STEVE LONG OF 'CATCH THE FIRE' TORONTO, AT CITY CHURCH CARDIFF - ELIM'S DETERMINATION TO OFFER "STRANGE FIRE!"

"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, 
and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, 
and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not."

(Leviticus 10:1))

Strange fire. The meaning of the Hebrew word rendered here as "strange" is "unauthorized, foreign, profane." In some way, what these men did was totally improper, and utterly offensive to a holy God. It was an unacceptable action born of the flesh rather than of the spirit, and this episode continues to speak to us today about the rightness or otherwise of our actions and how our Creator views them.

And in modern times there can be few if any examples of "strange fire" more blatant and far-reaching in effect than what became known as the Toronto Blessing, which was in reality a curse of gargantuan proportions, the toxic smouldering of which continues to chronically affect us to this day.

The unrestrained drunken revelry which characterized this supposed "revival" should have been ample proof that the phenomenon had nothing whatsoever to do with the Holy Spirit and everything to do with an alien one, but wisdom and discernment were the two spiritual gifts that hardly anyone seemed to have any interest in exercising. It was party time, and the only thing that was unacceptable to the writhing masses was anyone daring to rain on their parade by telling them the truth about their demonic delusion.

Which brings us to Steve Long, and his imminent visit to City Church Cardiff (which until June this year was known as City Temple). So who exactly is Steve Long? Well, he and wife Sandra have been pastors at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, now re-branded as 'Catch The Fire,' since 1994, when they arrived at John Arnott's church where the Toronto Blessing's "strange fire" had broken out in January of that year. They were then commissioned by the Arnotts in 2006 as the Senior Pastors. Mr. and Mrs. Long also serve as Vice-Presidents of Catch The Fire (World) and Directors of Catch The Fire (Canada).

It must be emphasized that Steve Long came to prominence precisely because of his deep participation in and global promotion of the "strange fire" of the Toronto Blessing, for which he was rewarded by John Arnott personally by being given the leadership of his Toronto church when he stepped down from that position a decade ago. Steve Long is absolutely inseparable from the so-called Toronto Blessing, and this has to be clearly understood when evaluating his ministry.

The Longs' profile (http://catchthefire.com/media/profiles/steve-sandra-long) informs us that they specialize in inner healing, deliverance and physical healing. In this context, it will be more than relevant to here take a little look at a book that Steve Long has written on the subject of healing, entitled 'My Healing Belongs To Me' with a foreword unsurprisingly penned by John Arnott. Most tellingly, it is endorsed by some of the most well-known and utterly unsound ear-tickling "Christian" renegades on the planet, like Bill Johnson, James Goll, Wesley and Stacey Campbell, Rolland and Heidi Baker, and Che Ahn amongst others - of whom we might particularly note two British individuals, namely David Campbell and Kevin Peat, who we'll return to shortly.

With so many false teachers and prophets on board to boost sales  - you need to note the major New Apostolic Reformation connections! - it should really come as no shock to the system to find that the premise of Long's book is quite simply a lie. The ear-tickling pitch is this:

"GOD WANTS TO SEE EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, BECOME HEALTHY."

(Source: http://www.catchthefirebooks.com/myhealingbelongstome/)

The very title of the book is itself an untruth! When Long asserts that "my healing belongs to me" he is simply regurgitating the old Word of Faith deception. Our healing DOES NOT belong to US - it very firmly belongs to GOD, and to Him alone! Period. He is Sovereign, and it is He who decides on such matters, not us. He will grant, or NOT grant healing, as it pleases Him. He alone has ownership of such things, and while we can meekly ask for a dispensation of a measure of His healing grace, the answer is far from guaranteed to be a "Yes!" Even the Apostle Paul met with a firm "No!" when he asked three times for his "thorn" to be removed. Hard as it may be for us to understand, illness and weakness can indeed form an integral part of God's plan and purpose for our lives. And like Trophimus, we too can be left sick (2 Tim. 4:20) or like Timothy have stomach trouble and frequent illnesses (1 Tim. 5:23). Here is the Lord's answer to Paul's request and the Apostle's response to it, words that should really make us stop and think long and hard about these issues:

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, 
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

A little more reading and digestion of the Word will completely blow apart Long's claim that "God wants to see everyone, everywhere, become healthy." John 5 records an incident in Jesus's ministry, when he healed a disabled man at the pool of Bethesda. It should be well noted that this man was the only one in "a great multitude" so healed; all his fellows went home in the same condition in which they had arrived.

I have no doubt personally that God can and will accomplish miraculous physical healing if He wishes to. But it is not the norm, and definitely not His focus. His priority is not physical but spiritual healing, through our coming into a restored relationship with Him by honest repentance of sin and our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. This is the most important and fundamental healing of all, compared to which all other types of healing become only of the palest significance. Physical healing is temporal, whereas spiritual healing is eternal.

Let us remember that when by His grace we are saved, the spirit is redeemed but the flesh remains in a state of corruption. We remain subject in the body to the same ravages of disease, decay and death as everyone else in this fallen world. What is corruptible has yet to put on incorruption; what is mortal has yet to put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:53-4). And for such glorious and permanent transformation, we have to patiently wait.

Friends, we are not to be fooled by fables, and we are to firmly resist the seduction of what has but an appearance of righteousness. So many, even when they know in their heart of hearts that something is not right, go along with it anyway, rather than make a stand. So many simply have no desire to see the reality, preferring the illusion. There are none so blind as they who have poked out their own eyes, and lead the similarly sightless into the ditch.

Most regrettably, Elim have long had such leaders, men who should have known so much better. Men like Colin Dye and Wynne Lewis of the Kensington Temple, who dizzily danced to the Toronto tune and caused others to delightedly partner with them in the whole unfolding horror story. Men of the moment like the aforementioned David Campbell and Kevin Peat, both of whom are Regional Leaders in the Elim denomination and unashamed and determined error pedlars. For more information on this particular angle, please refer to: http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/rivercamp-2015-elims-accord-with.html

To the list of undiscerning Elim (mis)leaders can sadly be added Steve Ball, the current Senior Pastor at City Church Cardiff, for bringing Steve Long to his church, and also his predecessor Chris Cartwright, who during his tenure hosted Bill Johnson at the City Temple. Johnson - who as we've noted commends Long's 'My Healing Belongs To Me' - was Campbell and Peat's star guest at their Rivercamp Leadership Conference last year, and is one of the unsoundest "Christian" leaders in the world today! Please see: http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/rivercamp-leadership-conference-may.html

City Church Cardiff is playing with fire. And it is "strange fire" that they are playing with. The visit of Steve Long is not to be missed, they enthuse. But the truth of the matter is that anyone who has risen to prominence and power as a direct result of their very active participation in and promotion of the demonic delirium that was the Toronto "Blessing," should be marked and studiously avoided, not courted and connected with!

Dear reader, my hope and my prayer is that Thursday 13th. October will not find you anywhere near City Church Cardiff, supporting this travesty!

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, 

and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, 

saith the Lord Almighty."

(2 Corinthians 6:17-18)

JUDGMENT MUST BEGIN AT THE HOUSE OF GOD - ANYONE WITH EARS THAT ARE STILL OPEN, LET HIM HEAR: THE HOUR IS LATE!

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?"

(1 Peter 4:17)

JUDGMENT - like wrath, Hell and damnation - is a word rarely found in the vocabulary of a professing Christian today. But judgment is precisely what this little piece will major upon, with a particular focus on just where judgment begins. 

