JOHN MACARTHUR: FALSE TEACHER ENEMY OF JESUS CHRIST

MARK OF THE BEAST!!!

John MacArthur is a very well known heavyweight Bible teacher (supposedly) of many years. A statement made by him during a Q&A session in 1980 has recently come to light; he actually stated that you will still be able to be redeemed if you take the mark of the beast! MacArthur still has the recording and transcript on his website and maintains this position. http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/1301-I/

MacArthur puts such little importance on the shock-horror reaction to such a dangerous statement that he has not even bothered to respond to the criticisms personally. His spokesman Phil Johnson has responded however:

“Revelation 19:20 indicates that multitudes will take the mark of the Beast because they are deceived. Scripture does not say that they are thereby automatically hardened forever against repentance. That is not the point of the strong warnings.” http://mykingdomtube.com/index.php?topic=2539.0

The above response is completely irresponsible. The scripture is crystal clear - the Book of Revelation gives us an unequivocal answer:

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshippers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.” (Revelation 14/9-11)

And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 19/20 – 20/4)

The double qualifier in the above passages is that people receive the mark and they worship the beast or its image. These two things are synonymous:

It (the false prophet/second beast) 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. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and 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. And 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. Also 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, so 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. (Revelation 13/12-17)

The only part of Phil Johnson's response which is correct is that multitudes will be deceived (Matthew 24/4-5; Revelation 13/14; 2 Thessalonians 2/9) They are deceived by false signs and wonders performed by the false prophet (Revelation 19/20).  However, this delusion is sent by God for the very reason that they might be damned:

And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).

There is no room for any doubt whatsoever that those who worship the beast or its image and take the mark will be thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the millennium to suffer eternal torment. On this basis we must reject John MacArthur as a competent Bible teacher. Anyone teaching that it is forgivable to take the mark of the beast has completely lost all credibility. This is so very critical since we cannot play Russian roulette with God's Word or try to rationalise what is unequivocal. Some believing that MacArthur and his ilk are competent Bible teachers may actually take the mark thinking that they will be able to repent.

PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE?

MacArthur is also a pre-tribulationist: “the imminent pre-tribulation rapture is not stated, but is between the lines of the verses.”

The pre-tribulation theory originated in 1830 with dispensational cult leader John Nelson Darby who was a Freemason and an occultist.  There is speculation that Darby may have plagiarised the theory from a heretical group of people called the Irvingites.  In any event, the pre-tribulation rapture theory was unknown in the church prior to 1830.

The timing of the rapture is an extremely complex subject. Below are just some points to consider which make the pre-tribulation theory problematic.

Imminency?

Is the rapture imminent (meaning that it could occur at any moment) as MacArthur states? The pre-tribulation theory is the only view that allows for the immanency of the rapture. Other theories allow for an approximate estimation of where the rapture fits into end time events, in other words other things will precede it. If other things precede the rapture then it is not imminent by definition.

The early believers did not expect the imminent rapture of the church, they expected things to precede it. e.g. Paul said he must go to Rome - Acts 23/11; Peter would die when he was old (John 21/18).

The Last Trumpet

…..in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15/52 [Isaiah 27/13]) The last trumpet is sounded by the seventh angel towards the end of the tribulation period. (Revelation 11/15-19) A pre-tribulation view necessitates that the last trumpet in 1 Corinthians 15/52 is different from the last trumpet in Revelation 11/15.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

The marriage supper of the Lamb occurs in Revelation 19/7-9 towards the end of the tribulation period not prior to it as the pre-tribulation view necessitates.

The Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord or The Day of His Wrath is not the Tribulation Period.

