INSTITUTE OF LOVE
Text Box: June 7, 2011 Deep Cry In The Heart Of Texas Last night I was prayerfully walking the streets of Manhattan, New York listening to an old groovy song on my iPod by the gospel band Commissioned called “If my people.” The lyrics of this song have been taken - as you may have already guessed - from the popular Bible verse: Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2. Chronicles 7:14 NLT At the same time, I was thinking about the day’s news that was making headlines in the world; the escalating problems and violence in the Middle East, the E coli bacteria outbreak in Europe that is killing many people - and where we will be soon traveling to - and here at home where New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner after days of denials confessed that he tweeted a bulging underpants photo of himself to a young woman and admitted to "inappropriate" exchanges with six women before and after getting married. The Congressman apologized for lying but said he would not resign. In the midst of all that, I heard a cry rising from “deep in the heart of Texas”: Texas Governor Rick Perry, who is considering making a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, has proclaimed August 6 as a "Day of Prayer and Fasting for our Nation to seek God's guidance" and has invited governors from across the nation to join his Christian prayer summit at Reliant Stadium in Houston, home of the “Texans” NFL football team. "Given the trials that beset our nation and world, from the global economic downturn to natural disasters, the lingering danger of terrorism and continued debasement of our culture, I believe it is time to convene the leaders from each of our United States in a day of prayer and fasting, like that described in the book of Joel," Perry said in a statement released Monday. "I urge all Americans of faith to pray on that day for the healing of our country, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of enduring values as our guiding force." Perry added that Americans "must come together and call upon Jesus to guide us through unprecedented struggles "because" some problems are beyond our power to solve." December 8, 2010 Another pot is boiling?   For everything that is hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light and made plain to all. Luke 8:17 NLT   You are a bishop, well known in the public eye for preaching the Gospel on your own television station on a daily basis and yet, at the same time you have an extra-marital sexual relationship for seven years with a woman working as an executive for you. For all these years you have managed to keep this affair secret, and even when you confessed it to your wife, who found out and decided to stay with you, you still did not disclose your infidelity to the outside world.   Understandably, you did not want to have the reputation of your television station ministry being damaged by letting the outside world know that you were living a double life while preaching and teaching the word of God to them, calling the whole ordeal a “private matter.”   All this was well hidden from the audience, until one day, a Christian lady who used to work for your television station threatens to sue you and go public with details of your adulterous lifestyle. She alleges that you pressured her to participate in a cover-up of your extra-marital affair and that the emotional strain from this situation left her suicidal and made her involuntarily commit herself to a mental institution.   Before your accuser’s suit becomes public, you now quickly stage a confession broadcast featuring yourself with your wife at your side, your counselors, and some of your supporters, downplaying the severity of your situation with words like, “It happened several years ago,” or as your wife described your affair: “An emotional relationship with a woman that became an improper relationship.” You also claim on the air that three people has sought $7.5 million to keep your story out of the media, angling the suit as a case of extortion instead of as a case of compensation for emotional distress.   By doing all this you hope to minimize the lingering negative affect this whole ordeal might have on your multimillion dollar television ministry. This story is about the latest scandal that came out last week concerning Marcus and Joni Lamb, founders of Daystar Christian Television Network based in Dallas, Texas. Daystar is the second-largest Christian network, broadcasting to more than 200 countries. Daystar is known for airing broadcasts from preachers like Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, and Joel Osteen.   In a latest development in this saga, Daystar filed a countersuit against the former employee who sued the network. Daystars’ suit also names two other former employees, and alleges a conspiracy by the three women to commit extortion. The lawyer of the former employees categorically denies Lambs’ accusation of extortion.   The question on the mind of many believers is: How is it possible that Bishop Marcus Lamb was able to keep an adulterous affair secret for 7 years while preaching the Gospel on television? And how is it possible that after he confessed his infidelity to his wife and underwent counseling, there never was the consequence of stepping down for his sinful actions at Daystar, but instead Marcus Lamb is busy counter-suing his accusers?   When you have something against another Christian, why do you file a lawsuit and ask a secular court to decide the matter, instead of taking it to other Christians to decide who is right? 1. Corinthians 6:1 NLT   In another recent development, the Church of God denomination based in Cleveland, Tennessee said that Marcus Lamb will have to go through a lengthy "restoration process" to remain one of its ordained bishops.   