Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Bill Gothard Legalism

Bill Gothard Legalism
Posted by Christine Pack

A couple of years ago, I innocently posted this illustration on my Facebook wall which to me at that time, illustrated what I thought was a biblical concept of submission in the home. Shortly after posting it, I began receiving information that this illustration had originated with a man named Bill Gothard, and who was a very influential figure, if not the most influential figure, in the hyper-patriarchal homeschooling movement I had just begun to research. (Note: Bill Gothard recently stepped down from the organization he founded years ago due to allegations of moral impropriety with young women working with his ministry.

Now, my having grown up in a very liberal mainline denomination sometimes means that I don't recognize legalism when I see it. That was certainly the case with this illustration. As one former Gothardite explained it, this picture is used to teach, wrongly, that God is harsh and unyielding, waiting to smite those who step out of line. From the article:
"One of the foundational truths of ATI was the 'umbrella of protection.' In a family structure, the father was the umbrella that protected his wife and children from Satan's attacks and God's judgments. If you stepped outside of that authority, you would face temptations and wrath. The umbrella came without an expiration date. As a teenager, the gradual increase of responsibility would not coincide with a gradual increase in decision-making. A young man would be eligible to step out from under the umbrella of protection only when he married. A young woman would only transfer from the father's umbrella to a husband's. This authoritarian approach forced the fear of both God and parents to become the main reason for obedience.......The ATI ministry structure was built around the same concept. Leadership within the organization provided the same protection from Satan and God. Questioning or challenging an interpretation of a verse or application of a principle was grounds for removal from the ministry." (Growing Up Gothard, my emphasis)
To be completely candid, with my non-legalistic background, I had looked at the umbrella illustration and my first thought was, oh God is so good to provide order and structure for us, and to watch over us! But once it was pointed out to me exactly how this picture is used, and that it goes further in using extrabiblical concepts to drive home its points, I did see the legalism. At that time, I was using this picture to illustrate submission to my own children, but once I grasped the problems with it, and how it could be twisted to cause fear of God rather than love for his genuine loving care and provision, I immediately stopped using it. I also sat down with my children and asked their forgiveness for using this illustration, and then used simple, straightforward Bible language and terminology to explain to them what it means for wives/children to submit. Yes, sin is serious, and should not be minimized or ignored, but I don't want my children cowering in fear of some angry God waiting to whack them any time they do something wrong. So, I no longer recommend or use this picture as an illustration for God's protection. After all, it is always the goodness of God that draws sinners, right? Yes, God is high and holy, and righteously wrathful toward unrepentant sinners. But it was love of an extraordinary, supernatural nature that compelled him to make a way for wretched sinners righteously deserving of hell to be reconciled to Himself.

In closing, I'd like to encourage any Christians who have somehow been influenced by Bill Gothard's teaching to look over the resources below. The American personality seems to love "systems" of all kinds, and with Bill Gothard's teachings, there is a massive system already in place that is very easy to plug into. Yet we must also be aware that the desire to systematize things can, and does, often lead to legalism. May we continue to return again and again to the simplicity that is found in Christ, and recognize and reject man-made systems, even those that dangle the carrot of the perfect family or perfect children or the perfect dating methodology, as Gothardism does.


 Additional Resources 

Josh Duggar's Infidelity Outed in Ashley Madison Website Hack (Sola Sisters)

A Beginner's Guide To Bill Gothard (Ron Henzel)

Growing Up Gothard (The Gospel Coalition)

A Matter of Basic Principles (an excellent expose of Gothard legalism by Don Veinot)

Battered Sheep - a review of Don Veinot's book A Matter of Basic Principles

Bill Gothard Resigns, Duggars Still Slated To Speak at IBLP 2014 Conference

Conservative Leader Bill Gothard Resigns Following Abuse Allegations (Religion News Service)

