Comments (8)

By Rich Vermillion, July 9, 2009 5:01 pm

Yesterday, a question was posted on my Ask Rich page by Tyrone Cain. For my reader’s convenience, I have appended his questions here:

So Rich, if these guys [Kenneth Copeland and his buddies] are shams, what’s in it for them? Do not blessings comes with giving [whether] it be [for] them or someone else? Do you have a better means of giving someone hope? The bible says the destruction of the poor is their poverty (Proverbs 10:15). Is not poverty evil? Paul said we are to be delivered from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4). Is he talking about now or when we die? Is not the gospel the good news in which paul said he is “not ashamed for it is the power of god” and that it leads to salvation; and in the Greek and Hebrew is not salvation more than the born again experience?  Is not the “power” God’s word? Does not the bible state that, “All things are possible to those who believe” (Mark 9:23) and that “God is able to do exceeding and abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20)? If the Holy Spirit in me bears witness with what these guys are saying according to the Scriptures, what then is the problem? Please help a brother out—not with beating and badgering the prosperity teachers, but with Scriptures that will deliver me from this present evil world [and] give me hope. How [does] a regular Joe like me, according to Scripture, live the abundant life that Jesus died for? Thank you very much sir. Waiting for your reply.

Please note that I took the liberty to do a major edit on his comment for the benefit of my readers. However, you can still see his original post unedited on the Ask Rich page with a link to this reply. In the mean time, here is my reply:

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Brother Tyrone,

Thank you for posting your questions, though I must admit that you made it a bit hard for me to decipher with your challenging text usage. Please take it easy on me next time you comment, okay Bro?   :•)

As near as I can tell, you must have read my post How I Know (and Why I Rebuked) Kenneth Copeland and missed the full context of my statements. Let me try to clarify things briefly here within this post, and I will also reference herein other posts where you may obtain even more information about these topics. Along the way, I will try to answer some of the questions you posed in your comment.

Prosperity is Good:

Let me begin by pointing out that you appear to think I am against the biblical precept that God loves to prosper His Own children; I am not. If you glance around this website, you will see numerous other articles written by me regarding economics and finance, and even an animated gold coin image in the rightmost column. Would I be anti-prosperity and have included all of those on my own ministry blog?

Please take a few moments to pay special attention to at least three of my articles: Economics, Gold, and the Word of the Lord part 1 and part 2, and Prophets-Come-Lately (and Their Inept Counsel). Through these you will obtain a better idea of where I am coming from in regards to how so-called “prosperity” is taught nowadays by some, such as Copeland and many of his friends. Several other related posts on this blog) will help you to understand a more full picture of how the Bible explains a person can prosper themselves materially, even in a major recession or depression, such as the world is experiencing now.

Abundant Life Properly Defined:

Regarding your question, “How does a regular Joe like me, according to Scripture, live the abundant life that Jesus died for?” Let me first draw your attention to the proper definition of the “abundant life” to which Jesus was referring. It would seem that you think that His reference to the “abundant life” was about material prosperity. However, that is not what the Bible defines it as:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10, NASB)

And He [Jesus] said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” (Luke 12:15, NKJV)

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17, NASB)

And when He was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:20-21, KJV)

My dear brother, the “abundant life” that Jesus came to give us has nothing to do with material prosperity—except a probable side-effect when a righteous person walks in conformity to the Word of God over time.  The “abundant life” Jesus was talking about is the kingdom of God within a believer, which is defined as “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.’ The “abundant life” is the same Eternal Life that Jesus came to give us through His death, burial, and resurrection.

Did Paul the apostle have “the abundant life”? Most assuredly, yes. However, consider what is written in the Bible about what Paul preached:

[Paul and Barnabas] preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. (Acts 14:21-22, NIV)

Notice that Paul “preached the good news” (i.e. Gospel) but also admonished the new believers that hardships were going to occur as well (e.g. persecution). He did not say, “all your problems are over” because Paul knew firsthand that was certainly not the case:

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:22-28, NKJV)

Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted) in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straitened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and all circumstances the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and enough to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. (Philippians 4:11-13, AMP)

My dear brother, if Paul did not consider earthly comforts and material possessions to be “the abundant life” that Jesus was talking about, why should we? The Lord surely wants to bless His children for He “wishes above all things that we would prosper, and be in health, even as our souls prosper” just as John did for Gaius (3 John 2). He also promises to deliver those who will look to Him for salvation (e.g. Psalm 91). However, the key thing is that believers must prosper first in their souls—with the true abundant life. This should occur before material prosperity, because wealth will ruin the fools (Proverbs 1:32). God is too good a Father to let His kids become “ruined” because of a lack of spiritual maturity regarding material things.

