The Mystery of Lawlessness – An Encouraging Word

I received the following in an email this morning from Scott Holtz from Rivers in the Desert International in Israel.  It was very encouraging to me and I hope to all those involved in discernment ministries! 

 

Joanne

 

WISE AS SERPENTS

http://www.flashfloods.com/

August 18, 2008
Boqer Or (Good Morning Light)!Shalom Joanne,
It is a beautiful morning here in the Promised Land and I have some fresh manna from Abba to nourish your faith! These gleanings from the field are some of the things we have been learning from the counter-terrorism operations we have been conducting here this Summer. It has been a very successful last two months of exciting stealth ops that have interfaced beautifully with the natural army here on the ground. Most of what we are doing has been under a veil of a radio blackout due to security concerns with those we are working with. Hopefully in due season we will be able to share some of these testimonies with you in future emails. But until then, the only way our friends and partners will be able to witness what is going on is to catch a flight and come and see it firsthand here in the Promised Land!

I know that this time of August is very busy for many with their children heading off to college or the little ones getting ready for school. So please do make the time to take to heart today’s short email teaching in the spirit of a loving shepherd looking out for the sheep. Are you ready? OK, here we go…. It has now been 7 years since we have been proclaiming the Mystery of Lawlessness message to the believers in the Western Industrialized nations. The straightforwardness of this uncompromising Biblical message was for many in these “revival” or “apostolic/prophetic” camps too strong and therefore unwelcomed as it did not fit into their imaginations of what they think God’s character really is. The key in understanding this mystery of lawlessness, that it is now deluging all sectors of Christianity, is to quit doing hermeneutical gymnastics by twisting the text out of its original context and simply receive the Scriptures at face value. This unusual outpouring is a sovereign act of God and is not a work of the devil. According to II Thess. 2, this outpouring is a synergistic move from God to work separately (but still in sync) with the false prophetic and antichrist spirit in these last days to give people over to a strong delusion. (For information on this please see THE MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS). This spirit of error is sent by God and not the devil and therefore the only way to take evasive action to not be overtaken in this late hour is to be a lover of truth! The controversy with many of the believers who heard this message was that God is good and therefore would never do anything like this!. However, we had to go to extended lengths in this book to prove Scripturally that there is a precedent throughout history of God sending blindness, delusion, dullness, and error to those who do not radically obey Him! This is an immediate and unprecedented danger sent by the Creator Himself and it is still not finished! Reader Beware!

So now after 7 years we are currently witnessing the most unprecedented moral decay of charismatic and prophetic type ministries that has ever been seen! With this moral decay has also been the introduction of false teachings, that although were questioned by many Bible believers yet were not categorically thrown out due to the apparent “signs and wonders” and inspiring intensity of the musical worship taking place in these large gatherings (i.e. Lakeland). Thus, God has allowed things to now come to a head and many this month are finally starting to wake up and realize that something is radically wrong in the discernment level of many who lead the current apostolic/prophetic movement! Yes, it is our duty as believers to restore those who have fallen into error (i.e. Todd Bentley) and grace them with the same forgiveness we all have received thru the Cross. However, we are also called to unrelentingly warn and do our utmost to rescue the naive from the winds of doctrine that are increasing in hurricane velocity in these last days. It is in this robust activity of search/rescue that many will need to recalibrate themselves out of a soft nursing based compassion message to now a radical and invasive surgeon scalpel mindset. For too long many have opted for the easy and comfortable level of managing “peace” instead of truly rocking the boat and doing righteous policing and Scriptural enforcement. God is not putting up with sin in His house any longer….

Let me offer this encouragement to those who feel like they have egg on their faces and are eating crow right now over the support you gave for the past Lakeland meetings now that you are finding out the tragic news of the hidden adultery and theological problems of its leader Todd Bentley. It is wisdom right now to humble yourself and let true Godly sorrow fill your heart and soul. You must learn from this huge error of naivety and recalibrate your discernment radar. This is not just a young evangelist out of Canada acting in immaturity, but rather the majority of the current apostolic/prophetic leadership of the Western church is now in question for their actions and association with Todd Bentley. One thing I have been learning in working with the special forces here in Israel is the training we are receiving is reinforcing us over and over not to be gullible and naïve when dealing with the terror tactics of those who want Jihad.. And therein lies our main Achilles heel with us Western believers, we are just too gullible, nice, gracious, and soft. We like to accept things without testing it first.
We are harmless like doves but not wise like serpents (Matthew 10:16)!.

