Calvins Camels - article from Inplain Site

I just ran across a good article on Calvinism -- and it's rather long, so here are a few quotes from the beginning part of the article:

INTRODUCTION Having read John Calvin’s Institutes and having studied the writings of many Calvinists both ancient and contemporary, I am convinced that Calvin was guilty of straining at gnats and swallowing camels. To accept Calvinism (in any of its forms) is to deny the plain teaching of dozens of Scriptures.

The Calvinist will doubtless argue that I simply don’t understand Calvinism properly, and to this I reply that if Calvinism is that complicated it can’t be the truth.

Of course, Calvinism is not simple by any means and this is one reason why it produces an elitist mentality. To understand Calvinism one must deal with compatibalism, monergism versus synergism, electing grace vs. irresistible grace, effectual calling vs. general calling, effective atonement vs. hypothetical atonement, libertarian free will vs. the bondage of the will, objective grace and subjective grace, natural ability and moral ability, mediate vs. immediate imputation of Adam’s sin, supralapsarianism, sublapsarianism, infralapsarianism, desiderative vs. decretive will, and antecedent hypothetical will, to name a few!

The fact is that every time I have studied Calvinism I have come away convinced that it simply contradicts too many Scriptures, that it is built more upon human logic and philosophy than upon the plain teaching of God’s Word. Whatever divine election means, and it is certainly an important and oft-taught doctrine of the Word of God, it cannot mean what Calvinism concludes, because to accept that position requires one to strain at gnats and swallow camels. The gnats are Calvinist extra-scriptural arguments and reasoning and the camels are Scriptures understood plainly by their context.

Thus, according to the Calvinist, Jesus’ statement in Matt. 23:37 does not teach that God’s will was ever thwarted by man’s will but merely expresses the human side of Jesus’ compassionate nature. According to Calvin, God cannot be disappointed, because that would means He is not sovereign (according to Calvin’s own predetermined definition), but this flies in the face of the Scriptures in literally thousands of places.

Time to 'Get Real'

This is from an article titled Authentic Spirituality The whole article is worth reading , it's a bit long - here's a few paragraphs:

I think we do this because deep in our hearts we're trying to sell Jesus to the public. We attempt to make Him out to be more than He is in an effort to spark interest. We present "life with Jesus" as though it's a continuous mountain-top experience that comes with batteries included and a life-time guarantee. If this isn't your personal experience with Him, something is wrong with your spirituality. Sadly, the result of this pattern of exaggeration is that people chase a carrot that is always just out of reach and then become depressed and disillusioned.

Let me be the first to say that the reason you can't find the peace and joy and freedom that you've heard about is because it doesn't exist. At least not in the way it's been presented. The Christian life as advertised to you is a lie! The promises and claims that were made to you about Jesus were nothing but a list of sales tactics to close the deal. After all, who would reject eternal happiness and contentment? Who in their right mind would walk away from a Jesus who could make all their problems go away overnight? Who would say no to instantaneous freedom and victory? Especially when it's as easy as 1, 2, 3. Rattle off a quick sinner's prayer and you're on your way to a life of constant adventure and roller-coaster spirituality.

I think there is something to be said for the way Jesus presented Himself 2000 years ago. He rode into the city on the back of an ass. Now that resonates with my life! I get this real and raw picture in my mind, "Life on an Ass," and it rings true. Maybe it's not a popular concept with the Christian world, but the fact is, life is humdrum. There are "up" days and there are "down." There are times of purpose and times of purposelessness. There are extended times when there is clear direction and you know where you're going and then there are times when you just sit and stare at the walls and go nowhere. Life with Jesus is not filled with a continuous vibration of exhilaration and adventure. Scripture never promised that to us.

GRACE - it's just not fair

I wanted to share this video - just 3 minutes; and it almost brought tears to my eyes!

More on EFT and Christians

I just updated the article on my website about whether EFT is ok for Christians?, and wanted to post some of that here, in relation to acupuncture:
In the book They Shall Expel Demons , Derek Prince tells of a Chinese doctor in Malaysia as follows, leading to the inescapable conclusion that acupuncture is not something a Christian should engage in or practice:

About eight years ago, at a retreat in Singapore, God spoke to me about the dangers of acupuncture and its link to the occult, especially its inseparable origin with traditional Chinese religion. I immediately renounced my practice of acupuncture - a skill I learned in Hong Kong and practiced successfully for five years.

