A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D. L. Moody to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign.

Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: “Why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?”

There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: “No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D.L. Moody

For some time now, I have been tracking something called the “Emergent Church Movement” (also known as the “Emerging Church”). I don’t want to assume that everybody here is up to speed on what I’m talking about, so first a few words of definition. At some point in the mid-1990’s the moniker “Emerging Church” surfaced out of the Young Leadership Network. It came from the notion that, because the culture has changed, a new church should emerge in response. Declaring themselves to be the answer to reach the so-called postmodern generation, Emergents claim to have explored all of the avenues of what the Church has historically been, only to find that little or none of it satisfied them. The common bond of the Emergents was and still is a general dissatisfaction for Bible-believing Christianity, though nearly all of them claim to be “Evangelicals”!

Like many in the various “isms” before them, Emergents set forth to tackle a seemingly noble cause. They appeared to want desperately to reach a lost generation. However, it soon became clear that no matter how zealous Emergents were, the message they offered to their target postmoderns was not the authentic biblical model. Almost before even taking flight, the Emergents veered sideways into the ditch of heretical thinking, doctrine and practice. Their unorthodox view of the Christian faith, including doctrine and solo scriptura, aided in drawing many who were seeking a self-styled Christianity rather than the biblical version. Those who came early to this perilous party also brought volunteers and funding to the soon-to-be-famous heretic leaders and, in the eyes of some, their very presence added credibility just because the seats were being filled on Sundays. After quickly jettisoning the constraints of biblical hermeneutics and (God forbid) sound doctrine, Emergents picked up steam (and press) as being “hip,” “different” and “refreshing.” In reality, though, “hip” transposes into “we’ll accept almost anything,” “different” means “far out…really far out,” and “refreshing” symbolizes “any Wiccan or Buddhist will feel right at home with us.”

I know many Emergent sympathizers would object and say that I am generalizing. However, that simply is not the case. Even without much space to elaborate in this article, and even as difficult as “Emergent Speak” can be to decipher, once one boils it down, just a partial outline of Emergent philosophies indicates glaring flaws.

To Emergents, Christianity is:

* Experience over Reason

* Images over Words

* Spirituality over Doctrine

* Subjective Feelings over Absolute Truth

* Earthly Justice over Salvation

* Social Action over Eternity

An examination of only a few quotes from Emergent leaders illustrates not only some of these wacky ideas but also the sobering reality that Emergent leaders and the tens of thousands following them are indeed in very dangerous territory.

“The church has been preoccupied with the question, ‘What happens to your soul after you die?’ As if the reason for Jesus coming can be summed up in, ‘Jesus is trying to help get more souls into heaven, as opposed to hell, after they die.’ I just think a fair reading of the Gospels blows that out of the water. I don’t think that the entire message and life of Jesus can be boiled down to that bottom line.” - Brian McLaren, from a July 2005 PBS special on the Emerging Church.

“Repentance is not turning from sin. It is a ‘celebration’ of life in Christ. Anyone who tells you that you need to repent is not talking about Christianity.” - Rob Bell, “The ‘gods’ Aren’t Angry Tour,” Nov. 16, 2007, Dallas, TX

Doug Pagitt, Emerging Leader, author and pastor of Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis, was asked “Is homosexuality incompatible with Christian faith?” Pagitt simply replied:  “NO. Being Gay and Christian is not a contradiction in any way.” – Quoted by Mark Driscoll in “Why I Left the Emerging Church” at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fall 2007

“Missional Christian faith asserts that Jesus did not come to make some people saved and others condemned. Jesus did not come to help some people be right while leaving everyone else to be wrong. Jesus did not come to create another exclusive religion (based on beliefs).”
- Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy, p.120

“Emergent doesn’t have a position on absolute truth, or on anything for that matter.” - Tony Jones, at the 2005 National Youth Workers Convention

“(This is) part of the problem with continually insisting that one of the absolutes of the Christian faith must be a belief that “Scripture alone” is our guide. It sounds nice, but it is not true…When people say that all we need is the Bible, it is simply not true.” - Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis, p.68

It is serious enough that some Emergents like Rob Bell (whose “Nooma” DVD series has sold over a million units) don’t believe the Bible contains the whole truth. But many teachers, such as Emergent author and activist Brian McLaren, simply twist the Scriptures to say what they wish the Scriptures said, regardless of context, history or any understanding of the original languages.

Christianity Redefined

In February of this year (2008) I attended McLaren’s “Everything Must Change” conference tour stop in Nampa (Boise), Idaho. Attending the three-day event with me was my friend, Pastor Chris Bayer, who also wanted to hear what the godfather of the Emergent movement believed.

Though tough to take emotionally and spiritually, we stuck it out for the entire conference. It was at times grueling and at times frightening.

Space here permits me only a few comments, so I want to focus on the Friday evening session. Pastor Chris has written a stellar account of the entire McLaren conference that is posted at www.ericbarger.com.

The session began with original songs that, frankly, any Wiccan priest could sing. They were dark and gloomy and focused on how mankind has raped and destroyed the planet. The glory or greatness of God was non-existent during the “worship.”

Next, we were subjected to a film produced by The Sierra Club, which focused on how mankind was raping Mother Earth through coal mining.

When McLaren took the platform, he began to unfold the real core of what he means by the book (and tour) title, “Everything Must Change.” That is, “EVERYTHING…MUST…CHANGE” – including what Jesus meant by the very term “Kingdom of God” in the Gospel accounts.

According to McLaren, “The Kingdom of God” is all about our saving the planet. I thought, “of all the things this guy is, he’s a Kingdom Now preterist, too!”

McLaren also informed us that “salvation” is actually us saving the planet and, when Jesus used the phrase “the world,” He was referring to the Earth and not the lost souls living on it! I was more stunned with each passing moment.

The “service” ended with McLaren’s invitation for attendees to come to the front and, among other exercises, take some water from a vat and re-baptize ourselves into the new enlightenment we’d received. He recommended that while we were there we also stick our hands into the tub of dirt that had been provided to fully sense “what needed to be saved”! No joke, folks. I was there. All this from one of Time Magazine’s twenty-five most influential “Evangelicals.”

