12/15/10

We spoke by phone today, and I sent off a letter to you.

Here is a paragraph from my letter to you of 10/31/10:

A pretty good Bible teacher is Norvel Hayes (also on the internet).  I remember hearing him say, "You've got to say every day, 'I will never die from cancer.' "

What I meant to say is that Norvel Hayes is a pretty good Bible Teacher.  Sorry about that.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a rather famous person.  He reminds me a little of Billy Falling, whom I knew at Faith Center Church in Glendale, CA.  

Billy Falling was a little older than me.  I remember going with him to hold street meetings in the Los Angeles area.  With Billy and some other young people.  He later became a Pastor of a church near San Diego.  Perhaps the city was Escondido.  But after a while, I guess he became concerned about our nation, and thought he could do more for the nation by starting a Christian voter's group.  So he quit his pastorate, as I understand.  

I think I saw Billy in a photograph with one of our U.S. Senators--probably a Christian Senator.  And Billy was trying to organize Christians to elect better people to our government.  I'm all for electing the best people to office, however I wonder if Billy Falling didn't miss the Lord's will.  There's a scripture that says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal..."
But it looks like Billy is trying to use carnal weapons with his Christian voters.  

It looks to me like a better way to make a better nation is just keep right on preaching salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, and have the signs following of Mark chapt. 16,  cast out devils from people, heal the sick, get people baptized with the Holy Ghost, and the Lord will help them vote wisely.  I think he might have done more for the nation to remain a pastor.

But if the Lord told Billy to do that, I'm glad he obeyed.  

Norvel Hayes said the Lord told him, "Now these are the most important words that ever came out of my mouth."  And he meant those words from Mark chapt. 16, "These signs shall follow those who believe, in my name they'll cast out devils, they'll lay hands on the sick and they'll recover, they'll speak with new tongues (or, languages)..."

Do they have those signs following at the church you go to, Brother Gary?  

I don't know whether we talked about this, but the Lord wants every Christian to be baptized with the Holy Ghost.  This is different from the baptism in water.  And how does one know whether he has been baptized with the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, or Comforter?  The evidence of the baptism with the Holy Ghost is the speaking in unknown tongues.  The person will speak in a language he never learned.  When he does, he won't understand what he's saying, but God understands all languages.  Have you been baptized in the Holy Ghost, Brother Gary?

The one who baptizes with the Holy Ghost is Jesus, says John the Baptist in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and in John.  If you don't yet pray in unknown tongues, ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

In Mark ch. 16 it also says, "The Lord worked with them, confirming the word with signs following."  (Mark 16:20)

Norvel Hayes said the Lord told him, "You don't have to go into a church and judge.  Just wait until the end of the service, and see whether I confirm the word with signs following." Mk16:20

Martin Luther King Jr. was apparently a pastor of a church.  But it seems his main emphasis was on the rights of black people.  So, he organized marches, and made "I have a dream" speaches.  I know that streets have been named for him in many American cities, which means he is recognized by men as an important person.  

But recognition by men does not necessarily mean that God thinks the person is great.  Judgment Day will come, and we'll see what the Lord says about it.  It has occurred to me that perhaps Rev. King might have done more for the black people by just preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, with the signs following of Mark ch. 16 than by crusading for negro rights.      

I mentioned, above, Faith Center Church in Glendale.  The Pastor was Ray Schoch when I was going there.  They decided to build a Christian TV station.  I was an Electronics Technician and became one of their TV Engineers, and helped them get on the air in the Los Angeles area.

After I finished my job with them and stopped going to that church they got a different pastor, Gene Scott.  He had been the son of a pastor of a church in Northern California.  But no one gets into heaven just because they are the son of a pastor.  Gene Scott went to Stanford Theological Seminary.  I've seen him quite a few times on TV.  I've seen him smoke cigars while he was preaching or teaching on TV, sitting in his chair.  

I'm certainly not going to say that smoking tobacco keeps someone out of heaven, but it does seem that he could have smoked off-camera, and not during the broadcast.  Scott would get into the meanings of Greek words, and no doubt he had studied Greek, but I don't think that what he had to say was very useful nor edifying, and I don't think he had the signs following of Mark 16, nor the rivers of living water of John chapt 7.  He had a reputation as a womanizer.  I think it's very likely he went to hell. 

President Barak Obama told a huge lie on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009.  In a speech on TV, Obama said, "Islam is one of the world's great religions."  No it's not.  Islam sends every one of its followers (the Muslims) to hell.  A great religion does not send its followers to hell.

