Posted on 04/06/2013 6:48:42 PM PDT by pastorbillrandles
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.(Jude 3-4)
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.(Psalm 94:16-17)
Many people my age (I am a Baby Boomer), have passed through various phases of spirituality on our Christian walk. I was born Roman Catholic, but became a born again Christian around 1978, plunging whole heartedly into the world of Pentecostalism,(Assemblies of God). Shortly after my conversion I came across tapes by Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland, and entered fully into the Word of Faith movement. This false doctrine greatly appealed to my vanity, but led myself, and the hundreds of thousands of other Christians into other extreme experiences; slaying in the spirit, various doubtful “spiritual warfare’ practices, dominionism, a plethora of “Prophets”, new apostles, miracle workers, an ecumenism which included accommodation with Roman Catholics, inner healing, “Theoephostic counseling” and a host of other fad spiritualities of the 1960′s-into the new millennium. The evangelical/pentecostal church was sinking in a sea of heresy.
It was into that time and situation, that our faithful LORD began to raise up into prominence defenders of the true faith, “once and for all delivered to the saints”, such as Dave Hunt.
My first exposure to Dave Hunt was after he wrote the book , “The Seduction Of Christianity” in the mid 1980s. In it, he quoted the words of false teachers, for all to see and to compare for themselves. For those of us who were awakening to the danger we were in, but couldn’t quite work out why, Dave’s books were invaluable.
What struck my wife and I was the utter spite and vitriol that the leaders we once followed, directed towards Dave for questioning their teachings, naming names and using their own words to make the case. These were people who had constantly preached “unconditional love”, but who heaped reproach upon Hunt for daring to question them!
With love, and quiet dignity Dave would respond respectfully , to those who charged him with being a Pharisee, a “divider” or a “Legalist” in the various radio interviews and debates He engaged in.
The really big “Faith Teachers” refused to so much as debate Dave, in fact they warned people not to read his books, lest they “hinder your anointing”. But quietly and steadily Dave challenged the we in the christian world to all be Bereans, that is to honor the Word of God above personalities,, and to check everything spoken out with the Word, without respect of persons.
Brother Hunt reminded all of us that it isn’t about personalities, big names or ministries, rather it is all about the Word of God, Jesus, fearing God, choosing heaven over this world, and Truth.
Dave put into words what many of us knew but couldn’t articulate. He really had a gift for clear thought, combined with a profound reverence for God’s Word. He would often stop in the middle of a message, as he was rustling through the stacks of notes he had stuffed into his worn Bible, exclaiming, “Oh how I love this Book! It is a marvel! A wonder! There is no other Book like the Bible!”.
Another memory I would share was the time, fairly recently, when Dave agreed to debate three different unbelievers, in one weekend. An Atheist, a Hindu, and a Muslim. The format for the Muslim debate was a pulpit set between two chairs, with each debater instructed to sit and wait while the other spoke at the pulpit. Dave’s age, and the fact that he had just had an operation to replace a hip, caused him to have to wince in pain every time it was his turn to get up and speak.
But speak He did. In love, sincerity, and in devastating logic he made the case for the truth of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour, the only way, truth and the Life. Though his outer man was perishing, The truth and Love of the Holy Spirit shone through!
Dave Hunt warned us all. What a watchman! Like Jeremiah , Isaiah and Ezekiel, He told us well in advance what was happening to the church, but how few heeded? Now when his warnings are coming to pass, and the supposed “Revivals” prophesied by the “new prophets” have failed to materialize, and instead the opposite happened(decline), will anyone admit that he was right?
No doubt, his passing will hardly be noticed among many of the Pentecostal, Evangelical, Extreme Calvinist, Charismatic believers which he labored so long to warn, of the apostasy, the false ecumenism, of the “Strong Delusion” of 2 Thesallonians 2, and of the validity of Bible prophecy. His labor is over, though through his books, “he being dead, yet speaks”.
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful menare taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.(Isaiah 57:1)
But God knows, and so also does the vast remnant of God’s people who did listen to Dave, that a faithful witness and a true servant of God has passed on from us, into a better place.
We beseech you, Oh Lord, to raise up other watchman, in the character of brother Hunt, for this perishing generation.
I agree. A great man of God.
a fine testament. God rest him.
Thanks so much for posting this.
If you don't have wolves coming after you in your life then you are not a sheep .
Losing Dave Hunt is a great loss for the church in America . I feel so bad for his wife as they have been married for soooooooooooo long .
Thanks Pastor Bill
R.I.P. Dave
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