Todd Bentley, Time Traveller?

Article by Bud Press, from here

“That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? Already it has existed for ages, which were before us.”   Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

Visions of all makes and models, shapes and sizes are a common occurrence within the Charismatic and signs and wonders movements. The question is: Are the visions from God?

To no surprise, Todd Bentley claims to have had multiple visions, and further claims to have been transported back in time, not by way of Professor Peabody and his Wayback Machine, mind you, but by “Jesus”:

Once in Bakersfield, as Todd was in prayer, the first night in the Pastor’s office, he had a visitation from the Lord. Jesus transported him back in time. He found himself in Bakersfield, back in the ’40’s of ’50’s, and was in a Voice of Healing service, miraculous healings were taking place.

Later, Todd asked historically if there were ever any healing revivals in Bakersfield. It was then, that Todd found out that in the 1950’s, Gordon Lindsay & Oral Roberts all had healing revivals there. Not only did they individually hold healing revival meetings there, but also Bakersfield was prophesied over by William Branham, and Paul Cain, that Bakersfield held a deep well of healing.

[Fresh Fire Ministries, "Bakersfield California BLOWOUT!" August 8, 2002, http://tinyurl.com/Bentley-Branham ]

It is important to note that the Jesus of the Bible spent a considerable amount of time warning His followers about false prophets and false teachers (Matthew 7:15-23; Matthew chapter 24). However, Todd Bentley claims that his “Jesus” “transported him back in time” to revivals, which were led by false prophets and false teachers!

It never fails; a false “Jesus” always betrays its followers.

Another account of Todd Bentley traveling back in time is found on page 121 of his January 1, 2008 book, Journey Into The Miraculous, where he claims that,

In a vision, Jesus took me to the garden of Gethsemane. I watched the crucifixion, the suffering, and the intensity of Jesus’ emotions. Throughout the encounter, I was fully aware of all of my natural senses as I wept and felt the deep despair of the moment.

As Bentley watched “Jesus” in the garden, he further claims that,

Jesus was sweating great drops of blood, wrestling back and forth, and anticipating the awful agony of taking the cup. [Ibid., emp. added]

Claims of Jesus sweating blood in the garden of Gethsemane has a familiar ring, if you know what the cult of Mormonism teaches, that is:

Following the Last Supper, Jesus and His Apostles went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus went off by Himself to pray. He knew that the time had come for Him to suffer for the sins of the world. He prayed that He might not have to experience such suffering but told Heavenly Father that He would do the Fatherʼs will. Jesus prayed more earnestly, and He sweat great drops of blood as He atoned for our sins.

 ["Jesus Praying in Gethsemane," http://tinyurl.com/WrongAgain, emp. added]

But Bentley’s vision and Mormonism’s teaching on Jesus sweating blood in the garden of Gethsemane aren’t exclusive; others have made the same claim:

In early 1860, at a tiny German mission in the Wimmera region of Victoria, a young Wotjobaluk man named Nathanael Pepper converted to Christianity. After a vision of Jesus sweating blood in Gethsemane, Pepper declared his experience to the missionaries and began evangelising his people in their own language.

[Joanna Cruickshank, "Evangelical Christianity enters the dreaming," July 25, 2007, http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=3122, emp. added]

Between the new and the old renovated church there shall be the stations of the cross with all stations; before the first station shall be the station of Jesus sweating blood suffering for our sins – The Agony in the Garden, the 15th station shall be the station of victory – The Resurrection. [France Spelic, from his diary of "Messages from Mary," http://www.kurescek.info, emp. added]

Blood or perspiration?

When a verbal or written statement is made, it is important to listen to or read the statement carefully, think, then formulate a comment. The key words to remember are listen to…read carefully… think.

Regarding the subject of Jesus “sweating blood” in the garden of Gethsemane, read carefully what God’s written word has to say:

Luke 22:44 (NASB): And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

Luke 22:44 (KJV): And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Note that Luke 22:44 does not say, His sweat became blood, or He sweated blood, or His sweat turned to blood. The Bible says Jesus’ sweat was like drops of blood and as it were great drops of blood.

If Jesus had sweated “great drops of blood” in the garden–as taught by Todd Bentley, Mormonism, and others–He would have been a shocking sight to see. His face and beard would have been covered with blood. And, at least the front part of His clothing would have been soaked in blood, which no doubt would have shocked and startled His disciples.

Yes, Jesus was in great travail in the garden, but He did not sweat blood. He sweated sweat (perspiration), and later shed His blood on the cross.

Important questions

Todd Bentley’s time travel visions raise some important questions, such as:

1. Regarding Todd Bentley and his being “transported” back in time to past revivals, would the real Jesus lead a true believer into a revival filled with heretics and false prophets for the purpose of fellowship and worship?

2. What do the following Scriptures mean?

“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me” (Isaiah 43:10-11).

“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me’” (Isaiah 44:6).

Yet I have been the LORD your God since the land of Egypt; and you were not to know any god except Me, for there is no savior besides Me (Hosea 13:14).

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

3. What did the Apostle Paul mean by “another Jesus” when he wrote:

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

4. How many Jesus’ are there in Todd Bentley’s garden of Gethsemane vision? With all of the above Scriptures in mind, which “Jesus” is worthy of praise and worship (the “Jesus” who began the vision, or the “Jesus” in the garden of Gethsemane)?

5. Is Todd Bentley’s “Jesus” the Jesus of the Bible? Are Todd Bentley’s visions from the God of the Bible?”

Charles and Frances Hunter, The Happy Hunters of Hunter Ministries

Article from here

“CHARLES (1920- ) AND FRANCES HUNTER (1916- ), also known as the Happy Hunters, are well-known charismatic healing evangelists of our day. The May 1986 issue of Charisma magazine stated that the Hunters were among the top 20 most popular and influential Charismatic leaders.

The Hunters promote the doctrine that healing is in the atonement and conduct “Healing Explosion” conferences to teach Christians how to heal the sick. They also distribute their healing seminars on audio and video cassette. Hundreds of thousands have attended their crusades in various parts of the world. Almost 200,000 people attended the first 21 Healing Explosion meetings in the United States in 1985, and as many as 50,000 people attended single crusades. Their annual budget was more than $2 million in 1987.

