Posted in beth moore, bill hybels, gnosticism, gnostics, neo-gnosticism, prophecy, rick warren

Gnosticism Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals

Posted on by elizabethprata

If you read Colossians, you quickly become aware that Paul was busy refuting some false teachings that had begun to affect the church at Colossae. Epahras had sent Paul a letter about this, and Colossians was Paul’s response. Though Paul never mentioned “Gnosticism” by name, it becomes obvious that’s what he was referring to, because of his use of certain words and phrases.

Gnosticism is less a religion than a loose patchwork of philosophies and doctrines from other religions and disciplines, blended into an amorphous set of beliefs that taint the true faith as delivered by Jesus. There never was a church of Gnostics, or a firm set of Gnostic tenets, just beliefs certain people promoted as a subtle blend of Christianity and good-sounding religious practices from elsewhere, mostly the Eastern mystical religions. But in general, we can list six elements contained in most Gnostic teachings, courtesy of the Zondervan NIV bible, which in turn is based on Paul’s mention of them in Colossians.

1. secret knowledge, (refuted in Col 1:27; 2:3)
2. asceticism, (Col 2:18)
3. depreciation of Christ (lowering Him in name and in glory), (Col 2:18b)
4. strict rule-keeping, ceremonies, or rituals ( Col 2:23)
5. worship of angels, ( Col 2:18)
6. and reliance on human wisdom and traditions (Col 2:20b-22)

When we come through the door of justification, and before we exit life through the door of glorification, we engage in a life-long process of sanctification. This is the work of the Holy Spirit upon us to make us more Christlike and to consecrate us for holy work on earth. “There are many false paradigms of sanctification, and there always have been. The problem is, there is only one method of sanctification and that is through the Spirit. The false paradigms of sanctification cannot restrain the flesh. Though some paradigms or strategies of sanctification purport to restrain the flesh and make one holy, they don’t do that, any more than a false Gospel could save. … [Gnostic/Mysticism] “is the notion that there is within a person a mystical, intuitive capability that causes, if manipulated correctly, a person to rise in spiritual formation”, said John MacArthur, in his new blog series addressing mysticism/gnosticism and spiritual formation, in his part 2 called “Spiritual Formation and Biblical Sanctification.”

BibleGateway summarizes Gnosticism, “The heresy taking root in Colossae was a form of gnosticism, which taught (among other things) that humans could transcend evil and the corruptions of the world through asceticism and their own strength of will. …”

The early church was much plagued by Gnostics throughout the first through third centuries. Colossians and 1 John are the most pointed refutations of this false doctrine, but several other New Testament books dealt with it too, including 1 Timothy 6, Titus, and other books as well.

Gnosticism is a self-centered, and not a Jesus centered doctrine, meaning, they attempt to attain sanctification themselves. They also believe in a progressive sanctification. It was through completion of rituals and participation in ceremonies that Gnostics believed progressed one’s sanctification ever upward. Mormonism, Scientology, and many of the ‘secret societies’ like Odd Fellows, Red Men and Freemasonry have steps for the devotee to attain. Sometimes these steps are called “degrees”, as in Freemasonry. In Scientology they are called “levels”.

Gnostics brought a teaching, but their rituals varied widely, that is, until Aleister Crowley wrote one. Crowley was a British mystic and occultist who, when in Egypt in 1904, “received” a text known as The Book of the Law from what he believed was a divine source. From this basis Crowley built a theology of Gnosticism called Thelema. In 1913, he wrote a Gnostic Mass. The mass contained Crowley’s scripted rituals. Crowley was also a pansexual and a recreational drug user, which may explain his crazy eyes.

Left, Aleister Crowley in ceremonial garb. Wiki source

Crowley explained why he undertook to codify Gnostic teachings into spiritual practices expressed through a ‘mass’. He said in his Confessions, “Human nature demands (in the case of most people) the satisfaction of the religious instinct, and, to very many, this may best be done by ceremonial means. I wished therefore to construct a ritual through which people might enter into ecstasy as they have always done under the influence of appropriate ritual.”

But Paul said, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.” (Colossians 2:16).

As for ecstasies, “Some charismatic Christians practice ecstatic states (called e.g. “being slain in the Spirit”) and interpret these as given by the Holy Spirit.” 

Since Gnostics deny the sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross in His flesh, and they deny the Spirit’s work in sanctification, they need these rituals to make themselves thing they are accomplishing their own sanctification. All false religions, including Gnostics, focus on what the individual can do to attain heaven, or a higher consciousness, or transcendence, or any other phrase they claim will be the result of performing a certain ritual. In other words, I can do it, no God needed, thanks.

In Colossians 2:20, Paul exhorted, “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—”

The above verse is explained, “‘Your union with Christ in his death has caused you to die to the rudiments of the world’, meaning, your union with Christ in his death has caused you to be separated from human religion, and human reli­gion is based in legalism and mysticism and self denial and all those works kind of things. But he says the redeemed are set free from self-styled, man made rules designed to make you holy.” (source)

For a pagan, including Gnostics, “salvation is not brought from above to below by divine visitations, but rather occurs through the Gnostic’s contemplative ascent through ever higher levels of the divine realm.”

“One version of a Gnostic ritual or ceremony was marking the various stages of a visionary ascent with certain baptisms, sealings, washings in various “waters.” Another ritual was utilizing a self-performable technique of successive stages of mental detachment from the world of multiplicity, and a corresponding assimilation of the self to the evermore refined levels of being.” You’ll find this is in Roman Catholic asceticism and Buddhism.”

“Other rituals and ceremonies included sexual sacramentalism, verbal performances through ritual speech, which can include glossalalia, traditional verbal formulae, spells, oaths, conjuration, invocations, evocations, voces mysticae, and prayers of various sorts addressed to transcendent powers, good and evil alike, and/or symbolic actions such as a ritual handshake. (source, University Nebraska-Lincoln)

You will note the incipient Gnosticism inherent in the Pentecostal ‘language of tongues’ (glossolalia) and levels of spiritual maturity through having had a “baptism of the Spirit.”

As you read the examples above, perhaps the modern re-emergence of these old Gnostic practices will have already been brought to your mind. The current evangelical craze for contemplative prayer, Lectio Divina, meditation, “Christian yoga“, expressive praise dance & mime performance, labyrinth walking, and becoming detached from the world to await a small voice in which conversations are held with the ‘Divine,’ are now apparent to you in the Gnostic teachings of Beth Moore, Ann Voskamp, Sarah Young, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, and many others.

The devilish influence of these practices are collectively known as “spiritual formation” and I mentioned them in part 2 four days ago. Since then, John MacArthur has also begun a blog series on spiritual formation and he is defining these false practices, blog by blog, so that the believer can be aware of their evil influence.

