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.
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.
BENNY HINN BEGS FOR MONEY TWO DAYS AFTER RENOUNCING THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL
(Friday Church News Notes, October 4, 2019, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Benn Hinn,” Hallels News, Sep. 7, 2019: “Earlier this week, televangelist and faith healer Benny Hinn announced that he will no longer preach the ‘prosperity gospel.’ The prosperity gospel teaches that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one’s material wealth. However, two days after Hinn’s confession, he is already asking for donations. In a live video posted to his Facebook page on Monday, Hinn apologizes, ‘I'm sorry to say that prosperity has gone a little crazy and I’m correcting my own theology and you need to all know it. Because when I read the Bible now, I don’t see the Bible in the same eyes I saw 20 years ago.’ ‘I think it's an offense to the Lord, it's an offense to say give $1,000. I think it's an offense to the Holy Spirit to place a price on the Gospel. I'm done with it. I will never again ask you to give $1,000 or whatever amount, because I think the Holy Ghost is just fed up with it.’ Two days after renouncing the prosperity gospel, Hinn’s website still asks donors to give up to $1,000 a month to Hinn’s ministry. Additionally, just two days after Hinn's video aired, he asked his followers to send him seed money for ‘debt elimination.’”
INTERVARSITY INTRODUCES “QUEER BIBLE STUDY”
(Friday Church News Notes, October 4, 2019, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “InterVarsity Introduces,” ReformationCharlotte.org, Sept. 27, 2019: “InterVarsity is an interdenominational Evangelical fellowship designed for college students to interact and fellowship with each other. But, like CRU — formerly Campus Crusade for Christ — InterVarsity has taken a progressive nosedive into apostasy .... InterVarsity is closely tied to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and SBC churches have a habit of connecting their students to InterVarsity teams on campuses when they’re away at college. In 2016, InterVarsity officially affirmed that marriage was between a man and a woman, however, the organization has gay and lesbian groups on campuses. One such campus is at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where a Bible-study group has been formed and named, ‘Queer Bible Study.’ ... The group was started by a lesbian named Alyssa Walter who says she came out as a ‘queer Christian’ in 2018. She said she felt she could not lead other “queer Christians” without being fully out herself.”
CHINESE CHRISTIANS THROWING AWAY BIBLES TO RAISE “SOCIAL CREDIT SCORE”
(Friday Church News Notes, October 4, 2019, www.wayoflife.org fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - The following is excerpted from “Chinese Christians,” PulpitandPen.org, Sept. 19, 2019: “According to the South China Morning Post, Christians in China have been visited by government officials and told that to raise their ‘Social Credit Score,’ they needed to replace all religious imagery with portraits of Communist leaders and replace the Holy Bible with Communist quotations. According to the news reports, hundreds of thousands of Chinese Christians are surrendering their Christian paintings and writings to comply with government rating standards. The so-called Social Credit Score is a nationwide “reputation scoring system” implemented in China in 2014 that has the entire world spooked. By providing a credit score for reputation, the Chinese government is more effectively controlling their populace than by violent force. The system gives scoring based upon social media posts, neighbor opinions, employer records, and stats provided by public utilities. These scores are then used to determine hiring eligibility and social standing in Chinese institutions.”
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:
GRAPEVINE, Texas —Televangelist Benny Hinn said on Monday that he has had
a change of heart in regard to prosperity preaching and is actually quite upset
about the matter — specifically in terms of asking people to give money so that
God will bless them in return. Hinn stated that he is concerned that many churches
are delivering a “feel good” message that centers on self, and warned the people
that persecution is coming to America.
Some are cautiously optimistic about Hinn’s words and opine that time will tell whether or not his stated transformation is genuine.
“Today, sadly, among a lot of circles all you hear is how to build the flesh. It’s a feel good message,” he said on Your Love World. “It’s about feel good, do good, make money — all the rest of it. And I’m sorry to say that prosperity has gone a little crazy, and I’m correcting my own theology and you need to all know it.”
