Whilst sipping coffee at this month’s mentoring day, friends spoke about what Chuck Pierce had taught at Swansea City Temple on 19 Sept. It was through Rev Dr Sharon Stone in 2004-5 that I learned about his ministry. Months later I read about Chuck’s vision of ‘crossed swords’ over London and word connected with Big Ben when en-route to Nigeria. The need for action was so urgent they organised 40-days of intercessory prayers. The teams were to meet at the end of that period but, upon leaving Euston station on foot, Sharon and her companion Martha Lucia were met by the devastated double decker London bus blown up during the bomb attacks on London Transport. (See Wikipedia.)
In view of the accuracy of his gifting about that event, I’m reposting below the prophetic part of Chuck’s report on his recent trip to the UK for your information.:
Incredible Prophecy: Hear the Clock Ticking!
You have Been Catapulted into the Three Years Ahead! I know that so many of you have enjoyed watching the webcast replays from our Head of the Year 5774. You can still watch our daily webcast replays through Wednesday, Sept. 25, along with our last Firstfruits Celebration…Below is some of the prophetic revelation that came forth during our gatherings. Let this be a time you are propelled into your future and press through every gate of destiny!
“Hear the clock ticking, for I have now catapulted you into the three years ahead. This month, the dearest of My months, I am moving you against gates that have never been moved against before. I am causing these gates that have withstood you in the past to come loose and open in days ahead! Move strategically day by day and month by month until the gate that has held back your blessing opens up. If you will move now, within the next three years the land you find yourself in will be producing great treasures.
“In the third year, the War of the Kingdoms will begin, and Kingdom will rise against kingdoms. The kingdoms of this world will also come into great conflict. I have a Kingdom that I am preparing. I will remember this Kingdom and the seed and the seed’s seed of this Kingdom. I have a Kingdom that will triumph! Shout that the kingdoms of this earth are becoming My Kingdoms! Decree that the prisoners will be let go and they will come back to My house; this is a season when My altar will be filled! I’m going to open your eyes to those around you and you’re going to say, ‘They’re of a different kingdom.’ And I will say to you, ‘They are Mine! Bring them in now!’
“Beyond the gates, I am opening up new highways. I am beginning a highway out of Egypt! I will redo the highway that you’re presently walking on. The demons that have been trafficking and even creating trafficking throughout the earth, I Am now going to un-nest their headquarters. That which the enemy meant to destroy through trafficking, I will raise up as an unstoppable army in the days ahead, for that generation will be My generation! I call you, ‘My Army that is Unstoppable!’ I call you, ‘My Kingdom Swarm’ and you shall invade the kingdoms of the earth. You shall extract that which is needed and you will bring it into My Kingdom.
“I will surprise you with the leaders of nations. I have ways to cause leaders that have been promoted, to bow their knees. You will think they’re going one way, but you watch Me knock the feet out from under them; you watch them see Me in a way they’ve never seen Me before!
“Make “favor” with those that come onto your highway. Many of you will say, ‘But they have evil character.’ Just remember, I can cause every Pharaoh in this land and the lands that you’re a part of to favor you in days ahead!
“You’ll hear of shakings from north to west! You’ll hear that I have come from Alaska to Maine to shake. But know this: I will shake the center of this nation called the United States of America. I will cause that which has been hidden and controlling the forces of this land, to shake down!
“A new baptism I’ll give you, and My very finger I will place in My people’s keeping. When you point your finger, demons will flee!
“In this year of honey, I will cause a new hunger to arise throughout the lands for My Word. And where you have known My Word in the past, you will taste and see My Word in a different way!”
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As with all prophetic words, please weigh the above and seek the Lord on its content. We’ll wait and (fore)see!
You can find the full report on Glory of Zion International’s Latest Communications tab: click here and scroll down to ’09-24-2013‘, and then click again to open document.
Links regarding Chuck’s ‘premonition’ about the 7th July 2005 bombings may be found under the 2005 entries in this blog’s Library of Prophecies for the UK.
Gillan’s analysis of reports and encouraging commentary is highly recommended to my readers. It certainly seems related to this month’s prophetic clarion call against the complacency which could cause our nation to miss the time of its Visitation.
Another timely prophetic word hits the target today
Today’s daily Lion Bites from Glasgow’s prophetic team is yet another that unerringly delivers a word from the Living Lord to speak exactly into a personal situation. The ‘Bite’ for 30th September, 3 weeks ago yesterday, confirmed my decision to insert a dream about the effects of generational sins into the talk I was to deliver the next day. That word on Generational Cleansing was applied this afternoon. Today’s confirmed the action and greatly encouraged the recipient.
In the event of its relevance to your situation too, here is today’s Lion Bite:
THE BATTLE OVER YOUR IDENTITY
Your enemy, satan the deceiver, seeks to limit you because he knows how effective and powerful you can be when you operate in your full God-given authority. There is a great war of identities going on right now, where the enemy is adopting guerrilla tactics to limit, hinder and conceal from you, your true identity as a son or daughter of Almighty God.
Beware the enemy swooping in with stealth to engage you in hand-to-hand combat over recurring areas of temptation, oppression and depression. He is hitting you with things that are part of your ‘old man’. He knows he can’t win but he hopes that by warring with
you on this ‘local’ or ‘street’ level, he will distract and keep you occupied in a tug-of-war. He is desperate that you don’t look at things from a Godly perspective, because if you did, you would see your new identity in Christ. You would grow into a greater awareness of who you are and the authority that you carry. You are not a scrapper, a street-fighter, you are a mighty General. The more you walk in this realisation, the easier it will be to walk away from the hand-to-hand wars.
It is therefore time to work on your mindset. Listen to what encouragers say to you and about you. Don’t dismiss their commendation and encouragement… absorb it. And make Godly declarations of His truth over yourself – such as…
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Ephesians 4:22-24 To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt
through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to
put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and
holiness.
Romans 8:14-15 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
It’s a time to take the news of the day in one hand and the Bible in the other and watch the unfolding of the great drama of the ages come together.
This is an exciting and thrilling time to be alive…I would not want to live in any other period. (emphasis added)
The Apocalypse (the unveiling of the end times) speaks powerfully of trouble ahead with storm warnings that carrying a booming jolt of truth. The warning is clear: prepare to meet thy God – followed by the voice of the gentle Shepherd – “Come.”
A new world is coming, Graham writes. The paradise that humanity lost in the Garden of Eden will be regained. Christ is coming to conquer evil and establish his perfect rule over all creation,
But until then God wants to give everyone an opportunity to know Christ through repentance and faith…Regardless of what society says, we can’t go on much longer in the sea of immorality without judgment coming. We are at a crossroads, and there are profound moral issues at stake. It is time to return to Biblical truth.
Troy Anderson, who wrote the preceding, states Billy Graham has preached to more people – 2.2 billion – than any Protestant in history and who has appeared on Gallup’s list of the most admired men in the world 56 times since 1955, more than any other individual in the world.
How are these quotations from the evangelist’s newly published book relevant to End-times? Anderson as editor-in-chief of World Prophecy Network elaborates under this header.:
Famed evangelist sees signs ‘converging now for the 1st time’
“Just as Noah did in ancient times, world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham is sounding the alarm that the Second Coming is “near” and signs of the end of the age are “converging now for the first time since Jesus made those predictions.”
“And last week, Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., claimed the world has entered the last days.
“When you see up is down and right is wrong, when this is happening, we were told this: that these days would be as the days of Noah,” Bachmann said.
“The remarks by Graham, Netanyahu and Bachmann come amid a steadily rising wave of public interest in the end times, as demonstrated by recent polls and New York Times and Amazon.com bestselling books such as The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery That Holds the Secret of America’s Future by Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, and Four Blood Moons: Something is About to Change by Pastor John Hagee…”
He quotes an author I respect as a prophecy expert, Paul Maguire,
I think we’re on the verge of a global awakening in interest in apocalyptic events.
I see a fuse being lit here, between what Billy Graham, Michele Bachman and Benjamin Netanyahu said, and I think there is going to be an explosion of interest in the end times like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
Anderson’s informative article continues under the following headers:
The other day I misplaced my underarm briefcase. The case not only contained very important notes that I needed but also a very large check from a client. As one might imagine, I was frantic because my case was lost. I was sick over the fact that I would have to call my client and tell her that her check was lost . I prayed like it was the end of the world over this briefcase. Then, as always, the Lord came through and I retraced my steps and found the missing case which had been lost.
Later on that evening it dawned upon me. I was sick over the loss of a “thing”, albeit a valuable thing that a client had entrusted me with but nevertheless it was still a thing; a thing that can be replaced. What if I viewed the lost and was sick over those going…
More nourishing morsels to munch in this repost from T.E. Hanna, which is apposite in view of my previous post’s reference to apostasy. If you’re unsure of that connection, check the insights Holy Spirit gave to Apostle Paul on the return of Jesus, as outlined in his two, brief letters to the Thessalonian church (here).