The pre-tribulation view maintains that God has not destined the church for wrath (1 Thessalonians 5/9). However the Bible does not support the view that the tribulation is The Day of the Lord or the Day of His Wrath as this view necessitates. In various passages of scripture, The Day of the Lord is the wrath of God poured out on the ungodly, i.e. unbelievers, and it is preceded by various cosmic signs:

• Isaiah 13/6-11 - The Day of the Lord comes to destroy sinners; to punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. (verse 10)
• Joel 3/12-15 - The Day of the Lord is near – to judge wickedness of the nations. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. (verse 15)
• Joel 2/31 -The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.
• Malachi 4/5 - “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.” If Elijah is one of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 (as is generally agreed), he appears during the last half of the tribulation which precedes the Day of the Lord as above.
• Matthew 24/29-30 – Jesus Christ places the cosmic events which accompany the Day of the Lord after the tribulation. He describes the rapture of the elect after these cosmic events, prior to the Day of the Lord when the nations will be judged.  

the sun will be darkened,and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.....

• Revelation 3/10 - Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. The phrase, τηρεῖν ἐκ occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in John 17/1, when Jesus prays for his disciples: “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”  This suggests that Revelation 3/10 is protection during the hour of trial (tribulation), not escape from it. The Greek τηρέω (tereo) means to watch over, to guard (Strongs No. 5083). We cannot twist this word to mean what we want it to mean.

Tribulation/persecution is not the wrath of God according to the Bible:

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5/10-13)

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him (rapture), 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 (the King James Version says by any means). 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 the apostle was very concerned that believers would be deceived in this very area.

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24/36)

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25/13)

Who or What is Restraining the Man of Lawlessness?

The assumption made by the pre-tribulationists is that the restrainer preventing the Antichrist from appearing is the church. In their view once the church is removed at the rapture, the Anitchrist will appear and the tribulation will begin. However once again scripture is not specific about who or what the restrainer is. The Thessalonian church knew what the restrainer was because Paul had told them:

Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. (2 Thessalonians 2/5-6).

It does seem odd that Paul should refer to the restrainer in this way if it was the church. Paul refers to the restrainers identity as something they knew about, but would he have said this if it was themselves i.e. the church?

Many have taught that the restrainer is the Roman Empire, some say it is the Papacy, some say that it is the Holy Spirit, some say that it is Michael the Archangel etc. The fact is that we cannot say with any degree of confidence who or what the restrainer is!

PRETRIBULATIONISM IS A THEORY

Lets remember that pretribulationism is a theory and nothing more than that, particularly in light of conflicting Bible passages. MacArthur and others teach the pre-tribulation rapture theory presumptuously. The consequences of this lethal doctrine will be dire for those Christians who do not expect to enter the tribulation; they will be unprepared for persecution; they will be thrown into confusion and they will be at great risk of abandoning their faith.

Pretribulationism is not taught in the Bible and furthermore the early church fathers did not believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. http://www.city-data.com/forum/christianity/575824-what-did-early-church-fathers-say.html

CESSATIONISM

MacArthur is also a cessationist (the gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased with the apostles). Yet again, we have MacArthur making assumptions which are not stated in the Word of God. Where is his Biblical evidence for this? Paul actually encouraged Christians to earnestly seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit:

And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. (1 Corinthians 12/29-31)

CONCLUSION

• In respect of cessationism, John MacArthur's false assumptions are contrary to the Word of God and serve to defraud the body of Christ of precious gifts that God clearly encourages Christians to covet for the purpose of edification.

• Regarding the pre-tribulation rapture, this teaching sets Christians up for a fall from which they may not recover!

• MacArthur's grand finale concerning acceptance of the mark of the beast is unspeakably dangerous, having untold consequences, both for believers and unbelievers. How many will be eternally lost because of this man's teaching? MacArthur has actually set people up for eternal damnation – the very antithesis of what the Christian message is all about!

This man is an enemy of Christ – and he is all the more dangerous because he has the façade of orthodoxy. I really do wonder how MacArthur dares to promote such teachings without one jot of evidence from the Bible and also in contradiction to the book of Revelation concerning the mark of the beast. What a judgement this man will face for leading people astray in such a wicked way! The book of Revelation carries with it a terrible warning for those who would change it:

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 22/18-9)

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. (James 3/1)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ49HixVZmc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wo734i5HLI
http://www.thewatchmanwakes.com/John-Macarthur-salary-GCC-corporation-Larry-King.html

WELSH OUTPOURING VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN: RICHARD TAYLOR'S SICKENING CONNECTION WITH TBN APOSTATES

After the glaring exposure that has been given to the Welsh Outpouring, it is hard to see why anyone with even a modicum of common sense would possibly want to remain at Victory Church in Cwmbran, South Wales.

