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Monday 4 November 2013

BRIAN GEMMELL: BEWARE DANGEROUS END TIME TEACHING!

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. (2 Peter 2:1-3) 

BRIAN GEMMELL: "THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBERS IN SCRIPTURE AND IN PROPHECY."

Brian Gemmell is a well known Bible prophecy teacher in the UK. In recent years he has been teaching an obscure eschatalogical (end time) doctrine which he has called “Order, Order, Order!" that has no biblical foundation.

This false teaching is that Jesus Christ will be with the bride on earth for a period of ten days before the collective “gathering together” in the air (known as the rapture of the church).

This very lethal error is based on an unbalanced obsession with chronology and numerology at the expense of the clear teaching of the Bible. It originated with Paine & Ware in the early part of the last century. Ware made the prediction that the rapture would take place on June 12th 1933. When this failed to happen, he revised his chronology and further speculated that it would take place in 1945 or thereabouts.

The rapture of the church is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. Biblically the rapture of the church will happen in an instant, in the blink of an eye:

.....in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)

The Bible does not give any indication that there will be a time lapse of ten days before believers join the dead in Christ. The second coming of Christ occurs after the Day of the Lord when He returns to defeat the Antichrist, destroy evil, and establish His millennial kingdom. Christ's second coming is described in Revelation 19:11-16. Jesus Christ will not appear on the earth until after the great tribulation and the Day of the Lord (Joel 2:31) when every eye will see him.

Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. (Revelation 1:7) See also Matthew 24:30. Compare Matthew 26:64; Mark 13:26; Mark 14:62; Acts 1:9, Acts 1:11.

Jesus Christ Himself said:

But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36)

Jesus Christ also said we should not believe anyone who claims to be the Messiah or anyone who claims to know when He is coming again. The second coming of Jesus will be sudden, unexpected and unmistakable, like lightning flashing across the sky (Mark 13:21-23, 13:32-37; Luke 17:20-37; Matthew 24:23-51).

And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. (Luke 17:22-24; Matthew 24:24,26)

The Bible warns us that false Christs will appear, but that we must not go after them. The danger in Gemmell's teaching is that believers will expect the appearance of Christ on earth prior to the rapture of the church.

When the rapture occurs, the true believers will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, we will not meet him on the earth:

Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Gemmell also questions the omnipresent nature of Jesus Christ:

“He is forever a man. He has divested himself forever of a particular attribute. He will always have his omnipotence and his omniscience. But his omnipresence he has limited because he is in a body, forever in a body and he will express his presence through this great body, the body of believers.”
http://www.cwm.org.au/2-uncategorised/322-gemmell
http://rr-bb.com/showthread.php?162513-Jesus-not-omnipresent-says-Brian-Gemmell

We cannot say that Christ has divested himself forever of the attribute of omnipresence - this is a very serious error. Jesus Christ's human nature is not omnipresent, but his divine nature is. It is the one person of Christ who shares both natures (communicatio idiomatum) and it is the one person who is omnipresent.

The link below does show that Gemmell's eschatological view is not based on the Bible but on "the Math".

February 3, 2011 at 10:37am:

"Excellent dear brother. Not much longer to wait now. The night is far spent and the day is at hand. Some watchers in the UK are convinced that the rescue of the Chilean miners was a sign of the coming Resurrection, particularly with the many biblical numbers associated with the event ,not least 33. The Lord Jesus was 33 at the time of His resurrection. A symbolic number of the church at the beginning of her life at Pentecost was 120…the no. in the upper room. Symbolic number at the end of the age when the Bridegroom returns and our “fast” is broken but the “net” is not… John 21 is 153. You do the Math!! In Jesus, Maranatha, Brian Gemmell" 
http://www.pawcreek.org/salty-saints/the-earth-is-reeling-rocking

Gemmell promoted The Restored Vision by A.E. Ware on the 17th of May 2013:

"The Greek word translated 'week' is in its anglicised version  'sabbations' which is itself the Hellenised Hebrew word Sabbaths. Note that this is in the plural, hence weeks. The reference is to the first day of the Feast of Weeks, the 7x7 weeks ( 49 days) between Firstfruits and the 50th day, Pentecost.

Lev 23 outlines the festal calendar and this covers the whole period of the barley and wheat harvest. At Pentecost 2 loaves are waived before the Lord signifying the completion of the harvest and offering the Lord the first finished bread. A fuller teaching is contained in 'The Restored Vision' by A.E. Ware. (Available from me for 8.50 + P&P).”
http://briangemmell.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/excellent-article-here-worth-reading-by.html


Jacob Prasch has recently described the Paine & Ware teaching as - "A false eschatology that is plainly heretical, potentially cultic and ultimately lethal."
http://moriel.org/MorielArchive/index.php/discernment/paine-ware

The home page of the PWMI has a short article warning about the teachings of Paine and Ware as follows:

DATE FIXING: During our 96 years of prophetic witness, formerly as the Advent Testimony Movement and latterly as PWMI, I am pleased to say that we have never fallen into the devil's trap of 'date fixing'. This is a temptation and a ploy of the enemy to discredit those who fall for it. Sadly, over the years we have witnessed many who have succumbed and have been left looking foolish. Only last year (2012) it was US evangelist Harold Camping who was left with 'egg on his face' over this issue.

