The time is short! Satan's people are already starting to shut down web pages. I encourage people to copy this newsletter and send it forth! Feel free to post this newsletter on web pages, to mail it to people, print it, or to send it into email newsgroups on the internet. There is an open copyright on this newsletter. This means it may be freely posted, printed, or transmitted in any way as long as it is NOT changed. (www.heavensoon.com)
INTRODUCTION
This article will look at several deceptions that are preparing the hearts of people for the soon rise of the antichrist. The beast (antichrist) will not just rise to power without first having the hearts of people prepared to receive him. To this end, Satan and his followers are working many deceptions and lies which remove the belief in the Bible as the Word of God. The root of the deceptions used today started way back in the Garden of Eden. The devils tactics have not changed from the garden. Only the package of lies has been changed to offer many variations of the same deception.
We start by looking at the deception in the garden of Eden:
Gen 3
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit
of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,
God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your
eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Look at the above account in the garden of Eden where Satan deceived Eve and she ate of the forbidden fruit. I want you to notice a two things:
Deception 1) verse 4... Satan denied the Word of God. He contradicted God and told Eve that she would not die if she ate of the fruit when God said she would die. I call this the: Hath God said deception. Satan denies the clear Word of God and says... hath God said... The Devil says: Don't believe God, instead believe in me and what I have to say!
Deception 2) verse 5 ...Satan promised Eve to be wise and a 'god'. This deception is the empty promise of godhood or the ability for one to become a god.
The above two deceptions have not changed in all of human history. Satan continues to deceive lost men and women by the same two lies. Satan gets men to deny the Word of God and he promises the lost the ability to become gods. This form of deception is very appealing to lost people and it continues to work to this very day!
This article will cover the many deceptions today that have their roots in deception 1 or deception 2 from the garden of Eden.
AN OVERLOOKED PROPHECY
We are in the very last days before the return of the Lord Jesus! There is one prophecy that is being overlooked in these last days. Prophecy teachers have taught about earthquakes, wars, rumors of wars, the coming antichrist kingdom etc. All these things are good to study and they certainly relate to the end of the age and Bible prophecy. However, there is one sign that is being consistently missed and overlooked. That is the sign of deception in these last days. Here is a warning from the Lord Jesus:
Matt 24
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect.
Did you read the above carefully? The Lord Jesus said that in the last days before His return deception would be so great that even His elect could be deceived. Deception is a condition of the world in these last days. Many people are not aware that deception is a major sign of the end of the age! It is very important to keep your guard up. This is done by daily Bible reading and walking close to the Lord.
I have to say that Christians, church assemblies, and pastors are consistently ignoring the deceptions of these last days. We are living in days of great deceptions and very few are aware (or actually care) about the many deceptions of our day. The sad situation is the mental atmosphere to not challenge false teaching. Some are deceived to think one should not judge heresy and call it what it really is. Many are deceived and just accept and tolerate heresy which is a very wrong thing to do. This can be deadly when a pastor leads the people under his charge astray.
In this article we will look at the build up of deceptions to the time of the antichrist. Deception has gone very far and who knows what will be coming in the days ahead before antichrist is revealed. Satan has been preparing the world now for many years so that the antichrist may arise and be accepted by the lost. In order to do this Satan will make full use of Deception 1 (deny the Bible - hath God said) and Deception 2 (promise to be a god).
I believe that we are very close in human history to the time when the Lord will rapture home His church and allow the antichrist to rise to power. Time is running out and we are in the very last days before the return of the Lord Jesus. This means all Christians need to be very aware of the danger of deception in these last days.
I certainly hope Christians will begin to use their discernment to stand against the doctrines of devils that are being passed as truth.
We will start with a foundational deception that has laid the groundwork for many to reject the Word of God. That deception is:
Psalm 14
1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are
corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that
doeth good.
Evolution is really a religion and it takes tons of blind faith to believe in its foolishness. Here is how the fairy tale deception of evolution goes: You see billions of years ago nothing exploded and created everything. Over the passage of time after the big explosion of nothing, called the big bang, the god of time and chance went to work. Life came from non-life. Order came out of disorder. In fact this was the only explosion ever that created order out of disorder! All it took was billions of years and the god of evolution (time and random chance). It is hard to believe that men who claim to be intelligent believe this foolishness. I guess this is why God calls these people fools.
Also, did you know that our great great grandfather was a rock according to the religion of evolution? It's true! Here is how the tall tale goes! You see the earth was cooling some time after the big bang from nothing. At that time, we are told that it began to rain. This rain upon the rocks caused various minerals to leach away. All this formed some kind of soup mixture in the water on earth. From this soup came our great great great granddad who formed all by himself! In fact grandpa formed with the ability to eat and reproduce himself! From grandpa came all the life on earth today after more time (billions of years) and random chance creating order from disorder. All this was done without a designer! There is no God according to the evolutionist. Instead, over billions of years things just evolved to their present state.
Lets recap the fairy tale of evolution: Out of nothing came matter. This matter exploded and created the stars and planets. As one of the planets cooled the rain caused soup to form from the cooling rocks. From that soup came all the living things on earth. All that was needed was the god of evolution - time and random chance to make things evolve to their present state. Do you see what I said about the blind faith required to believe such foolishness? Can you see how this is a foolish theory by those who want nothing to do with the Lord? These people hate God and want nothing to do with the Lord so they dreamed up this false religious deception of evolution. They believe this deception and cling to it with all their heart! These lost people have no other choice as the only other alternative is that God created the heavens and the earth making all men accountable to Him! The thought of being accountable to a creator God is unacceptable to the evolutionist. Therefore they remain blinded on their pathway to hell.
From a deception point of view, how does the lie of evolution fit in. First Satan uses Deception 1 (hath God said) with evolution. In the Bible there are hundreds of verses that state very clearly that God created the heaven and the earth. But Satan comes along and says (hath God said)... that's not true... mankind evolved from the big nothing bang without any God. The end result is Satan has been very successful by using deception 1 (hath God said) on lost people.
Secondly, Satan uses evolution in the promise of godhood lie (deception 2). People today are being told that mankind is about to evolve to a higher plane of existence in these enlightened days. The final evolution and the path of mankind is to realize that we are all gods! We are all gods and our godhood resides within (says Satan)! So both deception 1 (hath God said) and deception 2 (godhood) are used today with the lies and deception of evolution. Don't be deceived by this foolishness! These people are blind leaders of the blind and they are willingly ignorant of the facts of God's creation. Here is what the Bible says:
Rom 1
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for
God hath shewed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and
their foolish heart was darkened.
22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
The next deception preparing the hearts of the lost for the antichrist is the deception of UFO's.
UFO's are a part of the occult. They can be contacted by spiritism, channeling, or trances. The day is coming, after the rapture when UFO's will be openly seen in the world. Satan and his demons will be unleashed to deceive and lead astray all who reject the Lord Jesus and salvation. Imagine seeing demons openly manifested on earth during the time of the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy (after the rapture). These demons will walk around and claim to be friendly space aliens and they will deceive many!
To prosper this deception Satan has prepared the hearts of lost people over the years with movies, books, and TV shows that explore evolutionary stories with aliens and life on other planets.
Did you know that UFO's have a gospel? It is a false gospel that totally rejects the Bible. Here are the following are the major beliefs or theology of UFO'ology:
1) God is not a personal being. God is an impersonal force
2) The Bible is not God's only revelation to man
3) The Lord Jesus Christ is not the only Saviour.
4) Jesus is not God in human flesh, the second person of the Trinity
5) There is no eternal punishment or hell
6) There is no resurrection from the dead
7) Man himself can evolve from planet to planet to perfection by reincarnation
The nature of UFO'ology can also be seen in that the world of the occult (psychics, mediums, etc.) has embraced UFO's and contact with 'alien beings'. The occultists frequently speak about our 'friendly' space brothers who wish to help mankind with their superior knowledge and technology.
The Bible warns: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Tim. 4:1). The theology of UFO'ology is contradictory and hostile to Biblical Christianity.
How is Satan using UFO's in relation to the deception of these last days? He is using deception 1 (hath God said). The UFO's teach a definite theology. That theology denies the Bible (the Word of God), the Lord Jesus, and Biblical salvation. There is no need for God, salvation, or the Bible if a person believes in UFO's.
Here is some very sobering verses that give a warning to lost people who reject the Lord Jesus. After the rapture, God will send a great delusion into the world which lost people who have completely rejected the Gospel will believe with all their hearts. The purpose is for them to be blinded by this deception so they will forever perish in hell. I believe UFO's will be part of that deception! Here is what the Bible says:
2 Thess 2
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness.
There will be more comments on the above verses in the conclusion. But UFO's are here to deceive and lead people away from salvation in the Lord Jesus. This is their job under Satan and this is what they will do.
Next we will look at a very popular deception that is deadly to the very core! I'm talking about...
Here is what happens to a church when they are given over to their sin.
Rock music does the following to people:
1) harden hearts to the Word of God
2) create rebellious people who refuse obedience and correction from God or
the Bible
3) people develop a mocking spirit toward God and His Word
4) people enjoy blasphemy, drug use, and sexual immorality
5) it will destroy all churches that embrace rock music by leading
them into compromise and heresy
Rock music has been, and still is, a very successful tool from Satan to lead people away from God. The old story about the pied piper is very true in relation to rock and roll music. Satan is leading people astray from God and he is doing it by music. The below verse describes all who profess to be "Christian" yet embrace Satan's' music!
Titus 1
16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him,
being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
Next lets look at some interesting quotes about Rock music. Remember this demonic trash has made it into the liberal churches of our day.
Rock music is sex and has no place in the life of a Christian or in a church
"Rock music is sex. The big beat matches the body's rhythms" (Frank Zappa of the Mothers of Invention, Life, June 28, 1968).
"That's what rock is all about--sex with a 100 megaton bomb, the beat!" (Gene Simmons of the rock group Kiss, interview, Entertainment Tonight, ABC, Dec. 10, 1987).
"Rock 'n' roll is 99% sex" (John Oates of the rock duo Hall & Oates, Circus, Jan. 31, 1976).
"Rock 'n' roll is pagan and primitive, and very jungle, and that's how it should be!" (Malcolm McLaren, punk rock manager, Rock, August 1983).
