An email bearing God's Confirmation

This afternoon a few of the Concerned Members or TTG (more popularly known) met with a Pastor from India. He has been praying for Calvary Church, the church pastors and TTG, at the request of a concerned Christian. The Lord showed the Pastor visions as he prayed for us - the Church and TTG. God gave him these visions - A Big pond and small pond and God will send rain to fill the small pond and A big ball of fire breaking up into many small balls of fire on earth. The fire is a purifying process from God upon His children.

CT received the e-mail posted below this afternoon and did a check on the authenticity of the article attached and discovered the site wherein the article is found : http://www.openheaven.com/forums/forum_posts.asp?TID=29947

Upon reading, we found this line is at the bottom of page :

Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind and love your neighbour as yourself.
lynmac771@bigpond.com

Then we checked the "next topic" on the site and this was written in the next article:

For the earth has broken and brought forth her cry and I have heard it...I am sending the rain of My Love...My heart is swelling and I am about to burst....

Oh don't you know the latter rain are the tears of our Father's pain.... (we shared earlier of a vision of "tears". WE asked then, " Whose Tears?")

God is lighting small fires all over the world. These small fires are being ignited by the purity of His Love and are fore ordained of Him since the foundation of the world... Those found chosen and faithful are being merged as one in His Love, His purity and His joy. . Their prayers have gone up to Him as incense. His tabernacle is being restored.

These balls of fire of His Pure Love are being lit in the most obscure places

It is not by coincidence that this e-mail was sent to CT. We believe it is God's confirmation of what the Pastor shared with the group of Concerned Members or TTG this afternoon.

________________________________________________

to CalvaryToday date Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 2:09 PM subject VISION of SUBTLE LIES

Brothers and sisters of CC,

Let us be encouraged. To stand against religious authority was never an easy task even in Jesus' time. Nonetheless, the will of the Father must be done. There is a part of the Lord's ministry was to expose sins especially on those who sat on Moses seat. For CC, the grace period for this man is over. The men made temple of Babel need to be destroyed, so be it. He would rebuild it in 3 days. The Lord is setting His people free from the bondage of one man and releasing them into the marketplace, preparing them for the end time harvest..........therefore, do not repeat the same mistakes by building another temple. Go to the streets, the highway and byway gather the people in small groups inviting them to the banquet of the King!

Standing with Truth,

Bro J

VISION of SUBTLE LIES
-by Pam Brown.

God gave me a vision 1 1/2 years ago about one of the biggest names in the Christian world and showed me what this person and many other leaders are doing to the body. I saw a HUGE "SUBTLE" written in the sky after this person's name came up. 


 I was sobbing like I've never sobbed before. It was breaking the heart of Jesus. I kept asking Jesus what was breaking his heart so badly and that's when this scripture came to mind..."How I wish I could gather you as a mother hen gathers her chicks but you would not listen." 


I knew that Scripture and cried even harder because I knew that Jesus wanted the church to turn from her deception and follow Him. That told me that Jesus is very much aware that many in His body are being lead astray. They are decieved and the only one who can open their eyes and get them to repent is Jesus. It's a mixture or a malgam of the truth and lies.


The sense that I got was that much of the church had been contaminated. Poisoned and didn't even know it. Doctrine of demons had entered, New Age/occult ideas and books had infiltrated the body (many are in the Christian bookstores) and famous pastors were leading thousands down the "Apostate Church " road. Not the true church of Jesus Christ. 


 They were leaving out the name of Jesus, the cross, repentance and the blood. It has become a "Social" gospel to many in the church. Just do "good things" and attach the name of God to it... Oh how I pray that people in the church will wake up!!


Well, that was my interpretation of this 20 minute sobbing session that I had with Jesus. Even though I felt like Jesus was extremely sad at how easily His leaders and sheep were lead astray...I still felt like He was going to do some shaking and gather back as many "chicks" as possible from the enemy's camp. 


He doesn't need a huge army... he just needs a few people that will do what he tells them to do and HE will make the needed changes. Not everyone has fallen into deception. That's the good news. 


Just like Elijah thought he was the only one left and God showed him that there were 7,000 other people that didn't bow their knee to Baal.


That's the situation with the church today. 


Praise God!!

Letters from an Overseas Brother-in-Christ

We post here 2 e-mails we received from Bro Michael who is from overseas.


to : calvarytoday@gmail.com
date : Nov 23, 2009 7:30 AM
subject : Scandals at Calvary Church

SCANDALS AT CALVARY CHURCH.................
It is time to stand up and say enough is enough…..

I have read with interest the article in the Star and the various comments on the Calvary saga. There seems to be many people outside and inside of Calvary church posting comments in the web. Some of the comments are highly emotional while others very factual. Some not directly commenting on the saga but revealing other things that have been very unpleasant that was kept out of public scrutiny. It looks like all these things have been happening for many years dating back to 2004.