A most disturbing aspect to Pastor Chris and me was that McLaren’s event was held at and partially sponsored by Northwest Nazarene University – a fact that has made at least one former State Elder in the Nazarene Church weep in my presence! Thank God for the many Nazarenes who still hold to the Bible. But from what I saw in the panel discussions, which included several of the professors at NNU, there needs to be a radical housecleaning if Nazarenes expect the next generation of pastors and leaders to present true, biblical Christianity. (McLaren even declared during the conference that John Wesley was an Emergent! It was all I could do to contain myself.)

Truly Nothing New

If the Emergent line of reasoning sounds familiar to you, it should. Nearly 100 years ago, maverick-turned-heretic Rudolf Bultmann set out to “demythologize” the Bible, starting with the abandonment of such central and essential doctrines as the Virgin Birth and the bodily Resurrection. Liberal Baptist leader, Harry Emerson Fosdick, preached his now famous sermon, “Shall the Fundamentalists Win?” and declared, “Of course I do not believe in the virgin birth or in that old-fashioned substitutionary doctrine of the atonement, and I know of no intelligent person who does.”

Of course, for Satan it wasn’t enough that decades ago heretical teaching on par with Bultmann and Fosdick slowly infected the once-sound seminaries, pulpits and, finally, entire denominations. We shouldn’t be at all shocked that the devil’s 21^st century target would again be some in leadership who are known as “evangelicals.” Consider the rise of the feel-good gospels and scriptural compromising of Bill Hybels, Rick Warren and Joel Osteen that I and others have documented. The predicted apostasy is indeed in full swing – right under our noses.

Now, with kudos from Warren and others, Emergents have gone a step further than their questionable and more famous “Evangelical” brethren. Emergents are now openly adopting cultic, “New Age” and Universalistic ideas in place of or along side of the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament. In fact, Warren sure sounds more and more like an Emergent himself!

On January 27, 2008, Rick Warren stated, “I think we need a second Reformation in the church about how we behave. The first Reformation was about creeds. I think the second Reformation needs to be about deeds…” That day he even told Dean Samuel Lloyd of Washington’s National Cathedral that “the future of the world is not secularism, it’s religious pluralism.”(http://www.cathedral.org/cathedral/centennial/SF080127.shtml) It is statements such as these that have garnered Warren such warm acceptance among Emergents.

My question is, since Warren is easily one of the most influential persons on Planet Earth today claiming to be a Christian, why didn’t he declare that the future of this world is 100% dependant on Jesus and Jesus alone?!!

Further illustrating this dissatisfaction with biblical Christianity, as well as a fascination with mysticism, is a statement from the wildly popular Emergent pastor from Michigan, Rob Bell, who stated, “This is not just the same old message with new methods. We’re rediscovering Christianity as an Eastern religion, as a way of life.”(Christianity Today, November, 2004, pp.36-41)

Emerging – the New Liberalism

The debate over modern liberalism, be it called “Emerging,” “Emergent” or whatever, boils down to the absolute authority of Scripture. As a former Emergent pastor who has now shunned the movement points out, the foremost error of the Emerging Movement is that it has reduced Christianity to a CONVERSATION. This is EXACTLY what Lucifer pulled off with Eve in the Garden – i.e., “Hath God said…?” (Genesis 3).

I have contended for years that if the followers of Joseph Smith had been astutely reading their Bibles in 1830, there wouldn’t be 13 million Mormons in the world today and millions more would never have perished because of Smith’s false teachings. The same is true of those who sat in the pews in the early 20^th century as doctrines of devils infiltrated the seminaries and pulpits of previously-sound Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Lutheran churches, to name a few.

It is tragic that millions had to be deceived by the Watchtower’s conniving,  Smith’s tango with Satan and Bultmann’s dive from orthodoxy. We need to learn from so many instances of regretful, timid wait-and-see hesitancy that church leaders have engaged in when it comes to swiftly quashing cultic doctrine. Why is it that retrospect seems to be the sad teacher when identifying cultists in our midst? In trying to be civil, gentle and loving with those espousing error, what really happens is that less-aware souls are trapped, deceived and convinced to go along for what amounts to a demonic joyride down the path to eternal destruction. I say, “Enough!” Where are the pastors and leaders who are not afraid to deal with error and false teaching in our midst? Paul would have opposed heretics, and instead of viewing it as somehow unkind, we must see it as the MOST loving thing to do.

Emergent liberals need to be confronted. These folks are heretics, yet they view their ideas as theologically deep and intellectually superior. In reality, no amount of condescending or attempting to spin true Bible believers into archaic Neanderthals can lessen or justify the depth of their error. For their own sakes and for that of their followers, we must recognize it as our task to identify Emergents as cultists, no matter who thinks we are radical, judgmental, or rude. After all, caring enough to warn the lost is the loving and biblical thing to do.

God is shaking His church and removing corruption. But we share the blame for giving charlatans a platform.

Al Capone once controlled all of Chicago. The notorious 1920s gangster bribed the city’s mayor, bought the police and presided as king over an empire of casinos, speakeasies and smuggling operations. He dodged bullets for years and lived above the law—and earned the nickname “untouchable” because no one could bring him to justice.

Before Capone finally went to prison in 1932, he justified his crimes by saying: “All I do is satisfy a public demand.” He didn’t take responsibility for the pain he caused because he knew mayors, policemen, community leaders and bootleggers supported him the whole way.

I hate to compare any minister of God to a gangster. But the sad truth is that today there are a handful (well, maybe more) of unscrupulous preachers who share some of Capone’s most disgusting traits. They are notoriously greedy. They are masters of deception and manipulation. They have bought their way into the charismatic religious subculture and used their uncanny hypnotic ability to control major Christian TV networks.

And, like Capone, their days are numbered. Justice will soon catch up with them.

These false prophets probably all started out with a genuine call from God, but success destroyed them. They were lured away from true faith by fame and money, and when their ministries mushroomed they resorted to compromise to keep their machines rolling. Now, in the midst of the Great Recession, God is closing in on them.

But before we rejoice that these imposters are being removed from their pulpits and yanked off the airwaves, let’s hit the pause button and reflect. How did these false preachers ever achieve such fame? It couldn’t have happened without help from us.