"The great strength of rock 'n' roll lies in its beat ... it is a music which is basically sexual, un-Puritan ... and a threat to established patterns and values" (Irwin Silber, Marxist, Sing Out, May 1965).
"Rock and roll aims for liberation and transcendence, eroticizing the spiritual and spiritualizing the erotic, because that is its ecumenical birthright" (Robert Palmer, Rock & Roll an Unruly History).
"Rock and roll is fun, it's full of energy ... It's naughty" (Tina Turner, cited in Rock Facts, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum).
"Rock and roll was something that's hardcore, rough and wild and sweaty and wet and just loose" (Patti Labelle, cited in Rock Facts, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum).
Rapper Missy Elliot's 3rd album, "Miss E ... So Addictive," is described as "a seductive cocktail of quirky rhythms and hypnotic beats."
Rock music can change consciousness
Mickey Hart, drummer for the Grateful Dead, in his book Drumming at the Edge of Magic: "Everywhere you look on the planet people are using drums to alter consciousness. ... I've discovered, along with many others, the extraordinary power of music, particularly percussion, to influence the human mind and body. . . . There have been many times when I've felt as if the drum has carried me to an open door into another world."
Rock music can transform the soul (for Satan) as it is spiritual and has power
"Atmospheres are going to come through music, because the music is a spiritual thing of its own" (Jimi Hendrix, rock star, Life, Oct. 3, 1969).
"I believe in the transformative power of rock and roll ... this transformative power inheres not so much in the words of songs or the stances of the stars, but in the music itself--in the SOUND, and above all, in the BEAT" (Robert Palmer, Rock & Roll an Unruly History).
"Music can be philosophical or orgiastic. It has powers for evil as well as for good" (cited from Frank Garlock's The Language of Music;
"Music doesn't have to pass through the censor of the brain before it can reach the heart. An f sharp doesn't have to be considered in the mind; it is a direct hit, and therefore all the more powerful" (Bernstein, The Joy of Music).
A Testimony of a man who learned his lesson about rock music in church
"I am now convinced that God will not accept our worship when it is offered with music styles that are also used by pagans for their immoral practices. If I am wrong, why was he so harsh in judging Israel when they sacrificed to him using the pagan high places and rituals? He is a jealous God. If you grasp this principle alone, it will change for ever the way you lead a worship service. ... The true heart of worship is the heart that bows before God and submits to his Word, no more and no less" (Dan Lucarini, Confessions of a Former Worship Leader, p. 57).
To conclude on rock music
This is what Christians should be listening to:
Eph 5
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
(note: this excludes all rock music!)
Rock and roll music is used by Satan in deception 1 (hath God said). People are led astray and they will no longer respond to the Bible. These people become distant from God, worldly, and immune to Scriptural correction. They become obsessed with their love of Satan's music and will defend it unto the destruction of their souls! Rock and roll rebels develop a Hath God said type of rebellion in their hearts. Do not be deceived by Satan's rock music! If you are a pastor then get it out of your church immediately (before you are judged for harming God's people). If you attend a rock and roll church then get out now! Be assured that the Lord left that church long ago.
Hebrews 1
3 when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand
of the Majesty on high;
Hebrews 9
24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to
appear in the presence of God for us:
25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest
entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;
26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the
world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put
away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Today many churches and preachers that have fallen away from God have gotten very close to Romanism. This is going to happen and it will increase in the days ahead. This is coming a one world religion under the antichrist. As churches compromise with Rome they draw near to the coming world-wide church of the antichrist.
Lets quickly look at some of the false soul-destroying doctrines from Romanism. quotes are taken from Catechism of the Catholic Church, Image, Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1994
Purgatory (denies the finished work of the Lord Jesus)
(1030) All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. (Page 291)
(1031) The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The CHURCH FORMULATED her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Council of Florence and Trent. The TRADITION of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire. As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come. (Page 291)
The Mass Is A Re-Sacrifice Of Christ
This is very serious! The Lord Jesus is sacrificed again at each and every mass for the sins of the people! Remember we already covered the fact that only one sacrifice was necessary and it was completely sufficient. Here are some quotes on this false teaching:
(1414) As sacrifice, the Eucharist is also offered in reparation for the sins of the living and the dead and to obtain spiritual or temporal benefits from God. (Page 395)
(1365) Because it is the memorial of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist is also a sacrifice. The sacrificial character of the Eucharist is manifested in the very words of institution: "This is my body which is given for you" and "This cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant in my blood." In the Eucharist Christ gives us the VERY body which he gave up for us on the cross, the VERY blood which he "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Page 380)
(1367) The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice: "The victim is one and the SAME: the SAME now offers through the ministry of priest, who then offered himself on the cross; only the manner of offering is different." "In this divine sacrifice which is celebrated in the Mass, the SAME Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross IS CONTAINED and offered in an unbloody manner." (Page 381)
Salvation Only Comes Through The Catholic Church
(846) How are we to understand this affirmation, often repeated by the Church Fathers? Re-formulated positively, it means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body: Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it. (Page 244)
There are many more false beliefs and we just do not have the space or time to go into them in this article. I think enough false doctrines have been shown so anyone can see that Catholics need to be saved and won the the Lord Jesus! Here is a brief list of more false Catholic doctrines.
Tradition Is Equal With Scripture
Interpretation Of The Bible Is To Be Done Only By The Pope And Bishops
Mary is: Sinless, a Perpetual Virgin, the Mother of God, the Queen Of
Heaven, the Co-Redeemer with Christ
Doctrines of the Rosary And Prayers To Mary
All Grace Comes Through The Catholic Church
No Christian Unity Apart From The Catholic Church
Salvation Includes The Muslims
The Doctrine Of The Supremacy Of The Pope
Prayers From The Dead
Prayers For The Dead
Salvation Comes Through Baptism
Infants Are Born Again Through Baptism
Penance Necessary For Salvation
The Church Can Forgive Sins
Doctrines Of Indulgences And Good Works For The Dead
Sacraments And Liturgy Communicate Grace
Sacraments Are Necessary For Salvation
The Mass Is A Re-Sacrifice Of Christ
The Mass Is A Conversion Of Bread And Wine Into The Very Christ
Priest Has Supernatural Power To Convert The Bread And Wine Into Christ
Mass Conducted In Communion With The Dead
Elements Of The Mass To Be Worshipped And Carried In Processions
All Sins Must Be Confessed To A Priest
Forgiveness Of Sins And Escape From Purgatory Through Indulgences
Salvation Through The Good Works Of The "Saints"
Veneration Of Relics
Veneration Of Images
Feel free to grab an official version of the Catholic catechism and look up any of the above doctrines.
Finally a demon who impersonates the Virgin Mary has been appearing all over the world. Many have been deceived by this supernatural deception. This demon gives messages with the purpose of denying the Bible and leading people astray from the Word of God. A false doctrine is coming where Mary will be considered co-mediator along with the Lord Jesus. The deceptions states that a person can come to God through Mary instead of the Lord Jesus. Here is a quote from the demon speaking as Mary:
July 17, 1986 "Dear children! Today I am calling you to reflect upon why I am with you this long. I am the Mediatrix between you and God. Therefore, dear children, I desire to call you to live always out of love all that which God desires of you. For that reason, dear children, in your own humility live all the messages which I am giving you. Thank you for having responded to my call." From Our Lady's Messages 1984-2006 http://www.medjugorje.org/olmpage.htm
Here is what Catechism says:
(494) At the announcement that she would give birth to "the Son
of the Most High" without knowing man, by the power of the Holy
Spirit, Mary responded with the obedience of faith, certain that
"with God nothing will be impossible": "Behold, I am the handmaid
of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." Thus,
giving her consent to God's word, Mary becomes the mother of Jesus,
Espousing the divine will for salvation wholeheartedly, without a
SINGLE SIN to restrain her, she gave herself entirely to the person
and to the work of her Son; she did so in order to save the mystery
of redemption with him and dependent on him, by God's grace: As St.
Irenaeus says, "Being obedient she became the cause of salvation for
herself and for the whole human race." Hence not a few of the early
Fathers gladly assert . . : "The knot of Eve's disobedience was
untied by Mary's obedience: what the virgin Eve bound through her
disbelief, Mary loosened by her faith. Comparing her with Eve, they
call Mary "the Mother of the living" and frequently claim: "Death
through Eve, life through Mary." (Page 138)
The blasphemy continues...
(966) "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain
of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished,
was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the
Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully
conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and
death." The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation
in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of
other Christians. In giving birth you kept your virginity; in your
Dormition you did not leave the world, O Mother of God, but were
joined to the source of Life. You conceived the living God and, by
your prayers, will deliver our souls from death" (Page 274)
(969) "This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this SAVING OFFICE but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us gifts of eternal salvation. . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix." (Page 275)
However contrary to this false teaching about Mary:
1 Tim 2
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus;
It is easy to see the Romanism deception is part of deception 1 - hath God said. Satan says what the Lord Jesus did on the cross was NOT enough. Therefore religious rituals, sacraments, and purgatory are required to finish ones salvation and forgiveness for sins. The Lord Jesus isn't the only way to God anymore. Instead Mary can save a lost sinner! This Hath God Said deception is believed by many in these last days!
Wescott and Hort were evil men who hated God and His Word. They were also into the occult. Here are some quotes from these evil men who tried to pervert the Word of God:
"Also -but this may be cowardice- I have a sort of craving that our text should be cast upon the world, BEFORE WE DEAL WITH MATTERS LIKELY TO BRAND US WITH SUSPICION. I MEAN, A TEXT (WESTCOTT & HORT GREEK TEXT - parenthesis mine CJC) ISSUED BY MEN ALREADY KNOWN FOR WHAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY BE TREATED AS DANGEROUS HERESY, WILL HAVE GREAT DIFFICULTY IN FINDING ITS WAY INTO REGIONS WHICH IT MIGHT OTHERWISE HOPE TO REACH AND WHENCE IT WOULD NOT BE EASILY BANISHED BY SUBSEQUENT ALARMS." Life & Letters, Vol. 1, page 445
They were into spiritism:
"Westcott, Gorham, C.B.Scott, Benson, Bradshaw, Laurd, etc. and I have started a society for the investigation of ghosts and all supernatural appearances, and effects, being all disposed to believe that such things really exist, and ought to be discriminated from hoaxes and mere subjective delusions; we shall be happy to obtain any good accounts well authenticated with names." Life & Letter, Vol. 1, Page 211. "Our own temporary name is the GHOSTLY GUILD."
