Naming names, calling a spade a spade, on Christian watchman ministries

Following on from the recent associated articles http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/judge-not-lest-you-be-judged-should-we-criticise-anointed-men-of-god/ and http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/touch-not-my-anointed-prophetic-art-re-new-apostles-and-prophets/ and even this http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/wolves-in-sheeps-clothing-false-prophets-teachers/, here’s a good article by  Ken Cascio at http://www.wickedshepherds.com/Callingaspadeaspade.html  - a website set up to help those suffering from church abuse about what the Bible really does say about speaking out about false teachers and false prophets and false practices in the church.

“Jesus called the religious leaders of His day “whited sepulchers”, “fools”, “blind guides”, “hypocrites”, “serpents”, “murderers”, “a generation of vipers,” and many such names. Jesus spoke this way to the religious leaders throughout His ministry. He virtually had nothing nice to say about them. But yet there are many in the church today who say that Jesus never spoke this way.

Read Matthew Chapter 23 again and see what it says. Jesus’ words, in practically the entire chapter, are directed at the scribes and Pharisees.

Do you think that Jesus would speak to the church leaders today in the same way?

Does Jesus change? Have the church leaders changed? Yes indeed. They’ve gotten worse!
To be sure, when it came to the common people, Jesus was the “Humble Servant.” His ministry to them was marked with compassion. He “was moved with compassion for them.”

He gave the gospel to them.

He fed them.

He healed them.

He wept with them.

He spoke gently and mildly to them. “Martha, Martha,”………”Simon, Simon.”

He identified with the people and knew many were distressed,

as sheep not having a shepherd.

When it came to the common people, Jesus ministered to them in meekness and gentleness, as His words showed.

But when it came to those in the church, went it came to the “great ones”, when it came to the church leaders and so-called experts in the law, something changed.

His ways, His mannerisms, His countenance, His words “EXPLODED.”

In all of His confrontations with the church leaders, you could see the difference in His whole attitude, especially in His words. Jesus was exposing their evils. He was exposing their false teachings and hypocrisy like no one ever did before. And in so doing, many others were starting to “see the light.”

His words were as the voice of a trumpet.

Likewise today, there is much evil lurking in many churches and in those in positions of “church leadership.” The unbiblical authoritarianism and spiritual abuse within the ranks of the so-called “eldership” is rampant.

The hijacking of many marriages by these wolves in sheep’s clothing resulting in the destruction of many lives is evil beyond words.

To speak of these atrocities in anything less than an angry, forceful tone would be almost impossible. Anger doesn’t have to be sin, just like God’s anger that is mentioned probably hundreds of times in the scriptures, is not sin.

Perhaps the time has come for some others to express a little anger at what is going on with these wicked shepherds who are killing and scattering God’s flock for their own power and glory and ego!

Perhaps the time has come for some others to express a little anger at these spiritual monsters who deliver their poisonous and blasphemous theology to so many unsuspecting souls, parents, and innocent children.

Yes, as we speak, there are many WHO KNOW what is going on.

As we speak, there are those in the church today who would readily stand up and say “NO” to the spiritual bullies and to flee from them and to deny them their control over them! Yet, for some, they also know that to do this would only invite persecution and a living death. So they remain.

But wouldn’t you rather suffer the former than to loose your soul and deny your Savior and Heavenly Father?

Many choose serving their spiritual bullies, thinking all the while they are serving their Lord.
Some also think that it’s wrong to name these people. They call it “spreading evil” or “trying to restrict this evil to only certain individuals and places.” As has been said over and over on this website, this is a world wide evil that is taking place.

And what do the Scriptures say of this anyway?

Look through the letters of the Apostle Paul. Many times he mentions specific individuals by name.

Galatians 2:11ff “But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was to be blamed……and I said to Peter before them all….”

1 Timothy 1;19ff “…which some made ship wreck concerning the faith, of whom are Hymeneus and Alexander…..”

2 Timothy 2:17ff “…and their word will have growth like gangrene – of whom is Hymeneus and Philetus, who missed the mark concerning the truth…”

2 Timothy 4:10 “…for Demas deserted me, loving the present age…”

2 Timothy 4:14-15 “Alexander the coppersmith showed many

evil things to me. The Lord will give to him according to his works.

You also guard against him, for he greatly resisted our words.”

In 3 John verse 9, John named Diotrephes as one who does not receive the brothers, but throws them out of the assembly.

