THE LATTER RAIN - Part 3

Before we get into Part III, we would like to make a statement regarding the precious written Word of the Living God.  Don’t we always?

When I was a teenager I really didn’t enjoy reading.  I just thought what could these authors have to say that would be worth my time?  I had things to do and places to go as a teenage girl.  Important things like go to the soda shop to meet friends and to the movies and to the pool.  But once I got into my sophomore year of high school, reading quality books by noted authors was mandatory.  Sigh.  Trapped like a rat.  The first book that we were assigned to read was "A Tale of Two Cities".  Once I had read the first chapter I was hooked.  It had everything.  Intrigue, danger, love, excitement, and sorrow was cleverly woven throughout every page.  But as I read, there were times when I wondered why the author wrote the things he did.  The book was written so well that I found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn’t reading the book.  I felt that I knew them and in my opinion, perhaps they would not behave and think the way the author was portraying them.  My mind was filled with “what ifs”.  But by staying with the author to the end of the book, I understood his methods.  I understood his story.  And even though I didn’t like the terribly sad ending, it was still a fine book and one that I am glad that I read even until this day.  But even though, while reading this novel, I found pause with the author a few times, I never once dreamed of changing the story, not even in my mind.  That was not a possibility.  It was a finished work that is still read today.  Movies have been made of this book as well.  Even Hollywood kept the integrity of the author’s story.  I never submitted a “re-write”.  I have never told the story any other way than the way it was written.  Can you imagine the ridicule I would have received?  Can you imagine how the literary world would have attacked me?  And they would have been right to label me a thief and a fool.  Charles Dickens, the author of "A Tale of Two Cities," was long dead when I read this book.  But I still respected the tale he left behind and would never dream of attacking or altering this fine and finished work of a man.  I knew it was finished when I got to the last page and it said…The End.  Those words invite no more input.  And yet, down through the ages men and women, supposedly of God, have done just that to the Holy Scriptures!!  They continue to “add” by any means possible.  Do they feel a certain “ease” in doing this because the author cannot be seen?  I am not talking about Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, or Moses, and of course many more, because they are dead, but of the Holy Spirit Who is God and is eternal and Who was the inspiration to the minds and hands of these earthly authors. 

So how do we know that the Bible is a finished work?  If you look at the last word in the Book of Revelation it says “Amen”.  In other words, so be it.  The Bible is a brilliant book that took over some 1600 years to write in totality.  And just as a copyright protects human authors from others tampering with their writings, the infallibility of God, the Holy Spirit, protects this divine book.  And just as there are severe penalties for men when they infringe copyright laws, so are there penalties for those who dare to tamper with the written Word of God.  In fact, as most know, this penalty is laid out in the Book of Revelation itself and it is not just speaking of that one book as some state.  Revelation 22:17-19 (KJV)
¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.  That warning is very clear as imparted by the Holy Spirit.  And the penalty is damnation!!  So those who believe in “once saved, always saved” must reconsider these words.  He clearly states, “God shall “take away” his (those who dare to alter the Word of God)  part out of the Book of Life, and out of the Holy City, and the things that are written in this book!! 

The glaring question is, why do men fear copyright laws more than they fear the wrath of the living God?  Why do men never even dream of “re-writing” any written and established paper or novel?  And why do some men not have the fear of God in them and DARE to tamper with His written Word?!  It has been this way down through the ages.  And any intelligent man knows that what is in the Bible today is exactly what God wants in there.  The Holy Spirit didn’t retire after the inspiration of this most holy book.  He continues to this day to look over and after God’s Word and God’s people.  The continued integrity of this holy book is of the utmost importance as it is the instrument by which God will judge His people.  We will not come before Jesus, or God forbid the Great White Throne Judgment, as saved Christians or unsaved heathens, and hear Him say, “Well, you were not aware of this issue because some folks back in the Dark Ages didn’t like this one point and took it out of my Word, but I am going to judge you by it anyway even though you were not aware of the repercussions”  People, we serve a just and mighty God Who is more than able to get His perfect Word in it’s totality to His people!!!  Of course you have to have Holy Spirit inspired faith, trust, and belief in God to come to this conclusion.  And if any “angel” or “messenger” or even a voice saying that he was God himself came to me and told me that even one word of the Holy Scriptures was not true or that some were missing, I would immediately say, “Get thee behind me Satan!”  Paul also issued a dire warning in Galatians 1:6-12 (KJV)
⁶ I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
⁸ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
¹¹ But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
¹² For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.  This scripture says it all and it comes with a stern and dire warning from Paul.  We MUST take time to learn what God has put into His “manual for living” and that is His Holy written Word!!!  If you follow the ramblings, ravings, and twisted scriptures of any man, you too will be accursed!!!  PLEASE…your very SOULS are on the line here people.  Take a stand and BOLDLY drive anyone away from you in the name of Jesus that tries to impart a false and twisted scripture to you.  We only have this one lifetime to get this right.  The next step is eternal.  Where will you spend your eternity?  We love you and pray for all our readers everyday.  God’s richest blessings to you all.  (And you will find all those blessings in the Bible!)