More recently we have been made aware of the re-emergence of the teachings of A E Ware & F.L Paine who during the early part of last century fell into the same trap. Based on their obsession with chronology and numerology these men also made the mistake of date fixing. Ware made the prediction that the rapture would take place on June 12th 1933, when this failed he revised his chronology and decided it must be about 1945, but of course he was wrong on both counts. It has come to our attention that his booklets have been republished and are being given out freely in some parts of the country! and that some prophecy speakers are following the Ware teachings.

As a Movement we warned against this in 1933 and feel that it is write to issue the same warning to our readers at this time lest any should be led astray or troubled by these false ideas. We have always, as a Movement, sought to declare the great truth of the rapture but at the same time to expose false and wild notions. We therefore warn our readers against the teachings of Ware & Paine as we did 80 years ago and beware of those who peddle them. Let us remember that 'no man knows the day or the hour-only our Father in heaven'. http://www.pwmi.org/cms/index.php?page=what-we-believe


I contacted The Prophetic Witness Movement International (PWMI) General Director, Colin Le Noury for clarification, since Neville Stephens (Secretary of the Pontypool Branch of the PWMI) is currently promoting Gemmell in complete disregard of their directive not to promote him under their banner.*

Colin Le Noury:
".......Brian Gemmell's ministry is no longer acceptable and he has been removed some time ago from our Recommended Preachers List.

Brian Gemmell's ministry is NOT acceptable within PWMI and all Branch Secretaries have been advised not to book him. I have told Neville that if he insists on booking BG then it must not be under the PWMI banner. Yes we do stand opposed to Ware and Paine teaching and have done for 80 years."


The implications of Gemmell's theology about the rapture are very dangerous, as Pastor Bill Randles of Believers in Grace Fellowship explains:

Brian Gemmell Teachings Removed ~ 2013

"It is with a heavy heart that I must distance myself, for the time being, from Brian Gemmell's teaching ministry. Although I count him as a dear friend, Brian has propagated a teaching about the rapture that I would consider erroneous. In his series, "Order, Order, Order!", he teaches that Jesus will return ten days before the rapture, to appear among the churches giving us a chance to "get our houses in order". This denies the immanency of the rapture, and the fact that we don't know when our Master is coming. Furthermore, and perhaps most troubling, Brian teaches that the "dead in Christ will rise up at that time and there will be the chance for them to 'settle' unsettled accounts with the saints". Myself and Jacob Prasch have been working to restore Brian, whom we count as a dear friend, so we covet your prayers. Sincerely, Pastor Bill Randles" http://www.believersingracevideos.com/page3.php

Brian Gemmell makes much of the fact that he serves on the council of the Bible Prophecy Foundation (BPF) http://www.briangemmell.blogspot.co.uk/ The issue of Gemmell's false rapture teaching has lead to the resignation of two key people in the that organisation. It would appear that Gemmell has reduced the the BPF to little more than four men and a website! Steve Lloyd of the BPF: "I do not endorse his teaching outlined in 'Order, Order, Order' in regard to the 10 day rapture..... I do not necessarily endorse Ware & Paine either." It is very sad that the BPF have not understood the implications of this very serious matter and taken a firmer stand.

"ORDER, ORDER, ORDER: The Sequence And Structure Of The Rapture. This is a four message study DVD given by Brian, and this provoking and challenging ministry asks Christians to examine and test the traditional held view of the sequence of events leading up to the Rapture of The Bride Of Christ to heaven. A thought-provoking and very intriguing study of the end time events on the calendar of the Lord." 
http://briangemmell.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/some-of-materials-available-from-brian.html
http://www.twobytwoworship.com/gemmell.html

BRIAN GEMMELL'S ITINERARY 2016

Savoy Hotel Bournemouth - 14-18th March 2016

UPDATE: NEVILLE STEPHENS BLOG COMMENT

Neville Stephens (administrator of Brian Gemmell's web site): "This is the same woman who openly calls the inspirational World Christian Expositor and Leader Dr. John MacArthur "a false prophet and a wolf in sheep's clothing"! (The title of her blog seems to have gone to her head)!
She also wrote to all of the Christian Endeavour Conference Centres in the UK begging them not to invite Brian Gemmell to speak at their Christian Holiday Retreats ever again, and also to the Leven Street Evangelical Church in Saltburn with the same demand!
Needless to say, that all of these very sound and solid Christian organisations put her requests into the bin where they belong, and also the CE Hotels have since booked Brian for at least three conferences this year, with a fourth in the pipleline (see my Newport blog)."
http://ziontalywain.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/what-is-happening-at-victory-church-at.html#comment-form

RESPONSE:

I have come against these two false teachers for very good Biblical reasons. Firstly, I put the Word of God above any man's teaching, and secondly as a warning to others. The Word of God says that Jesus Christ will return only once to the earth, at His parousia, and that every eye shall see him (Revelation 1:7). There is no biblical foundation for Gemmell's theory that Christ will return to the earth for a ten day period prior to the rapture of the church. I did indeed email the Christian Endeavour Centres where Gemmell will be speaking next year and I also allerted Saltburn Evangelical Church where he spoke earlier this month. However, I neither “begged” or “demanded” anything from them; I simply sent them a copy of my article as a warning. If they did bin them as Neville claims, then that is their prerogative - their blood is on their own heads!

