Maria B Woodworth-Etter On Spiritual Counterfeits and The Voice of God

While researching Pentecostal history, I came across the following sermon by Maria Woodworth-Etter which I found most interesting.

By publishing it here, although there is some truth in it, with some error too mingled in, I do not wish to seem to be endorsing Maria Woodworth-Etter’s ministry, nor do I wish to be wrongly understood to be condoning everything Maria Woodworth-Etter said or did  - as she had some very strange and unbiblical practices of her own.

Nor do I even agree with her manner of ‘testing the spirits’ which seems to be more by human-based ’common sense’ than actual true spiritual discernment. So for example, offering up a child sacrifice or burning a church down, most people would agree is wrong and not God’s will - most  people would be able to discriminate that any voice telling them this is NOT the voice of God. But what if the same voice was a lot more subtle – as the deceiver usually is for most folk, expecially at the start – and if Satan used scripture, albeit twisted and distorted but only very slightly when presenting a ‘new’ revelation? Or if mainly truth was spoken albeit with strange farcical things added onto its delivery, such as standing statue still in a ‘trance’ for many days and nights on end? How would Maria Woodworth-Etter or her audience discern between what is holy and good and what is unholy and diabolic then?!

BUT anyway, all that notwithstanding, I found the sermon fascinating. It indicates that even SHE, the ‘mother’ of pentecostalism had her limits about what was acceptable and was godly, and even she, Maria Woodworth-Etter, mother of many bizarre manifestations would declare that the Toronto Blessing and Lakeland Outpouring manifestations are not of God. Maria Woodworth-Etter even specifically mentions  in her sermon a manifestation that sounds very like Stacey Campbell’s wild headshaking spirit, which Woodworth-Etter declares was demonic and required cast out.

A sermon by Maria B Woodworth-Etter extracted from the book, The Life and Work of Mrs M.B. Woodworth-Etter -

“Beloved “try the spirits.” There are many spirits we do not want to have anything to do with. There is our own spirit; the flesh and the devil. There are many spirits contending, and many times we let our own spirit rule and make ourselves think it is God; the same, with the flesh and the devil.

Sometimes we know it is not God, but we want to have our own way. If we have the Holy Ghost we can prove the spirits, because everything the Holy Ghost does is confirmed by the Word. We do not want to trust to tongues and interpretations. You must measure things by the word. We must measure tongues and demonstrations by the Word, and if they do not agree with the Word, we must not accept them; everything must be measured by the Word.

We do know God and the voice of God, but the devil can come as an angel of light. When you are in the Holy Ghost, that is the time the devil tries to get in and lead you astray. The Holy Ghost is revealing some secret things; at the same time the devil comes in, and if you are not careful, you will listen to what he has to say and follow him.

Once I was having a wonderful vision, and right in the midst of it, the devil said to me, “You are going to die.” I was very poorly and was worked nearly to death and I listened to the devil for a minute; then I stopped to hear what God wanted to teach me.

I said, “What is this God is showing me? Does this agree with what God is showing?” I saw there was a big difference. God touched my forehead, the seat of intellect and reason: my mouth, signifying courage and power to give forth the message, and I could not die if I was to do this; if I was to give the people His message, I was not going to die.

There was someone in the meeting here God was blessing. He wanted to use her, but the devil came in and made her think she could do any outrageous thing and it would be of God.

See how the devil can lead us off. She was talking in tongues and praying, and she said, “Lord, if you want me to kill anyone, I will do it; if you want me to set the camp on fire, I will do it.”

That is the way in spiritualism; the Holy Ghost never does anything like that; He does not come to kill and knock people’s heads off; He deals with them in love and tenderness. People have even offered up children in sacrifice. If you listen to God, the devil will be put to one side.

These things hurt the Pentecostal movement; God is in it, but the devil is in it, too. Many people are honest, but they do not understand. God shows great things that are going to happen and the devil comes in and makes them set a date.

Daniel did not understand the vision he had, for some time; an angel appeared to him to make him understand the vision. Be careful the devil does not come in, and give you another meaning all together different from what God wants you to have.

So many prophesy this or that, and it never comes true; the prophecy was not according to the word of God. Some one gives a person a message and he believes God sent it, when it is not according to the Word.

When God calls you out for His work, He will take care of you, give you something to eat and clothe you; there are so many who run before they are sent; better not go at all. Sometimes the devil uses tongues to upset things generally; the devil can speak in tongues, and your flesh can.

When God speaks in tongues, it means something, and you want to look for interpretation. God says ask for interpretation. Sometimes God gives it through someone else, but give the person who speaks in tongues a chance to interpret. Be careful you do not give an interpretation in your own spirit; this hurts the work everywhere. Let us try the spirits and not get in the flesh.

Some people if they do not like anyone, will give a message in tongues, or a rebuke and nearly knock the person’s head off. This is the work of the devil. Then someone will get up – some people are so silly – and say, “Don’t lay hands on that; it is the Holy Ghost”; and no one dares to touch it, and the devil has the whole thing.

It goes out that the leader sanctions all that, and people do not want to have anything to do with it. The leader may have discernment but some one will pull his coat-tail and say, “Don’t lay hands on that.” Instead of being so afraid, let us search the scriptures. God never told anyone to rebuke in an ugly tone.

There was a great work being done in the West. One woman, especially, said the United States was going to be destroyed, and they should go to Japan. They went. People who could not spare the money helped them; they went to escape the wreck.

The whole thing was of the devil. The United States were not destroyed; they could not speak the Japanese language; they were stranded and a number backslid; they tried to raise money for a great building, but never accomplished it. They had been doing a good work here, but other spirits got in.

God gave me a special commission to take the precious from the vile; and I do not want you to get into the snare of the devil. So many young people, after their baptism, give up work and go to preaching. In a few days they tell all they know, then tell something they don’t know; bread and butter does not come in, and many of them backslide.

Don’t take up with every vision that comes along. In the Pentecostal movement in some places, they have discarded the Word of God. They ‘don’t want a leader’, and God always had a leader; when there is none, the devil takes the chair. God hath set some pastors and teachers. (Eph. iv.)

How does any one know when God calls them to the ministry? Some one has said that when God calls anyone to do His work, you can hardly get him into the pulpit; but when the devil calls him, you can’t keep him out of it.

Hold up Jesus and try to get the people so full of the Holy Ghost that they will live in unity **We do not want to lay hands on anyone suddenly** If we do anything in a spirit of contention the first thing we know everything is in a jumble and we have done more harm in one meeting than can be imagined Hold up Jesus and the Resurrection Let us walk in the light as He is in the light Christ is the great Headlight and I am on the stretch for more light than I ever saw in my life, you have fellowship when you walk in the light. We are the lower lights and He will show us what to do next.

Be careful not to lay hands suddenly on anyone. Regarding the recent disturbance here,[presumably some kind of opposition from a group of "boys"] we profess to be saints and we want to show forth the Spirit of Christ. We must be firm, but kind. Do not speak roughly. The crowd want to see. I would have nearly broken my neck when I was young to see what you are seeing.

When they became noisy, it would have been useless to attempt to use force; it would only have ended in a fight, and the plan of the enemy would have been accomplished. God led me in the only way by which the disturbance could be quelled, and order restored; God fought for us. Do not speak roughly to the boys; each one is some mother’s boy God can smite with conviction; the battle is His, not ours.

“Try the spirits.” In one of our meetings there was a colored woman who had wonderful experience spiritually; that is the kind the devil gets after. One day she commenced to go about on her knees, twisting about like a serpent. GOD does not tell anyone to do that. She spoke in tongues; then she said, “I don’t want to do it ; I don’t want to do it.”

Every one knew it was not of God; and I said to her, “that is not God; the enemy has got hold of you.” At first, she didn’t want to give up, but the next day God showed her and she asked to be delivered. The devil had got in and made her do things that were not right, to kill her influence.

A woman came to me and said. “I am afraid this spirit on me is not of God; I was baptized in the Holy Ghost; I went into a mission where they did everything by tongues and they got me so mixed up, I did not know where I was; then, this spirit got hold of me; it shakes my head and makes my head ache.”

THAT IS SPIRITUALISM. Some people, when they pray for anyone and lay on hands, throw the slime off. That is spiritualism. Don’t ever do anything like that. When you lay hands on a person, God takes care of the evil spirit. If you are filled with the Holy Ghost, the devil is outside you; keep him out. BE CAREFUL WHO LAYS HANDS ON YOU, FOR THE DEVIL IS COUNTERFEITING GOD’S WORK. For two years, that woman could not give a testimony. God rebuked the shaking spirit, the power of God came in her hands and in her voice, and she gave a testimony for God.

That is what ails the Pentecostal movement; so much of this has crept in. Some people take every foolish thing for the Holy Ghost. There are two extremes; one keeps the Holy Ghost from working, except in a certain channel: and the other thinks everything is of the Holy Ghost; “don’t lay hands on it.” One is as bad as the other. Let everything be done by the word of God.

We are living in the last days and there has got to be a higher standard for the Pentecostal movement. Christ is coming, and we cannot move along in the old rut. God is sifting us today and we have got to rise above errors; we have to rise tip and go forward. By the grace of God we will. Praise His Name!”

Shaking My Head in Disbelief At Stacey Campbell’s Ecstatic Prophecy – Part 1

Stacey Campbell – aka the headshaking lady at Lakeland [see Stacey Campbell here prophesying over Todd Bentley and then the later face saving when this prophecy was proved false] - has a new book out called Ecstatic Prophecy.

The blurb for the book from the publishers here decribes Stacey Campbell as a “respected teacher and leader”{!} and claims among other things that the book warns about ‘deception’. But the obvious question has to then be asked, what on earth does something have to be or look like in order to be deceptive among this lot of deceivers – I mean honestly?

Undiscerning NAR regular deceivers such as Bill Johnson, Heidi Baker, Robert Stearns and James Goll help plug the book.

Here’s some more of the advertising blurb-

“Stacey Campbell, cofounder of the nonprofit organization Be A Hero, is founder and facilitator of the Canadian Prophetic Council and serves as a lifetime honorary member of the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders, presided over by C. Peter Wagner. She also serves on the leadership team of The Call with Lou Engle, is often featured on Elijah List, and speaks widely on prophetic issues. She lives with her husband, Wesley, and their five children in British Columbia, Canada.”

Apart from the love of title and position, and the name dropping, how on earth is regularly being featured on the Elijah List a good  thing, when the Elijah List is an exclusive domain for false prophets and greedy merchandisers?

