Life After Death

The namesake of the oldest book in the Bible, Job, asked the question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14) The question of life after death has occupied the thoughts of man for all of his history. Just the fact that you are now reading this text bears witness to the fact that this most universal of all questions has occupied your thoughts as well.
Dear friend, allow me to share with you what God’s Word has to teach us about this subject. The Bible (both Old and New Testaments) gives us abundant evidence that man was created by God to live eternally. The sense of eternity is universal; a general belief in man’s mortal present but immortal future can be found in all cultures throughout the world. The question is, then, ‘What happens when I die?’

Most people today believe that if, generally speaking, they are a good person then they will go to Heaven. In other words, if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, or, as long as they sincerely try to live a good life, then God will accept them.

There is actually some truth to this. If a person dies and truly is a good and righteous person, then he is assured of an eternity in Heaven. There’s just one problem, though: the Bible makes it quite clear that there are no inherently good people. Romans 3:10 states, “There is none righteous, no not one.”
I know, I know. It sounds very brash and harsh to claim that there are no good people to be found anywhere. After all, one may wonder, ‘What about people like Mother Theresa, Gandhi, or Billy Graham? Weren’t (or in the latter case, aren’t) they good people? Well, by human standards I would be the first to answer that question with a resounding Yes. Though I would disagree with some of them on some theological issues, I would say that all of them were, or are, humble people who consistently placed others above themselves. History will look kindly on all of these individuals as being selfless people with high moral standards and personal integrity.

The problem, though, lies in the fact that God does not judge us by man’s standards, He judges us by His. What exactly are those standards? They are, very simply, the 10 Commandments. If a man could live by all of the 10 Commandments perfectly throughout his life, then he would indeed be a good person by God’s standards and be assured of eternity in Heaven. I invite you to look with me at the 10 Commandments and as we progress, evaluate yourself to see if you measure up to God’s standards.


The Ten Commandments

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me
This commandment is not only an injunction not to worship other deities before the true God, Yahweh. It also means that nothing in our lives should ever take priority over God and His will. Has there ever been a time in your life in which something or someone was, even for a moment, more important to you than God? Has God always been your top priority and greatest love?

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images
If you are reading this, you probably do not have a statue of Buddha or of some other pagan god sitting somewhere in your home that you worship. In the clear, right? Well, not so fast. If you believe things about God that are not supported by Scripture (for example, that God will accept you as long as you ‘try to be a good person’) then you are not worshipping the true God. You have made a god out of your own image. This is called idolatry and is a serious sin.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
God takes His good name very seriously. Have you ever misused God’s name in a vulgar or even flippant way? This is called blasphemy.

4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
Though we should love and serve God every day, He has set aside one day a week for special worship of and service to Him. Has there ever been a Sabbath day in which you slept in or maybe went fishing or to a ballgame instead of going to church?

5. Honor thy father and thy mother
Have you ever disobeyed or dishonored your parents? Have you ever lied to them (and thereby broke two commandments at once)?

6. Thou shalt not murder
Most of us have not actually killed another person. Off the hook, right? Well, the Bible teaches that “Whoever hateth his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). Have you ever hated another individual?

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
Like many of the Ten Commandments, this one encapsulates more than one might expect just at face value. Jesus said, “whoever looketh upon a woman with lust has committed adultery with her in his heart.” Have you ever looked at a woman with lust? If you are a lady, have you ever done this toward a man?

8. Thou shalt not steal
Have you ever stolen anything regardless of its value?

9. Thou shalt not lie
Who among us has not lied?

10. Thou shalt not covet
This means that we should not desire any possession of another individual whether it be his home, vehicle, boat, wife, social status, prestige – anything.
So, how did you do? If you are anything like me, you probably did not do too well. If you are really honest with yourself, I think that you will find that at one time or another you have broken most, if not all, of God’s commandments. Even if we break only one, it is the same as breaking them all (James 2:10). By God’s standards, then, we are all liars, thieves, idolaters, basphemers, and adulterers. We have all at one time or another dishonored our parents, disregarded the Sabbath, coveted another’s possessions, and not put God first in our lives. So you see, by God’s standards, we are not as good as we might have imagined. The fact of the matter is, we are all sinners (Romans 3:23).
The Consequences of Sin