There is definitely some element of truth is what has been highlighted both in the news paper or else the person so central to the issue would have filed for defamation . It is indeed an eye opener for all of us to see the amount of abuses that has been committed behind closed door and under the disguise of church authority. The question I want to raise is this; Why is it that only one Director from the Board of directors (BOD) was willing to address these problems, while in fact all directors have fiduciary duties to ensure that all things are done according to accepted commercial standards of practice which would entail ethical stands and good governance on the part of those in position of authority. What about the Deacons who’s first loyalty is towards God but is incapable of exercising sound bible reproach to any members or leaders of the church who has committed fraud ,abuse of power and practice of cronyism and nepotism .

The one example is the transfer of 1.8millon funds to CIM without proper authorization. Who has been given the delegation of authority to allow this to happen. If it is the senior pastor ,did the BOD give him a delegation of authority to effect this . If not , he has over stepped his authority and is liable . Did he benefit from such transfer even though restitution has been made. How long was the money kept in this CIM account . Was the funds used during the time it was in CIM and that restitution was possible only due to new additional funds being transferred to the CIM account. What other funds have gone into this account? Was there overseas funds solicited for this CIM?

There are so many other instances such as creation of positions for family members ,& high salaries for selected related parties which is nothing but abuse of powers for the benefit of a few. With all this happening why is that the present BOD still condone such practices .Does the BOD also benefit from the agreement with the Senior pastor’s action by getting bigger and better benefits for themselves in the church ..a scratch your back and you scratch mine mentality.
Has the church members ever asked who the title holders of all the properties the church own are in? The so called trustees ..can they be actually trusted? Who acts as an ombudsmen for the members of the church? As the present BOD are under suspect would it not be prudent to have a reputable External auditors to investigate, report and come up with recommendations to safe guard the church from such shameful and deceitful plundering of church funds.

With the position that the senior pastor holds in the church, has it ever occurred to the church that he may have committed sexual abuse as well to those female members that come to him for counseling. The victims may not even want to come forward now to say their piece for fear of shame and dignity lost and would want to move forward with life and take what has happened as a painful experience. But with this blog by Calvary Today this is an avenue to seek some form of release from the hurts, pains and betrayal.

Why is it that in all church matters ,those in position of power are always allowed to get away with whatever wrong just to keep things within the family. I am sure the senior pastor wants to keep within the family as he is just using the mentality and mindset of the church mentality to hide all his wrong doing amounting to criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, unethical practice and lack of good governance. Are Calvary church members so naïve to be fooled and hoodwinked by this person .You make yourself a laughing stock not to the general public but to the senior pastor himself as he looks at you as nothing but some adult with a child’s mind so innocent to not see the evil intentions of his actions…..A pawn in his game of high financial chess .

Stand up Calvary Christians if you so dare to call yourself Christians and do not let such vulgarities happen to your church that is from God that has been vandalized and prostituted to such a horrible level. Have courage and the common sense to remove and purge your church of such leaders.

To the senior pastor and the BOD…resign and make restitution with your God and the church but also be prepared to face the laws of the land for you are no different from the everyday people.. .No one is above the law .

Let this be a lesson for all churches and their leaders that you are not above the law and you need to have ethics and good governance in the way you run the church of God. In fact your standards should be God’s standards which is in the bible but because you are weak and are tempted, the corporate world has come up with a lesser standard like good ethics and good governance that is punishable by laws of the land should you falter from it. So don’t hide behind the veil of keeping within the family as it is all an excuse to cover your evil deeds.

Michael M Oldham

*********************************


to : calvarytoday@gmail.com
date : Nov 24, 2009 10:25 AM

Dear Sir,

I am from overseas and only read the article at your Calvary Today blog and was very disappointed to see these things happening to the Church of God and that it took caring Christians such a long time to address this issue and bring it out in the open.

I like to give you an analogy....Can you imagine in a home where the father abuses the child with the wife and the other children just watching.Relatives suspect but do nothing but just say he will change.Caring neighbours just suspect and say it is not our business.Don;'t you think that he should be reported to third party authorities who can have the full extent of the law on him.

Calvary church is just like that.Deacons and caring Christians pray and try and speak with the senior pastor but to no avail for years.Deacons and BOD are afraid of him for reason which I cannot comprehend.He is only a human being nothing more.

To keep this within the confines of the church with the excessive abuse of his authority,misappropriate of God's money,the contineous sins committed in the house of God,to allow him to preach the Word which is definitely NOT from God,to allow people from outside to visit your church knowing that he is preaching not God's word but who knows what is mind totally boggling and shows a lack of COMMON sense.

Every calvary member who has witness this episode for so long is guilty of sin of not caring enough of your church members, But praise God that there are those that have left the church as they sensed the falseness of Calvary church.

These members and all who know of the happenings at Calvary church must ask God also for forgiveness for not bringing this out in the in the open sooner. That is the problem with christians and the mind set of keeping problems within the house of God.Like I have said keeping this within the confines of the church is the best tactic for a sinful person to continue to do as he pleases just like an abusive father in a home.

Please do not allow him and those that are with him to continue to violate the sanctity of Calvary church.Do what you must do with all legal means which include reporting to the authorities.The house of God must be purged of such despicable things .

