'The Jesus Movement'

In time my parole ended and I got a better job that paid more where my mother worked. Since I now had the weekend free, I decided to check out that Jesus Movement Church. I had to drive there as it was in another town. As I pulled in their parking lot, I heard them singing those same old gospel songs that I first heard on the old family Victoria that my dad had given me when I first became a teenager. I felt comfortable so I went in and found a seat although it was crowded. After the singing ended and their evangelist gave his sermon it was time to pray. Since I was already a nominal Christian and knew more Bible than they did since I came from the Bible belt, I didn't think that I needed much prayer since God was already blessing me big time. Why ask for more, if you have much?

But I went down to the altar to pray anyway even though I felt that I didn't have any real needs since God was already blessing me and I felt thankful. So while I was thanking God in English, suddenly I began to thank God in other tongues too. (Now at this time there had been no mention of the baptism in the Holy Ghost). So at first I didn't really understand what had just happened. Until a few minutes later when I started to shake again just as I had done as a teenager. Then things came together as I figured out that my shaking had something to do with God. The Pastor of their fellowship also seemed to recognize that God was all over me and motioned me to pray for another young man nearby. Which I moved over to do and that guy began to speak in tongues too. Well it was all wonderful and I drove home thanking God. But I still did not really understand it.

I first learned on subsequent visits to their church that these Jesus people were mainly of two different types. Most, especially the regular worshippers were native Californians. Other Jesus people were transients from everywhere and anywhere. The native Californians were more educated and more middle class than most Americans. They were the all white children of California aerospace workers. They were not racially diverse but still had revival anyway.

The next Sunday I visited that church again. After service and praying some it was time to go to Katherine Khulman's miracle crusade that afternoon in downtown LA. I went because I liked to see God doing stuff. I guess I went several times. Her meeting was held in the Shrine auditorium in downtown LA, once each month back in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Once I happened to arrive late at one of her meeting. So I was at the entrance, way down in back trying to find a seat like everyone else. Katharine Khulman was far away up on the stage. The service had just started and they had sung her theme songs about 'Believing in Miracles' and 'He Touched Me'. As the songs ended, she stopped the service and pointed to where I was standing and said that the Holy Ghost was doing something back there where I was. Some of the women by me started shrieking. We all looked to see what was happening. We saw a young woman with a red dot on her forehead (apparently a Hindu) carrying a baby that had water on the brain with a head as big as a watermelon. As we looked at the baby's head I guess our vision became like what the dopers call 'trails' or intermittent vision. Anyway we saw the baby's head shrink in stages from watermelon size down to the size of a football right in front of our eyes. This was the most 'out of sight' miracle that I ever personally saw. It caused some of us who realized that we were now in the presence of the living God to fall on our faces. Thank You, Jesus!

The next Sunday I went to that Jesus people church again and found out that it was called Bethel Tabernacle, founded by the pastor Lyle Steenis of the California Evangelical Association. It was full gospel but not part of any Pentecostal Denomination. It was not a teaching church with programs. Instead it was a Spirit filled independent deliverance church. They took most scriptures literally. It seemed that their main concern was to get new converts baptized in the Holy Spirit. Since the ex-dopers there believed in feeling and had taken dope for that purpose, they insisted that one's conversion and salvation was not complete without feeling God in Holy Spirit baptism. And once one was baptized in the Holy Spirit they did not need any man to teach them (1 John 2:27). This seemed to work out well as I never saw any of them arguing about anything. No one ever seemed to raise their voice and I never saw any fights there.

Although I was neither a native Californian nor an ex-doper these Jesus people wanted me to move in with them and become part of their ministry of evangelism and miracles. They seemed to recognize that I knew more Bible than they did. But this was because I was from the Bible belt of the South. Where almost all of us know a whole lot more Bible than what we really live out in our daily lives. Since I had also always been a loner to some degree I was reluctant about moving in and told them I'd pray about it.

I knew that these people also prayed about things first before they did them, so I figured that this must be God and I moved in and went where they went all over Southern California ministering.