Okay, now back to the work at hand…the Latter Rain movement and our information for you on Joel’s Army.  Sadly, more “twisted scripture” is at work here.  Have you ever heard the saying, “where there is smoke there is fire”?  Well, get this saying deep into your soul.  “Where there is twisted scripture, there is demonic presence!”  Flee from it!

A vital doctrine of the Latter Rain is that there will be the “Manifest Sons of God”, or “Joel’s Army”.  The movement teaches that as the end of the age approaches (and according to a letter written by Bill Hamon to the Elijah List which was published on February 25, 2008, the “age” is now here.)  the “overcomers”, which are the Latter Rain’s version of what the Bible means by overcomers, will arise within the church (as all evil does).  There is some infighting within the ranks of the Latter Rain followers as to the extent of this “rising” but from what we have heard first hand from these people, they fully believe that they will become “transfigured” over a time (period of time is never given) into exactly what Christ Himself was while on earth.  I would like to point out here that the practice of “transfiguration” is a study and ritual of the New Age movement.  God is NEVER present during this blasphemy, but demons are.  So, to the Latter Rain folks…and that includes those who follow those tenets to this day (but have not the guts to openly claim their affiliation with the “Latter Rain” or the “Manifest Sons of God”…the “chosen”) claim they will actually come into the FULL STATURE OF CHRIST and will receive the Spirit without measure which will enable THEM to perform healings and miracles through special communication with the Holy Spirit and God Himself to establish Scriptural truth.  These men also claim that they have inherited what they call the “God-Man”.  They believe that “they” are the Church.  They believe that “they” share in all Christ had and will have including His DEITY!  This is blasphemy in its purest form.  And need I mention to anyone that the Word warns that the only unpardonable sin is that of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?  If any of this was truth and if any of this would happen at the will of God, it would be in the Bible!!  The audacity of these people is stunning!!!  Not one of these men and women will perform miracles.  Not one of us that lays hands on people EVER is the healer or miracle worker.  When these things happen it is the Holy Spirit, and only the Holy Spirit working through us!  But these people with thinking that they will become like Christ say that they will also take part in and actually become deity just as Jesus was and is deity!!  Here they have not only taken their raving to the edge of the cliff, they have jumped off!!  They also believe that they will be capable of “astral travel” and will be able to travel from one place to another by thought.  This again is a teaching and exercise of the New Age.  They believe that the Holy Spirit will bless them with the ability to speak to anyone anywhere in their own language.  Listening to this tripe is ludicrous, and yet every Sunday, people sit in church and listen and absorb and worse yet, carry these wretched tales to others.  They think that if someone that has all this popularity says these things, then they must be true.  If your Pastor sings the praises of these men and women, you feel that they must be valid.  You must realize that these men and women, although they see themselves as “gods”, are mere men and women in the hands of demons and are issuing forth the doctrine of devils.  This was warned of in the Bible as well.  1 Timothy 4:1 (KJV)
¹ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

My husband Dave is going to continue writing on Joel’s Army.  It is really a message unto itself and if I were to include it in this message of the Latter Rain, of which it is a vital part, I would have to add at least two more parts to this writing.  So I will continue with the next topic we need to examine about the Latter Rain.

ECCLESIOLOGY

The “Sacrifice of Praise” and the restoration of the Tabernacle of David are important themes in the preparation of the Latter Rain (Reign).  They must have a totally devoted following with no dissention in their ranks.  They plan to take over the earth and bring it under their submission in the name of Christianity and Christ.  Every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  But I just feel it in my spirit that if these people are this taken with themselves then in actuality, every knee WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that they are God-man and Christ just as Jesus said that some would in those days.  Again the audacity is numbing!!

