THE CHURCH MILITANT
Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse.
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Showing posts with label Victorious Life/Positive Affirmation/Law of Attraction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Victorious Life/Positive Affirmation/Law of Attraction. Show all posts
Good ol’ Joel... with his million-dollar smile and witty accent. What’s not to like? In this video, I give a fair assessment of his teachings. I start out the video by addressing my intent in examining Joel’s teachings, that I’m not out to ‘get’ him, and if I’m ‘judging’ him fairly. I then address three main issues I have with his teachings.
I do have a lot of recommendations of other videos that I’ve already done. My intent is not to ‘plug’ them, but mainly because they’re related to this topic, and I don’t want to unnecessarily repeat all the information in this video since the info is already NEW THOUGHT, METAPHYSICAL, PROGRESSIVE TEACHINGS; WORD OF FAITH PROSPERITY GOSPEL EXPOSED
One would think that a church that believes it has the power to supernaturally heal at will any disease or ailment would not close the doors to its “healing rooms” during a health pandemic that is wreaking havoc all over the world. But that’s exactly what Bethel Church in Redding California did.
Bethel Church in Redding, CA is pastored by Bill Johnson who claims to be an Apostle — that is, he claims Apostolic authority just like the twelve men during Christ’s time on Earth. Bethel Redding, like all cults, is filled with aberrant, unbiblical teachings and doctrines of demons, including false manifestations of the Holy Spirit, grave sucking, and the Prosperity Gospel.
The rooms were closed on March 7 according to the church’s website.
But, have no fear, because the healing rooms are back in full operation now — online. According to their website, the healing rooms are where “we pursue the Holy Spirit and His healing power in a special time of ministry,” and it’s “a place we see God bring life, wholeness, and love to those suffering from physical ailments.”
Also, according to their website, they are “joy-filled believers who see God bring complete restoration and healing. We see hundreds of people every week, and it’s incredible.”
Go figure. Seems if they had so much supernatural power, they wouldn’t need to bring this service online. But they don’t.
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
KENNETH COPELAND DECLARES AMERICA HEALED
(Friday Church News Notes, April 3, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Pentecostal preacher Kenneth Copeland has exercised his prophetic “Word-Faith” powers to take authority over Covid-19 and to declare America healed. He said, “Standing in the Office of the Prophet of God, I execute judgement on you, COVID 19. ... I demand a vaccination to come immediately. I call you done. I call you gone. ... It is finished. It is over. And the United States of America is healed and well again, sayeth the mighty Spirit of peace who is also the Prince of War” (“Judgment Is Executed on Covid-19,” Mar. 30, 2020, YouTube). This deluded man is a reproach to the cause of Jesus Christ and the Word of God. I have seen him command a hurricane to dissolve and a crippled girl to be healed, and after the huffing and puffing and commanding and proclaiming was finished, the hurricane was still a destructive hurricane and the crippled girl was still crippled. It’s on video for all to see, just like this present fiasco. Jesus Christ can command storms and heal every disease, and He gave miracle-working sign gifts to His apostles to prove their apostleship. “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds” (2 Co. 12:12). But Copeland is not an apostle. He is “deceiving and being deceived” (2 Ti. 3:13), like the other Word-Faith hoaxers. I believe in miracles and have seen a great many miracles over these past 47 years of walking with Christ, and I believe in healing and have seen miraculous healings in answer to prayer, but we can’t demand and command these things. In this present time, we walk by faith, not sight, as we wait for the “manifestation of the sons of God” (Ro. 8:18-25).
PENTECOSTAL PASTOR ARRESTED FOR HAVING SUNDAY SERVICES
(Friday Church News Notes, April 3, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Pentecostal pastor Rodney Howard-Browne was arrested on Sunday, March 29, by Hillsborough County (Tampa, Florida) deputies for holding services in violation of county orders. He was charged with a misdemeanor for “unlawful assembly and violating quarantine orders during a public health emergency” and released on bail within 40 minutes. Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “Our goal here is not to stop anyone from worshiping, but the safety and well-being of our community must always come first” (Tampa Bay Times, Mar. 30, 2020). Quoting Mark 12:31, Chronister said, “Loving your neighbors is protecting them, not jeopardizing their health by exposing them to this deadly virus.” I’m not a fan of Howard-Browne, to say the least, who is a Word-Faith heretic, practices the near-insanity of Spirit-laughter and Spirit-drunkenness, and is a conspiratorial nut who has allegedly said that the covid-19 pandemic is a “phantom plague” created by the Chinese and planned at a Bill Gates Foundation event (Tampa Bay Times). But even heretics and nuts are guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom of religion and freedom of assembly under the U.S. Constitution. (And the government should not be in the business of deciding who is or isn’t a heretic or a nut.) These are indeed trying times, and it will be interesting to see how this case is decided.
