Benny Hinn – Miracle Service in Durban – 13 Mar 2010
Benny Hinn is Back is South Africa
To Con the living daylights out of People who don’t read their bibles.
So Benny ‘$1000, that’s $1000 for salvation, $1000, …going…going…gone. Sold to the man in the back’ Hinn is back in SA. Woe to us.
If words don’t get the message across, maybe a little cartoon will. The below two cartoons are from Sundays English and Afrikaans newspapers – 2010-02-27.
The Afrikaans version of the cartoon below, is different from the English version. Did they censor it so as to not offend their readers? Do they think English people can handle the truth and Afrikaans people can’t? Or what? I’m confused…
Ponder, ponder…
ah ah ah ah ah ah.. Blessings.
Bruno
Are you laughing backwards ? Well that is just demonic especially adding “Blessings” to you comment makes it worse.
or are you shocked ? No reason to be shocked at all.
So you then wasted some energy and time with your silly comment. You know you could have used that time to just rather read a Bible verse.
Elmarie, Grant and Alan…
Your ministry is a ministry of death.. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious…how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? (2 Corinthians 3:6-8)
These verses contain another contrasting choice that results in people either living by bankrupt human resources, or by bountiful heavenly ones. This contrast is “the ministry of death versus the ministry of life.” These terms come from correlating four phrases: “the letter kills…the Spirit gives life…the ministry of death…the ministry of the Spirit.” Of course, the old covenant of law is the “ministry of death,” and the new covenant of grace is the “ministry of life” (“ministry of the Spirit…the Spirit gives life”).
You don’t not know me and you think you and your friend can label me or other people because you can write something. YOU DO NOT MANIFEST THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST….
You have a critical spirit… You condemn the person as well as the perceived action (Prov 12:18) You focus on the fault ACCORDING to your perception or interpretation of the Bible… Maybe you should examine yourself… Like 6:41… You and your friends spend hours to ridicule others instead of encouraging others (Proverbs 11:12) You make judgement based without knowing the fruits of the person (John 7:24 and Matthew 12:33-37) You simply assume the worst without knowing the person (John 7:51) You tears others down instead of building people up (Eph 4:29).
Maybe your sense of significance is enhanced when you point out the wrongs of other.. You dare to make people think that you know the Word.. Hey wake up the Word is CHRIST. THE WORD is A PERSON..
You are right on one thing though… I’d rather read the bible than coming back on this stinking website place..
I will not WASTE my time with your bunch… You SHOULD REPENT..
Bruno
Leon is teaching you:
That may be New Age, but it is not Christianity. It cannot save you from the wrath of God stored up for the day of judgment. Jesus Christ died so that sinners might be saved and not for you to indulge in dreams and visions and trances. Repent and receive forgiveness for your sins on account of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for you.
Bruno
There we go a BUZZ word!! MANIFEST just so loved by these False churches. Such a pity these false churches water the Word of God down to the gutters.
“Should Christians judge the teachings of their leaders?”
Answer: As Christians, we are commanded against following teachers blindly, but are told rather to “Test everything; hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). The apostle Peter warns us in 2 Peter 2:1-3 that there will be false teachers in our day just as there were false teachers in his day. Among their false teachings is a denial of the sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to take away sin, which is a common theme among cultists today. Another characteristic of false teachers is the greed which motivates them in everything they do. Paul offers a similar warning to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-31, calling the false teachers “savage wolves” who mercilessly attempt to destroy the faith of the sheep and draw them away from the Shepherd. Paul warned them continually, pleading with them night and day to be on their guard against such deceivers.
From these passages, we see clearly that we are to distinguish between true and false teachers. How then are we to do that? First, as Paul instructs the Ephesians, we are to “no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14). Rather, we are to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” and we do this by “the knowledge of the Son of God” (v. 13). The knowledge of Christ can only be obtained through the Word of God, and it is by that Word that we distinguish between the true and the false.
In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus offers some critical advice in discerning who is a false prophet: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruits you will recognize them.” Plainly stated, is the teacher’s life marked by a progressive conformity to the likeness of Christ? Is the teacher bearing the fruits of the Spirit? Just as only good trees produce good fruit, so do only true teachers of Christ display the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23), whereas false prophets and teachers display the acts of their sinful natures (Galatians 5:19-22). By these fruits, we recognize true and false teachers.
Secondly, does the teaching that is being presented conform to the message as proclaimed by the early church and the Apostles? As Paul writes to the church in Galatia: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” These are harsh words indeed that Paul has for the false teachers, but eternal condemnation is what they store up for themselves until the day of God’s wrath (Romans 2:5-6).
The apostle John tells us in his first epistle (1 John 4:1-6) how we are to discern which spirits are from God. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”
It is of utmost importance that Christians are well-grounded in the Scriptures so that they are able to discern which teachers speak from God and which are false in their proclamation. Only then can we reject what is false and “hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
http://www.gotquestions.org/judge-teachings-leaders.html
Bruno
“Should we allow false teachers into our home?”
Answer: The short letter of 2 John is written in part to warn believers against the influence of false teachers. John identifies them as those “who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh” and describes them as deceivers and antichrists (2 John 7). He goes on to prohibit receiving them into our homes or wishing them well. The question is whether this prohibition refers to those who knock on our doors today, such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Are we to deny members of these sects access to our homes?