Our God is most certainly a God of immeasurable love, mercy and grace; but He is also a God of unfathomable holiness and righteousness, and while slow to anger He is also "great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked." (Nahum 1:3). There are countless examples of wickedness in the world all around us that we could easily refer to, the perpetrators of which will all in due course be held accountable before the Sovereign Creator of the universe for their heinous deeds. But there is one very great wickedness, increasing in intensity with every passing day, which I will speak of here, for the need to do so presses heavily upon me. 

That unspeakable evil is the presentation of a false Jesus, a bogus messiah with forged credentials, a counterfeit redeemer with a fake gospel that cannot save but only seduce men with a shimmering mirage of life-giving water when the grim reality is that there is really nothing there but choking, parched sand. 

Right from the off, before the canon of Scripture was even completed, the Apostle Paul gave grave and impassioned warning of what was to come:

"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."

(Acts 20:29-31)

Note well that it is not only external predators who threaten the flock but internal self-seeking spiritual fifth columnists, false brothers and despicable traitors to the cause of Christ, who will proclaim a different Jesus with a different gospel and operate in a different spirit which is very far from holy. 

We might quite rightly call such a thing heresy, apostasy, deception... but let's not get away from the basic fact that the presentation to a lost world of a "Jesus" who is not the Jesus of the Bible - the Logos, the Word made flesh - but an impostor with a twisted message that cheats men out of their coming to a genuinely saving knowledge of the Truth, is quite simply WICKEDNESS of the highest order. And it is a wickedness that brings an inevitable judgment from on high.

Yes, our God is slow to anger, but there comes a point at which His anger will surely erupt. Yes, our God is patient but not infinitely so; there comes a point at which His patience snaps. As it is written, His Spirit shall not always strive with man. (Genesis 6:3). A man may persist in choosing a lie over the truth, as he has been given the free will to do so, but there is an exceedingly high price to be paid for such perversity. Judgment will come, as surely as clouds bring forth rain, and the guilty will not be acquitted. But judgment has a starting point; it begins at the house of God: it begins with the Church.

But what form will this judgment take? God will simply allow people to have the renegade pastors and prophets they crave, parasites who will be permitted to feed for a season until His purposes are accomplished and they are banished to the blackness of darkness for ever. (Jude v.13). If the people who claim to be His have itching ears, He'll simply step back and allow them to be tickled. He'll simply say something like, "If that's what you want, then that's exactly what you shall have! If you want to hear what the purveyors of falsehood proclaim rather than what I have to say in my unchangeable Word, go ahead! Follow their hollow "Jesus" if you will, but you've opted to be deceived, you've made your choice. Did I not warn that I would send a strong delusion because you would not receive the love of the truth? So you can trust to Word of Faith fabrications, you can believe in the New Apostolic Reformation's fables, you can lean on any lie you want to; I'm giving you over to it! You can have whatever your fickle and fleshly hearts desire, but what you won't have is ME!"

And it's already happening. Judgment has already begun at the house of God...

"A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;

The prophets prophesy falsely, 
and the priests bear rule by their means;

and my people love to have it so:

and what will ye do in the end thereof?"

(Jeremiah 5:30-31)

OVER TO YOU, MY FRIENDS. WHAT WILL YE DO?

CHRISTY WIMBER IN WALES AS A STAR GUEST OF NEW WINE CYMRU - THE BITTER FRUITS OF THE VINEYARD MOVEMENT.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: 
because many false prophets are gone out into the world."

(1 John 4:1)

The annual New Wine Cymru (Mis)Leadership Conference is over for another year, and the hundreds of undiscerning and itchy-eared Church leaders from all over Wales have returned to their various equally undiscerning and itchy-eared fellowships, having drunk deeply from the poison chalice.

The special guest at the 2016 Conference, held at Cornerstone Church's Venue 2 in Swansea on the 10th and 11th June, was one Christy Wimber. Mrs. Wimber is Senior Pastor of the Yorba Linda Vineyard in California, and is the daughter-in-law of the late John Wimber, who was a founding father of the Vineyard movement which he led until his death in 1997.

John Wimber's far-reaching influence in evangelical circles cannot be understated; sadly, the seeds that he scattered so widely have steadily grown into tall tares that are choking the good grain. What John Wimber presented to the Church was what has become known as the Third Wave of the Holy Spirit,  a term coined by his friend C. Peter Wagner, a man who has become recognized as the leader of the utterly heretical New Apostolic Reformation.

Back in the 80s, Wimber and Wagner co-taught a course at the Fuller Seminary, entitled "Signs, Wonders, and Church Growth." The core teaching of the Third Wave is what has become known as Power Evangelism, or "Doing the stuff" as Wimber flippantly called it. The premise is that the presentation of the Gospel is now essentially ineffectual unless it is accompanied by Signs and Wonders - notably healing and deliverance - and the movement has in consequence taken a key role in relentlessly bulldozing "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" away from a solid Word-based faith to a subjective experience-based one.

What is being propagated is the lie that people have to SEE in order to believe, which contradicts the Bible's clear teaching that people have to HEAR in order to believe. For as it is written in no uncertain terms:

"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

(Romans 10:17)

It cannot be emphasized enough that the Gospel has to be orally preached and aurally received; the reality is that it is a visual presentation that is ineffectual. Conviction of sin and the need for repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit accomplished via the EARS, not the EYES! Third Wave adherents have majored on the wrong sensory organ entirely. It is no wonder then that this very basic but enormous error has spawned the likes of the Toronto Blessing, actually one of the vilest Hell-designed curses ever to have been inflicted on the Body.

Let's consider this passage:

"Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God."

(John 10:31-33)

Did SEEING miracles convict these people that He was the Messiah, and cause them to accept His message of salvation? Absolutely not! They didn't deny the miracles, but they still denied who He was, and to them the Gospel was certainly not confirmed by their witnessing of Signs and Wonders. Again, in the story told by Jesus of the rich man and Lazarus, He made it crystal clear that "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." (Luke 16:31). Would not such a thing be the ultimate in Signs and Wonders? But the Lord Himself here affirmed that even this would be insufficient to cause a man to turn from unbelief to belief! 

In a nutshell, signs FOLLOW belief; they do not PRECEDE it! (Ref. Mark 16:17)

Jesus made a very sobering statement about those who would focus upon such things:

"A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign."

(Matthew 16:4)

It has to be said that the fruits of the sign-seeking Vineyard are bitter indeed. The Third Wave/Signs and Wonders movement in essence denies sola scriptura - the sufficiency of Scripture, and determinedly ventures into extra-Biblical practice and revelation. When John Wimber could find no Scriptural validation for the kinds of things he was becoming actively engaged in, he was undeterred, and with his reckless hand on the tiller the Vineyard was steered into very dangerous waters, to be at the forefront of a seismic shift in evangelical Christianity's historical (and correct!) emphases. The Word was no longer to be the essential reference point by which all things are tested and proved or disproved; experience was in itself to become its own unchallengable "proof" of what God was (supposedly) doing; if it felt right, then it was right. In a vigorous shifting from a Western mindset to an Eastern one, mysticism and occult practices were accordingly embraced without question or pause. In a movement so intent on promoting the gifts of the Spirit, the gifts that no-one had any interest in exercising were wisdom and discernment! In this way, hosts of unclean and counterfeiting spirits were enabled to swarm into the Church, where they have made themselves very comfortably at home and become ever more brazen in their diabolical deceptions.