Anyway, there was a sample chapter of Stacey Campbell’s book given at this site to view, which I took a look at.  Here are some excerpts:

{Stacey in describing how she first come to be filled with the “Holy Spirit” and to prophesy]

“…. something began to happen to me. Out of nowhere my foot began to shake. As though it had a will of its own it trembled, softly at first, then forcefully. The shaking moved from my foot up my leg and down my other leg. My stomach instantly filled with a strong wind that began pushing up my windpipe and out of my mouth. My body began to bounce like a jackhammer—up and down off my chair—as my head shook violently from side to side. No one was praying for me or touching me.

What is going on? I wondered. I did not feel afraid, yet I was unable to comprehend what was happening to my body. I was not initiating this experience at any level. I was being overcome by the Spirit of God, and much like the 120 disciples on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2) it was affecting my body in ways that were beyond my control. I was as surprised as anyone when the wind burst out of my mouth, forming into a language I had never spoken before. I found myself speaking in tongues at the top of my lungs.

This was my first encounter with the phenomenon known as ecstatic prophecy or divine spirit possession. What I experienced that night for the first time, which I had never heard of and which I thought was something new, was actually nothing new at all. I would soon discover that forms of ecstatic prophecy have existed since Old Testament times.

That night, however, no one was more shocked than I was to experience such phenomena.”

Let’s have a look at her testimony a little closer. Notice the primary focus on the spiritual manifestations rather than on the actual content of the words spoken or the visions seen. Note also the bizarre spiritual manifestations that accompanied her experience, such as shaking, bouncing and vigarous head shaking. I know these manifestations well, they were part of the so-called Toronto Blessing and are very common within the NAR. But their history dates back centuries, and they are exclusively related to religious cults and sects.

Manifestations don’t make something automatically godly

I don’t doubt that on this particular occasion Stacey Campbell did not fake or induce the manifestations and they were spiritual in origin. Though there is a lot of deception and hype within charismatic and pentecostal circles, and they trade off emotionalism and a type of  mind control, and after a time a kind of Pavlov’s dog mechanism kicks in around the ‘anointing’, not all is hype or flesh – something outside of people is often affecting them within.

But just because something is supernatural in origin does NOT make it of God. The enemy comes dressed as  a counterfeit angel of light. The apostle John commands us to test the spirits, even what seems to be ‘obviously’ the Holy Spirit, as not all spirits are what they seem or claim. If all deceptive spirits looked like little red devils with pitchforks, or had 666 stamped on their foreheads, or never spoke about Jesus, then there would be no need for this scriptural warning of John’s for the church to test them, along with the reminder that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. False angels of light to the undiscerning look just like true angels of light. Hence the need to test them.

Charismatic Refusal To Test and Discern

However, Stacey Campbell, like most in the charismatic church who have had a spiritual experience, refused to test it- probably because she, like they, had never even heard of testing and had never been warned of the dangers of spiritual seduction from counterfeit Jesus spirits. And because she had a spiritual experience within a church setting that had a Jesus tag on it, she assumed  it to be the Holy Spirit manifesting within her. Why wouldn’t she, knowing no better? I understand this – after all, I have never heard anybody else in a charismatic or pentecostal church [or indeed ANY church] talk about true discernment or preach on testing the spirits. NEVER EVER. And I have fellowshipped with numerous Christians, and been to quite a lot of churches or conferences and even residential training schools in multiple countries over the space of about 20 years.

I have written before how most churches in this day and age judge the validity of a spiritual experience by the fleshly manifestation accompanying it. {My use of the word ‘manifestation’ here is meant only in the terms of visible bodily activity, not spiritual gifts or fruit]. So for instance, if someone prophesies while manifesting wildly, the actual manifestation  is seen as the endorsement for the prophecy as being accurate and divine. Which is ridiculous, as the endorsement of a prophecy being true and accurate is based on its content, its truth and the source of the spirit speaking  - not the manifestation accompanying it, regardless if it is not faked or mere fleshly and is supernatural in origin.

Likewise, if someone thrashes or jerks or pogos supernaturally, or feels fire or tingling or whatever, the modern church deem it must be the Holy Spirit coming upon the flesh and the church shout ‘glory!’ and ask for more of the manifestation.  Often the same experience has to be mimicked in another before another’s spiritual infilling is deemed authentic or good enough. There is also a degree of pride about the one who manifests the most, and even more criticism/looking down upon of the one who does not manifest. Manifestation is a badge of spirituality, of someone who is ‘higher’ more gifted and more spiritual.

But the true test for the Holy Spirit’s infilling is not based on what happens to the flesh when someone is allegedly filled – jerks, shakes, roaring or whatever – but by the actual fruit of the encounter and the test of WHO or what is coming upon them. I accept that when people are supernaturally filled with the true Spirit of God, their flesh can react in ways to it such as trembling and shaking. But though the trembling may occur as a by-product, this is not the focus of the encounter - it is WHO we are being filled with, and the fruit that comes from it such as the manifested spiritual gifts and spiritual fruit, not just at the time of the encounter but in the subsequent months afterwards.

• A manifestation that is shallow, that does not produce fruit outside of the manifestation beyond that moment or the very short-term, is not of God.
• A manifestation that one seeks to replicate in and of itself for the manifestation and not the fruit of the manifestation, is not of God.
• A manifestation that one is hungry for, and becomes a junkie for, is not of God.
• A manifestation that takes a lot of ones time up occupied with it is not of God.
• A manifestation that does not lead out into the world, but only into a room for more of the same, is not of God. [see here: http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/is-todd-bentleys-lakeland-outpouring-like-the-day-of-pentecost/ and also here http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/no-evangelism-no-real-anointing/  and http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/the-anointing-of-the-spirit-and-evangelism/]
• A manifestation that one wears as a badge of spiritual pride or elitism, is not of God.
• A manifestation that is the focus in the church meeting, is not of God.
• A manifestation that only occurs among a select few, or has to be passed on by someone who has had it passed onto them, is not of God.
• A manifestation that is said to be found in greater part at a particular location, is not of God.
• A manifestation that becomes divisive – by that I mean the church separates or schisms off into an elitist group as a consequence of it, is not of God.
• A manifestation that concentrates on a particular leader or group is not of God.
• A manifestation that does not do what is says on the tin, is not of God. By that I mean supposing someone is prayed for to be healed and they are ’slain in the spirit’ or tingle all over or shake. If they are not actually healed after the encounter, it is a lying manifestation not of God. If someone prophesies while jerking, and the prophecy does not come to pass, then ditto, it is not of God.
• etc etc

It should be seen then, noted, remembered and highlighted that the sincerity, faith, passion or character of the person manifesting has nothing to do with whether the manifestation is genuine. Nor does the place it occurs at automatically endorse it. Indeed as A W Tozer noted [see here: http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/fervent-christians-in-a-dangerzone/] fervent seeking Christians full of passion are far more susceptible to this type of spiritual seduction than lukewarm ones.

Go to Part 2 of Article here-

The True Workings of God, and Counterfeits of Satan

I have previously remarked how the Book, War on the Saints  by Jessie Penn-Lewis with Evan Roberts (of the Welsh Revival) was hugely influential on me. Not so much because I ageed with all of its content or conclusions, but because it made me wake up to realise what discernment and distinguishing of spirits and ministers was, and started me on the road to testing things properly. Boy, were my eyes opened when I started actually obeying God in this!

A commentator posted a link to the free online version of this book, and to this article. Here it is.

The True Workings of God, and Counterfeits of Satan (from here)

by Jessie Penn Lewis

“Knowledge and all discernment; so that ye may prove the things that
differ, that ye may be sincere and void of offence. . . .” Phil. 1: 9,10, m.

