A Question About Communion

A reader writes:

I am listening to JP right now and heard him say something that I have thought about for a REALLY long time. When Yeshua has the disciples in the upper room for Passover and says “do this in remembrance of Me…” we share the wine and the matza during the seder…..BUT in my church [edited] they have “communion” (isn’t that a catholic word???) every month and say as Jesus said to do this as often as you gather and in remembrance of Me. What are they bringing to remembrance? The crucifixion? I want this clarified if possible. I am 99% leaning toward “doing this in remembrance of Me”….is every year when celebrating Passover to do this. Is this correct or what am I missing? Thank you so much for your help. Continue reading »

Who Can Understand God’s Prophetic Plan?

“But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”
– Daniel 12:4

“I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
– Luke 18:8

For most people studying the book of Daniel, the emphasis would be on the visions, the miracles, and perhaps unraveling the various numbers provided which describe the timing of the unfolding of God’s prophetic plan. In other words, the quest is often to determine the meaning of those things which, as of Daniel’s time at least, were sealed up. But Jesus offers what at first blush is a contrast to the quest for knowledge in stating that the important character trait He will be looking for at His Second Coming is faith. (Lk. 18:8) I would offer that if we were to study the book of Daniel looking for what we as believers are to personally apply just like any other portion of Scripture, we will accomplish both goals simultaneously. In other words, the greater treasure provided in the book of Daniel is that biblical insight and understanding is promised not as a gift to a privileged few granted a superior intellect, but to anyone attaining to greater faithfulness by putting God’s Word and ways into practice. Continue reading »

A Wild Ass of a Man

by Pastor Bill Randles
August 23, 2010

The Ground Zero Mosque controversy has many dimensions to it. For example there are political aspects involved, and of course religious tensions have emerged as well. The divide between left and right in this country has been exposed by it also. Finally, the rift between our own “ruling elite” and the rest of the country has been highlighted through this conflict. Continue reading »

What the Kings of the earth have done…Psalm 2

by Bill Randles
Posted on August 24, 2010

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.(Psalm 2:1-2)

Watching the way President Obama, Mayor Bloomberg and other assorted Religious , media and political leaders took their stand with those seeking to install a Mosque on the site of the worst mass murder of American citizens in history, has been instructive. Continue reading »

Glenn Beck is a Mormon

by Bill Randles
August 27, 2010

Glenn Beck is a great communicator, he is very bold, and is saying many true things that few have the courage to say. I would agree with much  of his critique of the progressive left and their systematic destruction of our institutions. I also happen to think that reviving the memory and legacy of the founding Fathers is timely. Continue reading »

It Is Always About The Word

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”
— John 20:27–29

I do not want to provide even the appearance of ungratefulness. It is truly difficult to express the personal comfort and sheer joy I feel when a professing Christian caught up in error is spiritually rescued and returns like the Prodigal Son to the Father. One such prominent brother was at one time involved with some of the most notorious false signs and wonders movements of recent history only to realize how ultimately unbiblical they were, came out, and is now a very effective and vocal critic of same. But while he presently seems to accurately and passionately debunk these activities, at the same time I have read statements from him which essentially say, “What the church needs is a real signs and wonders movement”. Really? That is what we need? With all due respect, that is completely contrary to what Jesus taught in the midst of what was the most intense period of signs and wonders in the whole of human history. Continue reading »

A Bible-believing Christian’s reaction to the overturning of Prop 8

This week’s overturning of the vote of the people of the state of California has left Bible-believing Christians reeling and voters cynical. It appears that the interests of the Castro District of San Francisco trump the voting rights of the entire state. Perhaps the talks of dividing northern and southern California into two separate states should come back to the table. That might be the only way for church-going voters to regain their democratic right to vote in an election where their vote counts. Continue reading »

The Pseudo-Theology of Doctrinal Fraud and Historical Revisionism

by Jacob Prasch

That Laidlaw College (formerly Bible College of New Zealand) has departed from its scripturally Evangelical origins into spiritual and doctrinal bankruptcy is a view I find widely held by many Scripture-believing Kiwi Evangelicals. Indeed, with its present senior lecturer Philip Church, I cannot help but make the case that its perceived abandonment of its heritage into the abject realm of compromise with increasing liberal theological influence is now being followed by an academic and ethical devaluation into non-comprehensive exegesis and revisionism with regard to the anti-Israel position of Mr. Church in his factually and doctrinally erroneous Christ at The Checkpoint article. Continue reading »