THE ROOT OF AMERICA’S ILLS
(Friday Church News Notes, April 3, 2020, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The bottom line is that America needs to repent of her wickedness before God. Radical political action and multi-trillion dollar national debts will not solve America’s ills, because the fundamental issue is her terrible sin against the God that has shown her such light and mercy. And the very root of it all is the apostasy, corruption, compromise, worldliness, and lukewarmness in her churches. And that includes the majority of the most staunchly conservative, evangelical, “fundamentalist,” and even “independent Baptist”! From my perspective, most “Bible-believing” churches in America are lukewarm at best. I believe that the promise of God to Solomon at the dedication of the temple has a proper application to God’s people in America today. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). What happens in God’s house dramatically affects the White House. It’s high time to exchange a frivolous fun and games program, an entertainment program with a thin veneer of religiosity, for a program of serious prayer, serious Bible study, serious Bible preaching with exegetical substance and plain reproof and rebuke, serious holiness, serious separation from the wickedness of this fallen world, serious pilgrim Christianity, serious Christian living in the homes, being serious about the fathers being the heads of the homes and the mothers being the keepers of the home, serious about putting God’s will before economics, serious training of children and discipling of youth, and above all, serious about a regenerate church membership!
ELTON JOHN PREACHING
“BE WHATEVER YOU WANT TO BE”
(Friday Church News Notes, April 3, 2020, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Rocker Elton John, a prominent gay-rights activist, emceed “The iHeart Living Room Concert for America” on Sunday, March 29. Artists included Alicia Keys, the Backstreet Boys, and Mariah Carey, all performing from their homes. At 73, Elton John has this message for youth: “Just be yourself. Don’t let anybody do you down. ... I love being gay. ... If you’re unhappy at home, leave, Don’t let anybody torture you for being gay or for your sexuality. ... Be proud of who you are. There are so many wonderful diverse people in the world--straight people, gay people [and] transgender people. We’re all God’s kids. People who should know better in places of responsibility [and] attack gay people, transgender people … they claim to be close to God, [but] they couldn’t be further away from God if they tried” (“Elton John Has a Message for Struggling LGBTQ Youth,” Variety, July 5, 2019). It appears that Elton now thinks of himself as a prophet of God, since he speaks on God’s behalf. Elton’s message has been the message of the rock & roll pop culture since its inception. In the 1960s, I was captivated when the Rolling Stones sang, “I’m free to do what I want any old time,” and the Animals said amen to that with, “It’s my life and I’ll do what I want; it’s my mind and I’ll think what I want.” That philosophy resonated with me in those days, but the end of living for oneself is death, because man is not his own God. To live as one pleases is rebellion to the true God who gives us life and breath and all things (Acts 17:25). The “be what you please” message is a lot older than the 1960s, in fact. About 6,000 years ago, in a very nice garden, a serpent said, “Ye shall not surely die ... ye shall be as gods” (Ge. 3:5). It was a lie. We didn’t make ourselves and we aren’t gods and we do die.
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
Robert Jeffress used to be a respectable man. He used to be a well-known conservative pastor who acted like he believed the gospel and believed in conservative biblical morals and values. It has become increasingly evident that Jeffress has a different motivation as he has sold his soul to the devil for personal, worldly gain over the last few years.
Robert Jeffress is the pastor of Southern Baptist megachurch, First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas and is also a well-known Fox News contributor. Jeffress is an avid Trump supporter — which is fine, but he has done so at the expense of the gospel.
Since Donald Trump became president, Jeffress has made promoting the president, himself, and his own personal work a top priority and has done so by compromising the gospel. Last October, Jeffress, along with several other right-wing religious leaders promoted Paula White’s book stating that his friend “has a wonderful new book releasing tomorrow about God’s power to transform lives.”