We were the gullible ones. When they said, “The Lord promises you untold wealth if you will simply give a thousand dollars right now,” we went to the phones and put the donations on our credit cards. God forgive us.

We were the undiscerning ones. When they said, “I need your sacrificial gift today so I can repair my private jet,” we didn’t ask why a servant of God wasn’t humble enough to fly coach class to a Third World nation. God forgive us.

We were the foolish ones. When it was revealed that they were living in immorality, mistreating their wives or populating cities with illegitimate children, we listened to their spin doctors instead of demanding that ministry leaders act like Christians. God forgive us.

We were the naïve ones. When they begged for $2 million more in donations because of a budget shortfall, we didn’t feel comfortable asking why they needed that $10,000-a-night hotel suite. In fact, if we did question it, another Christian was quick to say, “Don’t criticize! The Bible says, ‘Touch not the Lord’s anointed!’” God forgive us.

We have treated these charlatans like Al Capone—as if they were untouchable—and as a result their corruption has spread throughout charismatic churches like a plague. Our movement is eaten up with materialism, pride, deception and sexual sin because we were afraid to call these Bozos what they really are—insecure, selfish, egotistical and emotionally dysfunctional.

If we had applied biblical discernment a long time ago we could have avoided this mess. There is no way we can know how many unbelievers rejected the gospel because they saw the church supporting quacks who swaggered, bragged, lied, flattered, bribed, stole and tearfully begged their way into our lives—while we applauded them and sent them money.

When well-meaning Christians quote 1 Chronicles 16:22 (“Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm,” NASB) to cover up corruption or charlatanism, they do horrible injustice to Scripture. This passage does not require us to stay quiet when a leader is abusing power or deceiving people.

On the contrary, we are called to confront sin in a spirit of love and honesty—and we certainly aren’t showing love to the church if we allow the charismatic Al Capones of our generation to corrupt it.

J. Lee Grady

If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. (Ecclesiastes 11:3)

An expected happening or a natural result of a situation can be described by saying, “As a tree falls, so shall it lay.” Another similar saying would be, “The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.”

When a tree falls, its end is final. It’s not going to prop itself back up.

The same analogy applies in our lives. The Bible often compares trees to people. We can devise many things to manipulate the direction of our lives, and to say to ourselves, “there is still time,” but once we die, the chance for repentance is gone (Revelation 22:11).

1 Kings 22:21-22a reads, “And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”

Signs that a nation is dieing

1. When evil has poisoned the moral veins of its leaders. This may be physical or spiritual.
2. When the righteous and the wicked are joined at the head.
3. When only one prophet speaks the truth of God.
4. When a nation forgets the direct involvement of God in human affairs.
5. When morality is rejected and the saying “Do what is right in your own eyes” is commonly followed in our lives.
6. When a nation becomes a nation of lawlessness.
7. When a nation loses its economic discipline.
8. When a nation taxes its people without cause.
9. When the government becomes too big and too overpowering.
10. When the education of a nation is declining.
11. When a nation weakens its cultural foundations. See Psalm 11:3.
12. When the religious beliefs of a nation are decaying.

“With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?”

The incarnation is in theological terms expressed as “the  Hypostatic Union.”  Hypostatic Union means that two natures are in one person;  Christ cannot be seen as two persons with one nature.  Consequently, Christ must be seen as a Theanthropic Person.  What does this mean?  That there is in one person a divine nature and a human nature.  Therefore, the person of Christ is seen as a complex person, not merely made up of the divine nature, nor merely made up of the human nature.  His person is a complexity of both (though without mixture) in one person with a divine person (having  the divine nature) partaking of the human nature.  So, when it is said “God became a man,” the  meaning is that God united with man, not that God changed into a man.  With this, the Word became God-man–God and man united in one person.   He took upon Himself the human nature, but not another person or personality.  Christ is one person, but in possession of all the divine attributes and all the human attributes.

The divine nature and human nature of Christ never mix or lose their separate identity and never  transfer any part to the other.  Consequently, the divine attributes belong to the divine nature; the  human attributes belong to the human nature.  Because of this, the divine nature remains divine  always, while the human nature remains human always.  This was the doctrine of the early church.  The union of these two natures in the person of Christ is a personal union.  Yet the human nature that Christ took upon Himself is impersonal, since it has no personality.

The deity of Christ was and is the base of Christ’s person.  The deity of Christ was and is the base for the  personality of the God-man.  The personality of the God-man depends primarily not on the human  nature, but on the divine nature.  Also, it must be recognized that the deity of Christ and not His humanity is the overwhelming and controlling power of His person.  It was this that kept Christ from  sinning when He was tempted like all men are.  The human nature was added, not the divine nature.  The  human nature was something new; the divine nature in the person known as the Word had always been there.

In the incarnation, Christ is totally human (John 1:14; 13:21; Matt. 26:38; 27:50; Rom. 3:20; 1 John 4:2; 2 John 7; Luke 1:32-35; Rom. 8:3;  Gal. 4:4; Matt. 1:18; 2:11; Rom. 1:3; Luke 2:40,52; John 4:9; Luke 24:13; John 20:15; Matt. 26:12; Luke  23:46; Matt. 4:2; John. 19:28; 4:6; Matt. 8:24; Luke 19:10; Matt. 1:21; Acts 2:22; 1 Tim. 2:5; and Heb. 2:9-18).  Also, Christ is totally God (John  1:1-5; Lam. 4:20; Psa. 50:1-3; Deut. 18:15; 1 Sam. 12:3; Matt. 1:23; 1 Kings 8: 15-26; 2 Kings 19:15; 1  Chr. 16:35; 2 Chr. 20:6; Ezra 1:2; Neh. 1:5; Joel 2:28-32; Amos 4:13; 7:9; Dan. 7:9-14; John 20:28; Luke  19:34; Col. 1:16; Ex. 3:14; John 5:43; 6:35; 6:41; 6:48; 6:51; 7:28; 7:29; 7:34; 8:12; 8:16; 8:18; 8:23;  8:24; 8:28; 8:58; 9:5; 9:39; 10:7; 10:9; 10:10; 10:11; 10:14; Acts 2:36; Acts 10:36; 1 Cor. 2:8; Isa. 9:6-7;  Luke 2:26; Jer. 23:6; John 11:43-44; Rev. 1:18; Eph. 3:9; Zech. 12:10; 1 Tim. 3:16; John 14:23; 17:11  17:22; Matt. 4:3; Rev. 22:12; Acts 9:17; Luke 1:32; Mark 1:24; Rev. 19:16; 2 Pet. 3:2; Rev. 19:13; Heb.  1:1-3; 8:6; 2 Pet. 3:2; Rom. 5:12-21; Rev. 3:14; Matt. 28:19; Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 1:9; Acts 20:28).