CONCERNS ABOUT VICTORY CHURCH IN CWMBRAN 

• Victory Church is a member of the ecumenical Churches Together in Wales (Cytûn) which includes the apostate Roman Catholic Church and World Council of Churches member churches.
• Taylor's doctrine is unbiblical; he says that unbelievers receive the Holy Spirit prior to hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10/14)
• Taylor receives very questionable direct words from the Lord.
• The two main leaders at Victory Church; Richard Taylor and Andrew Parsons have affluent lifestyles and are not transparent about their finances.
• Victory Church have hosted false teachers Tommy Tenney, Roy Fields, John Glass, Lou Engle and Nathan Morris.
• Taylor's known influences are Reinhart Bonnke, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Ed Stetzer, Mark Driscoll, Tommy Tenney and John Glass.
• Taylor has upset local residents by holding nightly “outpouring” meetings without planning permission. (1 Timothy 3/7)
• Victory Church is operating illegally as they only have planning permission for one assembly meeting a week. (Romans 13/1-7)
• There are reports that the residents of Victory Outreach UK are coerced into attending all the“outpouring” meetings and are suffering from abusive treatment. http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/richard-taylor-andrew-parsons-self.html#comment-form
• There are concerns from the medical profession about the alleged “healings” at Victory Church, none of which can be medically verified. http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2013-08-15/cwmbran-church-under-scrutiny-over-miracle-healings/)
• Taylor and other leaders of VC insist that they are addressed as “Pastor” as a prefix to their names. Insistence on a title is worldly and unbiblical. The role always comes after the name biblically.
• Taylor and Parsons titles and qualifications are suspect. http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/call-no-man-your-father-matthew-239_9.html
• Bethania Chapel in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil was acquired by Victory Church under very dubious circumstances. http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-welsh-outpouring-open-letter-to.html
• Taylor is quite happy to use the Druidic red dragon symbol on his twitter page and Wales For Christ promotion. This symbol is Satanic. (Revelation 12/3)
• The pretentious exclusivism of Hope For Justice Charity Black and White Ball Fundraiser. http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/victory-church-cwmbran-elitist-hope-for.html

RICHARD TAYLOR'S TBN APPEARANCE 31^st OCTOBER 2013

Would a true minister of the Lord be proud to appear on the godless Word-Faith TBN channel?

TBN is a major promoter of heresy under the guise of Christianity. Paul and Jan Crouch, founders of TBN, have been associated with scandal after scandal for many years. Their tarnished reputation hardly bears thinking about. Apart from subscribing to the Word-faith prosperity doctrine, the “little gods”  heresy (explained on the link below) and numerous other heretical teachings, the financial dealings of TBN are shocking even by worldly standards.

The nepotism of the Crouches is legendary – their own family members control the boards of all TBN entities which makes them ineligible for membership of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, an evangelical self-regulating group. In 2012, the Daily Mail reported that Paul and Jan Crouch were accused of misappropriating TBN's “charitable assets”  toward a $50 million jet, 13 mansions and a $100,000-mobile home for Jan Crouch's dogs! Paul and Jan Crouch have separate mansions

in a gated community on Newport Beach. Paul Crouch's 

executive salary as president of TBN is $400,000 and Jan Crouch's

salary is $365,000.

TBN has absolutely no transparency about finances and no accountability. Wall Watchers (an organization that monitors the financial transparency of church ministries) gives TBN an 'F' for financial transparency and keeps them on its list of the 30 worst ministries (if the term “ministry” is even applicable). The latest scandal is that the Crouches own granddaughter Brittany Koper claims that she was fired by TBN after she reported “illegal financial schemes” - this case is currently pending.