For those who don’t know who Paula White is, she is a well-known false teacher, a prosperity gospel pimptress, has promoted pornographic videos, and had an affair with another false teacher, Benny Hinn. But Paula White is Jeffress’ partner in the White House as they serve together on Trump’s spiritual advisory board.
Again, there is nothing wrong with supporting the president, as I do. And there is nothing wrong with conservative values — I support them 100 percent. But Robert Jeffress has replaced the gospel with the desire to promote these things and has given credibility to a false teacher who damns people to Hell with her false gospel. That is evil.
A few weeks ago, Jeffress joined Jim Bakker for an in-studio book promo.
If anyone is worse than Paula White, it’s Jim Bakker. Jim Bakker is not only a financial fraud but a spiritual fraud who has spent his entire life defrauding people in the name of Christ. Bakker is best known for defrauding donors to his PTL Club‘s fundraising activities between 1984 and 1987. Bakker was found guilty in 1988 on eight counts of mail fraud, 15 counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy totaling millions of dollars and 45 years in prison which was eventually repealed and subsequently sentenced to 8 years.
Now, Jim Bakker spends his time on television bilking people for money by selling fraudulent food and medical supplies. Just last week, Bakker was ordered to cease and desist making claims that his “Silver Solution” cures the coronavirus. Decades later, Bakker is still a fraud — and Robert Jeffress uses him to promote himself.
Now, Jeffress will be joining TBN’s Matt and Laurie Crouch to continue to peddle his book, Courageous.
Of all of these spiritual frauds, Matt and Laurie Crouch — the owners of TBN — are arguably the worst of them as they are the enablers of these frauds. Their television network, TBN, has given a loud voice to thousands of spiritual frauds by continuously broadcasting them on public airwaves for the world to see and hear.
Jeffress, instead of warning about these people — people he knows are wolves — he’s feeding his congregation to them. He’s literally cutting up the souls of his own sheep in his own church and feeding them to the wolves all in the name of selling books, promoting himself, and promoting the president.
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
Elevation Church is one of the most subversive and dangerous pseudo-Christian movements in the world. Following in the footsteps of Hillsong, Steven Furtick, the lead pastor, has built an empire that has grown tremendously with now over 20 campuses and even internationally with campuses in Toronto.
Steven Furtick says stupid things all the time. Steven Furtick once asserted that Jesus broke the law — that is, committed sin — in order to save people. The prosperity gospel-preaching huckster out of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC is best known for reading himself into Scripture and making it all about him. In short, he’s a narcissist.
One of the reasons Elevation Church is so subversive is that on paper — or in this case, on website — the Church holds to a seemingly orthodox statement of faith. That is, the church affirms the essential doctrines according to their “official” beliefs. This is not surprising since Steven Furtick and Elevation Church have Southern Baptist roots — Furtick knows what these essential doctrines are. However, Steven Furtick preaches and practices something completely different.
The prosperity gospel is arguably the second-most nefarious and subversive false gospel plaguing the American Church today, right behind the social justice gospel. The prosperity gospel teaches that God is, in a sense, a genie in a bottle and by having enough faith, you can get what you want from him — material gain.
The prosperity gospel in America is largely associated with celebrity hucksters like Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes, and others, but the false gospel has plagued the more conservative sects as well. And while the prosperity gospel is stereotypically associated with health and wealth, the same principle applies to a multitude of selfish desires.
The prosperity gospel can range from praying for things like a new car, new house … a new private jet … to more seemingly appropriate things such as a spouse, the ability to have children, or a college degree. The principle doesn’t limit its application to the thing being desired, rather it is the motivation behind the desire that counts.
Further, the prosperity gospel isn’t limited only to seed-faith or seed-sowing which is typically associated with giving money to a preacher or ministry in exchange for promises of health and wealth. The prosperity gospel boils down selfish gain and is rooted in greed. More often than not, the prosperity gospel is simply praying for something that you want from a carnal standpoint as opposed to praying God’s will.
Steven Furtick has been completely given over to the prosperity gospel. How often does Furtick preach about the holiness of God and the detrimental state of man before him? How often does he preach about sin? How often does he preach about shed blood of Jesus being the only hope for redemption and reconciliation to God the Father?