In 1932 the Polish cracked the Germans’ war codes. Just weeks before WWII broke out in 1939, they gave the information to the Allies. We called it “The Enigma Machine“. “The intelligence gleaned from this source, codenamed “Ultra” by the British, was a substantial aid to the Allied war effort. The exact influence of Ultra on the course of the war is debated; an oft-repeated assessment is that decryption of German ciphers hastened the end of the European war by two years. Winston Churchill told the United Kingdom’s King George VI after World War II: “It was thanks to Ultra that we won the war.”

You know, Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Every false religion can be traced back to the Garden of Eden. Satan’s first words in the bible are recorded as ones which question the sufficiency and accuracy of the information God delivered to humans. He went on to imply that God was holding out on Adam and Eve, (God is a liar) that if Eve performed an action (eat the fruit) she would know as much as God, and that we can be like God. Gnosticism can be traced to those very words. There is no new false doctrine. They are all recycled bits from old satanic lies.

We do not need an enigma machine! We do not need to decipher our enemy’s plans! Why? Because we are not unaware of his schemes! (2 Cor 2:11). God has generously given us His word, inside of which is everything profitable for us (2 Timothy 3:16) to live and work out our salvation in fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12). He laid out for us that satan is a liar and the father of lies. Under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the bible is replete with examples of the lies of satan, warnings that he seeks someone to devour, (Luke 22:31; 1 Peter 5:8). He shows us what kind of lies he perpetrates (Genesis 3:1-5, Colossians 1-2; and many other NT books).

If we read the bible diligently we will be solidly infused with His word. Saturate yourself in Truth! When you come across falsity, for example if your church wants to institute contemplative prayer, build a labyrinth,  send you to a yoga workshop, or start a praise dance ministry…you will be able to detect it.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” (John 16:13). “He shall not speak of himself means He shall teach nothing contrary to what I have taught you:” we read in Clarke’s Commentary.

Just to reinforce for a moment that there is no new doctrine under the sun, here is the culminating prayer from the 1913 Liber XV Mass that Crowley wrote, which adheres to a position that Gnostics of earlier centuries believed, right down to Paul’s time:

“Lord most secret, bless this spiritual food unto our bodies, bestowing upon us health and wealth and strength and joy and peace, and that fulfilment of will and of love under will that is perpetual happiness.”

It is the Prosperity Gospel!

I am against Expressive, Choreographed Dance in Worship. I do not believe it to be an acceptable form of worship in a service. With that in mind, here is Stephen Colbert in “Just Say No to Liturgical Dance”. He provided his own liturgical dance version of the hymn “King of Glory” on the show Strangers with Candy. I think this shows the ridiculousness of praise dancing. I do not doubt the sincerity of many who perform this kind of dance in church, and I applaud them for wanting to serve Him, but I think it detracts from the fact that we must always keep Jesus as the focus, especially in these Gnostic days.

Gnosticism series:
Introduction
Part 1: Secret Knowledge
Part 2: Asceticism
Part 3: Depreciation of Jesus
Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals
Part 5: Worship of Angels
Part 6: Human Traditions 
Conclusion 

Posted in Uncategorized

Obama refuses to meet with Netanyahu, in "unusual snub"

Posted on by elizabethprata

US says there’s no time for Obama-Netanyahu meeting
“White House says scheduling, election campaign are reasons for not holding a meeting; announcement follows Netanyahu declaration that those who don’t place “red lines” on Iran, have no right to give Israel a “red light.”“

“For the first time since taking office, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is slated to visit the United States without meeting US President Barack Obama. The lack of a meeting later this month comes in the midst of roiling tensions between Jerusalem and Washington over setting red lines for Iran’s nuclear program. Some have seen the absence of a face-to-face conversation as a further sign of strain in the relationship.”

John McTernan wrote today, “Obama is manifesting his hatred for Israel, forcing Israel to fight Iran alone. All we can do is watch this day by day as the countdown to war is on.”

Zechariah wrote that in the time of the end, Israel would have no friend, and the world would be staggering with hatred against her in trying to remove Jerusalem from her place. (Zechariah 12:2-3). By the end of the end, all the world’s armies will be gathered around Jerusalem and waiting for Jesus to return so they can fight Him. (Rev 16:13).

Israel will have no friends… It was only four short years ago that the US and Israel were tight and it was impossible to believe we would ever go away from Israel. After Obama, we see how fast a 50 year relationship can erode, especially when there is demonic hatred at the root of it.

Reuters wrote that Obama’s refusal to meet with Netanyahu is “an unusual snub.” “In a highly unusual rebuff to a close ally, the White House said on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a U.S. visit later this month, as tensions escalated over how to deal with Iran’s nuclear program.”

Netanyahu – and Ahmadinejad- are coming to the opening of the UN for the 67th General Session this month. The Palestinian Authority’s Abbas is also coming. He is speaking on September 27th in another pitch for the PA to be given a state. The General Session opens on September 18.

Posted in galaxy, hubble, transparent animals

Hubble has spotted an ancient galaxy that shouldn’t exist

Posted on by elizabethprata

God is so amazing! I see this article in io9 and look the animals below. Just think, He made all the universe in ONE DAY, named all the stars! And He made all the animals in one day!

This galaxy is so large, so fully-formed, astronomers say it shouldn’t exist at all. It’s called a “grand-design” spiral galaxy, and unlike most galaxies of its kind, this one is old. Like, really, really old. According to a new study conducted by researchers using NASA’s Hubble Telescope, it dates back roughly 10.7-billion years — and that makes it the most ancient spiral galaxy we’ve ever discovered. “The vast majority of old galaxies look like train wrecks,” said UCLA astrophysicist Alice Shapley in a press release. “Our first thought was, why is this one so different, and so beautiful?”

Well I beg to disagree with the 10 billion years old thing, but God creating a beautiful galaxy is awe-inspiring. That’s our God!! Consider the verse in Genesis 1:16:

“God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also.”

LOL, LOL! The verse describes the sun and moon, and why He made them. The verse ends with an offhand ‘Oh, yah, He made all the stars too.’

Isaiah 40:26 says, “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

The scientists are awed. We are awed too, but for a different reason.

“The fact that this galaxy exists is astounding,” said University of Toronto’s David Law, lead author of the study. “Current wisdom holds that such ‘grand-design’ spiral galaxies simply didn’t exist at such an early time in the history of the universe.”

