

http://www.lifestoriestheband.homestead.com
http://www.shoutlife.com/lifestories

Lifestories will also be performing at the following events this weekend and next Tuesday:

2/09 Gospel Jamboree, Dade City, Fl 2pm

2/10 Grace Nazarene Tampa, Fl 11am

2/12 Java Delights Coffee House, Zephyrhills, Fl 6pm

Assets and Liabilities

2008-02-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

"When we live for ourselves, our weaknesses become liabilities. When we live for God, our weaknesses become assets."

- Pastor Ellery

Issues and Candidates

2008-01-31T13:05:00.000-08:00

The Iraq War, health care, taxes, embryonic stem cell research, the Federal Marriage Amendment, abortion, immigration...

Where do the presidential candidates stand on these issues?

Check out the link below:

http://www.usavoter.com/index.html

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time

2007-12-27T09:20:00.000-08:00

Many families were tremendously blessed this past Sunday at our 2007 Christmas Banquet and Toy Giveaway.

Thank you, members of Life Center of Brandon for making it a success.

We also would like to thank the Brandon, FL Wal-Mart on Causeway Blvd for giving us the opportunity to collect toy donations from its customers during the month of December.

If you happened to be one of the many who made a donation toward our toy drive this year, we pray the Lord will bless you for your generosity!

Click on the link below to see pictures of the event:

2007 Christmas Banquet

(Photos by Sarah Matthewson)

Marriage is not Football

2007-12-17T07:08:00.000-08:00

Baseball, football, hockey...

There are many competitive sports in the world. Marriage is not one of them.

Ephesians 528-31

So husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself.

No one ever hated his own body. Instead, he feeds and takes care of it, as Christ takes care of the church.

We are parts of his body.

That's why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will be one.

The Golden Compass: BRING IT!

2007-12-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

First, I just want to say that New Line Cinema's "The Golden Compass" is IN NO WAY CONNECTED WITH Walden Media's "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.

I say that because someone I know erroneously mentioned that "The Golden Compass" was written by the 'same guy' who wrote "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".

C.S. Lewis wrote the entire Narnia series.

Philip Pullman, who wrote the book upon which the "The Golden Compass" is based, was no fan of C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia".

According to Focus on the Family:

Pullman represents the polar opposite of Lewis. Pullman has repeatedly—and with apparent glee—lashed out at both Lewis and the faith he represents. "I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with a deep and bitter passion," he told one interviewer, "with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling-away."

You can read that entire article here.

Here is brief synposis of the "The Golden Compass" from Wikipedia:

The Golden Compass is a fantasy film based upon Northern Lights (titled The Golden Compass in the US), the first novel in Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials.The story concerns Lyra, an orphan living in a fantastical parallel universe in which a dogmatic dictatorship, the Magisterium, threatens to dominate. When Lyra's friend is kidnapped, she travels to the far North in an attempt to rescue him.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Compass_(film)

So, should you take the young-uns (or yourself) to see this movie?

Focus on the Family had this to say in their review of "The Golden Compass":

This epic journey to a world in which a theocratic agency [the Magisterium]kidnaps and tortures children is grim and joyless. The violence may be generally bloodless, but the tale's tone is anything but inviting. No matter what the ads may say, it fundamentally lacks the wonder and the splendor of C.S. Lewis' and J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy creations—not to mention their grasp of spiritual truth.

Read Focus on the Family's complete review of "The Golden Compass".

Christianity Today offers this insight:

And so we come to the film's treatment of religion. Serafina [the witch who serves as the films narrator] says the coming war—which, in the second and third books, is revealed to be a war against the Judeo-Christian God—will bring an end to "destiny" and establish a new era of "free will." What that means exactly is not spelled out, not in this movie, but we can get a sense of it from the fact that nearly all of this film's villains work for the church-like Magisterium, which spends much of its time "telling people what to do."

Read Christianity Today's complete review of "The Golden Compass".