Jude exposes the errors of Balaam in verse 11.

In Revelation Chapter 2, twice the Nicolaitans are singled out and the warning is given concerning their works and their teaching.

And there are many from the Old Testament too.

We are living in a day when false teachers and their dastardly deeds abound. A faithful messenger will warn those in the churches. They will identify these churches by name, as well as their “leaders,” calling a spade a spade. Just like the Lord Jesus did; just like the Apostle Paul did, and others as well.

People’s lives are being destroyed. Marriages are being destroyed. It’s not enough to just “generalize” a situation or play games and “hint” at what is being said. Are there any faithful messengers around anymore?”

Show the world you speak in tongues pentecostals!

I want to thank Alan Higgins from http://realchristianity.wordpress.com/ for this – it made me really laugh and laugh til tears were running down my face as it is just so ridiculous! It is one of the funniest things I have seen. But on the other hand, it’s not funny at all…. as it is for real in many circles, but sorry I cannot keep a straight face and stop laughing at the moment.  Especially when you read the blog entry below, which if you are like me, will set you off laughing all over again. (I am laughing at certain aspects of Christiandom and not God or the genuine gifts of the Holy Spirit before anyone accuses me otherwise! I believe in the genuine gift of tongues, but I have also seen many counterfeits of it.)

This is a Holy Ghost T-shirt in tongues!

 

‘You gotta sport your HolyGhostTees and let the world know you caught the spirit!’   the website this comes from. Holy Ghost Tees says – they also claim to be in ‘prophetic inspired’ colours. Other designs are also available!  http://www.holyghosttees.com/store.htm

Are they on the Elijah List yet? At US45.95 dollars each inc shipping and handling, they will fit in with all the rest of Steve Schulz’s tatt anointed stuff.

“Another righteous t-shirt….You start with the simple ones, of course. “E-Cal-A-Ma-She!” is a good one. Or, “E-Kum-Me-A Shun-Da!”

But as you grow in wisdom and maturity, you find yourself progressing onto exclamations such as: “Ro-Shum-Baa-Kaa-L-Le’-Lo-Cee”, or even the towering, “Hi-Pa-Pa-A-Shun-Da!” Soon, people will recognise you for the spiritual giant you are clearly becoming.

Yes, the Day of Pentecost has finally dawned on the humble t-shirt. HolyGhostTees of New York have splashed some of the most happening and holy instances of speaking in tongues on their designer t-shirts. Sadly, my own favourite praise phrase, “She-come-on-a-Honda” isn’t among them, but I’m praying they’ll be including it in the next printing.

Thrillingly, the website explains the background to each phrase. “Hi-Pa-Pa-A-Shun-Da”, for example, is “spoken with a level of authority or urgency. The power of this phrase is a Pilgrim of inspiration from Apostles, Bishops, Prophets, & Prophetess, Evangelists, Ministers, Preachers, etc.” O…K… a bit incomprehensible, but that’s the point of it all, isn’t it?”

(A review by another site on these, posted on the site owner’s blog …)

Todd Bentley, altar calls at the Lakeland Outpouring – real evangelism, real salvation?

Brian Johnson wrote commentating on the altar calls given at Todd Bentley’s much-hyped Lakeland Outpouring. He said in this article: http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/16/is-it-safe-to-assume-that-every-healing-miracle-and-revival-is-from-god/ -

“I recently recorded almost 3 hours of Lakeland broadcast on the God TV channel. The most frequently used words by Todd Bentley during that time were:

BAM!
FIRE
ANOINTING
IMPARTATION
MIRACLES
HEALING

During the 3 hour period he never opened a Bible, preached or mentioned any scripures whatsoever. The words HOLINESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, REPENTANCE, OBEDIENCE were never mentioned at any time during the broadcast At no time was any caution given about the importance of BIBLICAL DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS, with a view to avoidance of deception.

Towards the latter part of the evening he mentioned SALVATION and invited non-Christians up to the platform “to receive Jesus”. He said: “you need to be born again. I’m going to pray for you to be saved. If you want Jesus, ask “come into my heart and forgive me my sins”. I’m not going to preach for 45 minutes for you to be saved. I’m going to pray for you to receive Jesus. He then prayed for, and laid hands on, each person who had come forward. All fell to the floor.

