Letters are a lively and rewarding aspect of our work.
We are thankful for all expressions of support -- there have been many -- and for the donations.
To conserve space we have refrained from publishing all of the appreciative remarks. This in NO way diminishs our gratitude. Please keep those LETTERS coming...
Correspondence:
Dear CWM
Thank you so much for so faithfully contending earnestly for the faith. I have been given a back copy of your magazine. God has awakened me to what is happening in our society and churches today. I want to stand with you in these last days. I need to receive regular updates and will request to receive your magazine. You may use my comments as an encouragement to yourself and other believers. I find Christians do not have a clue about the kind of problems there are in churches. I have about three Christian friends that I can discuss these issues with and who are of “like mind”. I think I have already subscribed on line to the CWM resources available. May God richly bless you all in the precious name of Jesus.
CH — East Anglia, UK
Hi Brother Philip,
My wife and I attended CAM Conference at Whitby and wish to thank you all for a wonderful time of fellowship prayer and solid Bible teaching. Roger Winter-Smith invited us and we really appreciate the hard work of the staff, the accommodation and excellent meals. We met friends from Stroud Green Assembly of God and from Calvary Chapel York and new friends. I am a member of Intercessors for Britain and it was good to hear you and Jacob mention IFB. It is so true that the church needs purifying before we fight the evils of the world. God Bless,
S & J — UK
SEEKER SENSITIVE RELIGION:
Editorial Comment: The following letters and comments are published as a sequel to:
* The jointly worded challenge issued by CWM and MORIEL to Nicky Gumbel
* Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Church philosophy.
In pursuing these matters we invite your comments and suggest that you join with CWM and also write to Nicky Gumbel and to Rick Warren regarding the issues:
1. NICKY GUMBEL:
Try Alpha Office
From Philip Powell (PLP) to Nicky Gumbel (NG) (12/08/04)
I am attaching in PDF format a copy of our latest quarterly magazine entitled “Contending EARNESTLY for THE Faith” (CETF). .... On pages 19 and 20 we have detailed the fact that Jacob J Prasch challenged you to a debate about the effectiveness and biblical soundness of your Alpha course. We have published verbatim the letter that he wrote to you and the date and time when it was delivered to you by hand. We have also reported that you and your colleagues have indicated your intention to ignore this challenge to debate and your failure to even grant the courtesy of a reply.
Mr Prasch was recently speaking at our Fellowship in Brisbane, Queensland as part of his Australasian and Asian ministry tour. He displayed a copy of a photograph of you shaking the hand of the Roman Pontiff during your recent visit to Rome and another of a Hindu woman “anointing” the pope in an obvious act of witchcraft.
We find all of this most distressing and disappointing in the light of your tacit claims to be engaged in evangelism through Alpha. Do you not believe that salvation is ONLY through Christ? The pope and the Roman Catholic Church do NOT believe or teach that. The Hindu priestess who is seen anointing the pope does not believe that. Mr Gumbel — do you believe the Bible at all?
I shall be in UK, God willing, in October and would be delighted to meet with you seeing you have refused to meet Mr Prasch. Would you be open to such a meeting? Maybe you and Mr Sandy Miller would agree to meet on a private basis with Mr Prasch and myself. Although my speaking schedule is very full during the month that I shall be in UK I do think we could find an opportunity to meet with you. Please let me know if you are open to this.
In the meanwhile I welcome your comments on what we plan to publish about your refusal to accept Jacob Prasch’s challenge to debate and your most discourteous failure to even acknowledge the letter, which was delivered to you by hand as per the information that we propose to publish.
From the Alpha Office to Philip Powell (03/09/04):
Thank you very much indeed for your letter and email to Nicky Gumbel (NG). I am sorry for the delay in replying to you, however, both Nicky and Sandy Millar are currently away from the office. I will ensure they see copies of your correspondence on their return. Thank you again for writing. With best wishes, Yours, Rob McDonald, Assistant to Nicky Gumbel, Alpha International, Holy Trinity Brompton, Brompton Road, London, SW7 1JA — Direct Line: +44 (0) 20 7052 0264; Fax: +44 (0) 20 7589 3390.
Editorial Comment: There has been to date (Dec 2004) no further communication from Alpha, despite two further approaches by PLP so no meeting with NG occurred during PLP’s visit to UK.
