ONE CHURCH LEICESTER (FORMERLY TRINITY LIFE CHURCH): DAVID AND SUSAN HIND NARCIGESIS

 (171) One Church Message | David & Susan Hind (4th June 2023) - YouTube

After this I looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had previously heard speak to me like a trumpet was saying, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after these things. At once I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne standing in heaven, with someone seated on it. ” (Revelation 4:1- 2).

Context is king!

The Book of Revelation is concerned with a series of prophetic visions of apocalyptic events. Revelation 4:1-2 is a momentous event for John who is about to enter, and then enters, the very throne room of God through an open door. 

Does anyone dare reinvent these verses to suit their own interpretation? Yes, actually David and Susan Hind do! A classic Charismatic/Pentecostal/NAR tactic is to rip specific verses of scripture out of context in isolation and put their own spin on them, effectively misapplying them to some invented scenario of their own making. I have heard this practice described as narcigesis, which is a combination of narcissism and eisegesis. When presumptuous false teachers ignore the context of specific verses and crowbar them into their own small selfish ambitions and projects, they are in rebellion and are deeply offensive to the Lord. These false teachers do not rightly divide the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15). Warnings are given throughout the scriptures not to alter God's word in any way. (Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32; Proverbs 30:6). However in the book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ, a specific warning is given to potential scripture twisters. 

This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3).

The warning at the end of the book of Revelation. 

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (Revelation 22:18-19).  

Same old same old 

What follows Hind's "prophetic word" is the same old hype we have heard from him previously. This time Hind attempts to convince us that they have "an open door, a prophetic word (Revelation 22:18-19), and a God plan".  I lost count of the number of times Hind repeated the phrase "open door" during this manipulative presentation. The apparent success of TLC/ONE Church is questionable in spiritual terms. ONE Church is comparable to the infamous monster, Hillsong Church, or more locally, Jesus Army aka Jesus Fellowship (by the way approved by the Hinds'), and also the "shipwreck" All Nations Church (previously at 10 Frog Island). These supposed successful churches are often lethal places where inestimable damage is done to vulnerable people. Success in material terms is not a sign that ONE Church is enjoying the favour of God. In fact, it may be a sign that God has actually given them over to apostasy. I have recorded the catalogue of ungodly decisions made by Hind and his cohorts in previous posts, not least how they managed to obtain lottery funding and worm their way into worldly influence through Adam Simmonds, former Director of Trinity Life Church and disgraced Northamptonshire PCC from 2012-2016. {1} This latest hype from the Hinds' confirms their continued pattern of ungodliness and throws up a number of additional red flags. 

* The folly of employing new "Worship Director" Ashtyn Michael. How they love their titles! (Matthew 23:5-12; 2 Corinthians 5:12). Hind wants to introduce "a new breed of worship leaders", and Ashtyn Michael will be moving from London to become their new Worship Director in August. Michael was previously part of the infamous Holy Trinity Brompton's worship team from September 2016 to January 2018. HTB is the source of the controversial Alpha Course and the so-called "Toronto Blessing" in the UK. In 1998 HTB was accused of using "cult methods", and the Alpha Initiative was accused of creating "a Mickey Mouse religion which is cheap, graceless and addictive". {2} After leaving HTB Michael briefly became a Junior Chef at TGI Fridays. {3} After his one-month stint as a Junior Chef, Michael moved to Leicester in September 2019 to be part of the staff team at Chroma Church (formerly Leicester City Vineyard). This position doesn't seem to have lasted very long either as he appears to have scuttled back to London during the pandemic. {4} It would be interesting to know what salary ONE Church will be paying their new Worship Director, but I think we are unlikely to find out since they do not divulge embarrassing details like individual staff salaries. 

* The folly of endorsing false NAR prophet Simon Braker who spoke at their "Encounter Night" the previous Sunday, May 28th. Braker prophesied:  "As you step back into your physical space, know that it is a prophetic gateway. You will walk into increased levels of influence and anointing and His glory. For God has found you faithful in this last season and He has seen your persistence and your refusal to give up, and His word to you is 'ONE Church arise and shine'". (31:00 mark)  I would advise my readers to do some research on the New Apostolic Reformation of which Braker is very much a part. (See Further Links). 

* Susan Hind's alleged "prophetic" aeroplane dream: "I saw a vision of a classic silver aeroplane and many people from ONE Church getting on it, and in the dream, I got up and declared 'There is a seat for everyone on the plane.'" 

* Four months to harvest?  Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. (John 4:35). More manipulation of the scriptures from Dominic Yeo (AOG Singapore) who feeds into the Hinds' delusional mindset. {5} On the strength of this verse, Yeo believes that there are four months to harvest. (31:00 mark)

* The folly of prophecy training. It is pure lunacy to attempt to train anyone in the prophetic. At these sessions, self-professed gurus in the prophetic teach people to replace the Holy Spirit with their own imagination. (Ezekiel 13:3; Jeremiah 23:16).

 

* Female pastors. Hind alone was allegedly invited to join TLC (although the way this was handled by Brian Niblock was very strange to say the least). Now, sixteen years later, ONE Church, formerly Trinity Life Church, are paying salaries to no less than four members of the Hind family, and the biblical precept that a woman should not have authority over a man is completely ignored. (1 Timothy 2:12). The information given on The Charity Commission's website is that no member of staff at ONE Church earns more than £60,000. I therefore surmise that the Hinds' are at the upper end of the pay scale, and that their combined annual salaries amount to somewhere in the region of just under £120,000. The Hinds' standard of living is probably far higher than most attendees who contribute sacrificially to ONE Church. 

Charities report - 22.1 (charitycommission.gov.uk) 

* David Hind's bizarre motivational presentations. According to Debretts, hand gestures make you look more charismatic: "..sweeping expansive hand gestures convey the idea that you are talking about a large idea or concept." {6} When hand gestures are overdone (as they are in Hind's case), they can actually have a negative effect on an audience because they look rehearsed. It is worth noting that overzealous or exaggerated hand gestures are not only cringeworthy to witness, particularly when coupled with a teenage hairstyle, but they can also suggest that the speaker is insincere. {7} In my view Hind's bizarre motivational presentations exude superficiality and are an indication of someone who is trying very hard to sell a bill of goods. (2 Peter 3:16).

* David Hind (1st May 2022): "This is a fulfillment season, an outbreak season."  Over a year later, according to David Hind, we are still on the cusp of revival. This is the typical mantra of false prophets who constantly repeat that we are on the cusp of something enormous, but that "something" never happens - NAR buzzwords: revival, breakthrough, outbreak, awakening etc.