---

True.	Counterfeit.
1. The Baptism, or Fullness of the Spirit: An influx of the Spirit of God into the human spirit, which liberates the spirit from the soul (Heb. 4: 12), so as to become a pliable organ or channel for the outflow of the Spirit through the believer, manifested in witness to Christ and in aggressive prayer service against the powers of darkness.It is a true baptizing into the Body of Christ, and oneness with all the members of the Body. Its special mark and result is known in power to witness for Christ, and in conviction of sin in others, and their turning to God.The highest manifestation of the Fullness of the Spirit is co-existent with the use of the faculties and self-control.There is but one reception of the Holy Spirit: with many succeeding experiences, developments, or new crises, resultant on fresh acts of faith, or apprehension of truth; various believers having varied degrees of the same Infilling of the Spirit, according to individual conditions. The enduement of power for service is often a definite experience in many lives. Pages 50, 291, 297.	1. Counterfeit workings of evil spirits may accompany a true reception of the Fullness of the Holy Spirit, if the believer “lets go” his mind into “blankness,” and yields his body up passively to supernatural power. As a “blank mind” and “passive body” is contrary to the condition for use required by the Holy Spirit, and is the primary condition necessary for evil spirits to work, the anomaly is found in the Holy Spirit responding to the law of faith, and filling the man’s spirit, at the same time that evil supernatural powers respond to the law of passivity fulfilled in mind and body. They then can produce in the senses manifestations, which seem to be the outcome of the Holy Spirit’s entry to the spirit.The results of the counterfeit manifestations are varied, and wide in their ramifications, according to individual conditions. The abstract result is great “manifestations” with little real fruit; “possession” by evil spirits of the mind and body in varied degrees; a spirit of division from others, instead of unity, etc., etc. Pages 54, 97, 106, 107, 108.
2. The Presence of God: Known in and by the human spirit, through the Holy Spirit. When He fills the atmosphere of a room the spirit of the man is conscious of it, not his senses. The faculties of those present are alert and clear, and they retain freedom of action. The spirit is made tender (Psa. 34: 18), and the will pliable to the will of God. All the actions of a person moved by the true and pure Presence of God are in accord with the highest ideal of harmony and grace. Pages 104, 107.	2. The counterfeit of the Presence of God is mainly felt upon the body, and by the physical senses, in conscious “fire,” “thrills,” etc. The counterfeit of the “Presence” in the atmosphere is felt by the senses of the body, as “breath,” “wind,” etc., whilst the mind is passive or inactive. The person affected by this counterfeit “presence” will be moved almost automatically to actions he would not perform of his own will, and with all his faculties in operation. He may not even remember what he has done when under the “power” of this “presence,” just as a sleep-walker knows nothing of his actions when in that state. The inaction of the mind can often be seen by the vacant look in the eyes. Pages 109, 112, 124, 128, 130.
3. God in and with man in the spirit: John 14: 23. The Father in heaven is realized to be a real Father (Gal. 4: 6), the Son a real Saviour, the Holy Spirit a real Person; manifested as One in the spirit of the believer, by the Holy Spirit: with resulting effects as in Rom. 8: 9-11. Pages 103, 130.	3. Evil spirit’s counterfeit, as the occasion serves them, each Person of the Trinity, and can thus obtain access, and become in and with a man in manifestations given to the senses, in which the real spirit-sense may have no part. Pages 52, 103, 104, 105, 108.
4. Christ manifested in the believer by His Spirit, so that He is known as a Living Person on the Throne in heaven, and the believer joined in spirit to Him there, with the result that Christ’s life and nature is imparted to him, forming and building up in him a “new creation,” (Gal. 1: 16; 4: 19. Col. 1: 27), the believer growing up into Him in all things.note 1 Pages 103, 107, 126, 127, 289.	4. Christ apparently manifested inwardly as a “Person,” to whom the soul prays, or with whom he holds communion, yet there is no real evidence of the expression of the Divine nature, or true growth of the Christ life, with a deepening fellowship with the Christ in heaven. On the contrary the Christ in heaven seems far away. The counterfeit centres and ends in an “experience” which keeps the person introverted or self-centred (spiritually). Page 107. Cf. pp. 289, 290, 291.
5. Consciousness of God: Felt in the spirit, and not by the physical senses. Pages 107, 108.	5. “Consciousness” of “God” in bodily sensations, which feed the “flesh” and overpower the true spirit-sense. Pages 106, 130.
6. The Holiness of God: when realized by the believer produces worship and godly awe, with a hatred of sin. On the ground of the Blood of Calvary God draws near to men, seeking their love, but His presence does not terrorize. Page 289.	6. Evil spirits counterfeit this by giving a terror of God, which drives men away from Him, or forces them into actions of slavish fear, apart from the use of the mind, and volition, in glad voluntary obedience to Him. Page 143.
7. Surrender to God: Of spirit, soul and body, is a simple yielding or committal to Him of the whole man, to do His will and be at His service. God asks the full co-operationnote 2 of the man in the intelligent use of all his faculties. Rom. 6: 13. Page 70.	7. Passive yielding of spirit, soul and body to supernatural power, to be moved automatically, in passive, blind obedience, apart from the use of volition or mind. Evil spirits desire “control” of a man, and his passive submission to them. Pages 68, 69.
8. Fellowship with the sufferings of Christ: The result of faithful witness for Him, and in such “suffering,” the joy of the Spirit breaks forth in spirit. (Acts 5: 41). The fruit of true conformity to Christ’s death in the “fellowship of His sufferings” is seen in life to others, and growth in tenderness of spirit, and Christ-likeness in character. 2 Cor. 4: 10-12. Page 89.	8. “Suffering” caused by evil spirits is characterized by a fiendish acuteness, and is fruitless in result–the victim being hardened instead of mellowed by it. The demons can cause anguished suffering in spirit, soul or body. “Possession” manifested in abnormal suffering, may be the fruit of (unconscious) acceptance of sufferings caused by evil spirits, often under the name of the “will of God.” Pages 88, 89, 90.
9. Trusting God: A true faith given of God in the spirit, having its origin in Him, without effort reckoning upon Him to fulfil His written Word. Co-existent with the full use of every faculty in intelligent action. “Faith” is a fruit of the Spirit and cannot be forced. Gal. 5: 22. 2 Cor. 4: 13. Page 275.	9. “Trusting evil spirits” comes about through trusting blindly some supernatural words, or revelations, supposed to come from God, which produces a forced “faith,” or faith beyond the believer’s true measure, the result being actions which lead into paths of trial never planned by God. Pages 129, 135, 274, 275.
10. Reliance upon God: An attitude of the will, of trust and dependence upon God, taking Him at His word, and depending upon His character of faithfulness. Page 127.	10. Reliance upon evil spirits means a passive leaning upon supernatural help and experience, which draws the person away from faith in God Himself, and from active co-action with Him. Page 143.
11. Communion with God: Fellowship in the Spirit with Christ in the glory as one spirit with Him. The consciousness of this is in the spirit (John 4: 24) only, and not in “feelings” in the senses. See for conditions of true communion with God, 1 John 1: 5-7. Page 291.	11. “Communion” with evil spirits may take place by retiring within to enjoy sense communion, in “exquisite feelings” which absorbs and renders the soul incapable of the duties of life. The “flesh” is fed by this spurious spiritual “communion” as really as in grosser ways. Pages 124, 125, 155.
12. Waiting on God: The spirit in restful co-operation with the Holy spirit, waiting God’s time to act, and a waiting for Him to fulfil His promises. The true waiting upon God can be co-existent with the keenest activity of mind and service. Page 62-63.	12. A “waiting for the Spirit to come,” in hours of prayer, which brings those who “wait” into passivity, which at last reaches a point of “séance” conditions, followed by an influx of lying spirits in manifestations. Pages 62, 63.
13. Praying to God: Having access to the Holiest of all, on the ground of the Blood (Heb. 10: 19). Penetrating in spirit through the lower heavens to the Throne of Grace. Heb 4: 14-16. True “prayer” is not directed toward God as within the believer, but to a Father in heaven, in the Name of the Son, by the Holy Spirit. Page 126.	13. Praying to evil spirits comes about by praying to “God” in the atmosphere, or within, or possibly to “pictures” of God in the mind; instead of approaching the Throne of Grace according to Heb. 10: 19. Pages 95, 130.
14. Asking God: An act of the will in simple faith, making a transaction with God in heaven, on the ground of His written Word. “Answers to prayer” from God are usually so unsensational and so unobtrusive that the petitioner often does not recognize the answer. Cf. pages 249, 276, 279.	14. “Asking” evil spirits, by speaking to some supernatural presence in, or around the person. The “answers” are generally “dramatic,” sensational, calculated to over-awe the person, and make him feel he is a wonderful recipient of favour from on high. By this means the demons gain control over him. Pages 118, 119, 142.
15. God speaking: Through His Word, by His Spirit, in the spirit and conscience of the man, illuminating the mind to understand the will of the Lord. Page 136.	15. Evil spirits speaking, wither puffing up, accusing, condemning or confusing the person, so that the is bewildered or distracted and cannot exercise his reason or judgment. The “speaking” of accusing spirits resembles the “thinking,” or speaking to oneself, when the words are not uttered audibly. Pages 170, 171. Also “Listening” on pages 119, 125, 136, 142, 143.