2. RICK WARREN:
Try — info@ purposedrivenlife.com
Brother Philip,
Some comments on Ross Clark’s letter (CETF 30, p. 18) —
• FUNDAMENTALISM A STUMBLING BLOCK. This is exactly what Jesus Christ is to many people (Rom 9:31ff, 1Cor 1:23 1 Pet 2:7f).
• PEOPLE LISTEN TO MODERN “CHRISTIANS” — NOT TO FUNDAMENTALISTS. The Bible warns us about people pleasers (2 Tim 4:3). We should please God, not people. The Bible states that the road to heaven is narrow, difficult and FEW are on it (Mt 7:13f, Lk 13:23f; Mt 22:14).
• FUNDAMENTALISM DOES NOT APPEAL TO THE MODERN WORLD. This is a fallacy. The fastest growing religions in the West are fundamentalist Buddhism and Islam.
• THE GENESIS OF AMERICAN FUNDAMENTALISM IS IN THE AMERICAN BAPTIST SOUTH. No; it was the Reformed/Presbyterians in the US North that produced the 12 volumes — The Fundamentals of the Christian Faith.
• MODERN CHURCHES ATTRACT LARGE NUMBERS. Research shows that many modern churches have much fiow through and find it hard to keep people for long periods. This shows that people do not find what they have expected or been promised.
• FUNDAMENTALISTS HAVE FEWER CONVERSIONS THAN MODERN CHURCHES. What have quantity and quality in common? Fundamentalists have on the whole higher standards for membership, so it is hard to compare. The Bible shows that repentance, the recognition and confession of one’s sin and the turning away from it, NOT merely making a decision, are requisites for becoming a Christian (Acts 2:38). This selfexposure, so important in fundamentalist circles, is not liked by a lot of worldly “Christians” and is the stumbling block
• MODERN CHURCHES ACCEPT MANY WAYS OF THE WORLD TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE. Why should Christians accept these ways and views of the world? Has the world been improved by them? Sometimes things look like they have improved until one looks at the facts.
Harry Kloppenburg Perth, Australia
The CWM (http://www.christian-witness.org) website is quite amazing. I read the 19 page document on the Purpose Driven Life (PDL) this week (http://www.christian-witness.org/past_mailers/may04mm.html) Sadly our Baptist church was swept along with the current flow and did the PDL course last year with no significant results. One lady came to Christ through coming to a house group looking at the book, but perhaps she would have anyhow. My husband and a couple of others tended to be thorns in the leadership side by questioning why we couldn’t have simple well conducted Bible study when the last thing we want to do is recreate Saddleback in Bridgend. One of the elders was upset with me because I sent him a link on PDL that led him to Jacob’s Moriel website. He told me he was going to send me a rebuke to this from the Evangelical Alliance website. I never received it but can guess what it said! In Christ Jesus,
BM — Bridgend S. Wales
Wellknown Christian author and pastor, John MacArthur Jnr, says many Evangelical preachers are presenting a “reinvented designer pop gospel” to make Christianity appear culturally relevant. “I think it encompasses a weak view of the honour and the power of God and Christ. ... In other words, I think you’re basically usurping the Lordship of Christ over His Church — you’re saying, ‘I’m going to stand here and give a message that I think is better than the one that Christ gave.’ Such an attitude”, he says, “is a frightening thing to think about” (AgapePress, as reported by Crosswalk.) For more from John MacArthur go to http://www.agapepress. org/apsearch.asp?ap=MacArthur+&b=Go
INIQUITY UPON INIQUITY
None calls for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity — Isaiah 59: 4.
It was just after we launched CETF. I was walking by the Waikato River near our home in Hamilton, NZ, the city where a platform announcement about the moral failures of a prominent Church leader in my former denomination had just been made. The words of Ezekiel the prophet came forcibly to mind:
Son of man, do you see what they do? Even the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, that I should go far away from my sanctuary? But turn yet again, and you will see greater abominations — Ezekiel 8:6.
What was announced from that Church platform back in the 90s, as things have turned out, was only the tip of the iceberg. Two former General Superintendents, one of them the man in question, were banned in early 2000 from ever preaching on any AoGNZ platform. One was also totally banned in AoGOZ. In the one case there was substantial evidence of paedophilia and there are disturbing questions in the other case. One victim, known to us, secured a secret settlement with AoGNZ for his being allegedly abused as a juvenile. We do not know if money changed hands, but are of the strong opinion that the AoG constituency on both sides of the Tasman are owed an explanation and should be asking questions of their respective hierarchies. This is now of public concern beyond the AoG constituency.