He never gave any of these unbelievers a chance to pray themselves. He never explained who Jesus was, or what he had done on the cross. He never explained what sin was, nor God’s view of sin. Repentance and its meaning was never mentioned. The whole section devoted to the lost lasted no more than 5 or 6 minutes, then he reverted to talking about “the anointing”, “impartation” and “miracles of healing”.

CONCLUSION: At no point was the true, Biblical Gospel ever preached (See What Is The Gospel? for an explanation of the true Biblical Gospel).”

There are true and false conversions, and both are done in the name of Jesus. In my experience in evangelism and missionary work, a premature altar call without real repentence, real saving faith or the true gospel being spoken, can do far more damage than it does good. For this reason, if I see a person is not ready, I will never lead them through the ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ at that time – though many other evangelists would do for whatever reason. Though there is an urgency in what I say, and the sinner must be made aware that he does not have forever to choose life, the sinner still needs to respond in truth and truly repent or it is no true conversion or salvation. They cannot just do it to please me or ’see what happens’ or do it to get blasted or healed - for then they are converted to the manifestations or the minister and not to God.

Why are false premature conversions potentially so harmful? Because the people will think they are born again when they may not be and so may not take the REAL appropiate action in the future to save their souls!    ‘Asking Jesus into your heart’ is NOT the gospel! Being slain in the Spirit or jerking around (in more ways than one) does not mean you are saved from death and hell. BUT weak or false preaching and counterfeit manifestations can give false hope and false peace to thousands of lost and damned souls that think themself spiritual. A revival that spreads fire based on experiences and not truth or repentence is no revival from God. False conversions are no better than no conversions, and some would say many times worse! There is more about the lost gospel here: http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/prince-charming-and-the-forgotten-gospel/

[As an extra point here - I have watched Lakeland meetings several times now and watched Todd Bentley ministering (I cannot say preaching the word as he does not! I watched a meeting for three hours and in all that time he never opened the Bible or preached on one text or scripture. It was all talk about anointing and revival - a lot of hyping and boasting - about the anointing and the revival and himself and his deeds. I have never once heard him speak on the word, let alone the gospel!) I know that many of the people that go up and testify that they are healed are not healed and are evidently not healed. They go up on stage to testify to partial healing so they can get prayed for personally by Todd and get an extra bam.  (I have seen the same at other minister's meetings too, it is not just Todd, it is epidemic through a sector of the church.) The people are happy to give a false testimony to this end - to get touched by Todd. The same with others that go forward for salvation altar calls, they are desparate enough to lie so they get touched by Todd. I am not saying they ALL do this, but many people clearly do. In many cultures, Christians run forward at altar calls to be counted in, even when they are already saved, and in some rallies there are even plants that rush up to get the crowd moving, not to mention all the hundreds of volunteer counsellers (already Christians) that go forward such as at Billy Graham crusades. If you watched the crusade as an outsider you might think hundreds were saved but nobody actually was as they were all workers, plants, or the already converted that went forward!

It is perfectly understandable for someone - a normally decent honest law abiding person - to do and say anything  it takes at a healing rally to try and please the minister and get their personal attention and be on the platform. If I was sick enough, and desparate enough, and did not fear God enough, and had not already seen through Bentley's charade, I'd probably do it too.  Also add on here the positive confession crowd speaking out their healing in faith, or the word faith crowd speaking their healing into being, so even when they are not actually healed they will swear they are in faith and not think themself lying.]

Anyway, with all this in mind, I came across this excellent post on Alan Higgins’ site which I can well recommend as there are a lot of good posts on there. http://realchristianity.wordpress.com/2008/03/10/how-to-botch-an-altar-call/