... I gathered all my machines, needles, books, diploma and charts and made a great bonfire of them publicly. The total cost of the items was about $15,000-- but the blessings after that were priceless because:

1. My wife, who had suffered from chronic migraine and had acupuncture, done by me many times before, was immediately healed without medicine or prayer.
2. My unexplained fear of darkness immediately vanished.
3. My medical practice, instead of suffering a loss, received a doublefold increase in blessings. [i]

There are 3 more paragraphs of the letter, well worth reading. After reading this (June 2008), I again became concerned about using EFT, since I obviously don't want to be involved in something that would be spiritually dangerous, and it is nominally based on the acupuncture meridian system. So I prayed, being ready to renounce EFT publically, along with re-doing this article and re-thinking this ministry. Had I been deceived? I slept on it, and when I woke up I remembered my dilemna and prayer, and here's what I believe the Lord revealed to me: 'The training for acupuncture involves many hours of study, and that study involves a good deal of the spiritual basis of the practice. However, one can learn EFT without any particular spiritual basis behind it.' Essentially leading to the conclusion that I can continue with the EFT work. However, I am also open to the thoughts of other believers on this topic.

[i]
Prince, Derek They Shall Expel Demons © 1998 by Derek Prince, Chosen Books, Grand Rapids MI,(Sixteenth Printing March 2008),pg 135.

An article about EFT for Christians

I was testing search engine keywords for my website, and one of the results was this article which adds a good perspective to the question. The title for the article is: Is EFT Appropriate for Christians? by Sally Creed, on the Family Christian Counseling Center website. Enjoy!

Destined to Reign - Grace has a name!

I previously wrote about reading a book called Destined to Reign by pastor Joseph Prince. Due to previous mental programming, I thought that maybe the title was a little presumptuous. But that's o.k., because He is faithful to show the way, one step at a time. And, it's also scriptural --

Rom 5:17 KJVA
(17) For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; [meaning Adam] much
more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

and closely following that verse:

Rom 5:21 KJVA
(21) That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

As I was reading the book, I came to page 149 where it discusses Romans 8:1, where the KJV says:

Rom 8:1 KJVA
(1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So many (including myself) have come to the understanding that IF you walk after the Spirit, there is no condemnation; but IF you walk after the flesh, there IS condemnation. When I was growing up, my 1st step-mother would either threaten or proclaim that some 'wrong' action had put you on her 'shit-list'. Some days, it didn't take much more than having a pulse to put you there - seriously! So my view of God was somewhat colored by that, wondering if I was on or off that list. How wonderful to begin to glimpse the Truth of His grace.

In addition to e-Sword (electronic Bible); I have a print copy of the King James version and an NASB, as well as a Lamsa translation and the Jewish New Testament translation by David H. Stern. So before I finished reading pg 149 in Destined to Reign, I jumped up and got my NASB Bible and read that it says:

Rom 8:1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus.

[period]

Then I turned the page, and see that on pg 150 Joseph Prince has the NASB translation there, too. Wow, that's amazing, was what I thought. Now I know there's some controversy about the different translations, and there's the 'King James only' crowd, so take a look at this discussion about that, in relation to this passage, if you'd like.

In case you're wondering, here's a couple of other translations:

There is therefore no condemnation to them who walk in the flesh after the
Spirit of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:1 - Lamsa translation)

And in the Jewish New Testament it reads:

Therefore there is no longer any condemnation awaiting those who are in union
with the Messiah Yeshua.

As I was pondering this insight, the Spirit had me look up the following passage, in effect He's confirming the NASB (and similar) translations:

Joh 3:17-18 KJVA
(17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
(18) He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Notice it says 'He [or in my case she] that believeth on him is not condemned:...' with no qualifiers! (in verse 3:10 it says: "Jesus answered and said unto him..." and then it goes on. So if you have a 'red letter' Bible, John 3:17 and 18 are written in red!) So what Paul wrote to the Romans was and is in agreement with the words that Jesus himself spoke, and there is no higher authority!

As Joseph Prince says (I've watched some of his YouTube videos) - Hallelujah!
Knowing that goes a long way toward being relieved of the fear of condemnation, as a believer. It'll be a process to fully grasp the understanding and being able to rest in His finished work, and of course EFT can help in that process. More to come!

The gospel is good news?

I just finished reading a couple of books by Pastor Joseph Prince, and now I can finally say that Yes, the gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed good news! (gospel means 'good news' -- and according to this article it means 'nearly-too-good-to-be-true news!' More from the article later.)

The 2 books I read are: Destined to Reign, and Spiritual Warfare. I'll have more in subsequent blog articles on info. from both of those, because they really helped clarify some things for me. Much of what I've heard of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been a mixture of 'law' and 'grace' and the 2 are just not compatible. No wonder it didn't always feel like 'good news'.

