Pastor and Church Departing Babylon

You don't know me, but I have been a listener of your broadcast for a little over a year. I first heard you in the summer of 2004. I normally would not have been listening to this particular radio station at this time of the night (9pm), but for some reason I was. Anyway, you were a guest on the prophecy club this particular night and were talking about the tribulation and rapture. You began to share with the audience your belief how the Church would go through the tribulation. Well, because of my background (I was raised in a traditional Pentecostal church) I immediately disagreed with you. Soon my disagreement quickly turned into anger, because of how well you were defending your position. (It wasn't until later that I realized that I had a lot of religious spirits concerning this area and others.)

The unique thing about all this was the fact that I was intensely interested in what you had to say. I believe part of the reason I was intrigued by you was how meek and disarming you were. No matter how much I wanted to reject what you were saying, something in me wanted to hear more.Another thing that contributed to my interest in what you had to say came when I heard you say that you believed in being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. I realize that this my have been a bit carnal, but at this time in my life this was how I determined how much weight I would give to the things I heard. If you were not filled with the Holy Spirit or believed in tongues then I didn't give what you said a whole lot of weight.

Well, the next morning I decided I would look up this "David Eells". It took me awhile because I did not know how to spell your name. I eventually found your website and began reading/listening to everything you had. I started with your audios on the tribulation. I pull out my Bible because I wanted to prove to myself once and for all that you were wrong concerning the Church and the tribulation. Needless to say I soon discovered that you were right and I was wrong. Well, this led to more study and more listening and even more reading.This literally went on nonstop for the next 5 days. I would get up at 8:30am and go to my dinning room where I would stay with my Bible and your audios until 11pm.

Before I knew it I had listened to every audio and article you had on the tribulation, beast, man-child, etc. My wife thought I was going man. I was so enamored with "David Eells", she felt like I was being brainwashed. I guess she was right. My mind was being RENEWED1 Well, this went on for months. I would spend all day every day just reading the Bible. I have never in my life spent so much time just reading the Bible. The strangest part about that statement is that I was employed full-time as "Assistant Pastor" at the church where my father was Pastor.

I was a graduate from Rhema Bible Training Center, and had been on staff as Assistant Pastor for, at that time, five years. Because of my "training' I felt that I was more prepared than most to "pastor". The funny thing is that the more I listened to your audio tapes and finally read the Bible for myself I realized that not only was I not prepared, but that I had been misinformed. About 90 percent of what I was trained to believe I soon learned was in someway incorrect.Needless to say, I felt betrayed. I kept saying, "Why is this the first time I'm hearing this?" This motivated me to read the whole Bible again for myself. As a result I have changed all my old doctrine.

Let me skip on a bit. Well, as my doctrine began to change I still had "duties" as Assistant Pastor. I was very reluctant to do any teaching/preaching in the beginning because I felt like a fraud. However, my father , who was the Senior pastor, became very ill. As a result, I had to do the teaching by default. Well, I made up my mind that I could no longer teach something I did not believe was true. therefore, I began to teach on those things which I KNEW were biblical. the strange thing was I didn't meet with any resistance. It was remarkable to see these people be so accepting of what some traditional Pentecostals would call heretical views. I taught about the Church going through the tribulation and the people were "eating it up". My father was even open to the things I was teaching.

I soon began to feel like my traditional church was spiritual Babylon and that I would soon have to leave. I began to share these things with my wife and some close friends. I even tried to accelerate the process by really teaching hard core doctrines like predestination and election.But the more I tried to get fired the more people began to get on board with these new doctrines. I just couldn't understand it.

Next I began to realize that I was just an hireling and not a true minister of the gospel because I was on salary. Well, I began to tell my wife how I was going to stop receiving a check from the church. Well, my wife wasn't as enthusiastic about the idea as I was. This led to tremendous strain in my marriage. I spoke to the Lord and asked Him to give me until the end of 2005 before I stopped receiving a check from the church. I felt peace with this, so I told my wife and she agreed. When December came I knew I would have to speak to my father and tell him my plans to stop receiving a check, but I was reluctant. Well, about two weeks into the month I started to become sick. this was odd, because I hardly ever get sick. I immediately knew that it was the hand of the Lord warning me to keep my promise. So, on December 20, I went to my father and told him that I would no longer be receiving a check from the church. this really upset him. he felt like I was making a mistake and that I would not be able to support my family. He then began to offer to hire my wife and pay her the same amount they were paying me. I immediately rejected the offer. I know such an idea was just a semantics game and that the Lord would see right through it.

