http://ichthys.com/ 
Eschatology Issues CXLII

Question #1:
Hi Bob,

I have still been wrestling with ___ about false teaching in the church she is a member of. For a moment she began to listen and realised there was something to my alarm that woke her up. She even emailed her Vicar and shared her alarm about this course of 'Evangelism Re-Imagined'.

There were two points I contested: 1) they argued that Jesus 'never preached hell'. I told her this was ludicrous and gave her lots of verses were Jesus referenced hell directly to crowds of people. 2) they promote something called 'God's Dream" which is a wholly unbiblical concept and actually originates from the New Age/Theosophy.

This actual evidence was enough to get her attention! She emailed her Vicar and he admitted that Jesus did talk about hell but didn't reference these guest speakers claims about hell. Now this is the really disturbing part. I looked at the Website and they had one page about how Jesus only talked about hell once to Nicodemus. A day ago that page was on their site but now it has been taken down! So the only possible answer to that is that ___'s Vicar has 'tipped them off!'

What makes things even more disturbing is that the Vicar denies that they reference God's Dream at all. The thing is that these speakers not only have a book out called 'God's Dream', they have a podcast called 'God's Dream', two videos called 'God's Dream' and their actual website used to be called 'God's Dream' before they changed it. If you type in https://godsdream.org.uk
you are immediately linked to the Evangelism Re-Imagined site.

___'s Vicar reassured her that there is no need to worry, everything is fine. ___ hasn't looked at her Bible once to see if any of this is to be trusted. Her Vicar's word is all she needs to know it is fine. She has basically been lulled back to sleep again. What's more she is trying to promote this teaching back at me again. I prayed, I gave her lots of evidence that this is not Biblical and not to be trusted. I have told her several times now that not only would I not do the course but I would be looking for a new church/ministry. She told me that there cannot possibly be false teachers in her church. That's all there is, she is satisfied. 

What I suspect is that these two things will be brought together. It doesn't take much of a leap to go from 'Jesus never talked about hell' to 'hell doesn't exist'. I also suspect that the reason this site is called Evangelism Re-Imagined is that they are going to do it differently. So yes they may have a different 'style' of evangelism but I suspect it won't stop there. I suspect they have a 'New Gospel' too. It seems clear to me that 'God's Dream' is their new Gospel.

I watched the talk at ___'s church online and it seems that they 'evangelise' by using psychic readings of people. They ask if anyone has a bicycle in the congregation and then they say 'I have a vision of a bicycle. God has a message for the person with the bicycle.' So basically they are Mediums. They even talk about how on the course you can get supernatural abilities and hear God's voice directly 'activated'. Also the other person kept saying things like 'Did Jesus really say that?' This is what Satan did. To chip away at the confidence of the congregation so that they doubt what Jesus actually did say.

So what is this 'God's Dream' teaching? It was first talked about in Theosophy, the idea of the coming New Age Christ 'Maitreya' and his global peace plan. This global peace plan is 'God's Dream' and can only be embraced when people achieve 'Oneness' and that in its turn can only be embraced if people accept that God is in everyone and everything (Panenthiesm). That's basically it. It won't work unless we are all on board with it and New Agers have already written demonically channelled books to say that Maitreya says it is okay to kill off anyone who doesn't go along with it.

[omitted]

In Jesus, 
p.s. I have also attached info on the roots of 'God's Dream'. Apparently it got into the Evangelical church from Robert Schuller and his Crystal Cathedral and he became a mentor to Rick Warren so Warren uses the same phrase a lot. I don't think either Schuller or Warren have been explicit about what 'God's Dream' is referring to but they are generating a lot of 'buzz' around the term and getting people to believe it has always been a Biblical teaching. I thought it strange that ___'s Vicar signs off his emails with 'In his grip'! Grip is a very specific word. I know masonic handshakes are called 'grips' so that might be revealing. I know they believe that Hiram Abiff was resurrected by the 'Lion Paw Grip'. We who minister have to be careful with ministry not to be drawn into false movements ourselves! I will truly only be able to minister to people who want to leave what they are involved with. Otherwise there is the risk they will try to convert me!
Response #1:
All this strikes me as a definite precursor to the beast's religion. Things seem to be moving faster on your side of the pond than they are here (although, to be honest, I'm not "out there" much, sticking to my knitting with the job and the ministry for the most part). The reactions you provoked demonstrate that you are "on the money" as we say, and that these individuals are trying to have it both ways so as to convince their victims more effectively – which is only possible if someone is ignorant of the truth and/or fails to check their Bible. 

As usual here in Laodicea, even believers seem all to eager to have their ears scratched with some "exciting new teaching" (which is of course entirely composed of lies, though often very subtle ones; 2Tim.4:3), while disdaining the harder work of reading the Bible for themselves, let alone having the discipline to sit under a good teaching ministry so as to advance beyond spiritual infancy. 

As you say, you can't drag them to it. It has to come from them. That is true of salvation; that is true of spiritual growth. Moses couldn't drag the Israelites to the truth; Elijah couldn't drag the Jews of the northern kingdom to it; Paul couldn't drag the Jerusalem congregation to it through the book of Hebrews (at least not sufficiently to avoid what happened a few years later). So we lesser mortals should try not to get frustrated when people who are getting the benefit of some heart-felt ministry from us prove ungrateful and unresponsive. We just keep doing our job, "professionally" as you note.

Sorry to hear about your family, but given all that you've shared with me about them in the past, it doesn't surprise me. The evil one continues to use them against you. It's hard to "emotionally dis-invest" from loved ones, but putting on a little more armor plate at least wouldn't be a bad idea. I see you are in the process of doing that, and that is no doubt a good things. And remember, even our Lord was disrespected by His human family (Jn.7:5), but later they changed their tune (e.g., James and Jude).
"It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!"
Matthew 10:25 NKJV
Keep up the good work, my friend. I'm keeping you in my daily prayers.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
p.s., I have no worries whatsoever about YOU being "dragged in", my friend!
Question #2:
Thanks Bob,

I have just been given the real reason why ___ wants her ears tickled with false teaching. She sent me a message early this morning that her mother before she died 'had a faith in God but not necessarily comprehended Jesus'. So this is the true heart of the matter. This both explains why ___ is emotionally invested in denying hell and also denying the exclusivity of Jesus as our Saviour. Jesus warned us against loving anyone else more than Him.

Matt 10:32-37
Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."

The Word IS divisive. It is divisive as we all have free will so that obviously will mean that some people will choose the devil's lies over the truth. The most painful aspect of this is that the people who we are closest to and are informed by can and often choose the devil and ignore the One who WE love the most, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.

I realise this is the very nub of the issue. That is exactly why Jesus warned us against loving family more than Him. We know this can be tempting for us to do but we also know that anything we love more than Him is an idol and can be exploited by the enemy. If we love Him the most then the enemy cannot get a 'shoe-in' at all. The Bible is clear that behind all idols is a demon craving worship. Again and again in the Bible whenever someone who was faithful to God was shown any sort of adoration, they were quick to nip it in the bud.

Rev 22:9
And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with them which keep the words of this book: worship God.

The problem happens when people allow us to worship them. It becomes all the more insidious when it is a parent. As children look up to parents as though they are gods, as they provide them with love, nourishment and care (well..they are supposed to do). Some parents like that position they are given over children and don't want that level of control to ever end. I have been very close to this kind of upbringing. When a parent is under the authority of God then the parent will be responsible for the child's spiritual guidance and encouragement. Obviously children can and do rebel against this.

When you have a parent who is not under God then you have prime real estate for demonic influence and control. The parent becomes the de-facto god over the family and the real God is blocked out. This is a very quick and easy way for the enemy to control multiple people at once, through family. Cults are often referred to as surrogate families after all.

I am not saying this is necessarily exactly the case in this instance but it could be along these lines. When ___ lost her mum, a feet first and tactless 'Christian' tried to evangelise her and suggested that her mum had gone to hell for not believing in Jesus. There is truth here after all but it was the timing and the manner in which this was delivered. The person in question obviously didn't show any love to ___. So that explains why ___ now is 1) against the doctrine of hell 2) against the 'old' way of evangelising 3) open to a Gospel that says that you don't need Jesus to be saved. It all rests on a combination of a heavy handed 'evangelist' preaching to her when her grief was at its most raw and the uncomfortable realisation that her Mother may have died denying Christ.

Knowing all this I wondered if there was any point at all in pursuing anything further, given how emotionally fraught it all is for her. This is all tied up in loving her mother too much to the possibility of seeing her as perfect, of idolising her and therefore failing to see her mother's sin nature which needed a Saviour. As I alluded to prior, if we love and cling to our fleshly parents TOO much we can get to the point that everything we know to be true about God could be called into question, which again is a score for the devil. At that point it is a question of who is the perfect one? God or the beloved parent? So then if the beloved and perfect parent rejects Jesus, then what?

This is why I have realised that total depravity is a really important teaching for all believers to embrace. We can't say that sin has infected everything "but not MY mum and dad". That's simply a lie. I realise though that seeing a parent (or spouse) as flawless perfection is only one step removed from self deification. The argument then can be made that 'If my parent/spouse is a god, then that would make me a god too' (or at the very least a very special person to be associated with a god).

It seems to me (and you would know more on this Bob) that God has given us parents to teach us many things about Himself. We didn't have to have physical parents, we could have been raised from stones if God wanted it that way (Matt 3:9) So as with God, everything is purposeful. Everything physical can bring a spiritual teaching with it. God gave us parents to teach us about love, provision, trust, faith, care, teaching, discipline and growth into maturity. We learn these things from them and the Godly ones then lead us to the One this all came from. The ungodly don't. They are happy to use all that love, trust, faith, care, teaching, discipline and growth to promote themselves in their child's eyes so they reap the glory, not God. These selfish ends of course are the just the furtherance of Satan's schemes on earth of course, to worship the creation over the Creator.

I am happy for you to publish these messages as I hope they will help others.

I was thinking of what I wrote yesterday about being cut out of family inheritances. Happily I have a infinitely more valuable and eternal perfect inheritance that neither moth nor rust can corrupt! Amen!

Marana-tha!

In Jesus,
Response #2:
" I have a infinitely more valuable and eternal perfect inheritance that neither moth nor rust can corrupt! Amen!" Amen indeed!

