Have you ever known someone that is more concerned with the next move of God or wave of the Spirit rather than reading , understanding, and applying the principles of God into their daily living. I do, there are numerous charismatic signs and wonders chasers being deceived in the Body of Christ and in the Church today. I can compare it to a surfer trying to catch the ultimate wave, going from beach to beach in search of the ultimate wave but never finding it. The search for the next wave in Charismatic circles has led believers down a path away from Jesus instead of towards Him.
Tag Archives: Healing
Spiritual Abuse Survey: Is YOUR church a safe place?
Take the survey from wickedshepherds.com and see!
Here is a questionnaire to determine just how healthy your church really is. To find out how well it ranks, answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions:
•Does your church tightly control the flow of information within its ranks?
•Does the head of your church, along with the other “leaders”, use public shaming as a method to gain the compliance of followers?
•Does the head of your church and his “fellow elders” appear to be intolerant or consider it evil persecution when criticized or questioned?
•Are you discouraged to associate with former members, being warned that they are “evil” or “defiling”; a “danger to your spiritual welfare”?
•Is leaving your church to join another church that “is not approved by the elders” equal to leaving God?
•Do you fear being rebuked, shunned, or ignored for expressing a different opinion?
•At church, is there a sense of control, rather than support?
•Is there a relentless obsession of reminding the sheep of “who’s in authority”?
•Are you told not to ask questions as to why others have left? Are you told to accept the statements that the “elders” give you?
•Are books, tapes and CD’s, speakers, music, etc., carefully controlled to keep only the belief structure of your church before your mind?
•Is there is a relentless campaign to keep you around the activities of your church, expecting you to be at all the stated meetings, except if providentially hindered? And if you are absent, is your spirituality and dedication sometimes questioned?
•Is the concept ever so subtly present that, “when you please the “pastor”, God is pleased and when your “pastor” is not pleased with you, God is not pleased with you?
•Is there present, the breaking of even the closest family ties, to “guard” the flock?
•Is there the constant using of guilt and shame as tools of control?
•Is there present at your church the encouragement of the members to spy and report on each other, lest sin be found in the midst?
•Is there present at your church the dominant climate of fear in the group – fear of failing to keep one of the rules, and fear of being held up to public humiliation and rejection?
•At church, are the normal lines between what is private and what is public knowledge broken, and members confess the most personal, and the most minor sins, as the conscience is being surrendered to the “leadership”?
•Are many (if not all) of the results from voting at “congregational business meetings” announced as….. “it is unanimous!”?
•Is questioning condemned as “whispering, back- biting, vicious slander, gossip, nit picking, signs of a proud rebellious spirit, being disaffected and divisive?
•Are those who dissent publicly punished? Are their reputations murdered by veiled, or not so veiled “revelations” of “sins”; past and present, as confidentiality is broken for the benefit of the leaders?
•Is there a misplaced loyalty from Jesus and God onto the leadership, which is idolatry?
•Is there harsh preaching and full of condemnation for your failures and are you deliberately being kept wounded and off balance by the haranguing and condemnation from the pulpit?
•Is “Persevere or be damned” and “listen to YOUR elders; obey YOUR elders”; “submit to YOUR elders” preached over and over again?
•Is paranoia the “very air you breathe”? Paranoia of falling from grace; thinking for yourselves; breaking the many unspoken rules as well as the clearly spelled out expectations of the leader?
•Are you becoming paranoid – carefully watching your every word and even gesture, lest someone report your faults?
•Does a code of silence reign at your church? Is no one to divulge the business of the church, or the faults of the leadership?
•Do the spiritual leaders at your church seem to give you the impression that either covertly or overtly, they have the right to tell you how you should manage your own family; presuming that they know your own family better than you know yourself?
RESULTS
If you answered “no” to all of the above questions, your church is relatively healthy. If you answered “yes” to a quarter or more, your church is showing signs of being unhealthy. If you answered “yes” to half or more, your church is very, very unhealthy. If you answered “yes” to three-quarters or more, your church is an authoritarian cult.
http://endtimesdeception.com/?p=681
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When I first became a Christian, I studied under a guy named R.B. Theime because he has a free booklet and cassette tape ministry. I later concluded that he had to much of a militant personality and he went a little stray doctrinally. BUT one of the most influential booklets I have ever had was from Doctor Theime simply called “Christian Suffering”. From this I learned a very important principle that Theime coined “Momentum Testing” which asserts that while God is omniscient know all things, He allows us to have set backs, afflictions, challenges and adversities SO THAT WE know where we are in our relationship with him. AND ALSO to bring us maturity and THE NEXT LEVAL of responsibility and relationship with Him.
Theime also coined a term that RADICALLY INSULTS MODERN MAN,, “Suffering for Blessing”. WHY?? Simply because the modern CHRISTIAN has, for the most part, turned FROM TRUTH TO MYTHS and LIES TAUGHT BY DEMONS.
To help others see the value in Christian Suffering, I did some research a couple of years ago and posted a couple of pages of really good resource on Christian Suffering. I am a Member of a MSN groups called Christians Who Are Hurting. I posted this page of links there about two years ago and they are fixin to close due to MSN shutting down their OLD groups and starting new ones.
THEREFORE I am posting these pages over here.