The Hunters claim that “every Spirit-filled Christian can and should be healing the sick on a daily basis” (advertisement for Healing Explosion crusades). In How to Heal the Sick, the Hunters say: “Yes, it is God’s will for you to be healed. You do not bring glory to God by walking around sick, saying, I am being sick for the glory of God. Sickness does not bring glory to God — healing and health bring glory to God!” (p. 18). 

In their Handbook for Healing, the Hunters say, “There is nothing that will convince a sinner of the reality of Jesus faster than witnessing a miracle” (p. 28). The Lord Jesus Christ taught that such a philosophy is wrong, that if people will not believe the Scriptures, they will not believe even if they see someone rise from the dead (Luke 16:29-31).

In the Handbook for Healing the Hunters also teach that when Christians heal “a force field of power comes out of you” and “the closer you are to the person, the more power they will feel and receive” (p. 91).

The Hunters teach that “miracle evangelism” is part of God’s end-time program and that through this means a great ingathering of souls will precede Christ’s return. They claim that in June 1980 God gave them a vision about worldwide miracle evangelism and instructed them that healing is part of the message of salvation (How to Heal the Sick, p. 5). The Hunters also believe their ministry is a fulfillment of a vision allegedly received by Tommy Hicks in 1961. He claims that he saw Jesus stretching forth his hands to people throughout the world and that a stream of “liquid light” issued forth from his hands to the people, signifying his miracle-working anointing upon end-times Christians. The Hunters published Hicks’ alleged vision in their book How to Heal the Sick.

I have personally witnessed the Hunter’s healing meetings on two occasions, and both times the wheelchair bound people who attended left unhealed and extremely disappointed. I did not see any significant healing at these meetings. During a healing crusade in the Philippines in January 1988, Frances Hunter developed an eye infection and in spite of attempts by the “healing teams” to heal her, she was forced to go to a doctor and get medication. She was embarrassed to find a copy of their book How to Heal the Sick in the waiting room of the doctor’s office.

In a Hunter healing crusade in Long Beach, California, all of the members of the healing team caught a virus that was moving through the area. Frances Hunter had to return home and spend 10 days in bed with this virus (Ministries Today, Nov.-Dec. 1991, p. 28).

In a Honduras crusade in 1991 Frances Hunter injured her knee and was unable to attend one of the meetings.

In 1989 the Hunters were ordered by a federal judge to pay $300,000 to a 67-year-old California woman, Evelyn Kuykendall, who was injured when she was “slain in the spirit” at one of their meetings. She fractured her back and spent two months in the hospital from the injury sustained during one of the Hunter’s healing meetings (Francis MacNutt, Overcome by the Spirit, p. 171).

While conducting a healing crusade in England in 1995, Frances Hunter broke her right heel and had to be brought back to the States in a wheelchair.

In their book Handbook for Healing the Hunters even give instructions for healing baldness: “To heal baldness, command healing to the hair follicles and command the hair to be restored to normal growth” (p. 106). In spite of their own instructions, both of the Hunters are partially bald! [endtimes note - Frances wears a wig. They also wear glasses]

The Happy Hunters, as already noted in this report, promote the unscriptural Laughing Revival; {endtimes note – they helped bring the Toronto Blessing to Kensington Temple in early 1994]  and their ministry is characterized by the dangerous and unscriptural phenomena of “spirit slaying.”

The Hunters teach people that they need to speak in tongues to have God’s miracle power. To receive the gift of tongues people are urged by the Hunters to stop thinking and to start muttering sounds so that God will allegedly take control of their tongues. This is the instruction given by Charles Hunter: “In just a moment when I tell you to, begin loving and praising God by speaking forth a lot of different syllable sounds; but not in a language you know, and don’t try to think of the sounds. At first make the sounds rapidly so you won’t try to think … Continue … with long flowing sentences … loudly at first” (Charles Hunter, Charisma, July 1989). This is foolish and unscriptural counsel.

In 1979 the Hunters published a book entitled Angels on Assignment which records alleged angelic visitations experienced by an Assemblies of God pastor named Roland Buck. Among other things, Buck claimed that an angel appeared to him and told him that Jesus Christ “didn’t taste physical death for us.” After being challenged about this statement by Walter Martin, this part of the book was rewritten, “leading Martin not only to question the authenticity of these angelic visitations but also to comment tersely, ‘How can one edit an angel’s words?’” (Foundation magazine, Jan.-Feb. 1980, p. 21).”

How to Discern True Christianity from False Doctrine

Article by Alan Higgins, from here

Taken from A Bible Study and True Christianity.

1. True Christianity must line up with the Bible, the word of God. True Christianity pronounces Jesus Christ to be the son of God and believes that He is the only way to salvation and forgiveness.

2. True Christianity will be rejected by the vast majority. This has always been the case throughout history. In Noah’s time only 8 people were saved in the whole world. In Lot’s time only Lot and his family were saved in two cities. The Bible says that our time will be similar to Noah and Lot’s time so it is very likely that the percentage of people saved could be similar.

3. True Christianity will be considered radical by most people. Jesus, the apostles and the prophets were considered radical. The Bible says that Christians are a peculiar people.

4. True Christianity will boldly rebuke and hate evil to such a large extent that those who preach the truth will greatly upset those who are evil. Those who preach truth will suffer persecution as a result.

5. True Christianity will be controversial and cause divisions (Luke 12: 51,52). To cause these divisions major change would have to occur in someone’s life which would upset others.

6. True Christianity will testify that almost everything that almost everyone does is evil.

7. True Christianity will be about true love, which is sharing and caring for others, where the main focus is to proclaim or aid the proclamation of the Gospel.

8. True Christianity will not be conformed to the world by accepting or desiring materialism, money and commercialism as a good thing or a part of life.

9. True Christianity will not be able to be proved wrong, although people may appear to make it sound untrue by arguing against it by using false statements.

10. True Christianity will not be deceptive or misleading or cause people to believe a lie. It will be about honesty and truth. People today are saying misleading things such as that the church is fine. They say people are supposed to be getting healed everywhere and saying they are healed when they are not. This could be compared to a dishonest salesman who says something is great when it does not work in order to get people to accept their product or system.

11. True Christianity is positive about good things and doing God’s will, but it hates evil. It is not like the mainstream that is positive about many evil things. Saying that something evil is good is only leading people to do evil. Many people say that things are fine and that many people are being saved and doing God’s will when this is not true. This is only suppressing the fact that the world is almost totally evil and causing people not to repent.