Looking back on it all now, I spent the best three years of my life there and I thank God that I was given the privilege and the high honor to give to the Lord Jesus the best three years of my life, from age 20 to 23. And I was not yet wheelchair disabled back then.

I moved into one of their apartments. (That church owned several apartments). I had my own room in one of them. My days were very busy. We did not read devotions, we lived them. Sometimes we'd get to pray before we ate. Sometimes we didn't even have enough time to eat. Each day began with me going with big AL on his flatbed truck to obtain groceries for the beloved. We got that food by 'dumpster diving', eating for free what the supermarkets had thrown away. Our job was to keep five separate rehabilitation homes supplied with good food. We always had enough and sometimes we gave good food away at the church or on the street or at the beach or at the airport.

Every Sunday Pastor Steenis, the old dirt farmer from Kansas would give us our 'Marching orders' via his sermon for that week. One Sunday he told us that he had heard about a new book about the end times that some of us were reading. This book was entitled: The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey.

He went on to tell us that 'Hal Lindsey had been a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, a Baptist school in Texas and had just published information taken from his class notes in his eschatology class. The pre-tribulation rapture was a common heretical Baptist Viewpoint which Hal Lindsey had presented as his own. Such plagiarism and calling it revelation is theft. And theft does not authenticate any theology especially Revelation. Moreover no Baptist who doesn't even believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today could possibly receive the Gift of Revelation required to write a True Prophetic Book.

Now we're gonna sing a song for a few moments while you all can get some pencils and pens and notepads to take notes to write down these Three Words of Wisdom that will blow away this Pre-Tribulation Rapture heresy.

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture heresy began with notes from the old Scofield Reference Bible some of us used in Kansas when I was a kid. Remember as our preacher told us back then: 'the Bible is inspired, but Scofield's notes are not'. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:12 'That a threefold cord is not easily broken', so here are your Three Words of Wisdom: 1. At Revelation 4:1 the deceived say that the whole church is called to come up. (As in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture heresy). But the scripture only calls the Prophet John up to be shown or given a road map about the future. This type of impartation is typical of prophets in receiving revelatory words from God that Baptists know nothing about. 2. The 'trumpet' in Revelation 4:1 is not the same as the last trumpet of first Corinthians 15:51, 52. Lets read Revelation 4:1 'After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were a trumpet talking with me; which said, COME UP HITHER AND I WILL SHOW THEE THINGS, WHICH MUST BE HEREAFTER'. And 1 Corinthians 15:52 'In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed'. In the first trumpet John is shown the future but in the last trump we are changed to handle it. And 3. There is no mention of saints but only angels around the thrown of God in the rest of Revelation Chapter 4. If the saints had been raptured they'd be mentioned as being somewhere up there, as you can read and see for yourself.

I think that I have made my point, I could go on by saying that this false doctrine was the pet of the Christian elite just like the common capitalist practice of exploitation which says; 'get what you can get while the getting is good then get out'. Only the Christians that are into prosperity say: 'get what you can get while the getting is good and then God will get us out'.

Many capitalist investors and farmers once believed this same foolish theory but they saw their money lose value, their stocks fall and the depression still come anyway. Good farmland became dust and blew away. We lived in Kansas and saw part of Oklahoma blow our way, it happen right before our eyes.

Someone once said that the Bible is a road map from here to heaven. If so, no map has ever described in detail an eventful trip that no one really needs to know about since they won't ever be around to take it anyway, since they'll already be gone. Revelation is included in the Bible roadmap because it's part of the trip that we're all gonna take someday. And taking any trip instantly, secretly and on impulse without proper preparation and following its prescribed order is folly. The prescribed order is in Matthew 24 which you can read yourself after we pray. Are there any questions? If not it's time to pray'.

After we prayed for some to get saved and to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, some of us discussed what the pastor had shared.

