We finalized the awesome speaker lineup for the upcoming Steeling the Mind Bible Conference in Denver October 5. Plan to join us live or watch any or all the conference via live simulcast on your home television. Click here for details!
 

Imagine- A week in Israel, then a week-long Mediterranean cruise and top it off, Italy for 5 days! Choose any or all for the trip of a lifetime!  

See your Bible come alive like never before... Get the details! 

Shalom!

Bill Perkins  

Eph 5:8

"The Harbinger," written by Jonathan Cahn, is a New York Times best-seller and is accompanied by a companion DVD. The DVD boldly claims: "The #1 Christian Documentary of 2012"

Be careful, it's not a documentary, but rather, total fiction. And in his fiction, Cahn takes several scriptures totally out of context. And if you're not careful, this book can really screw up your theology. Here are some examples-

Cahn says Isaiah refers to America rebuilding the World Trade Towers in this verse:

"The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with smooth stones." Is 9:10



But using a literal hermeneutic, this verse is referring to Israel, was fulfilled in the past and has zero to do with the United States.

Cahn says that the first "harbinger" was Sept 11, 2001. But of course this was not the first time America's defenses have been breached. In the War of 1812 the British attacked America. They captured, occupied and burned Washington D.C.-- to the ground!

Cahn claims, among other things just as absurd, that 9/11 was secretly hidden in the Bible. This thinking is rooted in the horrible "Replacement Theology" doctrine. It claims America (or the Church) has inherited the blessings intended for Israel after she rejected the Messiah.

But a simple read of Romans 9,10 and 11 refutes that notion. God is NOT finished with Israel. In a nutshell, it clearly says God is NOT finished with the Jews.

"I say then, God has not rejected His people [Israel], has He? May it never be! Rom. 11:1

And a few verses later the Bible says:

"a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;" Ro 11:25

God predicted that Israel would reject the Messiah and therefore God hardened their hearts for approximately 2000 years. (Hos 6:1,2)

But then He would raise them up without His Spirit being in them, raise up Israel's remnants from the four corners of the earth and reestablish them in their homeland. (Ezek 37)

The Bible also said Israel would not lose its identity while dispersed over the world. And when reestablished, Israel would have a very strong army and be a burdening stone to the world. Amazing. (Zech 12:3)

Israel is still in God's future plans. The Church did not inherit Israel's blessings. America did not inherit Israel's blessings. Anyone saying otherwise is a false prophet.

But Cahn's attempt to somehow link America with 2Chron 7:14 takes the cake. (BTW- Cahn is not the only Bible teacher to incorrectly apply this verse to America.)

"[if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

To try to somehow tie Christians repenting in America in order to heal our land is ridiculous. Paul Van Noy, Compass' doctrinal "go to guy," made a list of questions raised if you try to apply this verse to Believers. He states:

If "My People" refers to Christians in America then we have to draw several conclusions.

1) "My People" is the Church in America.

2) "...will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways..."

Suggests that God's people are engaged in pride, prayerlessness and wickedness; which may be true of some, but not all.

3) "I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin."

Suggests that God will listen to Christians and forgive their sins only if they humble themselves, pray, seek His face and stop sinning in order to be forgiven.

It would also suggest that the sins of Christians are not once and  for all forgiven, but rather that Christians would have to continually humble themselves, pray, seek His face and stop sinning in order to be, or remain, forgiven. [i.e. a "works" doctrine]

* Has God ever said anywhere in the Scriptures that He is committed to America like He is to Israel?

* Has God (in the Church Age) ever healed a land because the Christians in the land stopped sinning?

* What form of healing are we referring to, as stated in II Chron. 7:13? Financial? Disease? Crime?

* Is there any prophecy of Scripture that says that God will heal any land but Israel?

* Has any "group" of Christians ever stopped sinning?

* Will God heal America if all Christians stopped sinning and the unregenerated still continue sinning?

* Will all Christians in America ever stop sinning?

* Is God holding America accountable for the sins of Christians?

* Will this rule apply to any other country? Canada? China? Russia?

* Can this be applied to a city? San Francisco? Damascus? Moscow? Beijing?

