MORIEL MINISTRIES - By Pastor Dave
Royle - May 1, 2010
When Jerusalem fell to the Greco-Syrian tyrant Antiochus
Epiphanes it fell twice. The first time was a gradual assimilation into the
Greek culture that was first introduced by Alexander the Great and whose
precepts were inherited by his military successors throughout the remnant of
that once great yet brief empire. The vision that Alexander had was to see the
whole world transformed by a single language and culture; this in turn was the
thrust of this madman cum megalomaniac whose political and military pressure
turned the rulers of Jerusalem's religious class upon themselves. The New Greek
thought in the form of Hellenism was pitted against the traditions of Rabbinic
Judaism and the new usurped the old with the result being the political and
cultural domination of Greco-Syria.
The second time Jerusalem fell, its fall was strictly
military. While away on a military campaign in Egypt, it was reported that
Antiochus had fallen in battle and so the ruling Hellenist party pronounced
themselves rulers in his place. Hearing this news the returning despot hit the
Jewish people hard. Many thousands were murdered and Judaism was outlawed,
punishable by death. The Temple and the Holy of Holies were desecrated and the
abomination of desolation was erected in the form of a statue to Zeus baring
the face of Antiochus himself. Thus, the persecution of the Jews and the
annihilation of Judaism by the sword had begun.
What does this have to do with the Ebyown community living
on the outskirts of the city of Springs? Plenty, I think, because the pattern
that devastated a city so long ago is evident here in South Africa and may even
be in your city. You can recognize a commonality between our situation and the
situation Jerusalem found itself in two centuries before the Messiah came. Let
me explain.
In 1991 when I first visited South Africa, the nation was at
a crossroads. HIV/AIDS was just coming into its own. HIV was a challenge to the
church, which to this day it has never fully accepted apart from a few
exceptions. While the only real answer to HIV is a change of heart through the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, a challenge that should have been met with true
biblical evangelism, what is it we instead observed? Traditional churches
expounding a social gospel which send HIV infected Zionists unconverted to Hell
(that is, the Zionist Christian Church (ZCC) ([which] is neither
Christian [nor] Zionist), or the new hyper-charismania gospel which is no
gospel at all but is in fact a "Dr. Feel Good Cult" that panders to the West's
anonymous so-called brethren, whose destination is no more and no less than the
HIV infected Zionist.
Through its lack of unbiblical leadership, South Africa and
Springs itself has pandered to every wind of doctrine its hireling leaders have
allowed into their sheep pens. Rhema was the first big player. Ray
McCauley, a charismatic leader, at the beginning did some notable things such
as the integration of black and white believers during an apartheid regime.
This however, went hand in hand with teachings borrowed by Kenneth Hagin and
more recently Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar and Benny Hinn which ensured that
the black brethren who were set free from the black N'songomas (Witch Doctors)
were now bound and shackled by the mainly white N'songomas' teachings of "God
wants you rich". While some black brethren walk 20 kms to Rhema placing
all they have in the offering buckets so God will bless them, the white
N'songomas fly around in private jets, drive their Mercedes� and
live in palaces. As with the black N'songomas, the only ones getting rich are
those proliferating this unbiblical occultist trash.
Although I cannot be too accurate chronologically, the
second thing I observed was the Alpha Course. Alpha for kids, Alpha
in prisons, Alpha everywhere. And once again, the merry-go-round of
un-regenerated so-called brethren hit the nations and the cities' churches as
congregations swapped membership lists to experience the latest fad.
Third was the spiritual warfare movement. (You may have
noticed that all these fads are still around and have amalgamated into
pseudo-Christian cults.) To my shame this is something I promoted myself till I
woke up and smelled the coffee so to speak. Things that do not work and are
unbiblical are promoted as true and factual when in reality they are delusional
lies.
Transformations was 'round four' of our church
merry-go-round. Even though it has been blown out of the water by factual
objective journalism and the exposure of its proponent as a Universalist, the
masses decided to believe the lie. What Paul said in 2Thessalonians
2:10-12 is presently being fulfilled, "And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the
truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who
believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." (KJV)
Round five was a mixture of different personalities ranging
from the "oneness" teacher Tommy Tenney whose derogatory remarks concerning
Scripture paved the way for T. D. Jakes and others, to Bruce Wilkerson who at
best was a mixture of pop psychology and American schmaltz.
