Religion, that is the man-made variety, is inherently evil. True religion which is the quest for the truth. Or, as according to James, the half-brother of Jesus, true religion is to "Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world." (Message Bible)
Some time ago I got acquainted with a group of people who had left the Potter's House movement. These people explained to me that the reason why they left this movement. From what I was told it sounded like this religious group was was a man-made religion and not a God-inspired movement. The reason I say this is because these people told me that many people were abused by the manipulative tactics that were used to control members.
The other night I popped into a Potter's House meeting. The ""P-A-S-T-O-R"" came over and introduced himself to me. He seemed quite amiable, but there was a sense of urgency about him. Another person came into the doorway, so I let him greet the next person. This person he made quite a lot of fuss over, and seemed to make a big point about a very small issue the person was having. This gave me the impression that he was overdoing the "concerned-for-you" bit and this man titled "pastor" either lacked a sense of proportion or was disingenuously making out he cared.
The service began and two songs were sung twice. The plate was passed around, and another song was sung. The pastor gave his sermon. Then there was a prolonged call for the unrepentant, the sinners, and the back-slidden to come forth and receive what God had ordained for each person to receive that evening. Since there were only eleven other people in attendance besides the pastor and his wife, I assumed he was talking about me. And since he had this inspired word that we were all present because God had ordained us to be there, I was obviously in the right place-- only I definitely felt no need to respond to his invitation, since I already have peace with God and have the joy of salvation.
Since I was not forthcoming, so as to appear not a complete goose for making such a prolonged altar call, the pastor decided to pray for two of the young Filipinos, so they might receive the Holy Spirit. This he did by mumbo-jumboing while he laid hands on them and encouraging them to mumbo-jumbo after him, so they might then have the evidence of the Holy Spirit. He then told them to keep practising their mumbo-jumbo so they will know how to do it better, and not lose the gift he had imparted.
Afterwards they brought some biscuits and chips out for everybody to have a snack and offered a cup of tea or coffee. As it happened, the pastor and I got to talking and he asked me to describe my religious experience. I asked him which version the complete version or a shorter version. He said he would settle for the abridged version. So I gave him a snippet of the introduction to the abridged version.
Evidently, having the joy of the Lord is insufficient for salvation, according to him. Having a genuine experience of receiving salvation as I have had is invalid unless I receive in the proper way. I needed to have a ""Potter's House"" experience and do ""The Potter's House" thing.
On the basis of the conversation, it appears to me that the Potter's House movement is in need of serious overhaul in getting its theology right and learning what the truth about God is really. Just chasing people in the streets and telling them they are going to Hell, if they do not repent and be saved the Potters House way, is not salvation. In fact, Jesus warned people about going all out to make converts and making them twice as much a child of Hell as themselves.
On the noticeboard, as I walked in the door, I noticed a letter from the chief of the hierarchy explaining how complaints against Pastors have to be processed. But it is not really scriptural because it is like the peers judging peers. If pastors were true pastors they would care for their flock and not abuse them. Evidently, the problem of abuse has been an issue that warrants letters from the hierarchy. In reality, a true spiritual movement should not really have this problem. A man-made organisation obviously does.
Moreover, I am of the conviction that if someone is really living for God, then that person would be very much a representative of Jesus Christ and people would seek that person out. I am sure that if people are demonstrating the characteristics of Jesus Christ, their reputations would go before them.
As we continued talking, it became apparent to me that ""THE POTTER'S HOUSE" is a man-made religion that gives people who produce growing congregations a self-righteous sense that they are serving God by saving people as they become members of the "THE POTTTER'S HOUSE" religion.
Essentially, the movement holds to the belief that God creates human beings with the sole intent of throwing them into an everlasting fire, unless they cry out in fear and scream out, "God have mercy on me!" After you have done that, by learning how to speak mumbo jumbo, you have the evidence of the Holy Spirit.
The truth is this:
You did not ask to be born into this world, so how can God throw you into an eternal lake of fire to be tortured for ever and ever, if He is a righteous and just Creator.
Furthermore, Jesus said this: "Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice!'"
If Jesus says that God desires mercy to be shown to him, then most of these fire-and-brimstone evangelicals who condem all men to hell-fire unless they repent of the evil of being born a wicked person, and false-baptism-in-the-Holy Spirit Pentecostals, need to be set free from their deception.
The reason why God says He requires mercy is you can judge him for causing you to be born into a sinful, wicked world. Think about it. This is why Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful, they will receive mercy! Man-made relgion is all about sacrifice, never about loving, caring, giving, forgiving, and understanding the purpose of the Creator, so that life is worth living.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Don't Have A Dream, Have A Vision
Probably the most famous words to have echoed around the world are "I have a dream". These words have been heard at conferences, sales meetings, church gatherings and motivational course events throughout the world.
Many a motivator, many a self-help guru, many a preacher has yelled, screamed and broadcast as loudly as they can the need to have a dream. "You must have a dream!" Without a dream, it is said, you cannot succeed. Without a dream you have no motivation; without a dream you have no direction; without a dream you have nothing to believe in; without a dream you have no hope.
The one thing that has always struck me about Martin Luther King is he got shot. Not only did Martin Luther King get assassinated, but his dream was also assassinated with him. You see if his dream was something that was suppose to happen, it did not come about. Although people would say that with the election of Barak Obama as President, he got to see his dream.
When I was reading the Bible I came across a verse that said that your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.
When I read those words I was puzzled because a distinction was being made between dreams and visions by associating dreams with old men and visions with young men. There is a distinction between having a vision when you are awake and a dream when you are asleep. But when there is a distinction made between a person being old and a person being young and then associating dreaming with old men and having a vision with young men, there is something else to be understood.
The reason old men dream dreams is they never come to pass. And old people dream about the dreams of their youth. When they were young they had dreams. When they grow old they still have dreams, only they are now dreaming about the dreams of their youth.
Young people who have a vision are different to young people who are dreaming. First of all to have a vision you have to be awake. Secondly, a vision is something that you look towards accomplishing, whereas a dream is merely something that passes in the night. Thirdly, a vision becomes a goal, an aim to be pursued, something in which you invest your energies towards achieving.
