An Open Letter to Dr. Ray Hagins

November 15, 2009

Dear Dr. Hagins,

Thank you for the work that you have undertaken to educate the people of our community about their history and heritage. Although I do not embrace many of the tenets that you advanced last night, I would much rather see our young men aspire to be like Imhotep, Khufu, Ramses or Amenhotep III than to be standing on the corner grabbing their crotches. This letter is what I trust will be a reasonable and well thought out response to your lecture last night at Everlasting Life. I rarely take the time to offer a written reply to the critics of Christianity; however, you did “challenge” your audience that anyone who could provide irrefutable evidence that your criticisms of Christianity were unfounded would receive a 20-year expense endowment from you. Please be advised that it is my desire to defend my faith that is my motivation for answering you and not the endowment.

First, it struck me as odd that one who grew up Pentecostal would make light of my acknowledgment that I had been baptized in Jesus’ Name and had received the gift of the Holy Ghost, speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave me the utterance. Now Dr. Hagins, it is impossible to deny any experience: attending school; lecturing on a subject on a specific date; getting married; or receiving the Holy Ghost, and if you had ever received the “authentic” gift of the Holy Ghost, your spirit would bear witness to the truth. To follow the theme of your lecture on the Origins of Christianity, I am aware that a counterfeit gift of the Holy Ghost virtually reigns supreme in Western Christendom today, and perhaps you saw too much of that erroneous expression of spirituality in your youth.

In 1967 a handful of sincere Catholics were looking for a spiritual renewal during a retreat, and they claimed to have experienced the “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit with the outward expression of speaking in tongues. It was not long afterwards that the Catholic Church assigned a Cardinal to oversee this phenomenon, eventually diluting the true experience of the early Catholic Charismatics and sabotaging the entire movement. However, the impact of the Charismatics can still be felt today as many sincere, but naïve Christians have not received the gift of the Holy Ghost, but are under the convincing allusion that they have, because they have worked up some type of babble. This is in no means to make light of my brothers and sisters in spirit, but to demonstrate the far-reaching deception of the purveyors of religious dogma.

The spiritual renewal movement in the Western World is light-years away from the apostolic experience on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago (see Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2).

You spoke in a satirical way of Christians “living by faith,” but aren’t you also “living by faith” when you declare that Christianity has its origins in Kemetic teachings? You said something last night that suggests that you are/were a law enforcement officer, so I am certain that you are acutely aware of the need to have a “chain of custody” to properly manage evidence. Therefore, unless you can demonstrate a chain of custody from the moment that the evidence you use to buttress your lecture was either uttered or written, aren’t you subjecting yourself to his-story as well?

Notwithstanding the monuments of human ingenuity that have been left behind by the ancient Egyptians, isn’t all history a tale that is sown by someone; whether it is true or false? It was not until the early 20^th Century when Howard Carter discovered King Tutankhamen’s burial chamber that his name began its ascent from the precipice of oblivion. Who erased King Tut from history? Was it not the very men who you honor as custodians of truth?! And if these men erased King Tut, couldn’t their predecessors/successors in spirit have erased Moses from the kingdom, or Cain from the kingdom, or Nimrod from the kingdom, or any other great Hebrew patriarch?

As I announced last night, I do not practice the form of Christianity that has been handed down by the Western Theologian. I practice the form of Christianity that originated in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago, and the teachings of the Apostles have had an unbroken line of dissemination to this day. It is too complicated for me to explain why and preserve the alacrity of this letter; however, for your further reading, I have written an article explaining why the greatest lies of all time have their origin in Western Theology. If your time windfall will permit further reading, please click here.

Your lecture seemed to focus on the narrow teachings of Western Theology and not Christianity. There is a distinction; however, since I do not want this letter to dissolve into the trigger point for a theological debate, I will end it by reconciling the greatest contrast in the Christian, Holy Writ. I believe that the story of Moses; the true story, fuses much of what you said last night with a spiritual understanding that has been virtually wiped out in the Western World.

