ANNOUNCEMENTS

We have returned back from our NYC outreach. It was an incredible (5) days of nonstop ministry. I will be posting a full report with photos, etc. on Wednesday. We will not be having the Romans study on Tuesday morning but will resume on Wednesday at 9:00 AM (EST)

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Please join us for the RAVEN NATION LIVE webcast on Tuesday Night at 8:30 PM (EST) for testimonies and reports from our team.

Please Pray for our NYC Outreach this Weekend

Please pray for our team as we head to NYC for (5) days of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ on the streets of the Nation's largest city (12,000,000 people!) We are expecting God to do some amazing things as we share His message of hope, healing and salvation throughout strategic areas of this booming metropolis.
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We could sure use your financial assistance for our urban missionaries on this outreach. We have many who have made great sacrifices to be a part and are truly going "by faith" with the expectation that the Lord Jesus will meet every need. If you would like to be a part of helping us snatch souls from the jaws of hell, you can give securely online by clicking the "Donate" icon o the right.
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Thank you once again for your prayers and support!

Pastor Troy D. Bohn

RAVEN INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY & BIBLICAL STUDIES

Class 6 (5/23) from our Study on the Book of Romans is now available to listen to or to download to your computer by clicking the image below.

Message from Paul Washer

RAVEN INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY & BIBLICAL STUDIES

Class 5 (5/22) from our Study on the Book of Romans is now available to listen to or to download to your computer by clicking the image below.

Join us for the LIVE class from 9-10:00 AM (EST) right here!

RAVEN INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY & BIBLICAL STUDIES

Class 4 (5/17) from our Study on the Book of Romans is now available to listen to or to download to your computer by clicking the image below.

Join us for the LIVE class from 9-10:00 AM (EST) right here!

Class (4) will also be temporarily available on video through 5/22

RAVEN INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY & BIBLICAL STUDIES

Class 3 (5/16) from our Study on the Book of Romans is now available to listen to or to download to your computer by clicking the image below.

Join us for the LIVE class from 9-10:00 AM (EST) right here!

RAVEN INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY & BIBLICAL STUDIES

Class 2 (5/15) from our Study on the Book of Romans is now available to listen to or to download to your computer by clicking the image below.

Join us for the LIVE class from 9-10:00 AM (EST) right here!

JOIN US TUESDAY FOR A DOUBLE PORTION OF THE WORD OF GOD!

Tuesday is when you get to "go back for seconds" and get filled up with the Word of God LIVE with Raven Ministries International and the become more thoroughly equipped to do the Work of the Ministry!

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At 9:00 AM (EST) Join Pastor Troy Bohn & Pastor Alex Hill as they bring you the FREE interactive Bible School of the Raven Institute of Ministry & Biblical Studies.

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We are studying the first epistle of the New Testament; the Book of Romans. This indepth, verse by verse study of this powerful foundational book will take you to greater levels of understanding and provide you with a basis to understand the new covenant in a whole new way.

At 8:30 PM (EST) Join Pastor Troy & the Team for the LIVE Raven Nation Program. This program features LIVE praise & worship with Holly Hill, testimonies from our teams across the United States, live prayer requests, and a powerful word from Pastor Troy. You will not want to miss out on these opportunities to interact with the Body of Christ around the World!

My "Beach Church" by Sue Scott

What about it? Preaching about Jesus with the surf pounding behind you? What makes people walking by curious, taking a second look?

A tent
A smile
A joyful sound
A musical praise
A child dancing
A bible in someone’s hand
A voice crying out
A sound of angels singing
A whisper of love

As I walked along picking up sea shells on the beach before the service I was praying for the Lord to do something as mighty as the waves that are crashing to the shore.

There is so much to give, so much to tell. When this beach ministry just started
it seems like there was just “us”. Then there were a few that walked near their balcony of a nearby resort that stood and even sang along with us.

There is nothing to compare to singing “Our God Is an Awesome God” with the sound of the ocean singing behind you, the seagulls circling, and seeing some women and men standing with their arms up to heaven, with on-looking believers (that we don’t) know singing with us from the edge of the motel.

It is rewarding and uplifting to be here, to know that the Lord Jesus is still in the business of leaving the 99 and going after that one lost sheep. He has not forgotten. It all makes sense.

When I first got here to Daytona Beach, I wanted to join this huge church, fit in, meet a gob of people and go to the best praise service in the city. But, as I met the first member of our Beach Church, something happened inside me!

