TRUE HOPE TIMES


Volume 3 February 3, 2012

Hello,
When times are challenging and it seems like you are at the "end of your rope" there are two things I want to remind you of:
  1. God is STILL GOD!
  2. God is BIGGER than everything you are dealing with COMBINED!
God never stops being God, He never stops being GOOD and in His goodness His grace is always at work in your life to guide you, direct you, lead you, empower you, enable you and encourage you to allow Him to do all these things I just mentioned!
The problem is that we lose sight of Him in the demonic dust that gets stirred up by conflict and the challenges of life that the devil is using to discourage, disarm and then defeat you!  Think about it ...
  • The devil can only defeat you if he can disarm you!
  • The devil can only disarm you if he can discourage you!
  • The devil can only discourage you if he can distract your focus on God!
So if and when you find yourself in the midst of something so huge, so overwhelming, so intimidating and so frightening that you begin to lose sight of Jesus Christ our Lord - - - - - STOP!
Remember what King David did when fear - earth shaking, heart stopping, mind boggling fear - got aroused in him - - HE RECLAIMED HIS FOCUS!
  • PSALM 56:1-31. 
    Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
    Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

    What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
By the way, he did not deny his fear or battle his fear or rebuke his fear!  King David dealt with fear by refocussing His choice of trust . . . "What time I am afraid I WILL TRUST IN THEE!"

Here is my working definition of "trust":  To rely upon God's integrity! 
He never tells us that He will do something for us that really He won't!  He never tells us that He will do something for us that He cannot do!  He never makes an empty promise or changes His mind about what He has said!  And one more thing, He cannot lie and so when He says that there is no other God in existence besides Him then we can be confident that there is no one or no thing that can overpower Him or that can defeat Him!
  • neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. 
    Fear ye not,Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.  Isaiah 44:8
No wonder He tells us in James that when we are confronted by the devil (or with demonic attack) that the thing to do is turn away from that demonic confrontation and TURN TO HIM, draw near to Him!  Think about it, as long as you are trying to face the devil down by yourself, he really has little to worry about!  But if you turn away and turn to and pull close to Jesus - - THEN who is the devil forced to deal with?  Not you but King Jesus!  Hmmm, who wins in THAT scenario?

Many Blessings!
In Christ,
Timothy 
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From Dr. Timothy
Dr. Timothy Hoflund
What Is In Store For The USA?

What do we want for our nation?  Jesus Christ came to set the captives free yet our government has been progressively making us captives to a bureaucratic system that now has over 150,000 pages of regulations that have the effect of law over our lives!  The income tax code and its associated regulations contain almost 5.6 million words -- seven times as many words as the Bible and over 2,500 pages long!

All of this comes from a people who have allowed their own government to become the ruling factor over their lives rather than the Word of God being the ruling factor over their lives!  Is it any wonder that God is calling for His people to revive righteousness in this nation?

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.  Proverbs 29:2

If we want to see a reversal in the erosion of our freedoms, especially in our inalienable rights from our Heavenly Father, we must do two things: 
  1. Bring about a genuine revival of righteousness in this nation among God's own people!  Not being self-righteous, holy rollers who are too good for the lost sinners who would get our hands dirty - - but true righteousness, looking to Christ Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith for direction and guidance and be about the work of His ministry to risk getting dirty ourselves in order to win the lost to His wonderful salvation!
  2. DON'T SETTLE FOR THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS BUT INSIST ON CHOOSING RIGHTEOUSNESS!  Do you realize that if you vote for the lesser of two evils - - YOU ARE STILL VOTING FOR EVIL!?!  Seek God's guidance on who HE can use and will use to return this nation to being a Christian nation once again!  (Now by this I do not mean that we are a nation where no other beliefs are allowed, but a nation that is focused on following what Jesus says is right!  And, hey, if the Muslims don't like it they can just move back to the Middle East, or Indonesia or the Philippines or wherever they came from!  If the Hindus don't like it they can return to India.  If the Mogubus (?) don't like it they can return to where they came from!)
Jesus never disallowed people to follow other religions, He just warned them that the other religions are worshipping what is false!  As a Christian Nation we can allow people to follow other religions, but we retain the freedom to exercise our responsibilities to warn them that what they worship is false!  Remember when the USA was this way?  I do!