Throughout church history, several heresies have been instigated about the person of Christ:

1. Docetism denies the humanity of Christ, while accepting his deity.
2. Ebionism accepts the humanity of Christ, while rejecting his deity.
3. Arianism accepts the humanity of Christ, while rejecting his deity.
4. Apollinarism reduces the humanity of Christ so that the only thing that is human is a human body,  while accepting his deity.
5. Nestorism accepts the humanity and the deity of Christ, but concludes that Christ is two persons,  and not one.
6. Eutychism reduces both the humanity and the deity of Christ.  How?  Eutychism sees Christ as one person, with only one nature that is partly human and partly divine instead of one person with two  natures.
7. Gnosticism rejects both the humanity and deity of Christ.
8. Neo-Platonism rejects both the humanity and deity of Christ.
9. Neo-Philoism rejects both the humanity and deity of Christ.
10. Cerinthianism accepts the humanity of Christ, while rejecting his deity.

By Joseph Mattera

As a pastor for more than 26 years, I have a desire to help everyone. But, I have learned the hard way that I cannot help every person who attends our church or who comes to me for input.
The following are ten kinds of people I have identified that are so entrenched in certain habit patterns that I cannot help them advance to the next level unless they make the necessary shift in their attitude or behavior.

I. Those who do not take responsibility for themselves
The first step towards self-improvement is to remove all excuses for mediocrity or failure. Those that continually blame other people for their failures will never go to the next level. Leaders can complain about their spouses, the income level of their congregations, the lack of staff, etc. but I have learned that within every challenge is the seed of opportunity for success which requires the creativity of problem solving.

II. Those that do not have a heart to seek God
The Bible teaches us that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). Those who do not respect God enough to seek Him and study His word so they can make wise decisions in life are violating Scripture (Joshua 1:8-9) and cannot be helped either by myself or any other leader or minister. Those who do not obey what God requires for success have decided to try to be successful in life without God’s blessings!

III. Those that create distance so they are not accountable
There are certain people I have met in our church who only let others get so close before cutting off the relationship. Many go from one church to the next because they fear becoming too close to a leader who will hold them accountable. Often some will attempt to attend a megachurch where they will be able to hear the word of God in the context of a large crowd so that no one will really know who they are. Whether it is fear or rebellion, those who live like this have put a low ceiling on their lives and will not grow past the infant stage concerning their potential in life.

IV. Those who insist on having a negative outlook on life
There are some people who refuse to exercise faith in God or think positively as the Word of God commands us in Philippians 4:8. This is because some have a propensity to expect the worst in life so they are never disappointed by anyone or anything! This is a weird way some folks attempt to shield their emotions from the pain of disappointment; it is a very common practice with many people.  Jesus often told people that they would receive according to how they believed (for example Matthew 8:13). Proverbs 23:7 teaches that as a person thinks in their heart so they will be. I cannot empower a person who refuses to think God’s thoughts about themselves and about life.

V. Those that refuse to have a vision for their future
There are many very talented and anointed people I have been in relationship with who live their lives without any strategic plan or vision for their future. They are just living from day-to-day to prepare for their retirement. Those who are successful have a compelling vision that drives them daily and which feeds their souls even more than the desire to make money! Inside of every believer is a God-given kingdom vision for their future. If a person refuses to tap into that as their guiding light–and value that vision as their barometer for success–then my continual pep talks will not do the trick either!

VI. Those who live in self-deception
There are many people who are living lives of denial regarding their relationships with God and their families and all things regarding their inner and outer lives. The sad thing is that denial is the first step to outright deception in which a person concocts an alternate, false reality that continually feeds their mind and emotions the things they want to hear about themselves and their key relationships. This insulates them from the word of the Lord from others and the Holy Spirit. When you confront people like this they become upset and blame you for not understanding them or for wrongfully accusing them of something. These are the people I cannot help unless God steps in and delivers them from satanic deception (read 2 Timothy 2:23-25).

VII. Those who do not want to pay the price for success
There are many in the church that want the perks of success but don’t want to pay the price for success.

When I was a teenager I had a goal of becoming a master guitar player. For seven years I practiced the guitar for 3-8 hours per day as well as playing in numerous bands. While my friends were outside playing ball or wasting time doing drugs I would shut myself up in my house and study jazz, rock, blues, classical, etc. and spend hours doing scales on my guitar (which I often did even while watching television). Because of this sacrifice I gained mastery over my instrument in various kinds of music and was in high demand as a musician.

Whatever we do in life, we are called to sacrifice our time, invest our talents, and be committed to a long, grueling process with many setbacks until we reach our peak performance. This kind of sacrifice is needed in every area we desire success in including our marriages, relationships with our children, leading a company or a church, etc.

Consequently, I have found that I am not able to empower a person to the fullness of their destiny if they don’t want to work hard at self-improvement.

VIII. Those whose primary agenda is individualistic and not kingdom-oriented
There are some people whose only agenda in life is to advance their own agenda. They don’t want to work with a team or flow in the context of a local church. They want me to pour my life into them but they are rarely ever willing to pour back into the church and serve in the Kingdom of God. I have learned that those who only want to use the church or God to advance their own agendas (even if it is ministry related) have greatly limited their own lives. Thus, I back away from these people until they change. This is because we are all called to seek first God’s kingdom in which we need to die to our individualistic sense of destiny and sacrifice and invest our time for the good of the Body of Christ. This in turn will do more to release our greatest destiny–even more than if we only concentrate on our own agendas!