Lamb informed the denomination in recent weeks of his past infidelity, spokesman Scot Carter said. Carter said church officials talked to Lamb again Friday. "It seems like he is willing to go through that process," Carter said. "It's not easy."   Personally, I agree with the above statement, and believe that Marcus Lamb, in order to be fully restored, needs to be disciplined by stepping down from his preaching duties as a television preacher and give a statement of complete transparency, apologizing to his viewers for deceiving them for all these years. Our responsibility in this is to forgive Marcus Lamb and love him, just like how the apostle Paul taught the Corinthian church to forgive a man who subsequently repented.   I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt your entire church more than he hurt me. He was punished enough when most of you were united in your judgment against him. Now it is time to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may become so discouraged that he won't be able to recover. Now show him that you still love him. 2. Corinthians 2:5-8 NLT   September 26, 2010 Could God be stirring this pot too?   On November 30, 2007, God gave me this prophetic word for the church in America and those in its pulpits:   “Once again I will shake America! But this time I will also shake My temple and My pulpit! Many who selfishly enriched themselves through greed using My temple and My pulpit will now find themselves mourning and broken. They will now start giving away in sorrow all what they accumulated and causing a revolution of salvation throughout the nation and My poor will feast on your expense. Once again I will shake America! I the Lord your God has spoken!”   This past week, four lawsuits have been filed against Bishop Eddie Long, pastor of the 25,000-member New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, alleging that Eddie Long used cars, money, jewelry, electronics, and trips on his private jet to coerce four young men into having sexual relationships with him when they were teenage members of his church.   Eddie Long, who is known for preaching the prosperity gospel and living a lavish lifestyle, denied the allegations, stating: "Let me be clear: The charges against me and New Birth are false. I have devoted my life to helping others and these false allegations hurt me deeply, but my faith is strong and the truth will emerge."   Before his congregation on Sunday’s televised service, Long said that his first responsibility was his family and the members of his Atlanta-area church. However, he added that he would be "remiss" not to address "the world."   "I've been accused, I'm under attack. I want you to know, as I said earlier, that I am not a perfect man," he said. "But this thing, I'm going to fight." Long added that he's "not the man that has been portrayed on the television. That's not me."   "And I want you to know one other thing; I feel like David against Goliath, but I've got five rocks and I haven't thrown one yet."   Obviously, we will have to wait for the true outcome of this story, as the Bible says: “For everything that is hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light and made plain to all.” See Luke 8:17 NLT   I believe that it is God who is stirring the church pot these days, cleansing it from sin, immorality, power abuse, greed, and false teachings.   For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin first among God's own children. 1. Peter 4:17 NLT   This means that Jesus Christ is coming back for a glorious church that is “without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” See Ephesians 5:27   July 26, 2010 Could God be stirring this pot?   In February of this year, it was announced in the media that Suzanne Hinn, wife of the famous faith healer and televangelist Benny Hinn, filed for divorce after 30 years of marriage. This came as a great shock and surprise to many believers and supporters of the Benny Hinn Ministries. Short after the divorce announcement, pastor Benny Hinn responded with a written statement defending his position and declaring himself innocent in this ordeal. Below, you can read usurps of what Benny Hinn said about his wife filing for divorce.     Dear Partner,   I come to you with a broken heart.   You may have heard by now that my wife, Suzanne, whom I love very much and always will, filed for divorce on February 1. Even though Suzanne has been under great stress, the children and I never expected this to happen. Divorce was the last thing on my mind and theirs.   It was a total shock when her lawyer called me the morning of February 17 to inform me that she had filed 16 days before. Suzanne never gave the family even a hint that this was on her mind. Even to this moment, the children and I don’t know why she did it. Neither did her parents know, until I told them myself on the 17th.   As I said earlier, I love my wife, and I am praying that the Lord Himself will take care of this and bring healing to my precious family. I also want you, my very dear partner, to know that there was absolutely no immorality involved in my life or in Suzanne’s, ever. We both kept our lives clean and were totally committed to each other for 30 years of marriage.   My wife has no biblical grounds for what she has done. We both have kept our covenant with God and stayed pure before Him, and I am praying with all my heart that our precious Lord Jesus will heal my family and protect His work for His glory.   I want you, as my partner in this ministry, to know that I am going to continue preaching the Gospel and praying for the sick as I have for 36 years. I will not allow anything to slow me down or stop me.   