Movieguide (Dr. Ted Baehr's organization) wrote:

THE GOLDEN COMPASS is not a great story like THE LORD OF THE RINGS or THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, after which it is purposely patterned. Many of the themes of atheist Philip Pullman’s book are merely reactionary devices to the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA that try to express his hate for parents in general, his hate for Christianity and its leaders and people, and his hate for authority. The book is also designed to motivate the reader through fear and self-gratification.

Read his full review here.

Some other troubling concepts arise in this film.

From Focus on the Family:

Every human being in Lyra's [the films protangonist] world has a dæmon, an external animal representation of their souls. Dæmons shift form while a child is growing up, settling on one particular animal in adolescence. Even though dæmons are a part of each person, they have a functionally independent identity and personality, appearing to be something along the lines of what our world refers to as familiar spirits.

Dr. Ted Baehr adds this:

...in the interest of self-satisfaction, it motivates children to seek to be joined with occult, demonic powers and principalities to get their own way. The official website has an area where children can meet their own daemon. It says: “To discover your very own Daemon, look into your heart, and answer the following twenty questions openly and honestly. Your true character and the form of your Daemon will be reveled…”

Not cool.

On the secular front, most reviews have been less than stellar. So far the film has only garnered a 44% positve rating from Rottentomatoes.

The attacks on Christianity from Pullman in his writings are hard core, but we serve a very big and very real God.

This is but one sign that the fires of adversity are being stoked against the American church.

But we are about to enter our finest hour.

This adversity will only help to burn the idolatry, laziness, nihilism and complaceny that has has gripped us through false prosperity (materialism and greed).

So if men like Pullman want to turn up the heat...BRING IT!

That Crazy Golden Compass

2007-12-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

Seems there's a bit of controversy surrounding New Line Cinema's upcoming movie "The Golden Compass".

Below is a link to an article on the film's source material by our friends over at Focus on the Family:

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0003516.cfm

It's Black Friday, What Would Jesus Buy?

2007-12-01T07:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Black Friday came and went a couple of weeks ago and for the first time in years, I decided not to participate.

No standing in lines, no waking up at 2 am to get somewhere to buy something.

It's not like I didn't know what was on sale. You can find those sales ads online (http://bfads.net/).

It's just that I didn't care.

Yes, in the world of Wal-Mart altars and consumer created gods, this is heresy I know.

But it's at the point for me, that what the most powerful retailers in America have to offer, doesn't add up to a hill of beans.

In Luke 12:15 we read what Jesus said:

"Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed.
Life is not about having a lot of material possessions."

Stuff doesn't make us happy. Jesus does!

Stuff breaks or ends up in garage sales. Jesus never does!

My relationship with Christ is eternal and valuable beyond the big screen trinkets of life.

I was shocked to see that people were camped out in front of Best Buy since the day before Thanksgiving this year.

But am I against stuff? How can I be, since I myself have my fair share.

Am I against Black Friday? Not really, I know retailers have profits to make and employees to pay.

What I stand against is the never ending hunt for bigger and better stuff in an attempt to fill the empty void in our lives.

Stuff can't do that. Only Jesus Christ can.

There will always be bigger TV's, faster computers and cooler I-Pods.

Jesus is the only constant that never changes.

Jesus is the only one who can truly add value and purpose to our lives.

Only Jesus can fill the aching void deep within.

With Jesus, everything changes.

Historically, Jesus was crucified and died on a Friday. That was the day he purchased us from the mastery of sin.

That was his Black Friday.

He went shopping that day on the cross of Calvary.

What he bought was you. The currency he used was his own life.

If you don't know him, today is good day to invite him into your life.

A simple prayer is all it takes:

"Jesus I need you, give me a new life, a new start.
Forgive me of my sins...of all the wrong I've ever done...
I believe you died for me...
paid the price of my wrongdoings and sin...
I believe you rose from the dead and are alive today.
I believe you are who I need right now to change my life for the
better."

God bless.