I knew that this young man, a former Muslim named Adam, was worth not going to that church service. He is from Iraq and has now been too all three of our services! He has a friend named Daniel, who has come to the second and third services! He wants to talk about the Lord, and hear what he can about Jesus.

He went back up to his place and invited his wife (or girlfriend) to come out and meet us. We got to minister to her and pray for her, and others. She’s getting ready to have a baby…just any minute.

As fun as it would be to sit in a church and be fed in the midst of the great surroundings and with thousands of other Christians, I choose to be here. We have a real chance to reach those that would never go to church; those not expecting church on the beach.
God is doing something here, and I want so much to be a part of it. We never know what the Lord is going to do. Also, after church when we feed these dear people, they are so grateful, just drenched in the Lord’s love. It seems to heal and provide an oasis of love in this little courtyard of Jesus people.

There is something under this tent that is unexplainable. Something strange is happening to us and to the people here. It is new beginnings. It is faith that the Lord will produce something beautiful. I know that as I gather the seashells to place in my basket, some shells are broken and torn apart, shattered into pieces. There is a message here.

I look over as the children play; building sand castles with Adam’s little girl; the hugs and kisses. I smile as I think about the way Adam shouts out during church. After the singing, he tells us “thank you” (even clapping), he doesn’t know how to be “churchey”. He just knows that he is experiencing something more powerful and wonderful than he can explain.

The first time he cried during prayer. He told everyone, ”look at my eyes! He made me cry!” I’m crying over what he said! It was so precious! He’s so childlike and innocent about this time with Jesus Christ.

I collect shells up on the side of an embankment of sand. Its where the storm has washed away all the sea weed. Its a trashy area away from the beauty of the beach. Old bottles, cups, seaweed, and splinters of broken pieces of boards gather upon each other. There is nothing striking, nothing beautiful, just broken up shells. But I look for treasure here.

Near things busted up by the storms of life are where God will show up! Its exciting! I feel honored to be a part of this! I see another sea shell that is broken, probably by the storm that washed in last night. It brought in a high tide with rumbling rough waters. I think to myself, “These lives are being changed Lord, I know it!”

I see it Lord and I pray that today Beach Church will be even more powerful.

During the sermon, Adam seems to be hanging on to every word that Pastor Troy says. He hears more about Jesus. He is smiling and punching Daniel his friend who is staring ahead drinking in everything that Pastor Troy says.

Last week, Pastor Alex preached on Kingdom living. I handed my Bible to Adam. He handed it back and said, “I just want to hear what he is saying!” He listen attentively to Pastor Alex. It’s wonderful to see what God is doing.

After the service today, Daniel comes over and squats down beside my chair to talk. I asked Daniel if his wife has ever given her life to Jesus Christ. He looks down at the sand, and says softly, “No, not really, neither one of us have.”
It is real easy to share with him about what happened in my life; the struggles I had and how I came to know the Lord. He’s listening, and laughing and nodding his head, telling me that he and his wife used to read the Bible sometimes. He opens up and says that he used to be addicted to heroin. He said that he quit because he was using heroin with his dad, and his dad overdosed and died right in front of him.

I didn’t stop to think about it then, but can you imagine your own father dying in front of you after taking heroin with him? This would be totally devastating. It would tear up your life if you didn’t have some hope somewhere. No wonder Jesus has us here.

Oh Jesus! He is the reason that we are here. The Lord Jesus cares about these people that are not in church tucked away somewhere. Jesus goes to them. He loves them so much that he sends a church to them. It is amazing.

I’m glad I’m here, as I pick up a sea shell that is gleaming under the sand. I know that there is nothing too hard for the Lord; Nothing.

Raven Institute of Ministry & Biblical Studies

RAVEN INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY & BIBLICAL STUDIES

Class 1 (5/14) from our Study on the Book of Romans is now available to listen to or to download to your computer by clicking the image below.

Join us for the LIVE class from 9-10:00 AM (EST) right here!.
Many thanks to Brother Steve "Iggy" Ignowski for his technical assistance in making these teachings available for listening online or downloading to your computer in mp3 format.

NEW YORK CITY FOR JESUS

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." The Words of Jesus Christ

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I have read many stories over the years concerning people that were offered an opportunity to invest in a new company, but because of the perceived risk involved, they decided against taking the risk. Years later when the company took off; they realized that they had missed out on a golden opportunity to be a part of something enormous.