Hinn, one of the most recognized proponents of the prosperity gospel’s promises of favor and blessings in exchange for “seed faith giving,” revealed that he does not view the Bible the same as he once did. He said that he has felt this way for some time, but has not been public about it so as to avoid hurting friends who still believe as he once did.
“I think it’s an offense to the Lord. It’s an offense to [tell people to] give a thousand dollars,” he said forthrightly. “I think it’s an offense to the Holy Spirit to place a price on the gospel.”
“I’m done with it,” Hinn said, generating applause. “I will never again ask you to give a thousand or whatever amount because I think the Holy Ghost is just fed up with it. … I think that hurts the gospel.”
He noted that he was making the statement publicly for the first time, adding that he doesn’t “care what people think about me anymore.”
Hinn said that he recently corrected someone for preaching such a message, and that he likely will not be well-received if he’s invited to assist with telethon fundraisers in the future.
“I think they will not like me anymore,” he remarked. “If I hear one more time, ‘Break the back of debt with a thousand dollars,’ I’m going to rebuke them. I think that’s buying the gospel. That’s buying the blessing. That’s grieving the Holy Spirit.”
He told those watching that if they do not give financially simply because they love Jesus, then “don’t bother giving.”
“I think giving has become such a gimmick that it’s making me sick to my stomach,” Hinn stated emphatically. “And I’ve been sick for a while, too. I just couldn’t say it. And now, the lid is off. I’ve had it.”
Hinn, who has been known to live a lavish lifestyle and for his charismatic crusades where crowds fall backwards at the swoosh of the arm, said he believes he needs to take the stand now because he doesn’t want God to rebuke him when he stands before the throne.
“I think it’s time we say it like it is: The gospel is not for sale,” he declared to applause. “And the blessings of God are not for sale, and miracles are not for sale. And prosperity is not for sale.”
Hinn said that he still believes in prosperity, but told those watching to stay away from teaching that would put them in the mindset of doing things for self and what they can get from God. He outlined that the proper motivation for giving is because you want to see other lives changed by the gospel, not because of what you can get out of it.
“If it’s not about adoring [and] loving Jesus, have nothing to do with it,” he exhorted. “If it’s about self and moolah … about how to get rich, [stay away from it].”
Hinn also remarked during the broadcast that he believes Christians are too entangled with politics and that persecution is coming to America. He urged Christians to be bold and not be afraid to speak the name of Jesus rather than speaking in general terms about God.
“When someone does not glorify His name, it really gets to me. Why are they afraid to say ‘Jesus’? They’ll say ‘God’ or something else to be politically correct,” he noted. “We are to be bold. We are not ashamed of the name Jesus! … Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is lord!”
Hinn told a story about his daughter, Jessica, explaining that she had been asked to speak at a women’s conference in Minneapolis, but was told once she arrived not to speak about the Bible or repentance but to simply give the women hope. She refused.
“This is what is happening in the Church. They want to keep the crowds happy,” he lamented.
Christian News Network contacted Benny Hinn Ministries and World Healing Center Church to obtain further comment, but was only able to reach a live operator through a donation and products line. An automated menu recording has a prayer for callers that wishes “God’s favor and blessings be upon you in a greater way than ever before.”
Costi Hinn
Costi Hinn, the nephew of Benny Hinn and pastor of discipleship at Redeemer Bible Church in Gilbert, Arizona, told Christian News that he is cautiously optimistic about his uncle’s words.
“I was encouraged by his blunt refutation of the prosperity gospel,” he said. “I sincerely hope and pray that this is the beginning of repentance for him and a turnaround in these later years in his life and ministry.”
Hinn had been brought up in prosperity preaching but came to renounce it in realizing that its promises of health, wealth and giving to get do not square with the Bible. He outlined in his book “God, Greed and the Prosperity Gospel: How the Truth Overwhelms a Life Built on Lies” that he loves his family and is only opposing the theology, not the people themselves.