Sportspeople do not so much dream about becoming a champion, rather they envisage themselves becoming a champion. Not all sportspeople can win their respective events in the competitions in which they compete. Individuals may outperform other individuals at various times, but sportspeople come into their own and become champions when they perform personal bests. Sportspeople become champions when they better their personal best times or their personal objectives. The more often sportspeople better their personal best efforts, the greater champion they become.
There are champions and there are champions of champions. Just because a person doesn't become a champion of champions does not detract from being a champion. There are many reasons why people can or cannot achieve what they endeavor to do. But the one reason they are able to achieve is because they are young people with a vision of success. They are young people who are able to qualify their vision as being more than a dream. They are young people who are actively pursuing what they see is a possibility for them to achieve. They are young people who can define their goals because their vision is clear.
Dreams are not as clear as visions. Dreams are vague. This is why most people do not remember the dreams they have while they sleep. This is why old people dream about the dreams of their youth. As young people they may have had a dream, only it was not a vision. The dream was not clear like a vision, it was a vague idea. Because the dream was a vague idea, the person did not know how to bring the dream out of the world of uncertainty into the realm of surety. The person did not know what was required to facilitate the dream. Whereas had the dream turned into a vision, not only would the objective been clear, but what was required to achieve the objective would have been clearly defined and able to be achieved.
Don't have a dream. Have a vision. Have a vision that is clear in your mind. Have a vision you can define and work towards with definiteness, and not be like those who wish the dream was more real. With a vision you can hope for something that you can really achieve by faith working through love.
http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com/
Many a motivator, many a self-help guru, many a preacher has yelled, screamed and broadcast as loudly as they can the need to have a dream. "You must have a dream!" Without a dream, it is said, you cannot succeed. Without a dream you have no motivation; without a dream you have no direction; without a dream you have nothing to believe in; without a dream you have no hope.
The one thing that has always struck me about Martin Luther King is he got shot. Not only did Martin Luther King get assassinated, but his dream was also assassinated with him. You see if his dream was something that was suppose to happen, it did not come about. Although people would say that with the election of Barak Obama as President, he got to see his dream.
When I was reading the Bible I came across a verse that said that your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.
When I read those words I was puzzled because a distinction was being made between dreams and visions by associating dreams with old men and visions with young men. There is a distinction between having a vision when you are awake and a dream when you are asleep. But when there is a distinction made between a person being old and a person being young and then associating dreaming with old men and having a vision with young men, there is something else to be understood.
The reason old men dream dreams is they never come to pass. And old people dream about the dreams of their youth. When they were young they had dreams. When they grow old they still have dreams, only they are now dreaming about the dreams of their youth.
Young people who have a vision are different to young people who are dreaming. First of all to have a vision you have to be awake. Secondly, a vision is something that you look towards accomplishing, whereas a dream is merely something that passes in the night. Thirdly, a vision becomes a goal, an aim to be pursued, something in which you invest your energies towards achieving.
Sportspeople do not so much dream about becoming a champion, rather they envisage themselves becoming a champion. Not all sportspeople can win their respective events in the competitions in which they compete. Individuals may outperform other individuals at various times, but sportspeople come into their own and become champions when they perform personal bests. Sportspeople become champions when they better their personal best times or their personal objectives. The more often sportspeople better their personal best efforts, the greater champion they become.
There are champions and there are champions of champions. Just because a person doesn't become a champion of champions does not detract from being a champion. There are many reasons why people can or cannot achieve what they endeavor to do. But the one reason they are able to achieve is because they are young people with a vision of success. They are young people who are able to qualify their vision as being more than a dream. They are young people who are actively pursuing what they see is a possibility for them to achieve. They are young people who can define their goals because their vision is clear.
Dreams are not as clear as visions. Dreams are vague. This is why most people do not remember the dreams they have while they sleep. This is why old people dream about the dreams of their youth. As young people they may have had a dream, only it was not a vision. The dream was not clear like a vision, it was a vague idea. Because the dream was a vague idea, the person did not know how to bring the dream out of the world of uncertainty into the realm of surety. The person did not know what was required to facilitate the dream. Whereas had the dream turned into a vision, not only would the objective been clear, but what was required to achieve the objective would have been clearly defined and able to be achieved.
Don't have a dream. Have a vision. Have a vision that is clear in your mind. Have a vision you can define and work towards with definiteness, and not be like those who wish the dream was more real. With a vision you can hope for something that you can really achieve by faith working through love.
http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com/
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
America Is Sliding Into A Hole
Derek Prince claims God woke him up one night and asked him to pray for America. Evidently, God told Derek that he had shown so much favor to the USA but the country, its people, have turned their back on HIM.
Prince is now dead. But he did learn some interesting lessons during his life. A Cambridge University graduate became a Christian who entered into supernatural experiences and began to learn truths about the Kingdom of God that most people are too afraid to confront. From what I heard of Prince speaking about the USA, God wanted him to become a watchman and stand in the gap for her. Unfortunately, I do not know what happened other than what he commented on.
Prince said that there were supposedly 30 million born again Christians living in the USA. However, he doubted this to be the case. Prince could not see how this could be possible. Evidently, the USA is becoming more like Sodom and Gomorrah (or, as some say, Sodomy and Gonorrhea) as each day passes. Although, AIDS and herpes simplex 2 have been said to be the modern judgments for the respective sins that people receive for such acts.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. (RSV)
When people disregard God, morality slides into oblivion. Instead of having a unchanging standard of morality, relative morality begins to become the norm and situational ethics forms the criteria for making moral judgments. Effectively, this is where people begin saying, if it right for you then that is okay, as long as you do not trangress me. This where government feeds money into corporations that goes to pay executive bonuses, lurks and perks, and lurks and perks become hidden bonuses for government lobbyists. This is where the electorate elect government officials to implement law and order, but judges in the courts of law decide to overturn government policies and create their own precedents to which others may appeal, rather than have the law upheld. This is where the government can blame free enterprise for not being productive because it has been seduced into receiving tax funded payouts. This is how the homeless can live in streets and houses remain vacant.