The Venture Capitalists that decided to invest in IBM or Apple when computers where larger than a double door refrigerator became captains of industry (not to mention very wealthy). The reason that they succeeded is because they had the "faith" to see the BIG PICTURE. They were visionaries and trailblazers that would rather try and fail than fail to try.

I have always loved a quote from former President Theodore Roosevelt that said, "Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

I must admit that I have suffered my fair share of defeats, disappoinments and disasters, but the whole of them all pales in comparison to the enormous victories, miraculous milestones, and eternal impacts that I have enjoyed while enduring (and rightfully enjoying) the process!

Prior to entering the ministry full-time in 1991 my background was in the banking and finance industry. While in that environment I saw many people make investments that didn't reap the return that they had hoped for. I vividly remember the stock market crash termed "Black Monday" while I was working for a Savings & Loan in Texas. Within weeks of this event people who had been with the company for years had suddenly lost everything...including their jobs!

The invested in something that speculators said might bring a great financial windfall, but in the end the speculation was all wrong and billions of dollars were lost in just a few hours that day.

I have since started "investing" or "laying up treasures" in a venture that guarantees to pay shareholdres dividends for ETERNITY. My "market" is now the Harvest Fields of souls and my venture capital is the uncompromising Word of the Living God! In these many years of ministry I have seen countless thousands of souls come in the Kingdom of God because of the message of the Cross!

Drug dealers and dug addicts have been set free. Tens of thousands of meals have been served to the needy and homeless. Young and old alike have heard the Word preached and have responded in faith to the message of Jesus. We have endured street gangs, hurricanes, and times when we had not place to lay our heads at night---but we always saw the hand of the Lord Jesus "protecting our investment" in the lives of the lost and dying!

In less than two weeks I will be leading a team of soul winners (Kingdom Investors) into America's largest metropolis---New York City. This is the home of the New York Stock Exchange and Wall Street. It is the financial hub of the world---but it is also home to over 12,000,000 people who need Jesus!

Our team (which will include myself, daughter Kayla, and Pastor Alex from here in Daytona Beach) will be going as Spiritual Venture Capitalist laying it all on the line to invest in broken, wounded hearts. THAT is our business. We are Entrepreneurs of Evangelism ---and we are good at what we do!

Many ministers who "take it outside the walls of the Church" as we do have been forced by financial necessity to get involved in endless multi-level marketing businesses, part time secular jobs, or have left the ministry altogether. Those are just not options that have been afforded to me. I left that world to pursue the directive that Christ Jesus has placed before me---to take HIS MESSAGE to the Nations.

My question for you is this: Will you invest in this 'Venture?" Would you be willing to get in on something that will produced eternal dividends and innumerable rewards? I need your help this month in taking the Gospel to the City of New York. We will be ministering on the streets of the City May 24-28 and need to raise approximately $1200 to cover the cost of this mission.

As the Holy Spirit is prompting you to give--don't say to yourself, "Someone else has probably already met the need," because they probably have not! What would He have YOU to do today to see lives changed forever?

We need your help, but more than that--there are thousands waiting for us that need your help.

Blessings,

Pastor Troy D. Bohn
Raven Ministries International
P.O. Box 1897
Daytona Beach, FL 32115

You Can Invest By Sending Your Donation To The Above Address or By Giving Securely Online by Clicking the "Donate" Icon on the Right Side of this Page. Email me at PastorTroy@BigGrace.com to let me know what you are "investing". I'll post the "PTL" as soon as the needed funds are raised.

RAVEN INSTITUTE OF MINISTRY

& BIBLICAL STUDIES

We want to invite you to join us for an exciting, powerful and transforming time of Study in the Word of God. The Raven Institute is offering you an incredible opportunity to gain a greater understanding of God's Word while being "equipped for the work of the ministry."

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Pastor Troy D. Bohn will be offering this study on the Book of Romans - free of charge - and LIVE via the internet beginning Monday, May 14th at 9:00 AM (EST). Pastor Troy will be joined in this live interactive study and discussion by Pastor Alex Hill and other in-studio guests each week in an indepth and practical look at what may well be the most important foundational book of the New Testament.

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Each class will be one hour in length and will cover the historical, doctrinal, and spiritual elements addressed in Paul the Apostle's Holy Spirit breathed letter. This will be a great opportunity to see the Word of God unfold before your eyes as the Spirit of God brings you to a place of greater revelation and understanding.

