Summary
Riaan Swiegelaar, co-founder of the Satanic Church of South Africa, recently claimed that during a satanic ritual Jesus appeared to him, terrified him, and then, “flooded” him with “the most beautiful love and energy.” The Love knocked him to the floor. He claims that he recognized this Love, for he had encountered this Love in a woman who had simply hugged him after a radio interview. Swiegelaar has now left the church of Satan and, in his words, wants to “just love everybody.”
I thought that was pretty cool and so posted an edited version of his testimony online. Before long, someone else posted a video explaining why the faith of Riaan Swiegelaar was not genuine. In the video they argue that Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven, so Jesus couldn’t have appeared to Riaan six months ago in South Africa (…or Paul on the Road to Damascus, I guess?) They cite questionable theology, sociology, and morality; they argue for “discernment.”
And I must say, Riaan Swiegelaar does assert a few things that I would question.
And it’s true that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light (2nd Cor. 11 gives examples).”
And Jesus did refer to some fine-looking folks as being “of their father, the devil (John 8:31,44).”
And I don’t know if, in the future, Riaan will go the way of a Judas or a Paul . . . or both.
And won’t I be held accountable for my social media posts on “that day?”
So, yes, of course, I would like some more knowledge of Good and evil with which to judge Riaan Swiegelaar before I . . . risk a hug (hugging sinners, the weak in faith, is dangerous).
Romans 14:1: After thirteen chapters of rigorous theology highlighting the supreme importance of faith, Paul writes, “as for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him [proslambano; hug him], but not to quarrel over opinions.”
That’s what “Amy,” the woman at the radio station, did to Riaan.
That’s what Jesus did to Judas: received his kiss and called him “friend.”
That’s what Jesus did to Paul on the Road to Damascus (Luke portrays Paul as something of a resurrected Judas in the book of Acts).
That’s what Jesus did to us when he stretched out his arms, embraced all humanity, and said, “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”
Well, some would say, “It’s not that Riaan is weak in faith. We have judged his faith and decided that he has no faith, hope, or love. He’s not my brother. We accuse him of being the Accuser.”
Romans 14:2-10: Paul talks about judging each other over what we eat or don’t eat (dietary law) and judging each other over what days we observe and don’t observe (that would include the Sabbath, one of the Big Ten). He then asks, “Why do you judge your brother?”
Well Paul, we want to know if Riaan Swiegelaar IS our brother. Cain wants to know, “Is Abel my brother?” Jacob wants to know “Is Esau my bother?” Judah wants to know, “Is Joseph my brother? Are the Samaritans my neighbors?”
Romans 14: 10-11: “Why do you judge your brother… For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess to God.”
That obviously means that everyone that has, had, or will have a tongue or a knee is my brother, even if they are also “of their father the devil… the father of lies.” (He’s not the father of real persons but false persons, in which real persons are imprisoned).
In Romans 14:11, Paul is quoting Isaiah, and Isaiah obviously means salvation, for God commands salvation in Isaiah 45:22 and then swears that his Word will accomplish this salvation in Isaiah 45:23, so, of course, every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance.
Perhaps we judge for we haven’t faced the Judgment (The Judgment Seat is the tree in the middle of the garden, the top of the Ark in the temple, the cross to which we nailed the body of the temple, and the voice behind the curtain in the depths of your soul, for you are the temple).
Perhaps we judge because we forget who’s being judged (We think we’re judging the judgment when, in fact, we are being judged by the Judgment).
Perhaps we judge because we don’t believe the Judgment (The Judgment is Salvation).
Romans 14:12: “So then each of us will give an account (logos) of himself to God.”
I think I am one and the judgment is two, but the Judgment is One and I am two.
I will give an account of my false self. And I will give and account of Christ in me, the Logos in me, the true me—not the old man but the new man, not Me-sus but Jesus.
The old “me” cannot be justified, and the new me needs no justification. So, when I stand before the judgment seat, there is no “me” that gets offended, or needs to be defended, or wants to compete, or hide and feel shame. There is no me that has any interest in judging my brother… when I stand before the judgment seat.
So why do we judge our brothers and sisters?
Just to eat, I must judge food, but I must not judge the people that judge the food. It’s Love that fulfills the Law, but I can’t judge love for love is a decision made in the depths of the temple that is my neighbor. I can’t judge love in my neighbor’s soul, or even my own soul, because Love is the judgment of me—God is Love.
I can’t judge Love, for Love is judging me—or should I say, “Not judging me,” which is, in fact, the judgment, the Eternal Judgment: God is Unconditional Love, God is Grace.
“This is the Judgment:” said Jesus “the Light has come into the world… I Judge no one… the Father judges no one… I am the Light of the World.” The Light Conquers simply by the “manifestation of his appearing.” The Light destroys my old man and liberates my new man. Jesus is the Judgment, and he isn’t dead; He’s alive.
Perhaps that’s why we judge our brothers: we think Love is knowledge in our head, when Love is our Lord having risen from the dead. Love isn’t dead; Love is alive.
He conquers simply by appearing to Paul on the Road to Damascus.
He conquers simply be appearing to Riaan Swiegelaar in a satanic church. . . if, in fact, that happened, and I’d bet money that it did happen.
Something like that once happened to me, and I’ve seen it happen to others.
God is Love and Love is Life, and that Life is Eternal Fire, and I’ve seen Him drive out Satan.
I once asked a friend to ask Jesus, “Why don’t you just cast Satan into the Lake of fire?”
She was silent for a moment. Then said, “I just heard Jesus say, ‘I am all the time.’”
Love in you, is Eternal Fire in you, and just by hugging your neighbor, you destroy the work of the Devil and cast him into the Lake of Fire.
“Amy” didn’t judge Riaan Swiegelaar, she just hugged Riaan Swiegelaar, and Love judged the hell out of Riaan Swiegelaar and Heaven into Riaan Swiegelaar. And what if Riaan Swiegelaar is not being genuine? Well then, we need to find Riaan Swiegelaar, hug Riaan Swiegelaar, and Love will judge the hell out of all of us and Heaven into all of us, including Riaan Swiegelaar, our brother.
To judge the hell out of your neighbor, don’t judge them, just hug them.