16. The voice of God: Is heard and known in the spirit of man, wherein the Spirit of God dwells. God also speaks through the conscience, and through the written Word (see “Texts”), never confusing or dulling the faculties of the man, or perplexing him, so as to hinder clearness of judgment and reason. The true voice of God does not make a demand of unreasoning obedience to it, irrespective of the man’s free volition. Pages 137, 138.	16. The counterfeit “voice” of God is usually loud and comes from outside the person. It can come from within, when the person is deeply possessed. It is frequently imperative and persistent, urging to sudden action. Confusing and clamorous, or subtle in suggestion; producing fear through its insistent demands, making the man a slave to supernatural power. May also be distinguished from the voice of God by its sometimes, trivial objective, and fruitless results when obeyed. Pages 137, 139, 141, 142.
17. Divine guidance: Through the spirit and mind; i.e., “drawing” in spirit, light in the mind: spirit and mind brought into one accord in harmony with the principles of the Word of God (Ephes. 5: 17; Phil. 1: 9-11 A.V. m.) Pages 134, 135, 136, 140, 219.	17. Satanic guidance by supernatural voices, visions, leadings, drawings, are all dependent upon the passivity of the mind and reason, and take place in the sense-realm as a counterfeit of the true in the spirit. Pages 128, 134, 135, 136, 221, 222.
18. Divine “Leadings”: Are in the spirit; demand co-operation of the man in every faculty of mind, and spiritual intelligence in correctly rending the monitions of the Spirit. The will is always left free to choose and act. The true “leading of the Spirit” is never out of accord with principles of God’s Word. Pages 140, 141.	18. Satanic “leadings” and impulses, demand passive surrender of mind and body. They are compulsory in effect, and all “compelling” and “compulsion” from the supernatural realm indicates the work of deceiving spirits. Pages 140, 141, 157.
19. Divine “Visions”: When given, come (1) without seeking for them, (2) with definite purpose, (3) are never abortive, and (4) are co-existent with active use of the mind and faculties. Page 150.	19. Satanic visions, (1) demand a passive state, (2) are broken by mental action, (3) are frequently contrary to truth, and (4) fruitless in result. Destroy all faith reliance on God. Pages 149, 150.
20. Obedience to God: An act of deliberate will, choosing to do the will of God, when made known to the believer. A full examination of the source of the command preceding intelligent decision to obey, is co-existent with true obedience. Pages 50, 51, 54.	20. Counterfeit of “obedience” is a passive, automatic, blind yielding to supernatural power or voices, apart from intelligent apprehension of results or consequences. The person fears to question or examine the source of the command. Pages 50, 141.
21. God giving power: By the Holy Spirit in the man’s spirit, strengthening him in spirit, so as to energize his mind and every faculty of his being to their fullest use, and enabling him to endure and accomplish what he would not bear or do apart from God. (Ephes. 3: 16) Pages 70, 138, 288.	21. Evil spirits give power in a supernatural energy–generally spasmodic and unreliable–dependent upon the man being passive in spirit, soul and body. This “power,” when it ceases, leaves the man dull and exhausted, the effect generally being attributed to natural causes. Cf. pages 112, 118, 119.
22. God giving influence: Means that the believer draws others to God, not to himself. True Divine “influence” does not “control” others automatically, but constrains them to turn to God. Page 289.	22. Evil spirits giving “influence,” means a control or power over other which causes them to act apart from their volition, or reason. This “power” may be exercised unknowingly by persons the demons can use in this way. Page 145.
23. God giving “impressions”: Means a gentle movement in the spirit, which leaves the person free to act of his own volition, and does not compel him to action. “impressions from God” are within in the shrine of the spirit; and not from a “power” outside, e.g., in “touches” on the body, or an exterior compelling force. See page 219 for action of the spirit.	23. Evil spirits’ “impressions” are from outside, upon the person, and require certain conditions for the “impressions” to be given–i.e., a sitting still and waiting, etc. These conditions can also be fulfilled unconsciously by cultivating passivity of the whole being. See obsession, ppp. Cf. pages 128, 129.
24. Divine life from God: Is known, not by “consciousness,” but results, enabling the believer to bear and suffer what he could not bear or suffer humanly. There is rarely any “feeling” of strength or life, because consciousness of Divine life would draw the man from the path of faith to rely upon his experience. Pages 91, 291.	24.“Life” in thrills, etc., given by evil spirits, is known by its being in the senses, giving pleasant sensations, rather than true power. When it passes away, the person is dulled or weakened, and may go into spiritual darkness through numbness of the sensibilities, e.g., he says he is “like a stone.” Page 130.
25. Divine love: Shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit, is co-existent with keen and faithful dealing with sin; with acute hatred to sin and Satan, and all that is contrary to righteousness.God’s love does not dull, but energizes every faculty to fulfil the action for which it was intended in creation. It has no “craving” in it, nor does it weaken those to whom it flows out. Cf. page 291.	25. Counterfeit of the “love of God” makes the recipient cover over sin, compromise with it; dulls him to keen-edged righteousness; makes him incapable of true hatred to the things that God hates, for the faculty which “loves” is the faculty which hates.The counterfeit of love, whether human or Divine, given by evil spirits, grips the sensibilities with an overmastering and painful “craving” for its object. Pages 108, 128, 145.
26. Fire from God: Is a purifying through suffering (Matt. 3: 11,12), or a consuming zeal in spirit, which deepens into white heat intensity to do the will and work of God, which no trials or opposition can quench. Fire from God is spiritual, not literal, and therefore falls upon the spirit, not the body. Page 291.	26. “Fire” caused by evil spirits is generally a glow in the body, which the believer thinks is a manifestation of “God” in “possession” of the body, but afterwards results in darkness, dullness and weakness with no reasonable cause; or else it continues deceiving the believer into counterfeit experiences. Pages 82, 130.
27. Texts from God: These are given through the organ of the spirit to the mind, when the spirit is (1) calm, (2) unstrained, (3) at liberty, (4) open to the Spirit of God. They do not confuse, and when acted upon are found to be confirmed in Providence, and are always in accord with the keen use of the faculties. Intelligent knowledge of the broad principles of Scripture is needed for the true interpretation of “texts” which arise in the spirit, lest they be misused through human conceptions of Divine things, e.g., the mind may take literally what God means spiritually. Cf. page 139.	27. Texts from evil spirits “flash” into the mind: rush with force; come from without (audibly), or in the mental sphere. They elate or crush, condemn or puff up; confuse or turn out fruitless, leading those who obey them into vain actions, or into wreckage of circumstances. Evil spirits give a false “experience,” and then “texts to confirm it,” whereas true experience confirms the truth of the statements of the written Word. Evil spirits make use of all misconceptions of truth. Pages 18, 65, 66, 139, 149, 150.
28. Sin from the fallen nature: Is from within, carries the will with it, or else forces the will by its pressure. The man knows the movement to sin is sin, and yet yields to it. Rom. 6: 6,11,12 is God’s way of dealing with the fallen nature, and its workings, as the believer stands on the ground of the Cross, and wields Christ’s finished Calvary work as a weapon for victory. The Holy Spirit bears witness to the Cross in setting free from sin, when it is the outcome of the evil nature. Pages 229, 234, 247.	28. Sin caused by e.s., apart from temptation, is also within, but is forced into the spirit, mind or body, against the desire of the man, and should be recognized as distinctly not of, or from himself, e.g., blasphemous thoughts and unexplainable “feelings.” If the “sin” infused by demons is dealt with as from the evil nature, although the person stands on Rom. 6: 6,11, and refuses it, no deliverance comes, but when it is recognized as the work of demons, and resisted on the ground of the Cross, freedom is quickly given. Pages 133, 218, 228-233.
29. Self-examination in the light of God: A discrimination of his own actions exercised by the spiritual man, which does not produce “despair,” “disappointment,” a “crushed feeling,” etc., but leads to rapid decision of action, and a joyous faith in the co-operating work of the Spirit in deliverance from all that does not bear the verdict of the light of God. John 3: 21. Page 56.	29. Self-introspection, is made use of by evil spirits to throw the believer into self-accusation and despair. This dries the person inward and downward to crushed impotence and faithlessness. God never crushes His children. He convicts only to reveal the remedy. Evil spirits seek to turn souls into self-centred absorption whereas God moves in them to live and care for others. Page 159.
30. Conviction of sin: Comes from the Word of God, or by the direct action of the Holy Spirit, to the conscience, in times of quiet prayer or reading. It is never “vague” or confusing, and ceases directly the man decides to obey the Word, or go to God for cleansing in the Blood of Christ. True conviction is also a deepening experience, as the light of God shines into the conscience and life. Cf. pages 229 to 234.	30. Evil spirits’ accusations, which are a counterfeit of conviction, are from without, in the ear (audibly), or to the mind , in a “nagging,” persistent, confusing kind of “speaking,” often without definite purpose or specific reason. No “confessing” or “step of obedience” affects these accusations, and they come again and again over the same things Many live under a perpetual cloud through the attacks of accusing spirits. They are under the shadow of being “always wrong.” Cf. pages 229 to 234.
31. Confession of sin: To God and man, should be the deliberate act of the will in obedience to the Word of God, and conscience. It should be followed by sincere repentance and putting away of the confessed sin, and have the witness of the Spirit to the conscience that the sin has been put away through the efficacy of the Blood of Christ. Page 133.	31. Compulsory confessions, by the driving power of evil spirits upon the mind in accusation, or from remorse; or, to silence the accusing voices, the man is sometimes impelled to “confess” “sins” which have no actual existence. Page 133.
NotesWithout exception the manifestation of the Holy Spirit is marked by (a) a Christ-like spirit of love, (b) soberness of spirit vision, (c) keenness of vision, (d) deep humility of heart and meekness of spirit, with lion-courage against sin and Satan, and (e) clearness of the mental faculties with a “sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1: 7.“Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is . . .”–Ephes. 5: 17, R.V.	NotesSpeaking generally, proof of “sense-manifestations” being from deceiving spirits may be found in the spirit being wrong alongside of “manifestations,” e.g., 1. Condemning spirit and judging spirit. 2. Spirit-vision dulled; cannot see marks of God at work in other ways. 3. Absence of true Spirit-power in (a) conviction of sin, (b) deliverance of souls, or (c) salvation of souls. 4. Or the spirit is “sweet” in a weak sense, with mind dulled, and unable to work with clearness.

Trance States and the Florida Revival Lakeland Outpouring

By ‘Mr Davis’ at http://troublefortrumpets.blogspot.com/2008/05/trance-states-and-florida-revival.html

“Todd Bentley and those connected with Fresh Fire Ministries particularly emphasise the supernatural realm and supernatural experiences. Many assume that the amazing atmosphere and experiences of the Florida gatherings must be from beyond the natural realm, from God. I do not believe that the occurrences we witness in the videos are simply faked or imagined. I believe that God does do mind-blowing things in our world today and I expect that God is at work somewhere amongst the Florida gatherings, however heretical and confused they may be. However, I see the powerful experiences of the Florida gatherings predominantly as something else. Here are my considerations based on my understanding of human consciousness, which I studied throughout my psychology coursework.

Human consciousness is complex. Humans do not simply switch between sleep and wakefulness but move through various levels of consciousness throughout any given day. This can be observed as changes in the brain’s chemoelectrical activity (brain waves). Sleep itself is not simply unconsciousness  but comprises a cycle of four rather distinct states of subconscious functioning.

Trance states are modes of consciousness in which subconscious levels of brain function become more dominant and the conscious level of awareness is subdued. Trance states are in fact a naturally occurring part of everyday human experience. Sleepwalking and other experiences adjacent to sleep are examples of mundane trance phenomena. Similarly, you may have experienced being “on autopilot” when driving your car — a mild trance. Our bodies apparently do not require our conscious mind to be fully and constantly engaged even when we are awake, and we periodically go into a kind of standby mode. Trance states of varying depth can also be manufactured. We can induce trance states in ourselves and others through stimuli across our entire sensory range. For example, we may enter trance states both in the charged atmosphere of a rock concert and amidst the softer tones of a symphony orchestra. Manufactured trance states have long been incorporated in religious systems from across the world. Breathing control, incense, music, meditation, dance, fasting, chanting and psychotropic drug use can all be involved in promoting trance states.

Trances, then, are essentially natural, bodily experiences.  In some trance states (either mundane or manufactured), hallucinations are experienced or the mind becomes highly suggestible. Here are some examples:

• Hypnagogic and hypnopompic states (in between sleep and wakefulness) may be experienced as supernatural events, including abduction and visitation experiences. I’ve had a number of mild experiences in this domain throughout my life. Similar states of consciousness may also be implicated in out-of-body experiences (OBEs).
• People lulled into states of hypnotic “regression” may unwittingly fabricate past experiences (especially when the hypnotist asks leading questions), which they thereafter experience as actual memories.
• The practice of speaking in tongues (glossolalia), which in fact occurs in a variety of religious traditions apart from Christianity, may sometimes arise from a trance state. In such cases, the words may be the product of the subconscious mind although the speaker will not be aware of generating anything of their own accord.

Typically, for someone in a trance state like these, their experience is not only otherworldly and fantastic but also very real and actual to them. Trances will thus often feel like they actually involve contact with the realm of the supernatural or divine, which is presumably why they are valued in all kinds of religious traditions. Yet there is nothing inherently supernatural about trances. A trance experience is not necessarily from God or anything else spiritual or transcendent or extra-natural.

As a general human phenomenon, trance states are neutral:   not necessarily good or bad per se. Mundane trance states, such as sleepwalking, are simply the way we naturally function in certain states of consciousness. Some manufactured trance states, such as drug-induced hallucinations, may be potentially harmful. Other manufactured trance states can be highly beneficial when conducted ethically and knowledgeably, such as when psychologists use hypnotism for powerful therapeutic effect. God may at times work in people’s lives through trance experiences, such as dreams. However, trances may also be a vehicle for demonic powers. The important point is this: apart from trained practitioners of hypnotism, people who manufacture trance states have no way of ensuring either that there will be any truly supernatural experience in the first place, or that the door will be closed to evil.

Back to Todd Bentley and the Florida gathering. The gathering’s atmosphere is unquestionably powerful; even on YouTube, you can sense the energy in the gatherings. Furthermore, it is unlikely that many of the participants who are behaving in unusual ways are putting on some kind of act. The participants’ behaviour clearly has a symbiotic connection with the atmosphere of the gathering. The question is, What is actually producing the atmosphere of the gathering? It seems to me that certain elements of the gathering are promoting a hypnotically-charged environment. I want to pick up on the aural dimension of this. At one level, the atmosphere is created and mediated by the flow of Todd’s words and the music. Despite Todd’s casual dress, his speaking is not down-to-earth. His speech oscillates between periods of slow, drawn-out delivery and moments of rapidly increased speed and heightened pitch. His words are not necessarily meaningful and are contributing to a constant ebb and flow of sound. The musicians make their own contributions in response. The people gathered are responding too, clapping, waving and so on. These aspects combine to produce an insistent, repetitive flow of rhythmic sound. These swells of sound are hypnotic: it is the kind of stimulation that can manufacture trance states in people.