I’m certain as a former Christian you know the Biblical story of Moses, and how when God enlisted him to confront Pharaoh, he gave various excuses why he was not the proper candidate and one of the reasons that he gave was that he was slow of speech and of a slow tongue (see Exodus 4:10). However, you may not be aware that the Scripture also declares that “…Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds (Acts 7:22, emphasis mine).” Why the apparent paradox? On one hand the Scripture teaches that Moses was mighty in words (as it relates to Egyptian wisdom); however, on the other hand, his testimony is that he was slow of speech. The answer lies in our understanding that the ancient Egyptians had a secret school of wisdom, which Moses was an initiate of.

When Yahweh called Moses out of the burning bush, this was his first encounter with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and he was obviously unaware of His ability. However, being raised in Pharaoh’s house and becoming a member of the inner circle of wisdom in Egypt, Moses was keenly aware of the ability of Pharaoh. And I suggest to you that he frankly was not so sure that Jehovah-God was superior to the ‘gods’ of Egyptian knowledge. And considering that there was a death notice out for him, he was not too eager to confront Pharaoh.

After angering the Lord with excuses of why he could not confront Pharaoh, God told him that Aaron would be his spokesman. However, it is clear that Moses was fearful of Pharaoh and was attempting to hedge his bets that perhaps Pharaoh was a mightier god than Jehovah. However, as we observe Moses’ confidence build in God after watching Him perform alchemical conversions that were beyond the Egyptian, master magicians’ abilities, he began to do most of the talking before Pharaoh; almost boastful. As you would say Dr. Hagins, “This is deep.”

As you urged your audience to consider those things that are laid before us that are outside the boundaries of what we’ve been taught, I pray that you will also heed those words and consider my response. As I was departing last night, I had to assure three or four of the brothers that I was not offended at all by what you taught, because frankly, in the microscopic blur between fine-lines, much of what you said is correct. Yes, I understand that there has been a theft of knowledge from the first discoverers and inventors of human ingenuity by the Western World; however, I also understand their motive for the pilferage. In fact, why do you think that Constantine chose to hijack Christianity? I’ll leave that for you to ponder.

Hitler taught the custodians of civilization that the best place to hide something is in plain view, and give it the widest broadcast, because the bigger the lie, the easier it will be to get the people to embrace. The Bible is the best selling book of all time, and its truth is readily available to billions of people across the globe; however, the Western World has controlled its interpretation for more than 1,700 years, leaving the people to grope in darkness. And therein lies the greatest deception of all time.

This has been respectfully submitted with an earnest desire that we both may know and understand the truth, and if you have time to respond, I would greatly appreciate it.

Sincerely,

David R. Tolson

www.thepeoplespulse.blogspot.com

www.urclimbingjacobsladder.blogspot.com

www.theflawlessplan.blogspot.com

p.s. Some believe that the remnants of Solomon’s Temple lie beneath the Western Wall, while others believe that it is situated under the more easterly hills which form the Dome of the Rock. Either way, neither the Jews nor Muslims will permit any archeological digs near those holy sites. And in regard to your query regarding the location of the Ark of the Covenant, I ask this question: Where are the jewelry and the battle accoutrements that King Tut was wearing when he fell from his horse in 1323 B.C.?

The Gateway to the Human Heart - Pt IV

NOTE: This series began as a three-part teaching on believing with the heart; however, in order to keep this final article at a reasonable length, I had to publish a fourth article.

Of all the tools that God has given us to gain access to Him, the heart may be the most neglected. Most of us have a daily prayer life; we even fast occasionally, along with studying and meditating on God’s Word, but when is the last time we meditated on improving the heart’s ability to commune with Jesus Christ? Not to be misunderstood, but the heart as used in this instance is referring to the physical organ that pumps blood and not the spirit of man, which has been traditionally taught by Western theologians. And perhaps the traditional message that the heart of man is his spirit is why we have ignored this organ that God gave us as our gateway to the spirit; because we don’t realize what is laying dormant in our 'tool-chest.'

There are dozens of Scriptures that refer to the heart as an organ of perception and that it has cognitive ability; however, I believe that verse 23 in Mark 11 and its pertinent contextual Scriptures is the most explicit demonstration of the awesome power of the heart that we will find in God’s Word. Jesus says in Mark 11:23, For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith (additional contextual Scriptures quoted in Part III of this series). The heart’s ability simply cannot be overemphasized. It is simply the single most important key to obtaining answer to prayer; aside from hearing the Word, which is obviously where our faith rests.

