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Deception in the Church - Where is it taking us?

August 28, 2020 • Dave Hunt

Kerugma Productions is a faith mission which depends solely upon the Lord’s provision through his children for everything that is necessary. It was in this manner that the Lord provided in an amazing way, so enabling us to buy one of the first broadcast-quality digital cameras soon after Kerugma was founded. Shortly after that someone mentioned to us that the well-known American Christian author, Dave Hunt, would be visiting South Africa. As we were living in Cape Town at the time, I emailed Dave Hunt to ask if it would be possible to film the messages he would deliver in this city upon his visit to our country. He responded by inviting me to film every message of his prolonged tour. It was arranged for him to preach during July and August 1999, beginning in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe and on to Johannesburg, Welkom, Pietermaritzburg, Durban and along the coast down to Port Elizabeth and then Cape Town. After that, the concluding message would be in Pretoria.

I was pleasantly surprised and very grateful for his invitation and benevolence. Very few international speakers would welcome those unknown to them to oversee the filming and production of DVD’s of their messages. However, when I started to budget for this filming I soon realized that it wouldn’t be possible to film all of the messages. The DVCAM cassettes used for the camera, alone, would have cost a small fortune to purchase. Then one would also have had to take into account the flight tickets, accommodation and other travel costs.

However, at the time that Dave Hunt would have been in Johannesburg, I had to go to Johannesburg for the demonstration of an edit suite. It would have been impossible to not have had an edit suite with which to edit all the filming. This was at the beginning of the digital era. At that stage there was still only one edit suite in the world that could effectively edit the DVCAM footage of this camera. But this edit station was very expensive. The company that marketed it, informed us that another edit suite, less than half the price of that one, had just been released by a new manufacturer. The Lord provided through a wonderful donation from one of his children so that we were in a position to apply for the necessary financing for this unit. Thus it was arranged that I could attend a video exposition where this edit suite would be demonstrated during the time that Dave Hunt would be presenting his services in Johannesburg. The person who drove Dave Hunt and his wife from Johannesburg to Welkom, offered me a lift with them. And so the Lord provided for me to also film the messages there.

During the trip to Welkom I had the opportunity to learn to know Dave and Ruth better. Dave by occupation, was a chartered accountant. During his vacations he often took part in outreaches at university campuses. While they were living in Paris, France, they smuggled Bibles into communist countries to the persecuted church with the ministry of Brother Andrew, Open Doors. In this way they used every possible opportunity to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. For him it was just normal that a child of God would always be busy obeying the commandment of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 28:19. With reference to his upbringing, he said that his father held family devotions twice every day.

When I asked about all the Christian books that he had written, he said that he had walked into a Christian book store at the age of 40, for the first time in his life. Although he started writing earlier, he only fully committed himself to his writing career after his retirement. And that, not because he just wanted to write books, but because he felt that the Lord wanted him to address certain very pertinent issues in the church. Out of his dedication came the book, “Seduction of Christianity” which is possibly one of his most well-known writings. Because of his books he was asked to speak in churches and at conferences and other gatherings all over the world.

He also said that Dr. Andrew Murray was his favourite Christian writer. At one stage of his life he had a deep hunger to know more about the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. That led him to the reading of the works of a sixteenth century writer, William Law. This made such an impression on him that he wanted to share what he read with others. The problem was that the old English that Law used, as well as his writing style, made his works inaccessible to the modern reader. Therefore he wrote and published William Law’s book in modern language, in 1967 as “The Power of the Spirit” by William Law, Edited by Dave Hunt (Christian Literature Crusade). But then he discovered that the South African author, Andrew Murray, had also translated William Law’s book into modern English, in 1896. And so he discovered the book: “The Power of the Spirit” Selections from the Writings of William Law and edited by Andrew Murray (Bethany Fellowship, Inc). The two books were basically identical. That inevitably led Dave to read more of Andrew Murray’s books.