That means that though Hubble has “just discovered” the beautiful galaxy, God always knew it was there, and knows the names of each stars, too. Oh, How mighty and how creative He is. Look below at these animals:

Among the many weird and fascinating amphibians on our planet, very special are the Glass Frogs. This amazing frog family has a transparent skin, allowing you to view inside its small body. They are so transparent that it almost looks as if they melt into the leaves and become one with them.

glass frog The beautiful transparent Glass Frog

Transparent Head Fish
NatGeo, 2009:
“With a head like a fighter-plane cockpit, a Pacific barreleye fish shows off its highly sensitive, barrel-like eyes–topped by green, orblike lenses–in a picture released today but taken in 2004. The fish, discovered alive in the deep water off California’s central coast by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), is the first specimen of its kind to be found with its soft transparent dome intact. The 6-inch (15-centimeter) barreleye (Macropinna microstoma) had been known since 1939–but only from mangled specimens dragged to the surface by nets.’

With a head like a fighter-plane cockpit, a Pacific barreleye fish shows off its highly sensitive, barrel-like eyes--topped by green, orblike lenses

Transparent Butterfly

The wings are translucent, with a wingspan of 2.2 to 2.4 in. Its most common English name is glasswinged butterfly, and its Spanish name is “espejitos”, which means “little mirrors.” Indeed, the tissue between the veins of its wings looks like glass, as it lacks the colored scales found in other butterflies.The opaque borders of its wings are dark brown sometimes tinted with red or orange, and its body is dark in color.

File:Greta oto.jpg

Transparent squid
“Found on the southern hemisphere’s oceans, the Glass Squid (Teuthowenia pellucida) has light organs on its eyes and possesses the ability to roll into a ball, like an aquatic hedgehog. It is prey of many deep-sea fish (eg goblin sharks) as well as whales and oceanic seabirds. (Photo by Peter Batson)”


Transparent Amphipod













Posted in days of Noah, jesus calling, nephilim, sarah young

Sarah Young, was it really Jesus Calling, or someone else?

Posted on by elizabethprata

Sarah Young has a special relationship with Jesus. While we all seek closeness with the Savior, and an intimate walk is to be praised, Ms Young’s definition of intimacy with Christ is vastly different from mine. The excerpt below is from her book Jesus Calling. The book was reviewed by Tim Challies and the book has a host of doctrinal problems and issues. It is not recommended.

I’m not looking at doctrinal things in this essay. Instead, I am going to look at Ms Young’s statements about the feelings and experiences she had with the “Presence” during her devotional and prayer times. They are part of a trend I’d identified earlier this summer, over-romanticizing Jesus. Ultimately it is a centuries-long outgrowth of the Gnostic attack of depreciating Him.

In this excerpt from her book, Ms Young wrote,

“One night I found myself leaving the warmth of our cozy chalet to walk alone in the snowy mountains. I went into a deeply wooded area, feeling vulnerable and awed by cold, moonlit beauty. The air was crisp and dry, piercing to inhale. Suddenly I felt as if a warm mist enveloped me. I became aware of a lovely Presence, and my involuntary response was to whisper, ‘Sweet Jesus.’ This utterance was totally uncharacteristic of me, and I was shocked to hear myself speaking so tenderly to Jesus. As I pondered this brief communication, I realized it was the response of a converted heart; at that moment I knew I belonged to Him. This was far more than the intellectual answers for which I’d been searching. This was a relationship with the Creator of the universe.”

Besides being embarrassing as faux-poetical teenage tripe of the most ridiculous sort, there is something here I want you to be aware of. It’s her use of romantic allusions and language more akin to language found in dime novel bodice-rippers than in referring to the Holy God of Israel. I’ve written before about the terrible trend of ‘Jesus is my Boyfriend’ and the carnality inherent in that particular depreciation. Here we find it again, with a tinge of sexuality and worse, apparent forays into mythological mating.

First, a response in biblical terms regarding Ms Young’s moonlight walk as she described it. She says, ‘at that moment I knew I belonged to Him.’ Presumably by faith she has already been the recipient of a converted heart through the grace of Jesus, but it was only after she had a vulnerable, moonlight walk with her boyfriend Jesus that she knew she was saved? It was only ‘at that moment’ she knew she belonged to Him? Her personal, temporal experience cemented her faith and not the Holy word?

Yet, the bible says-

“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.” (1 John 3:23)

Ms Young wrote about the impetus for the book. “I began to wonder if I, too, could receive messages during my times of communing with God. I had been writing in prayer journals for years, but that was one-way communication: I did all the talking. I knew that God communicated with me through the Bible, but I yearned for more…”

Is not the bible sufficient for all revelation from God? It is supposed to be. Faith is believing on His name, not the experiences or revelations we receive from an unknown source.

Jesus is not your boyfriend. He is not your lover. Compare her language about being with Jesus to Mary’s response in Luke 1 to the angel who had just told Mary she would conceive. When Gabriel came to tell Mary she would bear a Son by the Spirit ‘overshadowing’ her, (Luke 1:35) there were no descriptions of warm mist or sweet presence or being enveloped … or anything involuntary. What Mary responded was “And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”” (Luke 1:38).

When realizing she was in the presence of a holy angel of God, (never mind Jesus Himself), how Mary felt was acutely agitated and greatly troubled. (Luke 1:29). And Luke 1:46-55 records Mary’s response to the news. She didn’t say “I belong to Him” but, “My soul magnifies the LORD.” She didn’t say, “This is a relationship with the Creator of the Universe” but, “he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.”

Seeing Ms Young’s fervent desire to have personal revelations delivered to her from Jesus, her automatic writing of the conversations she then turned into a best-selling devotional, and her responses to the ‘Presence” as compared to the actual responses from people in the bible when they were in His presence, tells me that what Ms Young experienced was not from Jesus.

So? What was it?

If you are a believer and you read Greek mythology, you’ll notice the gods were capricious and were always attracted to the people of earth, particularly the young maidens. These gods, who never practiced self-restraint, were always looking down and noticing this maiden or that one, falling in love or lust with one they had spotted in a forest glen or by the seaside or some such. They were forever abandoning their estate on Mt Olympus. They frequently came down to ravish a maiden or two. Since they were not flesh, they took the forms of other things to do the deed; a husband, a swan, a golden cloud, etc. When the maidens got pregnant, they birthed a demi-god, who were strong and mighty and had powers.

Hercules was one of these hybrids. Achilles was another.

The bible says, “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. … The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” (Genesis 6:2,4).

The bible records that after the fall and before the flood, the earth was very evil. (Gen 6:5) Jesus said those were the Days of Noah and the time right before His second coming would be like that again. (Mt 24:36-39). One of the elements that made the world so evil then were the mighty men who were on earth in those days, ransacking the world and polluting the people’s hearts. The Greek myths are vestigial memories of the actual events of the Nephilim when they were on the earth in those days, re-written to suit satan’s preferred ending.