I like his following title’s pun as it refers to the popular Left Behind stories by Tim La Haye. The premise for the whole series was based upon the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, the concept of which, in my opinion, seems to be a particularly American fad. So I greatly appreciate T.E.’s unwrapping of the subject and helpful answers to good questions raised by readers, especially the inclusion of the parable of wheat and tares in the whole scenario.
This month marks the two year anniversary of Harold Camping’s prediction of when the rapture was to take place. In preparation for that great ascension into the sky, countless numbers of people quit their jobs, sold everything they had, and took to the streets to proclaim the coming day of Christ. The date was set for October 21, 2011, and they wanted to sound the trumpet so that nobody was “left behind”.
On October 22, they woke up to find themselves and their families left destitute, without any savings or means of income, with their shoes still treading the soil of our world. The rapture had not taken place.
Harold Camping was not the first to predict the date of the rapture. In fact, October 21 was not even his first prediction. He had predicted it to happen earlier that same year, on May 21, and before that he had declared September 6, 1994 to be the correct date. Before Camping, there were multiple predictions for 1993, allowing for a seven year tribulation before the glorious appearing in the year 2000. Prior to this, Edgar Whisenant had issued predictions for 1988, 1989, 1992 and 1995. Chuck Smith had predicted 1981, while the Jehovah’s Witnesses predicted 1914, 1918, and 1925.
Perhaps the most impactful prediction, however, was issued by the Baptist preacher William Miller and further popularized by the preaching of Samuel Snow. While Miller asserted 1844 as the year in which Christ would return to rapture His church, Snow narrowed the date to October 22. Much like Camping, the result of this popular prophecy led to a movement whereby his ever-growing following yielded all of their earthly possessions and sat waiting with joyous expectation for the heavens to rend and the Messiah to summon His beloved. So great was the cry that arose on the day to follow that October 22, 1844 became lodged within the annals of Christian history known only as the Great Disappointment.
As best as I can tell, the Great Disappointment was the first prediction of the rapture in Christian history, which is (on the surface at least) a strange event for a faith previously spanning a full 1800 years of history. Even more strange is how common subsequent predictions became. One would expect that, given the mystical history of Christianity, we would see proclamations of the impending rapture long before the nineteenth century. One would expect this, to be sure, until one began to study the doctrine itself. Then, the strange lack of prophetic utterance suddenly makes sense.
Before the nineteenth century, the doctrine of the rapture simply did not exist.
What Lies Behind The Rapture
The church has always looked forward with eager anticipation towards the return of Christ. Christian eschatology has long held that the world would come to be judged, the old things would pass away, the Kingdom of God would manifest in its fullness, and we would celebrate our eternal presence in the midst of the new heavens and the new earth. Heaven would come down as the New Jerusalem, and all things would be made right once more. This has always been a singular event.
Not until the 19th century did we see the return of the King split into two events. At this point, a theologian by the name of John Darby theorized that there were actually two occurrences foretold in scripture: the day of Christ, and the day of the Lord. The former consisted of Christ’s return to gather up His faithful; the latter referred to Christ’s return to judge the world. For the first time in Christian history, Jesus was taught to return not once, but twice.
Another theologian by the name of C. I. Scofield grabbed hold of this idea and ran with it. Around this time, Scofield published the first publicly available “study bible” in history. This consisted of a bible translation with explanatory notes in the bottom half of the printed book, and it became immensely popular. The resulting “Scofield’s Bible” quickly spread throughout the Christian culture, and with it came the rise of Dispensationalism. Dispensationalism not only gave us the doctrine of the rapture, it gave us a new view on our world as well.
What The Rapture Has Left Behind
The appearance of the rapture, within Dispensationalist theology, is foreshadowed by the continuing collapse of our world into sin and destruction. The closer we come to that glorious summoning, the darker and more corrupt our world will get. It is within this understanding that we often refer to “the signs of the times”, usually followed by pointing to some great ethical violation that our culture lauds as virtue. Dispensationalism places the human experience in the midst of a worldly trajectory towards oblivion, identifying ourselves as a remnant of God’s people who are clinging fast to the cross in the hope of persisting until the reinforcements arrive.
In contrast to this, the overarching narrative of scripture does not speak of God abandoning His creation to ever-deepening destruction. The trajectory of scripture is a positive one, one that speaks of a God who is intimately involved with His children, whose Spirit still broods over the waters as He did in the opening pages of Genesis. This is a God who enters into the fullness of the human experience in the incarnation, who proclaims a Kingdom of God that is at hand, who sends forth His children to be emissaries that bring restoration and healing to a world that is suffering and broken. This is about a world that is continuing to get better, not worse.
This is what the rapture ultimately leaves behind: that we are active participants in God’s manifesting Kingdom, agents of mercy who are called into His work and through whom the world is being transformed. This is the image we see in John’s Revelation; not that our world is swallowed up in darkness so that God creates it anew, but that the New Jerusalem descends into our midst, that the Kingdom of God is overthrowing the enemy’s earthly rule, that the glorious creation which He so lovingly fashioned in the opening pages of scripture is one that He is at work restoring.
Yes, there will come the day when the trumpet shall sound and Christ shall judge the living and the dead, separating us into our chosen kingdoms. Yes, we will still face trial and strife and tribulation as we live out our lives in the brokenness of our world. Yes, the King will return for His citizens.
But the glorious hope to which we cling is not a distant one, it is immediate. It impacts our lives in this moment. We are not simply holding fast to the anchor of our soul and waiting for our lives to run out or for Christ to return. The Kingdom is coming, even now, even here. Our hope is for this world, and it leaps from here into eternity.
Many thanks TE for such an excellent, succinct summary which puts the unorthodox pre-trib rapture into its proper perspective.
I strongly recommend the ensuing interesting discussion onOf Dust and Kings– click on link and scroll to foot of TE’s original post.
More in-depth consideration may be found on Your True Christian Journey in::
A British breakfast TV interview circulating ‘over the pond’ among American Christians brings attention to injustices suffered by a couple of hoteliers at the hands of our courts.
I was intrigued to find two translations of the Bible directly relevant to both sides of the interview’s controversial point!
First of all, thanks are due to John McTernan for linking to a transcript in Monday’s blog Real Christianity on display, and to Tony Puccio for informing me of its email circulation in Arizona.
NB: this post’s stats occasionally show ‘peak viewing’ when it gets circulated. So I’d ask that it be read in the spirit it is written.
Let’s look at the issue together as I ‘flesh it out’.:
ITV, Britain’s first commercial station, broadcasts Daybreak as a morning magazine. Its presenters Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly interviewed Peter and Hazelmary Bull the day before they appealed to the UK Supreme Court over a £3,600 fine for refusing to rent one of their hotel’s double-bedded rooms to a homosexual couple. As clearly stated on their website, rooms were available for married men and women only. (The Bulls are supported by The Christian Institute and further details, including on-going reports may be found under Bulls’ B&B Trial.)
Aled Jones’ faith
Aled Jones is well known as a former treble chorister and singer with many albums to his credit, as well as presenter of BBC’s Songs Of Praise (see MirrorTV brief ‘bio’). It’s a typical anodyne BBC programme, however when speaking to journalist Catherine Francis for Inspire magazine, he said the programme attracts millions of viewers from around the world and,
“Songs Of Praise aims to uplift and spiritually enhance its viewers, whether or not they’re Christian, and they need to feel comfortable watching it. It’s a genuine honour to be associated with it…”
She continues, ‘And Aled’s passion is clear to see about the Christian faith,
“Christianity is real, it’s now, it’s happening and it’s exciting – it’s not sedate or simply part of history. Jesus toppled over the market stalls in the Temple – this is a person with passion, a person with love, with blood running through his veins. That’s what it’s all about for me.”
Well said sir, and I think it’s important to keep that in mind when considering today’s matter. Has he changed his views?
The Daybreak interview
The interview has been transcribed fairly accurately by Dr Michael Brown, a scholar, speaker and author of 22 books, including The Real Kosher Jesus. He blogged it a week ago today as An older woman puts today’s compromised preachers to shame. Therein he sets the scene.:
At a time when so many of our Christian leaders are guilty of compromising the gospel before the media, dishonouring the Lord as they try to make God’s Word palatable to the world, it was an older British woman…who displayed a backbone of steel, a deep and consistent faith, and a theological clarity while being grilled on national TV. Cheers for Hazelmary Bull!
And make no mistake about it. This is not some slick, camera-friendly couple, versed in the latest clichés and fitted with the coolest wardrobe. This is a couple grounded in the Word and committed to Jesus. Today’s Christian leaders could learn well from their example.
Jones took the lead and started with a neutral ‘voice-over’ video outlining the case. The presenters were not unpleasant but wanted to know why the Bulls were contesting the loss of their Appeal in 2012. It may have got intense because of their seeming inability to grasp the Bull’s Biblical position. Or were they just acting professionally on behalf of a religiously illiterate British audience and consequently asking questions from a simplistic viewpoint?