Almost all people to whom I have shared the Gospel will in fact admit they are sinners upon hearing and understanding the 10 Commandments, but many fail to recognize the gravity of their sin. Some believe that God will just overlook their sin. Others have this notion that God will grade on a curve and reward them because they are not as bad as a, say, Hitler or Stalin or Pol Pot. Friend, if this is your idea of God, let me say that I love you enough to tell you you are wrong – dead wrong. All sin, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us, is an affront to a holy God. The Bible teaches that “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This death is a spiritual death and results in eternal separation from God. Please understand, dear one, that this eternal death is not just missing out on Heaven, it is eternal conscious suffering in a very real place the Bible calls Hell. Sin has eternal consequences because it is committed against an eternal God. Once a person enters Hell, there are no second chances,  his fate is eternally and tragically sealed.
The Good News

The word “Gospel” means “good news.” The Good News of the Gospel is that God does not want you to go to Hell and loves you enough to have provided a Way of escape. His name is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the living God. Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully man and was the only One to have ever lived a perfect, sinless life. Jesus then willingly laid down His life for us by dying on a Roman cross. He was crucified to pay the penalty of your sins and mine. He became the offering for our sins and therefore satisfied the demands of God’s justice.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us – Romans 5:8
Then, on the morning of the third day, something amazing happened. God raised Jesus from the dead. All four gospels bear witness to this miraculous event. Jesus was raised and showed Himself very much alive to the disciples and apostles and to more than five hundred at once (1 Corinthians 15:3-7). The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single most well-attested event in all of ancient history and testifies to the deity of Jesus. The resurrection sets Jesus apart from all other “religious leaders” who came before Him or since.
By being raise from the dead, Jesus has gained victory over sin, death and Hell. He is alive today and stands ready to forgive anyone of his sins who will confess with his mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in his heart that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). Jesus and Jesus alone can forgive one of his sins and secure for him escape from Hell and an eternity in Heaven. That is the Good News.


Your Response

According to the Word of God, dear friend, what you decide about Jesus will determine where you spend eternity. No one can earn his salvation by good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). If we could somehow earn God’s favor, then the cross is empty and meaningless. We are forgiven of our sins when we first realize that we are sinners and in need of saving. Then, for the one who believes the Good News and is willing to repent of his sins and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, salvation is freely given.

Are you ready to forsake your sins and surrender completely to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Please do not come to Jesus seeking happiness, peace, or some purpose-filled life. Come to Jesus seeking forgiveness of your sins. Come to Him because He alone can deliver you from the judgment that must come to anyone who dies without Him.

Friends, if you come to Christ, please do not expect that your life will all of the sudden be wonderful and without problems. Jesus did not promise anyone this. To the contrary, Jesus promised those who follow Him that they would face trials, persecutions, and be hated by some – maybe even by one’s own family. No, Jesus does not promise an easy life, financial prosperity, or physical healing (contrary to what some preachers would have you believe). He does promise you, though, the greatest gift of all: forgiveness of sins and eternal life. When the inevitable trials of life do come, He will grant His sufficient grace and strength made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He will grant His peace that surpasses all human understanding (Philippians 4:6-7). This peace and strength comes from knowing that we are forgiven of our sins and that our eternity is secure.

If you have read all of this and are being convicted by the Holy Spirit of God that you need to surrender to Jesus Christ and trust Him as Savior and Lord, I would invite you to do that now. Go to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save you. He stands ready to receive you unto Himself and wash your scarlet sins white as snow. If you have made this decision, please write and share with me your new life in Christ. It will be my joy to send you some material to help you in your new walk with Him and to pray for you as my new brother or sister in Christ.

I would encourage you to begin reading your Bible and praying daily. Seek and join a Bible-believing and teaching church. As you grow in your relationship with Jesus, share the Good News with others. May God richly bless and use you for His glory. (Share from : Justin Peters Ministries)

Ten Reasons Christians Should Not Celebrate Halloween

Many in our secular society believe Halloween is nothing more than a harmless festival that allows kids to collect candy. But is it? Its origins lie deeply rooted in the occult, and Christians should stay away. Here are ten reasons why.

