‘n Nuwe God-Verklaarde Manier om Verlore Siele in Suid-Afrika te Red

Read the English version here.

God het waarskynlik ‘n spiksplinternuwe fondament vir die redding van tien miljoen Suid-Afrikaners gelê en bekragtig. Hy het na bewering besluit dat die offerdood van sy Seun aan die kruis geheel en al onvoeldoende en ontoereikend is en het nou ‘n vrou, Elza Meyer, ‘n leier predikant by Moreletapark se NG Kerk, gekoöpteer om Christus by te staan in sy plaasvervangende lyding vir ons sondes aan die kruis. Elza se seun, Pieter, was instrumenteel om hierdie nuwe weg van saligheid teweeg te bring. Hier’s wat Elza op haar blog “Turn2God” geskryf het:

Tydens die Oos-Kaap konferensie was daar ’n aanval van die bose op my liggaam.  Ons kon nie die effek daarvan gebreek kry nie,  totdat ek laatnag my seun, Pieter,  gebel het en hom gevra het om vir my te bid. Hy het 10 miljoen siele,  gered en gedoop,  geëis in ruil vir die aanslag op my lewe. Dit het onmiddellik geëindig. Moreletapark Gemeente is deur die Here gelei om ’n nuwe doelwit vir die gemeente te formuleer nl. 10 miljoen siele binne 10 jaar.  Die oorhoofse doelwit is om 10 miljoen siele met die evangelie te bereik en hulle dissipels van Jesus te maak (Klem bygevoeg).

Hoe gaan hulle die Evangelie verkondig? Gaan hulle die verlore siele wat hulle vir Christus wil bereik, vertel dat Christus hulle wil red omdat Hy toegelaat het dat Elza Meyer ‘n hewige demoniese aanval op haar lewe oorleef? Nee . . .? Hoor ek miskien ‘n koor van Moreletapark se lidmate wat sing “Nee! ons gaan dit nie so doen nie”? Die ironie is dat hulle alreeds begin het om dit so te doen op Elza se blog “Turn2God.” Het hulle dan nog nooit gehoor van Paulus se waarskuwing in 1 Korinithiërs 3:11 nie?

1 Kor. 3:11 Want niemand kan ‘n ander fondament lê as wat daar gelê is nie, dit is Jesus Christus.

Jy’s volkome verkeerd, broer Paulus. Het jy nog nie gehoor van die spiksplinternuwe hoeksteen en fondament wat onlangs in die Moreletapark NG Kerk Gemeente gelê is nie? Nog nie . . .? Jy’s verspot. God gaan 10 miljoenverlore siele in die bestek van tien jaar in Suid-Afrika red (‘n miljoen per jaar) in ruil vir Elza Meyer se oorlweing van ‘n hewige demoniese aanval op haar lewe. Wat het jy gesê, Paulus? Het ek jou hoor sê ”Godslasterlik?” Nee, nee, nee, nee en nog ‘n nee, Paulus. Hoe durf jy sê dis godslasterlik. Jy’s te oudmodies. Ons leef in die verligte postmoderne dae en ons is besig om die Evangelie op baie ander maniere aan verlore siele in Suid-Afrika te verkondig. Ons Suid-Afrikaanse predikers is van die vindingrykstes ter wêreld . . . dink jy nie so nie, Paulus.

Ek is versot op die Woord van God en hou daarvan om waarhede wat ek nooit kon dink om dit daar te vind nie, op te diep. Ek was nogal verbaas om die volgende juweel in die Bybel te vind.

Lukas 16:8 . . . want die kinders van hierdie wêreld is verstandiger teenoor hulle geslag as die kinders van die lig.

Ag nee wat, broer Paulus! Jy probeer seker snaaks wees! Wel ek het so gedink totdat ek ‘n blog van ‘n ateïs gelees het wat in sy kommentaar op Elza Meyer se onbybelse eise die vraag vra: “Is skynvroomheid (huigelary) nie ‘n sonde nie?” Te midde van duisende vroue (en miskien net soveel mans wat onder die pantoffelregering by die Moreletapark Gemeente staan) wat sê hulle is Christene en Elza se nuwe manier om die Evangelie te verkondig met ontsag bejeen, en selfs ook ‘n nuwe doelwit vir die Moreletapark gemeente daargestel het, is daar ten minste een persoon, ‘n ongelowige, wat in die teenwoordigheid van gees behou het en dwarsdeur die hele skynvroomheid kon sien en vriendlik genoeg was om te waarsku teen die sonde van huigelary. U kan lees wat die woord “sanctimony” beteken, hier sien en glo my dis nie mooi nie, gladnie mooi nie.

Wat op aarde is besig om in ons geliefde land te gebeur? Elza Meyer sê ons moet “Terugkeer na God.” Stephan Joubert sê: “Nee, dis die verkeerde

rigting. Christene is nie veronderstel om na die Bybel of na God toe terug te keer nie. Hulle moet vorentoe gaan na God toe en die pad vorentoe is om moedig te gaan  waar niemand nog voorheen gewaag het om te gaan nie.” Dit laat my nogal dink aan Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story” wat gewaag het om te gaan na “eindeloosheid en nog verder” totdat hy besef het sy vlerke is vals. Dan is daar ook nog Jannie Pelser en Graham Power wat sê: “Nee! ons manier is die beste. Laat ons nuwe norme en waardes aan elke persoon in ons geliefde land Suid-Afrika uitdeel en alles sal net honkie-dorie wees.” Dink hulle werklik hulle sal tien miljoen verlore siele in Suid-Afrika kan bereik met hierdie soort kakefonie van leuens?

Dit lyk nie juis of Angus Buchan se optredes tot dusver by die Moreletapark NG Kerk enige blywende invloed op die predikante en die mans en vrouens in die gemeente gehad het nie. Waar oom Angus ookal preek, moedig hy die mans aan om hulle vrouens lief te hê en vermaan die vrouens om onderdanig te wees aan hulle mans. Watter tipe “mighty men” het oom Angus by sy “Mighty Men” Konferensies hand grootgemaak wat versuim om hulle vrouens te waarsku teen Elza Meyer se dwaalleringe, of is hulle ook maar onderdanig aan die pantoffelregering in die gemeente? Elza Meyer self is nie juis ‘n goeie voorbeeld vir die vrouens wat blykbaar die manspredikers en die hele gemeente met ‘n ysterhand regeer, en boonop nog die weg vir die hele gemeente aandui van hoe om in te koop op haar onbybelse eise vir die redding van 10 miljoen verlore siele in ruil vir haar wonderbaarlike oorlewing van ‘n hewige demoniese aanvaal op haar lewe. Is dit werklik moontlik dat nie ‘n enkele manspredikant of enige ander manlike lidmaat haar oor haar onbybelse en Godslasterlike leringe gewaarku het nie?

Daar is net ‘n enkele, aanvaarbare en voldoende fondament (eis) wat Christene aan God mag voorlê vir die redding van verlore siele, en raai wat . . .? . . . dit is nie Elza Meyer se oorlewing van ‘n hewige demoniese aanval op haar liggaam nie. Dis suiwer en eenvoudig net Godslasterlik en sy en haar seun, tesame met die hele Moreleta Gemeente behoort God om vergifnis te vra vir hulle afvalligheid en rebellie. Dit was Jesus Christus se eie verskeurde en bebloede liggaam, en syne alleen, wat versoening meegebring het tussen verlore sondaars en die Almagtge God. Jy vind dieselfde dwalinge in die Roomse Kerk. Padre Pio wat vir 45 jaar gereeld stgmata ervaar het, het daarop aanspraak gemaak dat meer geeste uit die dood hom in sy sel besoek het as lewende mense, en die ander monikke sê dat hulle ‘n menigte stemme wat met hom gepraat het, gehoor het. Vader Pio het beweer dat hierdie mense uit die vagwevuur op pad was na die hemel om vir hom dankie tê omdat hy namens hulle vir hulle sondes gely het om hulle uit die vagevuur te kry. Om die waarheid te sê, hy het as nuweling toe hy ‘n monnik geword het, die owerste toestemming gevra om vir die sondes van die wêreld te ly en dié het hom toe die toestemming verleen. Sy stigmata (wat niks anders as demoniese aanvalle was nie) was gewaand sy lyding. Christus se lyding was nie voldoende nie en hy moes dit dus aanvul of daarop verbeter.

Keer terug na God? Sekerlik! maar dan moet dit nie die manier wees waarop Elza Meyer en haar Hadassa sussies en “Mighty Men” die Suid-Afrikaners vir Christus wil wen nie. God sal nooit as’t nimmer sondige mense toelaat om vir verlore siele te bie op die basis wat Elza Meyer, haar seun en die hele Morelettapark Gemeente dit wil doen nie. Julle is mislei en julle is besig om ander te mislei. Hou op met julle nonsens!

A New Divinely Decreed Way of Saving Lost Souls in South Africa

God has apparently authorized and lain a brand new foundation for the salvation of tens of millions of South Africans. He allegedly decided that the sacrificial death of his Son on the cross is inadequate and deficient and has now co-opted a woman, Elza Meyer, who is one of the leader pastors at the Moreleta Park Dutch Reformed Church, to assist Jesus Christ in His vicarious punishment for our sins on the cross. Elza’s son, Pieter, was instrumental in bringing about this new way of salvation. Here’s what Elza wrote on her blog “Turn2God.”

During the Eastern Cape conference demons attacked my body. We were unable to break the effect thereof until I phoned my son, Pieter, late that night asking him to pray for me. He claimed 10 million souls, saved and baptized in exchange for the attack on my life. It immediately stopped. The Moreleta Park congregation was led to formulate a new goal for the congregation, namely 10 million souls within ten years. The overriding aim is to reach 10 million souls with the Gospel and to make them disciples of Jesus Christ. (Emphasis added)

How are they going to proclaim the Gospel? Are they going to tell the lost souls they wish to reach for Christ that God wants to save them because He allowed Elza Meyer to survive a severe demonic attack on her life? No . . .? Do I here a choir of Moreleta Park congregants singing “No! we are not going to do it that way”? The irony is that they have already begun to do it that way on Elza’s blog “Turn2God.” Have they never heard of Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 3:11?

1 Cor. 3: 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

You are dead wrong, brother Paul. Haven’t you heard of the brand new cornerstone and foundation that was lain in the Moreleta Park Dutch Reformed Church recently? No . . .? How silly of you. Well, God is going to save 10 million lost souls within ten years in South Africa (a million a year) in exchange for Elza Meyer’s survival of a very severe demonic attack on her body. What did you say Paul? Did I hear you say, “Blasphemy?” No, no, no, no and again no, Paul. How dare you call it blasphemy? You’re too old fashioned. We’re living in the enlightened postmodern days and we are re-inventing Christianity. We are finding new ways of presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the one you received directly from Him. Elza’s way is just one of the many other ways the Gospel is being presented to lost souls in South Africa. Our South African pastors are some of the most resourceful in the world . . . don’t you think, Paul?

I just love to read the Word of God and to unearth truths that I would never have thought I’d find there. I was rather surprised to find the following gem in the Bible.

Luke 16:8 . . . for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

Nah!, never brother Luke! You must be kidding! Well, I thought so until I read a blog where an atheist asks the question “Isn’t sanctimony a sin?” in his discussion of Elza Meyer’s unbiblical claim. While thousands of women (and perhaps just as many men who are under the petticoat government at Moreleta park congregation) who claim to be Christians are in awe of Elza’s new way of presenting the Gospel and have even set a new goal for the Moreleta Park congregation, there seems to be at least one person, an unbeliever, who has the presence of mind to see through the whole charade and is kind enough to sound a word of warning against the sin of sanctimony. You can read what the word “sanctimony” means right here and believe me its not pretty, not pretty at all.

What on earth is going on in our beloved country? Elza Meyer says “Return to God.” Stephan Joubert says: “Nope” that’s the wrong direction. Christians are not supposed to return to the Bible or to God. They must advance and move forward to God, and the way forward is to boldly go where no man has gone before.” It kinda reminds me of Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story” who ventured to go to infinity and beyond until he realized his wings were fake. Then there’s Jannie Pelser and Graham Power who say “No! our way is the best. Let’s hand out new norms and values (ethics) to every single person in our beloved South Africa and everything will  be just hunky-dory.” Do they actually think they are going to reach millions of lost souls in South Africa with this kind of cacophony of lies?

Angus Buchan’s appearances thus far at the Moreleta Park Dutch Reformed Church doesn’t seem to have had any lasting effect on the pastors, and the husbands and wives in their congregation. Wherever oom Angus preaches he admonishes the men to love their wives and the wives to submit themselves to their husbands. What kind of mighty men has oom Angus nurtured in the Moreleta Park congregation at his Mighty Men Conferences who do not warn their wives against Elza Meyer’s erroneous doctrines, or are they all in submission to their wives under a petticoat government? Elza Meyer herself isn’t much of a good example to the wives who seems to be governing the male pastors and the entire congregation with an iron fist, and leading the way for the entire congregation to buy into her unbiblical demand for the salvation of 10 million lost souls in exchange for her miraculous survival of a severe demonic attack on her life. Is it really true that not a single male pastor or other male congregant hasn’t warned her of her unbiblical teachings?

There is only one single, acceptable and efficient foundation (claim) Christians may present to the Lord for the salvation of lost souls, and guess what . . . . ? It is definitely not Elza Meyer’s survival of a severe demonic attack on her body. That’s pure and simple blasphemy and she and her son, as well as the entire Moreleta Park DRC congregation need to ask God’s forgiveness for their waywardness and rebellion. It was Jesus Christ’s own torn and blood-drenched body, and his alone, that brought about reconciliation between lost sinners and Almighty God. You find the same heresies being taught in Roman Catholicism. Padre Pio who regularly experienced stigmata for about 45 years, claimed that more spirits of the dead visited him in his cell in the monastery than living people, and the other monks said they heard multitudes of voices talking with him and he said that these people were coming from purgatory on their way to heaven thanking him for suffering for their sins to get them out of there. In fact, as a novice he asked the superior when he first became a monk, for permission to suffer for the sins of the world and he was granted permission. So, the stigmata (which was nothing else than demonic attacks) was supposedly his suffering. The suffering of Christ was not sufficient but he had to add to it.

Return to God? You bet, but not in the way Elza Meyer and her Hadassa sisters and Mighty Men are urging South Africans to do it. God will never allow sinful man to barter for lost souls on the basis Elza Meyer, her son and the entire Moreleta Park DRC  put forward to Almighty God. You’re deceived and you are deceiving others. Stop your nonsense!

The Dutch Reformed Church’s Downward Spiral into Apostasy

Isaiah 2:6 Surely [Lord] You have rejected and forsaken your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled [with customs] from the east and with soothsayers [who foretell] like the Philistines; also they strike hands and make pledges and agreements with the children of aliens. (Emphasis added)

Several high profile Dutch Reformed clergy as well as other well-known professors and doctors have openly and publically proclaimed that Christianity does not have the exclusive rights to spiritual truths and that Christians may learn from Eastern religions and even the New Age Movement. Professor Stephan Joubert of e-church fame, said on March 1, 2009 in a sermon at the Kemptonkruin Dutch Reformed Church:

“He [Rob Bell] says you must engage the culture. You must listen to the Buddhists. You must listen to what they have to say. It startles Christians because they do not clearly hear what Rob Bell is saying. He does not say: become like them. He says: read their stuff; find out why they are so important. They too may have truth. Truth is not only in Christianity. You find truth in Judaism. You can find truth in atheism. You can find truth wherever. God’s general truth is a little wider, but you say ‘Jesus is Lord.’”

Prof. Stephan Joubert is deceived and he is deceiving many if not all of his congregants in the e-church. Does the emerging mantra “Jesus is Lord” which was used ever so profusely in the charismatic movement have magical qualities, giving one a free pass to say and do whatever one likes without having to fear God’s righteous judgments? Has he never read Matthew 7:22, 23?

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

Rev. Jannie Pelser of the Rant and Dal Community Church and presenter of the programme “Brandpunt” on Radio Pulpit  is equally deceived. He said on Friday, 3 April  2009 in his programme.

“Is God’s revelation and work not bigger than Christianity? Could there not be elements . . . could we not learn from one another, regardless of the fact that it may even be the New Age. But when I think in terms of the contemplative [spirituality] . . . a being still before God, an openness to God. Is it not a rewarding moment?

My commentary here has since sparked off a debate between me and Rev. Guillaume Smit of the Brackenfell West Dutch Reformed Church in the Cape who feels that Christians may participate in Eastern religious activities such as yoga, karate, tae kwon do and other meditation techniques without compunction or fear that they may be getting involved in idolatry. He wrote as follows here.

This is why a Christian could, in principle, have the freedom to participate in eastern sport such as tae kwon do, karate or judo, provided the instructor only teaches the sport and not any form of eastern philosophy along with the sport. And since this is a point of contention for more conservative (sic) Christians, a Christian could also participate in meditation techniques that enable him/her to relax and get focused on worship or studying Scripture, provided this isn’t part of practices that is closely associated with eastern religions. Obviously, it makes sense to argue that participating in new age practices such as astrology or spiritism falls outside the scope of this principle, as these practices are also closely associated with the occult.

Could it be possible that Rev. Smit has ruled out the work of the Holy Spirit in worship and the studying of the Bible? Rev Guillaume’s statement that meditation techniques enable Christians to focus on worship and the studying of the Bible, is completely at variance with the teachings of Jesus. True worship, He said, is to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). God, Who is Spirit, cannot be worshipped in any other way than in spirit and in truth. This simply means that anyone’s spirit who hasn’t been quickened (made alive unto God) through repentance and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross cannot worship God because their spirit is still dead in sin and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus made this point when he told the man, who first wanted to bury his dad after Jesus had commanded him to follow Him, to let the dead bury their dead (Luke 9:60). The second prerequisite for true worship is to worship God in truth, the truth as we find it in God’s Word ALONE. The Holy Spirit ALONE can enlighten the mind to understand the Scriptures. In fact, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would teach God’s children all things and bring to their remembrance the things whatsoever He taught His disciples. In his High Priestly prayer Jesus asked his Father to sanctify his disciples in his truth, emphasising the fact that his Word is truth. Both Stephan Joubert and Jannie Pelser as well as Guillaume Smit are in the dangerous position of denying and vilifying the fact that it is ONLY the Holy Spirit that guides us into ALL truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit works ONLY within the parameters of God’s revealed truth as we find it in His Word. As such there can be no beneficial truths whatsoever in other religions and philosophies, let alone the New Age movement. I fear that our churches and their congregants (the sheep and little lambs) are being led astray by their pastors and “dominees” into a maze or labyrinth of venomous reptiles from whence it is becoming increasingly difficult to escape. In little more than a quarter of a century the Dutch reformed Church has moved from a position where it was outspoken against Eastern religions and their practices to a position of tolerance and participation mainly through one of its most “respected” champions of so-called Christian meditation, Dr. Willem Nicol.

Below is a tract the Dutch Reformed Church distributed to warn its congregants against transcendental meditation. As you can see it was published in 1977, a mere 32 years ago which shows how rapidly the Dutch Reformed Church has spiralled into apostasy since that time.

I would like to translate some key phrases in behalf of our English readers. On page 3 it reads as follows:

The initiation ceremony is clearly a religious ritual and no one is allowed to participate in TM without it. The pupil and teacher remove their shoes, enter the room with candles and incense and place an offering of a white handkerchief, fruit and flowers on the altar in front of a photo of Guru Dev, Maharishi’s master.

A song of prayer is sung during this event to glorify pagan gods.

The pupil then receives his own MANTRA, a word or sound of one or more syllables which is completely meaningless to the pupil. TM claims that every person on earth has his/her own mantra that uniquely suits them. They assert that the teacher fortuitously receives the pupil’s mantra from Maharishi and that the teacher has the knack to know his pupil so well after only a few minutes that he is able to present him with just the right one.

A heavy atmosphere of mysticism and superstition surrounds this mantra: this word and it alone enables the devotee to meditate. It may never be written down or disclosed to someone else. The reason for this is evident. No wonder some people have discovered that they have the same mantra.

The above ceremony is known as the “Puja” in which the photo of the Guru Dev is used as a representation of the Hindu deities, Brahman, Shiva and Vishnu. The MANTRA can also be the name of one of thousands of Hindu gods. Christianized meditation in which the name “Jesus” or a phrase such as “have mercy on me” are used as mantras are no less dangerous to one’s spiritual life than the above mentioned ceremony. Some may argue that Christianized meditation has no affiliation to the offerings in the “Puja” ceremony. The fact remains that the repetitive mumbling of the mantra, whatever it may be, produces altered states of consciousness and opens the devotee up to demonic entities. In any case the Word of God forbids Christians to use a vain repetition of words as the gentiles do who think they will be heard by much speaking (Matthew 6:7).

Rev. Smit’s provisos to “detoxify” any form of Eastern meditation from its inherent and inseparable religious overtones, so that the Christian may worship God and study His Word in a relaxed way, is preposterous. The Bible warns that we should have no spiritual union with idolaters and the unbelievers’ spiritualities.

2 Cor 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.

The flip side of this coin is, however, that if your body is not the temple of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and the Spirit of God does not indwell you, you may probably participate in these idolatrous practices without compunction. By all means, continue to do so but remember that the wrath of God will remain on you until you repent of your ways. This applies to all the other disciplines Rev. Smit mentioned in his defence of these practices, i.e. tae kwon do, karate or judo. Karate has its roots in Zen Buddhism and its principles were handed down in great secrecy by word of mouth from Zen Master to Buddhist Monk. An Indian Buddhist priest named Bodhidharma in the 6th century A.D. in China, synthesized karate techniques and Yoga meditation in order to unite mind, spirit, and body. (Among the Chinese styles are kung fu or gung fu, wu shu, and pa kua. Tai kwan do and hapkido are among the Korean styles.) Karate is clearly not only a mental and moral exercise, but indeed, a spiritual experience. In each practice session there is a concerted effort to unite mind, spirit, and body just as Bodhidharma sought to do with Zen priests.

Rev 18: 4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;

To end my commentary on this subject I would like to quote from Dr. Kurt Koch’s book “Occult ABC” to highlight the dangers of yoga.

YOGA

The word yoga is derived from Sanskrit and is possibly the root underlying the Greek word “ioge,” shelter, and the Latin “jugum,” yoke. If these linguistic associations are anything to go by, to practice yoga is to put oneself under a yoke, or to seek shelter from a protective power.

It is impossible to present yoga fully in a short chapter. To begin with, there are many forms of Indian and Tibetan yoga, so many that it would take more than one large volume to list them all. It would take up too much space here even to describe one single form.