The Word of God is immutable. It houses all Truth, and is our protection against all UNtruth! When its vital importance and relevance is downplayed, we are in serious trouble. EXTREMELY serious trouble! The Satanically-inspired swapping of Word for experience, and the exchange of an EAR-received faith for an EYE-received fallacy, has contributed immeasurably to the Falling Away which the increasingly neglected Word warned would come in the Last Days before the Lord's return.

But Wimber's wilful betrayal of the Faith once and for all time delivered went even further than that! We should also carefully note that he was of a heavily ecumenical persuasion, and thought nothing of sharing a platform with Roman Catholics. His pro-Vatican stance is breathtakingly illustrated by his declaration that "the pope, who by the way is very responsive to the charismatic movement, and is himself a born-again evangelical, is preaching the Gospel as clear as anyone in the world today." Say what???!!! That his daughter-in-law shares such cockeyed veneration for the Vicar of Rome is evidenced by this following Tweet:

Christy Wimber @ChristyWimber 24 Sep 2015

I love this  Pope! I love how he breaks protocol: no limo, visits the nuns, eats with the homeless and causes world leaders to cry.

Let's say it as it is. To love the Pope is to love the spirit of antichrist. Period.

While on the subject of her Tweets, here's another real eye-opener:

Christy Wimber @ChristyWimber 22 Oct 2015

I think u accidentally blocked one of my friends @billjohnsonBJM He's very safe, I can vouch for him! Lol

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! Not only does this desperately discernment-devoid lady love the Pope, she also declares that Bill Johnson of all people is not just safe but VERY SAFE, and she can vouch for him! Again, let's say it as it is. Bill Johnson is one of the UNSAFEST "Christian" leaders on the planet, with his Bethel, Redding "church" being an End Times epicentre of all things apostate!

Very ironically, while Christy Wimber is dedicated to continuing to promote her late father-in-law's  theology, in one key area of her life is to be found a very conspicuous contradiction. John Wimber was a complementarian, that is to say that he believed in a traditional (and Biblically sound) understanding of men and women having God-given complementary roles in matters of marriage, family and ministry, with men having the headship; he did not approve of women holding positions of church leadership.

Yet Mrs. Wimber is herself the Senior Pastor of the Yorba Linda Vineyard, actually having a higher degree of authority than her husband Sean!

In an area of the Faith where John Wimber to his credit did not deviate from orthodoxy, his daughter-in-law has no problem with such a departure. So what was this leading lady teaching the attendees of the NWC Leadership Conference? No prizes for guessing... it was on how to lead effectively! Only in a gathering of an apostate Church could she have got away with that... an apostate Church that has Tippexed out the Spirit-inspired words of the Apostle Paul:

"But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, 

but to be in silence."

(1 Timothy 2:12)

But then, is not one Sarah Richards a leader of New Wine Cymru, and a senior leader of Cornerstone Church in Swansea whose Venue 2 facility was where this Conference was held? Is not "Women Who Lead" one of their other major events? Is not Sarah also part of the Pioneer leadership team and on the Board of Willow Creek UK, "helping to bring leadership training to leaders and churches across the UK?" Truly, error begets error, and as Biblical teachings are abandoned, apostasy ever accelerates.

These are wretched days indeed. Days of unquestioned compromise and cultural conformity. Days of church growth, where that growth proves to be a malignant tumour. The Body is dangerously diseased, and doesn't even know it. Blissfully ignorant people are being offered a gospel that's claimed to be the real thing when it is but a worthless counterfeit. Recently I was shown a forged banknote, so well done that you'd have to be really clued in to know the difference. When we're dealing with spiritual fakes, we have to be similarly equipped to be able to spot what's right and what's wrong. And how do we get so equipped? The answer is very simple, yet most folks now seem to find it incredibly hard:

"Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read."

(Isaiah 34:16)

We desperately need to blow the thickening dust off our Bibles, and feed upon the Heaven-sent bread of life contained within its covers. It's the only thing that will sustain and nourish us, and fill us so full of wholesome Truth that any delusion - however delicious-looking it might be! - becomes a complete dietary no-go! The junk food of experiential Third Wave "Christianity" that's being served up by the bargain bucketful needs to be completely consigned to the waste bin where it belongs. Only then can the Body be truly healthy.

"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, 

and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, 

and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

(2 Chronicles 7:14)

* * * * * * *

Some further reading:

John Wimber's false teachings:

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/wimber/general.htm

What is theThird Wave?:

http://www.gotquestions.org/Third-Wave-movement.html

* * * * * * *

DON MACGREGOR - PAYING LIP-SERVICE TO THE NICENE CREED WHILE HIS BISHOP AND ARCHDEACON SIMPLY STAND IDLY BY!

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: 
for whatsoever a man soweth, 
that shall he also reap."
(Galatians 6:7)

Subsequent to my last posting on 4 May 2016 concerning Pembrokeshire's "New Age" priest, Rev'd. Don MacGregor, I wrote again the next day to both the Bishop and the Archdeacon of St. David's, as follows:

Dear Sir,

I hope and pray that you will spare a few moments of your time to read and reflect upon this article, and to seek God's face on these most serious issues.

http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/the-new-age-priest-don-macgregor-bishop.html

I would be very pleased to receive any observations you might have.

Sincerely, in Jesus our Lord and Saviour,

Rob Thomas

Unfortunately, Bishop Wyn Evans seems to have been quite unable to spare a few moments; he has not seen fit to grace me with so much as an acknowledgement. The Archdeacon, however, did dash off a quick reply within a few hours, but it seems that he too had no time to consider the issues:

Dear Mr. Thomas
I acknowledge receipt of your note. I shall.not be sending observations to you. I receive many emails of this type and other urgent priorities. I have also replied in relation to the matter in your subject.
Blessings on you brother
dennis

Sadly, it seems that Dennis Wight's "urgent priorities" do not include contending for the Faith. One wonders why, if he's getting so many similar emails, he's not sitting up and taking some notice of such an occurrence...

So much then for the Diocesan leadership. But what of the man himself? Does he personally have anything to say about the matter? Indeed he does! And here is his comment, as posted on the article of 4 May 2016:

Don MacGregor to myself, 1 June 2016:

Dear Mr. Thomas, such a shame that after 4 weeks your article has received no comments, so I thought I might add one. You seem to be under the impression that everyone who is a Christian is a literalist and fundamentalist, which seems to be your position. I am deeply offended by many of your comments, as I am an active Christan  priest, yes with some challenging new interpretations of the tradition, but there is nothing I am saying that has not already been said many times in the past, often by famous and even sainted Christians of former days. I find the tone of your comments, and your pursuit of all sorts of other issues on your blog to be very un-Christian, judgemental and downright insulting. So I do not want to get into a dialogue with you, as I do not think it would change your mind one iota. And, to correct one thing, I can say the Nicene Creed quite happily in full belief of the tradition we inherit, in its context and culture.

My response:

Dear Mr. MacGregor,

Thank you for your comment. The sad irony is that you accuse my writings of being very unChristian, when the whole issue here is that your own writings run so completely contradictory to "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" - the faith that we are exhorted to earnestly contend for! (Jude v3).  Mr. MacGregor, I would respectfully point out that unless a person is indeed "a literalist and fundamentalist" then they are not truly a Christian, but only someone who deceives both themselves and others by claiming to be one. You declare that you can say the Nicene Creed quite happily; saying it is one thing, but believing it is quite another. And your own writings give ample testimony to the fact that you do not believe it, sir. As it is written concerning such a thing:

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 15:8)

Mr. MacGregor, you say that things I've said offend and insult you. Might I observe that things that you've said on your own blog and elsewhere undoubtedly offend and insult the Most High? You are playing fast and loose with the things of our Almighty God, preaching "another gospel" that is no gospel at all, and I most sincerely hope that you come to realize the abject folly of this while there is yet time to repent. Eternity is a long time for regrets.