It is important to understand exactly what it means that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. Many cultists will agree that Jesus was a man of flesh and bone who walked the earth around 2000 years ago. But that is not what John means here. He first addressed this issue in 1 John 4:2, telling us how to identify false teachers and the spirits who drive them. The first test of a true teacher/prophet of God is that they proclaim that Jesus is God incarnate in human flesh (John 1:14). Both the full deity and full humanity of Christ will be asserted by any teacher who truly comes from God. The Holy Spirit testifies to the true nature of Christ, while Satan and his demonic host deny that true nature. That is why John identifies anyone who denies the deity of Christ—which both the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses do—as deceivers and antichrists.
What should be our response, then, when cultists come knocking at the door? John, writing by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives a clear answer: we are not to receive them into our homes. While John was likely more commanding against allowing false teachers to stay in your home than just allowing them in the door, the principle is the same. We are not to do anything that would give the appearance we approve of their message. Many people feel “called” to debate endlessly with cultists, bringing them into their homes for Bible studies or witnessing to them in chat rooms and forums. But God does not call us to do these things; He commands us to avoid false teachers. Cultists are master deceivers who are well-trained in techniques that will confuse those whose knowledge of Scripture is limited—the very ones cultists most often seek out. It is invariably these well-meaning and compassionate souls who dialog with cultists. But God’s desire is to protect the weak among His people and John’s prohibition reflects that desire.
John’s final warning regards “greeting” cultists, which the King James Version translates as bidding them “God speed.” This phrase in the Greek means to cheerfully or joyfully hail or salute someone. In other words, we are not to give cultists or anyone else the impression that we see them as having legitimate claims, doctrines, or opinions. We are not to bless them or wish them well. John tells us that to do so is to share in their wicked work. Christians are of Christ; cultists are anti-Christ, no matter how kind, sincere, and charming they may appear. We can have no fellowship with darkness or those who spread falsehood; rather, we are to separate ourselves from them.
But aren’t we to witness to them about Christ? Aren’t they the mission field? Interestingly, nowhere in the Bible are we called to witness to false teachers. Jesus tells us to “watch out” for them (Matthew 7:15) and Paul tells us to “avoid them” (Romans 16:17) and declares them to be “accursed” (Galatians 1:8). We are, of course, to be always ready with an answer for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15), but that presupposes the cultist is actually interested in the true hope of salvation through Christ, something that is rarely, if ever, the case. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), but we are not to cast our pearls before pigs (Matthew 7:6). In regards to cultists, it is especially important to rely on the Lord’s wisdom (James 1:5) in discerning the difference between an opportunity and a distraction.
http://www.gotquestions.org/allow-false-teachers-home.html
Bruno
“What is the best way to evangelize someone who is in a cult or false religion?”
Answer: The most important thing we can do for those involved in cults or false religions is pray for them. We need to pray that God would change their hearts and open their eyes to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4). We need to pray that God would convince them of their need for salvation through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Without the power of God and conviction of the Holy Spirit, we will never succeed in convincing anyone of the truth (John 16:7-11).
We also need to be living a godly Christian life, so those trapped in cults and religions can see the change God has made in our own lives (1 Peter 3:1-2). We need to pray for wisdom in how we can minister to them in a powerful way (James 1:5). After all of this, we must be bold in our actual sharing of the gospel. We must proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10). We always need to be prepared to defend our faith (1 Peter 3:15), but we must do so with gentleness and respect. We can proclaim the doctrine correctly, win the war of words, and still impede the cause by an attitude of angry superiority.
Ultimately, we must leave the salvation of those to whom we witness up to God. It is God’s power and grace that saves people, not our efforts. While it is good and wise to be prepared to give a vigorous defense and have knowledge of false beliefs, neither of these things will result in the conversion of those trapped in the lies of the cults and false religions. The best we can do is pray for them, witness to them, and live the Christian life in front of them, trusting that the Holy Spirit will do the work of drawing, convincing, and converting.
http://www.gotquestions.org/cult-evangelism.html
Bruno
“When should a Christian try to correct another Christian?”
Answer: This can be a delicate subject. It is wise to spend time in prayer first, to check our motivation and ask for guidance. There are times when Christians are called upon to “talk to” or try to correct a fellow Christian. Assuming we are talking about a matter of sin in a believers’ life, our motive and intent should always be to bring about repentance and restoration to the erring brother or sister in Christ.
First, our attitude is very important. “Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done” (Ephesians 4:32). It is then that we are more able to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul had a similar warning about attitude: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). Here we see that those who are “spiritual,” meaning walking in the Spirit in faith and obedience, should gently restore someone who is in sin, being always aware of how easily we can all be tempted by Satan who wants to ensnare everyone in his traps.
The Bible prescribes the procedure for confronting a sinning brother or sister in an extensive passage on church discipline: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17). Again, this is the procedure for confronting a sinning brother, not someone whose behavior you feel needs modifying in some way or someone who merely irritates or annoys you.