Once there was plenty of land to claim and plenty or room for population growth in America. Now the cities reach higner and higher into the heavens. Many of the people who work in those tall buildings and live in those tall buildings appear to have become so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. If government really wants to interfer with the rights of people and do so justly, everybody should be made to work with their hands for two years and learn what it means to clean streets, clean walls, clean the countryside, and do some hard labor. Instead, we have people heading from classroom to classroom to lecture room and a room called an office, while others are shunted and shoved by authorities from one slum to another slum and are given nothing to do.
White collar crime is not as bad as blue collar crime which is not as bad as black coloured crime. At least this is what it appears to an outsider. The idea of justice, the idea of equality, the idea of sharing equity for a decent day's pay for a decent day's work appears to be foreign to the current culture.
Yet more and more people are heading to USA. It is the destination of the underprivileged. It is the destination of the wannabes. Only what they wannabe is not to be found in the land that is about to deeper and deeper into a black hole called debt. Not only foreign financial debt, but debt to God it cannot repay.
Prince is now dead. But he did learn some interesting lessons during his life. A Cambridge University graduate became a Christian who entered into supernatural experiences and began to learn truths about the Kingdom of God that most people are too afraid to confront. From what I heard of Prince speaking about the USA, God wanted him to become a watchman and stand in the gap for her. Unfortunately, I do not know what happened other than what he commented on.
Prince said that there were supposedly 30 million born again Christians living in the USA. However, he doubted this to be the case. Prince could not see how this could be possible. Evidently, the USA is becoming more like Sodom and Gomorrah (or, as some say, Sodomy and Gonorrhea) as each day passes. Although, AIDS and herpes simplex 2 have been said to be the modern judgments for the respective sins that people receive for such acts.
The Apostle Paul wrote:
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.
For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error. (RSV)
When people disregard God, morality slides into oblivion. Instead of having a unchanging standard of morality, relative morality begins to become the norm and situational ethics forms the criteria for making moral judgments. Effectively, this is where people begin saying, if it right for you then that is okay, as long as you do not trangress me. This where government feeds money into corporations that goes to pay executive bonuses, lurks and perks, and lurks and perks become hidden bonuses for government lobbyists. This is where the electorate elect government officials to implement law and order, but judges in the courts of law decide to overturn government policies and create their own precedents to which others may appeal, rather than have the law upheld. This is where the government can blame free enterprise for not being productive because it has been seduced into receiving tax funded payouts. This is how the homeless can live in streets and houses remain vacant.
Once there was plenty of land to claim and plenty or room for population growth in America. Now the cities reach higner and higher into the heavens. Many of the people who work in those tall buildings and live in those tall buildings appear to have become so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. If government really wants to interfer with the rights of people and do so justly, everybody should be made to work with their hands for two years and learn what it means to clean streets, clean walls, clean the countryside, and do some hard labor. Instead, we have people heading from classroom to classroom to lecture room and a room called an office, while others are shunted and shoved by authorities from one slum to another slum and are given nothing to do.
White collar crime is not as bad as blue collar crime which is not as bad as black coloured crime. At least this is what it appears to an outsider. The idea of justice, the idea of equality, the idea of sharing equity for a decent day's pay for a decent day's work appears to be foreign to the current culture.
Yet more and more people are heading to USA. It is the destination of the underprivileged. It is the destination of the wannabes. Only what they wannabe is not to be found in the land that is about to deeper and deeper into a black hole called debt. Not only foreign financial debt, but debt to God it cannot repay.
The true riches of life are not evaporating from those who become wise, only those who worship the god of greed, the god of immorality, the ravenous god of despair. Like the leech, this god is never satisfied, and like the leech, the god of despair just doesn't care.
http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com/The Day Jesus Will Return
In the book of Acts, angels appeared and told the apostles that Jesus would return on a cloud in the same way they were watching him move out of hemisphere on a cloud.
It has been suggested that Jesus left earth on a spaceship. The disciples were not seeing a cloud, rather the smoke from the jet engines.
Today is a significant day in the Jewish calendar. The reason for this is every 28 years the sun rises in a direct line over the wailing wall of Jerusalem.
General news release reports:
TENS of thousands of Jewish faithful gathered before sunrise today in front of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem to bless the sun in a prayer that is said once every 28 years.
Dressed in white prayer shawls, men and women, adults and children filled the plaza in front of the wall, Judaism's holiest site, and crowded on the rooftops around the area to catch the glimpse of the sun rising over the Holy City.
As the faithful swayed back and forth in prayer, the area filled with the din of the Birkat Hakhama prayer.
The prayer is said as the sun comes up to mark what according to Jewish tradition is the sun's return to its position at the moment that the universe was created 5769 years ago.
It returns to the spot once every 28 years.
The prayer has special significance this year because it coincides with the start of the Passover holiday, one of Judaism's most important, at sundown today.
The Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall, sits below the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest place.
The next time this will occur is on Wednesday, April 8, 2037.
Jesus said "As in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man."
When Noah started building the ark, it took him 120 years to complete before the flood came.
Now here is the interesting bit.
In 1917, the Israelites were given official recognition to reinhabit Palestine once more. This was known as the Balfour Declaration. Just like in the days of Noah, if we add 120 years to the declaration of the Balfour Declaration we come up with the year 2037.
Now wouldn't it be rather humorous of God, for His Son to return on the morning when the Jewish nation is praying for the sun's return.
Jesus said that nobody knew the hour or the day of his return. But I reckon that this is a good guess.
As for not knowing the hour or the day, we are told we could know the season, so there are four seasons in the year. What would be more memorable for the Lord to return around the time of the Passover. Or as the angels said to the disciples, 4o days after Jesus resurrection, as you see him go, so you shall see him return.
There are a number of reasons why Jesus could not return just yet.
One reason is the gospel has to be preached to all the tribes of the earth.
Another reason is the man who opposes himself against every god, even the Creator, and who proclaims himself to be God has not yet appeared to sit on the seat in the Jerusalem temple.
