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T H E D E V I L G O E S A B O U T A S A R O A R I N G L I O N • 1 P e t e r 5 : 8News, Views &Your Letters6WE PRINT LETTERS FROM YOU, THE READERS. LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR BREVITY.WE REGRET THAT THE EDITOR CANNOT ENGAGE IN PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE.Editorial Comment (Ed) is by Philip L. Powell (PP) or B. Michael Bigg (MB)FROM THE REGULAR (EMAIL) MAILERTo subscribe go to: http://www.christian-witness.org/joinsearch.html and follow the prompts.THE CHRISTMAS THEMEOn December 16 CWM-Fellowship hosted aCarols by Candlelight, which was previouslypublicised in our e-Mailer. This prompted somemoderately critical correspondence. The followingare typical:“Putting Christ Back Into CHRISTmas”But He was never in it: we are commanded toremember His death, not celebrate His birthaccording to the Bible: We live our lives doingthat! See article herewith. (See attached file:The Bible on Christmas.doc) Blessings,GM, South Africa——————————If we are only willing to search and investigatethe information in the Bible, we do knowthe precise day of the year through scripture andthat is Tishri 15, i.e. the Feast of Tabernacles.However I could even give you the year but thatcan be debated out. But unfortunately mostChristians want to stick to pagan feasts thatGod does not approve!SA, UK——————————Philip Powell responded as follows:I would certainly be interested to read theevidence re the precise date. I think you havehighlighted the major problem when you suggestit’s open to debate, which I think will always rageover this issue. Here are my comments to anotherperson who wrote to me. Hope it helps to explainwhy we do what we do in this respect:We simply use it as an occasion to preachthe gospel, i.e. that Christ died for our sinsaccording to the scriptures and that He wasraised etc. We are not specifically commandedto assemble on a Sunday. We do it as a conveniencething. It is legitimate to use ALL occasionsto proclaim the message including whatthe world recognises as CHRISTmas. I can seeno problem.Some object over the pagan links but continueto refer to Thursday, Sunday etc which werenamed after pagan deities. There is no end tothat sort of argument. We cannot change history,nor should we try. Just REDEEM the timeby buying up EVERY opportunity to proclaimChrist and for that we have biblical precedentand principle on which to operate.I appreciate any typical teaching about theJewish feasts including what you attached,BUT the fact of the matter is that “Christ is theend of the law” including the feasts. He is thegreat anti-type of all types. We are no longercommanded or required to keep any of theJewish feasts. It is legalism to teach otherwise.Extrapolate truth by all means, but don’t gofurther than that or you will end in bondage,which many well-meaning exponents from theJewish Messianic camp have done.Some observe Hanukkah as a replacement,but fail to see that simply because Christ as aJew possibly kept all the feasts, HE is the endto all that. Interestingly there is no reference toHis having kept Pentecost. I wonder why? I havealways felt and taught that it is on account ofthe fact that it relates to HIS heavenly ministrynot HIS earthly ministry. If we are not carefulwe will “strain out gnats and swallow camels”over the issue. Every blessing,★ ★ ★AOG – UKHello. Am new to this website (http://www.christian-witness.org); most interestingreading. I had lost contact with AOG here in UK30 years ago (born into it—you will know what Imean) and subsequent Home Missions worker in themovement—I remember Philip Powell when he waspastoring in Manchester. AOG has changed in manyrespects. I am gradually catching up—somewhatconfused about things like the G12 1 —and unsureat this stage as to making further contact andfellowship. I recall people such as pastor CliffordRees in the AOG movement, who Philip Powellwill know and am wondering what his advicemight be! My enquiry comes from a sincere hearttrying to catch up after a long time away from myfellowship roots.I am increasingly concerned to see G12 principlesoperating in AOG fellowships. Whilst recognisingthat their churches are autonomous, it would seemobvious that the AOG national leadership approvedof and influenced it, following one of its boardmember’s visit to G12 overseas. Was it a case ofAOG deciding it was time to try everything, goingin the name of becoming less exclusive and moreinclusive? I might call it, “enthusiasm gone madsyndrome“.For the life of me, I can’t believe that G12 wasGod inspired, from what I now see. What a changecompared to my time in the movement back in the60s/70s, though I do retain reservations about someAOG approaches operating in that era. I think thatAOG in those days would have kept well awayfrom it and been more discerning. I can imagine1 César Castellanos, whose idea was to “disciple”church members, with them holding some degree ofaccountability, initially developed the Government of 12(G12) strategy. The main leader would disciple 12 people(on values, teaching, prayer and ministry on a weeklybasis) until those people themselves were ready tolead their own groups. Each disciple would find 12 newdisciples and so the process would go on until there were144 — and on and on the process would go.the uproar in the 1978 AOG General Conferenceat Minehead, (the last one I attended as a pastor)should there have been any mention of a G12structure then.It would be wrong of me to deny, that numerousChristians have benefited, but the fact remains thatit has seriously affected so many, often with longterm health problems. Only yesterday I was in touchwith a former leader within a G12 fellowship (AOGconnections). He shared the fact that he was rejectedbecause of his differing opinions about the nature ofG12 and of the hurt and injustice done to him.Furthermore, I believe that one can so easily spillout statements such as “the Lord told me this andthat” as casually as dishing up fish and chips...unintentionally maybe, but still misusing theName of our Lord. Sensible discernment is often amissing thread and the church in many areas needsto return to that. Perhaps larger and more regularproportions of common sense would be helpfultoo... Thanks,John Howell, UKdelwin@btinternet.comOF INTEREST: John Howell refers to several“old-time” godly AoG pastors—Douglas Christie,remembered as the official AoG conference organistand George Newsholme well-known AOG-UKcollege principal and his own father Harry Howellan Elim pastor. He writes: “Now that the dark nightsare here, I plough through your [CWM] archives. Lotsof interesting articles. It does give insight …. Mr[Clifford] Rees conducted my wedding (1976) anddedicated my son (1978). Have always thought wellof him. But I wonder how he fits into the currentAOG climate (can’t see him being into G12 and thePaul Weaver/Gerald Coates antics etc). Maybe I’mwrong. I guess Mr Rees would be forthright, butguess he just gets on with fulfilling his ministry,which he is called to do. He is truly a gentleman.”★ ★ ★AG – USAEditorial Comment: The following twoletters were addressed to James Sundquistwith whom CWM is working closely in exposingthe hypocrisy of Thomas Trask and other AG-USApersonnel in supporting Rick Warren’s PurposeDriven deceit and deception. The letters arepublished with the knowledge and approval of theauthors. This was sent to AG-USA officials includingThomas Trask and George Wood on 05/02/07 forcomment prior to publication. As at 15/02/07 therehas been no response from the AG-USA hierarchy.——————————I appreciate the stand you have taken concerningRick Warren’s Purpose Driven stuff and some ofthe other theological and doctrinal errors nowovertaking the Assemblies of God. I am a formerstudent of the late Dr Opal Reddin at CBC. Shewas a great and godly lady who worked tirelesslyto defend the faith once delivered to the saints. Forsome time after her passing I felt rather hopelessabout the Assemblies of God and the PentecostalMovement in general. … Then the Lord remindedme that He has called us to take the torch of theWord and the Spirit that those who have gonebefore are passing to us.