“I’m on a rescue operation,” Hinn explained. “There are millions of people who need to be saved from the prosperity gospel like I was. I’m trying to reach them, while at the same time inspiring other people to reach them too. I want people to see that the prosperity gospel is damning and abusive. It exploits the poor and ruins the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.”
Hinn told Christian News that he hopes his uncle is genuinely repentant and not merely remorseful. He said that Hinn has expressed regret for statements and decisions in the past only to resume his unbiblical behavior.
“Genuine repentance in the Bible is always accompanied by actions that prove that it’s really repentance,” he stated, explaining that repentance would look similar to that of the account of Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree out of his eagerness to see Jesus.
“Jesus saves him and goes to his house that day, and is willing to eat a meal with him and show him love and grace in the midst of his past and his sin,” he recalled. “And Zacchaeus is jumping for joy, excited to pay people back, excited to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus and show his genuine repentance through his actions.”
Hinn noted that the Bible says love is to believe all things and hope all things (1 Corinthians 13:7), and that Monday’s announcement should be treated accordingly. Time will tell, he said, whether or not the transformation is for real.
“My desire is that Uncle Benny’s statement is not merely public remorse to save face or protect his ministry from decline,” he stated, “but rather that it is genuine repentance and that he would be willing to forsake everything if it means gaining Christ and the full gospel.”
In 2018, Benny Hinn made similar remarks in a Facebook live video, stating that he believes in prosperity but not the kind that is seen today.
“Today, the idea is abundance and palatial homes and cars and bank accounts. The focus is wrong. … It’s so wrong,” he said. “We all sadly make the mistake of thinking that, ‘Well this is what God wants,’ and God says ‘No, that’s not what I want.’ It’s time to live biblically. You know, it all comes down to one thing. Do we love Jesus, yes or no? If we love Jesus, then it’s all about Jesus. If we don’t love Jesus, then it’s about other things.”
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:
REDDING, Calif. —Bethel Church, led by Bill Johnson, is raising new concerns after it posted to its Facebook page on Thursday that its program for those who struggle with homosexuality has never had the message of “all must change,” suggesting that those who “feel fulfilled and happy as [they] are” aren’t required by God to repent. Bethel has raised many concerns over the years for its unorthodox teachings and practices, such as “grave soaking” and the purported sightings of falling gold dust and feathers during services.
“God loves all people, LGBTQ+ and straight. The message of CHANGED has never been ‘All Must Change,'” it wrote. “We share these stories specifically for Christians who are unfulfilled in identifying as LGBTQ+. For those of you who feel fulfilled and happy as you are, we love you!”
“God doesn’t force people to change, and people — including Christians — shouldn’t force others to change, either. We stand against any and all forms of shame, manipulation, force, humiliation, or physical harm in so-called ‘ministry’ or therapy,” Bethel continued. “CHANGED is a safe space for Christians seeking an alternative to LGBTQ+ as they follow their faith according to their personal convictions.”
The post generated mixed reaction from commenters, with some defending the status as not really saying what it implies, and others chastising Bethel for unbiblical teaching.
“[The post] doesn’t say that being LGBTQ isn’t a sin; it says we still love you! God gives us all free will and He does not force us to change or to conform. And neither should we,” one commenter wrote. “We need to love even though we may not agree with them. It is the Spirit working in them that will change them. We don’t love when we demand they change; let God do the work!”
“Yes! It is not for me to judge. It is for me to love,” another remarked. “I cannot believe this gender agenda has taken our eyes off Christ. Did you learn to love, or did you learn to condemn? The love of Christ makes us want to become what He says we are, not what the world teaches.”
“The message of CHANGED might not be ‘all must change,’ but the message of the gospel is in fact that we all must be changed. ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). When we come to Christ, we can’t stay where we are, for ‘we all … are being changed into the same image’ (2 Corinthians 3:18),” a third noted.