Two wealthy Jewish girls who lived up the hill from the church in Palos Verdes said that Hal Lindsey also lived up there with the rich. Apparently he had written that book to help fund his lavish lifestyle up there. In other words his book from his college notes was seen as a wise entrepreneurial play by some, especially Jewish investors. But that same book composed of false prophecy was being used as a scam on the Christian community.

But Hal Lindsey had one good thing going for him. Some of his opponents, critics and others called him a Christian Zionist. If so that probably aided his prosperity so much so that he really didn't need to write this book to raise funds.

When considering nourishment and insight from his ministry, I believe that Christians should eat the fish but spit out the bones. His pre-tribulation rapture heresy should thus be spit out. But Hal Lindsey has made a few good points of insightful knowledge especially in his TV program to benefit both the Christian community and informed voters by publically rebuking anti-Semitic acts of these foolish politicians that bring God's judgment upon America. I'll just list a few:

1. On October 30, 1991 the then Republican President George H. W. Bush, (Bush 41), opened the Madrid conference about the land of Israel for Middle East Peace. A rebuke from the God of Israel in the form of a storm sent 35 ft waves to cause significant damage to President Bush's Kennebunkport, Maine home.

2. On January 16, 1994 the then Democratic President Bill Clinton met with the Syrian President to discuss land for peace, about Israel surrendering the Golan Heights. Within 24 hours the powerful 6.9 Northridge earthquake rocked Southern California.

3. Especially for you environmentalists: on April 19, 2010 the Democratic President Obama told the UN that the US no longer would automatically side with Israel at the UN. Within 24 hours of Muslim sympathizer President Obama's statement an explosion causing British Petroleum's oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico resulting in the multibillion dollar Gulf of Mexico oil environmental catastrophe happened.

After showing us so much truth that the liberal press fails to report, Hal Lindsey manages to still show us support for his pre-tribulation rapture heresy. Some may feel that the word: 'heresy' is too strong a word to describe the pre-tribulation rapture.

But when someone's belief directly opposes the clear teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, it ceases to be just a matter of opinion but has now become heresy. For the Lord Jesus Christ in describing his revelation or coming again says in Matthew 24:29 'Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days ...', To then say that: 'before the tribulation Jesus comes again' instead of 'AFTER' like the Lord Jesus really said is not just twisting the truth but 'bearing false witness' worse than heresy . All heresy does contain a small measure of truth however so that it will be easily accepted as being so.

For example: The Bible says in 1 John 1:1 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God'. But to the Jehovah's Witness; Jesus the Word was just 'a' god and nothing more.

Having studied Greek at Fuller Theological Seminary, the original language in which the New Testament was written, It is clearly shown that the definite article in Greek is usually translated 'the' as you can see from the word: 'the' in this phrase. But the definite article is also used in Greek to also determine which part of the phrase is subject and which part is predicate. Since the definite article has already been used to signify that 'Word' is subject, the predicate: 'God' can now have no definite article, thus no 'a' before God.