I suggest you take some time and search your heart and ask Abba to recalibrate your discernment level and infuse you with courage to rise up and not get a snow job again.. What I have witnessed here in Israel the past four months after a bombardment of emails and phone calls I received around the world about the Lakeland meetings being kosher or not…is very simple…very few people (including leaders) have the courage to speak out against unbiblical things going on when there is large numbers of people, global satellite coverage, and huge offerings of money involved. It is like a fear of man has taken such root that very few can rise up and overcome the possible phobia of rejection or being labeled “religious” or critical when they question the strange experiences and teachings that came out of the lifestyle of Todd Bentley! Even more bizarre is how many leaders did not speak out, but just sat back and quietly endorsed these meetings as being the greatest move since the Days of Azusa street! It will be interesting to see what apologies and repentance comes out from these ministries who endorsed these hyped up meetings and unsubstantiated healing miracles, while the whole time Todd Bentley was living in a unhealthy emotional relationship with another woman? Excuse me it is not a “emotional” relationship…it is called sin and adultery! Why are so many believers afraid to call sin…sin?

This is why I encourage you’all to pray for boldness and let Abba infuse you with a fresh realization of His love per I John 4:18. It is His perfect love that drives out all fear…yet, with so much teachings on the grace and love of Abba going on the last few decades, where is the radical boldness and courage to rise up no matter what the cost? Part of the root of this problem is that the love of self is the basis for most Spiritual experiences people are wanting to experience today and, second, it is the lack of true undiluted Spirit-filled baptisms of power that are propelling believers to want martyrdom (see Acts 1:8). When this truth about robust discipleship is acted upon then one needs to learn how to live in the mystery of stealth. I say this because the warnings of the Messiah Jesus and the Apostles throughout the NT point to a day of detachment and independence from the current “religious” system. I do not have the time in this email to give you the multiple Scriptural sources, but a robust reading of what one is to do in the last days is quite eye opening on how one is to preserve himself or herself through courageous acts of separation and thus be able to endure to the end. To separate, live, and thrive outside of the norm of what the masses of professing believers are used to, then you are going to have to learn how to spend time alone with Abba and be courageous not to jump on the contemporary bandwagon of what others are flocking towards. You are going to have to learn the Scriptures anew at His feet like never before…. You need times of secret solitude so He can mysteriously interface with you thru only the Scriptures and not your iPod packed full of the latest contemporary worship music! It is the Word of the Lord we are to live by and not melodies and lyrics set to well mixed recordings!

Dear ones, find that secret stealth place with Him in this late hour and ask Him to help you recalibrate your discernment to know what is the truth and what is error. I pray that we can be one of those humble water channels to stream to you His pure truth and keep you strong in your faith to please Abba. We are here for you and feel free to contact us if you need something. I think most of us know how to walk in love and be gentle like a dove. However, it is the wise maneuvers and stealth like quickness of the serpent we need to learn from in this hour! Read again what the Messiah Jesus says in Matthew 10:16 about how to take wise and evasive action like a serpent. Why? Because the context is about the wolves in sheep’s clothing! It is time to repent and wise up in this late hour! Don’t let a spiritual dullness and laziness fill your body cavity! It is time to Arise and Shine in the midst of this deep darkness now on planet earth!

In His service for your faith,

Scott

 

Tony Blair Promotes Ecumenism in Effort to Eradicate Malaria

Thanks to Lee for this article that was posted on: http://kimolsen.wordpress.com/2008/07/20/tony-blair-promotes-ecumenism-in-effort-to-eradicate-malaria/

 

Tony Blair Promotes Ecumenism in Effort to Eradicate Malaria

 Submitted by Lee

Thanks to Roger Oakland from Understand The Times, author of the book Faith Undone, for sending me this link on this newsworthy item:

 

http://www.understandthetimes.org/inthenews/13_owlyt.shtml

 

Here’s the video/audio:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksnMx6l4T64

 

After Tony Blair’s recent conversion from the Anglican Church to Catholicism he went one step further into blatant ecumenism with his Faith Foundation.  Now, with his new Faiths Act which he rolled out on June 10, he goes it one more.

 

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation was initiated in May 2008 with one of its goals to work toward increased understanding between the major faiths of the world.  His new Faiths Act outlines a plan to eradicate malaria promoting an interfaith effort toward this cause.  A complete transcript of the audio from the above video follows this article.

 

My first question regarding this is: Why the need for an interfaith effort to help in the fight against malaria when Blair could just as well promote his cause without using religion as a vehicle?  Why not send aid to local governmental officials directly who could then disburse it?  Surely, governmental approval would be necessary before such an interfaith outreach as proposed by Blair could be enacted anyway.