For a good introduction to yoga, Maurice Ray’s book Joga, ja oder nein? is recommended. This book describes Hatha Yoga and Raja (Royal) Yoga from the standpoint of the Christian faith. It is the best discussion of yoga from a Christian point of view known to me.

In this brief account I can only give a very limited part of the whole. I have used the following sources:

1. Pastoral counselling in the West and the East, especially in East Asia, where I have travelled extensively eight times.

2. Information given me by the Indian professor de Roy, who has studied the yoga practice in his country.

3. The definitive work by Mishra on Patanjali Yoga: The Textbook of Yoga Psychology. Several key sentences from Mishra’s work will introduce us to the spiritual atmosphere of yoga:

a. The higher ego of man is transcendent and immanent, without beginning and without end, it has no birth and no death.

b. Yoga means the synthesis of the physical and metaphysical universe.

c. Heaven and hell are only products of the human mind.

d. Behind magic, mysticism and also behind the occult the yoga system is present.

These four sentences show clearly that yoga and the Bible cannot be harmonized in the remotest way. The systems of the Far East and the Christian faith are irreconcilable opposites.

If we take a cross section of the most well-known forms of yoga, we can recognize four stages.

The first stage has the aim of helping the student of yoga to gain control of his consciousness and his body. This goal is achieved by means of mental and physical exercises.

The mental exercises include meditation, autogenic training, con­centration, and “koan,” a litany involving the continuous repetition of a mantra (secret word).

The physical exercises include breathing exercises and various bodily postures like the lotus position, the cobra position, and the headstand.

This first stage is thus psychosomatic in nature, producing unity of body and mind.

There are many Christians who believe that it is possible to par­ticipate in this first stage of yoga without harm. It is merely a matter of relaxation exercises. If only this were true! Counselling experience tells otherwise. This technique of relaxation and these “emptying exercises” so highly spoken of by the yogis lead to the inflowing of another spirit—other spirits. The students of yoga do not notice it.

Ex 266 G.C., a Christian teacher, told me that during an evan­gelistic campaign, a certain man and his daughter had wished to surrender their lives to Christ. But they found themselves unable to do so. Only after they had renounced their yoga exercises and repented of them did they succeed in coming through to Christ.

Ex 267 In Johannesburg, South Africa, I counselled a theology student. He was a young man who had been converted to Christ some years before. Hearing about a yoga course which had been announced in church, he applied to join. After a few months, he noticed a change in his spiritual life. His desire to read the Bible disappeared. He also became tired of prayer. I advised him very strongly to give up his yoga exercises at once and to renounce the whole thing.

The second stage of yoga involves the control of the unconscious mind. When a person has mastered the second stage, he can control and guide, for instance, his visceral nerves. I have met masters of the second stage who can perform astonishing feats.

Ex 268 In a Western university town, I met a theology student who practiced the second stage of yoga. He was able to increase or decrease his circulation of blood. Being inclined to be humorous, he used to entertain his fellow students by showing off his abilities. He could make one of his ears red and the other one white at the same time. He could also cause red spots to appear on his skin by suggestion.

I could only wonder what kind of gospel this young man will one day preach to his parishioners.

Ex 271 The most enlightening experience I have had of this sort was in California. A young woman came to me for counselling. She told me that she had been a master of the second stage of yoga. In the course of her yoga exercises, she had actually chosen Jesus as her guru. Note this, not Jesus as her Savior and Redeemer, but only as her example, her great master. During her yoga exercises, she developed occult powers. She became unhappy about it, and tried to free herself. It was then that she first realized what a power yoga had over her. She began to seek Christ. Several of her friends prayed for her. After terrible struggles she became free. She wrote an account of her experi­ences entitled “From Yoga to Christ.” She gave me permission to publish it.

Yoga does not liberate; it enslaves. Yoga does not free; it binds. Yoga does not enlighten; it brings confusion. Yoga does not prepare the way for Christ, as Father J. M. Dechanet (Cahier du Val) claims, but makes people immune to redemption through Christ. Yoga does not open the door for the Holy Spirit, but for spiritist spirits.

The third stage of yoga is concerned with the mastery of the natural powers. I have found very few examples of this in the West, but very many in the East. It is the speciality of Tibetan yogis to combine magic and yoga. After three years of apprenticeship under a lama, who is the master of this art, the adept (apprentice) has to be able to produce energy in the form of heat in natural objects, such as melting ice by means of mental concentration.

I have still more frequently come across the converse of this, where yogis are able to produce heat and even flames. We find this among the fire worshippers, who also practice fire magic.

Ex 272 In Port Elizabeth, one of these fire masters, who had emigrated from India to South Africa, came to me for counselling. He made a confession and asked for my help. I showed him the way to Jesus. He was willing to accept Jesus as his Lord. I do not know if he has continued in the faith. Occultists often fall back into their old ways.

Those who are still in doubt as to whether stage one or two of yoga results in occult processes must admit that when it comes to stage three, yoga leads to the powers of the abyss.

At the fourth stage, the yogi gains the mastery of the dark arts. The Lamas of Tibet are particularly well known for this. I have collected very many examples of stage four yoga. In Kalimpong on the Tibetan border, I came into contact with many Tibetans. I have also received reports from former missionaries in Tibet. Especially enlightening was the confession of a man who has given me permission to publish his story.

Ex 273 My informant had studied yoga, magic and spiritism for ten years with the Lamas. He had heard of my lectures in Sydney and followed me on to Newcastle, Australia. He made a full confession and named his specific sins. He said, “What the Lamas teach is the cult of spirits, the cult of demons. Please help me to become free.” We had a long talk together. From this man I learned that the Tibetan yogis are masters of the trance, materialization, excursion of the soul, telekinesis, levitation, perfectly controlled telepathy, and all the arts of spiritism. At stage four, which I have met in this intensity only with Tibetans, Zombis, Alauts, Maccumbas, and voodooists, yoga can no longer, with the best will in the world, disguise its true character. Here yoga reaches its ultimate master — Satan, whose desire it is with his promises and his wiles to snatch people away into the abyss.

There is no need for further comment on the religious side of yoga. Yoga ends not only in self-redemption and atheism, but in the cult of demons. Those who undertake to take part in yoga exercises enter a force field by which they are unwittingly directed towards the origin of these powers. These are the powers of which Paul speaks in his epistles, (see Colossians 2:15). Christ has freed us from the spirits, demons, and powers. The chief of these powers is Lucifer, who is seeking to win back those he has lost. And what successes he has gained, for yoga has become the fashion in the West!

A quotation from a book published overseas confirms my own view. In the book “Satan kumpf um diese Welt,” by Lindsey and Carlson, we read, “Chris Pike (a son of Bishop Pike) told me in a personal interview that he previously practiced yoga and meditation. As a result he had become controlled by spirit beings which had nearly destroyed his life. He then renounced these powers in the name of Jesus, and today he is a witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ. His life was completely changed.” (Effects of Occult Devices 261)

All Christians who are allowing themselves unsuspectingly to be led astray into yoga should take note of Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Kurt Koch: Occult ABC” Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, pp 256-261).

One of the strangest phenomena of our postmodern times is that many clergy actually practice the “ancient-future” philosophy of the emergent church. They cling to their traditional roots and simultaneously take hold of so-called new age practices in a wonderfully pyrotechnical display of emergent unification. This is not of God and will inevitably lead you into the miseries of the abyss . . . unless of course you repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

The Enigmatic Ping-Pong Love of the Emergent Fraternity

King Solomon’s wise remark in Ecclesiastes 1:9 “The thing that has been, it is what will be; and that which has been done is that which will be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” is relevant and true to this very day. It is particularly true of most people’s reactions, and especially high profile persons such as professors, doctors, and pastors (“dominees)” in the post modern emergent camp, when they are confronted with the unalterable, infallible and eternal truth of God. Allow me to explain this in terms of an incident in the Bible when Paul and Silas were severely beaten in prison subsequent to their witnessing to the truth. Paul and Silas, as with all the other disciples, witnessed to the truth; they heralded it and never sought to engage in a conversation with the idolaters of their time. They never said: “Ok you guys, let us congenially gather around the coffee table where you may teach us the beatitudes in your religion and we will teach you ours. We’re not interested in converting you to our religion; we’re merely trying to find common ground so that we may learn from one another.”

Acts 16:25-37

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!”And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household. And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, having believed in God with his whole household. Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, “Release those men.” And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in peace.” But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” (Emphasis added)

That’s what I love about Paul. Contrary to today’s emergent leaders such as Stephan Joubert who make such a big fuss of the integrity of Rob Bell, his own name and even those of his fellowmen were of little concern to him (Galatians 2:6) when matters pertaining to God’s truth and the doctrine of salvation needed to be defended in the face of Christ’s enemies. Nevertheless, when simple justice called for it, he stood his ground like a man and confronted his persecutors head-on: “Hey, you guys cannot just cast us out like common dirt when you violated your own country’s laws. They have beaten us mercilessly and now your highly respected magistrates whose integrity you hold in high esteem want to thrust us out shamelessly and secretly? Tell your highly esteemed magistrates to come here and accompany us out with due respect and honour.”

Before I continue, I would like to emphasize that I have no concern for my own name when it is maligned in behalf of Christ and His Gospel. In fact, the “black-and-white” defined truth is that all Christians should leap with joy when they are maligned, ridiculed and persecuted for the Name of Jesus Christ and His Gospel (Matthew 5: 11; Acts 5:41). However, I fail to understand how someone who calls himself a Christian can publicly associate my name with the devil, who is the father of all lies and a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44), and subsequently make an about turn to send me a private e-mail, assuring me that he is praying for me and my family. A serious dilemma arises: should he pray to God for Tom Lessing and his family or should he pray for “an agent of the devil (the father of all lies and a murderer from the beginning) and his family? He reminds me of Dr. Johan van den Heever of the Eldoraigne Dutch Reformed Emergent Church who recently also very piously called me his brother. It is this kind of ping-pong love no one dares to trust, because you never know what they are going to call you next. A fountain cannot bring forth bitter and sweet water (James 3:11).

Although Rev. Guillaume Smit did not give me permission to post on my blog an e-mail he recently sent me, he has no authority to prevent me from disclosing the general content of his mail. I never gave him permission to label me an agent of the devil and yet he wilfully and maliciously called me the agent of the father of all lies who is a murderer from the beginning on the internet for the entire world to see. Now he clandestinely wants me to continue our discussion in private. He wants to gently and secretly get rid of me like those magistrates in Paul’s day. Nonetheless, I have decided to disclose, on the internet as he had done in calling me an agent of the devil, that he has now piously decided to pray for me and my family. He is determined to pray that God would overcome me with His love; that He would open my spiritual eyes so that I may know the truth, and yet when I presented him with the truth from Scripture he accused me of legalism and pharaseeism; and that my “black-and-white” theology is an outright fallacy. His ad hominem accusations are not even original. He parrot-talks after other emergent gurus who call themselves Christians. In one of his reviews of Ron Martoia’s book, “Static,” he wrote here:

“I also re-read Ron Martoia’s book, Static, in this time. Martoia challenges his readers to rethink salvation and sin in light of a biblical understanding of Scripture rather than a theological understanding (my words). I agree with him on the issue: We are way too obsessed with black-white legalistic issues when it comes to Christian life and ethics. It results in the Christian church becoming more and more like a Pharisaical religion in stead of being an authentic Jesus movement” (Emphasis added).

The overriding meaning of the above quoted section is evident: If you believe the Bible is the inerrant, infallible, unalterable and eternal Word of God, you are a “black-and-white-legalistic-Pharisee” as opposed to the “authentic Jesus movement” that promotes yoga and other disciplines in Hinduism, Buddhism and New Age philosophies. Many emergent preachers claim that all religions have wonderful and beautiful truths that may be incorporated freely into Christianity in order to enhance the “authentic Jesus movement’s” evangelical outreach throughout the world.

The questions we should ask is why we need to have second thoughts about biblical salvation and what the purpose is behind the emergent fraternities “rethinking” process. Biblical salvation is an individual-istic redemption. The Holy Spirit deals with every individual in a personal way convicting him/her of their own particular sins with the purpose of bringing them to a position where they contritely acknowledge (confess) their sins and eternal lostness to Jesus Christ in order for them to be saved from the righteous wrath and indignation of an infinitely holy God. Not so with the emergent church. This kind of salvation is too narrow-minded, too harsh and judgmental, too simplistic and out of touch with postmodern man’s immediate needs. They can no longer wait for Jesus Christ to usher in His Kingdom of peace, wholeness, and wellness. They want it here and now, the result being that they have derailed biblical salvation and shunted it to a parallel sounding rail of a global resurrection or salvation, which is nothing more than a social gospel. Rev. Jannie Pelser’s transformational theology to inculcate healthy and sound norms and values in our society falls squarely in this category.

In Flip Loots’ programme “Oop Gesprek” (Sunday, 12 April 2009) his two guests, Jannie Pelser and Graham Power (who was one of the sponsors of of the “Parliament of the World’s Religions” in Cape Town in December 1999), once again advertised their missional programme to inculcate sound and healthy norms and values in our society. How do they aim to forge healthy and civilized norms and values in our society when they unashamedly tolerate the corruption and highly unethical transformation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in their churches and seminaries, and unashamedly and publicly spread the lie that we may learn from other religions and even the New Age because they too have certain beneficial truths inherent in their beliefs? (read here). Strengthened by their maxim “unashamedly ethical” they aim to eradicate corruption, crime and unethical practices from the top to the bottom. How dare they appoint themselves to the lofty position of guardians of social ethics (norms and values) when they unashamedly cuddle up to men who unashamedly corrupt the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Jannie Pelser admitted that we are living in the last of the last days which, according to Scripture, will be unashamedly characterized by a falling away from the faith. And yet, Jannie and Graham Power are confident and very excited that their missional thrust to transform South Africa and the whole of Africa with their norms-and-values-heart-transplant will be a resounding success. Who should we believe —  God or Jannie Pelser and Graham Power? I have written extensively on the fallacies of their unbiblical transformational “gospel” here and here.

I have already posted one of Rob Bell’s Nooma videos in one of my previous comments but would like to do so here again to prove to you what I mean.

The Gospel is NOT just about God not having given up on the world; that a giant resurrection rescue is on its way and that He wants to put it all back together, you, me and the whole world, again. The Gospel is the Good News of God’s unending longsuffering toward mankind as a whole, not willing that any should perish but that the entire world should come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The sad news, however, is that the majority shun God’s divinely ordained way of saving lost sinners. They have rejected the cross of His Son because to them it is sheer foolishness  (1 Corinthians 1:18). They want Him to resurrect them into a new and wonderful life of well-being, wholeness and peace without the blood of His cross. The Gospel is the Good News only to those who in faith and repentance have responded to God’s divinely ordained way of salvation. To those who reject His free gift of salvation, there is no peace (Isaiah 42:22).

The late Alice Bailey, a Theosophist during her life, who was used as a channel by die spirit guide, Djwal Kuhl, said something very similar about a universal resurrection in her book The Externalization of the Hierarchy – Section III – Forces behind the Evolutionary Process

An Easter Message

Easter Day 1945

On this day, we recall to our minds the fact of Resurrection – a universal and eternally recurring resurrection. I would like to talk with you anent the Christ, about His work as head of the Hierarchy, and about the rebuilding which humanity must undertake and which the Hierarchy is seeking to impulse at this time. A great period of reconstruction is planned. Here are the two words around which I wish to create my theme: Resurrection and Reconstruction. It will be a reconstruction implemented by Those Who know the meaning of resurrection, and it will involve a resurrection of humanity through the medium of its intelligentsia and men and women of goodwill. These two groups (the Hierarchy and Humanity) will need to be brought into a closer rapport, and this is entirely possible if the followers of the Christ realize their opportunity and shoulder their responsibilities. I would point out that when I use the phrase “followers of the Christ” I refer to all those who love their fellowmen, irrespective of creed or religion. Only upon this basic premise can a hopeful future be founded.

I do not care whether or not those who read my words accept the occult teaching of a spiritual and planetary Hierarchy over which the Christ presides, or whether they think in terms of Christ and His disciples. The essential recognition for which I plead is that this great group of spiritual Individuals, Who receive so general a recognition throughout the world and in all the great religions, should be [469] regarded as active. The Christian view of the Christ is built upon that which He enacted for us two thousand years ago and through which He symbolically indicated to us the way which all aspirants must go. It portrays a picture of a waiting, quiescent Christ, living in some vague and far away heaven, “resting on His laurels” and practically doing nothing very much until such time as the sons of men of every race and creed acclaim Him as Savior; this they must do both as individuals and as representing the organized Christian Church. It is a picture of a listening, observing Christ, animated by pity and compassion, but Who has done all He could and now waits for us to do our part; it is also a picture of One Who waits to see what humanity, as a whole, will accept theologically. In the mind of the narrow, fundamentalist theologian, Christ is seen as presiding over a peaceful place called Heaven, into which the elect are welcomed; He is also seen as consigning all who remain aware of their own spiritual integrity and responsibility, who refuse to be gathered into organized churches or who go idly or wickedly through life, to some vague place of eternal punishment. To this vast multitude (probably the majority) His love and compassion apparently do not reach, and His heart remains untouched. It appears that He cares not whether they suffer eternally or attain complete annihilation.

This surely cannot be so. None of these pictures is accurate or adequate; they are not true in any sense of the word. . . Resurrection is the clue to the world of meaning, and is the fundamental [470] theme of all the world religions – past, present and the future. Resurrection of the spirit in man, in all forms in all kingdoms, is the objective of the entire evolutionary process and this involves liberation from materialism and selfishness. In that resurrection, evolution and death are only preparatory and familiar stages. The note and message sounded by the Christ when last on Earth was resurrection, but so morbid has been mankind and so enveloped in glamor and illusion, that His death has been permitted to sidestep understanding; consequently, for centuries, the emphasis has been laid upon death, and only on Easter Day or in the cemeteries is the resurrection acclaimed. This must change. It is not helpful to a progressive understanding of the eternal verities to have this condition perpetuated. The Hierarchy is today dedicated to bringing about this change and thus altering the approach of mankind to the world of the unseen and to the spiritual realities. (Emphasis added).

“Liberation from materialism and selfishness” is a recurring theme in many religions and philosophies. On Saturday, 24 April 1982 the following advertisement appeared in the Rand Daily Mail under the title “THE CHRIST IS NOW HERE.”

WHO IS THE CHRIST?

Throughout history, humanity’s evolution has been guided by a group of enlightened men, the Masters of Wisdom. They have remained largely in the remote desert and mountain places of earth, working mainly through their disciples who live openly in the world. This message if the Christ’s reappearance has been given primarily by such a disciple trained for his task for over 20 years.

At the centre of this Spiritual Hierarchy stands the World Teacher, Lord Maitreya, known by Christians as the Christ. And as Christians await the Second Coming, so the Jews await the Messiah, the Buddhists the fifth Buddha, the Muslims’ the Imam Mahdi, and the Hindus await Krishna. These are all names for one individual.

His presence in the world guarantees there will be no Third World War.

WHAT IS HE SAYING?

My task will be to show you how to live together peacefully as brothers. This is simpler than you imagine, My friends, for it requires only the acceptance of sharing.

How can you be content with the modes within which you now live: when millions starve and die in squalor; when the rich parade their wealth before the poor; when each man is his neighbour’s enemy; when no man trusts his brother?

Allow me to show you the way forward into a simpler life where no man lacks; where no two are alike; where the Joy of Brotherhood manifests through all men.

Take your brother’s needs as the measure of your action and solve the problems of the world.

It is very interesting that yoga and transcendental meditation are presented on the internet as metaphysical ways to alleviate the suffering in the world:

Transcendental Meditation can improve your grades, make you a better citizen, assure you of a higher salary, alleviate world suffering, and increase the productivity of the national economy, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi promised an overflow crowd of about 200 in Leverett House Junior Common Room last night.(Read here).

It is evident that this resurrection of humanity will take take place by means of a massive paradigm shift, corporately induced primarily through meditation, and contemplative spirituality (centering prayer) which, in turn, is solidly embedded in Eastern religious practices such as yoga and other New Age philosophies. The Bible warns against passivity or inactivity of the mind because the mind, according to Scripture, is the avenue by which change and transformation is brought about in a person’s life. Paul warns us not to be conformed to this world system and its philosophies but to be transformed by the renewal of our mind so that we may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God (Romans 12:2). In Ephesians 4:23 he says that we should be renewed by the spirit of our mind and Peter in his first Epistle (1:13) warns that we should gird up the loins of our mind. Our minds should continually be taken captive in obedience to the will of Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 10: 5). Indeed, the mind is the battleground for the souls of men and Satan will  do everything in his power to neutralize the mind so that he may invade and take captive the thoughts of men in obedience to his will. In fact, the Bible states very clearly that it is he, the god of this world, who blinds the minds of unbelievers so as to keep the Gospel veiled in them that perish (2 Corinthians 4:3). Contemplative spirituality with its emphasis on stillness and passivity of the mind (altered states) is unmistakably the primary vehicle Satan utilizes to captivate the hearts of men and to bring about change in the world; a change that allegedly brings on global peace, tranquillity, wholeness, wellness and euphoric love and compassion. This kind of peace, love, wholeness and wellness cannot and will not last because its orchestrator is bent on the destruction of mankind. No wonder the Bible says that when they say peace and safety a sudden inescapable destruction will come upon them (1 Thessalonians 5:3).

Ron Martoia who pleads that we should rethink salvation and sin in the light of a biblical understanding of Scripture and whose ideas Rev. Guillaume Smit endorses wholeheartedly, has some very unbiblical ideas about salvation and sin. In his opinion Jesus rarely said anything about getting to heaven. Tony Cartledge of the ABP Associated Baptist Press released a report on 8 February 2007 of a conversation Ron Martoia had with several religious leaders on January 29. 2007. He wrote:

CONOVER, N.C. (ABP) — Despite decades of tweaking evangelistic methods, there is little evidence that many Christians are experiencing true life change, Ron Martoia told church leaders Jan. 29. (Read he entire article here.)

Perhaps, the church consultant said, that failure is because Christians in the Western world have been prone to think of salvation as a “point-of-sale” transaction that focuses on getting to heaven instead of appreciating that Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament promise of shalom, a concept that suggests wholeness, wellness, and peace.

Based on surveys he has done, Martoia said nine out of 10 pastors define the gospel as the good news that Jesus died for people’s sins so they can go to heaven. But Jesus rarely said anything about getting to heaven. He focused mainly on present human needs. Jesus’ self-stated mission, as found in Luke 4:16-19, is derived from Isaiah 61:1-2 and incorporated the Old Testament sense of bringing deliverance, healing and wholeness.

Preaching about forgiveness from sin becomes increasingly ineffective in a postmodern world where a sense of guilt and obligation is less often operative, Martoia said. In contemporary American culture, one can no longer assume that people identify themselves as sinners in need of grace.