“We can never be fulfilled living in sin. Only God fulfills us, ‘For he satisfies the longing soul’ (Psalm 107:9),” they continued. “Ultimately, ‘Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ says it all. So, yes. Be changed. Because we were never meant to live fallen in sin.”
“Repentance means doing a full 180° turn, and if that doesn’t mean change, I don’t know what does,” another stated. “Being born again, our hearts change, our desires should change, and our actions should follow suit. You cannot thrive or survive in the faith if you remain entirely in the shadows of your old life.”
“Thank you Bethel Church, Redding for affirming me. I love to steal and take things that aren’t mine without a lawful transaction. I covet a lot. But, I’m at peace with it, I’m completely happy. Theft gives me such a thrill and joy, and coveting really motivates me,” a one sarcastically commented. “So thank you for affirming that I just need to follow my faith according to my own personal convictions. I know God says otherwise, but He loves me anyways, and I don’t need to change that for Him.”
Bethel Church has generated much controversy over the years, as a number of remarks from leadership have been called into question.
“It’s difficult to expect the same fruit of the early Church when we value a book they didn’t have more than the Holy Spirit they did have. It’s not Father, Son and Holy Bible,” Bill Johnson said in a sermon clip posted online in 2009.
In a 2011 sermon entitled “Your Identity as Sons of God,” Kris Vallotton, the co-founder of the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, had those in attendance repeat statements after him such as “I am amazing,” “I rock,” “Nations are attracted to me because I’m so good looking and I have the mind of Christ,” “He actually likes me and I like me too” and “If you got to know me, you would like me.”
Various photos online also show members of Bethel visiting cemeteries to try to soak up the anointing of the deceased, including the graces of John G. Lake, Smith Wigglesworth and others. While Johnson has stated that he does not endorse the practice, and Vallotton once said that he had never heard of the idea, some note that photos online show Johnson’s wife Beni laying on the tombstone of C.S. Lewis and hugging the tombstone of Charles Finney. See here and here.
According to reports of an online exchange inquiring about Bethel’s practices, in 2012 one questioning person asked, “Hi Bill, I was wondering why you have things at Bethel that cannot be found in the Bible like fire tunnels, angel feathers, gold dust, soaking prayer, glory clouds, healing rooms, etc. Can you please explain? I have some very good friends at Bethel and I am concerned for their spiritual well being. The videos on YouTube with the fire tunnels are very, very, alarming.”
“We also have altar calls, video cameras, paid counselors, children’s church, youth groups, Sunday school. None of which are in the Bible,” Johnson replied. “Is praying for people, prayer, or healing in the Bible? That is what we do. The feathers, gold dust, etc. are not things we do. They happen. … Why do they happen? Ask the One who does them. Rather than assume they are not biblical because you’ve not experienced them, search the Scriptures. Clouds, glory, and even feathers are in the Bible.”
republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:
APOPKA, Fla. —Controversial televangelist Paula White, who serves as a spiritual advisor to President Trump, announced on May 5 that she has transferred the pastoral leadership of New Destiny Christian Center to her son and his wife — which has also been renamed Destiny City. She outlined that she will now move to the “apostolic overseer” role at the church, as she believes that governance and “pastoring pastors” are her calling in life.
White had taken the pastorate at New Destiny Christian Center following the 2011 death of then-leader Zachery Tims, who according to reports, was found dead in a New York City hotel room due to “acute intoxication by the combined effects of cocaine and heroin.”
She told the congregation last Sunday that Tims, a longtime friend, had called her in 2005 and gave a personal prophecy that “wouldn’t make sense [then] … but it would make sense in 2019.” She said that she knew when she took the leadership role at New Destiny that it was only for a season.
“I knew that I wasn’t taking us into the promised land. … To everything there is a time,” White stated.
She also postulated that the Lord more recently told her that the time was right for the next step, which includes installing her son, Brad Knight, and his wife, Rachel, as lead pastors over the church.