IX. Those who refuse to keep covenant
I have been with very talented individuals with great calling on their lives that I had to back away from because they did not know how to remain faithful to their obligations or because they broke confidence by continually talking behind other people’s backs. God says that a person who doesn’t keep their word (whatever the cost) and who slanders their neighbor cannot dwell in His tents (Psalm 15:3-4) so who am I to think that this kind of person can dwell in my inner circle for personal development!

X. Those who lack transparency, humility, and integrity
The Bible teaches us to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7). It also teaches us to confess our faults to one another and pray for one another that we may be healed (James 5:16). Those that do not admit their faults and confess their sins cannot have the kind of relationship with a mentor suitable for personal growth. It is important for me to have a transparent relationship with those I am mentoring since a person who conceals their sins from me is not giving me a chance to fully speak into their life and help them in their areas of weakness. Those who want to progress in their spiritual formation have to learn to practice the spiritual discipline of confession of sin (Proverbs 28:13).

By J. Lee Grady

Charismatic Bible teacher Kenneth Hagin Sr. is considered the father of the so-called prosperity gospel. The folksy, self-trained “Dad Hagin” started a grass-roots movement in Oklahoma that produced a Bible college and a crop of famous preachers including Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Charles Capps, Jesse DuPlantis, Creflo Dollar and dozens of others—all of whom teach that Christians who give generously should expect financial rewards on this side of heaven.

Hagin taught that God was not glorified by poverty and that preachers do not have to be poor. But before he died in 2003 and left his Rhema Bible Training Center in the hands of his son, Kenneth Hagin Jr., he summoned many of his colleagues to Tulsa to rebuke them for distorting his message. He was not happy that some of his followers were manipulating the Bible to support what he viewed as greed and selfish indulgence.

Those who were close to Hagin Sr. say he was passionate about correcting these abuses before he died. In fact, he wrote a brutally honest book to address his concerns. The Midas Touch was published in 2000, a year after the infamous Tulsa meeting.

Many Word-Faith ministers ignored the book. But in light of the recent controversy over prosperity doctrines, it might be a good idea to dust it off and read it again.

Here are a few of the points Hagin made in The Midas Touch:

1. Financial prosperity is not a sign of God’s blessing. Hagin wrote: “If wealth alone were a sign of spirituality, then drug traffickers and crime bosses would be spiritual giants. Material wealth can be connected to the blessings of God or it can be totally disconnected from the blessings of God.”

2. People should never give in order to get. Hagin was critical of those who “try to make the offering plate some kind of heavenly vending machine.” He denounced those who link giving to getting, especially those who give cars to get new cars or who give suits to get new suits. He wrote: “There is no spiritual formula to sow a Ford and reap a Mercedes.”

3. It is not biblical to “name your seed” in an offering. Hagin was horrified by this practice, which was popularized in faith conferences during the 1980s. Faith preachers sometimes tell donors that when they give in an offering they should claim a specific benefit to get a blessing in return. Hagin rejected this idea and said that focusing on what you are going to receive “corrupts the very attitude of our giving nature.”

4. The “hundredfold return” is not a biblical concept. Hagin did the math and figured out that if this bizarre notion were true, “we would have Christians walking around with not billions or trillions of dollars, but quadrillions of dollars!” He rejected the popular teaching that a believer should claim a specific monetary payback rate.

5. Preachers who claim to have a “debt-breaking” anointing should not be trusted. Hagin was perplexed by ministers who promise “supernatural debt cancellation” to those who give in certain offerings. He wrote in The Midas Touch: “There is not one bit of Scripture I know about that validates such a practice. I’m afraid it is simply a scheme to raise money for the preacher, and ultimately it can turn out to be dangerous and destructive for all involved.”

(Many evangelists who appear on Christian television today use this bogus claim. Usually they insist that the miraculous debt cancellation will occur only if a person “gives right now,” as if the anointing for this miracle suddenly evaporates after the prime time viewing hour. This manipulative claim is more akin to witchcraft than Christian belief.)

Hagin condemned other hairbrained gimmicks designed to trick audiences into emptying their wallets. He was especially incensed when a preacher told his radio listeners that he would take their prayer requests to Jesus’ empty tomb in Jerusalem and pray over them there—if donors included a special love gift. “What that radio preacher really wanted was more people to send in offerings,” Hagin wrote.

Thanks to the recent resurgence in bizarre donation schemes promoted by American charismatics, the prosperity gospel is back under the nation’s microscope. It’s time to revisit Hagin’s concerns and find a biblical balance.

Hagin told his followers: “Overemphasizing or adding to what the Bible actually teaches invariably does more harm than good.” If the man who pioneered the modern concept of biblical prosperity blew the whistle on his own movement, wouldn’t it make sense for us to listen to his admonition?

The Apostle Paul explained one important purpose for the Old Testament record. He said:   Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (I Corinthians 10:11)

The Old Testament provides an “ensample” (examples) from which we are to learn.  When we read the Old Testament, we will find many records of battles fought in the natural world.  We may wonder why these records were included in the Bible.  The importance of these battles extends beyond their immediate results.

The strategies of Old Testament warfare in the natural world can be applied in the spiritual world to defeat our enemy.  It our attempt here to explain the historical record of Old Testament battles and apply these natural strategies to spiritual warfare.  We can develop our spiritual warfare abilities by studying decisive battles of the Bible.

A DECISIVE BATTLE

1.    A “decisive battle” is one that decides an issue by force of arms.
2.    It is a battle fought in a time of crisis.
3.    It results in advance or retreat, victory or defeat.
4.    It is the result of an offensive action (taking territory) or a defensive action (defending territory).
5.    In other words, it is an important conflict.