We are barely into the fifth year of the millennium and already numerous other prominent Church leaders have been exposed for gross sins. But the sad thing is that God’s people, even leaders, are becoming increasingly blasé about it. Roberts Liardon, who wrote a book about God’s Generals was banished from his platform for only three months after admitting homosexual acts with his youth pastor.
— PLP
On September 13 (2004) Christianity Today ran a story headed “Former TBN Employee Alleges Gay Tryst With Paul Crouch, TBN boss paid $425,000 to silence claims, but accuser now wants $10 million”. The report implied that Paul Crouch and TBN might well dismiss the incident “as a demonic attack, or (as the TBN press release puts it), ‘a reprehensible fact of modern life’ and simply carry on as before.
In a Special Bulletin dated October 19, 2004 (Number 36) Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle, and Jack Deere report:
“In February 2004, we were made aware that Paul {Cain} had become an alcoholic. In April 2004, we confronted Paul with evidence that he had been recently involved in homosexual activity. Paul admitted to these sinful practices and was placed under discipline, agreeing to a process of restoration, which the three of us would oversee. However, Paul has resisted this process and has continued in his sin.” Amazingly the above named three men, who are looked upon as some sort of “praying prophets” state — “If restored, we believe that Paul can once again have an extraordinary ministry and be a significant blessing to the body of Christ.”
Whatever happened to God’s standard for church leaders?
“Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1Timothy 3:7).
These men far from being prophetic are totally devoid of discernment and simple Bible knowledge and in fact of common sense and decency.
Some years ago I listened to an audio tape put out by Rick Joyner that featured a story of Paul Cain’s visit to Iraq to see Saddam Hussein, whom Cain described as a good man who was maligned by America. This is amazing stuff purportedly coming from the prophetic camp of the charismatic Church. I say without fear that these men are not prophetic and have never been. They are PATHETIC and those who follow and promote them are deceived.
One of their former supporters has at last woken up to their falsity. Andrew Strom of New Zealand wrote two articles which are published on his REVIVAL SUPERSITE entitled Why I Left the Prophetic Movement (Nov 3, 2004) and Why I Left the Prophetic Movement: Part Two, Naming names (Nov 8, 2004). In the first he wrote in part:
“It is with great sadness that I make the following report. I said last week that the ‘Whitedove’ conference in Kansas City this past weekend would be a pivotal one. It certainly was pivotal for me personally. I wish I could say that there was deep repentance — that the preaching was incredibly anointed and the crowd were on their faces crying before God. I wish I could say that, but I can’t. In fact, it seemed to me that the opposite was true. The saddest thing of all is that many people probably came away from this conference saying how “wonderful” and “uplifting” it was (just as they always do). But I have to tell you; I was grieved to the core by it. Many parts of it I would even describe as spiritually “sick”.
Some people believe that the fall of Paul Cain into serious sin is some kind of aberration — just one individual’s problem. But I am convinced that the fall of Paul Cain (who was recognised worldwide as the ‘father’ of this movement) is a symptom of a much wider disease. The whole movement is sick. As I have stated in previous articles, the ‘Prophetic’ as we know it is really a “fallen” movement — since the early 1990s. But I always held out hope that it would somehow turn around and get back on track again. In fact, I believed that this conference was a heavensent opportunity for that to happen.
However, after what I saw this weekend, I no longer believe this is possible. The deception is now too deep. This movement is being “given over to believe a lie” and I want no part of it.”
On November 5 (2004) Jackie Alnor wrote to Andrew Strom as follows:
Dear Mr Strom:
So, you’ve finally seen the light about the “prophetic movement.” What took you so long? Do you think it just now turned ugly? Where was your discernment when from the very beginning the Kansas City prophets were shown to be false prophets and Bob Jones — who you thought was going to bring something good to bear in the current conference — was exposed to be a very evil wolf in sheep’s clothing?
So now God is telling you how evil it all is? Do you think He liked it back when you were promoting it? Do you think the Tribal angle just suddenly arrived? Where have you been?
I have older tapes of people like Cindy Jacobs and Paula White looking like they’ve been possessed with a Tribal spirit. I have tapes of Mahesh Chavda dancing around a stage doing a tribal warrior dance, waving his sabre, from way back.
Now you’ve seen the light, but are you going to enter into repentance for having gone along with both the prophetic and the holy laughter movements all these years? Will you follow your own revelation about the need of repentance and admit that you’ve led people astray who were looking to you for wisdom on whether or not to enter in to these dastardly pagan activities?