Whatever their approach, it helped the Bull’s present their case clearly and admirably. Take a look at the video clip:
Here’s the transcript section of Dr Brown’s short article; his comments in italics.:
When asked why they were going ahead with the appeal after all they had been through, Hazelmary replied,
“The reason we have continued with this is because we feel there are arguments still to be made, because we are hoping that some way or another, a pathway will be found through this so that two different lifestyles—which at the moment have had a head-on collision—two different lifestyles could live together in our society.”
Her purpose, then, is marked by conviction and conciliation: How can we live together in the same society when we have such different convictions?
Lorraine Kelly: “May I suggest that maybe you are in the wrong business? Because when you think about it, only 47 percent of couples now are actually married, so when you do that, you forget all the arguments and all the rest, but actually from a business sense, sure, it doesn’t make any sense.”
Hazelmary Bull: “No, on the face of it, it looks like that because we have always refused a double-bedded accommodation to unmarried heterosexual couples.”
When challenged by Kelley, Hazelmary explained, “It’s Bible-based; it’s entirely Bible-based.”
(Pastors, take note of her words. This is how we should operate our local assemblies as well, based on the Word, not on marketing principles.)
Aled Jones: “As a Christian, the God you worship is a loving God, is a tolerant God. And if people are in a civil partnership, they are obviously in love, so what is wrong with them sharing a bed?”
(Note that Jones came to national fame as a hymn-singing child, and in 2004 he was voted Religious Broadcaster of the Year by the Churches Media Council for his work with Songs of Praise. He still hosts BBC’s Songs of Praise show, and within the last four years he has released albums featuring hymns and Christmas songs. What in the world happened to Aled Jones?)
How does Hazelmary reply to his challenge? You’ve got to love this!
HB: “I think it’s a myth to believe that entirely. He is a loving God, that’s true. He’s a forgiving God, but there is—
AJ: “And a tolerant one?”
HB: “He is a longsuffering God; He’s not entirely tolerant because the Bible is full of cases when He does finally bring judgment about. We felt that we wanted to, as far as possible, live according to His instructions, and the Bible is very clear about marriage.
Boy, did she nail it! There is a difference between God being longsuffering and God being tolerant, and yes, “He’s not entirely tolerant because the Bible is full of cases when he does finally bring judgment about.”
Do you think we’ll be hearing a lot of lines like that from some of the pastors featured on The Preachers of L.A.?
LK: “It’s 2013…2013!”
MB: “God hasn’t changed; Jesus says He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. He hasn’t changed, the Bible hasn’t changed, and we are wrong—we are living in a dream—if we think that He has changed His laws to suit us, because that’s not the case at all.”
Exactly! Most of the world is living in a dream. In fact, much of the church is living in a dream too, having been put to sleep by smooth-tongued preachers who have watered down the Word in a futile attempt to make it “contemporary.”
LK: “So you don’t accept that you have done anything wrong at all? You don’t accept that, that was offensive?”
MB: “We find this thoroughly regretful, because we clearly state that we prefer to let double-bedded accommodations to married couples.”
(She then explains, in answer to Kelly’s question, that this is clearly stated on the website.)
LK: “When two people come check in, how do you know that they are married or not?”
HB: “That’s a fair question. We have a script, and we try very hard not to offend. Remember, we have been there for 28 years, and this is the first time we have had any problems. We have a script whereby where we say very gently and politely, if one person shows up at the door—say it’s a male—we say, “Is this for you and your wife?” And oddly enough, they will say, “No, well, not actually my wife. We’re partners, or it’s my girlfriend or whatever”.”
How telling! They never had a problem when refusing an unmarried heterosexual couple over the course of 28 years, but when it comes to two gay men, the Bulls are brought to court.(RB emphasis)
Kelly then pointed to the low percentage of couples in the U.K. who are marrying, to which Hazelmary responded, “Well, I don’t know the numbers, and I’m not entirely interested in the numbers because of course we’re running this—”
LK: “Well, you should, as a businessperson…“
HB: “Well, we’re running this under our own roof, and God demands that our faith doesn’t end—”
LK: [interrupting with some hostility] “Your God demands. Your God.”
HB: [without batting an eyelash] “God demands that our faith doesn’t end at the kitchen door. He means for your faith to run in every corner of your life. You can’t just section Him off like that. So one would think that dealing with Christians, we would be fair and honest and upright and honourable and live according to the Bible, because the Bible is the Christian’s textbook.”
Bravo, Hazelmary Bull!
Now go watch the video, give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. It’s a testimony like this that should go viral, rather than the words of some preacher who is waffling, unclear and not wanting to sound closed-minded or offensive.
Let’s speak the truth in love without making excuses, just as our courageous sister did. God Himself will back us, and the haters and mockers will not be able to shout us down.
Jones’ controversial question
As ‘good cop, bad cop’, Kelly and Jones played atheist Scot and anodyne believer who bowls a doctrinal googly,
“As a Christian, the God you worship is a loving God, is a tolerant God. And if people are in a civil partnership, they are obviously in love, so what is wrong with them sharing a bed?”
Bull: “I think it’s a myth to believe that entirely. He is a loving God, that’s true. He’s a forgiving God, but there is…”
Jones: “And a tolerant one?”
Bull: “He is a longsuffering God; He’s not entirely tolerant because the Bible is full of cases when He does finally bring judgment about. We felt that we wanted to, as far as possible, live according to His instructions, and the Bible is very clear about marriage.”
Many viewers, and readers, could take Jones’ point as reflecting his own conviction. However, is it not just as possible for him to have played ‘devil’s advocate’ in asking from a political stance, thereby to elicit and show the Bull’s strength of conviction?
Also, he may have had in mind a verse form Apostle Paul’s grand theological letter to believers in Rome, wherein he chides them over judging one another:
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realising that God’s kindness leads you towards repentance? (Romans 2:4)
That’s from my New International Version Insight Bible, but Mrs Bull adroitly responds from the very same verse as given in my New King James study Bible:
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
Fascinating. The ‘protagonists’ use the same concept from slightly different translations. The original Greek is ‘anoches’, which means ‘tolerance’ but is rendered ‘forebearance’ in the Interlinear Greek Bible. Mrs Bull correctly clarifies it as being a conditional term, not a never-ending presumption upon the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Hence, the vital importance of their being in right standing with God’s decrees as revealed in His Word.
But not so for Aled Jones. Out of the confession from his own mouth, he has declared ‘As a Christian’ that there’s nothing wrong in homosexuality. Even if any of the reasons we considered above are relevant, nevertheless the declaration from his heart is what counts in heaven. It’s a far from sensible stance! It’s apostasy – the falling away from the tenets of Christian faith.
As Dr Brown queries, what has happened to Aled Jones?
Dubious doctrine
The controversial point of Jones’ question, of course, is not only his presuming God will turn a blind eye to sin (of any sort!) – but also the inference that gay relationships are approved by God. So, anyone unfamiliar with the issues could infer from his claim of being a Christian that such practice is sanctioned by believers, if not by the wider church.
Nothing could be more mistaken. Aled Jones is unwise to entertain dubious doctrine.
The correct Christian position on this subject was defined in the first formal gathering of strategic church leaders within twenty years of Jesus’ ascension. This apostolic event is known as the Jerusalem Council. We can be sure, therefore, of their thorough familiarity with Jesus’ teachings and instructions and, assisted by The Holy Spirit, would therefore make the correct decisions on any doctrinal issues.
The Council was called to discuss the admission of non-Jewish believers as followers of ‘The Way ‘ of Yeshua Ha Meshiach, Jesus Christ. According to the account in The Acts of The Apostles, the Jerusalem Decree sent to those Gentiles of Antioch, Syria, closed with the following basic stipulations upon admission to fellowship in Jesus.:
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. (Acts 15:28-9 NKJV per BibleGateway.com; emphasis added)
That requirement to abstain from improper, non-marital relationships has never been rescinded. Only folly pretends redefining ‘marriage’ will alter the divine intention behind that declaration against immorality and fornication (porneias; Greek ‘of prostitution’).
It is logical, therefore, to state any consideration or claim to there being nothing wrong with allowing ‘porneia’ within the precincts of a Christian house is utterly absurd.
On the same day John McTernan blogged about this interview the news broke of Aled Jones and Lorraine Kelly being axed as presenters on Daybreak. Also, comments made online around that time haven’t been complimentary about them. Even back in August his position was in question.
It’s intriguing that a definite decision came fast on the heels of Aled’s declaration! Is it part of the promised ‘shaking’? I wonder…
…that is, not the kind of God you’re thinking about.”
How often do we hear all sorts of complaints from people as reasons for not believing in the Almighty? If we enquire of them to gain a glimpse of their personal ideas and beliefs we usually find concepts of a divinity created out of a mixture of inaccuracies – no wonder they don’t believe in such oddball, mythical notions, and neither would I.
It is rare to find those possessing a clearly defined and well-instructed faith even among Christians! A surprising number have a poor grasp of theological basics, and can even presumptuously assume the holy character of their Maker and Redeemer will endorse their personal desires!