* End-time revival or apostasy? The revival mantra of the false prophets has no biblical foundation whatsoever. No prophecy of an end-time revival exists in the New Testament. The New Testament prophesies rampant spiritual deception, apostasy, false prophets, lying signs and wonders, birth pains.. and ultimately worldwide spiritual deception under the Antichrist. (Revelation 13:14). We should be very wary of those who consistently prophesy "revival" or "awakening". False prophets tickle itching ears and tell us what we want to hear, not what we need to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3).

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24).

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; (Acts 20:29).

Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.. (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons.. (1 Timothy 4:1).

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1).

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1).

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23).

1. WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Trinity Life Church Leicester (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
2. Church accused of `cult' methods | The Independent | The Independent
3. Ashtyn Michael - Startup Team - naborly | LinkedIn
4. Ashtyn Michael - EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki
5. Reverend Dominic Yeo – Assemblies of God Singapore (ag.org.sg)
6. What do your hand gestures mean? • Debretts
7. How to REALLY spot a liar | Daily Mail Online

Further Links

Major errors of Pentecostalism (bible.ca)
(178) What is The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)? with Holly Pivec - The Alisa Childers podcast #16 - YouTube
WOLVES IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING: FALSE PROPHETS AND BIBLE TEACHERS IN THE LAST DAYS: Simon Braker (bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com)
Resource: A glossary of New Apostolic Reformation terminology. (churchwatchcentral.com)
AZUSA STREET-Birth of a Lie (scionofzion.com)

AZUSA STREET: A DIFFERENT SPIRIT

For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. (2 Corinthians 11:4).

Historians consider the Azusa Street revival to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century. By 1914, various denominations had sprung up, including the Church of God in Christ, the Assemblies of God, the United Pentecostal Church and the Pentecostal Church of God. {1} 

Charles Fox Parham (1873–1929) was a self appointed American preacher and evangelist known for his pivotal role as the founder of Pentecostalism. Parham was influenced by the radical holiness teaching of Benjamin Hardin Irwin and Frank W Sandford. 

Parham was the mentor of William J Seymour, the African-American catalyst for the Azusa Street Mission. Seymour's early life is very sketchy. He was born in 1870 to emancipated slaves in Louisiana and was raised in extreme poverty with little formal education. Seymour was part of the African American slave culture of syncretistic Catholicism that incorporated Hoodoo, a popular variation of Voodoo. His unfortunate background in the occult may explain reports that he received visions from God in his early life. After moving around quite a lot as a young man, at the age of 30, Seymour moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he joined the Church of God Restoration Movement aka The Evening Light Saints. This group was part of the radical Holiness movement that espoused the false doctrine of Christian perfectionism via a second work of grace known as "entire sanctification". In 1905 Seymour attended Parham's school where he adopted the belief that speaking in tongues was the sign of receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Other dubious influences in Seymour's life were false teachers John G Lake and Fred Bosworth.

The Azusa Street meetings began on April the14th 1906 and continued until around 1915. From the outset Seymour's meetings were viewed with suspicion and were condemned both by the secular media and by Christian leaders due to their unorthodox character. 

There are many stories about the phenomena that occurred during the Azusa Street meetings. I will not go into all the specifics here since the subject is well documented elsewhere. In general, the meetings were characterized by excessive noise, ecstatic spiritual experiences, alleged miracles, dramatic worship services, glossolalia (speaking in tongues), and inter-racial mingling (which was illegal at that time under Jim Crow law). The meetings were very lengthy affairs. They began at mid-morning and continued until 3 or 4am the following morning. Seymour rarely preached and his practice was to pray with his head in a box during the meetings, apparently so that God would get the glory. 

"The meetings in Azusa Street were dramatic. People 'fell under the power', shook violently, jerked, and made loud noises. Fire was seen rising from the building to heaven and returning back down again. The 'cloud of the Spirit' was so thick that children would play hide and seek in the midst of the meetings. Bands of angels were seen at the mission. Tongues given were often interpreted by visitors from other nations who recognized the language. Miracles and healings were common events. One man who had lost his arm in a machinery accident received a new one instantaneously." {2} 

Assemblies of God: "To read the newspapers in 1906, one might have wondered about all the excitement in an old building on Azusa Street in the industrial part of the city. According to the Los Angeles Times, a bizarre new religious sect had started with people 'breathing strange utterances and mouthing a creed which it would seem no sane mortal could understand.' Furthermore, 'Devotees of the weird doctrine practice the most fanatical rites, preach the wildest theories, and work themselves into a state of mad excitement.'

If that didn't grab the reader's attention, the article continued by saying that, 'Colored people and a sprinkling of whites compose the congregation, and night is made hideous in the neighborhood by the howlings of the worshippers who spend hours swaying forth and back in a nerve-racking attitude of prayer and supplication.'  To top it all off, they claimed to have received the 'gift of tongues,' and what's more, 'comprehend the babel.' {3}

The Controversy

Many Pentecostals and Charismatics regard Azusa Street as a genuine move of God that restored the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the church. The gift of tongues was given particular prominence by both Parham and Seymour, although they differed on specifics. Parham was the first person to assert the central tenet of Pentecostalism, i.e. that speaking in tongues was the essential evidence that a Christian was filled with the Holy Spirit. Observers outside the mission were were concerned that the meetings attracted many spiritualist mediums, hypnotists and occultists whose contributions were disruptive. Troubled by the various phenomena and his inability to control the meetings, Seymour wrote to Parham asking for his assistance. After witnessing the pandemonium first hand, Parham was outraged and appalled. He accused the the mission of being overrun by hypnotic influences, familiar-spirit influences, spiritualistic influences, mesmeric influences, all kinds of spells, spasms, and falling in trances. Parham attempted to take over the meetings, but he was quickly rejected and a rift between the two men resulted.    

Parham: "I hurried to Los Angeles, and to my utter surprise and astonishment I found conditions even worse than I had anticipated. Brother Seymour had come to me helpless, he said he could not stem the tide that had arisen. I sat on the platform in Azusa Street Mission, and saw the manifestations of the flesh, spiritualistic controls, saw people practicing hypnotism at the altar over candidates seeking baptism; though many were receiving the real baptism of the Holy Ghost. After preaching two or three times, I was informed by two of the elders, one who was a hypnotist (I had seen him lay his hands on many who came through chattering, jabbering and sputtering, speaking in no language at all) that I was not wanted in that place." {4} 

Putting aside all the stories, the various manifestations and ecstatic experiences at Azusa Street, the real test is whether the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a subsequent distinct experience following conversion is scriptural. (1 John 4:1). 