• October 31st has long been known as “The Festival of the Dead.” The Celtic tribes and their priests the Druids celebrated this day as a marker for the change from life to death.
• Halloween today is performed usually by adherents of witchcraft who use the night for their rituals. Witches celebrate Halloween as the “Feast of Samhain,” the first feast of the witchcraft year. Being a festival of the dead, Halloween is a time when witches attempt to communicate with the dead through various forms of divination.
• Christians should not be involved with occultic practice or divination. Note God’s command against divination in Deuteronomy 18.
• Occultists believe Halloween is a time of transition between life and death. Some occult practitioners practiced divination and believed you could learn the secrets of life and wisdom by Iying on a grave and listening to the messages from the long-departed.
• Occultists also taught that spirits and ghosts left the grave during this night and would seek out warmth in their previous homes. Villagers, fearful of the possibility of being visited by the ghosts of past occupants, would dress up in costumes to scare the spirits on their way. They would also leave food and other treats at their door to appease the spirits so they would not destroy their homes or crops but instead move on down the road. That is the real reason why kids dress up in costumes today and go door-to-door seeking treats.
• Occultists also would try to scare away the spirits by carving a scary face into a pumpkin. This horrible visage would hopefully move the spirit on to another home or village and spare that home from destruction. Sometimes the villagers would light a candle and place it within the pumpkin and use it as a lantern (hence the name, Jack-o-Lantern). This is the origin of carving pumpkins at Halloween.
• In some witchcraft covens, the closing ritual includes eating an apple or engaging in fertility rites. In the Bible (Genesis 3), eating a piece of fruit brought sin and death into the world. In witchcraft, eating an apple is symbolic of bringing life. The practice of bobbing for apples brings together two pagan traditions: divination and the fertility ritual.
• Schools are removing any religious significance from Christmas (often called winter break) and Easter (spring break). Isn’t it ironic that most public schools still celebrate Halloween even though it has occultic origins? Participating in Halloween gives sanction to a holiday that promotes witches, divination, haunted houses, and other occultic practices.
• Christians should avoid Halloween and develop creative alternatives. Churches can hold a Fall Fun Festival and/or celebrate Reformation Day (also October 31). They should not endorse or promote Halloween.

By J Kerby Anderson Copyright © 2001 Probe Ministries

Joyce Meyer and Her False Teachings

Joyce Meyer says God has made her rich. Everything she has came from Him: the $10 million corporate jet, her husband’s $107,000 silver-gray Mercedes sedan, her $2 million home and houses worth another $2 million for her four children – all blessings, she says, straight from the hand of God. It’s been an amazing run, nothing short of a miracle, says Meyer, a one-time bookkeeper who heads one of the world’s largest television ministries. Her Life in the Wordorganization expects to take in $95 million this year.

Just look around, she told reporters last month from behind her desk on the third floor of the ministry’s corporate offices in Jefferson County.

Noticed her background at her podium

“Here I am, an ex-housewife from Fenton, with a 12th-grade education,” she said. “How could anybody look at this and see anything other than God?” (http://mormonismscam.com/2012/02/18/joyce-meyer-ministry-scam-or-not-you-decide/)

he ministry’s headquarters is a three-story jewel of red brick and emerald-color glass that, from the outside, has the look and feel of a luxury resort hotel. Built two years ago for $20 million, the building and grounds are postcard perfect, from manicured flower beds and walkways to a five-story lighted cross.

The driveway to the office complex is lined on both sides with the flags of dozens of nations reached by the ministry. A large bronze sculpture of the Earth sits atop an open Bible near the parking lot. Just outside the main entrance, a sculpture of an American eagle landing on a tree branch stands near a man-made waterfall. A message in gold letters greets employees and visitors over the front entryway: “Look what the Lord Has Done.”

The building is decorated with religious paintings and sculptures, and quality furniture. Much of it, Meyer says, she selected herself.

A Jefferson County assessor’s list offers a glimpse into the value of many of the items: a $19,000 pair of Dresden vases, six French crystal vases bought for $18,500, an $8,000 Dresden porcelain depicting the Nativity, two $5,800 curio cabinets, a $5,700 porcelain of the Crucifixion, a pair of German porcelain vases bought for $5,200.