In fact, I was one of those who worshipped false gods and followed a false religion and I thank God that someone had the freedom to tell me the TRUTH!  I thank God that in 1976 no one had the fear that they could be punished for speaking the Truth of Jesus to me and could not be punished for calling sin what it is - - SIN!  I thank God that I lived in a Christian Nation that while I was the enemy of Jesus Christ and of God the Father, Christian people were free to show and tell me of God's Truth and Love!

What is in store for the USA?  If we continue to compromise and look to the government as our standard for right and wrong - - disaster!  Spiritual, moral and economic disaster!  If we will humble ourselves, repent of our own wicked ways and then insist on what  God says is right in the power of His love - - then revival awaits the USA!  Revival of every kind and on every front!

Many Blessings!
Dr. Timothy


PROPHET'S CORNER
IS THERE ANY DOUBT THAT THE ENEMY IS IN THE CAMP?  IS THERE ANY DOUBT THAT THE DEVIL HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PLANTING DECEIVERS IN THE CHURCH COMMUNITY BENT ON DESTROYING THE WORD OF GOD? 
ARE YOU READY FOR THIS ONE?  AND FROM WHAT USED TO BE TRUSTED SOURCES FOR BIBLE TRANSLATIONS!

New Muslim-friendly Bibles removes 'Father,' Jesus as 'Son of God'

http://www.wnd.com

In the world of questionable and sometimes downright silly Bible translations, one would think that it couldn’t get any worse.

After all, we’ve seen the “In da beginnin’ Big Daddy created da heaven an’ da earth” Ebonics Bible, as well as the “Apostle’s Log” Star Trek English paraphrase Bible. In a more serious effort, the New Oxford Annotated Bible was created in part by pro-”gay” and feminist scholars in order to set forth a more “gay” revisionist interpretation of Scripture.

But now there is a major controversy developing as the latest altered Bibles are being created by organizations that most would think of as being more conservative and reasonable. At the forefront of the controversy are the Wycliffe Bible Translators, the Summer Institute of Linguistics and Frontiers, all of which are producing Bible translations that remove or modify terms which they have deemed offensive to Muslims.

That’s right: Muslim-friendly Bibles.

Included in the controversial development is the removal of any references to God as “Father,” to Jesus as the “Son” or “the Son of God.” One example of such a change can be seen in an Arabic version of the Gospel of Matthew produced and promoted by Frontiers and SIL. It changes Matthew 28:19 from this:

“baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”

to this:

“cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit.”

A large number of such Muslim-sensitive translations already are published and well-circulated in several Muslim-majority nations such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Malaysia.

According to Joshua Lingel of i2 Ministries, “Even more dramatic a change is the Arabic and Bangla (Bangladesh) translations. In Arabic, Bible translations err by translating ‘Father’ as ‘Lord.’ ‘Guardian.’ ‘Most High’ and ‘God.” In Bangla, ‘Son of God’ is mistranslated ‘Messiah of God’ consistent with the Quran’s Isa al-Masih (Jesus the Messiah), which references the merely human Jesus.”

In response to these translations, many within the evangelical missions movement as well as many former Muslim converts and indigenous Christians from countries where these translations are being used, are indignant. After numerous appeals have been rejected, a petition has been launched to call for the end to the translations.

More than 3,000 already have signed up.

While the organizations that are promoting these translations are adamant that replacing such terms as Father with Lord or Master best conveys the inspired meaning of the text, many of the indigenous Christian leaders from the countries where these translations are being promoted are broadly rejecting the translations.