The Duggars, Bill Gothard, Vision Forum, and The Quiverful Movement (I am aware that some of the links in this article are no longer active, but this article still gives a quick thumbnail sketch of Bill Gothard, the Duggars, Vision Forum, Hyper-Patriarchy and the Quiverfull Movement, and how they are interconnected and overlap with each other)

How God Saves Us In Christ (And The Problems With Legalism) (Pastor Jeff Crippen)

Abusers in the Christian Church: The 5 Stages of Biblical Repentance (The Aquila Report)


 Midwest Christian Outreach 


From the IBLP website
A Matter of Basic Principles: Bill Gothard and the Christian Life

Josh Duggar, Mike Huckabee and Fodder for Progressives

Is Jesus a Sinner According to Bill Gothard’s Teachings?

If Bill Gothard is Wrong, Then What’s Right?

Bill Gothard: Who Knew What and When? A Question of Accountability

ATIdentity

Bill Gothard’s Analogous Teachings

Bill Gothard; Déjà vu All Over Again

Bill Gothard and the Continuing Sex Scandal

Bill Gothard - Truly Repentant?

Leveraging Lunacy: How Bill Gothard Rode a Wave of Evangelical Goofiness

Four part series on Bill Gothard
 - Part 1, Bill Gothard's Evangelical Talmud
 - Part 2, Bill Gothard's Chain of Authority
 - Part 3, Bill Gothard and the Law
 - Part 4, Bill Gothard's Mystical Approach to Medical Issues

An Evening With Bill Gothard


 Secular Articles 

When Having Kids Is A Religious Experience
 (ABC News)

Quiverfull: More Children For God's Army (Newsweek writer Kathryn Joyce)

Inside the Duggar Family's Conservative Ideology (Newsweek, Kathryn Joyce)


 Websites by Former Gothardites 

Recovering Grace


Abuse Allegations Against Bill Gothard, Founder of Institute In Basic Life Principles
 (Dr. John Cornish and Kari Underwood, co-founders of Recovering Grace)

Under Much Grace

Doug Phillips of Vision Forum Resigns, Cites Moral Failure [UPDATED]

Post by Christine Pack


(UPDATE 4-16-14: Doug Phillips' former nanny has filed a lawsuit against Phillips, alleging sexual misconduct. Our article about that can be read here. The filed lawsuit can be read here.... **warning, there is explicit sexual content in the filed lawsuit**)

  Thursday, October 31, 2013  

Doug Phillips has resigned as president of Vision Forum following his announcement of a moral failure, which according to his resignation letter, involved an "inappropriate relationship with a woman." Phillips has long been the face of a particular branch of Reformed Christianity which models very rigid family structures (led by the "Federal Head," the husband), promotes the Quiverfull lifestyle, enforces strictly supervised courtship dating for youth, and also teaches a form of Dominionism (got to have lots of babies, you see, through embracing the "quiverfull" teachings, if you're going to have any shot at taking Dominion of the world). I have personally counseled several women who have come out of this movement, and who didn't quite fit the mold for whatever reason, and whose experiences with Vision Forum leadership ranged from neglect to outright spiritual abuse.

I've also wondered at times, why the Vision Forum form of Dominionism seems to fly under the radar, as opposed to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) form of Dominionism. Probably because the NAR is so easily dismissed, with its angel feathers and gold dust silliness, while the Vision Forum crew are so theologically buttoned up as to seem to earn them a pass.

While I have long disagreed, oftentimes publicly, with many of the Vision Forum views, I have compassion in general for the body of Christ, including those who have been influenced by Vision Forum, Dominionism or Quiverfull legalism. Sadly, so many in Christendom seem to swarm from one big leader to the next, from one hot new book to the next, and now, those in the Vision Forum movement are witnessing the fall of one of the most high profile leaders in the Reformed camp. But Quiverfull legalism and hyper-separationism are no insulation against sin, which is the great leveler of us all. May we all be sobered by this latest scandal, and cleave to our Lord and Savior all the more.

I am sorry for these circumstance for Doug Phillips, and will be praying for him.