The sons of God are angels. It is fallen angels the verses refer to. The verse says what it says. The angels are spirit people, created by God, but nonetheless, they assumed human form somehow and procreated with women on earth. John MacArthur said whenever a holy angel came to earth, they looked like men. The unholy angels do the same. (2 Cor 11:14-15). He said he doesn’t know how the biology or physiology works with the fallen angels referred to in Genesis 6, whether there is a closet of human suits in heaven and a fallen angel picks one when he comes to earth, lol, or if their spirit infiltrates a human from birth or at some point after, or something else we are not privy to. Ultimately, we don’t understand ‘how’ it happened but we believe it did happen.

The ways the Greek ‘gods’ (fallen angel Nephilim) are said to have come to the maidens were varied. In one of them, and it is this one that most closely resembles Ms Young’s experience, Danae’s story is told.

Remember, Ms Young said she was walking alone, felt vulnerable, and a warm mist suddenly enveloped her. She involuntarily whispered ‘Sweet Jesus.’ At that moment she ‘knew she belonged to him.’

Danae was a vulnerable maiden whose father had locked her in a dungeon so no men could violate her. The Greek god Zeus, disguising himself as a cloud, secretly entered her chamber and rained down on her a shower of gold, irresistibly enveloping her in his presence. Danae became entranced and opened herself to him.

From which source does Ms Young’s experience seem closer to? Mary’s when she was overshadowed by the Spirit? Or Danae’s when she was overcome by Zeus?

It is a concern that Ms Young did not have faith in Jesus according to what the bible says, but ‘belonged to him’ only after she had a romantic moonlight sensuous moment when a cloudlike presence overwhelmed her. Just like Danae’s…

Please be diligent in using your spiritual radar. Be aware of what you are reading or listening to. Are the words from the book or sermon from the bible, or from someone’s experiences? Are the scriptures they use based on proper context? Do they raise or lower Jesus from His exalted position? Satan is subtle. Detecting the gnosticism or the legalism or any other -ism is hard to do, but if you feel your radar going off, pay attention. Pray to the Spirit to lead you into truth, and to show you from the bible how the item you are studying or listening to may or may not be sound. He affirms truth as much as He shows where error may be.

Ultimately, the more more you study the bible the better you will be able to spot a counterfeit. And remember, Jesus is NOT your boyfriend…but satan wants to be.

Posted in judgment, revelation, woe

When heaven becomes silent

Posted on by elizabethprata

Heaven is full of holy noise. There are songs, and harps, and mighty choruses, angels shouting, peals and thunders, and praises so loud the temple pillars shake.

“Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?”” (Revelation 5:1-2).

“Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:” (Revelation 5:11-12).

“And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” (Isaiah 6:3-4).

“And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of many waters, like the sound of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army.” (Ezekiel 1:24).

It must be amazing! None of the noise will cacophonous, but will be perfect.

Which is why, in Revelation 8, the silence is so devastating. When Jesus breaks the 7th seal…well you read it:

“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” (Revelation 8:1)

There are many conflicting interpretations as to what this means. The time period, “half an hour” is from a Greek word correctly translated half an hour, but it is the only use in the entire New Testament. In any case, it seems that the time of silence will be short, but powerful. If it is enough to stop the praises and choruses and noises otherwise heard in heaven, it must be a powerful silence!

Why the silence? Again, many interpretations. Yet they all agree that the silence is to honor the moment, acknowledging the suspense of what is coming, that the judgments are so severe, and the holiness and righteousness of Jesus to render them. If you read Revelation 8, and it is short chapter, what comes next are angels sounding the trumpets, fulfilling Jesus’s judgments. A third of the grass is struck, a third of the seas are struck, and a third of the rivers are struck. Then there is an angel shouting–

“Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!” (Revelation 8:13)

And those trumpets release the demon-locusts and then the most evil angels who’d been bound at the River Euphrates prepared for this very day and hour, to kill a third of mankind.

Woe indeed!

Some commenters say that heaven’s population becomes silent at the suspense only because they do not know what is about to happen. But the church is there, and the Tribulation martyrs of Revelation 5 are there and we’ve read the bible so we know the judgments.

I’ll throw out another possibility, my own opinion. Judgments are falling, due to sin. In the Seal judgments of Revelation 6, the chapter ends with the the 6th seal being opened, and the population of earth shouting that it is ‘the wrath of the Lamb, and who can stand, the great day has come.’ (Revelation 6:16-17 paraphrase). So they know by now that these are not just coincidental events, like the people claim today. They know it is not Mother Nature, or Global Warming, but that it is the Day of Judgment and wrath from God. The difference between the Seal Judgments and the Trumpet judgments, is that by the 6th Seal they KNOW it is God and nothing else.

In Revelation 7 the scene shifts away from judgment. In the first half of Revelation 7 we are told that 144,000 are sealed, and they go forth proclaiming Jesus to the world. In the second half of Revelation 7, the martyrs are in heaven and singing. By the end of Revelation 7 the seventh seal has not been opened yet.

Revelation 8 begins with that last seal opened and that is when there is silence. The difference between the Seal Judgments past and the Trumpet Judgments about to come is that by now the people who dwell on the earth know it is judgment time from God. They know.

Revelation 8 ends with four of the seven trumpets having been blown, and the angel shouting woe because the next three are about to be blown and the three judgments accompanying them are terrible.

So the heavenly population is stunned into silence for the reasons mentioned above: suspense and awe at the severity of what is to come. But I also think it is a holy fear. The remaining trumpets are blown and the horrors of hell on earth are indescribable….

…And yet they do not repent.

THAT is what I think stuns them into silence.

“The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21).

The earth’s people know it is Jesus judging them, and yet they do not repent. They continue sinning!!

I’m stunned on earth now at those who do not repent, and I can’t imagine how I would feel standing in the presence of Holy Jesus and knowing the earth’s people do not repent even when woes are piled on them and they know it is Jesus. I’d be stunned into silence at the situation. Anyway it is just my own thought. But the silence in heaven at that moment, for whatever reason it happens, is monumental to contemplate especially when compared to the previous verses we are blessed to read of the heavenly noise!

The movie starring Richard Harris, The Apocalypse of John, has in this excerpt toward the end of the 4 minutes, the scene when Jesus breaks open the seal and heaven is silent. No exultation, no praise, no thunder, no harps, no hallelujahs. Just silence and awe.

Posted in gnosticism, gnostics, neo-gnosticism

Gnosticism Part 3: Depreciation of Jesus

Posted on by elizabethprata

In this part of the series on Gnosticism then and now, we’ll look at the third element of this philosophy-slash-religion: a depreciation of Jesus. Though Gnosticism contains many elements, and many other elements from different philosophies and religions overlap with Gnosticism, Zondervan’s NIV Bible lists 6, which are the ones I am looking at:

1. secret knowledge,
2. asceticism,
3. depreciation of Christ (lowering Him in name and in glory),
4. strict rule-keeping, ceremonies, or rituals
5. worship of angels,
6. and reliance on human wisdom and tradition.