So, Tyrone, your definition needs to be biblically-defined…and not Copeland-defined. The latter will get you into trouble doctrinally and otherwise. This leads me into a discussion/biblical analysis of a few of Copeland’s doctrinal errors…

Copeland’s Theological Errors:

To begin, let me note first that the How I Know (and Why I Rebuked) Kenneth Copeland post you read on RichVermillion.com was intended to do two things:

1 – To set the record straight about my former association with Copeland. (And again, if I were anti-prosperity, would I have ever associated with him in the first place?)

2 – To draw attention to the KennethCopelandBlog.com project. Therein, I am (over time) detailing more and more of the sins from which Kenneth Copeland and his family need to repent.

Please visit the KennethCopelandBlog.com website for additional context and information, and give special attention to the post thereon entitled, Rev. Hagin’s Previous REBUKE of Kenneth Copeland. Therein, you will find therein that the very “father” of the Word of Faith movement himself previously rebuked Kenneth Copeland (and others) for pushing their “prosperity” teaching to extremes that violated Scripture. In other words, even the “founder” of the so-called “prosperity message” said that Kenneth Copeland and many of the other “prosperity preachers” had gone too far and had gotten into error as a result. Thus, I am simply reiterating Hagin’s point in this regard.

Is There a ‘Prosperity Gospel’?:

Now, with regard to the Gospel itself, I recommend you read my post entitled, The REAL Gospel, here on this very blog. Therein I highlight the essential elements of a true Gospel presentation, which Paul expounded to King Agrippa in Acts 26:20 when he said, “that all men should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.” You will notice Paul did not mention anything about “God will make you rich!!!!” as being a key element to the Gospel message. Thus, by failing to draw sufficient attention to the “repentance” part of the true Gospel, and by turning their message into a “cotton-candy” diet of sugary fluff, the so-called “prosperity preachers” (such as Copeland) have wandered off into heresy. Again, read The REAL Gospel and you will see better what I am talking about.

With regard to the Greek and Hebrew meanings of the words “salvation” and “saved”—you are partly correct (i.e. correct regarding their meaning, but not with regard to their application). One can certainly point out the fact that these words mean “complete salvation, even from sickness and poverty” (which would be true), especially when teaching people who are already Christians. However, with unbelievers, a preacher would need to maintain a Gospel-presentational context of “after you repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance, these are some of the benefits you can expect as well….”. Peter did this in his Gospel presentation in Acts 2:14-46, for example. So to illustrate with a metaphor:

The “dessert” is supposed to come after the main “meal” of a true core Gospel message.

Again, read the Book of Acts and compare what the believers originally preached with what these men propagate today, and you will find there is a significant difference. If they want to call it a “doctrine” (errant as it is), that is one thing. To call it a “Gospel” is quite another. To call the perverted “prosperity preaching” of Copeland and his associates “a form of the Gospel” is as much a heresy as anything else to which Paul was referring in Galatians chapter 1 when he said that such tripe, “is NOT a Gospel” and that such people will be “accursed” for saying that it is. Consequently, this is one of the sins for which I am calling on Copeland to repent (I really do NOT want the guy to go to hell, and I am sure you would agree).

“Prosperity” as a Doctrine:

For prosperity teaching directed toward believers to be biblical (i.e. not calling it a “Gospel” message per se, but simply a doctrine for Christians to learn and apply to their lives), it would also REQUIRE the proper inclusion of teaching about obedience to God, hard work, self-sacrifice, discipline, investment, saving, monetary theology, economics, how to “endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 2:3), and etc.

The so-called “prosperity teachers” have failed miserably to do this, which was one of the major points Kenneth Hagin made when he rebuked them himself years ago for getting too extreme in their teaching. (Again, see the Hagin article on the KennethCopelandBlog.com website mentioned above.) Thus, their errant teaching is way too isolated even from some other related bible teaching on the subject of making money—not to mention from the subjects related to proper Christian service to the Lord.

Since you mentioned the doctrine of giving in your Ask Rich comment, let me also point out that such doctrine is only one part of the scriptural building blocks to biblical prosperity. Further, such doctrine, to be biblical, would by necessity include giving to the poor, giving to local ministries, and even giving to other believers in need—which doctrinal aspects are generally ignored by Copeland and his friends. (They tend to only emphasize giving to them and/or others within their buddy-group—which happens to be something else Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin tried to correct them about).

However, even when properly taught within its full range of application, the doctrine of giving is most certainly not the “whole enchilada” for obtaining biblical prosperity, as these errant ministers often lead others to believe. There is just more to it than that.