  

Pentecostals generally teach that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is necessary based on Acts 8:5-17. I will attempt to put this teaching into context and put forward evidence that "another spirit" was at work at Azusa Street, and how this "revival" has fueled the excesses of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement aka the New Apostolic Reformation today. 

Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform. With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.. (Acts 8:5-8).

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17).

The biblical account that the Samaritan believers received the Holy Spirit some time subsequent to their conversion is not in dispute. Philip the Evangelist converted crowds of people in a Samarian city. (Acts 8:11-12). These converts received the word of God and had "only" been baptized in the name of Jesus. It was not until Peter and John came down from Jerusalem and prayed for them that they received the Holy Spirit. It is important to note that this account pertains to what happened in Samaria and nowhere else. Typically, Pentecostal/Charismatic teachers epitomize the folly of prescribing a blueprint for the church by utilizing a descriptive verse or passage of scripture in isolation. 

Significantly, two further passages indicate that the Holy Spirit was given to believers upon conversion. It is my contention that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the normative experience of anyone who genuinely believes the gospel of Jesus Christ and has repented of their sins as per Acts 2:38 and Acts 10:44-48:

Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38).

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. (Acts 10:44-48).

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-5 cf.1 Corinthians 12:4).

Historically the Samaritans were loathed intensely by Jews and vice versa, so much so that the two groups did not associate with one another whatsoever. (John 4:9). The mutual hatred between the two groups goes back to the split between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah during Rehoboam's reign. The Samaritans were the descendants of the Israeli remnant who remained in the land following the Assyrian invasion in 721BC and their intermarriage with foreigners.

It seems likely that John and Peter were tasked by the Lord to lay hands on the Samaritan believers personally as a special act due to the previous divisions between the two groups. The laying on of hands by John and Peter provided apostolic confirmation that the Samaritan believers were fully accepted by the church in Jerusalem. This act would quell any doubts about their acceptance that may later develop, and it would ensure the unity of the believers. 

You will recognize them by their fruits!

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7: 15-20).

The extremes of charismania and what is referred to as "the gift of the Holy Spirit" is the complete antithesis of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 11:4). This dangerous doctrine divides believers into two classes, those who supposedly have received the Holy Spirit and those who supposedly have not. The manifestations described in the Azusa Street meetings are never mentioned in the New Testament as evidence of the Holy Spirit. These same frenzied manifestations, such as convulsions, jerking, animal noises etc. are common phenomena in many Pentecostal/Charismatic churches today and directly contradict the scriptures regarding orderly worship and self-control. (1 Corinthians 14:33; Galatians 5:23). These groups are known for their false prophecies, false teachings, dubious manifestations such as gold dust, angel feathers, glory clouds etc. and alleged healings that cannot be verified medically. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24).  

Charles Parham's Character and Doctrinal Deviations

Parhams theology was riddled with errors, some of which are mentioned below:

* Annihilationism - Parham denied that unbelievers will suffer eternal torment. 

* Divine healing is included in the atonement. 

Parham: "The healing of the sick is as much part of the gospel as telling them of heaven.. a gospel that heals the body as well as saves the soul." {5}

* Parham believed that God would restore xenolalic tongues (known languages). Parham: "..speaking in tongues is an inseparable part of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit distinguishing it from all previous works." {5} Parham based this on Acts 2:4 and Acts 10:46. However Paul contradicts this in 1 Corinthians 12:10, 30 cf. 1 Corinthians 14:5).

* Two separate creations. Parham taught the fringe two-seed theory i.e. Adam and Eve were of a different race than people who allegedly lived outside of the Garden of Eden.

* The imminent premillennial return of Christ. 

* In 1906 Parham faced allegations of sexual misconduct followed by his arrest in 1907 in San Antonio, Texas on a charge of "the commission of an unnatural offense" together with 22-year-old co-defendant, J.J. Jourdan. Parham repeatedly denied being a practicing homosexual and the District Attorney eventually dropped the case.

* Parham actively endorsed the Ku Klux Klan. 

* Various allegations of financial irregularities and doctrinal aberrations: 

"..allegations of financial irregularity and of doctrinal aberrations. In the aftermath of these events his large support base in Zion descended into a Salem-like frenzy of insanity, eventually killing three of their members in brutal exorcisms. Members of the group, who included John G Lake and Fred Bosworth, were forced to flee from Illinois, and scattered across America. As the focus of the movement moved from Parham to Seymour, Parham became resentful. His attacks on emerging leaders coupled with the allegations alienated him from much of the movement that he began. He became "an embarrassment" to a new movement which was trying to establish its credibility. {6}

A significant influence on Charles Parham was cult leader Frank Sandford. During a sabbatical, Parham spent much of his time at the ministry of Frank Sandford in Maine, and also at a religious campaign of Sandford's in Ontario. From Parham's writings it appears he assimilated some of Sandford's ideas into his own biblical paradigm.

Below ~ Lutherans Daniel Long and Steve Kozar ask some searching questions regarding cult leader Frank Sandford. Kozar: "If the Pentecostal Movement is this really unique movement in all of Christian history where the Holy Spirit started doing something again that He had stopped doing for almost 2000 years.. (allegedly) an end time renewal of the Christian church by the Holy Spirit. Who are the people who founded it, and why would they be frauds, crooks, con-artists, cult leaders, heretics? Why would the Holy Spirit use those people if this is the movement where people finally started really leading holy lives and being empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead holy lives.. Wouldn't it be led by people who are living out the claims that the move makes? 

* While I recommend this video, I do not concur with Lutheranism. 

LUTHERANISM BAPTISMAL REGENERATION DANIEL LONG STEVEN KOZAR AND CHRIS ROSEBROUGH - YouTube

1. Azusa Street Revival - Wikipedia

2. William Seymour — Work Out Your Faith

3. Assemblies of God (USA) Official Web Site | William J. Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival (ag.org)

4. Charles Parham on Speaking in Tongues (charlesasullivan.com)

5. voicecryinginthewilderness.pdf (cupandcross.com)

6. Charles Fox Parham - Wikipedia  

TRINITY LIFE CHURCH LEICESTER: DAVID HIND'S DISTORTED EASTER PRESENTATION

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 14:34-35).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOOuYYiyY28&feature=youtu.be
Finding Security in a Troubled World - 26th March 2020

TLC's recent Easter Presentation leaves me with little alternative but to write a further post about David Hind's warped "Christian" values.