In Him, 

Rob Thomas

BELOW IS REPRODUCED THE NICENE CREED, WHICH IS MANDATORY FOR ALL ANGLICAN PRIESTS TO UPHOLD.  REFERENCE TO DON MACGREGOR'S OWN WRITINGS CLEARLY SHOWS THAT WHILST HE CAN SAY THE CREED "QUITE HAPPILY" HE NEITHER BELIEVES IT NOR UPHOLDS IT, AND ALL THE WHILE HIS DIOCESAN SUPERIORS PLUG THEIR EARS AND TURN A BLIND EYE TO HIS HERETICAL "NEW INTERPRETATIONS" OF THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE FAITH! PLEASE SEE:

http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/the-new-age-in-church-in-wales-case.html

THE NICENE CREED

WE BELIEVE in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

(Source: http://anglicansonline.org/basics/nicene.html )

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools."

(Romans 1:21-22)

"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."

(1 Corinthians 3:19)

THE MYSTERY OF THE POLLUTED SPRING - A GUEST POST BY VALERIE P., SHOWING THE VITAL NEED TO TEST THE SPIRITS!

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits 

whether they are of God: because many 

false prophets are gone out into the world."

(1 John 4:1)

This is the story of a journey. An odyssey of discovery and a quest for truth. What is found along the way is that something which, to an uninformed observer, would as like as not appear to be clear inviting water sparkling in the sunshine, upon careful analysis reveals itself to actually contain full many a hidden deadly toxin. Streams when traced can show themselves to flow, as Valerie here carefully recounts, from the most heavily polluted of springs...

The Mystery of the Polluted Spring 

Once upon a time there was a man called Charles Dodgson. We know him as Lewis Carroll. He wrote, among other things "Alice in Wonderland" - originally "Alice's Adventures Underground" - and later on "Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There".

On the left is a glass sculpture of “Alice Through the Looking Glass”, by Jeanne Argent. It is located in Guildford, near the house that Dodgson used to rent.

http://www.lookingatglass.com/2010/10/01/alice-through-the-looking-glass/

The right hand picture is one of John Tenniel's illustrations for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

In Alice in Wonderland, seven year old Alice falls down a rabbit hole/well to the centre of the earth and drinks from a mystery bottle which changes her size. In "Through the Looking Glass" on the other hand she moves through a mirror into a back to front world. Either way, she meets some pretty odd characters, such as a hookah smoking caterpillar and a mad Hatter, and reads a gruesome nonsense poem about a Jabberwock.

Below is John Tenniel’s illustration of the Jabberwock. Possibly inspired by Darwin, he gave it some dinosaur body parts. Some people link the modern word “dinosaur” to dragons. The Jabberwock is certainly a ghastly beast and used to frighten me as a child.

The author in question presented as an orthodox Christian but was interested in psychical research, Homeopathy, Rosicrucianism and Theosophy - "esoteric Buddhism" - which is definitely occult.

His writing may or may not have been influenced by opium and absinthe - a highly alcoholic spirit termed "the green fairy", which leads to lucid drunkenness. Absinthe contains a small amount of wormwood oil "Artemisia absinthium", which has a bitter taste and is a psychoactive toxin. Depending on the quantity consumed it can cause seizures, hallucinations and death.

Above are pictures from Wikipedia articles on Absinthe: “Albert Maignan's Green Muse (1895: a poet succumbs to the Green Fairy)" and Thujone: "Research-grade Thujone". Thujone is the chemical compound in wormwood.

Why are you telling me all this?

Well, I have a very odd mystery, which somehow connects to the above and leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

It all started, innocuously enough, with an internet search on John Paul Jackson, now deceased, whose 'expertise' on prophecy was being used to suggest Donald Trump is destined for the White House. Who was Jackson and could he be trusted? Short answer: No. His theology was dubious so even if his predictions come to pass, he is not to be followed!

As the Bible says in Deuteronomy chapter 13 (King James Version):

1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;

3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

John Paul Jackson was one of the "Kansas City Prophets" and connected to "IHOP" - International House of Prayer. (If googling, note it's not the U.S. fast food chain!)

As one does, I next googled "IHOP" and looked at their map of the world to see where their prayer houses were. I was interested that they had one marker for Wales: Ffald y Brenin - which I had come across before because of concerns over Celtic mysticism and a teaching on "blessing" which just didn't seem to be right. Each of these prayer places was marked by a red flame on a rectangular red base.

I also saw it was linked to a British based organisation "24-7 Prayer". Being curious, I pursued this link. It seemed joined at the hip to IHOP and was based at Eastgate Gardens, Guildford. When I put this address into google maps I couldn't find it at first. No sign of it in the road, just St Joseph's Roman Catholic Presbytery at the northern end of the road, before the road turns right to St Joseph's church and more houses. However “24-7 Guildford" zoomed me in to stand over a red dragon in the centre of a maze in Allen House Gardens nearby.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Eastgate+Gardens,+Guildford,+Surrey+GU1+4AZ/@51.238688,-0.5687681,3a,60y,22.03h,50.64t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sgFYx3p9zZ4UAAAQ0MExxbw!2e0!3e2!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x4875d098dfcf04e9:0xc6cd916982ff9822

What!!

No sign otherwise of a HQ.

The dragon twists around, with its head turned in, with a large mirroring ball on its back and another in the swirl of its tail. Dinosaur-like footprints are marked in the maze, or labyrinth, around it. The shiny balls line up with a coniferous tree, with a hut "pavilion" behind it. From the air the maze looks a bit like a yin yang symbol: a Buddhist concept. The base of it happens to line up with the north end of St Joseph's church.

I then found out that officially it is not a red dragon at all but a Jabberwock, as in Alice in Wonderland: though not looking to my eyes like the one in the book. Why should my search for 24-7 Prayer lead here?

The odd thing is that I might not have pursued my search the same way I did if the marker had led to the pavilion, which is where it appeared a few days later. At the time, the marker led to the Jabberwock. As it was, I dug deeper and found that the official address of 24-7 Prayer International Company No 04176643, Charity No 1091413, is Allen House Pavilion. It shares the pavilion with Matrix Trust and Eden People. Matrix Trust is linked to Eden People. (Why Eden People, and does Matrix Trust have some kind of link to the film The Matrix, which has Gnostic and Buddhist themes?) Eden People can be found as a heading under Matrix Trust. http://www.matrixtrust.com/#/eden-people/4533385012

Eden People

Matrix Trust tells us: “Regular Eden initiatives in the local community include wellbeing therapy evenings, mind, body, spirit fairs, a creative arts evening at a coffee shop, art installations and exhibitions and evenings focused on healing, insight, blessing and meditation." “From a Christian perspective”. How can that be?