Are the Crouches and TBN's money preachers Richard Taylor's role model? TBN is nothing more than a racket which has turned the temple of God into merchandise (Matthew 21/12; Mark 11/15;Luke 19/45; John 2/13). What Taylor and TBN do have in common is their false gospel, their secrecy about financial matters, their lack of accountability, their fake image and their dubious dealings.

Here is just a tiny sample of the sickening array of false prosperity 

teachers that appear on TBN:

• Proven False prophet Benny Hinn predicted that all the homosexuals in America would die by fire in the late 1990's. Hinn predicted that Jesus Christ would appear visibly on stage during his 2002 crusade in South America. Hinn is notorious for his false teaching that there are nine persons in the godhead and also the “little gods”  heresy. He doesn't take very kindly to criticism either! “I place a curse upon every man and every woman that will stretch his hand against this
  
  anointing. ..... I curse that man who dares to speak a word against this ministry.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-A51ltVq7I Perhaps Hinn should take note of what the Bible says about false teachers: But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1/8)
• Kenneth Copeland teaches that Jesus became a demonic being when he was crucified and had to go to hell and be born again. He teaches that Adam was an exact duplicate of God and he also teaches the “little gods” heresy. He says that Jesus Christ was not God during his earthly life.
• Another false teacher who love titles is “Bishop TD Jakes”. Jakes denies the triune nature of God and supports the Oneness heresy i.e. one god having three manifestations, modes or roles (this heresy was originally taught by Sabellius and is known as Modalism).
• Creflo Dollar whose surname is applicable to his false ministry is another “little gods” heresy teacher who says that Jesus Christ was not God during his earthly life. “Jesus didn't come as God, he came as a man, and he did not come perfect.”
• Paul Crouch has publicly stated that anyone who tests the teaching of any ministers on his programs will go straight to hell!

And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds."  (Jeremiah 14/14)

JOEL OSTEEN'S PROMOTION OF VICTORY CHURCH

Is being promoted by Word-faith self esteem “preacher” Joel Osteen something that a true man of God would covet?

Osteen is a so called “preacher” who does not preach about sin, condemnation and judgement. He is a man who has denied that Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life (John 14/6). Osteen says that there are “Many paths to Jesus”  in other words he promotes a false Christ. Osteen: “.......explaining the scriptures is not my gift.” !!!! Joel Osteen's ministry as a “preacher”  is an oxymoron if it is not his gift to explain the scriptures!   One might ask why he is even in this ministry if it is not his gift. Osteen studiously avoids causing offence to anyone, but the cross of Jesus Christ is an offence (Galatians 5/11). Paul the apostle: If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1/10) It is disgusting to watch Osteen procrastinate about the gospel of Jesus Christ in his interview with Larry King. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihnGEV-q1gw  Joel Osteen's personal net worth is $40 million!

“It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Matthew 21/13; Jeremiah 7/11)

The Bible tells us that in the end times many people actually want to be deceived rather than believe the truth. They actually hate the real Jesus Christ of the Bible; ultimately and chillingly, God gives them over to the lie:

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2/9-11)

Left - The Rothschilds Arms, Centre - TBN'S crest, Right - The British Royal Family's Crest

 Ordo Templi Orientis

Knights of Columbus Freemasonic Emblem

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues....."  (Revelation 18/4)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119493/Private-jets-13-mansions-100-000-mobile-home-just-dogs-Televangelists-defrauded-tens-million-dollars-Christian-network.html#ixzz2kFk9sSh0
https://twitter.com/swifttaylor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Crouch

http://www.escapetochrist.org/false.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weEWl52wevI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQe_EUnc7kc

http://eliora.hubpages.com/hub/THE-LITTLE-GODS-HERESY-OF-FALSE-BIBLE-TEACHERS

VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN ELITIST HOPE FOR JUSTICE CHARITY BLACK AND WHITE BALL

VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN SWANKY BLACK AND WHITE BALL AT £30 A TICKET IS AN INSULT TO POOR COMMUNITY

 