If we examine the motivation that Jesus uses to declare Mark 11:23, we will note that the he cursed a fig tree the previous day and commanded that it never bear fruit again (see Mark 11:12-24 in Part III of this series). Twenty-four hours later when Jesus and His apostles passed the tree, they saw that it had withered from the roots. The apostles were stunned, but Jesus used this as an occasion to give, what I believe to be, the greatest lesson on faith-potential in the Scripture. He answered their astonishment with these four simple words: Have faith in God, and then, according to Matthew’s depiction of this event, Jesus drew a parallel to the withering away of the fig tree and the casting away of a mountain into the sea:

^21.Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. ^22.And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:21-22).

Verse 21 above gives us insight into why Jesus cursed the fig tree the day before. Yes, He was hungry, and yes, the fig tree didn’t have any fruit on it; however, this was not why he cursed it. According to Mark 11:13, figs were out of season: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet (Mark 11:13). However, in order to reveal a profound truth concerning the ability of the heart, he cursed this tree so that he could give a graphic correlation between cursing a physical tree, and casting a mountain into the sea. However, without a proper understanding of this event, we are faced with the question of whether or not this mountain is a metaphor for a ‘mountain of problems’ in one’s life, or is it a physical mountain, like the Rocky Mountains.

Once you see the connection between Jesus cursing the out of season fig tree, and his declaration that we, shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done, we will discover that Jesus has handed us one of the greatest abilities that faith can acquire: The ability to move mountains; literally. This is possible only if we do not doubt in our heart. AWESOME!!

Those who would argue that Jesus was referring to the mountain as a metaphor of mountains in one’s life, totally missed the significance of Him cursing the fig tree. He used the occasion of cursing the fig tree as an example of how far faith can leap. Considering that figs were out of season, he did not curse the fig tree out of retaliation as some would suggest, but to give us a vivid glimpse into how far faith can go, even to the point of casting a mountain into the sea.

Understanding that believing with the heart authorizes us to act in unbelievable and unstoppable ways; of course, in the name of Jesus, will give us a greater clarity to what Jesus meant when he said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12). We are all given the measure of faith, but great faith is exercised with the human heart, and those who yearn for such demonstration must condition their heart to attain to that level of belief.

No one would argue that Apostle Paul was not a great leader, but even he had to concede that his expressions of faith were not as great as a man that he knew who visited Heaven.

^1.It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. ^2.I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. ^3.And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) ^4.How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ^5.Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. (II Corinthians 12:1-5).

Before we examine II Corinthians 12, let’s recall that in Matthew 21, Jesus told us…And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew 21:22). Although, some would argue that this phrase ‘all things’ is not inclusive and would not incorporate literally all things, I believe that those who rise to the ability to believe God for ‘all things,’ know what to ask for and what to refrain from asking for. The man – or men, because it appears that Paul may be referring to two different men, with two different experiences – that Paul is identifying, who I will call Anonymous, had such a great moment of faith, that Paul says he visited Heaven and may have still been in his flesh and blood body. This is a great, great example of believing with the heart and receiving anything we ask God for. In this instance, Anonymous wanted to visit Heaven, and it was granted to him.

Whether Anonymous’ experience was in or out of the body, it is certainly a remarkable expression of faith, and ranks up there as one of the greatest demonstrations of faith in the canonization of the Word of God.

…coming soon – “The Heart, the Gateway to the Spirit,” will be a three part series where I will begin to discuss ways to strengthen the heart’s ability to access the spirit.

The Gateway to the Human Heart - Pt III

NOTE: This series began as a three-part teaching on believing with the heart; however, in order to keep this final article at a reasonable length, I’ll need to publish a fourth article.

From the Garden of Eden, mankind had direct access to God Almighty, but after the fall of Adam and Eve our relationship with Him was severed, and our access limited. However, as we examine the lives of the patriarchs, prophets and other followers of the past, we note that access was not eliminated. Ironically, Cain had access to God and had garnered His favor even after murdering his brother Abel. Noah had a relationship with God that was so profound that He used him to transplant civilization on this side of the antediluvian period. Moses was one of only a handful of people who saw God. And the Prophet Elijah’s relationship with God was so profound that He took him away from the earth in a chariot of fire.