If I (the Lord) say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 3:18-19) 

* Correction 16th February 2016: 

Neville Stephens has advised me that he no longer represents the PWMI. He has also informed me that he did not promote Brian Gemmell under their banner. 

Stephens: "He (Colin LeNoury) had no control over me to arrange and publicise 'Bible Prophecy Meetings' in my region, and this I did with his full knowledge. He did not like it, but as long as I did not have these people speaking under 'a PWMI banner' he tolerated the situation."

Stephens is a personal friend of BG and is the administrator of his website. He continues to recklessly put the Body of Christ at risk by promoting BG, preferring the friendship of a heretic rather than the clear teaching of Jesus Christ! (Matthew 10:34-39)

Further posts and information on this subject: 


Sunday 27 October 2013

UNHAPPY NEIGHBOURS AND RETROSPECTIVE PLANNING PERMISSIONS AT VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN - WELSH OUTPOURING ANTICS FOLLOW UP

Cllr Haynes Statement:

Following my article on Welsh Outpouring Concerns: http://eliora.hubpages.com/hub/THE-WELSH-OUTPOURING-VICTORY-CHURCH-CWMBRAN-RICHARD-TAYLOR-RIDING-ROUGHSHOD-OVER-LOCAL-RESIDENTS

Councillor Haynes has made the following statement on Facebook: Torfaen Matters on I believe the 26th of August 2013:

"Where to start...
There has recently been a very vitriolic blog posted on the www that told substantial lies about me and my family and some innocent constituents. I made contact with the blog writer. I told them about the lies they printed and gave them time to rectify, before pursuing through the courts. That blog has since been removed.
This issue revolves around a Church known as Victory Church within my ward. As you know, there seems to be an issue with some people and that church. People are entitled to their opinions on what happens there but I have no opinion on it. I do not attend, am not a member and am not interested in what goes on there other than the impact it has and any complaints raised from residents. That is as far as my interest goes.
So let’s get down to the allegations fired at me by the blog and others on TT.
1. Allegation that I am related to the Paul Haynes who is the gentleman who is no longer in a wheelchair. TRUTH - I know Paul well through him being a constituent. We are not related.
2. Allegation that I am related to Anita Barnard. TRUTH – I know Anita Barnard through being a constituent. She was also an active member of the Oppose the Prison action group that went on to form CGT.
3. Allegation that I breached the code of conduct by failing to declare an interest in so far that my sister & mother attend Victory Church, whilst dealing with resident complaints about Victory Church. TRUTH – Monitoring Officer confirms that no interest is declarable on an enforcement /regulatory issue that I will not make a decision on. I have done nothing wrong.
4. The Allegation that I removed the church from my FB profile. TRUTH-as you can imagine, the blog & lies told about me knocked me for six. I expect that in the political arena but for complete strangers and others to tell complete lies about me & my family is just not on. I removed myself from ALL FB groups except my own ward group. I even left my own families groups. Also, I did not have Victory Church on my FB to begin with. I had Unite@Victory which is a Friday group within the church. Yes I removed it but I removed myself from every group I belonged too, even the sell it/swap it sites and TM!
5. The Allegation that I attend Victory Church. TRUTH-I do not/have not attend Victory Church. I do not attend any church. I was brought up in the Methodist Church and have strong morals and try to follow a Christian life but I do not attend any church and have not since I was a teenager (and that’s a long time ago!)
6. The veiled allegation that I have not done my job properly in relation to complaints raised. You will now see that since 2010 I have logged and had enforced a number of complaints made against Victory Church......

Change of Use to a church - Change of use planning permission was sought retrospectively in 2010 (ref. 10/P/00424) after I reported that breach to Planning Enforcement. The application was submitted on 17 August 2010 and approved using officer delegated powers on 3 February 2011. The permission granted is for “offices & storage and charity headquarters/weekly assembly meetings and use for restoration of furniture”. There are no restrictions on the hours of operation. These decisions were made by planning Officers. I had no input or say in this.

Café - The café was retrospectively registered with the environmental health team in May 2012 after I reported it after receiving a complaint. The Café currently has no planning consent and is subject to enforcement (that I also reported several months ago after receiving a complaint).

Car Wash - The car wash planning permission was sought retrospectively in 2011(ref.11/P/00617) after I reported it after receiving a complaint. The application was submitted on 22 November 2011 and approved using officer delegated powers on 7 March 2013.

TREES – Complainant reported that the church was cutting down their own trees around the fence. I reported this in 2012. Officers investigated and none had Tree Preservation Orders on them so no action was taken. Officer stated that “Private landowners have responsibility for their own trees”.

Signage - Signage does not currently have any approval and is also subject of current planning enforcement investigation (ref.13/ENF/193) that I reported. There was previously more signage than currently exists but Neighbourhood Services have already acted on this issue insofar as it relates to highway land, after a previous complaint I logged with them in 2012.

DRINKING/DRUGS – complaints of drinking & drugs were reported to me & the Police who have investigated on each occasion. The police have confirmed to me that to date the complaints received have not brought forward any evidence to back up the complaints."







This is my response to the above statement by Cllr Haynes:

My article was temporarily suspended due to pixelated images which I have removed. There is no other reason why it was taken down despite much speculation and premature glee from certain parties.