On a different slant, one of the most often quoted scriptures is “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1 KJV). Taken out of context, the verse has been used to incorrectly justify never taking a stand on anything that would require a judgment to be made. Rather, the verse is referring to hypocritical, self-righteous, unfair kinds of judgment, especially where the confronter is guilty of the same sin as the one being confronted.
So, when should Christians talk to or try to correct a fellow Christian? When we have talked to the Lord first, have an attitude of submission and concern for the other person, and are committed to following the procedures outlined in His Word for such a situation.
http://www.gotquestions.org/Christian-correct-Christian.html
Bruno
You are correct. It is the Law that condemns you:
You break the Law on a daily basis and you need a Saviour. Leon teaches that your problem is “unformed purpose and destiny”. His solution is “In order for you to tap into the hidden treasures buried inside of you, you have to go deep within yourself!” The Bible says:
Leon’s preaching is to lure you into the “secret place” to experience “dreams and visions and trances” and not to produce faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified for sinners. In fact, the Jesus that he preaches cannot save.
Here Jesus is our example, going through the same experience and prevailing. Bruno, I can assure you that Jesus Christ did not find darkness within Himself:
Bruno, Jesus Christ is revealed to us in the Word. It is Leon who is making stuff up that is not taught in the Word. The apostles did not teach that we should go hour after hour until we experience visions, dreams and trances. Either the Word is right or Leon is, but they cannot both be right, because they contradict each other. Are you going to put your trust in a man to experience trances or are you going to trust Jesus Christ to save you from the righteous wrath of God against you for breaking His Law?
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
My name is Rudi. I have briefly read some of the comments on this page, and do not want to debate or argue, but would like to just say the following.
I have the privilege of having both Ps Bruno Picard and Ps Leon du Preez as my pastors and oversight. I have worked closely with them, and I have seen the true character of Jesus Christ in their lives. I have also seen the great sacrifice that they continually make in laying down their lives in prayer and service for others, in order that the purposes of God may be accomplished in the lives of many. They are truly servants of God, their conduct proves it, their lives testify of it everyday. I can vouch for this, because I have seen it.
Also, the fruit that they bear proves this. Under their ministries I have seen so many people come to know Jesus. I have seen people with broken lives, people in bondage, people with no hope, people struggling with addictions, people struggling with rejection… These people come to the meetings and they are set free, healed, delivered.. When they leave, their lives has changed.. They find hope, freedom and love by getting to know Jesus Christ.. And this what our faith is all about.. It is to see people’s lives changed, because God changes the hearts of people. God changes people from brokenness to restored lives… he changes them from hopelessness to having hope… He changes them from being hurt, angry, selfish, and lost and unloved to being people who knows God and has life flowing out from inside of them.. they become people who loves others and desire to see all others find the same joy and happiness and peace in knowing the salvation of God…
This is what our faith is about…. its not about attacking each other.. it’s not about causing disunity or debates and arguments among us… we are brothers and sisters… please, I beg of you, for your own sake and for the sake of unity of Christ’s church, let us not judge, condemn, slander or attack each other..
1 Cor 1:10 “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”
My dear brother and sister, God’s leaders are not the enemy. The enemy is the devil, and he is always trying to take out God’s leaders. Ps Bruno Picard and Ps Leon du Preez are men of God, and certainly God works through them. I do not say this because I perceive them to be great in themselves, but because I see the character of Christ in their lives and the good fruit that they bear, which is how I know that they are not false, because Jesus said you will know them by their fruits. Please I ask you that you would not speak evil of them. Rather immerse yourself in intercession for people like them if God so leads, because they are certainly in the battle and they need all the support they can get.
If you disagree with what they teach, then I beg you to humbly search the scriptures and seek after truth.. If you are certain that you have come to the knowledge of the truth, then humbly and earnestly pray that God may also bring them to the knowledge of the truth if they are wrong.. (which they are not, in my own opinion, according to my interpretation of scripture, but I will not debate..) There will always be things that we disagree about.. History proves that.. Every leader will say some things that you disagree with, and he may be right or he may be wrong, but it is not for you to bring him down and destroy him.. Humbly pray for unity.. Pray for revival.. Fight against the devil..
Your website is called discerning the world, which I think is a great title.. being in the website industry myself, I think this website has great potential.. but, I humbly ask you sir, to discern the world truly, and to see that the world is in desperate need of God. There are people dying of hunger, there are people dying of Aids, there are people dying without hope and without God.. there are so many people whose lives are destroyed by drugs and crime and all kinds of evil.. they desperately need God!! We must take God to them.. We must show God to them.. We must help them and love them.. We cannot afford to be fighting against each other..
The days are evil, sir.. I beg you, do not fight against us.. join us.. join us in showing the world that God loves them.. join us in reaching out to the broken people around us.. because we were once there as well, lost in our sin.. but God saved our souls.. and He wants to do it for others as well, if we will but love them and testify to them of who God is and what He has done for them..
Thank you for taking the time to read my reply, and I humbly apologize in advance if there is anything I said in here that offends you in any way..