Many of the additional biblical elements of obtaining material prosperity (especially the pragmatic ones) can be found within my ministry blog here at RichVermillion.com. (And I do not ask anyone to give me even “a dime” for having made these teachings available).

Again, I firmly believe that God wants His children to prosper materially. I am just biblically balanced in my understanding of how, why, and when, He would choose to financially enrich His children.

Let’s Name that ‘Spirit’:

In regards to your question, “If the Holy Spirit in me bears witness with what these guys are saying according to the Scriptures, what then is the problem?” let me be straight, Bro: The Holy Spirit is not going to contradict Himself. He never disagrees with the Word of God He wrote through the apostles and prophets (see 1 John 5:6-8 for example). Thus, whatever is “bearing witness” to you regarding the errant teaching of these ministers is not the Holy Spirit.

Bro, we all need to develop first and foremost a sound understanding of the Scriptures and judge things by the Word of God, not merely by how we “feel” or whatever “witness” we feel we have about it. We must judge things properly by the Word first, and then the “inward witness” second. Personally, I think it is just your emotions agreeing with what they are teaching; much like a child’s emotions agree that he should eat candy as a replacement for regular food. That is carnal thinking, my brother.

To take this discussion to an even higher level: Let’s keep in mind that the church in Scriptures with the most manifestations of the Spirit of God (the church at Corinth) is also the same church that had the most counterfeit manifestations by demons. Paul had to actually explain to them, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:3, NASB) This, sadly, is the state of the Charasmatic church in the USA at large: Too caught up into “manifestations” and what some “spirit” says to have enough sense to know the difference between God’s Holy Spirit and demonic manifestations. This unfortunate fact, coupled with the USA church’s tendency to idolize their “celebrity preachers” (which is bona fide idolatry, and an abomination before God) is why so many “sheep” are being led stray by “wolves” today.

The deficiency is the Charasmatic church at large is the same they had in Corinth: A lack of good theology, and a passion for the Word of God equal to or greater than their passion for spiritual manifestations. This deficiency left the Corinthians susceptible to deception and error, and it is still the chief cause of “Charismania” today within the church (i.e. unbiblical teachings and error, coupled with demonic influences). We need to have a firm biblical foundation in which to build our spiritual “houses” upon, and the church needs to stop building upon “sand.” Jesus said that the “rock” on which to build our foundation is none other than the Word of God alone (see Matthew 7:24-28 and Luke 6:47-49).

Conclusion:

In summary, Bro, I am not anti-prosperity—but I am firmly anti-error and anti-heresy. In order to understand my positions on these topics more clearly, you would need to first examine my other writings. In the mean time, forget what your emotions or “witness” is telling you about the teachings of Copeland and his friends (or anyone else, for that matter) and get grounded upon the Word of God. The Word, in its full context, is the only measuring stick we are to trust when measuring the validity of doctrine. Further, all topics of doctrine need to be examined thoroughly in the light of the other biblical doctrines, because they are all mutually dependent upon one another.

Lastly, thanks for participating in the Ask Rich page, and for voicing your concerns/questions. I hope I answered them adequately in brief here—especially within the context of my other referenced posts. I also hope that I have given you much to “chew on” and that, as a result of reading my reply, you will reassess your own walk with the Lord and theology—and then press in to follow Jesus through a balanced spiritual life firmly founded upon the Word of God.

Feel free to post another comment to THIS post if you have a follow up question. That will allow us to have an open discussion thread here on this topic, and it will permit others to join in with their own thoughts as well.

Blessings to you and yours, as you follow Jesus and His Word, with a balanced understanding, and with all your heart.

Always in Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

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Comments (2)

By Rich Vermillion, September 28, 2008 10:24 pm

It is amazing to me that so many people (especially Bible-believing Christians) living in the USA can be so unaware of the economic meltdown that is occurring around them. Even believers around on places of the globe are taking things too lightly—not realizing that the global economic “tsunami” that has already developed will soon affect them too.

What is even more confounding to me is that believers on the Lord Jesus Christ seem to be so insensitive to the biblical ramifications of these events. But then again, I was completely oblivious myself to the soon-disintegration of the USA’s “super-power” status—and its aftermath on the political and economic structures of the world—until the Lord Himself interrupted my ignorance to tell me what was about to transpire.

For the informed and devoted believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, however, these times ahead are not to be feared. Not only can a believer build their own proverbial “financial ark” like Noah did in his day to save himself and his family, but like Joseph in the Bible, this prophetic forewarning of the “famine” to come can become an opportunity to even profit. Christians can truly become “the head, and not the tail, above only, and not beneath,” but only if they position themselves as God directs (see Deuteronomy 28:1-13).