“People may not think of themselves as sinners going to hell, but they seek wholeness and recognize they’re not there,” he said.

Thus, Martoia suggested that the Genesis 1 creation of humankind in God’s image (imago Dei) is a better starting point for evangelism than beginning with the “fall” story of Genesis 3: “What would it be like for us to begin the conversation with people as if we’re trying to live out the image of God in us and want them to live out the image of God in them?”

The inner imago Dei creates the yearning to believe that there is purpose to life, that life can be better, and that belonging is possible, Martoia said. It’s a trio of longings that correspond to faith, hope and love, he said.

Helping others identify and get in touch with the image of God in them is more of a process than a one-time transaction. And seeing the gospel through imago Dei calls for an apologetic that begins relationally, not just rationally, Martoia said. (Emphasis added)

You need not look far to realize what Ron Martoia, also known as a transformational architect, means when he says “get in touch with the image of God in them is more than a one-time transaction” (i.e. being born from above). It provides ample proof why he is into Eastern mysticism and why his ideas on salvation (i.e. wholeness wellness and peace) are based on his keen interest in yoga and the integral theory. The “Excellerators” website describes Ron Martoia as a transformational architect who is addicted to golf and is also a yoga instructor. A short description of his book here reads as follows:

Dr. Ron Martoia proposes using modern interpretations of basic Christian terms sometimes employed in evangelistic attempts. So many witness encounters are compromised by, among other things, the unwillingness to rephrase biblical language into something more understandable to the listener. Maybe the words we sometimes use confuse more than inform. Is the Christian message hopelessly out of date? Dr. Martoia would say no, it just needs to be rephrased. Addressing secondary elements of the witness encounter (the basics of conscience-level communication and subsequent conviction are not addressed), Martoia tells the story of his interaction with two young adults and their attempt to fully present the Gospel to their friend. While advocating positive positions on some issues that many feel are at odds with Christianity, including yoga and feminism, Martoia does address the need for a change from how evangelism has been attempted in recent years. (Emphasis added).

If Jesus rarely spoke of heaven and focused mainly on human needs, his crucifixion, burial, resurrection and ascension would have been a nonsequitur. The biblical facts, as He Himself stipulated prior to His ascension, are that He was going to prepare a place in heaven for all His true followers (John 14:1, 2). In addition, He also promised them that they would encounter hatred, persecution, affliction and tribulation in this world but that they should remain vigilant and loyal to Him, even unto death, because He would never forsake or leave them. Biblical salvation is not a transaction; it is a command. When the biblical Jesus began his public ministry His very first words were “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Repentance is not an option, it is an absolute necessity and anyone who disobeys His command will forfeit eternal life in heaven (John 23:36). Brother Paul said, in stark contrast to Ron Martoia’s rethinking philosophies, the following:

1 Cor 15:1-4 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (Emphasis added)

I have not only recently been accused of being an agent of the devil but also of unethical practices such as “stealing.” What can be more unethical than stealing away the truth out of the hearts of men, women and children who could have been saved if they had heard the true Gospel instead of the mishmash “gospel” of the emergent church? What is more unethical than the infringement of God’s sole rights on His Gospel by rethinking, changing and revamping it to make it more palatable for the postmodern creature? It is not only unethical and not only amounts to spiritual theft but is also downright dangerous. Read here.

When Mr. Sarel van der Merwe (in Jannie Pelser’s programme “Brandpunt” – 03/04/2009) pointed out that Rob Bell promotes Yoga in his Mars Hill sermons they thought he was off his rocker. Subsequent to the programme, Rev. Guillaume Smit wrote a comment on his blog under the title “Does Rob Bell teach Yoga?” After a quick survey on the internet he found a sermon Rob preached on May 29, 2005 called “breath.” Instead of doing an in depth survey on the dangers of yoga, he came to the conclusion that Rob only used Yoga as an illustration and ended his comment in sympathetic praise for yoga. Read his comment here.

But as I’m not a member of his community I’m not privy to the subcultures prevalent in Mars Hill. Maybe yoga is practiced by a lot of his church members as part of their daily exercise routine. After all, yoga, as with karate and judo and other martial arts sports, can be practiced without getting involved in eastern religions or eastern philosophy. (Emphasis added)

The issue is not whether Rob Bell’s congregants practice yoga but that he promotes and teaches yoga during some of his sermons.

The Hindu masters or yogis themselves maintain that Yoga cannot be divorced from its inherent spiritual purpose which is to be yoked to the impersonal Hindu God Brahman. Yogi Baba Prem, Vedavisharada, CYI, C.ay, C.va wrote:

It was quite astonishing to see on the flyer “Christian Yoga! This Thursday night….” I could feel the wheels spinning in my brain. “Christian Yoga”, I thought. Now while Christians can practice yoga, I am not aware of any Christian teachings about yoga. Yoga is not a Judeo/Christian word! It is not a part of the Roman Catholic teachings and certainly not a part of protestant teachings. It is not found within the King James Version of the bible. It is a Hindu word, or more correctly a Sanskrit word from the Vedic civilization. So how did we get “Christian Yoga”? From this I could conclude that “Christian Yoga” could only indicate one of two possibilities:

1) Christianity is threatened by yoga and is attempting to take over this system that “invaded their turf” pertaining to spiritual teachings and techniques.

2) Christianity is subconsciously attempting to return to the spiritual roots of civilization—the Vedic civilization.

I thought to myself, “why would they want to take over yoga?” Could it be due to the decline of members within the Christian church within the last 60 years? Is this an extensive marketing plan cooked up in some New York marketing guru’s head? Is it an attempt to water down the teachings of yoga and import their own teachings into the system? Or is it that they cannot stand not to own everything spiritual? I think the best reason might be that yoga, and eastern spirituality, offered answers to the spiritual questions that the spiritually hungry masses had. It offered a practical, rational, logical, and truthful approach to spirituality. It did not contain any form of self-righteous condemnation, but offered love and acceptance to all. It did not prey upon victims with terms such as “Sin” and “eternal damnation”. But most importantly, it had answers! It offered a practical approach to cultivating a relationship with divinity. It offered a systematic approach and an abstract approach to meet the varying temperaments of the spirituality hungry.

The second possibility was that Christianity was itself looking for answers. A small book filled with judgment, inflexibility, and condemnation was no longer fulfilling the needs of the masses or the leaders of the church. Offering yoga classes allowed the Christian to secretly practice Hinduism without having to renounce their Christian tradition. Possibly by embracing the technology of yoga and meditation, the Christian church could finally return to the idea of love and acceptance that it believed it was founded upon. It is ironic that one religion would need to look to another religion to teach them about love, peace, harmony, and forgiveness. If successful, it could embrace these ancient teachings and save itself from the fate it planted over the last few thousand years. (From: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com) (Emphasis added).

This is exactly what happens to Christians who practice yoga. They become yoked to a Hindu god (a demonic entity) who teaches them that the Bible and the God of the Bible are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of people in a wretched world full of misery, suffering, poverty and disease. It has become a redundant “black-and-white” book that only makes people feel guilty about themselves while all they need is love, love and more love — they need a relational (an experience orientated) and not a rational theology.

The following excerpt comes from The Encyclopaedia of New Age Beliefs, p. 595

The Oxford American Dictionary defines “yoga” in the following manner: “1) A Hindu system of meditation and self-control designed to produce mystical experience and spiritual insight. 2) A system of physical exercises and breathing control (4414:1085). Most people only think of yoga in terms of the second definition. We will show that this is a mistake. When examining the true goal of yoga, one sees why these two definitions cannot ultimately be separated. In other words the one who practices yoga as “a system of exercises and breathing control” is also practicing a system “designed to produce mystical experience and spiritual (occult) insight.” For example, Ernest L. Rossi of the Department of Psychology at UCLA states how yoga is designed to induce altered states of consciousness.

“When one considers the ancient yoga science of pranayama (controlled breathing) to have relevance, then one must admit that the manual manipulation dyhana is the most thoroughly documented of techniques for altering consciousness. For thousands of years these techniques for the subtle alterations of nasal breathing have been gradually codified into classical texts: Hatha Yoga Pradipika (II, 6-9, 19-20) Siva Samhita (III: 24, 25), Geranda Samhita (V: 49-52) and Yoga Chudamani Upsanisad (V: 98-100). A new tradition of psychological and experimental research exploring these ancient techniques has been developing during the past decades (Gasegawa en Kern, 1978), the work of Vinekar (1966), Rao and Potdar (1970), Eccles (1978), and Funk and Clarke (1980) also provides a broad background of independent studies using Western laboratory methods in studying the relationship of this nasal cycle to the ancient yogic tradition of pranayama in achieving psychosomatic health and the transpersonal states of dhyana (deep contemplation and Samadhi or occult enlightenment) (1046:113-14).

The end purpose is for the individual to realize that he or she is one essence with God or ultimate reality. In other words, one must realize he or she is God. Whatever school of yoga is used (hatha, raja, bhakti etc.) whether it is Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Sufi, Tantric or some other, the goal is typically the same: occult enlightenment achieved by internal manipulation of occult energies (prana, chi) leading to altered states of consciousness in order to produce awareness of one’s inherent union with God or ultimate reality (611).

Read here what Rev. Guillaume Smit says about Ron Martoia who is a yoga instructor and practices yoga himself.

“Ron Martoia said in his book, Transformational Architecture, that we reduced the Bible to a set of propositional statements that explain salvation and that we further on focus on the communication of information. We miss the reality that the Bible testimony is of God’s work on earth by way of a collection of stories.”

Who is Ron Martoia? Look here:

In an interview (emergent conversation) with Ron Martoia 11/28/2006) he said:

“But I will say this, I am renewed in the commitment for a quiet daily centering prayer practice and the immense impact it brings. I have just come off a five-day integral Christianity conference with father Thomas Keating, eighty-three-year-old Benedictine monk. One of the things we did each day was at least two to four sessions of centering prayer at a minimum of twenty minutes a session. Total silence, total inner silence.” “I think the thing I am challenging is the either/or of your questions “either wholeheartedly Christian or ashamedly secular?” We have to have both of those . . . all out full card carrying members of both. When we start to see unity where we have seen distinction, and I mean this in the sacred/secular distinction way, we will see spiritual emergence is happening and arising all around us and it is up to us to clear the obstacles that would impede that emergence. This is really an articulation also of John 16 that lets us see the Holy Spirit is at work in the life of every unbeliever (just like every believer) and it is up to us to help point out that activity.”

Also read here.

Now to Rhythm…
“Spiritual solitude is key for me as well. I have already mentioned the value and importance of a regula fidei and I genuinely believe in it’s centrality. That said, there is one thing I do every day, that is centering prayer. I have been on this pattern for nearly 4 full years now. Two times a day/20 min. (sometimes only one but ALWAYS at least one) I do centering prayer of the Father Thomas Keating sort. This is the way I enact and live into Psalm 46.10. I am convinced a centering practice along with daily input channels are what accounts for whatever creative and theological reflection I have going on in my life. My writing flows from the confluence of these two patterns.”

“Seven years ago I started down the yoga trail. Ashtanga Yoga is the power yoga, get a hard sweaty workout type of yoga. Some of you hear the word yoga and all sorts of red flags go up. Get a grip and do some reading. Yoga practice does not require you to be Buddhist, so relax. My nearly daily practice has improved so much. Yoga’s interface with a centering practice is actually a very interesting interplay. Maybe sometime I will write a post on that.”

Thomas Keating is one of the frequent lecturers on Ken Wilber’s website “Integral Spirituality.” The introduction to his site consists of a logo depicting the many symbols of different faiths with a cross right in the middle which all come together and merge into one single abstract symbol of ultimate unity. One can hardly miss the meaning when we take into account that the entire world is rapidly moving toward a one-world religion in which the infiltration of yoga and especially the contemplative spirituality into the Christian church are playing a major part.

Ray Yungen speaks on Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington. Read here.

“In the book Finding Grace at the Center, written by these two Catholic monks, the following advice is given: ‘We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible … Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices … “Thomas Keating and Basil Pennington have taken their Christianity and blended it with Eastern mysticism through a contemplative method they call centering prayer. I met a woman who once enthusiastically told me that in her church ‘we use a mantra to get in touch with God.’ She was referring to centering prayer … Keating and Pennington have both authored a number of influential books on contemplative prayer thus advancing this movement greatly. Pennington essentially wrote a treatise on the subject called Centering Prayer while Keating has written the popular and influential classic, Open Mind, Open Heart, and both are major evangelists for contemplative prayer.

This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that contemplative spirituality and yoga are wholly compatible and indeed strange bedfellows. These are the kind of issues we are dealing with — the infiltration of the New Age and the practices of other religions, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism. These are the dangers that are causing immense harm to the body of Christ, especially the younger generation (little lambs). What is the church going to do about it? Probably nothing, because most of them are already so deep into it that it would take a miracle to convince them they are playing with fire.

1 Tim 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,

Re 18:4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;”

I have Become an Enemy of the State – Rev. Guillaume Smit

When Paul rebuked brother Peter in the presence of all (Galatians 2:14), Peter did not cuddle up in a little corner and cy out “Oh woe is me, Paul has branded me an enemy of the state.” No! He knew what it meant to be contrite, for His Lord had taught him so, and he also knew what it meant to accept someone’s rebuke in humility. What’s interesting about this incident in Peter’s life was not that he humbled him before Paul, but in obedience to the Word of God. Paul wielded the Sword of the Spirit, not his own thoughts, and when Peter realized this he immediately yielded to Paul’s rebuke. Why . . . ? Because he was keenly aware that Paul’s rebuke was for his own benefit. Had he not done so, his spiritual life would have taken a sharp turn for the worst into fettered darkness and despair.

Contrary to Peter’s example of contrition, Rev. Guillaume Smit plays the victim of an alleged conspiracy against him and his emergent cohorts. In my commentary on current events surrounding the Emerging Church in South Africa I have constantly used the Sword of the Spirit to expose the dangers inherent in the emergent spirituality and particularly the dangers lurking in the words of high profile persons such as Stephan Joubert, Nelus Niemandt, Jannie Pelser, Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt and many many more. Biblical Christianity is being bombarded by “emergent” attacks in public, via the internet and other media, at an alarming rate. And yet, when disciples of Jesus Christ (please note: the biblical Jesus and not another Jesus) voice their concerns in public, they are branded the persecutors of the emergent fraternity. In stead of engaging in a scholarly and adult discussion, they usually and deliberately sidetrack the issues at hand and divert to sarcasm, ridicule and even scoffing. Listen to Guillaume’s ingenious reaction to my commentary on Jannie Pelser’s programme “Brandpunt” aired on “Radio Pulpit” on 3 April this year.

He [Tom Lessing] is rather scathing in his attack. I feel quite privileged, however, as he uses my name in the same sentence as Stephan Joubert, Nelus Niemandt, and Jannie Pelser. Didn’t think I am that important!

This is usually the innuendo or heavily over toned kind of remarks our dear South African reverends and pastors make when they do not know how to defend their faith from Scripture. Guillaume, unlike Paul, is more concerned about the integrity and position of his heroes than God and His infallible Word. Paul said:

Gal 2:4-6 [My precaution was] because of false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; . . . To them we did not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the Gospel might continue to be [preserved] for you [in its purity]. Moreover, [no new requirements were made] by those who were reputed to be something—though what was their individual position and whether they really were of importance or not makes no difference to me; God is not impressed with the positions that men hold and He is not partial and recognizes no external distinctions—those [I say] who were of repute imposed no new requirements upon me [had nothing to add to my Gospel, and from them I received no new suggestions].  (From The Amplified Bible, emphasis added).

I am intensely concerned for the sheep and and especially the lambs who are being taught to follow high profile men of integrity, high esteem, and “upright hearts” while these men themselves do not know the voice of  the Great Shepherd. Had they indeed known His voice, they would never ever have followed another or even contemplated the possibility of finding salvivic (redemptive) truths in other religions. Okay! you may try and convince me that you have never implied that their are redemptive truths in other religions. If not, then how would the other non-salvivic truths in other religions benefit the Christian? Its absurd to think that the other non-salvivic truths in other religions are able to enhance the one and only true salvivic truth for all men. Rob Bell is well-known for saying things that are not in harmony with Scripture and yet you accept and respect Stephan Joubert’s testimony of him? On your blog under the title “Does Rob Bell” teach Yoga?” you wrote:

One of my old univerity [sic] lecturers, Stephan Joubert, shared with me that he personally knows Rob and can testify to his love and commitment to Jesus Christ.

Your criteria or barometer for biblical discernment is the “integrity” a man of flesh and blood of whom God said “ . . . let God be true, but every man a liar; . . . ? (Romans 3:4). God’s Word unequivocally teaches that anyone who claims to love Jesus MUST keep His commandments (John 14: 21) and one of His commandments, as we’ve already seen in Paul’s discourse in Galatians 2:4-6, is that the truth of the Gospel must continue to be preserved in its purity. One only needs to read some of Rob Bell’s blatantly unbiblical statements to see that he is not obeying Christ’s commandments with regard to the preaching of His Word. Despite your in depth research on the internet and his video, proving that Bell teaches Yoga, you insist that he is a Christian who loves Jesus. Here follows a transcript of some of the things Rob Bell said:

“Feel free to breathe as deep as you can without snoring…(laughter)… Central to the Christian tradition for thousands of years have been disciplines of meditation, reflection, silence and breathing. It was understood to be a healthy person, to be fully connected with God and fully centered, you would spend significant parts of your day in silence, breathing, meditating, praying, allowing the Spirit of God to transform you and touch you.” (4’ 34” – 05’ 20”)

“In Yoga, one of the central tenets of Yoga is your breath needs to remain the same regardless of the pose (posture). So whether you’re making the letter Q with your whatever (laughter)…In Yoga one of the things you learn right away is no matter how difficult the pose is – especially if you happen to have someone from the Grand Rapids Ballet on the mat next to you, who can, that can see their own back, this way (laughter)…its not how flexible you are, its not whether you can do the poses, its not how much you can bend yourself, its, can you keep your breath (breathes in an out) consistent, through whatever you’re doing. And the Yoga Masters say this is how it is when you follow Jesus and surrender to God. Is it your breath being consistent? Its your connection with God, regardless of the pose you find yourself in. That’s integrating the Divine into the daily. (7’ 54” – 8’ 58”)

Rev. Smit, have you noticed Rob Bells emphatic statement “Yoga Masters say this is how it is when you follow Jesus and surrender to God . . . Its your connection to God”? Do you really and truly believe  Stephan Joubert’s testimony that Rob Bell loves the Lord Jesus Christ and is wholly committed to Him? Let us gently set aside Stephan’s “wonderful” testimony and rather look at what God’s Word says.

Isa 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. (Emphasis added).

If you acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world, you have no right to say or to believe, via Stephan Joubert, that Rob Bell loves the Lord Jesus Christ while God’s Word says the very opposite. Who’s testimony are you going too trust—God’s or that of Stephan Joubert? Bell says in his book “Velvet Elvis.”

“One of the lies is that truth only resides in this particular community or that particular thought system.” . . . “I affirm the truth anywhere in any religious system, in any worldview. If it’s true, it belongs to God.”

The truth of God in all its aspects resides in His Son Jesus Christ. Do you believe that Jesus Christ resides in all religions?

In reference to your worldwide “Twitter” announcement: “I have officially been blacklisted by those South Africans who are opposed to the emerging church, notably Sarel vd Merwe and his followers.” the following: I am not a follower of Sarel van der Merwe. Both he and I are followers of Jesus Christ and His eternal, uncompromised infallible truth. Both of us abhor any lies because all lies emanate from the father of lies, the devil. We have committed ourselves to Christ’s command to have “no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them: (Ephesians 5:11). It is obvious that Jean Oosthuizen’s (of infamous “Kletskerk” fame) incongruous and unfounded accusation that Mr. Sarel van der Merwe keeps a blacklist of all of South Africa’s wayward pastors, has influenced you heavily. Your nightmare that you have been blacklisted is a figment of your imagination and reminds me of a portion of Scripture in the book Leviticus.

Lev 26:36 . . .the sound of a driven leaf shall put them to hasty and tumultuous flight, and they shall flee as if from the sword . . .

Moenie vir koue pampoen skrik nie. Staan jou man en begin jou standpunte te verdedig vanuit die Woord van God. Moenie spoke opjaag wat nie daar is nie. En moet asseblief nie vir ons sê, jy sê so omdat Styephan Joubert so sê nie.

(For those who do not understand Afrikaans, I have encouraged Rev. Guillaume Smit to stand his ground like a man and not to allow cold pumpkin to put him to flight so easily. In addition I encouraged him to defend his faith from the Word of God and not to say “I say so because Stephan Joubert had said so.”

May I suggest that in stead of saying “I have become an enemy of the state” to rather say “There is something rotten in the state . . . of the church” with thanks to Hamlet by Shakespeare.

Die “Brandpunt” van Suid-Afrika se Ontluikende Kerk

Ds. Jannie Pelser, die leierleraar van die Rant en Dal Gemeenskapskerk in Krugersdorp, het in sy program “Brandpunt” op Radio Kansel (3 April 2009 om 06:30) een van die hedendaagse mees besproke onderwerpe onder die loep geneem, nl. die Ontluikende Kerk (“Emerging Church” of “Emergent Church”). Sy drie gesprekgenote was mnr. Sarel van de Merwe, ‘n voormalige New Ager wat die Here sowat drie en dertig jaar gelede gered het en sedertdien navorsing doen oor verskeie strominge in die kerk. Hy is veral betrokke by die maak van hoë kwaliteit DVD’s en die aanbieding van seminare dwarsoor die land. Hy was ook onlangs in die nuus toe Kerkbode ‘n voorbladberig oor een van sy seminare oor die Ontluikende Kerk geplaas het en waarin Dr. Nelus Niemandt, die outeur van “Nuwe Drome vir Nuwe Werklikhede, ‘n striemende aanval op hom gemaak het. Die res van Pelser se paneel het bestaan uit ds. Guillame Smit, predikant van die NG Kerk in Brackenfell-Wes in die Kaap en ds. Cobus van Wyngaard, leraar van die Kameeldrif NG Gemeeente in Pretoria wat die Ontluikende spiritualiteit met oorgawe verkondig.

Byvoeglike naamwoorde kan nogal handig wees wanneer jy die stemming van ‘n gesprek in ‘n sekere rigting wil stuur of wanneer jy op subtiele wyse die gedagtegang van mense subliminaal wil beïnvloed. Ds. Jannie Pelser se inleidende woorde tot sy program “Brandpunt” is ‘n sprekende voorbeeld hiervan.