The reason I wrote the article Welsh Outpouring Concerns was not because I have a particular axe to grind against Cllr Haynes; in fact I had never even heard of Cllr Haynes before writing the article. My concerns are about the Welsh Outpouring as it has become known, and its detrimental effect on many people in various different ways, both locally in Cwmbran and further afield. Previously I have written that the theology of Richard Taylor and his team is unbiblical and that none of the so called healings which have taken place can be verified medically.

http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2013-08-15/cwmbran-church-under-scrutiny-over-miracle-healings/

http://s4c.co.uk/clic/e_level2.shtml?series_id=510265514

There are also concerns that the ex-prisoners under the care of Victory Outreach UK are under the influence of the cultish behaviour of the leaders of Victory Church. These ex-prisoners are obligated to attend the nightly meetings and are subjected to hours and hours of mind control techniques and false teaching. In Welsh Outpouring Concerns, I outlined the effect that the Welsh Outpouring at Victory Church was having on the local residents of Greenforge Way in Cwmbran and their struggle against repeated retrospective planning permissions, as well as traffic problems, noise issues, unsocial behaviour etc. It seems to me that no one’s rights are respected by the leadership of Victory Church in their quest to bring the Trojan horse of false Christianity to Wales and beyond.

In Welsh Outpouring Concerns, I wrote that I believed that Clllr Haynes had breached the Councillors code of conduct due to her close connections with Victory Church and her involvement representing local residents over planning permissions. Cllr Haynes objected to this and said she would take legal action unless I withdrew it. I have now withdrawn that accusation. However I do think that it is very odd that Cllr Haynes should represent local residents over planning permissions and also promote Unite@Victory on her Facebook page. Also it is indisputable that she has close relatives and Facebook friends attending Victory Church. Anyway the Cllr has liaised with her legal team at Torfaen Council and she assures me that this does not constitute a breach. This has surprised me as it does seem inconsistent that Cllr Haynes should represent one party and also promote regular meetings being held at the premises of the other! It certainly does not seem right to me.

One comment from a local resident is that Victory Church seem to be "above the law" in that they repeatedly apply for and are granted planning permission retrospectively. The Telegraph have recently published an article and short video entitled: “Planning Approval Tricks of the Trade” which makes interesting reading/watching (note the comment at the end made by Mrs Trellis): http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/9923195/CPREs-Neil-Sinden-Councillors-buying-and-sellling-planning-permissions-seriously-undermines-public-confidence-in-the-system.html

I have never stated that Cllr Haynes attends Victory Church personally, only that her mother, her sister and her Facebook friends Anita Barnard and Paul Haynes attend and that she promoted Unite@Victory on her Facebook page.

I was wrongly informed that Paul Haynes, the man who was supposedly “healed” was a relative of Cllr Haynes. Paul Haynes is no relation - this was a genuine mistake on my part and I have removed this. Incidentally, there is no medical evidence to support the “healing” of Paul Haynes.

Cllr Haynes insists that she is not personal friends with Paul Haynes or Anita Barnard; the reason they are on her Facebook page she says is that they are constituents living in her ward.

The above changes were made after the Cllr contacted me threatening me with the might of Torfaen Council's legal expertise which I am sure I am no match for. Otherwise the article remains much the same as it originally was. I am at a loss to understand how this constitutes "substantial lies".




Further Note

Cllr Haynes writes above concerning Change of Use To A Church :"The permission granted is for offices & storage and charity headquarters/weekly assembly meetings and use for restoration of furniture”. Here we have yet another anomaly. I have counted nine meetings a week in total being held at Victory Church. If Taylor has not been granted permission to hold "assembly meetings" more than weekly (i.e. once a week), then why are Torfaen Council allowing him to continue, especially in light of the residents complaints and the other concerns mentioned?

The outpouring is taking place Monday-Thursday & Saturdays at 7pm. http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/questions-answered

Sunday: Morning Service 11:00am Bible teaching & communion (Children’s Church)

Tuesday: 7:30pm Victory Young Adults for 17-30 yrs
Wednesday: 7pm Encounter Meeting – Prayer, worship, fellowship and teaching
Friday: 7:30pm Victory Youth for 11-16 yrs

http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/locations/cwmbran

Assembly: A group of persons gathered together, usually for a particular purposewhether religious, political, educational, or social.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/assembly?s=t

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. (1 Corinthians 13/6)

http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/

FURTHER UPDATE 10/09/2013

"Pastor Richard" as he likes to call himself, has announced that the "outpouring meetings" will shortly be reduced to two nights a week - Wednesday and Saturday evenings from next week. Victory Church will also be launching a Sunday evening service at the end of this month. Taylor previously stated: "We were told by God that if we showed up, then He would show up." Taylor's previous enthusiasm seems to have fizzled out and he does not want to "flog a dead horse"!

Taylor does not have planning permission to meet more than once a week so he is still operating outside of the law. Perhaps Cllr Haynes could point this out to him! I doubt that we know the real reasons for this change to two nights a week, but it can only be good news for the local residents and the rest of the world in general.

http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/important-outpouring-announcement-from-pastor-richard

Saturday 19 October 2013

THE WELSH OUTPOURING: AN OPEN LETTER TO RICHARD TAYLOR, ANDREW PARSONS AND RICHARD SHEPPARD REGARDING THE ACQUISITION OF BETHANIA CHAPEL MERTHYR TYDFIL BY VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN

A comment has been posted by a named person on a previous blog regarding the recent history of Bethania Chapel in Merthyr Tydfil. 