Activities include Ruach Blessing Card and Jesus Deck Readings (like Tarot card readings). http://www.edenpeople.org.uk/

Eden people are also registered on the "Energies in Action Your Holistic Gateway" web site. http://www.energiesinaction.co.uk/listings/category/healing-hypnosis/

Listed in “Healing, Healing Hypnosis, Inspirational, Massage, Spiritual” with the address: "The Matrix Trust, Allen House Lodge, Allen House Gardens, Chertsey Street, Guildford, GU1 4HL", Eden people say:

“We are a collective of off-kilter environmentally aware artists, poets and alternative healers, engaged in search and pilgrimage to encounter the ‘divine’ in our daily lives.

We hope that wherever you made a connection with Eden People you would have encountered something of our ethos and heartbeat.

We have a Christ-centred spirituality; so being non-religious, holistic in lifestyle & activity with the creative and spiritual being very important to us.

We look to build relationships and community between spiritual travellers, through having spaces at festivals, spiritual/green/alternative gatherings & exhibitions, arts events, community activities, in pubs, galleries and cafes.

Safe, welcoming, loving gathering spaces and venues allow people to create, discuss and inspire.

Together we encounter the divine creator in some way.

At our gatherings you could find ‘left-field’ heaven sent sanctuaries’ that immerse you in quirky artwork, impromptu healings, visuals, installations, wonky music, and rest & peace for the soul.”

I would contest that Eden People are “New Age”/Occult.

The Matrix Trust says it is about "transforming communities". It says it has "a particular focus on youth and emerging cultures."

"Our vision is to see lives and communities transformed and foundations renewed in peoples’ lives. As a Christian charity, Christian spirituality is central to who we are; but we value partnership highly and work alongside those of any faith or none to improve our service and effectiveness."

Ian Nicholson is listed on LinkedIn as the Chairman of Matrix Trust and the European Director of 24-7 Prayer. He is also Chaplain and Club Director of Woking Football Club and previously worked for Shees Television and Operation Mobilisation. Elsewhere I found out that he is also a local church leader of Emmaus Road/Guildford Boiler Room, and former Olympic chaplain. 

How can these three organisations at the Pavilion be so connected?

In the Bible, Paul says in the second letter to the Corinthians (KJV) chapter 6:

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

Let us look at 24-7 Prayer.

Their logo appears to be a sun with a moon in it: 

24-7 Prayer call their image the "'Sawtooth Sun/Moon image'" https://www.24-7prayer.com/logos (they are particular about the image's copyright so scroll down the webpage for it or just look at the tab at the top of your computer.)

This is from the site “Symbols and their Meanings”: http://www.crossroad.to/Books/symbols1.html#philo

SUN & MOON JOINED AS ONE: A universal pagan expression of the merging of opposites. Like the Yin Yang, the marriage of  themale sun and the female moon represents unity in diversity, compromise instead of conflict, and conformity to a new consciousness where all is one. (See The Marriage of the Sun and Moon)

SUN FACE: The pictured image is part of an 18th century Masonic ritual painting, but it illustrates a symbol that has been central to most major spiritual systems of history. Since the sun god usually reigned over a pantheon of lesser gods. his symbol played a vital part in pagan worship (and in the rituals of occult secret societies) around the world. In Inca myths, the sun was worshipped as the divine ancestor of the nation. For links to more information, see Sun face in our Q&A section.

CRESCENT MOON: A symbol of the aging goddess (crone) to contemporary witches and victory over death to many Muslims. In Islamic lands, crescent can be seen enclosing a lone pentagram.

I also enclose the information on the Yin Yang symbol, but have chosen not to include the symbol itself.

YIN YANG: A Chinese Tao picture of universal harmony and the unity between complementary opposites: light/dark, male/female, etc. Yin is the dark, passive, negative female principle. Yang is the light, active, positive principle. Since the holistic balance between Yin and Yang is dynamic and constantly changing, it illustrates  the consensus process, the vision of global unity, and the blending of opposing energies at the heart of Holistic Health.       Since it represent monism (all is one) and pantheism (all is God), it opposes Christianity, which shows us that there is only one God (monotheism), and only in Christ can we be one. See The Tao

24-7 Prayer’s strapline is "Reviving the church. Rewiring the culture". "Our aim is to revive the church and rewire the culture through Prayer Rooms and Boiler Rooms". These are "working alongside and within existing church traditions. Others are strongly prayerful non-denominational churches". https://www.24-7prayer.com/boilerrooms

Ian Nicholson is a leader, as I said above, of Emmaus Road/Guildford Boiler Room. My research showed he started both Matrix Trust and Emmaus Road. On Emmaus Road’s site http://www.emmausrd.com/  they say they are "Proud to be part of 24-7 Prayer" http://www.emmausrd.com/new-to-emmaus. (Both 24-7 Prayer and Emmaus sites are designed by the same company).

Ian Nicholson is actually part of the 24-7 Prayer's International Leadership team. https://www.24-7prayer.com/team

Now to introduce someone new:
  

The Team Leader of Emmaus Road is Pete Greig, who is central to 24-7 Prayer. He is also Vice Principal of Tearfund and was part of the leadership of Holy Trinity Brompton - home of Alpha Course - for seven years.

There are two books highly recommended by 24-7 Prayer. One is 

"Punk Monk: New Monasticism and the Ancient Art of Breathing" by Andy Freeman and Pete Greig (same man) and "Red Moon Rising: The Story of 24-7 Prayer" by Pete Greig and Dave Roberts.

This is the synopsis of Punk Monk on Amazon.co.uk:

"Fleeing the compromises of the 4th century church, the Desert Fathers founded monasticism. In reaction to a Christianity they scarcely recognized, these radicals fled to the Egyptian desert to model a different, radical style of discipleship, filled with sacrifice and continual prayer. Who are the new monks, the new punks, the new revolutionaries? The answer lies in an upsurge of 24 - 7 monastic communities around the world. Punk Monk combines a narrative journey through the beginnings of 24 - 7 Prayer Boiler Rooms with a discussion on the roots of monasticism, particularly its ethos and values, and how it can be applied in the third millennium. Drawing influences from the Franciscans, the Celts and the Moravians, the book highlights the counter - cultural and revolutionary force of monasticism and asks whether it is time for a new monastic movement. It also takes punk as a contemporary expression of monastic spirit and asks whether a ''silent revolution'' is coming."

And Red Moon Rising:

"Brilliantly written with pace and poetry, this gutsy true story of the rise of the 24-7 Prayer movement is peppered with miracles and hard times of suffering. Starting at Cape St Vincent where Pete Greig receives a powerful vision of a coming army of young prayer warriors, it moves on to the eventual formation of prayer rooms and the practice of continual prayer around the world co-ordinated through the web. Read inspiring stories of people finding a new depth of heartfelt prayer and radical compassion..."

24-7 Prayer also set up Prayer Spaces in Schools "supporting spiritual life". (formerly Orison, which they say means prayer, or as Wikipedia says “the act of attempting to communicate with a deity or spirit”. http://www.prayerspacesinschools.com/

Pictures on their website show a child weaving a pentagram aka Christmas star: "reigniting the sense of mystery and awe around the Christmas story", and children putting their hands on a plasma ball. Wikipedia tells me that a central electrode with plasma filaments gives the appearance of moving tendrils of coloured light within the volume of the globe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_globe. It reminds me of a magic ball! Prayer Spaces in Schools seems to like using lights a lot and suggest a “be still” tent.

24-7 Prayer live by "a simple Rule of Life called "The Mustard Seed Order" - which we will come to later.

So what?

Well, this is not just a marginal organisation with little impact. It has the backing of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who also endorses "Red Moon Rising" as does Nicky Gumbel of Alpha International. Both have connections with the highly influential Holy Trinity Brompton, as of course did Pete Greig himself. "24-7 Prayer lies right at the heart of HTB". They are also going global.