“Die afgelope tyd is die sg. Opkomende Kerk, die ‘Emerging Church’ baie in die nuus, en sommige mense is onbeskaamd krities daaroor; andere is weer rasend opgewonde en nou, hoe moet ‘n mens daaroor oordeel.” (Klem bygevoeg)

Sy woordkeuse van “onbeskaamd” en “rasend opgewonde” toon nie net waar sy eie lojaliteite lê nie, maar dit het mnr. Sarel van Merwe onmiddellik in die beskuldigde bank geplaas. Hy kon net sowel gesê het “Mnr van der Merwe, skaam jy jou nie om so krities teenoor die Ontluikende Kerk te wees nie?" Sou dit enigsins ‘n verskil maak indien hy sy program eerder as volg ingelui het?

"Die afgelope tyd is die sg. Opkomende Kerk, die ‘Emerging Church’ baie in die nuus, en sommige mense is onbeskaamd opgewonde daaroor; andere staan weer rasend krities daarteenoor."

Die woordjie “skaam” kom nogal heel dikwels in die Bybel voor en dit kan geweldige implikasies vir die mens inhou, veral wanneer dit betrekking het op die verkondiging van die Evangelie van Jesus Christus. Die enigste Verlosser van die mensdom het juis op ‘n dag gesê:

Mar 8:36-38 . . . wat sal dit ‘n mens baat as hy die hele wêreld win en aan sy siel skade ly? Of wat sal ‘n mens gee as losprys vir sy siel? Want elkeen wat hom vir My en my woorde skaam in hierdie owerspelige en sondige geslag, vir hom sal die Seun van die mens Hom ook skaam wanneer Hy kom in die heerlikheid van sy Vader met die heilige engele.(Klem bygevoeg)

Daar is natuurlik verskeie maniere waarop jy jou vir die woorde van Jesus Christus kan skaam. Die ooglopendste hiervan is om stil te bly en nie ‘n woord te sê nie wanneer jy die geleentheid kry om Christus se Naam voor mense te bely en onbeskaamd vir hulle te vertel dat Hy die enigste Verlosser is. Ek kan talle voorbeelde noem van Ontluikende Kerk-leraars wat wonderlike geleenthede gehad het maar hopeloos versuim het om sy Naam te bely. Verlede jaar het Rob Bell en Doug Pagitt, twee van die mees toonaangewende figure van die Ontluikende Kerk, onbeskaamd hulle solidariteit met die Dalai Lama en sy “Seeds of Compassion” Konferensie in Seattle Amerika getoon toe hulle saam met Desmond Tutu op dieselfde verhoog as Tenzin Gyatso (die 14de geïnkarneerde Dalai Lama van Tibet) verskyn het. So-ook het die NG Kerk hulle solidariteit met die Dalai Lama getoon toe hulle onlangs by monde van hulle Algemene Sekretaris, Dr. J.J. Gerber, in ‘n amptelike persverklaring hulle van die ANC gedistansieer het omdat hulle hom nie wou toelaat om die Vredeskonferensie op die vooraand van die 2010 wêreldbeker sokkertoenooi by te woon nie.

Dit is opvallend dat Boeddhisme en ook die New Age beweging ‘n magnetiese trekkrag het vir baie mense wat hulleself Christene noem, veral ook in die geledere van die Ontluikende Kerk. Die rede hiervoor is dat die Dalai Lama, die 14de geïnkarneerde Boeddha van barmahartigheid (“Bodhisattva of compassion”), beskou word as ‘n besondere en geëerde geestelike leier wat vrede, verdraagsamheid, nie-geweldadigheid, en onderlinge respek predik en bevorder waar hy ookal as spreker optree. Die hele wêreld smag na vrede maar die tragedie is dat die meeste mense, en selfs ook baie Christene, vrede wil hê sonder die kruis van Jesus Christus. Sy vrede kan alleenlik via sy kruis geskied maar dit het vir baie ‘n struikelblok in die weg na hulle siening van vrede geword en hulle is selfs bereid om die Evangelie van die kruis ter wille van ‘n mensgemaakte vrede te kompromiteer en selfs ook te verwerp. Daarom sê die Skrif ook baie duidelik:

Jes 53:5 Maar Hy is ter wille van ons oortredinge deurboor, ter wille van ons ongeregtighede is Hy verbrysel; die straf wat vir ons die vrede aanbring, was op Hom, en deur sy wonde het daar vir ons genesing gekom.

1Kor 1:18 Want die woord van die kruis is wel dwaasheid vir die wat verlore gaan, maar vir ons wat gered word, is dit die krag van God;

Die ironie is dat baie Christene, ook hier ons eie land, nooit sal ontken dat die kruis van Jesus Christus die vrede aanbring nie, maar terselfdertyd onbesonne dinge sê oor die vredesinisiatiewe van ander godsdienste en die beweerde waarhede wat kwansuis in godsdienste soos die Boeddhisme en selfs die ateïsme opgesluit lê. Stephan Joubert, een van die voorste bevorderaars van die Ontluikende Kerk in Suid-Afrika het in een van sy onlangse preke (Sondag, 1 Maart 2009) gesê:

Hy (Rob Bell) sê jy moet die kultuur “engage.” Jy moet gaan luister na die Boeddhiste. Jy moet gaan hoor wat sê daai ouens. Dan skrik Christene hulle dood, want hulle hoor nie wat Rob Bell mooi sê nie. Hy sê nie word soos hulle nie, hy sê maar gaan lees hulle goeters, gaan hoor hoekom hulle so belangrik is. Hulle het ook dalk waarheid. Waarheid is nie net in die Christendom nie. Waarheid vind jy by Judaïsme. Jy kan waarheid vind by ateïsme. Jy kan waarheid vind by wie ook al. God se algemene openbaring is ‘n bietjie wyer, maar jy sê Jesus is die Here. Dis waarnatoe jy op pad is met hulle met so ’n beweging.

My vraag aan Stephan is nog steeds: Kan jy ook by die Satanskerk van Anton la Vey waarheid vind? Hy sê mos "jy kan waarheid vind by wie ookal." Stephan sal hierdie vraag natuurlik as verregaande beskou, maar hy vergeet gerieflikheidshalwe Paulus se waarkuwing dat die afgodiese godsdienste aan duiwels offer en nie aan God nie – 1 Kor 10:20. Jy kan dus maar kers opsteek by ander godsdienste wat aan die duiwels hulle lofoffers bring, netso lank jy sê "Jesus is die Here." Die Naam "Jesus’ word dan ‘n soort towerwoord wat jou vrywaar van jou soeke na waarheid in ander godsdienste en die New Age. Wat sê die Here self? "Nie elkeen wat vir My sê: Here, Here! sal ingaan in die koninkryk van die hemele nie, maar hy wat die wil doen van my Vader wat in die hemele is. Baie sal in daardie dag vir My sê: Here, Here, het ons nie in u Naam geprofeteer en in u Naam duiwels uitgedrywe en in u Naam baie kragte gedoen nie?" Deesdae word die duiwels nie uitgedryf nie; daar word eerder vir die mense gesê om by die duiwelofferaars [in weerwil van Paulus van Tarsus se waarskuwing] heerlike, kopoopmakende waarhede te soek. Natuurllik sal baie Christene skrik wanneer hulle hoor wat Rob Bell oor die Boeddhisme en ander godsdienste sê. Skrik is  ‘n goeie ding en dikwels ‘n bedekte seën want dit weerhou jou van dinge wat jy miskien sou wou doen, omdat die vrees van die Here die begin van die wysheid is. Maar dan is daar ook baie jong Christene (die lammertjies wat spesifiek deur die Ontluikende Kerk geteiken word) wat deesdae so oorweldig word deur die leierfigure in die Ontluikende Kerk dat hulle geredelik makliker gehoor gee aan hulle ghoeroes se mooi Christelike aanbevelings, en daadwerklik in ander godsdienste begin soek na waarhede wat die waarhede in God se Woord kwansuis sou aanvul. Wat sê die Woord:

Mar 9:42 En elkeen wat een van hierdie kleintjies wat in My glo, laat struikel, dit is beter vir hom as ‘n meulsteen om sy nek gehang en hy in die see gegooi word (M.a.w. daar waar God, metafories gesproke, die sondes van bekeerde mense gooi – Miga 7:19)

Sommige van die gevaarlikste uitsprake wat al amper ‘n spreekwoord in die geledere van die Ontluikende Kerk geword het, is dat “God se algemene openbaring ‘n bietjie wyer is” en dat “God se openbaring groter is as net die Christendom en sy geopenbaarde woord.” In sy boek “Velvet Elvis” begin Rob Bell te vertel hoedat hy op ‘n dag ‘n skildery van Elvis Presley langs die pad gekoop het. Die beste deel van hierdie skildery, sê Rob, is heel links-onder aan die skildery waar die kunstenaar net sy voorletter “R” geverf het want, as jy so goed is, is dit nie nodig om jou volle naam te onderteken nie. Veronderstel, sê hy voorts, die ondergetekende kunsteaar “R” sou dan ‘n verklaring uitreik dat sy skildery die allerlaaste en beslissende meesterstuk is en dat niemand dus voortaan meer nodig het om ‘n verfkwas in die hand te neem om te skilder nie. Hulle sou m.a.w. geen nuwe bydrae tot sy allerbeste meesterstuk kon lewer nie. Dan skryf Rob Bell, wat sommiges as die opvolger van Billy Graham beskou, die volgende op bls. 10 van sy boek "Velvet Elvis."

"We would say that R had lost his mind. We say this because we instinctively understand that art has to, in some way, keep going. Keep exploring, keep arranging,, keep shaping, and forming and bringing in new perspectives. For thousands of years followers of Jesus, like artists have understood that we have to keep going, exploring what it means to live in harmony with God and each other. The Christian faith tradition is filled with change and growth and transformation. Jesus took part in this process by calling people to rethink faith and the Bible and hope and love and everything else and by inviting them into the endless process of working out how to live as God created us to live." (Klem bygevoeg)

Volgens Rob Bell het die fundamentaliste hulle verstand verloor omdat hulle die Woord van God as ‘n geslote kanon (of as die volledig geskilderde meesterstuk van God) beskou en glo dat die Here se “goddelike krag ons alles geskenk [het] wat tot die lewe en godsvrug dien, deur die kennis van Hom wat ons geroep het deur sy heerlikheid en deug” (2 Petrus 1:3). Hulle is, volgens Rob Bell, totaal buite hulle sinne. Werklik? Die woord vir “goddelike” (“theias”) in hierdie gedeelte is afgelei van “theos” (God) en word slegs drie keer in die Nuwe Testament gebruik (hier en in Handelinge 17:29 en 2 Petrus 1:4). “Krag: (“dynameos” – die woord waarvan ons woord “dinamiet” afgelei is) is een van Petrus se geliefkoosde woorde (1 Petrus 1:5; 3:22; 2 Petrus 1:16; 2: 11). Die enigste ding wat alle gelowiges nodig het om in die regte verhouding met God en hulle medemens te lewe, is verkrygbaar deur hulle kennis van Christus wat hulle tussen die bladsye van Genesis tot Openbaring vind. Dit is hoofsaaklik hulle kennis van hulle posisie in Christus Jesus waar Hy tans aan die regterhand van God sit, en die inwonende Gees van God wat hulle in staat stel om ‘n goddelike lewe te lei en daagliks in die regte verhouding met God en hulle medemens te lewe. Die Drie-enige God wat hemel en aarde gemaak het en alles wat daarin is, wat van ewigheid tot ewigheid dieselfde is, wat geen man is dat Hy sou lieg nie, by wie daar geen verandering of skaduwee van omkering is nie, en wie in ondeurdringbare lig lewe, sê: “My Enigste Seun het aan die Kruis namens julle uitgeroep ‘Dit is volbring;’ Ek het my Heilige Gees na julle gestuur om in julle diepste binneste te woon sodat HY julle in die HELE waarheid kan lei; sodat julle heilig kan lewe omdat Ekself heilig is; sodat julle my getuienisse kan wees tot aan die uiteindes van die aarde; sodat julle niks kortkom in heerlikheid, deugsaamheid en goddelike krag nie.” Maar nee! ons spiksplinternuwe Billy Graham, Rob Bell, wat soos ons almal eendag in die graf gaan beland en tot stof toe sal terugkeer, weet beter as die ewig onveranderlike God. Hy sê:

"Jesus took part in this proces by calling people to rethink faith and the Bible and hope and love and everything else and by inviting them into the endless process of working out how to live as God created us to live." (Velvet Elvis, p. 10)

"As part of this tradition [the Reformation] I embrace the need to keep painting, to keep reforming. By this I do not mean cosmetic, superficial changes like better lights and music, sharper graphics and new methods with easy-to-follow steps. I mean theology: the beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, the future. We must keep reforming the way teh Christian faith is defined,, lived and explained." (Velvet Elvis, p. 12) (Klem bygevoeg).

Brian McLaren, nog een van die toonaangewende leierfigure in die Ontluikende Kerk, stem heelhartig met Rob Bell saam dat ons eindeloos moet voortgaan om die geloof oor God, Jesus, die Bybel, verlossing en die toekoms te oordink, te herverwoord en met nuwe skakeringe te beskilder. Brian, wat volgens ons eie ontluikende kerk se opkomende meesterskilders (Stephan Joubert, Nelus Niemandt en so baie ander NG predikante), navolgingswaardig is, het gesê:

“I’d have to say that we probably have a couple of things right, but a lot of things wrong, and even more spreads before us unseen and unimagined. But at least our eyes are open! To be a Christian in a generously orthodox way is not to claim to have the truth captured, stuffed, and mounted on the wall.” (Brian McLaren, The Emergent Mystique, Christianity Today, 2004) (Jesus sê: "Joh 9:41  As julle blind was, sou julle geen sonde hê nie; maar nou sê julle: Ons sien! ["at least our eyes are open") Daarom bly julle sonde." Stephan Joubert, Nelus Niemandt, Dr. Johan van den Heever, ds. Guillaume Smit, ds. Jannie Pelser, ds. Cobus van Wyngaard en al die ander Ontluikende leraars in ons land behoort eintlik so vinnig en so hard hulle kan soos Josef weg te hardloop van die hedendaagse Potifar-vrouens; maar nee, hulle verkies om hulle te skaar aan die kant van 'n klomp geestelike hoereerders en gemeenskap ["conversations"] met hulle te hou).

I don’t think we’ve got the gospel right yet. "What does it mean to be “saved?”

“I must add, though, that I don’t believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts.” (A Generous Orthodoxy, p. 260)

Wat sê die Skrif van persone wat nie tevrede is met God se finale en geopenbaarde “meesterstuk” nie en die vermetelheid het om hulle verfkwas in die palette van ander gosdienste te doop sodat hulle kwansuis by hulle kan leer. Ek haal aan uit die Amplified Bybel.

2 John 9 Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son. (Klem bygevoeg)

Enigeen, en dit maak nie saak wie dit is of watter hoë aansien hy in die samelewing en die kerk geniet nie, wat nie tevrede en vergenoeg is met Christus se leerstellings en sy openabaring (en enigste meesterwerk) soos ons dit in sy Woord teëkom nie, is nie gered nie. Dis nie ek wat so sê nie maar die einste apostel van liefde. Moet my dus asseblief nie van liefdeloosheid, verwaandheid en arrogansie beskuldig nie. Daarom is dit ook ‘n skreiende skande en skokkend dat ds. Jannie Pelser tydens die onderhoud wat hy in sy program Brandpunt met Sarel van der Merwe en ds. Guillaume Smit en ds. Cobus van Wyngaard gevoer het, gesê het:

"Is God se openbaring, God se werk, nie groter as net die Christendom nie? Sou daar nie ook elemente wees, sou ons nie by mekaar kon leer [nie], selfs al moet dit nou die New Age wees. Maar as ek dink rondom die kontemplatiewe . . . ‘n stil word voor God, ‘n oopstel voor God. is dit nie ‘n winsmoment nie?"

Die New Age is ten diepste ‘n afgodiese beweging wat die leuen verkondig dat die mens self God kan word. Wil ds. Jannie Pelser werklikwaar by hulle kers opsteek om die groter openbaringe van God te ontdek en te verkondig? Miskien is hy alreeds besig om dit te doen, veral as ‘n mens in oënskou neem dat hy verlede jaar op 21 November in ‘n preek die motiveringspreker en New Age aanhanger, Annie Coetzee, met waardering aangehaal het. Ds. Jannie, ek het jou reeds by vorige geleenthede dringend versoek om jou te bekeer van die pad waarop jy jou tans begewe en ek wil dit nou weer doen. Jy speel met vuur.

In antwoord op ds Jannie se simpatieke benadering tot die New Age en veral ook die kontemplatiewe spiritualiteit, het ds. Gullaume Smit as volg gereageer:

Ongetwyfeld is dit ‘n winsmoment. Die Bybel self sê vir ons, in Romeine nogal, dat waar die mense nie die wet van Moses het nie, gaan God in hulle harte kyk want hulle skryf hulle eie wet in hulle harte neer en die konteks daar is baie duidelik dat dit gaan oor mense wat nie die openbaring van die Jode gekry het voordat hulle Christene geword het nie, of dan nou selfs doodgegaan het sonder blootstelling aan die Joodse geloof of die Christelike geloof nie. ‘n Mens kry die idee dat die Bybel self die uitspraak lewer dat God met die hele wêreld besig is, ook buite om die Christendom. Daarmee sê ek nie almal gaan hemel toe nie. Daarom sê ek ons moet daai vraag op die tafel sit dat God besig is met alles en met almal en dat ons die draers van die openbaring is, as gelowige Christene, maar spesifiek wil ek dan ook sê, die winsmoment is die feit dat ons die geleentheid het om in gesprek te tree met kultuuruitinge wat ons in staat stel om tot stilstand te kom sodat ons weer op ‘n vars manier kan hoor wat God vir ons wil sê. Jy het na die kontemplatiewe verwys. Die kontemplatiewe lê toevallig in die vroeë kerk . . . en kom uit die kloosterera uit en as ‘n mens daarop sou ingaan dan dink ek nie ‘n mens moet die baba met die badwater uitgooi nie. En ‘n mens moet veral ook bereid wees om, wanneer ‘n mens mense wil beoordeel, in gesprek met hulle te tree en na hulle te luister want om ‘n ding krities te ondersoek beteken nie dat jy net foute uitlig nie maar dat jy ook na die persoon se hart gaan kyk en na sy integriteit gaan kyk. (Klem bygevoeg).

Waar ds. Guillaume Smit sy idees vandaan kry weet nugter, maar dit is baie duidelik dat hyself ook reeds deur die Ontluikende Kerk beïmvloed is. Ons lees nêrens in die Skrif dat Christene in gesprek moet tree met ander klultuuruitinge (godsdienste) om ons in staat te stel om op nuwe en vars maniere te hoor wat God vir ons wil sê nie. Die Here sê mos baie duidelik dat Hy sy finale Woord deur sy eniggebore Seun, Jesus Christus, met en tot ons gespreek het. Vergun my die geleentheid om ons drie hooggeëerde en hooggeleerde predikante te herinner aan sy woorde in Hebreërs 1:

Hebr. 1:1-2 Nadat God baiekeer en op baie maniere in die ou tyd gespreek het tot die vaders deur die profete, het Hy in hierdie laaste dae tot ons gespreek deur die Seun wat Hy as erfgenaam van alles aangestel het, deur wie Hy ook die wêreld gemaak het.

Die probleem met ons “ontluikende” of “opkomende kerk”-vriende is dat hulle nie wil hoor nie en ook nie sal hoor nie, nie tensy hulle hul van hul ketterse uitsprake en leerstellings bekeer nie. Smit se “winsmoment” soos hierbo aangehaal, is niks anders as ‘n dwarsklap na die gesig van Jesus Christus nie. Wat hy entlik sê, soos ds. Jannie Pelser ook in sy vraag gesuggereer het, is dat God se openbaring deur sy Seun nie voldoende is nie en dat ons in gesprek moet tree met ander kultuuruitinge (godsdiense) sodat ons met nuwe insigte en op vars maniere kan hoor wat God vir ons wil sê. Op die koop toe moet ons hulle nie aanspreek net om hulle foute uit te lig nie, maar ons moet na hulle harte gaan kyk (so asof Smit die vermoë het om mense se harte te sien. Lees gerus maar weer Jeremia 17:9, ds. Smit). Dit is juis die hele probleem. Hierdie valse leraars se integriteit en harte word so geweldig hoog aangerprys deur die samelewing en die kerk dat hulle maar kan sê net wat hulle wil; die arme skape en lammertjies loop nog steeds soos verlore skape agter hulle aan. Gn wonder Paulus het op ‘n kol gesê nie:

Hand 20: 29, 30 Want ek weet dit, dat ná my vertrek wrede wolwe onder julle sal inkom en die kudde nie sal spaar nie. Ja, uit julle self sal daar manne opstaan wat verkeerde dinge praat om die dissipels weg te trek agter hulle aan.

Weer eens, die Heilige Skrif moedig ons nie aan om in gesprek te tree met ander kultuuruitinge (godsdienste) nie. Paulus vermaan sy jonger boetie in die Here:

2 Tim 4:2-4 . . . verkondig die woord; hou aan tydig en ontydig; weerlê, bestraf, vermaan in alle lankmoedigheid en lering; want daar sal ‘n tyd wees wanneer hulle die gesonde leer nie sal verdra nie, maar, omdat hulle in hul gehoor gestreel wil wees, vir hulle ‘n menigte leraars sal versamel volgens hulle eie begeerlikhede, en die oor sal afkeer van die waarheid en hulle sal wend tot fabels. (Klem bygevoeg).

Die woord vir verkondig, is κηρύσσω [kerusso /kay·roos·so/] en beteken om die Woord heraldies uit te roep, altyd met die voorneme om dit formeel en met groot erns en outoriteit uit te dra want daar MOET daarna geluister word en dit MOET gehoorsaam word. Daarom sê Paulus:

1Kor 9:16 Want as ek die evangelie verkondig, is dit vir my geen roem nie; want die dwang is my opgelê, en wee my as ek die evangelie nie verkondig nie!

Waarom MOET almal gehoorsaam wees aan die heraldiese roep van die Evanglie?

Joh 3:36 Hy wat in die Seun glo, het die ewige lewe; maar hy wat die Seun ongehoorsaam is, sal die lewe nie sien nie, maar die toorn van God bly op hom. (Klem bygevoeg).

Let tog asseblief noukeurig op, Jannie, Guillaume en Cobus, Paulus het nie gesê “tree in gesprek met ander kultuuruitinge sodat julle God se stem nuut en vars kan hoor nie.” Soos Paulus, wil ek ook vir julle sê “Wee julle as julle die evangelie nie verkondig nie,” en moet asseblief nie vir my sê dat julle wel deeglik die evangelie verkondig nie want as julle dit reeds doen, sou julle nooit sulke onbesonne dinge sê soos “maar spesifiek wil ek dan ook sê, die winsmoment is die feit dat ons die geleentheid het om in gesprek te tree met kultuuruitinge wat ons in staat stel om tot stilstand te kom sodat ons weer op ‘n vars manier kan hoor wat God vir ons wil sê.”