And, yes indeed parents are given to us that we may see by positive example (in the case of good ones and the good they do) and also by negative example (in the case of bad ones) just exactly what a perfect Father must be like – and also a perfect Son.

The devil has filled his kingdom with all manner of traps such as this, but those who truly want to have a relationship with the Lord will escape them just as we escape this world.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 1:3-5 NKJV

. . . giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Colossians 1:12-13 NKJV
Thanks for your willingness to share!

Keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #3:
Hi Bob,

You're very welcome! Thanks for your email too. I want to read over it again a few times when I haven't got my frazzled Friday brain!

Have you heard of Progressive Christianity? I'm not sure but I think it might just be a rebrand of the emergent church. Apparently Progressive Christianity is very difficult to define because there are a broad spectrum of beliefs that fall under that umbrella. From the little that I've read about it it's anything but Christian.

Hope you survived your Friday too, Bob.

Have a great weekend!

In Jesus
Response #3:
The word "progressive" over here is politically charged and has been since the 19th century. If I heard someone use it today here in the states I would assume they meant a type of Christianity which was in tune with left-leaning political ideology. Otherwise, it would be very misleading, it seems to me. 

Looking this up online I found the definition: "a Christian movement that emphasizes social justice, environmental stewardship, and questioning tradition". There are plenty of denominations here, mostly the old line ones (Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, etc.), which have been into social engineering as the expression of their "Christian faith" for a long time. I've just never heard them apply that title to themselves before. It used to be called "the social gospel".

By whatever name, it does seem that all organized Christianity is morphing into political forms, nowadays, whether on the right or on the left. Given that they all have much in common – abandoning the truth and following satanic doctrines instead – it doesn't seem that it will be too difficult for antichrist to bring them all together under one roof, and pretty quickly too.

I did survive . . . barely. Long day, long meeting, having some health "issues" . . . but we endeavor to persevere!

Thanks for the prayer! Keeping them up from this side of the pond for you and yours as well.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #4:
Hi Bob,

Please don't worry about replying to this straight away. It's Saturday and posting day for you but I thought I'd send it now.

It was interesting to read what you wrote about the word "progressive" in the states. It fits in with what I've heard about Progressive Christianity. I thought I'd share a bit more about what I've read about it.

Apparently, not everyone who calls themselves a progressive Christian believes all of this but the leaders who are writing the books and leading the movement are pretty much unanimous on all these points.

On creation, many progressive Christians hold to a view of panentheism which teaches that when God created the universe He poured His Spirit into all matter and then there becomes a sense in which He becomes interdependent with the universe.

On the fall, almost universally, progressive Christians will deny that we have an inherited sinful nature. Sometimes they will refer to what they call "original goodness" or "original blessing". You are inherently united with God. They don't deny sin exists. They will acknowledge that humans sin. What they will deny is that that sin would separate us from God.

On Jesus' resurrection and ascension, most progressive thought leaders, whether they affirm the resurrection or not, will all agree that it doesn't matter if it really happened physically. They might say something like the resurrection of Jesus doesn't have to be literal or historical in order for it to be meaningful. We can draw meaning out of it but it doesn't have to have actually happened. These things become more like metaphors and lessons, maybe moral tales that we can learn from.

On heaven and hell, they will deny that there is a place of punishment in the afterlife called hell. They might say they believe in hell but it's the experience you have on earth of the negative consequences of your bad choices. It's a progressive view to deny that hell is a place of punishment in the afterlife.

On politics, progressive Christians tend to start with their political views and then their theological views will flow out of that. They tend to be very vocal politically and they tend to be very much on the left. So they start with their political views and morph their theology to fit that.

On ethics, they strongly advocate for a change in the church's mind when it comes to biblical sexuality, marriage and gender. Their ethics will flow along the lines of culture when it comes to things like adopting social justice ideologies and critical race theory. 

They downgrade the Bible. They will elevate the human element and devalue or demote the divine element. There aren't many progressive Christians who are going to be talking about the scriptures in their entirety from Genesis to Revelation as the fully inspired, authoritative and inerrant Word of God. 

So, there's a strong social justice bit on the political angle, a lot of advocacy of LGBTQ inclusion in the church, left leaning politics and a theology that's going to deny major crucial points of the gospel. 

It's like you said Bob, "believe whatever you want ... as long as it isn't true". "Putting the truth to death is ultimately liberating because then anything is possible". And "all organized Christianity is morphing into political forms, whether on the right or on the left". Opening it all up nicely for antichrist to bring them all together under one roof.

I hope this is helpful.

I'm so sorry to hear you're having some health "issues", Bob. I'm keeping you in my prayers.

Your friend in Jesus
Response #4:
Doing better today (thanks for your prayers!). Got the last of the major projects out of the way today so now I basically just have to get through next week and this semester is pretty much "in the bag". There is plenty on the list for Christmas break, however.

Thanks for doing the research on this! It's hard to understand how anyone could believe any of these points and still be a believer – let alone all of them. So the putting the name "Christian" on this movement seems inappropriate. But after all the Catholic church and plenty other such organizations do the same as well.

Re: "Opening it all up nicely for antichrist to bring them all together under one roof." Indeed. Yet one more indication that we don't have that long to wait. I'm beginning to think that the hopes I'd had of a period of respite before the Tribulation begins were unfounded – except in relative terms.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #5:
Hi Bob,

I'm so glad you're feeling better. Glad you've nearly got this semester "in the bag" too.

I thought the same as you - I don't know why they even call it Christianity. There are good ministries out there pointing out all kinds of false teachings but I can't help noticing again how little the apologists know about the Tribulation. Whether they themselves are believing in a false pre-trib or some have the view that believers should engage in politics (just on the other side). So in one way they are helping in pointing out some lies but on the other hand they know so little about the hardest time we're ever going to face - the Tribulation. It's no good feeling comfortable in pre-trib beliefs or being completely distracted by things like politics and not doing what's really important to prepare for the Tribulation. Spiritual growth, progress and production. Even helpful ministries out there are completely asleep to what is soon to come. It just goes to show that ALL truth is important. I'm so very thankful to the Lord for you and your teaching on the Tribulation.

Keeping you in my prayers, Bob and thanks so much for yours too.

In Jesus
Response #5:
Yes, it's true. If the best thing that can be said about any group is that they can identify and reject things that are blatantly wrong, while that is good, according to our Lord, it's not good enough.
"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."
Revelation 2:2-5 NIV
Since the "first love" is the "love you had at first . . . for the truth", the comparison fits very well. The apologists in the series we were discussing proceeded in their attack on the false from a very flawed and purely traditional set of beliefs rather than from scripture or a desire to know the truth. The work is "good hard work", but it "falls" short of what the Lord wants. Because, as you rightly note, ALL truth is important. We never know what principle of truth, however small, or what verse of the Bible, however inapplicable it may seem when we first read it, may one day be the one that provides us the "critical mass" to succeed in some trial or effort for Christ – or the lack of which might endanger the entire spiritual structure we are building in our hearts. It's ALL critical.

I WAS feeling better, but yesterday I got the worst food poisoning I've ever had. I spent a terrible night and had to really "strap it on" to get through my classes today (toughest day of teaching I remember) . . . but the Lord answered prayer and did get me through. I'm doing a lot better tonight. No classes tomorrow and I'm caught up on all the difficult tasks of the semester, so I should be back in business entirely by Wednesday.

Thanks for your prayers, my friend! Keeping you and yours in mine daily.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #6:
Dear Bob,

Thank you for sharing your latest work with me, Hebrews chapter 11 (link). I'm looking forward to reading it and appreciate your thoughtful insights. I also wanted to let you know that I've recently published a new piece that might be of interest to you. Thank you again, and may God continue to bless!

https://amzn.to/42V57YT

Best regards...In Christ,
Response #6:
My pleasure. And thanks for the link. I read some of the sample and scanned your table of contents. I couldn't agree with you more! Love the chapter heading: "Republican or Democrat: You're asking the wrong questions". 
Progressive, social gospel "Christianity" which denigrates the Lord and considers the Bible non-inspired is anathema, but it is the devil's strategy to rile up those believers who won't tolerate such lies and get them focused on political reaction instead of what they ought to be doing: growing spiritually, passing maturity tests, and ministering to others. Left or right, believers need to stay away from political action (link).

Wishing you great success in this noble endeavor, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #7:
Greetings Robert!

I do hope you’re thriving and this year is going well? I’m hanging in there! We had Covid from mid August and I’m still feeling the effects. __ has recovered well, I thank God. When I’m a bit too tired for anything useful I put on a sermon video and listen. This afternoon’s piece included the armour of God and the speaker (Bob DeWaay) pointed out that it’s not just the shield of faith but shield of the faith. So I fired up a Greek interlinear and there is was: “tes” τeς and the English read ‘the of faith’. But that’s not to necessarily say ‘of the faith’ so may I ask you please? I checked a place where we do say The Faith in English, in 1 Tim 6:12. Fight the good fight etc. Same thing seems to be going on there. And I see pisteos actually talks about trust or sureness. Is this me exercising my faith, upholding and leaning on The Faith and what it tells me? 

Somehow I would find it easier to hold up my trust in what Jesus has done than slip into relying on my own certainty. Which makes it about him, not me - much better!

This is similar to something else I bumped into on Sunday. I get twitched when people “plead the blood” over every situation that concerns them, like it’s a protective coating, and it needs to be reapplied the next day. So I asked my friend, who does this. She does indeed repeat these prayers daily, to “soak” her son for his protection. 

My “antennae” and research confirmed that this isn’t biblical, rather superstitious actually. This reminds me of new age visualisation techniques. But then I found a sermon preached in 1888 by Charles Spurgeon. He started by saying we need certainty and trust in the efficacy of Jesus’ work on the cross and his resurrection, and that it’s rather Jesus who pleads for us, as our advocate. But Spurgeon did finally use the phrase ‘plead the blood’, in the legal sense of ‘plead’. I think this has been misunderstood somewhere along the line. This would be to say “I’m a sinner, but I plead the blood of Jesus to save me’, in answer to the question in “how do you plead?” just like you can plead an amendment to your constitution. He was not meaning to mentally apply a virtual coating of blood over everyone! So this pleading means to rely upon, and claim that certainty. In that sense pleading the blood makes much more sense. 