For this reason you will notice in these churches that you will hear instructions by either the apostle/prophet, or the worship leaders, that everyone must sing.  Everyone must lift their hands and give praise.  Everyone must come up to the altar.  Everyone must speak in tongues on a cue from them.  In the upper room we see that the Holy Spirit set a precedent as far as speaking in tongues.  He didn’t get a strangle hold on each one of them and order them to open their mouths, but the scripture says…Acts 2:4 (KJV)
⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  “As the Spirit gave them utterance” means that they did not initiate this themselves, but that it was initiated by the Holy Spirit.  The same applies today...period.  We have been in a church, and while we were praising the Lord, no we were not leaping over the pews nor rolling down the isle, or barking like a dog, but in our own way, we were lost in our personal worship of our precious Jesus as were many others.  All of a sudden the apostle/prophet starting shouting, “STOP, STOP!” interrupting the Worship Service.  Well, we jumped about a foot straight up!  The apostle claimed that he could not feel the Holy Spirit and therefore we were to blame by our lackluster praise.  “Press in!” he ordered.  Well, we all know by now that the Holy Spirit can visit one person and not visit a person right next to him.  It is a very precious and personal thing.  But by doing this in services, the apostle/prophet or the Worship Leaders show their need to control not only the actions of those in the service, but also that of the Holy Spirit!  You will also notice that as you remain in one of these churches, and they can see that you are “falling into line” as ordered, you will be called up to the altar and told exactly what your gifting and ministry is.  Even though you cannot carry a note in a basket, you may be told that your voice will bless the church and you will join the choir.  (Of course after they hear you croak a few notes, they will have a NEW revelation and move you somewhere else quickly.)  They never claim error, only new revelation.  After all, if they are deity, mistakes would be impossible right?  They speak of taking cities, nations, and the World for the church. (Oh…yes…they throw in “for Christ” too in order not to be run out into the street just yet.)  They know that Jesus is being “held, captive so to speak” in Heaven by the Father until all of His enemies have been placed under His (Christ’s) feet by the new Dominion ordered by the New (Latter Rain) Apostolic Reformation.  Once they have subdued the earth, then “they” will tell Jesus that he can come back, with their permission and blessing, to rule and reign the world.  Is this not the most ludicrous thing that you have ever heard of!?  The scripture in my Bible says that Jesus at His second coming is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.  A King does the bidding of no man.  He is summoned by no man.  He is not subject to any man.  A little common sense should tell you that your “revelation” of the scriptures is dead wrong and you should be questioning just who you are getting “revelation” from.  You see, when you think you are hearing from God, there is one way to determine this.  You go to the timeless Word of the Living God, and see what the “literal” meaning of what you heard is there.  If it is twisted from the text or worse yet, not even there, IT WAS NOT GOD, NOR THE HOLY SPIRIT, NOR AN ANGEL OF GOD YOU WERE TALKING TOO!  Nowhere in the Word does it tell us to use “revelation” to interpret the Word.  In fact the Word says that 1 Corinthians 1:17-20 (KJV)
¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
¹⁹ For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
²⁰ Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? And…

Isaiah 55:7-9 (KJV)
⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.  This says it all and the Lord Himself is saying it.  If we could ever do better than the Word exactly as it were written, then that would also be laid out in the Word of God, and it clearly is not.  But these men are blinded by their own ambitions and hunger for power and control.  They are practicing on their own congregations.  By now the Latter Rain should clearly be known to you as well, and long planned after “REIGN of terror” that will be perpetrated by the church on its own people first, and then the unbelievers.  They once again have misconstrued the scripture that says that “judgment will begin in the church” to mean that “they” will do the judging. 

Another belief of the Latter Rain (NAR/DOM) is that in the last days, the five fold ministerial rolls spoken of in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher) would come into play again.  They believed that the fundamental roles of the apostles was lost in the Dark Ages, apparently along with the high secrets of God that “used to be” in the Bible and the restoration of these things is only being “revealed” to the “chosen” Latter Rain members in the last days.  In this belief lies the basis for the rise of the apostle and prophet, along with the other ministries but only as directed and determined by the “chosen” ones.  Did you know that one of the “chosen” ones, Bob Jones, along with Bobby Conner, go to Heaven every year, at the same time every year, and have a meeting with God to lay out these plans?  Did you jaw fall open yet?  The first time I heard this, mine did.  And these people believe it!  And thousands of Christians buy into this stuff.  We sat in the audience at a conference where these men were speaking and heard it first hand, and the audience went nuts!!  They clapped and cheered, and took money and put it on the altar and pieces of material for these men to touch because they have touched God Himself.  These so-called Christians are incredibly naïve, and give misdirected and blasphemous praise and honor to mere men.  To set the record straight, these five fold ministries mentioned in the Bible are not offices or man given authorities given to “chosen” men.  These ministries are functions available to the entire church as directed by the Holy Spirit. 

PNEUMATOLOGY

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is something that believers in that gift seek after with prayer and sometimes fasting.  It is a gift given exclusively by the Holy Spirit alone as pointed out in this blog earlier.  However, once again the New (Latter Rain) Apostolic Reformation teaches and believes that it is something that man controls.  How many times can I say blasphemy here?!!  They believe that man can lay hands on other men and “impart” their gifts and anointing.  All you are getting for your dime here is the empty hands of self anointed and self appointed men.  Only the Holy Spirit can impart a gift or ministry!  These men will call out people from the audience that THEY feel are ready to be given a gift or ministry and then they will supply “prophecies” that will ensure the compliance of their “chosen” ones.  If they refer to God at all they will say that God chose to work through them to impart the “gift”.  Again, God the Holy Spirit does not need man to impart anything to man.  And this is how the youth of this movement are being trained to follow their “leaders” of this movement. And Christian parents willingly and blindly are turning their young people over to these “Christian Youth Lock Downs”.  Like I said in a previous blog…stay up late some night and catch The Ramp on TV.  Watch the aggressive behavior of these kids.  It is scary…very scary indeed. It is like the Nazi Youth movement.