Back at Bethel Tabernacle we went on to read Matthew 24 and found our own few words of wisdom. At the start of this chapter the Lord Jesus disciples said in Verse 3: 'Tell us when shall these things be? And what will be the sign of you coming and of the end of the age?' The Lord Jesus answered by saying: Matthew 24:5-30: Verse 5: 'FOR MANY SHALL COME IN MY NAME, SAYING, I AM CHRIST; AND SHALL DECIEVE MANY. Verse 6: AND YE SHALL HEAR OF WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS: SEE THAT YE BE NOT TROUBLED: FOR ALL THESE THINGS MUST COME TO PASS, BUT THE END IS NOT YET. Verse 7: FOR NATION SHALL RISE AGAINST NATION AND KINGDOM AGAINST KINGDOM: AND THERE SHALL BE FAMINES, AND PESTILENCES, AND EARTHQUAKES, IN DIVERSE PLACES. Verse 8: ALL THESE ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF SORROWS. Verse 9: THEN SHALL THEY DELIVER YOU UP TO BE AFLICTED AND SHALL KILL YOU: AND YE SHALL BE HATED OF ALL NATIONS FOR MY NAME'S SAKE. Verse 10: AND THEN SHALL MANY BE OFFENDED, AND SHALL BETRAY ONE ANOTHER, AND SHALL HATE ONE ANOTHER. Verse 11: AND MANY FALSE PROPHETS SHALL RISE, AND SHALL DECIEVE MANY. Verse 12: AND BECAUSE INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND, THE LOVE OF MANY SHALL WAX COLD. Verse 13: BUT HE THAT SHALL ENDURE UNTO THE END, THE SAME SHALL BE SAVED. Verse 14: AND THIS GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM SHALL BE PREACHED IN ALL THE WORLD FOR A WITNESS UNTO ALL NATIONS; AND THEN SHALL THE END COME. Verse 15: WHEN YE THEREFORE SHALL SEE THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION, SPOKEN OF BY DANIEL THE PROPHET, STAND IN THE HOLY PLACE (WHO SO READITH, LET HIM UNDERSTAND). Verse 16: THEN LET THEM WHICH BE IN JUDEA FLEE INTO THE MOUNTAINS. Verse 17: LET HIM WHICH IS ON THE HOUSETOP NOT COME DOWN TO TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF HIS HOUSE: Verse 18: NEITHER LET HIM WHICH IS IN THE FIELD RETURN BACK TO TAKE HIS CLOTHES. Verse 19: AND WOE UNTO THEM THAT ARE WITH CHILD, AND TO THEM THAT GIVE SUCK IN THOSE DAYS! Verse 20: BUT PRAY YE THAT YOU'RE FLIGHT BE NOT IN WINTER, NEITHER ON THE SABBATH DAY. Verse 21: FOR THEN SHALL BE GREAT TRIBULATION, SUCH AS WAS NOT SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD TO THIS TIME, NO, NOR EVER SHALL BE. Verse 22: AND EXCEPT THOSE DAYS SHOULD BE SHORTENED THERE SHOULD NO FLESH BE SAVED: BUT FOR THE ELECT'S SAKE THOSE DAYS SHALL BE SHORTENED. Verse 23: THEN IF ANY MAN SHALL SAY UNTO YOU, LO, HERE IS CHRIST, OR THERE: BELIEVE IT NOT. Verse 24: FOR THERE SHALL ARISE FALSE CHRISTS, AND FALSE PROPHETS, AND SHALL SHOW GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS, INSOMUCH THAT, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, THEY SHALL DECIEVE THE VERY ELECT. Verse 25: BEHOLD, I HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE. Verse 26: WHEREFORE IF THEY SHALL SAY UNTO YOU, BEHOLD, HE IS IN THE DESERT; GO NOT FORTH: BEHOLD, HE IS IN THE SECRET CHAMBERS; BELIEVE IT NOT. Verse 27: FOR AS THE LIGHTNING COMETH OUT OF THE EAST AND SHINETH EVEN UNTO THE WEST; SO SHALL ALSO THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN BE. Verse 28: FOR WHERESOEVER THE CARCUSES IS, THERE WILL THE EAGLES BE GATHERED TOGETHER. Verse 29: IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS SHALL THE SUN BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON SHALL NOT GIVE HER LIGHT, AND THE STARS SHALL FALL FROM HEAVEN, AND THE POWERS OF THE HEAVENS SHALL BE SHAKEN. Verse 30: AND THEN SHALL APPEAR THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN IN HEAVEN: AND THEN SHALL ALL THE TRIBES OF THE EARTH MORN, AND THEY SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN WITH POWER AND GREAT GLORY'.

Please note that while the Lord Jesus runs down these unpleasant future events, He never once said to his disciples: Do not fear these things for while they are happening on earth, you'll be safe in heaven with Me. Or, you'll only see these things from afar, but they will not happen to you. Nor, 'Thousands shall fall on your right hand and tens of thousands on your left, but it shall not come nigh thee'.