For the uninformed and/or unbelievers, however, a time of crisis is coming upon them that they will not be prepared to weather:

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. (Matthew 24:37-39, NIV)

Now, I am NOT saying this is the return of the Lord that is about to occur (although it draws closer by the day). Only rather, that similarities in people’s attitudes already prevail today even as it will then.

Those today who, like generations before them, are too busy with their sports events, choir practices, hobbies, and family outings, to take the time to discern what is going on around them economically (especially in the light of Scripture)… they will be like the proverbial ”deer in the headlights of a Mack truck” when this financial disaster comes. The U.S. economic “Mack truck” is certainly blaring its horn loudly… so who will pay enough attention to get out of its way?

As PBS says of the hyper-inflation in 1923 Germany, “Most Germans were taken by surprise by the financial tornado.” Conversely, it is my hope that those who read this post (and its sequels) will not be similarly “blown away.”

Hello, Reality!

For me, November 24th, 2006 was a relaxing and prayerful Friday time. The U.S. Thanksgiving Holiday had just been the day before, and the Friday following is often referred to as the “busiest shopping day of the year” in the USA. However, I always sit out the sales frenzy (since crowded shopping malls are just not appealing to me). This year was no different.

So, with time to relax while the family was occupied with their own various activities, I sat down in my “prayer chair” recliner in the bedroom for some time with my Heavenly Father and His Word. Praying in the Spirit, it was only a short while before my world was shaken, as the Word of the Lord came to me strongly:

The U.S. dollar is about to collapse… followed by the stock markets, then the real estate markets… and then every other market.

The Lord then paused, while I sat in bewilderment. (I often wonder if that delay before He resumed His discourse was to give me a moment to recover from the first part’s impact… or to laugh silently at the dumfounded look on my face.) The Lord then continued:

This is the great End Time wealth transfer you have heard taught from the Scriptures these many years… and the shift in economic and political power from the United States to the European Union in preparation for the coming Anti-Christ.

He paused a short moment once again, but then instructed me:

Go find Peter Daniels’ gold bank.

Now before I explain this word, consider the context in which it came to me: There had been no Bear & Sterns bailout, Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, nor had Merrill Lynch been bought over the weekend by Bank of America. Wall Street was on a high, and it had no intentions of coming down right then.

The American International Group (AIG)—the world’s largest insurer—had not yet signaled trouble, nor had the FED bought about 80% of the company with an $85 billion “loan,” thereby nationalizing this global behemoth.

There had not been a dozen or more large banks shuttered, nor had Washington Mutual (aka, “WaMu,” the USA’s largest savings bank) gone belly up. In short, the terms “credit bubble” and “global crisis” were not in the vocabulary of the daily financial news reporters—nor were the Western Nations’ central banks pumping billions daily into the world’s Western economies trying to hold off the inevitable… a complete collapse of the U.S. dollar, world banking, equities, and real estate markets.

Further, the president had not yet requested bailout legislation from Congress (which as been renamed a “rescue plan” since the term “bailout” was not popular with the citizenry)—which if enacted effectually declares martial law on the US financial system and amounts to a form of modern fascism.

Nor had the Chinese government told its banks to stop lending money to US banks in an attempt to insulate them from the coming economic tsunami they see developing. (This means that Chinese government considers the USA banks no longer credit-worthy, and has turned off the multi-trillion dollar spigot to the USA financial sector… much like a US bank refuses to loan money to a business that is obviously sliding into bankruptcy.)

But like most people, I really had no idea about the systemic problems of the world’s Western economies. Now, I am not a stranger to receiving a direct Word of the Lord (not that it happens everyday, but that is the nature of prophetic ministry). However, I have to admit that this particular one has certainly been quite an eye-opener for me.

Confirmed

Moreover, I am not the only person who received such prophetic insight about this either. Without my asking the Lord to do so, He actually confirmed this word three times within about a week after I received it through three other prophetic people with which I had contact:

• That very Sunday, the pastor whose church we attended when we were in Texas proclaimed boldly, “The U.S. dollar is going to collapse. The stock market is going to collapse. The real estate markets are going to collapse. Everything you know about global economics is about to change, so you better own gold and silver if you want to survive and thrive in the days to come.” I sat stunned in the congregation. He spoke almost verbatim what the Lord said to me directly.
• The following Tuesday I was attending a Christian business luncheon when one of the prophets in attendance (who I know) shared, “The Lord has been dealing with me very strongly lately that the U.S. dollar is going to collapse, along with stock markets, real estate, and the banking system. He keeps emphasizing to me gold and silver, and I feel led of the Lord to share it with you gentlemen here today.” Again, I was stunned, because I had never heard him mention that previously. (That particular day, however, I decided to refrain from sharing what the Lord had told me only days before.)
• That Friday night, I was at a home meeting where about 30 people had gathered from around the world to discuss ministry/business, and the move of God’s Spirit in the earth. One gentlemen, who I had not met before that night, asked if he could speak. Upon receiving the go-ahead from the host, he said, “I know I am out of turn here in the order we are sharing, but I feel strongly led of the Lord to share something right now. A few years ago the Lord showed me that the U.S. dollar was going to collapse, along with the stock markets, real estate markets, and the entire U.S. economic system.” (At this point I was obviously experiencing “deja vu all over again” like Yogi Beara once said.) This man then continued, “So I recommend that everyone look into obtaining gold and silver…[again, deja vu for me] and in moving your money into offshore banks to shield it from the US banking system collapse.”