Your friend in Christ,
Rudi van der Merwe
Dear Elmarie,
The very people you and your own following are critizing are peole I have known personally, been taught and mentored by.No I guess your response to that would be that you would not like to associate with me either, well let me put you at ease,I am far more picky about my friends than what you are! The question I would like to ask you, all these ministries that you so quickly critize as being false and being false prophets, have you looked at the fruit of their ministries? Because ultimately that is what Jesus says” Bytheir fruits the will be known” One sows the seed, one waters but God gives the increase, so when I look at the increase in these ministries I must then assume that God is who He says He is or that He is a God of confusion to bring increase into the ministries of false prophets!How much of the great commission have you and your following full filled? Have you raised any dead of late, have you laid hands on the sick and seen them healed, have you delivered anyone lately from the bondage of satan?…oh wait, you don’t believe that we can do that, or as you asked Leon, tongue in cheek I gues, what demons look like etc.If you are up to a challenge why don’t you ask the HOly Spirit to open your spiritual eyes! This is the quote from Amanda “That may be New Age, but it is not Christianity. It cannot save you from the wrath of God stored up for the day of judgment. Jesus Christ died so that sinners might be saved and not for you to indulge in dreams and visions and trances. Repent and receive forgiveness for your sins on account of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for you.” What bible are you reading? Acts 10:9 onwards speaks about Peter’s vision and if you go study it in the originallanguage it would mean trance. The book of Revelation was given to John by VISIONS!!!! The old Testament is filled with the prophets who got VISIONS and DREAMS!! let alone the fact that God’s word (which you so eloquently quote, but then so did satan)…states very clearly “Joe 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Joe 2:29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. ” what is there not to understand? Elmarie you have done nothing to slander mighty ministries, such as Neville has allot of assosiations with false teachers like Elza Meyer, Angus Buchan, Ray Mackauley, Herlod Weitz, Randy Clarck, Gary Kiewetter, Izak Burger, Kim Clement, Dr Fred Roberts, the late Oral Roberts, Joel Osteen, my gosh is their actually one ministry that you do not condemn. Oh and your comment about the DCC being octagonal and the number 8 – What do you you find confusing? 8 in fact is the number of resurrection and new beginnings.When something is resurrected it has a new beginning! When Jesus was resurrected it was a new beginning for the world! You say that it is not scriptual for Ps Harold Weitz and others to prophecy over people, clearly my dear friend the pages of your bible is lacking many pages, in particular 1 Corinthians 12v 8-10!
It does astound me that these great ministries that you fault so much, has the confirmation of signs,miracles and wonders following them. I know what you going to say: “Well Theresa the Bible also says that false prophets will have signs miracles etc..” and yes you are right, but the greatest moracle of all is salvation, and a false ministry, which would be driven by satan will not have fruit of salvations, as a house divided against it self will fall.
You,Elmarie have made this blog your own platform topreaaach your doctrine or opnion from, well lets see if God gives you the increase. You also stated that you don;t need anyone to teach you cos you have Jesus and the Holy Spirit, that is true, partially, you see that is the problem with doctrine of error, it is always partially true…If we donot need anyone to teach us other than Jesus and the Holy Spirit, why on earth would there have been the likes of Paul, Timothy, and all the other amazing teachers who taught others after Christ had ascended? Surely they could have all just stayed isolated and been led by the Holy Spirit? Well lets see what the WOrd of God says about that “Pro 18:1 He that separateth himself seeketh his own desire, and snarlest against all sound wisdom.
Pro 18:2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but only that his heart may lay itself bare.
You operate by the spirit of divination as well as the spirit of Leviathan your main aim is to bring about division and strife. You have an unteachable spirit.
But I pray for you and your following for much of what you have said above brings me much joy, as it is proof that we are living in the last days!
Theresa/Rudi van der Merwe/Bruno/Leon
To the Gang above from here!!!
“What are the dangers of postmodernism?”
Answer: Simply put, Postmodernism is a philosophy that affirms no objective or absolute truth, especially in matters of religion and spirituality. When confronted with a truth claim regarding the reality of God and religious practice, Postmodernism’s viewpoint is exemplified in the statement “that may be true for you, but not for me.” While such a response may be completely appropriate when discussing favorite foods or preferences toward art, such a mindset is dangerous when it is applied to reality because it confuses matters of taste and opinion with truth.
The term “Postmodernism” literally means “after Modernism” and is used to philosophically describe the current era which came after the age of Modernism. Postmodernism is a reaction (or perhaps more appropriately, a disillusioned response) to Modernism’s failed promise of using human reason alone to better mankind and make the world a better place. Because one of Modernism’s beliefs was that absolutes did indeed exist, Postmodernism seeks to “correct” things by first eliminating absolute truth and making everything (including the empirical sciences and religion) relative to an individual’s beliefs and desires.
The dangers of Postmodernism can be viewed as a downward spiral that begin with the rejection of absolute truth, which then leads to a loss of distinctions in matters of religion and faith, and finally culminates in a philosophy of religious pluralism that says no faith or religion is objectively true and therefore no one can claim his or her religion is true and another is false.
Dangers of Postmodernism – #1 – Relative Truth
Postmodernism’s stance of relative truth is the outworking of many generations of philosophical thought. From Augustine to the Reformation, the intellectual aspects of Western civilization and the concept of truth were dominated by theologians. But, beginning with the Renaissance periods of the 14th – 17th centuries, thinkers began to elevate humankind to the center of reality. If one were to look at human periods of history like a family tree, the Renaissance would be Modernism’s grandmother and the Enlightenment would be its mother. Renee Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” personified the beginning of this era. God was not the center of truth any longer – man now was.