That’s an aside, about meaning, but my point is that sometimes my faith may not keep me from being afraid if assailed by some evil spirit, but The Faith is immutable, in Jesus who is likewise immutable, and so I can lean on him with confidence. 

Our King Charles should have been a defender of The Faith, but he’s slid into merely defending the right to hold any faith. 

I read of a Greek Professor who said not to confuse your grammar with your theology! Well I’ve done that before! So I thought, ‘I know a very good Greek Professor’, so I hope it’s ok to ask you please?

Thank you very much and I pray God blesses and keeps you well and strong. 

In Christ
Response #7:
Good to hear from you. Happy to hear that you are "hanging in"; some goes for this side of the pond.

This is all a very good example of why people who don't know Greek can be very dangerous when they try to build theology on what they really don't understand. 

Yes, there is the "the" present in these instances, but Greek doesn't use the definite article precisely as we do in English. For example, since I know you and you know me, I would refer to you as "the___" and you to me as "the Bob" . . . because we are "definite", after all. Greek also uses the article generically as we do in English sometimes. We say things like, "the shark is a denizen of the deep", by which we do not mean that there is only one shark or that we are taking about only this "the" shark (Fred the shark?); we are using it in the sense of "sharks in general". Greek does this much more often and especially with concept nouns like "faith". So building too much on the "the" is a mistake. 

Also, when it comes to faith, WE understand and the Bible takes it for granted that we are talking about "saving faith in Jesus Christ". Politicians over here often talk about their "faith", without ever specifying what they really "believe". Faith/belief on its own means nothing since all human beings have "faith", that is, confidence that things they can't prove are true. Most unbelievers are confident that the planet Jupiter exists although they've never seen it or been there. That sort of faith means nothing, i.e., the fact that they have accepted the "truth" of some proposition without personal experience. As James says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder" (Jas.2:19 NIV). Saving faith is putting our trust in Jesus Christ, "believing" that He is the Son of God, God and man in one perfect person forever, and that He paid the price for our sins. Accepting Him and His work on a faith basis, putting our trust in Him, is what saves, and that is the faith the New Testament is always talking about. So the distinction in this sermon you mention is meaningless . . . except that it sows confusion, the very opposite of what Bible teaching is supposed to do. For more on this, please see the latest major posting: Hebrews Chapter 11 (at the link).

In terms of "pleading the blood", your spiritual common sense, your "radar", is right on the money. This is not only nowhere in the Bible but everything about this false notion as you have described it is contrary to the truth, sowing confusion about salvation and the true nature of our spiritual warfare which is to be carried on through spiritual growth, prayer and reliance on the Holy Spirit, not through "magical" means. The latter is the province of our enemy, after all.

Also, your description of the genesis of this is very illustrative of how such false teaching has infiltrated into the church-visible. People "learn" things like this (and the "rapture") from respected believers, who have likewise learned it from others, who misunderstood some sermon from someone who misunderstood some passage of scripture . . . and the next thing you know you have a false doctrine. So rather than exegeting Spurgeon, my preference would be to read the Bible for myself.

Finally, re: "not to confuse your grammar with your theology", I would add, "don't confuse your theology with the Bible". Because much traditional "theology" is flawed, because it consists in large part of "principles" derived from some system of theology which are by definition not from the Bible itself. 

Yes, we pastor-teachers are responsible to teach all of the truth of the Bible and, yes, that does require putting scriptures and principles of scripture together to see the whole picture of what the Bible teaches, but we never elevate a system of theology over the Bible. That is how we got Augustianism, Roman Catholicism, and Reform theology and all derivative systems which are languishing in those mistakes of the past. 

It's all well and good to have respect for those who have gone before. But repeating past mistakes while abandoning any hope of genuine progress in the truth from studying the Bible itself is exactly the wrong way to go about things.

How is your health doing?

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #8:
My dear Friend - Thank you! 

I smile while reading your gracious answer because I should never forget that you won’t sit with sloppy thinking! Thanks for steering me straight on the definite article in Greek. I was right about our King Charles at least. And you’re so right about not relying on preachers. I’ve come to a stage where I may have to say to myself “oh there it is” - the doctrinal error; everyone has at least one and there are so many. I don’t know it all, nearly the opposite , but it’s such a pity to spot some glaring thing. I don’t like the ‘chew the meat and spit out the bones’ idea, but I acknowledge my need for help with scripture, and that comes with some risk if I casually ask whoever’s leading the Bible study, for example.

I wrote you a reply but didn’t send it when life overtook me, and another week’s Bible study came and went, where the issue came up again. This time ___, our good and diligent teacher, inserted “the” before “faith” in Mark 11:22, so I tried to say I'd had a message from you about the definite article, that we should be careful. He then leaned on ‘English only‘ and closed it down. Usually it’s a discussion and coming back with a comment is ok, but I think I upset the flow this time. I must apologise to him. Much joking ensued about it “all being Greek to me”, but I am keen to know we are understanding the original the best we can, or we lose the confidence in the Word’s inerrancy, or have less basis to be sure. I later took a look at the interlinear for that verse, and there’s no hint of a definite article, is there? But something else interested me; is it faith in God that moves mountains, or faith from God? I’ve seen both offered as the translation. I could wonder whether faith from God implied it’s a gift whereas faith in God tells me to have faith/sureness in God and his attributes, and that he will move the mountain. At which point I felt similar to __ about wishing English were sufficient! 

You kindly asked about my health. Hmmm. This is a year for a big birthday, and I’m feeling the part these days, I have to say. More and more seems to be on the downslope; arthritis in particular is hard to come to terms with, since it stops me getting about without pain. And while they thought it was tendinitis, insisting I rest for months while it subsided, I lost a lot of fitness which I’m not at all sure I can get back, and it’ll be no fun trying! I forget what I shared last time, but I’ve still not finished dealing with my mother’s estate, to share with my brother, and ___ has since lost his father and is also dealing with (international) probate, and 2 brothers of differing opinions. We’ve a demolition about to start at the rear of the house, and I’m still battling mould at the front. All while feeling less strong than ever before. I’m not good at ‘slow and steady’. I tend to wait for a burst of energy to arise within my usual chronic fatigue, grab it with both hands and focus, then crash afterwards and wait to recover. But now I’ve got less of everything needed, except the workload! I’m so grateful that ___ is a loving and very organised person and gently nudges me to keep going. I am so blessed in having. I’m still praying the Lord with take the blinkers off him and he receives or finds faith, or the faith, and I really don’t mind which! 

That feeble humour is by way of rounding up my wonky attempts to understand the language of our salvation, and trusting the Lord will be loving and just, whatever happens, because that’s who he is. And I keep praying. When I was struggling to help myself through a bad bout of religious OCD I read a message about the fear of not being saved, that it helps to ask oneself what’s the worst that can happen: you go to hell, but God has made the right decision and he is still glorified in that. One might then imagine a person who expected to be saved still praising God from hell because what he decided was right. You might think that would hurt, but I began then to think more about God and less about myself, salvation then being about glorifying him, not just an entry ticket to heaven. And I find myself not in that gloomy headspace these days, thank God! It may return, but I’m doing far better. I can read through passages about divorce and remarriage and not go into a spin. That has to be progress!! And again I thank you for helping me see straight. You’re a sanity saver.

And I can give our new pastor a chance and not prejudge him, but you can be sure I’m watching carefully. Thank you again.

I wonder how you’re doing, and will continue to pray for you. 

Take care 

In Christ
Response #8:
Good to hear back from you! And thanks for the update. You have a lot on your plate indeed!

Re: "But now I’ve got less of everything needed, except the workload!" That is the story for most of us! How do people get by and get through without the Lord? But of course that is a good deal of the reason for the situation "this side of Eden". As the bumper sticker reads, "life is tough and then you die" – grim humor, but true enough and for a reason: to motivate mankind to seek THE answer, and that answer is Jesus Christ alone.

Re: "trusting the Lord will be loving and just, whatever happens" Amen! We know for certain He will be . . . and that is why it is our job to "adjust to His justice". For unbelievers, that means accepting Him, who He is, God and man, and what He has done for us in dying for our sins. For believers, that means to get cracking with spiritual growth, progress in passing tests once we've grown, and ministering to others to help them do the same. That is where the one talent turns to ten, or five . . . or at least bears interest, and that is what we're rewarded for. 
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27 NKJV
Everything is about Jesus Christ. Therefore everything is about the cross and responding to it and Him who died for us. How we respond is critical, and that does involve faith . . . in Him and what He has done for us.
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:19-20 NKJV
The Greek says "faith" (no article here either) and does not specify further, but the context is "doing what God wants us to do". The disciples couldn't do what was required because of lack of faith; but if we are committed to doing what God wants us to do AND trust Him to help us do it, then we can do it (whatever "it" is). Faith is trust. We trust the Lord for salvation; we trust Him to get us through and help us do whatever is His will for us . . . or so we certainly should. And the further down the road of growth we walk with Him, the greater that faith, that belief, that trust in Him helping us will get. If He wants us to move a mountain – or get through or prayer list even though we are tired – we will be able to do it if we trust Him to help us.

Doing OK with a little of that "less of everything needed, except the workload", but the Lord gets me through.

Keeping you in my prayers daily, my friend – and thanks so much for yours!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #9:
Hi Bob,

__ and I are really ill with a weird type of flu. Tested negative for COVID this morning but I have laryngitis now as I have this lump in my throat that won't clear and can't talk at all. __ has the same thing but it isn't as severe as mine. Really knocked me down psychologically and I am feeling too rough to do anything useful like study. Please pray we are delivered through this swiftly as I hear that Laryngitis can linger for weeks sometimes. Thanks for your support as always my friend. Normally when I pray, I pray out loud but I am unable to do this at the moment so am trying to restrict prayer to my mind which is not as easy to do for me as I am used to speaking to God with my mouth and not my mind so this will be a challenge for me to get through this prayerfully too.