Here is the link for the complete statement: http://www.bennyhinn.org/emailletters/pbhletter.cfm?referrer=na_eb022510   Yesterday, as Sophia and I were checking out at the Wal-Mart register, we spotted the front cover of the latest edition of the tabloid magazine National Enquirer which said: “TV Preacher Caught With Mistress.” Curious, we flipped through the pages and surprisingly found pictures taken of Pastor Benny Hinn and televangelist Paula White (who not too long ago divorced from her second husband) intimately holding hands as they were coming out of a hotel in Rome, Italy. The National Enquirer went on to say:   Married TV evangelist Benny Hinn is hiding a shocking secret love affair from his flock! In a blockbuster exclusive sure to rock the worldwide Christian community, the Enquirer has learned the popular televangelist recently sneaked off with fellow minister Paula White for a romantic trip to Rome. We caught the couple walking hand-in-hand out of the five-star Hotel Hassler, where Pastor Benny was booked into the presidential suite under a false name, on July 13. Although the 57-year-old multimillionaire faith healer and host of TV’s “This Is Your Day” is separated from his wife Suzanne, the couple are not yet divorced.   Upon this, both Benny Hinn and Paula White openly responded on their websites giving almost identical statements defending themselves as they strongly deny all these allegations as being dishonest and misleading. Below you can read Benny Hinn’s version of what really took place according to him. You can see Paula White’s statement here: http://www.paulawhite.org/pages/misleading_article_response/   To my precious partner, As you may be aware, the National Enquirer recently released a dishonest and misleading article which falsely characterized my friendship with Paula White. The publication, which is known for its bias against religious figures, misleads readers regarding the ministerial friendship I have had with Paula White for over 20 years. As you know, my wife, Suzanne, filed for divorce at the beginning of this year. If it were not for the comfort of the precious Holy Spirit and the Word of God to give me encouragement throughout this process, I cannot imagine how I could have survived the past five months. Throughout this season, your love and prayers have helped strengthen me to continue ministering around the world. Were it not for your faithfulness and the presence of my wonderful Lord Jesus, the loneliness of carrying this burden by myself would have been unbearable.  In late May of this year, Paula White came to tape a This Is Your Day broadcast with me. Although I had not seen her for years, she was an encouragement to me and shared helpful advice out of her own painful experience. As a result, I will not deny that the friendship has strengthened, and, while it has remained morally pure at all times, I have enjoyed the company of someone who has also gone through the trauma of a painful and public divorce. But most of you know me personally and know that I have faithfully preached the Gospel for over 35 years. I have never failed my marriage vows and would never dishonor the precious name of Jesus, whom I adore with all my being...and I never will! As I have often said, I would rather die than bring dishonor to His name. And so I am writing to tell you today that I forcefully, categorically, and absolutely renounce the lies that have been spread about me and want to set the record straight with you. There is nothing inappropriate or morally improper about my friendship with Paula White. There has been no immorality whatsoever! The article also indicated that on a recent trip to Italy we met secretly and stayed together. This could not be further from the truth and is absolutely false! The truth is that we traveled independently to the region for respective ministry duties. I was invited by Vatican officials to visit the Vatican to discuss future ministry opportunities there. Paula was likewise invited to have meetings in the region, and, although we spent time together, we were never alone and were in the constant company of staff and family members. That notwithstanding, I have become increasingly aware that the optics of this friendship have caused others to draw conclusions that are incomplete and unfounded. And because of my preeminent priority to my ministry and calling, Paula and I have concluded that we should avoid the appearance that our friendship is biblically impure or violates Scripture in any way. Paula and I also recognize that being seen in such settings is unwise, and we have independently determined that we will have no further social relationship until such time as my divorce has concluded and only if we feel direction from the Lord to do so. I am using this season to seek the Lord and His Word as my Counselor and Guide as my family and I recover from the pain and disappointment of the loss of my marriage of over 30 years. My commitment to preaching the Gospel, as I have done for over 35 years, has only intensified through this experience; and the precious Lord Jesus I adore is the true love of my life and my unfailing companion for all eternity. Thank you for your prayers, your love, and all your support for me and my family. You are precious to me and I will not fail you; but most of all I will never fail the wonderful Lord Jesus who is life and breath to me.    Benny Hinn   As I was thinking about all of this, God spoke to my heart, telling me to pray that Benny Hinn and Paula White will surrender their ministries to God and seek spiritual counsel in exchange for Him to heal and restore them since they are His wounded soldiers, and ultimately use them for the greater Glory of His Name only!!!   That is why I believe God is the one who is stirring this pot, requiring Benny Hinn and Paula White, whom He loves, to give back the ministry and not selfishly hold on to it and just continue non-stop in the ministry, since they have not given God the time to deal with their marital issues while refraining from public ministry, as well as other Biblical teaching errors and lavish lifestyles. Because of this, they are not able to be integer and transparent examples as leaders of the people of God, as we all are supposed to be.   