God Bless. God will bring a new beginning to those that love his church.

Michael M Oldham

Axed for attending TTG meeting

This was an e-mail "carbon copied" to CT earlier in the year by a Calvarite. We have no idea if this person still attends Calvary Church. The reason we publish this mail now, for all to read is because we feel very sad and sorry that this person was discriminated by the Church leadership because this person came out for one of our earlier "Teh-Tarik" meetings. This is evidence of members being deprived of their service unto God in church, just because they showed an interest to the TTG cause. This person was not a known TTG member at all. It is our sincere hope and prayer that this person is still faithfully serving God.

This was a reply to an e-mail this writer wrote to Calvary Kini, an anonymous blog which many believe was started by the church leadership to counter-attack Calvary Today.



From:
Date: Jun 1, 2009 11:03 PM
Subject: Re: The Question On Everyone's Minds

To: Calvary Kini
Cc: calvarytoday@gmail.com

To whoever sent this email to me:

I wish to be silent on this but because you have sent me this email I would like to share what I feel about all these:


1. I am glad that only God and the persons involved know who is telling the TRUTH and who is lying. God is the judge. I always believe that the Truth will finally prevail.

Proverbs 21:12 says... The righeous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.

2. Psalms 1 advises us to ....not to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers or scornful,....the ungodly are not so but are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in judgment nor sinners in the congregation of the unrighteous, for the Lord knows the way of the righteousbut the way of the ungodly shall perish.

3. In James 1: 14-15, we were reminded that: but each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.

4. In Philippians 2:12, Paul warns us ....to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.....

In Revelation 3: 16 ...so then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth....

In John 8:12,31 : Jesus is speaking:..."I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life......If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed."

5. John 15:8..."by this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

Matthew 3:8,10 .... therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance......every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire......

Matthew 18:9...and if your eyes causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having 2 eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

Finally, what am I trying to say? Well, check how we walk ourselves. Never listen to others. Love God and love people. Don't judge and let God defend the righteous in His own time. Jesus died on the cross righteous. He was not guity although he was accused. Truth will reveal itself.


I was removed from CW because I went to listen to a talk by TTG group to be a busybody..... to know what is happening..... just like what you are all doing explaining to the members...... Is this sin? Do I not have my liberty to go where i want. It is to God that I am accountable to..... I am a Christian because I admit I am a sinner and I cannot saved myself and that my Lord Jesus is my Saviour. Praise God that I am saved from hell. I want to go to heaven and it is God who decides who should be in Heaven and who should go to hell.

God asks me to serve in Cw and I obeyed. What wrong or sin have I commited that I am removed..... ? God knows what is happening and that is sufficient. God knows who loves Him. I will let God be the judge.



Note : CW is Carpenter's Workshop, the children's ministry in CC.

An ex-Calvarite comments on CCC

to : calvarytoday@gmail.com
date : Oct 9, 2009 8:09 AM

subject : Calvary Convention Centre

Greetings to you all.

I am __________, a former calvarite who had left calvary church some 7 yrs ago, but have been keeping watch on whats happening in Calvary through their website. I have today just discovered your website and I stand by what you have written.

I knew that problems will surely arise from this CCC project, a project that SP said is from a call of God, but never elaborate on how he got this call. The project looked more like a 5 star recreational centre complete with multi facilities, then a true worship centre. I am especialy irked how these so called 'pastors' who called themselves 'servants of God' can compromised and support someone who belongs to an anti christ organisation, the freemasonary to create a design which had a satanic logo on it. Just amazing and unbelievable. No way this project is a vision from God.

Brothers & sisters, you all are facing a very, very difficult task ahead of you, an almost impossible mission I would say. Chances are that you will never win against them. As I see it, the real problem is not with the CCC. The root of all thats happening in Calvary goes far beyond the CCC and all these controversies. But I will rather not say what it is as it might not go well with some of you. It took me 6 to 7 yrs to come to this realisation that caused me to leave Calvary church. Should any of you would like to discuss, you may contact me.

All these controversies and the unchristian- like behaviour of these pastors and others does'nt surprise me a bit. I knew its already there waiting to be erupted now and then. I am no more a calvarite, but you all are, and would have many, many question to ask ahead of you. Why not start with asking yourself, "Is it the true spirit of God that is operating in Calvary, or some false spirit?

Best wishes to you all and God bless.


J T

A Letter from a Calvarite

We thank this writer for this thought provoking letter although we must say it is a very vocal expression of a person's inner feelings. The writer has written with unminced words that may be hard for some readers to digest. While we appreciate the contents in this letter, we must put in record that the administrators of CT/BC do not necessarily subscribe to all that the writer has written and therefore in no way in full agreement with the views presented.

to : calvarytoday@gmail.com
date : Nov 18, 2009 6:30 AM

subject : Two cents worth but tonnes of freedom

Dear Editor / Administrator of the Blog calvarytoday

(This is a very long comment, feel free to share it with whomever)

I am fellow believer and sometimes I wonder what's wrong with the "church" today, not just Calvary DH. I used to fellowship in AOG churches but no more and also Calvary DH when I was 18 years old when I was staying with my uncle and sister in DU after Form 6 working part time in PJ. I used to see Calvary tithe envelopes in the house.