David Hind proudly related his visit to Buckingham Palace two years ago to receive the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. This award was given to TLC's charity Open Hands for their so called "services to the poor". Hind's boast about Open Hands being a "compassion charity" is paradoxical considering the spiritual and moral compromise involved in seeking and accepting funding from the National Lottery. It is beyond dispute that gambling is an industry that feasts on the poor and vulnerable! TLC's skewed reasoning says it is OK to use unethical lottery funds help the poor!

Hind actually dared to compare the Queens appearance as she entered the garden of Buckingham Palace to Jesus' first appearance to the disciples through locked doors in John 20:19-23. Hind: "All of a sudden a door opened, and the Queen.. walked out. Thousands of people were in silence and awe as this amazing lady walked out to greet her guests." No Christian should be in "silence and awe" of anyone apart from Jesus Christ! Hind's blasphemous comparison between the Queen and Jesus Christ gives us a snapshot of the value he puts on outward appearances. "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”walked (1 Samuel 16:7).

Was David Hind "privileged to be invited" to Buckingham Palace? In worldly terms, yes certainly ~ in spiritual terms, most definitely NOT!  (Isaiah 5:20). Hind's visit to Buckingham Palace was the equivalent of John the Baptist going on a jaunt to have tea with King Herod! In reality it would have been inconceivable for John the Baptist to fraternize with Herod, God's enemy. (Mark 8:15).

John the Baptists objection to the adulterous marriage between Herod and his brother Philip's wife:

Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Although Herod wanted to kill John, he was afraid of the people, because they regarded John as a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday, however, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give to her whatever she asked.
Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted and sent to have John beheaded in the prison.
John’s head was brought in on a platter and presented to the girl, who carried it to her mother. (Matthew 14:3-11).

Hind has previously described the Queen as a "Christian", but we must be very naive if we genuinely believe this to be the case. As the Supreme Governor of the Church of England the Queen is the titular head of the Church of England, a position which is vested in the British monarch. However, the Church of England is ecumenical and openly seeks unity with the corrupt Roman Catholic Church. The ecumenical agenda of the Church of England is organised by the Council for Christian Unity (CCU). {1}

There is indisputable evidence that the Royal Family are British Druids. I will recap below just in case David Hind missed it the first time.

'Political and religious suppression forced the Druids to go underground. Many thought that the religion had disappeared, but it survived, handed down within families and villages to resurface again in the early eighteenth century. There are three main druidic colleges. . .In fact, druidism has become so accepted socially that Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince of Wales both accepted posts as honorary Druids in the Wales Gorsedd. (ff. ‘The Gnosis Interview’)… By 1988, there were estimated to be over one million adepts (spiritual masters) and the movement is growing.'" (The Trojan Horse, Brenda Scott and Samantha Smith, pp. 59, 60) {2}

Below: 3rd August 1926 ~ Bardic titles for the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) at the Welsh Eisteddfod, they are pictured with the Arch Druid after they were initiated. {3} 

In 1967 the Queen gave her Royal Assent to the Abortion Act. A friend once said to me that the Queen has no choice regarding Royal Assents i.e. she could not have refused to give her Assent to the Abortion Act without risking her position. My response: THERE IS ALWAYS A CHOICE. Consider the cost to Jesus Christ Himself, the cost to the disciples, the cost to countless numbers of Christian martyrs who renounced the world's values for the sake of Jesus Christ. (Luke 14:28-33). How many true Christians would be willing to sign a death warrant legalizing the murder of literally millions of unborn infants? (Proverbs 6:16-17).

In 2013, the Queen signed the Royal Assent for the equal marriage act, allowing gay marriage for the first time. (Leviticus 20:13, 18:22; Romans 1:27). {4}

How will the Queen answer for these terrible atrocities on the day of Judgement? (Revelation 20:12).

Biblically, anyone who claims to be a Christian and does not uphold sound doctrine should be avoided not venerated!

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works. (2 John 1:10-11).

David Hind's worldly values have nothing at all to do with true Christianity. By actively seeking out worldly accolades, TLC have given way to the political correctness of our time. (Luke 11:23; 1 John 2:15). I appeal to those who attend TLC to think about these things rather than acquiesce with those who glory in their shame. (Philippians 3:19).

TLC are silent about issues such as abortion and gay marriage, and nothing is mentioned of Prince Andrew's dubious associations or Prince Charles' intention to become' "Defender of Faith" without the definite article. 

Thankfully there are still faithful Christians out there who are are prepared to count the cost of true discipleship:

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:28-33).

The perverted version of the bible they read from at TLC is the New Living Translation (NLT). The NLT is nothing less than a satanic counterfeit of the bible. Below is a list of NLT perversions:

• Deuteronomy - "sodomite" changed to "temple prostitute"
• 1 Kings 14:24 - "sodomites" replaced with "shrine prostitutes"
• 1 Kings 15:12 - "sodomites" replaced with "shrine prostitutes"
• 1 Kings 22:46 - "sodomites" replaced with "shrine prostitutes"
• 2 Kings 23:7 - "sodomites" replaced with "shrine prostitutes"
• Matthew 17:21 - entire verse omitted
• Matthew 18:11 - entire verse omitted
• Matthew 19:9 - half of the verse is omitted
• Matthew 23:14 - entire verse omitted
• Mark 6:11 - half of the verse is omitted
• Mark 7:16 - entire verse omitted
• Mark 9:44, 46 - entire verses omitted
• Mark 11:26 - entire verse omitted
• Mark 15:28 - entire verse omitted
• Mark 16:9-20 - entire passage is questioned by a footnote that says, "The most reliable early manuscripts conclude the Gospel of Mark at verse 8"
• Luke 4:8 - "get thee behind me Satan" is omitted
• Luke 17:36 - entire verse omitted
• Luke 23:17 - entire verse omitted
• John 1:10 - says God created everything "through" Jesus instead of "by" Jesus as the KJB teaches
• John 1:41 - The NLT leaves out the phrase, "Which is by interpretation, a stone."  Hence, the critical distinction between Peter as "the stone" (Petros), and Jesus as "The Rock" (Petra) is obscured.  This was no doubt deliberate to pleases Catholics who falsely teach that Peter is the rock upon which the church is built.  The Bible states in no uncertain terms, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1st Corinthians 3:11).
• John 3:16 - the all important word "begotten" is omitted, thus denying the deity of Christ
• John 3:13 - "which is in heaven" is omitted John 5:4 - entire verse omitted
• John 7:53 - 8:11 -- entire passage is questioned in a note which says, "The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53 - 8:11"
• Acts 8:37 - entire verse omitted
• Acts 12:4 - changes "Easter" to the incorrect "Passover" (See Numbers 28:16,17 and Acts 12:2 in the KJB)
• Acts 17:29 - completely removes the "Godhead"
• Acts 28:29 - entire verse omitted
• Romans 1:20 - completely removes the "Godhead"
• Romans 16:24 - entire verse omitted
• Philippians 2:6 -removes the word "equal," thus denying Christ's deity
• Colossians 1:16 - says God created everything "through" Jesus instead of "by" Jesus as the KJB teaches
• Colossians 2:9 - completely removes the "Godhead"
• 1 Timothy 3:16 - "God" is omitted, says "Christ appeared in the flesh, thus denying the deity of Christ
• 1 Timothy 6:5 - "from such withdraw thyself" is omitted
• Hebrews 1:3 - the all-important words "by himself" are omitted
• 1 Peter 4:1 - "for us" is omitted
• 1 Peter 4:14 - half of the verse is omitted
• 1 John 3:16 -completely removes "the love of God"
• 1 John 4:3 - the all-important words "Christ is come in the flesh" are omitted 1 John 5:7-8 -- Trinitarian clause omitted
• 1 John 5:7 - half of the verse is omitted, thus denying the Godhead
• 1 John 5:13 - half of the verse is omitted
• Revelation 1:11 - first half of the verse is omitted
• Revelation 5:14 - "him that liveth forever and ever" is omitted {5} 