The best summary of Gnosticism I’ve found is from Gene Edward Veith. He wrote in World Magazine in this 2006 article The Return of the Cainites, “The Gnostics were eastern mystics who taught that the physical realm is intrinsically evil and that the spirit can be freed from its bondage to physicality through the attainment of secret knowledge (or “gnosis”). They rejected the Christian doctrine of creation (saying that the material world is evil). They denied the incarnation (saying that Christ was a spiritual being who brought the secret knowledge and denying that He became “flesh”). And they denied the redemption (saying that sin is not a moral failure – since what we do in the flesh does not affect our spirits – but simply a lack of spiritual knowledge).”

There is nothing more blasphemous than taking away one iota of praise for the work Jesus did on earth, the cross, and the resurrection, and the reasons for it: our sin. The very things Gnostics deny are the very elements of the Gospel that Paul laid out for us in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

“Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”.

Jesus died for sins. Gnostics claim He died to release us from an evil creation. Yet God called creation “Good”.

Gary Zeolla wrote, “The first to deny the Christian doctrine of a bodily resurrection were the Gnostics of the first through third centuries. Many involved in the New Age Movement today hold views similar to the early Gnostics. And the modern-day group know as Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the bodily resurrection of Christ.”

“Kurt Rudolph explains the concept of resurrection in gnosticism, “For the Gnostic any resurrection of the dead was excluded from the outset; the flesh or the substance is destined to perish. ‘There is no resurrection of the flesh, but only of the soul’, say the so-called Archonites, a late Gnostic group in Palestine.” [Kurt Rudolph, Gnosis (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985)]

Marcion was an early Gnostic philosopher and a Christian bishop. Born in c.80AD, he lived until c.AD 160. Marcion believed Jesus Christ was the savior sent by God, and Paul of Tarsus was his chief apostle, but he rejected the Hebrew Bible and the God of Israel. Marcionists believed that the wrathful Hebrew God was a separate and lower entity than the all-forgiving God of the New Testament. This belief was in some ways similar to Gnostic Christian theology; notably, both are dualistic, that is, they posit opposing gods, forces, or principles: one higher, spiritual, and “good”, and the other lower, material, and “evil”. (Wikipedia).

Marcion was eventually excommunicated for his heretical beliefs. Yet to this day his assertion that there is an ‘Old Testament God of wrath’ and a ‘New Testament God of love’ lives on.

Any philosophy, religion, or discipline that fails to adhere to the three elements of the Gospel as Paul has written to us is false. Period.

Any philosophy, religion, or discipline that fails to adhere to the three elements of the Gospel is an automatic lowering of Christ, a depreciation.

In biblical financial metaphors, Jesus is the ultimate asset, of precious and eternal value.

Investor Words describes the definition of depreciation as: “A noncash expense that reduces the value of an asset as a result of wear and tear, age, or obsolescence. Most assets lose their value over time (in other words, they depreciate), and must be replaced once the end of their useful life is reached.”

You note that modern Gnostics (neo-Gnostics) depreciate God by saying the OT God is obsolete, dry, or out of date. Or that OT God is of lesser quality or value.

There are many assets and as Investor Words claimed, most depreciate. Jesus said,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).

James wrote in James 5:2, “Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.”

There is only one treasure which does not depreciate, and that is Jesus. In financial terms, we have been given a deposit which will be redeemed on the Day of bodily resurrection:

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” (2 Timothy 1:14 NASB). That treasure is the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:46) and the King of that Kingdom is the greatest treasure of all, Jesus, to whom has been given all authority. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:7-8 that all he has in this world is trash, but gaining Jesus is the treasure eternal. Compared to Him, there is no other treasure.

So that is why the Gnostics (via satan’s evil whispers) try to depreciate Christ. They do this by any means possible: by insinuating things which lowers Christ from His lofty position as satan did in the Garden to Eve (Did God really say?), by impugning His value (OT God is lower), His work (He never really came in the body), or His people (by drawing them away from Jesus as Paul warned in Col 2:8.). There are two ways to gain the top position, either raise yours higher than your competitor or lower his to below yours. Satan tries both.

‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Satan said to Jesus on the Temple roof, “And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”(Matthew 4:9)

How does modern Gnosticism depreciate Christ? If a teacher or pastor were to show up and say “satan is higher than God” we would of course know he was a false teacher or pastor. Satan is more subtle than that. Yet many people refuse to entertain a contention for the faith unless the situation is as blatant as the verses in Isaiah or Matthew, where satan is directly saying I am higher and Jesus is lower.

Today’s neo-Gnostics’ attacks are subtle! They depreciate God by using three methods. Maybe there are more but I’ll address these three which I believe are the most prevalent.

They lower Jesus by:
–what they say God/Jesus is saying, (therefore implying the bible is not sufficient);
—how they say it, (irreverently, and their conversations never seem to focus on the same things the God of the bible does: obedience, holiness, sin, or suffering)
–and by diluting His word through sheer volume and numbers. More people today than ever claim to have received authoritative statements from God as exemplified in utterances, visions, and ‘word of knowledge’ or by direct revelation; by the numerous “visits” to heaven or hell, guided tours conducted by Jesus; and by numerous “new” translations of the bible. More of something always depreciates the original.

Satan was the first to do this in the Garden. He intimated to Eve that God was holding out on her by saying that if she ate the fruit, she will know good and evil, subtly insinuating by reverse psychology that she doesn’t know good and evil now, which is bad. Secondly, by offering Eve secret knowledge he alone possesses, which depreciates God’s word.

I’d mentioned in the last part about the neo-Gnostic secret knowledge, the example of Jentezen Franklin. Mr Franklin subtly scares the brethren by intimating that unless believers fast, heaven is a locked door to them. He said, “fasting is the secret key that unlocks heaven’s door and slams shut the gates of hell.” That one statement contains all the elements of the original Gnostic attack on a believer as seen in the Garden, Genesis 3: Franklin has secret knowledge, the door to heaven is locked to you (but not to him), and by doing what Franklin says, you gain power (locking hell and unlocking heaven). Then you will ‘know.’

Beth Moore says that she also has secret knowledge from God, which she claims he tells her audibly. The two even have a deal, as if they were equal partners in the relationship, which of course, lowers God. She wrote in Praying God’s Word, “Before God tells me a secret, He knows up front I’m going to tell it! By and large, that’s our “deal.” There’s that word secret again, used to intimate the person has a higher or better knowledge than the treasured word in the bible and not coincidentally, intimidates others into believing their relationship is lesser, their Jesus is lesser.