Over the past few years, I have been led to many good bible teaching websites overseas presented by earnest and honest folks that finally confirmed all that the Lord has put in my heart. All it takes is some googling and the Lord will confirm it through people he has raised up in all corners of the world for such a time like this – a time when the sheep is separated from the goat, and the chaff is blown away so the refiner's fire can purify us that we can be counted worthy as priests in the order of Christ when he appears.

"/For He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's soap. And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them like gold and like silver, that they may be presenters of a grain offering in righteousness to Jehovah. Then the grain offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in former years./" (Mal 2:17)

It takes a clear mind, a neutral disposition, a neutral ground and and an environment that is FREE from intimidation (such as public web blogs and forums), to compare, dissect, discern and find truth. And the internet is the best place for it because everyone's thoughts, ideas and belief can be voiced without filtering or prejudices unlike in traditional church environment where no one is allowed to hold the microphone, even though Paul went into churches and debated with people there to WIN them over and not just take the gospel, preach it over loudspeakers and shove it down their throats. What we see today is ABSOLUTE totalitarianism in full motion in most churches where there is no debate, do discussions and “truths” is just prescribed directly to the sheep like mass vaccination!

In my personal experience and deliverance from the clutches of Babylon, truth is a process of delayering wrong foundations, primarily in the form of teachings that have been laid over time by people whom we have always looked up to as mentors such as SP's and P's and the shaky foundation is built up because of one's lack of own discipline to pursue truths, gullibility, need for love and affirmation and peer pressure to conform. It's like finding a needle in the haystack, but it is really worth the time and effort put in because it completely liberates and separates RELIGION which is POISON from TRUTH which is LIFE GIVING.

I truly commend the search for truth, transparency and accountability within the family of God on an individual or collective basis. If non-believers can do it, what more the church which want to be called the pillar of society. No one is really indispensible anymore in this day of truth and enlightenment whatever the title. As a matter of fact, we will ALL be held accountable in the end.

*_Here are some interesting findings:_*

1. The tithes is illegal for NT living! And not 10% of a person's gross salary. Not all in OT tithed. Tithes are farm products! And tithes are also "eaten"! But today - tithe is 10% of gross salary! (CT/BC do not subscribe to this view)
2. Pastors have taken over the five fold ministry completely. Some are also promoting themselves to Apostlehood with no shame at all.
3. People speak in false tongues a lot nowadays like She ka raba raba raba...he robo yan de, shi di di la ba ra ba ku .... ! And the service still goes on despite profane fires with no discernment at all and Paul's instruction that no tongues is allowed unless there is interpretation
4. We are baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit even though, there is only one verse with all three mentioned in one sentence in the entire bible and everywhere else when the disciples baptised people in the NT, it was ALWAYS in the name of Jesus only! Studying the historical development of water baptism dating back to the Nicean Creed AD 325, and earlier, will debunk this Trinitarian formula which was a politically-motivated man-made ecumenical mandate alongside the spurious commission in Matthew 28:19 which can be traced to Eusebius’ true and original translation of the verse – with no such commission to baptise in the name of the “Trinity”! (CT/BC do not subscribe to this view)
4. "Disobedience to Pastor is asking to your funeral" - quoted from a SP from a very large church in Malaysia
5. SP seems to be on lifetime payroll! While the sheep retire and have to make ends meet themselves. Most also don’t work nor hold full time secular jobs like Paul the Apostle who sew tents so that he wont BURDEN the sheep!!
6. The giving and offerings are always one-way traffic!
7. The increasing need to play golf, upgrade cars, buy insurance and property! What happened to "Do not love the world...? Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Jireh etc?
8. There is a lot of nepotism to maintain the OT style of priesthood lineage to keep it all in the family and elevating family members even if they are not CALLED, CHOSEN AND ANOINTED
9. The minority who pursues truth is always excommunicated
10. The sheep will always be a sheep for life. And emphasis is always on separating the "CLERGY" from the "LAIETY" when disagreement occurs. Aren't we all Priests in the kingdom of God with Jesus as the only High Priest?
11. The sheep do not think for himself/herself anymore.
12. SP always want to keep the sheep as sheep. We never seem to "graduate" even though Jesus did taught his disciples for only 3 years, but we who have the born of the Spirit of God are always subjected to SP and SP always want to reign, reign and rule the sheep for the rest of his lifetime, listen to a crummy sermon on Sunday, attend Bible Study and Prayer meetings for life!
13. The modern church has made merchandise of the gospel - charging for bible study materials, charging for entrance to seminars with foreign speakers, selling and buying, promoting books, tapes, recordings, videos etc - all that Jesus threw out of the temple when He was on earth we are doing now without batting an eyelid or questioning their validity in the name of submission
14. Christians also make the worse friends - once u leave a congregation, they stopped "fellowshipping" with you!! Even heathens don’t do that!
15. I also noticed a very high prevalence in these super churches that practice quoting and selective-use scriptures out of context to promote their agenda

There is more than what’s listed above, and it will take a long time to undo the damage. But thanks to so much illumination from all over the world, there are people that we God has used to bring to light all these falsehoods and we can access them so easily today.