Yet at the heart of 24-7 Prayer is something fishy. At its heart is Contemplative Prayer, which to be clear is a meditative experience - concentrating on one thing only in order to clear the mind to experience something. That something is a change of perception - an experience which makes the meditator feel closer to "god" and at one with god and the universe, but which is actually taking him away from the true God of the Bible. It has unfortunately a long tradition in the Christian Church - hence the "monasticism". It was indeed practiced by the Desert Fathers as they experimented with various forms of prayer and experience. They may have got it from eastern Hinduism and Buddhism and it may also be the basis for later Muslim Sufism (mystical Islam).

The fame of the Desert Fathers and works such as "Sayings of the Desert Fathers" spread rapidly across Christendom as far as Gaul and Spain in the West and became a model for Christian monasticism. Some believe its influence can be seen in what we know as Celtic Christianity, which is also affected by local pantheistic paganism.

In modern times, the Roman Catholic Franciscan/Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, has been very influential in contemplative prayer. He found he had a common experience to Buddhist monks - which is not surprising seeing as it appears to have the same source. The paper trail goes through Brennan Manning, who was also Roman Catholic and Franciscan but expelled for getting married. He then introduced the experience into Protestantism with "The Ragamuffin Gospel". Also extremely influential is Richard Foster's "Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth" (he was Quaker), Dallas Willard and "Renovare Spiritual Formation". These always have the meditative "centering" experience at the heart of their work.

http://thecelticmonk.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/thomas-mertons-wisdom-of-desert.html

Contemplative, centering prayer appears to bring a person closer to God by feelings/experiences but actually takes them further away from the true God of the Bible. It profoundly affects how the practitioner views life. They start to feel they are one with all things/the universe/god and that they themselves are god. It leads away from Jesus Christ as seen in the Bible towards "Christ consciousness" - a false christ of the New Age/pagan/eastern religions.

In the first chapter of Red Moon Rising, Pete Greig said he had an experience of electrical currents running up and down his body as he prayed in Cape St Vincent. This is also very alarming as it connects to the above. This is not consistent with an experience of the Holy Spirit but rather the false, Kundalini experience of eastern religions and the New Age. It is this experience, linked to the meditative one, which is bringing false spirits and spirituality into the church. Electricity running up and down the body is part of the New Age/Hindu “Kundalini” experience, for example page 16 of Ray Yungen’s book “A Time of Departing” has a similar New Age experience. Also, is it holy? The Holy Spirit leads to truth. John 16:13 says:

¹³ Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.

If Pete Greig had had a Holy Spirit experience it would be holy and would lead to "all truth". Is this what we see? No, we see a joining with the occult.
(And by the way, repetitive singing for twenty minutes or more may also be mesmeric and lead to “altered consciousness”)

This is where (for me) it got really hard. At the heart of Alpha is the Holy Spirit weekend. At the heart of that is the Toronto Blessing experience, which is imparted and produces often weird behaviour. But where does that come from?

Partly at least from Lonnie Frisbee, a hippie, deeply into drugs, who struggled with homosexuality. He became part of the Jesus movement and links to Calvary Chapel, Vineyard, Wimber, Toronto Blessing and hence to Alpha. Coined "The First Jesus Freak". He was buried at Crystal Cathedral, founded by Robert H Schuller (wikipedia)

Lonnie Frisbee

http://lonnierayfrisbee.com/jesus-people/0p8t5qwcx1cewwr0xaali29drpokqm

http://www.wrs.vcu.edu/profiles/TorontoBlessing.htm

Below are some excerpts from "Looking At Lonnie Frisbee: A Real Jesus Freak?" By Steve Mitchell, Power To Stand Ministries. He is discussing a film on Lonnie Frisbee’s life.

"I am judging no one’s ultimate salvation here but I believe that many of these testimonies are extremely dubious given the fact that the alleged new converts to Christ were, in fact, stoned and in altered states of consciousness. Anyone who has done drugs can tell you that LSD and other hallucinogenics,  so rampantly and consistently used,  can duplicate the most mind boggling and radical false realities imaginable. Meeting “Christ” on drugs is more than an ironic twist, it may very well be counterfeit, especially if the “christ” or “god” you encounter fails to tell you of repentance and the gospel. Lonnie seems to have met “Christ” on one of these trips. Here are the disturbing details surrounding Lonnie’s conversion: Lonnie’s high school friend, Judy Meston, recounts:

“So we drove out to Tahquitz Falls and we hiked up- he wanted to go to the very top falls. And once he got there, he opened his back pack and he spread out- and he had LSD, and he had marijuana, and he had all of his oil paints and he had togas, and he told us to put on togas, so we did. And he proceeded to paint a picture of Jesus on the rocks, a full-sized picture of Jesus on the rock. Then he pulled out his Bible and he got into a kinda yoga position and he says ‘We’re gonna read the Bible now.’ He was reading about John the Baptist and how John the Baptist baptized and he baptized us up at Tahquitz Falls, even though we were all on drugs…”

DiSabatino [the film's Director] continues:

“Sometime in 1967 at the age of 17, Lonnie Frisbee took another trip into Tahquitz Canyon. There he took a hit of LSD, removed his clothing and began to pray in a relatively unorthodox but sincere manner. He would later recount that it was here that God came to him in a vision and told him of the unique role that he was soon to play.”

This vision?

 “He saw like the Pacific Ocean emptied out of water but filled [with] people raising their hands and crying out to God to be saved. He says he saw a sea of humanity crying out to the Lord. He said the Lord told him that he would have a unique ministry and that he was not to be afraid.” (Neal Liebig, “Pastor”)

Lonnie continues:

“When the Lord called me, I was going into the desert and I was taking all my clothes off and I was going ‘God if You’re really real, reveal Yourself to me!’ And one afternoon, the whole atmosphere of this canyon I was in started to tingle and get light and started to change and I was going ‘Uh-oh!’ I didn’t want to be there!”

Could drugs have contributed to these special effects? Most assuredly, and with such a bent towards mysticism and occult practice, a young Frisbee was wide open for a dangerous visitation. None of the actualities of this account can be verified or believed to be from the True God because of the self-admitted state he was in. I’ve had addict friends who saw very vivid manifestations and convincing deceptions while on drugs.

“Early Hippy Christian”, David Sloane reveals:

“All of a sudden the Spirit of God hit him hard and he went almost into a trance and he saw himself standing up there with a Bible and he was preaching the gospel powerfully to young people and God told him He was going to use him to bring young people to Christ.”

So according to the film, a high, naked Lonnie receives a vision from a being he identified as “God” who especially selects him for a mission. Although this film is referred to as a “Bible story” and continuously makes comparisons between Frisbee and Bible characters like John the Baptist, Jesus, Samson, and David, one is hard pressed to find any such episode in the lives of these men in the Scriptures. Why is this any kind of credible testimony? Why should any true believer in Christ believe that this was anything other than a counterfeit? Both his “conversion”, confrontation with God, and his subsequent alleged commission all happened while he was high on LSD. Please understand I am not judging whether Lonnie was ever saved or unsaved by his life’s tragic end. All I am saying is that these details don’t indicate this particular series of events to be genuine."

...Lonnie himself believes he was changed:

“He just changed my life. I entered into something that the Bible calls the ‘born again experience’. I was transformed on the inside. I became a new creature in Christ Jesus and the old things passed away…I wanted everybody to experience the experience of Jesus Christ. When I first turned on to drugs I thought that was the truth so I turned everybody on to drugs.”