In Jesus,
p.s. I know there are a lot of floods and hurricanes in America at present. I think the current one is in Florida. Hope you are safe and well my friend! 
p.p.s. Also saw something last time I was in my home town which alarmed me.. they are now having 'fire walking' events in my hometown for charity. Fire walking is historically linked to pagan religions such as Hinduism or Shamanism.
https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/in-pictures-wigan-and-leigh-hospices-firewalk-event-4290201
I was kind of amazed that such a thing could happen in my country and in such a small town and I thought who on earth would do this? I looked at a local paper from the previous year and noticed that one of my cousins was sadly involved with it. This cousin of mine has been given a chaplaincy position at a Catholic school and he boasted to me that he has no idea what to teach the children about the Kingdom of God and so he 'made it up as he went along'. It upsets me at times that my cousin can do this with no scruples and get good money for it, whilst I try my best to do what the Lord wants and am roundly mocked or ignored by my family for doing so! I try not to let it get to me though as I know this trend will only get worse and worse going into the Tribulation. I know things like 'fire walking' will probably find themselves as part of the Beast's overarching worldwide religion. Pretty sickening to think of it really that people would literally rather walk on fire rather than know our Lord. Seems as though the enemy is mocking them as eternity in a lake of fire won't be so 'fun' and 'enjoyable'. Can't believe how foolish people can be!

In Him,
Response #9:
I'm praying for you and ___ for a quick recovery.

Re: "I know things like 'fire walking' will probably find themselves as part of the Beast's overarching worldwide religion." Indeed. I've seen that in the series you recommended (and I linked to in last week's posting).

Re: "people would literally rather walk on fire rather than know our Lord". That really is a good way of putting it. And they'd rather do all manner of things, working, giving, sacrificing, singing, serving, accepting all manner of odd and even cruel authority . . . but never submit to the Father through faith in His Son and the cross.
For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
2nd Corinthians 11:4 NIV
Several of my students are out with an odd virus and several other have laryngitis. Get some rest!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #10:
Thanks Bob,

I am able to talk more than I was able to yesterday (that may be good for me but not so good for everyone else -ha ha!) though I am still demurring as I am still very hoarse so not quite back in the saddle (pardon the pun ha ha!)

Thanks for reminding me that there is fire walking in that series on the Emergent Church movement (Wide is the Gate) It is such a long and dense series that I ended up taking notes from it as the false teaching really is coming in thick and fast and more bizarre and inscrutable by the day. I will be reading over my notes from the series to refresh my memory. The problem is a 'whack-a-mole' one. If you just focus on one set of false teaching then you are missing the other ones going on behind your back. Ultimately that is why we need a mature grasp on the truth, the full counsel of God to keep ourselves from error. It can seem overwhelming at times but it makes perfect sense from a warfare standpoint that the battle will wage all that hotter and more furiously now that the end of it is almost upon us.

What concerns me is that the false teaching ranges from the brazenly obvious to the very subtle. So there really is no excuse to be a slouch on knowing what really is of God and what isn't. Satan's wiles are not obvious are they. Studying his lies as part of ministry, they are as myriad as they are sophisticated. There is basically a lie for every different kind of human appetite which is quite terrifying in a way. We shouldn't underestimate our adversary but not overly fear him either. Rick Warren said Satan was very predictable but that is the exact opposite of the truth. You have to have a very firm grasp of what is the truth to not be taken in by the multitude of lies. The one thing that can be said though about Satan is that he hasn't a single original idea at all. All of his lies are bound up within creation or reference God directly and can never go beyond certain parameters. Ultimately he steals from God.

I have noticed that his lies are either exalting creation over the Creator or inverting the Word of God or taking the credit for what God does. There is nothing new, novel or innovative about anything he spews. It's all lies woven into other lies but all the yarn he uses to manufacture his lies has been stolen from God for his own nefarious purposes. He always has to use the same material we all have around us as part of his manufacturing of propaganda, he cannot do anything outside of it, so inevitably it is more limited than we think. Unlike God who is limitless and can create ex nihilo.

Something else I have been pondering about. There is a backlash against the decadent and lawless part of society but we shouldn't think we will automatically have fellowship with this backlash. Sometimes we can crave to see ourselves and our faith be represented in the prevailing culture around us but we know from the Word that this has never been the case and will continue to not be the case for a while longer. If we don't remain patient though we could easily get caught up with Dominionism and the false teaching of Seven Mountain mandate about Christians leading culture.

I have noticed something really sneaky about what Satan is doing at the moment. He takes things that are of God and then associates them with something wicked. The most obvious example of this is the rainbow. The rainbow was given to Noah from God as a visual sign of His promise to not flood the whole earth again. We know that the rainbow (less one colour) has been stolen by the LGBTQ for their anti-God propaganda. Due to this 'cultural jamming' of the rainbow with all things abhorrent and false, people can then be pushed too far in the opposite direction as part of a backlash and lose sight that the rainbow is originally from God and is good.

Another example of this I have found is the idea of walls and boundaries being bad things. There is a famous song by Pink Floyd called 'The Wall'. The most famous lyric being 'another brick in the wall'. It's funny that they associate being a brick with being conformist and that being bad. We know from the Bible though that we will all be 'bricks in the wall' soon enough. Jesus referred to Peter as being a stone and that we will all be stones to build up the kingdom. Peter referred to believers as 'lively stones'. So being a stone amongst other stones is actually a very desirable place to be in as that makes us inheritors of the kingdom we are a part of the building up! It's also interesting as Jesus had these types of stones in mind when speaking to the Pharisees. He told them in Matthew 3:9 that God can raise up children for Abraham from the stones. So it is interesting that the stones could become the children who are the inheritors whilst the inheritors themselves are referred to as stones! 

Just as more evidence to support this, recently in England a local government have built a controversial wall of many different colours with each resident represented by each brick. You can see the parallels with us being bricks/stones. Another parallel is with the coloured gemstones representing different tribes of Israel. Well, as a lot of the bricks are meant to be inclusive to mirror multiculturalism, this has provoked a backlash and hatred of the wall so it has been graffitied over by a follower of a right wing party (Reform). Interesting name for a political party as it reminds me of the Reformation and no doubt the Antichrist will reform everything.

I think this will feed into Gnosticism eventually. Satan is doing what he is doing but at the same time he is always connecting his lies back to God so that he can ultimately smear God for all that he is responsible for. This is essentially what Gnosticism is all about (from what I have understood). It is ultimately about Satan blaming God and His elect angels and His followers for all the evil in the world which has actually been promoted by Satan and his followers (both of human and demonic kind.)

The problem here is that most Christians tend to align themselves with right wing politics given that they tended historically to be pro-family and have traditional values. The right wing though are now getting angry with things that are originally connected to God but sullied by Satan. We have to tread carefully here as always..

(As a side note, it is very easy to decode and therefore debunk all culture. It is all anti-God so you just have to look at the message in the light of scripture to see which particular part of the Word it is mocking, inverting or trying to replace. This is how I view all culture now, as anti-God propaganda as that is basically what it is).

Another obvious example is the word sheep being seen as a bad thing. Being like a sheep or sheeple is seen as (again) an insult towards a simple uneducated person who is a conformist. Again though 'sheep' is a loving term given to us by our Saviour Himself! We should be proud to be His sheep because that means He truly is our Shepherd! Amen!

You find this type of deception woven into so much of our daily life.

I spoke before that the right wing (so called alternative) media in America is to be wary of. The main speakers on the 'Daily Wire' are not Christians but many Christians do listen. Ben Shapiro is Jewish, Matt Walsh is Catholic and Candace Owens is Catholic too (though she has been booted off, no doubt to set up more extreme content elsewhere as that seems to be the pattern).

We have something similar in the UK called 'GB News' but it is a lot more tabloidy than the 'Daily Wire'. It is sinister that (until recently) one of the regular presenters on GB News was a defrocked Vicar who regularly gave his 'insights' on TV whilst still wearing his dog collar (Calvin Robinson) He has been kicked off too and now aligning himself with what I would refer to as a burgeoning 'far right' movement. I find it all very dystopian and disturbing really. The whole idea of culture and faith being blended in an unholy alliance.

I do struggle to see how the Antichrist will be able to blend licentiousness with legalism though. Both are sinful of course and yet are diametrically opposed to one another. Maybe they will be spilt into two factions? The legalism part will be under Islam's Mahdi and the licentiousness under the Antichrist? They do seem like oil and water so not sure where this all fits together.

Apologies if my writing isn't cohesive and seems disjointed. The problem is though that all this false teaching IS disjointed and chaotic so it is really hard to see how it can all be merged together seamlessly. I know that Wide is The gate shows how it can happen. I just can't understand what the appeal is of a 'big top religion' that teaches everything and nothing at the same time. Not appealing to me anyway.

Boy! Bob, what a mess it all is! It seems as if the whole world has taken leave of its senses. Just goes to show that when you follow the devil then all you have is insanity to show for it! 
In Jesus,
p.s. Just more news to report. Things are continuing to speed up here. Scotland has just appointed its first Episcopal female bishop (Anne Dyer) and the London Underground and buses now have advertisements for a Halal bank under Sharia Law that resides here (Wahed bank) You can't make it up can you?
p.p.s I tend to hit send before I do more research! Something else now makes sense and further setting the scene for the Tribulation. Those adverts for Wahed bank has other adverts saying 'withdraw from Riba now' and states 'capital at risk' with photos of Euro notes and Dollar bills on fire. I had to look up what 'Riba' means within Islam and what it is referring to basically is 'usury'. I know from my time studying 'conspiracy theory' that many people accused Jewish people of amassing great fortunes from Gentile nations through usury. This accusation has been leveled again and again at the Rothschild family in particular. The stereotype of the Jewish money lender was also used in the character Shylock in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. In the advert about Riba, it features the Mufti Menk who is a controversial Grand Mufti of Zimbabwe. Seeing as these adverts are in London and the really important Bank of England is in London, which has also been the home of some of the most important members of the Rothschild's banking dynasty...things, as they say, are starting to get interesting/serious. It sure looks as though things are really building up to lay the ground for the Tribulation! Just had some fantastic news Bob! The Lord has completely delivered ___from cancer! He now has the all clear! Praise here! Now please continue to pray for his salvation.
Response #10:
I agree, the syncretism and merging of the "emergent" church movements is scary. But when a group or individual doesn't have a strong set of beliefs that are genuinely grounded in scripture, it can really come as no surprise that the leaven of evil will enter in. And of course a little leaven is all it takes to leaven the whole lump. What has been a wake-up call for me is the extent to which all this has progressed within the church-visible, even in the case of individuals and churches and organizations which, to be fair, I was always wary of, but had no idea the extent to which they were not just lukewarm and going nowhere spiritually but actually deeply compromised, having bought into some of the devil's most subtle, universal and longstanding lies. It really does help to explain, this embracing by mainstream and well-known "Christian" groups and individuals of new age "doctrines of demons" (1Tim.4:1), just how easily and quickly the beast will be able to gather even these to his banner along with other world "religions". I mean, they're already cooperating, not just extramurally, but have already let the Trojan horse come inside the gate.