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The Raven Institute will offer a Certificate of Completion to all of those who participate and complete the final "open book" exam that will follow our last lesson. This high quality certificate is suitable for framing and will be sent to all graduates free of charge upon completion of all studies and course work.

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In order to qualify for the Certificate, one must participate in no less than 80% of the online studies. The dates for the class will be as follows (subject to change due to Pastor Troy's travel schedule):

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Mon , May 14th - Thurs, May 17th from 9:00 AM - 10 :00 AM (EST)

Tues, May 22nd - Wed, May 23rd from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (EST)

Tues, May 29th - Fri, June 1st from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM (EST)

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***More class times to be announced

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If you want to participate and obtain credit towards your certificate of completion, you will need to email our offices at Raven@Biggrace.com prior to the start of the first class with your name and desire to join in. You will also need to go to Stickam.com and register so that you can join the interactive part of the study. This will allow you to participate in any discussions. You DO NOT have to have a web cam to participate in this class (but it is suggested). They can be purchased inexpensively at Wal-Mart for less than $25.00 and will make your time much more enjoyable.

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We look forward to having you "In Class" next week!

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Raven Institute Staff

Make Your Plans Now To Attend The

SECOND ANNUAL

RAVEN MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL

Gathering On World Evangelism

October 5-8, 2007

Daytona Beach, Florida

Details Coming Soon!

Join Us Each Sunday at 11:00 AM

Join Pastor Troy and Raven Daytona Beach each Sunday morning for "Church in the Surf" as we take the Gospel of Jesus Christ out to the lost and hurting. Each week we gather for a time of praise & worship, prayer and ministry of the Word before sharing a meal together on the beach. Afterwards we enjoy a time of fellowship where we are meeting new friends each week.

We set up each week behind the "Corvetter Inn" off of A-1-A beginning at 10:00 AM and are there until approximately 3:00 PM. Call 386-682-4141 or 504-202-0939 for directions or details!

Catch updates on what is happening with Raven Ministries from Coast to Coast! This is an inter-active program and we welcome your comments, testimonies and prayer requests. Email them to Raven@BigGrace.com before 6:00 PM (EST) to have them shared live on the webcast.

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Tonight we will share about our "Church In The Surf", upcoming outreaches to New York City, Amsterdam and local ongoing ministry throughout the Nation. Pastor Troy will also be sharing a timely message that you will not want to miss!

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Praise & Worship begins at 8:30 PM with Holly, Pastor Graham and Sue followed by the RAVEN Nation at 9:00 PM. We hope to see you LIVE tonight!

"Take Heed That No Man Deceive You" Part 3

The real question regarding the last days deception is not whether or not it is occuring (that much is obvious), or who are the deceivers (that takes a little more discernment), or what it involves (this demands that WE study and stick to the Word)---but the real issue that we are facing in regards to this is: How do we deal with the problem.
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Let's examine the next few verses of our text before going on:
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"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."
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If this passage of scriputure was ever applicable to a day and age it would be right now. Do you realize that as you read this there are hundreds if not thousands of global and regional conflicts taking place. Our eyes are fixed upon the situation in Iraq, but this is just the "headline" war. There are many other conflicts claiming many more lives than this one. Look into the continent of Africa and you will see the tens of thousands that die through ethnic cleansing, corrupt governments, and at the hands of warlords and militias each week. This is what Matthew 24 spoke of...but he goes on to say, "This is just the beginning of sorrows."
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The "beginning of sorrows" is a phrase used in the Greek to describe birth pains. It speaks of the pains and contactions that provide advance notice of the delivery. This is where the mother has to "get focused" and BREATHE to get through a difficult, but very necessary trial. The birthing process provides a very valuable experience for mother and child alike. The mother's body readies and changes to facilitate the birth and the child's passage through the birth canal allows for certain physiological changes to take place that aid in its development.
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The Church (and as a result the World) is in the midst of that process!
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The first pains are mostly associated with external forces. That it, the wars, political unrest, sickness, disease, and catastrophic natural disasters are things that affect society as a whole. These are called the beginning of sorrows of the start of the labor pains. THEN, He says something that brings it all closer to home and expedites the situation:
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Verses 9-12 "Then YOU will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and YOU will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold."
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What is probably the toughest part all of this is the fact that persecution, death, and being hated are all guaranteed to be a part of the genuine Christian walk. This is especially tough in a day and age where books such as: Your Best Life Now, Write Your Own Ticket With God, Velvet Elvis and others have filled the Best Seller's list of Christian books. It seems like these authors are credible--until their words are meausred up against the Word of God and then you read the next line in the above scripture. "many will turn away from the faith (remember faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God)...and many false prophets will appear and deveive many people (Best Sellers they will be)

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The next line is what it will all really come down to, "Because of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." Let me ask you this, "Has your love grown cold?" Not the love that you have for your children or your spouse---but the love beyond your sweet little inner-circle that serves to define your true relationship with Christ.