Well, I stopped receiving a check and we have just seen the lord provide miraculously for us. i now felt like it was time to leave my church. However, on January 8, 2006, my father died suddenly of a heart attack. he died in his bedroom and in my arms. Now our church was without a Pastor and everyone wanted me to stay. I'm presently the "pastor? of this church. However, I still do not receive a check.

I'm still wondering if I didn't make a mistake in staying on at the church. I often wonder if I was supposed to reject the offer. One thing I am sure of is that we're seeing people grow in the walk with the Lord. I guess what I'm asking is that if you and the brethren would pray for me that I'll be in the place God wants me. Also, agree with me concerning my wife that she would be open to whatever and wherever God leads me.

I included an offering with this letter.This is for you David. God has used you tremendously to free me and many, many others. There are so many people I'm able to help and it's all because you helped me. You have literally mentored me from a far and you didn't even know it. I praise God for you. I realized that it was the grace of god that you are what you are. However, your obedience to the grace you've received (Romans 1:5), has helped my obedience. You are like John the Baptist who cried in the wilderness. Your voice (cry) is being heard even in Michigan.

There's so much more I would like to say, but I'm afraid it would not come out right. In fact, I'm not sure what I've said to this point has really came out right. I wanted to write you to let you know the impact you have had on me and my ministry. And I included this money to let you know how much I appreciate your faith and obedience. keep up the good work and the good faith.

Your fellow servant,

Eric Bogan

(Note: I have told Eric that it is an astounding miracle that a whole denominational church would accept these wonderful truths without bolting and that as long as they follow and the Lord leads he should lead them into greener pastures of true, New Testament, Christianity.)

UPDATE

Greetings Brother David,

I am writing this email to let you and the brethren know of the great things the Lord is doing in our midst. It has only been a few months since I have taken over the church after the passing of my father. But we have already seen many miracles.

One of the first miracles we witnessed occurred when my wife and I visited a lady in our congregation. This woman had a stroke that damaged part of her brain. She literally could not put two syllables together. Her condition was VERY bad. I laid hands on her head and commanded her to be healed. I also commanded the damage done by this stroke to be undone. Well, in a matter of minutes she opened her mouth and began to speak CLEARLY! It was truly amazing. She was speaking so clearly and coherently that if you did not know her previous condition you would wonder why she was even in the hospital.

The second miracle occurred shortly after this. An older lady in our congregation, who just one year prior to this had a hysterectomy, now received a report from the doctor that she again had cancer. She came to me after one of our communion services. I gave her another piece of bread from the communion table. This time I told her to imagine that she was actually partaking the bread of the life. We prayed for her and a week later she came back with a report from the doctor that she was cancer-free. The miracle did not stop here, but apparently she had also received brand new female organs! God not only healed her of cancer but He also restored everything the doctors took out the previous year!

The last miracle occurred shortly after this. An elderly gentleman actually DIED right there before our eyes. The ironic thing about this was a week before I was expressing to the congregation how there should be more "signs" following us as believers. I went on to say how shameful it was that our first reaction is to call 911 if we see someone get sick or pass out. Well, God called me on the carpet! Surprisingly, however, no one suggested that we call 911. Instead, everyone gathered around the man and commanded him to breathe. Again, in a matter of minutes the man began breathing! He was totally healed and walked out of the building unassisted. Praise God!

Well, there is so much more I could say about the great things we are witnessing, but I will stop here. Let me add that we are experiencing steady growth in the ministry WITHOUT preaching a watered down gospel! In fact, the Lord has given us to preach boldly against traditional doctrines like tithing, pre-trib rapture, women in authority, church membership, and many others.

We know that the Lord is behind all of our success. Yet, we also recognize that he has raised up anointed men of God like yourself. Therefore, on the behalf of everyone here I want to say thank you, David, for your obedience and sacrifice. Many are being saved as a result of it, including myself!

Well, continue to pray for us as we pray for you.

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