In terms of asceticism and libertinism coexisting, if Rick Warren and Imams can get together without any problem, I think this coexistence won't be an issue either. And I think we already see that coexsistence in all of these new age movements and their antecedents. I'm no expert on Hinduism but they have their ascetics and their libertine aspects as well. As long as "all come together" in worship of god (by which we mean you know who and his spawn), then the rest is just window dressing, a set of means to an end which the devil is happy to deploy with much variety as long as he gets what he wants.

And, yes, it all does go back to paganism and Gnosticism. At their core, all of these 666 ways have in common rejecting the true God and His Son in favor of working for salvation and doing what they want (instead of what God wants) in service of the evil one – offering vegetables instead of blood sacrifice in the manner of Cain.

It's also a good point about the anti-Semitic element in all of these new age movements, a sure tell that the devil is behind it all. As time progresses – and especially once the Tribulation begins – the Jews will be the first target and believers (of every stripe) next. And this is one very critical point where the extreme (becoming normal) right and the extreme (becoming normal) left have in common: anti-Semitism. If there were not a more clear "tell" which ought to warn believers off of contemporary politics, I don't know what it would be.

It's a very good series (link). But whenever they get off of critiquing what's false and trying to "teach" what's true, they run into trouble. They have their own doctrinal problems, the same sort of problems one would find in any evangelical church which was NOT infected by new age compromise in any way (something I had assumed about most places bearing that label but now see it probably as a pretty rare thing). While not necessarily clearly stated by all of those contributing, it seem pretty clear that they believe in water-baptism (and so are legalistic); that they believe in the rapture (and so reject the clear teachings of scripture whenever it suits their tradition or desires); that they believe in the Spirit being sufficient to teach (and so reject God-given teaching authority); that they believe in the continuation of spiritual gifts that have ceased (and so have at least one foot in the heresies they are condemning); that they believe in firm distinction between "Israel and the Church" (and by not understanding that all believers are one in Christ regardless, have muddled their own eschatology considerably). 

And it is very clear that the people who recorded that series do not really understand in sufficient depth the blood of Christ, what He did in dying for the sins of the world. In other words, they are well-meaning "fundies" who have correctly sensed the dangers of what the new age teachings are bringing and who have done a fairly good job in pointing some of these out (a real service to the Body of Christ!), but even so I would only recommend that believers of sufficient maturity listen to this series, because the people who made it have the same very serious deficiencies that led to this ministry being on the internet instead of in a traditional church setting in the first place.

In terms of right and left, the devil is fond of "thesis vs. antithesis resulting in synthesis". And even when it works the other way around with increasing polarization, the whip-saw effect merely has each side playing his game more and more rather than the other way around. Nazism was in great measure successful because it was a reaction to Communism. And the evil of the latter certainly didn't guarantee a lack thereof in the former – just the opposite. So it is well for believers to determine to put Jesus Christ first in all things and remember that God is in control. We can't have any positive influence on events – except to be believers to whose prayers and spiritual growth the Lord responds positively. If we "get involved" either way, we are only harming ourselves and, directly or indirectly, furthering the devil's operations.

The reversal of genuine, biblical symbols and the adoption of all manner of satanic practices by the society at large certainly is having an effect on the church-visible, opening up gaps in the armor (where any exists) and making it seem "OK" to do things that a hundred years ago would get a person run out of town. 

All the more reason for the actual Church to stand strong with the truth. But where there is no real interest in the truth, either on the part of those who are supposed to be teaching it or those who are supposed to be learning it, small wonder that a desire to have "fun" and to have "ears scratched" would end in the infiltration into the church-visible of religion, philosophy, theosophy, and demonism. And the need for any "cover" on these, couching them in a veneer of respectability, is diminishing day by day. It won't be long before those who are buying into these false teachings are singing . . .
“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”
Revelation 13:4b NIV
Keeping you and ___ in my prayers for quick renewal of health.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
p.s., good news about ___!
Question #11:
Thanks Bob,

You have given me so much to think about. I agree that while that series exposes the enemies lies very well, it has so many things wrong on the truth. Just because a person has a gift of discerning what is false doesn't mean they have a gift of being able to rightly divide the truth. This is what sets the series back. As you said, I would only be comfortable sending it to someone mature due to the errors but the irony is that a mature person wouldn't need the series in the first place! That is why such ministries are only of real use to the church if they are coupled alongside with a ministry that is teaching substantive truth.

I am happy to be at that point where I can glean good information about various false teaching going on without having to rely on the same place for teaching. It obviously shouldn't be this way. I have experienced this quite a lot. I have been in touch with other such ministries which expose the enemies lies and they always point me then towards a ministry to learn and it is just like going back to Laodicea all over again. What they seem to fail to understand is that it is exactly because churches/ministries fail to teach substantive truth that people go wandering off to have their ears tickled elsewhere. It is ironic that such ministries (for the good they do) also contribute to Laodicea in the church visible over all. They have discerned what is false and yet they seem to still be immature in the faith when it comes to the fundamentals.

I am very glad and appreciative of your ministry my friend. It truly is a miracle that I was led to it but the Lord would never leave me without solid food once I proved that was what I truly wanted.

The Lord said He would bring a famine and not for bread. I always interpreted that as a famine of spiritual food, true Bible teaching. Well...we are here at that time. Never been a time before when it was as easy and affordable to own a Bible (and read other translations for free) and yet no one wants to do so. That puts the blame squarely on mankind. The Lord has gone over and above to provide for us in every possible way but the vast majority of people are not interested. I have really now gone beyond exasperated at mankind. I am very grateful that the Lord has provided for me in the wilderness and fed me in this famine by leading me to your ministry!

As soon as I am better (God willing), I will put all my heft and hard work in the areas that I know now the Lord wants me to. I have struggled a lot when the enemy has thrown guilt at me, my family are very expertly skilled in that department. They are at the point where they throw Bible verses at me to undermine whatever I am doing. I know this is what Satan does. He even did this to our Lord. It breaks my heart that they are always enthusiastically furthering the enemies rebellion whilst convincing themselves they are the ones who are doing God's work (just like the Pharisees).

My health has backtracked today. I keep telling myself that it is only the flu and so many people have things much worse, it does drag me down though. It has been a tough year for health. I have been ill quite a lot this year and it has often come on the heels of other testing and hardships. 
The enemy knows what works so he keeps hitting me in the same spot. I do feel more battle weary than I did in my younger days and do at times struggle to consider it all joy. I have to admit that I found it easier to be joyful in the honeymoon period when I wasn't being tested. Even in the beginning of testing, I felt I started out strong but now I do feel worn down.

I guess Satan often uses a war of attrition against us. The Book of Revelation mentions 'wearing down the saints'. It worries me that I already feel worn down and the Tribulation hasn't started yet. 
I know though the Lord will get me through, I have to be patient and trust Him no matter how tired and worn I feel.

In Jesus,
p.s. There is someone on Facebook that was brought into my life unexpectedly. I don't know her in real life only as an acquaintance. She has quite pagan beliefs. Her husband (they are German) has severe cancer which has spread to his bones so it isn't looking good. I felt moved to tell her about my faith for the first time. She knows I have been praying for her but I told her the comfort and strength and change my faith has given me. I gave her a short testimony of my faith. She told me she has a great problem with Scripture as it was used to abuse her at Catholic school (the same for her husband). She wasn't angry about what I said but she said the Bible was used to traumatise her and she is now convinced that her husband is sick because God is punishing her. She seems to think all suffering is divine punishment. I told her that my experience of suffering is that God delivers me through it and gives me the strength to get through. I also told her that aspects of my ministry was to counter false teaching that various cults do to undermine the truth of the Word of God (usually through legalistic abuses). Please pray for ___ and ___. For ___'s healing from aggressive cancer and that this can lead them to salvation. That the Lord can use me here and I will say and witness the truth to them and that He might ready their hearts for it.
Response #11:
Re: "I would only be comfortable sending it to someone mature due to the errors but the irony is that a mature person wouldn't need the series in the first place!" A good point!

Re: "they always point me then towards a ministry to learn and it is just like going back to Laodicea all over again" That was always my major criticism of "The Billy Graham Crusade" and similar operations: even if some do come to Christ, they then hand them over to all manner of flawed local churches where even basic salvation doctrines are often handled questionably at best.

Thanks much for all your good words, my friend. I'll say a prayer for ___ and ___.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #12:
Hi Bob,

Thanks as always for the emails. I was praying about something yesterday and had some confirmation through reading the emails this morning so I'm very thankful for that. I've actually got the typos for you today.

Thankful to your correspondent for sharing the link to the "Wide is The Gate" videos. Very helpful for everyone - that's what I think, anyway. I've listened to three of them and I agree with you that they are very good videos - also agree about the problems with the doctrinal "issues" you pointed out. Takes me back - it's all so familiar. I recognise most of the New Age teachers and a lot of the books they show from my time in the New Age. Even the very first book I bought which got me hooked and started me on my very long journey deeper into the lies. I also recognise a lot of the people exposing the lies on the videos from the research I had done myself. More research I did to help my friend (zero positive response) and that I was pleased to be able to share with you as well. So I'm thankful I at least had the opportunity to do that. I'll have a listen to the rest of the videos when I can. I actually have a bit more that I can add if it isn't already mentioned. I'm sure I won't need to though.

Taking __ to the dentist tomorrow to get their gnashers checked. I told __ if she was a good girl she could have a sticker too!

Keeping you in my prayers, Bob!