In this hypnotic atmosphere, people who are emotionally fragile or hypnotically suggestible are likely to enter a trance state and experience unusual feelings and events. (It may frequently be these kinds of people who are drawn to such events in the first place.) For example, then, when Todd describes the “glory movement” entering the room, many participants may actually be experiencing a wave of warmth or colour or light. However, it is unclear whether this wave of glory is from God. In this particular atmosphere, it is likely that such phenomena arise from trance states.

Does this invalidate the Florida gatherings or Todd Bentley’s work as Christian ministry? Not necessarily. However, it brings into question the claims that everything happening at such events is from God or even from the supernatural realm. These experiences are not necessarily either from God or from Satan. Given what we currently know about trance states and hypnotic suggestibility, the onus is on the leaders of such events to demonstrate that something more, something godly, is in fact taking place. The fact that people are actually experiencing these phenomena is not itself evidence of the Spirit’s work. Instead, the evidence of the Spirit’s presence and work is a changed life: the Spirit’s fruit (Gal 5 etc).

What are we to make of all this? Trance states have long been part of the practise of a range of religions. In the last two centuries, trance states have apparently also become a valued aspect of some Christian church gatherings. The present-day western church probably has a scant understanding of manufactured trance states, especially the role of insistent, repetitive music and rhythm in producing trances. We may often, unwittingly or by design, infer God and his presence when we have in fact been manufacturing a trance-inducing environment. However, as the writers of the New Testament are often at pains to point out, the Christian message must be both communicated and received in clarity of mind (eg 1 The 2) if it is to change lives and be the power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). Self-control is part of the fruit of the Spirit and Christians should be keen to avoid anything in which their self-control is compromised. While many access the subconscious or subdue consciousness for religious experiences, this is something that Christians must steer clear of. Furthermore, Christian gatherings must be orderly in order for Christians to serve one another and grow the church (1 Cor 12-14). There is a burden here on Christian leaders to ensure that they do not become trance practitioners, unwittingly or otherwise. It is also here that, as I’ve tried to sketch out in the above post, a keen understanding of the person and work of God’s Spirit is especially important.”

See also http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/modern-day-signs-and-wonders-hypnotism-and-trancework/

and http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/derren-brown-instant-conversion-and-slain-in-the-spirit/

and http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/the-emperor-has-no-clothes-on/

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 …)

IS IT SAFE TO ASSUME THAT EVERY HEALING, MIRACLE AND REVIVAL IS FROM GOD?

“IS IT SAFE TO ASSUME THAT EVERY HEALING, MIRACLE AND REVIVAL IS FROM GOD?

Some cautionary warnings from the Bible:
(Jesus) “For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.” – Mark Chapter 13 verses 22-23

(Jesus) “Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles. Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers.” – Matthew Chapter 7 verses 21 to 23.

As we have seen, Jesus himself warned us that there would be counterfeits in the last days. Even to the extent that some people may even do miracles and cast out demons, yet Jesus will one day say to some of these workers of wonders: “Away from me, I never knew you”. He even calls them “evildoers”.

2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 verses 9 to 12 says this: “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

Paul’s First Letter to Timothy, Chapter 4 verse 1 warns: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”

Every Christian therefore needs to on their guard – to love the truth and avoid deception.

Based on what Jesus himself said, we can expect to see the deception in the guise of “true Christian works” and what appear to be genuine miracles and healings. Why? Well, if Satan came to us looking like his true self, none of us would ever fall for it. For example, who has ever counterfeited a £9 note? No-one! For precisely the reason that a counterfeit needs to look like the real thing. Consequently he will, as the Bible says, “come as an angel of light” to avoid detection. Remember, the Bible warns us that Satan is a liar, a deceiver and a murderer.

Even on close inspection it may look like the real thing. Bear in mind that when Moses went to Pharaoh on God’s behalf and did miracles before Pharaoh, many of God’s miracles performed by Moses were also duplicated by Pharaoh’s own spiritual leaders. Satan has no difficulty in doing miraculous works, healings and even calling down fire from the sky.

However, it may be that the healings that appear to be taking place are ocurring by genuine Holy Spirit power. Some have reported that Todd Bentley did receive from God a genuine gift of healing some years ago. The Bible does make clear, however, that “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans Chapter 11 verse 29). This is usually interpreted as meaning that, if God gives you a spiritual gift, he does not normally remove it from you at a later date. The ongoing presence of the gift in someone’s life, therefore, does not mean that all aspects of that person’s life and ministry are beyond reproach.

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).One other very worrying statement I heard him make that evening was this: “I used to feel the anointing in my hand; now I feel it in my spine.” His mention of the spine rang bells in my memory, so I did a search on Google and found that the KUNDALINI (demonic) snake/serpent spirit is acknowledged by KUNDALINI devotees as taking up residence in the spine. Given that the main emphasis of Todd’s ministry at Lakeland is the impartation of “the fire” to other countries, churches and ministries around the world, makes this “impartation” aspect one of great concern, lest another spirit is involved.”

Article by Brian Johnson,  founder of http://www.newchristian.org.uk

http://www.newchristian.org.uk/lakeland.html

Honest Questions About the Lakeland Revival

I am including Lee Grady’s latest article from Charisma Magazine   not because I agree with all of it, but because there are   some points I agree with, and because this shows Lee, who was formerly very supportive of Lakeland and Todd Bentley’s ministry, is waking up a little - although I do not think he has linked all his questions up to the correct conclusion yet. He also still lacks discernment by calling Todd Bentley ’sincere’ and thinking this is a genuine (even be it smaller than hyped) revival from the Holy Spirit. Anyway, I hope and pray that God will open Lee’s eyes to see what is really going on there, and then give him courage to speak out boldly. He has written some very good articles in the past and been a powerful voice against charlatans in the church. But like everything, some charlatans are harder to spot than others, especially when they are close to home.  

Overall his article seems to be a mixed and confused message (which I understand as he is going through a learning curve and has not yet thought all of this out), for on the one hand Lee says he is ‘disturbed’   by what is going on down there, and reminds us that ‘Mormonism was born out of one man’s encounter with a dark angel who claimed to speak for God’    and he mentions obvious scriptural issues with Lakeland including weird angels called Emma, and yet on the other hand he says he supports Bentley because ‘God can use anybody’.   Yeah, but that’s not the point. Going by that logic, Joseph Smith listening to his angel Moroni should be listened to as he is ‘anybody’ too.

“Honest Questions About the Lakeland Revival

by Lee Grady

“When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative.

Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread.”

I support any holy outbreak of revival fervor. But let’s be careful to guard ourselves from pride and error. God is stirring deep spiritual passion in the hearts of the thousands of people who have traveled to Florida during the last month to experience the Lakeland Healing Revival. Since these meetings began in a 700-seat church on April 2, the crowd has moved four times to bigger venues, the fervor has intensified and the news has spread worldwide—thanks to God TV and online broadcasting.

Within a few weeks, the bandwagon effect was in full swing. It’s safe to say that no outbreak of Pentecostalism in history has gained so much international exposure so quickly as these meetings have.

I’m a cheerleader for the charismatic movement, so I rejoiced when I heard the news about revivalist Todd Bentley’s extended visit to Ignited Church. It was thrilling to hear the reports of miracles and to watch the crowd grow until a stadium was required to hold everyone.
 
When I visited a service on April 15, I was blessed by Heather Clark’s music and the audience’s exuberant worship. And I laughed with everyone else as I watched Bentley shout his trademarked “Bam! Bam! Bam!” as he prayed for the sick and flailed his tattooed arms over the crowd. Hey, Jesus didn’t pray for people according to the Pharisees’ rulebook, so I’m open to unconventional methods.

But I would be dishonest if I told you that I wholeheartedly embraced what I saw in Lakeland. Something disturbed me, but I kept my mouth shut for three weeks while I prayed, got counsel from respected ministry leaders and searched my heart to make sure I was not harboring a religious spirit. The last thing we need today is more mean-spirited heresy hunters blasting other Christians.

I am not a heresy hunter, and I support what is happening in Lakeland because I know God uses imperfect people (like me and you) to reach others for Jesus. [Endtimes note: this is not about the fact Todd is imperfect. People use this as an excuse to divert attention away from the fact they guy is a false prophet and a false teacher, not averse to fakery, lies and charlatanism, spreading strange fire in a bid to elevate false apostles to take dominion.]  At the same time, I believe my questions are honest and my concerns are real.

My motive is not to criticize Bentley or the pastor who is sponsoring these meetings, Stephen Strader. In September 2002 Charisma  featured a seven-page article about Bentley’s amazing conversion from drug addiction. I believe Bentley is a sincere brother who wants people to encounter God’s presence and power. No doubt this 32-year-old evangelist needs our prayers now more than ever, especially since he has become the focus of international media attention.

But as the noise from Lakeland grows louder and its influence spreads, I’m issuing some words of warning that apply to all of us, not just the folks in Lakeland. I hope everyone understands that these cautions are offered in love:

1. Beware of strange fire. The name of Jesus is being lifted up in the Lakeland revival, and three people came to the altar for salvation the night I attended. Larger numbers have come to the front of the auditorium to find Christ every night since then.

Yet I fear another message is also being preached subtly in Lakeland—a message that cult-watchers would describe as a spiritual counterfeit. Bentley is one of several charismatic ministers who have emphasized angels in the last several years. He has taught about angels who bring financial breakthroughs or revelations, and he sometimes refers to an angel named Emma who supposedly played a role in initiating a prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. Bentley describes Emma as a woman in a flowing white dress who floats a few feet off the floor.

All of us who believe the Bible know that angels are real, and that they work on our behalf to protect us and minister to us. But the apostle Paul, who had encounters with angels himself, issued stern warnings to the Corinthians, the Galatians and the Colossians about angels who preach another gospel or that demand attention. In Colossae, believers were so enamored with angels they had seen in visions that they became “inflated without cause” by spiritual pride (Col. 2:18, NASB). Paul was adamant that preoccupation with angels can lead to serious deception.

We need to tread carefully here! We have no business teaching God’s people to commune with angels or to seek revelations from them. And if any revival movement—no matter how exciting or passionate—mixes the gospel of Jesus with this strange fire, the results could be devastating. We need to remember that Mormonism was born out of one man’s encounter with a dark angel who claimed to speak for God.