A few keys for those who don’t want people saved in their altar calls

1. Present an unbalanced message. Only let them see the heart-warming part of God’s character. Preach God’s love but leave out His holiness and justice. That way they’ll think He’ll let them into heaven no matter what.
2. Don’t mention repentance until they’re repeating a “sinner’s prayer.” Just get them to say, “I repent of all my sins” while they’re echoing you. They won’t know what they’re saying and they won’t count the cost.
3. Above all else, be dignified. Don’t get heart to heart with the people. They would get something out of what you said.
4. Skim over the gospel and push the prayer. Pretend the lost naturally understand what Christ has done for them.
5. Preach Jesus as a life enhancer not a life rescuer. Tell them how Jesus can improve their life but don’t show them Jesus as the only One who can save them from Hell. People will think if they reject Him they’re only losing out on a spiritual high.
6. Try to please the people instead of convert them. Tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
7. Compromise the message to speed up the process. The Christians who have heard it a hundred times before will be pleased with that. The quicker they get out the quicker they can get to the restaurant.
8. Give them the impression that God is so good He won’t send anyone to hell. Don’t present the whole counsel of God or they might realize He is so good that He’ll see to it that justice is served and that all unrepentant sinners will be punished in the fire that is not quenched.
9. Speak to sinners as though they were saints. They’ll think they’re God’s children instead of the enemies of God they’ve made themselves into because of their sin. You’ll give them false assurance and mislead them.
10. Don’t mention sin or man’s guilt. Resist the urge to explain what Christ came to deliver us from. Don’t show them their need for the Savior. Otherwise it may all make sense.
11. Don’t look to the Bible for the substance of your altar call. Only mimic other preachers with large congregations.
12. Tell the lost not to feel bad about their sins. That way you will work against the Holy Spirit who’s convicting them
13. Whatever you do, never mention Judgment Day. Your audience might take spiritual matters seriously.
14. Tell them Jesus is the only way to heaven but don’t explain why. They may think it’s nothing more than fear tactics and leave offended instead of enlightened.
15. Confuse the call. This is a great way to botch up an altar call. Don’t let people know you’re asking them to commit their life to Christ. Be vague and general in what you’re saying. Neglect to mention following Christ in your evangelistic altar calls and say things like, “If you don’t feel you’re as close to God as possible raise your hand,” “If you feel lonely come to the front for prayer,” “If you want more of God this is your time,” and, “If you have struggles and need the answer come down.” Just get them to raise a hand. That way no one will be able to count the cost and you’ll even get saints to respond to salvation altar calls, making the results look more successful.
16. Only give them half the story. Tell them Jesus died to forgive everyone but overlook the fact that they must personally receive Him to partake of that forgiveness.
17. Present the truth as though it isn’t. Be so funny when you share Christ that you belittle the seriousness of the matter.
18. Preach forgiveness without repentance. That way no one will know how to be forgiven.
19. Be unbiblical. Present repentance and faith as an offer instead of how God does as a command (Acts 17:30).
20. Let them think next Sunday is the day of salvation. Don’t make them feel it’s urgent to respond today.
21. Never warn of hell. Dangle heaven in front of their nose but rarely mention hell, certainly not as much as Jesus did.
22. Only do altar calls inside the church. Never take the gospel where sinners congregate. The lost might get saved.
23. Use churchy terms. Use words like, “saved,” “repent,” and “born again,” without any explanation. That way your hearers won’t comprehend what you’re saying. If they can’t understand it, it’s probable they won’t be changed by it.
24. Give false assurance of salvation to unsaved Christians. Assure church folk that they are saved even if they bear no fruit. So that you don’t offend the unsaved pew warmers never quote 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.” You could lose some financial supporters and have to depend on God.
25. Never mention the wrath of God. If you mention it, people might be awakened to flee to Jesus who “saves us from the wrath to come.” ( 1 Thess. 1:10)
26. Study how the apostles preached and witnessed and do the opposite. Don’t explain Jesus’ suffering death on the cross. Otherwise they may think of running to Him for forgiveness. Don’t speak of His burial or resurrection or they might realize He is God. Refrain from commenting about the hundreds of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. That way they can go on thinking He’s a fairy tale. Overlook talk of the messianic prophecies Jesus fulfilled or they might realize that the Bible is true. If they see it’s the truth they may see that following Christ is the logical decision. And whatever you do, avoid what the apostles did when it came time to call people to obey the gospel. Don’t tell them to trust Christ and live for Him. That is too accurate. If they know how to get saved your altar call will be a success.
27. Put more emphasis on the “sinner’s prayer” then on repentance and faith. Satan will smile over your departure from Biblical instruction. We are never taught to use a ‘sinner’s prayer’ throughout the entire Bible. If you decide to use it and put more emphasis on the technique than on what we’re commanded to preach: faith and repentance you’ll certainly botch things up. A ‘sinner’s prayer’ doesn’t equal salvation, only faith in Christ and repentance toward God do.
28. Let Christians think you’re the only one who can do it right. Always leave the impression that they should only invite friends to church and never actually witness themselves. It will keep you in business and the lost unsaved.
29. Don’t let the lost know they are. Disregard subjects like Judgment Day, God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness and justice. That way the lost can continue to think they’re “good enough” to get into heaven.
30. Rely upon psychological techniques to manipulate people into responding to the altar call. Don’t rely upon the Holy Spirit or they may actually get saved.
31. Make sure you’re the main attraction. Remember the goal in botching up an altar call is for people to leave and say, “What a wonderful preacher,” instead of, “What a wonderful Savior.” Draw all possible attention to how great a speaker and person you are. Otherwise people might see Christ in your preaching and get saved.
32. Don’t focus upon Jesus. Finally, the best way to botch up an altar call is not to preach the gospel. Just get people to lift up a hand and pray a prayer with you. Resist the urge to speak of the only One who could save them.