My personal impression of Dave Hunt was that, next to Richard Wurmbrand, he was certainly the most humble man I ever met. When I asked him if I could not film his personal testimony of how he learned to know the Lord Jesus to add to one of the DVDs, he became very quiet. He just said that it should never be about him or his personal experience, but only about the Lord Jesus Christ. He waived the idea by saying that we must rather speak about the Lord Jesus and not about him that people should be drawn to Jesus through him rather than to write about him.

After filming the services in Welkom, I returned to Cape Town to wait there for him for the services to begin in Cape Town. When we met again he told me about one of the services they had led in the coastal areas. He stated that of all the services scheduled to be filmed, that one should have been the one. While in Cape Town he and his wife referred time and again to that service and every time said that they wished that one had been filmed.

During the services in Cape Town I had the opportunity to introduce Marina and our three children to the Hunts. At this time Ruth asked me if I am following them to Pretoria for the concluding service. I then explained to her that I would very much like to do so, but sadly it would not be financially possible. After that she approached me again about it. I really felt embarrassed but although I really wanted to go, there was just no way that I could afford it. Should I have to explain to her that I had no salary, pension or any other income? Was it not enough to say that our family lived by faith and the Lord did not provide for this? Marina and I of course prayed much about it, but it was not possible and we just had to accept it.

Someone who attended that service phoned me afterwards to tell what a wonderful service it was. That person then said, “You should have been here to film it!” Up until today I regret that I had not had the opportunity to film that meeting. It feels as though the opportunity has been lost forever.

Thus there are many things that we do not understand. Through the years there were so many opportunities like this for filming that we just could not afford to do. Currently there are many archaeological tours in Bible countries that, were we able to visit, we could film for the enjoyment of many viewers. We do not fully know the reasons why, but we are rested in the assurance that God knows all things and so we trust in His provision for our every need. At this stage it is enough for us to know that our lives and finances are in His hands.

Thus there are different projects that we started off during the years that are still incomplete because of financial shortages.

The Necessity of Understanding Biblical Eschatology - Part 2

August 29, 2020 • T.A. McMahon

T.A. McMahon is president and executive director of The Berean Call ministry, editor-in-chief and contributing writer for The Berean Call newsletter, co-author of The Seduction of Christianity, America: The Sorcerer's New Apprentice, Understand the Times, and author of Showtime for the Sheep? and Temporal Delusion. Holder of a master's degree in communications, he has researched and written numerous documentaries and scripted several feature films. His writing/producing for Christian videos includes The Cult Explosion, The God Makers, The New Age: Pathway to Paradise? The Evolution Conspiracy, A Woman Rides the Beast, Israel, Islam & Armageddon, and Psychology and the Church.

Ambassadors in Changing Times

August 29, 2020 • Carl Teichrib

Carl Teichrib is a researcher, writer, and lecturer focusing on the paradigm shift sweeping the Western world, including the challenges and opportunities faced by Christians. Over the years he has attended a range of internationally significant political, religious, and social events in his quest to understand the historical and contemporary forces of transformation – including the Parliament of the Worlds Religions, Burning Man, and the United Nations Millennium Forum. Since the mid-1990s, Carl’s research has been utilized by numerous authors, media hosts and documentary producers, pastors, professors and students, and interested lay people. From 2007 until the end of 2015, he edited a monthly web-based magazine, Forcing Change, documenting and detailing the worldview revolution underway – points of pressure, forces of change. He frequently speaks to church groups, in conference settings, and occasionally teaches a modular course on Secular/Pagan Trends at Millar College of the Bible. Carl’s biases are transparent: he embraces an evangelical Christian perspective, is pro-liberty versus politically imposed equality, pro-individualistic versus consensus collectivism, and pro-free market.

Ominous Signs - Real Threats to the Global Church - Part 2

August 29, 2020 • Brother Elijah

An assessment of the challenges to the Global church through the ministry and experience of Bro. Elijah’s missionary work in 45 countries and counting. He is originally from Middle East and from a Muslim background. He has been serving the Lord globally And domestically for 23yrs. He earned his Masters in Divinity with Biblical Languages from an American seminary. He also served as a missions pastor at an American church. Thus, he has a good understanding of the American challenges the American Church is facing.