The original Statement of Resignation can be read here, along with the Clarification Statement which confirmed that there was a physical component to the "relationship."





 Additional Resources 

Former Nanny to Doug Phillips' Family Files Lawsuit, Alleges Sexual Misconduct

Copy of Filed Lawsuit
 (Warning: Explicit sexual content)

Doug Phillips of Vision Forum Resigns, Cites Moral Failure

Vision Forum Ministries to Close

Hall of Shame: Doug Phillips and Vision Forum (Mennoknight)

Rethinking Vision Forum

Christian Giant Sued For "Using Nanny As Sex Object" (World Net Daily)

Religious Right Leader Sued For Sexual Battery, Treating Young Follower Like A 'Personal Sex Object' (Right Wing Watch)

Woman Sues Christian Right Leader Douglas Phillips for Alleged Sexual, Mental Abuse (Slate)

How God Saves Us In Christ (And Why Legalism Can't Help Us) (Pastor Jeff Crippen)

Why The Law Cannot Sanctify (Romans 7:5-6) (Pastor Kevin Williams)


 Doug Phillips Responds 

Former minister denies allegations that he kept woman as a 'sex object'

Doug Phillips' statement released through is attorney, Jason Jakob

Monday, April 14, 2014

Should Christians Pay Any Attention To The Blood Moons Talk?

Posted by Christine Pack
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36)
For those who don't know what the blood moon chatter is all about, or have maybe heard something about it but don't know what it is, writer John Hagee has recently published a book which purports to have scientific evidence that there will be four lunar events which Hagee claims are known biblically (and prophetically) as "blood moons." These blood moons, Hagee claims, herald the beginning of the End Times. This teaching has inexplicably gone viral, with USA Today and CNN picking up the story, and #FourBloodMoons becoming one of the hottest trending topics on Twitter and Facebook. Even I got on Twitter and posted about it, and I never get on Twitter.


Merciful heavens. Christians, get hold of yourselves! The blood moons thing has been debunked. Thoroughly. Several times! As pastor and Christian apologist Chris Rosebrough recently noted in a couple of clever memes, the Four Blood Moons thing is absolute bunk, and is to 2014 what Hal Lindsey's Countdown to Armageddon was to the 1980s. Rosebrough has also done two excellent radio programs (linked below) devoted to debunking the blood moon nonsense that has been whipped up by John Hagee and Mark Blitz of El Shaddai Ministries. (El Shaddai is a ministry that is part of the Hebrew Roots movement, a dangerous movement with cult-like overtone which we recently wrote about......that article can be read here).

If John Hagee and Mark Blitz of El Shaddai were being honest, they would have to label this blood moons non-event "Four Regular Lunar Events That Signify Nothing." But that really doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it? More resources below.....please feel free to forward them or apply as needed.




 Additional Resources 

Four Blood Moons Debunked

Upcoming ‘Blood Moon’ Lunar Eclipses Spark Woes, Discussion About End Times Bible Prophecy

Will Lunar Eclipses Cause Four Blood Moons in 2014 and 2015? (Answers in Genesis)

Does Tuesday's blood eclipse signal the End Times? (USA Today)

Does the Bible predict the 'blood moon'? (CNN)


 Chris Rosebrough (Fighting For The Faith Radio) 

Debunking the Four Blood Moons - Part 1

Debunking the Four Blood Moons - Part 2

Christians and Making Decisions

Posted by Christine Pack


I have a hunch that the sticking point for many Christians in their day-to-day lives is that they think if they somehow get a feeling or mysterious "inner nudge" that God "confirms" a decision they are trying to make, then that decision will result in a situation that is pain-free, hassle-free, problem-free and conflict-free. But do we recognize that there are no such guarantees from God in the Bible? Life is fraught with difficulties and struggles which come along even after we've made calm, measured, thoughtful decisions which accord with God's will (meaning, they aren't sinful in nature).