Bethania Chapel was bought in 1999 by Bethania fellowship with money provided by Woodlands Trust, a charity owned by Richard Sheppard. Bethania Fellowship carried out major repairs to the church, also building a new toilet block and baptismal pool, work which cost them tens of thousands of pounds. During this time they were repaying the money back to the charity. They were also paying the buildings insurance, a policy arranged by Mr.Sheppard for 'owners' of a building. About three years ago, Mr Sheppard said he wanted to sell the building and told the fellowship that the money they had been paying to the charity had been 'rent' not repayment, even though there had never been a rent agreement drawn up. Bethania fellowship had the building valued by two local estate agents and offered Mr Sheppard the valuation price . But he told the fellowship he wanted them to pay him at least double the price quoted by the estate agents, even though they had worked so hard on the building and put a lot of money into it. It became obvious that he didn't want Bethania fellowship to have the building, so they had to leave the church.”
Comment posted by Elizabeth Evans on the 17th of October 2013


It is a known fact that Bethania Chapel was in use from 1999 in contradiction to a false statement made by Victory Church that Bethania Chapel was disused for many years. “After so many years of disuse it was a blessing to see this building re-opened…….” http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/victory-church-2012-review

In an article written by local historian David Edward Pike, it is claimed that the chapel was bought in 1999 by Bethania Fellowship and that they reluctantly had to give up the building in March 2012.

The buildings insurance was a policy arranged by Richard Sheppard for "owners" of a building; the contradiction being that they were told that they had only been renting the building and were constrained to leave.

It is the responsibility of all true Christians and ministers of the Lord to be open and honest about everything they do, particularly when there are unanswered questions which throw doubt on the integrity of church leaders.

The original understanding between Bethania Fellowship and Richard Sheppard (who I am told is a "Christian" businessman) is a matter of much speculation and concern.  This subject does need to be clarified for the sake of all who are questioning the way in which Victory Church acquired the use of Bethania Chapel in March of 2012. 

For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach.  (Titus 1/7)

For we aim at what is honourable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man. (2 Corinthains 8/21)


Please leave a comment if you have any further information about this matter.  


http://opencharities.org/charities/271763





Sunday 13 October 2013

WELSH OUTPOURING DECEPTION: Y DDRAIG GOCH - THE RED DRAGON







And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. (Revelation 12/3)

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.  (Revelation 20)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’  (Matthew 7/21-23)



A BRIEF BACKGROUND

Prior to 1959 the Welsh flag was St David’s Cross.  The present Welsh flag was officially recognised by the Queen in 1959 after the Gorsedd of Bards (who are Druids) lobbied for the change, but not everyone is happy with the satanic symbolism of the red dragon.  

Prior to the Roman invasion, the druid priesthood was the undisputed power in Britain.  The ancient Druids engaged in divination and nature-based worship which inlvoed the sacrifice of animals and humans. Suppression of the Druids led to the rise of the “bardic school” .

Merle Severy, "The Celts," National Geographic (May 1977), pages 625-626, describes "the eve of Samhain... the start of the Celtic new year:

"According to the Dinshenchas, a medieval collection of "the lore of prominent places," firstborn children were sacrificed before a great idol to ensure fertility of cattle and crops. Samhain eve was a night of dread and danger. At this juncture of the old year and the new, our world and the otherworld opened up to each other. The dead returned, ghosts and demons were abroad, and the future could be seen.. . . Behind such Halloween games as bobbing for apples lie Celtic divination arts to discern who would marry, thrive, or die in the coming year. Behind the masks and mischief, the jack-o'lanterns and food offerings, lurk the fear of malevolent spirits and the rites to propitiate them."
"Tacitus tells us of the bloodstained Druid altars of Anglesey in Wales." (page 601)
Julius Caesar on Celtic Sacrifices
The whole nation of the Gauls is greatly devoted to ritual observances, and for that reason those who are smitten with the more grievous maladies and who are engaged in the perils of battle either sacrifice human victims or vow so to do, employing the druids as ministers for such sacrifices. They believe, in effect, that, unless for a man's life a man's life be paid, the majesty of the immortal gods may not be appeased; and in public, as in private life they observe an ordinance of sacrifices of the same kind. Others use figures of immense size whose limbs, woven out of twigs, they fill with living men and set on fire, and the men perish in a sheet of flame. They believe that the execution of those who have been caught in the act of theft or robbery or some crime is more pleasing to the immortal gods; but when the supply of such fails they resort to the execution even of the innocent.


"No other nation has had this red dragon as its ruling symbol. Wales has been under demonic oppression and under many curses because of this unwise choice. This symbol was only introduced in 1959 and is not the historic symbol of Wales. The gold cross on the black background goes back nearly two thousand years. This Christian cross of the great patron saint of Wales, St David, is the true spiritual heritage and owner of the soul of Wales." George Hargraves.  http://uk-christians.net/profiles/blogs/welsh-flag#.Ulp6j1A3u70


The Welsh Christian Party: "This is nothing less than the sign of Satan, the devil, Lucifer that ancient serpent who deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/christian-group-wants-evil-welsh-2263878

Friday 11 October 2013

THE WELSH OUTPOURING VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN - DO NOT MOVE AN ANCIENT BOUNDARY STONE

Bethania Chapel in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil is a very special place where the ancient landmark was set by godly men. In 1823 Bethania was set apart for the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In the 1829 revival, the minister at Bethania was Samuel Evans, and after Evans death in 1833 John Hughes was the minister for thirty years.  Historically the overseers of Bethania Chapel had a reputation for helping many numbers of poor people.  I will not go into all the details here; the complete history can be found on the Web, in particular the article quoted below by local historian David Edward Pike is very informative.  