I'm still learning to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit (Emmanuel, if you will), but one day at church almost a year ago (May 27, 2007 - I wrote it down in a journal I write in sporadically) I was at church and we were standing up singing a song; which I now wish I'd also noted what song it was, but it probably doesn't matter -- and inside my head I heard a loud (almost booming) male voice say "Cia - hope!". (Cia being my first name and hope being a command of sorts.) It was just those 2 words. Wow. I looked around to see if anyone else heard anything, it was so loud. But they were all still singing.

You see, I'm studying this spiritual warfare issue because it's something I need for myself, too. That had never happened before, and so far it hasn't happened since. Maybe He wanted to make it dramatic enough that I couldn't miss it. I had meant to do a search for scriptures about 'hope', but it's one of those things that has been sitting on the back burner. All I wrote in my sermon notes for that day was that we studied Romans ch 6. Usually I write a little more than that, but that day I didn't.

I was reminded of that and looked back in my journal for the date, because Joseph Prince discusses hope in the Spiritual Warfare book, beginning on page 71:

[quoting from 1 Thessalonians 5:8] ... putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." So what is "hope"? In the Bible, hope is a positive or confident expectation of good. Today, we use the word hope too glibly. ... So when God says "have hope", he wants you to have a confident expectation that good things will happen.

Is that great, or what? I also just looked it up in my Strong's Concordance, and in most of the New Testament uses of 'hope' it comes from the greek 1679 or 1680 - 1 Thes 5:8 is 1680. The definition for 1679 says it's from 1680, and means to expect or confide and is translated in the KJV as hope or trust. Strong's definition of 1680 is that it's from another word that means to anticipate, usually with pleasure; expectation or confidence and is translated in the KJV as faith, hope. I need to take that to heart.

And in closing, I'll quote a few paragraphs from the article linked below.
Grace: The Power Of The Gospel - Article - Andrew Wommack Ministries

Many people around the world who embrace “Christianity” have never heard the true Gospel.
They believe Christianity is nothing but a different set of rules, substituting Christian "dos and don’ts" for those of other religions. They continue to believe they must earn their way to God and then do their best to deserve the benefits of salvation. That’s not the true Gospel.

The Gospel is directly related to the grace of God. That's the only way this forgiveness of our sins can be obtained. It isn't through our holiness or good works. God doesn’t take the 'good' people and save them; He justifies (extends salvation toward) the ungodly (Rom. 4:5).

This causes many problems for religious people. They say, "Wait a minute! I believe you must do this and that to be holy." Religion—false religion, man's concepts—teaches that right standing with God and His blessings come as a result of our own goodness and works.

Salvation is a package deal and it's all accomplished by the grace of God, not our works. However, Satan is always trying to deceive us. He is the one who wants us to believe we must earn things from God. He is the one causing us to doubt the Lord’s willingness to use His ability on our behalf, and unfortunately, the church is often reinforcing that belief.

There's more, it's a good article.

Good article by Pastor Chuck Baldwin

The following article by Pastor Chuck Baldwin echoes my sentiments, so I thought I'd post it here. I am going to start writing more about this blog's topic any day now, really. Here's a couple verses of scripture that fit in well with the article's theme, so I wanted to add those too:

(Mat 20:25-28 ASV)
(25) But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
(26) Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister;
(27) and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant:
(28) even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

And here's the article, in it's entirety:

What's With All These Clueless Christians?
by Chuck Baldwin
February 12, 2008



"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." Mark 13:22 (KJV)

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." II Thessalonians 2:11 (KJV)

What's with all these clueless Christians? How is it that people who have the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the warning and insight of the Sacred Scriptures--not to mention a rich Christian heritage here in America--can be so ignorant, blind, and naïve? Yes, the majority of evangelical Christians seem to be all of the above. The problem has passed being serious: it is catastrophic!

How is it that we have drifted away from being an informed, active, knowledgeable, and dedicated group of highly motivated Christian patriots to a group of impotent and anemic sheep? Our Christian forebears must be turning over in their graves, because we are in the process of squandering the greatest human sacrifice--save that of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ--ever made: the sacrifice of America's Founding Fathers.

The problem is manifold, of course. For the most part, our pastors have become glorified politicians and business executives. As attorneys are not schooled in the Constitution, today's ministers are not schooled in the Scriptures. They are motivational speakers, salesmen, and business managers. The Bible is only used as a side reference, if at all. It is not taught or preached literally. Pastors go through the Bible the way people go through a salad bar: gleaning a few sweet-tasting morsels and rejecting everything that appears the least bit distasteful.

Then there is the "fit-in-with-the-brethren" mentality. The politicos in Washington, D.C., have nothing on many pastors' fellowship groups. Fitting in with the denomination seems to be a far greater priority than being an independent man of God. And, of course, let's not forget the importance of not "making waves" with the deacons, elders, or church trustees. In a word, today's pastors have been very effectively neutered.