Attached are a series of resources that will, I hope, help Christians confused about how it is, biblically, that we are to make decisions. I pray that anyone reading this short article will be blessed by the attached resources, and will be freed from the bondage of thinking that they are somehow "out of God's will" if they have struggles and difficulty and pain and heartbreak in their lives. As long as we as Christians are not sinning in our decisions, we have freedom. Period! And oftentimes, our sovereign, loving God will use the difficulties we encounter in life as a sanctifying agent in our lives. Amen? So pray for wisdom (because God will grant it to those who pray for it--James 1:5), be thoughtful, be calm, don't sin, and go forward in peace with your decisions.

Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will

Just Do Something (audio message, Kevin DeYoung)

How Do We Discern God's Will For Our Lives?

Finding God's Will

 Critical Issues Commentary - Articles 

God's Will and Christian Liberty

God's Revealed Will

 Critical Issues Commentary - Radio 

Personal Words From God (CIC-Radio, Bob DeWaay)

God's Will and Christian Liberty (CIC-Radio, Bob DeWaay)


photo credit: Lori Greig via photopin cc

Thursday, April 10, 2014

A Sister In Need

Posted by Christine Pack and Cathy Mathews
"Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." (Psalm 68:4-5) 
"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you." (Isaiah 43:2)
"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress......" (James 1:27)
Two nights ago, the phone rang at 10:30. Not the latest we've ever gotten a phone call.....but definitely later than most calls. As I picked it up, I turned to my husband and half jokingly said, "I hope this isn't bad news." But it was. My sister was on the other end, weeping. She told me that the young husband of a friend of ours had unexpectedly passed away due to complications from diabetes. The husband's name was Toby, and he was only 36 years old. Toby's wife, Amanda, was now a widow with 4 young children.

Toby Youngblood had met, fallen in love with, and married a young, single mother named Amanda. Toby and Amanda only had 5 short years together before his sudden death. Toby was a loving stepfather to Amanda's daughter from her previous marriage, and then in short order, God had blessed them with first one son (now 4 years old) and then twin boys (who are now 2 years old). Toby was a hardworking and devoted husband and father, but had recently lost his job, and so the young family was struggling. They did not have health insurance, and Toby was mowing lawns on weekends to make ends meet. (Click here or at the Go Fund site linked to learn how to donate to this family in great need.)

Cathy Mathews, who writes here on the Sola Sisters blog with me, was and is extremely close to Amanda. They met through church in Arkansas (where they both live) six years ago, and quickly became close. My sister has been like a big sister/mother to her.....she's not quite old enough to be Amanda's mother, but they have had a very nurturing, mother/daughter type relationship.

Cathy and I both knew Amanda before she was saved, back when she was struggling spiritually and had lots and lots and lots of questions. Did I mention that she had lots of questions? Oh my, yes! I was the out-of-towner, and only saw Amanda occasionally, when visiting, and on a few vacations that we all took together. But on those visits and vacations, I remember several late night conversations with me, Cathy and Amanda, sitting up into the wee hours, fiercely and passionately discussing God, theology, truth, doctrine, and the excellencies of Christ. By that time, Amanda had experienced many losses in her young life. About 10 years prior, two of her brothers had been killed in a traffic accident while on the way to theirs and Amanda's other brother's wedding. Her stepfather had died 7 years prior. Amanda had been through a difficult divorce and was raising her daughter as a single parent. Surely, a recipe for bitterness and despair? And yet, through it all, God saw fit to gently and mercifully, as a loving Father, bring Amanda through those losses into saving faith in Christ's sacrifice. I've had the privilege of watching—at times up close, at times from afar—as Amanda went from being kind of a tough girl, lost and confused, to being very strongly rooted and grounded in God's word. My heart is quite simply broken for her in this loss.