The indigenous believers see the introduction of these American-made translations with which they so strongly disagree as a form of American cultural imperialism or colonialism.

According to Turkish pastor Fikret Böcek, such new translations are, “an all-American idea with absolutely no respect for the sacredness of Scripture, or even of the growing Turkish church.”

According to the testimony of one leader from a church in Bangladesh, one of the most problematic aspects of this development is that it gives fuel to the often-heard Muslim claim that Christians are liars who change their Bibles to deceive Muslims. Once a Bible translation is well established within any country, the introduction of such radically different translations reinforces the Muslim charge and undermines trust in the Christian community.

According to Lingel, who can be contacted at info@i2ministries.org, the crisis in translation methodology is largely due to “a postmodern literary bias” that has crept into some translation circles in recent decades. Such translations would seem to demand that the divine author of the Bible change rather than the Muslim reader.

“But Jesus demanded that many of his listeners change,” says Lingel, explaining that instead of demanding that Muslim readers change their understanding of God, these translations seem to convey that God must accommodate the religious prejudices of Muslims.

“Lingel is also the co-editor of a new book, “Chrislam: How Missionaries Are Promoting an Islamized Gospel,” which represents the first major response against Muslim-sensitive translations as well as the larger movement often referred to as the “Insider Movement” or “Chrislam.”

According to reports, of the roughly 200 translation projects Wycliffe/SIL linguists have undertaken in Muslim contexts, about 30 or 40 remove the terms father and son with reference to God and Jesus.

Lingel’s response is quite direct, “These projects need to be defunded.”

Yet according to a recent Forbes “200 Largest U.S. Charities” report, the Orlando-based Wycliffe Bible Translators USA is the third most well-funded religious charity in the states.

Proponents of the Insider Movement claim that this method of reaching Muslims is bearing great fruit. Opponents, however, point out that the so-called converts within the Insider Movement remain “hidden” within their Muslim culture, continue to attend mosque, pray like a Muslim, acknowledge Muhammad as a prophet, the Quran as inspired, and make the Muslim credal confession, known as the “shahada.”

Some now claim that there are as many as 300,000-1.2 million new “Insider believers” in Bangladesh. But one former Insider who left the movement and speaks out in Lingel’s Chrislam book reports that the number of insiders couldn’t be more than 10,000. According to this source, many of the claims are greatly exaggerated so as to bring in more funding from wealthy American missionary organizations.

“Other former Insiders have reported publicly that many Insiders are really Muslims who will do whatever it takes for the jobs and money they are offered by pro-IM ministries to feed their families,” Lingel says.

Further questioning the funding and support of well-known Christian organizations of this movement, Lingel recounts, “I have consulted with the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention on missions and evangelism among Muslims at various times… [Who] stated that there are tens of thousands of Isa al-masih jamaats, or ‘Jesus congregations,’ in northern Africa. But the members of these jamaats call themselves Muslims, do not believe in the Trinity and believe Muhammad is a prophet of God. Are they Christians or Muslims? Why talk about them in terms of missionary success?”

In response to what many Christians see as a heretical movement based on deception, Lingel’s i2 Ministries is in the process of completing a video-based university called Mission Muslims World University, with 40 of the most experienced professors from around the world teaching courses in Muslim ministries, Islamic Studies, apologetics, evangelism and discipleship.


 
Messages From Leaders
When you have heard me say or read my articles that call for God's own people to repent of our own evil ways, here is one of the things I am talking about! (Dr. Timothy)
THE CHARISMATIC "SMACK-DOWN"
By J. Lee Grady

"Do you want the real power of the Holy Spirit? Then don’t preten by pushing people to the floor when you pray."
 
I love it when the Holy Spirit shows up in church gatherings.
Whenever sinners are converted, backsliders repent, bodies are healed or self-centered believers are broken by God, we see evidence of the Spirit’s work. But I don’t appreciate it when people
fabricate spiritual manifestations to prove God is using them.
 