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Matt 22:37-40 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

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The love that will grow cold is the GOD KIND of love. This is a love that lays one's own life down for Jesus and for others. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart years ago and said, "It is not enough to just be evanegelistic, you must also be altruistic." To be altruistic is to "lives one's life for the benefit of other people." Is that the kind of love that you are walking in? Or has your God-Kind-of-Love grown cold??

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If you have seen the diminishing of your fervor, compassion and love for others--then you must ask yourself the question: Why? Consider the reason that He gave in our passage, "Because of wickedness...". Another translation uses the phrase, "Because iniquity shall abound...". While both of these words certainly describe the root casue of "love waxing cold", it is easy to pass it off as someone else's problem. The word translated as wickedness and iniquity can simply be translated as "that which violates the law" or anomia in the Greek.

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Matt 7:21-23 says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (or anomia).

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So we can see from the words of Jesus that many will claim to be "Christians" when in reality the only ones that see them as such are themselves and possibly the local pastor who has them on his church role book! Jesus obviously didn't buy any of their bogus confession!

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Was it because they weren't "Church-goers?" Was it because they didn't demonstrate some "spiritual gifting?" Was it because they weren't involved in great works of service? No--they were obviously quite involved (and very accomplished) in all of these things), but Jesus said, "I never knew you! Depart from me you that have violated the law!"

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John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."

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In Matthew 7 He was speaking of a very specific command. That was te bear the spiritual fruit of SOULS! This is not accomplished through anything but taking the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world! Anything other than that is "lawlessness" and will result in the "love of many waxing cold."

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I want to say this: There are many very sincere people that stand in direct violation of this truth and thus find themselves walking in direct fulfilment of the prophetic word given in Matthew 24. Their intentions were never to stray from God's prescribed order of righteousness (Romans 1:16-17), but through the deceitfulness of sin they have become hardened in their hearts in regards to the urgency (and personal responsibility) to reach the lost and dying (Heb. 3:13). This (and they as a result) is exactly what Jesus said would happen----and when you tell them this you will be "betrayed, hated, and offensive to them" because of telling the truth.

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Prov 14:12 "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

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Sincerity means very little if it involves violating the law and commands of God to "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel" to the lost.

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Next Time: "And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

"Take Heed That No Man Deceive You" Part 2

If you watched the videos (actually one program divided into two parts) then you probably saw the main "deception" that was being dealt with by this secular news program: the denial of a literal, eternal hell and the notion that EVERYONE will make it to heaven regardless of whether or not they belong to the Lord Jesus Christ or not.

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This is certainly not a new teaching and it is certainly not limited to this one individual. The basis of this teaching is what is called Universalism and has long been established as a cultic and anti-Biblical belief. The teaching relating to "no hell" is a common teaching among other cult groups including, the Jehovah's Witnesses (Watchtower Society), Latter Day Saints (Mormons), Scientology (L. Ron Hubbard), and shared by most of not all Eastern mind-religions.

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The thing that makes this interesting is the person who is promoting it: Carlton Pearson. Most of those who teach these things were brought up in them or have culural roots in these religions, or have come to these cults from secular backgrounds. Carlton Pearson came to this after "hearing an audible voice" following his watching a program describing the tragic hunger going on in Africa and being heartbroken over the death of his un-saved grandparents.

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You'll notice that he belief was not based upon a Biblical, but an emotional position. The greatest deception in the Church comes from people basing their beliefs on how they feel rather than what the Word of God has said!

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Proverbs 14:12 tells us, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." This "right" way is the Hebrew word yashar and it means "that which is convenient." WOW! Isn't that interesting that someone who is not serving the one true and living God (Jesus Christ) would conveniently find a way around His Word.