And yet, as Cathy pointed out to me yesterday, Amanda was blessed by God to be married to a man such as Toby. Toby was also deeply rooted in God's word and truth, and had the habit of dwelling on, and pointing others to, God's sovereignty. Toby would be telling Amanda even now, "Trust God, even when the circumstances don't look good to us." We ask you to join us in praying that for Amanda. We also ask for the following prayers:
⋄ Please pray for her and her children 
⋄ Pray she will trust The Lord for the next step in front of her 
⋄ Pray for God to protect her against bitterness 
⋄ Pray she will put on her armor and stand strong 
⋄ Please pray for financial provision 
⋄ Please pray she will feel assured of God's love & care for her through the Body of Christ 
⋄ Please for the tiny church (about 30 total) where Amanda's and Cathy's families are members, that they will minister to her well 
Body of Christ, this where the rubber meets the road. I'm asking all who are reading this to prayerfully consider making a donation to this young widow in need. For those who would like to make a donation to the Youngblood family, any contribution, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated. The financial need in this family right now is profound.

In closing, I want to share two of Amanda's recent Facebook posts. Through tears, I have been astonished and humbled while reading these to see Amanda praising the Lord for his goodness in these circumstances. These posts have been profoundly encouraging to me. I have also been updated by my sister about how their tiny church has hastened to come along this dear sister of theirs, and help her bear her burden. To any lost people reading this, THIS kind of supernatural kindness and peace is what the Lord offers through the atoning work done by Christ.......peace in the most difficult of circumstances, peace in the most painful of trials, but most of all, all of it meant to point us to the goodness of God, who not only makes a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him, but who also bears our burdens with us, hears our prayers, and promises that one day He will wipe every tear from our eyes.

This is what Amanda wrote on April 8 (the day after Toby died):
Dear friends from near and far:  As some of you surely have heard, I need to confirm, I woke up this morning to find my sweet husband Toby Youngblood had passed away during the night in his sleep, due to diabetes complications. It was VERY unexpected ...my heart is breaking, and I know you precious believers in Christ, many of whom I've never met, will be covering me and my 4 kids and extended family in your prayers. So thank you, so much, in advance. I also know you who are believers will be able to rejoice with me, as we know for sure, without a doubt, that toby is diabetes free now, but MOST importantly, he's sin free and basking in the beautiful presence and glory of our Savior since sometime during the night...and for that, I'm jealous! Please feel free to keep reminding me of this in the coming days and weeks. And if you're reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about, how I can know FOR SURE where he is and what he's doing, I'd love to personally explain it to you. And how, even in this, I CAN say, God is so good, beyond gracious, and has carried me through this horrific day. I pray YOU know this most gracious, abounding in mercy God like Toby did here, and is getting the full realization of at this moment!
And then on April 9:
Dear friends and family, first let me say, it has ONLY been by all your prayers lifted up on my family's behalf today that we can say, the day is over, we got through it. I'm being blown away seeing the precious body of Christ, from near and far, doing so wonderfully what we're called to do, bear each other's burdens, walk with each other through immense pain, provide sacrificially and abundantly to meet each other's needs. God IS being glorified. And many people will see God's church at work, ministering to my family, and He will be even more glorified! And just think...Toby gets a front row seat to that glory! I'm a bit jealous!
May God be glorified as onlookers watch Amanda in this trial, and witness a peace that can only be attributed to a supernatural work of God. To God be all the glory.

Addressing King James Onlyism and Textus Receptus Onlyism

The Problem With Conspiracy Theories

How the KJV Only Doctrine Obscures the Truth, Part 1

How the KJV Only Doctrine Obscures the Truth, Part 2

What is the KJV Only movement? Is the King James Version the only Bible we should use?

Textual Criticism: What Is It?

What is the KJV-Only movement? Should we only use the King James Version of the Bible?

What Is Textual Criticism of the Bible?

■ Answers KJV Onlyists are Afraid You will Provide [Part 1]

Answers KJV Onlyists are Afraid You will Provide [Part 2]

Answers KJV Onlyists are Afraid You will Provide [Part 3]

The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust Modern Translations?

