Bob DeWaay

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Why the Claims of Afterlife Experiences are not Reliable

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Visiting Heaven and Hell :

Why the Claims of Afterlife Experiences are not Reliable

By Bob DeWaay

“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago__ whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows__ such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man__ whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows __ was caught up into Paradise, and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.” (2Corinthians 12:2-4)

In recent years, a couple of individuals have written hot selling books in which they claim to relate their experiences of visiting heaven and/or hell. When Paul1 mentioned his experience in order to fend off the criticisms of false apostles who boasted about visions and revelations, he said that “a man is not permitted to speak” of the things which he saw. That was in the first century. Evidently the rules have changed. Now those who claim such visions and revelations write books to describe what they saw. As we shall see, they also claim to have received special revelation about things not revealed in the Bible, and to have been commissioned by Jesus to reveal these things to the church. Continue reading →

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Why We Must Contend Earnestly For The Faith

 Pastor Bob DeWaay

Also see here  Continue reading →

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Critique of Claimed Visits to Heaven and Hell

The Bible contains the whole counsel of God— everything that will be revealed before the second coming of Christ. People have written books about Heaven and Hell in the past. It used to be that they were at least in the form of fiction, like Dante’s Inferno. The books we have reviewed claim to impart new revelations to the church. As such, these books ought to be rejected. They not only teach extra biblical ideas, they teach unbiblical ideas, some worse than others. Thus they lead people astray no matter how noble the ostensible reason for writing, such as to get people to believe in the second coming or to get them to repent. They do far more harm than good. It is the Scriptures that make us wise unto salvation: “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”
(2 Timothy 3:15-16).  (http://so4j.com/)

The latest claim of  an alleged visit to heaven is one which was made by  a neurosurgeon,  Dr Eben Alexander , who, after falling into a coma,  said that he had experienced things he never thought possible—a journey to the afterlife. Continue reading →

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Spiritual Gifts, Revelation and the Local Congregation

By Bob DeWaay

There are no new revelations. That is what we were taught in Bible College and our professors were correct. Then we encountered passages such as 1Corinthians 14:26 which taught that members of the assembled church could have a revelation and it caused some of us to question what we were taught. In this paper the conclusion we come to will depend on how we answer the apparent contradiction between our teachers’ claims and how we define the range of meaning of the term “revelation” (apokalupsis). Understanding this range of meaning will help us clear up much of the church’s confusion about spiritual gifts and provide support for our Bible College instructors. We shall begin by examining the claims of two groups: those who believe there are new revelations (such as those involved in the modern day apostles and prophets movement) and those who claim that the “revelatory” gifts ceased when the canon of scripture was completed around 100 A.D.

The first group includes those of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and some other Charismatic and Pentecostal groups who argue that gifts of the Spirit exist today and are God’s means of giving revelation to the church, both individually and corporately. In practice this leads to individuals receiving “words of knowledge, words of wisdom, and prophecies” that contain supernatural information which is beyond Scripture and is not available through ordinary means. Such practices are outside the bounds of Scripture. Continue reading →

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Why We Must Contend Earnestly For The Faith

Why We Must Contend Earnestly For The Faith
Presented by Pastor Bob DeWaay

The book of Jude warns believers about the deception that false teachers bring into the church and the dangers they pose for the flock. We live in a time of massive deception yet many Christians think that tolerance is more important than truth. Pastor DeWaay shows from Scripture how dangerous this attitude is and how we must contend for the faith. Continue reading →

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Warning! Rick Joyner to visit South Africa and Join hands with Angus Buchan


It has come to our attention that Rick Joyner  will visit South Africa in July 2012 , he will be leading and teaching with Oom (Uncle) Angus Buchan from the Mighty Men Revivals and of Faith like Potatoes fame at the The Apostolic Prophetic Conference of Neville Norden’s church Lewende Woord. We  also previously reported on Gretha Wiid from the Worthy Women Revivals,  Buchan’s South African female understudy.

Here below you may read why the teachings of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR)  is dangerous. We need to test everything to see if it is from God. It is unloving to not warn others of false teachings. We are also told in Scripture to earnestly contend for the faith. I heard this recent Quote from Justin Peters : It is a sin to be undiscerning .