12. True Christianity has the fruits of commitment to doing God’s will and it will follow the historical example of those who did God’s will such as Jesus, the Apostles and the Prophets. Using your time and money to do God’s will is the purpose of life. The majority don’t do God’s will by working for the corrupt system or spending their money and time on unnecessary things.”

Spiritual Fathering and Mentoring – Or Pulpit Pimping?

Article from I’m Speaking The Truth  -

“First, the overall concept of spiritual fatherhood is doctrinally sound WHEN USED IN THE FULL CONTEXT OF THE GOSPEL. When a pastor first introduces someone to Christ, it’s their obligation to present the true and living Savior, and to instruct the new convert in righteous living so that they grow mature in the Word for themselves – and so that they can disciple someone else someday.

Today’s pimps simply use it as a tool to further drag their congregants into submission to them. They always point to 1 Corinthians 4:15-16:

15For if you were to have countless (A) tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in (B) Christ Jesus I (C)became your father through the (D) gospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be (E) imitators of me.

But, like a good pimp, they don’t give the total context of scripture – only the part that benefits them:

Servants of Christ
1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as (A) servants of Christ and (B) stewards of (C) the mysteries of God.

2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.

4 For I (D) am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this (E) acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.

5 Therefore (F) do not go on passing judgment before [a] the time, but wait (G) until the Lord comes who will both (H) bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s (I) praise will come to him from God.

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed (J) what is written, so that no one of you will (K) become arrogant (L) in behalf of one against the other.

7 For who regards you as superior? (M) What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

8You are (N) already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you.

9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men (O) condemned to death; because we (P) have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

10We are (Q) fools for Christ’s sake, but (R) you are prudent in Christ; (S) we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.

11To this present hour we are both (T) hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless;

12 and we toil, (U) working with our own hands; when we are (V)reviled, we bless; when we are (W) persecuted, we endure;

13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have (X)become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

14I do not write these things to (Y) shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved (Z) children.

15 For if you were to have countless (AA) tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in (AB) Christ Jesus I (AC) became your father through the (AD) gospel.

16 Therefore I exhort you, be (AE) imitators of me.

17F or this reason I (AF) have sent to you (AG) Timothy, who is my (AH) beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, (AI) just as I teach everywhere in every church.

18 Now some have become (AJ) arrogant, as though I were not (AK) coming to you.

19But I (AL) will come to you soon, (AM )if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are (AN) arrogant but their power.

20 For the kingdom of God does (AO) not consist in words but in power.

21W hat do you desire? (AP) Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

Paul was speaking of spiritual fatherhood in the context that he was the one that introduced them to Jesus Christ, thus making them “babes” in Christ. Therefore, he exhorted them to imitate him because he strove to passionately pursue and imitate Christ.

“What about Timothy, and Silas, etc.” you ask? Good question. This is another area of scripture that the pimps butcher in order to garner submission to them. Timothy never called Paul his “spiritual father” – although Paul does refer to Timothy as his “beloved and faithful child (or son) in the Lord”. Paul goes on to say that Timothy “will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians 4:17).

Notice Paul said that Timothy would continue in the sound teaching of the Gospel for the glory of God – not so that the sheep would continue to be coerced into submitting to Paul (even in his absence).

It’s the common practice of a pimp to flatter you about your potential, break you down so that you’re dependent on him, and slowly build you up so that you are an exact replica of his philosophy – all the while surrendering your hard earned money to him.

Some are good at it, others are clumsy yet effective, but the results are always the same – you submit.

I’ve seen grown men refer to their pastors as “daddy” or “dad” – much like a prostitute addresses her pimp. Not only have I seen it, I’ve participated in it.

The argument could be made that this bastardized “father-son” exploitation is rampant in the black church because of the lack of fathers in black homes. I can see that perspective. I had a fractured relationship with my own father. Sure, he was in our home but he was emotionally unavailable. I first bought into the “daddy” concept while seeking healing for the relationship with my biological father (we’re fine now), and I found comfort in the concept of a “spiritual father” who was charismatic and (I thought) had God’s ear.

I’m a grown man with an MBA, but I fell for it – hook, line, and sinker.

I couldn’t have been more wrong, and I’ve repented for my error in submitting to a flawed man (and men) as though he were the manifestation of Christ Himself.

The truth is that anyone who is searching for a sense of belonging is susceptible – especially if the first stop in your search isn’t the Word of God.

The next time your pimp stands behind the book-board to preach submission to him, or declares that he is your spiritual father (especially if he doesn’t even remotely resemble Christ in his actions), quietly turn your bible to Matthew 23:8-12, read it slowly, close your bible – AND RUN AS FAST AND AS FAR AWAY AS YOU CAN.

Also, visit Kwesi over at SCREAM for another look at the abuse of pastoral authority.

It seems as though this whole exploration of pulpit pimps & spiritual fatherhood is getting some attention. While no one is publicly commenting to my thoughts, I am getting feedback in my email – and I’m starting to see visitors stop by from across the web. To God be the glory – I hope that some of you are starting to rethink your relationship with your “spiritual father”… if you have one.

Let’s take a moment to review the nature of the pulpit pimp:

• He attracts you with his charisma
• He tells you of your “potential in the Lord”
• He breaks you down
• He builds you back up as a reflection of and in submission to him
• He convinces you that you need him so that he can tell you what God is saying to you (I guess Jesus’ intercession on our behalf is unnecessary – Romans 8:34)

Got all that? Good, let’s move on…

Now that you understand how much you need the pimp, you’ve got to submit to his “spiritual covering” so that he can “pray for you” and you can be “accountable to him in ministry”. Of course, your submission is going to cost you something.

Call it a love offering (can you find the phrase “love offering” in the bible?), first fruits (another scam where you pay the pimp your first day, week, or months salary so that they can pray over it, causing your “crops” to be blessed for the rest of the year), or any other creatively titled “offering” – you gotta “pay to play”.

Even the pimps themselves are encouraged to submit to “super pimps”. This allows the pimp to flaunt their own “spiritual daddies” and claim a portion of the “anointing” that rests on the superpimp. This perverse thinking is why many of today’s pimps have such disdain for formal biblical education. They call seminaries “cemeteries”, and brag about how they were ordained by their “spiritual fathers”.