A third reason is the temple is still the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest place.
But the Iraelites are still praying there. Expect changes in the next 28 years.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
It has been suggested that Jesus left earth on a spaceship. The disciples were not seeing a cloud, rather the smoke from the jet engines.
Today is a significant day in the Jewish calendar. The reason for this is every 28 years the sun rises in a direct line over the wailing wall of Jerusalem.
General news release reports:
TENS of thousands of Jewish faithful gathered before sunrise today in front of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem to bless the sun in a prayer that is said once every 28 years.
Dressed in white prayer shawls, men and women, adults and children filled the plaza in front of the wall, Judaism's holiest site, and crowded on the rooftops around the area to catch the glimpse of the sun rising over the Holy City.
As the faithful swayed back and forth in prayer, the area filled with the din of the Birkat Hakhama prayer.
The prayer is said as the sun comes up to mark what according to Jewish tradition is the sun's return to its position at the moment that the universe was created 5769 years ago.
It returns to the spot once every 28 years.
The prayer has special significance this year because it coincides with the start of the Passover holiday, one of Judaism's most important, at sundown today.
The Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall, sits below the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest place.
The next time this will occur is on Wednesday, April 8, 2037.
Jesus said "As in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man."
When Noah started building the ark, it took him 120 years to complete before the flood came.
Now here is the interesting bit.
In 1917, the Israelites were given official recognition to reinhabit Palestine once more. This was known as the Balfour Declaration. Just like in the days of Noah, if we add 120 years to the declaration of the Balfour Declaration we come up with the year 2037.
Now wouldn't it be rather humorous of God, for His Son to return on the morning when the Jewish nation is praying for the sun's return.
Jesus said that nobody knew the hour or the day of his return. But I reckon that this is a good guess.
As for not knowing the hour or the day, we are told we could know the season, so there are four seasons in the year. What would be more memorable for the Lord to return around the time of the Passover. Or as the angels said to the disciples, 4o days after Jesus resurrection, as you see him go, so you shall see him return.
There are a number of reasons why Jesus could not return just yet.
One reason is the gospel has to be preached to all the tribes of the earth.
Another reason is the man who opposes himself against every god, even the Creator, and who proclaims himself to be God has not yet appeared to sit on the seat in the Jerusalem temple.
A third reason is the temple is still the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest place.
But the Iraelites are still praying there. Expect changes in the next 28 years.
www.tencommandmentstoday.com
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Todd Bentley and The Lakeland Revival
I came across this following article which I thought was very interesting and well worth reading.
It was found at http://www.stormharvest.com.au/
The Lakeland Outpouring and Todd Bentley
By Robert I Holmes and Brian Medway We are whole hearted supporters of revival, and certainly the renewed focus on the miracle working aspects of the gospel. We love the documented testimonies being shared by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton of http://www.ibethel.org/ in California. Fervour for God, and a desire to see revival are good and godly things.
A renewed interest in ministering with angels, prophetic ministry and sharing the testimony of Christ in these last days is admirable too (Revelation 19:10).So how about Todd Bentley and the Lakeland Florida phenomena? More than a dozen Christian leaders have written to us recently, asking what our take on all this was, and whether we thought this was a genuine move of God. That we cannot tell you - for neither of us has been over to it. For reasons outlined below, we have no intention of going.
What is being broadcast (also outlined in more detail below) in Lakeland leaves us rather disturbed. A close ministry associate hosted Todd Bentley in Melbourne, Australia, and can testify to the positive influence he had during events a few years ago. Indeed heaven touched earth. Another ministry associate in Nigeria testified to the genuine miracles and healings which took place there under his ministry. A friend in Carolina testified to Todd's recent honour toward older prophetic men such as Paul Cain and Bob Jones. This is all good.
By no means do we wish to encourage heresy hunting, or criticism of other sincere brethren. What do we gain by spending time and energy criticizing others? What do we gain spending time and energy publishing material denouncing others, let us seek Christ. Our reason for writing is to sound a warning, to refocus our attention on things that are true and things which really matter. The key phrase for us is that, "This is God, but it isn't all God."
The gospel we preachIt is from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34) and it is what is inside a man that makes him unclean (Matthew 15:11). Our letters, emails, correspondence, prayer meetings and web sites portray to the world what is inside us. Our broadcasts, messages, podcasts and videos are an expression of our hearts. So if we want to know what a person's passions are ... simply listen to them. The apostle Paul issued a stern warning to us about men or angels who preach another gospel or that demand attention (Galatians 1:7).
Though angels are part of our worship celebration, of healing the sick and even preaching the gospel we must be wary of worshipping them, honouring them overly and being puffed up with visions (Collosians 2:18).
What then is the gospel being presented through Todd's ministry and the Lakeland Revival? What are the first things being concentrated on in the preaching there?Angels are central http://www.god.tv/ Angels are the focus of this Florida outpouring (opening screen, banner).
Todd, in his May 9th, 2008 address speaks of the release of financial angels. Todd claims to be walking with the angel who accompanied William Branham. He promotes an angel named Emma, said to be associated with the prophetic movement in Kansas City. Jesus intimates that angels to have assignments, but that they are without gender (Matthew 22:30). We find Todd's miracle working and healing quite different to the word of knowledge based ministry of Branham.Third heaven focushttp://www.extremeprophetic.com/
In an interview with Bob Jones, Todd Bentley and Patricia King, Todd focused in on the idea that, "Relationship with Jesus starts in the third heaven" and that we "have experiences in the supernatural dimension, to release the glory"... (WSTK-ITV broadcast). We find it difficult to substantiate either of these statements in the gospels.Appeals for moneyhttp://www.lakelandrevival.tv/
The first thing presenting itself at both the main web sites is a request for money to keep the meetings going in the large auditorium (http://www.ignitedchurch.com/).
Evidently the finances are not sustaining the revival. For this to happen so early on seems to indicate an incorrect focus, or a reliance on human technique.Focus on anointingwww.hubpages.com/hub/Lakeland-revival (http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com)
"One of the ten anointings that was going to manifest is the fire anointing!!!" (April 27th, 2008). There's the prophetic anointing, the healing anointing, the prayer anointing, and our favourite - the anointing to cancel debt (May 9th 2008). It is once again very difficult to substantiate such anointings from the Word of God.