Ek wou ook baie graag kommentaar op ds. Guillaume Smit se eienaardige eksegese oor Romeine 1 lewer, maar ek sal dit liewer oorlaat tot ‘n volgende keer.

Ek sluit af met Jesus se woorde in Johannes 21.

Joh 21:15-17 Toe hulle dan klaar was met die môre-ete, vra Jesus vir Simon Petrus: Simon, seun van Jona, het jy My waarlik lief, meer as hulle hier? Hy antwoord Hom: Ja, Here, U weet dat ek U liefhet. Hy sê vir hom: Laat my lammers wei. Hy vra hom weer die tweede maal: Simon, seun van Jona, het jy My waarlik lief? Hy antwoord Hom: Ja, Here, U weet dat ek U liefhet. Hy sê vir hom: Pas my skape op. Hy vra hom die derde maal: Simon, seun van Jona, het jy My lief? Petrus het bedroef geword, omdat Hy hom die derde maal vra: Het jy My lief? En hy antwoord Hom: Here, U weet alles, U weet dat ek U liefhet. Jesus sê vir hom: Laat my skape wei.

Indien Jannie, Guillaume en Cobus die Here Jesus waarlik liefhet, sal hulle sorg dat God se skape en lammertjies die regte geestelike weiding en voedsel kry en glo my hulle sal dit nimmer as’t nooit in ander weivelde (kultuuruitinge of godsdienste) vind nie. Julle speel met vuur.

Die Euwel van Dubbele Standaarde

Die Engelse het ‘n baie mooi spreekwoord om die euwel van dubbele standaarde te beskryf: “To run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.” Prof Hennie Stander het die vermoë om nie die “hare” en die “hounds” te kan onderskei nie en trap gevolglik heel dikwels in die slaggat van dubbele standaarde. Hy het dit onlangs weer op baie voortreflike wyse gedoen toe hy knap na mekaar kommentaar op sy blog gelewer het oor die Daniël- en Esterkonferensies (20 en 21 Maart, Moreletapark NGK Gemeente) en die Dalai Lama se voornemende deelname aan die Vredeskonferensie op die vooraand van die 2010 wêreldsokkerbeker toernooi waarvoor die SA regering ‘n stokkie gesteek het omdat hulle nie hul diplomatieke verhoudinge met China in die wiele wil ry nie. Dit is nie my doel om die moontlike internasionale politieke implikasies wat dit vir Suid-Afrika inhou hier deur te trap nie, maar om te besin oor die bedekte seën wat die SA regering se besluit vir ons land inhou.

Ek wil begin deur Hennie Stander se esktatiese blydskap oor die Daniël– en Esterkonferensies wat op 20 en 21 Maart vanjaar in Moreletapark se NGK gemeente in oënskou te neem.

Ek wil vandag net sê hoe gelukkig en dankbaar en opgewonde ek is oor die Ester- en Daniëlkonferensies wat hier in Pretoria gehou is. Die tema was “Draai terug na God toe”.  Ek was nou nie daar nie, maar Lottie en my 2 dogters was by die Esterkonferensie, en hulle het opgewonde teruggekom. Ek glo uit my hart uit dat God hierdie geleenthede gaan gebruik om ons land se mense weer na Hom toe terug te bring. En ek is ewe opgewonde oor die Mighty Men-konferensie wat eersdaags op Angus Buchan se plaas gehou word.

Eers wil ek ‘n paar oomblikke stilstaan by die oproep “Draai terug na God toe.” Volgens verskeie internetberigte en -kommentare sou Elza Meyer, ‘n leierleraar van die Moreletapark NGK Gemeente, in 2002 ‘n stem vir haar hoor sê “Draai terug na God toe.” Haar onmiddellike reaksie hierop was “Niemand sal na my luister nie, God” waarop die Here volhardend geantwoord het “Suid-Afrika, draai terug na God.” Toe sy in gehoorsaamheid aan dié stem hierdie boodskap begin verkondig, het sy gesien hoe haar woorde teen die Drakensberge weerklink en terugbons om oor die hele land te eggo. Sy het die Swartland gesien. Dit was oestyd. Sy het gesien hoe werkers van die stropers afklim om te luister. Die woorde het oor die hele land weergalm. Sy het gesien hoedat mense van oor die hele Suid-Afrika in dorpe en stede bymekaar kom om te luister.

As ek nie vertroud was met alles wat die Woord van God oor die eindtye vir ons uitspel nie, sou ek soos Hennie Stander, Elza Meyer, Angus Buchan en hullle aanhangers ook geweldig opgewonde wees oor hierdie diep geestelike vermaning om terug te keer na God toe. So-iets is natuurlik niks nuuts nie. Volgens ‘n webblad op die inerernet het Moeder Maria al verskeie kere aan mense in Afrika verskyn om aan hulle die opdrag te gee om haar boodskap “Keer terug na God toe” oor die hele Afrika te verkondig. Elza Meyer het natuurlik nie vir ons vertel of die stem wat sy gehoor het dié van ‘n vrou of ‘n man was nie. Hoe dit ookal sy, haar oproep en vermaning om terug te draai na God toe, is nie uniek nie. Mail Online het verlede jaar op 28 November berig dat die Vatikaan ‘n besondere woord van dank aan die Moslems gerig het omdat hulle God weer teruggebring het in die openbare oog van die gesekulariseerde Europese gemeenskap. Dit blyk dat dit nie juis saak maak hoe mense oorgehaal word om terug te draai na God toe nie, net so lank hulle terugkeer na God – hetsy ‘n generiese God, ‘n New Age God, ‘n Ontluikende Kerk God, ‘n feministiese God, n Kosmiese Christus, ‘n Christus-bewussyns God of watter God ookal nie. Buig of bars, almal moet terug keer na God toe.

Wat is die hoofmotief van hierdie oproep om terug te keer na God toe? Gewoonlik is dit maar net ‘n versmagting na vrede, voorspoed, veiligheid, ‘n misdaad-vrye samelewing, gemeenskaplike norme en waardes en ‘n euforiese gevoel van samehorigheid en eenheid wat mense aanspoor om terug te keer na God toe. ‘n Ware terugkeer na God toe het meesal die teenoorgestelde effek op ‘n land en veral die Christene. Kyk maar gerus na China waaroor die hêrrie in Suid-Afrika tans uitgebars het. ‘n Ware terugkeer na God en herlewing is reeds geruime tyd in China aan die orde van die dag . . . maar die gevolge daarvan is nie wat die Christene hier in Suid-Afrika verwag om te ervaar nie. Daar is vervolging, lyding en marteling alledaagse gebeurlikhede. Dié is seker, die Chinese Christene gooi nie klippe in die see en verwag dan dat God die klipharde harte van mense moet vervang met harte van vlees nie. Die Chinese weet beter. Daar is miljoene van hulle wat hulle op hartgrondige wyse waarlik tot God bekeer . . . en dan . . .? Nouja! dan volg die lyding, vervolging en marteling. Hulle grootste versmagting is nie na ‘n vredevolle, misdaad-vrye, ‘n “Jannie-Pelser-nuwe-norme-en-waardes” samelewing nie, maar hulle smag daarna dat hulle regering en hulle regeringsleiers vrede maak met God.

Dit sou verreweg die beste wees as Hennie Stander, Elza Meyer, Dirkie van der Spuy en Angus Buchan asook die Ontluikende Kerk aanhangers eerder sommige Christene vanuit China wat die wonde van Christus in hulle liggame dra, sou nooi om hier vir hulle te kom vertel wat dit regtig beteken om na God toe terug te keer. Elza Meyer het egter ander veel makliker maniere om Suid-Afrika te laat terugkeer na God. Deur die eeue heen het sendelinge geswoeg, gesweet, gely en sommiges is doodgemartel om die Evangelie aan mense dwarsoor die wêreld te bring sodat hulle na God kan terugkeer, maar Elza en haar Hadassa-sussies gooi klippies in die see. Op die koop toe het die “Here” vir hulle ‘n teken gegee dat Hy sy verbond met Suid-Afrika gestand sal doen. Na haar “klip-in-die-see-gooi ritueel” het mense oral hartvormige klippe begin optel – van Plettenbergbaai se strand tot Bloubergstrand, tot die Drakensberge en selfs Kilimanjaro. Oom Angus se Mighty Men sien hartvormige wolkies by sy samekomste en Elza Meyer samel hartvormige klippies in.  Miskien moet die Hadassa-sussies en die Mighty Men ooreenkom om hulle wondertekens om te ruil. ‘n Hartvormige wolkie (Lees gerus hierdie berig in “Die Burger” waarin Angus Buchan verklaar dat die hartvormige wolkie hiernaas die TEKEN is dat die mense van Suid-Afrika besig is om terug te keer na Hom toe) is mos verreweg sagter en vrouliker as klipharde hartvormige klippe.  Gee die hartvormige klippe vir die Mighty Men en hou julle die hartvormige wolkies vir julleself, dames, want dis soveel vrouliker. Tekens . . .? Tekens van die Here . . .? Wat sê God van die volk wat na tekens soek?

2 Thess 2: 7-10 Want die verborgenheid van die ongeregtigheid is al aan die werk, net totdat hy wat nou teëhou, uit die weg geruim is; en dan sal die ongeregtige geopenbaar word, hy wat die Here met die asem van sy mond sal verdelg en deur die verskyning van sy wederkoms tot niet sal maak, hy wie se koms is volgens die werking van die Satan met allerhande kragtige dade en tekens en wonders van die leuen en met allerhande verleiding van ongeregtigheid in die wat verlore gaan, omdat hulle die liefde tot die waarheid nie aangeneem het om gered te word nie.

Mat 12:39 Maar Hy antwoord en sê vir hulle: ‘n Slegte en owerspelige geslag soek na ‘n teken, en geen teken sal aan hom gegee word nie, behalwe die teken van die profeet Jona.

Maar wag, die leierleraar van die Moreltapark NGK stem nie met Jesus saam nie, en tog wil sy hê die hele Suid-Afrika moet na Hom toe terugkeer. Hoe rym dit? Hy sê “geen teken sal aan hulle gegee word nie behalwe die teken van die profeet Jona” maar sy sê (dis nou ons klip-gooiende Elza): “Toe ons die [hartvormige] klippe sien, het ons besef dat God ‘n teken gegee het, dat Hy die hart van klip uit ons land se mense sal verwyder. Ons was oorstelp.” Elza, en ook al die ander Hadassa-sussies, luister mooi wat sê Thomas vir julle: Die God wat vir julle ‘n teken gegee het in die vorm van hartvormige klippies is nie die God van die Bybel nie want Hy het uitdruklik gesê dat Hy net EEN ENKELE teken sal gee en dis die teken van Jona, d.w.s. die OPSTANDING VAN JESUS CHRISTUS. As Hy wel ander tekens sou gee, het Hy gelieg toe Hy dit gesê het en ek glo werklikwaar nie dat Hy ooit sal of kan lieg nie want HY IS WAARHEID. Die duiwel is ‘n leuenaar van die begin af en ook die vader daarvan – nie die Here Jesus nie (Johannes 8:33). Elza Meyer skryf ten spyte hiervan soos volg:

“Die spannetjie mense wat ná die Oos-Kaap konferensie saam met my was,  het saam gebid.  Ons het so diep as wat ons kon in die see-ingegaan en die klippie ingegooi.  Toe ons later uitstap op die strand het ek gelei gevoel om te verklaar:  “Here,  U verwyder ons hart van klip en U  gee ons ’n hart van vlees.  U skryf U wet op ons harte!  Dit doen U vir al 14 bevolkingsgroepe in ons land.”

Skynbaar gooi die leraars van die Moreletapark NGK nie net klippe in die see nie maar maak hulle deure ook wawyd oop vir enigeen wat Suid-Afrika wil oorhaal om terug te keer na God toe. Leonard Sweet, ‘n selferkende New Age geïnspireerde leraar en professor aan die Drew Universiteit in Amerika het reeds so vroeg as in Agustus 2005, waarvan Nelus Niemandt die organiseerder was, in die Ouditorium van die Moreletapark NGK as spreker opgetree. Sweet is ‘n man wat nie skroom om ‘n ander Jesus te verkondig nie. Op bls. 300 van sy aflaaibare e-boek “Quantum Spirituality” skryf hy as volg oor sy “Jesus” in die konteks van tien asemhalingoefeninge wat kwansuis die fiksheid van postmoderniste kan verbeter.” Nr. 9 in hierdie asemhalingoefeninge lui as volg:

Keep breathing quietly while holding your Bible. You have within you not just the powers of goodness resident in the great spiritual leaders like Moses, Jesus, Muhammed, Lao Tzu. You also have within you the forces of evil and destruction. The youthful comrade and confidant of Joan of Arc was Gilles de Rais, a marshall of France and one of the wealthiest men in Europe, who was condemned to the stake in 1440 for the crimes of witchcraft, heresy, sodomy, and the sexual abuse and murder of over 140 children. Resident in each breath you take is the body of angels like Joan of Arc and devils like Gilles de Rais, Genghis Khan, Judas Iscariot, Herod, Hitler, Stalin and all the other destructive spirits throughout history.

Leonard Sweet se siening rondom die goeie en die bose wat syns insiens langs mekaar in elke persoon en ook in hulle asemteue aanwesig is, is niks anders as die yin/yang beginsel van die Ooste nie. Daarom skroom hy nie om volgelinge van Jesus in dieselfde asem te noem nie as afgode soos Kali, die Hindoe godin van die dood en verwoesting. Op bls. 129 van sy boek “Quantum Spirituality” skryf hy as volg:

Just as physicists cannot understand truth by one model alone—that is, either the wave nature of light or the particle nature of light—so one model may not suffice to understand God completely. In fact, Bohr’s Complimentarily Principle, which he used the yin/yang imbalances to symbolize, says that both features can’t be brought into existence at the same time even though both are true. One can be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ without denying the flickers of the sacred in followers of Yahweh, or Kali, or Krishna.

Soos ek reeds in een van my vorige kommentare vermeld het, was Tony Campolo, wat glo dat Jesus Christus in alle mense woon al weet hulle dit nie, ook vanjaar ‘n spreker by Moreletapark NGK se sg. Missions Fest. Ek wil voorstel dat die leraars van kerke hulle eers deeglik vergewis van oorsese sprekers se sotereologie of verlossingsleer en om hulle boeke te lees alvorens hulle hul na Suid-Afrika nooi.

Hoewel prof. Hennie Stander in vervoering is oor Moreletapark NGK se Ester- en Daniël konferensies (20 en 21 Maart 2009) waartydens Suid-Afrika in die geheel vermaan is om “terug te draai na God toe,” bekommer dit hom waarskynlik nie dat Suid-Afrika ‘n ander God, die 14de geïnkarneerde Dalai Lama van Tibet, Suid-Afrika se Vredeskonferensie op die vooraand van die 2010 wêreld sokkerbeker besoek nie. Hennie is woedend omdat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering die Dalai Lama verbied het om die Vredeskonferensie by te woon. Hy skryf:

Beide Desmond Tutu en F.W. De Klerk sê dat hulle nie meer die Vredes-konferensie sal bywoon wat deel sou vorm van die opbou tot die Wêreldbeker-sokkertoernooi nie. Dit gaan alles daaroor dat die regering nie die Dalai Lama wil toelaat om Suid-Afrika te besoek nie. Die rede wat die regering aanvoer, is belaglik. Die regering sê dat die Dalai Lama se besoek die land se voorbereidings vir die 2010-Wêreldbeker-sokkertoernooi sou oorskadu. Dit is natuurlik een infame leuen.

Ons het hier dus ’n baie gevaarlike situasie, want dit beteken dat ons regering ’n slaaf is van China.

Nouja, die Engelse sê ook “Ignorance is bliss,” maar in hierdie geval klink dit meer soos “Ignorance is blush.” Hennie Stander wil Suid-Afrika vrymaak van die slawerny aan China, maar gee nie ‘n duit om om ons land, saam met F.W. de Klerk en Desmond Tutu, ‘n slaaf te maak van die Dalai Lama nie. Jy voel inderdaad skaam wanneer “Christene” onbeskaamd die vyande van Christus as vredesgesante ontvang en vereer. Dave Hunt skryf:

The recent stunning events in Eastern Europe have probably moved the world closer to the “peace” that precedes Antichrist’s rise to power. The partnership between Gorbachev and the Pope could play an important role. When the world imagines it has achieved “peace and safety,” sudden destruction will come (1 Thess 5:3). A powerful spiritual “peace” delusion seems to be gathering momentum.

Take for example a peace poster popular in North America and Europe. Its full-color replica was the front cover of the December 1989 issue of Whole Life Times, a major New Age monthly. The scene offers a magnificent view of the sprawling eleven-story, gilt-roofed “Palace of the Gods” in Lhasa, Tibet, ancient residence of the Dalai Lamas. Towering in the background are the snow-capped Himalayas overarched with a dazzling rainbow—all mirrored perfectly on the glassy surface of a lake.

Superimposed upon the breathtaking landscape is a head-and-shoulders picture of Tenzin Gyatso, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet,” smiling most benignly. His huge image rises out of the palace, dwarfing it and blocking the view of a portion of the majestic mountains behind. In large print at the bottom of the poster/magazine cover are the words, “Peace on Earth.” The blasphemous implication is clear: The promise of the angels at the birth of Christ will be fulfilled through the Dalai Lama!

This was the December issue, but it contained no mention of Christmas or of Jesus Christ. The entire magazine was devoted to “Peace on Earth” and how to attain it—yet the “Prince of Peace” (Is 9:6), through whom comes “peace with God …through the blood of his cross” (Rom 5:1; Col 1:20), was not mentioned even once in its pages. His gospel has been replaced by the human potential gospel of self-help and self-esteem that occupies each issue of Whole Life Times and has even invaded the church.

This poster and magazine represent an attitude that permeates society and is growing. That Jesus Christ alone can bring peace to this earth is considered an intolerably dogmatic statement and is rejected out of hand—not because it can be shown to be false, but because it is too narrow-minded for today’s pluralistic world.

Christianity is called a religion. Those representing it are limited to what they can say or do in the public arena. It is considered improper, even illegal in some places such as the public schools, to offer Jesus Christ as a solution to the moral problems that plague society, much less as the hope for world peace.

Not so with Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is immune to criticism, given access to all levels of government, education and society, and respected as the ambassador of religious tolerance. Yet he engages in the most blatant missionary activity, initiating tens of thousands around the world into occultic Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and practices. He is also associated with the World Hindu Congress, which has as its goal the neutralization of Christianity and the establishment of a Hindu-Buddhist belief system as the world religion. So much for “religious tolerance.”

The Dalai Lama taught in Santa Monica that it was possible for all human beings to eventually become a Buddha, a being of the highest wisdom and compassion and power…[through] a method called Deity Yoga….Deity Yoga…is a special conscious act of…visualizing the illusion that we are already…god-like…[able] to create our own reality…[that we] are Buddhas. (Klem bygevoeg)

Dit is die “god-man van vrede” vir wie F.W. de Klerk en Biskop Desmond Tutu (en op die oog af ook Hennie Stander)  bereid is om ‘n sg. Vredeskonferensie te boikot omdat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering geweier het om hom by die Vredeskonferensie toe te laat. Sal hulle, en ook Hennie Stander, bereid wees om sodanige vredeskonferensies te boikot ter wille van Jesus Christus omdat sodanige vredeskonferensies eintlik maar ‘n dwarsklap is na die enigste Prins van Vrede? Dis ‘n skreiende skande vir enige persoon wat Christus bely om valse vredemakers soos die Dalai Lama te ontvang en te vereer. My gebed is dat die Suid-Afrikaanse regering voet by stuk sal hou – al is dit om politieke redes – om die Dalai Lama, een van die grootste vyande van Jesus Christus, te boikot.

1 Tes 5:3  Want wanneer hulle sê: Vrede en veiligheid—dan oorval ‘n skielike verderf hulle soos die barensnood ‘n swanger vrou, en hulle sal sekerlik nie ontvlug nie.

Die Paradoksale Teologie van die Post-moderne Predikers

“Teenoorgesteldes is beide waar en geldig”

Die post-modernisme is deurspek met teenstydighede. In die gewone spreektaal verwys ons na hierdie fenomeen as “paradokse.” Dr. Nelus Niemandt, outeur van die boek “Nuwe Drome vir Nuwe Werklikhede” omskryf “paradoksaal” as volg:

Die feit dat verskillende wêreldbeskouings gelyktydig ons wêreld beïnvloed, krap sake nogal om. Een van die gevolge is ‘n paradoksale wêreld. Paradokse beteken dan twee dinge, wat oënskynlik teenoor mekaar staan, terselfdertyd waar en geldig is. Dit is ‘n geval van “die een en ook die ander”. Ons leef in so ‘n en/ook wereld. Die een ding is waar en ook die ander. Teenoorgesteldes is beide waar en geldig. Die lewe en die werklikheid kan nie meer in eenvoudige swart/wit kategorieë geplaas en verklaar word nie.

Dit lyk my paradokse is deel van die wese van die mens. En mense moet sommer gou leer om daarmee saam te leef. [1] (Klem bygevoeg)

Let asseblief noukeurig op die vet gedrukte gedeelte “Die een ding is waar en ook die ander. Teenoorgesteldes is beide waar en geldig.” As jy baie mooi luister, sal jy die gesis van die slang hoor wat Eva in die Paradys met ‘n soortgelyke leuen verlei het: “Is dit ook so dat God gesê het . . .?” Jy het gewis nie ‘n doktorsgraad nodig om agter te kom dat dit wesentlik ‘n aanslag op die ewig en onveranderlike Woord van God is nie. Nog meer, dit is ‘n georkestreerde aanslag van die satan op Jesus Christus wat gesê het: “Ek is die weg en die waarheid en die lewe; niemand kom na die Vader behalwe deur My nie.” Dié paradoks-fenomeen wat kwansuis “deel [is] van die wese van die mens” gee hom dus die reg om met oortuiging te verklaar dat Christus Jesus die Waarheid is sonder om die ander Christusse wat deesdae oral soos paddastoele opspring, as vals te bestempel. Die tragedie hieromheen is dat verskeie invloedryke predikers in toemender mate paradokse in hulle preke en in hulle kommentare op hulle “blogs” inweef. Hulle erken geredelik gou dat Jesus Christus die enigste Verlosser is, maar erken ook heel dikwels netso geredelik maklik dat andersdenkendes in die teologie ook waarhede in pag het. Ek het reeds in een van my vorige kommentare daarop gewys dat ds. Jannie Pelser van die Rant en Dal Gemeenskapskerk in ‘n onderhoud met Flip Loots[2] paradoksaal daarop gewys het dat die mens by God moet begin indien hy nuwe norme en waardes in die samelewing wil uitlewe maar dat die Christen ander geloofsoortuigings ook moet respekteer.