But the faster a person wises up and finds the truth, the better for his finances, his social and mental health and spiritual growth which will shoot off the charts with no hindrance! And sometimes it takes a crisis like this to wake people up.

At the end of the day, Jesus who represented "truths" was hated all the way to Calvary by the Pharisees and Sadducces (the church then). It's not an irony that people who pursue "truths" will be hated, ostracised, outlawed, and excommunicated by the majority just as much. Like the Gospel, the truth is ALMOST ALWAYS with the minority. And the gospel was preached from a minority to the majority. History has proven it over and over again.

*_In conclusion:_*

1.The church has really become an abomination as we head towards the last days. Read Revelations and that’s the conditions of the MAJORITY of the churches and that will is really the description of the "church" of today by the Alpha and Omega; and WHO truly seats on the throne of the modern church today (Rev 2:13)
2. We are told to "Come out of her...my people" in Revelations 18:4,5, yet how many people really dare and do COME OUT OF HER?
3. The church is not a building or a large multi-purpose convention centre- it’s just "people/believers". God is in us, not buildings! But humans have organised themselves to be led by people, structures and hierarchies even though the veil has long been torn and removed! And building on another's man vision normally disguised as from the Lord! The minimum requirement is just for 2 persons to gather anywhere, anytime and God is there to meet them/us! Even Christ had only 12 disciples, why do we need MEGA CONGREGATIONS! (CT/BC views that there is a need for people to gather for corporate worship. It is encouraged in the Bible)
4. Real sheep hears His voice and not just SP's voice and knows how to discern
5. Love will win the day no matter how oppressed the minority.
6. If people still want to remain with a false leader, their blood, guilt and remorse is in their own hands. Call it folly and stupidity, but these people are not really believers. Jesus is the head of everyone, not SP or any man.
7. Join a church where the SP holds a fulltime job (CT/BC believes there is a need for full-time pastors and church workers) and all KINGDOM expenses are based on charity and emanate from LOVE and not OBLIGATION and true giving is inspired by the Holy Spirit and NOT shouted from the pulpit via the sacred microphone. Keep an eye on TITHES or BUILDING FUNDS, PERSONAL CLUB MEMBERSHIPS, MILLION DOLLAR INSURANCE POLICIES, FANCY CARS and find a congregation where both Shepherd and Sheep SUBMIT to ONE ANOTHER and not just one way traffic as prescribed in Eph 5:21

I really hope more people will rise up and take their authority and freedom in Christ and not be shackled again by religion of man because our freedom was really purchased with a heavy price.

The Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is LIBERTY… 2 Cor 3:17 (NOT OPPRESSION, BRICKBATS, ACCUSATIONS, PRIDE, PREJUDICE, SUPERIORTIY. SUBJUGATION etc) And of course the freedom to live and express Christ in our lives with both believers and non-believers and become ALL that we are intended to be in HIM, for HIM and for HIS glory not men’s.

God bless let the healing begin! The truth is really out there for those who truly wants to find them.

R D
18 Nov 2009

Letter from a former Regular Worshipper

to : calvarytoday@gmail.com
date : Nov 18, 2009 10:53 PM

subject : Thanks for your continuous noble quest

Calvary Today,

I used to be a regular attendee of Calvary Church Damansara Heights until recently. Throughout my one and half year or so association with Calvary Church, I sensed something is very wrong with the leadership of the SP and his wife. Of course, I feel blessed that Calvary Church still have great pastors such as Steven Kum, Richard Yun and David Seah but the same cannot be said of SP and wife.

For that reason alone and reckoning that I am probably the lone voice in the wilderness, I have decided to stay away from Calvary Church. Today news report in the STAR confirms what I have been suspecting all along and when I googled further and discovered “Calvary Today” blog, I can’t help but to rejoice knowing that my sentiment had all along been shared by at least a probably small righteous group amongst the CC congregation.

I just want to express my sincere thanks for your great works in standing up for the truth and pray that God will bless all of you abundantly.

Shalom
P____ L______

Letter from An AOG Pastor

to : calvarytoday@gmail.com
date : Nov 21, 2009 4:55 AM
subject : Crisis

Dear Sirs

I am an AOG ordained minister from __________ and deeply saddened by what has transpired. Let it be clear from the start that I take no sides except the side of truth. If even half of what is said about Pastor Prince is true in your postings, any authentic Christian believer would begin to question his salvation, let alone his ability and qualification to lead a congregation. It is sad that after 40 years or more of ministry, it has come to this. It is utterly shameful because the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, is being dragged into the mud, the Church is being scorned and becomes a laughing stock especially amongst unbelievers.