Another problem is the way our pastors and churches have become "success" driven. Churches used to focus on truth and discipleship. No more. The church-growth movement of the last three decades has produced a generation of Christians much more concerned about crowds, buildings, and activities than they are fidelity to truth. Church has become a numbers game where success is measured by attendance and offerings.

There is yet another problem: today's churches are completely enamored with power. No, not the power of God. They are completely infatuated with the power of men. Rich men. Popular men. Influential men. Celebrities. Politicians. Millionaires. Sports stars, etc.

Yet, listen to what God tells us about rich and powerful men. "Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?" James 2:6 (KJV)

Historically, it has always been the super-wealthy, super-powerful elements of society that have brought tyranny and persecution to God's people. It is the political and business elite who have trampled people's freedoms and liberties, enslaved their children, and ravaged their lands and properties.

Nothing has changed: the super-elite in the United States and Europe are continuing to do what they have always done. Both the Republican and Democrat parties are controlled by those who desire to create a globalistic society in which they will control the world's materials and peoples.

Both George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush have contributed to the tyrannical goals and ambitions of the super-elite. So has Bill Clinton. If John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is elected, they will follow in the globalist footsteps of their predecessors.

The Christian professions of our political leaders mean nothing. Absolutely nothing! Putting an "R" behind his or her name also means nothing. Neither does calling oneself a "conservative" mean anything. Our political leaders are mostly walking in lockstep with the evil designs of the super-wealthy. Ditto for the executives who control our major media.

And our Christians and ministers seem to be absolutely clueless.

James Dobson endorses Mike Huckabee, as does Jerry Falwell, Jr., while Gary Bauer endorses John McCain. Yet, the truth is, one is as bad as the other. In fact, Huckabee is posturing himself to be McCain's running mate after McCain wins the nomination. Does anyone really believe that Mike Huckabee would turn down an invitation from John McCain to be his running mate? Get serious! Mike Huckabee would support the liberal, Big-Government John McCain with all of the enthusiasm he could muster. Why? Because Huckabee, himself, is a Big-Government liberal who has joined ideological forces with the super-elite who run both parties.

And no one within the Religious Right seems to get it. Say you are "pro-life" and "pro-family" and you are "in." Forget the Constitution. Forget national sovereignty and independence. Forget the principles of sound money. Forget the Bill of Rights. Forget "Just War" theory. Forget non-interventionism. Forget protecting American jobs and manufacturing. Forget putting America first. It's all about getting along with the establishment, having a seat at the table, and enjoying the perks of power.

Christians are supposed to be different. We are supposed to think differently. We are clearly commanded to "be not conformed to this world."

In addition, as Americans, our heritage and history is that of being "non-conformist." We loved liberty, freedom, and independence. We recognized no sovereign authority, save that of Jesus Christ. We believed in self-reliance and hard work. We didn't expect government handouts or charity. We believed in disciplining our children and did not expect that they would learn their values from government schools. We viewed human government with deep suspicion and demanded that it be held in check by powerful Bible preaching and by the constraints and restrictions of the U.S. Constitution.

Remember, it was the political and business elite who killed the Old Testament prophets, persecuted the early church, and crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. It was the political and business elite who oppressed our Pilgrim forebears. It was the political and business elite who tried to stamp out liberty and independence from the American colonies. And it is those same political and business elite who are forcing globalism, socialism, and fascism upon the American people today.

And our pastors and churches seem to be absolutely clueless.

Furthermore, when someone appears from outside the elitist mainstream, someone such as Congressman Ron Paul, he is ostracized, ignored, and even lampooned by the very people who should embrace and support him most: evangelical Christians.

The truth is, America is in the doo-doo we are in because of the cluelessness and cowardice of today's Christians. Or, has the elect been deceived? Have they succumbed to delusion? The result is the same either way.

*If you enjoyed this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, please send your check or Money Order to:

Chuck Baldwin Live
P.O. Box 37070
Pensacola, Florida 32526

© Chuck Baldwin

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What fruit are you eating?

I've recently had a couple of insights about using EFT and how it ties in to scripture that I wanted to share.

The first one was a few weeks ago at church, we were reading through the 1st chapter of 1 John, in the 9th verse it says:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1Jn 1:9 KJVA)

And in some respects, that's exactly what happens with EFT; we confess or bring to light our negative feelings or behavior and once we've tapped on it and brought the SUDS level to 0, then we are 'cleansed' of it. Now I know some find immediate cleansing or deliverance with prayer or confession. But in some areas EFT helps to allow us to really let it go. Then of course the command to forgive our debtors becomes much easier, but that's probably a topic for another time. To me, it means we don't try to continue hiding or 'stuffing' whatever the issue may be.