There is one thing that all great patriarchs of the past have in common; they understood the concept of believing with their heart. How is it that the ancient architects of knowledge, wisdom and spirituality understood the heart to be the seat of cognition and the gateway to the spirit, and our modern age has lost the art of perceiving with the heart? In fact, I wonder how modern society has come to see the brain as the seat of intelligence. I believe that it is significant that the Bible never mentions “brain” one time, but there are scores of instances where the “heart” is used, and most of those occasions imply that the heart is an organ of perception that has cognitive ability. A few examples:

H And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5);

H Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear (Genesis 17:17);

H ^3.But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. ^4.Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah (Psalm 4:3-4);

H I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works (Psalm 9:1);

H But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matthew 5:28);

The heart is central to our existence; obviously because of its biological responsibility, but also because it is the seat of our sentient being. Consider the incredible, human ingenuity of the magicians of Egypt who were able to convert their rods to serpents as Aaron did. Now don’t permit these men’s mind over matter ability to be lost on you because Aaron’s serpent ate theirs. Over the years, Western theologians have diminished their extraordinary mental prowess that gave them the ability to convert one molecular structure to another. These men were bumping up against the upper limits of human ability. However, they were only able to attain such incredible heights of achievement, because they believed that human determination could accomplish anything that the heart believed.

My favorite verses of Scripture that embodies the concept of believing with the heart is in Mark 11. Jesus and his disciples were returning from Jerusalem and the disciples were astonished to see that the fig tree that Jesus cursed the day before had dried up at the roots. Jesus, ever the sage, used this incident to give one of the most profound lessons on faith and human ingenuity in the Bible:

^12.And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: ^13.And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. ^14.And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it. ^15.And they come to Jerusalem…^19.And when even was come, he went out of the city. ^20.And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ^21.And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. ^22.And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ^23.For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ^24.Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark 11:12-15a, 19-24).

There is a duality of lessons in these verses of Scripture: First, Jesus buttressed all of His examples on faith with a profound demonstration of what happens when you speak with unwavering confidence; and second, He advances the notion of believing with the heart. However, this lesson has its roots in a sequence of events that transpired the day before. As we see in verse 12, Jesus was looking for something to eat as He and His disciples left Bethany, and He noticed a fig tree that didn’t have any figs on it, because the time of figs was not yet. Despite the fact that figs were out of season, Jesus cursed the tree so that it would never bear any fruit (see verse 14 above), and then they continued to Jerusalem.

The next day as Jesus and His disciples passed the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before, they were astonished to see that the tree had dried up from the roots. Jesus simply says to them, “Have faith in God.” The remedy for all of our ills is to have faith in God; however, many of us struggle with receiving from God, because we don’t demonstrate faith in God. We exercise faith everyday: from believing that once we devote a week’s worth of labor on the job, the company will give us a paycheck to riding across a bridge and not doubting the integrity of the structure’s ability to hold up under enormous weight. Yet, we wrestle with trusting God. This paradox was foreign to the patriarchs.

When God spoke a word to the patriarchs of old, although there were moments when doubt had to be overcome, they enjoyed much more victory than most Christians do today. This is the result of satan’s cunning ability to control enough of what we consume spiritually to disrupt our faith. I spoke at length in the five-part series titled, [s]atanic Obstacles to Human Ingenuity, on satan’s need to keep us from fulfilling the destiny that God has placed within each of His children. Since he could not be like God, satan yearns to prevent us from being like God as well.

If we study what Jesus said about our potential, we will understand our position of authority in the earth. On one occasion, Jesus advised us that if we believed on him, the works we did would be greater than the works that He did: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father (John 14:12). This is a very profound truth that is spoken by Jesus, and for reasons that are clear to some but cloudy to others, many in the modern culture have missed it.

There has been a theological debate over whether Jesus was referring to mightier miracles being wrought by our hands when He said we should do greater works than He, or whether He was referring to the preaching of the Gospel. There is a very influential group of ministers who believe that Jesus was referring to the preaching of the Gospel. These men typically do not embrace the idea that miracles have survived beyond the original 12 Apostles; consequently, they have robbed themselves, along with those who follow their teaching, of demonstrating God’s AWESOME ability and power in the earth. But make no mistake; Jesus was referring to our potential to perform greater miracles than He ever did.

…to be continued