A few years ago a popular charismatic preacher spoke at a meeting I attended at a church in Orlando, Fla. After his message he asked all ordained ministers to run to the platform so he could
lay hands on them. Immediately this man’s team of beefy bodyguards began grabbing people, dragging them onto the stage and holding them in place until the evangelist could pray for everyone.
 
“We seem to have become masters of mixing the anointing with other ingredients. The charismatic movement has become an embarrassing mixture of flesh and spirit.”
 
I felt queasy about this spectacle. It resembled a charismatic version of World Wrestling Entertainment: lots of smacking noises, falling bodies and cheers from the excited crowd. We Christians seem to love a good show, even if it is staged!
 
I cringed as I watched the bizarre theatrics. But before I could move to the side of the auditorium, one of the evangelist’s 220-pound goons strong-armed me onto the platform. When I looked up, the wild-eyed preacher was heading toward me with his arms flailing. I tried to duck, but when he got close enough he shouted “in the name of Jesus” and slapped me across the face. I tumbled to the floor.
 
My face and neck were stinging with pain. I had not been slain in the spirit, as some observers assumed. I had been assaulted. This man used his own strength to make people think he had imparted a special anointing to me. All he did was give me a headache.
 
Because of this embarrassing smackdown, I decided I would never push people during prayer, not even gently, or do anything to manipulate the Holy Spirit’s power. I want the real thing. I don’t
want to grieve the Holy Spirit by pretending.
 
Why do some Christians insist on pushing people during prayer?
Some do it out of ignorance or because they have seen famous evangelists doing it. Others push to force spiritual results. They think if enough bodies end up on the floor, people will assume God
showed up.
 
I know there are times when people can be so overcome by the Holy Spirit’s presence that they become weak in the knees. King David trembled in God’s presence, and the priests in Solomon’s
day could not stand in the temple because of the heaviness of God’s glory (see 1 Kings 8:10-11). But there is absolutely no biblical precedent for forcing people to fall.
 
In Exodus 30:22-29, God gave Moses the recipe for the holy anointing oil that was to be used in the tabernacle. Each ingredient—cinnamon, myrrh, fragrant cane and cassia—had to be crushed
first and then blended in olive oil. All five components represent Jesus, who was crushed for us. Moses was warned that the oil was never to be misused, nor were any ingredients to be left out
or substituted.
 
God commands us never to cheapen the oil of the anointing, mix foreign substances into it, dilute it or create our own version of it.
The Holy Spirit is holy! People in the Bible who tampered with the holy recipe (such as Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, who offered strange fire on God’s altar in Lev. 10:1-2) suffered serious consequences.
 
Today I fear we have blended the anointing with other ingredients.
The charismatic movement has become an embarrassing mixture.
Some preachers dangle God’s promises over people’s heads and offer elusive promises of prosperity "if people will call this number now and give a donation." Others fake certain body movements to make people think they are super-charged by God. Others mix exotic anointing oils (on sale now for only $12.99!) or they create anointed candles, suggesting that certain scents can trigger the Spirit’s power. This borders on witchcraft.
 
Please search your heart. Do you push people to the floor when
you pray for them, rather than trusting the Lord to do His work?
Are you trusting in Him, or in the arm of the flesh?
 
Have you lied to the Holy Ghost by faking the anointing? Have you mixed your own version of the anointing oil, adding exotic substances that are not of Christ? Have you become addicted to
sensational experiences, always craving a sign yet never satisfied with Jesus alone?
 
How sad that a movement that began in the Spirit has wandered so far from the holiness of God. He sees through our charade.
Let’s repent of our childishness, throw out the fake oils, stop making false claims, and quit abusing and manipulating people to make ourselves look spiritual.
 
-Please comment on this topic at the website below-
 
 
Source-
 

 
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