The Enlightenment was in a way the complete imposition of the scientific model of rationality upon all aspects of truth and claimed that only scientific data could be objectively understood, defined, and defended. Truth as it pertained to religion was left out and discarded. The philosopher who straddled this epoch’s and Modernism’s contribution to relative truth was the Prussian Immanuel Kant and his work The Critique of Pure Reason, which appeared in 1781. Among other things, Kant argued that true knowledge about God was impossible so he created a divide of knowledge between “facts” and “faith.” According to Kant, “Facts have nothing to do with religion.” The end result was that spiritual matters were assigned to be matters of the heart and just opinion, and only the empirical sciences were allowed to speak of truth. And while Modernism believed in absolutes at least in the area of science, God’s special revelation (the Bible) was evicted from the realm of truth and certainty.
From Modernism came Postmodernism and, whereas Kant marked the philosophical transition from the Enlightenment to Modernism, Frederick Nietzsche may symbolize the shift from Modernism to Postmodernism. As the patron saint of postmodernist philosophy, Nietzsche held to “perspectivism,” which says that all knowledge (including science) is a matter of perspective and interpretation. Many other philosophers have built upon Nietzsche’s work (e.g. Foucault, Rorty, and Lyotard) and have shared his rejection of God and religion in general. They also rejected any hint of absolute truth, or as Lyotard put it, a rejection of a metanarrative (a truth that transcends all peoples and cultures).
This philosophical march through history against objective truth has resulted in Postmodernism having a complete aversion to any claim to absolutes, with such a mindset naturally painting a huge bull’s-eye on something that declares to be inerrant truth, such as the Bible.
Dangers of Postmodernism – #2 – Loss of Discernment
The great theologian Thomas Aquinas said, “It is the task of the philosopher to make distinctions.” What Aquinas meant is that truth is dependent upon the ability to discern – the capability to distinguish “this” from “that” in the realm of knowledge. However, if objective and absolute truth does not exist, then everything becomes a matter of personal interpretation. To the postmodern individual, the author of a book does not possess the correct interpretation of their work; it is the reader who actually determines what the book really means – a process called deconstruction. And given that there are multiple readers (vs. one author), there are naturally multiple interpretations, with the end result being no universally valid interpretation.
Such a chaotic situation makes it impossible to make meaningful or lasting distinctions between interpretations because there is no standard or benchmark that can be used. This especially applies to matters of faith and religion because the philosophers of the Enlightenment and Modernism had already deposed religion to the compartment of opinion. Such being the case, it naturally follows that attempting to make proper and meaningful distinctions in the area of religion (ones that dare suggest that one belief is right and another invalid) carries no more weight than one person arguing that chocolate tastes better than vanilla. In such situations, it becomes impossible to objectively adjudicate between competing truth claims.
Dangers of Postmodernism – #3 – Pluralism
If absolute truth does not exist, and if there is no way to make meaningful, right/wrong distinctions between different faiths and religions, then the natural conclusion is that all beliefs must be given equal weight and considered valid. The proper term for this practical outworking in Postmodernism is “philosophical pluralism.” With pluralism, no religion has the right to pronounce itself right or true and the other competing faiths false, or even relatively inferior. For those who espouse a philosophical religious pluralism, there is no longer any heresy, except perhaps the view that there are heresies. D. A. Carson underscores conservative evangelical’s concerns about what they see as the dangerous element of pluralism when he says, “In my most somber moods I sometimes wonder if the ugly face of what I refer to as philosophical pluralism is the most dangerous threat to the gospel since the rise of the Gnostic heresy in the second century.”
These progressive dangers of Postmodernism – relative truth, a loss of discernment, and philosophical pluralism – represent real and imposing threats to Christianity because they collectively relegate God’s Word to something that has no real authority over mankind and no ability to show itself as true in a world of competing religious voices. What is Christianity’s response to these challenges?
Response to the Dangers of Postmodernism
It should first be stated that Christianity claims to be absolutely true, claims that meaningful distinctions in matters of right/wrong (as well as spiritual truth and falsehood) exist, and claims to be correct in its claims about God with any contrary claims from competing religions being incorrect. Such a stance provokes cries of “arrogance” and “intolerance” from Postmodernism. However, truth is not a matter of attitude or preference, and when closely examined, the foundations and philosophies of Postmodernism quickly crumble and reveal Christianity’s claims to be both plausible and compelling.
First, Christianity claims that absolute truth exists. In fact, Jesus specifically says that He was sent and born to do one thing: “to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). Postmodernism says that no truth should be affirmed, yet its position is one that is self-defeating – it affirms at least one absolute truth: that no truth should be affirmed. This means that Postmodernism does believe in absolute truth, and such a fact is exemplified by its philosophers who write books stating things they expect their readers to embrace and believe as truth. Putting it simply, one professor has said, “When someone says there is no such thing as truth, they are asking you not to believe them. So don’t.”