Bible School Witchcraft

2007-11-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

We had a interesting experience Sunday night during our bible institute class.

We were in chapter 6 of the Evanglism II module, covering world religions and cults.

My lecture included an overview of New Age practices and beliefs with a brief look at modern day witchcraft and Wicca.

Towards the end of the lecture, one of our students quietly got up, left the classroom, and sought out Pastor Loraine for prayer.

I could sense an "uneasiness" had entered the room. Fear was at work.

Pastor Loraine entered the classroom with the student who had left, and called for a time of prayer. She said the student had come to her with symptoms of anxiety and dizzyness.

As the students took each others hands and prepared to pray, we instructed them to renounce all witchcraft, wizardry, new age and occult practices that may have entered into their lives by their own choice or by their upbringing as children.

All of us lifted our voices to heaven, asking the Lord to protect us as we repented and renounced any and all participation with the occult.

We felt the sense of fear and uneasiness dissipate as the presence of God entered the room.

After prayer, some of the students testified what had happened to them during that time.

One woman, a native Hawaiian by birth, said she did not recall anything in her life that warranted the renouncment of the occult. She said she had never knowingly dabbled in such things.

Once prayer began however, the Lord brought to her remebrance her indoctrination as a little girl into her culture's occultic folklore.

"Hawaii has gods for everything," she said, "Fire, earth, water...I was taught them all. I had no idea those beliefs and teachings were so ingrained in me."

Another woman, a native of North Carolina, told us how she and her her sister were always told they would carry on their families legacy of occult healing and divination.

A young man was convicted of his participation in 'travel' forms of occultism. He had travelled to places where tourists had been encouraged to give peace offerings to the 'native gods of the land' to appease their 'wrath'.

This was major.

I addressed the class and told them the occult is a sin as any other. It has no more power than lieing, stealing, etc.

The occult is subject to the blood and cross of Christ like ALL OTHER SINS!

The important thing is not to elevate our perception of the occult to a special status, thinking it is virtually impervious to the blood and power of Christ.

The occult is a work of the flesh like all other sins:

Galations 5:

19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

When we belong to Christ Jesus, witchcraft, sorcery and the occult have ZERO power over us.
We can renounce and ask for forgiveness of these sins the same way we do for all others!

Jesus is stronger than any occult practice. He is stronger than any spell, incantation or curse.
Demons tremble in his presence!

So fear not!

As our experience Sunday night showed us, the power of God is always available to flush away the illusions, fears and onslaught of the occult!

Amen!

Ministry and Passion

2007-11-05T08:23:00.000-08:00

If people are not your passion, get out of the ministry.

Who are You this Halloween?

2007-10-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

A preacher friend of mine recently talked to me about Halloween, saying:

"You know, it's funny. Some of us Christians won't participtate in Halloween. We refuse to go out and buy a mask or a costume and play dress up like most other people. "

"How is that funny?" I asked.

"It's funny because some of us don't have a problem wearing a mask year round and pretending to be someone we're not."

"Ah, I see, " I replied, "the hypocrisy thing, right?

"Yes, of course. But I was thinking how sad it is that many of us are deathly afraid of removing our masks for fear of rejection from others."

"That's interesting...."

"Sure. Think of it...How ironic that most Halloween masks are designed to turn us into monsters...Into something horrible...Yet the typical Christian mask we wear is designed not to scare others, but to hide our monstrosities from the world at large.
Some of us feel so unworthy, so destitute, so...not up to par with everyone else, that we feel the need to cover ourselves up with the smiling mask of fickle commitments and fair-weather friendships."

"Wow..."

"Yeah, 'wow'...So who are we going to be this Halloween?"

"I'm sure you have an idea."

"Wouldn't it be interesting if we used Halloween as the occasion to unmask ourselves before the world? As others prepare to be someone or something they're not, we capitalize on this night to become the someone we really are?"

"Scary!"

"Yes, but only then will most of us discover the liberating freedom and healing that's in Jesus Christ."