THE VIDEO ABOVE IS AN HOUR LONG but may be the best video on healing ever made. Called “SIGNS AND WONDERS Movement EXPOSED” part two is on this post. PART ONE IS HERE with much more Christian suffering material.
Depression & Grief
Multimedia | Essays
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“And, better still, Jesus will be in all these trials, and prove sufficient for them all. We shall hear in the midst ‘of the great fight of afflictions’ the sound of our Master’s footsteps. He Himself has passed through these flames, braved these floods, and bowed His guiltless head to these storms. He comes to us as He did to His disciples in the very midst of the tempest, and says, ‘Fear not, it is I, be not afraid.’
—John R. MacDuff commenting on Isaiah 43:2.
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The Bow in the Cloud, by John R. MacDuff – For those who grieve, start here! -designed specifically to comfort the grieving Christian.
Keeping the Heart by John Flavel
MultimediaDozens of Audio Lectures on Suffering, Pain and Sin by Steve Brown MP3s Founder and President of Key Life Network, and Professor of Practical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, FLHow to Handle Anger by Jay Adams MP3 Dealing with Depression by Jay Adams MP3Suffering and the Sovereignty of God Free MP3 Downloads
(Desiring God Conference 2005) Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper MP3 | Read Manuscript | The Sovereignty of God and Ethnic-based Suffering by Carl Ellis MP3 | Outline”
All the Good that is Ours in Christ”: Seeing God’s Gracious Hand in the Hurts Others Do Us by Mark Talbot MP3 | Outline Christ’s Grace and Your Sufferings by David Powlison MP3 Sovereignty, Suffering, and the Work of Missions by Steve Saint MP3 Suffering for the Sake of . . . by Joni Eareckson Tada MP3 The Suffering of Christ and the Sovereignty of God John Piper MP3
More Audio
Dozens of Downloadable Audio Lecture on Suffering, Pain and Sin
by Steve Brown MP3s
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Encouragement for the Depressed! by C.H. Spurgeon
Comfort for the Desponding by C.H. Spurgeon
Devotions for Those Who Grieve by Charles Spurgeon
The Night Watches by John MacDuff
The First Bereavement by John McDuff
More Writings by John McDuff
REVIVAL: The Depression and Revivification of Spiritual Life by Octavius Winslow
Comforting Thoughts of Heaven by Octavius Winslow
Go and Tell Jesus by Octavius Winslow
Bereavement, The Submission and Solace of Spiritual Life by Octavius Winslow
The Mission of Sorrow by Gardiner Spring
A BOOK FOR THE BEREAVED by John MacDuff, 1883
Christ in the Psalms by Henry Law
Comfort for Mourners by Henry Law
Behold Your God: Sustaining Principles Amid Dark Providences by Dean Allen
John Piper’s Sermons on Suffering @desiringgod ministries
Help For Those Who Grieve (Website) By Greg and Nan Wright
Helpful Resources for Depression and Suffering Extenisve!
The Hope Within Us: Bringing Comfort to the Bereaved By Nan Wright
Illness and a Lifeview by Bob Smith
1. Illness in general seen from the perspective of a biblical world and life view.
2. Depression (as a specific example of an illness) 3. Symptoms
COUNSELING ON SUICIDE by Dr. Richard Krejcir<O:P></O:P>
The Character of Enthusiasm by Dr. Richard Krejcir<O:P></O:P>
The Character of Encouragement by Dr. Richard Krejcir
Trusting God Even When We Don’t Understand Pastor Bob Gonzales Jr.,
A Letter Out of Grief: A Short Letter from a Puritan Pastor After the Deaths of All Three of His Children by Samuel Danforth
Music for the Grieving
Cyberhymnal: Grief and Suffering
Songs of Encouragement Hymns and choruses written by Greg Wright and others to encourage the grieving. |
Songs of Hope – The singer originally made these recordings to encourage a dying friend. Now they are posted on the web in realaudio and mp3 formats.
Music for the Soul
Music For The Soul is a nonprofit Christian ministry committed to providing healing through music and song.
Trail of Tears by B. K. Campbell
Charles Spurgeon: Preaching Through Adversity by John Piper
Counseling the Grieving by Rev. Charles Terpstra
The Cure of Melancholy and Overmuch Sorrow, by Faith by Richard Baxter
Directions for Grief at the Death of Friends by Richard Baxter
What to Do When you get Depressed by Jay Adams
The Crisis of Elijah (1 Kings 19:4-14) by J. Hampton Keathley III, Th.M.
The War Within (Romans 7:14-25) by Bob Deffinbaugh
The Darkest Days of David’s Life (2 Samuel 16:20 — 19:8) by Bob Deffinbaugh, Th.M
The True Source of Joy (Luke 10:17-24) by Bob Deffinbaugh
What is that Good that All Things shall Work For? (Romans 8:28) by Ralph Erskine
Intimacy with God
by Joan Synder
“Present Sufferings Weighed with Future Glory” by Rev. Carl Haak
No Reason for Discouragements by William Bridge
Hope For Those Who Suffer !
Sickness by J.C. Ryle
In Affliction and Trial – John 15:2 by Andrew Murray
What should a Christian do if overwhelmed with depression?
Dealing with Depression
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