An Interview with a Former King James Onlyist

■ Questions and Answers with the KJV Onlyists (by a former King James Onlyist)

■ Does God Expect All Of Us To Read The King James Version Of The Bible?

Slandering Tischendorf

King James Only? Refuting the False Conspiracy Theories of King James Only Teachers (Bob DeWaay)

Addressing the Hebrew Roots / Sacred Name Movement [UPDATED]

Posted by Christine Pack
"You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?" (Galatians 3:1-3)
"What goes into someone's mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them." (Matthew 15:11)
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer." (1 Timothy 4:1-5)  
"One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God." (Romans 14:5-6)
"On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat!' But Peter said, 'By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.' Again a voice came to him a second time, 'What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.' This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky." (Acts 10:9-16)
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Peter's vision in Acts 10: "The prejudices of Peter against the Gentiles, would have prevented his going to Cornelius, unless the Lord had prepared him for this service. To tell a Jew that God had directed those animals to be reckoned clean which were hitherto deemed unclean, was in effect saying, that the law of Moses was done away. Peter was soon made to know the meaning of it. God knows what services are before us, and how to prepare us; and we know the meaning of what he has taught us, when we find what occasion we have to make use of it."
* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Hebrew Roots Movement/Sacred Name Movement is a fast-growing works righteous movement which is a modern day form of "Judaizing," the heresy that the Apostle Paul had to address several times in his ministry. From an article posted at The Berean Call by Richard Fisher, the movement is described this way:
"(The Hebrew Roots Movement) is a very modern movement that insists that we must resurrect first-century Judaism (our Jewish Roots) and the milieu and lifestyle of first-century Jews and impose them on both Jewish and non-Jewish believers. This is not just an academic study to better understand Scripture and its setting but is rather a movement of restoration that claims that the church has moved off its Jewish foundation and must return to a more Jewish way of life to be authentic." (online source)
To gain a better understanding of the heresy of Judaizing, please listen to this excellent talk by Phil Johnson of GTY. Please note that when Phil Johnson gave this talk, the Hebrew Roots Movement did not yet exist, so you will not hear Phil mention this movement by name. But if you listen to his excellent talk, you will have a very biblically grounded understanding of the markers of this current and ongoing Judaizers movement.


 My Comments 

I had my own brief flirtation with some Hebrew Roots-like legalism, early in my Christian walk, which primarily centered around following the Leviticus food laws. I was a brand new Christian, saved in a seeker/emergent church, and I was constantly going around with my Bible open saying, what is this? and what about this? and explain this to me? My new Christian friends kind of patted me on the head, and didn't give me what I felt were thorough, Biblically-reasoned responses. But when I came upon the legalists, they did have answers. And they had their Bibles open, and were just as intent and serious as I was. I think that's the edge that lots of cults have, they will give answers, albeit the wrong ones, and they will use scripture, albeit twisted out of context. I praise the Lord for allowing me to be humbled by that season in my Christian walk, and for keeping that season mercifully brief. And of course, after that, I was all, praise the Lord, and pass the bacon :)


 A Few Pointers. . . . .  

It's important to note that when someone is going into Hebrew Roots, you will notice one or more of the following: 
- dietary changes (going back to the Leviticus food laws),
- a heavy emphasis on Jewish festivals (with the implication that those who observe Christmas/Easter are sinning), 
- a rejection of the Apostle Paul's writings, 
- a denial of the Trinity, and 
- the usage of "Yeshua" instead of "Jesus" when speaking about Jesus
Now, someone doing some of the aforementioned things, or holding to those beliefs, doesn't necessarily mean they are whole-hog into the Hebrew Roots heresy........but it could mean that. And so these are good markers to bear in mind when trying to evaluate this.

Hebrew Roots Movement/Sacred Name followers often claim that they are just exercising their liberty and freedom in Christ, but this often quickly escalates into those things becoming law, and binding upon themselves and other Christians........ meaning, their expressed "freedom" and "joy" in doing these things often turns into them thinking that they (and you!) are sinning if they (and you) don't do these things.