They rejected the infallibility of the Bible;
May 5th 1860 - Westcott to Hort: "at present I find the presumption in favour of the absolute truth - I reject the word infallibility - of Holy Scripture overwhelming." (Life, Vol.I, p.207).
HORT prays for the destruction of America
"Surely if ever Babylon or Rome were rightly cursed, IT CANNOT BE WRONG TO DESIRE AND PRAY FROM THE BOTTOM OF ONE?S HEART THAT THE AMERICAN UNION MAY BE SHIVERED TO PIECES. This is not wishing ill to Americans, quite the reverse; the breaking of their power as a nation (which has not brought, to the best of my knowledge, one single blessing on mankind) may, we may hope, be the first and a needful step towards their advancement in all higher and nobler respects." Life & Letters, Vol. 1, page 459
Why does Satan wish to cause confusion with perverted versions of the Bible based on corrupted manuscripts? Remember Deception number 1 - hath God said? The devil wishes to get people to lose their trust in the Word of God. This will make his lies and deceptions more believable as he continues to deny God's Word and teach his heresies. (hath God said?)
The devil will never succeed in destroying the Bible! God wrote the Bible through His servants and He has preserved it to this very day!
2 Tim 3
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
2 Pet 1
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Next lets look at a self-centered deception for those who have a problem with self-love.
2 Tim 3
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Notice verse 2 above. Psychology deals with people who are lovers of their own selves in these last days. The foundation of psychology is evolution and atheism. Psychology is a vain attempt to solve mankind's spiritual problems without God. Psychology removes the sufficiency on the Bible as the Word of God and replaces it with techniques from godless atheists. This deception falls under Deception number 1 (hath God said) where God and His Word are not sufficient to meet the needs of mankind. Therefore, Satan says, one must apply atheistic psychological principals to make up the difference from the Word of God (which is lacking).
Are you seeing a trend how Satan hates the Word of God and seeks to lead people away from it? Just like in the garden of Eden, Satan denies the Word of God in many different ways. This deception has proven to be very successful to this very day! Don't be deceived by the "hath God said" deception! Stay far away from "Christian" psychologists!
"Today there really aren't that many Fundamentalists left; I don't know if you know that or not, but they are such a minority; there aren't that many Fundamentalists left in America.... Now the word 'fundamentalist' actually comes from a document in the 1920s called the Five Fundamentals of the Faith. And it is a very legalistic, narrow view of Christianity."9 . The Pew Forum's biannual Faith Angle conference on religion, politics and public life, 5-23-05. http://pewforum.org/events/index.php?EventID=80
"It's a myth that all you need is prayer and dedication to grow a healthy church. Some of the most dedicated prayer warriors I know are pastors of dying churches. It really bothers me that some pastor's conferences promote that myth -- leaving pastors feeling discouraged and guilty instead of encouraged.
We've all heard speakers claim, "If you'll just pray more, preach the word, and be dedicated, then your church will grow." Well, that's just not true. I can show you thousands of churches where pastors are doctrinally sound; they love the Lord; they're committed and spirit-filled and yet their churches are dying on the vine." (Rick Warren Interview, Pastor's.com, August)
"It is my deep conviction that anybody anybody can be won to Christ if you discover the felt needs to his or her heart. That key to each person's heart is unique so it is sometimes difficult to discover. It may take some time to identify it. But the most likely place to start is with the person's felt needs. As I pointed out earlier, this was the approach Jesus used." (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church, pg. 219)
"Saddleback is unapologetically a contemporary music church. We've often been referred to in the press as ?The flock that likes to rock.? We use the style of music the majority of people in our church listen to on the radio. Years ago, after being frustrated trying to please everyone I decided to survey our church. I passed out 3 x 5 cards to everyone in the Crowd service and asked them to write down the Call Letters of the radio station they listened to...What we discovered was that 96% of our people said they listened to middle-of-the-road adult contemporary music." (Rick Warren, Selecting Worship Music, July 29, 2002)
The purpose driven heresies try to meet lost peoples needs by giving them rock and roll and extremely shallow non-convicting teaching. The lost person is not warned about hell and his need for salvation but rather he is given a shallow false gospel that appeals to his fleshly needs.
Contrary to the purpose driven heresy, the Lord Jesus presents another picture. He was God in human flesh and He was rejected. He warned His people that they too would be hated by the world if they were faithful to Him. Here is what the Lord Jesus said:
John 15
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it
hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also
persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep
yours also.
This is quite a difference from the purpose driven/seeker sensitive folks and all their false teaching in order to gain acceptance with the lost. The true Gospel brings people to the decision point where they will either accept or reject the Lord Jesus. Some people will accept and are saved while others choose to reject the Gospel. The Lord Jesus spoke the truth and He was hated for it. The goal of seeking worldly acceptance is evil. Instead, the lost need to hear the Gospel so they can choose to accept or reject the Lord Jesus.
The poison of the purpose driven methods seeks to remove the Gospel from churches and replace it with a form of entertainment and humanism and salvation for all through a false gospel.
The goal of filling a church by presenting a watered down false gospel comes under deception 1 (hath God said). Satan is using the purpose driven methods to increase church membership while watering down and perverting/denying the Word of God and the true Gospel that saves in the Lord Jesus. Churches once faithful to the Lord Jesus are being transformed into entertainment houses for the amusement of goats on the way to a Christless eternity in hell.
2 Cor 11
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel
of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed
as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to
their works.
Satan has moved mightily with those in the Word of Faith movement. He has used deception number 2 (promise of godhood) successfully with these lost people. These lies are spread by men who claim to be little gods. Satan also uses deception 1 as these wolves deny and pervert Biblical truth as they present their heretical teachings.
Here is a question: Why would ANYONE be so stupid as to follow these wolves preaching heresy in the church? Why does anyone follow these men who openly pervert and deny the Gospel? Why do people send money to these people which makes them rich?
Lets look at some quotes from these so-called little gods. Here is what these wolves say from their own mouths. First lets look at the deception number 2 from Satan where men are promised to be God. Prepare to be shocked or saddened by the heresy coming out of their mouths.
"You don't have a god in you, you are one." (Kenneth Copeland, "The Force Of Love" tape # 02-0028)
"Pray to yourself, because I'm in your self and you're in My self. We are one Spirit, saith the Lord." (Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory", Feb. 1987, p.9)
"I say this with all respect so that it don't upset you too bad, but I say it anyway. When I read in the Bible where he [Jesus] says, 'I Am,' I just smile and say, 'Yes, I Am, too!'" (Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/9/87)
(Note: here the Deity of the Lord Jesus is denied!)
"Don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you're
God. The more you get to be like Me, the more they're going to
think that way of you. They crucified Me for claiming that I
was God. But I didn't claim I was God; I just claimed I walked
with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah. That's what you're
doing." (Kenneth Copeland, "Voice of Victory" Vol. 15, No. 2, 2/87)
The Christian "is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth." (Kenneth Hagin, "The Incarnation," THE WORD OF FAITH (Dec. 1980), 14.)
"[Man] was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God's presence without any consciousness of inferiority...God made us as much like Himself as possible...He made us the same class of being that He is Himself...Man lived in the realm of God. He lived on terms equal with God...[The] believer is called Christ...That's who we are; we're Christ" (Kenneth Hagin, Zoe: The God-Kind of Life, 1989. pp. 35-36, 41)
Christians are little messiahs. Christians are little gods. (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-thon (TBN), recorded November 1990)
"Christians are "Little Messiah's and "little gods" on the earth. Thus [Encouraging the audience]...say "I am a God-man....This spirit-man within me is a God-man..." say "I'm born of heaven-a God-man. I'm a God man. I am a sample of Jesus. I'm a super being. Say it! Say it! Who's a super being? "I walk in the realm of the supernatural." Say it!...You want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right and centre. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness....Say after me, "everything I ever want is in me already." (Benny Hinn, TBN, 1990)
"Are you ready for some real revelation knowledge....you are god" (Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape # AO31190-1)
Wow! That is the exact same things Satan said to Eve in the garden of Eden! These wolves promise their followers godhood. Eve believed the lie and so do "many" people today! That lie worked with Eve in the Garden and it still works very well today! Just look at how many followers these wolves have behind them! It seems they can say anything and none of the blinded followers realize something is very wrong!
These wolves also freely use deception 1 and deny Biblical salvation the the shed blood of the Lord Jesus on the Cross! Part of their heresies is to deny the clear Word of God. Here are some more quotes:
"It wasn't a physical death on the cross that paid the price for sin...anybody can do that." (Kenneth Copeland, What Satan Saw on the Day of Pentecost (Kenneth Copeland, Fort Worth: Messages by Kenneth Copeland, n.d., audiotape #BCC-19), side 1.)
Christ's physical death on the cross was not enough to save us. (Kenneth Hagin, How Jesus obtained His Name, Tape 44H01)
These men hate God and they hate sound Biblical doctrine. If they had their way, true Christians who defend the faith would be killed! Read the following:
Paul Crouch will shoot heresy hunters (theology) if God doesn't (Praise-a-thon (Paul Crouch, TBN), 4/2/91)
Heresy hunters (theology) are to go to Hell. (Paul Crouch, Praise-a-thon (TBN), 4/2/91)
Wants to use Holy Ghost machine gun to kill Heresy Hunters. (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-thon (TBN), 11/8/90)
Finally this quote shows how these men actually hate and despise God:
"God is the biggest failure in the Bible...the reason you've never thought that is because He never said He was one".(Kenneth Copeland, "Praise-a-thon", broadcast on TBN, recorded 1988)
As you can see these word of faith wolves hate sound Biblical doctrine and the hate the Bible and God. They hate those who love and who defend the Bible. These wolves makeup all their heresies and command their blind followers not to test doctrine with the Bible! Anyone who believes and follows these heresies are completely deceived (and lost!). The above quotes shows that Satan has used the promise of godhood to deceive many! The devil has also used deception 1 (hath God said) very successfully as these wolves openly deny the Word of God. Sadly this deception works very well as lost people just love the idea of becoming a god. These word of faith heretics have deceived many and this is just what the Lord Jesus said would happen in these last days!
