Living Journey

A man, a prophet or perhaps Christ Himself? There are some contenders for this role, one of which I read about quite a few years ago called Maitreya the “Christ”. Or, as those who endorse him say, he is the ‘Christ for Christians’, the ‘Messiah for Jew’s’ the last ‘Imam for Muslims’ and well, just a great teacher … so all things to all people.

Oh, but wait… there is another one called José Luis Miranda, a Puerto Rican who calls himself “Jesucristo Hombre” he says he is Jesus too. Hmmmm who to follow? I wonder if the two Messiah’s know about each other?
All this is very dangerous as past history has shown. These false Messiah’s or false prophets are very good at twisting scripture to suit an agenda in anyway they see fit. It is extremely important that we know our scripture so that we can recognise the sheep in wolves clothing.

A while ago I had written a post called ‘A prayer - an email of concern, replied to by a stranger…then a comment from a stranger.‘ - I know … a ridiculous long title, but it seemed good at the time - and in that post I had mentioned Rick Warren’s very clever scripture twisting.

He was speaking about the 40 years of wandering in the desert and how a generation of Israelites could not make it to the promised land because they died. He compares those who didn’t see the promise land to those who dis-like his current new reformation that he is pushing and how they may not be part of it so they may have to either leave the church or the church will just have to wait for them to die.

“I’m saying some people are going to have to die or leave. Moses had to wander around the desert for 40 years while God killed off a million people before he let them go into the Promised Land. That may be brutally blunt, but it’s true. There may be people in your church who love God sincerely, but who will never, ever change” (Rick Warren’s “Ministry Toolbox,” No. 263, 6/14/06).

Now that is some scripture twisting!!!

Let’s read the actual scripture:

1Co 10:5-10 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, “for they were scattered in the deserted place.” But these things became examples for us, so that we may not be lusters after evil, even as those indeed lusted. Neither be idolaters, even as some of them, as it has been written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.” Nor should we commit fornication, as some of them fornicated, and twenty three thousand fell in one day. 1Co 10:9 Neither test Christ, as some of them tried Him, and perished by serpents. Neither should you murmur, as also some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer.

Does the above scripture give a good description of you?

If you don’t like the way your church has become an ear tickling, wishy washy, seeker friendly, luke warm church that makes God sick kind of place. Then according to Rick Warren you are like those who God punished in the wilderness; you are an idolater a fornicator and someone who lusts after evil, and you should all drop dead!

I raise this point because Neil Botham who has led a coutnter-cult group for the last 20 years is very aware of the dangers behind such scripture twisting. He has this to say about Rick Warren’s rather pompous statement (found here in a post called ‘Die or get out Rick Warren says!!!‘):

This latest quote from Warren should sound a warning to Christians worldwide, especially those pastors who have been taken in by his anti-christian poison. I have been the director of a counter-cult -movement for the last 20 years, i.e teaching christians how to respond to the cults. The similarities between warren and Jim jones of jonestown and david koresh leave me cold. Warren is a classic example of how power corrupts. Christian, see the writing on the wall and dump this poison before it’s to late.

What writing on the wall does he see?

Anyway, I recently watched a DVD about the Waco tragedy called ‘The Rules of Engagement‘, and I wrote this poem after viewing the DVD. I have also read the transcript between Koresh and the FBI, which was rather moving and chilling.

If you are interested in any other poems I have written I have one called ‘The Imitation of Christ‘ about the founder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Ellen G White. I have also read the newspapers regarding the charges against Israel Dammon. Which inspired that particular poem.

Dalet is the 4th letter in the Hebrew alpha-bet and it means impoverished, possessing nothing of ones own. The pictograph for the dalet is a door to a tent.

The word for religion is dat () which means the ‘door of the cross’. In sequence we have the Father (Aleph) sent His Son (Bet) and by means of the Holy Spirit (Gimmel) who makes appeal to the poor and needy to receive the grace of the LORD God of Israel. As Yeshua said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

Here is how you write the dalet -