Next was what I believe to be the most dangerous
manifestation to hit South Africa and perhaps Christendom as a whole, Rick
Warren's Purpose Driven Church, Purpose Driven Life and now Purpose
Driven Community. Purpose Driven is the latest in a long list of
man-made philosophies, which are akin to the Hellenism of the Second Temple
Period, and has hit the body of Christ hard.
Bit by bit, biblical literacy has been undermined; little by
little, one step at a time Christian integrity has been shattered. Gradually
and irreversibly, discernment has been eroded, preparing us for "oneness"
teachings and now the nice respectable face of Rick Warren who unashamedly
declares his desire for a one-world church and one billion foot soldiers, which
can only be achieved through unity with Rome, certain cults and other faiths.
Finally and more recently, we have been exposed to what is
known as the Emergent Church. The Emergent Church did not appear overnight but
has primarily been an evolution of the Ecumenicism we have been
observing and warning about for years. But now it has been manifest with
insidious teachings that denigrate the cross such as substitutionary atonement
along with the introduction of mystical Roman Catholic teachings and New age
meditation techniques that are thoroughly alien to biblical Christianity.
The result on a city beleaguered by every wind of doctrine
and led by spineless shepherds is an amalgamation of every man-made philosophy
that has gone before, and who dare speak against it? Jeremiah was right when he
said, "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?" (Jer. 5:30-31, KJV)
They prophesy falsely! The
bemused twittering that entails prophecy nowadays is evident in almost every
church. With no discernment through the Word, how can a believer understand the
implications of someone speaking for the Lord things that do not come true?
The priests bear rule! Anyone
who opposes is marginalized and treated as a pariah. The Purpose Driven
philosophy has been steam rolled upon congregations by sacerdotal leaders.
Those who question are treated as troublemakers.
The people love its so! O yes, to
feel the Spirit provide your goose bump fix for another week while in between
go unaddressed issues of sin such as adultery, theft and murder. Where is
sanctification? Where is integrity? Where is Truth? All gone with the
discernment that has been sucked out of the mind and heart of every true
believer.
But what will you do in the end? Well, the city of Springs
has fallen. Like Jerusalem, it has first of all been conquered by philosophy
and culture. Every church and Sunday school is either a Purpose Driven,
Willow Creek, or Alpha and everything is underpinned by TBN.
The saddest fact is that like Jerusalem, the people of God have been divided
brother against brother, sister against sister, parents against children.
Sadly, even discernment ministry is divided against discernment ministry as one
by one they fall to fleshly compromise that pits the new ways against the old
ways. The remnant who once represented everything that is orthodox is now
marginalized as a fringe group.
I am not a prophet, nor would want to be, but common sense
and observation of the way God has dealt with His people must teach us that
after being conquered through philosophy and assimilation into a culture, there
must come oppression through one form of violence or another. But as Jeremiah
says, "What will you do at the end of it?" (Jer. 5:31)
Israel at its most desperate always had a remnant. During
this abominable time, Israel had a few who revolted and stood their ground
against the overbearing forces that persecuted them. In a small village some
kilometers from Jerusalem, people stood their ground and heralded a rallying
cry that saw Israel, for a few years, gain independence again.
As a worshipping community now marginalized through modern
pop culture and grievous heresy, as a worshipping community that has seen
violence with the destruction of property in Bloemfontein and the slanderous
insults of sacerdotal despots here in Springs, we too must heed the call to
stand firm for the faith once and for all handed down to the saints and oppose
the so-called faith propagated by the Bill Hybels and Rick Warrens of this
world (which they have handed down to an apostate church) until He comes again.
Dave Royle
[Editor's Note: How I wish that this were something unique
to Dave's observations about the situation in South Africa. As I read this I realized
that this is exactly the same pattern in my own hometown in Southern California
and the USA in general. - Danny.]