REASONS FOR OLD TESTAMENT BATTLES

1.    The natural battles of the Old Testament were fought for three spiritual reasons:
a.    For God’s people to defeat evil forces which would enslave them.
b.    For God’s people to take from enemy forces territory He had given them.
c.    To chastise God’s people for evil when they turned from Him. Our spiritual battles occur for the same reasons.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES.  It is important to understand general principles of Old Testament warfare because they are also applicable to spiritual warfare:

1.    PRINCIPLE ONE:  In a properly conducted war authorized by God, He promised protection to the warriors (Deuteronomy 20:1-4).
2.    PRINCIPLE TWO:  Israel’s enemies were God’s enemies. The people were to trust in Him for victory rather than their own strength (Judges 5:31, Exodus 17:16). When they did this, God fought with them.
3.    PRINCIPLE THREE: The ark of the covenant served as the symbol of God’s presence with the Israelites during battle (Exodus 30:6; 25:21-22).
a.    The ark went before the armies of Israel to symbolize God’s active presence with His people. It had no power in itself, but was only a symbol of God’s presence with His people (I Samuel 4:1-11).
b.    In the New Testament, Jesus said the Holy Spirit was to dwell in believers and was God’s actual, active presence within them (John 14:16-17).
4.    PRINCIPLE FOUR:  If God was to fight for His people, they had to be holy (Deuteronomy 23:9-14). They were to separate themselves from anything sinful.
a.    No Holiness; No victory, but certain defeat.
5.    PRINCIPLE FIVE: The fearful were exempted from war (Deuteronomy 20:8; Judges 7:1-6).
a.    Cowards will turn and run in the middle of the battle.
b.    No Cross; No crown.
c.    We need no cowards fighting with us and for us.
6.    PRINCIPLE SIX: People engaged in the affairs of life were exempted from war.
a.    Deuteronomy 20:5-8 records that a recently married man did not go to war for one year.
b.    This was because he was primarily concerned with his wife, setting up a household, getting established, etc.
c.    He was too busy with these affairs of life to be effective in warfare.
d.    This is why Paul warns Timothy “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of life” (II Timothy 2:4).
e.    Jesus also warned us about being overcome with the cares of the world.
f.    In the prophecy of Daniel, we learn that one of the main end time strategies of the antichrist is to “wear away the saints of God” by the affairs of this life.
7.    PRINCIPLE SEVEN: God’s people were to fight until the enemy was completely destroyed (Numbers 31:10-11).
a.    Cannot give up or retire until total victory!
8.    PRINCIPLE EIGHT: The walls surrounding Israeli cities were important to their defense. These walls were approximately 10 feet in width and as high as 30 feet.
a.    Watchmen watched from the top of the walls for enemy activity.
b.    The New Testament compares the believer to a “city set on a hill”.
c.    We must retain our spiritual walls of defense against the enemy.
9.    PRINCIPLE NINE: A trumpet signal by the commander in chief opened each battle (Judges 7:18) and, when it was over, the trumpet called the soldiers away from the fight (II Samuel 2:28; 18:16).
a.    Jesus sounded the trumpet in the spirit world when He commissioned us to go into all the world with the Gospel and gave us power over the enemy (Matthew 28:18-20).
b.    Someday in the future a trumpet will call us away from the fight (I Thessalonians 4:16-18).

By J. Lee Grady

Instead of denying or downplaying this misunderstood spiritual gift, we should have the courage to embrace it.

Last week after I taught a class on the Holy Spirit at a ministry school in Pennsylvania, a 22-year-old guy from Maryland asked if I could pray with him. He had heard me share how I was baptized in the Holy Spirit at age 18, and he wanted the same experience. He was especially intrigued by the idea of speaking in tongues—something he had never done even though he was comfortable around other classmates who had this spiritual gift.

This young man, Eric, understood that he already had the Holy Spirit. (We can’t be born again without the Spirit entering our hearts and quickening Christ’s life in us.) But he knew that Jesus offers us more—that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second experience in which the fullness of God’s divine power saturates us and anoints us for supernatural ministry.

I explained to Eric that when I prayed for this blessing many years ago, God did not force anything on me. We don’t “have” to speak in tongues, and God certainly doesn’t make us move our mouths against our will. We open our mouths, but it is the Spirit who gives us this unusual heavenly language. Glossolalia makes no sense in the natural—it actually sounds like gibberish—but the Bible says praying in the Spirit strengthens us profoundly (see 1 Cor. 14:2,4).

I laid hands on Eric in the back of the auditorium and asked Jesus to fill him with divine power and to release the Holy Spirit’s language as a manifestation of the overflow. Nothing dramatic happened at that moment, but I told Eric to remain expectant. I’ve learned that oftentimes the release of the Spirit comes easier when people are not distracted by crowds. I encouraged my new friend to go home and pray some more.

A couple of days later I received an e-mail from this brother, letting me know that a small miracle had occurred in his life. He wrote:  “Thank you for praying for me to speak in tongues. That night was interesting because phrases started to pop into my head.  I was determined.  I began speaking the phrases and by the next night I was speaking in tongues as I was falling asleep. Now, every moment that I am not worshiping, praying, eating or speaking to someone, I am practicing this gift. Praise God!”

Many of us fall into the trap of downplaying the phenomenon of speaking in tongues, even after we have received the gift ourselves. We may consider it divisive (and it certainly can be when it is abused) or we’re embarrassed because it seems weird or fanatical to our unbelieving friends or family members.

Yet when I read the apostle Paul’s comments on the issue, I realize that glossolalia was a key component of the New Testament church. No one can deny that. Not only did tongues play a fundamental role on the day of Pentecost when the church was born, but this strange gift also fueled Paul’s personal zeal. He wasn’t bragging when he wrote: “I thank God I speak in tongues more than you all” (1 Cor. 14:18, NASB). He most likely prayed in tongues for hours at a time. He knew he couldn’t carry out his extraordinary ministry without a private devotional life that was soaked in supernatural prayer.

That’s also why he wrote: “Do not forbid to speak in tongues” (1 Cor. 14:39).  He knew that even though some people might be tempted to misuse this gift (and this is usually why people restrict it), we must never, never, never shut it down.

Eliminating the gift of tongues can have a direct impact on the miraculous flow of the Spirit’s anointing in the church. You might as well flip a breaker switch and turn off all the lights. Tongues does not make us holier than anyone else, and if we don’t exhibit love and Christian character it becomes a useless gift comparable to a noisy gong (see 1 Cor. 13:1). But when stewarded properly, and tempered with humility, this seemingly insignificant grace of the Holy Spirit becomes an invisible atomic weapon.