Below are some excellent resources for getting up to speed on what the Hebrew Roots Movement is, and how to biblically respond to those ensnared in it:
Debate Between Christian Apologist Chris Rosebrough and Hebrew Roots Leader Jim Staley
The Sabbath, The New Covenant and The Hebrew Roots Movement (Stand Up For The Truth)
■ The Hebrew Roots Movement (Watchman Fellowship)
What is the Hebrew Roots Movement? (Got Questions?)
■ What Is The Sacred Name Movement? (Got Questions?)
Who Were The Judaizers? (Got Questions?)
Torah Fulfilled: Why Christians Don’t Keep the Sabbath and Other Mosaic Laws (Fighting For The Faith)
Are you a Sabbath Keeper or Sabbath Breaker? (Fighting For The Faith)
Should Christians Keep Kosher? (Word of His Grace)
The Hebrew Roots Cult (Cy Shift)
An Examination of the Hebrew Roots Movement (Fighting For The Faith)
A Discussion About the Hebrew Roots Movement (Andy Olson, Echo Zoe Radio with Chris Rosebrough)
Joyfully Growing In Grace Website
The Sacred Name Movement Debunked (video)
Who Were The Judaizers? And What Do They Look Like Today? (Phil Johnson, GTY)
Bewitching Believers Through the Hebrew Roots Movement (The Berean Call)

 Hebrew Roots Ministries and Teachers 

Below are some Hebrew Roots ministries and teachers (please note that this is not a comprehensive list, as this movement continues to grow rapidly, and new ministries and teachers keep popping up):
■ Jim Staley (Passion For Truth Ministries) [UPDATED BELOW]
■ Mark Biltz (El Shaddai Ministries)
■ Michael Rood (A Rood Awakening)
First Fruits of Zion
119 Ministries
■ Bill Cloud (Shoreshim Ministries)
Monte Judah (Lion and Lamb Ministries)
■ Brad Scott, Preston McNutt (Wildbranch Ministry)
■ Victor Schultz (Torah Teachers
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

UPDATE January 2015: Since the posting of this article, Passion For Truth pastor Jim Staley has pled guilty to defrauding elderly investors of $500,000 in an investment scheme. Sentencing will be held in July 2015, with a possible maximum of 20 years in jail and/or fines of up to $250,000. Jim Staley is perhaps the most widely known leader in a movement known as Hebrew Roots. Hebrew Roots adherents observe Jewish festivals, follow Old Testament dietary laws, refuse to call Jesus "Jesus" (they call Him Yeshua instead), and deny the Trinity. (News report about Jim Staley's conviction - KSDK St Louis News)

UPDATE August 2015: Hebrew Roots Movement teacher Jim Staley (Passion For Truth) has been sentenced to seven years in prison for defrauding elderly investors of $3.3 million dollars in an investment scam.

NOTE: Even though Hebrew Roots leader Jim Staley has been convicted of fraud and is currently in prison, his Facebook ministry wall still boasts more than a quarter of a million followers, and is currently very active, with daily postings.