Op Flip Loots se vraag: “Dit is nie net Christene wat sekerlik met moraliteit moet lewe en kerke wat daardie oproep moet doen nie. Hoe voel julle van die Nuwe Hartstigting oor die, kom ek sê, die volledige samelewing van Suid-Afrika, het ds. Jannie soos volg geantwoord.

Ek is so bly jy vra daardie vraag. Maar natuurlik, daar’s baie ander samelewingsverbande en geloofsgroeperinge in Suid-Afrika en as Christene het ons respek en agting vir ander mense en vir hulle oortuigings en as mens begin praat oor eerlikheid, en selfbeheersing, verantwoordelikheid en medemenslikheid, dan sal mense wat in ander groeperinge as die Christelike geloof behoort, ook sê, weet jy, daardie goed is vir ons ook baie belangrik. In ’n sekere sin is hierdie universele waardes . . . (Klem bygevoeg)

‘n Ander mees onlangse voorbeeld van paradoksale teologiese taal verskyn in Prof. Hennie Stander se blogartikels “Hoop vir ‘n Donker Wêreld” en “’n Kerk se Week van Seks.”

In eersgenoemde artikel sê Stander dat Jesus Christus hoop vir ‘n donker wêreld bring, en nie die nuutverkose Amerikaanse President, Barak Obama, nie wat onlangs deur Time-tydskrif aangewys is as “Persoonlikheid van die Jaar” omdat hy “die selfvertroue gehad het om ’n rooskleurige toekoms op ’n donker tydstip te skilder en dat hy die Amerikaners weer hoop gegee het.” Stander sê voorts:

Hiermee het die bekende Time-tydskrif duidelik uitgespel wat dit is waaraan ’n donker wêreld behoefte het: die wêreld soek hoop en soek ’n toekoms. Dit is die soort boodskap wat kinders van die Here by uitstek aan die wêreld kan bring. Dit is net jammer dat ons dit nie genoegsaam verkondig nie. Veral in Kerstyd kan ons gerus weer die boodskap verkondig dat Baba Jesus nie net ’n ou hulpelose babatjie in ’n krip is nie.

. . . Dit is die boodskap van hoop waaraan die wêreld so ’n behoefte het. Daarom dat hulle elke woord van hoop van Obama opslurp. Elke volgeling van Jesus sit met ’n veel beter boodskap van hoop in sy skoot. Kom ons vertel dit vir elke mens rondom ons wat honger is daarvoor. (Klem bygevoeg)

En tog sê Stander in een van sy vorige arikels “’n Kerk se Week van Seks” met meesterlike paradoksale ingeborenheid:

Ek het oor die jare heen baie rondgereis en in verskillende gemeentes regoor Suid-Afrika, asook in die buiteland, gepreek. En binne 10 minute nadat ek by ’n kerk is, kan ek sien of dit ’n lewendige en groeiende kerk is, en of dit ’n kwynende kerk is. Laat ek ’n paar eienskappe van groeiende kerke noem:

Dit is kerke waar daar ’n suksesvolle musiekbediening is. Musiek (nie seks nie) speel ’n geweldige belangrike rol. Die prediking moet eenvoudig, maar aktueel, wees. Die mense stel nie belang in dogma en teologie nie. Hulle wil hulp kry oor hoe om gewone daaglikse eise van die lewe te kan hanteer.

Volgens Stander “sit elke volgeling van Jesus met ‘n veel beter boodskap van hoop in sy skoot” maar dit is ‘n boodskap wat dogma en teologie by die venster uitgooi omdat die mense nie meer daarin belangstel nie. Dit klink mos alte veel na Paulus se waarskuwing in sy tweede brief aan Timotheus.

2 Tim 4:3 want daar sal ‘n tyd wees wanneer hulle die gesonde leer nie sal verdra nie, maar, omdat hulle in hul gehoor gestreel wil wees, vir hulle ‘n menigte leraars sal versamel volgens hulle eie begeerlikhede, (Verwys Paulus hier na die eindtydse Parodaksale teoloë?)

Ek het telkemale in die verlede “Christene” wat dogma en teologie minag gewys op die uiters gevaarlike vuur waarmee hulle speel. Ek haal aan uit die “Amplified Bible.”

2 John 9 Anyone who runs on ahead [of God] and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [who is not content with what He taught] does not have God; but he who continues to live in the doctrine (teaching) of Christ [does have God], he has both the Father and the Son.

Iemand wat nie in Christus se leerstellings gegrond en gevestig is en daarin bly nie, is beslis nie besig om Hom te volg nie. Trouens, die Skrif sê onomwonde dat hy/sy hoegenaamd nie gered is nie. Kom u agter met watter gevaarlike paradokse een van die voorste teologiese professore in ons land besig is om te speel? Stander is egter nie die enigste leraar wat dit doen nie. Ek het reeds ds. Jannie Pelser se naam genoem, maar so is daar ook andere soos Stephan Joubert wat kop in een mus is saam met Nelus Niemant. Op hulle beurt werk hulle saam met oorsese valse leraars soos Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Rob Bell, Tony Jones, Rick Warren en nog vele ander. Aan die eenkant wil hulle hê Jesus moet vir hulle hoop, voorspoed, vrede, en geluksaligheid gee maar aan die ander paradoksale kant is hulle nie bereid om Sy leerstellings na te volg en dit ook aan andere te verkondig nie.

Soos so baie ander leraars in die kader van die ontluikende kerk, praat Stander telkens van ‘n “boodskap van hoop” vir ‘n donker wêreld wat ‘n toekoms soek. Ek sien nêrens in die Skrif dat die Here Jesus vlees en bloed deelagtig geword het om vir hierdie donker wêreld hoop en ‘n toekoms te gee nie. Die ironie is dat hierdie donker wêreld juis so donker is omdat dit Hom eerste gehaat het en sy volgelinge met net soveel minagting bejeen.

Joh 15:18 As die wêreld julle haat, moet julle weet dat hy My voor julle gehaat het.

Blykbaar wil Stander vir hierdie wêreld wat Christus en sy ware volgelinge so intens haat, hoop en ‘n toekoms gee sodat dit ongehinderd kan voortgaan om Hom en sy ware volgelinge nog intenser te haat — en dit nogal terwyl hy ‘n boodskap van hoop aan die wêreld opdis wat geheel en gestroop is van Christus se leerstellings (omdat die mense nie meer daarin belangstel nie). Paradoks op paradoks op paradoks is vir Stander en sy meelopers aan die orde van die dag.

Nee! Prof. Stander, die Here Jesus het nie mens geword om vir hierdie wêreld hoop en ‘n toekoms te gee nie. Kom ons kyk ‘n slag na wat Hyself vir ons in sy onveranderlike leerstellings gesê het:

Mat 10:34 Moenie dink dat Ek gekom het om vrede op die aarde te bring nie. Ek het nie gekom om vrede te bring nie, maar die swaard.

Luk 12:51 Dink julle dat Ek gekom het om vrede op die aarde te gee? Nee, sê Ek vir julle, maar eerder verdeeldheid.

John 12: 46-48 Ek het as ‘n lig in die wêreld gekom, sodat elkeen wat in My glo, nie in die duisternis sou bly nie. En as iemand na my woorde luister en nie glo nie, Ek oordeel hom nie; want Ek het nie gekom om die wêreld te oordeel nie, maar om die wêreld te red. Wie My verwerp en my woorde nie aanneem nie, het een wat hom oordeel: die woord wat Ek gespreek het, dit sal hom oordeel in die laaste dag.

Luk 19:10 Want die Seun van die mens het gekom om te soek en te red wat verlore was. (Klem deurgaans bygevoeg).

Hy het dus nie gekom om hoop en ‘n toekoms vir en in hierdie wêreld te gee nie maar inderdaad om te red. Wat behels hierdie redding waarvan die Here Jesus hierbo praat?

Kol 1:13 Hy wat ons verlos het uit die mag van die duisternis en oorgebring het in die koninkryk van die Seun van sy liefde,

Verlossing behels nie net die vergifnis en vrymaking van jou sondes nie, maar die oorplasing (die Engelse woord is “transference”) vanuit die mag van die koninkryk van hierdie wêreldsisteem en sy duisternis (waarvan satan die god is) na die koninkryk van die Seun van sy liefde. Daarom het die Here Jesus op ‘n dag gesê “Dit het Ek vir julle gesê, dat julle in My vrede kan hê. In die wêreld sal julle verdrukking hê; maar hou goeie moed, Ek het die wêreld oorwin” (Joh 16:33). Weer eens is dit duidelik dat Hy nie gekom het om vir hierdie wêreld hoop en ‘n toekoms te gee nie, maar om dit te oorwin, en dit het Hy met vlieënde vaandels gedoen sodat sy ware volgelinge nie meer nodig het om vertrengel te raak in die wêreld se lekkernye nie.

Die hedendaagse postmoderne predikers en leraars het ‘n subtiele klemverskuiwing gemaak van God na die mens. Alles draai om  die mens – sy toekomsverwagtinge, ideale, hoop, welsyn, voorspoed, gesondheid, sy siening rondom positiwiteit, [3] sy norme en waardes, sy behoeftes ens. Stander stel dit vir ons baie duidelik in sy woorde “Die mense stel nie belang in dogma en teologie nie. Hulle wil hulp kry oor hoe om gewone daaglikse eise van die lewe te kan hanteer.” [4] G’n wonder die Here lag en spot met hulle nie (Ps 2: 4) terwyl hulle in eiewaan dink hulle kan die bande van sy leerstellings (dogma en teologie) stukkend ruk sodat hulle uit die gebreekte erdekruike van hulle eie waansin ‘n bietjie brak en vuil water kan drink. Is dit werklik die hoop en toekoms vir die wêreld waarvan prof. Hennie Stander praat?

Dit is opvallend dat ‘n hele klomp leraars, o.a. ds Jannie Pelser, Nelus Niemandt, Stephan Joubert en Jan van der Watt, groot aansien geniet, nie net onder ‘n groot aantal Chrstene nie maar ook die wêreld en die sekulêre pers. So terloops, die feit dat die sekulêre pers Angus Buchan so hoog aanprys, is genoeg rede tot kommer omdat hulle hoofsaaklik beïndruk is met die groot getalle mense wat hy lok. Buchan self maak ook gereeld by sy byeenkomste, op sy webtuiste en nuusbriewe groot gewag van die derduisende mense wat sy byeenkomste bywoon. Die Here Jesus het op ‘n dag gesê:

Luk 6:26 Wee julle wanneer al die mense goed van julle praat, want hulle vaders het net so aan die valse profete gedoen.

1Joh 4:5 Hulle is uit die wêreld; daarom praat hulle uit die wêreld, en die wêreld luister na hulle.

Is daar hoop en ’n toekoms vir die wêreld?

Die Here Jesus het een maal gesê:

Joh 5:43 Ek het gekom in die Naam van my Vader, en julle neem My nie aan nie. As ‘n ander een in sy eie naam kom, hóm sal julle aanneem.

Die “hóm” na wie die Here Jesus verwys het, is die Antichris wat deur die Jode en die hele wêreld as hulle Messias aanvaar sal word en die skokkende ding hieromtrent is dat sy volgelinge as “Christene” bekend sal staan (2 Tim 3:5). In  die Here Jesus se woorde “en julle neem my nie aan nie” beteken hierdie “aanneem” nie om ‘n gebed agter iemand anders aan te herhaal en te sê “Here, ek neem U as my persoonlike Saligmaker aan” nie. Dit beteken ten diepste om God se leerstellings (dogma en teologie) rondom sy kruis en die gepaardgaande verloëning en sterwe aan die self daagliks met oorgawe te omarm. Daarom het Paulus hom “voorgeneem om niks anders onder julle te weet nie as Jesus Christus, en Hom as gekruisigde” (1Kor 2: 2). Die kruis van Jesus Christus is die krag en die wysheid van God (1 Kor 1:17-19) en dit is juis hierdie leerstelling wat die wêreld nie wil aanneem en omarm nie. Dit is dan ook geen wonder nie dat Hennie Stander en die post-moderne paradoksale predikers verklaar dat die mense nie belangstel in dogma en teologie nie maar hulp wil hê oor hoe om hulle gewone alledaagse lewenseise te hanteer. Die gevolg is dat hierdie leraars hulle ‘n Jesus bied wat hulle net as hulle rolmodel (voorbeeld) hoef na te volg.

Om te verduidelik wat ek hiermee bedoel, wil ek graag herhaal wat ek op 22 Mei vanjaar onder die opskrif “Hoe lyk die post-moderne volgelinge van Jesus?” gesê het. Ek het begin met ‘n aanhaling uit Brian McLaren se veelbesproke boek, “A Generous Orthodoxy”

Ek glo nie om dissipels te maak dieselfde moet wees as om volgelinge te maak van die Christelike godsdiens nie. Dit mag raadsaam wees om in baie omstandighede (nie alle nie!) mense te help om volgelinge van Jesus te word en [nog steeds] binne hulle Boeddhistiese, Hinduïstiese en Joodse konteks te bly . . . eerder as om die paradoks op te los via verklarings oor die ewige bestemming van mense wat meer oortuig is deur of lojaal is teenoor ander godsdienste as ons eie, ons moet eenvoudig voortgaan . . . om Boeddhiste, Moslems, Christene en al die ander te help om die lewe ten volle te ervaar op die wyse van Jesus [en] (terwyl ek dit self beter leer ken), ook graag een van hulle sou wou word (wie hulle ookal mag wees), tot watter mate ek kan, om hulle te omhels, by hulle aan te sluit, om hulle wêreld te betree sonder om veroordelend te wees maar met reddende liefde soos myne deur die Here betree is — Brian McLaren (5) (Uit die Engels vertaal) (Klem bygevoeg).

Moeder Teresa (27 Augustus 1910 – 5 September 1997) wat  deur baie Christene met besondere hoë agting bejeen word, het ‘n soortgelyke ding gesê wat Nelus Niemandt en vriende se paradoksale teologie een honderd persent onderskryf:

There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God. I’ve always said we should help a Hindu become a better Hindu, a Muslim become a better Muslim, a Catholic become a better Catholic. We believe our work should be our example to people. We have among us 475 souls – 30 families are Catholics and the rest are all Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs—all different religions. But they all come to our prayers.[6]

Beide Nelus Niemandt en Stephan Joubert praat met groot lof van Moeder Teresa en gebruik dikwels haar liefdadigheidswerk in Kalkutta as voorbeeld om die doelsetellings van die ontluikende kerk te illustreer. Die volgende uittreksel kom uit ‘n artikel van Stephan Joubert op die “Elijah Africa” webtuiste

In die Nuwe Testament, voeg hy by, is daar baie minder tekste wat sê jy moet met jou mond getuig as met jou lewe. Dade praat harder as woorde. Oor dié gedagte van onselfsugtige diens noem Niemandt en Joubert vir moeder Teresa as ’n goeie voorbeeld. Joubert trek dit ook deur na die kwessie van reg en verkeerd.

Tradisioneel, sê hy, het die kerk ’n sterk morele sondebeskouing, met lysies soos dans, drink, dobbel en dies meer. Hy bepleit ’n skuif na sosiale verantwoordelikheid waar gelowiges ’n voorbeeld is van ’n samelewing waarin Christus is. Moenie sê wat verkeerd is nie, maar wys en leef wat reg is. Dis ’n skuif van die handhawing van reëls na die uitleef van ’n waardestelsel tussen mense wat dit nié leef nie. (Klem bygevoeg)

Ek het by verskeie vorige geleenthede gesê dat die Christen as nuwe skepping in die Here die verantwoordelikheid het om as lig en sout in hierdie wêreld ‘n voorbeeld te wees vir andere maar sodra ‘n ongebalanseerde klem op jou mooi lewe gelê word, ondermyn dit die Evangelie en Christus se opdrag om dit by elke geleentheid te verkondig. Christus self, die enigste Persoon wat ‘n volslae heilige lewe kon lewe, het op ‘n dag gesê “Julle is alreeds rein deur die woord wat Ek tot julle gespreek het.“ (Joh 15:3). Dit was dus nie sy heilige lewe wat mense tot redding gebring het nie, maar God se Woord wat HY aan hulle verkondig het (Romeine 10: 17). Blykbaar steur Nelus Niemandt en Stephan Joubert hulle nie veel aan Christus se vooropstelling van sy Evangelie nie omdat hulle ‘n persoon soos Moeder Teresa as voorbeeld vir hulle ontluikende kerk voorhou. Sy het inderdaad ‘n wonderlike en pragtige voorbeeldige lewe van selfopoffering uitgeleef, maar soos ons reeds gesien het, het sy Christus se opdrag om dissipels te maak van al die nasies, verontagsaam.  Sy het die Moslems en Hindoes wel deeglik met liefde versorg maar haar ongehoorsaamheid aan Christus het die armes in ‘n baie erger toestand gelaat as wat hulle was – ewige verlorenheid. Wil Nelus Niemandt en Stephan Joubert werklik voorgee dat hulle beter kan doen as die helige Seun van God wat die prediking van die Woord van God (en dit sluit die aanspreek van sondes soos dans, drink , dobbel en dies meer in) vooropggestel het? Wat sê die Skrif?

Al sou ek die tale van mense en engele spreek, en ek het nie die liefde nie, dan het ek ‘n klinkende metaal of ‘n luidende simbaal geword. En al sou ek die gawe van profesie hê en al die geheimenisse weet en al die kennis, en al sou ek al die geloof hê, sodat ek berge kon versit, en ek het nie die liefde nie, dan sou ek niks wees nie. En al sou ek al my goed uitdeel, en al sou ek my liggaam oorgee om verbrand te word, en ek het nie die liefde nie, dan sou dit my niks baat nie. Al sou ek die tale van mense en engele spreek, en ek het nie die liefde nie, dan het ek ‘n klinkende metaal of ‘n luidende simbaal geword. En al sou ek die gawe van profesie hê en al die geheimenisse weet en al die kennis, en al sou ek al die geloof hê, sodat ek berge kon versit, en ek het nie die liefde nie, dan sou ek niks wees nie. En al sou ek al my goed uitdeel, en al sou ek my liggaam oorgee om verbrand te word, en ek het nie die liefde nie, dan sou dit my niks baat nie. (1 Kor 13: 1-3)

In hierdie gedeelte word “doen” gestel teenoor “liefde.” Dit is egter nie ‘n filantropiese soort liefde nie, maar in die eerste plek ‘n liefde vir God en sy Evangelie (leerstellings, dogma, teologie). Dit is juis hierdie liefde vir God en sy Woord wat verkondig moet word wat die Christen moet dring om mense te vermaan om hulle met God te versoen.

1 Kor 2:14 en 20 Want die liefde van Christus dring ons . . . Ons tree dan op as gesante om Christus wil, asof God deur ons vermaan. Ons bid julle om Christus wil: Laat julle met God versoen.

Hierdie ongebalanseerde klem op Christene se voorbeeldige lewens as die primêre wyse waarop mense  vir die koninkryk van God gewin  moet word, is ‘n baie subtiele aanslag op die Evangelie van Jesus Christus en die verkondiging daarvan. Paulus het nie vir Timotheus gesê  om net op sy lewe  alleen te let nie maar op sy LEER en sy LEWE (1 Tim 4:6). Miskien kan ‘n mens die hedendaagse post-moderne volgelinge van Jesus as volg beskryf, veral as jy mooi luister na wat hulle oor leersteling sê: Jesus Christus minus leerstelling (reëls, lering, wette, ideologieë) = Jesus volgelinge. Kan hierdie volgelinge van Jesus daarop aanspraak maak dat hulle sy dissipels is terwyl hulle sy leerstellings minag of beskou hulle Hom maar as net nog ‘n rolmodel of ‘n voorbeeld van hoe om te lewe en hulle gewone alledaagse lewenseise te hanteer? Om hierdie vraag te beantwoord moet ons weer eens luister na wat Jesus van die Bybel self gesê het.

Joh 8:31 En Jesus sê vir die Jode wat in Hom geglo het: As julle in my woord (leerstellings) bly, is julle waarlik my dissipels. (Klem bygevoeg).

Om soos Jesus te lewe beteken dus om in sy woord (leerstellings) te bly. Hy het ook gesê:

Joh 15:10 As julle my gebooie bewaar, sal julle in my liefde bly, net soos Ek die gebooie van my Vader bewaar en in sy liefde bly.

Die aanspraak dat iemand ‘n volgeling van Jesus is sonder om ag te gee op sy leerstellings wat vir ons sê wat ons mag en nie mag doen nie, dui óf op onkunde óf op misleiding óf albei. Selfs Alice Bailey wat haar boeke geskryf het onder die invloed en leiding van haar geestegids, Djwhal Khul, het geroem op die feit dat Jesus haar voorbeeld was. Sy skryf:

Ons het baklei oor die leerstellings waardeur mense gered sal word . . . Ons het die helfte van die wêreld as verlore beskou en slegs die Christen gelowige as gered, en tog het Christus die heeltyd vir ons vertel dat liefde die weg na die koninkryk is, en dat die feit van die teenwoordigheid van goddelikheid in elkeen van ons, ons geskik maak vir daardie koninkryk . . . Mense word nie gered deur ‘n geloof in die formulering van ‘n teologiese dogma nie, maar deur die feit van Sy lewende Teewoordigheid, of die lewende onmiddelikheid van Christus . . . Dit wat uiteindelik ons menslike lewe sal erken is die teenwoordigheid in die wêreld van diegene wat Christus as hulle voorbeeld ken, en herken dat hulle dieselfde goddelike lewe besit, net soos die bekragtiging van die basiese wet van die koninkryk van God, die wet van die liefde, die wêreld finaal sal red – Alice Bailey en Djwhal Khul (7) (Uit die Engels vertaal) (Klem bygevoeg).

Die wêreld smag inderdaad na ‘n Jesus, maar nie die Jesus wat gesê het “Ek IS die weg en die waarheid en die lewe; niemand kom na die Vader behalwe deur My nie.” Hulle wil alleenlik ‘n Jesus hê wat vir hulle die weg aandui; ‘n Jesus wat vir hulle ‘n voorbeeld kan wees in hulle eindelose soeke na die weg en die waarheid en hoe om hulle gewone alledaagse lewenseise te hanteer. Hoewel die antichris hom nog nie as persoon in lewende lywe aan die wêreld geopenbaar het nie (en hy kan ook nie, nie voordat God dit toelaat nie – 2 Thess 2:7), is sy gees (invloed) lankal reeds waarneembaar in die wêreld. ‘n Persoon deur wie die gees van die antichris reeds sedert 1977 merkbaar in die wêreld werk, is die sg. Maitreya. Hy het gesê:

Allow Me to show you the way ― forward, into a simpler life where no man lacks; where no two days are alike; where the joy of Brotherhood manifests through all men.