Second, Christianity claims that meaningful distinctions exist between the Christian faith and all other beliefs. However, it should be understood that those claiming that meaningful distinctions do not exist between religions are actually making a distinction. They are attempting to showcase a difference in what they believe to be true and the Christian’s truth claims. Postmodernist authors expect their readers to come to the right conclusions about what they have written and will correct those who interpret their work differently than they have intended. Again, their position and philosophy proves itself to be self-defeating because they eagerly make distinctions between what they believe to be correct and what they see as being false.
Finally, Christianity claims to be universally true in what it says regarding man’s lostness before God, the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of fallen mankind, and the separation between God and anyone who chooses not to accept what God says about sin and the need for repentance. When Paul addressed the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers on Mars Hill, he said, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30, emphasis added). Paul’s declaration was not a “this is true for me, but may not be true for you” statement, but rather an exclusive and universal command (i.e. a metanarrative) from God to everyone. Any postmodernist who says this is false is committing an error against his own pluralistic philosophy that says no faith or religion is incorrect because, once again, he violates his own mandate of saying every religion is equally true.
In the same way that it is not arrogant for a math teacher to insist that 2+2=4 or for a locksmith to insist that only one key will fit a locked door, it is not arrogant for the Christian to stand against Postmodernist thinking and insist that Christianity is true and anything opposed to it is false. Absolute truth does exist, consequences do exist for being wrong, and while pluralism may be desirable in matters of food preferences, it is not so in matters of truth. The Christian is to present God’s truth in love and simply ask any postmodernist who is angered by the exclusive claims of Christianity, “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16).
http://www.gotquestions.org/postmodernism-dangers.html
Also go read here and there are 3 pages worth of articles with Biblical poof :
Rudi van der Merwe
Naaah no Thanks Rudi it will mean this blog has to be like this?
Nope not Biblical advise. In fact your request is just Totally Absurd!! Sorry I cannot trust you Rudi.
Humans are by their nature unreliable; if we put our complete faith in another person, chances are we’ll be disappointed at some point. By contrast, God is completely trustworthy, and will never let us down when we put our faith in him. http://www.gospel.com/topics/trust+in+god
Jeremiah 17:5 (Amplified Bible)
5Thus says the Lord: Cursed [with great evil] is the strong man who trusts in and relies on frail man, making weak [human] flesh his arm, and whose mind and heart turn aside from the Lord.
Trust requires commitment and faith. To trust in someone is to rely on them, to believe in them. In Proverbs chapter 3, we are promised that by trusting in the Lord our paths will be made straight, that is to say, we will be given direction for our lives.http://www.gospel.com/topics/trust+in+the+lord+with+all+your+heart
Proverbs 3:5-6 (Amplified Bible)
5Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.6In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Rudi
I appreciate your soft answer. Your love and concern for these two young preachers are obvious from your words. I would beg you then to do the one thing that you do not want to do and that is to compare what Leon is teaching here and here to the Word of God. Let this weigh heavy on your heart for Leon’s sake:
Rudi, we are supposed to be good Bereans and to search the Scriptures to see if these things are so and it is not. We do not have a hidden treasure inside of us. Good works do not cancel out false teaching.
Please listen to Mike Horton on Moralistic Therapeutic Deism to understand that it is not Christianity.
Theresa
The Bible [ESV] says:
Peter went up to pray. The Lord Himself taught Peter to pray:
You can listen to Leon’s sermon here and hear for yourself the steps he teaches the young people to take to invoke a trance and even to see God’s face.
The Apostle Peter said that that prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentacost:
Nowhere does the Bible teach Christians to induce trances like Leon is doing.
DTW, you have no fear of the Lord! You show no respect to anyone with an opinion other that yours. All you do is quote scripture which I assume you copy and paste from somewhere. You do not know either of one us, yet you have chosen to judge and operate by assumption. The young man Rudi had responded to you with a Spirit of meekness and humility and yet even that you do not respect! I do not care how many times you quote scripture, but you are NOT SPIRIT LED! if anything you are purposely being used as a vessel by the enemy himself,who by the way quotes scripture as well, to bring about division and strife amongst the Body of Christ. Your purpose is not to bring correction but judgement and condemnation. You warn everyone against every ministry, is that so that they will all flock to your online wanna bee pulpit!
In several of your comments you have mentioned that people like Angus Buchan and his like, hype people up with music first. Surely being as knwoledgeable as you are you would know it is called PRAISE AND WORSHIP!!! why don’t you go and try it, God might actually show up and surprise you. Somewhere in one of your blogs you also again attacked Benny Hinn and Rodney Howard Browne and the laughing..you actualy said that you do not find laughing anywhere in the Bible! Seriously if you going to comment on topics that you clearly don’t research but rather just google, then maybe it is because you didn’t spell laughter right that you couldn’t find it! You seem to have very much the same doctrine/opinion as a group on FB called Prepare for War, I see much of the same,if not word for word, comments on certain people..so not sure if you copying them or they copying you or you just have your own little cult going!