The Alpha course started by Niki Gumbel after he received the same demon spirits poured out at the Toronto blessing. Gumbel is using the Alpha course to spread the demons of the Toronto blessing and he is doing it secretly. The Alpha course does not come right out and say: "Hey we are charismatic and want to give the demons of the Toronto blessing to you and your church". Instead the Bible warns that Satan and his followers work like angels of light. They are secretive and try to look like they are from God when in reality they are from Satan and teach the doctrines of devils. Even though they work in secret, the plan is to infect as many as possible with the demons of the Toronto blessing. Here is a strong warning from the Bible:
2 Cor 11
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as
the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
The following are some quotes showing the closeness of the Alpha course with the demonic Toronto blessing.
Gumbel received what looks a lot like the 'Toronto' spirit more than a decade before Toronto itself did, and he jumped at the chance to promote the 'Toronto Blessing' (TB) when it finally arrived on the scene. He immediately modified the Alpha talks to incorporate, among other things, the following well-known testimony of how Eleanor Mumford, of South-West London Vineyard, channeled 'the Blessing' to HTB through him: # "Ellie Mumford told us a little bit of what she had seen in Toronto ... then she said 'Now we'll invite the Holy Spirit to come' and the moment she said that, one of the people there was thrown, literally, across the room and was lying on the floor, just howling and laughing ... making the most incredible noise ... I experienced the power of the Spirit in a way I hadn't experienced for years, like massive electricity going through my body." Talk 9 Edn.1 (from The Powers Behind The Alpha Course Part 1: The Powerful Mge Bayith Ministries)
The following account by Gumbel is lengthy but also very interesting:
"[A] man called John Wimber came to speak at the church [after the talk] a very nice American came over [to me] and said "Well, is there anything else that you would like us to pray for'" So I said, "Well, what I would really like to pray for is the power of the Spirit in my life" After he had been praying for about 30 seconds, all I can say is I felt this incredible power - it was like 10,000 volts going through my body. In fact, it was so powerful that after a bit I couldn't take it any more but I think he had only just got onto the ministry team because he only had one prayer and it was "More power, Lord!" And every time he prayed this prayer, the power increased! So after a bit I couldn't take it any longer and I started praying against him! I started saying, "No more power, Lord!" But he carried on praying, "More power, Lord!" So eventually there was this shouting match going on in the middle of the room. John Wimber said, "Take that one out!" So they carried me out through the French windows! And as I was being carried out John Wimber said, "God is giving to that man power to tell people about Jesus Christ". And I have often looked back at that as a very significant moment in my life." Talk 13. (In this article, all quotations from Alpha talks are from the official HTB transcripts released in the summer of the year 2000
Here is what some people experience as a demon comes inside:
Physical heat sometimes accompanies the filling of the Spirit and people experience it in their hands or some other part of their bodies. One person described a feeling of 'glowing all over'. Another said she experienced 'liquid heat'. Still another described 'burning in my arms when I was not hot'. (Gumbel 1994:136)
Sometimes, when people are filled, they shake like a leaf in the wind. Others find themselves breathing deeply as if almost physically breathing in the Spirit. (Gumbel 1994:136). It is not restricted to this, however.
The Alpha course does not present the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead they ignore the issue of sin, hell, and Divine justice. All God is to the Alpha course is some kind of loving teddy bear. Gumbel defines sin but it is not Biblical in any way. Here are some quotes:
Sin is more to be seen in the way we have messed up our lives (Gumbel 1994: 44,47). It is an inward-looking description of man's state that majors on his feelings of fearfulness (Gumbel 1994:22). It is a picture of man predominated by his feelings of sadness and unhappiness (Gumbel 1994:12-22).
Sin to Gumbel is purely from man's viewpoint. Gumbel tells people they have messed up their lives and Jesus can solve that mess. Guess what! That is not the main purpose of the Lord Jesus and it ignores God's viewpoint on sin. You see all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God. As a result we are all under a death penalty and separated from God because sin must be paid for. The penalty is death and hell. We are all lost hellbound sinners. But God in His great love and mercy became a man and paid the penalty for those sins. He now offers the gift of forgiveness and eternal life to those willing to come to Him with all their hearts. A person must trust in the Lord Jesus totally and completely for their salvation as His sacrifice on the cross paid the penalty for sin. You will not hear sin from God's viewpoint in the Alpha course. Instead Jesus is nothing more than a problem solver to the Alpha course.
By presenting an incorrect description of sin and the Lord Jesus the sinner gets the wrong idea. He may accept the Alpha Jesus in order to get out of some of the problems of life. But that is not salvation. Accepting the Alpha Jesus to help you through a hard time or problems is not Biblical salvation! What Gumbel is doing is presenting a false Jesus and getting people to accept that false Jesus. Then he tells them they are now Christians and they receive a false assurance of salvation (which has never taken place!). This gives people a false viewpoint of Christianity and when these people fall away, they fall away hard thinking that the Lord Jesus is a failure to them.
This is deception 1 (hath God said) as a wrong view of the Gospel and a false Jesus is presented by the Alpha course as being true.
Another warning bell from the Alpha course is who has accepted this course, who practices it, and who approves of it. The false works based religion of Roman Catholicism has accepted the Alpha course and encourages it in their parishes. Here are several related quotes! We will start with Gumbel meeting the pope:
"Alpha speaker Nicky Gumbel was in the Vatican in February this year and met with Pope John Paul II. In Hong Kong, John O'Dore tells us exciting news of the first Alpha Course for Catholics.
The first ever Alpha for Catholics course to be offered in Hong Kong ran from February and just finished in May. The course was run during the lunch hour on Mondays at the Catholic Centre in Central. By the Grace of God, the response was overwhelming with a full room of over 40 participants. According to John O'Dore, who helped in a team to run the course, "We thought maybe 20 would sign-up - in the end over 40 participated and completed the course - over 30 joined the week-end retreat as well. People are already asking when the next one will be held. A few participants are also planning to start another course in the Fall in their own Parish." You may ask - "What is Alpha for Catholics'" Alpha for Catholics refers to the use of the Alpha course within the Catholic Church. It is the unchanged standard Alpha course. Alpha is compatible with Catholic teaching, but it does not present wholly Catholic issues. It assumes that followup teachings will be offered to Catholics and those wishing to become Catholic if they are not already. The Catholic Church world-wide is embracing the Alpha Course as it is being run in Catholic Parishes in over 30 countries, including Japan and Singapore in Asia, and now Hong Kong!" Alpha News No. 5 June 2004
Next article....
"Alpha Course leader extols the pope
Prominent Alpha Course speaker, Nicky Gumbel, recently visited and paid
homage to the Pope. It is a another clear indication of the endorsement
the Roman Catholic church gives to the contents of the Alpha Course which
is so popular with ecumenists. It is also a clear indication of the
erroneous character of the doctrines it promotes. That which has the
imprimatur of the Pope cannot be accepted or trusted by the Christian.
From the first emergence of the 'Alpha Course,' those who value orthodoxy have voiced their concerns. Many mocked them for doing so and claimed that they were jealous of its popularity. Who can now say that such criticisms were not well-founded' Mr Gumbel ' along with his wife Pippa and son Jonny, was presented to the Pope by 'Father' Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household, at the end of a General Audience in the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican. 'Father' Raniero has been a friend since the two men met at a conference in Frankfurt in 1999. Also introduced was Kitty Arbuthnott, head of Alpha for Catholics, who presented the Pope with a painting of the Prodigal Son by artist Charlie Mackesy, whose drawings illustrate the Alpha manuals.
Nicky Gumbel is well in with the Roman Catholic hierarchy as is seen in the welcome given him at Rome. During his five-day visit to Rome he met representatives of the Congregation on the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Sant'Egidio Community, the Focolare Movement and the Rome School of Evangelisation run by the Emmanuel Community. He also met Cardinal Stafford, who was until recently President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and the Rev. Nicholas Hudson, Rector of the Venerable English College.
Rome's interest
An increasing number of cardinals and senior Roman Catholic clergy are
encouraging the course's growth as they seek to fulfil the Pope's call
for a 'new evangelisation'. Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of
Lyon, France, has taken a close interest in the growth of Alpha in the
country. Alpha is clearly seen as a means of advancing Romanism. It
cannot be an instrument for promoting the gospel as well!
France
Speaking on the new Alpha introductory video, Cardinal Philippe Barbarin,
said, 'For the French church, Alpha is a great opportunity for our time.
It is a wonderful gift that we have received from England.'
In January, around 600 Catholic lay leaders and priests attended an Alpha
conference in Paris, where a fifth of all Catholic churches now run the
Alpha course. The conference was run by the French Alpha office.
Scotland
The Roman Catholic church in Scotland is being encouraged to use Alpha
by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh.
Writing in the brochure for the Glasgow Alpha conference, he said, 'A
priority for me on my appointment as Cardinal was the 're-Christianisation
of Scotland'. I see the Alpha course as an initial and very important
tool for this programme bringing together those who are seeking the
way ahead through the following of the Christian faith.
USA
In America, the course is having an impact on hundreds of Catholic
parishes ' and it is spreading fast. In April 1999, more than 500
Catholic clergy and lay leaders attended a conference in Baltimore
introduced on video by Cardinal William H. Keeler, Archbishop of
Baltimore. Roman Catholic parishes using Alpha all over the world
are experiencing 'a new dynamism and sense of mission in their local
congregations.' One Roman Catholic lay leader, Mrs Mary Hagar, of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, runs Alpha in two parishes near her home.
She said, 'I have been doing evangelisation programmes in the Catholic
church for 30 years. We have been trying to evangelise people with
minimal to poor to dismal success. I went to an Alpha training programme
on the east coast and I came out saying, 'This is what I've looked for
my whole life. This is the programme that is going to change lives.'
The first course far exceeded our expectations in numbers of people
signing up and after the Holy Spirit weekend, the testimonies verbally
and in writing were astounding. For those of us who are Catholic,
Alpha is the tool that is bringing into reality in our lifetime the
church we have always dreamed of.'