Then Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul? For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds. Matthew 16:24-28 NLT.   January 14, 2010 The Haiti Crisis   This week’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Port Au Prince, the capitol of Haiti, is possibly the biggest natural catastrophe I have ever experienced in my lifetime. The death toll as of now is being estimated between 100.000 and 500.000 people.   Haiti, with a population of 9 million people, is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. It is politically unstable and thoroughly corrupt. It has a high rate of crime, violence, and it system-atically abuses human rights.   I heard a well known TV commentator say that Haiti wouldn’t be this poor if they only would apply strong discipline, because the country, according to him, would attract a lot of tourism and prosper like its neighboring Dominican Republic with its numerous vacation resorts. He said that one of Haiti’s tourist attractions would be their rich cultural history including the practice of voodoo. Then I thought to myself that that is precisely the reason why Haiti is in such a devastating mess - because they adopted the evil practice of voodoo as their national religion. This practice of voodoo witchcraft is an outright abomination against God the Creator.   “And do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead.” Deuteronomy 18:10-11 NLT   “For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD,” Deuteronomy 18:12 NKJV   “Do not practice fortune-telling or witchcraft.” Leviticus 19:26 NLT “Yes, these calamities will come upon you, despite all your witchcraft and magic.” “So disaster will overtake you suddenly, and you won't be able to charm it away. Calamity will fall upon you, and you won't be able to buy your way out. A catastrophe will arise so fast that you won't know what hit you.” Isaiah 47:9, 11 NLT   Voodoo is a religion that was brought to the Western coasts by slaves from Africa. It is believed to have started in Haiti in 1724 as a snake cult that worshiped many spirits pertaining to daily life experiences. The practices were intermingled with many Catholic rituals and the worship of saints.   Followers of voodoo believe in a Supreme Being and spirits who link the human with the divine. Spirits are thought to exist in many things - the earth, the wind, thunder, giant baobab trees, and pythons. But for centuries the religion has been associated with black magic used for evil purposes where animal and human sacrifices are incorporated.   Voodoo rituals are elaborate, performed in secret languages with spirit possessed dancing and special diets eaten by the voodoo priests and priestesses. The ancestral dead are thought to walk among the living during the hooded dances. Touching the dancer during this spirit possessed trance is believed to be dangerous enough to kill the offender.   Voodoo is clearly a force of evil that originated from Satan. People are remotely controlled and manipulated for evil. Through rituals including objects such as dolls, the voodoo practitioner casts spells on people they wish to curse or avenge themselves upon, casting sickness and death and other curses on them. It is obvious that countries which make voodoo their national religion, or has a large population of their people practicing it, remain the poorest countries in the world since they reap curses with devastating results upon themselves.   We as Christians need now more than ever to stand in the gap for Haiti and pray that its leaders will denounce the voodoo religion and turn from its wicked ways so God can heal their land and stop the suffering of the people. “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.” 2. Chronicles 7:14 NLT   May God have mercy upon Haiti!   September 25, 2009 The Stage Is Being Set   But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1. Thessalonians 5:1-3 NKJV   In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, US President Barack Obama said among other things that: “The time has come for the world to move in a new direction. We must embrace a new era of engagement based on mutual interest and respect, and our work must begin now.”   Obama also said that he would "continue to seek a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East between Israel, Palestine and the Arab world".   That includes, as Obama says, a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that results in two states—Israel and Palestine—in which both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people can live in peace and security and realize their aspirations for a better life for their children.   President Obama insisted that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians should restart “without preconditions.” At the same time, Obama is pressing Israel to stop building settlements on the land that God has given them.   Just a year ago, while on the campaign trail, Barack Obama said the opposite of what he is saying now to a cheering crowd about the Israeli- Palestinian conflict:   "Any agreement with the Palestinian people must preserve Israel's identity as a Jewish state, with secure, recognized, defensible borders. And Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and must remain undivided."   President Barack Obama is being praised by dictators and murderers like Fidel Castro of Cuba, Hugo Chavez from Venezuela, and at the United Nations by the Libyan terrorist leader Muammar Gaddafi who spoke about Obama as being "our son" and "our Obama," and saying: "The election of Obama is the beginning of change." "We are content and happy if Obama can stay forever as the president."   