How disturbing to see that now the unrighteous have the use of Bethania Chapel in Dowlais after its lofty history.  The ancient boundary stone is of course a metaphor for the Word of God. God's teaching and commandments should never be crossed, and yet we find that many doctrinal boundaries set by the Lord of Hosts have been violated by Richard Taylor at Victory Church as outlined in previous posts by Rob Thomas and myself. 

SOMETHING DOES NOT ADD UP

In 2012 Victory Church secured the use of Bethania Chapel - the opening date was the 9th of September 2012.  The Victory Church website claims that prior to acquiring its use, Bethania Chapel was disused for many years.   “After so many years of disuse it was a blessing to see this building re-opened…….”   http://www.victorychurch.co.uk/victory-church-2012-review   This statement is totally false.  
The details are a little fuzzy, but what is known is that a group of Christians named Bethania Fellowship were holding meetings at the chapel six months prior to Victory Church.  In March 2012, Bethania Fellowship reluctantly gave up the chapel having done some costly renovations to the building.  What do we make of all this?  It would seem that Bethania Fellowship were intending to stay at the chapel as they had undertaken costly restorations.  Here is an excerpt from an article written by David Edward Pike:

The building was subsequently bought (?) in 1999 by a small independent Pentecostal group which called themselves Bethania Fellowship, and so began an encouraging process of spiritual renewal for the old, historic chapel. It was this small group who did a lot of costly work to restore the building, adding a baptistry and a small toilet block. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully in their meetings, and many were saved. The small original congregation grew to more than thirty in subsequent years, and many were baptised in the newly installed pool. Bethania Fellowship reluctantly had to give up the building in March 2012, and it was then bought (?) by Victory Church. http://daibach-welldigger.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-reviving-of-bethania-dowlais.html

I do question whether the building was actually “bought” by Bethania Fellowship as David Edward Pike has written, because if they did own it, why were they constrained to leave?  On the other hand, why would they make costly renovations to the chapel if there was doubt about their continued presence there?  After the demise of Bethania Fellowship, there was barely time to draw breath; Richard Taylor invited his congregation to view the “potential new venue” on the 17th of March 2012.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7dC648DOiU    Victory Church immediately started their own extensive renovation work, the VO residents providing much of the labour gratis, and the opening date was barely six months after Bethania Fellowship had left.  A very interesting fact is that Victory Church in Cwmbran and Bethania Chapel in Merthyr Tydfil are owned by one and the same person, Richard Sheppard who is a local businessman. How auspicious Taylor is in his connections; it is almost inexplicable. He rises above the law against the local residents of Greenforge Way with retrospective planning permissions and illegal congregations, all the voiced concerns about the vulnerable adults at Victory Outreach UK are ignored, no one looks into his finances, his congregation are enraptured despite all the contradictions, he does just exactly what he likes……one might almost say that he leads a charmed life, it is uncanny - but what will happen in the end (Jeremiah 5/31; Isaiah 47/7; Galatians 6/7)  Since Taylor likes to talk in riddles, I will give him one:

NABOTH'S VINEYARD - 1 KINGS 21

Naboth the Jezreelite owned a piece of land, a vineyard, which King Ahab greatly coveted.  He offered Naboth an even better vineyard or alternatively money.  It was Naboth's ancestral inheritance by right and it appears from the text that it was all that he possessed. To alienate a family inheritance was contrary to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 25/23) and so Naboth quite rightly protested that Ahab’s scheme was contrary to the Lord’s will. 

Naboth said to Ahab: "May Yahweh forbid me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!"

Because he could not acquire the vineyard legitimately, Ahab was sullen and angry, but Jezebel his wife said: “I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”  The result was that Jezebel, acquired it for Ahab by treachery.  A crafty and cruel plot was put in place which resulted in Naboth's murder.  Ahab got his wish to own the vineyard at the cost of Naboth's blood.  The Bible tells us that Ahab sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD (v20).  The spirit of Jezebel lives on.


Do not move an ancient boundary stone
or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
for their Defender is strong;
he will take up their case against you.
(Proverbs 23/10-11)

You shall not covet your neighbour's house. You shall not covet your neighbour's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour."  (Exodus 20/17; Deuteronomy 5/21)

Do not plan evil against your neighbour, who dwells trustingly beside you. (Proverbs 3/29)

Jesus Christ: “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”   (Mark 12/29-31)

Woe to those who scheme iniquity, Who work out evil on their beds! When morning comes, they do it,  For it is in the power of their hands. They covet fields and then seize them, And houses, and take them away. They rob a man and his house, A man and his inheritance. Therefore thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am planning against this family a calamity from which you cannot remove your necks; And you will not walk haughtily, For it will be an evil time. (Micah 2/1-3)

“And you (Elijah) shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”’”   (1 Kings 21/19)

“Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.' Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD." (2 Kings 9/26)


Friday 27 September 2013

THE WELSH OUTPOURING: FALSE ANOINTING, FALSE TEACHING, FALSE CHURCH - RICHARD TAYLOR VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN



Taylors unbiblical sermon on the 24th of September once again shows either his total ignorance or his total disregard for the Word of God, or both.  He says that there is no such ministry as “apologetics” or as a “watchman” and he calls it a “ministry of criticism”.  If this is the case the apostle Paul should have resigned and we should throw our Bibles away! 