Mine is the task to lead and guide, but you, willingly, must follow. Otherwise, I can do nothing. My hands are tied by Law. The decision rests with mankind.

When I make Myself known, I shall express the hope of all mankind for a new life, a new start, a readiness to change direction; to see the construction of a New World in which men can live in peace; can live free from fear of themselves or their brothers; free to create from the joy in their hearts; free to be themselves, in simple honesty. [8] (Klem bygevoeg)

Klink dit nie nogal baie na Hennie Stander se wyse woorde nie? – Die mense stel nie belang in dogma en teologie nie. Hulle wil hulp kry oor hoe om gewone daaglikse eise van die lewe te kan hanteer. As ons sy woorde so ‘n bietjie wyer omskryf, sal dit moontlik as volg verwoord kan word: Die mense stel nie belang in Jesus Christus se leerstellings en teologie nie maar soek iemand wat vir hulle die weg kan aanwys oor hoe om hulle gewone alledaagse lewenseise te kan hanteer.

Ek vra weer: “Is daar hoop en ‘n toekoms vir hierdie wêreld?” Die antwoord hierop is ‘n klinklare ja! Maar, dit is ‘n valse hoop en ‘n verskriklike toekoms omdat die Jesus wat die paradoksale postmoderne predikers die wêreld  bied, ‘n valse Jesus is waarvan die profeet Daniël geskrywe het en ek haal aan uit die Amplified Bible:

Dan 8:25 And through his policy he shall cause trickery to prosper in his hand; he shall magnify himself in his heart and mind, and in their security he will corrupt and destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken and that by no [human] hand.

laat my asseblief toe om jou te vra. Watter Jesus volg jy? Die een wat gesê het: “As iemand agter My aan wil kom, moet hy homself verloën en sy kruis elke dag opneem en My volg” of die een wat sê “Allow Me to show you the way ― forward, into a simpler life where no man lacks; where no two days are alike; where the joy of Brotherhood manifests through all men. Mine is the task to lead and guide, but you, willingly, must follow.” Ek kan met absolute sekerheid sê dat die eersgenoemde na die ewige lewe lei en die laasgenoemde na die ewige verderf, tensy jy jou heelhartig bekeer en jou huidige pad verlaat om deur die nou poort te gaan sodat jy die smal pad kan bewandel. Hierdie poort en weg is ‘n Persoon en sy Naam is Jesus Christus, die Seun van die Lewende God. Die keuse lê by jou. Maak asseblief die regte keuse, ter wille van onse Here Jesus Christus.

(Let asseblief baie noukerurig daarop dat ek nie besig is om persone en hulle persoonlike verhouding met Christus aan te val nie. Ek  ken nie mense se harte nie. God alleen weet wat in hulle harte aangaan. Ek is slegs besig om hulle openbare verklarings aan die hand van die Skrif te ondersoek en te evalueer. Ons taak is om hard te stry vir die geloof wat eenmaal deur die apostels aan ons oorgelewer is. Ek voel baie sterk daaroor dat ek net soveel reg het om die vooraanstaande leraars en predikers in ons land se openbare teologiese verklarings ook in die openbaar aan te vat indien dit nie met God se Woord strook nie. Sou dit wees dat hulle nie met my saamstem nie, is hulle welkom om my vanuit God se Woord te repudieer en verkeerd te bewys).

Gal 1:10 Soek ek dan nou die guns van mense, of van God? Of probeer ek om mense te behaag? As ek nog mense behaag, dan sou ek nie ‘n dienskneg van Christus wees nie.

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[1] Nelus Niemandt, Nuwe Drome vir Nuwe Werklikhede, Lux Verbi BM, Junie 2007 p. 26  en 27

[2] Oop Gesprek, RSG, Sondag, 23 November 2008, 19:30

[3] Skrifgefundeerde geloof word al hoe meer deur positiewe denke vervang. In een van haar gereelde preke op TBN het Joyce Meyer onlangs gesê dat Christene elke nuwe dag met ‘n positiewe verklaring soos “Iets goeds gaan vandag met my gebeur” en “Ek word by die dag beter.” moet begin. Dit is nie geloof nie maar ‘n okkultiese vertroue in jou eie positiewe denkprosesse. Dit is, met ‘n positiewe woord gesê, suiwer afgodery.

[4] http://www.carpediem.co.za/henniestander/

[5] Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy, pp. 260, 262, 264

[6] http://www.ewtn.com/MotherTeresa/words.htm

[7] Alice Bailey & Djwhal Khul, The Externalization of the Hierarchy, Section II – The General World Picture, http://laluni.helloyou.ws/netnews/bk/externalisation/exte1087.html.

[8] http://www.share-international.org/background/printed/messages.htm

Die Nuwe Hartstigting en -Inisiatief – Kan dit ons samelewing verander?

Is Christene Veronderstel om Agting en Respek te Toon vir Ander Mense se Geloofsoortuigings?

In Flip Loots se onderhoud (Oop Gesprek, 23 November 2008) met Ds. Jannie Pelser van die Rant en Dal Gemeenskapskerk, wat ook die stigter is van die Jesus Projek en die Nuwe Hartstigting en -Inisiatief, het daar dinge na vore gekom wat baie mooi en verblydend is maar tog ook dinge wat kommerwekkend is. Soos in baie vorige radioprogramme was die tema die skreiende misdaad, korrupsie en rassewrywing wat ons land in ‘n soort Irakese oorlogsone verander het.

Ek wil graag met die verblydende deel van die program begin omdat dit vir my die belangrikste aanknopingspunt behoort te wees in die Nuwe Hartstigting en -Inisiatief se pogings om die Evangelie van Jesus Christus aan alle bevolkingsgroepe en mense van ander geloofsoortuigings in ons samelewing te bring. Ek neem aan dat die verkondiging van die Evangelie van Jesus Christus wel hulle hoofdoel is omdat hulle praat van nuwe harte vir alle Suid Afrikaners. Flip Loots het ter inleiding gesê:

Misdaad, korrupsie en ook rassespanning is iets waarmee Suid-Afrikaners byna elke dag te doen het maar tegelyk is dit ‘n situasie waarmee niemand tevrede is nie. Hoe dan gemaak om dit te verander? Is daar hoegenaamd ‘n oplossing? Ja! Sê die Nuwe Hartstigting maar net as alle Suid-Afrikaners nuwe harte kry.

Ek het so teen die einde van die program ingebel en Ds. Jannie Pelser gevra of die Here sommer goedsmoeds nuwe harte aan mense gee – of is daar ‘n voorwaarde? Hy het my soos volg geantwoord en sommer ook kortliks sy getuienis gegee.

Uit die aard van die saak, ek het vroeër gesê dat ons kom na die Here toe en ons sê, Here ek kan nie lewe na die eise van u Woord nie. Ek is diep afhanklik, ek ken myself, ek is korrup in my mensheid. Dit is tog wat die Bybel ons leer. Daar’s ‘n teks in Romeine wat sê die mense se kele is ’n oop graf, dit wat daar uitkom is eenvoudig net verskriklik, nê, en so ken ek myself maar, Flip. Laat ons nie vingers wys nie, dis maar ekself en daarom 26 Januarie 1977 nege uur die aand, die wind het buite gewaai, het ek gesê, ‘Here ek kan nie sonder U nie. As U nie kom in my hart om [dit te] transformeer en [te] kom verander of my ’n nuwe hart kom gee nie, maak nie saak wat jy vir die Here sê nie, Hy stel nie belang in mooi woorde nie, al wat jy hoef te doen of hoef sê is, Here, hierdie pad, hierdie manier van lewe gaan my in die hel laat beland, ek het nodig dat U ingryp in my lewe, asseblief Here, transformeer my lewe en dan oombliklik, bonatuurlik kom doen HY dit deur die Heilige Gees en kom plaas Hy vir mens op ’n nuwe baan maar die lewe van die geloof is ‘n lewe van dissipline en eerlikheid en medemenslikheid vloei nie sommer natuurlikerwys voort nie, jy maak ’n keuse om nou te gaan lewe uit dankbaarheid vir hierdie nuwe lewe en hart wat jy van die Here ontvang het.

Myns insien behoort dit, jou persoonlike getuienis van hoe die Here jou siel gered en ‘n nuwe hart gegee het, die Nuwe Hartstigting en -Inisiatief se uitgangspunt te wees in julle uitreik na mense. Die vraag is: Doen die Nuwe Hartstigting en -Inisiatief dit? Is hulle besig om volgens Skriftuurlike voorwaardes dissipels te maak van mense in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing? Die opdrag is tog seer sekerlik “Maak dissipels van al die nasies . . . en leer hulle om alles te onderhou wat ek julle beveel het.“ Die onmiddelike antwoord hierop sou waarskynlik wees: “Maar dit is presies wat die Nuwe Hartstigtng en -Inisiatief doen wanneer ons die wonderlike norme en waardes van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid by mense wil inburger.” Ek wonder net hoe hulle dit gaan regkry as Paulus, die grootste “hart-inisiatiewer” van alle tye, ruiterlik erken het dat hy altyd die slegte dinge gedoen het terwyl hy so hard probeer het om die goeie te doen (d.w.s. om Jannie se norme en waardes van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid uit te lewe).

Want ek weet dat in my, dit wil sê in my vlees, niks goeds woon nie; want om te wil, is by my aanwesig, maar om goed te doen, dit vind ek nie. Want die goeie wat ek wil, doen ek nie, maar die kwaad wat ek nie wil nie, dit doen ek. Maar as ek doen wat ek nie wil nie, dan doen ek dit nie meer nie, maar die sonde wat in my woon. Ek vind dus hierdie wet: as ek die goeie wil doen, is die kwaad by my aanwesig. Want ek verlustig my in die wet van God na die innerlike mens; maar ek sien ‘n ander wet in my lede wat stryd voer teen die wet van my gemoed en my gevange neem onder die wet van die sonde wat in my lede is. Ek, ellendige mens! Wie sal my verlos van die liggaam van hierdie dood? Ek dank God deur Jesus Christus, onse Here!

Paulus sê in werklikheid hier, Man! julle kan so hard probeer as julle wil om die norme en waardes van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid uit te lewe; julle gaan netsoos ek telkens in die doldrums van onbeholpenheid, mislukkings en wanhoop verval. Moenie dink dat ‘n nuwe hart genoeg is nie. Ek het reeds ‘n nuwe hart ontvang, maar nou kom ek agter dat daar nog steeds ‘n ander beginsel in my woel en werskaf en dit is my ou Adamnatuur, daardie lelike ding wat voortdurend sê ‘ek wil dit en dat doen, ek wil sus en so maak, ek, ek, ek . . .’ Dis juis hierdie lelike ding in my wat Jesus verhinder om sy lewe van nederigheid en sagmoedigheid waarin Jannie se waardes soos eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid ingebed is, in en deur my uit te lewe. Maar, dank die Here, die Heilige Gees het my oortuig dat Jesus en Jesus alleen my kan verlos van hierdie liggaam van die dood (die ou Adamnatuur) wat hoegenaamd nie in staat is  om Jannie se mooi norme en waardes uit te lewe nie. Al wat Hy van my verwag is om te reken dat ek dood is vir die sonde en lewend gemaak is vir God. Daarom kan ek met vaste oortuiging sê ‘Ek is met Christus gekruisig, en ék leef nie meer nie, maar Christus leef in my. En wat ek nou in die vlees lewe, leef ek deur die geloof in die Seun van God wat my liefgehad het en Homself vir my oorgegee het.’

Dit bring my by die gedeeltes in Flip Loots se onderhoud met Ds. Jannie Pelser wat my diep bekommer. Ds Jannie sê heel aan die begin:

Ek dink luisteraars is bekend met die Jesus Projek wat die misbruik van die Here se Naam in die media wil aanspreek, en natuurlik as daar nie respek is en agting is vir God [nie], wat ookal mens se persepsie van hom is, in ‘n samelewing, dan kan ‘n mens ook nie verwag dat mense se gedrag dienooreenkomstig reg en positief sal wees nie.

As jy apel wil maak rondom mense se gedrag en optrede dan begin jy onafwendbaar by God. Daar’s nie ‘n ander beginpunt nie en as jy nie vir hom respek en agting het nie, nouja, dan het jy eintlik die stryd klaar verloor. (Klem bygevoeg).

Ons het sopas by broeder Paulus verneem dat dit net Jesus Christus is wat mense in staat kan stel om Jannie se norme en waardes van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid te kan uitlewe en dat daar terselfdertyd ‘n voorwaarde is, nl. dat ek moet met Christus gekruisig wees sodat Hy sy lewe (norme en waardes) in en deur my kan uitlewe. In weerwil hiervan sê Ds. Jannie dat elkeen respek en agting moet hê vir God maar dat dit nie juis saak maak wat mense se persepsie van hom ookal mag wees nie. Ek kan maar netsoos Jesus vra “Jy is ‘n leraar . . . en jy weet hierdie dinge nie?”

Ds. Jannie Pelser het ook met groot dankbaarheid op Flip Loots se vraag: “Dit is nie net Christene wat sekerlik met moraliteit moet lewe en kerke wat daardie oproep moet doen nie. Hoe voel julle van die Nuwe Hartstigting oor die, kom ek sê, die volledige samelewing van Suid-Afrika, soos volg geantwoord.

Ek is so bly jy vra daardie vraag. Maar natuurlik, daar’s baie ander samelewingsverbande en geloofsgroeperinge in Suid-Afrika en as Christene het ons respek en agting vir ander mense en vir hulle oortuigings en as mens begin praat oor eerlikheid, en selfbeheersing, verantwoordelikheid en medemenslikheid, dan sal mense wat in ander groeperinge as die Christelike geloof behoort ook sê, weet jy, daardie goed is vir ons ook baie belangrik. In ’n sekere sin is hierdie universele waardes . . . (Klem bygevoeg)

Dat elke persoon onafwendbaar by God moet begin, is nie altemit nie maar die vraag is, watter god – die god wat elkeen maar vir homself kan voorstel soos hy dink Hy moet wees en wat ookal sy eie persepsie van hom mag wees? Ds Jannie weet tog sekerlik dat mense van ander geloofsoortuigings dikwels sê dat hulle Jesus as ‘n profeet soos enige ander profeet respekteer maar dat hulle sy lyding, kruisiging, opstanding en hemelvaart minag en verwerp. Kan Ds. Jannie met sy nuwe hart en lewe wat hy op 26 Januarie 1977 van die Here ontvang het met liefdevolle oortuiging verklaar dat hy hierdie besondere geloofsoortuiging hoog ag en respekteer? Natuurlik moet Christene ander mense met agting en respek bejeen – ja, Christene is veronderstel om hulle  nie net hoog te ag en te respekteer nie maar selfs ook hulle vyande lief te hê. Maar, sodra Christene agting en repsek het vir ander mense se geloofsoortuigings wat Jesus Christus se dood, opstanding en hemelvaart minag  en verwerp, is daar ‘n groot skroef los. So iemand moet dan maar gerus seker maak of sy eie nuwe lewegewende nuwe hartervaring werklik van die God en Vader van Jesus Christus afkomstig is.

Daarom is dit miskien nodig om op hierdie stadium weer ‘n slag te kyk na Esegiël 36 vers 26 in die konteks waarin dit geskryf is, want dit lyk nie vir my of ds. Jannie die konteks in ag neem nie. Hy pas dit sommer goedsmoeds op enigeen toe want dit maak waarskynlik nie saak of die mense van ander geloofsoortuigings ‘n ander persepsie van God het nie; al wat vir hom saak maak is dat almal in Suid-Afrika voetstoots ‘n nuwe hart moet kry. Onthou asseblief dat Ds. Jannie reeds laat blyk het dat dit net God is wat nuwe harte kan gee, maar dit is ‘n god wat in elkeen se besondere en persoonlike godsbegrip of -persepsie inpas. Die Here praat in die eerste plek hier met Israel wat Hy vanweë hulle afgodery en die verwerping van sy Seun, Jesus Christus, oor die hele wêreld in ballingskap gestuur het. Maar, God het reeds op verskeie plekke in die Ou Testament belowe dat Hy ‘n oorblyfsel van Israel in die eindtye na hulle beloofde land sal terugbring. Hy is tans besig om dit te doen, maar let baie noukeurig op dat Hy hulle nie terugbring om nuwe norme en waardes in hulle harte in te burger nie. Nee! Hy en Hy alleen sal vir hulle ‘n nuwe hart (enkelvoud) en nie nuwe harte (meervoud) gee nie. Dit beteken gewoon dat die hele Israel soos een man met een hart dieselfde Godgegewe lewensbeginsels sal uitleef. En wat is die grondslag van hierdie Godgegewe lewensbeginsels? Die antwoord is in vers 25 “Dan sal Ek skoon water op julle giet, sodat julle rein kan word; van al jul onreinhede en van al jul drekgode sal Ek julle reinig.” Dit gaan dus in die eerste plek nie oor die inburgering van nuwe waardes en norme in die Israelse samelewing waar almal maar ‘n god kan aanbid soos hy/sy hom vir hulleself voorstel nie, maar oor die verering, aanbidding, respektering van, en die heilige vrees vir, en diensbaarheid aan die enige ware God, die God van Abraham, Isak en Jakob omdat daar geen ander God is nie. Maar nee, Ds. Jannie en sy meelopers gee werklik nie om om Esegiël 36 vers 26 behoorlik nek om te draai nie. Hulle bely met die mond dat dit net God is wat nuwe harte kan gee, maar wil Hom darem so ‘n bietjie aanhelp deur met ander inisiatiewe en geloofsoortuigings saam te werk omdat hulle nie die enigste inisiatief in hierdie verband is nie. Ds Jannie pleit dat ons darem nie die baba met die badwater moet uitgooi nie. Ag nee wat dominee, as die badwater net so ‘n klein bietjie besoedel is, dan moet dit vervang word met die rein water wat God alleen (soos in Esegiël 36:25) kan toedien — en dit is die badwater van die wedergeboorte (Titus 3:5). Ek het reeds in ‘n vorige skrywe van my op hierdie blog vir jou en jou hulppredikers aangeraai om liewer die suiwer Evangelie te verkondig wat soos volg lui “Bekeer julle want die Koninkryk van God het naby gekom” eerder as om nuwe norme en waardes in die samelewing te probeer inburger. Maar nouja, “bekering” is ‘n woordjie wat deesdae ‘n vloekwoord in die NG Kerk geword het.

Ds. Jannie het met groot lof gepraat van Elia, die uitnemende profeet en man van God:

Ek het vanoggend gepreek daar by Randfontein na aanleiding van Elia se pragtige gedeelte, ek is so mal oor Elia want hy’s ’n profeet, ’n man van God by uitnemendheid, en dan staan hy daar voor die volk en hy sê: ‘Here stuur weer die vlam uit die hemel uit,’ ag die mense ken daai geskiedenis, en dan kom die vlam, en dan kom dit uit die hart van die volk – die HERE is God, die Here is God.

Blykbaar ken Ds. Jannie nie daai geskiedenis nie. Respek vir ander mense is sekerlik in orde maar om hulle geloofsoortuigings met agting te bejeen, is ‘n klap in die gesig van Jesus Christus wat vir hulle gesterwe het. Jannie mag miskien mal wees oor Elia en die gedeelte in die Skrif waar hy die Baälprofete op die berg Karmel aangedurf het, maar ek is nie so seker of Elia so mal sou wees oor Jannie nie. Ek kan maar net raai wat Elia vir hom sou antwoord as hy vir die uitnemende profeet en man van God sou sê: “Ag nee wat Elia, jy gaan darem nou heeltemal “overboard” om die Baälprofete so stief te behandel. Hoewel ek nie met hulle saamstem nie, kan ons hulle met broederlike liefde en geduld opvoed om die universele waardes en norme van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, verantwoordelikheid en selfbeheersing in hulle daaglikse lewens te beoefen. En waarom nie? Ek respekteer hulle geloofsoortuigings.” Die ironie is dat Jannie se uitnemende profeet en man van God waaroor hy so mal is met die Baälprofete die spot gedryf het en nie, soos Jannie, hulle godsdiens met respek en agting bejeen het nie.

1 Konings 18:27 Teen die middag het Elia hulle begin spot: “Roep harder! Hy is mos ‘n  god! Miskien is hy diep in gedagte of gou bietjie uit, of op reis, of dalk slaap hy en moet hy eers wakker word!”

Is God in Beheer?

In die verloop van hulle gesprek het Ds. Jannie Pelser telkens gesê dat God in beheer is; dat Hy op sy troon sit en ‘n besonderse plan vir elkeen afsonderlik en hierdie wêreld het.

. . . nuwe harte wil vir ons sê dat die tyd gekom het waarin elke Suid-Afrikaner, dit maak nie saak wie jy is en binne watter samelewingsverband jy jouself bevind nie, beginnende binne in mens se eie huishouding, uitkringende tot op elke terrein waarop ‘n mens jou self bevind, dat ons nodig het om anders te begin dink oor die lewe, oor ons verhouding teenoor ons medemens, oor ons verhouding teenoor die omgewing, wat natuurlik eweneens ‘n verskriklike krisis is, en daai nuwe manier van dink, daai nuwe manier van doen is ‘n uitdrukking van ‘n nuwe gesindheid, ‘n nuwe hart, ’n nuwe ingesteldheid, ‘n nuwe visie, ‘n nuwe lewensetiek, ’n nuwe lewensfilosofie. Dit beteken eintlik vir ons as gelowiges, want ons is Christene, dat ons opnuut weer ’n Christelike lewens en wêreldbeskouing [uitlewe], m.a.w. God is in beheer, Hy’s op die troon, Hy’t ’n plan met my; Hy’t ’n plan met hierdie wêreld, HY wil hê dat ek ’n eksponent moet wees van sy Koninkryk wat in hierdie wêreld gekom het, dat ek dit sigbaar weer sal begin voor lewe.