With this topic in mind let me share the more eloquent, analytical prose of two sisters in the Lord. First is that of Benedictine Sr Catherine Wybourne, aka Digital Nun.:
The God In Whom I Do Not Believe
People often tell me why they don’t believe in God: he has not answered their prayer; he has allowed someone close to die; he does not do away with all the evil and suffering in the world; the Church is full of abuses. I have to agree that I don’t believe in such a pathetic God, either. I don’t believe in someone who is merely there to rubber-stamp whatever I want; who doesn’t take me seriously enough to allow me free will but wants me to be a puppet on a string; who only has time for those who are good. I don’t believe in a God who is capricious, small-minded and mean; whose existence can be ‘proved’; who is as finite as I am.
You see, the arguments against the existence of God that many people use are actually rooted in unthinking petulance. I asked God for something, but he didn’t give it (question: why should God give you what you ask?); God took away someone I love (question: what kind of love desires what is good for itself rather than what is good for the other?); I want there to be nothing difficult or cruel in the world (question: what kind of world is that?); I want the Church to be full of saints (question: isn’t the Church meant for sinners in the process of becoming saints?)
The God in whom I believe is a Person of infinite tenderness and love, of breathtaking beauty and intellect. Eternity will not allow me to plumb the depths of God, how much less this brief life on earth! But this I can assert with absolute trust and confidence. Whatever I believe about God is so much less than the truth of God. ‘As the heavens are high above the earth, so are my thoughts above your thoughts.’
Ultimately, it is not a question of the God in whom you or I believe or don’t believe but of the God who is.
Oh the excellent simplicity in my sister’s thesis and conclusion, as published here. It deserves emphasis:
Ultimately, it is not a question of the God in whom we do or don’t believe but is purely a matter of the God who IS. We can know His nature and character because He has revealed Himself through His written Word and Jesus Christ – through Whom we have access to Father God’s throne room! A truly awesome privilege – thank you Jesus.
The second comes from an American sister who blogs at Your True Christian Journey and her forthright consideration may be read here > Why doesn’t God stop evil?
This in-depth summary of Dr Drew’s situation by Gillan Scott is commendable. Its disturbing contents remind me of the political interference so clearly evident in my correspondence with a NHS Primary Care Trust in 2009 (section 2 here refers).
My friend’s hit a thought-provoking indicator, which I’d heard some time ago in connection with the cause of the ‘Arab Spring’: ie. the inability of Tunisian and Egyptian poor to afford crippling wheat prices. These had escalated because of US demand for conversion of wheat to ethanol fuels!
Habakkuk 2:2
[ The Just Live by Faith ] Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
I’ve often pondered the seals of Revelation. I’ve studied and studied them over and over again to find what part of Revelation we are in (because we all know something is coming) and I think we can be pretty sure now where we are on God’s timeline based on something that is happening in Israel as we speak. Although this is a detail of the seals that many skip over because it hadn’t been revealed yet, it is my belief that this little detail was revealed to me (and probably others) the other night and this blog is to bring awareness to it. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING.
Jesus tells all who believe in Him what happens as a result of following His teaching.:
“If you hold fast to and live by My words you are truly my disciples. And you shall know the Truth and the Truth will set you free (for) I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one can come to the Father except through Me”. [As noted here and here by John, one of Jesus’ first, and perhaps closest, disciples.]
Those claims were unknown to me as a teenager. As stated in Searching for the Truth, I rejected all forms of ‘Churchianity’ because of hypocrisy and enmity between believers and clergy in 1950-60s.
As soon as legally able, ie. immediately after my 21st birthday, I sought affiliation with a mystical fraternity as ‘a seeker after light and truth’. As a consequence and another 21 years later less 7 days before my birthday, I experienced a dread revelation of my post-mortem status. Without any shadow of a doubt I was about to be dropped into the abode I’d unwittingly chosen for myself. But I was rescued from that terrible fate by the gracious mercy of the Lord of Heavenly Hosts, Jesus Christ. I’d found – and was confronted by – not an abstract, philosophical ideal but the living Truth in person!
More Fire
Soon after that night of destiny I tore up and binned my occult and New Age books, but I still had a number of items that were very significant to membership in that mystical, occult group. But very soon, troubles brewed up within my relationships. And they got worse, and worse. So I asked for prayer help and I gathered all the remaining things, such as ritualistic items and pictures. Right at the peak of my trouble I heard an almost audible voice instruct me,
“Burn what you’ve collected – now!”
Never, ever, would I have believed what was to happen next:
Out in the back yard I piled those membership items onto an area of gravel and, putting a match to them, I sincerely repented. Fanning the flames, I apologised deeply to God for all my past rebellious, sinful activity and specifically renounced all the evil connected with and arising from my occult associations.
As I asked God to forgive me, heavy invisible shackles suddenly dropped off my wrists!
I felt, and was, free, completely free – exactly as is jubilantly sung in Charles Wesley’s great hymn And Can It Be?
WOW, from despair to jubilation within a split second! What utter freedom! Praise Him!
That hymn’s lyrics present the simple yet sublime salvation found in our Father’s good news about Jesus.
How aptly the third verse describes my personal situation and what had just happened – my wonderful liberation from invisible bondage to Satan.:
1. And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?
2. He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race!
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me.
3. Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin and nature’s night.
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray:
I woke the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
4. No condemnation now I dread:
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’ eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
If you’re unfamiliar with Charles Wesley brother of the renowned evangelical founder of Methodism, John Wesley, you may like to read the brief note at the foot of this page of lyrics from Scripture and Music.
Listen to one of the greatest hymns as broadcast some years ago in Songs of Praise, thanks to Fabio Ramsay.:
I will rejoice in the Lord, I will exult in the victorious God of my salvation! (Hab 3:18)
My apologies to those who were unable to getter a proper connection from their ‘New Post’ email notification to Rescued from Satan by The Lord of Hosts. How this failed to appear is fascinating and amusing – I won’t speculate…
In case you were unable to find a good link please click on the above-titled link.
Most of this story has been in draft form taken from the original account written 21 years or more ago. However, the latest instalment published within the hour failed to appear as a new publication. It bore the draft date 18 Sept and thereby appeared in the wrong order. Drafts usually get updated automatically upon publication and so I’ve had to find it and amend to today’s date.
Upon final spell checking I’d modified the title and it’s permalink, so maybe that affected publication. Sometimes uploading data into the WordPress server gets delayed, even lost through time delays, which is why some typos don’t always get edited out.
Therefore, I’m notifying readers of this issue and providing the above link to the latest instalment in case you may not have been able to read it.
The Father has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. [St Paul’s letter to the Colossians 1:13-14, Amplified Bible.]
Submission and Fire
Awesome as it was, the dream-vision recounted in The last day of my life didn’t make me want to rush off to church. There was much to mull over, especially its meaning to my way of life. Its ramifications needed deep consideration and not only did I need to assess the dream’s impact, but I also wanted to find well-informed believers who took Jesus seriously. First, however, I needed to check out New Agers’ claims of the Bible having been tampered with by early Church councils, as well as its history and content.
In my wariness of religious people I surmised none would be able to listen to me, or even comprehend my story. They’d be ignorant about such things. AND none of them would have been through my kind of bad, meditative ‘trips’? Or so I thought! But help was at hand…
Whenever I went into a local Christian bookshop one book would almost jump off the self at me! The Lord was directing me to biographies of Christians who, like me, had been tied into New Age and occult activities. They’d been rescued from terrifying situations by calling upon Jesus’ name. Their true stories brought home to me the truth of what had happened in that exceptional dream. I became so deeply grateful to the real living God for having saved me. I didn’t know that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; his followers as servants of righteousness (2Cor 11:14). I’d been deceived and beguiled but the scales were starting to fall from my eyes – an awesome awakening, and a homecoming!
Tal Brooke, son of American diplomats and pioneer in meditation with crystals, held a privileged position in the inner circle of the revered Indian guru Sai Baba, of whom he later wrote, “I had discovered an absolutely satanic thing operating behind Baba’s veneer”. Tal’s personal encounter with the devouring darkness behind the ecstatic light and consciousness called ‘nirvana’ validated my own experience. Roy Livesey had been in the same brotherhood as I had and his book, too, had been thrust upon my attention.
Upon reading Livesey’s account one lunchtime I prayed the ‘sinner’s prayer’ and on 29 March 1990 gave my life to Jesus as my personal saviour. Driving home, however, the spiritual enemy tried to get me into a couple of road accidents. And when I arrived home I found he’d even attempted to burn down our new, wooden-framed house. Thank you Lord for being there – the fire had been put out by throwing water onto flaming fat in an electric oven!!
Moving Towards TOTAL Freedom
Months after the dream, I’d learned some members of the church that had invited me to hear Billy Graham met in the school next to our house. Later, I heard that these people had given Peter prayer backing for his discussions with me – they’d targeted me! God had definitely answered their prayers by giving me the dream-vision.