"So we shall know the truth..."

"'Yes, and that truth shall make us free."

2007-10-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Strange Tales of the Supernatural
The Mother's Prayer

A young boy sat and played upon a wall.

As he leapt to the ground, his feet gave way beneath him, allowing his face to strike the ground with all its might.

His mother, seeing the accident from afar, ran to him.

Arriving, she took the boy in her arms and saw his nose bent and broken, as well as the flesh about his eyes greatly blackened and bruised.

Now the woman was a faithful believer in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Laying her hands upon him, she called out to the Lord, saying:
"Jesus, heal him!"

At once, the boy's nose became whole and his briuses were diminished.

The Lord had healed him.

2007-10-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Strange Tales of the Supernatural
The Green Card

Now a certain woman who had moved from her native land to a great nation was in need of a Green Card.

So the woman cried out to the Lord, saying:

"Hear my heart oh, Lord! Renew my VISA and grant me my Green Card so that I may travel among the nations again!"

Now her home church also prayed to the Lord on her behalf.

At the beginning of the week, they lifted up their voices to Heaven saying:

"Oh Lord, we ask you to bring forth this woman's Green Card! For she has sought you these many months believing you for the answer to her prayers!"

Now the wife of a certain man who sat near the back of the sanctuary arose and proclaimed:

"My husband has heard us pray for a green car! Are we praying for a green car?"

"We have not prayed for a green car," answered the pastor, "we have prayed for a Green Card! Although at your word, we will now also pray for a green car."

"Yes," replied the woman, "do pray a car for me also for my current one is in need of much mechanical repair."

So the church also besought the Lord for the green car.

Now after not many days, the woman, the one who also was faithful in the tithe and offering, glorified the Lord saying:

"A certain one called me, saying the Lord had spoken to her to give me one of her cars!
A used car, but one with low miles, well maintained, very clean, luxurious and even green! Yes, the Lord has heard our prayers for the green car!"

After many more days, the Lord also granted her request for the Green Card.

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised! Blessed be the name of the Lord forever!

Selah

2007-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Strange Tales of the Supernatural
The Widow and the Vomiting Devil

Praying for a certain widow, a young minister declared:

"Lord, let the devil regurgitate everything he has stolen and is trying to keep from this woman!"
Certain others were amazed at the saying.

"He has told the devil to vomit upon her!" they said.

Yet on the seventh day, the widow glorified God saying:

"How great is the Lord! For within these seven days He has answered the cry of His servant!

He has released the benefits and money due to me from the time of my husbands death these many years ago!

He has returned to me the business of my youth from my former partner who desires to sign it over to me free and clear!

He has returned to me the young child I cared for as a babysitter many years ago! The one I loved as mine own but was taken from me!

He has been returned to me with signed adoption papers, ready to become a son in mine own home!

May the Lord be praised forever!"

The young minister quoted from Job 20:12-15 saying:

"Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he hides it under his tongue....
Though he savors it and won't let go of it and he holds it on the roof of his mouth,
the food in his belly turns sour. It becomes snake venom in his stomach.
He vomits up the riches that he swallowed. God forces them out of his stomach."

2007-10-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

Strange Tales of the Supernatural
The Generous Man

A businessman found himself having compassion on a certain laborer who had done some contractual work for him.
He paid the laborer his wage plus a little extra that he had in his pocket.
Not having a check, he wished he were able to do more.
Upon leaving, he found a nice sum of money by the side of the road. The exact amount he had just paid the laborer.
"I could thank God for the blessing of allowing me to break even on my deal..." he thought,
"Or I could thank God for providing me the resources to bless the laborer as I originally planned."
So he took the money he found, returned to the laborer and presented the money to him.
The laborer was blessed, but the businessman was blessed more.

Selah.

2007-09-09T16:56:00.000-07:00

Weak and Naked in the Presence of God

A pastor I know had quite an experience recently at one of his Sunday morning services.