You know that Ernie Gruen and others exposed these things a long time ago. Why didn’t you listen then? Now things have gotten totally out of control and you promoted that.
This reminds me of the late John Wimber seeing the Airport Vineyard thing reach its climax. He didn’t see it going there — though discerning people did — and when its course got scary he ducked out without offering any apologies to those whom he led astray? Are you going to follow his example and not go all the way and come clean with your own culpability in spreading error in the church of Jesus Christ?
Here’s a Word of the Lord that has come true in our time: Jeremiah 5:31 “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end?”
Watching & Waiting,
Jackie Alnor
On November 11 PLP unaware of the above action by the Jackie Alnor also wrote and followed it with a second email on November 16 (2004). The following is part of the letter to which there has been no response as at 13/01/05.
Dear Andrew Strom ....
While I applaud your disassociation I have two honest concerns in respect of your action:
1) To date, I have not seen any upfront note of personal repentance ABOUT your longterm lack of discernment re the group from which you have now disassociated. I think this would help bridge the credibility gap, which I see in your organisation and in your efforts. Will you do it; if not then why not?
2) I see that generally you are still pushing the idea of a great endtime revival contrary to what the New Testament clearly predicts will happen in the build up to Christ’s return viz the great apostasy. Wigglesworth’s (SW) so called VISION, which you have published, is a classic illustration of your drive in this connection. (Personally I doubt if SW did in fact say what is attributed to him — at least not in that manner or those words — and sadly we have no way of proving the matter one way or the other. If he did say it then he was wrong.) The fact is there is no great endtime revival as is “talked up” by various optimists. There is an orchestrated “church growth” a la Rick Warren, Nicky Gumbel, and the Pentecostal-Charismatic music driven efforts of apostate groups like Hillsong et al. Such efforts contribute to the result which you yourself bemoan in what you correctly dismiss as the superficial “receiving Jesus into your heart”, which is not biblical. (The best exponent of the undermining of the true Gospel resulting in the “unsaved” masses flooding today’s churches is Ray Comfort. His insight and research are impeccable.)
ANDREW, will you reconsider your major thrust in this connection?
I cannot overemphasise my commendation of what you have done after you eventually saw through the false so called “prophetic movement”, though I suspect that my opinion does not rank that highly with you. For what it is worth I think your bottom line is suspect biblically. I have no problem with the idea that we could see a local; even a national “revival” and certainly we should all experience a personal “revival”. [Don’t we need it — Ed!]? The notion of a great endtime revival being brought about through the strident efforts of a certain section of the Gentile Church is contrary to scripture. It will not happen as they imagine (Rev. 7:117).
— PLP
Editorial Comment: Sadly all of this reflects on the “International Prayer Movement” which from time to time has been closely linked to the “Prophetic Movement”. Currently Philip Powell is in touch with the National Coordinator of the Australian Prayer Network over their promotion of Cindy Jacobs who is a proven false “prophet(ess)”. He has been assured that his concerns will be referred to the full board and is hoping for a meeting with them. Please pray.
DAVID WILKERSON:
Christian Witness Ministries (CWM) promised to investigate concerns regarding David Wilkerson’s claim that the woman of Samaria fed Christ, based on John 4:32 — “But he said to them, I have meat to eat that you know not of”.
Our conclusions are:
1) This is effectively what David Wilkerson did claim;
2) Biblically it is a false claim as John 4:34 makes clear — “Jesus said to them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to ?nish his work.”
3) Doctrinally, the way in which David Wilkerson applied the idea of feeding Christ, is false and dangerous as it impugns His sovereignty and essential deity. The notion of man feeding God is essentially demeaning and idolatrous.
“If I were hungry, I would not tell you: for the world is mine, and its fullness” (Psalm 50:12).
4) We agree with the thrust of David Wilkerson’s message, which is an encouragement to God’s people to develop intimacy with Christ. This is highly important in our time.
5) Like our friends and colleagues at Moriel, we will not in any way disassociate from David Wilkerson or his work on account of this “mistake” recognising as we do his strong stand for truth in the face of error.
6) As always we encourage all associated with us to “prove (test) all things; hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thess 5:21) and in the light of the encroaching darkness to be increasingly alert as “Bereans” (Acts 17:11) so as to accept nothing on face value no matter how high the reputation of the exponent of a particular message.