So let’s compare what and how God spoke in the bible and what and how God speaks to neo-Gnostics. I made a comparison chart. On the left are statements several people have said they heard God say to them, and on the right are God’s words as recorded in the bible. I used the New Living Translation so that no one can say that because the KJV or the ESV used more formal language it isn’t a fair comparison.It is everyday speech to everyday speech.

In this exercise, you see that even in the NLT’s ‘friendlier’ more everyday language, the times when God spoke to bible people He was still formal, using imperatives, referencing death, obedience, and what they ‘must do’. As an aside, just once I’d like to read a neo-Gnostic saying God spoke to them about their sin. [Sorry about the slightly overlarge formatting but this was the 7th attempt and the best one…]

A lowering of God naturally means an elevation of ourselves. A gnostic will seek to equalize the teeter-totter. In the Beth Moore Living Proof conference I attended, she spoke of “reciprocal relationship.” Though we are co-heirs, and Jesus is both our Father and our Friend, we do not have an equal relationship, a reciprocal partnership, or a “deal”. He is God, ruling with a rod of iron! (Rev 19:15)

My hope is that through these essays you will have your spiritual antenna raised and when you hear the buzzwords and listen to sermons, you will be able to track if there is any infiltration of Gnostic influences. I pray that you are in a sound, doctrinally solid, bible believing church and you never have to contend with such pollution. I am looking forward to the day when we will be with Jesus and worship him perfectly, with no error or twisted interpretation. What a day that will be!

Meanwhile, let us do all we can to maintain our high view of the only one who deserves it: Jesus. He is the Holy God of Israel, the Groom to His Bride, and our safety in the storm. We owe all to Him. May our prayers and our lives reflect His high position.

Gnosticism Series:
Introduction
Part 1: Secret Knowledge
Part 2: Asceticism
Part 3: Depreciation of Jesus
Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals
Part 5: Worship of Angels
Part 6: Human Traditions
Conclusion

Posted in krakatau, nicaragua, tornado NYC

A short news roundup: tornado NYC, Krakatau, Nicaragua volcano, Abbas and the PA

Posted on by elizabethprata

I’m in the throes of a lengthy series exploring Gnosticism and Paul’s response to it in Colossians. However, here is something shorter for those who are not interested in Gnostic errors and Christian apologetics.

“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalms 89:1)

5 Options For Those Looking For a Biblical Church
9-minute video from the Paul Washer website

Remember the tornadoes that hit Venice Italy in June? Kind of weird to see tornadoes hitting some paces we dont’ usually expect. Well, today, tornadoes hit near NYC Coney Island and Rockaway, Queens.

Volcanoes, volcanoes, erupting everywhere. How about this volcano on a moon of Saturn, erupting water into the universe?

Enceladus, the sixth-largest moon of Saturn, seen shooting geysers water into space from its south polar region in this mosaic composite photograph.

Nicaragua volcano belches ash cloud, residents evacuated
“Nicaragua’s tallest volcano belched an ash cloud nearly a mile into the atmosphere on Saturday, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of nearby residents who heard explosions emanating from its crater.”

Anak Krakatau spews volcanic ash, Tangkuban Perahu closed
“The volcanic discharge of Mount Anak Krakatau, which usually affects Cilegon in Banten and Kalianda in southern Lampung, has now reached the city center of Bandar Lampung, the capital of Lampung province, located around 75 kilometers from the mountain itself.”

@typhoonfury “I was on the summit of krakatau yesterday. Theres lots of new lava and many craters on side. Even the guide said WOW at the top.”

QUAKES today:

6.1- 48km WNW of Nabire, Indonesia

Jordan ups border forces as Syrian strike stokes fears of ‘mass’ refugee exodus
“Jordan strengthened its forces along the border with Syria on Thursday in response to Damascus’ shelling of a southern rebel stronghold officials fear will trigger a mass refugee exodus.”

Battle rages in Aleppo as Russia urges Syria unity
“Fighting for control of a key army base in Aleppo raged Saturday, as Russia tried to revive a divisive accord on ending the bloodshed that calls for a government of unity in Syria” Below- “Sept 7, 2012, a rebel Free Syrian Army soldier runs after attacking a tank with his RPG during fighting in Izaa district in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/ Manu Brabo)

Sept 7, 2012, a rebel Free Syrian Army soldier runs after attacking a tank with his RPG during fighting in Izaa district in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/ Manu Brabo)

Abbas Names Date for UN Statehood
“PA Chairman Abbas says he will ask the UN member states to declare a ‘state of Palestine’ on September 27.”

O, Israel! Harken to what the Holy God of Israel says,

“Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.” (Isaiah 49:7)

Posted in ascetic, gnosticism, gnostics, jentezen franklin

Gnosticism Part 2: Asceticism

Posted on by elizabethprata

In Colossians, Paul warned the believers at that little church to beware the philosophies of the day which were encroaching upon them. Though never named, scholars indicate that the philosophy was Gnosticism. Gnosticism itself is an amorphous amalgam of various elements of many false religions, man-made traditions, and human philosophies. John Ritenbaugh in Forerunner Commentary says, “Here is the earliest indication of Gnosticism as a religion—or at least a philosophy, a way of life that eventually became a religion. … Gnosticism was ascetic and exclusivist, and it relied heavily on magic.”

Ritenbaugh meant exclusivist in that Gnostics claimed the way to salvation was delivered exclusively and uniquely to them, that they alone possessed the higher knowledge which would aid them in their paths to attaining heaven.

Ralphie, upon learning the secret knowledge
is just a crummy commercial

Paul spends time reminding the Colossian believers that man’s philosophy always has a disappointing end, especially when the message is presented as ‘the secret that will finally fulfill you’, as Gnostics claim. In part 1, I brought up the movie character in A Christmas Story, Ralphie, and his disappointment in the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring’s secret message when he finally deciphered it. “A crummy Ovaltine commercial!” he muttered bitterly. John MacArthur has a more eloquent discussion of the emptiness of man’s philosophies:

“Philosophy is empty deceit. It doesn’t give you what you expect. The word “deceit” is interesting in the Bible. One of the words that’s used in II Peter 2 is “guile” or “deceit”. The original meaning of the word is fish hook. And the interesting thing about a fish hook is that it is not what a fish expects. What you see is not what you get in that circumstance. And he’s saying that philosophy is the same thing. It’s a baited hook. You think it’s going to be wonderful ‑‑ it turns out to be deceiving.” (source, sermon, Philosophy or Christ?)