My former pimp used to love to say how he was “sent” (by his superpimp) while others “just went“. The implication, of course, is that you can’t possibly be called into the Gospel ministry by God Himself. No, you’ve got to have the superpimp lay his hands on you to “stir up the gifts in you” (another bastardized butchering of Paul’s relationship with Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6).

Now that they’ve convinced you that formal seminary education is a waste of time, you accept their tainted “covering”, as well as the tainted “covering” of their superpimp. Here are a few of the the “covering” ministries out there:

Dr. I.V. Hilliard of New Light Church of Houston, TX – Association of Independent Ministries
Bishop Eddie L. Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church of Lithonia, GA – BELL Ministries/The Father’s House
Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potters House of Dallas, TX – Potters House International Pastoral Alliance

There are many others out there, even “spiritual mothers” that are willing to “cover” you as well. The men listed above represent the most popular “covering” ministries in operation today.

These ministries were formed to “establish, encourage, and cultivate others to God through the personal touch of our Bishop” (according to Long’s website) and to “provide for those member ministries wise counsel and oversight upon their request” (according to Hilliard).

Innocent enough right? All these fellows want to do is help you by giving you wise counsel and oversight – nothing wrong with that, right? Well, you didn’t think you’d get all this covering and counseling for free did you? No, no, no – remember, you’ve got to “pay to play…

Want to be a “son” of Eddie Long? No problem. He’ll give you a subscription to his magazine, access to his quarterly conferences, prayer, and lots of other “ministry resources”. Just fill out the application, get a couple of letters of recommendation (you didn’t think he’d “lay hands” on you, did you?) and send in your annual “membership fee” of $250, and you’re on your way!

Don’t want Long to be your daddy? OK, how about I.V.? He only charges $50 for the application fee and $100 for the annual membership(what a bargain), but I.V. is a bit more demanding. He wants to bill you for monthly administrative costs, he wants you to honor him and accept correction from him, you have to make a “public confession of sonship/daughtership” (huh? do you get a special decoder ring too?) and much much more.

As a side note, I had the pleasure of “encountering” a few of I.V.’s local sons when he spoke at my former church. They wanted to get access to their “daddy” after service, but we were instructed to “keep them away”. Now I know why they were so anxious to meet their daddy – they paid enough!

Anyway, not content with Eddie or I.V.? How about the king alpha pimp – T.D.? No problem…T.D. could always use a new son or two. Besides, he doesn’t require as much as old I.V. does. You only have to be senior pastor with a church that’s larger than the pastor’s immediate family (I know, I had to read that twice myself), fill out the application, and PAY A TITHE FROM YOUR PERSONAL PASTORAL INCOME (I had to read that one a few times).

A I’ve stated before, the concept of spiritual fathering (or mentoring) is not unbiblical. It is incumbent upon a pastor to mentor those who are new and immature in the faith by exemplifying a Christ-like lifestyle, and pointing them to God as their ultimate Father.

Spiritual covering is now simply portrayed as your allegiance to your pulpit pimp, his philosophy, and his band of cronies. Your real spiritual covering is God your Father (1 Corinthians 11:3). As long as you align yourself with God, you’ll never be uncovered. Besides, God was covering you long before you ever crossed paths with your pimp!

It’s easy to see how your pimp can prey upon you week after week – he’s being sanctioned by his own “spiritual father” and practicing what he learns – and aspires to be himself. To drive his point home, the pimp will “invite” (i.e. pay an honorarium or speakers fee) for the superpimp to come to his church so that you can see how close he is to his “daddy” – and thereby legitimizing his hustle.

Meanwhile, the Gospel gets lost in the midst of all of this phony “fathering and covering”. The lost and bound never experience the true liberty of Jesus Christ, and the devil is laughing because he doesn’t have to do anything but stay out of the pimps way.

This “pimpology” will end when you stop allowing your pimp to satisfy your flesh and start allowing your Heavenly Father to satisfy you completely. Like the old preachers used to say: “that old devil will starve if you stop feeding it”.

There I go again, getting myself all worked up. I’m going to reintroduce myself to the Christ to make me feel better…”

Joel Osteen – Your Best Life Now?!

Source: here

Paula White At Her Manipulative Worst: You Will Die Unless You Give Money

Paula White pimping for money on a Benny Hinn Telethon, LeSea Television Network, April 16, 2004 -

“Now, get up and go to the phone! When God begins to speak to you dial that number on your screen. Don’t you miss this moment!

If you miss your moment you miss your miracle! …

{Endtimespropheticwords note – so it is not faith that is required for the miracle, it is handing over some money to her. No money = no miracle. In other words this is called ’simony’. But it is actually even worse than selling the Holy Spirit, for the poor mug of a TV viewer does not get anything good back for their dollar [apart from a curse], as these people are not true servants of God who speak for and by the Holy Spirit.]

“He’s [God’s] giving you a Rhema Word right now … The God that I serve is speaking to you right now!”

[Mammon speaks to her? To you? For you to give money to her?

And of course nobody is speaking but a manipulative and adulteress false prophetess trying to twist your arm so she and her cohorts can benefit.

And if God were really speaking to the audience, there would be far more miracles as a result of people pledging and sowinf, as God does not lie does he? But Paula and Benny do!]

“And so the principle here is if I take for myself when it’s time to give to the kingdom I can bring a curse on myself… You will die! You will die unless you go to the phone and do what God says to do.”

“Don’t just listen to the Word of the Lord, you got to do the Word of the Lord! You will die! You will die unless you go to the phone and do what God says to do.”

Ultimate Church Abuse – Pastor Kills Flock!

This is ‘old’ news historically, back from 2007, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Article from www.vanguardngr.com Jan. 12, 2007

“LAGOS — One hour into the judgment of guilty for murder passed on the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly (CPA), Isolo, Lagos, Emeka Ezeugo a.k.a. Dr. Reverend King by an Ikeja High Court, yesterday, the convict began perspiring in the fully air-conditioned courtroom.

His knees buckled under his not too heavy frame, where he stood in the dock listening to Justice Joseph Oyewole.

Security aides quickly rushed to his aid before he could collapse. The judge paused and allowed him to sit down.

Two hours later, Ezeugo was condemned to death by hanging.