2. Beware of bizarre manifestations. When the Holy Spirit’s power comes on people they may feel weak or even fall. The Spirit’s power can also cause people to tremble, shake, laugh or cry. Such manifestations are biblical and we should leave room for them. But where do we draw the line between legitimate experience and fanatical excess?

The apostle Paul had to deal with outrageous charismatic manifestations in the Corinthian church. People were acting like raving lunatics—and turning the church in to a free-for-all of unbridled ecstatic behavior. Paul called for discipline and order, and he reminded early Christians that “the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets” (1 Cor. 14:32). In other words, Paul was saying that no one under the influence of the Holy Spirit should act out of control.

In many recent charismatic revivals, ministers have allowed people to behave like epileptics on stage—and they have attributed their attention-getting antics to the Holy Spirit. We may think it’s all in fun (you know, we’re just “acting crazy” for God) but we should be more concerned that such behavior feeds carnality and grieves the Spirit.

When exotic manifestations are encouraged, people can actually get a religious high from jerking, vibrating, screaming or acting intoxicated. (I have even been around people who writhed as if in pain, or made sexual noises—thinking this was a legitimate spiritual experience.) But emotional euphoria doesn’t guarantee a heart change. The person who is bucking like an untamed bronco in a church service would benefit more from sitting still and reading the Bible for an hour. When we put bizarre behavior on the platform we imply that it is normative. Thus more strange fire is allowed to spread.

3 Beware of hype and exaggeration. Our hearts are crying out today for a genuine move of God. We want the real deal. We’ve read about the Great Awakenings of the past and we long to see our nation overcome by a wave of repentance. The church is in a backslidden state, and our nation has rebelled against God. We are desperate!

In our longing for a holy visitation, however, we must be careful not to call the first faint breeze of the Spirit a full-fledged revival. If we do that, we are setting people up for disappointment when they realize it may not be what we blew it up to be.

Some of the language used during the Lakeland Revival has created an almost sideshow atmosphere. People are invited to “Come and get some.” Miracles are supposedly “popping like popcorn.” Organizers tout it as the greatest revival in history.

Such brash statements cheapen what the Holy Spirit is doing—and they do a disservice to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing New Testament-style revival in countries such as Iran, China and India. We have a long way to go before we experience their level of revival. Let’s stay humble and broken before the Lord.

I am rejoicing over all the reported healings at the Lakeland meetings. Miracles are awesome. Crowds are great. But miracles and crowds alone don’t guarantee a revival. Multitudes followed Jesus during His ministry on earth, but many of the people who saw the dead raised or ate food that was supernaturally multiplied later crucified the Son of God.

It was the few disciples who followed Jesus after Calvary who ushered in a true revival—one that was bathed in the fear of God, confirmed by signs and wonders, tempered by persecution and evidenced by thousands of conversions, new churches and the transformation of society. We should expect nothing less.”

A Christless Pentecost, a warning, by David Wilkerson & Frank Bartleman

“The following is a prophetic warning from Azusa Street 75 years ago, concerning the dangers of a Christless Pentecost!

Frank Bartleman was an eyewitness to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in 1907 at Azusa Street, Los Angeles. He has been characterized as the Reporter of the Azusa Street Revival. Nearly 75 years ago, during the outpouring, he wrote a tract warning of a Christless Pentecost. He warned:

“We may not hold a doctrine, or seek an experience, except in Christ. Many are willing to seek power in order to perform miracles, draw attention and adoration of the people to themselves, thus robbing Christ of His glory, and making a fair showing in the flesh. The greatest need would seem to be for true followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. Religious enthusiasm easily goes to seed. The human spirit so predominates the show-off, religious spirit. But we must stick to our text – Christ.

“Any work that exalts the Holy Ghost or ‘gifts’ above Jesus will finally end up in fanaticism. Whatever causes us to exalt and love Jesus is well and safe. The reverse will ruin all. The Holy Ghost is a great light, but focused on Jesus always for His revealing.

“Where the Holy Ghost is actually in control, Jesus is proclaimed the Head – the Holy Ghost, His executive.”

In another place, Brother Bartleman warned: “The temptation seems to be toward empty manifestations. This does not require any particular cross, or death to the self-life. Hence it is always popular.

“We may not put power, gifts, the Holy Ghost, or in fact anything ahead of Jesus. Any mission that exalts even the Holy Ghost above the Lord Jesus Christ is bound for the rocks of error and fanaticism.

“There seems to be a great danger of losing sight of the fact that Jesus was ‘all in all.’ The work of Calvary, the atonement, must be the center for our consideration. The Holy Ghost will never draw our attention from Christ to Himself, but rather reveal Christ in a fuller way. We are in danger of slighting Jesus – getting Him ‘lost in the temple,’ by the exaltation of the Holy Ghost and of the gifts of the Spirit. Jesus must be the center of everything.”

I do not take Brother Bartleman’s warning lightly. The danger of a Christless Pentecost is very real today. I say to you it is possible to gather Spirit-filled people in one place, praising and lifting up their hands – and still have Christ walking among them as a stranger!

It’s true He said, “Where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.” (Matt. 18:20 NASB) But He can be in our midst as a stranger! Ignored, unrecognized – even by those who meet in His name! The Jews gathered every Sabbath in the synagogue to speak of His name, and to prophesy of His coming. They praised the name of the Father who promised to send Him. They spoke the Messiah’s name with awe and reverence. Then, when He came and walked among them – He was not recognized! He was a stranger to them!

Christ, a stranger in the midst of a Spirit-filled congregation? A stranger in the midst of those who speak His name – who worship the Father who sent Him? A stranger to those who sing His hosannas who call Him “Lord, Lord”?

Yes! Absolutely yes! It is not only possible – it is happening among God’s chosen people today!

Let me show you three ways in which we are making Christ a stranger in our midst! May the Holy Spirit take away our spiritual blindness so we can once again see Him as He really is – LORD OF ALL!

I. We Make Christ A Stranger – By Giving The Holy Spirit Pre-Eminence Over Him!

Christ, and Christ alone, must be the center of life and worship!

“And He is the head of the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell… ” (Col. 1:18-19 KJV)

“That in all things He might have the pre-eminence… ” That is – distinguished and spoken of above all others. Having first place in all things. Not even the Holy Spirit is to be exalted above that name! The upper room must never overshadow the Cross! We dare not think of Christ as simply the one who sent the Holy Spirit. In other words, “Thank You, Jesus, for sending someone better.” Christ sent the Holy Spirit to reveal His own fullness within us.

When the Holy Spirit becomes the center of our attention, the church gets out of focus! The Holy Spirit descended upon Christ as He came out of baptismal waters, and the Father said of Him: “This is My beloved Son – in whom I am well pleased . . . ” The Spirit descended bodily like a dove, but the focus was on the Lamb of God – who taketh away the sins of the world. Not the dove, but the Lamb!

Christ told His disciples of a coming Pentecost, when the Spirit would be outpoured for a single purpose: It was to be a power given to lift up the name of Christ! “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me . . . unto the uttermost part of the earth… ” (Acts 1:8 KJV)

Jesus made it clear that when the Spirit comes He will not draw attention to Himself, but will focus on Christ’s words. He will exalt Christ.

” . . . when He, the Spirit of truth, is come . . . He shall not speak of Himself . . . He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” (John 16:13-15 KJV)

Jesus said, “He will show you My glory, My power, My Kingdom. He will remind you of all My words.” The primary work of the Holy Spirit is not fellowship, although He does bring believers together as one in Christ. It is not ecstasy. It is not simply to teach us an unlearned tongue. The Spirit has come to exalt Christ! To guide all mankind to the truth that Christ is Lord! It is not enough to say the Spirit has brought us close to each other – He must bring us closer to Christ!

We praise a Christ to whom we will not pray! We have become a praising people, but not a praying people. For many of God’s people the prayer closet is a relic of the past. “Why ask God for what He has already promised? Just get hold of the promises and simply command deliverances!” We no longer want Christ as much as we want what He can do for us. We want an escape from pain and suffering. We want our troubles to vanish. And we are so caught up in our escape from pain, we lose the true meaning of the Cross. We refuse crosses and losses – no Gethsemane for us! No nights of agony! We don’t even know this suffering, bleeding, resurrected Christ!

We want His healing power. We want His promises of prosperity. We want His protection. We want more of this earth’s goods. We want His happiness. But we really don’t want Him alone!

The Church once confessed its sins – now it confesses its rights.

How many of us would serve Him if He offered nothing but Himself? No healing. No success. No prosperity. No worldly blessings. No miracles, signs, or wonders. What if – once again we had to take joyfully the spoiling of our goods? What if – instead of clear sailing and problem-free living, we faced shipwreck, fears within and fightings without? What if – instead of painless living, we suffered cruel mockings, stoning, bloodshed – being sawn asunder? What if – instead of our beautiful homes and cars, we had to wander about in deserts in sheepskins, hiding in dens and caves? What if – instead of prosperity, we were destitute, afflicted, and tormented? And the only better thing provided for us was Christ?

Very few of God’s people pray anymore! They are too busy working for Jesus to talk to Him! Ministers especially have become so busy doing kingdom work, they have little or no time left to pray. There is time to visit, to build, to travel, time to vacation, to attend meetings, time for recreation, reading, counseling – but no time to pray!

Preachers who do not pray become promoters. They become frustrated building contractors. When they lose touch with God, they lose touch with their people and their needs. Preachers who don’t pray have egos that spin out of control. They want their own way. They substitute sweat for unction (anointing).

Evangelists who do not pray become stars, storytellers. They lack humility, so they manipulate crowds through emotional gimmicks. The cry of many pastors is, “Oh, God, where can I find an evangelist who doesn’t care about money, or who is not promoting something? One who can bring heaven down and make Christ real! Oh, God – give me a praying man to bring my congregation to its knees! ” The shame of this generation is that we have too many talented men of God and only a few who have touched God in prayer.

There is even less praying in the congregation! I’m 100% for getting prayer back in our public schools! But that’s not God’s real problem! His problem is getting prayer back in our homes! His problem is to get His own chosen people to pray! And you are a phony if you fight for school prayer and neglect secret-closet praying yourself!

The fullness of the Spirit is the fullness of Christ. If you do not have a consuming love for Christ, you do not have a Holy Ghost baptism! Christ, the baptizer, sent the Holy Spirit to fire our souls over lost humanity, to get us out into the highways and hedges to reach the unsaved. To shake up our lazy lifestyles and get us to doing His work. The blessed Holy Spirit will be grieved, and finally withdraw, the moment men try to exalt Him above the Son of God! He will not permit His power to be abused by those who want only the gift and not Christ, the Giver!

