Friday, April 22, 2011

Ministry Update - April 22, 2011


The He Is Light web site will released to the public soon.  At first it will be a duplicate of the UTT web site then it will become a site that stands on its own.

My next speaking engagements will be in July, Lord willing.  I will be going to either Russia or the Ukraine to speak at an international youth camp, then to Norway and England over an 18 day period. For those of you who pray for the ministry of UTT, you know what to pray about.  We will also be working on the development of our Canadian base for UTT in Canada during the summer months. For our American supporters, that we have, please know we have not abandoned the USA all together. UTT USA still operates from PO Box 27239, Santa Ana, CA and we will soon be answering our phone from an international office based in Eston, Saskatchewan.  We are grateful to the individuals who have been supporting UTT while at the same time we have lost support from all but three churches. God cares about orphans and the ministry of sharing the gospel. It seems like individual believers see this as a need while the mega church mentality is to obtain more and more property and power.

As well we are receiving more invitations to speak to smaller churches who remain committed to the truth and whose members have discernment and can understand that we are the last days. Jesus is coming soon!

Sincerely In Christ,
Roger Oakland

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

The Jeremiah Calling

 
              The Bible provides a vast list of characters God has used as the servants He has called to fulfill His plan on planet Earth. Few are more dynamic in the way they fulfilled their calling than Jeremiah, one of the prophets we read about in the Old Testament. Jeremiah’s ministry covered approximately forty years until a few years after Judah ceased to be a state in 586 BC.

              As with other prophets that God raised up to speak and warn about the terrible apostasy that impacted Israel, Jeremiah was not popular. In fact, the task of a prophet of God is often characterized by loneliness and despair. No one wants to hear the bad news of the mandate that the prophet has been given to proclaim.

             Such is the case today when someone proclaims the Word of God with the anointing of God’s Spirit. Those who do not have a love of the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10) but rather love the darkness make the most noise. They do not want the light of the Word to expose the carnal and devious plans they promote.

             Jeremiah had no choice but to tell the truth. He was called to tell the truth. He knew that it was the truth that would set sinners free. He was also aware that hiding the truth would bring further destruction. Jeremiah had a compassion for those who were deceived, but he also had passion to let the deceived know there were consequences for turning away from God and serving their gods.

             He also understood that history had a pattern of repeating itself. He knew what had happened in the past, and he knew what would occur when the Children of Israel refused to hear God and His Word. He could see his colleagues and friends falling into the same trap. On one occasion, his passion is obvious from the words that he spoke:

             And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble. Jeremiah 11:9-12

            The main reason the Children of Israel were disobedient is that they were rebellious to God and His Word. God had already warned them. They knew what to expect if they chose the gods; but they went after the gods anyway. Further, they had placed their trust in man rather than in God. The writing was on the wall. Judgment was just around the corner. Jeremiah pleaded with his people. The leaders of Israel scoffed at him and attacked him personally. However, the Word of God explains that the gods did not prevent the Lord from judging them. The people were taken into captive in Babylon just as God warned.

             Jeremiah was a true prophet. He could not keep quiet. He had to speak. He was called by God and appointed to be a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). While he was not always enthusiastic about what God had called him to do, his calling commanded him to speak with boldness and not to be afraid of those whom he was directed to warn (Jeremiah 1: 7-8).

             Further, Jeremiah did not have to lay awake at night to think up what he was going to tell the leaders of Israel (Jeremiah 1:9). His message was not candy-coated. It was harsh. It was a message of warning. He was a warrior and a watchman (chapters 1-45). He warned that sin would be judged and that leaders and the organizations who were sinning would be exposed.

             They and their sin were exposed. Sin will be judged whether it is covered up or not. The same is true of the past, the present, and the future.

             Jeremiah’s message was not all negative. There was a positive side as well. He was called to build and to plant. When one plants then one has enlisted in the field of agriculture. This means that seeds are put in the soil with the faith that there will be a crop and therefore a harvest. While most Bible expositors are good at pointing out that Jeremiah was good at exposing sin and error, not many actually see him as an evangelist. Jeremiah proclaimed the truth of the Gospel – he was a witness to the nations as well (Jeremiah chapters 46 – 52).

Warrior, Watchman and Witness

             The Jeremiah calling is still in place today. God is speaking to his people to be warriors for the truth. This does not mean to attack the unbelievers and the apostate deceivers with a sword. What this means is that we should be warriors who use the Word as the sword.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
  

While there are those who claim they do use the Word as they teach the Word, it is obvious that this is not always true. Sometimes they use the Word of God in a way that advances their own false beliefs in order to gain power and control.