The stage is being set for a new world order that proclaims a false humanistic peace and security.   They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!' Ezekiel 13:16 NLT   But we as believers know that; God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 1. Thessalonians 5:9-10 NKJV     June 15, 2009 The Roman Catholicism produces “Jezebel’s”   The majority of the population of the Island of Curaçao calls themselves Roman Catholics, which also was the religion of my upbringing, mostly from my mother’s side. She had very strong ties and influence in the leadership of the Catholic Church. I was always puzzled by my mother’s acquaintances, who were mostly dominating women with strong convictions and beliefs in the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings. No matter how hard I tried to convince them that these teachings were absolutely unbiblical, for instance that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the “Queen of Heaven” who ascended to heaven, and that she is another mediator between God and man, causing the people to worship her and her image (which you can see as statues and ornaments all over Curaçao and other Latin and South American countries).   But the Bible clearly says that:   For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. 1. Timothy 2:5 NLT And it is Jesus Christ who is the ONLY Savior and Redeemer:   For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them." Acts 4:10-12 NLT   But regardless, my mother and her friends stubbornly refuse to accept the true words of the Bible, and instead continue to hold on to their famous saying: “Catholic we are born, and Catholic we will die.”   After coming back to my birth island after 13 years, God showed me that it is the Roman Catholic Church that births the rebellious ‘Jezebel’ women here. These women rebel against Godly authority and control and dominate their husbands, planting all sorts of curses and destruction upon people and families from generation to generation.   Rebellion is as bad as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as bad as worshiping idols. 1. Samuel 15:23 NLT   To confirm me in this, God gave me the following illustration in the book of Jeremiah.   This story is about God warning the Israelites through the prophet Jeremiah not to go to Egypt seeking protection against Babylon. God allowed King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to invade Judah because of the people of Israel’s sin in worshiping other gods. But the people of Israel stubbornly rejected the advice of Jeremiah and went to Egypt, even though God promised them that nothing would happen to them if they would stay in their land. The people refused to recognize the true source of their problems, which was burning incense to the Queen of Heaven, even turning the matter around to say that the famine and trouble was because of them neglecting to worship her for a period of time.   Here is the verbal exchange between the prophet Jeremiah and the people of Israel while they were in Egypt. This somehow reminds me of my talks with my rebellious catholic mother and her lady friends.   Jeremiah prophesies to the people of Israel:   "Therefore, the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I have made up my mind to destroy every one of you! I will take this remnant of Judah that insisted on coming here to Egypt, and I will consume them. They will fall here in Egypt, killed by war and famine. All will die, from the least to the greatest. They will be an object of damnation, horror, cursing, and mockery. I will punish them in Egypt just as I punished them in Jerusalem, by war, famine, and disease. Of those who fled to Egypt with dreams of returning home to Judah, only a handful will escape." Jeremiah 44:11-14 NLT   The response of the women of Israel:   Then all the women present and all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to idols — a great crowd of all the Judeans living in Pathros, the southern region of Egypt — answered Jeremiah, "We will not listen to your messages from the LORD! We will do whatever we want. We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and sacrifice to her just as much as we like — just as we and our ancestors did before us, and as our kings and princes have always done in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For in those days we had plenty to eat, and we were well off and had no troubles! But ever since we quit burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and stopped worshiping her, we have been in great trouble and have suffered the effects of war and famine."   "And," the women added, "do you suppose that we were worshiping the Queen of Heaven, pouring out drink offerings to her, and making cakes marked with her image, without our husbands knowing it and helping us? Of course not!" Jeremiah 44:15-19 NLT   Note: The Queen of Heaven was a name for Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and fertility.   Please pray with us that this Roman Catholic idol worshiping of Mary will be broken over this Island of Curaçao, and that many will be set free from this bondage. June 1, 2009 Did God Make A Mistake?   This week Sophia and I, despite our busy ministry schedule, had the chance to watch a very lively debate on the subject of same-sex marriage on national television. There were two panels; one side that believes that gay couples should have the right to get legally married (and call it ‘marriage’) and the other side who is against such proposition. Also the audience was divided in two sections, the left side was against homosexual marriage and the right side was for it.   