Transferable impartation http://www.freshfire.ca/ the oft repeated phrase is "Come and Get Some" - some what? Stroll around the web site and it's all about Todd, and all about supernatural impartation. Great, but what about Jesus Christ? How about the things He cares about - the lost, the lame, the poor, the widow and the orphan? Heavy self promotion www.charismamag.com/news
Why do we have to promote, advertise and request for a revival? When did revivalists have to call their own meetings "a healing outpouring" and "the greatest revival in history"? This trend of self promotion is disturbing. www.ustream.tv/channel/great-florida-healing-revival
The use of and promotion of violenceWhilst we recognise that at times God uses unconventional means to heal (such as spitting in the dirt) or raise the dead (like lieing on the body of a boy), the use of violence in promoting the gospel seems to go right against the heart of who Christ is. Over several meetings Todd laid out the use of violence in his ministry including kicking a lady in the face, spear tackling a man, smashing a cripples legs, and chocking a man to bring deliverance.
Questions (http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com)
1. Why are we calling this a revival? The largest churches in the UK (such as Kensington International) draw more people every week than are turning up to Lakeland. The largest church in Nigeria (Faith Temple) draws three times that number! These churches win as many people to Christ each week as are being won at Lakeland. We do not call them revival because such a term implies that communities are being affected, towns are being changed, nations are being shaken. Our team has searched earnestly for credible evaluations of how many have been saved in Lakeland, Florida. We could not find any. There are estimates of how many people show up, and how many are falling down - but not of salvations?
2. Why have all the recent "revivals" which cause tourism take place in America? Toronto, Smithton, Pensacola, Lakeland... thousands travelling to see it. In the last week of June, 2008 there was a baptism of 10,000 new converts, gathered in from hundreds of COC churches in Northern India (where it is illegal to change religion). Two weeks after that, there was the confirmation of 8,000 new converts in a Pentecostal assembly in Uganda. It is estimated that 1,000 Iraqis are being converted a week now from Islam. Why don't we fly to those places - whose statistics are far more impressive than Lakeland?(For more information on revival tourism to those places watch this space!)
3. What has our Christianity become about?The gospel of Jesus Christ is not primarily about angels, third heaven revelations, impartations and transferable blessings. Jesus did not primarily die to make us rich, or cancel debt we have accrued through the self focused spending we engage in here in the West. What happened to the simplicity of the gospel - repent, believe and be baptized?We do not think the meetings in Lakeland will do much to make churches around the world look and act more like Jesus. The need for holy love, perfect oneness, release of the saints to ministry and completion of the great commission is not enflamed by enamel teeth or even miraculous healings. These tasks will remain long after Lakeland has become a set of archives in the YouTube history.
Before you spend thousands of dollars going there, take a trip to the empty buildings at Pensacola, edifaces with a high debt and few people. Or perhaps go to Toronto and see a city that has successfully resisted God's presence in her midst these last twelve years. Never the less, when asked about people who worked miracles in the name of Jesus, but who may be off centre, or walking a different path from Himself, Christ answered, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon afterward speak evil of me. For He who is not against us is for us." (Mark 9:39,40 NKJV). -------taken from http://www.stormharvest.com.au
Too many Christians fail to get past first base. The book of Hebrews says that Christians are still in need of milk not solid food because they have not understood how to habitually distinguish right from wrong. The Ten Commandment Truths Exposed explains what every Christian needs to know before they can begin to enter and understand the Ministry of Melchezidek, which is essential at if we to be among those who are to be caught up to meet the Lord. (http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com)
It was found at http://www.stormharvest.com.au/
The Lakeland Outpouring and Todd Bentley
By Robert I Holmes and Brian Medway We are whole hearted supporters of revival, and certainly the renewed focus on the miracle working aspects of the gospel. We love the documented testimonies being shared by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton of http://www.ibethel.org/ in California. Fervour for God, and a desire to see revival are good and godly things.
A renewed interest in ministering with angels, prophetic ministry and sharing the testimony of Christ in these last days is admirable too (Revelation 19:10).So how about Todd Bentley and the Lakeland Florida phenomena? More than a dozen Christian leaders have written to us recently, asking what our take on all this was, and whether we thought this was a genuine move of God. That we cannot tell you - for neither of us has been over to it. For reasons outlined below, we have no intention of going.
What is being broadcast (also outlined in more detail below) in Lakeland leaves us rather disturbed. A close ministry associate hosted Todd Bentley in Melbourne, Australia, and can testify to the positive influence he had during events a few years ago. Indeed heaven touched earth. Another ministry associate in Nigeria testified to the genuine miracles and healings which took place there under his ministry. A friend in Carolina testified to Todd's recent honour toward older prophetic men such as Paul Cain and Bob Jones. This is all good.
By no means do we wish to encourage heresy hunting, or criticism of other sincere brethren. What do we gain by spending time and energy criticizing others? What do we gain spending time and energy publishing material denouncing others, let us seek Christ. Our reason for writing is to sound a warning, to refocus our attention on things that are true and things which really matter. The key phrase for us is that, "This is God, but it isn't all God."
The gospel we preachIt is from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34) and it is what is inside a man that makes him unclean (Matthew 15:11). Our letters, emails, correspondence, prayer meetings and web sites portray to the world what is inside us. Our broadcasts, messages, podcasts and videos are an expression of our hearts. So if we want to know what a person's passions are ... simply listen to them. The apostle Paul issued a stern warning to us about men or angels who preach another gospel or that demand attention (Galatians 1:7).
Though angels are part of our worship celebration, of healing the sick and even preaching the gospel we must be wary of worshipping them, honouring them overly and being puffed up with visions (Collosians 2:18).
What then is the gospel being presented through Todd's ministry and the Lakeland Revival? What are the first things being concentrated on in the preaching there?Angels are central http://www.god.tv/ Angels are the focus of this Florida outpouring (opening screen, banner).