The decor includes a $30,000 malachite round table, a $23,000 marble-topped antique commode, a $14,000 custom office bookcase, a $7,000 Stations of the Cross in Dresden porcelain, a $6,300 eagle sculpture on a pedestal, another eagle made of silver bought for $5,000, and numerous paintings purchased for $1,000 to $4,000 each.

Inside Meyer’s private office suite sit a conference table and 18 chairs bought for $49,000. The woodwork in the offices of Meyer and her husband cost the ministry $44,000.

In all, assessor’s records of the ministry’s personal property show that nearly $5.7 million worth of furniture, artwork, glassware, and the latest equipment and machinery fill the 158,000-square-foot building.

As of this summer, the ministry also owned a fleet of vehicles with an estimated value of $440,000. The Jefferson County assessor has been trying to get the complex and its contents added to the tax rolls but has failed.

Stylish sports cars and a plane

Meyer drives the ministry’s 2002 Lexus SC sports car with a retractable top, valued at $53,000. Her son Dan, 25, drives the ministry’s 2001 Lexus sedan, with a value of $46,000. Meyer’s husband drives his Mercedes-Benz S55 AMG sedan. “My husband just likes cars,” Meyer said.

The Meyers keep the ministry’s Canadair CL-600 Challenger jet, which Joyce Meyer says is worth $10 million, at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield. The ministry employs two full-time pilots to fly the Meyers to conferences around the world.

Meyer calls the plane a “lifesaver” for her and her family. “It enabled us, at our age, to travel literally all over the world and preach the gospel” with better security than that offered on commercial flights, she said.

Security is important to Meyer, who says she has received death threats. She has a division of the ministry dedicated to her safety. Her officers wear pistols; they guard the headquarters’ front gate, keeping out anyone but employees and invited guests. The ministry bought a $145,000 house where the security chief lives rent-free to keep him close to the ministry’s headquarters.

The family compound

The ministry has also bought homes for other key employees.

Since 1999, the ministry has spent at least $4 million on five homes for Meyer and her four children near Interstate 270 and Gravois Road, St. Louis County records show.

Meyer’s house, the largest of the five, is a 10,000-square-foot Cape Cod style estate home with a guest house and a garage that can be independently heated and cooled and can hold up to eight cars. The three-acre property has a large fountain, a gazebo, a private putting green, a pool and a poolhouse where the ministry recently added a $10,000 bathroom.

The ministry pays for utilities, maintenance and landscaping costs at all five homes. It also pays for renovations. The Meyers ordered major rehab work at the ministry’s expense right after the ministry bought three of the homes. For example, the ministry bought one home, leveled it and then built a new home on the site to the specifications of Meyer’s daughter Sandra and her husband, county records show.

Even the property taxes, $15, 629 this year, are paid by the ministry.

Meyer called the homes a “good investment” for the ministry and said the ministry bears the cost of upkeep and maintenance because the family is too busy to take care of such tasks. “It’s just too hard to keep up with something like that when you travel as much as we do,” Meyer said.

She said that federal tax law allows ministries to buy parsonages for their employees, so the arrangement does not violate any prohibitions against personal benefit. Meyer also said the decision to cluster the families together was a way to build a buffer to better ensure privacy and security.

“We put good people all around us,” she said. “Obviously, if I was trying to hide anything or thought I was doing anything wrong, I wouldn’t live on the corner of Gravois and 270.”

The irrevocable trust

Meyer says she expects the best, from where she lives to how she looks. Much of her clothing is custom-tailored at an upscale West County dress shop. At her conferences, she usually wears flashy jewelry. She sports an impressive diamond ring that she said she got from one of her followers. Meyer has a private hairdresser. And, a few years ago, Meyer told her employees she was getting a face-lift.

Not everything is paid directly by the ministry.

Last year, the Meyers bought a $500,000 atrium ranch lakefront home in Porto Cima, a private-quarters club at Lake of the Ozarks. A few weeks later, they bought two watercrafts similar to Jet Skis and a $105,000 Crownline boat painted red, white and blue that they named the Patriot.

In 2000, the Meyers also bought her parents a $130,000 home just a few minutes from where the Meyers live.

The Meyers have put the Mercedes, the lake house, the boat and her parents’ home into an irrevocable trust, an arrangement that tax experts say would help protect them from any financial problems at the minisry.