7) We also express concern about David Wilkerson’s interpretation of Ezekiel 47 to formulate his idea of a great end time revival, when we know from the New Testament there will be a great apostasy — see 2 Thessalonians 2:3. It is generally bad exegesis to establish doctrine from Old Testament types, stories or analogies. The correct way is to establish doctrine from the New Testament and illustrate or explain it from the Old Testament.
Please pray earnestly for David Wilkerson and for all Christian leaders who “earnestly contend for the faith” in these perilous times. The narrow path can be trying with many disappointments along the way.
David & Gary Wilkerson are due in Australia & New Zealand in late 2005.
PONZI MONEY SCHEMES
?
*1In August 2004 CWM received an email addressed to Philip Powell (PLP) from a couple who invested a capital sum of $20,000 in August 1999 into a scheme promoted by Neville Johnson (NJ) of Perth in Western Australia, on the undertaking that they would receive 30% interest so long as the money remained in the scheme.
They received just one payment of $1,500, since which time they have been told by NJ that all the money in the scheme has been lost due to fraud. It would appear that other people have similarly lost large sums of money as a result of paying into this scheme.
NJ told PLP that one of the directors himself lost $500,000, but when pressed to name the director NJ failed to do so. PLP and CWM will continue the investigations. One estimate puts the total at approximately $2 million (Australian dollars).
If you know anything about this scheme, including the names of those who lost money, then please contact the editor at the email or PO Box address on the front cover of CETF.
Also if you have any information on what prompted Neville Johnson’s removal from Auckland where he was, according to his website publicity, the senior pastor of the largest church in Australasia. An email from N. Johnson to Philip Powell (01/12/04) states “Regarding New Zealand as far as I am concerned it was dealt with by the AOG executive back in 1984 and the issue is ?nished”.
Another statement in the same email is: “Our Lawyer has instructed me not to communicate direct (sic) with you, so this will be my last communication by email with you.” An earlier email (Nov 25, 2004) states, “Any reply or further information from us will be at the discretion of our Lawyer. I expect you to hear from him soon.” On December 14 Philip Powell responded to a solicitor’s letter dated 6 December 2004, which claimed that the author represented Mr Neville Johnson’s interests. The letter stated “no further information will be furnished to you.”
AOG USA — $7 MILLION LOST BY ONE DISTRICT ALONE
There are several bogus investment schemes being promoted by churches and so called ministers and others. CWM is aware of one in the USA in which the Four Square Church denomination admitted a loss of $14 million dollars (read on at www.healingwaterschurch.com and www.ChristianityToday.com — week of Nov 17, 2003). One scheme involved $160 million and indirectly involved Reinard Bonke and Benny Hinn as victims.
It is alleged that just one district of the Assemblies of God (USA), the Northern California/Nevada District, lost something like $7 million to the same scheme. In the case of the Four Square Church negligence was admitted and discipline instituted. Sadly in the case of A/G (USA) this appears not to be so.
On 22/11/04 PLP wrote to Thomas Trask, A/G General Superintendent USA, who replied (25/11/04) denying that there has been any “coverup”. The letter tacitly acknowledges some loss but fails to be open about the matter — see relevant correspondence at http://www.christian-witness.org/b4Usign/fraud.html.
Meanwhile TVNZ — ONE NEWS reports an American preacher going to prison in New Zealand for setting up “an elaborate scheme that promised profit from tax havens” while he and some New Zealanders also named “kept the money for themselves”. “They most cynically appear to have employed the use of principles of Christianity,” said Crown prosecutor Paul Davison QC.
Read on — Preacher jailed for six years — http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national_story_skin/430358%3fformat=html
CWM plans to publish more on these matters — watch this space.
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).
*1 For de?nition by Anthony Pike, Certi?ed Accountant, read on at http://www.c-w-m.org/active/faqs.html or http://www.c-w.m.org/bUsign/fraud.html
POLICY: We value and encourage your communications on any matter and especially on subjects raised in our publications. However due to the large amount of correspondence that we receive Philip Powell can not undertake to answer personal correspondence.
WE are receiving so many letters and emails that it is impractical to publish them all.
CWM issues a regular electronic Mailer, which among other things seeks to warn Christians about false doctrine and abusive practices within the Christian community.
Good advice resulted from our publishing the story.
You can join the CWM Mailer at http://www. christian-witness.org/join.html for future despatches.
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Monday, October 09, 2006