In Jesus
Response #12:
Thanks.

I guess a sticker is healthier than a lollipop, given that we're talking about the dentist here!

Thanks for the typo help, and also for the feedback on "Wide is the Gate". I have to admit, while I did have some contact with the charismatics back when, and also with hyper-evangelicals at seminary via Biola, I never realized that some of these famous "evangelical" people – nearly all of these famous people – had involved themselves in this black hole to such a great degree. I always knew I didn't like the smell of "A Purpose Driven Life", but now I have a better idea of why. Also, I was a bit shocked to learn that Bill Bright of CCC was deep into spiritualism. I always felt that the organization was "off", but it is a bit off putting to find out there is a hidden agenda as well. It seems that devil has gone a lot farther on the road towards his uni-religion than I was personally aware. Not that it matters much in that anyone who is interested in the truth would stay away – or get away – from all such pseudo-organizations ASAP. But it seems that the entire church-visible is a lot farther down the road of having nothing to do with Jesus Christ than I was aware, holed up in my little office and spending time in the Word. Do feel free to pass along anything you want on this.

Have a good week! Keeping you and your family in my prayers.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #13:
Hi Bob,

I agree with you. After coming out of years in the New Age I was shocked to see how much of the same thing was going on in the church-visible. Beginning with my friend and her church. It was glaringly obvious to me. Just that it was in a church - the "Christianized" version.

We can try to help people, including Christians, and point them to the truth but they have to be interested and want the truth. If they are they'll get away from the lies. If they're not they'll fight tooth and nail to defend the lies they want to believe. I was made to feel like I hadn't got a clue what I was talking about. At least I tried.

I watched a couple more "Wide is the Gate" videos today. They're really good. They're confirming everything I've shared with you in the past and I'm learning more. It's good to have it all in one place. I'll work my way through them gradually. Makes me so thankful to the Lord for you and your teaching. Time is short. I finished reading through CT and I'm going to start again.

Keeping you in my prayers!

In Jesus
Response #13:
Thanks for this. I've gotten a little farther into the series now, and while it seems that these individuals are excellent apologists, very good at taking on false doctrines and exposing the infiltration of such into the church-visible, they suffer from many of their own (admittedly lesser) doctrinal deficiencies. I was listening last night to one on "apostles" and while they are dead on correct about false apostles, they seemed to think that e.g., Matthias was legitimately installed – even though the Lord picked the other eleven . . . and Paul; they didn't need to throw dice to find out who'd be in that select college and who'd be out. Also, one of the commentators mentioned that 1st Corinthians 15:5 speaks of "the twelve" as somehow evidence of Paul not being one of the twelve and implying that Matthias was . . . even though when "the twelve" saw the Lord there were only eleven since this happened before our Lord's ascension so that not even the Matthias incident had happened yet. Solution: "the twelve" is the name of the college and that is how Paul is using it there (link). But they do get the main point that people today who say they are apostles and prophets are clearly all wet. They also believe in "the rapture" and say that is good Christian motivation, whereas the opposite has proven true (for obvious reasons).

Anyway, I reiterate that I didn't have any idea how deep these deceptions had permeated. I knew I didn't want anything to do with these institutions and groups who have accepted humanistic philosophy and psychology and self-help and self-esteem and yoga and contemplative prayer and misuse of supposed possession of spiritual gifts . . . but I wasn't aware of the direct connection to spiritualists and eastern religion, not to the degree that is apparently the case. So it has been a bit of an education for me. And you are absolutely correct, of course: "We can try to help people, including Christians, and point them to the truth but they have to be interested and want the truth."; anyone who really wants to know the truth will recoil from such lies . . . eventually. And if they want the truth, well, that is what we are concentrating on after all (so we haven't had time to run down all of the devil's lies – that would take nearly forever). 
[Jesus Christ], in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Colossians 2:3 NKJV
Keeping you and yours in my prayers, my friend, and thanks ever so much for yours.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #14:
Hi Bob,

Thanks for what you've written about "apostles" , Matthias and Paul. I haven't listened to that one yet so thanks for pointing it out.

I do have a good idea of how deep these deceptions have permeated from previous research I've done. I occasionally listen to other apologetic videos as well and I find they have their doctrinal deficiencies too - including a pre-trib rapture. It's good that these people are exposing false doctrines but if they believe in a pre-trib rapture then that in itself is a massive problem and a dangerous false teaching. It can cause Christians to be lackadaisical, not realising their need to prepare for the Tribulation which leaves them in danger of apostasy when the time comes - which isn't very far away now. 

I was thinking about my mom today remembering how she went through a stage in her life of seeing psychiatrists and psychologists. I was only a child at the time and they gave her a relaxation/meditation tape to listen to and follow. She also took my sisters and I to yoga classes with her. I'm wondering whether it was the psychiatrists who recommended that to her as well. I remember her having acupuncture as well.

Some of my "adventures" before I came back to the Lord - I went through a stage where I was suffering with anxiety. I remember my doctor (NHS) trying to encourage me to do meditation. I used to have treatment from a Chiropractor. After quite a few appointments she eventually pulled out her tarot cards to give me a reading - I wasn't expecting that one! I had to see a physiotherapist for an injury and in one of the sessions he asked me if I wanted to try acupuncture. While I was still in the New Age, I had a session with a Reiki healer. All very nice and relaxing on the surface and I felt warm sensations going through my body but now I know it was pure evil. I even considered training to become a Reiki healer at one point. I'm thankful to the Lord for protecting me at that time even though I was far away from Him. Reiki is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist healing system and the practitioners depend on "spirit guides". You can get a session of Reiki in a day spa. Some counsellors offer it too.

One very important thing I've learned myself is that if you're learning or researching these false teachings either for ministry or to educate yourself, you must be careful to keep your own time with the Lord in prayer and studying the Bible and ministries like Ichthys the absolute priority. I've had times where I didn't get the balance right and it's not spiritually healthy for you.

I've got something else to share with you but I'll leave it until tomorrow.

Thanks so much for your prayers too, Bob!

In Jesus
Response #14:
That's all extremely interesting and helpful. I'd love to be able to post it (or part of it), if you're OK with that.

It's probably impossible NOT to have had run-ins with this sort of stuff nowadays. There's a yoga studio on every street corner now. Pop culture, media, movies and TV are filled with these ideas. But I was shocked about the degree to which putative Christian churches have been infiltrated or even more or less been taken over by these "ideas". There's a lot in this series about Rick Warren and Saddleback. I probably told you (or posted) at some point that after seminary when I was starting grad school close to that locale that I actually put in an application for the job he got/has! The committee eventually got back to me to let me know that "they had not been led" to hire me. I'll bet! Just as well!

When I was finishing up my first B.A. in Chicago, I spent one summer working nights at a machine shop and used the money to take judo and karate lessons. One of the things that turned me off about Asian martial arts was the "spiritual aspect" part of it. I was not exactly walking close to the Lord at that point (far from it!), but I knew I didn't like that bit at all. So I eventually ended up walking and leaving a lot of dough on the table too. And tarot cards and Ouija boards are everywhere. I remember someone having the latter as a kid and playing with it and as to the former, one girl did a "reading" of me after a date (last date with her). 

With all these things and other such things early on before I got serious about the Bible, it was more a matter of natural repugnance than any well-informed resistance of the sort that I would feel now. Since we are clearly not having anything to do with such things and since we have good spiritual "radar" about rejecting all such notions when they bubble up in our daily lives – as they surely do nowadays (e.g., the yoga studio on every corner) – it's easy not be keeping track of just how ubiquitous these deceptions have become and how wide and deep they have spread. As I've said a number of times now, I'm just appalled at the inroads made into things putatively "Christian". For example, I always knew the "name it / claim it" movement was nonsense, but I wouldn't have attributed anything demonic or occult to it. But in thinking about it that does make sense. Anything based on lies will of necessity be at its base related to the father or lies (Jn.8:44).

It's also been a bit of a revelation to see how deeply involved psychology and psychiatry are in this sort of satanic mess. Again, I always knew I didn't like or respect them. Now I have a better idea of why I feel that way. That is a difficult area nowadays seeing as how so many Christians are involved in or dependent on such things, like AA or seeing a therapist or taking anti-depressants, etc., etc. As I've probably also mentioned or posted, my seminary, Talbot, is part of Biola University, and when I went there they had an entire school of "Christian Psychology". I knew that there was something odd about the students from there with whom I had contact. I don't think you can listen to the devil's music without coming to hum his tune to some degree: he influences your "discipline" if you are using his techniques, not the other way around. 

Or take also the emphasis on missions at Talbot/Biola. This is something else I couldn't tolerate at seminary. I tried taking "Missions and Evangelism" several times before I gave up and realized I'd have to change programs to get away from it (which I did: to the purely academic MABS program where I concentrated on Hebrew). "Sermon prep" was also too nauseating to finish. If you have the entirely wrong idea about what it is you should be doing, then it should come as no surprise that you end up doing the thing in a way that is inconsistent with scripture. How will using worldly techniques to spread the gospel not color everything you are doing in some way or another?

Here is the dilemma. We see lots of people who claim to be Christians and no doubt many or even the majority of them are believers. But they are involved in compromised organizations and dangerous activities. We're probably not going to able to convince them of the truth of that. I mean, even these wonderful apologists on the series have been stymied by the false teachings they have yet to escape! I don't think it's wise for us to instruct people in therapy that they are involved in something dangerous; or to tell someone into contemplative prayer they may be communing with demons; or to tell someone going to AA because they are "codependent" that they are wrong to do so and that they'd be better off reading their Bibles AND getting some good teaching so as to be able to depend more on the Lord. If they ask us, we can tell them (gently). About the best we can do is to stick to our own knitting and set a good example . . . so they can see the results of doing things the right way.

Some people ARE gifted to intervene, and occasionally we ARE given the opportunity to do so in individual cases, but for the most part for most of us, getting too upset about all this and trying to "do something about it" is likely to backfire . . . unless the "something" is to double down on prayer and spiritual growth. That is never a bad idea. Best we can say about all this as a "bottom line" is that it's good to be aware, the better to take care.
And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you."
Matthew 24:4 NKJV
Thanks for being willing to share!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #15:
Hi Bob,

Thanks so much for your email - it was extremely interesting and helpful too!