*Will the II Chron. 7:14 formula work in any country (other than Israel) if God has already said that the nations will not repent?

How many Christians have to repent? All? Some? Is God holding America accountable for the sins of Christians who Cahn claims are the "My people" of II Chronicles 7:14?

No one would deny that Christians in America sin. However, has God decided to hold in contempt Christians He claims to have forgiven and sanctified by His grace?

Is He going to judge America because Christians sin? Is he going to withhold judgment on unregenerated Americans if Christians stop sinning?

It seems that Cahn is mingling a functional form of Covenant style Theology with his Dispensational views.

When confronted with these problems, Cahn retreats to claim it's just a fiction book. But if it's fiction, why does he claim it's "The #1 Christian Documentary of 2012"?

In summary, The Harbinger may be an interesting read but you should be aware that we believe it teaches false doctrine.

 BP

When I watch the news these days, I gravitate between the excitement that we MUST be close to Jesus' return and the horror of watching spineless politicians allow the current administration to do as it pleases.

  

Think about this:
In February of 1868, President Andrew Johnson (who succeeded Abraham Lincoln) was impeached. His crime? He ignored the Tenure of Office Act and fired his Secretary of War, who was openly and fiercely opposing him.

Johnson simply ignored a minor employment protection law and did what he thought was best for the country.

President Andrew Johnson

But the law is the law, and the President is sworn to uphold the law. His violation upset those in congress so much that they impeached him!

In the impeachment trial, Johnson's adversaries accused him of "bringing into disgrace, ridicule, hatred, contempt, and reproach the Congress of the United States" through certain controversial speeches he made. (Sound familiar?)

The impeachment conviction vote fell short--by one vote--of the two-thirds majority needed to convict Johnson; therefore he was judged not guilty and remained in office.

Interestingly, fifty-one years later, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the Tenure of Office Act unconstitutional in its ruling in Myers v. United States.

Now fast-forward to today. How many laws has our President ignored? Well, too many to list, but for starters:

* He lied about protecting our Ambassador and staff in Benghazi;
* He ordered the IRS to harass political opponents;
* He made illegal recess appointments;
* He broke legally binding contracts to give unions in the auto industry political paybacks.
* He appointed Czars to circumvent the legislative confirmation process;
* He enacted birth control and abortion mandates against the religious views of over half the country.
* His out-of-control debt spending has added trillions to the deficit and is likely ruining our monetary system.

Not to mention the scores of broken campaign promises, arrogance and class warfare. So this begs the question:

Where is the obvious call for impeachment? 150 years ago Obama would be run out of Washington on a rail. Today, spineless politicians do nothing.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Prov. 9:10

Sooner or later the spineless will learn that truth. Let's hope it's not too late.

http://www.history.com/topics/andrew-johnson 

 

If we took that verse and applied it to Believers in the Church Age, we'd have a problem. Doesn't Jesus live in my heart--even when I'm alone in the woods? Do I need to find another Believer to "gather" or be near me with to insure He is in my heart? Of course not.

Another obvious example is in Matthew 24.

 Should believers be concerned about getting pregnant in the last days?  Of course not. 

We've been posting a series of video presentations entitled, "Satan's Top Ten Lies," and are free to download in the FREE COMPASS DOWNLOADS folder in the compass.org digital store.  

We just posted Lie # 5 -- "Do everything Jesus says to do." It shows the above verses in context, and another 20 or so verses that make it IMPOSSIBLE to follow Jesus' every command. It sheds a whole new light on the Gospels and clears up why Jesus said what He did.  

It's an interesting study and once you understand how to "rightly divide the Word," you be amazed how the rest of the Bible comes together!  

 Bill  

Coming up this year at Compass

Mark your calendar!

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Israel + Bible Cruise + Italy 

October 2013

 Click here for more information.   

Tour Israel  

7 days: Jerusalem, Galilee, Dead Sea

and/or 

7 days: Rome, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Sicily

with optional   

Italy

Venice, Florence, Tuscany and Pisa!   

Choose one, some or all of the above!

WOW!!  

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Steeling Prophecy Conference  

Denver, Colorado

Calvary Chapel South Denver 

October 5, 2013

Mark your calendar!!!!!!!!!