“The Lord spoke to me very clearly and said, ‘If you miss this moment, you’ll delay things. Do not miss this moment,’ White claimed. “So, today I am officially enstating Pastor Brad and Pastor Rachel as the senior pastors over City of Destiny.”
White said that she would serve in an “apostolic overseer” capacity, adding that the word “apostolic” can be misunderstood, and she is therefore not completely comfortable with the word.
“I believe that my call is to be that, to govern. I believe it’s that, to church plant. I believe it’s that, to pastor pastors,” she remarked.
“As oversight pastor, I believe for 3,000 church plants. I believe that City of Destiny will have 3,000,” White continued. “I will continue with Paula White Ministries. If Pastor Brad asks me, I will preach for him as many times as he asks me to preach.”
White said that City of Destiny will also be launching a university, as well as a performing arts center, and that $155 million is “coming in” to build the facilities. She stated that she believes that the building projects will transpire quickly.
“The only thing that would get upset about anything is your flesh,” she stated. “So, anyone who’s spiritual, you just took a leap, like quantum, because you were like, ‘thank goodness.’ Because the worst thing is our destiny being held up, and your destiny just got released because God just elevated you to a new position.”
“It’s going to blow people’s mind. And God’s about to shine the light. And all you have to do is have half of a spiritual eye,” she told those gathered.
Knight, in praising his mother, said that he feels sad for those who are not understanding of White.
“I understand that God has favored you, that those who bless you will be blessed. Those who curse you will be cursed,” he asserted. “And I’m thankful that despite the fact that you’re Paula White … you have the humility and the ability to hear God enough to look toward succession, and that’s very, very rare.”
“You truly are an apostle, and the quicker that people that realize that, the quicker they realize that God has granted you favor and authority — and unique favor and authority, the better off that they’ll be,” he stated.
As previously reported, White considers herself a life coach, authoring books such as “The Ten Commandments of Health and Wellness,” “Simple Suggestions for a Sensational Life,” “I Don’t Get Wholeness, That’s the Problem — Making Relationships Work” and “He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not.” She also serves as the chair of President Trump’s Evangelical Advisory Board.
White has been married three times, with her first marriage being to Dean Knight, who she married as a teenager. In 2007, White divorced her second husband, Randy White of Without Walls International Church in stating that their lives were going in two different directions.
In 2015, she married Journey rocker Jonathan Cain, known for the secular hits “Don’t Stop Believin,’” “When You Love a Woman” and “Who’s Crying Now.” Cain has likewise been married two other times.
“We are demanding life to your purpose,” she declared. “And with obedience to this first fruits instruction, which is putting God first now, your purpose, your year, your prosperity, and your power will have life and be resurrected!”
“When you apply this, everything comes in divine alignment for His plan and promises for you. When you don’t honor it, whether through ignorance or direct disobedience, there are consequences,” White also warned.
Following media reports about the matter, staff revised language on White’s website to remove any reference to a “day, week or month’s” wages, as well as text about “consequences.”
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How do you start a true revival with key controversial NAR leaders—ask Francis Chan; he was there. Former pastor Francis Chan, who recently spoke at The Send conference in Florida with numerous NAR leaders such as Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Todd White, and Rodney Howard Browne, said in his own defense for sharing such a platform:
There are millions of souls that sit under weak or unorthodox teachings. . . . there are millions who will never hear strong biblical teaching unless teachers are willing to go. (source)
We find Chan’s rationale in these statements erroneous, troubling, and even dangerous.
Willing to Compromise
Chan isn’t the first person to say that his message is so important that he will share a platform with anyone in order to get his message out to the masses. To that frame of mind, we disagree completely. It’s one thing to preach the Gospel to lost souls; but to share a platform with those who are bringing dangerous false teachings into the church is to give credibility to those with the false teachings. From what we have witnessed, many Christian leaders are willing to compromise truth and integrity by giving credence to false teachers so their own messages can be broadcast more fully.