Then the drama started, launched by the convict himself.“I am not afraid to be hanged, after all Jesus Christ was hanged. That was how Jesus was hanged and the crowd was against Him. It is a great honour for me to follow the foot path of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a pleasure and honour for me to die by hanging,” he shouted at no one in particular. He is to die for the murder of one of his church members, late Miss Ann Uzor.

He was found guilty of causing petrol to be poured on seven members of his church on July 22, 2006 at the church premises, 6B Canal View, Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos and throwing a lit match at them with the intention of setting them ablaze. This was after he had accused them of indulging in sexual immorality.

The victims were Miss Onuorah Chizoba, Olisa Chiejina, Uche Chukwu Iwoba, Vivian Ezeocha, Jessica Nwere, Kossisochukwu Ezenwankwo and Ann Uzor. The seventh victim, Ann Uzor, however, died on August 2, 2006 from severe loss of body fluid caused by the burns. King was then arraigned at an Ikeja High Court on a six-count charge of murder, attempted murder and causing bodily injuries on his victims by setting them ablaze.

In the course of the trial, 12 witnesses testified for the prosecution while the accused called nine witnesses including himself. The first prosecution witness, Vivian Ezeocha, in her evidence testified that she was saved after petrol was poured on them and set ablaze because she was wearing multiple clothes but the late Ann Uzor could not escape as she was in her silk night gown and was immensely soaked.

Reviewing the proceedings of the trial before passing judgment, Justice Oyewole said King “identified in court in his defence the generating sets he claimed caused the fire incident but made no mention of any tracts which he had earlier ordered to be burnt as claimed by one of the defence witnesses. He said he was busy in the church until his arrest. The accused admitted there was fornication in his church and confirmed he has two kinds of rods. He said there was a fire incident on July 22, 2006 and confirmed knowing Ann’s father but said he never sent a condolence message to him since Ann’s death.”

The defence counsel, Mr Mike Okoye, in his final address said there were material contradictions, inconsistencies and discrepancies in the evidence of the witnesses. He said the generators were not switched on for the court to know whether or not they were functioning and further submitted that there was doubt as to whether the deceased actually died as proper verification was not done before autopsy was carried out. The defence counsel also argued that the victims were nursing grudges against the accused and that was why they could go to any length to nail him.”

The prosecution led by the former Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Bola Okikiolu-Ighile, in her submission argued that “the onus is on the prosecution to prove the offence committed beyond reasonable doubt. She said the victims’ testimonies portrayed the person of the accused and further corroborated the offence of the accused.

She then urged the court to hold that with the evidence of the pathologist and the medical doctor that treated the deceased, there was no doubt as to the identity of the deceased and that the offence was committed by the accused.”

In his findings, Justice Oyewole said “the foundation of the entire trial was based on the six-count charge which was amended on December 4, 2006. An issue was raised by the defence as to the irregularity in not dating the original charge. Failure to date is of no effect. The issue for determination is whether the prosecution has proved each of the counts beyond every reasonable doubt. In a criminal trial evidence must include all reasonable doubt other than imaginary or speculation. Prove beyond reasonable doubt is not prove beyond any shadow of doubt once the ingredient of the offence for which the accused was charged with are proved. Although many of them dwelt on issues that are not concerned with the offence, I shall dwell only on the evidence that relates to the matter.

“Counts 1 to 5 were allegations of attempt to murder. The mere attempt to cause grievous bodily harm is not enough for him to be convicted for murder. The prosecution tendered 25 documentary and real exhibits. Prosecution witnesses 1, 3, 5, 10 and 11 were victims of the fire incident. The victims were the only eyewitnesses of the incident. The proper approach, therefore, is for the court to duly scrutinise the evidence before it. The first prosecution witness, Vivian Ezeocha, in her evidence was not shaken, it did not show that she was lying or had lied on oath before. Her expression was sound and very plausible under cross examination. All other victims corroborated her testimony. The clothes she wore on the said day were also tendered before the court as well as containers of oil and bowl for fuel were all tendered. She is a witness of truth and I accept her testimony.

“The prosecution witness number three confessed he lied on oath at the magistrate court but confirmed his testimony was not against the testimony of the first prosecution witness and I accept it. I consider the fifth prosecution witness as witness of truth and I accept her evidence too. The 10th prosecution witness, Kossisochukwu Ezenwankwo, showed burn injuries and the clothes he wore at the time of the incidence. The portions burnt on his legs were exactly burnt on his body. I accept this too. The 11th prosecution witness, Jessica Nwenne, corroborated the 10th prosecution witness testimony. I believed her story more so as she corroborated the other witnesses. The fourth prosecution witness, Kelechi, was an accomplice, an actor in the alleged offence. Her two statements were contradictory, I rejected one and accepted one. The one accepted was in line with her evidence in court. She admitted to have told different lies on the matter. I consider her pathetic.

“The generators were before the court, clean and without any evidence of burns or flames. The accused confirmed the generators and identified them as his. I accept her testimony on this and act thereon accordingly. The second prosecution witness was the Investigating Police Officer in the matter and I accept his evidence. The medical doctor of Faith City Clinic who gave evidence for the prosecution had no contradictions in his testimony. His evidence was a valuable corroboration to the evidence of the victims. He also described how all other people that came to the hospital that night corroborated what the victims have said. None of them suffers credibility deficiencies and was not discountenanced under cross examination.

“On the testimony of the victims concerning how they were treated by the accused, I don’t agree with Mr Okoye’s argument as they all testified to sexual relationships, beating, order of petrol and the lighting of the match. There was no inconsistency or contradiction in the evidence of the prosecution. I consider the allegations of the defence witnesses as mere afterthought.

“On the alibi of the accused person, he said he was elsewhere but this was not enough as he did not give account of the specific place he was. The accused person in his evidence raised some questions in his explanation. The account of the accused with regard to the burning of the tracts was 9 or 10 a.m. but the fire incident was at night. None of the defence witnesses claimed to have witnessed the incidence, their testimonies were filled with lies and fabrications. Defence witnesses 5, 7, and 8 gave no relevant evidence on the trial. I find that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt the accused committed the offence. I hold that the prosecution has proved that the accused attempted to kill the five victims.

“The deceased died through the act of the accused and it was an intentional act. The prosecution said the late Ann was badly beaten and was the most affected by the fuel and fire. Even the accused acknowledged taking the late Ann to the hospital. The prosecution witness number 8 testified to seeing her everyday till she died. Prosecution witness number 2 also testified that she saw her on a daily basis until her death.