The passage in Matthew 13:24-30 comes to mind as I ponder the allegations. In this passage, it is impossible to detect with the human eye which is the wheat and which is the weed. Only at the harvest will they be separated. We take comfort and encouragement in that. Let me humbly say that I have seen a lot in my time - and it will come as no surprise to me if the SP is indeed 'guilty' as charged. We must never put any man on a pedestal regardless of how anointed, charismatic, gifted or successful he may be. Only God Himself is to be exalted and adored.

My reason for saying this is because human nature is flawed, even in the very best of us. If we know someone well enough, the chinks in his armour will show eventually. Every person, no matter how accomplished or polished, has his own weaknesses and character flaws. These 'flaws' may not be very obvious initially but when we see more of the individual, they will emerge. I know of someone who is highly respected as a Bible teacher, who is very disciplined with his spiritual disciplines. But when it comes to food, he lacks self-control. Another leader is very disciplined where food, diet and exercise are concerned. But his weakness is he has a short fuse - he gets angry easily. Yet another is a very caring, patient and gentle leader - to the point where he does not dare to confront any wrong or faults within the church. He lets things slide. No one is perfect but we can be consistent.

Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that we are all sinners saved by grace, we continue to be saved by grace, and we minister also by grace. If any Christian thinks he is better than the Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim or Atheist, he has another think coming. Christians are no better than any one else. In fact, from what I have seen in church, I think we are the worst of the lot. This is why God has to save us first (and I am not kidding here). Many leaders develop a sense of entitlement after having served in ministry for many years. They never say it verbally but their whole attitude shouts it out loud - I deserve special treatment. They forget that they are sinners saved by grace. They forget to be grateful and humble; they forget that serving God is a privilege.

Finally, I pray that justice and truth will prevail, that there will be a speedy closure to this ugly episode and that Calvary Church will emerge stronger as a result. This is not the end. Our God is still on the throne.

Blessings
Rev _________

JUDGING! by Dr Vijay

JUDGING!

I have read & heard enough nonsense about "Don't Judge!".

Judging is one of the most difficult subjects in the Bible to grasp, but it is also very important. Multitude of Christians, partly through ignorance and partly through disobedience, often contrary to scriptures do not judge when they should!

In human society, in various areas and various levels, God has appointed men as judges. Even in the history of Israel, judging and ruling were never divorced from each other. In the Old Testament, the sacred word for God, ELOHIM is actually applied to men who were judges. Why were they called ELOHIM (gods)? - because their function as judges was to take God's place and to judge His people. Their authority came from God AS LONG AS THEY WALKED RIGHT BEFORE GOD.

When God announced to Abraham His intention to judge Sodom, Abraham objected i.e., he questioned God's judgement! . He said " Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked;, far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

Abraham established an important principle in the beginning of the Bible: It is contrary to justice to treat the righteous as the wicked. Abraham as a son (note small 's') questioned God. The reason why Abraham was bold to do this was because he knows God intimately.

How much more, we who have the Spirit of God living in us - also sons of God and Royal Priests must act righteously and judge when there is injustice done against the innocent and society.

God judges in the temporal arena, and the eternal. In this life God will judge a person's actions, but always (except when the person has irrevocably rejected Him) holds out the chance for turning back and repenting. Only on the Last Day, at the great white throne judgment will God pronounce eternal judgment on a person, forever determining his or her destinies. From this judgment, there is no appeal or second chance.

We Christian, on the other hand, is never given the right or the responsibility of eternally judging anyone (unless they have clearly rejected Christ permanently). Christians cannot correctly weigh action, motives, opportunities, nor know all things about any individual: God alone is capable to do so.

However, Christians are to make decisions (appraisals, discernments, and even take corrective actions). But even judging in this aspect is intended to be remedial, and leaves the door open to the person for repentance and reconciliation. Any judging on the part of a Christian which does not, is a false aspect of Christian judgement clouded by sentimental love and not agape (righteous) love. We are called upon to ''judge righteous judgment'' (John 7:24) and failure to do so is to be negligent in a crucial aspect of our Christian calling.

We need to be Christians of conscious. As long as Christians maintain a pacifist attitude and continue to parrot "Let God be God", justice will never be served because we have failed to protect the innocent. In fact I dare say that those who hold on to such 'false truths' have DONE NOTHING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF JUSTICE. Even if they did they had not exploited the full potential of FAITH but played along the shore line and never ventured into the deeps that God's TRUTH may prevail. While they say 'FAITH' they forget "WORKS" never realising they are two sides of the same coin!

We all can learn from William Wilberforce. For two decades, William Wilberforce (1759-1833) led the struggle in the English Parliament to abolish slavery, and it was his principal concern as a Christian politician and a reformer. He rightly judge that slavery was wrong and did something about it.


JUDGING - REFERENCES

For those who wish to know more, please refer to the references below.

1. Accountability: The Way To Touch God's Anointed Often, criticism of certain Christian teachers is condemned by those who claim Christians should not ''touch God's anointed.'' Clete Hux, of Watchman Fellowship, uses scripture to show where this argument goes wrong.