As for the comment on rebuking the devil and the fact that once again Jesus never rebuked the devil but quoted the word, well maybe that is because Jesus is the Word, however the 3rd time Jesus did say ” Get thee behind me satan”- that is a rebuke. Maybe you should google the word ‘rebuke’ to see what it actually means. You also claim that nowhere does Jesus tell us to rebuke the devil, well Jesus said that He gave me authority over the powers of darkness. He also said that whatsoever I bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Jesus Himself has given me His authority to cast out demons, to heal the sick and to set the captives free. Well seeing as you are so familiar with the copy and paste technique of preaching/teaching – I thought I could save you some time and did teh research for you:-
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REBUKE?
“The Greek word for “rebuke” is epitimao. Oddly enough, the word literally means to “put honor upon something” (epi means upon; timao means honor). However, we’re not so much concerned with its literal meaning as we are with how the word is used in Scripture.
The word appears quite often in the Gospels. Jesus rebuked the winds; Jesus rebuked the unclean spirits from talking; Jesus rebuked an illness; Jesus rebuked people from exposing His identity; Jesus told us to rebuke our brother when he trespasses against us; the disciples tried to rebuke mothers from bringing their children to Jesus; the Pharisees tried to rebuke people from openly praising Him; Jesus rebuked Peter after Peter tried to rebuke Him for explaining His death, burial and resurrection; and finally, Michael the archangel demonstrated that God would rebuke Satan.
The word for rebuke does not mean to “criticize” or “condemn.” From its consistent use in Scripture, it obviously means to prohibit. The word seems to imply a recognition of the rebuker’s authority on the part of the person (or thing) being rebuked, much like an officer issuing orders in the military. Based on its use in Scripture, we would define the word epitimao as: the issuance of a direct order, by a person imbued with authority, for the cessation of a specific action, with the immediate expectation of complete and total obedience to the order.
In other words, rebuke is a command to immediately stop doing something.”
In light of the above definition, We as do have the right to stop/rebuke/prohibit the devil. The same Spirit that lives in Jesus lives in me and therefore whatever Jesus did, I can and will do as well!
You attack Leon for his comment on saving souls, well again the word of God says “He who wins ‘saves’ souls is wise”. You attack Leon’s ministry by telling him that he could never be of any proffesional help to anyone because he is so insulting!!! My word, do you sleep write? Because clearly you are not aware of the way you insult people! But hey, we can do this for the next 20yrs and just like Bruno, Leon and Rudi, I too have better things to do for the Kingdom than cast my pearls before swine! I have orphans to feed, abused and raped woman to counsel and generally just show the love of Jesus to the lost! Pray you have a great evening googling some more people..Google my name, you might find some trash on me too that you could put on your blog! Oh, and when you down in Durban, do look me up, I always love to kick devil butt! but I doubt very much if the spirit which leads you is actually up to the challenge with the Spirit that leads me.
In the words of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ: “Get thee behind me satan!”
Theresa
You know I was going to answer you but on second thoughts decided not to. You go run along now and serve your gods like those you mention you “have known personally, been taught and mentored by.”
You have so many Biblical errors in your comment it will take me almost years to answer and correct you through Scripture.
To attempt to show you on errors from scripture would be a waste of my time as your faith and religion prefers experiential to the Truth and mysticism or spiritism and whatever other ISM there could be to the Word.
It is your faith that you seem to support likes of :
Joel Osteen who advocates you stop praying. http://www.mikeadkins.com/article/joel-osteen-christless-christianity-whi-2of4/
or Rodney Howard-brown prefers you to experience bubbles from your stomach rather than prayer. http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/quotes.html
William Branam how says the Trinity is from Satan. http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain4.htm
Benny Hinn dead people must be placed in front of the Tv to to await to be raised.http://www.letusreason.org/Pent28.htm and also http://biblelight.net/Hinn-Dead-Raised.htm
Is Kim Clement a New Age Prophet? http://www.letusreason.org/Popteac14.htm and also The seed of Faith that made BIG MONEY – The Story and legacy of Oral Roberts http://www.letusreason.org/Popteach47.htm
Randy Clark Tracing the Trail of the Revival Laughter/Toronto/ Pensacola/_____ /_____? http://www.letusreason.org/Pent30.htm
Note that these links above are web sites world wide who also expose these FALSE AND DEMONIC TEACHINGS.
Jesus Himself said these words and note (verse 40 starts with He and that is God Himself.)
John 12:39-41 (Amplified Bible)
39Therefore they could not believe [they were unable to believe]. For Isaiah has also said,
40He has blinded their eyes and hardened and benumbed their [callous, degenerated] hearts [He has made their minds dull], to keep them from seeing with their eyes and understanding with their hearts and minds and repenting and turning to Me to heal them.
41Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke of Him.(A)
Theresa
Are you the fruit of Leon’s ministry?
Theresa
your research attempts was fruitless sorry cannot trust you!!! you are here for no reason other than talking Gibberish!!
Please run along and go…. you are waisting our time. You cannot spread your FALSE BELIEVES!!! on this blog rather go and read and study your Bible.
Theresa
You betcha!!! the spirit that is leading you is demonic.
Naah Theresa we won’t bother to look you up we are not interested. Thank for the invite but we are rejecting it. Insulting people like you are not good company. Your fruits are rotten.