1John 4:1 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (ESV)

Romans 1:28-32

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality,  wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving  unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32 NKJV) Continue reading →

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Romantic Panentheism: A Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

If I have a joint of meat on my table of which the smell and the taste at once convince me that it is putrid and unwholesome, should I show discretion by eating the whole of it before giving my judgment that it is not fit for food?

One mouthful is quite enough, and one sentence of some books ought to suffice for a sensible man to reject the whole mass. Let those who can relish such meat feed on it, but I have a taste for better food.

Keep to the study of the Word of God. If it be your duty to expose those evils, encounter them bravely, with prayer to God to help you. But if not, as a humble believer in Jesus, what business have you to taste and best such noxious fare when it is exposed in the market?  ~C H Spurgeon (source)

I posted this article almost a year ago, well it is time for a re-post. Please also read An Open Letter To Tim Challies

Romantic Panentheism,

 a Review of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

By Bob DeWaay

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We live in a theological age (postmodern) where the rational and cognitive are questioned and replaced by the sensual and mysterious. Many churches promote the idea of worshipping God with all five senses. Feelings trump clear Biblical exegesis, systematic theology, statements of faith, and any other rational approach to Christian theology. Into this milieu comes a book that takes romanticism to a new level, using sensuality to invoke religious feelings and ostensibly true devotion. The book is One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, a Canadian farmer’s wife. Continue reading →

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Judging Others – Should Christians Judge?

Naming Names of False Teachers & False Prophets

By Martha Mac / SO4J.com ® / SO4J-TV & Video Productions

Judging Others— Should Christians Judge? – We are NOT to Judge a person’s MOTIVES (Matt 7:1), but we ARE to Judge a Fellow Christian’s: FRUIT / ACTIONS (Matt 7:15-20,John 7:24,1 Cor 5:12–13) to make sure they’re NOT Teaching & Living Contrary to God’s Word, and Essential Christian Doctrine is Correct. Apostle Paul judged 8 Times,& Named the Names of 8 False Converts in 2nd Timothy –

We also encourage you to further read a short article called: BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS.

Romans 16:17 (KJV)

    “MARK THEM which cause DIVISIONS & OFFENCES CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE which you have learned; and AVOID them.”

Continue reading →

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Beth Moore and John Piper Lead Lectio Divina-Lite at Passion 2012

By on Jan 6, 2012

Apprising Ministries has been warning for years concerning the evil effects of the neo-liberal in the Emerging Church aka the Emergent Church.

It’s an incontrovertible fact that right from its hatching in hell corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), such as that taught by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster along with his spiritual twin and Southern Baptist minister Dallas Willard, was a core doctrine.

Spreading as a spiritual cancer throughout apostatizing evangelicalism, we even see that it’s slithered all the way into the New Calvinst neo-reformed camp e.g. as in Acts 29 Network And Reformed Counter Reformation Spirituality? One of the fruits of CSM is a blurring of doctrinal lines, which is particularly dangerous in this time of postmodernism and growing spiritual blindness.

Continue reading →

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Urgency and Necessity of The Truth War

Contend Earnestly for the Faith!

Why We Must Contend Earnestly For The Faith – Pastor Bob DeWaay

By Elmarie Swart

I am currently reading John MacArthur’s book, The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception , I was going to do another post on the pages 66-65 (I will still write about this)  of John MacArthur’s  book when I found this very good and relevant piece written about Chapter 3 .  I have found it very relevant and necessary to share this with all. Out in the Cyber world between Christians I do detect alot of important disagreements. Most of the time it would be because those who are into a false teaching or church have no real knowledge of the Word. Why ? Because true Biblical expository teachings are fading away. We are told to test every thing we are told by teachers and hold fast to that which is good,  and also to test because many false teachers will lead many on the wide road to destruction.  1Th 5:21  but test everything; hold fast what is good.   1Jn 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I  am in full agreement with this good piece of writing as to why we must fight the truth war in all earnest while still here on earth and we need to contend earnestly for the faith now even more than before. Daily more and more sheep are led astray to the slaughter house by the false winds and doctrines bellowing across the the world now more than ever. As we come to know the Word of God ,we will find that nothing of the false teachings today are really new, they  were there while Jesus and the Apostle’s walked the earth. We are given the commandment by Jesus to spread the Gospel and surely the warnings against false teachings forms part to earnestly contend for the faith!!  Jesus also said he came not to bring peace but a sword.  Mat 10:34  “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Paul also said for Jesus’s namesake we will suffer, Php 1:29  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

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