2.Are "God's Annointed" Beyond Criticism? Do Christians who judge "touch the Lord's Anointed"? By Hank Hanegraaf, of the Christian Research Institute http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/crj0148a.txt

3.To Judge Or Not To Judge by Richard Fisher, of Personal Freedom Outreach http://www.pfo.org/notjudge.htm

4. Who are we to judge? by Lewis B. Smedes, professor emeritus of theology and ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Published in Christianity Today, Oct. 1, 2001 http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/october1/29.70.html

5. Should Christians Judge (Jewish perspective) http://ezinearticles.com/?Should-Christians-Judge?&id=105276&opt=print

6. Judging - When? Why? and How? Derek Prince.


Submitted By Vijayan

Spiritual Abuse from John Mark Ministries

Thanks to a sister-in-Christ who blogs as MessyChristian : http://messychristian.com/?cat=31
Who recommends that we, as "battered sheep" in the Kingdom of God, read this helpful article taken from John Mark Ministries : http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/2108.htm

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Every week, as a counselor, I come across victims of 'spiritual abuse.' The following is offered as a first-draft attempt to promote discussion on a very common problem...

'Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction' (Pascal). 'If the divine call does not make us better, it will make us very much worse. Of all bad men, religious bad men are the worst' (CSLewis, 'Reflections on the Psalms', NY: Harcourt Brace, 1958, pp. 31-32). 'The smarter you are, the better your reasons for doing the wrong things' (Grandma Sophie to her precocious grandson Allen, in an episode of the CBS TV show 'Brooklyn Bridge'). 'Hurt people hurt people' (old proverb).

'The greatest threat to the church today is not from without but from our own leadership within' (Philip Keller, p.12).

'Don't you ever be called Doctor, Reverend or Master, for you have but one Master and you are all brothers and sisters' (Ken Blue's paraphrase of Matthew 23:8; p. 80).

'Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock... savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock... Therefore be alert... And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up...' (Acts 20:28-32).
....

'In the motion picture 'Sleeping with the Enemy', Julia Roberts's character is married to a controlling, tyrannical, high-powered business executive. Like all conscientious Pharisees, he is obsessed with detailed performance. He demands that his wife hang the bathroom towels straight and that she perform perfectly in public. When she accidentally trespasses one of his rules (read "laws"), he verbally, emotionally and physically punishes her. His abusive power over her is virtually total and makes her life unbearable.

'She must break free of him. Divorcing him is out of the question; he is too possessive and powerful to allow that. One of them must die if her freedom is to be secured, so she fakes her own death. Successfully accomplishing this, she flees to another city hundreds of miles away and assumes a new identity. By her "death" she apparently delivers herself from a life of torment.' (Blue, 124).
.....

A woman who was having difficulties in her marriage (mostly due to unresolved childhood sexual abuse from her father) answered the 'phone. It was her pastor, wondering why she wasn't in church. She replied that she was having difficulty relating to crowds these days. His response: 'That's probably because you yourself don't go out of your way to be interested in people.'

This is a true story - and an example of fairly common spiritual and emotional abuse. The pastor did not attempt empathetically to 'resonate' with the woman's feelings, but rather scolded her. Of course, technically (and speaking as a 'church growth motivated church-builder) he may have been 'right'. But he displayed gross insensitivity. And, indeed, a lack of wisdom: if he had connected with the woman's pain and fear, he would certainly have won her back...
.....

*Spiritual Abuse* is sometimes difficult to define. But in general it happens when

# 'a leader with spiritual authority uses that authority to coerce, control or exploit a follower, thus causing spiritual wounds' (Blue, p.12)

# one or more persons in a relationship is damaged spiritually and such wounding or scarring affects their relationship with God so that they develop a distorted image of God and of themselves

# a person is disempowered rather than spiritually empowered - instead of the relationship being 'safe' it becomes 'unsafe'; the abused person becomes dependent on the abuser, who imparts subtle or not-so-subtle messages that 'you won't survive without this relationship'

# someone with authority blames the person for a problem rather than empathetically working towards healing; leveling judgment where support is needed; using their power to attack another to subtly gratify themselves

# a pastor or leader or authority figure regards themselves as having supreme authority *because* of their status ('I'm the pastor, that's why!'); their word is final, and not to be challenged; they regard others as 'too immature to handle truth on their own' (and like the scribes and pharisees often quote Scripture to bolster their views); to disobey the leader may even be tantamount to disobeying God; the leader/s are involved in many/most people's important decisions

# people go along with 'authority' whether or not one agrees with the authority, or whether the authority is right; people in the system must deny any thought or opinion contrary to the leaders'; the leaders overtly and covertly remind others regularly of their authority; 'obedience' and 'submission' are preached virtues

# the leader is plagued by unacknowledged doubts and/or feels inferior or insignificant, and compensates by gaining power over others. Or the abuser is narcissistic, and is obsessed with a desire to do something grandiose for God

# a church and its leaders become legalistic rather than affirming the Christian good news about grace; there is an adherence to formulas rather than freedom in Christ; peoples' lives are governed by rules and 'measures of commitment' (frequent attendance at meetings, tithing, etc.)
# young idealistic people want a 'charismatic' leader to follow, a community to join, or simple answers to complex questions

# shame is induced because a person feels they rarely 'measure up'

# a congregation is berated for low attendances, poor giving etc. - focusing away from a pastor's defective leadership style

# a person is not healed following prayer is blamed for having a defective faith: in these situations the person is 'revictimized' to excuse the leader (and perhaps that leader's lack of faith!)