ANY distortion of God's holy Word is a very serious matter:
Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:29-32, Proverbs 30:5-6; Revelation 22:18-19

There is nothing new about Satan's mission to distort the Word of God. (Genesis 3:1; Matthew 4:1-11). When there are good translations out there, we should be asking why TLC choose to use this perverted version?

I have listed a number of red flags associated with TLC previously, the most bizarre being the open display of 666 at their Coffee House on London Road.

When you begin to think about it, everything about TLC has all the outward appearance of godliness, but in the cold light of day, reality speaks otherwise!  (2 Corinthians 5:12).

1. https://www.churchofengland.org/about/work-other-christian-churches/council-christian-unity

2. https://watch-unto-prayer.org/macarthur-11-british-druids.html

3. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/374291419032334151/

4. https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2016/10/trinity-life-church-leicester-and-open.htm

5. https://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Bible/NLT/nlt_exposed.htm

Further Links:

https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-continual-stream-of-666-emanating.html
https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2014/01/trinity-life-church-leicester-downhill.html
https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/search/label/Trinity%20Life%20Church%20Leicester
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WUtGN2rdyw&t=3s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq9aivcmy3Q
https://righttolife.org.uk/news/52-years-of-abortion-in-the-uk-9335879-lives-lost-since-1967-one-unborn-baby-every-3-minutes/

TRINITY LIFE CHURCH LEICESTER: FESTERING ECUMENISM AND APOSTASY!

The Second Beast: Revelation 13:11-18

11Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

If you attend a mainstream church, it is highly unlikely that they will give any in depth teaching from the book of Revelation. The above passage refers to the "second beast", i.e. the harbinger of the first beast, the Antichrist. (Revelation 13:1-11). It is probable that the image of the beast is the “abomination that causes desolation” in the rebuilt third Jerusalem temple. (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15). Historically many theologians recognise that the second beast will be a "religious" figure due to his identification as the false prophet. (Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). Many antichrists have already come, but the scriptures are specific that there will be a final figure, the Man of Sin. Paul gives this “man of sin” various names, or descriptors, which could only be applicable to an individual human being. (1 John 2:18). The Roman Catholic Church deceptively teach that both Jesus Christ and the sacraments are necessary for salvation. (2 Corinthians 11:4). This is a denial of the gospel that proclaims Jesus Christ alone as the saviour of the world. (Proverbs 30:6; Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18). Indeed the RCC do have a form of godliness, but they deny the power of the true gospel. (2 Timothy 3:5). It is critical to recognise that the ecumenical movement being promoted by the RCC is a deceptive shift from the true gospel of Jesus Christ to the false gospel of the coming Antichrist, the coming one world religion and the New World Order. The word "antichrist", from anti and christos, is either one who puts himself in the place of, or is the enemy (opponent) of the Messiah. In fact both these definitions apply to the Antichrist.

Trinity Life Church Leicester

TLC: "We love God, love people and are passionate about Jesus, discipleship, compassion, mission and you." {1} TLC claims to be "all about Jesus", but are they really? They further claim that "the Bible is the Word of God." {2}  

The above statements show TLC to be utter hypocrites. Anyone making such serious professions of faith should shun ALL connection with the ecumenical movement, and yet there are a number of instances where TLC have knowingly partnered with this wicked movement. (2 Corinthians 6:14).

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?" (Luke 6:46).

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.." (John 14:15).

A Tree and Its Fruit
15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

I Never Knew You
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’.’ (Matthew 7:15-23).

Just as many Jewish leaders were not prepared for Jesus' first coming and put obstacles in the way of true faith, many within organised Christendom will not be prepared for His second coming. (Luke 18:8).

TLC is spreading like a cancer throughout Leicestershire via its unbiblical of expansion of satellite churches. (2 Timothy 2:17). They presently have seven campuses; the latest addition, launching in September, will be TLC Birstall. {3} There is no example of a multisite church in the New Testament. The clear scriptural model is that of Paul and Barnabus, whose practice was to plant new churches, to appoint leaders with prayer and fasting, and to release them into the care of the Lord: And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:23 cf. 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:5).

Open Hands Trust

The latest example of TLC's descent into ungodliness can be found at their infamous 6 Degrees Coffee House which is the enterprise of the Open Hands Trust. I have written about this subject previously. {4} The Open Hands Trust was established in 2006 by Trinity Life Church. 

Open Hands: "..with a heart to help those most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society, welcoming any in need through the doors of our Compassion Centre and inspiring hope for the future.