 Sadly, the only open and strong opposition to the Latter Rain is from the fundamentalist of the Word of God.  And we are diminishing in numbers.  But there will be a revival.  A revival of truth and faith in Jesus Christ and the work He and only He did at the Cross of Calvary.  And we will all go in the Rapture, all labeled as “the evil ones” by the NAR/DOM and mark my words, they will take credit for that too!!

SHORT LIST OF FOUNDERS AND LEADERS

• Maria Fraser founded the Latter Rain Assemblies in South Africa
• Reg Layzell founded Glad Tidings church and author and influence of such books as “The Key of David” and Unto Perfection”.
• George Warnock wrote “The Feast of Tabernacles” (1951) which became know as the Latter Rain Bible.  It established the Latter Rain’s spiritual hermeneutic.
• George Hawtin and his brother Ern were the early movers and shakers who promoted the spread of the movment in the late 40’s and early 50’s.  They “took it on the road” so to speak and it caught on again after centuries of condemnation by the established church.
• A. Earl Lee was a father of this movement as it spread into California after his involvement with Aimee Semple McPherson.
• Myrtle Beall and her family ran the Bethesda Christian Church in Detroit, MI.  It was considered the first main line church to “openly” embrace the Latter Rain Movement.
• James Watt, one of the original “elders” of the Sharon Orphanage and school.
• J. Preston Eby was an early proponent who resigned under the pressure given him by the Pentecostal Holiness Church in 1956.  The Latter Rain was definitely not recognized or approved of by the church.
• Thomas Wyatt, a pastor from Portland, OR hosted the North Battleford men at a pastor’s conference and enabled this doctrine to be spread.
• Dick Iverson, founder of City Bible Church, formerly Bible Temple, and Portland Bible College, is the apostolic overseer of Ministers Fellowship International (MFI)
• Kevin Conner an influential Bible teacher who came out of the Latter Rain.  This gentleman has done more to “blend” the false doctrines of the Latter Rain with mainstream theology than any other man to date.  He has been the influence of many “TV evangelists” such as the well-known T.D. Jakes.
• David Schoch, a honorary member of the apostolic board of MFI, and the leader of the church now called City at the Cross in Long Beach, CA.  David died in 2007
• Violet Kiteley founded Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland, CA.  Her son David is also a honorary member of the MFI leadership.
• Sam Fife and the Move also known as End-time Body-Christian Ministries.
• Maranatha Campus Ministries, a college campus outreach movement that was dissolved in 1989 and re-grouped in the 1990’s and is now know as Every Nation.
• The Living Word Fellowship, better know as “The Walk” founded by John Robert Stevens.  Another member of this group was Royal Cronquist a believer in the Latter Rain movement.  Well known and published author Francis Frangipane came out of Stevens’ “The Walk” ministry, but left before the scandals began.  A 1985 documentary was done by Anthony Cox which showed “The Living Word Fellowship” for what is truly was.
• The Assemblies of the Body of Christ.
• Bishop Bill Hamon of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, has infiltrated and become a consistent player in the Charismatic movement, including being featured numerous times in Charisma Magazine.  Hamon’s book, The Eternal Church, outlines the movement and emphasizes his presence in it.
• Glenn Ewing and his son from Robert Ewing, of Waco, TX trained Jim Laffoon, leading prophet for Every Nation.
• Elim Fellowship and its college, Elim bible Institute in New York.
• Destiny Image Publications, founded by Don Nori who was a prophet in a Latter Rain church before founding the publishing house.  Published works by Varner, Joyner, Hamon and others of the Latter Rain Movement.
• The Independent Assemblies of God, International, organized by A.W. Rasmussen.
• Church of the Living God
• Body of Christ Movement
• Joel’s Church of Love
• The band known as “The Rainmakers”

I have ended this writing on the Latter Rain with this very short list of people and associations and churches in order to make you aware of “it’s everywhere” and beware.  The only way that you can be sure that you are not listening or being influenced by any false doctrine is to KNOW the Word, the TRUE Word of the Living God as inspired by God the Holy Spirit.  Please find time.  The biggest excuse for not reading God’s Word is “I just don’t find time”.  Let’s face it.  If someone came up to you with two free tickets to a major league Sports event or concert, you know that you would re-arrange your schedule and find time to go!!  Can you not tarry with Christ for just one hour?  Was this not His admonition to the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane?  Matthew 26:40-42 (KJV)
⁴⁰ And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
⁴¹ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Blessings, Patti.