 

“Faiths Act will mobilize global faith communities to come together and achieve multi-faith action on issues of crucial importance in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals.  Our first goal is to end deaths caused by malaria.  Put simply, between one and three million people die of malaria each year most of them children under five and pregnant mothers living in sub-Saharan Africa.  Their deaths are preventable.  In Africa 40% of the victims are Muslim.  But across much of Asia malaria continues to strike and combating it is a huge opportunity for people across the faiths to act in unison: Hindus, Sikh, Buddhists as well as the Abrahamic faiths.  We call, therefore, on the four billion people of faith in the world to help do more to end the scourge of malaria.”

 

Please note that these “Millennium Development Goals” were outlined by the United Nations which has shown itself to be anti-Semitic and not exactly friendly towards Christianity [excepting Roman Catholicism] as well.  In fact, the UN has become increasingly pro-Islam.  With this in mind, it is curious that Blair would make reference to Judaism, Christianity and Islam as “the Abrahamic faiths” as if there is much in common between the three.  Why didn’t he refer to Hindus, Sikh and Buddhists as simply ‘the eastern faiths?’

 

“…Churches, mosques, other places of worship are ideally placed to be centers for distribution networks and community-based health education initiatives.”

 

Blair’s plan sounds remarkably similar to Rick Warren’s P.E.A.C.E plan with respect to Warren’s fight against AIDS/HIV.  This is not surprising as Warren, a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and Oxford Anayltica, is on the Advisory Council of Blair’s Faith Foundation.  Could this be a step toward the redistribution of wealth and one world religion as outlined by the channeled writings of Theosophist Alice Bailey among others and as prophesied in the Bible?

 

16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.  [Revelation 13:16-17 NIV] 

 

Time will tell.  What do you think?  Is this yet another push for a one world religion/government under the guise of philanthropy?

 

************************************************************************

 

Following is the complete transcript:

 

“Welcome to the Tony Blair Faith Foundation Faiths Act Campaign.  Faiths Act will mobilize global faith communities to come together and achieve multi-faith action on issues of crucial importance in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals.  Our first goal is to end deaths caused by malaria.  Put simply, between one and three million people die of malaria each year most of them children under five and pregnant mothers living in sub-Saharan Africa.  Their deaths are preventable.  In Africa 40% of the victims are Muslim.  But across much of Asia malaria continues to strike and combating it is a huge opportunity for people across the faiths to act in unison: Hindus, Sikh, Buddhists as well as the Abrahamic faiths.  We call, therefore, on the four billion people of faith in the world to help do more to end the scourge of malaria.

 

“We can prevent such catastrophic losses with just a few simple steps.  One ten dollar [US $10.00] or five pound [GBP £5.00] insecticide treated bed net can protect an entire household.  Medications that treat malaria and prevent it from causing death are well established and could be made readily available to even the most remote infected communities.  Churches, mosques, other places of worship are ideally placed to be centers for distribution networks and community-based health education initiatives.

 

“So, the foundation is working to bring people of all faiths – and none – together to respond the UN Security General’s urgent call for universal bed net coverage by 2010.  And, our media campaign is a drive to raise one million bed nets by September the 25^th, 2008, the date of the next UN General Assembly and the midway point to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

 

“It’s been one month since the Faiths Act campaign was launched and in that short time we’ve received thousands of emails from people from all over the world including the UK, US, Spain, Pakistan, Kenya, Turkey, Uganda, India, Tanzania and Chile – all people who support this cause and want to know how they can help.

 

“On our website you will find toolkits and resources that explain how you can get involved with our efforts.  Please download them and share them with your friends and family and your own in other faith communities.  Create multi-faith events and raise awareness for malaria prevention.  Become an activist for the good that faith can do in the world. 

 

“To those of you who have already begun to work, I would like to say, ‘Thank you.’  It’s only with your help that we can accomplish the tasks that are set out before us.  But, secondly, I would like to ask you to send us examples of what you’re doing within your own faith communities and those of others to help end deaths caused by malaria so that then we can share them here on the website and let others around the world be inspired by your activism. 

 

“I’ve been so impressed by many of the emails we have received detailing your individual efforts.  It’s my hope, therefore, that in sharing your ideas and stories here on the website we can motivate others as well.  Malaria doesn’t discriminate between religions and so we have to come together across faith lines to fight it.  So, please, join us to fund a million bed nets by September the 25^th.  Go to www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org to find out more. Thank you.”