This last part was a new addition to the thread of prophetic confirmation that the Lord had been feeding me up until that time and it is very much worth delving into…

Expanding My Comprehension

Timing is Everything

Moreover, I actually did share this word shortly after receiving it  to a select group of ministers, friends, and businessmen that I am acquainted with personally. Like me, some of them had a hard time assimilating this message. An international businessman friend of mine even replied, “You will either go down in history as one of the greatest prophets of our day… or as a nut. One of the two.” (That is the way he saw it, anyway.)

This particular businessman’s example makes the point even clearer: Even though he has a global perspective and solid executive credentials, at that time he could just not see such a thing ever happening-especially on the “biblical proportions” scale that I was emphasizing.

However, just this last March (2008), this same man indicated that he had changed his position drastically when he confided, “You know, when you first told me about the coming collapse, I did not really fully accept it. I just could not imagine a global event of that magnitude. But lately, I have been seeing it’s formation being reported in the news almost daily… and I can certainly see that it is surely coming.” 

Today’s news certainly seems to be softening the perspectives of many people. Thus, I am hopeful that there will be many who take this Word of the Lord (and its explanation) to heart—and act accordingly. Therefore, I feel it is time to get this word out publicly in a greater way.

So without any further ado, let’s delve into the specifics of this prophetic word, and the subsequent words I received that clarified it even further. Then we will cover the fundamentals of how to apply this word practically to your life, business, and ministry… even as the patriarch Joseph did thousands of years ago when he applied the interpretation to Pharaoh’s dreams within the economic systems of the land of Egypt.

Until the next post…

Blessings to you and all that is yours, as you follow Jesus, His Word, and His revealed Will, with all your heart.

In Jesus,

-Rich Vermillion

Continued in Part 2..

Related Rich-Posts: Economics, Gold, and the Word of the Lord (Part 2), Robert Kiyosaki on Gold, Currencies, and the US Economic Collapse, JWS Gold Referral

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Comments (1)

By Rich Vermillion, January 10, 2008 8:04 pm

Presidential Mike Huckabee is drawing more and more fire from Christian Conservatives and pro-liberty activists alike as his ties to “New World Order” advocates becomes increasingly clear. In an article today entitled, Huck Takes Heat for having CFR Advisor, WND.com reports:

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) unabashedly promotes the establishment of a one-world-government that supersedes the sovereignty of any nation. They are not trying to hide this fact either. Their agenda is clear within their literature, on their website, their efforts, and in their representative’s speeches. For example, this same Richard Haass mentioned above stated publicly in an article published in the Taipei Times entitled, State sovereignty must be altered in globalized era:

However, compare this quote above (and the globalist agenda of the CFR overall) with what the Bible says will come in the latter days:

So we have the dragon (which symbolizes Satan: See Revelation 12:7-9) overseeing the arising of a “great beast” (i.e. governmental system: See Daniel chapter 7), which emerges from “the sea” (which is typically symbolic of multitudes of people in the Bible, i.e. populations—again, see Daniel 7). We then see another “beast” (i.e. the Anti-Christ) who exercises all the authority of the first beast, and who sets up and enforces a global economic system—which includes both idolatrous worship and strictly controlled commerce (e.g. the “mark”). In short, this passage (and those elsewhere in the Bible, including the Book of Daniel) describes the coming kingdom of the Anti-Christ.

Do you see striking similarities with this description of the coming Anti-Christ’s kingdom and the agenda of the CFR?

Notice also that the Anti-Christ has “two horns like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon.” In other words, the Anti-Christ will mimic Messiah-like qualities (e.g. look and act like a Christian and/or Christ-like on the surface) while having “dragon speak” on his tongue. Since the dragon is known also as “the father of lies” (see John 8:43-45) very persuasive deception will flow from the Anti-Christ’s lips. Every anti-Christ to date (e.g. Antiochus IV Epiphanes, and more recently, Stalin, Hitler, & etc.) has exhibited similar behavior. In short, you cannot go by what any political candidate might say. You have to check their “fruit” (as I detailed in my previous article about Huckabee).