# this- or next-worldly scare tactics are employed to keep people in line; or promises of this- or next-worldy health and wealth if the 'ministry' and its beliefs are supported

# a person's 'boundaries' are not respected

# there is not a free flow of communication within the group: the leader/s control vital knowledge

# leaders appeal for 'unity' to protect themselves from scrutiny/ appraisal

# attending meetings regularly is most important - even at the expense of family life

# people feel guilty for feeling critical of the abusing authority - they have been warned frequently about 'disloyalty' (Some abusing systems require members to sign 'loyalty statements'). Often they want to leave the abusing system but they feel trapped - and they will have a significant chance of being trapped in future abusive relationships, unless they get help.
.....

Notes:

# The key NT text for spiritual abusers is Hebrews 13:17: 'Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as those who must give an account'. Ken Blue comments: 'The NT word here for "obey" (peithomai) does not refer to the obedience that may be demanded by right or imposed by decree' (p.35).

# Ken Blue notes seven symptoms of abusive religion from Jesus' diatribes against the Pharisees in Matthew 23: '

1. Abusive leaders base their spiritual authority on their position or office rather than on their service to the group. Their style of leadership is authoritarian.

2. Leaders in abusive churches often say one thing but do another. Their words and deeds to not match.

3. They manipulate people by making them feel guilty for not measuring up spiritually. They lay heavy religious loads on people and make no effort to life those loads. You know that you are in an abusive church if the loads just keep getting heavier.

4. Abusive leaders are preoccupied with looking good. They labor to keep up appearance. They stifle any criticism that puts them in a bad light.

5. They seek honorific titles and special privileges that elevate them above the group. They promote a class system with themselves at the top.

6. Their communication is not straight. Their speech becomes expecially vague and confusing when they are defending themselves.

7. They major on minor issues to the neglect of the truly important ones. They are conscientious about religious details but neglect God's larger agendas.' (pp. 134-135).

# 'We must have the courage to follow Christ's example and overturn the system, be it a marriage or an organization, if that system is wrong. Silent submission in the face of violence, dishonesty and abuse will only enable that abuse to be passed on to generations' (Arterburn and Felton, p.72).

# Not all strong leaders are abusive; not all 'black-and-white' fundamentalists are abusive; perhaps (though I have my doubts) not all 'we alone are right / all the other churches are dead' groups are abusive; not all 'hell-fire' preachers are secret adulterers etc. (unlike the high-profile American televangelist who in the midst of a sermon series about Rahab the harlot was visiting one himself)

# 'Abusive spiritual leaders gain followers because they are, in one way or another, attractive. Their attractiveness may very well be their genuine commitment to the work of God and their sincere desire to train mature disciples... [Some of these leaders] are not deliberately abusive' (Blue, p.97).

# Watchman Nee has influenced many with his views about hierarchy, rank and subordination: 'Hence you recognize not only the head but also those whom God has set in his body to represent the head. If you are at odds with them, you will be at odds with God.' ('The Body of Christ', NY: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1978, pp. 20-21) '...Insubordination is rebellion and for this the one under authority must answer to God' ('Spiritual Authority', NY: Christian Fellowship Publishers, 1972, p.71).

# Often in spiritually abusive situations external 'worldly' behaviors are castigated (can you name some?), but not materialism, greed, lovelessness, injustice etc. And there is more 'sternness' than joy.

# Abusive leaders rarely say 'I'm sorry', 'I wonder how I could have done better...', 'I don't know', 'You were right', 'I need help'.

# Abusive leaders usually insist on special privileges, honours, titles, honorary degrees etc. to bolster their insecurity.

# Mark Twain once said, 'A cat that sits on a hot stove lid won't ever sit on a hot stove lid again. But it probably won't sit on a cold stove lid either.' Spiritually abused people find it difficult to trust authority-figures after their experience.

# 'So, Ken, what you are saying in a nutshell is that if we know for sure that we are really OK with God and other people because Jesus makes us OK, then no one can manipulate and control us ever again. And if the abuser realizes that he too is fully loved and accepted by God, he will never need to lord it over anyone ever again.' Radio host, summarizing a three-hour program on Spiritual Abuse with Ken Blue (p.120).
.....

I have been helped by some of the insights from Ken Blue, 'Healing Spiritual Abuse: How to Break Free from Bad Church Experiences', Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1993; Philip Keller, 'Predators in our Pulpits' Eugene Ore: Harvest House, 1988; David Johnson & Jeff VanVonderen, 'The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse: Recognizing and Escaping Spiritual Manipulation and False Spiritual Authority Within the Church', Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 1991; Ronald Enroth, 'Churches That Abuse', Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 1992; and Stephen Arterburn and Jack Felton, 'Toxic Faith', Nashville: Oliver-Nelson Publishers, 1991.


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