A warrior is one who is willing to lay down his or her life for the truth. This is what Jesus did. Few are willing to lay down their lives today and risk their lives to take a stand, whatever the cost. Few are willing to pick up their cross and follow Him. But Jesus told His disciples:
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24
Certainly, this does not mean that such a person who chooses to follow Christ at all costs is perfect. All have fallen short of the glory of God. There is only One who gave His life so that we can have eternal life. Only One who is worthy. We must always be looking to Him and Him alone. A watchman is someone who is always prepared to be on the wall looking towards the horizon to see if danger is coming. Sometimes there are those who are supposed to be watching who instead have grown weary or old and have fallen asleep. Others have been sidetracked by the cares of the world or the attraction of money, power, and possessions. They no longer see spiritual danger. This is very tragic indeed. Often when this happens, God will simply raise up other watchmen.

             A witness is someone who will share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah laid the foundation for the Gospel by pointing the people of his day to the Word of God, which is the truth. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is based on the truth, which is the Word God; therefore, Jeremiah was a true witness for the Lord.

            So, where do you stand? Are you willing to be a Jeremiah? Are you willing to do what God is calling you to do or just sit by the wayside and do nothing?

             We are living at a time in history when we may be near the end of history. Isn’t it time to stand up and take a stand for the truth?