Todd, in his May 9th, 2008 address speaks of the release of financial angels. Todd claims to be walking with the angel who accompanied William Branham. He promotes an angel named Emma, said to be associated with the prophetic movement in Kansas City. Jesus intimates that angels to have assignments, but that they are without gender (Matthew 22:30). We find Todd's miracle working and healing quite different to the word of knowledge based ministry of Branham.Third heaven focushttp://www.extremeprophetic.com/
In an interview with Bob Jones, Todd Bentley and Patricia King, Todd focused in on the idea that, "Relationship with Jesus starts in the third heaven" and that we "have experiences in the supernatural dimension, to release the glory"... (WSTK-ITV broadcast). We find it difficult to substantiate either of these statements in the gospels.Appeals for moneyhttp://www.lakelandrevival.tv/
The first thing presenting itself at both the main web sites is a request for money to keep the meetings going in the large auditorium (http://www.ignitedchurch.com/).
Evidently the finances are not sustaining the revival. For this to happen so early on seems to indicate an incorrect focus, or a reliance on human technique.Focus on anointingwww.hubpages.com/hub/Lakeland-revival (http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com)
"One of the ten anointings that was going to manifest is the fire anointing!!!" (April 27th, 2008). There's the prophetic anointing, the healing anointing, the prayer anointing, and our favourite - the anointing to cancel debt (May 9th 2008). It is once again very difficult to substantiate such anointings from the Word of God.
Transferable impartation http://www.freshfire.ca/ the oft repeated phrase is "Come and Get Some" - some what? Stroll around the web site and it's all about Todd, and all about supernatural impartation. Great, but what about Jesus Christ? How about the things He cares about - the lost, the lame, the poor, the widow and the orphan? Heavy self promotion www.charismamag.com/news
Why do we have to promote, advertise and request for a revival? When did revivalists have to call their own meetings "a healing outpouring" and "the greatest revival in history"? This trend of self promotion is disturbing. www.ustream.tv/channel/great-florida-healing-revival
The use of and promotion of violenceWhilst we recognise that at times God uses unconventional means to heal (such as spitting in the dirt) or raise the dead (like lieing on the body of a boy), the use of violence in promoting the gospel seems to go right against the heart of who Christ is. Over several meetings Todd laid out the use of violence in his ministry including kicking a lady in the face, spear tackling a man, smashing a cripples legs, and chocking a man to bring deliverance.
Questions (http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com)
1. Why are we calling this a revival? The largest churches in the UK (such as Kensington International) draw more people every week than are turning up to Lakeland. The largest church in Nigeria (Faith Temple) draws three times that number! These churches win as many people to Christ each week as are being won at Lakeland. We do not call them revival because such a term implies that communities are being affected, towns are being changed, nations are being shaken. Our team has searched earnestly for credible evaluations of how many have been saved in Lakeland, Florida. We could not find any. There are estimates of how many people show up, and how many are falling down - but not of salvations?
2. Why have all the recent "revivals" which cause tourism take place in America? Toronto, Smithton, Pensacola, Lakeland... thousands travelling to see it. In the last week of June, 2008 there was a baptism of 10,000 new converts, gathered in from hundreds of COC churches in Northern India (where it is illegal to change religion). Two weeks after that, there was the confirmation of 8,000 new converts in a Pentecostal assembly in Uganda. It is estimated that 1,000 Iraqis are being converted a week now from Islam. Why don't we fly to those places - whose statistics are far more impressive than Lakeland?(For more information on revival tourism to those places watch this space!)
3. What has our Christianity become about?The gospel of Jesus Christ is not primarily about angels, third heaven revelations, impartations and transferable blessings. Jesus did not primarily die to make us rich, or cancel debt we have accrued through the self focused spending we engage in here in the West. What happened to the simplicity of the gospel - repent, believe and be baptized?We do not think the meetings in Lakeland will do much to make churches around the world look and act more like Jesus. The need for holy love, perfect oneness, release of the saints to ministry and completion of the great commission is not enflamed by enamel teeth or even miraculous healings. These tasks will remain long after Lakeland has become a set of archives in the YouTube history.
Before you spend thousands of dollars going there, take a trip to the empty buildings at Pensacola, edifaces with a high debt and few people. Or perhaps go to Toronto and see a city that has successfully resisted God's presence in her midst these last twelve years. Never the less, when asked about people who worked miracles in the name of Jesus, but who may be off centre, or walking a different path from Himself, Christ answered, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in my name can soon afterward speak evil of me. For He who is not against us is for us." (Mark 9:39,40 NKJV). -------taken from http://www.stormharvest.com.au
Too many Christians fail to get past first base. The book of Hebrews says that Christians are still in need of milk not solid food because they have not understood how to habitually distinguish right from wrong. The Ten Commandment Truths Exposed explains what every Christian needs to know before they can begin to enter and understand the Ministry of Melchezidek, which is essential at if we to be among those who are to be caught up to meet the Lord. (http://www.tencommandmentstoday.com)
Monday, April 6, 2009
New World Order Is On Its Way
The new world order is on its way. The G20 includes nineteen countries
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi, Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States,
The G20 also includes 23 countries represented as the European Union, that were not large enough to represent themselves:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
In total these countries represent around 80% of the world's economy and over 4 billion of the world's population. And the buzz is that the measures that have been put in place will prevent the world falling into depression and prevent such a collapse that occurred in 2008 from happening again.
A new world order has been put in place that represents 2/3 of the world's population with the belief that there will never be another economic crisis of this nature, or one that will threaten the world economy again.
You might wonder how the financial crisis occurred.
The governments are blaming the free market. Yet there is no such thing as a free market that is totally free from government intervention. Government intervention has taken place in all these economies. The governments of the world buy and sell currencies. The governments of the world interfere in the running of their own economy. The governments subsidize any industry that the politicians of the day think is important for their political position.