Our strap line ‘Compassion in Action’ expresses our belief in being active at all times with compassion, offering hope in every situation through providing food, clothing, furniture, skills training, mentoring, advice and a listening ear. The charity runs the majority of its services out of its Compassion Centre in Highfields (Leicester), which receives over 200 visits each week, but also runs an OFSTED approved preschool in two areas of the city and a thriving and profitable subsidiary company, ‘6 Degrees Coffee House’, in order to support the charity’s good work." {5}

We should bear in mind that the Antichrist will be a great philanthropist. (John 12:4-5). There is of course only one hope for the future. (Ephesians 4:4). Open Hands do not offer the gospel alongside their various charitable works. In fact by their own actions, Open Hands effectively bound the gospel in 2013, due to the contract they entered into with their sponsors, the Big Lottery Fund. (2 Timothy 2:9; 1 Corinthians 9:16). The Big Lottery Fund regulations state: "Crucially, the activities undertaken with lottery money cannot promote religion or belief." {6} I have addressed the ethical implications of TLC's lottery funding in a previous post. {7}

Among the active directors of the Open Hands Trust are David and Susan Hind, the senior leaders of TLC, Brian Niblock, former pastor and now an elder at TLC, and Colin Jewitt, who is a Director of both TLC and Open Hands. {8}

Open Hands partners: Trinity Life Church Leicester, Knighton Free Church, St Wilfrid's Church Kibworth (CofE), New Life Church Fleckney, Leicester Jesus Centre (formerly Jesus Army), KingsGate Community Church Leicester, Living Rock (Midlands), St Christopher's Church Leicester (CofE), Abundant Pentecostal Church Leicester, Avenue Road Community Church Glen Parva and The Oak Centre Braunstone.

I do not know where all the above churches stand regarding their relationship with Jesus Christ and I cannot comment on all of them. However I can speak about what I do know.

• The Church of England is openly and rabidly ecumenical. TLC's ecumenical links clearly continue to fester!
• I attended Knighton Free Church (KFC) for a very brief period of time a few years ago as a last ditch attempt to find true biblical fellowship in an organised church. However, it quickly became apparent that KFC had links with the CofE.. as demonstrated by their occasional guest speakers from St Mary's Church Knighton participation in their services. During my brief time at KFC, their minister, Andrew Upton, introduced the aberrant teachings of Bill Hybels, the now disgraced megachurch pastor, {9} and one of the ignominious signatories of the interfaith response to "A Common Word Between Us and You" (2007). I sent Andrew Upton ten pages of information about this Islamic/Christian document as he appeared to know nothing at all about it! {10} To seal KFC's fate as far as my involvement was concerned, the leader of the home group I attended denied the existence of eternal punishment. I did mention to him that if you deny eternal punishment, then you must also deny eternal salvation, since the same word, αἰώνιος, applies to both situations. (Matthew 25:46). During a very distressing meeting with Andrew Upton and his assistant, they decided that I had the problem! After they recommended the teachings of Calvinist heretic John Piper, it soon became clear to me that it would be sheer madness to remain! (Ephesians 5:11; 2 John 1:9-11). I now strongly suspect that KFC is a Calvinist church.
• Leicester Jesus Centre is the abusive cult formerly known as Jesus Army which has been in the media of late.
• The Oak Centre is the Braunstone branch of TLC.

TLC's idolatry of the Royal Family is completely out of sync with the scriptures! 6 Degrees Coffee House recently celebrated the Royal Wedding. I have nothing personal against Meghan Markle or the Royal Family, but they do not follow biblical Christianity. In God's eyes we are all sinners and I do hope and pray that they will repent and be saved. (Romans 3:23-24). Meghan Markle divorced her first husband, Trevor Engelson, in 2013, on the grounds of irretrievable breakdown. TLC's celebration of this wedding is a significant departure from the biblical principles they have historically defended. In biblical terms, remarriage is absolutely prohibited except by reason of sexual immorality. (Matthew 5:32; 19:9 1 Corinthians 7:9-10 cf. Malachi 2:16). John the Baptist reproved Herod Antipas for his illicit (adulterous) marriage to his brothers wife. (Mark 6:18; Leviticus 18:16, 20:21). For TLC to support such an event gives their approval to divorce and remarriage and it is a slap in the face to Jesus Christ. (James 4:4). Apart from that, the Royal Family are undeniably entrenched in the occult, their "religion" being more akin to Freemasonry than biblical Christianity. Queen Elizabeth II is the Grand Patroness of Freemasonry. Their obvious connection with the Druids and with various secret societies speaks for itself. {11}

I wrote previously that Open Hands' 6 Degrees Coffee House is completely saturated in the number of the beast, 666. (Revelation 13:18). In fact TLC seem unable to shake off this wicked number to this very day. We might have sighed a sigh of relief that TLC have at last changed the three sixes on the front of their building, but nevertheless they cannot resist putting the third six somewhere or other, or multiples thereof in various forms. In fact the very logo itself comprises of six outer sixes and the yin yang coffee beans! This wicked logo is an abomination and the antithesis of Jesus Christ and the scriptures.

It is a well known fact that Satanists use backwards numbers and letters!

How many multiples of 666 are there above?

The fallacy of 6 degrees of separation may be the academic equivalent of an urban myth according to scientists.

Harry..  masonic hidden hand signal - devil's horns.

I am reliably informed that if you visit 6 Degrees Coffee House (I do not recommend it), you would not realise that it has anything to do with Christianity at all. When TLC have finished celebrating ecumenism, false prophets and doctrines, trivia, quiz nights, myths, comedy nights, clothes swish and illicit marriages, perhaps they will give a little time to considering the Word of God! (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

Princess Elizabeth's initiation into the Welsh Druids.

{1} http://trinitylifechurch.org.uk/who-we-are/ 

{2} http://trinitylifechurch.org.uk/jesus/
{3} http://trinitylifechurch.org.uk/who-we-are/
{4} https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2017/10/the-continual-stream-of-666-emanating.html
{5} https://www.openhandsleicester.org.uk/who-we-are/
{6} http://www.hrballiance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/9-Big-Lottery-Alice-Grimes.pdf
{7} https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2014/01/trinity-life-church-leicester-going.html
{8} https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05903490/officers
{9} https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/08/us/willow-creek-church-resignations-bill-hybels.html
{10} https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/ELEPHANT-IN-THE-ROOM-WHAT-IS-WRONG-WITH-WILLOW-CREEK-CHURCHBILL-HYBELS
{11} https://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.com/2016/10/trinity-life-church-leicester-and-open.html

UNRAVELLING THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD PRE-TRIB RAPTURE STATEMENT

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The following statement in blue is the report of the Assemblies of God committee to study the rapture of the Church. The report was adopted by the Assemblies of God General Presbytery, August 14, 1979.{1}

I have highlighted many flaws in their statement, and I have stated the scriptural position at the relevant points. The repeated warnings from both Jesus Christ and the apostle Paul that believers should not be deceived in these matters is testimony of the criticality of understanding the timing of the rapture and the second coming, and that we should rightly handle the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15).

AOG: “The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52).”

..waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing (epiphaneia) of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.. (Titus 2:13).