“From exhibits P5 and 5A one could see how Ann looked before she died, her body was identified by Prosecution witness number two to Prosecution witness number 6. There were severe burn injuries on her face, neck, whole of the back, hands and legs. The doctor said she had about 70 per cent burns on her total body surface area and that she suffered third degree burns.

“I have no difficulty in concluding that the accused died as a result of the burn injuries inflicted on her by the accused. On whether the accused acted intentionally or not, the victims testified that the accused said ‘he could kill us and that he is above the law, we were on our knees begging before the fuel was poured on us.’ It was evident that the accused acted intentionally and with impunity.

“Having declared his intention on allegation of improper sexual conduct and having gone ahead to order fuel to be poured on them and striking the match despite pleas, he can’t escape from the fact that he murdered Ann Uzor King. The accused was angered by supposed sexual conduct of the victims. He was in control of his senses sufficiently to move the victims away from his seats and cars. They called him daddy, daddy yet all he thought of was to brutally terminate their lives.
“From the totality of the evidence before me I find him guilty and convict him accordingly.”

After the plea for mercy made by the accused counsel, the judge then passed his sentence, saying: “Pursuant to Section 320 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, the punishment is life imprisonment while in Section 319 of the same law the only punishment for murder is death penalty.” The judge then sentenced him to 20 years on each of counts one to five which will run concurrently. On the sixth count of murder the judge said: “I find you guilty of the offence of murder. I hereby sentence you to death by hanging. You should be hanged by the neck until life is out of you.”

After the sentence was passed on him, King who had in the course of the judgment been sweating profusely and was at a stage about to slump in the dock before security men went to his aide started to brag and condemn the judgment. According to him, “there was not truth in the judgment, that was no how to discover the truth. The witnesses said I did something, I said I did not do it, so it was their word against mine. But the judge chose to believe the witnesses who came to lie against me. I know I am not guilty.”

More articles here on this group – Christian Praying Assembly

Church Giving Is So Important!

[Cartoon from here]

The Privilege of Washing Anointed Toilets

The following article is from Charismania, who makes some really excellent points in a very good way. I have seen this attitude exactly - for me, it was most strongly manifest within Youth With A Mission [YWAM].

“One of the strangest (and most unbiblical) things about our particular experience with “Charismania” was the odd dynamic that swirled around the pastors of Living Word Church (a pseudonym, as are most other names on this website).  Within the world that they’d created inside the walls of Living Word, the Smith family – Pastor Smith, his wife Mary, and their two young-adult sons, Timmy and Tommy – were treated like royalty. 

We’d come to Living Word Church after a lifetime spent in more mainstream Bible-based churches, where it was a given that pastors were supposed to be unassuming “servant leaders.”   So when we first arrived at Living Word, we were oblivious to the aura of celebrity that surrounded the Smiths. 

It took awhile for us to fall in line and acclimate ourselves to Living Word’s hierarchy, but eventually we learned how things were.  And despite how we always KNEW, at some level, that the Smith family’s belief in their own importance was completely unbiblical and inappropriate, we soon found ourselves going right along with the crowd who swirled around them, vying for their attention and approval.  It really did not take very long for it to seem almost NORMAL to us that there was an entire “ministry” built around providing security for the Smith family as they walked around the church building.  Or that it was considered a HIGH HONOR to open the door of Pastor Smith’s $85,000 Mercedes as his handlers hustled him out of the building and into his car.

Eventually, we realized that the people who were the closest to the Smith family – ESPECIALLY the people who handled the most mundane details of their lives – exhibited a real attitude about their proximity to the Smiths. 

I happened to be reading a random website – a website about a subject that on the surface has nothing to do with the world of “Charismania” – when I came across a really amazing comment that describes to a “T” the dynamic that was at work at Living Word Church.  I want to post that comment here, as I believe it provides a good summary of the attitudes at work within many independent “Charismaniac” churches, not just Living Word.

Here is the comment, by ”Cindy K” (who has her own website here):

I would completely discount this as true if I had not heard and seen these things in the shepherding movement (the charismatic movement that got started about the same time that Bill Gothard started to get cranked up in the mid to late ’60s). We had a close friend at one time who was on the list to have the privilege of washing Bob Mumford’s car. The more holiness you have and the more submissive you are, the more deeply you can penetrate into the inner circle of leaders and the more intimate duties you are permitted to perform for them. So scrubbing the toilet for Bob Mumford is a far higher and more lofty duty than just washing the car. I actually talked on the phone with someone who left a sister church of my group whose father actually got to pick Bob Mumford up at the airport.

This is all a very big part of submission teaching, and in terms of this aspect and dynamic, Gothard and Mumford and some of these patriocentrists ascribe to the same mindset.  Gothard teaches that if you want to have your own vision, the way to make that grow comes through serving others in their mission. So the more humble you are, the more grace you get (like God puts money in an account or you get grace warm fuzzies to counter all those sin cooties).  The more selfless you are in your service, the more benefit you gain.  If you are asked to wipe someone’s bum because they are too lazy to do it themselves or if they are actually taking pleasure in the fact that they can get you to do it, this is a test of your virtue. Submission, submission, submission.  It is seen as an act of piety that builds your character in a direct cause and effect manner. 

But what’s interesting is that no one is interested in scrubbing the toilet of the aging, obese woman who had a stroke and drools, who is seated in the back row and when she comes for prayer or to ask for critical help is patted on the head and told to be warmed, filled and to go in peace.  The ministry efforts are directed primarily toward the elders and leaders in a group, because it is a type of validation and reinforcement of your own importance.  Consider that this is like a drug, because you are in an environment of comparison as well as one where shame is used to motivate.  It is more satisfying than a glass of cool water on the hottest summer day because it medicated the pains of comparison and shame.

People in these groups are overridden with shame, and gaining the favor of the elite is a most powerful neurochemical drug.  It also feeds pride, because you are more special than the other people who can’t even get on the waiting list to wash the car, let alone scrub the toilet.  But sometimes, if there is a favorite of the group, one that the group can hold up a non-normative they would like people to minister to – a pet project.  Because it is seen as a virtue and is counted as virtuous by the leadership, attending to the particular non-normative who has been set apart by the leaders will also earn you bonus points with them. 

