Avalanche - Steven Hill

[Kit Sober]

Steven Hill is one of those people who not only helped implement "The Brownsville Revival" of the 1990s, but has remained true and faithful since being saved 30+years ago.

Avalanche is his latest book, and is a heart throbbing revelation of what Christianity should be personally. He compares the state of the Church in a snowballing parable of an Avalanche.

Below are quotes from where I am reading now, and I was thinking maybe someone else here at this Greasespot Cafe might be another prodigal, hoping to be shown the way to (or back to) the heart of the Lord Jesus.

. . . They hit some rocky terrain on the ski slopes of life. Unprepared, they take some tumbles, acquire some bruises, and then begin to question this whole thing called "Christianity." Next thing you know, they throw in the towel, saying that this Christian stuff is too tough. It costs too much. It requires too much effort. They just can't live the life. Nobody told them they had to change, to repent of sin, or that it would require effort on their part to grow in the things of God. So they disappear. Sadly their Bible ends up on the shelf, collecting dust. Let me remind you of something I talked about in chapter 3: although some churches are prepared to take care of new converts, the danger comes when these new believers are not given the whole story. The crucified life is a challenging life. .

The Bible warns us that Satan appears as an angel of light: “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:14–15).

We’ve all heard the heart-rending stories of the girl who married the man of her dreams, only to discover he’s a violent spouse abuser; the man who takes on a business partner, only to find out that the partner steals him blind; the elected officials who break all their campaign promises; the children lured away by a sex offender; the people in authority—perhaps a counselor, an educator, a coach, or a church leader—who sexually violate the very ones they pledge to protect and help. These are all examples of Satan disguising himself as an angel of light.

Meet Theresa. She was one of the most intelligent girls in our youth group. She was a few years older, in her late twenties, but we all enjoyed listening to her wisdom. She knew the Bible better than all of us. We had regular fellowship meetings in which she always had something to say. She was a spiritual dynamo. But then she disappeared. A few weeks went by, no Theresa. Then a couple months, still a no-show. Several of us who were leading the Bible study became increasingly concerned. We hunted her down and found that she had joined another Bible study. Everything she shared was not only biblical but also exciting. Her face radiated with Jesus. We were saddened that she was gone but happy that she was with another good, strong group of believers. Two years went by. On a Sunday morning she came walking in the back door. Several of us greeted her, but something was different. Her joy was gone.

Her smile was fabricated. It didn’t take long before we realized that Theresa had joined a cult. She had lost everything—her savings account, her car, many of her possessions, all gone. She began to pour out one of the most heart-wrenching stories that I had ever heard. I was a young Christian, growing in God and also learning the deceptive ways of Satan.

For Theresa, everything at the beginning was so beautiful. There was enough truth, like snow, to cover the ground. What was underneath were demonic ideas that would destroy that young life. She had almost sold out completely when deep in her spirit she felt that the end would be devastating. Jesus was speaking to her. She wept and wept years of tears. She came home that day and was a warning to all of us that just because something looks right doesn’t mean it is right. Oh, did I tell you that Theresa was a graduate of a major Bible school and had a degree in theology? Even the most spiritual, intelligent Christians can be led astray.

Hill, Steve (2013-03-12). Spiritual Avalanche: The Threat of False Teachings that Could Destroy Millions (pp. 72-73). Charisma House. Kindle Edition. .

Edited October 2, 2013 by Kit Sober