In context, "the blessed hope" in Titus 2:13 is synonymous with "the appearing of the glory". Technically, the rapture (harpazo), should be distinguished from the blessed hope since believers are to be caught up in the clouds prior to that event. (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Titus 2:13 refers to the second coming of Christ in glory i.e. Jesus Christ's epiphany/epiphaneia .. his appearing, manifestation., glorious display... conspicuous appearing.(2) Epiphaneia appears six times in the New Testament, and each time it refers to the visible appearance of Christ in glory at his second coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:8; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8). 

AOG: Jesus taught that He will return to earth. He was careful to warn His disciples to be constantly prepared for this (Matthew 24:42-51; 25:1-13; Mark 13:37; Luke 12:37).

They understood that the present age will end with His coming (Matthew 24:3). The assurance of His return was one of the truths with which He comforted His followers before His death (John 14:2, 3).
At the time of Christ’s ascension two angels came to the group of watching disciples to repeat the promise that He will return. They declared it would be in the same manner as He went away (Acts 1:11). This clearly means His second coming will be literal, physical, and visible.

The New Testament Epistles refer often to the Second Coming, and the theme of imminence runs through all the passages of Scripture dealing with this subject.

*Imminence is the doctrine that no specific events must take place before the rapture can occur aka any moment rapture. This is a false doctrine. Paul explicitly places the rapture (gathering together) after the rebellion (apostasia) and the manifestation of the man of lawlessness i.e. the Antichrist:

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3 ),

Further examples in the scriptures defy imminence, e.g. John 21:17-19;2 Peter 1:12-15; Acts 23:10-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9; Luke 21:24.

AOG: Though there would be a period of time between the first and second comings (Luke 19:11), the whole body of teaching concerning the return of the Lord emphasizes that it will happen suddenly without warning; that believers should be in a state of continual readiness (Philippians 4:5; Hebrews 10:37; James 5:8, 9; Revelation 22:10). 

Philippians 4:5: Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
The Lord is at hand or near i.e. the Lord is omnipresent. In context with the passage, the Lord sees and observes the conduct of his people.

Hebrews 10:37: For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;
Paul utilises the OT prophets:
Isaiah 26:20: He that cometh will come and will not tarry.
Habakkuk 2:3: For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

(1) the certainty, notwithstanding delay, of the fulfillment of the Divine promise;
(2) the necessity meanwhile of continuance in faith and perseverance..{3}

James 5:8-9: You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

James 5:8 ..the coming of the Lord is at hand..

The context of James 5:7-9 is The Parousia! The Parousia is the particular term used for the epiphany i.e. the second coming of Christ at the end of the age.{4} Since the pre-trib view dislocates the rapture from the Parousia by a period of seven years, the AOG argument is nonsensical. The AOG would have to place the rapture and the Parousia synonymously if they want to use this verse as a proof text, but this then destroys pretribulationism. They cannot have it both ways! See also 1 Peter 4:7: The end of all things is at hand. cf. Matthew 4:17). The specific context of James 5:7-9 is the analogy of the natural progression following the early and late rains leading to fruit (Parousia). (James 5:7). This reflects Jesus teaching in the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. In other words, certain things must happen before the Lord returns. The Greek word eggizó = near/at hand never means imminent, it means to come near or to approach, as also in Matthew 24:32.{5} 

..behold, the Judge is standing at the door. ..before a door (thera) is the literal translation..  thera does not preclude events before Jesus return. Compare Matthew 24:32: So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. (at the door). Revelation 3:20: Behold, I stand at the door and knock.

Revelation 22:10: And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.

The same argument applies to "near" (eggus). Revelation 22:12: "I am coming soon"..  as the judge.

Believers in the early days of the Church lived in this state of expectancy (1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10). Paul’s “we” in 1 Corinthians 15:51 and 1Thessalonians 4:17 shows that he maintained the hope he would be alive when Jesus comes back.

Expectancy is not imminence. It is possible for the Parousia to occur in any given generation when the circumstances of Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2 allow. Early believers, including Paul, appear to have expected Jesus' return during their own lifetime, and yet other scriptures indicate something else.

The Thessalonian church expressed confusion about the timing of the Parousia/rapture. Paul explained to them that both these events would not happen until the Antichrist was revealed (2 Thessalonians 1-3). Since the Antichrist has not yet been revealed, the return of Christ and the rapture cannot be imminent.

2 Peter specifically warns about scoffers in the last days who will question the slowness of Jesus' coming: But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:1-13).

 
A comparison of passages of Scripture relating to the Second Coming shows that some speak of a visible event seen by all mankind and involving the judgment of sinners. Others describe a coming known only to believers and resulting in their deliverance from earth.

The latter is referred to among evangelicals as the Rapture. This word is not in the English Bible, but has been used so widely that one of the definitions of “rapture” in Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged is: “Christ’s raising up of His true church and its members to a realm above the earth where the whole company will enjoy celestial bliss with its Lord.” The word raptured could well be used to translate the expression “caught up” of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Jesus said His coming will result in one individual being taken from a location while another is left. This indicates a sudden removal of believers from the earth with unbelievers left to face tribulation (Matthew 24:36-42).

Jesus spoke of His return as a time when the nations of the earth shall mourn as they see Him (Matthew 24:30). The apostle Paul spoke of the Lord’s return as a time of judgment and wrath upon the wicked (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).

Matthew 24:36-42 does not concern the tribulation, it follows it! These verses speak of the second coming of Christ to the earth (Parousia). Matthew 24 moves chronologically through the events leading up to the second coming of Christ. The "elect" are "gathered together" (episunagó) by the angels at the end of the age! 

Matthew 24:29:“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.. 
cf. Revelation 6:12-17; 8:6-13.

Matthew 24:36: But concerning that day and hour no one knows..

AOG: In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, he considered a different aspect of the Second Coming. This brief passage is the most direct and clear teaching on the Rapture in the New Testament. It speaks only of believers, living and dead. Nothing is said about the wicked seeing Christ at this time. Paul described Jesus as coming in the air, but nothing is said about His feet touching the earth, as we are told elsewhere they will at His return (Zechariah 14:4). It is the moment when 1 John 3:2 will be fulfilled, and we shall be like Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18: But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming (Parousia) of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

This passage concerns those who are alive, who are left until the coming (Parousia)
of the Lord. One must completely disregard Matthew 24 in order to fit parousia into a pre-trib rapture!

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming (parousia) and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3). See also Matthew 24:27, 37, 39.