It was surreal to see that at one point, a gay man in the audience who had a question for one of the panel members, stood up and referred to his partner as “my husband.” Another man told the panel that he couldn’t help being born gay and that he should be loved by God and people, as he himself claimed to love God. He also said that he and his partner are living very happily together. Then there was a lady who said that she has been raised by two fantastic gay men. I can imagine that there are people, even Christians, who after seeing this debate may be thinking to themselves: “Did God make a mistake?”   Not too long ago I met somebody who asked me the question: “What about homosexuals; aren’t they born like that and aren’t they going to heaven too?” I said to this person that God created a man with a “penis” and a woman with a “vagina” - and it fits - and that is the reason we are here talking to each other! Furthermore, I explained to this person that often the reason why people embrace the homosexual lifestyle is because of emotional and psychological problems. For instance, many homosexual people have been sexually molested and emotionally abused, controlled and/or abandoned by their mother or father, just to name a few examples. By now I had this person’s full attention as I also told him that God, through Jesus Christ, in His love for us, is able to set anybody living in a sinful lifestyle free, whether it is homosexuality, pedophilia, or polygamy for instance. After hearing all this, the person sighs and softly answered me: “I never thought about it that way.”   God certainly did NOT make ANY mistake when it comes to His creation! God did NOT create homosexuals. On the contrary, He clearly forbids the homosexual lifestyle, as it is a sin to Him. There is NO doubt about it, The Bible, God’s Word speaks for itself in both The Old and New Testament:   So God created people in His own image; God patterned them after Himself; male and female He created them. God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it." Genesis 1:27-28 NLT   Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin. Leviticus 18:22 NLT   Here is Jesus speaking about marriage between a man and woman:   "Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus replied. "They record that from the beginning 'God made them male and female.' And He said, 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together." Matthew 19:4-6 NLT   God not only refers to the homosexual lifestyle as sinful, but He also calls it shameful:   Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. Romans 1:26-27 NLT   But here is the Good News, like any other sinful lifestyle, God also wants to set free anybody who lives as a homosexual:   Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers — none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God. There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you. 1. Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT   March 26, 2009  Relax, God can be trusted! - Part 1   Because you have obeyed My command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. Revelation 3:10 NLT   Jesus replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, because many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah. They will lead many astray. And wars will break out near and far, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must come, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, and many famines. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come.” Mark 13:5-8 NLT   We are living in a time where the world is being tested, as they try to fix the global problems in their own strength. At the same time, we as the children of God are being protected against the misleading policies and the false hope this world is trying to offer. But we are also being protected against the fear propaganda that is being spread among believers that we need to act now to ensure our survival. On the contrary, I believe, it is actually in the midst of this decaying (economic) world that God wants us to persevere and be the salt and the light of the earth as God is showing Himself through our faith walk how He is supernaturally taking care of us, and thus using His children to ignite a fire of desire for the living God through Jesus Christ in the heart of the lost.   Fear tactics in the Church It was with great sadness I saw on a Christian TV channel that a well known preacher was telling the audience how God wanted to give them breakthroughs and blessings in this season of economic downfall by sowing a “promotion” seed of $200 to his ministry and if they didn’t have it, they could put it on their credit card.   The next day, a sister who was invited to go to a fairly large church, was confronted with a very aggressive minister begging for money, threatening the congregation that they would be in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure if they did not give. He whipped the congregation, as he spoke so-called “words of knowledge” that a woman working in the real-estate business was to give $5000 and another woman, who was Vice President of a Bank was to give $2000. The minister even had the audacity to say to the people that God would actually punish them the very same night if they didn’t give.  Like the TV preacher I saw, this minister said the familiar words: “I don’t normally do this…” when he continued his deception and fleecing of the people. He said that there were twelve couples in the room that were supposed to give $800. When not many came to the front, he started lowering the amounts all the way down to the twenty-dollar bill the minister knew everyone would at least have in their wallet.   What we are supposed to do in this time The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 10:23-25 NLT the following: “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of His coming back again is drawing near.”   