Is a black and white ball something that most members of Victory Church can relate to or participate in, or does it re-emphasise the elitist “them and us”, the “haves and have nots” situation which exists at Victory Church in Cwmbran? A black and white ball is no doubt quite alien to the many unemployed people that Taylor professes attend his church, the vulnerable VO UK residents and to most of the poverty stricken population of South Wales. The pretentious image that Taylor and Parsons portray to the world is far from inclusive, and like so many other things at Victory Church, completely fake as previously reported:

 
None of the alleged miracle “healings” at Victory Church can be medically verified.
 http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2013-08-15/cwmbran-church-under-scrutiny-over-miracle-healings/)

Taylor and Parsons titles and qualifications are suspect: Rev. Richard Taylor Dip Th, HNC bus management; Pastor Andrew Parsons BA(Hon)Th, Dip AdCM, DipPCB, DipPCEd, CG Cert Ed.

http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/call-no-man-your-father-matthew-239_9.html

The equality of all believers should be a high priority of the true church. A model that flaunts the prosperity and position of the privileged few puts a wedge between rich and poor under the guise of a supposedly good cause. This is completely unacceptable. There are no second class citizens in the kingdom of God. Any so called “church”  that makes people feel like second class citizens should be avoided like the plague.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10/27)

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonoured the poor man. (James 2/1-6)

But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? (John 3/17)

And he (John the Baptist) answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” (Luke 3/11)

HOPE FOR JUSTICE

Hope For Justice are a so called “Christian” organisation involved with ecumenism, having links with “social gospel church” Willow Creek and the apostate Assemblies of God. Ben Cooley CEO of Hope for Justice has shared a platform with proven AOG false prophet Phil Pringle. Cooley also has the support of the pro-gay, double minded ecumenical Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. https://twitter.com/BenCooley Cooley's tag line seems to be “All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.” a saying attributed to Edmund Burke. A worthy cause is admirable if that is what Cooley is really about; but with a Christ-less social gospel, Hope For Justice is at best little more than a worldly endeavour by do-gooders, and at worst is a deception straight from the pit of hell. The priority of the apostles of Jesus Christ was preaching the gospel: Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9/16) All endeavours to do good follow this priority scripturally. There is not one word of scripture on the Hope For Justice website.

Hope For Justice boasts that since the charity was founded five years ago they have seen over 100 people rescued from human trafficking. This equates to about twenty people a year. In monetary terms, only 5% of the budget of Hope For Justice has effectively helped actual victims of human trafficking. One person saved from human trafficking is inestimable and I am not decrying the plight of these people; but my point is that this amount of money (approximately £600,000 annual budget) and manpower (fourteen employees) has produced tiny results in real terms, apart from their obvious success at marketing and raising money from swanky fund-raising events.

Hope for Justice claims to be “Christian” but publishes no specific details about what exactly they mean by “Christian” on their website. Neither do they publish any details about the salaries of the CEO or other members of staff. The outrageous salaries of CEO's of charitable organisations has been in the news very recently. On the 6^th of August, the Telegraph reported that thirty charity CEO's were enjoying salaries of more than £100,000 a year. http://www.telegraph.co.uk Increasingly people are being warned not to give to charities who are not open about the salaries paid to their CEO's, and Hope For Justice is one such organisation.

Just like their friends at Willow Creek, social justice is high on the Hope For Justice agenda, but the guise of helping the poor and vulnerable is a classic ploy of the enemy at the expense of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The social justice movement are covertly pushing a radical political agenda that supports homosexual marriage and candidates that support abortion very often in the guise of “Christianity”.

In the Bible, only two people are called the “Son of Perdition”, Judas Iscariot and the final Antichrist who is yet to appear. Satan himself actually enters into both these men (Luke 22/3; John 13/27). Judas Iscariot, a major type of the Antichrist, was both a social justice advocate (supposedly) and the money man the Bible describes as a thief.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said,“Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. (John 12/4-6)  See also Zechariah 11/12-13; Matthew 26/15, 27/3-9.