AOG: The same Greek word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 for “caught up” is used in Acts 8:39 to describe Philip’s being “caught away” after baptizing the Ethiopian. The latter verse states that the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away—identifying the source of the power that will remove believers from earth at the Rapture.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Paul called the Rapture “our gathering together unto him.” The Greek word for “gathering” is the same as the one used for “assembling” in Hebrews 10:25, referring to the assembling of Christians for worship. It is a picture of the saints congregating around Christ at His coming for them.

The supernatural removal of godly individuals from earth is not unknown in Scripture. The outstanding event in the life of Enoch was his miraculous disappearance from earth after years of walking with God (Genesis 5:21-24). The author of Hebrews called this experience a translation, bypassing death (Hebrews 11:5).

Although some aspects of Elijah’s translation differed from Enoch’s, it also involved the sudden removal of a believer from the world without experiencing death (2 Kings 2:1-13).

First Corinthians 15:51-54 deals with the same event as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Here also Paul spoke of the changes that will take place in both living and dead believers at the Rapture. He called this a mystery (1 Corinthians 15:51), a truth previously unrevealed but made known to him by the Holy Spirit.

In Philippians 3:21 Paul connected the Lord’s coming to the time when “our vile body” will be changed—another reference to the Rapture.

Passages which pertain to the Rapture describe the coming of the Lord for His people. Passages which refer to the revelation of Christ describe the coming of the Lord with His saints. Colossians 3:4 speaks of believers appearing with Christ at His coming. Jude 14 also foresees the Lord’s return with His people to execute the judgment referred to in many other passages relating to His public appearing.   

1 Thessalonians 3:13 refers to Jesus' Parousia with all his holy ones (hagios). Revelation 19:14,19: ..it granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Scripturally the rapture does occur prior to the Parousia in order for the saints to return with Christ. However, the claim that the last trumpet of 1 Corinthians 51:51-54 is blown before the great tribulation is insupportable!

AOG: Since Scripture does not contradict itself, it seems reasonable to conclude that the passages describing Christ’s coming for the saints and with the saints indicate two phases of His coming. We believe it is scripturally correct to assume that the intervening period between the two is the time when the world will experience the Great Tribulation, involving the reign of Antichrist and the outpouring of God’s wrath on the wicked (Daniel 12:1, 2, 10-13; Matthew 24:15-31; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

Although God’s people may endure severe trials before the Lord comes, the Church will be raptured before the period called the Great Tribulation.

In 2 Thessalonians 2 Paul indicated certain things must take place before the Day of the Lord (of which the Great Tribulation is a part) can begin. An individual called the man of sin (Antichrist) will appear. The mystery of iniquity has been at work since Paul’s time but is being restrained by the power of the Spirit working through the true Church. Only when the Church is removed from earth by the Rapture can this man come forward publicly.

The Day of the Lord is distinguished from the Great Tribulation both by Jesus Christ and Paul. I refer again to Matthew 24:29 immediately after the tribulation of those days..   

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4).

Paul explicitly places the Parousia and the rapture together above. The great tribulation does not occur before the man of lawlessness takes his seat in the third temple at the mid point of the 70th week of Daniel. That day.. i.e. the day of the Lord and the rapture both follow the great tribulation. Paul warns about the possibility of believers being deceived about this subject. (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

AOG: In 1 Thessalonians 5, following the passage on the Rapture in chapter 4, Paul taught about the Day of the Lord. He warned of the destruction it will bring to the wicked (vv. 2, 3). He was quick to assure Christians that those who abide in Christ will not be overtaken by it (v. 4).

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (2 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

The above passage is a further warning from Paul that believers should not be ignorant about eschatological events. Paul clearly places believers as being alive at the Parousia.

AOG: Still speaking of the Day of the Lord Paul wrote: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 9). It seems clear that he meant the deliverance of believers from the judgments of the Day of the Lord, including the Great Tribulation.

The scriptures clearly distinguish wrath (orge) from tribulation (thlipsis). The persecution of the Antichrist is not the wrath of God. As explained above, the Great Tribulation it is not the Day of the Lord.

AOG: Christians are told repeatedly in the New Testament to be watchful for the Lord’s appearing. Never are they taught to watch for the Great Tribulation or the appearance of Antichrist. To expect that such things must happen before the Rapture destroys the teaching of imminence with which the New Testament is replete.

Believers are told to wait “for his Son from heaven,” not the Great Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 1:10). When the signs of the end of the age are evident, they are to look up and lift up their heads in expectation of their redemption, not the Great Tribulation (Luke 21:28).

The Day of the Lord will come unexpectedly like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). However it will come as no surprise to believers, precisely because they will recognise the signs preceding it: But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. (1 Thessalonians 5:4). This is an illogical statement if pre-trib is correct. Why would believers "not be surprised" if they are not here? This verse directly follows Paul's statement that believers will be alive at the Parousia. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Jesus Christ and Paul went to great lengths to explain the specific signs in detail.. we ignore them at our peril if we are to avoid the tragic consequences of false hope. (Matthew 24:10; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:14).

The signs of the Lord’s coming will be fulfilled before His public appearing, but they do not have to be fulfilled before the Rapture. Any teaching that certain events must transpire before the Rapture is out of harmony with the doctrine of imminence.*

It is consistent with God’s dealings with His people in the Old Testament to believe that the Church will be removed from the world before the Great Tribulation. God did not send the Flood until Noah and his family were safe in the ark. He did not destroy Sodom until Lot was taken out.
The weight of Scripture supports a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Wherever teaching about the Second Coming occurs in the New Testament, imminence is underscored. To interpose other events before the Rapture does violence to such teaching.

The events of Sodom and Gomorrah was the wrath of God being poured out upon the ungodly.. it was not tribulation. Similarly Noah and his family were preserved through the flood, God's judgement upon the ungodly.. again this was not tribulation.

While Christians are looking forward to the coming of the Lord, it is well to remind themselves of Paul’s words to Titus: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:11-14).
https://ag.org/Beliefs/Topics-Index/The-Rapture-of-the-Church

In conclusion, the AOG  statement consistently and incorrectly identifies "the blessed hope" as the rapture. However, the scriptures identify the blessed hope as the Parousia or the Epiphany, and the rapture as gathering together (episuningage)/caught up (harpazo). Scripturally the Parousia and the rapture are synonymous, or almost synonymous events, and so the AOG argument simply falls apart.

{1} https://bible.org/seriespage/15-second-coming-christ-and-millennial-kingdom
{2} http://biblehub.com/greek/2015.htm  
{3} http://biblehub.com/hebrews/10-37.htm
{4} https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Parousia
{5} http://biblehub.com/greek/1448.htm