What is a true Holy Ghost meeting? Is it where people all speak with tongues? Or where people are healed? Where saints jump for joy? Where saints are prophesying? More – much more than that! It is where Christ is being exalted, where His holiness pierces the soul, where men and women fall before His holy throne, broken, humbled crying, “Holy, Holy.” The moving of the Holy Spirit is a moving closer to Christ, deeper in Christ, with a greater submission to His Lordship!

II. Christ Is Made A Stranger When People Praise Him, But Will Not Pray To Him!

Do we pray? Oh, yes! When we need something. We have the formula down pat – “in the name of Jesus.” All we need Him for is to countersign our petition checks before the Father.

I am weary of hearing people say, “This is such a busy age – l have no time to pray. I’d like to, but I don’t have time. ” No! It’s not lack of time; it is a lack of desire. We make time for what we really want to do. Look at our Christian young people! Wasting hours of time playing Pac-man, Galaxy War, goofing off, bored, restless, looking for some action! But no time to pray! No time for Jesus! Oh, God! Somehow! Some way! Get this generation on its knees. Not just the Lord’s Prayer, but a daily communion with Christ.

Our Savior, who has the care and concern for multiplied universes, has the time to pray just for you! He takes the time to intercede for you before the throne of God (Heb. 7:25), and you say you do not have time to pray to Him!

We work feverishly for a Christ we ignore. We will go anywhere, do anything, in His name. But we will not pray. We will sing in a choir. We will visit the sick and the prisoners. But we will not pray. We will counsel the hurt and needy; we will stay up all night to comfort a friend, but we will not pray. We will fight corruption! We will crusade for morality! We will stand up against nuclear weapons! But we will not pray!

Most of all, we don’t pray because we really don’t believe it works. Prayer is a bloody battleground! It is where victories are won! A place to die to self! A place where a holy God exposes secret sin! No wonder Satan tries to hinder prayer! A praying man sends a shudder through hell. That man or woman is marked because Satan knows prayer is the power that crushes his kingdom. Satan is not afraid of power-hungry saints, but he trembles at the sound of a praying saint!

III. Christ Is Made A Stranger In Our Midst When We Want His Power More Than His Purity!

Reader Harris, an Englishman and director of The Pentecostal League of Prayer, once challenged a congregation on this matter of power and purity. He said, “Those who want power, line up to my right. Those who want purity, line up to my left.” The congregation lined up 10 to 1 – for POWER!

In the book of Acts, Pentecost was synonymous with purity more than power. Peter told the council at Jerusalem what God did at the house of Cornelius, “God…giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us…purifying their hearts by faith… ” (Acts 15:8-9 KJV)

Who is the man or woman of God who has power? Is it the one who can heal the sick and raise the dead? Is it the one who can best talk in tongues and prophesy? Is it the one who draws the most people and builds the greatest church? No! The one with the power – is the one with the purity! “… the righteous are bold as a lion.. ” (Proverbs 28:1 KJV)

The prophet Malachi prophesied of a supernatural purge coming to God’s house.

” . . . the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple. .. but who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap. And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Malachi 3:1-3 KJV)

This is a dual prophecy. He speaks of Christ’s first coming, and also of His second! He will come again suddenly, as a thief in the night. But first, He will purify His Church.

We are not ready for the coming of Christ! Is this the Church triumphant? Covetous. divorcing, depressed, worldly-minded, grasping for materialism and success, competitive, lukewarm, adulterous, rich and increased with goods, unaware of spiritual blindness and poverty, pleasure-loving, recreation-minded, consumed with sports, politics, and power – is this the Church Jesus is coming for? Simply coping, filled with fear and anxiety, satisfied only to have good health and happiness?

My Bible says He is coming back for an overcoming Church! A Church without spot or wrinkle! A people whose affections are on things above! A people with clean hands and pure hearts. A people who are looking for His coming! A people with a “new Jerusalem state of mind.”

The question is no longer, “What can my faith get me? What miracle will He perform for me?” The question now is – “How shall I stand before Him? How shall I make it at the Judgment?” ” . . . who shall stand when He appeareth?” (Malachi 3:2 KJV)

The question is no longer, “How do I feel – how do I get happiness? How do I get the desire of my heart?” The question is – “Can I withstand that moment when I stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ? How can I withstand when I’ve lived so carelessly, so selfishly, so neglectful of His great salvation?” The central issue now has nothing to do with this world at all. At issue is – “HAVE I NEGLECTED CHRIST IN THIS MIDNIGHT HOUR?”

The purge is going to begin in the pulpit! ” . . . He shall purify the sons of Levi… ” (Malachi 3:3 KJV) God is going to accomplish that by “turning up the heat.” God is going to make things so hot, so fiery, so intense, God’s men will be driven to their knees! This is the fire of the Holy Ghost! It is the fire of persecution. It is the fire of tribulation. The fire of unbelievable hardships, ridicule, gossip, financial problems. He is going to shake everything that can be shaken! He is going to shake, and scrub, and burn, and purge – and purify!

No man or woman of God will escape the purging! God is determined to get all the dross and filth out of us. The purge will spread from the pulpit to the pew! Get ready, saints! God is getting ready to expose all sin, all adultery, all foolishness! The Holy Ghost is going to reprove us of sin. How can you play games when God puts you in His crucible and turns up the fire? Your Holy Ghost baptism is going to have some fire put to it now!

Malachi said – “…the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven: and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up…” (Malachi 4:1 KJV)

God also promises to bring down the strongholds of the enemy! He is going to once and for all let the devil and the world know who has the power!

If God is about to do all that the prophets predicted He would – WHAT A GLORIOUS FUTURE JUST AHEAD! 

• A purged, purified ministry!
• A Church that God is calling back to repentance and holiness. 
• A people washed, cleansed – offering praises in true righteousness. 
• A revival among our young people! Drug strongholds coming down! Alcohol and divorce no longer prevalent among God’s people. 
• The sound of prayer – intercession! 
• A people of God who will discern between the holy and the unholy! 
• Everywhere, God’s people turning again to the Word. 
• A tested, tried people, once again devoted to the Person of Jesus Christ! 
• His Person being lifted up to draw all men to Him! 
• Christ no longer the stranger in our midst, but CROWNED – PRE-EMINENT! 
• A Pentecost that truly exalts the name and power of Jesus Christ, the Lord of all.

By David Wilkerson  

Copyright © 2002 by World Challenge, Lindale, Texas, USA. 

This article may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as “freeware,” without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice.

Scripture quotation(s) marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation 1977. Scripture quotation(s) marked KJV are from the King James Version.

The most fruitless mission ever

I was involved with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) for about six years from the late 1980s onwards into the mid 1990s. During that time I visited several different countries, and had the priviledge of preaching to rich and poor, black and white, young and old, and seeing great fruit from my labours. I had a great passion for evangelism and particularly for street work.

For some reason, wherever I went, I always saw much more fruit, and many more conversions through my ministry than any other members on my team, including even the leaders and old timers. When nobody else had conversions to report from the mission, I almost always did and more than one testimony to recount too.  And from whatever possible follow up reports afterwards, ‘my’ converts stayed and bore good fruit too whereas ‘others’ converts often would not last beyond the honeymoon stage and soon fell away. Please stay with me, I am not boasting – I am saying all this for a very good reason (the point of this article). God was markedly with me and blessed the work of my hands. His Spirit led me, empowered me and propelled me and fruit came from it. 

Sometimes I felt embarassed about God using me so much, wishing others could bring in the harvest and not just me, just as I would wished someone else would get the prophetic words and not just me all the time – not because I did not want to obey God, or glorify Him – but because I was shy and wanted to keep a low profile and did not want to draw attention to anyone other than God- and because I did not want to attract jealousy from other Christians (though inevitably I did) and did not want to be different (though inevitably I was).

I did not understand at first why I was so much more successful than other evangelists I worked with – I am certainly not charismatic in the secular sense, and was not and am still not physically gorgeous to lure people in by my looks or charm. It even embrassed me to draw attention to myself as I am naturally shy and introvert – but saying that, God’s word and people’s salvation was always more important than me keeping a back seat. As everyone repeatedly affirmed, I had the God-given spiritual gift of evangelism and God used it and used me to His glory. I accepted that the reason for any success was God – His Holy Spirit empowering my calling and working on my words - and accepted it – who was I to argue if God used me more than another? I was called and so I obeyed and God was glorified.

I am not saying any of this to boast – I am saying this for a reason – to markedly show the difference between a mission with me and literally hundreds of other people fully immersed in the Toronto Blessing, and with missions without this ‘blessing’ (often much smaller, just a handful of people). Wherever I ministered, however ‘hard’ the climate, people came into the kingdom because of the words that God put on my tongue – and all the glory goes to Him for it. God was always markedly with me. Except for one time, at the height of the ‘blessing’.

So to underline the fact, in every mission I did, however hard the place, whatever missions organisation or church I was working with whether pentecostal or ‘old-fashioned’ gospel hall (as I did not just work with YWAM), there was always obvious and bountiful fruit from it – conversions and also people you knew would soon come to Christ. That is apart from one  mission, which was the last one I ever did with YWAM. That mission is the reason for this article.

In 1995,  I did a short term summer missions trip in Edinburgh, Scotland,  a place particularly dear to heart as I had been born again on Edinburgh’s world famous street, Princes Street in early 1987. As I had said the Sinner’s prayer, with an old fashioned sandwich boarded-up preacher gripping my hand tightly, I asked Christ into my life, overlooked by Edinburgh Castle and stared at by curious shoppers, the wail of bagpipes in the background. My life was forever changed that day. That is one of the reasons I loved street ministry (minus the sandwich boards!), and one of the reasons I was so fond of Edinburgh.

1995 was an interesting time. It was the height of Toronto Blessing fever in Scotland. Edinburgh was quite a hotspot for ‘anointing’ with almost nightly meetings, and had attracted many visits from the Vineyard Church and its associates and prophets linked to Kansas City: Randy Clark, Jill Austin, Rodney Howard Browne, Paul Cain, John Paul Jackson and all of them. Even Paul (David) Yong Y Cho had come over from South Korea. I had been to many of the Toronto Blessing meetings, regularly making the long return trip to get some ‘more’. Many of us had a whale of a time in those days, basking in the ‘anointing’, barking like dogs, roaring like lions, laughing like drunkards and flapping like seals.