Also, the latin prefix “anti” on the front of “anti-Christ” means against, opposite, or opposed to. So the anti-Christ agenda of the CFR and its related organizations (the Freemasons, Skull and Bones, Bildebergers, Bohemian Grove, Trilateral Commission, the UN, & etc) is an agenda that is against Christ, opposite of Christ’s agenda, and which opposes Christ’s agenda in every way possible.

So…what is “former Baptist minister” Huckabee doing among these people? Why are these his “advisers?”

As I mentioned in my previous post, Is Huckabee Honest?, this presidential candidate’s apparent CFR allegiance is only one of several causes of great concern. He has other alarming traits also (please see that article for the details).

As a Christian and minister, I am especially concerned that many believers are being deceived into supporting an unbiblical “New World Order” agenda—simply because the candidate they think best supports “Christian values” is purported to be a former Baptist minister.

From what I can see in the CFR issue, and those other issues covered in my previous post about Huckabee, I have serious doubts about the true agenda of Mike Huckabee. Moreover, if you compare these issues with what I wrote about the apostle Paul’s true Gospel message in my post The REAL Gospel, you will also see why I even have some serious questions about Mike Huckabee’s Christian testimony—regardless of which Evangelical ministers and Christian media figures endorse him. (I check fruit, not endorsement lists, when selecting a candidate to support—because that is what Jesus told us to do. And I certainly do not base my support on the latest “polls” either.)

Without question, I have to agree with the growing number of Christians who are very alarmed by Huckabee’s candidacy for president. As Pastor Chuck Baldwin wrote, Christians Need to Beware of Mike Huckabee. Moreover, it is apparent that every Christian needs to stay far away from ANY candidate who has spoken at or been promoted by the CFR. So far, there are only two (and possibly a third) that I am aware of that are still in the presidential race and which seem to pass the “no CFR alliance” test: Mike Gravel, Ron Paul, and possibly Duncan Hunter (but I’m still checking on this last one). If anybody knows of more, please add their names in your comments below.

Finally, if you are a Christian who has previously supported Mike Huckabee’s candidacy for president of the United States, I encourage you to do some serious research about that man. If you do confirm the things that I have written here and my previous article about Huckabee are true—and that what others have written elsewhere is also factual—then repent and find another candidate to support. This isn’t just about politics. It is about supporting Christ’s agenda and NOT the agenda being advanced by “the dragon,” which is the spirit of the anti-Christ.

Even if Huckabee “publicly repents” first, there is not enough time before the primaries and general election to see if he bears corresponding “good fruit” that proves his repentance (see Acts 26:20). Thus, it is better to choose another candidate to support, rather than risk being fooled by a possibly insincere “apology” from a man with a history of inconsistencies (which history my other article addresses more fully).

Thanks for reading, and blessings to all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with sincerity.

-Rich

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Related articles: Is Huckabee Honest?, The REAL Gospel, True Character: Highlighting Mike Gravel and Ron Paul

Comments (9)

By Rich Vermillion, January 1, 2008 3:16 am

Apostle Paul stated that those who deviate from the true Gospel he preached will be damned. (Ouch!) Of course, some modern translations use the word “condemned” instead of “damned.” Nevertheless, regardless of the choice of words the effect is the same (and it isn’t fun). Thus, shouldn’t we want to know what that TRUE Gospel really is…and what it is NOT?

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead…

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:1, 6-10, NIV)

Wow! What a strong admonition from the esteemed apostle to the Gentiles. Paul warns the church at Galatia that there is a true Gospel message…and then there are perverted fakes. The word “gospel” is actually a Greek word transliterated (vs. translated), which simply means “good news.” Paul’s bold word to the Galatian church declared unequivocally that a “different” good news is not really good news at all. (And since it will even send the preacher himself to Hell, I can certainly see why it is NOT good news for the hearer either!)

One must assume that Paul must have been regularly running across perversions of the true Gospel message during his missionary journeys. Some were even preaching “a different Jesus” altogether (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)—much like the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other pseudo-Christian cults do today, who have both a “different Jesus” and a “different gospel” from that which Paul preached (but more on these, perhaps, in another blog article).

Others were may have thought they preached the “same Jesus,” but they twisted some of the key core elements of the Gospel message itself. Whatever the case, this former “destroyer of the church” who met Jesus Himself on the road to Damascus, had no small word of condemnation for gospel-perverts—even if they were once “on track” with the true Gospel message previously. (Did you notice that Paul even said, “if we or an angel” preaches “another” gospel, let him be eternally condemned? Nobody gets a “free pass” to change what God has already Himself established.)