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 1:3



Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Death Of The Mega Church

Over the past several decades, biblical Christianity has been under a major attack from Satan, the one who deceives the whole world [1]. A number of man-made church growth programs designed or inspired largely by the well-known church growth guru Peter Drucker have had a major impact on what was once called Evangelical Protestant Christianity. These churches and denominations, which often consist of Christians who have believed and taught the Bible, have been cleverly led into what I call the Drucker “666” plan, without many of them even knowing it [2]
Peter Drucker
T
his clever humanistic plan authored by Drucker and others has reshaped modern day Christianity. Fellowships of believers that once gathered to hear the teaching of God’s Word have been turned into corporations that are driven to be successful businesses. These churches are now run for profit, and in many cases the Spirit of God has departed.
The pastors who were once shepherds and guided by the Holy Spirit are now corporate CEO’s. They often have puppet boards made up of “yes” men. They now focus on the accumulation of power, possession, and property and have forgotten about serving people and being witnesses for the gospel.
Drucker, now deceased, was a well-known globalist with an emphasis on one world government and one world religion  His concept was better known as the three-legged stool plan. This plan is also found in the Bible; the Book of Revelation describes this “666” plan. [3]
Peter Drucker was also a famous consultant for three well-known present day American pastoral super-heroes: Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, Bill Hybels of the Willow Creek Church near Chicago, Illinois, and Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.
The Crystal Cathedral   Garden Grove, California
Recently Robert Schuller's empire declared a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy after years of success. While church services are still being held,  some have wondered if this is a sign that the church growth era is coming to an end.
Schuller , Hybels and Warren
Others have discovered that the only way to survive as a mega-church in a postmodern society is to look for new ways to communicate to this generation by joining hands with what is called the Emerging Church Movement. This was also one of Drucker’s inspirations, which he conjured up with business partner Bob Buford. The Emerging Church can be documented to be just another road to Rome through Babylon. It is bringing about the fast demise of Bible believing Christianity.
Whatever the case, it is still apparent that the Bill Hybel's seeker-friendly church growth program coupled with Rick Warren’s Purpose-Driven Church and Purpose Driven Life Plan have been designed to be part of the PEACE  Plan. This PEACE plan embraces New Age mystical contemplative practices that are based on a revival of ancient Babylonian religious methods, which are driven by doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1). There are also signs that both these movements, mentored by Peter Drucker, are joining together with Roman Catholics with a plan to build the kingdom of God here on earth without the King.
This of course is what Rome has planned for centuries. This is the plan the Jesuits authored years ago and have been implementing ever since the Counter Reformation. This sinister group founded by Ignatius Loyola (a contemplative mystic, by the way) has always had a clever plan to infiltrate all Bible-based churches and organizations with the goal of establishing a One World Religion and a One World Government. This plan also includes an attack on the Word of God, changing and revising to become the word of man while at the same time making the word of the pope into the word of a god.
Recently Rick Warren and Tony Blair met at Saddleback to discuss their plan for the globalization of religion for the cause of peace. Warren promoted his PEACE Plan, and Blair explained the task he has been given by the Pope to bring about a One World Religion for peace in the name of Christ. Paul Kagame, Tony Blair and Rick Warren are on the Advisory board of The Rwanda Presidential Advisory Council They are partners together in setting up what could be a one-world religion, which prepares the way for the coming antichrist of which the Bible warns.
Denominations and Churches that are Purpose Driven And Not Spirit Led
There are a number of other well-known churches and denominations that seem to be caught in Satan’s trap and are also on their way towards the One World Religion predicted in the Bible to be part of the End Times Apostasy. Some of these pastors and church leaders were once active in warning their flocks of the dangers ahead. However, many of the sheep can now see that something has happened. Rather than the sheep being protected or warned, they are now being led to the slaughter as they are driven to market. This is very sad!
In order to understand how and why this is happening, it is important to study the Word of God. It is apparent from Scripture that God never intended men to choose men to be Kings over the people. You can read about this in the Bible. The children of Israel wanted a King. God insisted this would bring about disaster. History shows that God eventually allowed Israel to have what they wanted, and they suffered the consequences.
In the New Testament, we see this pattern repeated over and over. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. Pastors are supposed to model their ministries after Jesus. The sheep make up their flocks but are abused. Pastors are to protect the sheep not send them to market. Jesus is the One who believers should follow - Him alone.
Once more, from the examples that are given to us in the New Testament, we see that humans are prone to the deception authored by Satan because they do not read the manual, which in this case is the Bible. They follow after men, their methods, and their movements - men who can be easily misled by wrong motives. This following a man model, which in the beginning may look to be a work of God and led by the Holy Spirit, will actually, over time, self destruct.
A leader who becomes the founder of such a movement can eventually be looked on as the “Pope”of that movement. If this Pope does not have his eyes totally on Jesus Christ but instead seeks after power and possession, it will not take long for his leadership to be tainted.
Those whom he has influenced will be tainted as well. The organization will begin to clone the same model. Over time, a Roman Catholic denominational plan develops with a hierarchy that everyone is familiar with – pope – cardinals – bishops – priests and then the sheep – the poor sheep.
While conferences will be held and the basics of the faith constantly discussed and enforced, it seems that after time no one pays attention to what is said. Over time the foundational beliefs once so essential to the organization in the beginning gradually are replaced with other views that become more important. Rather than teaching the Bible and focusing on being a servant to God, successful pastors often look for other ways to expand their horizons by joining hands with those who do not even believe what the Bible teaches. Instead of being servants of the Lord, some even seek after position, property, and power and forget from where they originated.
It is tragic to see an organization, driven to become larger or  a church seeking to become a mega church function like a business. This is not what God ever intended. When one begins to analyze what went wrong, it becomes apparent. Men were following men and not Jesus Christ. They thought that they were led by the Holy Spirit when instead it appears they have been driven by another spirit. They may have started out right, but they ended up wrong.
So What Can Be Done?
There is a biblical solution to this problem. It is very simple. Mega churches are not in the Bible. Jesus was more interested in teaching His disciples than He was about congregations of thousands. Apparently, Jesus had never been to a Church Growth Seminar on how to be seeker-friendly or purpose driven. These man-made methods have no biblical basis and have distorted what it means to be a part of the bride of Christ.
Further, methods that allow men to do what they want to do by refusing to listen to the council of others, is just plain wrong. Pastors who say they need one hundred percent support from their board and then fire board members who do not vote their way need to be taken to task. This style of leadership is not only ungodly, but it is dangerous. Such leadership becomes more like a dictatorship , often put in place by someone who becomes hungry for power and obsessed by money and success. Jesus would have never shepherded His flock that way. And He sure didn’t instruct the disciples to shepherd that way either.
When Scriptures are used as a method of manipulation or mind control over others this is a terrible mishandling of the Word of God. How many pastors have you heard say “DON’T TOUCH GOD’S ANOINTED” when they have been confronted with the truth and asked to respond? This apostate style of Christian leadership is about how much power a leader has over his flock, whereas a good shepherd is a pastor who follows the Good Shepherd in all that he says and does. He not only teaches the Word from the pulpit but he listens to what has been taught and lives it.
While it is possible that someone can be deluded and not know it, when warnings are given from the Word of God that shine light into the darkness, there is no excuse. Everyone has fallen short of the glory of God. Everyone is a sinner and in need of a Savior, saved only by God’s grace. When leaders go wrong, they need to recognize their sin and repent. Covering up sin only hardens the heart and makes the situation worse.
In these days of strong delusion, when Satan is pulling out all the stops, maybe it is time for pastors to put their pride behind their backs and stand up before the Lord. The consequences of shepherds in sheep’s clothing leading sheep towards apostasy will be severe. 
Anything that has been hidden and not dealt with will eventually be uncovered. While some think the rapture will happen first or they may die before sin is revealed, this is not the way to cover up. There will be the Judgment Seat. Better for all things to be revealed now than later. Better to be forgiven now than to have to deal with sin later. Better to be judged here on earth than to be judged later by God when nothing will be hidden from His sight. In 2 Timothy 20, it talks about vessels of honor and dishonor. In verse 21 it says: “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.”
Is this not the time for Christian leaders to “purge” themselves and return to honor rather than dishonor? Yes, this is a time of reckoning. This is a time to get it right before it is too late. How has it happened that those who once warned about the coming apostasy now, when the apostasy is here, have somehow fallen asleep and shut their mouths?  And why would it be that those same leaders condemn those who are now doing the warning, telling them to shut up and go away? 
The Bible has the answer. Paul wrote to Timothy and told him how to deal with this kind of a problem. He said:
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And [that] they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Let us pray that God's will, not Satan's, will be accomplished.


[1] Revelation 12:9
[2] 2 Timothy 3
[3] Revelation 13:8