Don’t think about pink elephants…you’re thinking about them aren’t you?

Getting Jiggy-Ziggy for Jesus (Tranced Out For Jesus?)

Umm… Is this what you would call worship or the next type of relevant ‘church’ setting?

http://www.ziggybeats.com/

This is the most interesting one…

Fergusson’s Tribute to Hillsong?

You can read this poem hear on Hillsong’s web site. Your thoughts?

http://myhillsong.com/church-lord-jesus-christ

The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ

She is the plan of God on earth; always in her Father’s eye: Cherished, mysterious, beautiful and potent beyond measure: King empowered and life infused. She emerges triumphant; limitless with potential; a harbour for the hopeless and an answer for the ages: The church resplendent – a bride for His Son.

She is the body of Christ on earth; born, like her Head, amidst tribulation, under jealous skies. Cradled in her innocence and guarded for His purpose. She grows in wisdom and stature with victory on her lips and freedom in her hands. Hers is an unstoppable cause. She embraces the world with dignity, honour and compassion; gives vision to the sightless and life to the dying.

She is the family of God on earth. Within her compass, the hungry find sustenance and the weary receive strength. She is a haven for recovering humanity, enthralled by grace. She invites the broken, the vulnerable and the outcast to be immersed in love. She stands imperfect but perfection resides within her. She is flawed but is washed with forgiveness. She has a treasury of faith and a wealth of belonging.

She is the house of heaven on earth: A representative, resolute to reconcile. The Word within her accepts the receptive but challenges the heartless. She is the ecclesia, called out to serve the world: Calling out to welcome in. Blood-washed and armed with testimony, the cross on her lips liberates the chained and offends the unchanging. Like her Master she is pursued and persecuted. Yet she rises with strength in her heart and fire in her soul.

She is the bride of Christ on earth; readying herself for the day when all eyes will be upon her. Prepared and presented before the Lord: The Lamb for whom the world waits, who comes like the rising sun, majestic and magnificent beyond description, while she dazzles with reflected glory. Spotless, perfect and mature, she bows low to cast her crowns and passionately worship Him. Her temporal focus becomes her eternal gaze. She is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

- by Robert Fergusson

New Matt Ford’s Features

The latest news on Matthew Ford: His website has been updated. (Observe ‘Tranced Out Tuesdays’ .)

http://www.fireitup.com.au/

He’s now switched to the suit and lost his little red cap of fur upon his head. A now serious conservative looking Ghost Toker.

But it’s not that I’m wanting to specifically drag your focus towards. It’s more about this really.

http://miracletrainingcollege.com/

This was a forwarded e-mail to me:

Souls. It’s what we’re all about.

Bringing the power of God to this last day generation has been the mandate of Christian Harfouche Ministries for over two decades. Dr. Christian and Dr. Robin Harfouche have inundated the nations of the world with the living Word of God and dynamic demonstrations of the Holy Spirit and power.

Christian Harfouche Ministries is dedicated to equipping the saints for the work of the ministry. In 1994, Dr. Christian and Dr. Robin Harfouche established a world-class bible training center, International Miracle Institute, and pioneered a New Testament prototype church, Miracle Faith Center. In addition, International Miracle Institute Correspondence Program was developed to enable people around the world to partner with the anointing on Christian Harfouche Ministries and discover their identity and authority as believers in Christ. This message is broadcast through the show “Miracles Today”. Televised daily around the world, “Miracles Today” captures the passion and purpose of a generation with a divine mandate. Embracing the promises of God and the triumphant walk of faith, “Miracles Today” is the celebration of unscripted victories and real-life miracle testimonies. Trained and mentored by Drs. Christian and Robin Harfouche, these disciples have answered a global call to broadcast the creative expression of God throughout the Earth.

Christian Harfouche Ministries is inspiring thousands of believers to answer the call of God and equipping a generation of miracle workers by the Word and the Spirit for the final harvest of souls.

“Through God’s grace, we have seen blind eyes open, deaf ears unstopped, and thousands delivered from every disease imaginable. In one day alone we saw 53,000 souls come to Christ, but we are not satisfied. There is more in God.”

Dr. Christian Harfouche

Rev’d Matthew Ford

Matt is the Fire It Up International Ministries Senior Minister, he has been in the ministry for 11 years.  Matt’s passion is to release Heaven everywhere he goes and to see the Sons of God manifest.

Matthew was raised in the church from when he was a few weeks old. Matt’s parents were active leaders in their church and instilled into their son a passion for God and His Word. Matt subsequently was trained in Youth Ministry, but his passion was to see all generations ignited with Holy Ghost Fire and Bridal Love.

In 1998 Matt visited a Pentecostal Church where he was radically baptised into the Holy Ghost and taken into Heaven for three days and nights. Prior to this he went through a season of “intensely looking for God”. Matt would rise early and pray, knowing that surely this God He had read so much about actually wanted a relationship with him. Matt has great faith to bring people into their Heavenly identity.

While Matt was in the Heavenly realm he was given the gift of faith and the working of miracles. Three days after this encounter began, Matt was able to function relatively normally again, but with an overwhelming, tangible sense of God’s love and presence on his life. This was that which he had been crying out for. The God of the universe had taken Matt up into heaven (Rev 4:1) and deposited His Holy Spirit inside of him. From this time on Matt began to operate in amazingly accurate words of knowledge and wisdom. Miraculous healing’s and signs follow him when he ministers.

Matt is walking into his apostolic anointing as he plants churches and provides “covering” and accountability for other ministers and pastors, more info on this is available from www.fireitup.com.au

Matt has been intoxicated on the Father’s love since 1998, and at times is not able to function well in the physical realm due to the glory that rests on his life. He is a God pleaser and is about his Fathers business….. drinking in the bridal wine of Heaven… Jesus. Even though Matt has been in full time ministry for 11 years, he has kept himself relatively out of the church scene, only coming out of his “Ghost Cave” when directed to do so by the Father.
After Matt completed Theological Training he was trained in the prophetic by some of today’s well known and respected prophetic voices in Canada and the United States. After this season Matt returned to Australia and continued his mystic journey with Jesus, preferring to spend countless hours a day in the presence of His King, rather than out “doing ministry stuff” and trying to build a ministry empire.

Matt is a strong believer that a persons character needs to measure up to their call, gifting and anointing’s. During the last 10 years he has sat at the feet of Jesus, enjoying his relationship with Heaven. Matt has developed a very close relationship with Holy Spirit and loves to teach others about Him and show the church that God is a playful God, full of fun, joy and glory.

Matt carries an incredible grace and authority which is evident when he ministers. satanic high priests, witches and demon possessed people frequently get delivered and set free in his meetings. Amazing miracles and healing’s take place frequently, from cancers dissolving, bones changing shape and growing, deaf ears hearing and totally paralysed people walking again.. there is nothing that Jesus can’t heal.

Matt has a really simple style of ministry. He gets whacked (drunk… filled with Holy Spirit) and ministers from the glory realm. He spends hours a day drinking in the presence of Heaven so that he can unleash the torrent of the Fathers love every time he preaches. www.matt.org.au .

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds…oh and on your guns as well

U.S. Military Weapons Inscribed With Secret ‘Jesus’ Bible Codes

Pentagon Supplier for Rifle Sights Says It Has ‘Always’ Added New Testament References

By JOSEPH RHEE, TAHMAN BRADLEY and BRIAN ROSS

Jan. 18, 2010 —

Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the U.S. military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found.

 

 

John 8:12 coded into the stamp

2 Cor 4:6 coded into the stamp

 

The sights are used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the training of Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the U.S. Army.

U.S. military rules specifically prohibit the proselytizing of any religion in Iraq or Afghanistan and were drawn up in order to prevent criticism that the U.S. was embarked on a religious “Crusade” in its war against al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents.

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Other references include citations from the books of Revelation, Matthew and John dealing with Jesus as “the light of the world.” John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Trijicon confirmed to ABCNews.com that it adds the biblical codes to the sights sold to the U.S. military. Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing for Trijicon, which is based in Wixom, Michigan, said the inscriptions “have always been there” and said there was nothing wrong or illegal with adding them. Munson said the issue was being raised by a group that is “not Christian.” The company has said the practice began under its founder, Glyn Bindon, a devout Christian from South Africa who was killed in a 2003 plane crash.

‘It violates the Constitution’

The company’s vision is described on its Web site: “Guided by our values, we endeavor to have our products used wherever precision aiming solutions are required to protect individual freedom.”

“We believe that America is great when its people are good,” says the Web site. “This goodness has been based on Biblical standards throughout our history, and we will strive to follow those morals.”

Spokespeople for the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps both said their services were unaware of the biblical markings. They said officials were discussing what steps, if any, to take in the wake of the ABCNews.com report. It is not known how many Trijicon sights are currently in use by the U.S. military.

The biblical references appear in the same type font and size as the model numbers on the company’s Advanced Combat Optical Guides, called the ACOG.

A photo on a Department of Defense Web site shows Iraqi soldiers being trained by U.S. troops with a rifle equipped with the bible-coded sights.

“It’s wrong, it violates the Constitution, it violates a number of federal laws,” said Michael “Mikey” Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group that seeks to preserve the separation of church and state in the military.

‘Firearms of Jesus Christ’

“It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they’re being shot by Jesus rifles,” he said.

Weinstein, an attorney and former Air Force officer, said many members of his group who currently serve in the military have complained about the markings on the sights. He also claims they’ve told him that commanders have referred to weapons with the sights as “spiritually transformed firearm[s] of Jesus Christ.”

He said coded biblical inscriptions play into the hands of “those who are calling this a Crusade.”

According to a government contracting watchdog group, fedspending.org, Trijicon had more than $100 million in government contracts in fiscal year 2008. The Michigan company won a $33 million Pentagon contract in July, 2009 for a new machine gun optic, according to Defense Industry Daily. The company’s earnings from the U.S. military jumped significantly after 2005, when it won a $660 million long-term contract to supply the Marine Corps with sights.

“This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country,” said Weinstein. “It’s literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we’re fighting. We’re emboldening an enemy.”

    

How Exclusive is Too Exclusive

Todd said:

“I think what guards against dangerous theology is a wide community challenging your own theology and being open that you maybe be wrong or looking at it at an unhealthy view.”

To some extent I agree but often your main connections are people who share similar doctrinal beliefs.

At the end of the day only the primary text can verify any particular teaching.

The problem with a number of large churches is a lack of systematic or Biblical theology. Much of the teaching is topical and thematic rather than exegetical. Consequently, the congregation don’t have any proper method of approaching the scriptures themselves.

– Raving Evangelical

The pattern of us gathering mainly with people who share similar doctrinal beliefs can be very formative for our faith. Does it help us or harm us or is there a bit of both?

Some church leaders become very worried when members of their flock get together with members of other churches for Bible studies etc. Some get worried when their members make the occasional visit to other churches, saying that there is no need to go elsewhere for food when what they are providing is good and plenty.

When the church’s teaching is good, its hard to see any harm in it being the main circle of relationships; when it is bad, it can be terrible, and very grieving if in leaving a church, we also leave all our friends.

Many of us have found it too difficult to remain in churches when we stop thinking in whatever way is mainstream there. Is it necessary for community to happen, for us all to believe the same major doctrines, or can our faith transcend this?

Is it necessary to be in a community of likeminded people, or is it helpful to mix regularly with those of other quite distinct faiths? Should pastors disparage other faiths from the pulpit, as I’ve heard happen, or should they be encouraging us all to mingle?

When a church refers to itself as the best or greatest in the city, country or world, elevating its way of doing things and its beliefs above all others, should we feel comfortable with the pat on the back, or worried about the way they view others?

Is an answer to teach people how to read scripture well for themselves, so that they become confident understanding scripture without the same influence of a likeminded crowd, or is this too hard for most people to master? I’ve been told that my understanding does not have the value of one who has done a theology degree for instance, and many times this is probably right, but there are other times when I’ve seen highly educated people subscribe to very dodgy doctrine.

Is there nothing to be done in this area? Do we just need to trust God to lead us into truth, in and out of congregations, in His timing, knowing that ultimately he will complete the work begun in us?

********************
RavingPente

Martin Luther King Day

My all time favourite speech is Dr martin Luther Kings “I have a dream” speech given on August 28 1963.

Martin Luthur King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech, as a podcast.

IHaveADream.mp3

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice.

It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.

But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.

A letter to Pat Robertson from Satan

From Maggi Dawn comes this report of a great take on CS Lewis’ Screwtape letters:

a letter from Satan

On January 18, 2010 /By maggi dawn /

C S Lewis made letters from Satan into an art form. Lily Coyle of Minneapolis follows suit in a letter to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, replying to Pat Robertson’s extraordinarily ill-judged comments this week.

Dear Pat Robertson,

I know that you know that all press is good press, so I appreciate the shout-out. And you make God look like a big mean bully who kicks people when they are down, so I’m all over that action. But when you say that Haiti has made a pact with me, it is totally humiliating. I may be evil incarnate, but I’m no welcher. The way you put it, making a deal with me leaves folks desperate and impoverished. Sure, in the afterlife, but when I strike bargains with people, they first get something here on earth — glamour, beauty, talent, wealth, fame, glory, a golden fiddle. Those Haitians have nothing, and I mean nothing. And that was before the earthquake. Haven’t you seen “Crossroads”? Or “Damn Yankees”? If I had a thing going with Haiti, there’d be lots of banks, skyscrapers, SUVs, exclusive night clubs, Botox — that kind of thing. An 80 percent poverty rate is so not my style. Nothing against it — I’m just saying: Not how I roll. You’re doing great work, Pat, and I don’t want to clip your wings — just, come on, you’re making me look bad. And not the good kind of bad. Keep blaming God. That’s working. But leave me out of it, please. Or we may need to renegotiate your own contract.

Best, Satan

Share and Enjoy:

St Nowhere

Over here at Faith and Theology Ben myers has posted a sermon by Kim Fabricius (an exceptional thinker and story teller…read a series of “10 Propositions Kim has written about a range of subjects including, prayer, the trinity, penal substitution, sin and even whay base ball is God’s game!) about a church, an imaginary church, called St Nowhere.

Kim is a minister at Bethel United Reformed Church in Swansea, Wales, and he’s United Reformed chaplain to Swansea University. He was born in New York in 1948, and, after spending most of the 70s wasting his youth (which he reckons is better than having done nothing with it), he was blasted into faith reading Karl Barth’s Commentary on Romans. This led him pretty directly into ministry, which Kim describes as “that wonderful vocation provided by the good Lord for displaced Christian intellectuals who are useless at proper work.

Read the entire sermon here - but the part I liked most was this:

If you asked them why they worship God, they would answer, “What a silly question! We worship God because God is to be worshipped.” If asked what they get out of worship, they would answer, “That’s not the point: the question is ‘What do you bring to worship?’ Worship is not a utility but an offering, an economy of grace that interrupts the cycles of production and consumption by which the world lives. Which is why the collection is not just fund-raising but a critique of wealth and a judgement on greed. Not ‘materialism’, mind,” they hastened to add. “We are, in fact, a very materialistic church, and we like to eat and drink: we regularly consume the body of Christ, but while others drink to forget, we drink to remember.” Finally, if asked if God is pleased with their worship, they would say, “That all depends – depends on whether, with the prophet Amos, it leads to justice rolling down like Niagara Falls, and peace spilling over like the Mississippi in flood.”

I started me thinking about what it is I bring to church rather than what it was that I got out of church…When I sing about bringing a sacrifice of praise do I actually bring something of myself that I sacrifice? Is praise, worship, the church service, more about what I get out of it than what I bring to God through it?

Brotherly or Prostitutionary?

Jeremiah 3:6 When King Josiah was ruling Judah, the Lord said to me, “Did you see what unfaithful Israel did? She was like a prostitute with her idols on every hill and under every green tree.

Maybe I’ve taken this too far out of context, but has anyone observed how much Bentley promoted other fraudulent ministries?

Has anyone observed how often the ElijahList also heavily promoted whacky, fraudulent and non-Christian based teachers, ministers, prophets, apostles and their dodgy ministries?

Surely this is worth discussing. How fruitful is it to promote other people’s ministries for the main sermon? All I remember Todd Bentley talking about (and still is) is what God is doing right now in his ministry and then advertising books and other ministries intensely. To me, he has sided with some dodgy ministers and also promotes their books, but it is not just Bentley.

If I was good friends with Patricia King, John Crowder or Joyce Meyer, it would seem quite brotherly to promote their ministries beside my own. Why? Because if I loved them sincerely, I would (if I didn’t think they were at fault).

But what I have seen in the last few dozen years or so seems more to be spiritual prostitution rather then brotherly support (if that’s what it is… maybe it would be good to define exactly what it is). So when should ministers/ ministries back-scratch, and when should they not?

Does flattery play a role in this; or does the back-scratching? What turns brothers and sisters into spiritual prostitutes and how can it be prevented? What ARE the early warning signs that ministers should take note of?

Here are some other verses:

Jeremiah 3:8 Judah saw that I divorced unfaithful Israel because of her adultery, but that didn’t make Israel’s wicked sister Judah afraid. She also went out and acted like a prostitute!

Hosea 2:2 “Plead with your mother. Accuse her, because she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to stop acting like aprostitute, to stop behaving like an unfaithful wife.

Hosea 4:15 “Israel, you act like a prostitute, but do not be guilty toward the Lord. Don’t go to Gilgal or go up to Beth Aven. Don’t make promises, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives . . .’

Hosea 5:3 I know all about the people of Israel; what they have done is not hidden from me. Now that Israel acts like a prostitute, it has made itself unclean.

Hosea 9:1 Israel, do not rejoice; don’t shout for joy as the other nations do. You have been like a prostitute against your God. You love the pay of prostitutes on every threshing floor.

Amos 7:17 “Because you have said this, the Lord says: ‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and daughters will be killed with swords. Other people will measure your land and divide it among themselves, and you will die in a foreign country. The people of Israel will definitely be taken from their own land as captives.’ “

Some thoughts to ponder on.

S&P