So the simple question comes to mind: What is the Gospel Paul preached? If deviating from his message can bring damnation even to “any man or angel,” then shouldn’t we make sure that our Gospel message is pure? As a Christian minister myself, I am very keen on ensuring that my “Good News” message is acceptable in the Lord’s sight. (I really don’t like that “damnation” stuff. It does not make for a joyful eternity. Know what I mean?)

There are various issues we could discuss here, and many other Christian ministers have faithfully directed their attention to dissecting many of these. However, there is a VERY KEY element of Paul’s Gospel that it seems is often overlooked—yea, even ignored—in many Christian circles. Yet, it was not only an inseparable element in all of Paul’s salvation sermons as recorded in the book of Acts, it was also a distinct and prominent element in EVERY one of the apostle’s recorded sermons in that same book written by Luke. That element of the Gospel is summed up nicely by Paul’s discourse to King Agrippa in Acts chapter 26:

So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. (Acts 26:19-20, NIV)

Three key elements found in every one of the apostles’ sermons as recorded in Scripture:

1. Repent (i.e. Turn 180° around and do the opposite of what you were doing.)
2. Turn to God (i.e. Not to “religion”… and definitely not “pop psychology.” Run to the One Who bought you with His Own Blood through prayer and by studying His Word.)
3. Prove repentance by deeds (i.e. True repentance is evidenced by actual “good works” that confirm the Lord’s forgiving grace working in your life.)

Paul also confirmed that these three elements were KEY to his (and every) Gospel message in a few of the letters he wrote to the churches of his day. For example:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:8-10, NIV, emphasis added)

(Note: Good works cannot save you. BUT, good works are one of the necessary elements that prove you are truly a Christian—and that you have actually repented.)

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been freed from sin….

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Romans 6:1-7, 11-14, NIV, emphasis added)

Paul seems to have gotten “really into” this repentance thing. However, it was not Paul that originated the message of repentance within the Gospel he preached, for Jesus Himself explained to His disciples after His resurrection:

Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. (Luke 24: 46-49, NKJV, emphasis added)

Notice the relationship in the passage above: Repentance and then remission (i.e. forgiveness) of sins. If there is no repentance, then there can be no forgiveness. Consequently, the person so fails to tell the sinner that he or she needs to repent of their sin, is not really preaching them the true Gospel as Paul did. The “feel good gospel” often preached today is perverted. Whenever someone only tells unbelievers that Jesus “loves them” and wants to “bless them” without also telling them their need to repent, all the Christian is doing is essentially inviting the unbeliever to “add” Jesus to their list of idols.

(Too Many gods, Too Little Grace)

I have talked with missionaries from around the world. One interesting thing they have noticed in places like India and elsewhere where bona fide pagan idolatry is practiced openly is that often they will come across someone who added a cross or crucifix among their idols. When asked about it, the idolater will typically answer, “Oh, a man came and told me about this Jesus who loved me and died for my sins…and who wants to bless me and heal me. I thought, ‘He is so nice. I’ll add Him to my collection of gods.’” In other words, whenever an idolater is not told he needs to repent of his idolatry, he or she simply adds Jesus to their “deity collection.” Do you think this ‘Kosher’ with God? Uh, NO!

(Can anybody remember the first of the Ten Commandments? “Thou shalt have no other gods besides me!“)

In today’s Western societies idolatry has taken on a more palatable appearance, of course, but is evident none the less. Paul wrote that “covetousness is idolatry” and nobody will argue that covetousness is not extremely prevalent in the West. Thus, even in the United States, the Americas, and the European nations, many of the people being “won to Christ” have never actually repented of their sins and idolatry. Thus, such people were never really saved—and the “fruit” of their lives from that point on typically reveals that fact. But, as we’ll see shortly, Paul never hesitated to tell the Gentile pagans that their gods were worthless idols, and that they needed to repent and turn to the only true and living God through Jesus. Likewise, we surely need to do so today too.

So… this “repentance” stuff is actually God’s idea…

(Where’s the Beef?)

Well, you may have noticed that this idea of repentance seems to be missing from many pulpits…and from just about ALL so-called “Christian” television programming. In this day where a minister can dump one spouse to pick up a newer model, and then appear the next day on television to “preach”…repentance seems to be long forgotten, and certainly not preached. (I would not want to be in that person’s shoes when the day comes to give an account. Remember that “damnation” stuff Paul talked about before?)

What about a case where a man is a member of a satanic cult, but claims also to be a Christian—and even an “apostle”—and then says that he is an active member of the cult just so he can “evangelize” the other members? Can such a one, who has not himself repented of the sin of satanism (which the Skull and Bones order Dan Stratton is a member of practices), then be expected that he preaches a true Gospel of repentance to his fellow “bonesman” members? (I think I have said this before…) Uh, NO!