They ALWAYS have their favorites.  You might not get to wash the car of the leader, but you might be able to get on the list to wash the car of their pet project.  And think about it.  They have set themselves up in a hierarchy and established themselves as the visionaries who speak for God and discern His thoughts in ways that normal people cannot even begin to attain.  Where would we be without Doug Phillips? We would have no one championing the family and the world would be a sad, sad place.  If you want more than anything to honor and serve God in all the wonder and fullness that you can dream of, this is alluring. 

If you believe their press, they hold out this fantasy for you.  They create it with smoke and mirrors, and if you want that fantasy, there it is.  You might not get to experience the awesome power and holiness and greatness of God, but you can perhaps glean something from the crumbs that fall from God’s table of greatness.  I’ve heard people describe this as like unto those sick who took strips of Paul’s clothing to the sick so that the power of the Holy Spirit that remained on the cloth would heal them.  [Charismania here:  I want to point out that Living Word Church actually did have what they called an "Anointing and Handkerchief Service" each year, where they would distribute "anointed" hankies and vials of oil that had been prayed over by Pastor Smith and other guest speakers.  Living Word Church actually had that passage from the book of Acts - the passage that describes how strips of Paul's clothing were distributed for healing - printed on the hankies.  Also, I myself  once wrote a post about a funny thing that happened to us during the final prayer line during that "Handkerchief Service."  These things dovetail perfectly with what Cindy K is saying in this comment!]  You might have a Holy Ghost experience by washing the very car that Bob Mumford actually touched and sat in.  You might get a Holy Ghost jolt when you scrub the…

Don’t forget that Gothard teaches this.  To have vision you must first experience the death of a vision, and then you work toward your vision by serving someone else in their vision.  When God finds you faithful and you earn enough grace points and warm fuzzies, you win the prize – you get your own vision, and volunteers will in turn come to serve you as you aspire toward your very own vision. 

This is all Gothard.  It was all over Shepherding.  It is a twist on being faithful over little so that God will make you faithful over your own greatness.  By serving others greatness, God will eventually make you great.  It’s all part of the formula.”

Todd Bentley and his Muscle-Bound Jesus

by Bud Press, from here

“Todd Bentley could have been a great evangelist. God could have used him to preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-4). Many could have left the Florida Outpouring revival truly born again–forgiven, saved, sanctified, and redeemed.

The Florida Outpouring could have been a great revival. As such, the tens of thousands who attended the revival and watched the telecasts around the world could have been blessed, strengthened in the faith, taught the whole council of God, and made aware of the deceptive tactics of cultic and heretical beliefs and teachings (Acts 20:27-31). Afterwards, they could have gone out into the highways and hedges and compelled the lost to come to Jesus Christ (Luke 14:23).

Rory and Wendy Alec, founders of God TV, brought the Lakeland revival into homes worldwide. Unlike the Trinity Broadcasting Network, God TV could have been a driving force in the promotion of solid, Bible-based Christian pastors, evangelists, teachers, and Christian-based reading and viewing materials.

But the Lakeland revival was doomed from day-one. On the outside, it was advertised as a tremendous move of the Holy Spirit. But on the inside, it carried the spiritually-polluted stench of the Toronto and Brownsville revivals, and was saturated with false teachings, false prophecies, wild claims, false healings, and demonic activity.

Rory and Wendy Alec made Todd Bentley their darling poster-boy, and promoted the Lakeland revival as the next best thing to noontime tea and crumpets. In turn, Bentley’s popularity drew untold thousands into God TV’s website and 24-hour telecasts infested with false prophets and false teachers, such as: Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Cindy Jacobs, Creflo Dollar, Rodney Howard-Browne, Patricia King, Francis Frangipane, Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle and IHOP/Kansas City, and C. Peter Wagner.

During the Lakeland revival, Wendy Alec stumped her prophetic toe and fell face-first onto a long list of false prophets, by prophesying that Jesus Christ would attend the revival “in person” (refer to “Wendy Alec: Prophet of God?” at http://www.christianresearchservice.com/WendyAlec1.htm).

As for Todd Bentley, history records that he was conditioned and deceived from the beginning–groomed and mentored by those who were conditioned and deceived before him. What began with Bentley’s reading of Benny Hinn’s book, Good Morning, Holy Spirit, germinated over the years and erupted into widespread deception and a resurgence of William Branham-ism.

It didn’t matter that William Branham was a false prophet who denied the Trinity and the deity of Jesus Christ. It didn’t matter that Branham was overshadowed by demonic activity. It didn’t matter that Branham’s teachings and claims failed the tests of God’s word and were rejected by solid, Bible-based Christians worldwide  (http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain4.htm)

Although Todd Bentley is no longer with Fresh Fire Ministries, William Branham continues to be promoted on the Fresh Fire website.

William Branham was a credit to his fellow heretics and false prophets, and a contributor to the apostasy. Had he been alive he may have occupied center-stage at the Lakeland revival, where his adoring followers would be fed a continuous diet of twisted Scriptures, false signs and wonders, and doctrines of demons.

As a reminder, among other things, cultic and heretical movements downplay and mock Jesus Christ, deny the authority of God’s written word, and elevate a man or woman to the position of “mediator” between God and man. Although all of the “prophecies” foretold over Todd Bentley during his “Commissioning” were false, the classic warning signs for the emergence of a new cult-like messiah were there during the Florida Outpouring revival–incubating behind the scenes.

Many people worldwide placed their hopes, dreams, and even faith in Todd Bentley, only to be slapped in the face with a heavy hand of reality. Without a doubt, God removed Bentley from the Florida Outpouring, brought it to a screeching halt, and used Bible-based Christians to expose one of the most dangerous situations to confront the body of Christ in recent years.

Despite everything non-Christian and ungodly that occurred during the revival and Todd Bentley’s short-lived reign, if Bentley returns he will have plenty of adoring fans to defend his blasphemies, sing his praises, and chant his mantras. For one cannot be groomed and mentored by dogmatic heretics, then “restored” by dogmatic heretics, and expect to come away behaving and teaching like an orthodox Christian.

Journey into the bizarre and preposterous

In his heyday, Todd Bentley was never at a loss for words, weather verbally or in print. On page 27 of his January 2008 book, Journey Into The Miraculous, Bentley claims that,

Just prior to my launch into the ministry, the Holy Spirit took me into a vision–an interactive trance where my senses fully operated.