And in another passage it says: “Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised. For in just a little while, the COMING ONE will come and not delay. And a righteous person will live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away. But we are not like those who turn their backs on God and seal their fate. We have faith that assures our salvation.” Hebrews 10:35-39 NLT   March 28, 2009 Relax, God can be trusted! - Part 2   “And now, brothers and sisters, let us tell you about the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered together to meet him. Please don’t be so easily shaken and troubled by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Even if they claim to have a vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us, don’t believe them. Don’t be fooled by what they say. For the day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed – the one who brings destruction. He will exalt himself and defy every god there is and tear down every object of adoration and worship. He will position himself in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. Don’t you remember that I told you this when I was with you? And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.” 2. Thessalonians 2:1-7 NLT   The one who is holding back this lawless person, the antichrist, is us, the believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit, in love with Jesus Christ, His Bride, His Church for whom He is coming back. Yes, we are His Bride who did not receive the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind, which is self-discipline. (2. Timothy 1:7 NLT)    Or, as Jesus said to the Philadelphia Church: “You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me. Look! I will force those who belong to Satan – those liars who say they are Jews (also referring to Christians) but are not – to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love.” Revelation 3:8-9 NLT.   Jesus is implying here, that we cannot do anything in our own little strength but that He is the one, as we trust Him, who will guide us and use us in this dark world for others to see that He is our Lover, Protector, and Provider.   In this dark world, Jesus as the true Savior is being more and more excluded and rejected by the society, to the point that the Bible says the following for those who are standing firm in Him: “You will be handed over to the courts and beaten in the synagogues. You will be accused before governors and kings of being My followers. This will be your opportunity to tell them about Me. And the good news must first be preached to every nation. But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry about what to say in your defense. Just say what God tells you to. Then it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.” Mark 13:9-11 NLT.   In the midst of our trials of being persecuted by this world because of the Gospel, God uses our testimony to reach out with the Good News to the lost.   That is why it is so important in this time of the fear propaganda that is circulating among believers, wanting us to run for cover and hide, that we know what the Word says so we can be relaxed and not panic when we hear of all sorts of catastrophes to come.   This is an important warning and encouragement: “Watch out, so that you do not loose the price for which we have been working so hard. Be diligent so that you will receive your full reward. For if you wander beyond the teachings of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God. But if you continue in the teaching of Christ, you will have fellowship with both the Father and the Son. If someone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite him into your house or encourage him in any way. Anyone who encourages him becomes a partner in his evil work.” 2. John 8-10 NLT.   “With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on everything we taught you both in person and by letter. May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us and in His special favor gave us everlasting comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and give you strength in every good thing you do and say.” 2. Thessalonians 2:15-17 NLT.   September 16, 2008 God Wants You To Have An Unconditional Loving Ministry You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. 2. Timothy 3:1-2a NLT   They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. 2. Timothy 3:3-5 NLT   It seems to me we are going through difficult times, and I am not talking here about the recent exposures of greedy and shady business ordeals in the mortgage world, that is now affecting the stock market on Wall Street, or the devastations caused by ‘Mother Nature’. No, in fact, I am talking about Christians! Or to put it more accurately; those who appear to be Christians, as this scripture above says. In order to live a fruitful Godly life, and not fall into deception, we must distinguish between the Christians who practice unconditional love, from those who only have the appearance of a Christian, but their daily behavior gives them away. These are people who know Christian doctrine, and use Christian clichés and traditions. They even perform, on first sight, well meaning activities such as giving and praying. These practices make these so-called Christians look good from the outside, but when you dig deeper, these people are only interested in solving things their own way, not God’s way, and keep control over their lives and wounds. Underneath the outside layers, they are self-righteous and proud, needy for acceptance, approval, and love. They are conditional people who cannot deal with offenses easily. When they get hurt, they say that they are too hurt to forget. They will rather punish you by holding on to their pain, and push you out of their lives. They deliberately choose to continue to live in the sin of unforgiveness. Christians come in many shapes and forms, and many work genuinely on