After being initially charged with multiple counts of investment fraud the summer of 2014, Staley claimed in a teaching session at his church (which has since been removed from YouTube), that a member of his church had shared a vision with him in which Staley was portrayed as the victim of spiritual warfare, with angelic beings being "seen" coming to his aid to destroy those coming against him (presumably meaning those bringing charges against him for the financial fraud he has now pled guilty to). The vision also portrayed Staley as the leader of a massive spiritual revival in the church. From the YouTube video:
JIM STALEY ("Pastor Jim Staley Explains Indictment" [6-29-14] - starting at 25:18): I'm gonna share with you some unbelievable dreams and visions and words from the Lord that have led us to this place, and even one that happened today that will encourage you to know that the power of God is moving..........So I'll take you back to August of last year, where our Russian prayer team, some of you have heard this story, but our Russian Prayer Team called us immediately because something unbelievable happened in their prayer time, where the husband, apparently was in a different room, and the rest of the group was together. And there was a word of knowledge and a vision that was shown to them. And for those of you that don't have a supernatural grid, I know it's difficult, if you've never had a vision or a dream, it might be difficult to believe, but after about three or four of these, you'll start to develop a radar. But what happened was they called a meeting, and what she said was, she said, 'I saw two high ranking generals, demonic generals. And these generals, she said, are working among you and have been working among you for quite some time. And then she saw a door in heaven, and behind the door were angels, and the angels were packed up against the door waiting to be released because they saw the plan of these generals, and they wanted to foil the plan. And God smirked. She said it was very clear, she saw a smirk, as if God knew something that they didn't know, and said 'No, it's not the right time. I have a surprise for the generals. At the last minute, I'm going to let my surprise come, and it's gonna come out of nowhere, and it's gonna strike fear into the hearts of the generals.' At the same time, the husband had a, what's called an open vision. I've never had an open vision, where I see something with my eyes open. I've had multiple visions, many visions, with my eyes closed, but he had an open vision where he saw two angelic beings, they were demons, and they were high ranking uniformed soldiers. And he came back in the room and said, I just saw two demonic generals. And so they didn't know what it meant, but they were in high nine one one alert, so they called our ministry. Natalia was there, she was translating, the whole deal, we got through the whole thing, and honestly it scared me. I didn't know what that meant......And then we were receiving other visions. I don't know how old that woman was, 84 I think is what I heard. [off-camera correction] 83 year old woman, who flew here from the east coast because she said that God told her......she didn't even know about us for very much time, but God said, I want you to fly to St. Louis, to Passion For Truth, and I want you to pray over their building because there's a catastrophe coming.......And she just showed up at the airport, trusting God. She ends up getting here, she spends a month here, walking up and down the hallways and the sanctuary, praying and praising the Lord and worshiping, and she shared two visions with me at that time. And she said, I saw a 747 -- now what you have to know about this is there's another vision that happened in 1984 by a gentleman by the name of Dean Cozzens ["Two Prophecies 27 Years Apart Are Coming True Before Our Eyes"]...... where he saw a vision of a 747, and it had four engines, with four different movements of God. And the last one, it was a faith movement, a pentecostal movement, the charismatic movement, and this thing called a Hebrew movement. And this last engine on this plane, as it revved up, every previous engine revved up, revved down, everybody got excited, thought the thing was gonna take off, but it never did. And when this last engine revved up, it revved up and then all of the other movements, engines, revved at the same time: the faith movement, the healing movement, the charismatic--- it all moved, because everyone had a piece of the truth. And then the plan started to move, and everybody got excited, and the dream ended.
Well, this senior citizen [the 83 year old woman who flew to PFT Ministries] had a dream, or a vision, that she saw the 747, and I don't know if it was the same one, but it is an amazing connection. She saw it sitting on the runway for a long time and eventually it took off, and right when it took off, she saw two missiles come from nowhere. Two generals, two missiles. And these missiles came right toward the 747. And everyone, she saw closeups of people looking out the window, they were very scared. And right at the last minute, the missiles hit some sort of a barrier that was around the plane, and they never hit the plane.
She saw another vision of, she was in the sanctuary, and she saw come and it went through the top of the sanctuary, and came down and stuck into the ground. And she was scared at first until what came out of it, it was the angelic hosts of God. They were intercessors. They were prayer intercessors that had been called to pray for Passion For Truth.
And since then, it's been unbelievable, how many people have contacted us, saying that, you know what? this doesn't surprise me because God gave me a word of knowledge two months ago, three months ago, four months ago, six months ago, two weeks ago, a few days ago, to pray for Passion For Truth, because something is coming. I can't tell you how many times we've heard this. Have we not? It's been unbelievable. The visions continue......