Plato (left) and Aristotle (right):
detail from The School of Athens
by Raffaello Sanzio, 1509

Paul said in Colossians 2:8 that they should not be taken captive by ‘philosophy and vain deceit’. The same notion is seconded in 2 Timothy 3:6, where weak-willed women laden with sins are taken captive by men who are always learning but never able to come to knowledge of the truth, captive here meaning hooked on a false doctrine and led away to destruction, as a fish taking the bait. Little Ralphie was hooked for sure, eagerly spending time and money to decode the message that he was sure to bring fulfillment/joy/peace/happiness, when at the end he discovered something about man’s empty and vain ways.

Secret knowledge is the main component to Gnosticism, but asceticism is also a part of it. Paul referred to the element of Gnostic asceticism in Colossians 2:21-23.

“If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

Man tries to attain higher wisdom and a deeper spirituality by doing certain works. Man also tries to attain higher wisdom by refraining from doing certain other things. In other words, abstinence. The works and the refraining of works are all listed out according to man’s philosophies, and are therefore not holy nor profitable to the body of believers nor do they glorify the holy name of Jesus, as Paul indicated in verse 23.

Source

Wikipedia defines Asceticism from the Greek: “áskēsis, “exercise” or “training”, describes a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from various worldly pleasures, often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals. Many religious traditions (e.g. Buddhism, Jainism, the Christian desert fathers) include practices that involve restraint with respect to actions of body, speech, and mind. The founders and earliest practitioners of these religions lived extremely austere lifestyles, refraining from sensual pleasures and the accumulation of material wealth. They practiced asceticism not as a rejection of the enjoyment of life, or because the practices themselves are virtuous, but as an aid in the pursuit of salvation or liberation.”

Gnostics believed matter was bad, therefore the body was evil and only the spirit was good. They believed in a strict separation of the two. That is why they deny Christ in the flesh, saying that He would never deign to incarnate into a fleshly body. In Gnostic asceticism we see both ends of the spectrum in their treatment of the body. Some Gnostics proposed that severe treatment of the body through rigorous denial of certain things was the way to deal with evil of the flesh. Others said that since flesh was evil but they had already attained the higher knowledge of the spirit, and since the two were separate, they could do anything they wanted in the body. They were libertines.

Wiki also states of Gnosticism: “Evidence in the source texts indicates Gnostic moral behaviour as being generally ascetic in basis, expressed most fluently in their sexual and dietary practice.”

This is not to say that abstinence from certain things is bad. This is the evil genius of Gnostic asceticism. Paul warned the single people to abstain from sexual relations and warned the married people to abstain from relations with others not their spouse. (1 Corinthians 7:1-8). Jesus said in Matthew 6:16-18 about fasting, stating “when you fast”, not ‘if‘ you fast, indicating that the activity is good and profitable, an activity that is welcomed by the Lord.

However, Gnostic ascetics went beyond scripture with their abstinence, and actually used it as a weapon of holiness that positioned themselves above others.

Colossian Christians were affected by an ascetic form of Gnosticism that included “ordinances” (KJV) or “regulations” (NKJV) that are not found in God’s Word but were the commandments and doctrines of men (Colossians 2:20-23), as well as demons, the “basic principles of the world.” (Colossians 2:8). [source]

CARM says “Asceticism is a lifestyle that denies worldly pleasures in order to gain spiritual benefit. There are different degrees of asceticism from casual to severe.”

Jentezen Franklin is a Gnostic Ascetic. He claims to have secret knowledge about fasting that if you perform, you will receive a spiritual benefit, such as “experience spiritual renewal and direction for your life . . . restoration of relationship . . . healing . . . release from bondages . . . and so much more!”

He is what modern Gnostic Asceticism looks like. Mr Franklin made up the Daniel Fast and wrote about fasting in his book “Fasting: Opening the door to a deeper, more intimate, more powerful relationship with God.” He said in his book:

“When I feel myself growing dry spiritually, when I don’t sense that cutting-edge anointing, or when I need a fresh encounter with God, fasting is the secret key that unlocks heaven’s door and slams shut the gates of hell. The discipline of fasting releases the anointing, the favor, and the blessing of God in the life of a Christian.” [more here]

Franklin’s Daniel Fast lists certain ingredients and foods that one may eat or not eat during the 21 days. It is based on the fast that Daniel asked the Babylonian overseer to allow Daniel to undertake, so that he would not defile his body with meats sacrificed to idols and could remain within God’s commandments.

If you read part 1, you know that the word “secret’ is often thrown around by Gnostics, who, you’ll remember, are the only ones in the know. So, according to Franklin, fasting is a secret key? How is that so, when Jesus talked about fasting in his most famous sermon in the entire bible, (Matthew 6) well-known and available for all to see, and the Holy Spirit to inspire understanding of? Or is the information about fasting from a man-made doctrine is what’s the secret, a secret that Mr Franklin will now reveal? It is the latter.

Release is also another buzz word. Because Gnostics claim they have the knowledge unto salvation, thus the path to heavenly power is contained within us, so all it takes it this practice, that discipline, that knowledge to release what is already inside us. A Gnostic will tell you how, if you buy their book…  

Manifest is another buzz word. Once the discipline is concluded, the power we release will be made manifest.

However, the truth is we have no power, we are weak. Only God has power. (2 Cor 13:4; 1 Cor 1:25; Eph 3:7). We can do nothing apart from God! (John 15:5)

Source

So let’s boil this down into plain language. Say I am a Gnostic seeking after the secrets Mr Franklin writes about. For 21 days I refrain from eating white pasta, potato chips, and hot dogs. According to Mr Franklin, on day 21, I will now have unlocked the heaven’s door. Silly, isn’t it?! Especially since heaven’s door was opened to me the moment I repented and Jesus forgave me! Heaven is not locked to a born again believer! It is that insidious subtlety that pollutes the faith. May the Lord repay Mr Franklin for scaring the brethren like that! (2 Timothy 4:14, Hebrews 10:30).

So of course nothing man can do will unleash the power of heaven, but if you were hooked into the Daniel Fast or another kind of Gnostic, ascetic practice and your “power” was not “released” nor made “manifest,” maybe you wondered if you had done it wrong. Maybe you were jealous of all the other, more successful people who claimed to have grown close to God. Maybe you just felt left out, and wondered how or what you could have done to ‘ascend’ on the higher, holier paths that others seemed to have attained. That’s Gnosticism’s subtlety in using ascetic practices as a weapon, and that is why it is wrong. For Paul wrote-

“The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.” (Romans 14:3)

Lest you think I took a tiny portion of his man-made ascetic fasting discipline out of context, let’s look at some more. On Rick Warren’s ministry page, Mr Franklin is speaking of the Daniel Fast again. He discussed reasons for starting this fast. He said that it is good to begin it in January, “after overeating at holiday season, after Christmas, people are looking for more discipline in their life.” Franklin says that Jesus said seek the kingdom first, and this means the first of the year. He said starting the fast at “the beginning of January is good, after getting through all the ball games and the parties.” But Paul said in Colossians 2:16

“Let no man disturb you about food or about drink or in the distinctions of feasts and beginnings of months and Sabbaths,”

And Paul said as far as indulgence goes, (or holiday over-indulgence) in Colossians 2:23, “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” In other words, will an ascetic fast stop you from overindulging at 4th of July? Or a family reunion? Or the Next Christmas? No? So does that mean the power of heaven was not released through your practice nor made manifest in the world? Did God fail? Or did you? How defeating it is to be on that hamster wheel!

Daniel Grabbe wrote, “This third [Gnostic] heresy is easily seen in the antinomianism (literally, “against law”) of the Gnostics, who may not have been against every law, but were certainly against any law—any standard of conduct or requirement of righteousness—that impinged upon their standard of conduct. Thus the ascetic Gnostics who grieved the Christians in Colossae held to manmade regulations of “do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” (Colossians 2:20-21), while rejecting the command to “rejoice” with food and drink during the God-ordained festivals.”

Look how big this church is.
They must have done the Daniel Fast!

Mr Franklin further stated, when his church does the Daniel Fast in January, “the church explodes numerically. Numbers go straight up through the roof. … Every year we’ve done this our church has grown and grown and grown, and we do it corporately.”

In attempting to meld man-made ascetic practices with holiness, Mr Franklin uses numbers to try and cement the success of his Daniel Plan. But Paul said in Colossians 18 and 19 in part:

“Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism … and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.” In other words, a private, individual, Holy Spirit inspired growth of a person who then increases in fruits for the benefit of the body. Everyone wants to seem holy by doing a fast or completing some such ascetic dicipline, but that does not mean the church is growing disciple by disciple. It likely means the opposite.

Mr Franklin even goes so far as to say if you read his plan of asceticism contained in the Fasting book “I believe [you will] even hear the voice of God speaking through the words to you in a personal way…”

But the writer of Hebrews 1:1-2 said, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.”

Mr Franklin is really saying that ‘In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us through me, in my fasting book.’

Live a crucified life, but not an ascetic one. Brothers and sisters, fast as the Holy Spirit prompts you for the purpose of glorifying God, not as an antidote to holiday overindulgence, church growth or releasing personal power. Develop abstinence in the various things according to the bible’s outlines, not according to people who make up lists of approved foods and then claim if you adhere to them you will unlock heaven! Denial of the flesh is good, because in the flesh is sin, (Galatians 5:24; Romans 8:13-14) but not according to man-made philosophies, but only according to the Spirit.

Paul said to the Colossians, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Colossians 1:9)

Note: In listing the buzzwords, understand that the words themselves are neutral. It is only using them in context of a Gnostic sermon or ascetic practice that one should have their antenna raised and investigate further, using the bible as your barometer. For example, fasting to commit something to God is good. Fasting to get a blessing or release power is bad.

Ascetic Buzzwords: release, power, seed, spiritual formation, fasting, consciousness, transformation, spiritual therapy

Note: as above.

Ascetic Practices: yoga, contemplative meditation or centering prayer, labyrinth walking, fasting, Lectio Divina
———————-
Gnosticism series:

Introduction
Part 1: Secret Knowledge
Part 2: Asceticism
Part 3: Depreciation of Jesus
Part 4: Ceremonies & Rituals
Part 5: Worship of Angels
Part 6: Human Traditions 
Conclusion

Posted in blood, revelation, river runs red, yangtze river

Yangtze River runs blood red

Posted on by elizabethprata

We’ve seen a small rash of rivers or lakes turning red lately. Earlier this year the Beirut River turned red. No one knew why at first, but later they thought it was due to a factory that had illegally dumped red dye. Despite the fact that this is prophesied to happen, as per Revelation 16:4, it is not a prophetic fulfillment yet, because we are not in the prophesied time of Revelation. The Tribulation has not begun. But as precursors go, it’s pretty eye-popping. As mysteries go, it is pretty interesting.

Two weeks ago a lake in France turned blood red.

“At first glance, it might look like a sign of the apocalypse – but scientists say the blood red lakes in southern France are actually a natural phenomenon. Camargue, France is a river delta where the Rhône meets the sea. The picturesque area is home to numerous salt flats, and it is this concentration of salt that will occasionally stain red the regions normally blue water.”

So that time the culprit was salt.

A few days ago Lake Erie hadn’t turned red but there was a massive fish die-off.

‘Something really wrong’ with fish die-off along Lake Erie: officials
“A strong sewage smell preceded scenes of dead fish littering the shores of Lake Erie this weekend and has residents wondering what caused the massive die-off, the president of the Rondeau Cottagers Association said Tuesday.  “This is a very substantial fish kill and there’s something really wrong to have a fish die off like this,” said Dr. David Colby, a cottager who is also the Chatham-Kent medical officer of health.”

Officials aren’t positive, as usual they say the “likely” cause was the fish were killed by “killed by a lack of oxygen caused when lake sediment was stirred up, the province reported Friday.”

Oh. Ok.

“Water samples “do not show evidence of a manure spill or anything unusual in terms of contaminants,” Ministry of Environment spokeswoman Kate Jordan told NBC News. Jordan said it wasn’t known if the die-off was unprecedented, but that “it was a significant number — tens of thousands. The fish were found along 25 miles of beach, with locals first coming across them on Monday.'”

Like that happens every day, sediment killing 25 miles worth of fish.

Here is the today’s “river turning red” news–

Yangtze River Turns Red and Turns Up a Mystery
“For a river known as the “golden watercourse,” red is a strange color to see. Yet that’s the shade turning up in the Yangtze River and officials have no idea why. The red began appearing in the Yangtze, the longest and largest river in China and the third longest river in the world, yesterday near the city of Chongquing, where the Yangtze connects to the Jialin River.”

Remember, it is NOT a fulfillment of Revelation 16:4, not only because we have not been in the Tribulation for ten chapters, but also because when it does happen, a third of all the earth’s rivers will turn to blood. And the verse says what it says, the waters will become blood. Not salt making it look like blood, not illegally dumped dye, but actual blood.

I’ll be interested to see if the officials come up with a “likely” cause for why section of of Asia’s longest river and the third longest river in the world turned blood red. It is freaking everyone out, and as well it should. I am glad it makes people think of the apocalypse, which should make them think of Jesus, which should make them think of judgment and sin. And then of repentance. I pray it makes them think on those things.

It may be a large environmental disaster, a huge detriment to the food chain, and a terrible accident or other natural disastrous event. But it is not Revelation. Yet.