During his vision/trance, Bentley claims that he encountered “Jesus,” then follows up with a physical description:

Upon His breastplate was the imprint of a golden eagle. He was so muscular, that the breastplate took on the ripples of His mighty chest! His biceps were enormous, the size of my head, and He had massive forearms and huge hands. There was Jesus, the mighty warrior God! He towered over me three to four times my height, so tall, He would have to bend down to communicate with me. [Ibid.]

Do the math: if Todd Bentley were only five feet tall, the “Jesus” he claims to have encountered would be fifteen or twenty feet tall. Perhaps Bentley confused his “Jesus” with some of the angels he claims to have encountered:

Once, just before my commissioning into ministry, a huge angel appeared in my living room. He stood about twenty-feet tall and towered through the ceiling of the apartment above. His massive chest was level with my ceiling! [Ibid., p. 133]

In February, I saw an angel twenty feet tall. The angel stretched as high as the ceiling of the Albany auditorium. [Ibid., p. 231]

Sadly, Todd Bentley’s ability to stretch the truth stretches into stretching the height and build of his “Jesus” and angels. However, huge and strong men are mentioned in the Bible: Goliath stood almost ten feet tall (1 Samuel 17:4). Samson possessed incredible strength (Judges 16:28-30). Yet, nowhere does God’s written word mention a huge and muscular Jesus, whether in person or in a vision. It is ridiculous to even think it, and terribly misleading to teach it!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Todd Bentley’s “Jesus” and angels are bizarre and preposterous, and must be viewed as counterfeits.

‘Forerunner’ running on deceptive fumes

On pages 27 and 28 of Journey Into The Miraculous, Todd Bentley claims to have received a “revelation” from his muscle-bound messiah, who supposedly told him,

“This is the council of the Lord. I have called you as one of many to be a part of a last days’ army and a last days’ generation.”

But Todd Bentley’s claims to last days’ fame begin in the early stages of his Journey Into The Miraculous, where he maintains that Bob Jones told him he was a “part of the ‘first fruits’ wave of a billion people whom God would light on fire” (pp. 21-22). Then, of himself, Bentley boasts:

My life is a message, a prophetic signpost of what God wants to do with millions of others. I am a forerunner and one of many who will carry the healing anointing to the nations. [Ibid., p. 22]

Yet, history records that Todd Bentley, the proclaimed and self-proclaimed forerunner, was running on fumes of deception at the beginning of his journey, and eventually crash landed in a thundering mess and controversy.

Nonetheless, the muscle-bound “Jesus” Todd Bentley described in his book doesn’t fit the eye-level “face-to-face” encounter he had in a Patricia King produced YouTube video (refer to “Todd Bentley or Jesus Christ?”).

The real Jesus Christ

Todd Bentley’s giant, muscle-bound “Jesus” was inspired by his fertile imagination, or demonic intervention, or both. But the prophet Isaiah’s description of Jesus, the coming Messiah, was inspired by the Holy Spirit:

Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him (Isaiah 53:1-2).

Again, speaking of Jesus Christ, Isaiah wrote that, He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. There was nothing special about Jesus’ looks, clothing, or physical appearance that would cause Him to be immediately recognized as the Messiah, Savior, and the Son of God (God Himself in human form). To those who did not know Him and Who He claimed to be, he didn’t stand out in a crowd.

And to this day, if one doesn’t know the real Jesus–the One revealed in Scripture–then how is one capable of finding Him in a world full of false Christs? If one will become an expert on the Jesus of the Bible and Who He is, then one will have no problem discerning the real Jesus from the counterfeit.

The real Jesus, Who now sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven, warned of the counterfeits in Matthew chapter 24. Jesus Christ is exclusive. He is the only way. All others are cheap imitations that are designed to draw people away from the real Jesus Christ.

Todd Bentley’s “Jesus” is a snake-like chameleon; it changes sizes and colors from vision to vision and encounter to encounter; it blends into its Christian surroundings; it’s hiss sounds Christian, but it’s heretical bite is deadly poisonous; it falls head-first into “another Jesus” the Apostle Paul warned about in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4. It overshadows and even possesses its followers and makes them its false apostles, deceitful workers, and servants who disguise themselves as righteous (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

“Another Jesus” has not the authority or power to forgive, save, sanctify, and redeem the lost.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds (2 John 1:9-10).

Can it get any clearer? In the past, God spoke to mankind through the prophets, but in these last days He speaks through Jesus Christ. We are living in the last days. Those who fail to maintain the teachings of Jesus Christ do not have God! And those who refuse to turn away from heretics lend them credibility and become co-participants in their evil:

“They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, ‘The LORD declares,’ when the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope for the fulfillment of their word (Ezekiel 13:6).

In Acts chapter 20, unlike the heretics in his midst, the Apostle Paul abided in the teachings of Jesus Christ, and spent three years boldly preaching the whole council of God to the Ephesian elders. He preached the word; whether it was convenient or inconvenient. He reproved, rebuked, and exhorted with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

But how is it possible to preach the whole council of God when an evangelist or preacher has abandoned the truth of God’s word and embraced doctrines of demons? Furthermore, how is it possible for those who are searching for the real Jesus Christ to be forgiven, saved, sanctified, and redeemed when they are under the spiritual thumb of heretics and false prophets, all of whom are under the spiritual thumb of the counterfeit snake-like chameleon?

A person’s beliefs, faith, and doctrines are like a house; they are built on sand or the solid rock of God’s written word:

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell–and great was its fall (Matthew 7:26-27).

Indeed, those who sincerely search for the real Jesus will find Him in God’s written word–from Genesis to Revelation–not from the lips and pens of heretics and false prophets. Only the real Jesus has the authority and power to forgive, save, sanctify, and redeem the lost.

In John 14:6, Jesus Christ said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. These are bold words of truth from the One Who has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him (Isaiah 53:2).

When compared to the real Jesus Christ, Todd Bentley’s huge, muscle-bound messiah is not only a counterfeit, it grins and kicks sand in the faces of the innocent, gullible, and unwary.

There is a huge difference between Todd Bentley’s “Jesus” and the Jesus of the Bible, the One Who compels the suffering and the lost to

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).”