Then later, the passages about various fruit of the spirit came to mind, as follows.

(19) Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, (21) envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,[2] (23) gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal 5:19-23 WEB)

And here are the mention of 'fruit' that deal with emotions: hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, envyings (same as jealousies?), love, joy, peace, and self-control.

And the big insight that I had tied that in to the book of Genesis, way back in the Garden of Eden.

(2) The woman said to the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat,
(3) but of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. (Gen 3:2-3 WEB) .

And the passage that prompted me to make the connection, was from psalm 37: Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. (Psa 37:1 KJVA) That's sure easier said than done much of the time, and EFT helps a lot for me to be able to have faith that that instruction will help keep me out of the devil's clutches.

Some of the questioning I've done about using EFT as a Christian, has been because I wanted to make sure that it wasn't unscriptural. But in a spiritual sense, I see the 'works of the flesh' as noted above being in the category of the 'fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden.' So to the extent that EFT is an excellent tool to allow us to do away with the 'evil fruit' (See also Matthew 7:16-18) and then we can more readily cultivate the 'good fruit'; EFT is in fact scriptural.

Beloved, dont imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn't seen God. (3Jn 1:11 WEB)

I know that for me, as I go through the process of pruning away the negative emotions with EFT, it is much easier for me to be sensitive to what the Spirit is saying, particularly as it relates to scripture. What do you think? Please also feel free to contact me to inquire about EFT coaching.

The War on Religion - article by Dr. Ron Paul

Below is the text of an article written by Dr. Ron Paul in 2003. I really liked it and since we're just a couple of days after Christmas, I thought it was appropriate.

The War on Religion

by
Rep. Ron Paul, MD

ep. Ron Paul, MD

As we celebrate another Yuletide season, it’s hard not to notice that Christmas in America simply doesn’t feel the same anymore. Although an overwhelming majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, and those who don’t celebrate it overwhelmingly accept and respect our nation’s Christmas traditions, a certain shared public sentiment slowly has disappeared. The Christmas spirit, marked by a wonderful feeling of goodwill among men, is in danger of being lost in the ongoing war against religion.

Through perverse court decisions and years of cultural indoctrination, the elitist,secular Left has managed to convince many in our nation that religion must be driven from public view. The justification is always that someone, somewhere, might possibly be offended or feel uncomfortable living in the midst of a largely Christian society, so all must yield to the fragile sensibilities of the few. The ultimate goal of the anti-religious elites is to transform America into a completely secular nation, a nation that is legally and culturally biased against Christianity. This growing bias explains why many of our wonderful Christmas traditions have been lost. Christmas pageants and plays, including Handel’s Messiah, have been banned from schools and community halls. Nativity scenes have been ordered removed from town squares, and even criticized as offensive when placed on private church lawns. Office Christmas parties have become taboo, replaced by colorless seasonal parties to ensure no employees feel threatened by a “hostile environment.” Even wholly non-religious decorations featuring Santa Claus, snowmen, and the like have been called into question as Christmas symbols that might cause discomfort. Earlier this month, firemen near Chicago reluctantly removed Christmas decorations from their firehouse after a complaint by some embittered busybody. Most noticeably, however, the once commonplace refrain of “Merry Christmas” has been replaced by the vague, ubiquitous “Happy Holidays.”

But what holiday? Is Christmas some kind of secret, a word that cannot be uttered in public? Why have we allowed the secularists to intimidate us into downplaying our most cherished and meaningful Christian celebration?

The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers. On the contrary, our Founders’ political views were strongly informed by their religious beliefs. Certainly the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both replete with references to God, would be aghast at the federal government’s hostility to religion. The establishment clause of the First Amendment was simply intended to forbid the creation of an official state church like the Church of England, not to drive religion out of public life.

The Founding Fathers envisioned a robustly Christian yet religiously tolerant America, with churches serving as vital institutions that would eclipse the state in importance. Throughout our nation’s history, churches have done what no government can ever do, namely teach morality and civility. Moral and civil individuals are largely governed by their own sense of right and wrong, and hence have little need for external government. This is the real reason the collectivist Left hates religion: Churches as institutions compete with the state for the people’s allegiance, and many devout people put their faith in God before their faith in the state. Knowing this, the secularists wage an ongoing war against religion, chipping away bit by bit at our nation’s Christian heritage. Christmas itself may soon be a casualty of that war.

December
30, 2003

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What is God's will vs Christian Liberty ?

I wanted to share a very good article that I found on Brian Flynn's website (author of a book I recently finished titled: Running Against the Wind. It's very good and I plan to post something from it a bit later.)

However this article is about Christian Liberty -- as in what are we at liberty to choose in certain areas if it's not specifically mentioned in scripture; since scripture is His revealed will? This article is written by Bob Dewaay.