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research
purposes:
Todd White, Todd Bentley, and now, interestingly but unsurprisingly, Francis Chan have told countless stories about how they’ve healed sick people, cured chronic and mortal diseases, and even raised people from the dead. Interestingly, however, there has never once been any unassailable proof of their claims.
Francis Chan — who recently departed the faith to join the faith-healer charismatic cult — recently told a story of how he healed countless people in Myanmar. “Every person I touched was healed. I have never experienced this in 52 years,” he told his audience at Moody Bible Institute. But what he didn’t tell them is that nobody saw it, nobody can attest to it, nobody can vouch for it, and, of course, there was no video or medical documentation of it. That is typical.
But what a better way to prove to the world that you’re not just another charismatic crazy quack with false testimonies of faux-healings than to go to China and start healing people of the worst pandemic of a deadly viral disease the world has seen in this generation? Why are they silent? Why aren’t they there, in China, healing people and ending this outbreak of coronavirus?
When Jesus healed people, the world saw it. The people witnessed it. And the Scriptures attest to it. Jesus didn’t heal people for the simple purpose of just those he healed knowing about it. Jesus healed people to prove to the world who he was. Further, he gave the Apostles and certain others the power to perform miracles not simply for the purpose of lessening suffering in the world but to establish the authority of God’s Word of which they spoke and wrote. These miracles were never performed in obscure places but were done in the presence of the world to witness.
Today, those who claim the power to heal people, cure people of sickness, and even raise people from the dead interestingly only do it places of obscurity without any form of documentation or evidence. This is why it’s prevalent in third-world countries — like Myanmar. Because people like Francis Chan can come back and say “every person I touched was healed” without worrying about tribal people without any form of technology being able to out him.
The reason Chan, White, and Bentley — and anyone else who claims to be able to heal people — won’t go to China to heal people of the COVID-19 coronavirus is simple: they can’t. They have no power to heal people. These men are liars and deceivers. It’s sad that Francis Chan has taken that path, but Francis Chan has now joined the ranks of liars and deceivers around the world. Some of these men may have slightly different motives than others for doing this, but one thing is clear — they do it for to appease their own appetites.
For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
Michael Brown, the world’s most renowned apologist for Satan, has relentlessly defended the heresy these people spread like wildfire throughout third-world countries — where apparently phones don’t have working cameras — and makes excuses for their wicked behavior while labeling those who are skeptical as “hyper critics.”
When Young Living Founder and CEO D. Gary Young began researching essential oils, he did not know that his personal journey would take him thousands of years into the past, around the world, and into the forefront of the natural wellness field. Learn the history and evolution of essential oils and discover the power of our proprietary Seed to Seal® process.
PROSPERITY, "LAW" OF ATTRACTION REJECTED:
WHY I STOPPED SELLING ESSENTIAL OILS~
CHRISTIANITY, IDOLATRY & NEW AGE MARKETING
Oils in and of themselves are fine. There are oils in the Bible, after all. It's the idolatry and new age marketing that are the problem.
Former essential oil distributor, Liberty Rose Brewster explains how essential oil blends are marketed as magical formula blends such as "abundance," "trauma recovery," and "forgiveness," with new age teachings blended in.
As a Christian, Liberty could no longer support this idolatrous marketing.
You can contact Liberty at Instagram.com/LibertyRoseBrewster
INTERVIEW WITH DOREEN VIRTUE, EX-NEW AGER: "DIVINATION, OIL COMBOS WILL BRING MONEY"; MEDICAL CLAIMS EXPOSED; FTC STOPS THEM
THE CULT I ALMOST JOINED Young Living Essential Oils is a cult, and an MLM. I almost joined the cult in college, but I got informed and avoided it. I used to thing Young Living was a scam and nothing more, but after having studied the work of cult expert and psychologist, Steven Hassan, I now know otherwise. D. Gary Young is a scam artist, criminal, and conman of the highest order. Contrary to what he taught, essential oils don't work as medicine, and they certainly don't cure cancer. Whether it's Young Living, Doterra, or any other multilevel marketing company selling oils, keep in mind that oils have minimal use outside of aromatherapy for comfort/relaxation.