I believe Frisbee was sincere. Something had definitely happened to him. Note his constant use of “experience”, the “born-again experience”. The “experience” of Jesus Christ. True to many in the Jesus Movement, Christ and salvation was an experiential encounter often perceived to be totally real as a result of a heavy trip while under the influence. All that can be said is that Lonnie had an encounter but we must ask “was it genuine?” Just because he was sincere in his belief about what happened does not make it actual or genuine. If Lonnie truly met God, where was the call to repent of his drug use? If God actually came to him in his drug trip, one would think that he would be told to repent for his sins, but there is no mention of this occurring. We must be wary of anyone who claims to be commissioned by God to serve Him without being told anything about repentance from their sinful lifestyle.

The sad part as featured in the rest of this film is that we will have to acknowledge that not all of the old things were left behind. There just seemed to be no fruit of real repentance, therefore no credible evidence that Lonnie was really saved. The drug use didn’t stop right away either...

....Is he zealous? Was he sincere? Did he “do” a lot of stuff? Absolutely, but that doesn’t really mean much because Christ said that by our fruits will we know someone (Matt. 7:15-20) . “A good tree bears good fruit…” (Matt. 7:17). This is not to say that we all don’t struggle or that anyone is perfect. I certainly am not pointing fingers without first acknowledging my sins before God and that I fall as well. But when false teaching and erroneous belief consistently characterize someone’s life and public ministry, we must be careful to just automatically attribute the power behind that person to the God of the Bible, especially if there is no repentance evident. Sadly, Lonnie’s “Christian” life is riddled with erroneous belief and what can best be described as counterfeit signs and wonders associated with false revival and the presence of sexual immorality.

... Frisbee was hailed to be from God because things happened when he prayed and put his hands on people. We can see the manifestations increase as his ministry grows and many testify to amazing powers coming from Lonnie as the Lord allegedly worked through him."

However, all that glitters is not gold. The weird manifestations that characterized Frisbee's ministry were to become commonplace in the Signs and Wonders movement/Toronto Blessing/"Third Wave", the spirit being imparted by touch or even thrown around the room. Andrew Strom, among others, has been warning about this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBpw2oQrvMM 

My contention is that something has got into the church which should not be there. Or rather, I believe there are intelligent beings with their own agenda.

In Acts 16 we see an example of the workings of such an entity, i.e. demons:

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

That is why we must "test the spirits": because not all that is purported to be from God is from God. Even if it seems to be saying some truth, if it is not from God it will lead away from God.

As John said in his first letter, chapter 4:

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

(Which possibly brings us back to John Paul Jackson at the beginning of this article).

Peter says in his second letter, chapter 2 (KJV):

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not..."

Alice Bailey, a Theosophist, has put this in black and white. The following is from “The Counterfeit Emerging Church Of Alice Bailey” by David J. Stewart July 2015 http://www.jesusisprecious.org/nwo/emerging_apostate_church.htm

It starts with a Bible passage and then follows with excerpts from Alice Bailey's, "The Externalisation Of The Hierarchy" pp. 510, 514:

"2nd Timothy 3:1-5, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; HAVING A FORM OF GODLINESS, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

The following shocking quote from Alice Bailey ought to alarm every born-again Christian in the world. I'll explain the Satanic meaning and dark agenda set forth by Mrs. Bailey after you read this disturbing quote...

“The Christian church in its many branches can serve as a St. John the Baptist, as a voice crying in the wilderness, and as a nucleus through which world illumination may be accomplished. I indicate the hope. I do not assert a fact. Its work is intended to be the holding of a broad platform. The church must show a wide tolerance, and teach no revolutionary doctrines or cling to any reactionary ideas. The church as a teaching factor should take the great basic doctrines and (shattering the old forms in which they are expressed and held) show their true and inner spiritual significance. The prime work of the church is to teach, and teach ceaselessly, preserving the outer appearance in order to reach the many who are accustomed to church usages. Teachers must be trained; Bible knowledge must be spread; the sacraments must be mystically interpreted, and the power of the church to heal must be demonstrated.”

“...There is no question therefore that the work to be done in familiarising the general public with the nature of the Mysteries is of paramount importance at this time. These Mysteries will be restored to outer expression through the medium of the Church and the Masonic Fraternity, if those groups leave off being organisations with material purpose, and become organisms with living objectives.”

In other words to undermine the gospel and use the shell of the church in order to forward Satan's agenda.

Too way off? Oh, I haven't explained the "Mustard Seed Order" mentioned on the 24-7 Prayer site. This order was first set up by Count Zinzendorf. It has now been reconstituted and is Masonic. Zinzendorf is linked to Rosicrucianism.

So we seem to be coming in some odd way back to Charles Dodgson and his writings and to the Jabberwock in the park. Seeming Christian yet involved in psychical research, Rosicrucianism and Theosophy. Involving states of altered consciousness: Psychoactive drugs (LSD, opium, absinthe etcetera) and contemplative prayer both altering brain patterns leading to a sense of "oneness" etc.

This is highlighted in Rob's watchman4wales blogspot of 6th April 2016:
"Beware of 'Contemplative Prayer' - Part One: The Origins of and the Practice of 'Centering Prayer'" 

http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/beware-of-contemplative-prayer-part-one.html
"The effects on a person's consciousness of "magic mushrooms" and Centering Prayer are thus essentially the same. And if this wasn't revelation enough, it has been demonstrated that perceptible and permanent physiological changes are the likely result of engaging in such activity!"

And where is it heading? The "reality" seems to be hidden in plain sight, or maybe for us, maybe it can show us what is going on. We have a red dragon/"Jabberwock" in a maze/labyrinth. Labyrinths are connected to Buddhism and spiritual quests/contemplative. When I emailed Rob, he thought about the dragon and the two spheres and replied:

"I knew that those spheres had to represent something... The one is encircled by the dragon's tail, and the other is supported on its back. It's straight out of Revelation.

The one sphere represents the demonic hosts who fell with Satan, the great RED DRAGON:

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great RED DRAGON, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

And HIS TAIL DREW THE THIRD PART OF THE STARS OF HEAVEN, AND DID CAST THEM TO THE EARTH: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born." Revelation 12:3-4

The other sphere, literally supported by the dragon on its back, is the false religious system, Mystery Babylon, who is portrayed as sitting on the beast:

"So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman SIT UPON A SCARLET COLOURED BEAST, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns." Revelation 17:3

Two spheres. Two spheres of Satanic influence and control...

They have extremely reflective surfaces i.e. they are mirrors, things which have featured since time immemorial in deeply occult practices; magic, clairvoyance, divination etc. They are used especially by magicians, witches and sorcerers. These spheres face the sky, and as light-reflecting fish-eye mirrors, reflect the heavens - sun, moon and stars (which echoes the 24-7 logo) and so demonstrate, both day and night, i.e. 24-7, the core belief of occultism, "as above, so below." No wonder that Tai Chi is practiced on them!

This is all  "hidden-in-plain-sight" deep Satanism, and it is impossible for it to be mere coincidence that the Allen House Gardens should be home to not only the 24-7 Prayer HQ, but also the Matrix Trust and the Eden People. (The Eden People say they have a "Christ-centred spirituality," but theirs is obviously the New Age "Christ." Their "therapies" include things like Jesus Deck and Ruach (spirit) card readings!!!!!) The film, 'The Matrix' is all about different realities, and the New World Order. And in the film, there's a key reference to "the rabbit hole." The plot thickens...