On his return from Rome, Gumbel said: 'It was a great honour to be presented to Pope John Paul II, who has done so much to promote evangelisation around the world. We have been enormously enriched by our interaction with Catholics in many countries. It is a great privilege to meet inspiring leaders from different parts of the church ' Catholic, Baptist, Salvation Army, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Methodist, and so many more ' and discover that what unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us.'" from The Burning Bush http://www.ivanfoster.org/article.asp?date=5/8/2004&seq=3
Next here are some quotes from a Catholic/Alpha FAQ
These portions selected from Alpha for Catholics Frequently Asked Questions http://christlife.org/alpha/C_faq.html
Q: What is Alpha for Catholics'
Alpha for Catholics involves the situating of the standard Alpha course within a Catholic parish or organization, while recognizing that for Catholics and those wishing to become Catholics, much more teaching is needed after Alpha.
Q: What is Touching Jesus Through the Church'
Touching Jesus Through the Church is the first series developed as a Catholic follow-up to Alpha. It is a good bridge between Alpha and RCIA and has been found to be a valuable resource for small faith communities and adult education. Although the series is primarily for those with little knowledge of the Catholic Church, many practicing Catholics find it very practical and inspiring. A second series, Drink From the Wells of the Church by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM.CAP, is also available.
Theological Issues
Q: Is Alpha compatible with Catholic teaching'
Alpha is compatible with Catholic teaching, but it does not address specific Catholic teachings and ecclesiology.
Q: Is Alpha fundamentalist'
Alpha does not teach a totally literal reading of everything in the Bible. On the other hand, Alpha does not go into the different stages in the formation of the Gospels as explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 126.
Alpha aims to examine questions asked by complete outsiders and does not go into detailed theological questions. A great strength of the Alpha course is that it takes Holy Scripture seriously and makes an unambiguous proclamation about Jesus.
Q: What about Alpha and the sacraments'
Alpha teaches only what all the major denominations and traditions are agreed about. In the case of the teaching on Holy Communion, Alpha tries to teach what all the major denominations and traditions agree about, realizing that Catholics would want to add our own teachings. --- end of quote --- next quote below:
"Alpha has even been accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. In the February 1997 issue of Alpha News, the lead article was titled "Archbishop praises Alpha on Pope visit as Catholic church hosts conferences." It noted that Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey praised the Alpha course in a speech in Rome during his official visit with Pope John Paul II in December of that year. In May 1997, more than 400 Catholic leaders attended an Alpha conference in Westminster Cathedral in London, to be trained in conducting Alpha courses in Catholic parishes. The meeting received the blessing of Cardinal Basil Hume, the highest Catholic official in England (Alpha News, February 1997, p. 1). The courses were so popular with the Catholics that many other Alpha training conferences were scheduled for Catholic venues. In Belfast, Northern Ireland, Catholics and Protestants both are using Alpha. Two Catholic churches (Church of the Resurrection and St. Gerard's) are meeting with Fortwilliam Park and Rosemary Presbyterian churches and with St. Peter's Church of Ireland "for prayer and training" (The Burning Bush, February 1998). More recently, Alpha was endorsed by the archbishop of Baltimore, Cardinal William Keeler ("Education through Alpha," The Ledger, Lakeland, Florida, March 13, 1999, p. D3). The largest Alpha conference so far in the United States took place March 18-19, 1999, at St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Winter Springs, Florida." It was attended by 600 people. from THE ALPHA COURSE/ EVANGELISTIC BIBLE STUDIES http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/alphacourse.htm
As you can see Alpha is very well received and accepted by Romanism. It is ecumenical and seeks to unite many religions. After the rapture all these false religions will completely unite and form the super world church under the antichrist. This is why one of Gumbel's goals is to unite different religions. This is also the same goal of the charismatics! Since Biblical doctrine is rejected, the Alpha course has become a tool of the devil to unite many false religions.
Here are some more comments from Gumbel as he does his part for Satan in setting up the coming super-world church:
Gumbel says: "We need to unite... there has been some comment which is not helpful to unity. Let us drop that and get on. It is wonderful that the movement of the Spirit will always bring churches together. He is doing that right across the denominations and within the traditions... we are seeing Roman Catholics coming now... Nobody is suspicious of anybody else... People are no longer 'labelling' themselves or others. I long for the day when we drop all these labels and just regard ourselves as Christians with a commission from Jesus Christ." [Renewal, May 1995,p16]
"A disunited church, squabbling and criticizing makes it very hard for the world to believe". [Gumbel, Renewal, May 1995, p16]. Consequently "we make it a rule on Alpha never to criticise another denomination, another Christian church or a Christian leader." [Telling Others, p114; and this talk, section II].
The Feb. 9, 1998, issue of Christianity Today featured a four-page
news report on the Alpha Course titled 'The Alpha-Brits Are
Coming.' The magazine explained the acronym ALPHA and what it means:
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith;
Learning and Laughter;
Pasta (eating together gives people the chance to know each other);
Helping one another (small groups are used for discussion of issues
raised during the lectures);
Ask anything. No question is seen as too simple or too hostile.
Christianity Today, Feb. 9, 1998, pg. 37.
But not everyone (thankfully) is happy about Satan's Alpha course:
"An infectious enthusiasm, entrepreneurial spirit, and a bold plan for growth are all trademarks among Alpha's top leaders. But not everyone is cheering Alpha onward. Some church leaders have found Alpha teaching too charismatic, too experience-driven, and too negative about traditional churches. Martyn Percy, director of the Lincoln Theological Institute for the Study of Religion and Society of the University of Sheffield, England, has commented about Alpha that it is a package rather than a pilgrimage. In a recent essay, he said, It is a confident but narrow expression of Christianity, which stresses the personal experience of the Spirit over the Spirit in the church. ... The Alpha approach has been faulted for pushing an experience-driven approach to evangelism that sidesteps intellectual difficulties." Christianity Today, Feb. 9, 1998, pg. 37, 39
As we have said repeatedly in this article: The Alpha course is pushing the charismatic Toronto blessing deception on unsuspecting people and churches! Such a move of Satan is experience based and rejects sound Biblical teaching! Alpha creates an extreme danger for people to be filled with the same demons of the Toronto blessing. Alpha is a pathway to a false gospel and for one to be led astray.
Next we will look at the "Holy Spirit" weekend where Gumbel seeks to pass of the demons of the Toronto blessing to anyone who is foolish enough to receive it! Here are some more quotes:
"Central to the Alpha Course is not the Christian gospel, but the so-called Holy Spirit Weekend' which is in fact a thinly-disguised opportunity for initiation into the Toronto Blessing experience. Nicky Gumbel, curate at Holy Trinity, Brompton had received the 'blessing' from Eleanor Mumford of the South-West London Vineyard following her return from Toronto in May 1994. Subsequent to this event, Toronto-style teaching concerning the reception of the Holy Spirit took centre-stage. An unknown evangelistic tool had thus become a syncretistic mixture of orthodoxy and heresy." The Christian Research Network Journal, Spring 1998, pg. 12.
Gumbel says that the purpose of the Holy Spirit weekends is to expect all kinds of strange manifestations and bodily agitation's. This is what happens when a person is demonized with the Toronto Blessing. Consider Gumbel's comments:
Sometimes, when people are filled, they shake like a leaf in the wind. Others find themselves breathing deeply as if almost physically breathing in the Spirit. ... Physical heat sometimes accompanies the filling of the Spirit and people experience it in their hands or some other part of their bodies. One person described a feeling of 'glowing all over'. Another said she experienced 'liquid heat'. Still another described 'burning in my arms when I was not hot'. The Christian Research Network Journal, Spring 1998, pg. 21.
Lets conclude with a summary of the Alpha course and what heresies are presented:
Sin is defined from man's point of view rather than God's point of view. It is contrary to what the Bible says about sin. According to Alpha, sin is the mess we make of our lives. This is not God's viewpoint on sin! Alpha considers sin wrongdoings that mess up our lives. This is contrary to the Bible that says our sin has separated us from a Holy God.
Alpha fails to address the seriousness of sin. Sin separates from God. Sin must be paid for. The penalty is death and hell. These facts are missing in Alpha.
The false Lord Jesus of the Alpha course is presented as one who solves our problems rather than the Lord from heaven who paid the price due for our sin. Jesus is not a Saviour from sin according to Alpha. Instead he is here to help lost people solve their problems. This is not the Jesus of the Bible!
Many testimonies have been given by those poisoned by the Alpha course. There is no reference to Biblical sin, conviction of sin, the cross, the shed blood of Jesus, or the lake of fire.
The Alpha program is not God centered. Instead it is man centered. Alpha fails to teach God's Holiness and the punishment for sin.
There is no saving Gospel in Alpha. Sin, hell, wrath of God, redemption etc are never defined and answered from a Biblical point of view. The deceived Alpha people are never told: Why did the Lord Jesus die on the cross? Yet they are told they are "Christian's" once they accept the false gospel of Alpha. A false sense of assurance is then given to these lost people.
Since Alpha is an extension of the Toronto blessing and the charismatic movement, other methods of revelation than the Bible are acceptable. This includes people who give prophecies, words of knowledge, revelations, visions etc.
The Alpha course is charismatic to the core
- It refers to charismatic teachers
- The reading list is filled with charismatic books
- Alpha encourages conversion to a non-Biblical Jesus then a subsequent
experience with the Holy Spirit where tongues is encouraged. This
deception is direct from the charismatics.
Gumbel was demonized with the Toronto blessing and he is trying to pass on that demonic experience to all foolish enough to accept it. Alpha can be considered like a Satanic virus that his people are eagerly trying to spread to all who will receive it!
The Weekend away...
- Alpha has the goal of having a charismatic experiences through
the Holy Spirit. Their weekend away is called the Holy Spirit
weekend. However, it is demons rather than the Holy Spirit of God
that possess the followers of the Alpha course. Hands are laid on
the deceived seekers and people get demonized on the "weekend away"
of the Alpha course! As a result the Toronto blessing and charismatic
experiences can occur when the person gets demon possessed during
the 'weekend away'. The demonized may speak in tongues, pass out,
convulse, lose control laughing, or make animal noises.
Roman Catholicism endorses the Alpha course. That is a major warning sign!
Satan is using deception 1 (hath God said) with the Alpha course to deny the Word of God and to present a false salvation with a false Jesus not found in the Bible.
Pastors: wake up and get this evil out of your church! If you do not then your are against the Lord Jesus and are seeking to damage God's people. As a result you will receive judgment from God for your rebellion and disobedience.