Ek het in my gesprekke op die internet en ook in my persoonlike lewe met heelwat mense te make gekry wat ontnugter, kwaad, en telleugesteld is met dié God wat die Christene aan hulle voorhou en verkondig. Daar word voortdurend vir hulle gesê “God is op die troon,”Hy is in beheer,” Hy’t ’n wonderlike plan met my en jou lewe, en ook met hierdie wêreld. ” Die eerste ding wat hulle vir jou vra is: “Hoe kan ’n God van liefde wat op sy troon sit en in beheer is, toelaat dat babatjies en vrouens so gruwelik verkrag word, dat kosbare mense so moet ly en doodgaan aan VIGS, dat terroriste derduisende mense met een slag vermoor wanneer hulle in ’n gebou vasvlieg, dat Amerika in Irak moet ingryp om oorlog te maak teen daardie terroriste en in die proses ook miskien baie onskuldige mense doodmaak, waarom, waarom, waarom? Hou maar gerus julle God wat kwansuis in beheer is, want ek wil niks te make hê met ’n God wat so wreed is nie.” Waar kom hierdie idee vandaan dat God in beheer is terwyl Jesus Christus self gesê het dat Satan die god van hierdie wêreld is en dat hy die oë en sinne van mense verblind sodat die heerlike boodskap van verlossing hulle harte nie kan bereik nie? (2 Korinthiërs 4: 4) Ons hoef nie ver te gaan soek nie. Calvyn en sy navolgers glo dat God verantwoordelik is vir die sondes van alle mense omdat Hy dit reeds voor die skepping van die wêreld so verordineer het.

Calvyn het gesê:

Vir baie is dit waarskynlik ’n ingewikkelde onderwerp, omdat hulle dit as uiters inkonsekwent beskou dat uit die groot massa van die mensdom sommiges tot redding en andere tot verdoeming bestem is.[1]

Die dekreet, moet ek erken, is verskriklik; en tog is dit onmoontlik om te ontken dat God vooruit geweet het wat die einde van die mens sou wees voordat Hy hom gemaak het, en [Hy] het vooruit geweet omdat Hy dit deur sy dekreet so verordineer het.[2] (Klem bygevoeg)

Laat hom . . . altyd onthou dat daar geen . . . mag of aksie of beweging in skepsels is wat nie deur God se geheime plan beheer word nie, op so ’n wyse dat niks gebeur nie behalwe wat Hy willens en wetens verorden het.[3] (Klem bygevoeg).

Het u die woordjie “beheer” raakgesien? Dit is veral ateïste wat na so ‘n onbybelse uitspraak kyk en sê: “Sien julle! julle God is ‘n wrede God want Hy maak dat kindermolesteerders klein babatjies, en seuntjies en dogtertjies verkrag want Hy, sê julle mos, is in beheer. As Hy in beheer was, soos julle sê, dan kon Hy mos al lankal verhoed het dat klein babatjies en kindertjies so verskriklik gemolesteer word.” Die Calviniste, soos ek reeds aangedui het, glo vas dat God die sondes van die mens verordineer het maar dat Hy hulle nog steeds verantwoordelik hou vir daardie sondes.

R.C. Sproul, ‘n geharde Calvinis, skryf:

Dit was God se begeerte dat die mens in sonde val. Ek beskuldig God nie van sonde nie. Ek suggereer dat God sonde geskep het.[4]

. . . En dit terwyl God self baie duidelik vir ons sê:

Jak 1:13, 14 Laat niemand, as hy in versoeking kom, sê: Ek word deur God versoek nie. Want God kan deur die kwaad nie versoek word nie, en self versoek Hy niemand nie. Maar elkeen word versoek as hy deur sy eie begeerlikheid weggesleep en verlok word.

Hoewel Ds. Jannie teen die einde van die program op ‘n vraag van ‘n inbeller, wat die afleiding maak dat God die mens so gemaak het omdat hy in sonde ontvang en gebore word, baie duidelik gesê het dat die Here ons nog nooit gedwing het om te sondig nie, laat sy credo van “God is in beheer” die deur wawyd oop vir ongelowiges om Hom te belaster. Dit suggereer aan ongelowiges dat Hy in staat is om die gemors in ons land op te klaar maar dit nie wil doen nie.

Die dieperliggende probleem met mense wat God altyd die skuld gee vir alles lê in hulle minagting vir en verwerping van die kruis van Jesus Christus. Dit het God behaag om sy handelinge met die mens via die kruis van sy Seun te doen. Die kruis van Jesus Christus is die krag en wysheid van God en nie die powere pogings van mense om deur een of ander stigting of projek mense se harte te probeer verander nie.

1 Korinthiërs 1:21-24 Want aangesien in die wysheid van God die wêreld deur die wysheid God nie geken het nie, het dit God behaag om deur die dwaasheid van die prediking die wat glo, te red; want die Jode vra ‘n teken en die Grieke soek wysheid, maar ons verkondig Christus wat gekruisig is, ‘n struikelblok vir die Jode en dwaasheid vir die Grieke; maar vir die wat geroep is, Jode sowel as Grieke: Christus, die krag van God en die wysheid van God.

Nie Jannie Pelser of Flip Loots het ‘n enkele keer na die kruis van Jesus Christus verwys nie. Jannie het gesê dat ons anders moet “begin dink oor die lewe, oor ons verhouding teenoor ons medemens, oor ons verhouding teenoor die omgewing, wat natuurlik eweneens ‘n verskriklike krisis is,” maar nie ‘n enkele keer melding gemaak van die noodsaaklikheid van ons verhouding met die God van Abraham, Isak en Jakob nie. Hy het ook gesê dat ons eksponente moet wees van God se Koninkryk wat in hierdie wêreld gekom het. Dit is suiwer domeinistiese taal wat in die kraal van mense soos Graham Power, Angus Buchan en die Transformasiebeweging inpas. Die Koninkryk van God het nog nie in hierdie wêreld gekom nie en dit sal ook nie in hierdie wêreld kom nie, nie voordat Jesus Christus teruggekeer het om sy Koninkryk hier op te rig nie. Indien sy Koninkryk alreeds in hierdie wêreld gekom het, dan sou dit nie meer vir ons nodig wees om te bid nie “Laat U Koninkryk kom, laat U wil geskied soos in diie hemel netso ook op die aarde.”

Die wêreld tree vandag op netsoos die owerpriesters en die twee misdadigers wat aan weerskante van Hom gekruisig is.

Markus 15: 32 Laat die Christus, die Koning van Israel, nou van die kruis afkom, sodat ons kan sien en glo! Ook die wat saam met Hom gekruisig is, het Hom beledig.

Die post-moderne mens soek uitkoms maar hulle wil ’n Jesus hê wat hulle kan verlos van die verskriklike omstandighede waarin hulle hul bevind—sonder die kruis. Hulle soek inderwaarheid ‘n kruislose Jesus en ‘n bloedlose Evangelie wat in almal se geloofsoortuigings inpas, ‘n Jesus wat vir almal sommer goedsmoeds nuwe harte gee (soos Flip Loots heel aan die program gesê het: “Is daar hoegenaamd ‘n oplossing? Ja! Sê die Nuwe Hartstigting maar net as alle Suid-Afrikaners nuwe harte kry”). (Lees gerus maar weer Mattheus 7: 13 en 14)

Ds. Jannie Pelser se Nuwe Hartstigting en -Inisiatief is niks anders as ‘n verlengstuk van Rick Warren se PEACE PLAN nie. Hulle wil ‘n utopia (God se Koninkryk) op aarde vestig waarin almal met “nuwe harte” ’n god (om ds. Pelser se eie woorde te gebruik “wat ookal mens se persepsie van hom is”) kan aanbid. G’n wonder Paulus sê op ’n plek dat hulle ‘n gedaante van godsaligheid sal hê maar willens en wetens die krag en die wysheid van God (Jesus se kruis) verloën. Ek sê nie dat Jannie Pelser of Flip Loots en baie ander predikante Jesus se kruis willens en wetens verloën nie. Dit is nie wat ek sê nie. Wat ek wel sê, is dat hulle in hulle eie kerke en vanaf hulle eie preekstoele dikwels na Jesus se kruis verwys maar wanneer hulle met die samelewing praat en werk, wil hulle op ander maniere ‘n verskil maak. Groot houtkruise pryk dikwels op die verhoogde verhoë van baie van hulle kerke maar op die verhoë van die wêreld wil hulle die mense darem nie aanstoot gee nie (11 Korinthiërs 1: 18). Rick Warren het hierdie dualisme in die hedendaagse kerke baie goed opgesom toe hy in ‘n onderhoud vertel het hoe Jesus hom geleer het hoe om sy PEACE PLAN wêreldwyd te bevorder:

“And so I said, “What is the man of peace?” He  [Jesus] said, “When you find the man of peace, if he’s open and he’s willing to work with you, you bless him and you start your work there. If the guy’s not open to working with you, you dust the dust off your shoes and you go to the next villages, ’cause you can always find someone to work with.”

The man of peace is open and influential….The man of peace does not have to be a Christian believer. Could be Muslim. Could be Jewish. Because, when Jesus said, “Find the man of peace,” there were no Christians yet. Jesus hadn’t died on the cross. There was no resurrection. He’s just saying, “go out and find somebody to work with.”

When I go out and I start telling people, “Do you want to work with us on poverty, disease, AIDS, illiteracy, injustice?” I often find people are more unwilling to work with us than we are willing to work with them. In other words, we’re saying, “You don’t have to change your beliefs for us to work with you.” If you can only work with people that you agree with, then most of the world, you’re ruling out. Okay. I don’t insist that a Muslim change his belief for me to work on poverty. I don’t even insist that a gay person has to change their beliefs. They’re not going to accept my belief, or I’m not going to accept theirs.[5]

Dis maar dieselfde ou storie – hou jy jou by jou geloofsoortuigings en ek sal my by myne hou maar kom ons werk saam om van hierdie wêreld ‘n beter plek te maak. Kom ons vestig die Koninkryk van God hier en nou op aarde deur mense te leer hoe om die universele norme en waardes van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid in hulle daaglikse omgang met ander mense te beoefen en uit te lewe. Dit het hoegenaamd niks met die Evangelie te make nie. Dit is pogings wat Christene in die vlees wil uitrig, en wat sê die Skrif oor die vlees? – “die vlees is van geen nut nie…” (Johannes 6:63)

Hoe Leef ‘n Christen ‘n Lewe van Dankbaarheid Teenoor God?

Ds. Jannie het ‘n paar keer beklemtoon dat ‘n Christen ‘n lewe van dankbaarheid teenoor die Here moet voer. In antwoord op Flip Loots se vraag of die morele norme en waardes wat Christene vir hulleself toeëien nie ook vir die volledige samelewing geld nie, het hy ondermeer soos volg gereageer.

. . . vir ’n Christen is daar ’n ander motivering hoekom hy probeer en aspireer om in lyn met hierdie norme te lewe, nl. ’n lewe van dankbaarheid. Kyk, die eerste indeks . . . opsomming van waardes en norme vind ons in die tien gebooie, daar in die Ou Testament, en dis nie ’n spul reëls aan die hand waarmee ons vir God kan beïndruk en hoop om uiteindelik die ewige lewe te beërwe nie; ook die Nuwe Testament, ek dink maar aan Galasiërs 5, waar daar ’n hele lys is van dinge van hoedat mense lewe wat in verhouding met God lewe. Ons lewe nie daai goeters sodat ons God kan beïndruk nie. Hy’s klaar beïndruk want Jesus het klaar gesterwe op Golgota se heuwel. Nee! Ons lewe dit omdat ons verlostes is en ons intens dankbaar is vir die verlossing.

Dit klink baie mooi en heel Skriftuurlik om te sê dat Christene die universele norme en waardes van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid uitlewe, nie om God te probeer beïndruk nie, maar uit dankbaarheid vir sy verlossingswerk aan die kruis. Die werklikheid is dat mense van ander geloofsoortuigings dit hulle erns maak om dieselfde universele norme en waardes wat Ds. Jannie propageer wel deeglik uit te lewe, juis met die doel om hulle god of gode te beïndruk. Waarom . . .? Die onvermydelike antwoord hierop is, omdat alle ander gelowe, anders as die Christendom, onlosmaaklik gebaseer is op ‘n werkesaligheidsleer. Gaan Ds. Jannie hulle werkesaligheids-lewenspatroon aanprys en die Here die eer gee daarvoor? Die Christen se lewe van dankbaarheid teenoor God maak nie juis ‘n indruk op mense van ander geloofsoortuigings nie omdat hulle in hulle eie oë die Christene se mooi dankbaarheid-lewens ewenaar en soms selfs ver oorskadu. Die Moslems sal byvoorbeeld, vanuit hulle perspektief rondom valse leringe, nooit agter valse leraars en profete aanloop nie. Hulle bly getrou aan Allah en sy profeet Mohammad, selfs al moet hulle hul lewens vir hulle aflê, terwyl Christene dikwels agter valse profete en leraars soos T.B. Joshua aanhardloop wat op godslasterlike wyse kraanwater kwansuis in die bloed van Christus verander.[6] Nee! ‘n mooi morele lewe van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid is nie noodwendig ‘n lewe van dankbaarheid teenoor die Here nie. Ons het reeds gesien dat Paulus baie hard probeer het om so te lewe maar keer op keer misluk het. ‘n Lewe van dankbaarheid teenoor die Here staan in werklikheid op twee bene – leer en lewe (1 Timotheus 4:16).

Jou leer of leerstellings het betrekking op jou getuienis wat in die waarheid soos ons dit in die Skrif vind, ingebed moet wees. Ek het reeds na die eerste gedeelte van Johannes 6:63 verwys wat sê dat die vlees van geen nut is nie, maar die tweede gedeelte vorm eintlik die kern van hierdie teks, nl “die woorde wat Ek tot julle spreek, is gees en is lewe.” Jesus was tydens sy lewe op aarde die enigste Persoon wat Jannie se vier mooi norme en waardes te alle tye 100% uitgeleef het. Hy het nooit misluk nie, en tog was dit nie sy mooi lewe wat ander mense se lewens aangeraak het nie maar sy leer – sy woorde wat HY tot hulle gespreek het, kom van die Gees en gee lewe. Die tweede been is natuurlik jou lewenswandel voor God en mense, maar hoor hier, ‘n Christen kan alleenlik so lewe as hy of sy daagliks sterwe. Jesus het nie verniet vir ons die opdrag gegee om onsself te verloën en ons kruis op te neem as ons vir Hom wil volg nie. Ds. Jannie en Flip Loots se gesprek het ‘n sprankelende gemis gehad aan hierdie waarhede.

Ek haas my om af te sluit met ‘n bydrae wat een van die gereelde kommentators op my blog, Amanda, elders geplaas het. Ek wil dit graag volledig hier herhaal omdat dit vir my Flip Loots se gesprek met Ds. Jannie Pelser raak opsom.

“…The liberal preacher is really rejecting the whole basis of Christianity, which is a religion founded not on aspirations, but on facts. Here is found the most fundamental difference between liberalism and Christianity – liberalism is altogether in the imperative mood, while Christianity begins with a triumphant indicative; liberalism appeals to man’s will, while Christianity announces, first, a gracious act of God.

“In maintaining the doctrinal basis of Christianity, we are particularly anxious not to be misunderstood. There are certain things that we do not mean. In the first place, we do not mean that if doctrine is sound it makes no difference about life. On the contrary, it makes all the difference in the world. From the beginning, Christianity was certainly a way of life; the salvation that it offered was a salvation from sin, and salvation from sin appeared not merely in a blessed hope but also in an immediate moral change. The early Christians, to the astonishment of their neighbors, lived a strange new kind of life–a life of honesty, of purity and of unselfishness. And from the Christian community all other types of life were excluded in the strictest way. From the beginning Christianity was certainly a life.

“But how was the life produced? It might conceivably have been produced by exhortation. That method had often been tried in the ancient world; in the Hellenistic age there were many wandering preachers who told men how they ought to live. But such exhortation proved to be powerless. Although the ideals of the Cynic and Stoic preachers were high, these preachers never succeeded at transforming society. The strange thing about Christianity was that it adopted an entirely different method. It transformed the lives of men not by appealing to the human will, but by telling a story; not by exhortation, but by the narration of an event. It is no wonder that such a method seemed strange. Could anything be more impractical than the attempt to influence conduct by rehearsing events concerning the death of a religious teacher? That is what Paul called “the foolishness of the message.” It seemed foolish to the ancient world, and it seems foolish to liberal preachers today. But the strange thing is that it works. The effects of it appear even in this world. Where the most eloquent exhortation fails, the simple story of an event succeeds; the lives of men are transformed by a piece of news. It is especially by such transformation of life, today as always, that the Christian message is commended to the attention of men.”

But Christian service consists primarily in the propagation of a message, and specifically Christian fellowship exists only between those to whom the message has become the very basis of all life. The character of Christianity as founded upon a message is summed up in the words of the eighth verse of the first chapter of Acts–”Ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

From the beginning Christianity was a campaign of witnessing. And the witnessing did not concern merely what Jesus was doing within the recesses of the individual life. To take the words of Acts in that way is to do violence to the context and to all the evidence.

“On the contrary, the Epistles of Paul and all the sources make it abundantly plain that the testimony was primarily not to inner spiritual facts but to what Jesus had done once for all in His death and resurrection. Christianity is based, then, upon an account of something that happened, and the Christian worker is primarily a witness. But if so, it is rather important that the Christian worker should tell the truth. When a man takes his seat upon the witness stand, it makes little difference what the cut of his coat is, or whether his sentences are nicely turned. The important thing is that he tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. [7]

Hoe laat Christene Hulle Lig Skyn?

Ds. Jannie het groot nadruk gelê op die feit dat “die grootste uitdaging wat die kerk seker nog ooit gehad het, en wat ’n Christen ooit gehad het om anders te lewe; as ons ooit nodig gehad het om ons lig te laat skyn, dan is dit nou, hier in die jaar 2008, 2009.” Dit is voorwaar baie mooi woorde. Die Christen moet sy lig laat skyn in ’n wêreld wat al hoe donkerder word, maar hoe laat ’n Christen sy lig skyn? Beteken dit dat hy of sy maar net die hele dag mooi moet glimlag, mooi Christelike glanstydskrifte druk en versprei, “nice” moet wees vir mense en die noodlydendes bystaan; ja! en om die Hartstigting en –Inisiatief se nuwe norme en waardes van eerlikheid, medemenslikheid, selfbeheersing en verantwoordelikheid uit te leef? Om jou lig te laat skyn, beteken in die eerste plek om in God se waarheid te wandel, daarin te lewe, dit toe te pas en dit vreesloos en in liefde te verkondig. Sê die Skrif dan nie juis dat dit God se waarheid is wat mense vrymaak nie — vrymaak van sondes soos misdaad, korrupsie, moordgierigheid, geldgierigheid, “hi-jacking,” omkopery, politieke onderkruipery, rassisme ens.? Ek kan jou verseker dat jy nooit jou lig sal kan laat skyn wanneer jy mense leer om God soos hulle hom vir hulleself voorstel (“wat ookal mens se persepsie van hom is”) met agting en respek te bejeen nie. Dit is ’n leuen wat in die donkerste duisternis van die duiwel se domein ontstaan het en waar daar hoegenaamd geen lig is nie. Rick Warren het op ‘n kol die “lig-skyn” verskoning gebruik toe hy ‘n lid van die CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) geword het. Syns insiens het hy ‘n lid geword omdat dit hom die geleentheid gee om sy lig daar te laat skyn. Die vraag is: Verkondig hy die waarheid? Die antwoord is ‘n besliste nee!

Ek wil afsluit (rêrig afsluit) met ‘n getuienis wat ek sopas in ‘n sendbrief oor Zimbabwe gelees het. Te midde van die hewige vervolging onder die Christene is hulle te alle tye blymoedig en prys en dank die Here tydens hulle dienste. Van hulle stap kilometers ver om saam met ander Christene na die Woord van God te luister. Een van die getuienisse lui as volg:

Redcliffe, a pastor, told us a precious story of seeing an old African woman at the side of her door with her arms raised in praise to God. He stopped to ask her why was she there on her knees praising God. Her reply was, “I am thanking God for Robert Mugabe. Because of him, many people are finding Jesus.”

Die Here gebruik dikwels intense krisisse om mense weer ‘n slag te dwing om stil te sit en na te dink oor hulle sondes en weerbartigheid teen God. HY het dit destyds met Israel gedoen waarom sou Hy dit nie ook nog vandag met lande doen nie? Hoor ‘n bietjie wat sê die Skrif:

Jes 26:9  Met my siel begeer ek u in die nag; ook met my gees in my binneste soek ek U; want as u oordele op die aarde is, leer die inwoners van die wêreld geregtigheid.

Is die verskriklike dinge wat in ons land gebeur nie juis die oordele van God oor ‘n weerbarstige volk wat by monde van hulle sg. geetelike leiers (misleiers?) hulle ewe misleide kerklidmate leer dat “as daar nie respek is en agting is vir God [nie], wat ookal mens se persepsie van hom is, . . .” om vir ons te leer wat ware geregtigheid is nie? Dis “plein” afgodery. Stephan Joubert verkondig dieselfde infame leuien wanneer hy sê Christene kan maar gaan kers opsteek by wie ookal want die waarheid is nie net in die Christendom te vinde nie. Dis orals! . . . . selfs in die ateïsme maar dan moet die Christene nog steeds net sê “Jesus is Lord.”

Ds. Jannie en Flip, miskien moet ons, in die gesindheid van Zimbabwe se Christene, die Here begin dank vir ‘n regering wat magteloos is om die misdaad in die land hok te slaan want dit kan, net soos in Zimbabwe, die manier wees vir mense om Christus te vind. Maar, dan moet ons vir hulle die waarheid en niks anders as die waarheid bring nie, en nie van hulle verwag om ‘n god te eer, hoog te ag en te respekteer soos hulle hom vir hulleself voorstel nie.

U kan die volledige potgooi van Flip Loots se onderhoud met Ds. Jannie Pelser in Oop Gesprek hier aflaai.

 

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[1] Johannes Calvyn: Institute van die Christelike Godsdiens, III:xxi. 1

[2] Op. cit., IIIxxiii, 7

[3] Johannes Calvyn: Institute van die Christelike Godsdiens, I, xvi, 3

[4] R.C. Sproul, Almighty Over All (Baker Book House, 1999), 54,

[5] Onderhoud deur Charlie Rose met Rick Warren (Augustus 17, 2006, http:// videagoogle.com/videoplay?docid=-5555324196046364882).

[6] http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/tbjoshua-rebuke.html. Ek hoop van harte dat Ds. Jannie nie meer van sy gemeentelede en ander Christene soos in die verlede na Lagos, Nigerië, neem om deur die valse profeet T.B. Joshua genees te word nie. Baie Christene het hom reeds gewaarsku maar of hy dit ter harte geneem het, is ope vraag. Miskien moet Ds. Jannie waardes soos “gehoorsaamheid” en “leerbaarheid” (“teachability”) by sy vier norme en waardes voeg. Dit sal ons almal geweldig baie baat.

[7] J. Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism, p. 45, 52