Please feel free to post any of the emails I write this week.

I have more to share but today has been a bit mad so I'm going to take my time and write again tomorrow if that's OK with you.

I've listened to more of the series today. These were the apologists I got most of my information from for my friend. Interesting to hear them mention John Wimber and the Vineyard church. Her church is a Vineyard one. 

It's all very interesting!

Have a good evening Bob!

In Jesus
Response #15:
Thank you!

I haven't gotten to Vineyard yet, but when I was off on one of my tangents I was given a couple of their cassettes and at the time I thought the music was great. But as I have learned, there's a lot more to "it" than music. Probably going to dive into the series again tonight, time permitting.

Have a good end of week!

How's the new manager working out?

Classes here going OK but we're to the point in the semester when the students really resist studying.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #16:
Hi Bob,

Thanks again for your extremely interesting and helpful email too!

I shared some of my experiences with Reiki with you. But hearing about Rick Warren bringing New Age doctors into his church to promote Reiki is shocking! It's no wonder the committee said "they had not been led" to hire you. You mustn't have been "mystical" enough for them. Glad you escaped that one!

In the Wide is the Gate series, they talked about yoga being taught in schools but not biblical Christianity. Something happened recently which is relevant to this. A couple of weeks ago, my __ texted me to say that when she worked at the children's nursery they used to watch videos on YouTube with the kids called "cosmic yoga". She said it's a lady doing yoga for children along with a story. She said she had put one of the videos on at home for her son. She said she followed one of the videos with him and he loved it and was really good at it. ___ is an unbeliever so I always try to be careful in what I say, how I say it and when to say it. So I directed my reply at myself rather than shining the spotlight on what they were doing and how I think it could be spiritually harmful. She doesn't believe so she wouldn't understand anyway. So I told her about the time when I went to yoga classes with my mom when I was a child. I said at that time it was just exercise to me, but I wouldn't do it now because it's a physical, mental and spiritual practice that Hindus do so it doesn't mix with me being a Christian now. She said she didn't realise it was spiritual as well and she just thought people found it calming because of the slow movements. She said at school they focus on positive mental health and mindfulness quite a lot too. That's as much as I would say to her about it. I think she might continue with it but while I'm not around! I take all my concerns about it to the Lord in prayer knowing that He will watch those I love.

I decided to have a look on this "cosmic yoga for kids" website. The first thing that stared me in the face was, "Screen Time that gives kids SUPERPOWERS!" And "We're trying to reach every corner of the globe!"

They have something called "Zen Dens". They write, "Zen Dens are where we develop awareness of ourselves and others. It's ideal for kids 5+. Used in schools for social and emotional learning. We meet on my cloud and I share tools and techniques that help us understand how our minds work. We dive into topics like concentration, mindfulness, energy, relaxation making it easy to explore in relatable and recognisable situations. In every episode I leave the kids with a simple mindfulness tool they can remember and use and eventually we become true zen den masters".

They wrote that they are sometimes contacted by people who are worried that yoga has an association with Hinduism. They say there is no religious content or intent at all in what they're doing and later go on to say it's true that the philosophical roots and influences of yoga have at times been connected to Hinduism. And even though there is this connection, it is hard to find a yoga class that is about Hinduism or has firm reference to Hinduism, its deities or its beliefs. In general, people do yoga and also teach it because there is something wonderfully connecting about the movement and breathing you do in a yoga class - it brings you back into the present and stills your mind.

Seems to me like they're trying their best to play the religious part of it down. I understand what they're trying to say but as believers we know what's truly going on here. I read that there is a saying, "There is no yoga without Hinduism and no Hinduism without yoga".

In the "cosmic yoga for kids" videos they start and finish the lesson with what they call their "secret yoga codeword" which is "namaste". They describe it as a warm everyday "hello". Seems to me someone is trying to keep its real meaning a secret, "The god in me bows down to the god in you".

It all looks very attractive to children. A very nice sounding lady telling a children's story with lots of bright colours while encouraging the little ones to do the yoga poses. They do guided meditation for kids as well.

So I just wanted to share that with you, Bob. All very recent, close to home and relevant.

Keeping you in my prayers, Bob and thanks so much for yours!

In Jesus
p.s. the new manager is working out fine thanks, Bob. She seems like a very nice lady and is settling in well. I just hope she doesn't start yoga and meditation classes at work!
Response #16:
Yes, I'm about as mystical as a ham sandwich. The series is very much anti-Warren . . . and apparently for good reason. It does seem from many direct quotes that he's embraced the idea of bringing in the Millennium through good works, and has no qualms about Imams as partners in bringing it in. All these "great men" are under lots of pressure and it's perhaps therefore not a total surprise that someone like Billy Graham could end up suggesting that "good unbelievers" were not necessarily going to be shut out of eternity.
Don't [appoint] a novice [as pastor], lest his head swell and he fall under the [same judgment as] the devil.
1st Timothy 3:6
The Greek word translated novice here is, literally, "neophyte", and it is clear to me that the question here is not one of "time in grade" but of spiritual maturity. Many of these "great pastors" get into such trouble because instead of having a love for the truth first and foremost they were more interested in numbers, which leads to arrogance when numbers show up (even if they are the wrong people showing up for the wrong reason getting fed the wrong food).

Of course, many of the people in the series are clearly more culpable and some equally as clearly complete minions of the devil who are only pretending to have anything to do with Jesus Christ.
"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."
Matthew 7:15 NIV
Yes, the lines are being blurred in society at large and that is making it easier to get at people who are not saved but also to suborn believers who are not mature. Anyone who is actually a mature believer, making the requisite effort to walk with the Lord through this life, would naturally feel a repugnance to these sorts of new age activities, terminology and philosophies – because the Spirit would direct them away from them, even if they didn't have all the details about just how and why these things were wrong and where they really came from. A couple of years back we had a mandatory all day department "retreat" where we did all manner of awful things that I had to endure, but at the time I had no idea that all the talk of "centering" and "being mindful" was straight out of the new age gobbledygook lexicon and went back to eastern religions. I just knew I thought it was ridiculous as I kept checking my watch. 

So in terms of __, and "It all looks very attractive to children", while they can throw lies at them, they can't control a child's spirit. They will make their own decisions, and the good witness and example of solid-in-the-faith people such as yourself will count a lot more in the end that this sort of thing. And it's not as if the world and the school system(s) have not been pitching false doctrines of one sort or another at our children – and at us when we were children – all along. I grant you it's nowadays more intense, more ubiquitous, and more brazen, but we still have control over our own free will and the image of God we have been graciously given. You and I will never give an inch. Through prayer, neither will our loved ones. I am convinced that the Lord will honor your love for Him.

But it does disturb me, and it lends credence to the impetus of many good Christians to "home school" rather than to allow this sort of exposure on a daily basis (understandable just on the basis of the sexual and gender-bending content in the public schools over here nowadays). But it is a judgment call. If we are bringing up our kids right, in the truth, then isolating them early on from the society they're going to have "swim in" all their lives is perhaps not the only good choice. All the more reason to stay closely involved with them regardless – because it's not as if these baneful influences are only slipping in at school.

Good to hear that work is "working out"! Re: "I just hope she doesn't start yoga and meditation classes at work!" LOL, at least not mandatory ones!

My first year Greek class is a challenge. They don't seem to have done a lick of studying till yet!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #17:
Hi Bob,

"I'm about as mystical as a ham sandwich" - LOL!

" You and I will never give an inch. Through prayer, neither will our loved ones. I am convinced that the Lord will honor your love for Him". - This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much, Bob.

I've really enjoyed listening to the Wide is the Gate series this week. There's so much I could say. My journey from being saved in a Pentecostal "name it and claim it" church, to wandering away for years and into the New Age / New Thought where, along with many other things, they taught the "Law of Attraction". Name it and claim it - Law of Attraction - basically the same false teaching from the devil. The Lord has been so patient, merciful, gracious and loving to me. He delivered me from all of that and led me to Ichthys and to you Bob, a wonderful teacher of the truth, brother and friend. You have always said that if a person really wants the truth then the Lord will lead them to the truth. That is so true! It's what I was searching for all along and the Lord knew that. He knew my heart and I love Him with all my heart. I pray and I know He will do the same for others.

Stick to our own knitting, double down on prayer and spiritual growth, it's good to be aware, the better to take care. Great advice - thanks Bob!

I REALLY like our new manager. She bought cakes for us all today!

Here's hoping your first year Greek class will get some study in. Keeping everything in prayer for you, Bob.

Have a lovely weekend!

In Jesus
Response #17:
I had my run ins with a rather mild version of the Pentecostals as well many, many years ago – a necessary "inoculation" it seems in retrospect, but I never got deep enough to see any of these sorts of things you mention. 

I'm glad things are going well at work. You are fighting on a lot of fronts. Having one or two that are manageable is a great boon.

Thanks for your prayers. The ankle is doing some better, and I just spoke with my chair after the dept. meeting today: it seems there may be a way for me to continue running my upper level language classes as I need to do . . . by changing the rubric under which they are offered (incidentally, to what I did about twenty years ago, but then they wanted me to change to the way I was doing it now which now has to change).

We stay flexible on the non-essentials so that we can be unbending with what really counts.

Have a great weekend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #18:
You know, seeing modern culture push an idea that Jesus was all about love and acceptance makes me feel a visceral disgust I don't feel anywhere else. While He undoubtedly taught love, it was in the context of living for God and not yourself, and He also spoke bluntly of God's judgement on those who reject Him.

What these revisionist new agers and progressives don't acknowledge is that God is serious about sin, and the hardness of heart of people who often don't even believe in the Lord to tell those who follow Him and know not to cherry pick what "feels good" about His life-giving message that we're just "being judgemental because someone else isn't being happy how we want them to be" or even "hating them for not bowing to an outdated set of rules" is almost unfathomable.

Jesus is not some trend or feel-good mantra. He is Lord Of Lords and King Of Kings, and the "love" these people preach is a slap to His face and a spit on the Cross.
Response #18:
Amen!