Christians: reject this heresy and attend a church that does not seek after Satan's deception of the Alpha course! If your church is into Satan's Alpha then warn the pastor and the leaders. Make the decision to leave if your church chooses to continue serving the devil through the Alpha course.
Col 2
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of
the world, and not after Christ.
Many people seem to believe the lie that the occult is nothing more than make-believe and harmless fun. The fact that acceptance or involvement with the occult is an abomination to God is not considered or even well received. Here is what the Bible says concerning the occult. Let me say that God's viewpoint on the occult has not changed! These warnings still apply today.
Deut 18
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son
or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination,
or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard,
or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD:
and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them
out from before thee.
As you can see there is no room for debate. The above verses eliminate Satan's Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Narnia with all their spells and witches! The occult with its spellcasting, witchcraft, divination etc is all an abomination to God. The Satanic and occultic entertainment garbage is not harmless fun. It is deadly dangerous and will be avoided and rejected by all those who belong to and love the Lord Jesus. Why would a person who is born again seek to enjoy that which the Lord calls an abomination?
I'm going to give some quotes on this occult entertainment. I will not mention Harry Potter as there seems to be an agreement that Potter is occultic. However many have been deceived by the two Roman Catholic authors Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
TOLKIEN AND HIS SATANIC LORD OF THE RINGS
We will start by looking at Tolkien and some his satanic beliefs.
Tolkien believed in reincarnation
"'Reincarnation' may be bad theology (that surely, rather than metaphysics) as applied to Humanity... But I do not see how even in the Primary world any theologian or philosopher, unless very much better informed about the relation of spirit and body than I believe anyone to be, could deny the possibility of re-incarnation as a mode of existence, prescribed for certain kinds of rational incarnate creatures" The Letters, page 189.
Tolkien was a Catholic
"A staunch Roman Catholic, he affirmed his faith in the One God who created the universe. But his mythical God stopped creating before the work was finished, then turned the rest over to a group of lesser gods or "sub-creators." In other words, Tolkien invented a hierarchy of deities that defied the Biblical God's wise warnings concerning both real and imagined idolatry." The Letters, page 284.
Tolkien's witchcraft
"In his personal letters (many are included in a book titled The Letters of J. R. R Tolkien), he expressed caution toward occult practices. But he equipped his team of mythical heroes -- the fellowship of the Ring -- with the pagan powers that God forbids. For example, "Gandalf [a helpful wizard] is able to wield potent magic... To do battle with the forces of darkness, Gandalf the Grey can call upon not only his spellcraft, but also his staff of power and the Elven sword Glamdring." Jude Fisher, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, " Visual Companion (Boston: Nw York, 2001), page 57.
One of Tolkien's drinking buddies was the famous C.S. Lewis. They and some other Oxford associates formed a group called the "Inklings" and met regularly at an Oxford pub to drink beer and regale about literary and other matters. Tolkien, in fact, is credited with influencing Lewis to become a Christian of sorts. Like Tolkien, though, Lewis did not accept the Bible as the infallible Word of God and he picked and chose what he would believe about the New Testament apostolic faith, rejecting such things as the substitutionary blood atonement of Christ. And like Tolkien, C.S. Lewis loved at least some things about Catholicism. He believed in purgatory, confessed his sins to a priest, and had the last rites performed by a Catholic priest (C.S. Lewis: A Biography, pp. 198, 301)
Notice that Tolkien violated Deuteronomy 18:10-12 in his evil stories. Next is an interesting point. People in the occult have accepted Tolkien and his works as have "Evangelical" Christians. In fact occult stores carry the books as well as occult jewelry related to the Lord of the Rings! Can you see this unholy alliance? Satan and his followers love Tolkiens' work!
Lord of the Rings is accepted by occultists as well as Evangelical Christians
"The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien has inspired more commentary, creativity and following than arguably any other modern-day work of art or literature. Surprisingly, it has also been interpreted by--and, thus, embraced by--the adherents of such wildly divergent philosophies as neopagans and evangelical Christians." "Lord of the Rings: True Mythology" at http://www.leaderu.com/focus/tolkien.html
People are deceived into thinking Tolkiens occultism is actually fulfilling God's purpose. The opposite is true! Satan is pleased as people are led into the acceptance of witchraft, spells, and the occult!
"In making a myth, in practicing 'mythopoeia,' and peopling the world with elves and dragons and goblins, a story-teller .. is actually fulfilling God's purpose, and reflecting a splintered fragment of the true light." J.R.R. Tolkien Quoted by Colin Gunton, Professor of Christian Doctrine in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at King's College, London. His article first appeared in the King's Theological Review (Vol. 12, No 1), in 1989. Included as a chapter in Tolkien: A Celebration, edited by Joseph Pearce (London: Fount, 1999), page 130.
A demon helped Tolkien write his occultic work
"...the thing seems to write itself once I get going...." The Letters of J. R. R Tolkien, page 91.
I would say the above description is very true for a person being lead by Satan and his demons to produce a work that will lead many astray and into the fires of hell! The story, Lord of the Rings, did not write itself. Instead through the guidance of demons, Tolkien finished this masterpiece of Satan. Sadly, many who profess to believe in the Lord Jesus have been deceived and led astray toward an eternal hell!
C.S. LEWIS AND HIS SATANIC NARNIA
Next lets have a look at C.S. Lewis as he has had a bigger influence in the Christian church than Tolkien. Lewis can be considered the "darling" of the New-Evangelical as he is greatly loved and adored! I don't know why this is so because he is nothing more than a false teaching wolf out to deceive and lead astray. Lewis wrote a book called 'Mere Christianity' which has become a classic to those without any discernment. Some are deceived into thinking it is a defense of the Christian faith. Nothing can be further from the truth! Let's look at some of the heretical quotes from C.S.Lewis, "the darling" to the rebellious from various sources.
Was Lewis a Bible believer? Did he live like he was born-again? (nope!)
"Clive Staples Lewis was anything but a classic evangelical, socially or theologically. He smoked cigarettes and a pipe, and he regularly visited pubs to drink beer with friends. Though he shared basic Christian beliefs with evangelicals, he didn't subscribe to biblical inerrancy or penal substitution. He believed in purgatory and baptismal regeneration" ("C.S. Lewis Superstar," Christianity Today, Dec. 2005).
Lewis believed in prayers for the dead (A Catholic pagan belief)
In Letters to Malcolm, he wrote, "Of course I pray for the dead. The action is so spontaneous, so all but inevitable, that only the most compulsive theological case against it would deter men. And I hardly know how the rest of my prayers would survive if those for the dead were forbidden" (p. 109).
Lewis believed in purgatory (a Catholic false doctrine)
In Letters to Malcolm, he wrote" "I believe in Purgatory. ... The right view returns magnificently in Newman's Dream. There if I remember rightly, the saved soul, at the very foot of the throne, begs to be taken away and cleansed. It cannot bear for a moment longer 'with its darkness to affront that light'. ... Our souls demand Purgatory, don't they?" (pp. 110-111).
Lewis confessed to a priest
Lewis confessed his sins regularly to a priest and was given the Catholic sacrament of last rites on July 16, 1963 (Roger Lancelyn Green and Walter Hooper, C.S. Lewis: A Biography, 1974, pp. 198, 301).
Lewis loved paganism
"I had some ado to prevent Joy (and myself) from lapsing into paganism in Attica! AT DAPHNI IT WAS HARD NOT TO PRAY TO APOLLO THE HEALER. BUT SOMEHOW ONE DIDN'T FEEL IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY WRONG--WOULD HAVE ONLY BEEN ADDRESSING CHRIST SUB SPECIE APOLLONIUS" (C.S. Lewis to Chad Walsh, May 23, 1960, cited from George Sayer, Jack: A Life of C.S. Lewis, 1994, p. 378).
Lewis believed that Salvation could be achieved through other religions
"But the truth is God has not told us what His arrangements about the other people are. ... There are people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted by Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand. There are people in other religions who are being led by God's secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example a Buddhist of good will may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain points. Many of the good Pagans long before Christ's birth may have been in this position" (C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, HarperSanFrancisco edition, 2001, pp. 64, 208, 209).
"I think that every prayer which is sincerely made even to a false god or to a very imperfectly conceived true God, is accepted by the true God and that Christ saves many who do not think they know Him." Letters of C. S. Lewis, 428.
Lewis did not believe in Biblical salvation
"You can say that Christ died for our sins. You may say that the Father has forgiven us because Christ has done for us what we ought to have done. You may say that we are washed in the blood of the Lamb. You may say that Christ has defeated death. They are all true. IF ANY OF THEM DO NOT APPEAL TO YOU, LEAVE IT ALONE AND GET ON WITH THE FORMULA THAT DOES. And, whatever you do, do not start quarrelling with other people because they use a different formula from yours" (Mere Christianity, HarperSanFrancisco edition, 2001, p. 182).
"The central Christian belief is that Christ's death has somehow put us right with God and given us a fresh start. Theories as to how it did this are another matter. ... Any theories we build up as to how Christ's death did all of this are, in my view, quite secondary..." (Mere Christianity, HarperSanFrancisco edition, 2001, pp. 54, 55, 56).
In Mere Christianity, Lewis claims that the Christ-life is spread to men through baptism, belief, and the Lord's Supper. This is a false gospel of faith plus works. He says, "There are three things that spread the Christ-life to us: baptism, belief, and that mysterious action which different Christians call by different names--Holy Communion, the Mass, the Lord's Supper. ... I am not saying anything about which of these things is the most essential. My Methodist friend would like me to say more about belief and less (in proportion) about the other two. But I am not going into that" (Mere Christianity, HarperSanFrancisco edition, 2001, pp. 61).
As you can see by the above quotes, C.S. Lewis didn't understand the basics of the saving Gospel of the Lord Jesus! Salvation can only be found in the Lord Jesus! There is no other Saviour of lost men but the Lord Jesus. For C.S. Lewis to deny all the above is major false teaching and heresy. But C.S. Lewis did not stop there in his false teaching. He also had a very low opinion (a blasphemous one) about the Lord Jesus!
Lewis denied that Jesus was truly God in a discourse about Mk 13:30,32 by claiming that Christ and scripture were in error
"Assur-edly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place, certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible. The one exhibition of error and the one confession of ignorance grow side by side. That they stood thus in the mouth of Jesus himself, and were not merely placed thus by the reporter, we surely need not doubt.... The facts, then, are these: that Jesus professed himself (in some sense) ignorant, and within a moment showed that he really was so." The World's Last Night and Other Essays, pp. 98-99. Harvest books. 1960.