I wonder how many converted to Islam because of his telling that lie.  If even one person goes to hell because of his lie, their blood is on Obama's hands.  And even if no one goes to hell because of it, the Bible says, "All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone." 

Colin Powell, former Secretary of State, said on TV that Obama is a Christian.  I believe Powell is quite mistaken.  

Another very unChristian thing Obama has done is Obamacare, the new health law, which requires every American to purchase health care, or pay a fine.  That is unconstitutional because it violates one's right to freedom of religion.  In the Christian religion, we are entitled, along with our salvation, to healing from God.  God's healing is free.  No cost.  Gratis.  So Obama has no right to force people to buy health insurance, or pay a fine. 

Obama sat under Jeremiah Wright, a pastor in Chicago, apparently, seems like I heard for twenty years.  I was at a Greyhound station and they had CNN on TV, and Jeremiah Wright spoke for perhaps 15 minutes.  But the poor man had nothing to say worth listening to, and those were not the "rivers of living water" spoken of in John chapt 7.

It could be that at one time, Jeremiah Wright was a good Christain and a good pastor.  But apparently he switched from preaching the Gospel to preaching other things.  It would not surprise me if Wright went to hell. 

My mother, as a young woman, went to Sunday School, at I think, a Presbyterian church.  One Sunday, her lady Sunday School teacher got rather evangelically agressive with my mother probably 90 years ago, and pressured her to become a Christian.

Later, when my mother got away from the Sunday School, the Lord spoke to my mother.  The Lord said, "Well, you weren't very enthusiastic about becoming a Christian, were you?"  My mother answered, "No, I wanted to have some fun."

She had older brothers and sisters, and they would go partying and night-clubbing, and she was looking forward to when she would be old enough to do so.  

Then the Lord said, "Do you want to be lost?"  My mother said, "No, I don't want to be lost."

And my mother was faithful to the Lord all her life, except that she made a very serious mistake in marrying an unbeliever.  She thought after they got married, he'd become a Christian, but he didn't.  "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers."

But my mother died, and I'm sure she went to heaven.  My Dad died, and unfortunately, I believe he went to hell.  The Lord would have shown me if Dad had gotten saved. 

I met a fellow traveller at the Denver Greyhound station.  We talked for probably an hour.  He was involved with a group with headquarters in Indiana, and said he'd received a miracle of healing.  He gave me the address, and I wrote to them.  In the list of literature available, it referred to their founder as "the twentieth century prophet."

It seemed like the same man that my pastor had spoken of who had written a book saying that Moussolini of Italy was the anti-Christ, but of course he was not.  The pastor had said this author later had said something like, "I'd give my right arm not to have written that book."

But Kenneth E. Hagin has said he walked in the office of a prophet (in the twentieth century), so I don't see why they have a right to call the other guy "the twentieth century prophet."  So I didn't order any of their literature. 

There was a Pastor Bob Tilden in Farmer's Branch, Texas, near Dallas.  When I lived in Grand Prairie, TX, I had a job working with a man who went to that church, and we went together one Sunday.  I don't remember that Sunday that Bob Tilden said anything unscriptual, but I've seen him say on TV, "I'm going to get you into faith (to the TV audience), make a pledge to this ministry, and the Lord will bless you."  And then on the same TV program they would have testimonies of people who pledged and gave and were blessed financially.  

Of course, Jesus did say, "Give, and it shall be given to you..." Luke 6:38.  But also, I believe that we as Christians should seek the Lord as to where he would have us give.  And just because a man is talking to us from TV doesn't necessarily mean that's a good place to send money to.  

Bob Tilden would tell his TV viewers, "The Bible says vow and pay..."   But the Bible also says it's better not to vow than to vow and not pay your vow.  It also teaches that some don't make vows.  I believe it's better for me not to make vows.  I'm going to try to do a good job for the Lord, but I expect to do that without making vows.  

Furthermore, when the Bible says, "Vow and pay...", it doesn't necessarily mean money.  Paying the vow simply means keeping your promise to God.  A promise that may or may not be a financial promise, but Tilden tried to make a scripture that was not necessarily talking about money seem to be talking about money.  I believe that was displeasing to the Lord.  

The building that was used for Bob Tilden's church is now used for something else.

We'll see what the Lord says about Bob Tilden on Judgment Day.

Another Televangelist is Benny Hinn.  I heard him speak in his early ministry at Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship International.  My friend Ken said Hinn is the only one he gets anything from (in the way of useful teaching).  But my friend Ken was not very good at studying the Bible for himself.  I'm glad Ken could get something out of Benny Hinn.  