I will recall it as best I know how:

Apparently, at the tail end of the worship service, his worship leader shared with the congregation what he felt the Lord was saying to his heart.

"It's time! " he said as he played his guitar, "The Lord says the time is now!"

After this, the pastors wife got up and told everyone how she was feeling a sense of urgency from the Lord.

"Don't let this moment pass... " she stressed as the musicians played spontaneously behind her.

There seemed to be an atmosphere for people to make some important decisions about their walk with God.

Suddenly, the word "disarm" went through the pastor's mind.

Was this word of the Spirit of God or just a random imagining?

Then he saw it... In his mind's eye, he saw his pulpit (he uses a rather fancy music stand as one) tilted on its side in front of the altar.

That was it.

When his wife had finished speaking, he shared that word with the congregation.

"I keep hearing the word 'disarm'" he said, "I think we should take anything that we have right now that is a symbol of all of our strengths, gifts, talents and abilities and lay them down at the altar before the Lord. We need to disarm before God."

At that point, he lifted the pulpit and said "Right now...this pulpit serves as the symbol of my authority here in this church. We teach from it, we preach from it...So...I'm going to lay it down at the altar..."

At that point, one by one, people began to flood the altar.

A Berkely music school grad, along with a local business owner, a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, a head of a local ministry, and others came forward. Each of them either kneeling or spreading themselves face down on the floor before the Lord.

Even the worship leader took his guitar and laid it on its side as he prayed.

After a few moments, the pastor said he fought every inclination in his soul to try and "explain" to everyone what was happening.

"This too was symbol of my strength..." he said.

So off came his headset mic as he continued to kneel at the altar.

Minutes later, amongst the weeping, the prayers and the soft music being played by what was left of the worship musicians, a few people at the altar spoke up.

One said the Lord was requiring this time of surrender inorder to prepare His people to effectively minister to others.

Another cried out to the Lord that we would all continue to pursue and not miss the will of God for our lives.

Finally, someone shared that this 'disarming' was an experience of being naked before the Lord.

They continued to say we should even lay down our righteousness before Him. This was to be in gratitude for the righteousness that was all his to begin with. We took what we grasped as our own and acknowledged it was never ours to begin with.

This truly was a day of being weak and naked in the presence of God.

1 Corinthians 1 (AMP)

26For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth.

27[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.

28And God also selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is lowborn and insignificant and branded and treated with contempt, even the things that are nothing, that He might depose and bring to nothing the things that are,

29So that no mortal man should [have pretense for glorying and] boast in the presence of God.

30But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our Wisdom from God, [revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as] our Righteousness [thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God], and our Consecration [making us pure and holy], and our Redemption [providing our ransom from eternal penalty for sin].

31So then, as it is written, Let him who boasts and proudly rejoices and glories, boast and proudly rejoice and glory in the Lord.

2007-09-07T04:53:00.000-07:00

Has anyone been keeping up with the reports of vanishing honeybees?

Check out this article for starters.

Reminds me of this scripture:

1 Corinthians 1:27

But God chose what the world considers nonsense to put wise people to shame. God chose what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame.

2007-09-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Weakness is the Secret Ingredient of Greatness

Matthew 20:24-28 (the Message)

Jesus got them together to settle things down.

He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you.

Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.

Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave.

That is what the Son of Man has done:

He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."

2 Corinthians 12:6-9 (The Message)

6If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.

7 -10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations.

Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees.

No danger then of walking around high and mighty!

At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it.

Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen.

I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift.

It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness.

Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks.

I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2007-08-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

What's in a Name?

Here's a great article on the various names of God that appear throughout the bible.
Written by Norma Philbert, it is an adaption of an interactive teaching series she did at our mid-week church service.

Praying the Names of God
by Norma Philbert

2007-07-05T16:49:00.001-07:00

We had our annual Fish Fry June 30th at Medard Park in Plant City, FL.

Beautiful weather, great friends and wonderful food!