The final Antichrist will perpetuate the greatest deception in history when he claims to be God (2 Thessalonians 2; 3-4). Like Judas Iscariot, he will be very concerned about social justice, but this will be a mask. In reality he will be the enemy of God and all genuine believers in Jesus Christ! Social justice is important of course and the terrible things that happen to victims of human trafficking are appalling, but here is the rub - beware of those promoting social justice in the name of Christianity at the expense of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.....” (Revelation 18/4)

http://eliora.hubpages.com/hub/ELEPHANT-IN-THE-ROOM-WHAT-IS-WRONG-WITH-WILLOW-CREEK-CHURCHBILL-HYBELS

http://www.willowcreekevents.org.uk/tag/hope-for-justice/

http://www.aog.org.uk/Events/q-a.html

http://cdn.hopeforjustice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/HFJ_annualreport2013.pdf

http://www.tvcchurch.org.uk/2013/01/hope-for-justice-abolitionists-tour/

http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/

BRIAN GEMMELL: BEWARE DANGEROUS END TIME TEACHING!

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. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (2 Peter 2:1-3) 

BRIAN GEMMELL: "THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE AND IN PROPHECY."

Brian Gemmell is a well known Bible prophecy teacher in the UK. In recent years he has been teaching an obscure eschatalogical (end time) doctrine which he has called “Order, Order, Order!" that has no biblical foundation.

This false teaching is that Jesus Christ will be with the bride on earth for a period of ten days before the collective “gathering together” in the air (known as the rapture of the church).

This very lethal error is based on an unbalanced obsession with chronology and numerology at the expense of the clear teaching of the Bible. It originated with Paine & Ware in the early part of the last century. Ware made the prediction that the rapture would take place on June 12th 1933. When this failed to happen, he revised his chronology and further speculated that it would take place in 1945 or thereabouts.

The rapture of the church is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Biblically the rapture of the church will happen in an instant, in the blink of an eye:

.....in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)

The Bible does not give any indication that there will be a time lapse of ten days before believers join the dead in Christ. The second coming of Christ occurs after the Day of the Lord when He returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. Christ's second coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16. Jesus Christ will not appear on the earth until after the great tribulation and the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:31) when every eye will see him.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (Revelation 1:7) See also Matthew 24:30. Compare Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26; Mark 14:62; Acts 1:9, Acts 1:11.

Jesus Christ Himself said:

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36)

Jesus Christ also said we should not believe anyone who claims to be the Messiah or anyone who claims to know when He is coming again. The second coming of Jesus will be sudden, unexpected and unmistakable, like lightning flashing across the sky (Mark 13:21-23, 13:32-37; Luke 17:20-37; Matthew 24:23-51).

And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. (Luke 17:22-24; Matthew 24:24,26)

The Bible warns us that false Christs will appear, but that we must not go after them. The danger in Gemmell's teaching is that believers will expect the appearance of Christ on earth prior to the rapture of the church.

When the rapture occurs, the true believers will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, we will not meet him on the earth:

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. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Gemmell also questions the omnipresent nature of Jesus Christ:

“He is forever a man. He has divested himself forever of a particular attribute. He will always have his omnipotence and his omniscience. But his omnipresence he has limited because he is in a body, forever in a body and he will express his presence through this great body, the body of believers.”
http://www.cwm.org.au/2-uncategorised/322-gemmell
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?162513-Jesus-not-omnipresent-says-Brian-Gemmell

We cannot say that Christ has divested himself forever of the attribute of omnipresence - this is a very serious error. Jesus Christ's human nature is not omnipresent, but his divine nature is. It is the one person of Christ who shares both natures (communicatio idiomatum) and it is the one person who is omnipresent.

The link below does show that Gemmell's eschatological view is not based on the Bible but on "the Math".

