Dear brother Dave, I have been observing the back and forth ever since you were removed from Moriel with much concern, perplexity and even sorrow. Of course I am concerned for you, your precious family and ministry, because I know how difficult it can be to go through times like these. Actually my concern extends to brother Jacob as well, and to the larger flock of God, and ultimately for the glory of God.
As you well know Ministry , with all of its demands can be brutal at times, which is why James warns Christians not to aspire to teaching, “… knowing we shall receive the greater condemnation”. You and I and Jacob all know this, and we have long ago accepted this as a reality.
As I said, I am also perplexed about this whole discussion. I will put aside the issues of slain in the Spirit, Anointed prayer cloths (I do not regard you as a Benny Hinn by any means), impartation of the Spirit through laying on of hands, all of which I consider to be peripheral to the main problematic charge, which is your comments about the Blood of Jesus, in the Millenium.
Your recent release of a
is vague, one isn’t sure from the outset whether or not it is Jacob’s response or your own. It becomes evident that you have shown us Jacob’s Video and that you are responding with fuller clips of your own, ( I suppose proving that indeed you teach that the blood of Jesus is sufficient, and that we are saved only by the blood of Jesus). There is little or no narration, only clip answering to fuller clip.It is almost as if you are saying, “Whats the problem?, I preach the same gospel as you do, I preach the efficacy of the blood of Jesus”.
As far as I know, no one has accused you of not preaching the gospel, to those of us on this side of the Millennium. One would wonder what all of the fuss is, if they merely went by your response tape, or even by the excellent GV247 interview with Stewart Menalaws. You said that no one at Moriel had ever spoken to you about any problems until May.
People are perplexed, thinking ‘Why all of this argument, David preaches the standard gospel, so why is He being accused of not doing so? ‘
It will always be confusing and contentious as long as that impression is given. I cannot speak for Jacob , ( I am not Moriel), but I would not assume you would ever have been a part of Moriel if Jacob had any doubts about the gospel you preach in this current dispensation.
If you want to bring real clarification to this issue, You would have to acknowledge where the confusion springs from. The issue is what you have said about the blood of Jesus during the Millennium. “The Blood of Jesus will not profit anyone, anything in the Millennium”. Remember I warned you that such a statement would cause problems and vast misunderstanding ?
This is the real contention which has eventually come to a head, and which must be acknowledged as problematic. Obviously Moriel, and others, including myself would have a problem with this.
The issue isn’t really about whether or not people are born again, or part of the bride in the Millennium, it is all about your statements on the Blood of Jesus, and on cleansing in the Millennium. Misunderstanding this has obfuscated the whole discussion, in my humble opinion.
I just want to say that the true starting place would be for you to acknowledge the statement and to try to see why that would be problematic. This very issue has come to the surface before between you and I, ironically once in a Q/A at Bread of Life, and one in a Q/A at Believers in Grace. I regret that I didn’t pursue my concerns further with you along those lines, I didn’t know this would become the conflagration which it has become, but I am not surprised that it became an issue.
Have you corrected your teachings? If so is there any way you could list the corrections, in order to validate the concerns others have raised? How about a point by point list ? “Here is where I see Moriel could have a problem with what I said, Here is what I meant or where I have changed….”
That would greatly lessen the confusion and perplexity. For example I was blessed to hear that the prayer cloth teaching was ten years old and that you had retracted it. We have all had to go back over some of our earlier teachings and make corrections.
People are being given the impression that you are being accused out of the blue, as if there has been no cause for any alarm. But any teaching on the blood of Jesus, (the only means for the salvation of all men) is extremely serious. Any perceived denigration of the blood, in this age or the age to come, would obviously be problematic. There is nothing wrong with being a Berean.
As for how this issue has been handled, how you have been treated, whether or not your answer was forthcoming, I can not speak for any of that. That is another issue entirely. For example I do not think it fair to compare you to Benny Hinn. There is no comparison. Nor do I think it wise to call anyone a liar. As the Apostle Paul said, “Wouldn’t you rather just suffer wrong?”.
I have always loved you brother and respected your work and demeanor, but you know also that I have had reservations about your teachings on the blood of Jesus in the Millennium, and the role of animal blood sacrifices. Never to the extent that I couldn’t fellowship with you or have you to my church. I had always hoped this could become a teachable moment, (and it may yet be).
I think you would help a lot of people if you clearly, point by point took this subject up, answering, acknowledging or explaining on why you either were misunderstood, or perhaps where your detractors are right, or partially right, “Agree with thine adversaries quickly while you are on the way with them…“- Your friend and Brother, Pastor Bill
I welcome any thoughts, (as long as they are expressed in the Spirit of Jesus).