Meyer says she should not have to defend how she spends the ministry’s money. “We teach and preach and believe biblically that God wants to bless people who serve Him,” Meyer said. “So there’s no need for us to apologize for being blessed.”

Meyer’s “trusted” board

For the most part, Meyer can spend the ministry’s money any way she sees fit because her board of directors is handpicked. It consists of Meyer, her husband and all four of her children — all paid workers — as well as six of Meyer’s closest friends. (Ministry officials said that daughter Laura Holtzmann has now resigned; state records still list her on the board.) “Our family is a huge help to us,” Meyer said. “We couldn’t do this if we didn’t have somebody we trusted.”

Board members Roxane and Paul Schermann are such close friends that for more than a decade they lived in the Meyers’ home. The ministry employed both of them as high-level managers and in 2001 bought them a $334,000 home. Roxane Schermann no longer works at the ministry; her husband continues as a paid division manager. The Schermanns bought the house at the same price from the ministry in January. Delanie Trusty, the ministry’s certified public accountant, also serves as the ministry board’s secretary.

The board decides how the ministry’s money is spent. The salaries of Meyer and her family are set by those board members who are not family members and are not employed by the ministry, Meyer’s lawyer said. The arrangement meets IRS regulations, the lawyer said.

“We certainly wouldn’t have enemies and people we don’t know” on the board, Meyer said. “That wouldn’t make any sense. Anybody who has a board is going to have people in favor of you.”

Meyer and her ministry refuse to tell how much the ministry pays Meyer, her husband, her children and her children’s spouses. “I don’t make any more than I’m worth,” Meyer said. “We’re definitely within IRS guidelines.”

Such an overlap between top administrators and board members concerns the IRS because “the opportunity to manipulate and control the organization is easier to accomplish,” said Bruce Philipson of St. Paul, Minn., the IRS group manager of tax-exempt organizations for this region. (Carolyn Tuft and Bill Smith St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11/15/2003)

“And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.” Luke 17:23

Articles taken for the most part from the St. Louis Post Dispatch Newspaper.

Joyce Meyer is one dynamic speaker/motivator. The problem with Mrs. Meyers is that her doctrine is not Biblical. She does teach some good things but she also teaches way to many things that are not Biblically correct. Like the rest of the Word Faith, Seed Faith, Name It And Claim it crowd, Mrs. Meyers lives an extravagant lifestyle. She has all her clothes tailor made for her and lives in a multi-million dollar home, her husband drives a $100,000 automobile, her and their children all drive expensive vehicles, paid for by the Ministry and she fly’s around the country in her Multi-million dollar jet plane when she isn’t taking time to vacation at her home in the Ozarks, paid for by the Ministry. I truly believe these millions of dollars could have been used more efficiently on other causes other than to give her and her family a rich lifestyle. I do not think they should live as dirt poor persons but I certainly do not recognize any sacrifice on their parts. There are millions of people who need the basics in life just to live let alone have any extra. With all this extravagance, she is not showing the true spirit of Jesus. – RW

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Joyce Meyers Message On Being Born Again
Quotes, Teachings, Doctrines, Beliefs Concerning Salvation

Purpose
What are the beliefs, teachings & doctrines of Joyce Meyers concerning being “Born Again”? What does Joyce Meyer believe on what a person must believe to be saved? What does Joyce Meyer teach concerning Jesus on the cross and spiritual death, and salvation? Below will be various quotes from Joyce Meyer teachings from one of her booklets called “The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make“, and the purpose for this information is not to be contentious or divisive, but rather to give an exposition of what Joyce Meyer teaches concerning being born again. Within the Christian Church there are many people who listen to Joyce Meyer whether on the radio, television, or by reading her books. However, many do not realize that her teachings are not in accordance with the Word of God. It is true that there are things she teaches which do line up Biblically, but the same is said of the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Mormons.

What does Joyce Meyer teach that is so bad? Is Joyce Meyer a false teacher? Is Joyce Meyer a Christian? Why should anyone be concerned? Joyce Meyers does not have all the same false teachings as those in the Faith Movement, but she does have some teachings that are the same with various Faith teachers. Examine this information for yourself and line up the Biblical gospel to the gospel that Joyce Meyer teaches. For more information on the Faith Movement teachings go to our Faith Movement section.