I am not saying we should showcase tongues in church gatherings, scream at people in tongues or make people feel like misfits if they haven’t experienced the gift. When the Corinthians put tongues on the platform and turned their meetings into chaotic circus sideshows, Paul rebuked them sternly. But the same apostle who warned his followers not to flaunt tongues in public also spent countless hours praying in tongues privately—because it is a vital source of spiritual power that we must not neglect.

The young man I met in Pennsylvania has a strong call on his life to reach others for Jesus, and he will be more effective in ministry now that he has added this misunderstood spiritual weapon to his arsenal. I pray you, too, will discover its value.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian, pictured the Christian
like someone trying to cross a sea of floating pieces of ice. The
Christian cannot rest anywhere while crossing, except in his faith
that God will see him through. He cannot stand anywhere too long,
otherwise he sinks. After taking a step, he must watch out for the
next. Beneath him is the abyss and before him is uncertainty – but
always ahead is the Lord – firm and sure! He doesn’t see the land
yet, but it is there – a promise in his heart. So the Christian traveler
keeps his eyes fixed upon his final place!

I prefer to think of life as a wilderness journey – like that of the
children of Israel. And King Jehoshaphat’s battle, along with all
the children of Judah, is also our battle (see 2 Chronicles 20).
Sure, it’s a wilderness; yes, there are snakes, dry water holes,
valleys of tears, enemy armies, hot sands, drought, impassable
mountains. But when the children of the Lord stood still to see
his salvation, he spread a table in that wilderness, rained manna
from above, destroyed enemy armies by his power alone, brought
water out of rocks, took poison out of the snakebites, led them
by pillar and cloud, gave them milk and honey, and brought them
into the Promised Land with a high and mighty hand. And God
warned them to tell every following generation: “Not by might, nor
by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).

Stop looking in the wrong direction for help. Get alone with Jesus
in a secret place; tell him all about your confusion. Tell him you
have no other place to go. Tell him you trust him alone to see you
through. You will be tempted to take matters into your own hand.
You will want to figure things out on your own. You will wonder if
God is working at all – there is nothing to lose. Peter summed it
all up: “To whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

“Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for
I am God, and there is none else” (Isaiah 45:22).

“Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my
salvation: my God will hear me” (Micah 7:7).

In Hinduism, it is common for the Guru to speak the word fire over and over again.  We must be careful to speak the fire of the Holy Spirit, nothing else.  We must judge this video very carefully and seek to understand its contents.  Beginning at 3:21, it is important to see what is happening.

The Holy Spirit is not strange, weird or mystical. He is the third part of the Trinity. He is a gentleman, statesman and a loving God that lifts up Christ the only begotten son of God. He is not a female presence, an it, a thing, a midst, a feeling or some orphic force.

*There are many people interested in prophetic ministry and there’s much confusion about it. *

Throughout your ministry you will be faced with many odd, even strange things that will require much spiritual discernment. Spiritual discernment will come from the Holy Spirit and be verified by many Scriptures throughout the written Word of God. History has introduced many divagating prophets with strange manifestations. Your advantage is four thousand years of * written* biblical history to use as your guide for accuracy from Adam to Christ. One corner stone for staying biblical is using that written history as your foundation for measuring truth. When strange things happen look to the Word for biblical examples. If you can’t find any then something is terribly wrong.

Experiences, even vivid, powerful, and supernatural ones are not measurements for truth. In my generation some have gold dust, feathers, gems, and people barking and roaring like lions in their meetings. A search through the Scriptures gives no evidence that the Holy Spirit used any of these things to confirm Christ’s Word. Others say female angels are healing people. There is no evidence of the existence of female angels in the Word. These are only a few examples of strange fire. Someone may tell you that the things of the Spirit can’t be understood by the natural man. That’s not true at all because the  Holy Spirit can be understood. He never violates the written Word. The things of the Spirit are understood by the logos, the Bible
(Hebrews 4:12). The Holy Spirit is not strange, weird or mystical. He is the third part of the Trinity. He is a gentleman, statesman and a loving God that lifts up Christ the only begotten son of God. He is not a female presence, an it, a thing, a midst, a feeling or some orphic force.

*PROPHETS OF DECEPTION*

In my generation Jezebel and Baalim prophets are the prevailing enemies of true prophetic ministry. In the last twenty years these spirits have become sophisticated, built their own network of churches, followers, training schools, written many books and produced many training videos. These spirits intend to hijack the prophetic ministry and hold themselves out to be the experts in the field. They condemn any criticism by outsiders as irrelevant, unloving, ignorant and judgmental. Hopefully by the time you read this material their folly will be known to all and your generation will escape their deceptions. More than likely things are much worse. If so, you will find them as your strongest opponents.

Both these prophetic groups and others you will encounter have all types of strange signs and wonders in their meetings. Just remember not all wonders, no matter how mystical and exciting are from the Holy Ghost (1 John 4:1). Even legitimate miracles in meetings do not confirm these ministers are flowing right. Scripture says, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23).

One particular trait among them is the love of money that finances extravagant lifestyles. Those that embrace these spirits are merchandisers. A merchandiser sells prophecies, healings, religious oils, potions and various products that reinforce their beliefs. Typically they work within their own
networks focusing on getting as much money from people as possible. They have all kinds of gimmick offerings that manipulate people. They are always recruiting followers to join their groups. I have seen them work every kind of evil when it comes to stealing from God’s people.

One young man met with me that hooked up with one of these merchandising networks. He gave me his ordination papers from the various ministers within the network and renounced his involvement. He said the purpose of their many conferences is to raise money, not to advance the ministry of Christ. After services they divide the offerings among themselves. He shocked me when he said the  amount of money one raises confirms the level of their prophetic anointing. For several hours he spoke of many individuals, some well known and others obscure, gave their names and explained numerous evil strategies for meetings across our nation. They even merchandise one another. They look for young naïve upstarts to turn into devils like themselves. There is every sort of evil working behind the scenes among these people. These are “professional prophets” that watch videos and listen to audios to learn the sayings and particular mannerisms of true ministers of the Gospel and from their own they think are effective deceivers (Jeremiah 23:30).  Avoid them and don’t do any meetings with them or for them and don’t attend them. Beware their accolades, flatteries
and smiles toward you. At first they will flatter you. If that works then they will merchandise you. If that doesn’t work they will blackball you. Just remember, if you can be flattered, you can be bought. Christ’s servants are not prostitutes.