Here are a couple of paragraphs from the article, and it's helped clear up some of my thinking on the topic.

How do we find out God’s will in matters of Christian liberty? By making an informed choice and living out all the ramifications of that choice to God’s glory by His grace. God’s providential will is known after we make the choice ─ it is whatever we chose. If that choice does not transgress anything revealed in Scripture, then it cannot be a sinful choice unless we make it with evil motives. Examples of choices that the New Testament expressly says are within the realm of Christian liberty are things like marriage, food, circumcision, and holy days to be observed. Some choose a more rigorous and restricted approach to life (see Romans 14), and others less restrictive. What we are not free to do is judge others on matters that rightfully fall into the category of liberty. These are matters God has not dictated in Scripture.

and a few paragraphs later he adds this --

Paul was in prison when he wrote to the Philippians: “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). Paul was in prison because civil authorities put him there. Thus God’s providential will was revealed. There is no assurance that by learning to follow some secret “inner voice of God” we will be more pleasing to God and be more “in the center of His will.” This idea hinders true Christian liberty and leads to many sorrows.

Many think that God will feed them information about all their decisions and give them the “Midas touch.” This concept is false. God does not tell us which stocks are going up, which car will never break down, which house will go up in value, and other turn by turn directions that will lead us to bliss and success in this life. In God’s wisdom He has granted us freedom to make these decisions freely, and without recrimination for the results. It is not a sin to make decisions within the realm of Christian liberty that we regret later. As earthly parents, we will judiciously allow our children to do the same. It is a central part of our human freedom and dignity to make decisions and watch the consequences play out in life. It sounds good to have the “Midas touch” but if it existed it would be ruinous as it was in the fable.

I think that the idea of making the 'right decision' to be sure what we're doing is in God's will comes from the evil one. I've certainly tied myself into mental & emotional knots over it, and I think it's part of what sends people to psychics and the like. However, I do think that praying over a decision before you make it can probably keep you out of harm's way in some cases. The Holy Spirit does indeed communicate with us, but that doesn't mean He needs to put his 'stamp of approval' on every matter before you can do something. My current thinking, after reading this excellent article -- would be that praying over things / decisions is a good idea. Particularly if it's a big decision, like who to marry or where to live or go to church, and the like. If the Holy Spirit gives you guidance or words of knowledge (which don't always come immediately!), then go with that. Otherwise, make your best decision and move forward. For a really good book about the Holy Spirit, I like Chuck Smith's book 'Living Water'.

A short attempt to debunk EFT and SW

I'm pretty sure this article on the 'Let Us Reason' website is in reference to EFT and similar modalities in general, and in particular as a tool for Christians. Why I say that, is because a few months back I sent an email to Mike (the admin / owner of the LUR website) telling him that I liked his website and invited him to read my e-booklet and welcomed any feedback he may have. I then advised that our correspondence may or may not end up on my blog, and asked that if he specifically did NOT want it posted here for him to please let me know. I believe in fair warning, fair play and that sort of thing.

His only response was a couple of weeks later, warning me against things not invented by Christians, as well as warning me against the Elijah List, since I have an article or 2 on here from that website. Since I check in at the 'what's new' link on the LUR website on a regular basis, particularly looking for the article(s) about The Healing Rooms. That's a topic for another blog message, perhaps. Among the 'new' articles is the one linked above, and it's so short I'm going to cut & paste it and then address it. The one thing that really bothers me most though, is that I specifically emailed and requested feedback. But I received not even so much as a courtesy message that he was posting his response to his website. But, as my pastor said once during a service, shortly after becoming head pastor of a church he discovered that 'sheep bite'. Plus, I have EFT to help soothe my feelers over the whole issue. Here's the article:

When does alternative medicine cross over the line where we need to be concerned?
The sicknesses that we often treat are in the body, it is physical. Regular medicine uses a physical means to treat the physical body (other means are employed when it is emotional/psychosomatic). The majority of New age medicine has the premise that whatever is happening to the body first begins in the spirit. they believe in treating the spirit to fix the body. By manipulating energy centers or meridians that supposedly run through the body, they can align our spirit into health, which will then affect the body.

When we use a spiritual means to treat the physical body, that is when has crossed the line to be something else other than medicine. It is not longer medicine but in the category of the metaphysical or the Occult. We are no longer using a physical cure for a physical ailment.

We find many of these techniques are connected with other religions and spiritual systems. The belief that sickness is in the spirit first and manifests in the body (like Mind sciences teaches).

These kind of methods used from other religions the Bible tells us not to use.

