Gemstones fraud – Glenn Smith caught redhanded!

Thanks to Jerry, a poster on this site,  for making me aware of this story coming out of a Vineyard Church in Arizona. Though there are many demonic manifestations in modern day charismania, there are also many in the flesh, and golddust and gemstones seems one of the most obvious and easy ways to perpetuate modern day fraud.

Much of the church is so gullible now, they really will accept anything – apart from the truth  that is.  They do themselves and other members of the church great disservice, and many would say they deserve what is coming to them for, ‘they love not the truth, willingly exchanging it for a lie’,  and are willingly led away by con men, false teachers and the super apostles with their counterfeit signs and wonders. I have watched some of the leading ‘teachers’ and voices in the prophetic movement speak on ‘Christian’ television talking about these jewels etc, and just know these individuals are barefaced lying! These teachers are as fake as the gold dust which has been tested and been found to be cheap plastic glitter. But many undiscerning Christians refuse to believe this, as they cannot quite get into their heads that 1) they can be decieved and 2) anybody calling themself a Christian minister or a prophet would be so nasty as to intentionally lie to them and 3) that just because nobody else is shouting ‘wolf’, the minister therefore must  be a genuine well-meaning sincere shepherd with the sheep’s best interests at heart.

Apparently Silvania Machado, one of the early ‘pioneers’ for the gold dust phenomenen in protestant circles, was caught on film faking it too. Let Us Reason Ministries claim:  ’If you can get a chance to watch the Ruth Heflin video with Silvania Machado, what you will see is Machado planted all this stationary glitter in her hair prior to the stage performance. On cue from Heflin she bends her head and it all comes falling out from being clumped under her hair. Clearly this is so phony its hard to believe anyone would fall for this! But they do because they want to.’  Furthermore gold dust is seen on Machado’s face even before she starts ministering, indicating the gold dust’s presense there prior to when it is claimed to fall ‘in the glory cloud’, and added to this her behaviour stearing clear of coming into close contact with people prior to ministering, must also be seen as highly suspicious. (If people got too close they’d see the stuff planted there, or as Glenn Smith says ’seeded’. Liar!)

While I commend Pastor Jack Morraine’s integrity in being open and honest about this, and dealing with it among his own congregation, I cannot commend his lack of discernment regarding other aspects of this phenomenen, or indeed the other bizarre happenings that have been made popular and in the mainstream through the Vineyard. I wonder, too, if Glenn Smith still left Gilbert with his wage check whether in the form of a honarium or not, and if he still appeared on TBN on Friday?

‘From Jack Morraine, Sen. Pastor, Gilbert Vineyard

January 9, 2008 8:13:05 PM MST

Dear Friends: I want to share some things with you about the “gemstone” phenomena that occurred in our services last Sunday. For those of you who weren’t here, this past weekend, Crossfire Ministries (headed by Don Pirozok) sponsored some meetings with Glen Smith from the state of Washington. For the past year and half Glen has been experiencing gemstones appearing in his home and in meetings where he has shared the testimony of how he came to Christ and how God spared his life from a suicide attempt.

Glen attended our Sunday morning services and spoke in the Crossfire meeting that night. In both our Sunday morning services and in the Crossfire meetings a number of gemstones appeared.

I received a call from Don Pirozok today (Wednesday) informing me that a couple of people observed Glen “planting” or “dropping” some gemstones in some of the meetings that took place over the weekend. (He was not seen doing this in our Sunday morning services to my knowledge). Don and some of his leaders confronted Glen about this and he acknowledged that he had in his words, “seeded” some of the gemstones in the meetings. As a result, Glen will not be involved in the Crossfire meetings scheduled for this weekend and is being referred to his pastor in Washington for counsel and discipline.

I am very sorry to report this to you. It is a tragedy anytime something like this happens. It’s understandable why some people would write the whole thing off as a fraud. And yet there are a number of things that happened related to the gemstones which still defy a natural explanation – like the “flecks” or small stones that “grew” into larger gemstones in people’s hands. This happened to two or three different individuals in our church and there were several people who also witnessed it. In addition some people in our church who I’ve known for years (including members of the pastoral staff) found gemstones in places that had been empty only moments before where no one was around to “drop” or “plant” them and I received more than one report from members of our church that stones they collected multiplied (i.e., there were more in their pocket or container when they counted them again). One staff member told me they counted very carefully and when they showed a friend what they had found they discovered there were two more stones in the group than the ones originally collected.

So, the bottom line for me is that I don’t have a satisfactory natural explanation for everything that happened with the gemstones on Sunday, but I do know that some of it was fraudulent and I believe integrity demands that we communicate this.

The bottom line is that extra-biblical phenomena should never be our focus. As we pursue Christ, proclaim His message, and participate in His ministry, I hope we can remain open to whatever God desires to do (even if we don’t understand it) and do so with honesty and integrity. That’s what we’ve tried to do here and the reason for this email.

In His Love,

Jack Moraine’

This is how the meetings were advertised, I always have consistently had a problem for Vineyard, or indeed any charge, charging at the door for some meetings outside the regular Sunday ones and home groups.

January 4^{th – 7th 2008
‘COME UP HERE AND I WILL SHOW YOU MY MYSTERIES.’}

Registration Fee: $30 Single $50 Couple or $10 Nightly

Limited seating**  meetings begin 7 PM

Please register by: Email Cpirozok@aol.com  or Phone: 509-280-3615

There will be registration at the door.    Free will offerings will be taken nightly 

CROSS FIRE MINISTRY TRAINING  CENTER  PHOENIX AZ.   PHOENIX ARIZONA

CPIROZOK@AOL.COM     TEL: 509-280-3615

There are also nightly home meetings Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

     The Vineyard Community Church will co-sponsor meetings: Saturday 12th, Sunday 13^th & Monday 14^th

WATCH FOR DON & GLENN ON TBN Friday JAN 11th
Glenn Smith is an experienced able minister of the Lord Christ. He has a heart for the kingdom of God and especially the disenfranchised needing affirmation, encouragement and covering and thus founded SHEM Ministries International, Seattle, WA. which offers apostolic leadership to a growing number of people and ministries in North America and worldwide.   Glenn carries himself with a servant’s humility which is refreshing to see in a man with an earned doctorate in theology. His concern is with what God is doing today and his desire is to be there as an available vessel. Glenn has an amazing conversion testimony, one of being snatched from death by miracle of God.

Dr. Smith and his wife, Terrie have traveled the globe in ministry flowing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They have witnessed many signs, wonders and miracles. Recently Gems have been abundantly flowing in their ministry

Don Pirozok….Miracles, signs and wonders will be demonstrated in Don’s ministry. A fresh realm of glory is released, impartations and activation are imparted. Flowing out of this came a new fresh fire of revelation and revival power.  A great hunger for the development of Apostolic teamwork has emerged.  After receiving prayer from the Smith’s, Don has also started experiencing gems in his ministry.

                                                                              

                                          Location:                                                          

      Vineyard Community Church                                                       

                               601 S. Cooper Rd.    Gilbert, AZ 85233

                 Located on Cooper Rd. about 1/4 mile north of Warner