In a book called “The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make” Joyce Meyer teaches what it means to be born again and what Christ had to do for people to be saved. Read the following comments:
“Although your physical body will die someday, your spirit will continue to live for an eternity. Whether your spirit lives in heaven or hell depends on the choices you have made. In this book, best selling author Joyce Meyer outlines God’s plan of salvation so that you can make a quality decision.” (Back of the book, 1996-Edition)

“The spiritual part of you can be thought of as the part of you that cannot be seen with the natural eye. This part of you will live forever. And where the spiritual you lives depends on the decision you make as you read this book.” (Page 8, 1996-Edition)
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Warning, Danger Ahead!
Joyce Meyer teaches that Jesus did not pay for sin upon the cross, but actually went to the torments of hell and made atonement there. The following quote is from Joyce Meyer’s 1991 booklet on being born again which is worded differently in the 1996-updated edition.
“During that time He entered hell, where you and I deserved to go (legally) because of our sin…He paid the price there.…no plan was too extreme…Jesus paid on the cross and in hell….God rose up from His throne and said to demon powers tormenting the sinless Son of God, “Let Him go.” Then the resurrection power of Almighty God went through hell and filled Jesus…He was resurrected from the dead 3Ú4 the first born-again man” (The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make: A Complete And Thorough Understanding Of What It Means To Be Born Again, 1991, pages 35-36, Joyce Meyer) This quote was found from the Christian Research Institute’s article on Joyce Meyer which can be found by “Clicking Here”.
In her 1996 edition of “The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make” Joyce Meyer states the same things but with different wording.
“Believe that Jesus did what the Bible says. Believe He is indeed the Son of God, born of a virgin. He took man’s sin on the cross. He did not stay dead. He was in the grave three days. During that time, He entered hell, where you and I deserved to go (legally) because of our sin.” (Page 41, 1996-Edition) Notice the similar wording in this quote compared to the other quote.

“Whatever it took to get God’s people back, free again, is what they would do. Jesus paid for our sins on the cross and went to hell in our place.” (Page 41, 1996-Edition) Whatever it took means that Jesus had to go to hell, suffer and be tormented by demons in our place.

“When Jesus hung on the cross, He took our sin upon Himself. God cannot stay in the presence of sin. As Jesus took our sin, He was separated from the presence of the Father…Jesus was taking your sins and those of everyone else upon Him as He felt this absence of His Father’s presence. He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Matt. 27:46, author's paraphrase] Jesus knew it would happen, but the horror of separation from the bright presence of the Father was worse than He could of imagined, and it caused Him to cry out…and His spirit went to hell because that is where we deserved to go.” (Page 42, 1996-Edition) This is a common teaching among the Faith Movement whereas they teach Jesus died spiritually and became literally the nature of sin. Thus, the Father turned away from Jesus while He was on the cross and Jesus died alone. Check out our article “Was Jesus Separated From The Father On The Cross?” for further information on Jesus being separated from the Father and becoming spiritually dead.

“There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth. You cannot go to heaven unless you believe with all your heart that Jesus took your place. He became your substitute and took all the punishment you deserve. He bore all your sins. He paid the dept you owe…Jesus went to hell for you. He died for you. He paid for your sins.” (Page 43, 1996-Edition)
Concerning being born again and what is required to be saved we see Joyce Meyer teaching:
1. “Believe…what the Bible says.”
2. That when Jesus was on the cross He did not stay dead but went to hell.
3. That Jesus went to hell in our place because that is where we deserved to go.
4. That God would do whatever it took to free His people.
5. That there is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth, meaning what Jesus did to make atonement for sins.
6. That a person must believe in their heart that Jesus took their place on the cross, He died spiritually, (implied) was separated from the Father, tormented by demons in hell, (1991-Edition) Jesus is the first born again man. (1991-Edition)

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What is the Gospel?
The Scriptures are clear on what the Gospel message is.
“1 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NASB) The apostle Paul taught that Jesus died and rose again for our sins according to the Scriptures. Paul taught the death that Jesus died was His physical death and His shed blood. Nowhere do we find anything from Paul or any other apostle/prophet for that matter state Jesus died spiritually for our sins according to the Scriptures.
What the apostles taught concerning what Jesus did to make atonement and reconciliation for our sins:
“19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (Colossians 1:19-22, NASB)
“18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18-19, NASB)
What Jesus taught:

“27 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:27, NASB)

“44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:44-47, NASB)

“Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” (John 19:30, NASB)
Jesus taught that His death and shed blood was sufficient for the atonement of our sins. When Jesus said “It is finished” He was teaching an absolute truth that the payment for sin was paid in full. The Greek of “It is finished” is “tetelestai” which was a common way of saying dept paid in full, it is done.
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What Does Born Again Mean?
Simply put being born again means becoming a new creation in Christ. Jesus taught Nicodemus what born again meant in John 3:1-21 and the message was simple. A person either accepts or rejects that Jesus came to this world to save anyone of their sins. What does it mean to accept Jesus? Jesus came first to the Jews, then after His death and resurrection the message was for the apostles to go to all people. To accept Jesus means you acknowledge you are in need of being saved, (John 3:14-18) that you believe Jesus was the Messiah and God come in the flesh, (John 8:24) that Jesus had the same authority and equality as the Father, (John 5:18-23 & John 10:30) that Jesus was the only way to the Father and for salvation, (John 14:6) that Jesus taught the Father, the Holy Spirit and Himself were three distinct personages from one another. (John 14-16)

John the apostle teaches what born again means:
“4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”…”10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”…”20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” ( 1 John 5, NASB)
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What Will You Do?
It is clear that Joyce Meyer teaches another gospel message concerning what born again means and what is required to believe in order to be saved. This information shows Biblically that Joyce Meyer is not teaching the Biblical Gospel message and those who listen to her should be concerned. We believe she is teaching false doctrines of the message of hope and eternal life, and anyone who is serious about wanting to know truth needs to be open to examining this further. This is not an attack on Joyce Meyer in any way, but rather as said before an exposition on what she teaches concerning being born again.

We are warned in the Scriptures to be careful of those who claim to be of God but are in fact wolves in sheep’s clothing. There are false prophets & apostles, and false Christ’s:
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15, NASB)

“For false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect..” (Matthew 24:24, NASB)

“28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.” (Acts 20:28-31, NASB)

“13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15, NASB)
We are instructed to examine all people and doctrines for truth, and reject false teachers and doctrines:
“10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:10-11, NASB)

“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, NASB)

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15, NASB)

“2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:2-4, NASB)

“10 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.” (Titus 3:10-11, NASB)
What will you do with this information? If any of you are wondering if we have attempted to contact Joyce Meyer’s, the answer is yes. We have attempted contacting Joyce Meyer’s through emails and by phone, yet no reply. Our conclusion is she does not want to discuss this and we urge you to share this vital information with those who listen to Joyce Meyer’s. If you have any questions concerning what we have shared we would encourage you to contact us.

The above article was used with permission from http://www.afcministry.comand was written by Kelly Powers. (http://www.forgottenword.org/meyers.html)

other resource :
- http://www.pfo.org/wan-star.htm
- http://mormonismscam.com/2012/02/18/joyce-meyer-ministry-scam-or-not-you-decide/

False Prophet/Teacher

Kenneth Hagin False Prophet/Teacher

Kenneth Hagin was a Word of Faith preacher. He claimed to be a prophet called by God Himself. Kenneth believed in the following beliefs: Christians are little gods. Jesus didn’t pay for our sins on the cross and he had to finish the job of atonement in hell. If Christians are not healthy and wealthy it is because of their lack of faith or knowledge. Christians have control over their lives by the words that they speak. If they speak sickness and poverty they will be sick and broke. Therefore, if a Christian speaks blessings and healing they will be healthy and have wealth. It is a lot easier to justify my belief that Kenneth Hagin was a false prophet by letting his own words speak for themselves. Let’s see what Kenneth had to say.

“Some of these Christians tried to tell me, ‘Well, now maybe God didn’t do it. But now He permitted it and He’s got some purpose in all of that.’ I said, ‘If you’re that kind of God–Me a little innocent baby–If you’re that kind of God I’d rather go to Hell than to be with you! And I meant every word of it! And I still mean it!” (Ken Hagin, “You Can Have What You Say,” Tape from his ministry) Here we find Kenneth speaking about being born with a deformed heart and being sick when he was young. He is saying that if God would allow a Christian to be sick then he would rather go to Hell than to be a God of that kind.