Sometimes the best way to get a point across is to put it in a different light. You now know a few ways to botch up an altar call. Please do not employ them. Do the opposite. You may already do some of them. Don’t let pride keep you from changing and doing things in a Biblical fashion. The bottom line is how true we are to Christ and His word. Effectively reaching the lost is our purpose. Let nothing hold you back from that agenda. May God bless you as you seek to win people to Christ in Bible clubs, churches, conferences, on the street witnessing encounters, at your school, and at your workplace.”

Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham opposes evangelism in China during Olympics!

“American evangelist Franklin Graham came under fire this week for saying he opposed evangelism during the Beijing Olympic Games.

Graham had made the comment to Chinese reporters during his recent trip to mainland China, where he visited government officials, church leaders, and preached to 12,000 people at a Chinese megachurch.

The eldest son of renowned evangelist Billy Graham said he opposed missionary work during the Games because it is prohibited under Chinese law, and he does not encourage anything illegal. [End times comment: what! This is not the instruction of the Bible, We must obey God and not man! Following Frankin Graham's example, few of the early church would have evangelised as it was illegal, and they would not have been martyred....]

In response, a respected religious freedom activist defended Chinese house church Christians as “law-abiding, patriotic citizens” who are not doing anything wrong except following their faith which teaches them to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

“[Christians] cannot and will not [concede] to a ‘faith moratorium’ in order to please an atheistic government during the Olympic Games, even if that means enduring imprisonment and torture,” said Bob Fu, president of China Aid Association, in a statement on Wednesday.

Fu, who was recently honored by President Bush for his religious freedom advocacy in China, denounced the Chinese law as unjust because it asked Christians to go against the teachings of Jesus Christ.

He called Graham’s comment about submitting to the ban on Olympic evangelism “a deep offense” to the hundreds of house church prisoners and their family members.

In China, the Christian population is divided into two groups – those worshipping in the state-sanctioned churches under the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and those attending unregistered house churches.

TSPM leaders have publicly stated that foreign evangelistic efforts during the Beijing Olympics are not welcome or tolerated, Fu said. But house churches feel differently.

“To the house church leaders, it’s an issue of the lordship of Christ to the church,” Fu explained to OneNewsNow. “And if the church ceases to do evangelism, is it the true church? It’s a big question.”

Religious freedom has improved in communist China in recent years, but the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) this year still recommended the State Department to keep China on its religious freedom blacklist because of its treatment of house churches and religious minorities not recognized by the Chinese government.

Recent persecution of unregistered churches include the arrest of 270 Protestant house church pastors in December, and the expulsion of more than 100 foreign missionaries last summer – the largest event of its kind since 1954 after the communist government took power in 1949.

Article from http://www.christianpost.com/

A church driven by emotion and passion

“The Charismatic movement is so driven by emotion and by passion that it sometimes lacks both theological and moral accountability.” (Dr. R. Albert Mohler)

Evangelism – what would motivate the church to suffer embarassment or ridicule?

This is an excellent and very convicting video. It really highlights our true priorities, as like the video shows most people would share the gospel for money, but would not for the love of God. Ouch! It is only a few minutes, please watch it.

The anointing of the Spirit and evangelism

Lee Grady of Charisma Magazine  wrote this a few years ago in one of his articles:

“I’ve been in some great charismatic meetings where everyone falls on the floor at the altar. Some get up and go back for more anointing. In fact, we are known to pray: “More! Lord, give them more fire!” Then the people swoon again, roll around and act drunk. And they come back three more nights to have hands laid on them again.