THE PATRIOT NURSE EXPOSES YOUNG LIVING
OILS ARE POPULAR WITH THE GULLIBLE~ VOILA! A BIBLE THAT PRODUCES OIL A SCAM! CHRIS ROSEBROUGH OF FIGHTING FOR THE FAITH EXPOSES IT
WHY YOUR CHURCH SHOULDN'T PLAY BETHEL, JESUS CULTURE, HILLSONG & ELEVATION MUSIC
TODD FRIEL & JUSTIN PETERS
GIVE THE REASONS
All Religions Are Merging Through Music - Missionary Spencer Smith
Why We Should Avoid Bethel Music
Why We Don't Sing Bethel Music
Is it wrong to sing songs from Bethel if they are theologically correct?
In this episode of #RedeemingTruth, Pastors Costi Hinn, Dale Thackrah, and Kyle Swanson provide insight into the dangers of supporting ministries like Bethel, that have a false understanding of who Christ is.
Defining Deception Book: https://www.amazon.com/Defining-Decep...
If you are looking for theologically accurate worship music to listen to or sing in your church, we have put together a worship playlist that you can listen to here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Xn...
Redeemer Bible Church: redeemeraz.org
DAVE RAMSEY, "FINANCIAL ADVISER" AT HILLSONG CHURCH AND YOU TRUSTED HIM?
This my friends, was by far one of the most horrifyingly disturbing videos I have ever had to make. Prior to my past few weeks of tireless and exhausting research, I knew Heidi Baker was “bad”, but— I certainly did not know she was this “bad.”
Please share this video with any of your friends who are stuck in the NAR or Word of Faith movements... (Iris, Lifestyle Christianity, Bethel, IHOP, YWAM, etc)
Follow me on Instagram: @lindsdavisss
In this video we will be discussing the following topics:
•Is Heidi Baker truly MONOTHEISTIC? Or POLYTHEISTIC? Monotheism is the belief in one God. Polytheism is the belief in more than one God.
•The Toronto “Blessing”/Heidi’s encounter at the Toronto Blessing
• “Holy Spirit” manifestations (“holy laughter”, violent shaking, convulsing, barking like dogs, etc.) Is this the Holy Spirit? Or is this the devil?
•Is Heidi Baker imparting demons to people at conferences and churches worldwide?
•Baptism of the Holy Spirit/Baptism of Fire/ Speaking in tongues.
• Heidi Bakers husband, Rolland Baker. (Who may be even more dangerously disturbing than Heidi.)
•Spiritual Drunkenness
• Heidi Bakers Trips to Heaven! Allegedly, God have Heidi Baker keys to a storehouse in Heaven, full of body parts which she can access “anytime she wants!”. Why isn’t Heidi doing this? Why isn’t she going to children’s hospitals all over the world, giving people new ligaments and eyes? Why isn’t she giving new body parts to people on transplant lists?
•Her borderline universalist beliefs about those who are “in the hand of God.”
Heidi Baker Goes Deeper (Into Hypnosis NOT the Holy Spirit)
Heidi Baker False Teacher Exposed
Carol Arnott and Heidi Baker Manifest an Unholy Spirit
False Teachings Exposed: Holly Pivec and the NAR Heresy
Interview by Doreen Virtue, & Melissa Dougherty, ex-New Agers
Bethel Church posted Olive Heiligenthal’s image all over social media as they prayed for her resurrection.
A Charismatic megachurch caused national headlines after they announced a campaign to pray and raise money for a resurrection after the unexpected death of a 2-year old toddler in their congregation. The pastor, Bill Johnson has attempted to use the Biblical example of Jesus performing resurrections as his basis to plead with God for a miraculous intervention. While this may all seem noble and godly on the exterior, upon closer examination, this prayer plan came from a church that is filled heretical, unbiblical and even occult practices. And it is sad commentary on the lack of discernment of many well-meaning Christians today who are looking for churches based on sound Biblical doctrine.
#WAKEUPOLIVE – BETHEL CHURCH’S PRAYER CAMPAIGN FOR A RESURRECTION
According to reports:
“Music echoed throughout the cavernous space as hundreds of congregants of a church in Redding, Calif., jumped up and down with their hands in the air. At the front of the room, a worship leader danced around a stage lined with lit Christmas trees as giant screens played the song’s lyrics.
“Come alive/ Come alive/ Come alive, dry bones/ Awake, arise/ Inhale the light”
The group was praying for 2-year-old Olive Heiligenthal, who Bethel Church says unexpectedly stopped breathing on Saturday. But the worshipers were not praying for her soul to find rest or for her family to be healed. They were asking God to raise her from the dead.