“He [Jesus] tasted spiritual death for every man. And His spirit and inner men went to hell in my place. Can’t you see that? Physical death wouldn’t remove your sins. He’s tasted death for every man. He’s talking about tasting spiritual death.” (Ken Hagin, “How Jesus Obtained His Name.”)

“The trouble with us is that we’ve preached a ‘cross’ religion, and we need to preach a ‘throne’ religion. By that I mean that people have thought they were supposed to remain at the cross. Some have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, have backed up to the cross, and have stayed there ever since…The cross is actually a place of defeat, whereas the Resurrection is a place of triumph. When you preach the cross, you’re preaching death, and you leave people in death.” (Ken Hagin, “The Believer’s Authority,” page 16. Second Edition 1986)

“Originally, God made the earth and the fullness thereof, giving Adam dominion over all the works of His hands. In other words, Adam was the god of this world. Adam committed high treason and sold out to Satan, and Satan, through Adam, became the god of this world…Now Satan has a right to be here and be god of this world until ‘Adam’s lease’ runs out.” (Ken Hagin, “The Believer’s Authority,” page 19. Second Edition 1986).

“The Lord said to me, ‘If I give you a message for an individual, a church, or a pastor and they don’t accept it, you will not be responsible. They will be responsible. There will be ministers who don’t accept it and will fall dead in the pulpit.” (Ken Hagin, “I Believe,” page 114-115).

“I say this with reluctance but this actually happened in one place where I preached. Two weeks from the day that I closed the meeting, the pastor fell dead in the pulpit. When I left that church crying. I told the pastor in the next church where I went to hold a meeting, ‘that man fell dead in the pulpit.’ And just a very short time after that he did. Why? Because he didn’t accept the message that God gave me to give him from the Holy Spirit.” (Ken Hagin, “I Believe,” page 115).

“Sometimes in my meetings the glory cloud will come as I am about to minister to people in a healing line. The first time that happened I was holding a meeting for Brother Gordon Lindsay in the 1960’s. I had laid hands on about half of the people in the healing line. Then I saw the glory cloud rolling into the building. I walked back to the pulpit because I knew in that instance if I stood in that cloud, I would fall under the power of the Holy Spirit along with the rest of the people. The cloud came floating over the heads of the congregation. Meanwhile, the people in the healing line all had their eyes closed and were worshipping God. They weren’t watching me. I waited until the cloud was right above the people in the healing line, and then I waved my hand. When I did that, every person in the healing line fell down like dominoes under the power of the Spirit.” (Ken Hagin, “The Glory of God,” Article C-Faith)

“The believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth.”
(Kenneth E. Hagin, “The Incarnation,” The Word of Faith page 13, December 12, 1980. Kenneth Hagin has some really unbelievable beliefs doesn’t he. Yet, he has been followed by dozens of men who continue on. Men who have followed in Kenneth Hagin’s footsteps are Kenneth Hagin Jr., Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Rodney Howard-Browne, Creflo Dollar and many more.

We pray that this article has been of help to you, http://www.forgottenword.org/hagin.html.

Blessings

Here is Keneth Copeland his follower on picture :

God Love Us, But He Doesn’t Need Us

I just wacthed video from Justin Peters Ministries – “A Call for Discernment” is a Biblical Critique of the Word of Faith Movement (more commonly known as the Health and Wealth or Prosperity Gospel).

Here is the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=9IGHf5Z01Wg&list=UUC8e–Wgclrc0FttGOxEF1g&NR=1

You also can watch and learn about Jesus our Saviour. So many lessons I got from him. Open my mind and make strengthen my faith. Thank you Lord Jesus.

34:55 God love us, but make not mistake about it; God don’t need us. He is the Alfa and Omega. God love us, but He doesn’t need us. We need him! In any man preaching gospel says God need us is preaching a different Gospel.

45:35 If you are save, if you are born again, you are child in God. If you have been given enough faith to be save, don’t let anybody tell you that you don’t have faith to be heal, because being save is by far the greatest miracle. (II Peter 2:1-2a) 

Godbless Us everyone!

Resource :  http://www.baptistcourier.com/4607.article