The first service I attended there was a culture shock! – before me a young man, devoid of dog-collar but bedecked with acoustic guitar, led the meeting in song. He went on to conduct the ‘service’ from his head and heart, without any script or ritual. And he even encouraged discussion! Some testified to angelic protection in their lives: I’d thought this subject was lost to churchgoers. And, starting the sermon, he announced that they were going to look at the shortest gospel, that of Mark, and continue over the next weeks. In saying, “It’s action packed and full of urgency” he intrigued me, and this fitted in with my intention to check out the Bible.
Therefore, I thought it might prove useful to come again. One thing he taught stuck in my mind – “In Mark, who first recognised who Jesus really is?” Answer: an unclean spirit (see Mark 1:24). I was thus reminded of that dream’s events.
And so I came into a good place to build upon the message of that dream by learning about the Bible and, more importantly, by listening to God through His written word. The first of many times this has happened was incredibly clear proof that God does speak through the Bible, as claimed by this group of believers.
I decided to re-view the occult brotherhood’s teaching on Jesus from a massive mound of monographs. After having checked all those specifics, I asked God for guidance upon this matter and opened my new, pocket-sized Bible. I’ve never been able to repeat what happened next – it fell open at the second chapter of the Apostle Peter’s second letter, as here. The first ten verses stood out with startling clarity, the rest was hazy! Therein, Peter warns about false teachers:
…who secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying our sovereign Lord…Many will follow their shameful way and bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with the stories they have made up. Their condemnation has been long hanging over them…2 Peter 2:1,3 [emphases especially hit ‘the bull’s eye’]
Those verses go on to explain that assessment and what happens to such teachers. This answer from God to my question was startlingly exact! I was most amazed.
Also, in those early days I reviewed my earlier uncharitable views about the clergy. Readers may understand from my story how very difficult it was for me to contemplate attending church, let alone with any regularity – not to mention being under the oversight of any sort of clergyman whatsoever. And, as mentioned above (reiterated to show my strength of feeling): they certainly couldn’t comprehend where I’d come from.
So once again I decided to put preachers’ claims about the Word of God to the test. I asked if God could let me know His opinion about clergy…
Again! my Bible fell open to give the most apposite instruction at Hebrews 13:17:
Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.
That well and truly put me in my place and enabled me to make my mind up. Thank you Lord for answering and correcting me!
Only upon revisiting this testimony in later years did I realise those two passages starkly contrast both forms of leadership under which I submitted. The first was ungodly, and the latter is blessed by God and proves to be the better, nay ‘most best’, spiritual cover for protecting His children.
Not Yet Fully Free
But back to those early days. From those who’d trodden the same path as me I learned the importance of being completely cut off from my old life in the ‘New Age’. This meant getting rid of books and objects associated with it, but I was slow to so do. Although I’d turned away from that past life an unseen bond seemed to remain.
It needed to be dealt with next because I wanted what’s promised in the written Word:
So if the Son liberates you, then you are really and unquestionably free. [John 8:36 Amplified Bible]
Agree >100% with J John, as is clear from my very recent accounts of bondage to the demonic through occultism. Our most respected Canon’s article doesn’t elaborate upon how we are set free by turning to Jesus Christ. (That’s the next parts of my testimony.) I’d direct my readers also to Gillan’s readers’ several comments too.
His message to world leaders assembled at the United Nations General Assembly was a warning of deadly deception. Addressing the Assembly on 1st October, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu drew their close attention not only to the track record of Iran’s modern regime but also to that of its ‘new’ President Rouhani’s personal activity in developing that nation’s nuclear weaponry.
Reporting from Jerusalem (not The White House) William Koenig’s perspective is that:
Netanyahu zeroed in on the danger Israel faces. Many of us were blessed to hear him speaking about Bible prophecies and quoting the book of Amos. The leftist media in Israel didn’t like the speech because they for some reason can’t process danger, whether it is a Syrian and/or Hezbollah threat or the dangers of a nuclear Iran. (Watch.org)
The full text of this speech, in my opinion, deserves careful consideration by all political and religious leaders at every level because this PM has been put into position for such a time as this. The Lord God is well aware of all the complexities of the Middle-East’s situation and has given prophetic words (as here) about Netanyahu’s service to Israel. One of those to receive that word, Dr Mike Evans, consequently recommended him to PM Begin for his first government post and has since remained a close Christian friend. In referring to this month’s address to the UN, Mike writes:
When I anointed him with oil more than 30 years ago and prophesied that he would one day be prime minister (he wasn’t involved in politics at all back then), I also declared that he would lead his nation during the most dangerous days Israel would ever see. Today, that prophecy has been fulfilled. [Find out more about this in The Bridge Builder]
After spelling out the historical facts about Israel’s ancient friendship with Persia and its modern regime’s opposite stance of hatred, this scripturally informed Prime Minister closed by referring to the prophetic nature of events.:
In our time the Biblical prophecies are being realized. As the prophet Amos said, they shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall till gardens and eat their fruit. And I will plant them upon their soil never to be uprooted again. (Emphasis added)
Joel Rosenberg remarks upon this.:
I don’t personally recall a single other Israeli leader in the modern era who has spoken so clearly of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Perhaps David Ben Gurion did, for the first Israeli premier had a great interest in the Scriptures. But Netanyahu’s own interest in the Scriptures has been growing significantly in recent years, as I have noted on the blog, and increasingly pronounced in his public statements…
Netanyahu also alluded in the speech to the Biblical prophecies of a Persian king named “Cyrus” would rise up one day and set the Jewish people free from captivity.
As ever, I recommend Joel’s consideration of these prophetic aspects in his blog.
10th Annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem
The Times of Israel reports upon Sunday’s international DPPJ, as seen in Israel:
“The scene would have been unimaginable throughout the vast majority of Jewish history. Row upon row of Christians shouting and swaying, fervently proclaiming their faith right in the heart of Jerusalem. But these Christians, on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, were not denouncing the scattered Jews in the room, or preaching of a time when control of the holy city would be wrested from Jewish hands.
“They were cheering the Jews in the audience, singing in Hebrew, and proclaiming God’s love for the Jewish people and the Jewish state…”
For an insight into evangelical Christian appreciation of the Jewish, and Arab, people read the Times’ interviews with organiser Robert Stearns, and others by clicking here. He is quoted as saying,
“God has a blessing not only for Israel but also for Ishmael”
Here’s the confirmatory information mentioned at the close of my life-changing dream-vision. On hearing the first words I was astounded that it connects directly into my event. It came last Saturday morning to Revd John Kilpatrick, senior pastor Church of His Presence in Mobile, Alabama, and which he shared as follows:
THE LORD OF HOSTS’ REVELATORY WORD
“My angels ride upon the circuits of the heavens. They do My bidding. Have you forgotten that they are mighty in power? They do not relent; they prevail! Be reminded that they are engaged and enter conflicts as a result of the salvation I have bought for you. It is a perfect salvation and a complete one. Do not fear or allow your heart to be troubled, for even now, they are defending your interests and concerns while you sleep.
“Have you forgotten that My name is “The Lord of Hosts?” I have given the word, and it is the word of deliverance. You will prevail! Every evil plot will be foiled, and every evil enemy shall fall before the sword of the Lord of Hosts. My Kingdom is sure. My will is determined. My name is your guarantee.
“Do not be double minded, and do not doubt this confirming word; for these are the days that men’s hearts will fail them as they see coming upon the earth the things that I revealed would come to pass while I walked among men. But did I not also caution, “Do not allow your faith to fail.” Lift up your head, for your redemption–your victory–draws nigh. I say that victory is drawing nigh even as you quietly sleep. Can you see it drawing nigh? I ask you again, can you see it drawing nigh?
“Fix your eyes upon My prevailing army. It is My provision for My people, My heirs. You are not alone! I have told you it is not a few, but many, that ride the circuits of the heavens.
“Your salvation is sure; it was bought with a price. The battle is not yours, but it is the Lord’s. See the salvation of the Lord. Rest in it, and rejoice in it. The greatest and most notable victories are even at the door.
“These are the days that you must learn to release the high praises of God. I say discipline your lips to release new, thought-out and thought-through praises – worthy of the Lord’s works that He is working. Let the common, usual praises that you used yesterday remain there, for this is a new day; and the Lord is releasing new things – exploits not previously seen or experienced by you before. It is a day of long awaited breakthroughs that are being won by the Armies of Heaven.
“Adjust your praise accordingly. Train your lips to begin to express the depths of your worship. Be creative. New expressions of the soul will bring new depths of glory not previously known.
“These are not the days of the faint of heart, but these are indeed the days of the Prophet Elijah.
Tend your heart. Awaken your heart. Quiet your spirit, and rest in the Lord your God; for your salvation is closer than you suppose.”
John comments, “I received this word on September 28, 2013 at 2:22 AM and concluded writing it at 3:10 AM sharp. As I went back to bed and attempted to return to sleep, the Lord evidently wasn’t through. In conclusion, He gave me these powerful words that stirred my soul.:
My people know little of My chariots, and they do not comprehend My chariot drivers. It has not fully come into the minds of My people that all power and might has been given into My hands.