Kalley Heiligenthal, a worship leader at the church, and her husband, Andrew Heiligenthal, called 911 when they realized their daughter was not breathing, Bethel’s leadership said in a statement. First responders tried to revive Olive at her home and at the hospital, but the church said she was pronounced dead the same day. Her body was transferred to the Shasta County Coroner’s Office.
The church said its congregants believe in the miracle of resurrection, “which is modeled by Jesus in the New Testament of the Bible.” This is Bethel’s first public gathering of prayer for someone to return to life, according to a statement from the church’s leadership.” (source).
Bethel Church is a non-denominational charismatic church in Redding, CA. They have built a massive, global following through their mega-popular Christian contemporary music that is sung in thousands of churches all over the country every Sunday. They preach that the Holy Spirit has empowered them to prophesy and perform supernatural miracles, “signs and wonders” on a regular basis. However, there is a great deal of wildly unbiblical practices in this church.
BILL JOHNSON’S MANY HERESIES
Here is a video that breaks down some of the incorrect, unbiblical teachings of Bethel Church pastor Bill Johnson:
In stunning fashion, Johnson states that the Apostle Paul was preaching “another Gospel” because he stated that God permitted him to be ill with a “thorn in the flesh.” Let’s examine this passage in context:
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” – 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Note that Paul gave the specific reason for why he suffered the “thorn” – to keep him humble. Jesus personally appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, leading to his conversion to the Christian faith. Paul communed with God in Sinai. 13 of the books of the New Testament were written by him. He was given the power via the Holy Spirit to perform miracles. All these things could have led Paul to be full of himself – puffed up with pride that he was the special Apostle of Christ. But the thorn was a reminder to remain humble.
Also note that Paul said he prayed 3 times to be healed and God did not heal him. Why? God told him “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness .” God forgiving Paul for all of the sins in his life was enough consolation and furthermore, The Lord wanted Paul to lean on God in the moments he felt physically, emotionally or spiritually weak. This is when God demonstrates His strength: when we humbly cry out in affliction and paid for help from Him.
The fact that Christians will suffer in this life is taught all throughout Scripture. Jesus Christ said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
Yet Bill Johnson stated in the above video that the notion that God would allow any Christian to suffer bad health was “another Gospel” – essentially labeling that passage from 2 Corinthians as heresy! This should give any Christian pause – a pastor is directly telling his Church that certain parts of Paul’s teachings are false. And that any teaching that agrees with it is false. In a ‘Signs and Wonders’ ministry believers are to command and demand their miracles and believe they are entitled to every healing, blessing and prosperous situation ever mentioned in the Bible. This is not sound teaching.
When Job, whom God called the most faitfhul man on Earth in his day, lost his home, wealth and children in a day. Let us examine his reaction:
“While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.” – Job 1:13-22
This passage alone absolutely shatters the notion that we Christians should have an expectation of health, wealth, good looks and prosperity. Maybe we will have all those things, maybe not. As we live in this Earth, which is still under the curse of sin and death, nothing is promised to the Christian. Notice Job, whom God called the most faitful man on Earth, did not immediately demand a resurrection. He did not break into song to “manifest the Spirit” for supernatural power. He simply dropped to his knees and worshiped.
Job did not know why God allowed these things to happen but he trusted God had a great and mighty purpose in it. That is faith. It is trusting God when you do not know what is going to happen.
CAN WE PRAY FOR MIRACLES?
Christian can always ask God to do the impossible.
There is no sin or shame in praying for God to perform a miraculous, supernatural act in your life. Even in praying for the dead to come to life, we see Biblical examples of Jesus doing this. However, there is great danger in following teachings from a pastor or church who do not follow or teach the Bible accurately. What Bethel Church has done is precisely what Johnson discusses in the video above: preaching “another Gospel.” His false teaching incorrectly states that if the healing does no happen – the fault is on the person praying, because they should have the power of signs and wonders. This not only can lead to massive disappointment and confusion for the congregation, it leads to great spiritual error.
