I am sorry that I don't remember you or your sins. You need not worry that I forget your sins for it is Yahweh that judges sin and He does not have a faulty memory like mine. You look to Samson as an excuse for your own trespasses. Doing so is not wise. Samson had his eyes plucked out, and was imprisoned by the Philistines with whom he was sharing a bed. His wife tormented him with her insistent nagging until he told her the secret of his strength. In his final act he pulled the entire house of the Philistines down on his head, killing more in his death than he did in his life.

I too can point to Samson as a man of great strength. His strength was supernatural, even as Solomon's wisdom was. Yet did Solomon's wisdom keep him from following after foreign gods in his old age, and losing ten tribes of his kingdom? You can justify that you have done no different than they, but why don't you justify yourself with the righteous? Compare yourself to Christ, who is our righteousness. Even Paul, a Christian of the New Testament said, "Be imitators of me as I am of Christ." (I Corinthians 11:1)

Brother, you too are called to judge righteously. I encourage you to read the article titled "The Issue of Judging."

The Issue of Judging

Joseph Herrin

i was just reading Hebrews 11 the other day. the great chapter on great men of God in the Bible. When i came to vs 32 I was somewhat taken aback that Samson was also mentioned as a great man of God!! Wow! Samson? You see, man is so good at seeing the faults (especially not their own, not so bro Joseph?) that we forget to see people the way God sees them! Not as a bunch of sinners with one fault after another but as a people HE loves and would do anything to perfect.

Oh yes, these guys may or may not be guilty of what you accuse them of (o even worse), but then am glad Jesus wrote that woman's sins in sand, not on moses' stones. My sins are not going to determine who I am. I repent of them and throw them by the feet of the cross.

the danger bro is you may still be judging me by my sins when God is already judging me by grace!!

then again, what logs would we find in YOUR eyes if you were on TV daily preaching and not hiding behind a keyboard looking for splinters in other preachers' eyes?? A BIG WONDER

STOP JUDGING, AND IF YOU KNOW THESE PREACHES ARE SINNERS AND YOU ARE AN ANGEL, PRAY FOR THEM. DON'T SHOOT YOUR WOUNDED BROTHERS IN THE HEAD, APPLY THE HEALING BALM ON THEIR WOUNDS.

PEACE AND LOVE

PHILLIP

As a Christian teacher my first responsibility is to the Lord Yahshua Christ. The diversity of opinions you have received is evidence of the teachers having their own set of thoughts that lead them to teach. These thoughts are not the same, nor are they scriptural. They come from the men's souls. I would advise you to read the book "Sabbath" for it looks to the Spirit of Christ to know what should be preached.

As a new woman in Christ I would also ask you to please read "Sarah's Children" to learn what Christ's counsel is to you. It will lead you to a death of the soul, as it does every one of His children.

Love,
Joseph Herrin

I do not doubt that it stings somewhat to have me write a response to your earlier comment that included some correction, even if it is spoken in love. It is difficult for most men and women to receive even a mild reproof that is given publicly. I have no desire to offend you. I would very much have preferred to carry on this dialogue with you privately via e-mail where there is less opportunity for you to experience any embarrassment arising from disagreements expressed in our correspondence.

When you pointedly asked me to publicly post your original comment, and did not provide me with your actual name, or an e-mail address, I was induced to make public what I believe would have better been discussed privately. When a discussion that involves a difference of opinion is made public, each party is tempted to try to have the final word, and this can lead to the destruction of the hearers. I desire to avoid tit-for-tat type of exchanges. It is a much better and noble goal to seek the welfare of the person with whom we are corresponding. When exchanges are made public, people often write with their focus upon what other readers (the public) are thinking, and this distracts them from seeking the welfare of the one they are speaking to.

When someone insists that I post their comment publicly, it does announce to me that they have a larger aim in mind than helping me to see where I may have erred. If helping me to perceive error was the aim, then a private e-mail would serve very well. Insisting on the comment being publicly posted reveals that the individual is seeking to teach, and have their voice be heard by the public readership of the blog. People often write differently depending on the audience they have in mind. A person is likely to speak to a person privately in a gentler and more gracious manner than if they are talking to the person publicly with an audience listening to them.

I share these words to encourage you to write to me via e-mail if you have further things you wish to share. I will listen to what you have to say, and consider your views, testing them against the Spirit and the Word. You will find my e-mail address listed at the top right of the blog.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days,

Joseph Herrin

Thank you for writing and sharing your comments on this teaching series. You wrote the following:

“However, you seem to be labelling (sic) the Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations in general as at fault rather than just those various individuals within the movements.”

Your statement is true. I do believe there is a wrong emphasis on spiritual gifts and mystical or supernatural experiences (gold dust, angelic presences, falling on the ground, imitating animals, etc.) among these sectors of the church. The problem is much more than a few rotten apples being present. There are fundamental doctrinal errors that are being promulgated by these groups, and these false teachings are producing bad fruit.

Susanne, I expressed in these writings the Biblical prophecies that foretold of these things occurring in the last days before the return of Christ.

I Timothy 4:1
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…

My writings were not limited to Pentecostal and Charismatic groups. Although there is some overlap, many see the Prophetic and Apostolic churches as a separate entity, and I spent much time addressing the errors present there as well. In other writings on the Parables Blog site you will find Prosperity churches, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Anglicans, Episcopalians, and various other denominations’ actions and doctrines addressed. I am not singling out any one group, but have been led to address error wherever it is found.

A fair and honest examination of the church at large does reveal that various groups or denominations have embraced errant beliefs that bear bad fruit. The Pentecostals and Charismatics have heaped up to themselves many false teachers and false teachings. The fruit is manifested in the lives of these groups leaders and church members. When we begin to see the same thing happening over and over among a group, with the same failings being manifested, we would do well to question whether there is not some error of belief that is leading to these results. An investigation into the root causes of the rampant financial covetousness, fraud, and generally debauched condition of the lives of leaders of these groups was attempted in the last two series I posted. It is my hope that what was shared with cause those who read these writings to exercise godly discernment, and to test all men and all teachings.

It is not uncommon for people who identify with a particular segment of Christianity to take offense when criticism is offered, sin is rebuked, or error is exposed. One thing this often reveals is that the offended party has embraced an identity other than that of being a disciple of Christ. When men and women identify with groups, or churches, or various leaders, they are doing the very thing the apostle Paul chided the believers in Corinth for doing.

Although you were introduced to Christ in a Pentecostal denomination in the UK, and spent many years there, your identity should not be that of a Pentecostal, or a member of whatever denomination you were affiliated with. Your identity should be that of a disciple of Christ. You should measure all things against Christ, for He alone possesses all truth, all righteousness, and all wisdom. I was raised in Baptist churches, but my identity was never that of being a Baptist. It was ever my habit to test what was being taught to me in the Baptist churches I grew up in, measuring all things against the Spirit and the Word. If the Baptist doctrine did not align with the truth revealed to me by Christ, then its doctrine was not my own. Neither would I have been offended if someone pointed out where the Baptists departed from the mind of Christ, for my allegiance was only to Christ.

I hope you will not be offended because I have pointed out error among the Pentecostals. Let God be true and every man a liar.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.