Revival or False Revival
There is a word that is being heralded by many Christian leaders today, and that word is—Revival! Whether its Lou Engle’s The Call, Bethel Church’s offspring Jesus Culture, Benny Hinn’s “prophecy” about revival in America, Rick Warren’s revival of unity, Rodney Howard’s “holy laughter” revival (as addressed in Warren B. Smith’s report False Revival Coming?: Holy Laughter or Strong Delusion?), or any number of revival calls taking place today within a growing apostate Christianity, the common denominator with most of these so-called revivalists is they are helping to bring in a false revival that is not based on God’s Word but is largely based on numinous experiences, man’s ambition, and Satan’s deception.
Threatening the Critics
Recently, as Lighthouse Trails reported, Francis Chan came out with a sermon where he said that God will destroy (kill) those who criticize or challenge Christian leaders. Our report stated:
Without giving specific names, Chan spoke of those who present any negative criticism of leaders (naming Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, and John Piper as examples of leaders who should not be criticized). Chan took it a step further and described incidents in the Bible where God took people’s lives as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:10) to predict that God will take the lives of those who have negative things to say about the teachings of today’s spiritual leaders.
Perhaps Chan felt the need to say this to clear the way for his own journey into the arms of false teachers. Did he hope to silence critics who would specifically challenge him? It appears so.
A Most Serious Dangerous Implication
Lest some reading this still do not understand what the big deal is, consider this: At The Send conference, Rodney Howard Browne (i.e., “Mr. Holy Laughter”) came on stage and instructed the 40,000+ mostly young people at The Send to place one of their hands on their bellywhile raising the other in the air. He then called out for “holy” fire and anointing to descend upon all of them.
The Bible warns us in 2 Corinthians 11:4 that there is “another spirit” that is not the Holy Spirit. When you put all the excuses aside, the real question for Francis Chan is—are you comfortable with the fact that many of the people that came to Send 19 because of you suddenly found themselves in the forced position of being experientially led by someone like Rodney Howard Browne on how to activate the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues? What spirit was Browne imparting on these 40,000 people? Is it possible it was the same spirit and the same “anointing” that was present at the Toronto Blessing (which was essentially birthed by Browne with his “transferable anointing”). Mr. Chan, is this your idea of what will bring true revival?
From our perspective, those who attended The Send because of Chan’s appearance were put in serious harm’s way. And we find it audacious that Chan now tries to excuse himself for being there (see the Christianity Today article). We see this as nothing less than a breach of trust that can have significant spiritual repercussions on countless people. Instead of warning Christians about spiritually deceptive teachings and spirits that falsely come in the name of the Lord, Chan has brought them right to the trough to drink these dangerous waters.
The Dark Road to Spiritual Deception
The dark but seemingly bright road into spiritual deception has many dangers and pitfalls. We think of Bunyan’s man Christian from Pilgrim’s Progress who came up against this as he fought Pride, Arrogancy, Self-Deceit, and Worldy Glory. While the hysteria of false revival is mounting up, many Christian leaders are working hard to justify their actions and their lack of spiritual discernment and responsibility and seem to be caving in to the snares that Bunyan’s Christian valiantly overcame.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. (2 Timothy 4:3)
We find it interesting that Francis Chan is insinuating in his statement,
“there are millions who will never hear strong biblical teaching unless teachers are willing to go” that his teachings are superior to the teachings of his co-platform teachers. We doubt that these co-teachers would agree with Chan that their own teachings are not “strong biblical teachings” but Chan’s are. It’s highly unlikely that Benny Hinn, Bill Johnson, Todd White, or Rodney Howard Browne would concede to saying that their teachings aren’t as biblical as Francis Chan’s. While Chan’s statement was an insult to the men who brought him into their fold, if Chan keeps on the path he is going, the difference between he and their teachings may eventually fade, and he may become just like them.
(Christian Leaving the City of Destruction. Drawing is from alamy.com; used with permission)