Instead of addressing the individual concerns of those who have pointed out the unbiblical happenings at Victory Church, Taylor goes into a long rant about how such people are attacking the “Lord's anointed” (namely himself) and damaging the church.  The only problem is that he forgot to inform us that biblically, spiritual discernment is a vital God given ministry within the church for its protection against the enemy.  Taylor’s followers ignore those who are warning them about these things at their peril.

Examples from the Old Testament:

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.”   (Ezekiel 3/17-19)

Notice there is a very high level of responsibility for people with this calling and personal repercussions if they fail to warn others.

Jeremiah came against the false prophet Hananiah for speaking words of “peace” when in fact the people of Judah were about to go into the Babylonian captivity:  And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the Lord has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie. Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the Lord.’”  (Jeremiah 28/15-16)

God’s warning to the rebellious people of Judah:  Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions......”  (Isaiah 30/10)

The New Testament:

The very first words that Jesus spoke when the disciples asked him about the signs of the end of the age were:  Take heed that no man lead you astray.”  The Greek word is blépō which means – take heed, to see, beware, watch. (Matthew 24/4-5; Mark 13/5; Luke 21/8).

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.  (Romans 16.17)

…..the gift of distinguishing between spirits  (1Corinthians 12/10) 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4/1)

The onus is actually on every believer to be on their guard against false prophets/teachers. The Bible is packed with warnings about spiritual deception, and these deceptions gain momentum just prior to the return of Jesus Christ at the close of the age:  2 Corinthians 11/4; 2 Corinthians 11/13-15; 1 Thessalonians 5/21; 1 Timothy 6/3-5; Colossians 2/8; 2 Peter 3/17 etc. 

The Bereans were commended for testing the teaching of Paul against the scriptures: Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17/11)  Any teacher who is not open to being questioned and tested against scripture is a false teacher.

As far as attacking the “Lords anointed”  is concerned, let us be clear that there is a false anointing.  There are those who are self-appointed and those with a false anointing from the enemy.

These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 1/12-13)

I have no hesitation in saying that Richard Taylor and his bit part in the schemes of the enemy fits this description very well. In the Bible the culmination of this false anointing is manifested in the antichrist and the false prophet of Revelation. However there are many warnings about antichrists and false prophets plural – those who have a false anointing from the spirit of antichrist.  Richard Taylor’s false anointing will incur the wrath of God and he will take his followers with him into judgement unless they repent.

I have seen a wicked, ruthless man,
spreading himself like a green laurel tree.
But he passed away, and behold, he was no more;
though I sought him, he could not be found.   
(Psalm 37/35)


Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.....  (Revelation 18/4)



FURTHER INFORMATION

http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk

UPDATE

Please read the comments on the link below following Rob's recent article about this.
http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/richard-taylor-andrew-parsons-self.html#comment-form 






Friday 20 September 2013

REASONS TO REJECT THE WELSH OUTPOURING AT VICTORY CHURCH CWMBRAN

We already know that the “Welsh Outpouring” as it is called has very ambitious leaders who have stated their remit (they say vision) to plant 50 churches in ten years in Wales. Richard Taylor is also touting for churches to host the "outpouring" throughout Europe and the UK in 2014. Equip 2013 is a Church Planting Conference being held at Victory Church on the 8/9th of November at a cost of £20. Peter Anderson, Senior Pastor of Destiny Church Edinburgh will be a guest speaker at this conference on the 9th of November. Victory Church in Cwmbran may be an entry point for Satan to further deceive many churches which are already compromising in the UK and Europe.

Taylor and his fellow apostates have already set up “campuses” at Merthyr Tydfil, The Forest of Dean, Caerphilly, Chepstow and The Rhonnda Valleys, with a further plant taking place in the near future at Blaenavon.