There's nothing new about this. This sort of thing has been going on since the beginning. When the devil can't refute, he seeks to undermine with "revisionist" approaches as you note. When I was much younger, the musicals "Godspell" and "Jesus Christ, Super Star" were good examples of this sort of thing, cultural attempts to pervert the message. 

Ultimately, rejection of the truth is all about "creating your own god" (who is, in reality, "you"). Satan knows this well and his system is designed to cater to the rebellious streak in human beings. After all, he is the original rebel. 

There's no way to overturn this stuff and it's a mistake to try – except when we are dealing with individual cases where a person we are given to interact with might actually be receptive to the truth. Apologetics is supposed to take it head on. But if the gifting and the ministry is not from the Lord, such efforts also aren't likely to have any success whatsoever.

So we have to accept the fact that we are "in the world" and that the world "lies in the lap of the evil one" (1Jn.5:19). We cannot change it. Our job is to make sure it doesn't change us . . . and to help others too where we can resist the lies and turn to the truth. Only through devoting ourselves to the truth do we come to see things from God's righteous point of view. Comparing that to what is happening can be upsetting, but we have to remember that the plan was always meant to allow everyone to make a fair choice. We are here, after making the right one, to grow, progress through testing, and to produce in hopes of a good reward. So we need to keep our eye on the objective, rather than let ourselves get upset about the nature of the battlefield we're advancing over to get there.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #19:
Hello Bob!

I hope you had a great Sunday so far,

What do you think about this video?
https://youtu.be/47dZI9ub2QA?si=JGYstU0JHRBe72ok

I personally think it’s very dangerous but maybe I am wrong. This person makes videos that are generally very controversial and also is against saying “God” or “Jesus”

In Christ 
Response #19:
With respect, why would any follower of the Lord want to watch a video entitled, "Why I am no longer a Christian?" From the cover (I did not view it), this person claims to follow some "Yahuah" or something; others follow Buddha or Hindu Gods or Allah or, or, or. I'm not interested in apostatizing from Jesus Christ through whom alone I have life eternal.

Honestly, if you want to grow spiritually, I recommend committing to reading into Ichthys on a regular basis in a serious way. 

If videos are more your taste, then please do try "Bible Academy" (at the link). You can also be "fed" there, but not by trolling wacky internet sites and giving attention to false teaching.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #20:
 Hi Bob,

Hope you've had a good day. Thanks for the emails. Just a couple of typos.

We had a busy but lovely weekend. [omitted]

I was thinking about these men who call themselves modern-day apostles and prophets (NAR). I'm amazed at how special they think they are. How they like to elevate themselves. I suppose they have to do it themselves because God certainly isn't going to. Obviously what they teach is false - there are no such apostles and prophets today. They'll get nowhere with an attitude like that anyway because "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).

Keeping you in my prayers!

In Jesus
Response #20:
Thanks for the help!

Great to hear you had such a nice time with your family.

Good point about the arrogance of these people. That is the very definition of arrogance, after all. Namely, arrogating to oneself something one does not actually have a right to. Just like the devil did.
For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
Isaiah 14:13-14 NKJV
Saying, "I am a prophet", when only God can call a prophet, or "I am an apostle", when only Jesus can appoint them, is right down the same alley. The Lord is the only "I AM".

Wishing you a good week ahead!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #21:
In reading your emails from this weekend, I was curious about the source of information of the rapture devotee, whose response to you ultimately was - don’t tell me something I don’t want to hear. I looked up the ministry he referenced and browsed thru some of its numerous listings. Was struck by how much of Darby’s writings were referenced within; Anstey or someone looks like they complied stuff from lots of sources. Guy appears to be something of a Bible church fundamentalist of sorts; maybe a Baptist; he’s listed as a pastor. There’s even 2 Tim 2:15 partially quoted in the upper right hand on some of its pages; wonder where he got that from. Evidently the organization he’s with claims existence back to the late 19th century. It does appear to be much like current and past conservative theology in its beliefs including the rapture and once saved - always saved views. At least what little I saw seems to generally adhere to the Biblical view of salvation, which is saying something in our day and reflects the failure of the modern church.
Response #21:
I would say that your take is spot on.

I don't know much about the reader who wrote me about this, and have never heard of Anstey before. Not that that means much. I'm pretty much out of the "Christianity Today" loop, and the metastasis of groups and individuals who publish books and put out shingles since Ichthys got started (and got to occupying all my attentions) is enormous.

It's always a positive thing when someone or some group has some teaching that is not awful. As you say, a good barometer of where the church-visible is at if that is all that can be said.
Question #22:
Hi Bob,

No worries at all about Curt. It's easy for you not to remember - you have so many others to write to! I'm keeping him and Bible Academy (link) in my prayers and looking forward to seeing the Lord work it all out for him.

I hope you managed to rest up this weekend. The honor society 'do' came round quickly again! I'll be keeping you in my prayers for your busy week ahead.

Thanks for the emails! I had a little peek at one of your relative's papers (entomology). Dr. Philip Luginbill? Interesting to see!

You wrote in response #18 about not liking people doing pictorial representations of our Lord or dramatizations of things supposedly in the Bible and that we're supposed to form our "heart picture" of the Lord from the truth, not from other people's imaginations artistically expressed. You were referring to a music video but this also reminded me of something from the contemplative movement called "visualization or imaginative prayer". Some of these "prayers" are from Catholic mystics like Ignatius of Loyola. Again, it's just the same thing as "creative visualization" that new agers or new thought practitioners use. It's not biblical prayer, it's occultism. In contemplative imaginative prayer they teach you to imagine yourself in a scene in the Bible, for example, imagine what Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the angels, the shepherds or the wise men looked like. What they said to one another, what the sights, sounds and smells were like. Concentrating on how it makes you feel and savouring whatever it is in your heart from that experience. It has nothing to do with the truth - it's just vain fantasy and the church-visible is full of it.

I could say a lot more about it but I think I've written about it before so there's probably no need to again. It's just something that came straight to my mind when you wrote in your email about not liking this sort of thing. You're right on this again and I agree with you.

Keeping you in my prayers for the week ahead. Thanks for yours too, Bob!

In Jesus
Response #22:
The time change gave us an extra hour here, so I have managed a bit of rest, enough to get through next week.

Thanks much for your prayers for Curt (and for me too!).

Yes, things are rocketing forward. That's not all bad. It does mean that the end of the semester is coming on strong. Once I've set the last batch of exams and gotten through next Friday, it will be smooth sailing to Thanksgiving, and the calendar is such this year that the only thing happening after that break is the last day of classes when I give exams (of course then there's grading and all of the close up and start up for fall and spring respectively).

Yes! My grandfather and my uncle were both entomologists and both named Philip. My niece and her hubby gave their first born that name as well. A good Greek name! But none of them ever had much to do with horses.

Thanks much for the details on contemplative prayer. It always seems to be the case that when believers disdain learning the truth, they look for something they find fun and interesting instead – and the devil always has a hand in that. Grateful for your love of the truth, my friend!

Wishing you a blessed week ahead.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #23:
Hi Bob,

I hope your week is going well.

My friend asked me if I wanted to meet up last week so I said yes. You know how in the past I've tried to explain to her that some of what she's believing is false teaching. And in the end she told me that we would have to "agree to disagree". So I respected that and said I wouldn't mention any of it again - and I haven't. We talk about general stuff but I've noticed something the past few times we've met up. She'll be chatting away and then casually throw in something she knows I believe differently about. It's obviously still bothering her. I don't know if she's trying to get a reaction from me or if she's just trying to remind me that her belief in these false teachings hasn't changed. It's like a subtle dig at me. An example last week was that she told me her neighbour was a Christian then paused and said she's Catholic. We had a conversation a couple of years back where I reminded her that if a person believed what the Catholic church taught (works salvation) then they're not saved. Her church views Catholics as Christians. She has thrown other things in like her and her family speaking in tongues and her speaking with her "spiritual director", casting out demons from a family member etc. Maybe she's still trying to persuade me that what she believes is right. I stay silent because it's pointless saying anything now. My silence probably speaks louder than words anyway. She might be offended that I've told her that her beliefs aren't biblical. That they're false and not the truth. I said it with gentleness and in love and she acknowledges that too. But more than that, it's the truth that's offensive to those who don't love it or don't want it to be their authority. The truth always provokes a reaction. It will always attract or repel those who come into contact with it. That isn't only with the gospel message. It's with all truth. 

So I just wanted to share that observation with you, Bob. People are free to choose to believe whatever they want to believe. I can take the digs but I came away wondering whether I want to keep taking it anymore. I gave up a whole afternoon when I could have used it for more Bible study. I guess I don't see her very often and she's always in my prayers.

Thanks for your prayers for me, Bob. Keeping you in mine too!

In Jesus
p.s. Forgot to mention, Bob. You can share that one if you like!
Response #23:
Thanks for your willingness to share!

It's a wonderful set of observations. The "emergent church" does seem to be ever more a "merging church" and the Roman Catholic version seems to be the destination du jour, especially for those on the political right and for anyone involved in the NAR movement. Antichrist is first and foremost anti - CHRIST, which is even more of a religious than a political title. The more syncretic and the more ecumenical religion becomes, the more it helps lay the groundwork for the beast's unified religion (list of links). I think you are right that the unifying factor is "believe whatever you want" and I would add, "as long as it isn't true". 

In terms of your friend's behavior, it's also the case that people who are in the wrong know full well that they are so, at least at first. And having a guilty conscience, so to speak, they are looking for someone to verify that they are NOT in fact wrong. The larger version of this is the entire satanic system's need to destroy the truth in any and every place because the truth's existence reveals itself to be a lie, whereas putting the truth to death is ultimately liberating because then anything is possible.
Some links on false teaching:
False Teachers, False Teaching, and False Organizations (Peter #39)
Cults and Christianity VIII
Confronting False Groups and False Teaching III
Third Party Testimony: We Believe God and His Word – Not People
Fighting the Fight III: False Teaching, Local Churches, and the Truth
False Teachers, False Doctrines, and False Christians (in CT 2A)
Read Your Bible!  Protection against Cults
The Rise of False Teaching (in CT 3A)
The Insidious Nature of False Teaching
False Teaching in Satan's World System
*Egregious Trends (in HE 10)
Keeping you in prayer, my friend – thanks for yours as well!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
http://ichthys.com/