Now the governments are saying that the free market can no longer enjoy the excesses that capitalism has created. But governments are usually made up of politicians who see that it is advantageous to keep favor with the corporate world in the event of their sudden departure from power. What this means is that the culture that exists within the corporate world is funded by government money. This culture of feeding the mouths of the money makers before the workers exists worldwide. The uproar over AIG debacle only came about because the company blatantly paid out government money as retention bonuses to executives. The reason AIG did this so conspicuously was because the practice of using government subsidies for executives benefits is so entrenched in the corporate world, that a bail out from the US government was merely seen as a handout for executives. Do not expect the culture to change. For this to happen there would need to be a global revolution of the sort that would never happen.
If I were a skeptic, I would be uncertain the governments of the world would be able to solve the financial crisis that is going to eclipse the one that has just occurred But I am not a skeptic. I simply do not believe that the governments of the world will ever be able to bring everlasting peace to this earth and a prosperity that bring equality and equity, so there will never be a need for another person to desire more than what he or she has.
The reason why I do not believe a one world government, or any collaboration of governments, will ever bring about a global economy that will not suffer crises is because of human nature being egocentric and the fact that history reveals that growth is limited to a growing population. When a population cannot grow, economic growth is restricted. Just have a look at how economies that have a population growth problem start to stagnate. The only way these economies can grow is through immigration.
Immigration brings its own problems such as race, religion and culture, However, the one way people of a different race and different culture can be brought together is through religion. This is evidenced by the Roman Catholic world youth day. This is also evident when Muslims from different countries and of a different color go to Mecca.
The problem with religion is Islam is opposed to every other religion and its adherents hold to a theology that sees Islam being the religion of the world, not based on personal choice but by force. Even though a new world order is on its way, not until the issue of religion is resolved will a one world government be able to be introduced or accepted by the masses.
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi, Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States,
The G20 also includes 23 countries represented as the European Union, that were not large enough to represent themselves:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
In total these countries represent around 80% of the world's economy and over 4 billion of the world's population. And the buzz is that the measures that have been put in place will prevent the world falling into depression and prevent such a collapse that occurred in 2008 from happening again.
A new world order has been put in place that represents 2/3 of the world's population with the belief that there will never be another economic crisis of this nature, or one that will threaten the world economy again.
You might wonder how the financial crisis occurred.
The governments are blaming the free market. Yet there is no such thing as a free market that is totally free from government intervention. Government intervention has taken place in all these economies. The governments of the world buy and sell currencies. The governments of the world interfere in the running of their own economy. The governments subsidize any industry that the politicians of the day think is important for their political position.
Now the governments are saying that the free market can no longer enjoy the excesses that capitalism has created. But governments are usually made up of politicians who see that it is advantageous to keep favor with the corporate world in the event of their sudden departure from power. What this means is that the culture that exists within the corporate world is funded by government money. This culture of feeding the mouths of the money makers before the workers exists worldwide. The uproar over AIG debacle only came about because the company blatantly paid out government money as retention bonuses to executives. The reason AIG did this so conspicuously was because the practice of using government subsidies for executives benefits is so entrenched in the corporate world, that a bail out from the US government was merely seen as a handout for executives. Do not expect the culture to change. For this to happen there would need to be a global revolution of the sort that would never happen.
If I were a skeptic, I would be uncertain the governments of the world would be able to solve the financial crisis that is going to eclipse the one that has just occurred But I am not a skeptic. I simply do not believe that the governments of the world will ever be able to bring everlasting peace to this earth and a prosperity that bring equality and equity, so there will never be a need for another person to desire more than what he or she has.
The reason why I do not believe a one world government, or any collaboration of governments, will ever bring about a global economy that will not suffer crises is because of human nature being egocentric and the fact that history reveals that growth is limited to a growing population. When a population cannot grow, economic growth is restricted. Just have a look at how economies that have a population growth problem start to stagnate. The only way these economies can grow is through immigration.
Immigration brings its own problems such as race, religion and culture, However, the one way people of a different race and different culture can be brought together is through religion. This is evidenced by the Roman Catholic world youth day. This is also evident when Muslims from different countries and of a different color go to Mecca.
The problem with religion is Islam is opposed to every other religion and its adherents hold to a theology that sees Islam being the religion of the world, not based on personal choice but by force. Even though a new world order is on its way, not until the issue of religion is resolved will a one world government be able to be introduced or accepted by the masses.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Why An Atheist Could Not Hear The Voice Of God.
Some people do not believe you can hear the voice of God. If you do not believe that it is possible to know God, this might be understandable. If you claim you are an atheist then, you would be inclined to ridicule someone who claimed to hear the voice of God, because you would be sceptical about hearing the voice of God.
Most atheists are really skeptics. This is because they are uncertain whether God exists, not because they are sure that God exists. Even if an atheist were to hear the voice of God, it would be difficult for the atheist to recognize this as God's voice. This is why an atheist could not hear the voice of God.
When I was twelve years old, I heard the voice of God. You might think that I was gullible at the age of twelve. Well, I was a thief. I was a liar. I was many other things, as well. And I was gullible, to a certain extent. As a twelve year old, I tended to trust adults, but not so much other children or even older youth. When I heard the voice of God as a twelve year old, the circumstances were more convincing that even if it was not God who was speaking to me, what I heard could qualify as being God's voice.
Where I grew up, thieving was frowned upon and if anybody was caught stealing at school this was shameful. It was a different story when it came to stealing from shops. Shoplifting was seen as a sport in a way, but one where there was an immediate prize. I was introduced to shoplifting at the age of eight by older boys I associated with and found acceptance into their little gang through nicking stuff for everybody. They all stole, but sharing the goodies was part of the membership dues, so to speak.
One school associate of mine, who was not a member of that gang I was involved in, went shoplifting with me once. We had that much gear, we had to steal bags to put the stuff in. In fact, I had difficulty carrying the stuff home in the large leather bag I had stolen. My mother asked me where I got all the stuff from, and I said I had found it on the roadside. She told me that she would find the owner. I agreed to that thinking she would be giving me all the goodies back. Somehow they all disappeared and I never ever saw the leather bag again. And my mother wouldn't tell me what she did with all the gear.