The heavens are even now declaring My glory and revealing My great power. Watch the heavens and understand that My great power shall shake the heavens, and all shall know that I am the God of Heaven and Earth. My armies are riding in their chariots, and they are prevailing. They shall shake the heavens above and the earth beneath.
Your redemption is drawing near very rapidly. Be sure that you draw near to your redemption. My word to you this night is, “Look up! Look up!” The heavens are already declaring, “Look up!”
The closing scripture from Luke 21:28, also directly links this word into my dream, and which will become clear in a later instalment of my journey into freedom.
After delivering this word Pastor Kilpatrick told how he was instructed to share it with His people and we are to use it, especially with high praise. in my opinion, ALL of it is profoundly inspirational and exciting for every born-again Christian.
To weigh this word for yourself during and after its delivery, watch John tell Church of His Presence how it came to him in the night. He goes on to teach from the scriptures about the angelic host and their chariots of fire. (A pdf copy of the above message can downloaded here.)
NOTE: This was previously posted as one of my first blogs. Originally written 22 years ago as ‘More Than A Dream’, it’s now republished with slight changes for elaborating upon my life as a committed non-Christian in my journey Into freedom.
Two decades of in-depth occult study and self-development turned my attitude toward Christianity into one of disdain, as told here. By the 1980’s I’d become intellectually and spiritually very arrogant, even contemptuous of church, clergy and believers. They were all so behind the times – even archaic! I thought their preaching could not compare with the more profound philosophy found within New Age movements.
A door is opened!
Sometime in July/August 1989, a young man named Peter knocked at the front door with an invitation to hear the world-renowned evangelist Billy Graham at Earls Court in London. We could be taken in a coach trip from outside our house west of Reading. How much? Nada, entirely free!
Naturally, I rejected the offer outright but my almost-teenage son piped up he’d like to go because a classmate had told him about it. So I said I’d take him.
As can be gathered from the story of my journey thus far into spiritual captivity, personal experiences had made me extremely wary of churchgoers. Never did I suspect my own well-being hung on that moment.
Can you imagine my bewilderment, therefore, upon sitting ‘up in the gods’ at Earls Court and finding myself agreeing with what Billy Graham said as he spoke from the rostrum? I was flummoxed! Utterly bewildered! Who’s thinking that? Can that be me? Never!… Really?
Afterwards, as a follow-up, those who’d been on the trip were invited to an informal meeting at a local ‘free’ church. The leader explained that similar chats could be held at our own homes, should we so wish. I agreed to be on-hand for my son, but I was NOT personally interested. A youth worker, Peter, was assigned to help him but, in practice, he ended up discussing the material with me.
The evening of Wednesday 13th September 1989, is Peter’s third visit to our house to discuss Billy Graham’s follow-up material entitled Life. I have not yet divulged my firmly held and entrenched opinions, but this time he goes too far!
What went wrong?
This session is entitled, ‘Yoga, Eastern Religions and The Occult’ – all of which I’d been involved in since before Peter had been born!
Peter shows a diagram of two cliff-like objects facing one another. One represents heaven and the other, earth, with a large deep gap separating them from one another. Over this Peter then places an overlay depicting a large plus sign over the gap. The ends of the horizontal arms touch each object, thereby bridging heaven and earth. He explains that the cross of Christ is the bridge between both realms.
He then says the only way to God is through Jesus Christ. This statement implies my ideas are incorrect. Without giving the game away I gently question him on this. But he insists not many paths lead to the same, supreme God – there’s only one way to one almighty God and it’s through his Son Jesus Christ.
What’s to be done with a young man half my age who unwittingly points out the error of my ways?
I’m thinking, “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. How can he, who’s not done anything I know far more about…just how can he tell me it’s wrong? He’s wasting my time!” Peter’s ideas are not only mistaken but also intolerant. Before the end of the evening I’ve had enough!
So I bring our discussion to an early close, politely bid him farewell and excuse myself from any future meeting. Peter is most gracious about it – as ever, he smiles politely and goes on his way.
Little did I know that I may not make it through the night!
That night’s second visitor was far more challenging – this time it is life or death!
In a most unusual dream that night I go back in time. A dream so lucid that well over twenty years later, it remains vividly etched within me. So it must be exceptionally significant. Come back with me (dream content in blue typeface, comments black).:
I am in my childhood home and standing in front of the large casement window in one corner of the lounge (opposite corner to the doorway). I look up into the inky, dark night sky outside.
A small flotilla of large, wingless aircraft drifts slowly across from left to right at high altitude and I groan, “Oh…not that flying saucer nonsense. I must be dreaming!”
I’m sceptical about the existence of UFO’s, but now another ‘fleet’ of some sort appears from the right and heads towards the first.
(The dream now changes gear by going up a level from the usual mix of mental material to that of absolutely convincing lucidity…)
The ‘light goes on’! In my ‘knower’, I realise the first fleet is demonic and the second is masses of angels under the command of Jesus Christ.(I did not believe in them, and regarded Jesus as one of many world teachers. Here, I see no individuals but inwardly know the situation)
I think I’m about to watch an amazing heavenly battle…but…OH NO! Somehow, I now know Jesus has espied me far down below and is coming down directly towards me!
All I see is a distant bright light very rapidly getting brighter and larger as it drops down to my location, just like an airliner approaching a runway to land at night.
Instantly, I realise my life has been one of sin that contrasts starkly against Jesus’ own holiness. Right away I realise what’s claimed about the Judgement is true –but mine is about to happen right now!
Beyond any doubt whatsoever I suddenly realise my involvement in the occult was most definitely wrong. Consequently, I deserve the undesirable abode!
Groaning “My number’s up!” I inwardly tremble in fearful knowledge I’m about to die at any moment. An invisible trapdoor I’m standing on will drop me straight into hell.
Utmost mortal terror strikes! I dive under the drop-leaf table by the wall to the left of the window so I can hide from Jesus. But he knows I’m hiding there and swoops down straight through the wall on the other side of the corner window. He’s standing in the room and right beside the table!
Cowering below the table with my back turned towards him, I glance over my shoulder and see him from the knees down, his body and face out of sight above the table.
Most unexpectedly, somehow I have the courage to reach my hand out backwards to grab at the hem of Jesus’ robe…
As I tug, the event goes into yet another level of revelation regarding my childhood…Then I awake! Thoroughly alert, further sleep eludes me!
The dream reminds me of an evocative small picture that impressed me as a child – the return of Jesus Christ:
Later I understand that my terror had been ‘the fear of God’ brought through the Holy Spirit in convicting me of my personal sinfulness (ie. wrongdoing) and, thus, preparing me to receive God’s grace (ie. undeserved favour).
Also, what happened after reaching for Jesus proves he’s closely acquainted with the private details of my thoughts as a little boy. The dream’s conclusion shows he is going to topple my childish concepts of him and replace them with a sure knowledge of his true identity.
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (Psalm 111). Mercifully, he plucked me from the domain of darkness to bring me into his own and receive its blessings. I deserved none of that. Truly, Amazing Grace – how awesome and wonderful..!
As a result of the most remarkable dream I’d ever had, I carefully reconsidered all my New Age and occultic notions. Meditational and mystical exercises had resulted in my having some unusual, ‘psychic’ dreams, but none whatsoever like this one.
The only remotely similar dream was that of an ‘altered’ state of consciousness known as ‘nirvana’, or bliss, where I’d been taken behind its alluring golden light. However, ecstasy then turned to abject terror at the sight of an approaching hideous, devouring beast of blackness far worse than any nightmare! (I wasn’t into drugs.) But in this new dream fear had been overcome by Jesus himself and his wonderful mercy and love.
Incredible timing of fresh confirmation
Later we will consider how that dream-vision was validated as being real. But for now I want to draw your attention to a remarkable revelatory word given two days before I’m due to give a brief account of my journey into freedom at a breakfast.
Before having that dream I don’t think I’d heard of Jesus being in charge of angels for I was completely unfamiliar with the Bible. In later years I’d learn that the pre-incarnate Christ appeared to Joshua outside Jericho as ‘Commander of the LORD’s army’, (‘Chief of the host of Yahweh’ in original Hebrew at Joshua 5:14-15).
And, in countless sessions of solid Biblical instruction received since then I don’t recall hearing anything in-depth on Jesus’ role as the captain of the angelic hosts. That is, until last Sunday!
The timing of this fresh confirmation was the second of three clear references on three successive days to the content of a brief outline of my testimony, which had already been prepared for delivery on the 4th day!
Revd John Kilpatrick changed his sermon to bring a word the Lord had given him in the early hours of Saturday at 2hrs 22. We were listening live as part of the regular online congregation and the timing impacted my spirit because 22 is not only the date of my birthday but also and particularly because there are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet. (I’ve previously had occasion to note the personal relevance of two in 2.12.2012.)