BIBLICAL REASONS TO REJECT THE WELSH OUTPOURING


Listed below are several biblical reasons why Christians should reject the so called Welsh Outpouring:
  • Victory Church in Cwmbran is part of ecumenical Churches Together which includes the apostate Roman Catholic Church and other churches belonging to the World Council of Churches.
  • The doctrine of Victory Church is unbiblical e.g. Taylor says that unbelievers receive the Holy Spirit prior to hearing the Word of God. (Romans 10/14)
  • Taylor says that he has direct words from the Lord, but these are very questionable.
  • The two main leaders at Victory Church; Richard Taylor and Andrew Parsons have affluent lifestyles and are not honest or open about their finances.
  • Victory Church have hosted false teachers Tommy Tenney, Roy Fields, John Glass, Lou Engle and Nathan Morris.
  • Taylor's known influences are Reinhart Bonnke, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, Ed Stetzer, Mark Driscoll, Tommy Tenney and John Glass.
  • Victory Church does not have a good reputation with outsiders (1 Timothy 3/7). Taylor has upset local residents by holding nightly “outpouring” meetings without planning permission.
  • Victory Church has been/still is operating illegally as they only have planning permission for one assembly meeting a week. (Romans 13/1-7)
  • There are reports that the residents of Victory Outreach UK are coerced into attending all the “outpouring” meetings and are suffering from abusive treatment. http://watchman4wales.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/richard-taylor-andrew-parsons-self.html#comment-form
  • None of the alleged healings at Victory Church can be medically verified; in fact the medical profession have voiced concerns. (http://www.itv.com/news/wales/update/2013-08-15/cwmbran-church-under-scrutiny-over-miracle-healings/)
  • Taylor and the other leaders insist that they are addressed as “Pastor” . However the role always comes after the name biblically e.g. Paul referred to himself as: Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ. In the book of Revelation John refers to himself simply as: John your brother and partner (Revelation 1/9) etc. Insistence on a title is worldly and unbiblical. 
The list continues to grow............


RICHARD TAYLOR'S FLAWED "LEADERSHIP TIP"

http://www.equip121.com/news/leadership-tip

Here is Taylor's list of qualities required for Christian leadership: humility, curiosity, optimism, vulnerability, generosity and openness.

Going on to Taylor’s short video he says: “I just had this thought about a container – there is something about a container that relates to leadership”. The three things about a container according to the gospel of Taylor are: Size, durability, what it is designed to carry or hold.

A container relates to leadership?  Taylor's leadership list differs significantly from God's list!   If they must be oversimplified, the basic qualities required for leadership are commitment, conviction, competency and character as found in the relevant Bible passages:1 Timothy 3/1-13; 2 Timothy 2/1-13; Titus 1/5-9; Acts 6/1-6 and also Exodus 18/21-22. These passages give very practical guidelines concerning the way of life and the necessary qualities of men in leadership.

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 3/1-13)

Paul actually uses the metaphor of a container to describe the weakness/lowliness of the human body:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. (2 Corinthians 4/7) The treasure is the gospel of Jesus Christ. “But we - Not only the apostles, but all true believers. Have this treasure - Of divine light, love, glory. In earthen vessels - In frail, feeble, perishing bodies.” (Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible by John Wesley [1754-65])

Taylor gives us a symbolic model of a container which actually focuses on examination of the container rather than on God. He gives us no biblical reference to substantiate this model or anything else that he says. Vessels are also used symbolically by Paul in Romans 9/21 and 2 Timothy 2/21 where he is talking about vessels for honourable and dishonourable use; in 2 Timothy the context is about holiness. Ironically the dishonourable vessels are false teachers such as Hymenaeus and Philetus (v 17). 

How ironic also that a container (boiling pot) is a prophetic sign in the Old Testament for God's impending judgement.  Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied about Jezebel's antitype, the end time apostate church (Revelation 2/20).  


Taylor's  “container”  is a cistern that can hold no water (Jeremiah 2/13).  I would actually go further and say that when the container itself is defiled beyond remedy, then how can it possibly hold the treasure? 

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose corrosion is in it, and whose corrosion has not gone out of it!  (Ezekiel 24/6 - see also Revelation 16/10-11)

And every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holy to the LORD of hosts, so that all who sacrifice may come and take of them and boil the meat of the sacrifice in them. (Zecharaiah 14/21)

Despite taking up a significant amount of space, Taylor does not refer to one Bible verse and says nothing at all about preaching the gospel, making disciples, teaching the Word of God and the example of leaders.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.....(Matthew 28/19)

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. (Mark 10/43/44)

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (Hebrews 13/7)

…..and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2/2)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2/15)

Taylor uses the wisdom of this world/worldly tactics to give people a way of achieving their own ambitions rather than the wisdom of God for His purposes. Taylor focuses on how to become a leader and how to sustain leadership; his presentation could have been given at any secular management conference. He is an eisegate who makes throw away comments which are not biblical and not helpful. Some examples:

Leadership is not about how good we are but how good we are in recognising and realising others.”
(Taylor's definition of leadership)

..humility can actually increase one’s influence. (is that why we should be humble?)

Genuinely caring for and recognising the talents of others makes real leaders.” 

Be willing to receive intelligence and wisdom from all sources in an effort to further your view of the world.” (wisdom from all sources?)

There are many forms of apostasy taking place in the majority of UK churches claiming to be Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic. This is what is referred to in the Bible as the end time “falling away” (apostasia) (2 Thessalonians 2/3). If past form is anything to go by, even if these churches do not embrace the so called “Welsh Outpouring”, they will continue to open their doors to unbiblical ideas and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4/1). Many churches have gone too far and are unlikely to repent, but true believers are being called to turn their backs on the false teachers and hirelings who are propagating insidious unbiblical ideas in their so called churches.

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4/3-4)

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement. (John 7/24; 8/15)

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5/8)

Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; (Revelation 18/4)


FURTHER INFORMATION:

http://s4c.co.uk/clic/e_level2.shtml?series_id=510265514

Dear Reader – Do you have questions about Jesus Christ and how to be truly saved? If so, then please read my post: GOD'S PLAN OF SALVATION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST

http://bewareofthewolves.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/gods-plan-of-salvation-through-jesus.html