YWAM was not just paddling dipping its toe in this alleged ’anointing’, it was fully immersed and swimming in ‘the river’. I’d been to YWAM meetings three times or more per day, almost every day since the previous summer – then add onto that church meetings, and add onto that special meetings and conferences! But still more!   was never enough for me, there was an insatiable thirst and hunger for more of this fire and this anointing. (Though I did not realise it at the time, it was not a hunger for more of the word of God, it was not a hunger for more service or dedication, or to obey and please God more, or to win more souls etc - it was for more anointing and power. And by anointing I mean spiritual manifestations, as although ‘they’ said it was not about the manifestations, it was. If you did not manifest you were labelled ‘hard to recieve’, or too religious, or lacking faith, if you did manifest you were more spiritual and more blessed and had more faith – so go figure. And although I ‘felt’ more powerful, there was no evidence of this in REALITY by FRUIT in my ministry, in fact it was quite the opposite - but I only realised this fact, and the reason why  some years later.)

YWAM summer missions take various forms depending on its leaders and depending on their location. But always there is a central location where the individual teams scattered around the city would meet up regularly together for prayer and worship and teaching – and sometimes an open gospel type service for enquirers. On some teams I was on, this central meeting would only be once every week or so (after the first few days), on this Edinburgh mission as far as I can recall, it was every night, or almost every night if not.

It was supposed to be something to bring enquirers too. And some outsiders did   come but more to gawk than anything else, as night after night after night, it was Toronto time, where we ‘played’ in the anointing. I do not recall much if any preaching, far less for it being enquirer focussed, it was all about getting ‘more’ for ourselves. We shook, rattled and roared and fell out in the Spirit after marching under human arches made by arms and such nonsense – and yeah, we had a roar of a time, but I do not recall one single convert from these open meetings. And we were too self absorbed to really take notice, I am ashamed to say, in our drunken self absorbed glee.

One night I was flapping my hands like a seal under the ‘anointing’, and accidently slapped one of my hands against the head of one of the gawkers who was sat just in front of me. She was an Edinburgh lass – red curly hair and freckles – and about nine years old.  She was seated with all the neighbourhood kids who decided it was much better free entertainment in that meeting than the cartoons on TV. When she should  have heard the word of God, she was watching a mockery of church.  ‘Watch wot ye doing, ya donut!‘  she said to me giving me a filthy look (Donut being an Edinburgh expression for you prat, you fool!)  Out of the mouths of babes and all that, she could not have been more right, I was a doughnut, as were all the others manifesting with me that night. We missed it completely.

We did evangelism work, children’s clubs, door knocking, street work – all the usual stuff – during the day, so the mission was not all about spiritual drunkeness and carpet time. Prayer and YWAM style spiritual warfare intermingling these activities of course. But though I was there for several weeks, it was extremely disapointing as there was so little fruit from it. I led just one  man to the Lord on the street, and even that felt dissatisying because there did not seem the same depth or conviction or whatever there as I was accustomed to. I do not recall many interested enquiries or good conversations either – normally there would be dozens to report. The only reports I remember hearing from other teams were not of conversions and good fruit, but of bad  fruit – of squabbles and tears and other such bitchiness among team members which was really unusual in my experience, especially on short terms missions. I did not connect it all up at the time as to why there was so little good fruit from all of our labors, but of course I more than see it now in retrospect as to why. At that time I fully embraced the blessing - to my shame – even though God had warned me several times it was not from Him.

My only quibble then  about the Toronto Blessing was about it being misused – just as I had seen spiritual gifts misused like tongues. But I put it down to unwise misuse, rather than its real source and true spiritual identity. I was unhappy about one guy on our team, a YWAM leader, who brought four teenage lads (all unsaved) back to our church hall during the day. Instead of preaching the gospel to them, even sharing brief words of testimony first,  he instead prayed for the blessing to just hit them. And it did. They manifested and had great fun, but it lacked any conviction at all, and any repentence and any knowledge of the gospel. They came laughing and left laughing. They were not fearing God – they were there for a laugh and not taking it seriously – and when they left they were still laughing, not fearing God and still ignorant of the gospel.  I was deeply unhappy about this incident, it reminded me of some teens who had (apparently) got saved through an upcoming pentecostal preacher on another mission I had done a few years before (whose church constantly split and had some really nasty problems). The kids had barely said the Sinner’s prayer, before he got them all speaking in tongues. They left the church laughing and giggling and speaking to each other in tongues - abusing what I know now was false tongues – and that became their focus instead of the glorious New Life and Jesus. We never saw those kids again for dust. I spoke in tongues then, so was not against the gift of tongues, I hasten to add. Though I blamed the ministers for their lack of widsom in both these cases, I never questioned why  the Holy Spirit would make these Edinburgh lads manifest in such a way under the Toronto Blessing and not have them have anything at all going on their hearts and minds or even convict them even slightly – either  at the time or afterwards. I should have rebuked the YWAM leader for his foolishness but I did not. I had been indoctrinated under an abusive YWAM structure to ’submit’ to leaders, even when they sinned against you – and by ’submit’ they meant keep quiet and obey regardless.

Anyway that was that mission, one convert for all that time, and in all that ‘blessing’, and only really a half convert at that. Yet this was supposed to be at the time of great blessing on the city – a hotspot for the ‘anointing’ – and also on us individually. I had been soaking all this up for over a year as had the city of Edinburgh and the nation of Scotland! The Holy Spirit was supposedly being poured out and was equipping the church with gifts and power and anointing. Power was supposedly being poured out from on high. Yet where was the fruit? Where were the converts and convictions? There was none! In fact, it was the complete opposite, and I can truly say it was the most fruitless mission ever. Markedly so by a long way.

It was some years later that I realised that the Toronto Blessing was demonic and not of God – or should I say when I woke up and listened to God and understood what He’d been saying to me about Toronto all along. This mission underlines this – as I tell you the truth,  if this were the real power of God being poured out on us and the city in those days, and not jush flesly (or worse) manifestations, the city really would have been on fire and hundreds of souls would have been won that summer. Instead it got us self absorbed and distracted. 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. True outpouring results in the church going out into the world to boldly proclaim the gospel, not to be holed up in a room to manifest (and to drag others to this upper room). See here http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/is-todd-bentleys-lakeland-outpouring-like-the-day-of-pentecost/  It fooled me for a long time. Thank God that He has forgiven me for my foolishness.

PS  There was nobody healed either, even though we prayed for people over that year and beyond, and they were slain in the spirit and had manifestations etc.  I had seen genuine healings before the Toronto Blessing hit (not many, but some), even through my own ministry, and so at a time when there was supposedly great power being poured out, and the Holy Spirit seemed to be ‘on’ people’s flesh, this one fact was very odd indeed too.  Especially when there was so much noise and people falling out under the power – supposedly! But this power that made them jerk or laugh or roar could not heal them. Yet people had been healed quietly without any jerks or manifestations before! There was a lot of noise but no real fruit – it was decietful manifestations, for they lied, pretending to do something they did not. If we had lacked integrity we could easily have claimed healings because people fell under the power and felt themself touched, and were often high as kites so had a temporary release from pain or other symptons – but note only temporary. But we did not. Please note that if I had not preached a true gospel message, but had preached a lighter easier one, based on experiences and getting healed and whacked out, we would have hundreds of converts….no doubt those four laughing lads could have been counted in the statisitcs, but they were no more converts, than well…..

PPS  I read my spiritual journal from that time and the prophesies made at those meetings over me in word and manifestations failed to come to pass either – they were false. As were many of the manifestations which were supposed to be ‘prophetic manifestations’  – eg the roaring meant prophecy (PP Amos lion roaring), running on the spot meant evangelism to the nations, shaking the hands in a certain way healing, laughter inner healing and joy…. etc etc. 

It is now laughable to me that I did not see the paradox of people ‘in the Spirit’ running on the spot or around the room, sometimes for hours at a time, claiming an evangelism anointing to the nations – but not actually running, let alone walking out 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!

_______________________

See also http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/the-anointing-of-the-spirit-and-evangelism/

http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/no-evangelism-no-real-anointing

http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/is-todd-bentleys-lakeland-outpouring-like-the-day-of-pentecost/

Todd Bentley, angels, white light and spiritual manifestations

Todd Bentley prophesied the following, which was published on the Elijah List on August 23, 2007. Bentley said: ‘There is an open Heaven in this place…….But the angels were messin’  around.’   (http://www.elijahlist.com/words/display_word/5733  )  One wonders exactly what kind of angels Todd Bentley knows, and who they belong to exactly, who ‘mess around’ like this amongst the saints, as I certainly do not know any like that that belong to GOD, not have I read of any in the Bible - though I do know angels who hide as angels of light who are from Satan who love jerking the church around and mocking them and ‘messing around’.

Todd Bentley continues in this ‘prophecy’: ‘And I heard that angelic sound last night and I saw it as lightning. I saw sound as white light.’    White light is a known occultic buzz word and belief, particularly popular in Spiritualist beliefs (and in ’white’ witchcraft). Spiritualist Mediums and white witches and other occultists will often cast a circle of white light around themselves as ‘protection’ from dark forces before going into a trance or before casting spells, or before allowing (what they think to be temporary) spirit possession by (what they think to be) benign helping spirits, and call on this white light to aid them or others. It is interesting to note that Patricia King of Extreme Prophetic, who helped mentor Todd Bentley, was involved in witchcraft before her conversion, and prophet Bob Jones, so revered by both Bentley and King has also testified to being involved in the occult and hearing demonic voices. (He claims that upon his conversion the demon voices automatically changed to angels voices). Sadly all too many New Age beliefs have continued in Patricia King’s and Bob Jones’ mindsets, and have obviously greatly influenced Todd Bentley.

This is what Bob Jones has to say about white light: ‘A lot of people see a lot of different colors [when in the third heaven], but when I take the children up most of the time, they see the “white light”. ’   Bob Jones, by the way, claims he can take anyone with him up into a third heaven experience, by his own will by grabbing their hand (more on that later). He claims he goes up ‘there’ daily.

I mentioned at the start of the article about Bentley claiming angels were messing around. On the following video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFp1tG9z7SM&feature=related he ministers to some people at Toronto (John Arnott’s church). At around 7.59 on this clip (you can fast forward to the place) after ministering wham bam sheba bam, bam    he says ‘That was fun’.   What kind of reverence for God, his anointing or Holy Spirit is that? Can you see any of the apostles doing this? It is not just what he says but how he says it. At around 5.08 on the video and again at 7.15 there are some troubling counterfeit tongues too. (NB. I believe in the genuine  gift of tongues – I am not a cessationist).