their sanctification, but don’t be fooled by outer appearances and what people “say” they want, or who people “say” they are. If their hearts come to the surface, and their inner attitudes of belief, love, forgiveness, and true worship are lacking, the outer appearance is meaningless. Yes, we are indeed living in difficult times:   And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:10-13 NKJV   With false teaching and loose morals, come a particularly destructive disease; the loss of true love for God and others. The sin of not being willing to forgive offenses cools our love for God and others, by turning the focus on ourselves. You cannot truly love if you think only of yourself. The apostle Paul gives us an awesome summery on how to have an unconditional loving ministry, as he was dealing with the cold hearted Corinthian believers who rejected him and his message:   We try to live in such a way that no one will be hindered from finding the Lord by the way we act, and so no one can find fault with our ministry. In everything we do we try to show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in jail, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We have faithfully preached the truth. God's power has been working in us. We have righteousness as our weapon, both to attack and to defend ourselves. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are well known, but we are treated as unknown. We live close to death, but here we are, still alive. We have been beaten within an inch of our lives. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you. Our hearts are open to you. If there is a problem between us, it is not because of a lack of love on our part, but because you have withheld your love from us. 2. Corinthians 6:3-12 NLT   August 18, 2008 Our thoughts on Todd Bentley and the Lakeland Outpouring   I (Edwin) felt God imposing on my heart to share the following with you concerning the latest news about Todd Bentley, leader of the Lakeland outpouring in Florida who filed for separation from his wife. According to his board, he had an emotional affair with one of his female staff members and as a result stepped down from the ministry. Many have been devastated, disillusioned, and confused by this occurrence and are now wondering whether this revival move was really from God. Some are asking the question: How can it be that Todd Bentley has been endorsed and prophesied over by the so called established national spiritual leadership and that now it had to end like this? Didn’t these leaders have any discernment concerning Todd Bentley’s private life and some of his apparent questionable teachings and practices? At the same time, many testifies worldwide about how they have been healed, touched, and fired up by God through the Lakeland revival. So, how can this all be, Todd Bentley living in sin and yet at the same time being used mightily by God? I would love to encourage you with this explanation. First of all, I always believed that God can use anybody, anytime, anywhere, anyhow regardless their imperfections. But there is a distinction to be made when it comes to operating in the gift which is freely given by God and walking in the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which is having the character of God. We can be very gifted or anointed and yet have many character flaws.   When it comes down to the gift, Jesus said: “Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!” Matthew 10:6-8 NLT   Now, when it comes to the fruits of the Holy Spirit or character it says the following: “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLT   And that is a process of righteous living that we need to allow God to fulfill in our lives by continuously obeying Him. “But God's discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening — it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:10-11 NLT   “…you must be even more careful to put into action God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.” Philippians 2:12-13 NLT   My conclusion is that God works through imperfections and sin, because His gift is sovereign. There are many examples in the Bible to support that. Just think about King Saul, King David, Samson, Judas and the apostle Paul to name a few. My prayer is that Todd Bentley will be helped by those who are mature in the love, grace, and understanding of Jesus Christ as indicated in the below Bible verse.   “Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody.” Galatians 6:1-3 NLT   2007 God’s Passionate Love “Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:28-30 NLT “…, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19 NKJV By allowing Jesus Christ to teach you through His word and the Holy Spirit how to become rooted and grounded in His love, you are going to ultimately testify like this: “Can anything ever separate me from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves me if I have trouble or calamity, or I am being persecuted, or I am hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? (Even the Scriptures say, "For your sake I am killed every day; I am being slaughtered like sheep.") No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is mine through Christ, who loved me. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate me from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. My fears for today, my worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether I am high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate me from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 NLT “And I know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” See Romans 8:28 NLT “May you receive more and more of God's mercy, peace, and love.” Jude 2 NLT Copyright©2007 Sophia & Edwin Christiaan Text Box: By Edwin Christiaan

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