Archive for July 19th, 2008
Ardith Keef’s whole doctrine and teachings rest on one particular subject. It is always about behavior. She loves to put us under the law. Interesting isn’t it , it was the same thing with the Pharisees. They religously forced heavy loads upon people. “Do not touch.” Do not taste” . Much like Ardith’s , “Do not’s.” Jesus hated it then ,and He hates it now! He said, “Be careful of the leaven of the Pharisee’s.” We are declared righteous by faith in Jesus Christ alone, and we are under the law of Love, brethren. The Lord made it simple for us, and we tend to need it to be hard, so we are fresh fodder for the enemy, who puts heavy loads on us.
Somehow the function of the Cross to Ardith appears to be behavior oriented: learn to behave, don’t get undone, pray a certain way, leave all the baggage behind (including people God has put into your life), you must do this, you must do that, work, work, work! ,instead of the simple Truth that Jesus paid it all by shedding His Precious Blood. Like the Pharisees she seems to love the pre-eminence ,and to have all the attention. 3 John
She enjoys being seen as wise and knowing ,and thinks she helps and heals people ,when just the opposite is true. Her teachings injure people’s souls , abuse their spirits, destroy their emotions, and cripple their minds, as well as harden their hearts. She makes people into her image, not God’s. We all would do well to remember that the one who is the servant is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven ,and we have to be like a little child to enter in. Also to remember, “humble yourself under the Mighty hand of God.”
Today she tells us, “He wants to make His own likeness in you. That means taking you through the things that will sand away the useless places.” Agreed, the Lord does take us through some difficult places at times ,but not every day and every night until we are ready to expire from exhaustion. Who in the world wants to be like someone who is always spent , looks totally exhausted all the time, who has no time for anyone, criticizes everyone, and continually hits you over the head with , “You must’s”
For so long I was miserable and burdened down with Ardith’s doctrines. But brothers and sisters, there are respites of joy and pleasure now in Christ Jesus. There is freedom! There is exquisite peace and rest beyond measure without hardships and misery, when you belong to Him. He died so if we believed on Him we could experience an abundant life! Ardith would have us believe we are like Jesus was ,suffering on the cross from the moment we are saved until we die. If we don’t behave while suffering while being there , we will not be pleasing to Him. (read the book of Job again. He didn’t do everything right, but God was pleased with Him) Again I reiterate, JESUS PAID IT ALL!
The false teaching of this deceptive , cruel “taking up of the Cross” doctrine makes a mockery of the Blood and Sacrifice of the Savior ,and all He truly accomplished for us on the Cross. It makes Him out to be harsh and unpleasantly severe to His own children, when in reality He is Kind, Loving, Merciful, and full of Compassion.
He does not lead us through marriage and divorce, marriage and divorce, marriage and divorce, as christians , and the discarding of our mates isn’t “His sanding away of the useless places.” When we continually do such things, it has nothing to do with God and everything to do with our foolish egos, pride, and “needing attention.”
“When there is no taking up of the Cross, there is no dropping of the load. The hands must be empty to pick up the Cross and follow Him” , Ardith says. The Lord would not have us drop the load He has given us in husbands, wives, children, step-children, mothers, fathers, etc. and do it again and again as Ardith has. There is a spiritual and human problem when this dysfunction happens repeatedly in a Christian’s life . Jesus is in the yoke with us . He said so Himself. We don’t have to drop any load. He helps and supports us as we carry our burdens.
We marry for life. Our husbands, wives, mothers and fathers are to be honored for life. We will be refined through standing firm and faithfully serving and loving those whom the Lord has yoked us with, without going to someone else. The Lord is not going to lead us away from our Christian husband or wife. These human obligations are not separate from the church somehow and the church more important. They are all important to God. Cult leaders eclipse the family unit with their own church, to become surrigate parents and to keep control.
No the Lord doesn’t get rattled, but in His own time He acts in behalf of His own people. It is a good idea to “refuse to be tipped over”. It is a good idea to “lend yourself to the things that are important to Him”. But do you know everything that is important to Him? Or are you being deceived into following on a false path?
Remember friend , cult leaders almost without exception, try to get their followers to disconnect in some way with their human families. Sometimes emotionally, sometimes physically or both. Whether it be their parents, their marriage mates, or even their children. Don’t be a pawn on satan’s chess board. Are you tormented at the loss of your family and at the same time listening to some charismatic authority figure tell you it’s “God’s will” that you drop them ,and that “He wants to make His likeness in you. He’s taking you through the things that will sand away the useless places.” If this is the case BEWARE! “Test the spirit.” “You will recognize them by their fruit.” Brethren, satan comes to kill, steal and destroy, not God.