A spirit of rejection may attack you if these leaders shun you. If you feel that way just think of it like this, rejection is protection. You don’t need anybodies approval save Christ’s.  God’s servants can’t be bought at any price! Don’t try to learn anything from them. You are not a psychic, mystic, spiritist or soothsayer. You are a minister of Christ. You have a responsibility to use your gift as a faithful steward to serve the body of Christ. The purpose of the anointing is to establish and advance the Kingdom of God, give witness to the love of God and confirm to the world the resurrection of Christ our Savior. You will also be called to turn the heart of people toward God, walk in holiness, confront sin and build the Church of Christ. Avoid fame, accolades from men and vain glory, and mind your motives in all things (Proverbs 4:23)…

Pentecost is Sunday, May 23. Here are four reasons we should celebrate the Spirit’s outpouring.

Article from excerpts by Chip Brogden.

Dear Friend,
It is with a certain fearfulness that I respond to your inquiry, for I
am not an authority on such things. I can certainly relate to your
reluctance at being identified among the company of the prophets
when so many false apostles, prophets, and teachers abound. I
wish I could point you in a proper direction, but I can only point
you towards the Lord. It is He who selects His messengers, and
I have nothing to offer you by way of what to do.

At most, perhaps you can look upon me as an example of what
NOT to do, and take some word of counsel from a weak brother
who has made many mistakes and endured many failures along
the way. Perhaps you too will have to make even the same
mistakes in order to learn, yet following my advice could perhaps
help you to avoid the unnecessary heartache and cruelty inflicted
upon yourself and others when thinking that you are doing God a
service. I would counsel you, first of all, to be a Christian. Do not
spend too much time focused on that which is prophetic. Do not
come to others as a prophet, but as a child. Let Christ be your
obsession, not the prophetic word. For “the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy.” There need not be turmoil in your heart
about your calling; it is clear that you are among those that are
“the Called, according to His purpose.” And what is His purpose?
That you be “conformed to the image of His dear Son.” That,
above all, is your first calling. Many are eager to wear the Prophet’s
mantle, but are reluctant to bear the Christian’s cross. This cannot
be. Given the choice between Christian or Prophet, choose Christian.
Serve God as the earthen vessel you are, in the place you find
yourself to be.

Perhaps the Lord will indeed use you in some prophetic way, but
if not then at least you have been faithful with the “one talent” you
have been given. God will not give five talents to those who cannot
be faithful with one, and will not give ten to those who cannot be
faithful with five. If you are a Christian first you will remember that
you should walk softly, with meekness and humility, while
esteeming others as better than yourself. Then the prophetic word,
when and if it comes, will be seasoned with the appropriate amounts
of mercy and grace.

Remember that without love you will inevitably become as
sounding brass – all judgment. If we cannot or will not stay in Love,
God will set out to humble us shamefully before our brothers and
sisters that we may know the depths of our hypocrisy and
self-righteousness. That is evidence of HIS great love for all of us.

Now, concerning the prophetic word itself. God will give you the
“what”, but the “when” and the “how” are left up to you. “The
spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” You can be
right on target with the “what”, but if you screw up the “when”,
and especially the “how”, you do yourself and others unnecessary
harm…

Let us not only be familiar with His Word, but let us become
acquainted with His Ways. It is not enough to memorize what
He said, we must take His yoke upon us and walk in tandem
with Him. Since Christ bids us to “learn of ME”, beware of those
who will try to gain access into your life with an inordinate desire
to mentor or shepherd you. We may certainly seek the advice,
prayers, and counsel of other mature believers. Even the little
children in the Kingdom of God can teach us much. But people
can only carry us so far… Do you see dear friend, that God
is more concerned with the messenger than the message? Do
you see that the minister is more important than the ministry?

If the messenger is wrong, the message will be wrong too. If the
minister is wrong, the ministry will be wrong. And do you see that
the Lord of the work is more important than the work of the Lord?
Meditate on these things. There really is no famine of the Word
of God. If God is able to find the right vessel the Word will come
forth in abundance. Therefore, He takes much time to mold,
fashion, train, refine, purge, break down, build up, discipline and
create His prophets. Yield to that process. It cannot be rushed,
but it may certainly be hindered. We cannot force the Spirit, but
we may certainly quench Him. Ah, your gifts are given to you in a
moment’s time, but your fruit, your character, YOU, develops
over many seasons of God’s dealings. Do not be thrilled with
your gifts, only observe if you are fruitful in Spirit, bearing much
fruit, abounding in love, joy, peace, faithfulness, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, meekness, and self-control.You can be
sure that there are more gifted people in the world than you, yet
the fruit is what will remain when the gifts pass away. Never
neglect the place of abiding in Him, and you will remain a fruitful
branch in the Vine. Expect misunderstanding. Expect persecution.
Expect ridicule. Expect mistreatment. Expect suffering. Expect
rejection. Then, you won’t be surprised when it comes. And when
it comes, shut your mouth, go to the cross, and die so you can
live. Learn to kiss the hands that nail you to the cross, for as you
are decreased, He is increased. It is not a better living we need,
but a better dying. We cannot reach Pentecost but by way of
Passover. There can be no resurrection without a crucifixion…

Be afraid of the praise and acceptance of others, for they are the
fertilizer for the self-important and grandiose thoughts that are
yours by nature anyway, which spring up in the shallow ground
of your carnal mind. Carry about the Death of the Lord so you
may have the Life of the Lord. Be ready to suffer with Him, that
you may reign with Him. And now, some practical advice: As
much as possible, stay away from money…

Be slow to anger and quick to forgive. Before, you would never
apologize even when you knew you were wrong. Now, be willing
to apologize even when you know you are right.

This is my counsel, dear friend, and perhaps something I have
said in this brief letter will bear witness with you. With these
words then, I commit you to the care of the  Lord Jesus Christ,
Who is able to complete the work which He has begun in you
and see you through to maturity, as you are rooted and grounded
in Him, being thoroughly equipped and strengthened by His
Might which works in those who have taken up the cross to
find power in weakness…  –Chip Brogden.

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