Where does the Bible tell us not to use them? We're told in the Bible not to engage in sorcery or divination and not to consult those with familiar spirits (i.e. 'channelers' ), and told not to worship strange gods. EFT does none of those things, though some EFT practitioners may do some of those things. The part where it mentions meridians is really what tipped me off that it might be discussing EFT type modalities. Plus my e-booklet puts forth my contention that emotion and spirit are linked. Thus if you're using EFT for emotional issues it would also tie into spiritual issues, and I cite many passages of scripture to back up my contention. My response is going to be somewhat short, since this is one of the few articles on this website with absolutely NOT ONE scripture to back up his contention. The article says it has crossed the line when we use a spiritual means to treat the physical body and that puts it in the realm of the occult? First of all, how many scientific studies have shown links between stress and disease, just one of several 'emotional states'. I just did a search on the dogpile search engine, using the terms 'stress AND disease' and it came up with 95 results. (Granted, some of them aren't more than links to shopping sites, but many contain useful information.) I then did the same with 'sadness AND disease' and that came back with 100 results. Plus, EFT is primarily about emotions and not necessarily the physical body.

Not to mention, how many passages of scripture say that Jesus cast out devils and they were healed? Would that not be a 'spiritual means to treat the physical body' ? Using eSword, I did a search of the KJVA New Testament using the words 'devil heal' and include a partial match, it came up with 11 results. Here are a few of them:

Mat 4:24 KJVA
(24) And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Mat 12:22 KJVA
(22) Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

Luk 8:2 KJVA
(2) And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

Luk 9:42 KJVA
(42) And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

Act 10:38 KJVA (38) How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

In some cases it appears that 'casting out of devils' and 'healing' are not one in the same thing, in some cases one thing was done and then in others people were healed. Though in some passages it appears the two are in fact linked. And there are many, many mentions of various and different emotions in the Bible -- several of them in my e-booklet or and/or the appendix.

Of course, there's always the possibility that the article had very little to do with EFT, either in conjunction with using it as a tool in spiritual warfare, or not. But I doubt it. I'll close this response with the following verses from the book of Romans:

Rom 14:13-14 WEB (13) Therefore lets not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brothers way, or an occasion for falling. (14) I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

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Acupuncture and Christianity

I'm making some small updates to my booklet on EFT and Spiritual Warfare, and wanted to include some information I found in Larson's book of SW about acupuncture. (And I'm going to remove the 'free ebooklet' for a short while, since EBay has no listing fees until the end of Sept., I'm going to list it there and see if there's any buyers.)

In that vein, I decided to do an internet search on acupuncture history, none of which really contradicted the info. in Larson's book; and then I did a search on acupuncture AND christian, and found a link to this website article, which I wanted to share here. There are links to a few articles with some of the science that's been done on the topic. (Since EFT is somewhat based on principles of acupuncture, it's basically related to EFT, also.) The writer of the article, linked above, is a Christian acupuncturist. A couple of things he writes sum up my feelings on the topic, too.

He writes:

1. God and Christian faith come first in importance and priority. Healing and medicine come after that.

And then goes on to make some other important points, and adds this to which I completely agree:

Science: I have reviewed a number of scientific studies on acupuncture on PulseMed.org. I am a Christian and an acupuncturist, I believe that acupuncture is inherently medical and non-religious. I have made every effort to remain objective in my Christian review of Chinese Medicine. I would like to find out it is compatible with Christianity, but I also am willing to move on if that turned out to be incorrect.

Of course, I'd substitute EFT, and since it deals more with emotional issues, the medical studies may or may not apply. But I see it as something where I am also willing to move on if it turns out I'm incorrect. The Holy Spirit led me away from other 'new age' beliefs and gave me a love for God's Word (i.e. the Bible); and I even believe that using EFT to clear away some negative emotional 'baggage' enhances my walk, and my faith and discernment. In addition, here is another good article that addresses the topic.

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More on Harry Potter

Hey guess what? It's another article on Harry Potter! I get 'fresh' links to articles at ApostasyWatch!, under the 'What's New' section. And I also got yet another book from the library: Larson's Book of Spiritual Warfare by Bob Larson; and some of the stuff in the beginning part of the book, which is all I've read so far, is pretty gruesome. There are certainly similarities to what's quoted from the recent HP book and some of the rituals and/or belief systems of the satanists mentioned in the SW book.