The Hillsong Escapade

by Philip Powell

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/money/money-matters/tax-office-push-for-charity-monitoring/story-fn3hwldr-1225896551630

At the above link you’ll read an interesting story and some good blog comments. I am quoted and am happy to go with the flow even though the journalist did NOT meet his promise to check with me before quoting me. He is reasonably accurate in the way he quotes me. I support Spencer Gear’s view (see the blog comment) and while I think that due to their abuse of the system Hillsong should be stripped of their Tax Free status I do not have a problem with Church’s registration for Tax Free status per se. It is the abuse that should be looked at and monitored especially in the case of the Houston family. If Brian and Bobby are multi-millionaires as is alleged, the question that should be asked is where and how did they get their wealth?. I know and everyone associated knows they came from a poor back-ground. The issue is not the $300,000 per year that Brian claims (incidentally is that between Brian and Bobby or is it $300,000 each?) but rather their net financial (monetary) worth at this point in time. This is the question I would be asking.

TV Channel 7 – programme – Today Tonight – recorded an interview with me last Tuesday. I am told it will air this coming week.

My major concern about Hillsong is that they present a false message about Christianity and about the true Christian Church. They pervert the scriptures and will ultimately incur the judgment of almighty God. In many ways they have become a cult with a cult following.

Re-Arranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic and Steering into Another Iceberg

John Partington’s New Strategy To Rescue The Declining British Assemblies of God

A defective product line driving an enterprise towards bankruptcy must be redesigned and not put into a new box with new packaging. Merchandising the same old junk that caused the crisis to begin with by adopting a new marketing strategy or a new company re-organization or a new catalog or a new website will not solve anything. Indeed, it cannot. Every businessman, marketing consultant, and corporate executive knows this. Unfortunately modern Pentecostal theocrats do not. Continue reading »

Msindisi Monthly August 2010

Dear Friends and family,

At the moment we are in Piet Retief, visiting our friends Olaf and Charnel and sharing mutual encouragement of each other’s faith. It has been almost 3 months since we last saw them. They travel a lonely and hard walk. There are no suitable churches it seems that they can be part of in their area. Many are into charismatic teachings and things such as word of faith. We recommended a church that they might be able to check out and we hope that they might get good fellowship there. We have been able to share some encouragement with them from Matthew 24. It speaks of the exhortation to endure to the end throughout whatever persecution or tribulation we may have to go through before the Lord comes for us. It was a lovely time of fellowship and we will be doing part 2 tonight. Continue reading »

The Problem with “Discernment”

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
— Philippians 1:9-11 (NASB)

These are the verses we selected at Walk with the Word as our theme. They are prominently displayed at the top of the home page of our website with the exact emphasis provided here. To us these verses are an important application of how the truth of God’s Word needs to be incorporated into our life so that we can possess biblical love which knows how to reject the ways of the world in favor of God’s. But there are many ministries whose websites quote these verses with the aim of promoting just one single word contained within: “discernment”. Continue reading »

Psalm 83

The Soon Coming Fate of Israel’s Near Neighbors

By Pastor Bill Randles

Keep not Thou silence O God; hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For lo, thine enemies make a tumult; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones. They have said, Come let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may no more be of remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; they are confederate against Thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek, the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them, they have helped the children of Lot…(Psalm 83:1-8) Continue reading »

Psalm 83 Part 2

Why Do They Make Such a Tumult?

By Pastor Bill Randles

In our previous article, we looked at the question of the “who” of Psalm 83. Who are these nations who make a tumult against the people of God, taking counsel together to “cut them off from being a nation, that the nation of Israel be remembered no more”? The modern day names for this confederacy are those nations which surround the present day state of Israel – Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, Palestinians, and some from Iraq also “have helped the children of Lot”. Continue reading »

Psalm 83 Part 3

What the Answer Will Look Like

By Pastor Bill Randles

“ Deal with them as you did with Midian, with Sisera, with Jabin, at the brook Kishon-who were destroyed at Endor, who became dung for the field. Treat their great men like Oreb and Zeev, all their princes like Zeba and Zalmuna…cover their faces with shame so that they may seek Your name, O Lord.” (Psalm 83:10-14) Continue reading »