Special thanks to our Head Usher, George Miller, for setting up the outdoor kitchen and cooking the Tilapia!

Kudos to everyone who brought something to share with everyone and also to April and Frank who specially seasoned a portion of the fish "Puerto Rican Style"!

Click here or the photo above to see the rest of the pictures from that day!

Man and Superman

2007-06-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

What a great Father's Day service last Sunday! We had a special Father's Day breakfast that included plenty of bacon, sausage biscuits, donuts, pancakes (we called them MANCAKES in honor of Father's Day!!) and fresh fruit.

A special thanks to Sister Pam for making the sausage biscuits; Sister Chandra for bringing the fruit tray; Pastor Loraine for cooking up the bacon and pancakes; sister Penny for bringing assorted donuts (can't go wrong with donuts!).

A special heartfelt thanks goes to Brother Julius who brought a bouquet of flowers in memory of his father who passed away earlier this year.

Sunday's message was geared to all the guys. Our theme was "David's Mighty Men: Traits of a Godly Superman"

I took the liberty of calling David's Mighty Men David's 'Supermen' inorder to keep in line with our "Superman" theme for Father's Day. Worked out very well!

In a nutshell:

The account is from 2 Samuel 23: 8-12

The top three (of the thirty-seven) mighty men are:

Jashobeam the Hachmonite (as he is called in 1 Chronicles 11:11)

Eleazar, son of Dodo

and Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite.

Superman trait #1 is WISDOM and HUMILITY.

That's what Jashobeam the Hachmonite represents. 'Hachmonite' means WISDOM.

James 3:13 tells us that wisdom and humility go hand in hand.

"Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his [good] works with the [unobtrusive] humility [which is the proper attribute] of true wisdom."

(AMP)

Superman trait #2 is LETTING GOD HELP US.

'Eleazar' means "help of God"

Psalms 121: 1-2

"...From whence shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."

We need to LET GOD HELP US (in prayer and in the word!)

Superman trait #3 is THE CROSS OF CHRIST

Shammah's name means 'waste, loss, horror, and destruction".

But it also means 'astonishment and wonderful thing'.

This speaks of the cross of Christ.

Hebrews 12:2

"...He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God."

In our lives we all have areas of waste, loss, horror and destruction.

But if we take our 'loss to the cross' the Lord Himself will exchange that loss and that waste for something wonderful and astonishing!

Isaiah 61:1-4

1THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted....

3To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion--to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit--that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

4And they shall rebuild the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former desolations and renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

No matter how terrible your life has been, God can make you a Superman today!

A man of

Wisdom and Humility

Who seeks the help of the Lord

And who goes to the cross of Jesus Christ to trade his life of waste for a life of wonder!

2007-06-08T21:05:00.001-07:00

I took this picture at about 7:45pm on 6/08/07 in Tampa, FL.

The shot is from Hillsborough Avenue looking east.

"When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.”

Genesis 9:16:16

Spider-Man 3: Back in Black

2007-05-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

He's back. This time with a chip on his shoulder and an axe to grind.

In our previous Pop Culture post, we hoped for the best in Spider-Man 3.

We weren't hoping that the movie would smash every box office record in existence (which it did), but rather that it would retain the innocence and values of the last two movies while keeping the main character relatively squeaky clean.
In other words, we were hoping that Spidey would remain kid friendly and mother approved.

After viewing the movie, I can sigh a sigh of relief. Hollywood did not inject this one with its patented, morally perverse world view.

Amidst the dark tones (Spidey's new black suit amplifies his lust for vengeance, power, and fame), Spider-Man 3 still delivers a character kids can count on.

There's plenty of morality in this movie.

I was surprised to find such strong messages on self-sacrifice, forgiveness, repentance, redemption and choices.

Don't be afraid of Spider-Man's brief trip to the dark side. It's a lesson for all of us on the destructive power of pride and the deadly sting of sin.

We all have a "black suit" we like to wear from time to time. And like Spidey's, our black suit wants to bond with us and take over our lives, creating misery in us and in the people around us.