February 3, 2011 at 10:37am:

"Excellent dear brother. Not much longer to wait now. The night is far spent and the day is at hand. Some watchers in the UK are convinced that the rescue of the Chilean miners was a sign of the coming Resurrection, particularly with the many biblical numbers associated with the event ,not least 33. The Lord Jesus was 33 at the time of His resurrection. A symbolic number of the church at the beginning of her life at Pentecost was 120…the no. in the upper room. Symbolic number at the end of the age when the Bridegroom returns and our “fast” is broken but the “net” is not… John 21 is 153. You do the Math!! In Jesus, Maranatha, Brian Gemmell" 
http://www.pawcreek.org/salty-saints/the-earth-is-reeling-rocking

Gemmell promoted The Restored Vision by A.E. Ware on the 17th of May 2013:

"The Greek word translated 'week' is in its anglicised version  'sabbations' which is itself the Hellenised Hebrew word Sabbaths. Note that this is in the plural, hence weeks. The reference is to the first day of the Feast of Weeks, the 7x7 weeks ( 49 days) between Firstfruits and the 50th day, Pentecost.

Lev 23 outlines the festal calendar and this covers the whole period of the barley and wheat harvest. At Pentecost 2 loaves are waived before the Lord signifying the completion of the harvest and offering the Lord the first finished bread. A fuller teaching is contained in 'The Restored Vision' by A.E. Ware. (Available from me for 8.50 + P&P).”
http://briangemmell.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/excellent-article-here-worth-reading-by.html

Jacob Prasch has recently described the Paine & Ware teaching as - "A false eschatology that is plainly heretical, potentially cultic and ultimately lethal."
http://moriel.org/MorielArchive/index.php/discernment/paine-ware

The home page of the PWMI has a short article warning about the teachings of Paine and Ware as follows:

DATE FIXING: During our 96 years of prophetic witness, formerly as the Advent Testimony Movement and latterly as PWMI, I am pleased to say that we have never fallen into the devil's trap of 'date fixing'. This is a temptation and a ploy of the enemy to discredit those who fall for it. Sadly, over the years we have witnessed many who have succumbed and have been left looking foolish. Only last year (2012) it was US evangelist Harold Camping who was left with 'egg on his face' over this issue.

More recently we have been made aware of the re-emergence of the teachings of A E Ware & F.L Paine who during the early part of last century fell into the same trap. Based on their obsession with chronology and numerology these men also made the mistake of date fixing. Ware made the prediction that the rapture would take place on June 12th 1933, when this failed he revised his chronology and decided it must be about 1945, but of course he was wrong on both counts. It has come to our attention that his booklets have been republished and are being given out freely in some parts of the country! and that some prophecy speakers are following the Ware teachings.

As a Movement we warned against this in 1933 and feel that it is write to issue the same warning to our readers at this time lest any should be led astray or troubled by these false ideas. We have always, as a Movement, sought to declare the great truth of the rapture but at the same time to expose false and wild notions. We therefore warn our readers against the teachings of Ware & Paine as we did 80 years ago and beware of those who peddle them. Let us remember that 'no man knows the day or the hour-only our Father in heaven'. http://www.pwmi.org/cms/index.php?page=what-we-believe

I contacted The Prophetic Witness Movement International (PWMI) General Director, Colin Le Noury for clarification, since Neville Stephens (Secretary of the Pontypool Branch of the PWMI) is currently promoting Gemmell in complete disregard of their directive not to promote him under their banner.*

Colin Le Noury:
".......Brian Gemmell's ministry is no longer acceptable and he has been removed some time ago from our Recommended Preachers List.

Brian Gemmell's ministry is NOT acceptable within PWMI and all Branch Secretaries have been advised not to book him. I have told Neville that if he insists on booking BG then it must not be under the PWMI banner. Yes we do stand opposed to Ware and Paine teaching and have done for 80 years."