I mostly haven't been going to church, myself.  I've asked the Lord many times about what church to go to.  But I'm a little picky.  I want the signs following of Mark ch. 16 at the church I go to.  And the Lord hasn't shown me a church.  Is that because the Lord doesn't love me, and doesn't care about me?  No, I think it's because there is a great shortage of churches that are proper churches.  

But the Lord will use me to raise up a good church.  The Lord has told me my seed would be as the sand of the sea.  When God said that to Abraham, he meant biological descendants.  But to me, I believe he means spiritual children.  I'll win many souls.  

And as my church that I'm pastor of grows, we'll send out people to start other churches in other cities, and probably in other nations.

Benny Hinn has been associated with Trinity Broadcasting Network in Orange County, CA., and with Paul Schoch.  As a TV Engineer, I came close to getting a job with them, and I believe the guy who interviewed me there liked me.  Guess it wasn't the Lord's will.  O.K., Lord.  Praise your name.    

I suppose that TBN is doing some people some good.  But they have a lot of preachers on TV there who are not full-gospel, not pentecostal, no signs following of Mk.ch.16.  

I've heard Benny Hinn has a mansion worth $14 million.  Now if he needs that to help him reach the world for Jesus, fine.  But seems like he could reach the world for Jesus with a less expensive house, and a $14 million house seems extravigant.

The Bible says we should "provide things honest in the sight of all men."  So, it's not just whether something is right, but it's also whether the thing LOOKS RIGHT.  If Benny Hinn creates the impression that he's mainly in it for the money, he could be driving people away from Jesus. 

When I visited Bob Tilden's church in Farmer's Branch, he was not talking like he did on his TV program.  He wasn't telling the congregation to plant a seed in his ministry and expect to be flourish financially.  A preacher can seem different whether you're mainly acquainted with his TV ministry, or whether you're mainly acquainted with his activities as pastor of a church. 

The Lord spoke to me one time in Houston.  I'd been going to a church I thought was probably the best church in Houston, but then I saw some things go wrong at that church.  I had a question in my heart.  I didn't even speak it out loud.  The Lord answered my question with seven words.  

My question for the Lord was, "Why would you let that happen?"

The seven words he spoke were: "Let both grow together until the harvest."

That, of course is from the parable of the Tares and Wheat.  The servants planted good seed, but an enemy planted tares, a kind of weed.  

The Lord didn't go smash the bad people at that church because some innocent people would also have gotten hurt.  

The fact that a certain ministry exists and even continues for years doesn't mean it has God's approval.  He's just letting both grow together until the harvest.  

I first came across Mike Murdock on TV.  He didn't leave me with a good impression of him.  But if I had first met him in the church he pastors, I might have had a different impression.  I understand he has a mansion outside Denton, TX, and a Jaguar, and a Mercedes.  

Maybe he has studied the Bible for 40 years.  I've studied the Bible for 60 years.  The Jehovah's Witnesses studied the Bible some, and then invented a false religion with a counterfeit Bible called the New World Translation.  

I was raised in an Assembly of God church.  But later on, when I found out that Christians are supposed to be casting out demons (Mk. ch. 16, Luke 10:19), I realized that I had never seen a demon cast out at any Assembly of God church, and still haven't.  So then, do I owe loyalty to the Assemblies of God because I grew up attending one?  No.  If the Assemblies of God were what they ought to be, then yes, I could show some loyalty to them.  But when they don't have the signs following of Mk 16, then they're on their own, and the Lord will make of me a great nation.

I don't quite see why Mike Murdock needs a mansion and a Jaguar and a Mercedes, and although he may have helped some people with their walk with the Lord, I really don't think Mike Murdock is perfect with the Lord himself.

If you go to google.com and search for Mike Murdock, you find his website, and also another website: "Mike Murdock: False Prophet"  Mr. Stewart says Mike Murdock said the Lord wants to make 300 millionaires through his ministry, so if you want to be one of them, give his ministry $1,000.  I don't think the Lord told Mike Murdock to do that.  

Stewart says Murdock doesn't have the authority to say such things.  I agree with that statment from Stewart.  It looks very much as though Mike Murdock has turned aside after "filthy lucre," and I expect Mike Murdock to wind up in hell, along with Gene Scott, Mary Baker Eddy, and with every false prophet and false man of God.

I believe you're making a serious mistake, Brother Gary, if you continue to be a part of Mike Murdock's church.  In the book of Revelation Jesus said, "Come out of her, my people."  I believe Murdock's church is a place the Lord wants his people to come out of. 

The Lord bless you.     

Brother Fred