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I'll not discuss the teaching of Universalism in this discussing because, quite frankly, they are so eroneous and obvious to anyone who reads the Word that I need not expound further. What I want to look at is the portion of our text from Matthew 24 that says, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

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There are (3) elements that I want to address in regards to this portion of scripture:

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1) He tells his disciples to "Take Heed." This literally means to "use great discernment and observe slosely that you might rightly percieve things." In other words, "Don't let your emotions govern your thoughts and decisions--but allow the Holy Spirit to heighten your awareness of the spiritual realm (discernment) so that you can make wise decisions.

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2) He tells His disciples "Let no man deceive you." He is establishing the source of this coming deception: it will come through the agency of men! He then uses the word planao (deceive) to describe what will be occuring. This word means "to be led away from the truth."

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3) He tells His disciples "many will say I am Christ." It is so very important to get understanding on this point because of the nature of it. He reveals the means in which they will promote their deception and to what level it will attain. The word translated "Christ" in this verse is Christos which is literally translated as anointed. It is used over 500 times in the New testament in describing Jesus as Messiah (The Anointed One). What is interesting is that it is derived from the root chrio whaich means to anoint or set apart. This word is only used (5) times in the New Testament and (3) of those times it is specifically speaking about Jesus.

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Why is that important? Think about what He said concerning this "leading away from the truth." He says the markings of it will be that they say, "I am anointed!" Whoa!! How many times have you heard someone hear a minister or hear a singer and say, "They are sure anointed!" It has become the buzz word of the modern church. It is a word that seems to validate whatever a person does because they are anointed and thus (presumably) off limits to criticism, correction or rebuke!

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The have an easy task in leading people away from the truth because they have attained this false sense of spiritual superiorty over the common (or less-anointed) Christian. But one must ask themselves the question: Are they anointed? Or are they just able to stir my emotions or challenge my intellect. Today the "anointing" is discerned through "chill bumps", racious displays, bizarre behavior or soulish manipulation--rather than through the standard of the Word of Truth.

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A word (anointed) that was used so seldom in describing individuals other than Jesus in the New Testament has certainly become widespread in these last days---just as He said it would!

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I remember years ago hearing people talk about, "How anointed Carlton Pearson was." I knew people that belonged to his "Azusa Conference" and believed it was the group to belong to. I wonder if they still feel that way now? Was he a very gifted orator? Yes, absolutely. Could he bring the house down with his singing with his Gospel choir? Oh yeah! But think about this for a moment:

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I John 2:18-19 "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us."

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I mentioned that there were (3) examples of this in the videos. The first was obviously Carlton Pearson. The second may have slipped past you because it was much more subtle. Do you recall where they shower Oral Roberts prophesying of this great revival taking place that would be led by the African-American community and then he said that specificall Carlton Pearson would be its leader! THAT was a totally false prophecy!

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I noticed that he never came out and repented for giving a false word...but I guess he is not required to repent for being a false prophet---because that say that he is anointed and thus exempt from being corrected. The third was probably obvious to anyone that watches the news. They had Ted Haggard, the recently exposed and disposed President of the National Association of Evangelicals, chiming in on the teaching of Carlton Pearson. He was quick to acknowledge the error of Pearson---but seeming left out his sin of homosexuality in the process.

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Each of these men have had huge followings. They each have pastored and deceived many in the process. "Take Heed" my friends, we are in the end times.

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PART (3) Tomorrow!

"Take Heed That No Man Deceive You" Part 1

Matthew 24:3-14 "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

I have been teaching during our Tuesday night LIVE Raven Nation Broadcast concerning the "Kingdom of God." This past week I dealt with the subject that is addressed in the passage above. I will be expounding on this subject matter over the course of the next several days to further illustrate the subject: The Gospel of the Kingdom Shall be Preached.

Most people have no idea what the "Gospel of the Kingdom" even is! For that matter, most pastors in most churches don not preach the "Gospel of the Kingdom"at all or understand what the "Gospel of the Kingdom" even involves.

Jesus' disciples asked the question, "What will the sign of your coming and the end of the world?" The way that He formulated his answer truly sets the tone for the definition of the answer---"It will come when the Gospel of the Kingdom is preached."

Jesus started by saying, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Before defining exactly what this is saying, I want to post a couple of videos that illustrate an example of this "deception" that has come saying "I am Christ." There are three clear examples that will be seen in these videos, one is very obvious and the other two may take a little discernment to see. I'll discuss it further in tomorrow's posting.