Far more importantly in this word, the Lord of Hosts draws attention to the angelic hosts and their present and imminent activity. It reminded me of the above visitation – AND it is notable that John focussed upon the same scripture that’s precisely relevant to my dream, as will be explained in forthcoming instalments of my journey.
For now, however, this mighty revelatory word deserves due, reverent consideration and reflection before proceeding further. Thus, you may wish to see the next post >>
Alternatively, for the next stage of my journey into freedom click on 5 below.
The intellectual freedom of higher education in the ‘swinging 60’s’ enabled me to break loose from the values of my parents and their generation. Even so, I recognised their values had enabled them to come through the destruction and deprivation of the Great Depression, World War and post-war Britain austerity with great fortitude.
As outlined in “You Shouldn’t Be At Our School!”, a formative influence upon a child of the post-war ‘baby boom’ was the disharmony and hypocrisy between churches. In my mind it tarred all Christians with the same brush and badly reflected upon the God they believed in.
Nevertheless, when a child I’d once thought it must have been awesome to have been around Jesus and seen everything He said and did.
Also, two verses from Sunday Mass got embedded into my brain and, although buried in the unconscious, they never got overwritten. One was of Jesus telling his disciples they’d do even greater works than He was doing! The other was by someone who’d been with Jesus, and who surmised: If everything He’d done was written down there wouldn’t be enough room in the world to contain the books! [John 14:12 and closing sentence of that Gospel.]
In view of that close, eye-witness account and churches’ misrepresentation of their founder, I became convinced a lot of what he’d taught had been lost, or even suppressed, by the early church.
THE NEXT STAGE OF MY JOURNEY INTO ‘FREEDOM’
The first two stages leading to my freedom had come from the clash of school and church. My reaction directed me elsewhere. The truth must be out there somewhere and so I decided to investigate and search it out for myself.
First port of call was the supernatural and possibility of an afterlife. After all, maternal grandmother occasionally referred to the first. Seances seemed open to trickery and were renowned for variability and inconsistency. So I never attended any. Having a scientific bent I looked for consistent, reliable reports of such contacts. Accounts by those who’d almost died seemed more authentic than mediums’ claims of contact with the dead.
Then came yoga and eastern religions a few years before the famous Beatles took an interest in Transcendental Meditation. I delved into and accepted these esoteric spiritual doctrines, such as reincarnation and karma.
At 21 years of age, after learning about the Western esoteric tradition, I joined a mystic brotherhood supposedly descended from ancient Egypt through a chain of historic personages such as Da Vinci, Bacon, Wren and Newton all of whom, it was claimed, added to and transmitted that ancient wisdom which had been held ‘sacred’ by 12-13th Century ‘heretical’ Cathars of southern France, and later the Knights Templar. (Later freemasonry merely skimmed the surface of that arcane, initiatory knowledge.)
What made it especially attractive from my standpoint were references to the ‘mystical life’ and ‘secret doctrines’ of Jesus (eg, John the Baptist was the prophet Elijah reincarnate!) and who was claimed to have been one of several perfected ‘masters’! This teaching is similar to that of Gnosticism and the Jewish Kabbalah.
My historical interests devoured the rise of the early Church, medieval alchemy and the start of scientific method in the early 17th Century, as well as literature and secret codes then in use in England and German Brunswick-Luneberg and Palatinate of the Rhine.
This opened up research into early Church history including the ‘French connection’ to Glastonbury and its legends. Developments of early science from alchemical literature and secrets buried in codes, plus claims about Cathars of the Langued’oc (persecuted Christians also known as Albigensians) and the Knights Templar in France were highly fascinating.
Consequently, I was well placed and connected to know modern authors’ claims about a supposed romantic connection between Jesus and his disciple, Mary Magdalene, were untrue. Such stories and their dramatic conspiracy claims make fascinating fiction. (My publishing source confided that it was a marketing ploy to increase sales!)
The mundane event of a dinner party in mid-1980s played a pivotal part in my journey into freedom. But I knew it not. This social event held by young parents, the father being in training as an Anglican curate, included his vicar and a couple from Cheam Baptist Church. We got around to chatting about our philosophies of life but these folk were like ‘aliens’ from my highly ‘enlightened’ viewpoint!
I was surprised the vicar was open-minded and seemed to agree with my New Ager claims that all religions lead to God, just like spokes of a wheel connected to a hub.
BUT the Baptist couple would have absolutely none of that and strongly disputed my views. How closed and ignorant!
I recall my outraged thought, “Baptists are such Biblical bigots – I’ll never touch them with a barge pole!” However, I never expected this was all borrowed! This vow would come to be used against me…twice! That is, I was yet to discover the Lord God has a sense of humour!
Soon afterwards, the curate invited me to a public meeting with a guest speaker, John Richards. It was a memorable occasion for three reasons; first, his name is my Christian names in reverse order and, secondly, for having gently confronted me upon noticing a small pin on my jacket’s lapel displaying a cross within a star of David. He asked, “What does your family say about that?” and I retorted “Nothing, what’s it got to do with them?” After all, they were aware of my search for lost Christian-related wisdom. But John was referring to a church ‘family’ – which didn’t apply because I wasn’t a churchgoer!
Therefore, I had nothing further to discuss and later listened warily to his investigations into witchcraft and satanism as secretary to the bishop of Exeter’s study of exorcism, later an advisor to the Archbishop of Canterbury. It was all very irrelevant to me in view of my disliking the ‘black stuff’ (including freemasonry) – but that was a mistaken notion!
So for many years I gave no further thought to that John Richards’ event…BUT the fact it did play a significant part in my long journey has been confirmed by his name popping up 47 months after publication of this post – and ’47 is my birth year!. At a conference on healing on 9th September 2017 in Guildford Cathedral I attended a session by the bishop’s advisor on deliverance. He began with his personal testimony and how it involved his spiritual director John Richards! (In view of this ‘God-incidence’ these three paragraphs are new.)
REALITY REVEALED
You may think of that esoteric brotherhood as akin to freemasonry, which seemed quite ‘creepy’. There was no ostensible connection and the history, principles and exercises taught by the first made it very different. They taught about a ‘Cosmic’ supreme being, not the God of Abraham, but an ultra-intelligent, superhuman, all-pervasive mind. Thus, it was important to ‘attune’ with its ‘cosmic consciousness’ by exercises for developing the inner self and supernatural senses – even the facility of invisibility.
Naturally endowed with being able to dream vividly in colour, I now found I could control and change content during a dream. That is, to make a conscious decision to shut down one unsatisfactory dream and move into, or even replay, a better one. I was, however, to fail spectacularly with two, as you’ll read later…
Whilst asleep I once experienced nirvana – the sublime state sought by Buddhists – only to discover its deep danger. I floated in a transcendent, golden light. BUT going deeper this light changed, as though an invisible hand had drawn a curtain aside. Then I saw behind the peaceful and beautiful light a terrifying darkness lay deliberately hidden. It appeared as a gigantic, devouring spider – I was thoroughly repelled and frightened for my life! Next, I awoke alarmed and grateful, yet unable to fathom its meaning.
My search for Truth had led me unwittingly into captivity and I became entangled within an invisible demonic web. I didn’t know I’d been seriously misled and deceived and was in grave personal peril.
After 21 years of searching for and attaining extensive esoteric knowledge, however, I’d find myself in a diametrically opposite situation – utterly incredible!
Whilst playing with my pals one of them suddenly stops, eyeballs me hard and scolds me, “You shouldn’t be at our school – you should be at the one Cat’licks go to!”
I’m stunned into silence.
I can’t recall my response other than distress.
Upon reflection it’s possible I denied the accusation outright. I’d like to have responded, “So what? It’s where my parents want me to be!”
Such a riposte, however, would have plugged straight into something worse – parental conflict!
On Southport beach in mid-1950s
CONFRONTATION
It’s mid-1950s and the reality of the Protestant vs. Roman Catholic divide hit me hard. My friend’s tone clearly implied a stigma to being in the wrong Christian denomination.
Equally hard was my parents’ disagreement over my own schooling. My dear, devout mother wanted to follow their church’s rule that Catholics send children – even of mixed marriages – to a Catholic school. But father wanted me to have the better education provided by the more reputable of two local, state schools – the RC one had a very low pass rate for the 11+ selection exams for grammar school. When dad was a boy his mother took him daily to 8am Mass. Later life taught him the value of a sound education – and my much older cousins in mother’s family were already at college or university. So, a week or so before my fifth birthday mum walked me the half-mile to Alexandra Park Primary School in Edgeley, Stockport.
Thus, I was brought up in the Roman church yet attended non-secular state schools with their Anglican ethos. Back in the 1950s this was a sensitive issue. In those days a lot more people attended church of one sort or another than today. Religious beliefs are a minor concern today, although attendance at faith schools is now prized purely for educational achievement. Sadly, most of today’s populace are religiously illiterate.
Therefore, I didn’t receive the ‘mandatory’ Catholic education. Religious knowledge, as little as I gained, came through state school and Sunday church. As far as from the latter was concerned, it wasn’t much because services were conducted in a dead, foreign language – Latin!
