Wondering about some ministries…

[Greg]

Hi Tony

I hope this post doesn’t contravene rule 3.2c and will understand if it needs to be deleted.

The reason for the post is to see if you and others can help me come to some peace with some of the internet ministries I have listened to in the past or continue to. My main concern is around the involvement with the Roman Catholic Church or other ministries who are what could be classed as apostate.

For example, I suppose it may have started with Evangelicals and Catholics Together, signed by a number of leaders, including Pat Robertson of 700 Club (Pat’s wife is Catholic). Now, he doesn’t promote Catholicism at all, but does see them as a denomination. Maybe I should be more concerned about his friendship with Bill Johnson of Bethel Church? There are times I like the program, but other times when I just have to turn off.

Trunews I listened to for quite a while years ago, then stopped for about a year, then picked it up again maybe 3 years ago for a while. That was around the time Rick had Bishop Tony Palmer on, after being with Copeland, and that caused a lot of negative feedback. He was also quite into the early church fathers which has made him quite anti-Israel / replacement theology. I also heard a message from his flowing streams church where he had communion and he believes in transubstantiation – maybe not from the RCC, but he said the early church believed that. Between that and a certain level of hyping things up that goes past my limit, I stopped listening.

The first podcast I probably listened to was PID Radio with Sharon & Derek Gilbert, which I still listen to! Also Derek’s VFTB. Derek was also an ex-RC. Since moving though to Skywatch TV, he seems to be a little lighter on the Catholic church – with them just being another denomination (which, I don’t believe). I don’t know if Tom Horn, who runs Skywatch, is friendly to the RCC or not? I don’t think he is because of some productions he has made about Rome. Maybe someone else can help me here?

Around Tom Horn are a number of ministries that have possibly grown up around him or from him being quite seminal, I’d say, in a lot of what we all listen to in podcasts today. Some have been on MtM, and one day, it’s possible that Tony, you may be in one of their end times conferences with your study into the Middle East / Neom etc.

One you’ve had on is L.A. Marzulli – and I have his Watchers series and am going to see his Fatima film, so I know he has a lot to say about Rome and Catholicism. What I’m less sure about is his connection to a speaker who is usually at the big conferences – Paul Begley, who I know some listened to, though I haven’t. But what I do know is that he considers himself non-denominational, though has a Catholic wife and probably believes in transubstantiation, and also crosses himself (in a YouTube video).

Though I never could warm to the Hagmanns, I have occasionally listened to Steve Quayle and Tim Alberino who you’ve also had on. It’s not a big thing but I thought the $8000+flights price tag for their trip (now on) to Sardinia was a little out of reach of most who would love to go… Apart from that, the whole thing with the Hagmanns / Quayle / Nathan Leal / John Little was sad and put me off GenSix (Quayle/Alberino) a bit, even though I have liked what they’ve talked about in the past.

Apart from them, and closer to home for you Tony, I used to like jellyfish man, Ian McCormack who I’ve heard you mention. Unfortunately, he’s another I can’t listen to now – involvement in Bethel Church, asking whether we should always have an “open heaven” etc etc.

Sorry for the long post. I guess I just want to air what’s going on in my head to other people who would know these ministries, and get your feedback on whether I’m just plain wrong, or you agree… Not meaning to put anyone off any ministries here. Just a bit of sadness I suppose at what I sometimes read or hear about. Maybe I’d just echo what others have said on the forum though that, even if someone’s popular, or we like to listen to certain people / interviews, to always be discerning, especially in the times we live in and as the Day approaches.

God bless, thank you,

Greg

[Tony Koretz]

Greg,
I think basically what you have done here is reiterate many of the same thoughts I have had on some of these ministries. I have many of the same question marks round them. However, with the last one ( Ian McCormack) I didn’t know he was involving himself with Bethel. That is a shame because Ian and I go back a long way, and I really owe a lot to him in my personal journey. His support for me in the past was really big and important to me. So I hope he will maybe see where Bill Johnson is in error.

I used to be a big fan of Trunews, but I don’t listen to Rick at all any more due to those very same issues you raised.

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[Greg]

Thanks for your reply, Tony.

Others were upset/saddened with Ian’s involvement with Bethel and speaking with Bill Johnson, Todd Bentley etc. However, I haven’t heard a lot from him in the last couple of years. Maybe with all that went on with those people, he could step back and see what was going on? I know he’s now back home in NZ after pastoring a church in London for a while. Those are big changes and maybe he’s had some time to reflect on some things?

Not applying any of the following to Ian, but I can be pretty cautious about Near Death Experiences. One thing I don’t like in the church is exaggeration or hyping things up. I don’t know whether that’s made me too sceptical about a lot of things, but that’s where I’m at right now.

With NDEs, I wonder whether it can be “another Jesus” who appears, i.e. Satan appearing as an angel of light? Even the message they are given can even be Biblically sound and they gain a following of people. But what if, a few years later, that same “Jesus” appears to the person again in a vision, and gives a message which isn’t so sound? They then pass this message on to their followers and they are all lead astray. I’m sure Satan is prepared to take the loss of a small percentage who really come to know the Lord, gain good discernment and see that the latest message is error. The majority may still follow down the wrong path…?

I also don’t listen much to Sid Roth and “It’s Supernatural”. On one hand he has people like L.A. Marzulli, but on the other, he has the Todd Bentleys of the world etc. Yes, all supernatural stories, but not the type I’d want to have a part of.

It’s just sad, I think, that there’s such a mixture in the “Church”. Not unexpected, of course, because it’s been going on since the days of the disciples, but even more so in these end days. May God keep us all on the narrow path and hear His voice directing us.

Greg

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