Whatever Dan Stratton “preaches” to that group is certainly not in harmony with the message Paul preached. Such a man qualifies as a bona fide “false brother” and “false apostle.” He can certainly expect the damnation Paul warned about…unless he repents. (Note: If you haven’t heard about Stratton, see my blog Comments on “Bonesman” Stratton for more particulars.)

Or what about Joel Osteen, who diverges greatly from the sincere Gospel message preached by his own father (John Osteen). This man actually refused to steadfastly proclaim that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life…nobody can come to the Father but by Him” on Larry King Live—even when the man asked him!

Sure, Joel did state “that’s what I believe,” but he also worked hard to avoid saying that other religions (including atheism) cannot gain access to Heaven for a person. Now, don’t take my word for it. Watch the clip:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPeYUXuuRUM&rel=1]

Now, at first glance, Joel’s position seems to be, non-judgmental, religiously polite—and certainly not very confrontative. But is this a presentation of the true Gospel? Are we supposed to try not to offend anyone? Let’s compare Joel Osteen’s words in the video above with those recorded of Paul when he confronted men of other religions in his day:

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.” For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:

TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. (Acts 17:16-34, NKJV, emphasis added)

Notice: Paul was “provoked” in his spirit when he saw the idolotry surrounding him in Athens. Therefore, he “reasoned daily” with the Jews in the Synagogue, and with the Gentile worshippers in the marketplaces.

What did he tell them, however? Did he speak like Joel Osteen and say, “Well, this is what I believe…and you all can believe what you want to. Who am I to judge a man’s heart? I don’t know which of you are going to Heaven or Hell…Gosh…I just don’t know…” Uh, NO! (I know…but that two-word phrase just seems to beg repeating here.)

Mark this point: Seeker-sensitive ministers and messages are pure heresy, for they certainly not in line with the Gospel Paul preached.

Paul KNEW Him in Whom He believed! Paul had conviction. Paul knew where those people were going (HELL!), and wanted to save them from eternal torment. He did not mince words, he did not sugar-coat the truth. He told them quite frankly, “Those gods you serve are worthless idols, and the One True God not only loves you and wants you to know Him… He has also commanded you to repent!” (Here is that “repentance” theme again…)

However, Joel Osteen (and those like him) is apparently very confused, and extremely ignorant of Bible truth. Many Bible-believing Christians consider it apparent that either Joel’s father (John, who was a true soul-winner) failed to properly teach his son, or the son failed to listen when he did—or that at some point Joel compromised his faith by embracing foreign spiritual influences such as Freemasonry or the Council on Foreign Relations. (Which, frankly, too many “big-name” ministers in the United States already have.)

Regardless, Joel Osteen seems to clearly be in contradiction to the “Gospel which Paul preached” (and the video above is not the only one on YouTube that proves it). Thus, he can apparently expect that “damnation” Paul warned about in our opening Scripture. (Hey, I did not write that! Blame Paul!) This qualifies Joel Osteen as a bona fide “apostate” (one who has departed from the truth). Again, biblical repentance is Joel’s only hope.

Let me be quite clear where I stand: God has chosen for Himself one and only “path” to come to Him… and it is the ONLY way that offers forgiveness of sins and satisfies the judgment our sins had coming due to us. His sinless Son, Jesus, died on the cross for the sins of the world, and was bodily raised again from the dead three days later. He shortly thereafter ascended to sit at the Right Hand of God in Heaven to await the Day when He would return, at His Father’s command, and establish His Kingdom physically upon the earth. It is this same Jesus (Yeshua, in Hebrew) who will judge “the quick and the dead” at His return. Yet, through the Gospel of repentance, anyone can turn away from their sins and old way of life, receive forgiveness, and become a “new creation” in Christ Jesus. Jesus is surely the ONLY way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father but by Him… and by Him alone! And repentance is a necessary element to receiving God’s forgiveness and saving grace.

Action Point: Abandon your ‘gods’ of self-will, covetousness, sin, and if applicable, pagan idolatry. Repent of your sins, and turn to God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ (Yeshua, the Messiah). Ask Him to forgive you, wash you in His Blood, and give you a new life. Make Him your LORD (i.e. God, Top Boss, Commander-in-Chief, etc.), and give Him your full and undivided loyalty. Use your own words, right now, and pray to Him your own simple prayer from your heart. Then, through your repentance and turning to God, you will now be able to prove your repentance by good works through His own Spirit and empowering grace. Then, go and tell someone else how to do it too.

Blessings to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with a sincere faith.

-Rich

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