Strangely enough - or perhaps not so strangely! - I was researching labyrinths only the other day, as they are really catching on in contemplative circles - no pun intended - where they are used to help in "centering" by having a physical journey to the centre of the labyrinth to mirror (!) the spiritual journey to the centre of one's self. There's one at a contemplative Catholic retreat in Wales, run by the Jesuits no less!"

In my research I kept finding a greater and greater influence of some of the things mentioned above: contemplative prayer, New Age spirituality, what is known as Gnosticism, Theosophy, Rosicrucianism and Masonry in areas you would not expect. I found Christians who are going away from the simple gospel that Jesus is both God and man, and came, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose again. That we can have new life in Him. 

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 

This is the truth that the Apostles creed was written to defend against the Gnostics. What we have now is Gnosticism. (Buddhism and Gnosticism is evident in the theme of The Matrix, as we said before).

From Wikipedia: 

Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek: γνωστικός gnostikos, "having knowledge", from γνῶσιςgnōsis, knowledge) is a modern term categorizing a collection of ancient religions whose adherents shunned the material world – which they viewed as created by the demiurge – and embraced the spiritual world. Gnostic ideas influenced many ancient religions that teach that gnosis (variously interpreted as knowledge, enlightenment, salvation, emancipation or 'oneness with God') may be reached by practicing philanthropy to the point of personal poverty, sexual abstinence (as far as possible for hearers, entirely for initiates) and diligently searching for wisdom by helping others. However, practices varied among those who were Gnostic. 

It can actually lead to either asceticism or to debauchery.

Excellent on this is Tricia Tillin's work, at:
http://www.banner.org.uk/res/newthing.html  
She sees the Toronto Blessing as part of a larger gnostic, antichrist movement. She also traces Satan's false wisdom back to Eden - hence I believe this is the source of the "Eden People". She sees the present situation as the fulfilment of 1 John 4, because it sees in its fullest form the church as the body of "Christ", a force. Jesus is seen merely as an example of a man utilising this force, not God. It also links to Masonry.

"Gnosticism existed before the time of Christ's birth, but afterwards there were Christian Gnostics. They explained the phenomenon of Jesus Christ in this way:

The christ spirit simply inhabited the body of the man Jesus. The christ spirit had come to teach man the gnosis whereby he could free himself from bondage to the evil material world. Some even taught that Jesus did not actually have a body of flesh, but was pure spirit. Thus the ideas of physical death and resurrection were denied by the gnostics.

Now we see what John was speaking of in his letter. It is the antichrist spirit who denies that Jesus is come in the flesh. The antichrist and his followers seek redemption (that is, spiritual transformation) by means of a spirit-being and by becoming a spirit-being!

Bible-believing Christians do not look to a mere spirit-being for salvation. We look to a Man who bled and died, in reality, in agony, upon a wooden cross. We do not receive redemption from a spiritual emanation that infuses us with "revelation" from some unknowable Supreme Being out there! We have a Saviour, the sacrificed Lamb of God, who died in our place, rose again as a flesh and bones person, who ever lives to intercede for us! Jesus is very REAL! If you met him today you could place your finger in the nail scars of His hand, just as Thomas did years ago. He is no "it", he's not a spirit, but a real (but divine) Man."

It has grieved me to see a Christian I really appreciated turn to yoga, "The Shack" and the theology of Rob Bell, universalism: that all will be saved. Universalism can lead to immorality: what we do doesn't matter.

It grieves me too, to see The Lee Abbey Movement go down the Renovare/contemplative/spiritual formation path. I don't know where the new leadership will take the movement but from my last visits I would say it had gone really "weird": very sensual and environmental. It was using and exporting the Renovare spiritual formation teaching. It seems to have left the true gospel and there were hints that some no longer believed in Jesus' atoning death for our sins.

So much of the church seems to be affected: 24-7 Prayer, International House of Prayer of course, HTB, Alpha's fruits, probably Tearfund: there is a strong social gospel element to "take the world" for Christ, The New Apostolic Reformation - super Christians building a super society - straight down the path into a New World Order and New World Religion. I found personnel links to St. Aldates in Oxford, Soul Survivor, Mike Pilavachi, St. Andrews Chorleywood, Spring Harvest and New Wine. The Bible Society and Scripture Union are affected.

The New Monks are seeking to usher in a non-violent, environmentally conscious (healing the earth's woundedness) society. Ultimately Manning expects to usher in the new heaven and the new earth.

On the other hand the New Apostolic Reformation is turning to violent imagery. They see themselves as Joel's Army, specially elect Christians who will bring God's judgment, physically rule in all spheres of life (The Seven Mountains) and take over the world.

There are also links to Jungian psychotherapy. He was a pupil of Freud. Like him, he was influenced by the occult.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave which talks about reality and a reflection of reality in a flame also seems to fit in.

Finally, but not exhaustively, anything ecumenical is suspect. It looks like this contemplative spirituality is leading towards a one world religion: all religions united. The only ones left out will be those who follow the truth, and according to scripture they will be opposed mercilessly - but accepted by God. 

It is probably in a church near you, or your church, or you have been affected by it personally yourself. You may well have imbibed some of this polluted stream. It brings death and destruction, a falling away, wherever it goes. It leads to lucid drunkenness. It is poison and it leads to Hell.

What should we do?

God says to come out of it.

Back to Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (KJV) chapter 6:

14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

You may need to repent and/or renounce your involvement in any part of the above. I had been involved with Alpha, HTB and the Toronto Blessing so needed to bring this before God and repent. It is now behind me. I do believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the continuation of the gifts mentioned in the Bible, but this clearly isn't of Him. If we keep following God's word step by step He will lead us.

I can only suggest you read God's word, ask Him to reveal if you have been affected and determine to follow Him. As Ephesians 5v11 says (and do read in context): 

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

By the way, I would like to say especially to teens who have been at large Christian gatherings where they have experienced odd behaviour and who now say you either don't believe in God or are not sure if you do: I don't think I believe in the god who you don't believe in either! - I think you have seen a false spirit parading as the Holy Spirit and quite rightly view it as a phoney! Don't give up on the real God though. Regardless of what you have been taught in school, the Bible really can be trusted (you have been sold a lie) and you really can have a relationship with God. However, you have to go through the door of repentance and faith that He died for you and rose again, not through the door into an altered consciousness!

Some suggested further reading:

The Perfect Storm of Apostasy – An Introduction to the Kansas City Prophets and Other Latter-Day Prognosticators http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?tag=john-paul-jackson, with further resources below.

On IHOP: http://beyondgrace.blogspot.co.uk/p/mike-bickle-ihop-resource-page.html various articles cached in one place.

On contemplative/New Age in the Church: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/ I have found the whole site consistently truthful and useful.

On Gnosticism in the Church “The New Thing” Tricia Tillin  http://www.banner.org.uk/res/newthing.html

On the Toronto Blessing: http://www.wrs.vcu.edu/profiles/TorontoBlessing.htm

Emanating from  Virginia Commonwealth University, this site is Academic rather than Christian, and has some typos. It gives a very interesting time line.

On how the New Age has infiltrated the church: “A Time of Departing” by Ray Yungen

On Alpha: "Alpha - the Unofficial Guide: Church Volume", Elizabeth McDonald and Dusty Peterson

The Bible!

Valerie P.