Kindly bear with me in relating how my situation affected my teenage and adult life’s journey into eventual freedom:
AN OUTSIDER
At the time of the confrontation I’d been happily playing on bikes with two boys outside one’s house. We three Johns aged 10-11 years had been classmates through primary school, yet I always felt an outsider in my living over 1/2 mile from school. Most of our school lived a lot closer and so, when old enough to go to their homes on my own, I was pleased to be with seeing more of these friends.
But the real issue of this confrontation was in making me fear the prospect of losing the friendship I’d grown up with! Somehow details of my family’s church must have slipped out whilst chatting, or had I been seen going there? ‘Top of the class’ John seemed to see it as a stigma! The reality behind a difference of opinion at home hit me hard – it was a reality in the outside world too!
My earliest adventures in coming home alone from school were in walking the longer route via the local library on the far-side of school. And it was a place to explore and dig around in.
It came as a special favour when I was allowed to cycle to friends’ about half a mile away. Soon I began to relish the independence of exploring the rabbit warren of suburban side streets on my bike – plus learning how to read maps. Later, I’d take my bike and explore for miles around, far away from the main thoroughfares – I avoided those because an older boy had been killed there and I’d seen another have an accident in front of me (he survived).
The only classmates from my local streets were girls. We lived nearer to another school attended by most other ‘baby boomers’ on our patch. But its pass rate for the secondary level of Grammar School was much lower than ours. This meant the boys I’d grown up with on ‘my block’ didn’t have quite the same schooling. So I was piggy-in-the-middle between two peer groups and didn’t feel fully accepted by either.
At school I was one of four boys named John. Such a bore. I decided to start using my first name from the start of the next school year. So on the first day in the new class, a week or so before my 8th birthday, our new teacher went around the class asking our names. At my turn I replied, “Richard”. Everyone was shocked. Some called out, “No, he’s John!”.
Miss Jackson was kind enough to ask me about this and found my reason sensible and said she respected my wishes and favoured the name. From that time on I’ve always been known as ‘Richard’. At home, however, mother and her family refused to make any change because they’d always called me ‘John’. Maybe it was because it means ‘beloved of God’. Also, being her first-born boy she’d hoped I’d become a priest – arghh, perish the thought! Nevertheless, that’s come true in a way because all believers in Jesus are priests (1 Peter 2).
So thank you Lord for the two who brought me into the world and loved me greatly.
CHURCHES IN CONFLICT
At church, children were not sent out of the Mass into Sunday school but were expected to sit quietly through 45 minutes of Latin liturgy and unintelligible sermon.
It was hard for youngsters but my mother had a small book with Latin on one page and English on the opposite – a Missal. As soon as I could read she’d urge me to look and follow – but being artistic I took far more notice of the small pictures displaying the Gospel theme of each Mass.
As Gospel and Epistle readings were in English I caught snippets, and recall thinking it must have been wonderful to see everything Jesus said and did – I would have liked to have been there and met him.
Now my school and home friends attended, or were familiar with, churches. I asked to go to theirs as it was only along the road from our house. “No, ‘cos they’re Congoes,” was mum’s retort and she’d stress, “We go to the church Christ himself founded!”.
‘Congoes?’, I thought that was in Africa so maybe it was a church for pygmies! But in the 1950s we had few Africans in our northern town although our doctor was a West Indian. [‘Congo’ was her term for Congregationalist.]
A year or so later I got through to Grammar School, where Catholics and Jews could opt-out of the Anglican-style morning assembly. But I didn’t opt out and attempted to convey the impression I was non-Catholic.
Unlike today, cooperation between churches was a rarity fifty years ago. Hypocritical conflict between denominations drove me towards ‘New Age’ ideals. It bothered me that IF all churchgoers believe in the same Jesus Christ, WHY were they bitterly opposed and not friends? Jesus himself commanded believers to love one another!
Also, they weren’t working miracles similar to those of Jesus, as he said they would. So, churches had failed on both counts to live up to his commands. Although I was only a boy, it was obvious they’d badly missed the mark. Also, I suspected they’d lost a lot of what Jesus had taught. How could what priests and preachers say and do, be true?
This blog post is more like ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ The above title may be back to front because it began as My Journey To Freedom and Number 7. I trust you too will be encouraged by my explanation of that conundrum.
Here’s what happened.:
A friend who organises social breakfasts asked me to tell my story about becoming a Christian. I guess she’d dipped into it on this blog – yet that’s only a brief bit. But how can I deliver the whole lot in speech and not as script? On top of that, when editing my original account I found nostalgia took me down a ‘rabbit hole’ and wasted time.
Only then did I do what I should have done at the outset – ask myself what I wanted to say. I’d put the cart before the horse! I now jotted the main points and was surprised to find there’s 7. Now that’s encouraging for it suggests everything’s ok. Nina thought so too when I did a test run with her. Now please note, we’re not the sort of folk who look for meaning, symbolism and significance in things, although we appreciate the possibility.
[Readers of long standing may note my interest in coincidences arises after events, not in expectant anticipation or forecasting future connections. My discernment of links in ‘God-incidents’ possibly arises from my training in scientific observation and analysis as a disinterested participant. It’s claimed ‘fact is stranger than fiction’, which is why I’ve always tended to steer away from novels. Furthermore, after laying down my ‘old self’ after rebirth in Christ I’ve also avoided my past interests.]
HAH! Upon finalising my Tuesday’s talk I now find its crib-notes done as l a r g e print total 7 pages! What else! What other quantity should I have expected?
In the Bible number 7 is symbolic of divine perfection, and I believe this is understood in other cultures too. Time is measured in units of 7 days – the calendar week. Genesis, the Book of Creation, states everything was created in 7 days with the last being when God was satisfied and rested upon completing His work of creation.
If the concept of a weekly cycle is applied to that of the year then 1/7th equates to 52 days and a ‘design purpose’ for the year’s seventh 1/7th could be that of resting before another cycle starts. That had been in mind in Pause 4 thought when musing about having unexpectedly arrived at the close of a personal cycle. So, it made sense to take a more relaxed pace over August and September and await any changes.
PRINCIPLE OF 7 AND MY JOURNEY
Now, a few weeks later, ‘7’ has got my attention once again and so I take notice and new notions drop into mind like inspired potions infused from ‘above’. As my task is to talk about my past, it is as though a door has opened for me to see and walk through in my spirit. Whilst writing, I recollect the Hebrew date for this ‘new year’ not only signifies an open door but is also shaped like a 7; although as the 4th letter of Hebrew alphabet it denotes No. 4. (Not mentioned in The door to a ‘new season’.)
My first thoughts were:
7 years are said to complete a growth cycle, as in ‘Seven ages of man/woman’.
so it’s appropriate to consider seven’s multiples, 14, 21, 28, etc, as cyclic too.
major changes or significant events happened on or around the 7th, 14th & 21st anniversaries of my Christian walk.
my personal life took hugely significant changes of direction at each 3 x 7 years, ie. every 21 years and around my birthdays. Number 3 denotes completion and unity.
These notions were confirmed last night when I learned the 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet is Zayin (pronounced ZAH-yeen) and then read John Parson’s comment,
Since Zayin represents both the number 7 and a sword, it is not surprising that it is used to divide or ‘cut up’ time into units of sevens (The Letter Zayin, emphasis added)
Perhaps you’d like to check all this yourself and see if it may apply to you too? Only a couple of days after realising the significance of those aspects I heard a contact-lady at our online US-church mention a couple of major traumas in her family life. I noticed they were seven years apart. (She’s since confirmed having had personal insights on this – thank you W.)
So which came first, my journey or several number 7s? Of course, objectively I noticed all the events before, during and since gaining my freedom. Recognising they’re linked inextricably with number 7, then I must conclude the spiritual principle was the active and persistent power orchestrating those events, as in the scale of 7 musical notes.
Thus, 7 came, and comes, first.
Should you wish to continue reading about my journey into freedom, please click here for its first ‘leg’ or installment.
INFO – installments of original (2013):
No 7 and my journey into freedom
“You shouldn’t be at our school!”
Searching for truth leads me into captivity
The last day of my life came ‘like a thief in the night’
Rescued from Satan by The Lord of Hosts
The real Truth delivers me from captivity
Confirmations of the reality of my visionary encounter
[Images courtesy of Stoon at Freedigitalphotos.net and Melissa at Definingwords.com]
![chuckpierce[1]](https://richards-watch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/chuckpierce1.jpg)
You have Been Catapulted into the Three Years Ahead! I know that so many of you have enjoyed watching the webcast replays from our Head of the Year 5774. You can still watch our daily webcast replays through Wednesday, Sept. 25, along with our last Firstfruits Celebration…Below is some of the prophetic revelation that came forth during our gatherings. Let this be a time you are propelled into your future and press through every gate of destiny!
My earliest adventures in coming home alone from school were in walking the longer route via the local library on the far-side of school. And it was a place to explore and dig around in.
Richard's Watch 