“We’ve become like actors in a perpetual dress rehearsal in which we repeat our lines over and over but never actually perform for an audience. What good is the anointing if we just wallow and splash in it like hungry hogs at a slop trough? I love the anointing as much as the next person. But when will we actually open our mouths and use it to preach to unbelievers? I want to stand up and scream, “Get off the floor and do something with this power!”

I have remarked before that I take issue with some  (not all) of what Lee Grady says – mainly because of the conclusions he reaches, rather than the expressed concerns here (which are perfectly valid and I could not agree with more). 

My main issue with the above comments, and the key glaring factor which I think Lee Grady misses completely, is that if ‘it’ were really the Holy Spirit and the genuine ‘anointing’ these people were rolling around drunk in, being filled and anointed with, then they would have been led out and impelled  by the Holy Spirit   to do evangelism and other good works in the world by default  as a direct consequence of their personal Pentecost.  If the church are not  led out by what has infilled them, are not impelled or convicted by ‘it’, then there is something wrong with the Pentecost or the anointing, and it is not the Holy Spirit of God that is in them, has filled them or imparted them with anything in such experiences.

If these experiences were part of a true God-sent Pentecost, nobody would have to preach the need to evangelise, and the responsibility for the whole church to do evangelism and good works, before the church started to move and did it. Nobody would have to twist their arms behind their backs to get them started. It would not be done with reluctant dragging feet – rather joyful running feet, impelled to run by the Spirit, and led where to run to by the Spirit, would be an ‘automatic’ and practically instantaneous fruit from the impartation of the power and fire received from above, just like it was in the Book of Acts. Tongues of fire would burn  and  continue to burn and impel the church to speak boldly and to prophesy to the world of the Christ.  The love of God compels us to preach the gospel and also to be convicted of not only its truth, but the need to preach it to mankind. (2 Cor 5:14) And the love of God is a by-product of the Holy Spirit. How can one be filled with the Holy Spriit, yet not be filled or be moved even in small steps by such love? It is impossible.

It would therefore be unusual for anyone recieving a genuine personal pentecost, to consistently be silent and for their life to remain unchanged and unmotivated. And it would be extraordinary for their feet not to move and their mouth not to open.  Indeed with such an experience and the ongoing changes worked out by the indwelling Spirit and His gifts recieved, how could anyone not   forever be changed from the ongoing witness and work of the Holy Spirit in their lives?  They would be uncomfortable and know they were being sinful and disobedient and would feel convicted not   doing these things because of the witness and work of the Spirit. 

So if there is no fruit of the Spirit – and by that I mean true biblical fruit, not just feelings  of love or peace, I mean acts  of love and peace (which include evangelism and good works) –  and no conviction of their disobedience or discomfort about their apathy, and they are not compelled to do anything (except to get more of this counterfeit anointing and be partakers in  a religious experience that leads nowhere but to personal ecstasy) how can the Holy Spirit truly reside within a person or a body of believers, let alone for them to be filled and empowered   by this same Spirit? I say it cannot be.

The fact that there is NO real fruit from the type of anointings and impartations that Lee Grady speaks of, speaks volumes – for it is an empty anointing, an empty impartation, a false one - not truly from the Holy Spirit. How do I know? Because there is no fruit. Shocking conclusion? Yes, very much so. But even the apostle John testifies what the true Spirit led and Spirit filled Christian is and is not in I John, and what the true anointing does and does not lead to. The by product of being filled is evangelism and good works and being less wordly minded. No evangelism I argue, and continued (or more) wordly mindedness means no true anointing. http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/no-evangelism-no-real-anointing/

When I was first baptised with the Spirit, though I knew NOTHING about the Bible except the simple gospel message, and I was unchurched so did not know how things were done in the church, my heart burned with such intense love for Jesus and making Him known, that out of love and excitement and delight ‘evangelism’ (though I did not know that was what it was) was the automatic result. Nobody told me I should do evangelism. Nobody forced me or encouraged me or preached to me to do it. I did it because the Holy Spirit   led me to do it straight away. Evangelism was the fruit – or one of them – of being filled with the Spirit. Just as He led me to forgive others, to pray, and led me into fellowship and to study the word of God. That was the result of my Pentecost.

“Let me tell you about ‘my’ first convert which was also my first evangelism experience. I’d only just been converted myself, and was in the ‘honeymoon’ phase of Christianity. I knew next to nothing about the Bible and did not know that evangelism or missions was something Christians were called to do. Though I knew about ‘end of the world is nigh’ preachers, I considered them ‘anamolies’. I knew the gospel of salvation through Jesus though. I knew God loved me and I was wonderfully enthralled by that love.