The Bible says:
The Bible says:
Leon is free to preach his gospel of a treasure deep inside of us, but if he calls that and the frantic drive to experience visions and dreams and trances Christianity, then Christians will point out that it is not.
Rudi, both Leon and Theresa contradict what the Bible teaches. Who are you going to follow? Don’t be overly impressed with their ‘good works’. After all, it is like filthy rags.
Here is Chris Rosebrough’s answer when he as accused of not doing any good works:
Rudi, you have some serious thinking to do. Please “compare what is said in the name of God to the Word of God”.
Theresa
Your authority you take upon yourself to like you put it “I always love to kick devil butt!” There is no biblical basis for such a belief.
We just have to make some corrections here as you are misleading thousands of people. Here is a Biblical lesson for you then. Some very important Biblical points to ponder on Theresa/Leon/Bruno/Rudi. You see you people are actually wanting to do Gods work for Him and that is a sin. We Cannot take Gods work from His hands, you then therefore declaring yourselves to be on the same level as God?
“Do Christians have the authority to rebuke the devil?”
Answer: There are some Christians who believe they not only have the authority to rebuke the devil, but they believe they must be about the business of rebuking him continually. There is no biblical basis for such a belief. It must be remembered that Satan, unlike God, is not omnipresent. He can only be in one place at a time, and the likelihood of his personally harassing individual Christians is miniscule. Of course, he has legions of demons who do his bidding, and they are everywhere seeking to destroy believers’ testimonies. It should be noted here that the Christian cannot be possessed by a demon, in the same way people in the Bible are described as being possessed.
As Christians, we need to be aware of the reality of the presence of evil. As we struggle to stand firm in our faith, we must realize that the enemies we are up against are not merely human ideas, but real forces that come from the powers of darkness. The Bible says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12, NAS).
Clearly, God has allowed Satan significant amounts of power and influence over the earth, at least for the time being, and always within God’s sovereign control. The Bible tells us that he prowls around like a lion in search of prey, looking for victims to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is the power at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God (Ephesians 2:2). Anyone who is not under the control of the sovereign God is under the control of the devil (Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4). Born-again Christians are no longer enslaved to Satan or to sin (Romans 6:6-7), but this does not mean we are immune to the temptations that he puts before us.
The Bible does not give Christians the authority to rebuke the Devil, but to resist him. James 4:7 (NLT) says to “submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Zechariah 3:2 tells us that it is the Lord who rebukes Satan. Even Michael, one of the most powerful of the angels, did not dare to accuse Satan, but rather said, “The Lord rebuke you” (Jude 1:9). In response to Satan’s attacks, a Christian should hide under the covering of Christ.
Instead of focusing on defeating the devil, we should focus on following Christ (Hebrews 12:2) and trust that He will defeat the forces of evil.
It is not necessary for a Christian to rebuke Satan because God has given us His full armor to stand against evil (see Ephesians 6:10-18). The most effective weapons we have against the devil are our faith, wisdom, and knowledge about God and His Word. Even Christ, when tempted by Satan, did not rebuke him but answered him with Scripture (see Matthew 4:1-11). To gain victory in spiritual matters, we must maintain a clear conscience and have control over our thoughts. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
http://www.gotquestions.org/authority-rebuke-devil.html
2 Peter 2:17-21 (New International Version)
17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.
you know every time some one calls you up to a confrontation you refuse your facourite word is NAAAAAA! every noticed it..and know I am not teh fruit of Leons’ministry, was saved long before I met Leon, but you are right I will run along cos I do have better things to do!
Obviously the deluding spirits are having a heyday with Theresa – I was once the prey of false teachers, but the Lord opened my eyes. I do hope that she will allow Him to do that with her also.
Theresa
Naaa I ignore people who confront me too if their arguments are futile.
Burning Lamp
Yes I share your thoughts too. And weren’t we all there Burning Lamp. And a big Amen for the Lord opening up our eyes!! We can only Pray for her.
Pastor Leon du Preez:
Amanda
Pastor Leon du Preez:says
Of course it wont be found in the Scripture he is preaching his own nonsense not what is in the Bible!
This makes me think on these Scriptures.
Leviticus 20:27 (New International Version)
27 ” ‘A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’ ”
Jeremiah 14:14
Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.
Ezekiel 13:9
My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD.
2 Peter 2:1
[ False Teachers and Their Destruction ] But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
BEWITCHED!
“The Evil Eye over Evangelicalism”
The Occultization of Evangelicalism
Over the last generation, a similar spell appears to have overtaken evangelicalism, something that has not gone unnoticed by those without the movement. In their opinion, evangelicalism has been “occultized.” In a book titled Occult America, Mitch Horowitz,** a spokesman for the occult and esoteric ideas, notes that New Age religion possesses “a core set of beliefs and a definable point of view.” He then enumerates these beliefs as follows:
1. Belief in the therapeutic value of spiritual or religious ideas.
2. Belief in a mind-body connection in health.
3. Belief that human consciousness is evolving to higher stages.
4. Belief that thoughts, in some greater or lesser measure,
5. determine reality.
6. Belief that spiritual understanding is available without
7. allegiance to a specific religion or doctrine.
Read on further here:
http://herescope.blogspot.com/2010/03/bewitched.html