Spidey's black suit was eventually called "Venom". Ours is simply called "sin".

But just as Spidey goes to the cross to rid himself of his "Venom", (in the movie, he battles his black suit persona in the bell tower of a church), so we must go the cross of Christ to rid ourselves of ours.

Hebrews 11 reads:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith,
let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.
Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;
then you won’t become weary and give up.

4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Spider-Man 3 brings to the summer movie screen the "struggle against sin" in a big budget super-hero parable.

In his review for Focus on the Family, Bob Hoose writes:

"...the CGI web-slinging and sandy shape-shifting may be right off the pages of a comic book, but the struggle it represents is of biblical proportions. (Romans 7 chimes in with, "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.") And the movie's ultimate resolutions take on a scriptural tone as well."

(Click on the link above to read the entire article or click here.)

Last summer's comic book adventure, Superman Returns, gave us a super-hero as a saviour.

This summer's comic book adventure, Spider-Man 3, gives us a super-hero in need of a saviour.

Spider-Mans back in black? Yes he is, but thank God he doesn't stay that way.

2007-05-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

Hope for Spider-Man

Friday, May 4th heralds the return of pop-culture icon Spiderman to the big screen in this summers pending hit, "Spiderman 3".

To be sure, I liked both Spiderman 1 and 2. Surprisingly, so did my wife (maybe that's just because she loves me, but that's another blog entry...).

I'm reminded of a story I first heard regarding a draft of the script for the first movie. Apparently, someone wrote a scene where Spidey wields a knife and attacks a bad guy, injuring him fatally. To the rescue came the producers who basically said "You can't do that!"

They knew a scene of that nature with Spiderman would have destroyed the entire movie series.

This is one of the reasons I enjoyed Spiderman 1 and 2.

Here is a fictional hero in today's culture that keeps it relatively clean.

Even at PG-13 (for stylized action/violence and mild language), the innocence of Spiderman/Peter Parker shines through.

Will Spiderman 3 hold up in that department?

Will it still herald the classic values of family, love, responsibilty, friendship, fatherhood, and purpose?

Will kids (including the one in all of us) still be able to look up to him as a good guy whether he's in or out of costume?

Lets hope so.

2007-05-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Healings

"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8

Three people testified of supernatural, physical healings by God this past Sunday at church.
This woman's testimony dates back to our 4-22-07 service, where she entered the church with a walker but left walking without it. She testified she has been "walker free" ever since.

This woman entered the church with pain
in her arm and neck area. She usually sings on the worship team but had to sit out that morning because the pain was too great.

At the end of praise and worship, she came to the mic and testified the pain was gone. She was even able to lift and hold this little baby for its mother as the mother received prayer.

Another woman came to the mic and testified that a pain in her shoulder disappeared during praise and worship.

He is a wonderful God, people!

2007-04-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

What a Morning!

What a spirit of love and praise! We had people come up to the platform and actually 'join the band'! We had kids come up to play percussion instruments and sing back-up. A singer from the audience came up to the platform and sang an improvisational song from his heart about the saving grace of God! You can listen to the song by clicking the "Julius's Song" link above.

Have you joined the Lord's band? He wants you to join today. Race, color, gender, age whatever your thing...He wants you in the band!

Ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart! Give him your life!

And welcome to THE BAND!

You can view more photos from this mornings service here.

2007-04-20T06:25:00.000-07:00

Good Morning in Tampa

Thank you Lord, for this beautiful day!

(Photo was taken this morning at about 7:45am from the Bank of America parking garage.

Shot is facing east down Jackson St. in downtown Tampa.)

2007-04-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

New Bible School

It was our very first bible school class with 15 in attendance this past Sunday night at Life Center. We use the curriculum of Global Ministries and Relief (http://www.gmrinc.org/) by Dr. Leon van Rooyen.

Congratulations to our all our students!

The Greatness of God

2007-04-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

God is Great.