We moved house to the other side of town and I ceased associating with that particular gang. As a consequence of this, shoplifting was not something I was doing very much. In fact, I stopped. But when I was twelve, I was with an associate who shoplifted on a regular basis. We were in the basement of a toy shop and decided to take some stuff without paying. There was only one person working in the shop, so we thought this would be easy. My associate had already taken some expensive toy and was up the stairs. There was only myself in the basement. I was about to put my hands on what I had decided would be good for me to steal when I heard a voice say, "That is against God!"
At first I thought it was my associate playing games with me. Only it did not sound like his voice, it was a deeper voice like that of an adult. I looked around the aisles and no body was in the basement. I went upstairs and there was my associate waiting for me. We walked past the shop attendant and down the street. My associate wanted to see what I took. He had an imitation pistol. I had nothing. My associate couldn't understand why I had nothing. Then I told him what happened. He thought I was hearing things and going mad. From that time on we had nothing to do with each other.
If I was an atheist I would have been uncertain if that was the voice of God. But as it was, I believed there had to be a Creator and he was God. I believed God existed. I had no real proof that God existed, I just accepted that God existed. My friend, the angel who would appear to me from time to time, did not tell God existed. If he did, I have no recall. In fact, I cannot remember whether my angel friend had ever spoken to me when I was young. I know I used to speak to him and tell him what I thought. He seemed to appear when I was feeling despondent and I would tell him my troubles.
Initially, when I heard the voice say, "That is against God", I thought it was my associate. But then when I didn't see him in the basement, I realized it wasn't him because the voice was deeper than his and an adult's voice.
You might think that this was my conscience speaking to me. Some people believe their conscience is the voice of God. There is good argument that a person's conscience is God's voice, and everybody hears the voice of God, but when they commit sin by doing something evil like stealing, lying or commit some other violation of the moral code, people harden their heart by suppressing their conscience. This is how people become atheists. When a person hardens his heart by suppressing his conscience, he becomes uncertain that God exists.
In my case, that was not my conscience speaking to me when I heard that voice because it was as if the person was standing right behind me and not something within me speaking to me. I also heard the voice with my own ears. The voice was not a product of my imagination and neither was I in a hypnotic trance or merely thinking the words. What I was thinking was whether the toy machine gun was too big to get past the shop attendant without being seen.
Most atheists are really skeptics. This is because they are uncertain whether God exists, not because they are sure that God exists. Even if an atheist were to hear the voice of God, it would be difficult for the atheist to recognize this as God's voice. This is why an atheist could not hear the voice of God.
When I was twelve years old, I heard the voice of God. You might think that I was gullible at the age of twelve. Well, I was a thief. I was a liar. I was many other things, as well. And I was gullible, to a certain extent. As a twelve year old, I tended to trust adults, but not so much other children or even older youth. When I heard the voice of God as a twelve year old, the circumstances were more convincing that even if it was not God who was speaking to me, what I heard could qualify as being God's voice.
Where I grew up, thieving was frowned upon and if anybody was caught stealing at school this was shameful. It was a different story when it came to stealing from shops. Shoplifting was seen as a sport in a way, but one where there was an immediate prize. I was introduced to shoplifting at the age of eight by older boys I associated with and found acceptance into their little gang through nicking stuff for everybody. They all stole, but sharing the goodies was part of the membership dues, so to speak.
One school associate of mine, who was not a member of that gang I was involved in, went shoplifting with me once. We had that much gear, we had to steal bags to put the stuff in. In fact, I had difficulty carrying the stuff home in the large leather bag I had stolen. My mother asked me where I got all the stuff from, and I said I had found it on the roadside. She told me that she would find the owner. I agreed to that thinking she would be giving me all the goodies back. Somehow they all disappeared and I never ever saw the leather bag again. And my mother wouldn't tell me what she did with all the gear.
We moved house to the other side of town and I ceased associating with that particular gang. As a consequence of this, shoplifting was not something I was doing very much. In fact, I stopped. But when I was twelve, I was with an associate who shoplifted on a regular basis. We were in the basement of a toy shop and decided to take some stuff without paying. There was only one person working in the shop, so we thought this would be easy. My associate had already taken some expensive toy and was up the stairs. There was only myself in the basement. I was about to put my hands on what I had decided would be good for me to steal when I heard a voice say, "That is against God!"
At first I thought it was my associate playing games with me. Only it did not sound like his voice, it was a deeper voice like that of an adult. I looked around the aisles and no body was in the basement. I went upstairs and there was my associate waiting for me. We walked past the shop attendant and down the street. My associate wanted to see what I took. He had an imitation pistol. I had nothing. My associate couldn't understand why I had nothing. Then I told him what happened. He thought I was hearing things and going mad. From that time on we had nothing to do with each other.
If I was an atheist I would have been uncertain if that was the voice of God. But as it was, I believed there had to be a Creator and he was God. I believed God existed. I had no real proof that God existed, I just accepted that God existed. My friend, the angel who would appear to me from time to time, did not tell God existed. If he did, I have no recall. In fact, I cannot remember whether my angel friend had ever spoken to me when I was young. I know I used to speak to him and tell him what I thought. He seemed to appear when I was feeling despondent and I would tell him my troubles.
Initially, when I heard the voice say, "That is against God", I thought it was my associate. But then when I didn't see him in the basement, I realized it wasn't him because the voice was deeper than his and an adult's voice.
You might think that this was my conscience speaking to me. Some people believe their conscience is the voice of God. There is good argument that a person's conscience is God's voice, and everybody hears the voice of God, but when they commit sin by doing something evil like stealing, lying or commit some other violation of the moral code, people harden their heart by suppressing their conscience. This is how people become atheists. When a person hardens his heart by suppressing his conscience, he becomes uncertain that God exists.
In my case, that was not my conscience speaking to me when I heard that voice because it was as if the person was standing right behind me and not something within me speaking to me. I also heard the voice with my own ears. The voice was not a product of my imagination and neither was I in a hypnotic trance or merely thinking the words. What I was thinking was whether the toy machine gun was too big to get past the shop attendant without being seen.
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