CHANNELING DEMONIC SPIRITS – BETHEL’S “DRUNKEN” CHURCH SERVICES
Bethel Church practices getting “drunk” and “high” in the Spirit.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1
One of the principal teachings of Bethel Church is that they can make the Holy Spirit manifest at their church services and take control of the congregation. This is demonstrated through acting “drunk”- a term the church uses for when you start laughing uncontrollably and enter into wild, chaotic behavior and spasms. There is absolutely no Biblical example of this whatsoever in Scripture. You will never find any instance of a believer in God acting irrationally or intoxicated as a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
But that has not stopped the false teachers at Bethel Church from encouraging their thousands of followers from engaging in just this very thing. In the extremely disturbing video below, Heidi Baker and her husband Rolland, leaders in Bethel, summon what appear to be demonic forces all throughout the congregation:
The young man in the video (who Baker “laid hands on”) is writhing on the ground and screaming in sheer agony a mere 2-3 feet from Baker and she does not even pay him any mind. Clearly, this is what she wanted to happen. Beloved, this behavior is not of the Holy Spirit. At no point in the Bible does any person who is indwelled with the Holy Spirit of God, ever roll on the floor, enter into gyrations, scream wildly or exhibit any form of erratic behavior. This is critical to understand because there are many churches today who false teach that “drunken” behavior or falling out onto the ground, are signs of being “filled with the Holy Ghost.”
What we see in the video is much more in line with demonic possession:
“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.” – Mark 5:1-5
Notice in the passage above, the man, possessed with numerous demons, was uncontrollable. He had to be chained and restrained because he was so violent and irrational in his actions and no man could “tame him.” All the while he was cutting himself and screaming. This is the result of demon possession in Scripture.
Once Jesus healed this man, the evidence of this miracle was from his very calm, normal behavior:
“Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.” – Luke 8:35-36
This man had experienced the healing power of God Almighty. He had a direct encounter with the Divine and what was the reaction? Was he acting irrational and insane? No, he was now calm and “in his right mind.” The fact that his demeanor was so normal frightened onlookers who were used to his animalistic behavior when he was possessed by demonic spirits. Keeping this in mind, what spirit was indwelling the young man in the video above? The Holy Spirit? God forbid. Do not be deceived.
Here is a clip of Bethel teaching congregants to enter a “Tunnel Of Fire” in which their fans are allegedly catching “Holy Spirit Fire”:
Again, notice there is no preaching taking place. There is no place for the Bible to be taught. It is merely emotion, wild spirituality and experience. This is not how a church service should be run. There is no example of this in Scripture whatsoever. The Bible says:
“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” – 1 Corinthians 14:29-33
The Lord is not “the author of confusion.” This is a difficult challenge – when a church appears to have the best intentions and motivations but are not following the Bible, they are no different than any secular, New Age or pagan belief system. Jesus Christ said: “… the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63). If a Church is not basing their beliefs or practices on what is sound, Biblical doctrine, then they do not have the Spirit – no matter what “manifestations” or spectacular behavior takes place.
CHILDREN TAUGHT TO “RELEASE SPIRITS”
Again, we see Bethel Church engaging in unbiblical practices. Here there are teenagers teaching other children on how they can “release spirits”:
PROMOTING THE LOVE OF MONEY
Kris Valotton, a leader in the church, has promoted the heretical “Prosperity Gospel” – the false teaching that if a person gives a great deal of money the pastors of a church God will give greater blessings. There is no Biblical basis for this teaching whatsoever and it is manipulative in that it pressures the congregation to give more money to the pastor as “evidence of their faith.” Here is a perfect example of how deceptive this teaching can be:
There are numerous errors in this very short clip. First off, the Valotton is describing the events of John 12:
“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein. Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.” – John 12:1-8
Valotton says that Mary poured a “years’ worth of wages on Jesus” and as a result of this she received the revelation that “Jesus is the Christ and was raised from the dead.” As seen in the passage above, the Bible never states that because of her generous “giving” Mary received a “special revelation” or “extra revelation” from God. It’s just in the text at all. The reason Jesus points to for Mary’s act of worship was that it was a foreshadow of His death on the cross that would take place just days later. The oil Mary used was normally reserved for the dead as a part of the funeral and burial process.
Additionally, the Mary in this passage was the sister of Lazarus, whom Jesus resurrected from the dead. This was not Mary Magdalene – the disciple of Jesus who was the first to see The Lord after His resurrection:
“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him…
Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master. Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.” – John 20:1-2; 10-18
Notice it was Mary Magdalene, not Mary of Bethany who was the first to receive the revelation that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. Valloton is not even teaching the Bible accurately. But he can get away with this subtle deception because he is not actually reading the text – he is merely paraphrasing Biblical events in his own words.