What continues to boggle my mind is the 'pass' and the actual encouragement some in the Christian faith give to the HP fare -- i.e. books and movies. So, here's the latest article I just read, it's a bit long but good. Here's a little bit from the beginning of the article:

"The story of Harry Potter is, and always was, a Christian allegory - a fictionalized
modern day adaptation of the life of Christ, intended to introduce his
character to a new generation."[2] Abigail BeauSeigneur

"The Harry Potter novels... address the need... we have for spiritual nourishment
in the form of edifying, imaginative experience of life in Christ."[3] John Granger

"Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil..." Isaiah 5:20

"The story of Harry Potter is an allegory," observed Peter, a former temple-master in an occult order. "It is written and packaged to look like fantasy when, in truth, it is a carefully written true description of the training and work of an initiate in an occult order." Peter continues, "...everything Harry does is an extension of his belief system. His foundation is in magic through will. The concept that magick is an extension of will
is a foundational occult truth and is diametrically opposed to the Christian concept of will where every born again believer’s individual will is brought into submission under Christ."[4]

And a personal comment I'd like to make, is that I am not necessarily wanting to 'point fingers' or engage in name-calling over this. I'm certainly not 'miss Super Christian' or anything. But, having spent several years studying and trying to believe in the 'new age' mindset, (because I was a lost sheep) I may be a bit more sensitive to the buzzwords and all of that than others. It can really mess with your thinking; and worse besides. I'm sure many of those folks are sincerely misguided and/or deceived, and don't realize it. I guess that's what deception means, eh? But I suspect there are others who are not at all deceived, and are in fact wolves in sheep's clothing -- so we need to be alert and pray for those who are sincerely deceived.

And just to get a plug for EFT in, I could suggest that if my recent articles about HP bring up some negative emotional turmoil -- tap on it! Once those feelings are soothed with EFT, it'll be much easier to hear the 'still small voice' of the Holy Spirit, and/or to really discern what is Truth.

At any rate, it's a good article, check it out here.

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Harry Potter and the assault on Christianity

Ok, I know I said that the piece I did on the Biblical Christianity blog and Harry Potter would likely be the last piece that mentioned Harry Potter. Well, I was wrong, kind of. I figured there was a possibility I'd do another one, and here it is.

I just read an excellent article about HP, and it says basically everything I'd say on the topic. Probably better than I would. I'll throw a few sentences below, otherwise I highly recommend the entire article, here.

I've even heard some Christian parents express delight that the Harry
Potter novels have sparked reading interest in their hitherto
literarily indifferent offspring - the implication being that content
doesn't matter as long as kids are reading something. Could a similar
case be made for reading pornography?

In the context of occult literature and cinema, Harry Potter is
relatively soft-core, but its sanitized portrayal of the black arts
arguably makes it more potently subversive. Interest in the occult
incited by getting caught up in the Harry Potter phenomenon is likely
to carry over into deeper exploration.

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Addressing Christian concerns about EFT

I had an idea this morning to possibly start a new blog, specifically for EFT and Christians practicing EFT. This blog will remain my own -- but I had the idea of opening the other blog for a variety of others to post messages and/or links to their web sites, etc.

I thought it might be a good idea to do a web search using the terms EFT and Christian, and came across this article on the Mercola.com web site, but it's by a man named Larry Nims who offers something called BSFF (Be Set Free Fast), which is an offshoot of EFT. I think I have Larry's manual somewhere, I'll have to dig it up and take another look at it. I prefer the physical tapping, it works best for me. Though sometimes my fingers hurt and I firmly rub the tapping points rather than tap, it works that way too. In a pinch I'll do imaginary tapping which is almost as good. I'm getting off on a tangent -- back to this article.

He writes: "As such, I have no problems with any treatments that involve the use of the subconscious mind (in the form of EFT, BSFF, hypnotherapy, medicine, chiropractic and many other practices that are dedicated to helping people).

When ethical, experienced, conscientious and skilled professionals who are working in their areas of expertise apply any method, God can and does use them "for good to those that are the called, according to His purpose."

I don't completely agree with him, see my other post about psychology. I particularly would be very cautious about hypnotherapy (aka hypnosis), unless you really know and trust the hypnotist. One of the 'fruits of the spirit' is self-control -- and with hypnosis you're basically handing that control over to the hypnotist. Here's something he says that I agree with completely, at least in regard to my use of EFT:

"They can also remove subconscious blocks to "fervent and effectual prayer," to knowing God, hearing from and obeying God, and being fully available to God. These blocks, I believe, are programmed into us from birth by "the prince of the power of the air" (Satan)who holds sway over our cultures and our world." and "This includes removing the strongholds and bondages that the enemy has set up in our conscious and subconscious minds, our emotions, our bodies, and our spirits. That is what Energy Psychology therapies helps us to do, and what it teaches people to do for themselves.

EFT and BSFF does not make anyone do anything new or different. It simply sets them free to have a true choice about things that previously have been operating on "automatic pilot" under the control of their subconscious mind. In other words, they are freer to hear from and to follow God's leading in their life."

He then goes on to discuss the devil's programming in our subconscious. It's a good article, check it out.

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