Additional Wierd doctrines from Lewis
C.S. Lewis believed in the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church!
'There are three things that spread the Christ life to us: baptism, belief, and that mysterious action which different Christians call by different names - Holy Communion, the Mass, the Lord's supper'. page 59 of 'Mere Christianity'
C. S. Lewis did not believe that the Bible is inspired and inerrant. Here are some quotes from his works that demonstrate this fact!
"all Holy Scripture is in some sense though not all parts of it in the same sense the word of God." Lewis, C. S. Reflections on the Psalms, 19. Harvest Books, 1964.
"It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true word of God." Lewis, C.S. Letters of C. S. Lewis, p. 428, Harper, 2001.
As you can see C.S. Lewis had warped and heretical theology. Yet, he is praised as a "great" Christian writer when the opposite is true!
This man is accepted and loved by Catholics (and Evangelicals)
"Lewis was born in Belfast, in sectarian Northern Ireland, so he was raised anti-Catholic like most Protestant children there. He was a man of his background but HIS VIEWS WERE VERY CATHOLIC: HE BELIEVED IN PURGATORY, BELIEVED IN THE SACRAMENTS, WENT TO CONFESSION" ("The Subtle Magic of C.S. Lewis' Narnia: Michael Coren's Perspective as the New Movie Looms," Zenit, Dec. 7, 2005).
Ok, I think we have established that Lewis was not a born again Christian. So the argument that Narnia is a "Christian" fiction is not true as this man was not a Christian in the first place!
In light of all C.S. Lewis' heresies and false doctrines, let's look at his occultic, Satanic work called "Narnia"! Please, remember the warnings from Deut 18:10-12 where the occult is an abomination to God.
Overview of the occultic Narnia
"...the children discover a charming, peaceful land inhabited by talking beasts, dwarfs, fauns, centaurs and giants that has become a world cursed to eternal winter by the evil White Witch, Jadis. Under the guidance of a noble and mystical ruler, the lion Aslan, the children fight to overcome the White Witch's powerful hold over Narnia...." The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (2005) Video Clips & Multimedia
"Consider, for example, C.S. Lewis's The lion, the witch and the wardrobe. A child from the normal everyday world hides in a wardrobe during a game, and finds herself transported by magic into another world, where she has tea with a faun, a figure from ancient Roman pagan mythology. A faun is half human, half goat, and the encounter is an introduction to a world of intelligent talking animals - beavers with sewing machines and the like. Lewis has no hesitation in blending Christian and pagan mythology in his Narnian books. There is even salvation. Salvation is at the centre of the plot of the book, but one would have to look hard to find it attributed to any religion at all, Christian or pagan. The next book in the Narnian series, Prince Caspian, is even more populated with pagan deities - Bacchus and Silenus, nymphs and Maenads, and even a river god. Lewis does not identify these with the forces of evil - they are not "satanic", as many Christians seem to think pagan deities ought to be (and many neopagans think that Christians think neopagans' deities are). They are rather part of the army of liberation, and are themselves liberated from the powers of evil in the course of the story. One could give more examples from the other books in the series, but the picture one gets from all of these is far removed from some of the common Western perceptions of the Christian attitude towards paganism and pagan deities, whether seen from the point of view of Christians or of neopagans. That is, the perception that Christianity and neopaganism are, and perhaps ought to be, hostile to each other." http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/xnpaglit.htm
Lets stop here for a minute. Does the above sound like a good Bible believing Christian story? Or does it sound like a Satanic work of the devil filled with the occult and witchcraft?
Let's continue with what an ex-witch has to say about this occult series. He is now born-again and runs a ministry called Last Trumpet Ministries. Here are some quotes from his newsletter:
"In the first book, The Magician's Nephew, Aslan the lion creates beings to inhabit the land of Narnia. These include wood gods, river gods, fauns, and satyrs. These are presented as the good creatures. Fauns are deities with the bodies of men and the horns, ears, and legs of a goat. The Wiccan principality known as Pan is an example of a faun. In Wiccan witchcraft there is a well-known witches' chant that starts out with the words "great god Pan, great god Pan, half of goat and half of man." In witchcraft, Pan is the principality of the mind and causes panic, pandemonium, and nervous disorders. He is also the nature-god who is worshipped with lust and fertility rituals. How could Aslan be presented as a type of Christ when he created such creatures as these? Why, as a type of Christ, would Aslan create satyrs, which are half animal and half man and are creatures of sexual lust. From the word "satyr", we get the word satyriasis, which the dictionary defines as a condition that causes a man to have uncontrollable sexual lust."
"In the third chronicle of Narnia, entitled The Horse and His Boy, we find the heroine Aravis asking her father for permission to go into the woods to do secret sacrifice to Zardeena, Lady of the Night. Aslan the lion also sends one character in the book to the temple of the evil god Tash to be healed while standing before the altar of Tash who is a type of Satan."
"Book four is entitled Prince Caspian, and in it we find Aslan, the type of Christ, leading a wild woodland dance along with Bacchus, the god of drunkenness and orgies, and the Maenads, who are orgiastic women that also tear apart live animals and humans and eat the raw meat of their victims. This fourth book also contains spells on how to summon up tree spirits with so-called white magic. All such things are strictly forbidden in Deuteronomy 18:9-12."
"In the fifth book called The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the character Lucy summons Aslan by chanting a spell which is found in the Magician's Book of Spells. When Lucy is surprised that the spell worked, Aslan tells her, Do you think I wouldn't obey my own rules?" Here let it be noted that a book of personal spells used by witches is known as the Book of Shadows, and Aslan, the type of Christ is the author of this book of spells referred to in this fifth chronicle."
"In the sixth book called The Silver Chair, centaurs are teaching astrology. There is also a blood-letting ritual which Aslan uses to resurrect the dead body of King Caspian."
"In the seventh book entitled The Last Battle, the character who symbolizes the Antichrist finds that he was tricked into playing that role and ends up in heaven with Aslan. Another character, who was the faithful servant of the evil god Tash, is confused when he finds himself in heaven. Aslan says to him, "Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me." This is the message that all religions lead to heaven." quoted from Last Trumpet Ministries March 2006 Newsletter
Conclusions about the pagan Tolkien and C.S. Lewis
As you can see there is nothing "Christian" about the two pagan Catholic writers Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Satan is using the works of these men for deception 1 (hath God said). The Bible clearly forbids the use of witchcraft in Deut 18:10-12. The command to reject that which is an abomination to God is very clear!
Yet Satan comes along and says "hath God said" and many ignore or reject the warning from Deut 18:10-12 and they enjoy and defend their love of witchcraft.
If you have been deceived by Satan's servants, Tolkien or C.S. Lewis, you need to take action immediately. First repent of your sin in prayer to God. Next, remove all these occult works from your home and your life. Destroy them and get they far away! Of course if you are not a yet a Christian then repent of your sins and accept the only Saviour, the Lord Jesus into your heart!
A book has been written and a movie will come out based on a "fictional" story about the Lord Jesus. It is supposed to be fiction yet many believe it to be true. The writer claims it is a fiction but strong hints that it is true is given to the readers. The Da Vinci deception is presented as a "truthful" historical fiction. This lie is powerfully presented as a book and as a movie for the widest possible exposure. Satan intends to deceive many who have already rejected the Bible as the Word of God!
Guess what deception the devil is using to pass this lie off as truth? This is an easy one! It is Deception 1 - hath God said. The goal is to present a lie that contradicts the Bible and says it is not true. The goal is for Satan to convince people the Bible is full of lies and deceptions.
Here are some of the highlights of the Da Vinci code deception:
- Jesus married Mary Magdalene and they had a child.
- After Jesus' death on the cross, Mary fled to France with the help of friends.
- This child married into French nobility and this began the Merovingian Bloodline. The royalty of Europe and Great Britain is a part of this so-called Merovingian Bloodline. The royal lineage can be traced right back to the Lord Jesus!
- A secret society called the "Priory of Sion" was created to preserve and keep this secret from outsiders and the 'unlearned'.
- The Deity of the Lord Jesus is denied. This means the Da Vinci deception makes the claim that the Lord Jesus is not God manifest in human flesh. It claims that is a man-made doctrine created in the forth century. Note: There are many Bible verses that prove the Trinity... so this is another baseless (wacko) claim against the person of the Lord Jesus.
- A line from Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" tells you why it's easily the most disputed religious novel of all time: "Almost everything our fathers taught us about Christ is false." (From the article As film arrives, 'Da Vinci Code' debate renews, AP Updated: April 27, 2006 http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12465681/)
- The Da Vinci deception seeks to make the entire Bible out to be nothing more than lies and deceptions. (hath God said)
There are more details but these are the highlights of this deception. Why is this deception important? In the days ahead when the antichrist rises to power (after the rapture), he will use this lie/deception to prove that he is of the royal bloodline right back to Jesus. Because of this lie from Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code), the antichrist will make the claim that he has Jesus' blood in his veins! The Da Vinci code deception gives a false genealogy for the antichrist as he deceives the world into thinking he is the Christ.
This lie actually gives the coming antichrist a great lie to base his claim to be the Messiah! He will claim to be directly related to the Lord Jesus and that royal blood from the Lord Jesus flows in his veins! What a powerful HATH GOD SAID deception from Satan and his followers! Can you see how this deception is a major setup for the coming antichrist?
This is a great blasphemy, but it is an acceptable one for all those who reject the Lord Jesus! They want evidence to disprove the Bible and this lie that proves the Merovingian Bloodline is a direct attack on the truthfulness of the Word of God. If a person believes the Da Vinci deception, then he will logically conclude that the Bible is full of lies and deceptions and is to be rejected.
One day when the antichrist rises to power, all these lies will be accepted as truth from all the deceived lost people! The Da Vinci deception is major groundwork for the lies and deceptions which will be used by the antichrist.
Along with the Da Vinci deception, Satan is also attacking the Bible with the so-called gospel of Judas recently revealed to the world. People are being deceived into thinking the Biblical account of Judas is WRONG! (Deception 1 - hath God said). Instead of being a bad-guy and a traitor, Satan is trying to make out Judas as a hero who actually did the will of Jesus in turning Him into the authorities. Many ignorant and unlearned people who are looking for the slightest reason to reject the Word of God will have ample opportunity by this false gospel of Judas!