The implications of Gemmell's theology about the rapture are very dangerous, as Pastor Bill Randles of Believers in Grace Fellowship explains:

Brian Gemmell Teachings Removed ~ 2013

"It is with a heavy heart that I must distance myself, for the time being, from Brian Gemmell's teaching ministry. Although I count him as a dear friend, Brian has propagated a teaching about the rapture that I would consider erroneous. In his series, "Order, Order, Order!", he teaches that Jesus will return ten days before the rapture, to appear among the churches giving us a chance to "get our houses in order". This denies the immanency of the rapture, and the fact that we don't know when our Master is coming. Furthermore, and perhaps most troubling, Brian teaches that the "dead in Christ will rise up at that time and there will be the chance for them to 'settle' unsettled accounts with the saints". Myself and Jacob Prasch have been working to restore Brian, whom we count as a dear friend, so we covet your prayers. Sincerely, Pastor Bill Randles" http://www.believersingracevideos.com/page3.php

Brian Gemmell makes much of the fact that he serves on the council of the Bible Prophecy Foundation (BPF) http://www.briangemmell.blogspot.co.uk/ The issue of Gemmell's false rapture teaching has lead to the resignation of two key people in the that organisation. It would appear that Gemmell has reduced the the BPF to little more than four men and a website! Steve Lloyd of the BPF: "I do not endorse his teaching outlined in 'Order, Order, Order' in regard to the 10 day rapture..... I do not necessarily endorse Ware & Paine either." It is very sad that the BPF have not understood the implications of this very serious matter and taken a firmer stand.

"ORDER, ORDER, ORDER: The Sequence And Structure Of The Rapture. This is a four message study DVD given by Brian, and this provoking and challenging ministry asks Christians to examine and test the traditional held view of the sequence of events leading up to the Rapture of The Bride Of Christ to heaven. A thought-provoking and very intriguing study of the end time events on the calendar of the Lord." 
http://briangemmell.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/some-of-materials-available-from-brian.html
http://www.twobytwoworship.com/gemmell.html

BRIAN GEMMELL'S ITINERARY 2016

Savoy Hotel Bournemouth - 14-18th March 2016

UPDATE: NEVILLE STEPHENS BLOG COMMENT

Neville Stephens (administrator of Brian Gemmell's web site): "This is the same woman who openly calls the inspirational World Christian Expositor and Leader Dr. John MacArthur "a false prophet and a wolf in sheep's clothing"! (The title of her blog seems to have gone to her head)!
She also wrote to all of the Christian Endeavour Conference Centres in the UK begging them not to invite Brian Gemmell to speak at their Christian Holiday Retreats ever again, and also to the Leven Street Evangelical Church in Saltburn with the same demand!
Needless to say, that all of these very sound and solid Christian organisations put her requests into the bin where they belong, and also the CE Hotels have since booked Brian for at least three conferences this year, with a fourth in the pipleline (see my Newport blog)." http://ziontalywain.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/what-is-happening-at-victory-church-at.html#comment-form

RESPONSE:

I have come against these two false teachers for very good Biblical reasons. Firstly, I put the Word of God above any man's teaching, and secondly as a warning to others. The Word of God says that Jesus Christ will return only once to the earth, at His parousia, and that every eye shall see him (Revelation 1:7). There is no biblical foundation for Gemmell's theory that Christ will return to the earth for a ten day period prior to the rapture of the church. I did indeed email the Christian Endeavour Centres where Gemmell will be speaking next year and I also allerted Saltburn Evangelical Church where he spoke earlier this month. However, I neither “begged” or “demanded” anything from them; I simply sent them a copy of my article as a warning. If they did bin them as Neville claims, then that is their prerogative - their blood is on their own heads!

If I (the Lord) say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 3:18-19) 

* Correction 16th February 2016: 

Neville Stephens has advised me that he no longer represents the PWMI. He has also informed me that he did not promote Brian Gemmell under their banner. 

Stephens: "He (Colin LeNoury) had no control over me to arrange and publicise 'Bible Prophecy Meetings' in my region, and this I did with his full knowledge. He did not like it, but as long as I did not have these people speaking under 'a PWMI banner' he tolerated the situation."

Stephens is a personal friend of BG and is the administrator of his website. He continues to recklessly put the Body of Christ at risk by promoting BG, preferring the friendship of a heretic rather than the clear teaching of Jesus Christ! (Matthew 10:34-39)

Further posts and information on this subject: 

http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/brian-gemmell-beware-dangerous-end-time.html

http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-welsh-outpouring-exposure.html

http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/beware-of-brian-gemmells-deviant-pre.html