‘Lord, I love you so much,’  I said one night to God in prayer.  ‘Your love is so wonderful to me and I want to share your love with someone who does not have it. Please Jesus, send someone to me that I can share your love with.’

The next day God did lead me to someone (I knew it as clearly as anything else that it was God’s guidance leading me to this one man, and the funny thing is too that I knew nothing about prophecy or God’s guidance or so-called divine appointments) and wonderfully the guy was saved. And that one man led to many others being reached and touched by the gospel. (Rest of the story here http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/01/01/going-with-jesus-christ-into-dark-places-or-saving-jimmys-leg/)

In a previous post I compare the biblical Pentecost with the current revival and ‘outpourings’ in Lakeland, Dudley, Oregon, Heritage etc. http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/is-todd-bentleys-lakeland-outpouring-like-the-day-of-pentecost/

“Pentecost succeeded in getting a hidden church to be public again – to get out there, onto the streets, and to fulfil the Great Commission. Pentecost succeeded in getting the gospel heard and proclaimed to many thousands of new people. Pentecost succeeded in enlarging the church with new members (eg not just sheep stealing from other churches). Pentecost succeeded in the salvation of many souls. And it was rapid.

So Pentecost ultimately was about getting a bold empowered church out ‘there’, out   from the upper room to the world, to get a lost world into the kingdom of God. But we do not see this at Lakeland. Lakeland’s emphasis is about getting people (almost exclusively converts from other churches) to come to THEM into  their ‘upper’ room to stay. It calls them into a room, to stay in a room, to focus on what is happening in that room, to focus on the manifestations in that room and the minister in that room, rather than calling them out into a dying world. It calls them again and again into this upper room, hungry and insatiable for more, to glory and revel in the drunkeness and experiences and to focus on self. The dying world is forgotten about. The dying world can wait.

Yet at Pentecost, just one outpouring (nothing like what is happening at Lakeland), was enough to change and to move the church permanently.   Pentecost’s emphasis was NEVER about the Upper Room, it was about God and bringing people to Him.   Yet Lakeland’s emphasis is about bringing people to Lakeland,  for multiple meetings, for multiple alleged outpourings, that do not succeed in moving people’s hearts or bodies towards the lost.

That one fact in itself illustrates its counterfeit nature. If this thing were real and from God, on the second morning there would have been swarms of people all around Lakeland preaching, testifying, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, but there were not. They were back in the meetings getting some ‘more’ for themselves. ‘Yeah but we were worshipping.’  some might argue.  There’s true and counterfeit worship. See Rom 12:1. You can be a worshipper for hours and still dishonour God.”

The Lakeland meetings are primarilly about feelings and experiences for YOU, the Biblical Pentecost was about empowerment for service and the Spirit’s guidance into the WORLD.

In another post, I descibed the most fruitless mission ever. Yet it was at the time where the city and the people had apparently never been so ‘anointed’. They rolled, roared and writhed, but where were the converts?   I said:

“The enemy’s greatest tactic is not so much to deliberately obstruct, but to distract, which is far more  effective. And distract us he did. And it worked, and worked well. What happened was not revival, it was not even renewal – it was just a grand distraction.”  (More here  http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/the-most-fruitless-mission-ever/ )

In another post I expand on this thought - 

“It is now laughable to me that I did not see the paradox of things like people knocked over and ’slain in the spirit’ and manifesting vigorously but not actually healed, even a little bit, or of folk running on the spot or around the room ‘in the Spirit’, sometimes for many hours at a time, claiming and prophesying an ’evangelism anointing’ to the nations – but not actually running, let alone walking out of their own front door to do any evangelism – just going back into church halls for more anointing which LIED to them, and distracted them from the real work of the kingdom! For the ministry of the word of God, evangelism work, prayer meetings, and normal fellowship and church work was exchanged for a lie at this time. A grand distraction it was indeed. So clever and cunning, all done in Jesus’ name. But nobody said Satan was thick.”  (More here – http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/14/satans-tactics-renewal-revival-outpouring-and-distraction/)

It is time for the church to start seeking the true Holy Spirit instead of the counterfeit, and consecrate herself afresh at the altar (Romans 12:1) for works of service and obedience. True Spirit filled people are Spirit led. And Spirit led people evangelise.