Here are some quotes from the article:
Lost Gospel Revealed; Says Jesus Asked Judas to Betray Him Stefan Lovgren for National Geographic News April 6, 2006
He is one of the most reviled men in history. But was Judas only obeying his master's wishes when he betrayed Jesus with a kiss? That's what a newly revealed ancient Christian text says. After being lost for nearly 1,700 years, the Gospel of Judas was recently restored, authenticated, and translated.
The Coptic, or Egyptian Christian, manuscripts were unveiled today at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society.)
What Does It Mean?
Some biblical scholars are calling the Gospel of Judas the most significant archaeological discovery in 60 years.
The only known surviving copy of the gospel was found in a codex, or ancient book, that dates back to the third or fourth century A.D.
The newly revealed gospel document, written in Coptic script, is believed to be a translation of the original, a Greek text written by an early Christian sect sometime before A.D. 180.
The Bible's New Testament Gospels' Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John depict Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, as a traitor. In biblical accounts Judas gives up Jesus Christ to his opponents, who later crucify the founder of Christianity.
The Gospel of Judas, however, portrays him as acting at Jesus' request.
"This lost gospel, providing information on Judas Iscariot considered for 20 centuries and by hundreds of millions of believers as an antichrist of the worst kind bears witness to something completely different from what was said [about Judas] in the Bible," said Rodolphe Kasser, a clergyman and former professor in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
Kasser, who is regarded as one of the world's preeminent Coptic scholars, led the effort to piece together and translate the Gospel of Judas. The National Geographic Society and the Waitt Institute for Historical Discovery funded the project, and it will be profiled in the May 2006 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Scholars say the text not only offers an alternative view of the relationship between Jesus and Judas but also illustrates the diversity of opinion in the early Christian church.
"I expect this gospel to be important mainly for the deeper insight it will give scholars into the thoughts and beliefs of certain Christians in the second century of the Christian era, namely the Gnostics," said Stephen Emmel, a Coptic studies professor at the University of Münster in Germany.
In 1983 Emmel was among the first three known scholars to view the Gospel of Judas, which had been discovered hidden in Egypt in the late 1970s.
Gnostics belonged to pre-Christian and early Christian sects that believed that elusive spiritual knowledge could help them rise above what they saw as the corrupt physical world.
Rehabilitating Judas
Biblical accounts suggest that Jesus foresaw and allowed Judas's betrayal.
As told in the New Testament Gospels, Judas betrayed Jesus for "30 pieces of silver," identifying him with a kiss in front of Roman soldiers. Later the guilt-ridden Judas returns the bribe and commits suicide, according to the Bible.
The Gospel of Judas, however, gives a very different account.
The text begins by announcing that it is the "secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot during a week, three days before he celebrated Passover."
It goes on to describe Judas as Jesus' closest friend, someone who understands Christ's true message and is singled out for special status among Jesus' disciples.
In the key passage Jesus tells Judas, "'you will exceed all of them. For you will sacrifice the man that clothes me.'"
Kasser, the translation-project leader, offers an interpretation: "Jesus says it is necessary for someone to free him finally from his human body, and he prefers that this liberation be done by a friend rather than by an enemy.
"So he asks Judas, who is his friend, to sell him out, to betray him. It's treason to the general public, but between Jesus and Judas it's not treachery."
The newfound account challenges one of the most firmly rooted beliefs in Christian tradition.
Bart Ehrman is chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
"This gospel," he said, "has a completely different understanding of God, the world, Christ, salvation, human existence not to mention of Judas himself than came to be embodied in the Christian creeds and canon."
Early Turmoil
The author of the 26-page Gospel of Judas remains anonymous. But the
text reflects themes that scholars regard as being consistent with
Gnostic traditions.
Christian Gnostics believed that the way to salvation was through secret knowledge delivered by Jesus to his inner circle. This knowledge, they believed, revealed how people could escape the prisons of their material bodies and return to the spiritual realm from which they came.
Gnostic sects looked to their gospels among them the Gospel of Mary, newly famous for its role in the best-seller The Da Vinci Code to authenticate their distinctive beliefs and practices. (See "Da Vinci Code Spurs Debate: Who Was Mary Magdalene?")
Contradicting the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, these texts were later denounced by orthodox Christian leaders and refused entry into the Bible. Scholars believe that followers of the texts hid copies of them for preservation. (See our interactive "Lost Gospel" time line and map.) ...continued... and end of quote
Can you hear Satan's: HATH GOD SAID run through the entire account of the gospel of Judas. The Bible clearly says one thing and then Satan comes along and says HATH GOD SAID (the Bible is not true). Satan says Judas was not really a traitor, instead he was a hero doing something special for Jesus.
The Gnostics were an early cult - a perversion of the truth... yet in this article Satan's followers say they were Christians. It is all HATH GOD SAID which is a denial of the Word of God and the Biblical account.
The gospel of Judas is a slander and an attack on the person of the Lord Jesus
The gospel of Judas is an attack against the Bible and Christians who believe the Bible
The gospel of Judas is part of the preparation for the antichrist! You see the Bible must be rejected and considered untrue by lost people in order to prepare hearts for the coming antichrist who will one day rule the world (for a short time).
Expect more attacks on the Bible as Satan seeks to prove to lost mankind that the Bible is full of deceptions and errors. He will use lying miracles and false proofs to accomplish that goal!
CONCLUSION
In this long article several last day deceptions have been reviewed. We have not cover them all as should the Lord tarry, there will be more of them.
However, one point you should always remember is that Satan has not changed his tactics in his use of deception. Remember what happened in the Garden of Eden:
Gen 3
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit
of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,
God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,
lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your
eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Here are the two deceptions very successfully in use today!
Deception 1) verse 4... Satan denied the Word of God. He contradicted God and told Eve that she would not die if she ate of the fruit when God said she would die. I call this the: Hath God said deception. Satan denies the clear Word of God and says... hath God said...
Deception 2) verse 5 ...Satan promised Eve to be wise and a 'god'. This deception is the empty promise of godhood or the ability for one to become a god.
We are now living in the days before the return of the Lord Jesus to rapture home His people. After that the restraint will be removed which will allow the antichrist to rise to power. The days in which we live are being used to prepare the hearts of people for that time when Satan's antichrist rises to power. The antichrist will not just rise to power overnight! Instead, peoples hearts will be prepared by the HATH GOD SAID deception and the YE SHALL BE GOD deception. Satan will attack and seek to destroy the credibility of the Bible as the Word of God. He will succeed with lost people who reject the Lord Jesus. All these people will believe the deceptions of the devil unto the destruction of their eternal souls!
2 Thess 2
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now
letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they
might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that
they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but
had pleasure in unrighteousness.
All people who reject the Lord Jesus will believe these lies with all their heart! There is coming, after the rapture, a great delusion described in the verses above. God will allow Christ rejectors to believe this great deception with all their hearts so they will perish in their sins. They have rejected the truth and as a result God has given them over to their sin and rebellion. God will allow them to believe the this delusion with all their heart!
This is why all these deceptions are a major sign of the end of the age and the soon return of the Lord Jesus. I would also say these deceptions are a sign of the nearness of the coming antichrist. The groundwork is being laid right now for world-wide acception of the antichrist beast.
Only one type of person can resist the deceptions of these end days. That person is a daily Bible reading born-again Christian walking in fellowship with the Lord. This gives protection from any deceptions from the devil or his servants. Also, one must keep a teachable heart so if you find yourself misled, your teachable heart will allow corrections from the Word of God.
Right now we are living in a time when Satan is getting people ready to receive the antichrist while trashing the Bible and the Lord Jesus at the same time.
The day will come when it will be a crime to be a Christian as the Bible will be a hated and rejected book. Right now we are seeing the preparation for those days! During the reign of the antichrist, the Bible will be a forbidden book and being a Christian will be a crime punishable by death.
But Satan and the antichrist will come to an end by the judgment of God! See the following verses:
Psalm 2
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords
from us.
4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall
have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in
his sore displeasure.
Notice that God laughs at the foolish attempt to dethrone Him and His influence on planet earth (verse 4). The devil and all his followers are destined to hell, the lake of fire. At the very end of the age the devil will be wild with rage, hatred, and anger against God because he knows his time is short.
But before that time, Satan and his antichrist will be allowed to setup their kingdom of the antichrist (New World Order) which is a direct attack against the Lord. All forms of deceptions and false miracles will be used to lead people away from God. Several of these deceptions have been covered in this article.
Don't be deceived by the HATH GOD SAID attacks on the Word of God or the promise of GODHOOD. These deceptions will continue to be used right up to the time when the Lord Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom on earth!
The goals of these deceptions have not changed:
- Satan wants to cast doubt on the Jesus of the Bible
- Satan wants to cast doubt on the Word of God, the Bible
- Satan wants to promote and prepare the hearts of people to
receive his coming antichrist
Born-again Christians are good people... but sometimes they can be very gullible. It is important to obey, beware, and listen to the warnings of the Lord Jesus. This article has covered many end time deceptions. There will be more coming in the days ahead.
If you are a pastor then you must take action! You are directly accountable to God and He will hold you responsible for how you treat His blood-bought people. Hold fast to sound Biblical doctrine and reject all the deceptive fads and movements of the devil. Here are some verses to consider as a warning to pastors who are not faithful to the Lord:
Ezek 44
11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge
at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they
shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people,
and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.
12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and
caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have
I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they
shall bear their iniquity.
13 And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a
priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in
the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their
abominations which they have committed.
Jer 23
1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of
my pasture! saith the Lord.
2 Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors
that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them
away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the
evil of your doings, saith the Lord.
Pastors, you need to do what is necessary to clean up your church if any of Satan's deceptions have been accepted.
Christians remember, don't allow yourself to be blind and deceived by any of Satan's deceptions! Wake up and remember the warning from the Lord Jesus:
Matt 24
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect.
Here are some other verses to keep fresh in your mind as you stand fast in the Lord while waiting for His return.
Gal 1
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble
you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach
any other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed.
Acts 4
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is
none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved.
Col 2
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain
deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of
the world, and not after Christ.
2 Tim 4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall
be turned unto fables.
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