Similarly, he says that Judas did not receive revelation because he was a thief and stingy. There is also nowhere in the Bible that states this. Yet Valotton creates this “principle” and concludes by stating “God gives back to you spiritual things when you sow natural things.” This may sound Biblical but it’s not in the Bible.
Micah 3 states:
“Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.” – Micah 3:9-12
This type of worldly, material-focused preaching is heresy. It is an example of “teaching for hire” the very thing that Micah rebuked the priests in ancient Israel for doing. Bethel’s School of “Supernatural Ministry” which Vallotton states: “We’re equipping a company of revivalists to transform the world” charges $5000 for admission. The church made $60M in income in 2018, of which over $20M was “tithes and offerings.”
Bethel drew controversy in early 2019 for using “destiny cards”, a set of cards with imagery and symbols used to “divine” someone’s future and give them a “reading.” Christalignment, the company that makes the cards, states this about their spiritual services:
“All Christalignment team members operate only out of the third heaven realm. That means we are all hearing from Christ spirit. This ensures safety for you and a way higher level of accuracy. … We have developed 7 sets in total of destiny cards which are so accurate, that even if your life circumstances change dramatically, on your return to do them again years later, you will find the results identical, such is their accuracy. They are able to give profound insight into relationships, careers and your spiritual life.”
Here is a clip of the Christalignment team giving readings at the Rainbow Serpent festival in Australia:
Notice the young girl admits to taking “2 hits of acid” before her reading. All the while the videographer from Christalignment tries to coax her into stating that she had Christian conversion. Does any of this seem like a young woman who heard the Gospel – that she is a sinner, guilty before God and sentenced to damnation and can only find forgiveness of her sins through faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus on the cross? Does this seem like a person “in their right mind?”
The Bible strictly forbids any type of occult or New Age practices:
“There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.” – Deuteronomy 18:10-12
Bethel Church Pastor Theresa Dedmon sells prophetic “Destiny Pants” that can prophesy and summon angels.
This is the danger of mixing Christianity with witchcraft. In a published statement, Bethel Church was adamant that they do not endorse using tarot cards. However, using cards to determine one’s future, whether you call them tarot or “Christalignment” is practicing divination – which is a sin. Furthermore, the way the Christalignment creators discuss Jesus themselves, is in a New Age fashion – not a Biblical one. By referring to the “Christ Spirit” they are “aligning” with the notion of a “Christ Consciousness” – the New Age notion that Jesus is a spiritual force that you can tap into, rather than the Son of God who died on the cross for your sins. Do not be deceived.
FOLLOWING JESUS IN THE AGE OF THE CELEBRITY CHRISTIAN
Bethel’s wildly popular music brings in many unsuspecting followers.
In this era of social media, more and more Christian pastors, churches, bloggers and “influencers” are drawing massive followings who cling more to personality than sound doctrine. Thus, when confronted with an article like this that exposes the clear and often brazen heresy and sin within a particular ministry and react with anger because their “favorites” are being “attacked.” Beloved, if this is you, take time and pray to God for patience and understanding.
The Lord gave us His Holy Bible for a reason – it is the standard for all believers. And if a Church or pastor or Christian is leading people away from it, that is sinful rebellion. In the book of Romans, we read:
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” – Romans 16:17-18
Bethel Church has caused numerous offense contrary to the Bible and must be avoided. Pray for those who are under their sway to receive loving, Biblical correction and leave. And for those involved in the leadership of that church, pray they repent. Many souls are at stake and the only thing that can save them is the Biblical Gospel – trust and faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ who died so He could take the punishment we all deserve for our sins. Lord willing, more of those deceived by Bethel will come to know this and truly follow the Savior of Scripture and not another Jesus.
[B&E: Here are videos from a longtime Bethel member exposing the sinful and occult practices of Bethel Church and their School of Supernatural Ministry.]
Chris Rosebrough of Fighting for the Faith interviews "fired" Bethel member for exposing apostasy, etc:
Holly Pivec, NAR/Bethel Researcher, interviewed by Doreen Virtue, ex-new-ager:
