What Profit Are Todays Prophets?

Truth Matters Newsletters June 2011 Vol. 16 Issue 6 What Profit Are Todays Prophets? By Rev. Robert Liichow

Discernment Ministries International What Profit Are Todays Prophets?

Rev. Bob Liichow Some people might say whats the big deal brother Bob? There have always been crooks in the Church so just ignore them. Sadly, this attitude is mirrored throughout the Church today which helps to explain some of the reasons why the Body of Christ is in such sad shape today. It is the same attitude that slams the door shut in the face of Jehovahs Witnesses and Mormons usually ending in a God bless you from the believer. Christians who respond like this are effectively saying go to hell because that is surely where those folks are headed unless someone shares the Gospel with them, thus giving the Holy Spirit an avenue to convict and draw them to faith if He so chooses. Every genuinely redeemed person is an ambassador for the Kingdom of God (1 Cor. 5:19) Growing up in a Diplomatic family (1) I have a pretty good concept of what the Apostle Paul meant by calling us ambassadors of the Kingdom. God vocalizes His appeal to the entire world via His people (The Holy Spirit speaks through His text to us). The Father uses the totally unique love that only we are empowered (Romans 5:5) to share with one another (John 13:35) to demonstrate our true discipleship. He uses the foolishness of preaching (1Cor.1:21) and as His ambassadors/ministers/servants/disciples we open our mouths to evangelize. It is the Father who speaks (Matt. 10:20) through us by His Spirit. As ambassadors for our Lord, we bring the Law, what God commands and demands of His people the law that terrifies the conscious and brings despair to the soul driving individuals to flee to the solace of the Gospel! We then proclaim the glorious good news that our brother (Heb. 2:11) Jesus Christ, God the Son has come in the flesh and fulfilled all of the Fathers law on our behalf. Jesus died bearing all the sin of humanity on the cross; He was buried and rose physically from the dead three days later and ascended into heaven and He has promised to return for us again. Until that time, we serve as His representatives and we are the only Jesus the world will see, and trust me when I say the world is watching your life. The above brings us back to the point it matters tremendously what people do and say in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I must admit I live in a pretty black-and-white world when it comes to doctrine and to me either someone is gathering or scattering, there is no middle ground (Luke 11:23), one is genuinely for Christ or he is against Him, it is just that simple. To Christians the Bible is accepted as the only valid written revelation from God to man. This being the case when someone teaches something from the Bible that teaching has behind it the backing authority of the Creator of all existence. False teaching that is spawned from twisting

biblical texts and is exceedingly dangerous because a percentage of gullible, biblically ignorant sheep will automatically follow the latest novel teaching (2 Tim 4:3) because they lack the tools to rightly discern truth from error, i.e. a solid doctrinal foundation. Also these novel teachings all appeal directly to the fallen flesh of man. The fallback argument of the false teacher is its in the Bible. False prophets are equally as dangerous as false teachers; please never forget that there is no such thing as innocuous false teaching. The false prophet takes upon themselves authority that exceeds that of the false teacher. The false prophet (hereafter referred to at times as profit) calls upon the name of the Author of the Holy Scriptures as the direct source of their information and insight. When a person stands up in an assembly and gives a stirring word and ends it in I, Jesus have spoken by my servant, or thus saith the Lord, you have the attention of the listeners. If you can add some form of sign or wonder to accompany the revelation given one is almost guaranteed great financial wealth and a following of Gods gullibles. Last month DMI presented a brief overview of how a few deluded souls became a movement in the late 1940s that has developed over forty years into a distinct sect (2) within the professing Church and even within the rather diverse unbrella we call the charismatic movement. (3) The Church went from a handful of men claiming to be restored prophets in the forties to today where now throughout the globe are schools of the prophets. The majority of which these schools can be traced back to the disciples of the post WWII profits. Today the Church and the millions of sign-gift believers are being besieged by a myriad of men and women, all of whom claim to be hearing from God on our behalf both personally and for the entire Church and at times the entire world itself!

Ladies First

The prophetic movement has proven to be an estrogen-rich breeding ground for women seeking the spotlight as prophets. In the past, within some branches of the charismatic renewal, women were not allowed to serve as pastors, but when it came to prophetesses these sign-seekers had to admit that there were several in the Bible so they had to begrudgingly admit women prophets into the public assemblies. This is not strange, after all Church history is filled with examples of pseudo-prophets in feminine guise. Montanus (4) whom we have designated as the Father (5) of charismatic extremism had the first two recorded restored prophetesses to the Church, namely Prisca and Maximilla. The following is recorded about these ladies:

His prophesying were soon outdone by two female disciples, Prisca or Priscilla and Maximilla, who fell into strange ecstasies, delivering in them what Montanus and his followers regarded as divine prophecies. They had been married, left their husbands, were given by Montanus the rank of virgins in the church, and were widely reverenced as prophetesses. But very different was the sober judgment formed of them by some of the neighboring bishops. Phrygia was a country in which heathen devotion exhibited itself in the most fanatical form and it seemed to calm observers that the frenzied utterances of the Montanistic prophetesses were far less like any previous manifestation of the prophetic gift among Christians than they were to those heathen orgiasms which the church had been wont to ascribe to the operation of demons. The church party looked on the Montanists as willfully despising our Lords warning to beware of false prophets, and as being in consequence deluded by Satan, in whose power they placed themselves by accepting as divine teachers women possessed by evil spirits. (6) Widely popular for a while, Montanus was a revivalist of a sorts, taught a strict form of legalism which the flesh always loves and he gained two women disciples who left their husbands became virgins again and on top of that became pipelines from heaven. The rest of the orthodox Church decried Montanus and his prophetesses. Eventually the movement died out with the death of his prophetesses, according to Eusebius of Caesarea quoting Apollinarius of Hierapolis both of these frenzied liars hung themselves after the manner of Judas Iscariot. (7) Another writer who wrote of these women said: Montanus was dead, as was Theodotus, an early leader in the movement, who had probably managed its finances, for he is said to have been towards it a kind of ettipottos. The Anonymous states that at the time he wrote 13 full years had elapsed and a 14th had begun since the death of Maximilla. Priscilla must have died previously for Maximilla believed herself to be the last prophetess in the church and that after her the end would come. (8) The end did not come with her demise, (nor did it arrive when Mr. Camping announced again that it would). The centuries roll on and we come along another self-proclaimed female prophetess, Mrs. Ann Lee of England comes along. She was an early Pentecostal revivalist and visionary. I have written extensively about Ann Lee and her impact on todays Signs and Wonders Movement. A Moment of Shameless Self-Promotion For a copy of the book (It really is a fascinating history of todays enthusiasta and also very disturbing) Just send a check to DMI for $20.00 and receive a signed copy of Blessing or Judgment? (Revised from: Two Roots of Todays Revival) Please memo your check book Ann Lee is certainly the first restored neo-Montanist prophetess in America and she opened the floodgates for much of the extremism which is so rampant today. Her organization, The United Society of Believers in Christs Second Appearing. aka The Shakers were the first in America to (1) speak in other tongues; (2) experience so-called holy laughter; (3) spiritual drunkenness; (4) making animal sounds and expressions; (5) barking; (6) being slain in the spirit; (7) impart gifts by the laying on of hands; (8) led revival meetings and (9) giving verbal prophetic words from God, along with other expressions of spiritual excess commonly seen and experienced by hundreds of thousands of professing believers today.

The vast majority have no idea that what they are experiencing and inviting into their spiritual lives during their meetings comes directly from a demonic cult established here before our revolutionary war. Ann Lee was only the first of many women to impact the spiritual lives of the multitudes. Since her advent the Church has suffered through Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Church of Christ Science (Christian Science) and first published her book Science and Heath With Keys to the Scriptures in 1875. (9) Although Eddy did not refer to herself as a prophet she did see her role as one restoring true religion. Ellen G. White along with her husband founded the Seventh Day Adventist cult and first reported having visions early in 1844. She is regarded as a prophetess by SDA members and her organization has led many astray into severe legalistic bondage. Whatever stance one wishes to take regarding the role of women in ministry, history is replete with examples of how women can be used to spiritually influence large numbers of people and impact culture and the Church. Without getting too off track let me condense Church history regarding the role of women into a few sentences and move on: Women have held no official role in the holy ministry, i.e. pastoral oversight of congregations for close to 1,600+ years across the denominational board. There have been minor exceptions, obviously, but nothing really sanctioned until round the time of the Wesley brothers, Charles and John (started Methodist movement around the mid 1700s about the same time as Ann Lee was working in the USA). It was with the coming of Methodism to America, women began to take on more active roles in these new frontier congregations. As Methodism took root in the US it developed offshoots the main one being the Holiness movement and from them eventually came Pentecostalism. During the Great Depression Aimee Semple McPherson rose from obscurity within Pentecostalism and became Americas first mega-church pastor and broadcast genius raking in millions of dollars. Sadly, she died with a tarnished reputation being caught as an adulterous and dying of a barbiturate overdose. Nonetheless, sister Aimee opened many formerly shut doors to other

women to walk through including the charismatic mega-star Kathryn Kuhlman who almost single-handedly popularized the phenomena of being slain in the spirit by televising her healing crusades. The fraud, liar, SINister, and false prophet Mr. Benny Hinn sites Kuhlman as one of his main influences and he visits both her grave and McPhersons to gain spiritual power (I kid you not.) (10) By the time Kathryn was on television (Believe In Miracles) in the late 60s and early 70s the floodgates for womens equality in ministry with men was a fait accompli within the charismatic movement and many of its sub-camps. (11) Many of the movers-and-shakers (no pun intended)

within charismania are women who are internationally recognized as prophetesses and they are having a huge impact on the lives of many of Gods gullible. (12) For the remainder of this article I will be exposing some of the members in their high powered skulk. (13)

Bonnie Chavda
I have not personally encountered Mrs. Chavda in action. I have sat under her husbands ministry, even got slain in the spirit. (14) by Mahesh back in the early 1990s. As often is the case in public charismatic ministry you will find the wives either ministering equally with their

husbands or leading them, such as Joyce Meyer who leads and her hus band takes care of the off-stage work. Gloria Copeland preaches and teaches along her husband Kenneths side (actually she is a better teacher than Kenny). Another famous example would be Marilyn Hickey, whose husband Wally is (was) an Assemblies of God pastor. No charismatic can ever forget Charles and Francis Hunter, the Happy Hunters who tag-teamed preached and healed across the globe for forty plus years. Even so we have the Chavdas, and who exactly are they? With over three miracle-packed decades of experience, Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda lead Chavda Ministries international, a worldwide apostolic ministry. The vision of CMI is to proclaim Christs kingdom with power, equip believers for ministry and usher in revival preparing for the return of the Lord. (15) I underlined the code words which I will attempt to unpack for you. Miracles are Gods calling cards has been the clarion call of the prophetic movement for many years now. Folks, please get this if nothing else from this issuemiracles do not create faith. Israel experienced DAILY miracles for forty years in the desert and DIED IN UNBELIEF. The premise that miracles are the method by which God draws and converts the lost is not shown in the Bible. It is a false premise. Thirty years of miracles? Ok, Bonnie where is the proof? This web site is not filled with x-rays, doctors affidavits, independent witness testimony of miracles. At best we have anecdotal stories from either the Chavdas (let another man praise you Prov. 27:2) themselves or unidentifiable individual reports. Next we read Mahesh and Bonnie are an apostolic team. When were there any female apostles? Sorry dear sisters, there were not any. Also who called them to be apostles? Where is the fruit of their apostleship? There job is to equip, i.e. impart spiritual gifts & power to believers so these empowered believers can go forth and become tools of God to usher in a global revival which MUST COME first. After this preparatory work of Christianizing the world is done then Jesus Christ can return. This according to sign-gift theology is the role of todays restored apostle and prophet/prophetess. Jesus cannot return until the Church again embraces their ministries (apostolic/prophetic). They base this belief on the following text (there are others too):

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that you sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:19-21 Since their role is pivotal in the return of Jesus it is only natural that they do all that is in their power to get the Church in agreement with them to hasten the return of Jesus. This is where the prophetic movement gets very bizarre and possibly dangerous. Lets allow God through Bonnie to warn the Church in a vision she received in 1995: In the vision, I was standing on a land map of the USA. The states stretched out from me in front and behind. I was facing west and above me, from horizon to horizon, was a ceiling of very thick, black, angry, clouds. Their appearance was that of an approaching terrible storm. In one place, there was an opening in the clouds. There, rays of very bright sunlight shown through. Seeing this, I understood that a spiritual storm was imminent, and that in the wake of this storm, hope, peace, and joy, would shine from heaven. I heard a voice say, This is the refreshing: IT WILL BE VERY VIOLENT (16) In 1995 Bonnie warned the Church and the world what the next great time of refreshing would be like. She profalied (17) this during the height of the Holy Laughter Revival that a spiritual storm was imminent (uh, Bonnie, were still waiting) and of all the oxymoronic language we are told that this is the refreshingit will be very violent. How refreshing is violence? As I watched, a series of scenes from the movie adaptation of the American classic by L. Frank Baum, the Wizard of Oz passed before me. With each picture a voice described things that will take place as this coming wind moved over the land. I understood that it will not be sinners, false religions, or even political institutions, including the media, that will most vehemently question and oppose the coming wind. It will be institutions of Christian tradition and influence, including those who claim the fullness of the Spirit. (19) Surprise of surprises it will not be the world that hates you (Jesus or the translators must have erred in John 15:8). False religions and polities will not be the forces questioning and opposing this latest move of God. Who will it be? It will be institutional Christianity (i.e. orthodox), Christian traditions and influence, and yup even some who claim to be filled with the Spirit (i.e. some Pentecostal types). Please note the separation between Church institution/tradition and the Spirit-filled folk. Never forget in the eyes of sign-gift enthusiasts you are a low-wattage, barely saved, spiritually weak and out of step with God. The entire movement, and sadly, much of the Church is driven with elitism, and it is always a stench. the Lord said, There will be those who will call this wind demonic because of what it will make manifest. Demons will be stirred up, the flesh will he made obvious, things formerly hidden will be exposed and seen as they are in relation to My Spirit: BUT THIS WIND IS FROM ME? (20)

Over the years Tracy and I have sat and heard myriads of flakes come into meetings and spout stirring messages, many of which contained provisos to cover any question of the message or the messenger. We see this tactic in Bonnies drivelthere will be those who those folks include anyone who does not swallow-and-follow the restored apostle and/or prophet. Please understand that these are not nice sweet folk theologically speaking. (21) If they perceive you as a genuine threat they will decry you publicly, pray for your ruin, prophesy your downfall, pray the Lord to kill you. I have heard men and women do all of the above in the name of Jesus. What is more I and this prtion of Christs ministry has been a recipient of hate-filled ugly prophetic words because (1) we left charismania and (2) because we cared enough to reveal the truth about what goes on behind closed ministry SINistry doors. Kenneth Hagin is well known for sharing about how God killed some folks who spoke against him. (22) Remember the false pathetic word delivered by Pastor Kilpatrick against Hank Hanegraaff in 1997 because Hank declared Pensacola to be a delusion (Hank was right on that one).

Rick Joyner, one of the pathetic movements premier prophetic voices allegedly received a vision about the end times (naturally) and guess who was shown to be taken captive by demonic spirits, chained, and covered in fecesyou guessed it, people like you and me; normal conservative, confessional Christians. Who was leading and winning the spiritual battle? Why the super-empowered apostles and prophets and those who embraced their restoration message of present day truths! (23) Bonnie in her absurd vision, which has not taken place, so much for imminent; she takes the usual approach of denouncing those in the Church who cling to the Bible as their guide for faith and practice. All you have to do is go online and read some of her prophetic utterances and those of any so-called restored prophetic voice and you will read an eerie similarity when it comes to the historic Church and its role (which is over by the way). The witch was intent on killing Toto, destroying Dorothy, and enslaving the inhabitants of the land of Oz. The Holy Spirit said, Do you know who I am in this picture? Though this would certainly offend the religious and surprised me, the Lord said, I am Toto- just like Toto is Dorothys constant comforter, friend, protector, and guide, I am with you! Witchcraft wants to control the Holy Spirit and put God in a box! Miss Gulch is a picture of the spirit of witchcraft working through the arm of the flesh and legalism to manage define, and ultimately resist God through religious tradition and control. This spirit hates the anointing and Gods anointed ones because they are like the wind. You dont know where it comes from or where it goes; you cannot trap the wind! The Holy Spirit, who is God Almighty and resident Lord of the church, but who, in utter humility will never exalt or impose Himself, will come only where He is recognized welcomed, and loved. He will be resisted and spurned by those who have not known Him intimately but have only known of Him by theological definitionThe Lord

said, The spirit of religion will refuse My army and resist their entrance to and possession of the resources of their kingdom. ( 24) Those of us who believe, confess and preach the sole sufficiency of Scripture are really the ones who hate the Holy Spirit and His moves among His people and the earth. We who dare to measure what is taught and practiced by the light of contextual holy verse are somehow the ones who are against God! These folks have forgotten the example seen in the Book of Acts, their favorite: These were more noble then those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Acts 17:11

The Berean Christians were acknowledged by Paul as more noble than the swallow-and-follow believers in Thessalonica. Why? The Bereans received the Word from Paul, but then checked the Scriptures daily to make sure what Paul was teaching was biblically correct. This implies that the Bereans had the skills necessary to rightly divide the Word of God as Paul delivered it to them, i.e. they had a solid hermeneutical template to work from. How many of us can say this today? Another facet of many of these prophetic words is the admonition to go within the historic congregation and evangelistically pull people out from the local church via small home Bible studies (I am not against them with proper pastoral oversight), taking people to seminars, meetings, crusades. Historic churches are specifically targeted for mailing campaigns for massive youth meetings with Christian rock groups and spiritually super-charged speakers who cant wait to IMPART something to your kids. These kids often come back from these highly emotional super spiritual environment no longer satisfied with church as usual. Blaring speakers, banner waving, hand clapping, dancing in the aisles makes a traditional church service seem boring and out of touch. There are many testimonies from pastors about how the new wave or Pensacola fire destroyed or divided their formerly peaceful congregation. Next month DMI will continue this short series on the prophetic/pathetic movement and the devastation it is causing in the spiritual lives of many people. Copyright Robert S. Liichow Discernment Ministries International

END NOTES
1. My father served for a period of time as Assistant Army Attach and we lived in the American Embassy in Moscow during the height of the cold war with the USSR, (exciting times for a kid to be sure). My family held and attended various diplomatic functions which included foreign ambassadors, military leaders, etcI was taught manners by my parents at a young age so as not to commit some social blunder. 2. As late as the 1970s there were distinct lines doctrinally that denoted The Discipleship Movement from the Word of Faith Movement from the mainline Pentecostals and then came the Prophetic Movement which gave birth to the Apostolic Movement both of which cohabited and birthed the Signs and Wonders Movement. Today there is a great syncretism taking place where all of these movements are flowing together losing much of their former doctrinal distinctive. 3. I really do hate referring to sign-gift advocates as charismatic because ALL Christians are charismatic, we ALL have been gifted by the Holy Spirit, not just a few anointed folks. 4. Montanus, the Father of Charismatic Extremism is one of DMIs privately published works, this is one of the few books written about the father of todays extremism. Rev. Liichow has coined the term neo-Montanism to refer to todays sign-and-wonders movement. If you would like to purchase as edition of the booklet please contact DMI. 5. Even though I worship among godly men whom accept the title father I REFUSE to use it or accept it when applied to me, i.e. I always correct the one calling me father. Why? Because to do so VIOLATES the CLEAR TEACHING of JesusMatthew 23:9 says And call no (man) your father upon the earth for one is your Father, which is in heaven. I do not care what Church tradition is, Jesus said CALL NO MAN your father upon earth. There is no other way to parse that verse. Either Gods Word is final authority or it is not (remember, gather or scatter?). Those who do violate the scriptures and are in error and should stop the practice. 6. Obtained from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.toc.html?term=montanus underlining and highlights added for emphasis by the author. 7. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montanism, obtained on 06-06-11 8. Obtained from http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.toc.html?term=montanus Underlining added for emphasis. 9. Obtained from http://en-wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Baker_Eddy . DMI has a large selection of her cults books in our archive. 10. Visit my fellow truth-tellers at Personal Freedom Outreach they have an excellent article on Hinns necromancy at http://www.pfo.org/bhnecro.htm 11. By the late 60s early 70s within charismania we had pretty well established sub groups including: (1) The Discipleship movement with Derrick Prince, Ern Baxter and others (2) The

Word of Faith movement led by Kenneth Hagin initially soon to be cloned by sycophants like Buddy Harrison, Copeland, Price, and others. (3) The Jesus People movement more or less dribbled into forms of discipleship. Against these stood classic Pentecostalism, the Assemblies of God, The Church of God in Christ, Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, etc. 12. I know there was no word gullibles until I scribed it. Gods gullibles are Christian people who are doctrinally ignorant and thus pray to those pandering the raccid balm of false doctrine which infects and sickens the sheep. 13. A skulk is a group of foxes, and these women are sly to say the least. 14. DMI has one of the few books in publication on the phenomena of being slain in the spirit. Every thing You Always Wanted to Know About Being Slain In the Spirit * (But were afraid to ask) can be purchased with a donation of $12.00 to DMI {please make sure we know it is for this book}. 15. Obtained from: http://www.chavdaministries.org/Groups/1000047797/Chavda_Ministries_International/Home/A bout_Us/About_Us.aspx 16. Every group has its own lingo, I have had to re-learn the various religious dialect on my spiritual journey and now I am proficient in Sign-gift speak (all 5 movement), Presby-prattle, Baptist bellowing, Lutheran liturgical speak and others! 17. From a PDF file on DMIs Research CD Rom The Latter Rain Movement available for a modest $15.00 18. Her entire failed vision is widely available on the worldwide web. Profalie: the act of speaking a false verbal prophetic (pathetic) word, it is a unique combination of the two words prophesy and lie Latter Rain CD ROM, DMI 2010 19. Please understand I am not saying that there are not nice people who think they are prophets, I am referring specifically to those I address by name in this article and in other writings. 20. Read Hagins book I believe In Visions he writes of it there and other places. 21-23 available on the Latter Rain CD Rom.

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apologetics charismatic

charismatic extremism extra-biblical revelation false teachers false teaching Gloria Copeland John Kilpatrick Joyce Meyer manifestations Marilyn Hickey Patricia King Prophetic Movement Sign-gift christians Signs & Wonders Movement Televangelists

on July 1, 2011 at 10:37 AM Comments Off Tags: Charismatic, Charismatic Movement, holiness movement, Joel's Army, Joyce Myer, Montanist movement, pentecostalism, Prophetic movement, Sign-gifts, Signs and Wonders Movement, Televangelists, The Shakers, Youth Ministry

Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival

Truth Matters Newsletters - December 2010 Vol. 15 Issue 12 Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival By Rev. Robert Liichow

Discernment Ministries International Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival

Rev. Bob Liichow This time the location has changed from Pensacola & Toronto to the gulf coast of Mobile Alabama. The reason DMI has not jumped immediately onto the bandwagon of wall watchers on this one is because it is so lame. The men who were evicted from their pulpits are involved in this latest display of carnality and works righteousness. Please keep in mind that both Kilpatrick (Pensacola) and Arnott (Toronto) both lost their pulpits when the hoopla died down. Needless to say all the leaders of these former movements of excess became very wealthy due to the largess of the attendees. Both men and their accompanying music leaders took their show on the road and after a few months of traveling tapped an un-mined vein of potential dupes and a ragtag assortment of charismaniacs in seek of the next cosmic fix in Mobile, AL

Please go back to our Blog at http://discernmentministriesinternational.wordpress.com reread all that DMI has researched and written about revival and simply insert Mobile in place of Pensacola or Toronto and you will have the same cast of shady characters running the show (or their disciples). I have nothing positive to say about this latest example of spiritual debauchery and no new insights as to why people continue to love to be deceived even when the deceivers have been proven to be liars and frauds. Even after all the behind-the-scenes revelations from both Pensacola and Toronto, books, newsletters, Youtube accounts (see videos below), people still choose their experience over and above Gods Word. I am concerned for people when God graciously presents them with His truth and they reject It in favor of their own experiences which they use to validate their incorrect biblical understanding and practices. Such people are in a very precarious spiritual situation and are in need of our intercession. There are two passages of text which ought to give every sentient being pause to think regarding the rejection of Gods mercy when it is offered: Because I have called and ye refused: I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, And your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; They shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: They despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, And the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. Proverbs 1: 24-32 Every blow of Noahs hammer was a warning of impending judgment. Yet all the people laughed at Noah and rejected his message. For a little over 100 years God granted the people a space of grace to repent, but they would not and then Jehovah shut him in (Gen. 7:16) and they were all destroyed. The time comes when God allows man to have his own way which always ends up in destruction and death (Pro. 14:12). For over fifteen years Apologetic Ministries including DMI have been crying out to the Body of Christ as watchmen on the wallSon of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel, therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning. (Eze. 3:17) Nothing good is headed towards the lives of these SINisters unless they repent of their sins. They have been confronted many times and shown the error of their ways and they have (1) refused correction, (2) would not accept reproof and (3) have spurned the open hand of God, i.e. that which He freely offers us through the Gospel. As always, God is the aggressor in the relationship and He has thus far been treated as a spurned lover! Because they have rejected Gods bounty in the Gospel He will give them over to their own ways. Never forget what the Apostle Paul warns of in his letter to the Church at Rome:

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who know the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Rom. 1:1-28-32 Those who reject the goodness of God are left only to experience His wrath in this life and the ageless eternity to come. I highlighted in green just a few of the common traits found among our current crop of televangelists. For the record I consider the various gimmicks, points-of-contact, etc. as evil things having been invented by covetous people. Dont be swayed by their godtalk even a parrot can be trained to say Jesus is Lord and a chimp can sign those words too, big deal! The next text that concerns me greatly when it comes to the Copelands, Hinns, Dollar, Crouchs, et.al. is the following: Many shall say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied through thy name, and through thy name cast out demons, and through thy name done many works of power? And then will I avow unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, workers of lawlessness. Matthew 7:22 The saddest words ever uttered and heard are I never knew you. The Greek word for never is best translated as having never known you at any point in time. (1) On that day Jesus will look people in the eye, people who called Him Lord, folks who prophesied in His name (falsely), who through the name of Jesus even cast out evil spirits and did some sort of powerful works. Jesus response? I NEVER knew you at all, you NEVER at any time belonged to Me. This is not what they are expecting to hear, after all, they offer up to the Lord their bona fides by stating their good works done in His name. All of which avails them nothing, but the wrath of a Jealous God. The context of our Lords statement is clear, He goes on to speak about the one who is approved by God and that one is the person who receives (hears) and does (acts) the Word of God humbly acknowledging that father knows best. I fear with godly fear for Mr. Kilpatrick, Steve Hill, and all the others who go about proclaiming revival and great moves of the Holy Spirit when in reality there is no revival nor anything moving but sweaty stinky excited flesh. I urge that this Advent season (historically it is a Penitential Season) you take time to pray for those involved in all forms of biblical error that our Lord may yet be gracious still towards them and grant them repentance. Copyright 2010 Robert S. Liichow ** See John Kilpatrick, Lindell Cooley and Nathan Morris promote this latest Revival

Fire falls on Young People at Revival: A warning for believers about the latest Revival to Test the Spirit 1 John 4:1 End Notes 1. 3763 oo-dep-ot-eh; from 3761 and 4218; not even at any time, i.e. never at all; neither at any time, never, nothing at any time. Published in:

apologetics charismatic extremism Discernment Ministries International false teaching John Kilpatrick manifestations New Age Christianity New Wine occult paranormal manifestations Pensacola Outpouring Revival, Personality Cults Prophetic Movement Revival Sign-gift christians Signs & Wonders Movement TACF Televangelists Toronto Blessing Vineyard Works Righteousness

on December 15, 2010 at 3:54 PM Comments Off Tags: Revival, charismatic witchcraft, Steve Hill, Charismatic Movement, Toronto Airport Fellowship, Toronto Vineyard, Pensacola, shamanism, John Kilpatrick, John Arnott, false teaching, Televangelists, False Teachers, Charismatic issues, manifestations, Toronto Blessing, TV preachers, Nathan Morris, Lindell Cooley

Happy Fathers Day Gift Issue

Truth Matters Newsletters May 2010 Vol. 15 Issue 6 The Happy Fathers Day Gift Issue By Rev. Robert Liichow

Discernment Ministries International THE HAPPY FATHERS DAY GIFT ISSUE

By Rev. Robert S. Liichow The month of June is indeed a blessed month. Not only do I get to celebrate Fathers Day but also my birthday (the 16th!) From one father to another I give to all the DMI family a free book this month to enjoy reading during these lazy hot days of June. This book will help equip you to answer some of the charges leveled against those of us who stand up for biblical truth. Enjoy!

Will the Real Pharisee Please Stand Up!

By Rev. Robert S. Liichow

Chapter 1 Name Calling

Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me

One would think that leaders who are supposed to have been initiated into the high realms of sanctification and anointing due to revival would naturally be more spiritually-minded. Having arrived at a level of godly development beyond that of their non-charismatic brethren one would not expect them to stoop to the childish level of name callingyet this is one of the most commonly employed tactics by the leadership of todays so-called revival.

The Dreaded Title of Pharisee

In every revival meeting my wife and I have attended (which is quite a few) we have heard a litany of derogatory names used to describe anyone who dares disagree with their beliefs and practices. Their favorite term is that of Pharisee. A Pharisee is anyone who has the gall to look to the Bible and only accept what is contained contextually within its pages. Here is a direct quote from the Toronto Blessings Page on the Internet: Many passages of Scriptures seems to cast laughter as undesirable, and most Pharisees uses these Scriptures to forbid laughter at Toronto Blessing meetings. Those who truly and honesty do not see holy laughter in the context of Scripture are reported as being so traditional as to forbid non-Biblical practices in the Church! I have yet to hear anyone publicly admit that there are Christians who out of a pure heart and honest motive simply do not agree with what is happening. All of those who do not endorse the revival have evil motives attributed to them. Michael Brown, one of the leading writers for the revival chastises the non-supporters in this fashion: How many worldwide awakenings would have taken place this century if church people had not stood in the way of God? Very few revivals have ever finished their God-appointed course. Very few outpourings of the Spirit have ever reached their potential. Man is always getting in the way! Our denominational pride has stifled many a move of the Spirit. Which church people was Brown referring to? Obviously the Pharisees, the people who refuse to submit themselves to subjective experiences which fall outside of the Biblical perimeters. What is more shocking than the name-calling is the lack of theological understanding of God that Michael Brown possesses. This is shocking because he is the head of the new bible training center at the Brownsville Assembly of God! Mr. Brown has an incorrect view of Gods sovereignty. To him man is capable of stopping a sovereign move of the Spirit! The Lord wanted to send revival, but the ole mean Pharisees stopped Him and His Spirit by refusing to budge from the Word of God (forgive the sarcasm). If this were possible then man would be more powerful than God. Lets consider some Biblical texts and see if Gods will is ever thwarted. (Bold type and underlining added for emphasis). Daniel 4:25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

The king in the above text had lost sight of a crucial facet of the character of God He is totally sovereign in His actions and is accountable to no one. None can stay His hand, so if He sends revival then there is no one alive who can stop His will to revive His people. None. Deut. 10:17 For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible which regarded not persons, nor taketh reward: 2 Chron. 20:6 And said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? There are multitudes of Scriptures which prove beyond any discussion that God is sovereign. That He accomplishes all the good pleasure of His will. The Bible plainly states there is none that can stop Him. Yet the revivalists of yesterday and today continue to preach a god who is less than the God of the bible. Their god is one whose will and desires are thwarted by men and women who, obviously, are mightier than God at least in this respect. Charles Finney was one of the forerunners of this misconception about the sovereignty of God. He said that it has always been the ministers who have stopped Gods revival. Now it is remarkable that so far as my knowledge extends, all the seasons of great revivals with which the church has been blessed from the very first, have been broken up and the revival influence has been set aside by an ecclesiastical and sectarian jangling to preserve what they call the purity of the church and the faith once delivered to the saints. I believe it is to be a truth, that ministers as a class, have always been responsible for the decline of revivals.; As the saying goes the fruit does not fall far from the tree and Michael Brown echoes the same incorrect concept that Finney originally harbored. Finney held a limited God view, which is not surprising since many theologians consider Charles Finney to be a Pelagian in regards to his doctrinal stance. When the term Pharisee is used by todays leaders it is often referring to other Christian leaders with a seminary education. Anyone who has gone to school for several years. Undergone the rigors of learning the original languages. Taking a few years to write a thesis and later a dissertation are somehow generally of no value to God. According to Rodney Howard Browne, the Holy Ghost Bartender, believers are often ruined by their seminary education. Too many people allow their education to make them unstable. Ive noticed people, prior to going into seminary, who are totally qualified for the work of God, totally anointed, but they come out after several years of seminary totally ruined. Is that right? Unstable as in incapable of being used? I for one thank God for the seminary education I am undertaking, it has rendered me impossible to be used by the trickery of men, as I was prior to learning something about the God of the bible.

What does the Holy Ghost Bartender mean by qualified? When Rodney and his family go to the doctor how qualified does he expect his doctor to be? I assume the call to be a doctor must be all that is needed in order to set up a practice. On the contrary, I am sure he wants the most highly trained physician who got the highest grades and who graduated at the top of his class. When Rodney builds a home, I suppose the architects desire to draw is sufficient to license him as an architect. Rodney, like everyone else demands the highest level of training possible from anyone he deals with, from cook to auto mechanic. Now if a mere medical doctor obtains from eight to ten years of training how much more should those who minister Gods eternal Word strive to obtain as much training and education as possible? This is the mind set of Charismatics in general. Just being called is sufficient to start a church, get up in front of 1,000s and teach, to write books and hold seminars. Do not loose sight of the fact that the majority of todays charismatic leaders have little or no theological training. People such as Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, Charles Capps, Marilyn Hickey, and many others have not graduated from seminary, do not read the original languages, etc. Yet they are qualified to teach millions of people the Bible! Most of todays leaders hold the wrong belief that God mainly uses the Scripturally ignorant to do mighty worksbecause somehow a sound theological education gets in Gods way. Speaking of the Azusa Street revival Brown saysGod had not chose an established mission where this could be done. They were in the hands of men; the Spirit born again in a humble stable outside ecclesiastical establishments. God often moved through homely and unlikely vessels to show us we do not have it all. He goes on to speak about Jesus choosing fishermen and a tax collector and not the religious leaders of His day. What Mr. Brown does not seem to understand is that these ignorant fishermen and tax collector, did not remain in the condition of spiritual or Scriptural ignorance for long. To begin with they were Jews, and as such they had memorized the first five books of the law since childhood. Secondly, these ignorant simple folks, spent seven days a week for a little over three years with the Lord God, the Living Word. They did not take summer vacations away from Christ. In short, the original disciples (who later became apostles) received the most intensive on-the-job Biblical training ever given to any man! The amount of time they spent with Jesus would equate to approximately nine years of schooling. If one spent as much time in seminary as they spent with Jesus one would end up with a Masters degree and two doctorate degrees. The bottom line: The fisherman might have started out somewhat ignorant, but they did not remain in that condition. Mr. Browne also chooses to ignore historical fact all the genuine promotions of the Body of Christ have come at the hands of highly educated, theologically trained individuals. Almost all of the early Church fathers were educated theologians. It was these men who set forth in systematic form the major doctrines of Orthodox Christianity. The Reformation was headed

up by two men in particular, Martin Luther and later John Calvin- - both men of huge intellect and unwavering desire to please God. The men todays revivalists love to cite were also men of great background, Jonathan Edwards for one, and John Wesley for another. Both of these men saw value in theological education. The Wesleys started the concept of Sunday school, they were advocates of Biblical learning. Furthermore, the text todays revivalists cite like a mantra is Pauls statement: 1 Cor. 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. They will say Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. However, Paul was not stating an eitheror principle. One can have knowledge and love, they are not mutually exclusive. This possibility is not considered by those anointed with the revival spirit. They automatically assume if one has theological knowledge then they are devoid of love. Then on top of it, the same loving leaders heap aspersions upon those who do not agree with them!! If this is an example of a heightened passion for Jesus then they can keep it to themselves, because it does not seem to be the fruit of the spirit the Bible speaks of.

Chapter 2 A Personal Testimony

On Wednesday August 20, 1997 my wife and I attended the Signs and Wonders Conference in Toronto held by Rodney Howard Browne. The first words out of his mouth were a mockery of those in traditional non-charismatic Protestant churches. Because their worship is different from his, the length of their services is shorter, the emphasis is placed in other areas he declared them spiritually dead. At 9:30 p.m. some people got up and left. As they left Rodney began to ridicule and make fun of them he assumed they were leaving (like many others had been doing in other locations) due to the various bizarre manifestations occurring throughout the sanctuary. He had no earthly idea why those folks were leaving! Then at the offering time he made more snide remarks that now is a good time for others to leave so they can get blessed at some local eatery. None of these comments were called for at all. Rodney is the father of the holy laughter movement and has been drenched in this so-called anointing, yet it has not made him more loving or tolerant to those who differ from him. Another example of name calling is seen in Pastor John Kilpatricks prophecy against Hank Hanegraaff. What was brother Hanegraafs crime? He did not (and does not) believe the revival today is of God. So what was the loving response of Americas vortex of revival power, a.k.a. Brownsville Assembly of God? Here is a portion of the text sent to me (Please read appendix One which was sent to me via e-mail)

And Mr. Hanegraaff, I want to say to you, before you get back on national television and start spouting off at the mouth again about something of which you know nothing of, youd better be careful, because God said, Vengeance is Mine. Saith the Lord. And I want to say something else to you. If you want to keep any kind of a semblance of a ministry, you better back off from this revival and what God is doing. You better back off, because Im going to prophesy to you that if you dont and you continue to put your tongue in your mouth on this move of God, within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. I said, within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. This portion gives a legitimate insight into the gist of the prophetic word to brother Hank. When the 90 day period was almost over Pastor Kilpatrick repented and said he was in the flesh and asked forgiveness, which I know Hank extended to him long before he asked for it. I trust Pastor Kilpatrick was sincere, but it is curious that it took the Lord all that time to get him

to admit he was in the flesh when he made that hideous statement. Keep in mind Kilpatrick was in revival services every night for all those days. He (in his eyes) was in the midst of the direct flow of the Holy Ghost and in the manifest presence of God and yet the Lord could not get through to him to make it right immediately! (I guess a Pharisee might think that he waited as long as he could and upon seeing his word was not going to be fulfilled he had to eat crow. After all hanks book Counterfeit Revival was listed as number seven on the bestseller list at Baker Book House in Grand Rapids when I last visited there). This is simply another example of the leaders, the stewards of todays mighty revival stooping to name calling and fear tactics. I have personally heard Pastor Kilpatrick of Brownsville, Pastor John Arnott of Toronto, and father Rodney all make cutting remarks of those who oppose the manifestations of the revival.

All of the alleged intimacy with the Lord, and personal ministry by the Spirit to their spirits has not produced the true fruit of the spirit spoken of in the Bible. Where is love? The turning the other cheek? Where is the longsuffering and patience? It is non-existent! Frankly, it is just such behavior on the part of these leaders which is as much of a stumbling block as are the bizarre manifestations to many people looking at the revival. Our ministry operates an apologetics/polemics web site (http://www.newdiscernment.org) and we get a great deal of e-mail. I want to cite an example of a typical e-mail from a supporter of the revival. I have withheld the authors name to spare him any further embarrassment, but I have left his spelling alone: I am an elder in the body of christ presently involved in the evangelizing of the lost training of leaders and elders relationally, ordaining of elders, church planting, school of ministry,church discipline, imparting the supernatural dimension of the kingdom of god as he leads, restoration of the apostles and prophets, five fold ministry, the tabernacle of david, the prophetic and apostolic movements, restoration theology, etceach year we recognize, raise, and release hundreds of students through our school and personalized training ministry. no one has to pay for it, no one has to be a part of Your ministry. freely we receive, freely we give, you say that you do not believe in apostles and prophets. I say that you are extremely pharisaical and legalistic, restricting meanings of the scripture to support your contention and frustration to be right first of all, can you honestly disprove of present day apostles and prophets? What scriptures do you wrestle with to support your claims? can you define for me jesus the apostle, the twelve apostles, the post_ascension apostles, the 70 who were apostolic like but not apostolic in like but not apostolic in life, and the many apostles of the spirit today? in our school, we give a fair and plenary approach of the bible defining the bible, the word of god being its own interpreter. we teach the restoration of the church and divine order. We teach and train believers in the work of the ministry as recorded in Ephesians 4:11_16; 1 cor. 12, romans 12:4_8 etcwe believe that all expressions of ministry grace belong to the body of christ and flows out of the headship of jesus. not out of religion and legalism. we have confirmed in the ministry numerous ones with the call and anointing of apostleship on them. Understanding well (over 23 years of teaching ministry and a teacher of greek), that apostles are often alluded to as missionaries let me just say that all missionaries do not possess the wisdom, anointing, or calling to apostleship many today, travel to leper camps, food for hunger centers, orphanages, and such yet never understanding the depth or life of an apostle; thus being sent generically overseas to be what the religious bored (no misspelling here) made them to be. Selah! many are taught in cemetaries without the apostolic release of elders and the impartation needed to go ye therefore, holding to their limited degrees of titular authority, professional, and not anointed. and to make matters worse, they are sent out with a piece of paper by a rather staunch, cold, and impersonal advisory bored, assuming that this is the door for their expected avenues. only to operate the ministry from the heights of their lofty intellect, how sad! and you say that there are is no need for apostles? i would like to go on recored as having to say that your dogmatic and schismatic beliefs to further draw the body of christ apart with your Calvinistic,hyper_dispensational,ultra_nebula, pre_millennial theory of ministry is quite comical and obsurd. to think that your primary intentions personally is to re_write and to re_define holy Scriptures.

In one e-mail I was called: (1) dogmatic, (2) schismatic, (3) Calvinistic (I am a Lutheran), (4) hyper-dispensational, (5) extremely legalistic, and (6) extremely Pharisaical. What called for all this vitriol? The simple fact that I do not see what is taking place in the revival services in the context of Scripture. So I do not support the revival on that grounds. On Saturday August 23rd 1997 I received another response to the web site from a disciple of Christ who prayed that I would be born-again. I need to wake up to the fact that the Holy Spirit was using Benny Hinn and what God only uses people who are mentally dead, a.k.a. brain dead!

Chapter 3 Will the Real Pharisee Please Stand Up!

The Biblical Pharisees get a negative response from the Lord Jesus, and rightly so. Why did Jesus respond to them in the manner that he did. There are several reasons, and I just want to consider a couple of them. Underlining added for emphasis. Mark 7:9 And he said to them: You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! (NIV) Matthew 15:6-9 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Here are two examples of why Jesus upbraided the Pharisees of His day. They had added their non-Biblical practices (traditions) to the Scriptures. By dong so they had rendered what God had plainly said in His Word of no effect: Akuroo, from Greek 1 (a) (as a negative particle) and Greek 2964 (kuroo); to invalidate:_disannul, make of none effect. Let me ask you a simple question. Who has added unbiblical practices (traditions) to the Word of God and thus reject the plain teaching of Scriptures which do not support such traditions? The answer is quite simple - it is todays charismatic extremists who have supplanted Gods Word by their practices. Allow me to cite some of the many man-made traditions used in almost all charismatic ministries which have no basis in Scripture at all.

The practice of being drunk in the spirit. this is the belief that the Holy Spirit will come upon a person and render them totally inebriated in the same manner as alcohol does. Please read another pamphlet I wrote entitled: Does the Bible Support A Doctrine of Being Drunk In The Spirit? There is nothing in the bible at all to even remotely support this tradition of men.

The practice of being slain in the spirit There is not one instance in the entire Bible of where hands were laid on another person and their physical body was overcome by a mystical force and they fell to the ground. This is the manner in which 99% of all slaying takes place in services today. Yet this tradition is fully endorsed by all Charismatics, even though there is not one contextual verse to validate this tradition. The practice of holy laughter Again, another non-biblical practice. They know this and appeal to past revivals as validation that this is what happens when the Lord moves by His Spirit. They fail to recognize the past revivals are not the standard by which Christians are to judge faith and practice. The Bible alone is our guide. Those manifestations were spurious in the past and they are spurious today. Again, a tradition of men, not a Biblical practice or godly tradition. The doctrine of sacred dance There are no New Testament examples of gods people dancing before the Lord as David did. In and of itself dancing may be a legitimate expression of joy on the part of individual believers. But now dancing has become a means by which the presence of God is ushered in by ministers of dance. Dance was never an avenue used in the bible as a means to approach God or as a ritual by which God is enabled to approach His people. Dance in that context is strictly a pagan practice and not a godly one. Again, an example of a doctrine of men. Dance is now also a means to obtain healing, conduct spiritual warfare, and intercede for the lost - dance never was used to do any of these thing in the Canon of Scripture. All of these things are regularly practiced in pagan cultures today. The doctrine of restored prophets and apostles It is now commonly taught and practiced that God has restored to the Church the ministry of apostles and prophets. Yet the Bible plainly teaches that these two ministries were foundational Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; Once the foundation was laid their ministry was finished. You read of no apostolic succession in the New Testament. You never read of Paul or Peter saying who will receive their apostolic mantle.

Today there are thousands claiming to be prophets and hundreds claiming to be apostles! In total contradiction to the Word of god and the history of the Church. In the past all who claimed such ministries were proven to be flakes and liars. Men and women such as Montanus, Irving, Dowie, and Branham to name a few.

The Music Ministry as a means to usher in Gods presence Music in charismatic circles is not just an expression of love back to God from His people. It is a mystical tool by which Gods very presence is ushered into a service. It is a tool that transforms the worshiper and takes them into the realm of the spirit. Along with the music and dance is the charismatic concept of rebuilding the Tabernacle of David. Some ministries are striving to build places of praise and dance before the Lord 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. By this work, God will manifest Himself in these locations. Again, total nonsense, mysticism, and extra-Biblical practice/tradition.

These are just a few examples that I know about from my own experience. Many of these things I have not only personally experienced, but have taught others as restored truth. I could add doctrines/traditions of spiritual warfare via other tongues, fasting for spiritual power, revelation knowledge, unique definitions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, etc Who has added traditions to the Bible? Who by their traditions have gone further and further away from Biblical Orthodoxy? It is todays charismatic extremists, not those who take the sola Scriptura stance! For todays charismatic extremist to call others who uphold Christian Orthodoxy as being Pharisaical is simply an unfounded charge meant to divert attention from their departure from the Scripture. Here is the format of a typical response we get at DMI as we try to reason who those involved in charismania. First, they begin by calling us the usual litany of names. We respond that name calling is not very productive, why not discuss specifics, since we both are Christians. Secondly, they then go into what I term level two defense mode and they cite what is fast becoming their favorite verse: John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. It is now commonly held among many in the sign-gift movement that the Bible does not contain all that Jesus did and taught. Thus how can we say that these manifestations are not of God? Such a belief holds wide open the door which would allow anything not specifically named or shown within the Bible to be seriously considered as being from God! A unique argument, but one that does not stand even a small amount of logic. If you subscribe to such a belief then you must realize that it -

It impugns the wisdom of God God obviously left out important examples when He gave us His Word. It denigrates the sufficiency of Scripture The Bible is no longer the sole guide. There are traditions outside the bible which are valid. How do we know they are valid? Because todays leaders tell us they are. Subjective fruit alone has become the means by which these extra-Biblical practices are judged.

Yes, I will admit that the Bible does not contain all that Jesus did or taught. However, I believe wholeheartedly that the bible does contain all I ever need to know about knowing God and about faith and practice. The Reformation was fought over the concepts of sola Scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, and sola Christus. Now those of us who hold to these hard won truths are considered Pharisees by those who have added to the Scriptures their own traditions of men, and in some cases demons.

What we have taking place in todays charismatic renewal is a placing of man made traditions on an equal par with the Scripture. This is identical to the Roman Catholic view. The sad truth of the matter is this if anyone is guilty of being Pharisaical today it is those in the charismatic revival camp. A camp I was part of for years and I am well aware of the elitist mind set we harbored. We always saw ourselves in terms of being Gods remnant or His overcomers. We saw ourselves as the Zion of God and others as merely being Jerusalem. After-all we were Spirit-filled and others were just low-wattage Christians. Kind of reminds me of the following text: Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. Some may say that is not our attitude, to which I say I certainly hope not. However, with over fifteen years and drinking from the last five moves of the Spirit, I have been in enough conventions, private pastors seminars, leadership meetings, etcwhere this mind set was clearly enunciated. In closing, I urge that we pray for those who are caught-up in the current frenzy of unbiblical practices, manifestations, and beliefs. May the Lord grant them to see the error of their ways and come back to Orthodox Biblical Christianity. May we, who by the grace of God, have been spared or delivered out of this darkness respond to our brethren by speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) and correcting those who oppose themselves with a spirit of humility (2 Tim. 2:26). Copyright 2010 Robert S. Liichow Oringinally Published by Truth Matters Press in 1997 revised 2010 ( All colored highlights and some bolding and underlining not in the original)

Appendix
John Kilpatricks April 6, 1997 Prophecy Against Hank Hanegraaff and John Kilpatricks apology issued to Hank Hanegraaff on June 18, 1997. It looks like John Kilpatrick has a change of heart 74 days into the 90 day Prophecy he issued on April 6, 1997, against Hank Hanegraaff. Does this make John Kilpatrick a false Prophet? You make the call. John Kilpatricks April 6, 1997 Prophecy Against Hank Hanegraaff And Mr. Hanegraaff, I want to say to you, before you get back on national television and start spouting off at the mouth again about something of which you know nothing of, youd better be careful, because God said, Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord. And I want to say something else to you. If you want to keep any kind of a semblance of a ministry, you better back off from this revival and what God is doing. You better back off, because Im going to prophecy to you

that if you dont, and you continue to put your tongue in your mouth on this move of God, within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. I said, within 90 days the Holy Ghost will bring you down. John Kilpatricks apology issued to Hank Hanegraaff on June 18, 1997 I called you (and by implication, others) a devil and that was wrong. I said, Let Hank Hanegraaff and all the othe devils, etc _ that was wrong of me. I ask your forgiveness. When I said Im going to prophesy as a man of God that the Lord bring you down in 90 days I was not speaking that as a prophet but as a shepherd putting something in the ears of God. I do not say Thus saith the Lord, it was a Thus saith John Kilpatrick, putting these words into Gods ears in the context of the message I was bringing. Let me reemphasize again that was me speaking.in April I got in the flesh and lashed out at you. I want to emphasize also that I did not wish you any harm personally. I was talking about your ministry, I was saying, God bring down your platform for crying out and associating us with a cult. I did not nor do I wish you any harm. I ask your forgiveness if you thought I meant any harm to you personally. Honesty, before the Lord, I had your platform in mind, not the person Hank Hanegraaff. This is by no means to be interpreted as an attempt to wiggle out of a prophecy. I would like to grant you the right to continue to count down the days and continue to comment about the 90 days. Its ammunition that I gave you in April I only want you to know _ it was me speaking that and not a thus saith the Lord. (As I stated earlier in this booklet, it only took 74 days of intense revival services for the Lord to get through to John Kilpatrick that he was wrong and in the flesh! Amazing, but I am glad the Lord did finally get through to him!) NOTES 1. Brown, Michael. The End of the American Gospel Enterprise. Destiny Image, 1989. 2. Finney, Charles. Reflections on Revival (Minneapolis: Bethany House), 1979, pg. 94 3. Brown Rodney. Apostles Are Coming. Revival Ministries International 1997 pg. 19 4. Brown, Michael Second Wind, Spring 1997 Pg. 11 5. The statement was too long for this booklet, but the above gives a legitimate insight into the gist of the prophetic word to brother Hank. Taken in part from an e-mail sent to me from the Internet. 6. Strongs Exhaustive Concordance on the NavPress CD Rom Oringinally Published by Truth Matters Press in 1997 revised 2010 Published in:

apologetics Apostolic Movement Biblical Christianity book review Brownsville Revival charismatic extremism Charles Finney church issues discernment Discernment Ministries International extra-biblical revelation John Kilpatrick Judging manifestations Prophetic Movement Rodney Howard Browne Sign-gift christians Spiritual drunkenness Theology Tongues Vineyard

on June 12, 2010 at 10:45 AM Comments Off Tags: Biblical Christianity, biblical Christians, Charismatic, Charismatic extremists, Charles Capps, Charles Finney, Christian Music, Church History, Hank Hanegraaff, holy laughter, John Arnott, John Kilpatrick, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Kenneth Copeland, Michael Brown, Oral Roberts, Pelagian, Pharisee, Theology

Worship Abuses & The Tabernacle of David

Truth Matters Newsletters July 2009 Vol. 14 Issue 7 - Worship Abuses & The Tabernacle of David - by Rev. Bob Liichow

Discernment Ministries International WORSHIP ABUSES & THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID

By Rev. Robert S. Liichow Some of you may be thinking that I am being fickle by calling for tolerance regarding worship styles in the fist article and now decrying worship abuses in this article. As you read on you will se that I am consistent.

In the prior article the question revolves around whether or not someone is engaged in a biblical form of worship. If it is, even though it may not be our preferred manner of expression, we should not decry what others are doing. However, if what is being done under the guise of worship violates the biblical precedent than it must be rebuked and considered a false practice. Regardless of style all praise and worship is directed solely to God. It is not meant to entertain the congregation nor is it meant to uplift the individuals soul per se. Let me quickly state that as a result of genuine worship to God our souls are uplifted, but that is the result and not the purpose. Error #1 Praise creates a place for God to dwell Psalm 22:3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. The KJV reads that O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel and charismatic extremists take that to mean that God actually inhabits our praise and worship. If you study out the Hebrew words in Psl. 22:3 you understand that it says that praise creates a place for God to come and sit as a judge. (1) This explains why such an emphasis is placed on praise and worship expression in charismatic meetings. They believe that what they are doing is actually creating an actual location in the spiritual realm for Almighty God to dwell. Once this place has been created (you know it has occurred by the various subjective experiences of the leaders during this time) then things can really begin to happen! As prayer, praise and worship create a place for God to dwell a number of things occur. First, the word of the Lord is easier to be heard and answers arrive quicker (Dan. 10). The prophets or those standing prayer watch will hear the strategies of the enemy like Elisha did in 2 Kings 6. The leaders will also take the spiritual intelligence before the Lord like King Hezekiah did in order to determine what they should do (Isa. 37). Second there is power that can be projected (Psl. 149:2). (2) Here is how I would dialog with the author of this quote (I can easily play both sides, having been on both of them). First question: How does one know when the temporary spiritual home for God has been created? Answer: The leaders will know by subjectively discerning a change in the spiritual atmosphere in the meeting. This change is interpreted as the presence of the Lord. Second question: Didnt Daniel fast and pray for three weeks before the angel came to him and explained why he had to wait so long? Answer: Yes, but that was Daniel, our praise dispels the enemy and thus under an open heaven we can clearly and easily receive the word of the Lord.

Third question: I thought the Bible was the complete and infallible word of the Lord, which word are you looking for apart from the Holy Bible? Answer: We absolutely believe that the Bible is the Word of God, yet we also know that God is still revealing present day truth (2 Peter 1:12) and we must feed off todays manna and not yesterdays. Fourth question: Didnt the O.T. prophet actually listen in on what Israels human enemies were planning and not demonic spirits? Wasnt this done to prove to Israels enemies that there was indeed a god the Living God in Israel whom they should fear? Lastly, what strategies of Satan have any of you uncovered thus far? What spiritual, economic; societal or political plots have been foiled by your people during praise and worship? Answer: Well a good many things have been accomplished and the works of the enemy bound up by our praise and worship! Follow-up question: Name one! Answer: Oh, youve got a pharisaical spirit and whatever I say you will dispute, let us move on. Question: You state that power can be projected via praise and worship and you cite Psalm 149 as your proof of this. I have read the entire Psalm and it does tell us to praise the Lord with dance and make music with various instruments (vs.3), all well and good. But nowhere do I find the Church projecting power (your words) in the Psalm. Answer: You miss the obvious; it is found in vs. 6&7 where we are to have the high praises of God in our mouths and the two-edged sword in our hands to inflict vengeance on the heathen. Via our high praises of God we are waging spiritual warfare against principalities, powers, dominions and the rulers of darkness (Eph. 6:12). While we praise and worship God we are binding up the demons and loosing the angels of God to carry out His divine justice in the world. Follow-up question: When did praise and worship turn into a form of spiritual warfare? Praise has always been directed to God alone and never against Satan or demons throughout the entire Bible. Answer: Obviously you are stuck with the letter of the law and not the spirit because it is apparent that you are not filled with the Holy Spirit. If you were you would plainly see that this text proves that God uses our praise and worship to judge His enemies End of discussion. I give the charismatic movement high marks in their restoration of ancient praise and worship formats. Unfortunately, they take this good thing too far and twist it into something it was never meant to be. They have made praise and worship a means to an end. Instead of simply being the emotive expression of love-filled hearts towards their God they have turned it into a mechanism by which all sorts of mystical transactions are alleged to occur. We do not praise our Lord in order to hear

some new revelation from Him, we adore Him because He is our God and we are His people. Nor do we praise Him in order to discover what Satan and his demonic forces are up to. There is absolutely no biblical support for viewing praise and worship in that light. Lastly, while one might feel empowered after taking time to genuinely worship the Lord thee is nothing in scripture that says the very act of praising God releases or projects some form of spiritual power.

Error #2 Prophetic Praise?

All of the charismatic extremists teach that there is such a thing as prophetic praise. Through prophetic praise God speaks or sings changes that manifest to the earth in the form of restoration for His people and defeat for the enemy. Through prophecy in song people are healed, delivered and given direction as individuals. God also sings prophecy to the church body as direction, comfort, rebuke, warning etc. (3). The belief that music is prophetic is tied into the belief that God has (and is) restoring apostles and prophets back to the Church. If one accepts the premise that God has placed prophets and apostles in our midst to guide us to perfection it is only a small step to believe that God speaks prophetically through praise and worship led by these restored leaders. Books have been written and conferences given around the world to help train-up people to release their prophetic gift and if such a person either sings or plays an instrument then they are encouraged to prophesy via their singing or playing! There are greater governing sounds, and songs, coming from the Church: music that carries the glory of God, rending opens the heavens, music that breaks strongholds over churches, cities, and nationsthis is the power of Apostolic music. (4) The music the writer is speaking about is the music used for praise and worship not some other form or setting of music. Note how the focus has shifted from the simple heartfelt adoration of our God to something else completely. Music that carries the glory of God. theres no such music in the Bible. Music that rends open te heavens. I did not know the heavens were closed! There is no such intimation of a closed heaven in the entire New Testament. We have full access to the throne of God 24/7 through Jesus Christ. Sad to say the congregations that my wife and I were a part while we were extremists did not experience the breaking of strongholds over those churches. Truthfully the warfare congregations of Detroit have all experienced breakdowns and church splits not breakthroughs. Detroit is in the worst shape it has ever been in economically, socially, educationally, , health-wise and on just about every levelwhere is the apostolic breakthrough that has been being prophetically sung for years into the heavenlies above Detroit by restored prophetic psalmists? Like the old lady in the Wendys commercial I feel like shouting WHERES THE BEEF? People can make all manner of claims and declarations but the FACT remains what they are teaching and practicing is not coming to pass in any way shape or form. The idea that through praising God evil spirits are sent running is not a biblical teaching at all. One can see such practices on the Discovery channel where they do documentaries on pagan societies in the Amazon or Africa. Pagans have always used their music and dance as a

means to drive out evil spirits and invite their gods to bless them. Unfortunately this raw form of paganism has crept into the many charismatic extremist groups because they use praise and worship to achieve these same ends. Not only are songs and music used as vehicles to discombobulate the Devil but they also claim that singing and music can heal the sick! If this were so, then the health rate among charismatics would be extremely high and Benny Hinns miracle crusade attendance very low (since mostly charismatic believers healed via anointed music. I have met many people who Jesus has healed, but not through music. There is not one example of anyone being healed by music in the New Testament.

Error # 3 Prophetic Praise Dancing

In the previous article we saw that it is possible to dance before the Lord as a legitimate form of worship. I have seen some very artistic interpretative dancing to worship songs, but since I am watching and not dancing it does not bring me closer to my Lord in a worship sense, but maybe that is just me.

Even though dancing before the Lord may at times be a genuine expression of praise it too has been pulled out of its setting and made to be prophetic by the extremists. There are a multitude of web sites dedicated to so-called prophetic dancing, all touting the prophetic significant and benefit of dancing. (5) Some of these dancing prophets declare that He [Jesus] wants to express himself in us through the dance. (6) Not only is dancing taken on prophetic significance among these people, like the pagans dance is now a means of intercession. As intercessors, we must be willing to bear in our bodies that which the Lord is trying to release. (7)

There are specific dances for intercession, specific dances for healing and for warfare. This paganism run amok in these congregations, utter foolishness! Dancing before the Lord in worship can be a beautiful expression of joy between the worshipper and God. Yet now it has been abused and has been hijacked out of its pure setting and changed into something that it was never meant to be. In closing let me reiterate that personally I am all for the various biblical forms of expressing our praise and worship to God. I have experienced every thing from the solemnity of singing the ancient hymns to the enthusiastic dancing and shouting of wild Pentecostalism and experienced the presence of God in it all. However when you take anything biblical out its context and make it into something it was never meant to be then it becomes carnal and misleading. The charismatic extremists have done this to worship. They have taken something good and made it aberrant and thus turned it into something God will not honor. The entire Tabernacle of David 24/7 prayer, praise and worship is nothing more than excited ignorance and is an attempt to make God move because of their enthusiasm. God is sovereign and His will cannot be thwarted nor His timetable changed by human activity. It is enough of a supreme privilege for me to be allowed to know and worship the True God. I rejoice in the liberty I have in Christ but I do not abuse that liberty and turn it into license. Copyright 2009 Robert S. Liichow

End Notes
1. Obtained from www.watchmanministries.org/tabernacle_of_david.html on July 2, 2009 2. Ibid. 3. www.trumpetoftruth.com/lect_files/what%20is%prophetic%20praise.html on 07-02-09 4. www.awesomecitymusic.com a quote from their book The Power of Apostolic Music by Stephen Bennett. 5. Some of these sites include www.dancingforhim.com; www.thefoolishthings.homestead.com 6. Ibid. the foolish things.homestead.com 7. Ibid Published in:

charismatic extremism Christianity church issues discernment

Discernment Ministries International New Wine Prayer Prophetic Movement Revival Sign-gift christians spiritual warfare Worship

on March 4, 2010 at 10:38 AM Comments Off Tags: 24/7 prayer, Bible, Discernment Ministries International, Harp & Bow Ministry, IHOP, International House of Prayer, Leadership, mystical, prophetic dance, Revival, Tabernacle of David

Harp & Bowl Ministry

Truth Matters Newsletters June 2009 Vol. 14 Issue 6 Harp & Bowl Ministry by Rev. Bob Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

Harp & Bowl Ministry

(AKA the Restoration of the Tabernacle of David) By Rev. Robert S. Liichow
Before being delivered from the doctrinal morass of todays charismatic movement

Tracy and I began to see some of the fledgling steps being made towards what is called today Harp and Bowl ministry. What we originally heard being bandied about by various leaders in the prophetic movement was the belief in the need to restore the Tabernacle of David in order to facilitate revival and even the return of Christ.

The Tabernacle of David

Non-charismatic, i.e. low-wattage Christians (such a yourselves) no doubt have less than no understanding of what the Tabernacle of David consists of. You probably are more familiar with

the Tabernacle of Moses, the Temple of Solomon or the Temple King Herod built. Allow me to enlighten you regarding this interesting, yet often overlooked facet of Biblical history. About 1,000 B.C. King David commanded that the Ark of the Covenant be brought up to Mount Zion in the midst of Jerusalem. It was carried up upon the shoulders of the Levites with songs and musical instruments. David placed the Ark inside of a tent and appointed 288 singers and 4,000 musicians to minister before the Lord and make petition to the Lord day and night, which means 24/7 praise, prayer and worship (see 1 Chron. 15:1-17-27). This was something new and unique in the worship history of Israel. In todays parlance one could say King David went contemporary as opposed to the format used by Moses. Once Solomon came on the scene and built the temple and the actual Tabernacle of David was superseded by a permanent structure the order of Davidic worship did not change (see 2 Chron. 8:14-15). In fact, the Bible makes known that five (5) subsequent kings who came after David and reintroduced his Davidic worship format experienced breakthrough, deliverance and military victories. 1) King Solomon (2 Chron. 8:14,15), we al know how greatly blessed by God Solomon was. 2) King Jehoshaphat set up singers according to the Davidic order singing the Great Hallel and he reinstated Davidic worship in the temple (2 Chron. 20:20,22,28). 3) king Joash reinstated it too (2 Chron. 23: 1-24,27). 4) King Hezekiah followed suit (2 Chron. 29:1-36, 30:21) 5) King Josiah also was a Davidic worshipper (2 Chron. 35:1-27) 6) Ezra, not a king but a very influential prophetic voice (Ezra 3:10). 7) Nehemiah, another prophet (Neh. 12:28-47) Being the discerning person you have learned to become you immediately say very interesting Bob, but what does this have to do with the Church? Thank you for asking, because the Tabernacle of David (TOD) does appear in the New Testament. In order to understand the N.T. reference we need first to read the prophet Amos words concerning the TOD: In that day I will restore Davids fallen tent (tabernacle). I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name, declares the LORD, who will do these things. The days are coming, declares the LORD, when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills. Amos 9:11-13 (underlining added).

Obviously from the text God is going to restore the TOD and He is going to build it as it used to be. Attached to this restoration is an ingathering of the nations and great prosperity (occasioned by new wine) for Gods people. If God is going to restore the TOD, when is that going to occur? According to our sign-gift brethren it was initially fulfilled in the Book of Acts when the Apostle James stood up in the midst and uttered the following words: When they finished, James spoke up: Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. The word of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: after this I will return and rebuild Davids fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things; that have been known for ages. Acts 15:13-18 (underlining added) Before parsing James comments lets continue with charismaticthink regarding the text. Obviously God is going to restore the TOD and that restoration began with the early Church. They go as far to teach that the TOD format of worship is in fact the model of true New Testament worship. Ergo, it is only logical to assume that the early Church practiced Davidic worship in their gatherings. The Apostle Paul encouraged worshipping with the Psalms (see Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16) and we know most of the Psalms were penned by David after he established the TOD. The author of Hebrews tells us to offer the sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13:5) and at the TOD no animal sacrifices were made (according to our sign-gift brethren). Leaving the scant Biblical record our brothers state that Davidic worship has been a part of the great revivals in Church history.

Regarding 24/7 prayer and praise one of the founding neo-prophetic voices, Mike Bickle goes as far as to cite early Church history to prove the validity of establishing 24/7 centers of nothing but praise and worship around the world. Bickle cites many monastic examples of perpetual prayer and praise in various Roman Catholic sects. Bickle fails to mention all of the problems associated with monasticism. His next example is Count Zinzendorf who came to faith through one of the founders of Lutheran pietism, Phillipp Spener. According to Bickle Count Zinzendorf and later the Moravian believers were great champions of 24/7 prayer. He tries to tie John Wesley with Zinzendorf to edge his timeline a little closer to today, however his attempt is in vain. There is no evidence that either Charles or John Wesley ever practiced or endorsed 24/7 prayer as a means of moving the hand of God. So from the early 1700s until around 1973 the practice of Davidic worship seems to have been silenced. Along in the early 70s comes one of the first Asian charismatic superstars, Paul Cho from South Korea. Due to what has happened to the Church under communism in North Korea Cho knew the value of having small cell groups as sort of mini congregations. These would join up with the mother church to worship. [As an aside, if your church has small groups, home groups, cell groups, etc. they all have their origin in Paul Chos original teachings, not necessarily a bad thing, just a historical factoid]. Cho also strongly believed that prayer can move God or somehow release God to move in the world. He eventually purchased property on what became known around the world as Prayer Mountain. It is a small mountain filled with small cells in which people would go and shut themselves in with God for protracted periods of time. It is important to know that Paul Cho is an adherent and teacher of Word of Faith heresies. He attributes his success due to positive confession which is synonymous with prayer to WOF cultists. What success? Cho is the pastor of the largest congregation in the world, his church in Seoul has over 780,000 members. Mike Bickle was influenced by Cho and being a charismatic extremist felt that he needed to be sure that the fire on the altar (prayer) never goes out. So starting on Sept. 19, 1997 Bickle opened up the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, Mo. Since that day 24/7 prayer and praise has gone forth. With the epiphany of IHOP now other leaders have jumped on board and we are seeing 24/7 centers of prayer and praise being set up on every continent of the earth (according to Bickle).

Harp and Bowl Prayer

This is todays term and now that Bickle and his restored prophets have had a little over ten years to search out proof-texts to attempt to validate their practice we end up with another movement under the ever-expanding charismatic umbrella. The title harp and bowl comes from the following text in the book of the Revelation: And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. Rev. 5:8 Isnt it obvious from this one text that the harp represents musical worship and the bowls represent intercessory prayers, ergo harp and bowl ministry is a combination of intercessory prayer and musical praise/worship to God. Since the church on earth is patterned after the heavenly tabernacle (read Hebrews to see if this is so) then this is really how church is to be conducted on earth! Not only does intercessory prayer have a powerful effect on a community, but so does the praise and worship of God. The Kingdom is brought down to earth as Gods people worship Him in a community, and a form of spiritual warfare takes place in praiseMusic is closely related with prophetic ministry. Spirit-led and prophetic edged prayer is a goal of the Harp and Bowl model. The above quotation pretty much sums up the theology behind the 24/7 movement. First of all it is based on the belief that prayer causes change to come to communities. Lets consider this claim, is this really the case? As an example; for over thirty years Cho has had millions of people coming to Prayer Mountain and are things getting better between North & South Korea? Is North Korea closer to being converted to Christianity; are they even open now to the Gospel? The answer is no in every regard. North Korea has become increasingly dangerous to the stability of the region and the world. It is in no way open to evangelism. Evidently the millions of hours of prayer have not changed anything for the better. IHOP has been continually praying for over ten years and now other 24/7 groups have mushroomed around our nation. Is America better off today than it was ten years ago? We have Obama as President, G.M. and Chrysler bankrupt along with many smaller parts companies and car dealers (I know, I live in Detroit and I feel the negative impact daily). Our health car system is in danger of being nationalized like that of England; Social Security is almost bankrupt as well. Is immorality on the decline; is crime, how about homosexuality and abortion? I see no positive changes in any of these areas that can in any way be attributed to charismatic folks yammering away 24/7. Next these devotees go on to say that praise brings the Kingdom of God down and impacts a community. Sorry friends, where the Church is there is the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is here now, not in its final and fullest expression but it is a reality now in each of our lives. There is nothing mechanical we can do to make God manifest Himself (which is what they mean by bringing down the kingdom, they mean experiencing some form of emotional experience). There are plenty of things we can do to have emotional experiences such as speaking in other tongues for hours or singing mind-numbing refrains for hours, dancing around, chanting these practices can and do alter peoples consciousness. However, what our sign-gift

brethren do is that they attribute these emotional experiences to: the presence of God; the anointing; the manifestation of the kingdom of heaven, etc. As with their prayer, their praises have not changed a thing either.

The claim is also made that both prayer and praise is a form of spiritual warfare. This is no new claim. The so-called prophetic movement has long codified prayer and praise as tools by which we are to wage spiritual warfare. There are entire teaching series and conferences on what is called Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare, led by Dr. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, Bickle and others. These extremists actually go to different historical site around the world in order to bind up the principalities, powers and rulers of darkness (see Eph. 6:11,12) and then loose Gods angels, the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom to manifest and bring revival and salvation. Naturally the first thing one has to do on these over seas junkets is to discern what exact principality or power is in control of an area. Once this Gnostic insight is revealed via prayer & praise then the spiritual warriors can specifically pray against them and command them in Jesus name to come down from their high places and/or bind their operation from hindering the Gospel. Once the binding has taken place then these intrepid warriors can lose the power of God to bring revival and redemption! The only problem with this practice is simply this we are never told to do any such thing in the Bible. This is a novel invention that looks very spiritually and deeply powerful but is totally devoid of any Biblical precedent. We are never told any of the names of demonic forces, only that they exist. Honestly, we are never told to rebuke the devil (see Zac. 3:2; Jude 1:9) where the Bible says The Lord rebuke you Satan. Yes, we do wage spiritual warfare but not in this mystical format. Our warfare is daily against the temptations Satan and demons offer before us.

The 24/7 crowd take verses, such as this: May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints. Psalms 149:6-9 (underlining added for emphasis). And interpret it to mean that via the praises of God in our mouths we wage and win spiritual warfare. However, in context (that dreaded word) David being a man of war, a man who had slaughtered so many people that God would not permit him to build His temple meant what he said. As we go into battle we do so with Gods praises in our mouths and a literal sword in our hand. The best analogy I can think of comes from clips of the war in Afghanistan against the Soviets. Film clips showed the mujahideen saying Allah Akbar (God is Great) then firing off a RPG 3 at a tank, that is what David is getting at in the text. Our two-edged sword is the Word of God (see Rev. 1:16, 19:15). It is the weapon Jesus used against Satan in the wilderness temptations saying it is written to Satan time and time again. If binding and loosing as taught and practiced by the extremists is a doctrine of God (as opposed to a manmade doctrine or doctrine of devils), then why isnt it clearly taught in the Scriptures, why isnt it being practiced by Peter and Paul in the Book of Acts? If it is a restored truth when was it initially practiced and when did the Church lose it? They cannot answer this question because they are without biblical support and historical support. If binding and loosing as taught and practiced by the extremists worked then where are the results? What genuine quantifiable and verifiable results of true revival, redemption and community restoration can be shown to us? There are no results that can be shown. After over ten years of doing this, if it was indeed directed by the Holy Spirit, then there should be some evidence of change, actually there should be quite a bit of proof. It is like I tell people who believe Benny Hinn has a miracle ministry. Hinn has been holding miracle crusades every month for many years and by now he should have a warehouse full of medically documented healing(s) and miracles. Yet he does not have even a half a dozen which can be verified. Why do people follow him by the millions? Because they are deceived. One definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, each time expecting a different result.

Those people have made prayer to God and the praising of God a device by which we move God or the devil. God does not need our prayers. We on the other hand need to desperately pray and seek God. The God of the Bible is totally sovereign and He does not need our permission to move in the universe of His own creation. Our prayer life is to flow out of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Praise is simply our reaction to Gods goodness. We are called to give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess. 5:18). Prayer and praise should fill our hearts and thus be expressed by our mouths as naturally as our breathing. Jesus warned against thinking people would be heard for their many words when praying (Matt. 6:7). In that verse Jesus says do not keep on babbling like the pagans which is what these meetings are, a small or large group of people babbling away in ecstatic speech. It seems to me that they are engaging in the very thing Jesus warned us not to do. Personally, I am all for prayer; it is undeniably part of our lives as a royal priesthood and holy nation unto God (1 Pet. 2:9). I wish my Lutheran brethren really knew how to pry from their hearts, as opposed to praying 99% of the time from a book of prayers. Prayer books are fine in their proper place, but you do not grow relationally by praying other peoples prayers all the time. I agree with Paul that we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17) but this can easily be done within the context of our vocations in life, it does not mean we must wall ourselves up in a monastery. I firmly believe that the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Yet fervent does not mean long-winded spewing forth of words, it means heart-felt and sincere. I love to worship God in song also. I would like to see more music and hymns be incorporated into our Sunday services, yet I sing to my Lord because of who He is and what He has done not to wage spiritual warfare or bring revival. Psalm 92:1 tells us that It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High.

In conclusion what are we to make of this 24/7 movement? It cannot be called unbiblical because there is Biblical precedent for it, albeit from the Old Testament. Nor would I say that there is anything wrong with praying to God and offering Him praise 24/7 IF (and it is a HUGE if) there is a proper understanding of what prayer and praise are. Unfortunately, this is where these folks veer off course. Their definition and use of prayer and praise is unbiblical. Their motivation for praying and singing to God 24/7 is unbiblical. The result is a veiled attempt at a form of works righteousness. By their pseudo-spiritual works they see themselves as releasing God to move, if they do not do this then God cannot or will not move in the Church and community. This is simply foolishness gone to seed as the dead heretic Ken Hagin used to say. These people have placed both prayer and praise even above the preaching of the Word of God. They also view all the performing arts as acts of praise and prophecy (they get this from Psl.150). Because they have redefined what prayer and praise is biblically and redefined what the purpose is for both expressions I come to the conclusion that what is taking place is nothing other than simply another form of charismatic extremism which will excite many for a season but it will produce nothing of value spiritually, other than another lesson learned in what not to do. Copyright 2009 Robert S. Liichow

End Notes
1. Charismaticthink is a word I have coined and it simply refers to reading a text of Scripture without any consideration of its context or historical eschatological setting. 2. See: www.tabernacle-of-david.com/todchurchsmodel4praise.html obtained on 6-11-09 3. Ibid. 4. See: www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID-1000045365 obtained on 06-11-09 5. Ibid. 6. Obtained from http://www.nextga.us/impact/harpbowl on 06-12-09 7. Obtained from http://www.zionsong.org/art-giffting-bibquall.html on 06-12-09 8.ibid Published in:

apologetics charismatic issues church issues Discernment Ministries International heresy Lutheran

New Wine Paul Yonggi Cho positive confession Prayer Prophetic Movement Revival Sign-gift christians spiritual warfare strategic level spiritual warfare Word of Faith Works Righteousness

on March 1, 2010 at 12:07 PM Comments Off Tags: 24/7 prayer, Charismatic Movement, Church, Cult, Discernment Ministries International, Harp & Bowl Ministry, heresies, IHOP, John Wesley, Mike Bickle, Ministry, monasticism, new breed, Paul Cho, pietism, Revival, Tabernacle of David

HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD

Truth Matters Newsletters April 2008 Vol. 13 Issue 4 - Hearing the Voice of God - By Rev. Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

Hearing the Voice of God

By Rev. Robert S. Liichow

One of the most frustrating things for me as a charismatic extremist was hearing the various testimonies of my teachers regarding hearing the voice of God. All of these men and women made it abundantly clear to us mere sheep that they were in fact in daily, if not, moment-tomoment communication with the Ancient of Days. Usually their sermons or lessons began with statements like I was in prayer the other night and the Lord said to me son why dont you explain what faith is to My people and I said yes Lord

and He opened my eyes to the scriptures like never before. Obviously, we as the hearers upon hearing this statement buckled down in our seats, got out our pens and took notes on what was divinely revealed to the speaker (you can insert almost anyones name e.g. Ken Hagin, Copeland, Savelle, Dollar, Price, Jakes, White, Meyer, Dupantis, Hayes, et al.). After their stirring words we little sheep would wander to our homes wondering what did it take to actually hear the voice of God? We were literally in awe of people like Kenneth Hagin senior who said on a regular basis that God was more real to him then his wife. Also, Mr. Hagin was a man who claimed to have had at least seven (7) direct face-to-face encounters with the risen Christ, during which encounters Mr. Hagin was given revelations which became some of the body of his teachings {doctrine}. Obviously Mr. Hagin and many of our other teachers had a relationship with Jesus Christ that we did not have. Hagin used to share an anecdote that went something like this: A man told me he was afraid of anyone who said God spoke to them, I answered him back and said I was afraid of anyone who God didnt speak to! In context let me add that Hagin was not talking about God speaking through His Word, he meant God speaking directly to us as individuals. Hagins position was that it was normative for God to speak to His children. This obviously lack of intimate fellowship with the Godhead that our teachers seemed to have led many of us on-fire saints (me included) on the hunt for obtaining such an equally close fellowship with our Lord and Savior. After all, who does not want to hear the Holy Spirit say directly to them go this way, turn left on Elm, or marry this woman, or accept this job position, it is My will. Hearing from God on that level would take all of the guesswork out of life. If a person could hear so clearly from the Lord it would equal an error-free life (something God nowhere promises any of us in His Word) assuming the individual heeded everything the Lord told Him directly. Ill let you in on one of charismanias dirty little secrets. A large portion of what charismatic teachers offer to those who will follow can be condensed into the claim that they (the teacher) possesses some spiritual experience which can be anyones if they will learn how to tap in as their teacher did. This experience can include some of the following examples: receiving revelation knowledge, receiving divine healing; walking in divine life; increasing the anointing in ones life; achieving financial prosperity among other claims. Naturally merely attending a conference will probably not give one any of the above abilities. Thus the seeker is urged by the SINister or his or her shills to purchase books, tapes and DVDs on the experience being sought, all of which happen to be for sale, authored by the SINister just outside the arena (all major credit cards accepted). Apart from the extraordinary gifts, such as the power to heal or work miracles, every charismatic teacher claims to hear directly from God. The old expression from Gods lips to my ear would be wildly accepted by these people. Most Christians will accept that they will probably not work miracles or heal the lame, but at least they can hear from God cant they? The question is a simple one does the Bible teach that the children of God would in fact hear His voice and be led by Him directly and individually? It does not matter how many people vociferously declare that God speaks to them directly to their spirits. As discerning Christians we must always go back and look at what the Bible teaches concerning this or any other matter being foist upon us.

Really the challenge is in the court of the charismatic extremists to prove to us biblically that it is the practice of God to speak individually to His children. The spiritual enthusiast has two general responses to this challenge. The popular response today (at least since the Holy Laughter paranormal manifestations) has been well expressed by Jack Deere, a former Dallas Theological Seminary professor who went off the spiritual rails so to speak: God can and does give personal words of direction to believers today that cannot be found in the Bible. I do not believe that he gives direction that contradicts the Bible, but direction that cannot be found in the Bible. According to Dr. Deere, John Arnott and a host of other charismatic leaders God speaks to His children all the time, gives them guidance, but it is of such a type that cannot be verified biblically. The best they can say is that any supernatural direction given, whether through dreams, visions, apparitions or voices will not violate the Bible! This is the same type of argument that John Arnott (former pastor of the Toronto Airport Christian Church i.e. vortex of the holy laughter nonsense) gave me personally in our e-mail correspondence. Mr. Arnott in answering my concerns regarding all the non-biblical manifestations my wife and I eye witnessed in his congregation was simply to begin by citing John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John 21:25 (KJV)

Arnotts response to me was simply that what was taking place in the outpouring of the new wine of the Holy Spirit was nothing new, it just was not recorded in the Bible for us to read about. Holy Laughter, making animal noises, being slain in the spirit, uncontrollable jumping, jerking and running are simply part of the many other things Jesus did as well !!! I responded by asking Arnott how can we know that what is happening is biblical if the Bible is silent on this specific matter? What are we to use as our guide pertaining to spiritual matters? His response was to direct me to all the good fruit being borne by the revival, the joy, the laughter, the changed lives of those undergoing these manifestations.

In the words of the arch-heretic Kenneth Copeland that dog wont hunt! If the best Arnott can do is point me to subjective paranormal experiences that some people were undergoing as proof that it was God at work then he has a great deal to learn about religious experiences. I can take Arnott to various ashrams where the same manifestations are being experienced by the devotees of various power gurus and these followers will give passionate explanation of how their lives have been changed. Appealing to anything other than the Bible as the final arbitrator of doctrine and experience is to leave oneself wide open to demonic deception, delusion, and disappointment. What todays charismatic enthusiasts want the Church to do is simply accept their teachings, experiences and practices on the power of their word alone, not on the authority of Gods Word. I warned Mr. Arnott that he and those like him were in danger of becoming a cult due to their going down the same pathway all the Bible-based cults have gone. The reason we call them Bible-based cults is due to their claim to believe in the Bible, however God has given them further revelation whether it is in the form of the New World Translation of the JWs, or the Book of Mormon, The Divine Principle, The Scripture Keys to Science and Health or the Mo Letters. So for these cults it boils down to a formula like The Bible + new revelations/writings {guess which ends up being authoritative }. Many charismatic are in the same place The Bible + new revelations, fortunately the Bible still seems to hold ultimate authority in may of their lives. The second response to our apologetic challenge is a finally turning to the Bible and cherry pick examples that seem to fit their particular belief or practice. In the case of our topic, they will show us people God talked to and use these examples to attempt to prove these encounters as normative. This is GREAT! Always guide the discussion with these misguided folks back to the Bible, because we both can agree that it is Gods Word and as Christians It is binding on our lives. So then the weight is upon us to prove our position is in fact the biblical one.

Who Heard the voice of God?

Old Testament Adam & Eve: Obviously we can start with them. They not only heard the voice of God, but also walked with Him in the cool of the garden (Genesis 2:3). Obviously none of us can use Adam and Eve as our examples of fellowship with God since after they sinned and were kicked out of the garden their face-to-face communication ceased with the Lord.

Noah: Yes Noah heard from God directly. Since it had never rained on the earth until the flood Im sure the Lord had some things to make clear to Noah, such as the directions on building the ark and who to place within it. (Gen. 6:9). Noah conversations with the Lord can hardly be normative since it involved the salvation of mankind. Job: Only towards the end of the book of Job (Job 38-42) do we read of Job having a divine communication from the Lord. Abraham: Over the entire span of his long life Abraham heard directly from the Lord in various manners only 16 times, hardly a daily ongoing conversation between The Ancient of Days of the patriarch of the faith! Sarah: She only was spoken to once, which she initially denied saying what she had said (read Gen 18). Moses: He holds the record of hearing from God, but then leading a few million Jews no doubt required quite a bit of direction. We read are approximately 85 times when God spoke to Moses. Again the majority of these times had to do specifically with the economy of God and the leading of Gods people. Aaron: Moses brother and first high priest, he heard from God about 14 times, again always involving serious matters. Joshua: The man who replaced Moses and led the people across the Jordan again only around 13 or so experiences with the voice of God in his life. Samuel: The great prophet of the Lord, we know at the beginning of his ministry the Lord spoke to him and he did not even recognize the Lords voice (1 Sam. 3) How the word of the Lord came to him and the other prophets we are not always told. We do know that in Samuels time the word of the Lord was rate (3:1) and there were few visions. What I am focusing our attention on is direct, personal communication from God to individuals. David: The sweet psalmist of Israel, youd think he would had daily running conversations with the Lord (like Hagin, Copeland, and others claim), But, no, go read the accounts of his life again and youll find less than 12 direct encounters Person-to-person. Solomon: One of Israels most blessed kings, wisest of all O.T. personages, he only had 3 experiences hearing directly from the Lord. (read 1 Kings, 3:5-14; 9:2-9; 11:11-13). My brothers and sisters there are many other O.T. examples I could cite, but these examples should make it very clear that people in general never personally heard Gods voice. Even Gods specially chosen vessels, rarely heard His voice and when they did it was regarding salvations history in some form or another. The charismatic belief that throughout biblical history God is just chattering away to His people simply doesnt stand up to any close examination of the Bible. Of course many within the

charismatic movement will point that we are New Testament believers, ergo we should consider the New Testament as our norm. Ok, lets take a quick look through the New Testament. New Testament Again our sign-gift inclined brethren would have us believe that under the new covenant we find our heavenly Father speaking to His children on a regular basis, leading and guiding them via personal speaking, dreams, visions and even angels. However, as Christians we must allow the Bible to be our guide, not subjective personal experiences. We know that during Jesus ministry when God spoke it was at times considered thunder by those who heard it (see John 12:29). On the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter, John and James did hear the audible voice of God they were speechless (see Mark 9). There is absolutely no evidence that God apart from the personal earthly ministry of Jesus, God and Son, ever spoke internally to any of the disciples in the Gospels. As a former charismatic Id be quick to argue that the Book of Acts is really the template for the Church and thats where will find God speaking to about everyone. I also used to believe that miracles were commonplace and were being wrought by just about every Miriam, Peter and John. Folks the truth is, as with hearing the voice of God, very few people were ever used by God throughout the entire Bible to work a miracle. Think about it, write them all down and you will have a very short list. Common sense dictates that if miracles where commonplace then they would cease to be miraculous. Well if one reads the Book of Acts carefully one will discover that the vast majority of the times we read of God speaking directly or even indirectly, say through an angel, less than twenty times and the majority of these times were involving the Apostle Peter and Paul. The few others so specifically guided by God were folks like Agabus (a prophet), Cornelius (whose salvation was a catalyst for the Gentiles), and Ananias (who went to pray for a man named Saul. What is remarkable about each occurrence is that none of these individuals were seeking to hear from God directly! God was the One who reached out to them. Also keep in mind that none of these people were ever taught any formula, hidden keys, or method on how to hear from God (which is a very popular subject in almost all Christian bookstores & conferences). Even more astounding is the FACT that no one is ever counseled to seek to hear Gods voice. A simple truth that really blew my mind in seminary was when I learned from Dr. Eugene Mayhew that the Book of Acts is a historical account of what took place in the early Church and NOT a template on how to do Church. This was contrary to everything I had been taught as a sign-seeking believer. However, once you realize this is true you see that everything that took place in Acts is not normative nor to be expected in the daily life of Christians today. Some may respond but brother Liichow doesnt the Apostle Paul tell us that those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (Rom. 8:14)? Yes, but the text does not say those who hear from God directly are the sons of God. In fact, this text does not tell use exactly how Gods Spirit will lead us. Sign-gift folk insert voices, dreams, visions, visits from Jesus and /or

angels into the text in invisible ink. They may assent that this text does not say exactly how the Spirit will lead us but will often counter with another text, this time from the Gospels. Didnt Jesus say that My sheep hear My voice so obviously His true hear from God! The context of John 10:16 is regarding sheep and goats and the fact that untimely there will be one flock (Jew & Gentiles together) under one Shepherd, Jesus. Jesus is not speaking about some private conversation(s) He will have with His sheep. Compare this text with Romans 10:17 faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Add to this how shall they hear without a preacher? (Rom. 10:14). Jesus was not speaking about Him personally talking with His sheep. Oh yes He does call us but He does so generally through the foolishness of preaching or even through our baptism.

Some Charismatic Comments

In June God gave us a vision of the world with silver and gold bands covering the entire globe we began to understand that God was telling us to take the message Charles and Francis Hunter, How to Heal the Sick, Hunter Books, pg. 1. I could hear the Spirit of God challenging me, Youve approached it wrongly. Youve worked on the wrong end of the thing. You fasted and you prayed that I would do something and Ive done all Im ever going to do Kenneth E. Hagin, The Art of Intercession, Faith Library, pg. 47 My Father said to me (oh, I could hear His voice so plainly as He spoke to me), Son, you dont know how that delights My heartYou know, He said to me, I made man so Id have someone to fellowship with. I made man for My companionIll put this way (and He said it is just these words), I made man so Id have someone to pal with, Kenneth E. Hagin, Growing Up, Spiritually, Faith Library, pp. 64-65. The Spirit of God spoke up on the inside of me and said, She has been holding fast to the problem al of these years. If she had prayed in faith she wouldnt have prayed all those other 24 yearsBut she has bound Me from the situation by the words of her mouth. Charles Capps, Releasing the Ability of God, Harrison House, p. 38. I asked the Lord, Why did the centurion have that kind of faithThe Lord said, He was a military man who understood authority because he was under authority. If you will teach My people to understand authority as this man understood authority, they will operate in the same kind of faith. Charles Capps, Authority, Harrison House, p. 5 Just this Pat: God is telling me to go and share the message of His power an the baptism of the Holy Spirit with Mrs. Peale. Pat Robertson & Jamie Buckingham, Shout It From the Rooftops, Logos, p. 66 Fear not, I am sent from the presence of Almighty God to tell you that your peculiar life and your misunderstood ways have been to indicate that God has sent you to take a gift of divine healing to the people of the world. IF YOU WILL BE SINCERE, AND CAN GET THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE YOU, NOTHING SHALL STAND BEFORE YOUR PRAYER, NOT EVEN

CANCER He told me how I would be able to detect diseases by vibrations on my hand. He went away, but I have seen him several times since then. Gordon Lindsay, William Branham A Man Sent From God, Voice of Healing, p. 77.

The BIG Question

These are just a very few examples of some instances where well known charismatic leaders are relating a little of their personal conversations with the Lord. In the same arena we have to also include todays restored prophets and the word of the Lord they proclaim to congregations and individuals (that also is a common charismatic way to hear from God). The question for either individuals hearing from God or from the mouth of an alleged restored prophet is the same: Why isnt the words youve received from God authoritative? In other words if God is indeed speaking then what is said should be transcribed and placed in the back of the Bible, right? Since when does Gods word cease to become Gods word to us? Also, if the words received in whatever manner (through a neo-Montantist prophet, dream, and vision or audible voice) is not elevated to such a level, then what good are they? Our sign-gift brethren have a problem on their hands (as does anyone who says they have heard directly from God) and their response is to say that these words are a combination of both our flesh & the Lord which is what many leaders suggest having mature believers discern the wheat from the chaff so to speak. They say this is the biblical pattern as taught by the Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 14:29. This text says let 2 or 3 prophets speak and the others should weigh carefully what is said. Thats fine considering at the time there were still prophets in the Church as well as false prophets! The Corinthians being sign-gift driven needed to be told to judge what was being told them in the name of the Lord. Plus there is nothing in the text to indicate that the others ere discerning if part of the word given was of God and part of the flesh. Biblically either one was a true prophet, 100% accurate or one was a false prophet. From the record of scripture it seems most likely that the others were judging whether the person speaking was in fact from God or our enemy. When it comes to the accuracy of todays so-called prophets and their prophetic declarations virtually every charismatic leader will defend the blatant error, lies and unfulfilled statements given out in Gods name as being simply part of the growing process we all undergo in our God-given gifts! Just as one develops as a pastor or a Bible teacher even so one develops as Gods prophet. Oh really? Pray tell where is that in the Bible? There is nothing to indicate that the prophets developed from one level of accuracy to another. Daniel was not 5 % accurate as a young man and about 80% as an old man. What nonsense! Yet this explanation is commonly handed out to those who dare question the inaccuracies of todays plague of prophets. All of us who have thought that God was speaking to us and directing us in some area of life have had to admit that it was not God after all. I remember before I was married another sister in our congregation heard from the Lord that I was supposed to marry her. God had told me nothing about it and I told this deceived sister she was in error. She later went on to marry someone else and would gladly admit today she was not hearing from God. Other couples said they both heard from God to marry and now are divorced, what happened to the plan of God (I can assure you His plan never includes divorce).

There is a method by which we ALL can hear from God, but I have run out of space to go into this month. Stay tuned for Part Two! (Below are some examples of the many books out there to mislead the unwary). Copyright Robert S. Liichow

Published in:

apologetics Apostolic Movement Bible-based Cults charismatic charismatic extremism Christianity Cults discernment Discernment Ministries International false doctrine false teaching holy laughter Jerry Savelle John Arnott Joyce Meyer Kenneth Hagin New Wine paranormal manifestations Prophetic Movement Revival Slain in the Spirit TACF Theology visions William Branham Word of Faith

on January 23, 2010 at 7:41 AM Comments Off Tags: angels, Biblical Authority, Bob Liichow, Church, Cleflo Dollar, Discernment Ministries, Discernment Ministries International, dreams, heretic, Jack Deere, miracles, Neo-Montantist, old

testament, Paranormal, Prophets, Religion, Revelation, Revival, subjective experience, TAF, TD Jakes, Toronto Airport Fellowship, WOF

Flying High on the Widows Mite

Truth Matters Newsletters January 2008 Vol. 13 Issue 1 Flying High on the Widows Mite By Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International Flying High on the Widows Mite

By Robert S. Liichow With Senator Grassley looking into a mere six SINisters and their money making machine, I thought it would be good to take a brief look at who is flying high on the donors dime (maybe Senator Grassley can expand the scope of his investigation). Dr. Jesse the Raging Cajun Duplantis: A Cessna Citation 500 a mere $1.25 million. It burns approximately 1,700+pounds of fuel per hour (jet fuel costs more than gasoline). Jerry Savelle: Another Copeland clone also flys a Cessna Citation 500 {they are the poorer relatives in the WOF cult-club}. Mark Bishop: A wannabe player with the big boys is also at the starter private jet level of the Cessna Citation 500. Joyce Meyer: Bombardier Challenger 604 a whopping $4.5 million. The Chalenger burns 1,192 pounds of fuel per hour and it takes 18,144 pounds of jet fuel to fill its tank. Obtained from www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/Challenger604/specs.html Benny the Healer Hinn: Not to be outdone by anyone, Hinn flys very high in his Grumann Gulfstream II at the stratospheric cost of $4.5 million. It holds 28,300 pounds of jet fuel and can seat 12 yes men or shills. It costs $1,939.28 per hour to operate (not including the cost of the 2 pilots). Information obtained from www.jetsales.com/comp/planes/Irgjetcost.html Dr. Fred Price: He also flys a Gulfstream II (drives a Rolls Royce when on the ground). Paul & Jan Crouch: TBN has been good to these two hicks they fly a Bombardier Challenger 604 at the heavenly cost of $16.5 million! 19 toadies can hitch a ride to Maui with Paul and Jan in supersonic style. SkyKing Kenny Copeland: He started off as a co-pilot with the Oral Roberts Evangelical Ministry years ago and now owns several planes. But his daily ride is a Citation X which runs a

modest $10 million. When you add Glorias Citation X that brings the total to $20 million! Here is a listing of the planes owned by Mr. Copeland and /or his SINistry: 1944 Boeing B75N1 Stearman Value: 70,000 to $140,000. 1953 North American T-28B Trojan, Value: $59,000 to $325,000. 1976 Beech E-55 Baron, Value: $144,000, 1947 Republic RC-3 Seabee, Value: One is listed online for $40,000. 1962 Beech H-18 Twin Beech * Value: $96,000. 1973 Cessna 421B Golden Eagle or Executive Commuter Value: $220,000 1975 Cessna 500 Citation Value: $850,000. 1998 Cessna 550 Citation Bravo Value: $3.4 million 2005 Cessna 750 Citation X Value: $17.5 million. All make and model information is based on Federal Aviation Administration records. The church said that its Beech H-18 is a 1963 model. Sources: Cessna; www.aircraftbluebook.com; FAA: Janes Encyclopedia of Aviation; Doug Jeanes of Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison; Pete Lane, a retired University of North Texas faculty member; www.nasa.govere Creflo Cashflow Dollar: A Gates Learjet (a small jet only seats 4 passengers) & a Gulfstream-3 which costs $37 million if purchased new. The cost of owning a plane is only one of the costs involved. Other costs must be factored in, such as the cost of jet fuel, storing your jet in a hanger (unless you are Mr. Copeland who purchased a defunct airbase many years ago), paying the salary of one or two pilots depending on the size of your plane. These pilots have to be available 24/7 due to speaking schedules of their employers. Also airplanes must be maintained on a regular basis by highly skilled mechanics. Owning a private jet is an extremely expensive proposition. The question I have is simply thisdo these people need to have their own jet(s)? Are they really being used to further the Gospel, or are they a means to get out of Dodge quick and to zip off to a country without an extradition treaty with the USA? Sadly, all the people cited in this short article teach false doctrine and are misleading multitudes of people. What is equally sad is that those who follow their false teachings actually believe these SINisters have a right to fly anywhere on their dime! Perhaps they dont realize that they are paying over $1,000 per hour of flight time just so these charismatic superstars dont have to associate with the hoi polloi sitting next to them on Delta.

To the best of my knowledge none of these people use their planes for philanthropic reasons. Their planes are used for their own personal needs. The only charismatic minister who purchased a plane for the right reasons was Lester Sumrall (deceased). He bought a Hercules jumbo cargo jet. He used his plane solely for the purpose of taking food and medicine to people in need around the world (Lester also never owned a car, he always drove a leased car) nor did he live in a mansion. His sons are running his ministry and continue to use the plane for world missions. In light of the jets, mansions, luxury cars is it little wonder why Senator Grassleys Senate Committee is taking a close look at some ways the money they receive as non-profits is being spent. It is a shame that the Church has not taken a stance against such opulence within Its own ranks and that God must use the government (sometimes newspapers, ask Jim Bakker) to clean house. Copyright Robert S. Liichow

The Gulfstream III is for those at the top of the heap Published in:

Benny Hinn Discernment Ministries International false doctrine false prophets false teachers Fred Price Jerry Savelle Jesse Duplantis Kenneth Copeland Oral Roberts Paul Crouch Prophetic Movement spiritual abuse Televangelists Tithing

TV preachers

on January 10, 2010 at 8:51 PM Comments Off Tags: Cessna, Church, Creflo Dollar Joyce Meyer, Discernment Ministries, Discernment Ministries International, Jet, non-denomination, Paul & Jan Crouch, Scandal, Senate investigation, Signs and Wonders Movement, Tithe, WOF, Word of Faith Movement

Here We Go Again
Truth Matters Newsletters May 2007 Vol. 12 Issue 5 Here We Go Again by Rev. Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

Here We Go Again
By Rev. Robert S. Liichow

Want to get a charismatic extremist salivating? Just tell him or her that revival is on the horizon! Charisma magazine has a section entitled the Prophetic Edge and in the April 2007 issue the article is entitled, Get Ready to Serve written by Steve Hill. His article starts with the following words: SOMETHING POWERFUL IS ON THE HORIZON. The Lord is equipping His church for the greatest outpouring the world has ever seen. We must do everything possible to prepare our hearts and to train others for this soul-saving revival. We also must be willing to be used by the Lord in new, unfamiliar ways. (1)

Hills History
Allow me to refresh your memory concerning Mr. Hill. He is the individual who is often cited as Gods instrument for the so-called revival at the Brownsville Assemblies of God (BAG) church in Pensacola, Florida. According to the BAG mythology here is what they claimed took place. The Pensacola church has been divinely appointed by God to be the catalyst of revival according to some prophetic words given by a couple of recognized charismatic leaders. In 1993 Dr. Paul

Cho, pastor of the worlds largest congregation in Korea was in the United States and was praying for revival: He did so, and the Holy Spirit told him to point his finger at the map. As he did, he felt his finger drawn to the Florida panhandle and to the city of Pensacola. I am going to send revival to the seaside city of Pensacola, and it will spread like a fire until all of America ha been consumed by it, said the Lord to Dr. Cho, Dr. Cho shared his experience with others and the word predictably spread to many of the pastors in the Pensacola area. Some time later, a Mobile, Alabama, Church of God pastor (70 miles away from Pensacola) inquired of Dr. Cho. Dr. Cho, theres been a rumor that you have prophesied a great revival in America to begin in Pensacola, Florida. Is there any truth to this? he asked. No rumah! No rumah! No rumah! Said Dr. Cho in his broken English Received vision; revival will com! (2) Chos leading of the Spirit sounds more like someone using a planchet on a Ouija board as opposed from hearing from God. Not to mention the fact that what Cho allegedly received from the Holy Spirit did not come to pass. The fire did not spread throughout all America, nor was all America consumed by it. The revival did spread to many charismatic and Pentecostal congregations and the fruit produced by it was nothing less than spiritual heartache, disappointment, church splits and fanaticism. (3) Secondly, I have personally sat under Chos preaching and his English is not broken, if anything, he speaks English better than many Americans, so the broken English is not true either. Make no mistake about it my friends, God is not inaccurate and His true prophets were absolutely correct when they spoke under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Cho was not hearing from the Holy Spirit, so his direction had to be coming from another source and given the paranormal way in which Cho describes this leading, we know that it had to be a demonic spirit that was his guide. John Kilpatrick was the pastor of BAG during the revival. What he failed to tell people outside the congregation was that he sent his wife and leaders up to the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF) prior to the actual assigned start date of the BAG revival. TACF was the North American vortex of enthusiasm and fanaticism and the holy laughter revival had already been in full gear for several years prior to the BAG outpouring. He sent these key leaders to TACF to get the blessing and get some idea of what they should expect at BAG. So Kilpatrick had primed the pump, his people had been fed a spurious prophetic word and thus were expecting a revival to visit them. Their leaders (unbeknown to many congregations members) had already bought into the delusion being meted out at TACF and the stage was set for Mr. Hill to arrive. Hill arrives at BAG on Fathers Day June 18, 1995 and he brings the revival with him! A sovereign move of the Holy Spirit begins as Hill and other BAG leaders lay hands on the seekers. Those responding to the alter call begin to exhibit all the bizarre manifestations common to the TACF revival. Keep in mind that Florida is a long way from Canada so to these Pensacola Pentecostals manifestations such as uncontrollable laughter, spiritual drunkenness, being slain in the spirit from protracted times, shaking, hopping, arms flapping for hours ere new to many of them. (4)

To this day, BAG, Kilpatrick and Hill declare that what took place at Pensacola was completely different than what was taking place at TACF. What they are reluctant to admit is that BAG leaders went to TACF and brought that brand of madness back to Pensacola and simply waited for Hill to arrive. Nor does Hill admit that he himself received the blessing while attending meetings at Holy Trinity Church in Brompton England just prior to coming to BAG. The truth is that what took place in Pensacola was simply an extension of what was already happening in Toronto. The BAG revival was a fully coordinated and orchestrated event. One thing both revival centers do agree about is that these revival manifestations, also referred to as the new wine of the Holy Spirit are highly transferable from one anointed vessel into a person seeking the experience. Kilpatrick declares that the Holy Spirit has fallen on their congregation and he agrees to allow Mr. Hill to continue to preach. The news spreads initially throughout the Assemblies of God denomination and many members come to BAG and fro there the news spreads to other Pentecostal and charismatic people. At the height of the madness BAG reported the following statistics: approximately 3,000-4,000 visitors attend the revival each night. According to Evangelist Steve Hill, who has preached over 650 messages, the Brownsville Revival has had over 1,720,000 visitors to the services and over 108,000 have responded to the altar calls. The Revival has attracted visitors from over 17 foreign nations and boasts about 100 foreign visitors a night. (5) The revival fire sputtered to an end by 2000. It seems that five years is historically about the extent of any Pentecostal revival. One can only sustain peak emotionalism for so long and the spiritual junkies seek ever increasing doses of transcendental highs. (6) Once the crowds (and offerings) began to dwindle and the manifestations became pass, Hill was the first leader to abandon ship. Lindell Cooley, the worship leader at BAG was the next to leave and by 2003 Kilpatrick himself resigned (or was asked to leave). Cooley and Hill both became pastors of their own congregations and Kilpatrick started his own evangelistic association. I might add that the same thing took place at TACF when the fire turned into cold ashes. John Arnott resigned as senior Pastor and started his own outreach. Interestingly enough the Brownsville revival website does not mention much about all the controversy surrounding their move of the Spirit. They fail to mention the acrimonious split that occurred between BAG and the revival Bible School that had been birthed during the revival: This group of students is particularly unique. With such a flood of interest in the schools Fall session, this may be the only opportunity for such a small group of only 120 to commune together with the Holy Spirit and learn under tutors and elders while being in the midst of the mighty outpouring of Revival fire. (7) The school started with big hopes but shortly became a divisive issue the school ended up leaving the church and establishing itself down the road. Also these leaders failed to mention the scorching articles written about the revival in the Pensacola News Journal. A series of articles uncovered the following facts about the two main leaders, Kilpatrick and Hill:

The two ministers we investigated were the two who are most in the spotlight: John Kilpatrick, the pastor of the revival church, and Steve Hill, the revivals evangelist Both live in Alabama, not Florida. Alabamas records are not easy to access and track, but when we finally got the property records together, we could prove that the revival had provided those two men with dramatically improved lifestyles and successively large and more luxurious homes. Their primary source of revenue is the nonprofit corporation each one created We uncovered the ways the ministers turned Brownsville Revival into a million-dollar industry, and we uncovered the facts that contradicted their statements about how the money was usedWe found and exposed the falsehoods in the public image that the evangelist [Hill] had constructed for himselfWe debunked the revival leaders claims that they were performing miraculous healings. We tracked down a number of people the revival touted as cured and found none had medical evidence, such as lab tests, X-rays, or doctors examinations, to corroborate the cureWe exposed the origin of the revival, showing it was a planned and orchestrated event. A well-edited videotape of the first revival service appears to support the leaders claims that the revival was a spontaneous act of God. But close and attentive viewing reveals how it was manipulated to make the public believe the revival was spontaneous. (8) Mr. Hills salvation testimony is riddled with exaggeration and outright lies but it does make for exciting reading, after all, God needs our help form time to timeask Abraham. His claims of divine healing and miracles also proved to be false when given closer scrutiny. Hill reaped hundreds of thousands of dollars from the BAG outpouring and yet provided little if any genuine spiritual adulation began to dry up Hill knew it was time to head on down the road and form his own church, which he did in Dallas, Texas. Now seven years later Hill is back and proclaiming that God is equipping His church for the GREATEST OUTPOURING the world has EVER SEEN! He says in his article that a fresh evangelistic anointing is about to rest upon true believers. Considering the lies, fraud and deception fostered by Hill in the prior greatest outpouring, I guess he will miss out on this upcoming greatest outpouringsince it is only for true believers. (9) Hill is at best a semi-Pelagian and this heretical position stresses the roll of man in every aspect of redemption. We can see the man-centered emphasis in his article However, we cant ignore those who are starving for fresh bread and fresh water from heaven. Their deep[ hunger pains can only be satisfied as we offer more of Gods presence, power and prophetic insight. We can do this by allowing the Lord to show up in our church services.without restraint. The world is craving a touch from the creator. We must provide the atmosphere and the opportunity for miracles to take place I believe God is going to empower us by sending a new wave of revelation as a foundation for operating in the prophetic (10) To begin with the world is not craving a touch from the Creator, I guess Evangelist/prophet and now Pastor Hill has forgotten the following elementary Bible truth:

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. John 3:19-20 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your fathers desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: there is none that understand, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one Romans 3:10-12 No one comes to a saving faith in Jesus Christ of their own volition. The Father draws us to His Son by the working of the Holy Spirit (John 6:44). We are saved by GRACE alone through faith alone. The faith that saves is itself a GIFT from God (Ephesians 2:8) and not of human works. Hill does not mention how we are to go about offering more of Gods presence, power and prophetic insight. He does not mention the reality of Baptism or the Lords Supper as means of Gods grace and presence. Nor does he ever mention the proclamation of the Gospel, which is the power of God unto everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). Gods Word is the infallible and totally sufficient prophetic insight, yet Hill means a fresh new revelation flowing from a restored prophet. Hill says it is our job to provide the atmosphere and opportunity for miracles to take place. Just what does that mean? Talk about subjectivity! He does not state how we are to create this atmosphere and opportunity for miracles. He failed to produce such an atmosphere at Pensacola, maybe he has obtained some new mystical insight during the last seven years that he lacked back in the mid 90s. Hill says I believe God is going to empower us but he does not say what he bases his faith on. His entire article does not cite one biblical text at all! He goes on to pontificate on what will characterize this next greatest outpouring. The new and unfamiliar ways that God will empower His people seems to be in the arena making us peripatetic psychics: He will reveal to us the depth of their cravings as if we were watching a documentary on starvation The spiritually sensitive are going to experience revelation knowledge of those who are dying of spiritual malnutrition and disease. Hidden secrets with be revealed to the believer, and out of a heart of compassion, he or she will share them [the hidden secrets] with the lost to prove that Jesus Christ is alive. These words will be so direct and precise that conversations will take place. (11) According to Hill during this next greatest outpouring Gods true saints are going to share these revelations that will be so direct and precise that people will be converted by our sharing

them! What utter nonsense! Does Hill have any scriptures, even out of context to back up his assertions? No, none whatsoever. The Bible does say the following: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper tan any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21 It is the Word of God that reveals the content of mens hearts, not man mystically anointed. It is the seeming (to the world) foolishness of preaching the living Word of God that the Holy Spirit uses to convict the world of sin and draw people to Christ, not some demonstration of power. NEVER FORGET the Jews saw daily miracles for forty years in the desert and yet died there in UNBELIEF (Hebrews 3:19) Miracles do not create faith! Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the word of God (Romans 10:17) Marin Luther rightly stressed that God moves through His Word and sacraments and any other alleged moving of the Spirit apart from these means is demonic. Hill, like Schuller places the emphasis on mans actions and not Gods drawing power through proclaiming the Gospel. Hill states: My favorite prophetic words have always been those that are given outside the church walls. These are divine appointments that reach into the lives of people who often know nothing of biblical principles and doctrine. All they know is that some brave heart just read their mail. (13) He closes his pronouncement of the coming greatest world revival by saying such divine appointments will be commonplace in the days ahead of us and that these words fitly spoken, will literally shock the unbeliever into reality. (14) What he is describing is more akin to encountering the occult work of the TV psychics John Edwards or Sylvia Browne than any biblical accounts of people encountering the reality of their sin in the light of Gods holiness. In fact, according to the new reformation of Schuller the reality of personal sin is a barrier to accepting the grace of God in Christ. Once a person believes he is an unworthy sinner, it is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Christ Jesus. (15) My friends let me state unequivocally that unless a person is brought to despair through seeing themselves as sinful they will not cry out God have mercy on me, a sinner (Luke 18:13, NIV)

What Does the Bible Say About Revival?

Hill ha made the bulk of his money off of revivalism, which is possibly why he is proclaiming the coming greatest revival in human history. Who better to ask then the man seen as responsible for the Pensacola Outpouring? If I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Hill I would ask him the following questions. Didnt the people at Azusa street in 1906 declare that what they were experiencing was the final fulfillment of Joels prophecy? Or, how about, didnt restored prophets declare that what was taking place in North Battleford, Saskatchewan in 1949 was really the fulfillment of Joels prophecy? maybe I should ask, wasnt 1967 declared by the

Roman Catholics to be the beginning of Charismatic Renewal in the Church? These signseekers have made as many false predictions as the Jehovahs Witnesses! Or maybe I could ask him about all the supposed moves of the Holy Spirit beginning with the Pentecostal movement of 1906, the New Order of the Latter Rain of 1949-52, possibly the Charismatic movement of 1959, possibly the Word of Faith movement, the Prophetic movement of 1980, the Apostolic movement of 1990, the Signs and Wonders movement of 1995-onward? More moves than Exlax my friends! In the face of all these unfulfilled deception ridden and experience driven nonrevivals Hill has the audacity to declare the greatest revival is just around the corner! Personally, I would rather enquire of the scriptures and see what they indicate regarding the last days. Does the Bible state that the Church and world will experience a world-wide soul-saving revival or not? Are there any prophetic statements that (in their context) indicate a great sweeping move of the Spirit prior to the return of Christ? I will simply cite a few of the biblical texts and let you draw your own conclusions: At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. Matthew 24:10-12 At that time if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ! or, There he is! do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the electif that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. Matthew 24:23-25 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their action deserve. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kind of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. The 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 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, ratherlovers of pleasure than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought thembringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 2 Peter 2:1-3 First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. 2 Peter 3: 4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 In these eight passages do you read anything about a great world-wide soul-saving revival? I read of the love of most people growing cold, of the danger of false Christs (truth Matters just dealt with one last month), false apostles, false teachers, and false prophets. At no time in recorded Church history have there been as many people claiming to either be a restored apostle or prophets as there are today. (16) Deceivers are going about seeming to work signs and wonders which are not from God. Claims of holy laughter, spiritual drunkenness, being slain in the spirit, heavenly jewels, and even angel feathers abound in thousands of congregations. People claiming to be ministers exploit those who follow them and making merchandise out of Gods gullible sheep. Countless numbers of professing Christians have indeed heaped up teachers who teach them exactly what they want to hear versus faithful teachers who will teach them what they need to hear. Revival? Sorry Mr. Hill I do not know what translation you are reading that gives you any idea of such a thing. The truth is the people who claim revival do so apart from scriptural support. Hills article, as I noted, does not mention one verse of scripture. Why not? The answer is simple, there arent any for him to cite. He and others must declare that the Lord has given them insight regarding the coming revival(s) supernaturally apart form the Bible. In closing to my charismatic brethren I would remind them of the old saying fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Dont get fooled again by this man with an abysmal track record. Dont be deceived by a man who would break the Third Commandment and lie in the name of the Lord God. No my friends, my advice is simply thiskeep your eyes focused upon Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith and pray for Mr. Hill and those who would be beguiled by him and others promising much but producing nothing of enduring value. Copyright Robert S. Liichow Endnotes

1. Underlining added for emphasis, Steve Hill, Get Ready to Serve, Charisma, April, 2007, 14 2. Bold type added for emphasis, Brownsville Revival Organization, Home page: http://www.brownsville-revival.org/index/php? option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=163/ accessed on April 9, 2007. 3. This book can be purchased form DMI for a donation of $10.00 plus 3.00 shipping and handling Roert Liichow, Fruit Proof (Detroit: by the author, 1999 4. Rev. Liichow has written separate booklets on each of these manifestations all of which can be purchased from DMI individuality or a set. 5. Religious Movements, http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Brownsv.html. Accessed on April 7, 2007). 6. I speak from experience as a former charismatic and revival participant I know that one cannot live off of yesterdays spiritual experience. 7. Brownsville Revival Magazine, http://www.victorious.com/BRMagazine/brsmopen.htm accessed on April 7, 2007 8. Bold type and underlining added for emphasis, Gannett, May, 1998, http://www.gannett.com/go/newswatch98/may/nw0515-1.htm accessed April 7, 2007 9. Steve Hill, Get Ready to Serve, Charisma, April, 2007, 14 10. Steve Hill, Get Ready to Serve, Charisma, April, 2007, 14 Underlining added. 11. Steve Hill, Get Ready to Serve, Charisma, April, 2007, 14 12. Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco, Texas Word, 1982), 64 13. Steve Hill, Get Ready to Serve, Charisma, April, 2007, 14 14. Steve Hill, Get Ready to Serve, Charisma, April, 2007, 14 15. Robert Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation (Waco, Texas Word, 1982), 64 16. A simple Google search on the Internet on the word apostle displays over 8 million web sites and prophets displays over 24 million. Certainly not all of these site are run by so-called restored prophets and apostles, but thousands of them are. Published in:

apologetics Apostolic Movement

Brownsville Revival charismatic charismatic extremism charismatic issues demonic Discernment Ministries International holy laughter Holy Spirit John Arnott John Kilpatrick New Wine occult Paul Yonggi Cho Prophetic Movement Revival Robert Schuller semi-Pelagian Sign-gift christians Slain in the Spirit Spiritual drunkenness TACF Theology

on October 25, 2009 at 1:46 PM Comments Off Tags: Charisma, Charismatic renewal, fanaticism, Holy Trinity Brompton, Holy Trinity Church, John Edward, Paranormal, Pentecostal, Revival, Signs and Wonders Movement, Steve Hill, Toronto Airport Fellowship

An Excerpt From December 2006 Charisma Magazine Going to Extremes

Truth Matters Newsletter December 2006 Vol. 11 Issue 12 An Excerpt From December, 2006 Charisma Magazine Going to Extremes

Discernment Ministries International Going to Extremes

Patricia King received criticism of her ministry to youth from many ministers including many in the network of prophetic pastors {which in itself tells DMI she must be waaay out there}. Here is what she says: The criticism centered on elements of Kings teachings, particularly third heaven encounters and what she calls the glory realm, a term coined among charismatic and renewal churches to

help explain experiences in which believers claim they are transported spiritually by the Holy Spirit into heaven for deep encounters with God, into hospital rooms to minister to dying people, into countries to discern the spiritual climate of specific locations. Some people report seeing angels and glory clouds or receive tangible expressions of their journeys in the form of gold dust, feathers, gemstones or manna. Although some Christians align such beliefs to a false source, King says the same kind of supernatural experiences were common in biblical times and shouldnt be feared by modern-day believers. Moving in the glory and third-heaven encounters is just walking with God. The supernatural has always been available for us, but we havent been open to stepping into it because our heads have gotten in the way. (page 52 Charisma, 12-06). Bold type and underling added. This article among others simply reinforces what DMI has written you in this months issue. The gold dust was long ago proven to be plastic micro flake, no angelic feathers have ever been shown or subjected to scientific research. Biblical manna lasted a day, then it turned rotten. No one has shown up with a taste to our knowledge. Not to mention that walking in the glory as she sees it, is not biblically walking with God. The experiences she describes are not common at all in the Bible, most of them are not even mentioned. Orthodox Christians are right to align these encounters with demonic activity versus the genuine work of the Holy Spirit. Please pray for all of those caught in this web of deception. Copyright 2006 Robert S. Liichow Published in:

charismatic demonic discernment Discernment Ministries International Holy Spirit manifestations occult Patricia King Prophetic Movement Signs & Wonders Movement

on September 24, 2009 at 3:48 PM Comments Off Tags: extreme prophetic, glory cloud, miracles, supernatural, third heaven, Transportation, Youth Ministry

The New Wine Hangover

Truth Matters Newsletters May 2006 Vol. 11 Issue 4 The New Wine Hangover by Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

The New Wine Hangover

I thought after considering the hundredth anniversary of Azusa Street enthusiasm that it would be appropriate to look into the current state of the Signs & wonders revival in our own day. One constant characteristic of Pentecostalism is the belief that God is continually doing a new thing in the Church. The trick is to find out what it is and get involved with it. Pentecostal folks are in a continual state of flux. (1) From 1906 until around 1910 Pentecostals believed that the Azusa experience was the final fulfillment of Joels prophecy and Jesus was due back anytime. The Azusa revival only lasted about three years and then it die out, although its concepts were spread far and wide. For forty years Pentecostal folks looked back fondly to Azusa and sought the Lord to do it again. Then the Post World War II healing revival and inauguration of the New Order of the Latter Rain began around 1946. Whereas Azusa alleged to give people the gift of tongues, this new move showed forth great healing and deliverance power along with the restoration of prophets and apostles. These restored prophets & apostles claimed to have the ability to impart supernatural power to their followers. This was seen as the last great worldwide-soul-saving move of the Spirit heralding the imminent return of our Lord. (2) This revival also lasted only about four or five years. Both the Azusa revival and the Healing revival spawned many sects founded on a wide variety of aberrant doctrines. Another approximately forty years later, according to Bill Hamon (3) that God restored the Prophetic Movement back to the Church. According to Hamon, the Prophetic established a platform for the Apostolic Movement to be birthed in the early 1990s which lead up to the most recent explosion of delusion via a man named Rodney Howard Browne, RHB), aka Gods Bartender. Rodney Howard Browne (RHB) was originally from South Africa and he came to the United States in 1987. (4) In 1988, the new wine began to be poured out by Gods bartender: From January 1988, they traveled across America for fifteen months, all the time praying that God would pour out His spirit upon His people and that they would have a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit that they would never forget. In the sixteenth month, April 1989, the glory of God was poured out in a Tuesday morning service in a church in upstate New York, beginning a revival that continued to this day. That week, hundreds of people were dramatically touched and changed by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and since then, hundreds of thousands of people, around the world, have experienced the life changing power of God. (5)

According to RHB he was preaching on hell one evening in New York City and suddenly people began to laugh uncontrollably. The harder he preached about the dangers of eternal damnation the more people began to laugh. Rodney Howard-Browne reported: One night I was preaching on hell, and laughter just hit the whole place. The more I told the people what hell was like, the more they laughed. The Holy Ghostmight have you do something that no ones ever done before, and he might have you do something thats totally unique. But dont question, and dont argue, and dont ask, and dont try to devise and to plan it out but just follow the prompting of the leading of the Spirit of God and oh, great and wonderful things shall be done, for God will move in diverse ways and with diverse anointing in these last days. (6) RHB interpreted this response to being the work of the Holy Spirit. (7) Naturally, one wonders why people began to laugh during the proclamation of such a serious topic. I am firmly convinced that anything that stops or hinders the preaching of Gods Holy Word must be attributed to sinful flesh or demonic activity. Whenever I read or hear reports that say Oh the Spirit was moving so strongly that we did not even get to the preaching, (which is commonly reported in these revival meetings) then I know that it was certainly not the working of Gods Spirit. The Holy Spirit uses the preaching of the Word of God to convict sinners and draw them to faith in Christ: Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? God uses the foolishness of preaching (and sometimes foolish preachers) to reach the lost: 1 Corinthians 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. RHB and all the other charismatic extremists look for Gods power to be something outside of the Word of God Itself. To them Gods power is some form of amorphous, tangible energy which can be transmitted from one person to another totally apart from the Word of God being proclaimed. Yet the Bible plainly teaches us in the following text: Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. RHBs big break did not come for almost another five years when he spoke at a large and influential charismatic congregation in Florida: In the spring of 1993, Karl Strader, pastor of Carpenters Church in Lakeland, Florida, invited him to preach. Scheduled for a one-week appearance, he was carried over for three more weeks. Since the services were broadcast on radio, many people began showing up at Carpenters Church to experience what they heard on the air. (8)

The Carpenters Church in Florida is the home congregation of Mr. Strang, who owns Strang Communication, which publishes Charisma Magazine. While he preached there, people began to laugh again, this time RHB encouraged the people to let go and let God pour the new wine of the Holy Spirit into their parched souls. Word spread rapidly, all the way from Florida to Tulsas City of Faith, aka Oral Roberts University and Oral and Richard Roberts flew over to see for themselves what the latest stirring of the waters was. Both Oral and Richard got soused with new wine from Joels Bar. (9) and immediately invited RHB to come back with them to the Maybee Center and hold revival meetings there. Richard Roberts documented this experience, including his own reception of holy laughter on video tape which can still be purchased through their website. Rodney Howard Browne at ORU - Oral Roberts and Richard Roberts It was the meetings in Tulsa that rocketed RHB to fame & Fortune and man of the charismatic glitterati came to the meetings to receive the latest work of the Spirit, including Charles and Francis Hunter aka, the Happy Hunters who went on the write a book and this latest outpouring of the Spirit entitled, Holy Laughter. (10) The Hunters also brag: The Spirit of God is swiftly moving in breathtaking and sometimes startling new ways, and people of every tongue and every nation are letting out what is on the inside of themthey are running at a fast pace to Joels Bar where the drinks are free and there is no hangover!one of todays signs in the earth beneath is the holy laughter which is supernaturally overcoming people in services all over the world! (11) Do not lose the mindset of Pentecostalism; by this I mean the continual search for Gods power apart from His Word. It has been almost forty years since the massive ministry machines of the roving healing evangelists and now, via RHB, God was pouring something completely new and available to the average sign-seeking believer. Was this really the new thing, possibly the last thing Pentecostals had been seeking? Was this the sign that God was performing before the return of Jesus? High profile Pentecostal leaders didnt want to get caught high-and dry if it was, so they began to chase the spiritual carrot on the stick RHB was dangling before their eyes. If the revival did not spread, theyd suffered no loss, they got their Gospel giggles. However, if it took off, then they could claim to be part of a historic spiritual event. Word spread throughout American Pentecostalism while RHB was working his shtick at Orals conference center. In 1993, one pastor, who by his own admission, was on the verge of spiritual burnout, and suffering from depression was encouraged to make his pilgrimage down to Tulsa and receive this new anointing. (12) This pastor was Randy Clark, who led the Vineyard congregation in St. Louis, MO. Initially Mr. Clark was reluctant to go because he was not open to the Word of Faith movement being part of John Wimbers Vineyard sect. (13) He ended up attending RHBs meetings and after having RHB lay his hands on him many times Mr. Clark received the new wine and took this highly exportable experience back to his Vineyard Congregation. This new experience caused many sign-seekers in St. Louis to flock to his church. Remember the cardinal rule: If anything causes people to coe to your church then it is a good thing. With the injection of this unbiblical phenomenon into his sagging congregation Clark became the go-to guy for Vineyard congregations. This sudden growth in Clarks congregation

caused another Vineyard pastor, John Arnott to contact Clark and ask him to come up to Toronto and hold a series of meetings to help pump some life into his small congregation. Randy came to Toronto and imparted the new wine to Arnott, his leaders and congregation members. From there, word began to spread about the new thing the Lord was doing in Toronto. Many people have wondered why the so-called holy laughter revival took off at this small church versus remaining centered around RHB. Part of the reason could be that the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship (TACF) was located near a large international airport and the Vineyard sect had many congregations across America and overseas. Whatever the reason, this much is sure what stared out from RHB quickly became know as the Toronto Blessing. Tens of Thousands of people made their pilgrimage to TACF to receive the latest experience and take back to their own congregations, commonly referred to as spreading the fire due to highly contagious nature of these manifestations. Arnott quickly cast himself in the role of one who was pasturing the revival. One of the earliest countries affected by the latest outbreak of spiritual enthusiasm was England, Holy Trinity in Brompton to be specific. It was at Holy Trinity Church that a young American Assemblies of God evangelist received the Toronto blessing, his name was Steve Hill. Steve Hill left England and came to an Assembly of God church in Brownsville, Florida that was being led by a pastor John Kilpatrick. On June 18, 1995, Steve Hill got up to preach his Fathers Day message and revival broke out in Brownsville AOG! Well at least that was what Kilpatrick and Hill wanted people to believe, I.e. that a spontaneous and sovereign move of the Holy Spirit had broken forth at Brownsville. The TRUTH of the matter is that prior to Hills arrival Kilpatricks wife and many leaders from Brownsville went to TACF to acquire the fire. (14) They showed videos to those who could not take time to Pilgrimage to TACF. In short, they

primed the pump and built up the peoples expectations before Hill c on the scene. When Hill arrived the Lord began to pour out His new wine.

ame

True to form, over a million sign-seekers traversed land and sea, chasing the charismatic carroton-the-stick to get to Brownsville. Many had already been to Tulsa, then to Toronto and now to Brownsville. The same sort of thing happened forty years earlier when the healing hucksters roamed the nations. A.A. Allen would come to town, people would flock to his meetings for a touch from Gods man of the hour. Then Jack Coe would come next month, the same people would run to Coes meetings, from there to Oral Roberts tent when we came through. Always seeking and never receiving the thing promised (the proverbial carrot on the stick). This is nothing new, Jesus had to deal with sign-seekers in His ministry as well. Here is what our Master had to say;

Matthew 12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: In reality this so-called latest outpouring has been anything but spontaneous or sovereign on Gods part. The manifestations proved to be highly transmittable, or the sign-seeking people seem to be highly suggestible in being willing to believe something divine is being given to them. The following flow chart demonstrates the human chain of transmission regarding the Holy Laughter revival aka the Toronto Blessing aka The Brownsville Outpouring: The Unbroken Chain of HUMAN Transmission of the New Wine Rodney Howard Brown The Carpenters Church Then to Oral & Richard Roberts, ORU Convention Center Randy Clark gets the blessing Taken it to St. Louis Randy then goes to Toronto Airport Christian Church (TACF)

John Arnott, Leader of TACF hypes it to the Charismatic world Holy Trinity Brompton Bestows blessing to Steve Hill Steve Hill takes it to Brownsville/Pensacola, Florida AOG church Brownsville promotes the new experience to over a million people All these leaders end up leaving their ministries within 5 years

Revival over, dead in the water, fini! Millions of sign-seekers left with nothing but spiritual ennui & they are praying desperately to learn what the next move of God will be!

Stay Tuned Campers!

The experience in Toronto and Brownsville were never equated as the same type of revival by both sets of leaders. The Toronto Blessing seemed to appeal more to the various charismatic sects, whereas the Pensacola Outpouring was initially geared towards attracting the classic Pentecostal denominations, beginning with the Assembly of God Rodney Howard Brown never spoke nor imparted anything at either church during their simultaneous moves of the Spirit. There are at least two reasons why RHB never was invited to participate in these massive meetings: (1) the leaders at TAFC & BAG wanted to keep the illusion that what was taking place in their midst was a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit and (2) neither group fully embraced many of the concepts espoused by the Word of Faith movement of which RHB was a member. I have thoroughly examined this so-called revival from start to finish and there are simply no accounts of holy laughter simply breaking out in congregations. Every instance I know of, which is quite a few of them, these manifestations were brought into congregations by leaders or individuals who received an impartation at some other vortex of delusion. From about 1995 to 2000 both groups (and many other smaller congregations) tried to keep the revival fire stoked with everything from holding spiritual drunkards conferences, (15) reports of God filling peoples teeth with gold and platinum, reports of diamonds and precious stones appearing in various sanctuaries and even reports of angels feathers being found after worship! However, as with the Azusa meetings, the Healing revival, the Catholic charismatic renewal movement and lastly the Holy Laughter revivalthe enthusiasm died down and a great emptiness filled the lives of millions of sign-seekers. This sense of lack is what I refer to as a spiritual hangover. The party was over, uncontrollable laughing, hopping up and down and falling into cataleptic trances on the floor (aka doing carpet time) was pass. Like a junkie experiencing withdrawal the sign-seeker was left asking where is the next high? What about the leaders of this move of God? They were and are responsible for all the bold claims they made to millions regarding the fad they were promoting. They claimed people needed to come to their centers and receive what God was currently doing. And come they did, often at great personal expense and they left with their impartations of new wine and took them

back to their home congregations. From our research virtually every congregation that embraced this delusion ended up in a church split. (16) John Arnott more or less abdicated his role at TACF, he is still there, but he is busy these days trying to discern what the next big thing is via a para-church ministry sponsored by TACF. TACF is back down to a small church size, gone are the thousands of daily visitors from around the world. John Kilpatrick? Oh, he moved on (or was moved out) from serving as Pastor at the Brownsville Assembly of God church. Once the hoopla that he touted ended, so did his role as pastor. Kilpatrick now heads up John Kilpatrick Ministries and will be opening an independent church called the Church of His Presence, in AL. (17) Steve Hill? Well old stevie was the first to bail out from BAG when he quickly noticed that the cloud had moved on. His job was done, hed fleeced all the pockets he could and it was time to take the money and run. Today Hill has turned in his evangelist hat and has opted to pastor an independent church called Heartland Fellowship Church located in Texas. (18) Lindel Cooley, the highly anointed music/worship leader at Brownsville, he took off right after Mr. Hill and now operates Music Missions International. On his website he declares that the Brownsville revival is the longest running revival in American history, which is simply a lie. (19) What of the father of this current strain of insanity, Mr. Rodney Howard Brown? RHB, although the man who can rightly claim to be the initiator of the enthusiasm, quickly became a bit-player and faded from prominence. He too dropped the evangelist role and decided to become a pastor. Currently he is the head of The River Church another independent congregation. By the way, he continually refers to himself as Doctor RHB. This too is a lie. He received a doctorate from the School of Bible Theology in San Jacinto, CA. This is a diploma mill. Not only were the manifestations he foisted upon millions spurious, his own educational and some of his ministerial background is equally fallacious. I close this article out by simply asking what good fruit came from this revival? None that I can discern. At worst, millions of people were duped into accepting possible demonic activity into their lives and at best people simply emptied their minds and gave themselves over to fleshly indulgence disguised as the work of the Spirit. Churches were split, lifelong friendships and more then a few marriages were destroyed. All those who ran to TACF or BAG are left today wondering what the next great thing will be. Many are disenchanted with Church and church leaders. Especially when it became well publicized how wealthy Arnott, Kilpatrick, Hill, Cooley and others became due to the revival. What can we learn from past and this most recent revival? Keeping in mind that all the Pentecostal revivals have at their root a belief in restoration within the Church it must be stated that Jesus Christ is still Head of the Church, which is His body (read Eph. 5:23). Gods plan for His people has continued since He conceived it. Fallen humanity and all the demons of hell cannot detour what God has ordained. Christ Jesus has lost nothing pertaining to His Body (read John 6:39).

There is not one genuine spiritual benefit to the Church from any of these revivals from Azusa to this current time. All of the people who laughed uncontrollably are not any more sanctified today than prior to their fits of laughing. The thousands who spent hours in catatonic paralytic fits on sanctuary floors are no more powerful in Christ today than prior to their temporary psychotic breaks with normal reality. No great biblical insights were granted to any of the so-called restored apostles or prophets due to these meetings. No further true unity (20) was developed and sustained due to the revival. Upon close examination the Toronto Blessing and Pensacola outpouring were much a due about nothing. Probably the most important lesson that can be gleaned from this most recent example of excess is that need for the people of God to look to the Holy Scriptures alone and find in them all they need to give a godly and spiritually prosperous life. There is no such thing as a spiritual quick fix {unless you are a spiritual jukie, seeking the next high}. Spiritual maturity takes a lifetime, no one can mystically impart it to you anymore than someone can make you a prophet by laying their hands on you. It is an honorable desire to want to be used of our Lord in a mighty way. Sadly, many think mighty means becoming the next charismatic superstar, when in our Lords eyes being mighty may be serving as a faithful janitor in your local church. Those who are running hither-thither and yon after the anointing, sincere as they may be, are probably some of the least productive people in the Kingdom. I end by saying grow where you are planted, be faithful in promoting Gods work, attend Bible study, share your faith at home and work, prey for your bothers and sistersThis will not only make you a vessel of honor, but will also keep you from ever-suffering from a spiritual hangover!

Copyright 2006 Robert S. Liichow End Notes 1. I am using Pentecostal in the article to refer to all the branches of this aspect of religion. It includes the entire charismatic movement (yes, I know there is a difference between classic Pentecostalism and charismatic groups), i.e. the Word of Faith, Prophetic, Apostolic, Signs and Wonders and basic run-of-the-mill sign gift sects. 2. Let me be clear in stating that I believe in the imminent return of Christ for His Church. He could come before you finish this issue. I do not predicate my belief on anything I see going on in the Church, or the world, simply on His promise in the Bible. 3. Bill Hamon is a false prophet and prolific writer. He holds traveling schools where one can learn to be a prophet of the Lord. He is the product of a Latter Rain sect and he has been trumpeting their aberrant doctrine for 20+ years now.

4. Obtained from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_Howard_Browne. 5. Obtained from http://www.revival.com/www/r.asp?p=11, RHBs official website. 6. Burns, Cathy. Unholy Laughter Part One 7. A similar occurrence transpired at the Vineyard Church led by the late John Wimber. A meeting was taking place, people began to laugh uncontrollably so Wimber, who was no stranger to odd manifestations, had the laughing people brought forward and he and his leaders attempted to cast the demons out of these people. When they failed in the deliverance attempts, Wimber declared that what was taking place was of the Holy Spirit since they were powerless to stop the laughing. 8 Obtained from http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/holylaugh.htm. 9. RHB became know as Gods Bartender and he referred to this novel experience (at least in our time) as getting drunk at Joels Bar, a reference to the prophecy in Joel which has been repeatedly re-fulfilled by every enthusiastic movement since the true Pentecost in the Book of Acts. 10. Hunter, Charles and Francis, Holy Laughter, Hunter Publishing, 1994. 11. Tarkowski, Ed. The Laughing Phenomena: From South Africa to St. Louis to Toronto to Your Church (Part 1), The Christian Conscience (February 1995, Vol. 1 No. 2) p. 25. Bold type added. 12. Obtained from http://www.geocites.com/heartland/plains/4948/vine3is5.html. 13. It is important to keep in mind that a few years back (80s and 90s) there was little agreement between the various Pentecostal/charismatic camps. Shepherding folks did not buy into Word of Faith concepts. Classic Pentecostal denominations did not believe that most nontraditional Pentecostal people had the genuine Holy Ghost. Wimbers Vineyard was a bit of a melting pot of Later Rain/Prophetic/Signs and Wonders, but in general was not into the name-itand-claim-it people. It was not until recently, post Holy Laughter phenomena, that all of these groups are coalescing into a miasma of error. 14. Cathy Wood, a member of the Brownsville Revival, has written many articles proclaiming the link between the two movements. She and many other Brownsville Revival members attribute the coming of revival to the visits that the pastors wife and the worship leader, Lindel Cooley, paid to the Toronto Blessing. Many of the members felt that the anointing that both had received from the Toronto Blessing provided them with the spirit of revival to bring back to Brownsville ( http://ww.pen.net/~crow/proof.html ) Evangelist Steve Hill also met Sandy Miller, the pastor at the Trinity Brompton Anglican Church in London, where manifestations are also occurring. He was refreshed by Sandy Miller beore he came to Brownsville and began the revival. In his church now almost identical manifestations are taking place.

(http://crash.ihug.co.nz/pensa.html) Obtained from http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/Brownsv.html 15. My wife and I personally observed one such conference at TACF where the people came from all over the world to receive the new wine to such an extent that it paralleled physical drunkenness. The same type of thing was promoted at BAG as well. 16. I have documented this in our book Fruit Proof which is filled with eyewitness accounts from various charismatic and Pentecostal people caught up in the madness. This book is offered in this months issue. 17. Obtained from http://www.partnersinrevival.org/index.htm. 18. See his web site at http://www.heartlandfamily.com/ 19. http://www.mmi-inc.com/discography.htm. 20. I say true unity because biblical unity is based only upon agreement with the Word of God. Published in:

Apostolic Movement Brownsville Revival discernment Discernment Ministries International holy laughter impartation John Arnott John Kilpatrick John Wimber Lakeland manifestations New Wine Oral Roberts Pensacola Outpouring Revival, Prophetic Movement Revival Rodney Howard Browne TACF Toronto Blessing Vineyard Word of Faith

on August 24, 2009 at 6:14 PM Leave a Comment Tags: aberrant, AOG, Azusa, Bil Hamon, Brownsville, Carpenter's Church, Charisma, Charles

and Francis Hunter, Discernment Ministries, Fire, healing, Joel's Bar, Paranormal, Pentecostal, Randy Clark, Restoration, Revival, Steve Hill, Strang Communication, The River

Azusas 100th Anniversary (The Truth Behind the Hype)

Truth Matters Newsletters April 2006 Vol. 11 Issue 4 Azusas 100th Anniversary by Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

Azusas 100th Anniversary (The Truth Behind the Hype)

I want to add a few comments before getting into the heart of this article because I am aware that we have new readers each month that may not be as familiar with my background as some of our more seasoned readers. I was raised as a child in a Christian home by godly parents and was baptized a member of the United Presbyterian Church. Years later when I was at the University of Michigan, having wandered away from Fathers house like the prodigal son, I came into contact with a charismatic community called The Word of God Community (WOG). (1) WOG offered a six week course called Life in the Spirit and at the end of the lessons, hands were laid on the participants they were supposed to receive their heavenly prayer language, i.e. begin to speak in other tongues. I underwent the training and became a member of the Pentecostal Church of God. I left that very small congregation and joined a new group on campus led by a man who had just graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center called Greater Faith Christian Center. It was there that I met my wife and became part of the Word of Faith movement, leaving behind the Discipleship movement and classic Pentecostalism. Without going into a lot more detail, my wife and I ended up participating in the Prophetic movement which sort of morphed into the Apostolic movement and at the very end before our doctrinal deliverance, the Signs and Wonders move. I say all this, to simply alert the reader that I am not writing about something I have not personally seen, heard, experienced and unfortunately, taught to others. I write this article from both an experiential point-of-view as well as a researched position.

100 Years of Revival?

This April is the celebration of the so-called Azusa Street Revival which is traditionally considered the official beginning of Pentecostalism in the United States.

The very word Azusa conjures up nothing but positive images in the minds of virtually all Pentecostal/charismatic believers. To them, it was a time of a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit as was experienced in the Book of Acts. The proof of this outpouring was the evidence of seekers beginning to speak in what was termed other tongues. (2) Supernatural gifts long dormant in the Church were being imparted and restored. It was a time of worldwide evangelism and divine healing and miracles. The emphasis behind the evangelism was the belief that Jesus Christ was very quickly going to return and rapture the Church. Thus He needed to again supernaturally equip His saints to go into the entire world and preach the Gospel. Azusa was fertile soil from which many famous Pentecostal ministries were birthed. This is what I called the hype surrounding the Azusa experience. Yet nothing happens in a vacuum. People did not suddenly begin to speak in tongues, prophesy, sing in other tongues, dance in the spirit, slain in the spirit, etcdue to some sovereign move of God at Azusa. There was over 100 years of priming the pump before the alleged outpouring at Azusa street occurred.

Some Historical Background Prior to Azusa

The first thing to always keep in mind when thinking about any Pentecostal or charismatic group is that they are at the core restorationalistic in their belief system. This simply means they believe the Church at some point lost its spiritual bearings and power and God has had to restore the supernatural gifts (tongues, prophesy, miracles, etc) and spiritual direction (now through restored prophets and apostles) back to the Church in order to bring Her to a state purity where the Lord can return for Her. The basic text cited is: Acts 3:19-21 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. The mindset was and still is that God must send times of refreshing, i.e. revival to the Church. At some point the big revival will occur during which time God will restore everything lost to the Church and then Jesus can come for His Bride. Many groups prior to the Azusa experience claimed to be chosen ones to be used to restore the Church and bring back Jesus.

The Shaker Cult, Americas first Pentecostals

Ann Lee, the Founder of the United Society of Believers came to America in 1772 (a little over 130 years prior to Azusa). I have detailed their aberrant beliefs in my book The Two Roots of Todays Revival, of which we still have a few copies left. The Shakers were the first group in America to speak in other tongues, prophesy, sing in other tongues, manifest holy laughter, be slain in the spirit, dance in the spirit, shake, and become drunk in the spirit. All of this is fully detailed in my book and many places on the Internet. They believed they were the true Church and were very evangelistic due to believing the end of times was upon the world and also

because they taught strict celibacy so numerical growth had to come from inducting new members into the cult.

The Cane Ridge Revival

Started around 1801 (just shy of 100 years before Azusa) as a gathering of Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist preachers who gathered to preach to the unconverted. Shaker evangelists also came to these meetings and brought with them their manifestations (the same ones we see in charismatic congregations today). The end result was that the Shakers imparted their gifts to many at the meetings and even gained some converts from Christian churches! Here are a few citations of the pandemonium brought on by the manifestations: The first was held at Cabin-Creek. It began on the 22nd of May, and continued four days and three nights. The scene was awful beyond description; the falling, crying out, praying, exhorting, singing, shouting & exhibited such new and striking evidences of a supernatural power, that few, if any could escape without being affected. Such as tried to run from it, were frequently struck on the way, or impelled by some alarming signal to return, but there were moreover in the schismatic worship, a species of exercises of an involuntary kind, which seemed to have been substituted by the Great Spirit, in the room of the falling, &c. which had been among the NewLight. The principal of these, were the rolling exercise, the jerks, and the barks. Still more demeaning and mortifying were the jerks. Nothing in nature could better represent this strange and unaccountable operation, than for one to goad another, alternately on every side, with a piece of red hot iron. The exercise commonly began in the head which would fly backward and forward, and from side to side, with a quick jolt, which the person would naturally labor to suppress, but in vain: and the more any one laboured to stay himself and be sober, the more he staggered, and the more rapidly his twitches increased. He must necessarily go as he was stimulated, whether with a violent dash on the ground and bounce from place to place like a foot-ball, or hop round with head, limbs and trunk, twitching and jolting in every direction, as if they must inevitably fly asunder. (3) What these few examples tell us is that the people involved at Cane Ridge were overtaken by paranormal manifestations which included making animal noises (sound familiar?), jerking, spontaneous and uncontrollable physical movements along with spiritual drunkenness! All such manifestations were common to the Shaker cult and as I have been contending, this cult brought them into the religious gathering. The end result of this revival? Schism and division occurred among true Christians. Ungodly manifestations were brought in by enthusiasts and the non-Christian Shaker cult. The defection of some former Christian pastors to join the Shaker cult. Many of the holiness denominations have their roots back at the Cane Ridge meetings. The holiness movement was another precursor to what was to become known as Pentecostalism. Some of these groups taught that there were various baptisms one must undergo with the goal of achieving sinless perfection. Some groups spoke in tongues, others practiced divine healing. All of this was transpiring almost 100 years before Azusa in the United States. Overseas other groups that predated Azusa were also active and laying groundwork for the Azusa experience.

Edward Irving, Founder of the Catholic Apostolic Church

In 1831 Irving began to establish his own denomination (which still exists today) after being excommunicated as a heretic by the London Presbyterian Church. Irving, like all the other schismatics and cults of his time, was a firm believer in the need for the sign-gifts to be restored to the Church in order for Christ to return: Irvings study of the Bible had also convinced him that all Christians should be baptized in the Holy Spirit and as evidence they would speak in tongues. There should also be prophecies and healings. (The general view was that these outward signs of power had ceased after the death of the apostles and the baptism was now limited to the inward gift of sanctification and fruitfulness.) During 1830 there were claims that people in the west of Scotland were manifesting these signs. After careful investigation, Irving was convinced they were genuine and that this was the start of the final outpouring of the Holy Spirit before the return of Jesus Christ. Irving was particularly interested in prophecy. He predicted there would be a widespread outpouring of the Holy Spirit and that the Jews would return to their own land. These have both happened in the first half of this century. Irving thought it would be much sooner. He believed the Millennium would commence in 1867. For many people, his prophecies convinced them he was a crank. Irving not only believed in Divine healing but also that sickness came as a consequence of sin. Three of his four children died at an early age. Irving had believed God would heal them but then decided it was judgment for his sin. (4) Irving ordained twelve men to serve as restored apostles in his new sect, although he himself was not one of these men, nor was he viewed as a prophet. What convinced Irving that the gift of tongues had indeed been restored is when he investigated reports concerning two sisters who lived in Scotland: There had been a legend that the spiritual gifts of earlier days would reassert themselves before the end, and here apparently was the forgotten gift of tongues coming back into the experience of mankind. It had begun in 1830 on the western side of Scotland, where the names of the sensitives, Campbell and MacDonald, spoke of that Celtic blood which has always been more alive to spiritual influences than the heavier Teutonic strain. The Albury Prophets were much exercised in their minds, and an emissary was sent from Mr. Irvings church to investigate and report. He found that the matter was very real. The people were of good repute, one of them,

indeed, a woman whose character could best be described as saintly. The strange tongues in which they both talked broke out at intervals, and the manifestation was accompanied by healing miracles and other signs of power. Clearly it was no fraud or pretence, but a real influx of some strange force which carried one back to apostolic times. The faithful waited eagerly for further developments.These were not long in coming, and they broke out in Irvings own church. It was in July, 1831, that it was rumored that certain members of the congregation had been seized in this strange way in their own homes, and discreet exhibitions were held in the vestry and other secluded places. The pastor and his advisers were much puzzled as to whether a more public demonstration should be tolerated.The sounds came from both women and men, and consisted in the first instance of unintelligible noises which were either mere gibberish, or some entirely unknown language. Sudden, doleful, and unintelligible sounds, says one witness. There was a force and fullness of sound, said another description, of which the delicate female organs would seem incapable. It burst forth with an astounding and terrible crash, says a third. Many however, were greatly impressed by these sounds, and among them was Irving himself. (5) Irving himself never spoke in other tongues, yet he did endorse and promote the experience. He and his sect were on the forefront of pre-millenarianism which later became part-and-parcel of American Pentecostalism. Like all of the others, Irving was firmly convinced that the manifestation of the original sign-gifts was proof that the return of Christ was at hand. His date setting proved false as did various prophetic utterances within his sect Later Pentecostals would have done well to learn from Edwards mistakes.

John Alexander Dowie, Founder of Zion, IL.

Dowie was educated in Edinburgh, Scotland and began his first pastorate in Australia in 1872 where he served over a Congregationalist church. While serving as a pastor disease hit his congregation and many of his members died. This drove Dowie to seek God concerning divine healing: And there I sat with sorrow bowed head for my afflicted people, until the bitter tears came to relieve my burning heart. Then I prayed for some message, and oh, how I longed to hear some words from Him who wept and sorrowed for the suffering long ago, the Man of Sorrows an Sympathies. And then the words of the Holy Ghost inspired in Acts 10:38 stood before me all

radiant with light, revealing Satan as the defiler and Christ as the Healer. My tears were wiped away, my heart was strong, I saw the way of healing, and the door thereto was opened wide, and so I said, God help me now to preach that word to all the dying round, and tell them how tis Satan still defiles, and Jesus still delivers, for He is just the same today. (6) Dowie began to travel around the world proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Healer. His aspect of restoration can be summed up with the view of divine healing power being given back to the Church, especially through him. Eventually Dowie ended up in America preaching from coast to coast. While in Chicago he was deemed a fraud and a fake and was told to leave the city. In 1895 he founded an organization called The Christian Catholic Church, and eventually purchased land outside of Chicago where he began to build his version of the Kingdom of God on earth, know as Zion City. His sycophants began to tell him that he was indeed Elijah who was to appear before the return of Christ. He began to believe their lies and shortly after proclaiming himself to be Elijah he suffered a massive stroke in 1906 and died in 1907. Many prominent Pentecostal leaders would come from Zion City, finding their way to the Azusa meetings. I guess with the death of Elijah it seemed pretty obvious to many people that the pillar of fire and cloud had moved on, this time to Los Angeles, CA.

The Keswick Movement, Total Sanctification Now!

This movement also had its roots in England and was also known as the Higher Life movement. It dates vary from as early as 1858 to as late as 1870, still a good 30 years prior to Azusa. Their main emphasis was the belief in a definite experience or work of grace they called sanctification. The main idea of the Higher Life movement is that the Christian should move on from his initial conversion experience to also experience a second work of God in his life. This work of God is called entire sanctification, the second blessing, the second touch, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and various other terms. Higher Life teachers promoted the idea that Christians who had received this blessing from God could live a more holy, that is less sinful or even a sinless life. This teaching has its roots in John Wesleys doctrine of Christian perfection. (7) The importance of the Keswick Movement upon American Pentecostalism was the strong belief in a distinct experiential second work of the Holy Spirit in a believers life. Without obtaining this experience, then the Christian could not progress on into deeper levels of godliness. Pearsall Smith (1827-98) and Hanna Whitall Smith (1832 1911). This married couple became prominent higher life teachers who widened the popularity of Boardmans teaching throughout Britain. The higher life movement reached its culmination through the labors of the Smiths. Out of their efforts in the early years of the fourth quarter of the nineteenth century grew the great Keswick Movement. The Smiths higher life meetings and conferences did much to set the pattern for the Keswick Movement. Their emphasis arose as the result of their own entry into deeper spiritual experiences. Mrs. Pearsall Smiths own account reveals that she was seized with wonder as to why spiritual victory was always out of reach. She finally identified the problem. She had stopped with the blessed truth of justification, but hadnt gone on to the twin

truth of sanctification by faith. She then learned that victory was by faith and that there was an experience called the second blessing, which brought one into a place of victory. (8) The reason why this specific movement was influential to fledgling Pentecostalism was because it was based on two concepts: (1) If there could be a second blessing or gift of grace from the Holy Spirit who had to say that blessing was sanctification? Also, if there could be a second blessing, why not a third or forth endowment with Holy Ghost power/fire/gifts/anointing? (2) It was based on individuals having a direct tangible experience. Early Pentecostalism and todays charismatic groups are all extremely experiential in every respect.

The Welsh Revival

Wales has a history of revivalism but the one that most people are familiar with is the brief preAzusa revival of 1904-1906. The most prominent leader of this revival was a young man named Evans Roberts. Although he intended to attend school and obtain theological training he found himself at the beginnings of a massive outbreak of spiritual enthusiasm: After his three months training at Newcastle Emlyn he was to return to Casllwchwr to start his ministry. He is said to have direct visions from the Holy Spirit; very specific visions such as the number 100,000 representing the souls God is to use him to save. As the revival unfolded Evan Roberts is said to depend more and ,more on what he considered the guiding of the Holy Spirit, thus neglecting the authority of the Scriptures. (9) Roberts never obtained his theological education and as the citation notes, he depended more on what he considered the guiding of the Holy Spirit than the Scriptures. The revival meetings that Roberts held also included strange paranormal manifestations. These outbursts became so pronounced in the meetings that Roberts left the revival in disgust. Once he left his leadership role the revival sputtered out. After departing from what he saw as demonic activity in the meetings he worked on a book with another Welsh sister named Jessie Penn-Lewis. The book they wrote is titled War on the Saints. This book is in reprint, but if someone wants to purchase a copy I advise them to make sure and buy an unabridged version and not the redacted one that is most common. I would also put out a word of warning concerning Jessie Penn-Lewis, she herself was probably mentally unstable and most certainly theologically ignorant herself, however, what I find fascinating in her book is the portion where she and Roberts deal with how Satan counterfeits the genuine working of the Holy Spirit. As far as that portion of the book goes, she is spot on in my opinion. (10) According to the revival reports 100,000 people are supposed to have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. The revival was well publicized to such an extent that what was transpiring in Wales was well known among the holiness movement in America. The revival in Wales with its attending signs and wonders only further whetted the spiritual appetites of American restorationalists. Expectancy of revival intensified in Los Angeles, California, when believers there heard about the remarkable revival in Wales, where from September 1904 to June 1905, 100,000 people were converted to Christ. For the evangelicals around the world who had been praying for the

outpouring of the latter rain of the Spirit as promoted by the Old Testament prophet Joel (2:2329), the spectacular results in Wales suggested that the great end-times revival had begun. The world could now be evangelized in the power of the Spirit before the imminent return of Christ and the impending judgment on the wicked. (11) The underlined portion of this citation regarding the Welsh revival is exactly the theological position of American holiness preachers. They already believed and had experienced a second blessing from the Holy Spirit and it seemed to them that there was more power to be obtained from God, and, in fact, necessary to receive in order to evangelize the world before the return of Christ. This brings us back to the United States and the father of American Pentecostalism, Mr. Charles Fox Parham. Without the Work of Mr. Parham there is good chance that Pentecostalism as we know it today would not have come into existence. The Azusa meetings were not started by Parham and he really had very little to do with those meetings in person. The Azusa experience and the subsequent development of American Pentecostalism can genuinely be considered the child of father Parhams labor. However, like any parent, he or she bears some responsibility for the actions of their children. Accordingly, it behooves us to take some time and look at Mr. Parham and his ministry before we can even begin to consider what occurred a few years later at 312 Azusa Street in Los Angeles, CA.

Charles F. Parham, Father of American Pentecostalism

To state that Mr. Parham was a man with a very checkered background is putting it mildly, Parham started out in the Methodist/holiness movement and became a preacher around the age of 14 or 15 (the Bible warns us about the danger of placing a novice in leadership positions, see 1 Tim 3:6). Charles was converted in 1886 when he attended evangelistic meetings at a local Congregational church; a Damascus road experience that changed the direction of his life. Shortly afterward, Parham began attending a Methodist church where he taught Sunday school. At age 15, he began conducting revival services on his own. To further prepare himself for ministry, in 1890, he enrolled at Southwest Kansas College in Winfield. While a student, Parham backslid and decided to become a medical doctor. But following another bout with rheumatic fever, he recommitted himself to the ministry. Returning to evangelistic work, he obtained a ministers license from the Southwest Kansas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, North.Parhams relationship with his Methodist superiors became tense. His ambiguous attitude toward denominational affiliation did not warm their hearts. More importantly, Parhams

adoption of Wesleyan holiness theology with its crisis experience of sanctification branded him as a troublemaker. Holiness preachers declared that following conversion, believers should seek for this second blessing to purge the Adamic nature from their hearts. To Methodist leaders, this smacked of doctrinal aberrationAt the annual Southwest Kansas district conference in 1895, Parham surrendered his license to preach and left denominationalism forever. Denouncing Methodism as spiritually bankrupt, he had a world-wide parish, free of the confines of a pastorate, with a lot of theater-going, card-playing, wine-drinking, fashionable, unconverted Methodists. Though freedom from denominational restraints offered Parham the liberty he desired, it brought new problems, uncertainties, and hardships. (11) What we can see in Parhams life is that he never received a solid biblical education which left him susceptible to aberrant beliefs. One major belief he was the fountainhead of was the idea that denominations were basically not of God and that churches should be independent groups without any real structural leadership. This concept was trumpeted by William Branham and those who followed him as a prophet during the late 1940s. The desire to destroy all denominational distinctions lives on today in the prophetic/apostolic movements. Parhams issues with the Methodist Church went far beyond just a young man chaffing under the spiritual oversight of others. Parham believed several heretical concepts including: Parham, the founder of Pentecostalism, was riddled with doctrinal heresies. He believed in annihilation of the unsaved and denied the Bible doctrine of eternal torment. He taught that there were two separate creations, and that Adam and Eve were of a different race than people who allegedly lived outside of the Garden of Eden. The first race of men did not have souls, he claimed, and this race of unsoiled people was destroyed in the flood. Parham believed that those who received the latter days spirit baptism and spoke in tongues would make up the bride of Christ and would have a special place of authority at Christs return. He believed in a partial rapture composed of tongues speakers. Parham believed that physical healing is the Christians birthright. (13) As far as research can determine he never recanted any of these beliefs. His aberrant beliefs concerning divine healing became part of the original doctrine of what is known today as the Church of God in Christ, one of the largest Pentecostal denominations (sorry Charles) in the world: In spite of his teaching that it was always Gods will to heal and that medicine and doctors must be shunned, one of Parhams sons died at age 16 of a sickness which was not healed. In October 1904 a nine-year-old girl named Nettie Smith died. Her father was an avid follower of Parham and refused medical treatment for his daughter. Netties death turned local public opinion against Parham because the little girls sickness was treatable and the community therefore considered her death unnecessary. Parham himself suffered various sicknesses throughout his life and at times was too sick to preach or travel. For example, he spent the entire winter of 1904-05 sick and bedridden (James Goff r., Fields White Unto Harvest, p. 94), in spite of his own preaching that healing is guaranteed in the atonement. Parham was the first Pentecostal preacher to pray over handkerchiefs and mail them to those who desired his ministrations (Goff, p. 104) (14)

Do his beliefs strike a familiar ring with any of our former charismatic readers? The Word of Faith cult teaches it is always Gods will to heal. Dr. Hobart Freeman (now deceased) also taught the shunning of medicine; this only cost him close to 100 deaths in his congregation in northern Indiana, the location of his church the Glory Barn. To this day various sign-gift sects teach against using medicine or going to doctors. It can all be traced back to Parham. However, Goff is wrong in his comments about Parham being the first Pentecostal preacher to pray over handkerchiefs. The first Pentecostal in America to use handkerchiefs for healing purposes was none other than Joseph Smith, the first restored prophet to the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (15) Again, to this day it is in Mormon doctrine that their Bishops can have the ability to speak in other tongues, and obviously the Mormon Church believes in restored prophets. (16) Keep in mind that the Mormon cult was founded in 1830, 76 years before the Azusa experience. Parhams main claim to fame comes from his Bible school which was located in Topeka, Kansas: In plush surroundings at the former Stone mansion outside of Topeka, Kansas, the first Pentecostal revival of the century began on January 1, 1901. This revival would give rise to the most dynamic force for evangelism and missions in modern times. The elegant setting, however, meant little to the band of 40 students of the Bethel Bible School that the 27-year-old Charles F. Parham had begun 3 months earlier in these rented facilities. Convinced that God had commissioned them as missionaries in the last days, they gathered to pray for the promised latter rain outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:23,28,29), to acquire the same spiritual power that marked the expansion of the Early Church. In this intense atmosphere of expectancy on New Years Day, student Agnes N. Ozman became the first to receive the sign of Spirit baptism: speaking in tongues. Thus was the Church militant again permitted to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, mused Parham. With the great end-times revival beginning and the army of harvesters prepared for the mission fields, the clouds would soon part and the Lord himselfdescend from heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16). (17) Parham had been teaching his students that they should expect the Lord to give them supernatural power to evangelize the world. The manner in which they would know that they had received this baptism of power (just as with the Holiness belief in a secondary experience) would be the evidence/experience of speaking in other tongues. In the fall of 1900, after leading his students through a series of Bible studies on repentance; justification by faith, sanctification, and healing, Parham instructed them on Spirit baptism. By the end of December, they were prepared to encounter Acts 2 in a new way. After the revival commenced on New Years Day, he announced that the students had spoken many languages. He himself had received the capability of preaching in German and Swedish, Agnes Ozman in Chinese, and others in a variety of languages including Japanese, Hungarian, Syrian, Hindi, and Spanish. Parham noted that cloven tongues of fire appeared over the heads of speakers. Sometimes interpretations followed such as God is love,: Jesus is mighty to save, and Jesus is ready to hear. (18)

During the formative years of Pentecostalism in America Pentecostal people believed that speaking in other tongues was a genuine language not some angelic tongue or private ecstatic speech as sign-gift people teach today. There is no independent proof that Agnes Ozaman, Parham or anyone else actually received the biblical gift of other languages. In 1905 Parham moved his school and students to Houston, Texas which is where the Azusa connection is finally made.

One of Parhams students was a man named William J. Seymour, who can be considered the father of the Azusa experience. He was a black man and thus Parham would not allow Seymour to sit in the classroom, he had to sit in the hallway and listen through the door. It is worth noting that Mr. Parham was a racist and officially joined the KKK in 1910. (19) Nonetheless Seymour endured the humiliation. Seymours source for doctrinal education was a heretic, which explains why he too would later expound heretical concepts: Seymour accepted Parhams view of baptism in the Holy Spiritthe belief that in every instance, God would give intelligible languagesspeaking in tongues to believers for missionary evangelismNeeley Terry, an African-American and member of the new congregation led by Hutchinson in Los Angeles, visited Houston in 1905 and was impressed when she heard Seymour preach. Returning home, she recommended him to Hutchinson, since the church was seeking a pastor. As a result, Seymour accepted the invitation to shepherd the small flock. With some financial assistance from Parham, he traveled by train westward and arrived in Los Angeles in February 1906. (20) Seymour, like Parham came from a holiness background and so was used to experiential religion. The Holiness view was that the second blessing of sanctification was the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Parhams view was that the baptism in the Holy Spirit was proved by having the gift of tongues. All Pentecostal groups today hold to this belief. Back in 1906 such a concept was not well received among many Holiness groups: Seymour immediately encountered resistance when just 2 days after arriving he began preaching to his new congregation that speaking in tongues was the Bible evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit. On the following Sunday, March 4, he returned to the mission and found that Hutchinson had padlocked the door. Condemnation also came from the Holiness Church Association of Southern California with which the church had affiliation. (21)

The congregation Seymour came to Pastor locked him out of the church building and this forced Seymour to take his new message regarding the baptism in the Holy Spirit elsewhere. Seymour stayed at a parishioners home and led Bible studies there regarding the Pentecostal baptism. After a short while several people began to speak in tongues. News of this spread through both the white and black holiness communities and many of their members began to pray to receive this new outpouring of the Holy Spirit (according to their paradigm). The crowds grew to a size where Seymour had to relocate. The group rented a former African Methodist Episcopal (AMI) building relocated at 312 Azusa Street Los Angeles, Ca. This address had become synonymous with the birth of American Pentecostalism. Seymour called his organization the Apostolic Faith and for a couple of years published a sporadic newsletter under the same name. People began to hear of what was taking place on Azusa street and came seeking to receive the Pentecostal blessing with the evidence of speaking with tongues.

Most who visited the mission came to receive the empowerment of Spirit baptism and be equipped with intelligible new languages for gospel preaching overseas. This would enable them to bypass the nuisance of formal language study. The Apostolic Faith reported: God is solving the missionary problem, sending out new-tongued missionaries on the apostolic faith line, without purse or scrip, and the Lord is going before them preparing the way. Missionaries home on furloughs also attended and spoke in tongues and in a few instances identified the languages being spoken. The recipients, however, usually depended on the Lord to identify the languages they had received. (22). People began to come to Azusa as word spread. There was the common belief that the return of Christ was imminent due to various millennial and rapture doctrines being propagated by various sects within the Church. It seemed logical to many people who already believed in subsequent distinct spiritual experiences apart from regeneration that God would once again restore the gift of other tongues to equip the saints for the last big world-wide missionary push. African-Americans, Latinos, whites, and others prayed and sang together, creating a dimension of spiritual unity and equality, almost unprecedented for the time. It allowed men, women, and children to celebrate their unity in Christ and participate as led by the Spirit. Indeed, so unusual

was the mixture of blacks and whites, that Bartleman enthusiastically exclaimed, The color line was washed away in the blood. He meant that in the sanctifying work of the Spirit, the sin of racial prejudice had been removed by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. (23) Admittedly, it was unique for that time for a black man (and black women) to be laying hands on white men and women to receive healing and blessings. It was virtually unknown within the Church in America for a black man, Seymour, to be leading white men and women spiritually. The sad thing is that this sense of unity lasted only a short time and within 3 years racism reared its ugly head and along with various false doctrines divided the fledgling Pentecostal movement. The hype concerning Azusa was that untold numbers of people were coming to Los Angeles to receive power from on high. The people were all in one accord and hundreds if not thousands were sent forth around the world to reap the end time harvest. God was working signs, wonders and miracles on a regular basis at Azusa and testimonies were pouring in from their missionaries from around the world. (24) The truth concerning these meetings tells another story altogether. The revival meetings were not Spirit-led, nor were things being done decently and in order. William Seymour, for whatever reasons had virtually lost control over the meetings, who spoke, who attended and what transpired under his oversight. The meetings began in the mornings and continued for at least 12 hours. There was no order of services and usually no one leading. People sang at the same time but with completely different syllables, rhythms, and melodies (Ted Olsen, American Pentecost, Christian History, Issue 58, 1998). The services were characterized by much confusion: dancing, jumping, up and down, falling, trances, slaying in the spirit, tongues jerking, hysteria, strange noises, and holy laughter One visitor described the meetings as wild, hysterical demonstrations. The seekers would be seized with a strange spell and commence a jibberish of sounds. A Time reporter noted that the participants work themselves into a state of mad excitement in their peculiar zeal. There was little or no order to the Azusa Street services. Whoever felt moved by the spirit to speak, would do so. Seymour rarely preached. Instead, much of the time he kept his head covered in an empty packing crate behind the pulpit. He taught the people to cry out to God and demand sanctification, the baptism with the Holy Ghost, and divine healing (Synan, p. 99) (25) Due to all of the chaos in the meetings Seymour wrote Charles Parham to please come to Azusa (he had not yet been to any of these meetings) and see if he could help establish order and decorum. Seymour wrote several letters to Parham asking advice in dealing with spiritualists and mediums from occult societies, who were trying to conduct sances in the services. And the church publicly admitted that not everyone at the meetings felt the presence of the Spirit. (26) Seymour wrote Parham who was visiting John A. Dowie at Zion, IL. Parham did make his way to Azusa street and the following are some of his impressions of what he saw taking place:

When Parham visited the meetings in October 1906, even he was shocked by the confusion of the services. He was dismayed by the awful fits and spasms of the holy rollers and hypnotists. He described the Azusa tongues as chattering, jabbering and sputtering, speaking no language at all (Synan, p. 102). The Azusa Street meetings were so wild that Parham condemned them with the term Sensational Holy Rollers. He testified that the Azusa Street meetings were largely characterized by manifestations of the flesh, spiritualistic controls, and the practice of hypnotism (Sarah Parham, The Life of Charles F. Parham, Joplin, MO: Tri-state Printing, 1930, p. 163). According to Parham, two-thirds of the people professing Pentecostalism in his day are either hypnotized or spook driven (Parham, Life of Charles Parham, p. 164). In his writings about Azusa Street, Parham described men and women falling on one another in a morally compromising mannerWhen Parham arrived in Azusa Street in 1906, he began his first sermon by telling the people that God is sick at his stomach because of the things which were occurring at Azusa (Charles Shumway, A Study of the Gift of Tongues, A.B. thesis, University of California, 1914, pp. 178,179; cited by Goff, Fields White Unto Harvest, p. 131). He never changed his opinion. To the end of his life, Parham, often called the father of Pentecostalism, denounced Azusa Street as a case of spiritual power prostituted. Thus the father of Pentecostalism roundly rejected the Azusa Street meetings as phony, manipulated, and demonic, even though practically all Pentecostal denominations trace their heritage directly from those meetings! (27) Parham was adamant that Seymour remove the spiritualists and occultists from the services. Seymour refused to remove anyone from the services citing that our Lord said to His worker to let the tares and wheat grow together and that at the end of the age they will be separated. The result of Parhams visit was the first of countless splits within Pentecostalism. Parham and Seymour never ministered together again, nor were they ever reconciled. Parham was not the only person to denounce what was taking place in the Azusa meetings. (28) Here are some comments made by leading theologians of their day: G. Campbell Morgan described the Azusa Street activities as the last vomit of Satan H.A. Ironside said both the holiness and Pentecostal movements were disgusting, delusions and insanities. In 1912 he said of their meetings pandemoniums where exhibitions worthy of a madhouse or a collection of howling dervishes, were causing a heavy toll of lunacy and infidelity. W.B. Godbey said of the Azusa Street participants Satans preachers, jugglers, necromancers, enchanters, magicians, and all sorts of mendicants, and he claimed the movement was the result of spiritualism. Clarence Larkin But the conduct of those possessed, in which they fall to the ground and writhe in contortions, causing disarrangements of the clothing and disgraceful scenes, is more a characteristic of demon possession, than a work of the Holy Spirit. From what has been said we see that we are living in Perilous Times, and that all about us are Seducing Spirits, and that they will become more active as the Dispensation draws to its close, and that we must exert the greatest car lest we be led astray. (29) The truth behind the Azusa meetings is that they were far less anointed than many Pentecostal and charismatic revisionists want the world to believe. People have a tendency to only remember the good times and forget about all the nastiness in life, and the Azusa meetings are proof of this tendency.

After the incident with Parham, Seymours own racist and sectarian attitudes came forth: Along with the success, hurts and heartaches soon came to Azusa Street, Seymour and the faithful learned to expect criticism from newspapers and leaders of other churchesincluding the founder of the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, P.F. Breese, who believed that Holiness people were already baptized in the Holy Spirit and that the Azusa tongues were not from God. But some of the harshest criticism came from inside the little mission, with the mother church splitting because of personality clashes, fanaticism, doctrinal differences, and racial separation. It was said that some whites left because the blacks had a lock on the leadership. Seymour proving that he was no more perfect than his critics, reportedly asked the Hispanics to leave, and later wrote by-laws that prevented anyone except African-Americans from holding office in the mission. The often-quoted line that the color line was washed away in the blood was true in practice for only a short time. (30) Bartlemans earlier exclamation the color line was washed away in the blood although theologically true, proved to be no more than excited ignorance when push came to shove in these meetings. As far as race was concerned the two earliest predominant Pentecostal denominations, i.e. The Assemblies of God in Christ (lily white) and The Church of God in Christ (African-American) formed specifically due to ethnicity versus doctrinal distinctions. Building on the assumption that Azusa Street represents the moment in classical Pentecostalisms past from which to chart decension, some have gone on to accuse the Assemblies of God of fostering racial division by separating in 1914 from the church of God in Christ. This line of reasoning celebrates the roles of black leaders and organizations in the formative stages of American Pentecostalism displaces Charles Parham, the white leader of the Topeka, Kansas, Pentecostal outpouring of 1901, with William Seymour, the black leader of Azusa Street; and maintains that at least since 1914 a steady process of white separation and domination has been under way. (31) Actual confession and repentance of racism between these two denominations did not occur until 1994, almost 90 years after the Azusa revival. So much for the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (see Rom. 5:5). Apart from the ensuing splits, during the revival meetings themselves a great deal of error was taught and then disseminated around the world. Some of the errors included the belief that people were supernaturally being given other tongues, actual foreign languages (xenolalia) and when Seymour or whoever at the meetings told the individuals what language they had been given, these folks often went to that nation as missionaries. The results were often tragic because when the people got to their destination, often at great expense, they learned they did not really speak the indigenous tongue at all. This brought reproach on the Gospel, because those claiming to represent Christ were (and were no doubt sincere in their attempt) ended up looking very foolish. There is simply no independent evidence that anyone who received the baptism at Azusa ever spoke in a genuine foreign language on the missionary field. Another error with dreadful results was Seymours stance on divine healing, which he learned from Parham. He forbade people to go to medical doctors or to use medicine. The aberrant

reasoning behind this belief in that Parham and others taught that physical healing was part of the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Thus to go to doctors or use medicine was to deny the finished work of Christ (in their minds). Obviously, this resulted in countless deaths and much suffering. The belief that Jesus Christ was retuning soon is the main reason people came to Azusa, they wanted Holy Ghost power to go preach the Gospel and get as many people saved as they could. As noble as their intentions were, they were predicated on a wrongheaded belief regarding the return of Christ. Various dates were given for His return, all of which failed to come to pass. One hundred years have now passed and Jesus has not yet returned. The belief that there is a subsequent infilling or baptism with the Holy Spirit after salvation is erroneous. When anyone is converted they have the Spirit at that moment (See 1 Cor. 12:13) and all Christians are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (See Eph. 4:30). The revivalists took Acts 2 to be normative for all Christians. They taught (and do teach) that all 120 people including the Apostles received the gifts of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Yet a careful reading of the text will prove that only the Apostles received the Spirit in such a dramatic manner. Furthermore, throughout the Book of Acts it is only the Apostles who are ever involved with imparting spiritual gifts, never lay people. Pentecostals must teach it was all 120 people because if they accept the biblical evidence of only the Apostles as stewards of the Spirit, if you will, then they know they are dead in the water. Acts 2 is not normative and the prophecy of Joel was fulfilled on that day. The Apostle Peter said this is that (see Acts 2:16) and nothing in the Scriptures indicate that this experience is to be repeated time and time again 9as many neoMontanist groups have been claiming over the last 2,000 years). Apart from the fact that no real foreign languages were bestowed, there were also manifestations of occulist practices such as automatic writing and the ability to suddenly play musical instruments: Also present among the alleged miracles was the not uncommon occult practice of automatic writing which, if we may recall, was practiced on occasion by the Irvingities, at Shiloh, and by Agnes Ozman. Also present among the miraculous manifestations was another phenomenon directly related to occult mediumship, the ability to play musical instruments without any prior musical training or perceived ability: The Lord has given the gift of writing in unknown languages, also the gift of playing on instruments. (The Apostolic Faith edition 1) Azusa Street was undoubtedly the vehicle for the propagation of this occult method of mediumism, and it proliferated far and wide, thanks, no doubt, to the international acclaim that the revival had by now acquired: I am still talking and writing in tongues. A missionary interpreted what I have been writing in Syriac and Armenian. I was singing Chinese one night, a missionary said. I am busy every day and going from place to place. Strong opposition from many, but God gives the victory, Glory! Andrew G. Johnson, Address, 48 Skofde, Sweden (ibid, edition 6) I received the Holy Ghost in San Jose, in November, and came to Kelseyville, in December. And when I received the January paper and read what the Lord was doing in other places, the power of God came on me mightily. I was alone and was lifted to my feet and stood on tiptoe with both arms extended above my head, and began to speak in tongues and to interpret, which I never had done before except a very little. Since I came here, one lady has received the Holy Ghost with a

tongue, also the gift of writing some unknown language and the deaf mute signs. (ibid, 6) One sister received the gift of writing and also the interpretation of her languages. She has spoken and interpreted the soon coming of Jesus. Elizabeth M. May, Whittier, Cal. (ibid,6) (32) Brothers and sisters, the belief in being able to write in tongues is nothing less than demonic deception. There is no such gift ever cited in the entire Bible! Yet it was commonly believed that people possessed this ability. For some strange reason we do not have any of these writings available to us today in order that they might be linguistically examined. The Azusa revival lasted for only three years. Yet from this initial root of American Pentecostalism various forms of poisonous fruit have been borne over the years. For example, in spite of all the proclamation of how these restored gifts were uniting the Body of Christ, exactly the opposite occurred. One of the more egregious heresies to be spawned from Azusa was the restoration of the age old heresy of Modalism: A more serious schism grew out of the oneness or Jesus only controversy, which began in 1911 in Los Angeles. Led by Glen Cook and Frank Ewart, this movement rejected the teaching of the Trinity and taught that Jesus Christ was at the same time Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and that the only biblical mode of water baptism was administered in Jesus name and then was valid only if accompanied with glossolalia. This movement spread rapidly in the infant Assemblies of God after 1914 and resulted in a schism in 1916, which later produced the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World and the United Pentecostal Church. (33) Jesus Only Pentecostal denominations are among the largest in the world and they are simply a cult. Apart from the Oneness groups other sign-gift cults have sprung up over the years, all of which trace their roots back to Azusa. Groups including: The Children of God, founded by restored prophet David Berg (Moses David): The Way International founded by Victor Paul Wierwille; House of Yahweh, founded by Buffalo Bill Hawkins; The Word of Faith cult, founded by E.W. Kenyon and Kenneth Hagin; various snake handling and poison drinking groups; The Local Church, founded by Witness Lee; the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God (this Ugandan cult caused the death of 444 people); Faith Assembly, founded by Dr,. Hobart Freeman are just a few of the many examples of aberrant groups who can trace their heritage back to Azusa Street. Since the advent of American Pentecostalism there are several hundred Pentecostal denominations and sects in existence today, so much for unity! Apart from aberrant sects and heretical cults some of the most ungodly behavior has been exposed in the lives of the GIANTS of Pentecostalism. (34) Charles Fox Parham was charged with child Sodomy, was a member of the KKK and a Mason. (35) John Alexander Dowie claimed to be Elijah. (36) Aimee Semple McPherson was twice divorced, an adulteress and died of a barbiturate overdose in 1944. She founded The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, a large Pentecostal denomination. (37)

Finis Dake, author of the Dake Bible (the standard Bible used by many Pentecostals), he was convicted of taking a 16 year old girl across state lines and sleeping in the same hotel room with her under an assumed name in 1937. (38) A.A. Allen, famous healing evangelist died of a drug and alcohol overdose in June of 1970. (39) Paul Cain, healing evangelist later returned as an internationally recognized End Notes 1. The Word of God Community got its initial start at Notre Dame as part of the Roman Catholic Charismatic renewal. By the time it had expanded to the U O M campus it had become ecumenical. In fact, to me a member of the community you had to belong to a local church {I believe now that that was part of their strategy to infiltrate non-charismatic congregations}. The WOG community was part of a distinct segment of the charismatic renewal called The Discipleship or Shepherding movement.

2. It is important to note that from the original writings of early Pentecostalism the gift of tongues was believed to be that of genuine foreign language, given to equip the believer for missionary work due to the belief in the soon return of Christ. Todays charismatic movement believes that other tongues can be a foreign language but is generally an angelic tongue given for the private use of the believer in prayer and for personal edification. 3. Obtained from The Kentucky Revival or A Short History of The Late Extraordinary OutPouring of The Spirit of God, In The Western States of America, Agreeably To Scripture Promises, And Prophecies Concerning The Latter Day; With A Brief Account of The Entrance and Progress of What The World Call Shakerism Among The Subjects of The Later Revival in Ohio and Kentucky. Written by Richard M. Nemar in 1808 underlining added for emphasis. 4. Obtained from http://www.geocities.com/lasttrumpet_2000/timeline/irvingbio.html. 5. Obtained form http://ww.spiritismonline.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=65. 6. Obtained from http://www.truthinhistory.org/Dowie.htm Underlining added. 7. Obtained from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_life_movment. 8. Obtained from http://www.frontlinemin.org/higherlife.asp. Underlining added.

9. Obtained from http://www.answers.com/main/intquery;jsessionid=a8fgk86otl80g? method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=1904-1905+Welsh+Revival&curtab=1904-1905%20Welsh %20Revival. Underlining added. 10 If you want to learn more specifically about Jessie Penn-Lewis you might contact Pastor Dick Fisher or personal Freedom Outreach. He has done some research and writing about her background. The only place Dick and I agree to disagree is possibly when it comes to her views on the demonic counterfeits. DMI believes that Satan can does actually manifest himself and does use paranormal lying signs and wonders to deceive the Church and world. Some Christian apologists deny any spiritual reality to any and all manifestations, chalking them up to mere human emotionalism. 11. Obtained from http://www.ag.org/enrichmentjournal/199904/026_azusa.cfm. Underlining added. 12. McGee, Gary Tongues, The Bible Evidence The Revival Legacy of Charles F. Parham. Enrichment Journal, 1445 Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802. Underlining added. 13. Cloud, David. The Strange History of Pentecostalism. Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368. Underlining added. 14. Ibid. 15. Cullimore, James Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet Speeches, 218 University Press Building, Provo, Utah 84602 16. For more information go to http://www.josephsmith.net/portal/site/JosephSmith/menuitem.da0e1d4eb6d2d87f9c0a33b5f1e5 43a0/?vgnextoid=3b62982b9ab4201-VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD. 17. McGee, Gary. Tongues The Bible Evidence The Revival Legacy of Charles F. Parham. Enrichment Journal 1445 Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802. 18. Ibid. Bold type added. 19. Obtained from http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Charles%20Fox%20Parham. 20. McGee Gary, William J. Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival. Enrichment Journal, 1445 Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO 65802. Underlining and bold type added. 21. Ibid. 22. Ibid. 23. Ibid.

24. These reports were printed in the Apostolic Faith newsletters. DMI has all of the copies of these newsletters in our archives and they are available on CD rom for a nominal fee. 25. Cloud, David. The Strange History of Pentecostalism, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368. Underlining added. 26. Olsen, Ted. American Pentecost, the Story Behind the Azusa Street Revival. Underlining added. 27. Cloud, David, The Strange History of Pentecostalism, Way of Life Literture, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368. Underlining and bolding added. 28. It is easy for some people to ignore Parhams comments because he was a racist. Nonetheless, his denunciation of the revival meetings was not based on ethnic issues, but on what even he recognized as occult practices, hynotism and demonic activity. Parham came t assist Seymour, but seeing what was transpiring in the meetings and Seymours unwillingness to address these excesses it led to an inevitable split. Parhams comments about Azusa should not be ignored, after al, he is the father of America Pentecostalism. 29. All of these statements ere taken from from Holy Laughter to Holy Fire by Michael L. Brown, pages 197 &198. Michael Brown was one of the key leaders in the Pensacola Outpouring (Americans version of the Toronto Blessing). 30. Olsen, Ted. American Pentecost, the Story Behind the Azusa Street Revival. 31. Blumhofer, Edith L. Christian Century, April 27, 1994. 32. Obtained from http://www.unitypublishing.com/NewReligiousMovements/WhatSpirit8.html. Underlining added. 33. Obtained from http://mb-soft.com/believe/txc/pentecos.htm. Underlining added.

34. Let there be no mistake in the readers mind, I am not saying that other denominations do have or have not had their share of fallen ministers. Yet it is the Pentecostal and charismatic leaders who claim to have received or achieved a higher level of spirituality than the non-Spiritfilled Christian, so their fall must be harder to explain away due to their claims of a higher anointing or closer walk with God than your general denominational leader. 35. McGee, Gary. Tongues. The bible Evidence The Revival Legacy of Charles F. Parham. Enrichment Journal 1445 Boonville Ave. Springfield, MO. 65802 36. Obtained from http://www.healingministries.net/etudes/men_women/alexander_dowie/default.html. 37. See http://www.who2.com/aimeesemplemcpherson.html for more information.

38. Spencer, Jeff. Dakes/Dangerous Doctrines, 2004 39. Obtained from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_A_Allen.

40. Obtained from http://www.apologeticsindex.org/c06.html. 41. Lobdell, William, Onward Christian Soldier, Los Angeles Times, 2002. 42. Personal Knowledge, plus tones of information on the Trinity website 43. Obtained from http://www.jesus21.com/portal/index.php?s=scandals. http://www.threcord.com/1998/10/04bakker.htm. 44. Obtained from http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/011/2.19.html. Published in:

apologetics Apostolic Movement Discernment Ministries International divine healing Holy Spirit Kenneth Hagin Keswick Movement manifestations occult Prophetic Movement Revival Sign-gift christians Signs & Wonders Movement sinless perfection Slain in the Spirit Spiritual drunkenness The Holiness Movement Tongues William Branham

on August 19, 2009 at 1:23 PM Comments Off Tags: Apostles, Azusa, Cult, Discernment Ministries, Discipleship Movement, healing Revival, Jesus Only, Joseph Smith, Medicine, medium, Modalism, Mormons, Oneness Pentecostalism, Paranormal, Pentecostal, Prophets, Racism, Restoration, Revival, Trinity, Word of Faith Movement

Choos Tall Tale of Heaven

Truth Matters Newsletters March 2006 Volume 11 Issue 3 Choos Tall Tale of Heaven is to Touch to Swallow by Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

Choos Tall Tale of Heaven is to Touch to Swallow

Let me begin by saying thanks to Pastor Dick Fisher who gave me the initial clue to the existence of this latest book allegedly revealing heaven. For some time I have been slowly working on a book which compares all of the alleged visits to heaven and hell with the Bible and with each other, so I was interested to learn of the existence of this book and after I read it I was dumbfounded that anyone could possibly believe what is written in it. I am not surprised that people have an interest in the afterlife. Every world religion, cult and sect has its version of what happens after we die and since there is still one death per person due to being sinners it comes as no surprise that the world desperately seeks answers. What does surprise me is how gullible and biblically illiterate multitudes of Christians are regarding this subject. The vast majority of Christians who purchase these books fall into the category of sign-gift believers, i.e. people of the Pentecostal and charismatic persuasion. Coming from that background I can shed some light as to why these folks are more susceptible to this particular brand of deception. Many (not all) charismatic believers hold to the view that God is still revealing truth to His people, apart from the Bible. While claiming to believe that the Bible is the standard by which they judge all revelations, they readily admit that new revelations are still coming, usually through the so-called restored Apostles or Prophets. What they will not admit

is that the Bible is a complete and totally sufficient revelation. According to them God has something more to say. I remember confronting John Arnott, the Pastor of the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship regarding the bizarre and unbiblical manifestations transpiring under his pastoral leadership. I challenged him to prove that what was taking place could be found within the context of Scripture. He responded by attempting to validate the manifestations by using fragments of biblical text without regard to their context. When I challenged him regarding his use of proof texts he switched gears and used what I have since termed the John 21:25 Argument. This text reads And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written Amen. Arnott and the other charismatic extremists cite this text to answer those who question their new doctrines or practices. When forced into a corner exegetically they simply respond that what they are teaching or doing is part of the many other things which Jesus did that are not recorded for us in the Bible, but God in these last days is revealing them to us! This is philosophically called an argument from silence, there is no way of biblically validating such claims ergo we are told to accept them based on the sole authority of the person(s) making them. Thus the restored prophet or apostle becomes the authority over the new doctrines and practices and not the Bible. To question them is to doubt the work of God in the end times and to demand biblical precedents simply proves that we are undoubtedly of a Pharisaical spirit and are steeped in legalism. All of the accounts regarding alleged visits to heaven and hell since the 1800s in America have been written by either Pentecostal or charismatic believers. This most recent foray into the afterlife is no exception to this fact. The book we are going to consider has sold over 450,000 copies overseas, making it an international bestseller and with the recent full page story in Charisma magazine (whose publisher, Strang Communications, just happens to be owner of Creation House, the publisher of this book) it will no doubt quickly gather steam among the signseekers in our own nation. Throughout this article I will be citing the page numbers in brackets versus using endnotes. The title is: Heaven Is So Real, Thomas, Choo, Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 2003.

Who Is Choo Thomas?

Isnt it interesting that of all the accounts by people claiming to have given a personal tour of heaven (or hell) do not have any theological training whatsoever! In other words, Jesus does not choose someone like Dr. R.C. Sproul, Dr. H. Wayne House, Dr. Marquart or any other theologians to give a personal visit of the heavenly realms too. Instead, He chooses people with little to no biblical education or knowledge whatsoever, like Choo Thomas. Mrs. Thomas is a Korean-American, her parents are deceased, and she is married and has two grown children (p1). She says she became a Christian in February, 1992 and from that moment on she began to skyrocket into the upper realms of personal holiness I could only think about

Jesus every waking moment, (p.1). Two years later she says she received the fire of the Holy Spirit while she was praying at home in January, 1994. After this experience she had her first vision of Jesus sitting by the pulpit at her local Assembly of God in Tacoma, WA (p.2).

What Does Choos Jesus Look Like?

It is interesting but almost everybodys heavenly encounter with our resurrected Lord differs as to their descriptions of what Jesus looks like. According to Choo this is how Jesus looks: He was sitting by the pulpit. His legs were crossed, and I could see Him as clearly as a real person, except I couldnt see His face. As I perceived Him, He had silky white hair and was wearing a pure white robe. His person was visible to me for almost five minutes. After seeing Him my body was on fire with unspeakable joy, and I became wholeheartedly committed to Jesus. (p.2) Unfortunately, no one else saw Jesus during this service or any other time throughout her book. Being married to an African-American woman for over twenty years I can tell you I know the difference between silky (straight) and wooly (kinky hair. According to the Book of Daniel (Dan. 7:9) and the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ has hair like as wool (see Rev. 1:14) which any woman can tell you is far from silky. Beyond this minor detail what is troubling is that Jesus appears to this woman for no apparent reason, He is simply there. Every time the Lord appeared either in an Old Testament theophany or in the New Testament (Stephens stoning in Acts 7:59; Pauls conversion in Acts 9:4; or John on Patmos in Rev. 1:12) it was for a specific purposes in the economy of God. As we shall see, Choos role is pivotal in Gods endtime redemptive plan. Beyond seeing this apparition and feeling her body of fire with joy nothing else transpired but 100% commitment to Jesus. Before delving deeper into Choos delusion let me just say that there is no such thing biblically as a baptism of fire. She says she had some physical experience in 01-94 which she interpreted as the fire of the Holy Spirit, yet there is no support exegetically for such a claim. It is after this vision that things begin to become very bizarre in Mrs. Thomas life.

A Whole Lotta Shakin Going On aka Choo is Special!

As of Easter Sunday, 1995 Choo enters into (and she has not stopped to this day) the realm of charismatic extremist manifestations. While she and her family were attending their AOG church in Puget Sound she states: my whole body began to shake violently, and we had to stay for second service. I was experiencing the same phenomenon known among Quakers, Shakers and early Pentecostals. Since then, my body never stops shaking in church or during my prayer time at home. Two weeks after this Easter Sunday experience, I received the gift of tongues while at home and began to sing in the Spirit. While watching a Benny Hinn crusade on television, I stood up and lifted my hands in prayer. Then I fell on the floor for almost three hours. The anointing of Gods Holy Spirit was so strong that I couldnt get up, and all I could do was sing and talk in tongues

and laugh. During every worship service after that, I could see the presence of the Lord Jesus in church. (p2) Please note that Mrs. Thomas is a very special person which she shall make abundantly clear to all of us as we progress. The church she was attending obviously had been involved in the Toronto Blessing aka The Pensacola Outpouring because neither the pastor nor anyone else thought her shaking was out of the ordinary. What is out of the ordinary is that this shaking occurs whenever she is in a church service or even praying at home. She also claims to have received the gift of other tongues while alone at home. Apart from the debate as to the validity of this gift today, the general manner in which 99.9% of all Pentecostal and charismatic believers receive this gift is through the laying on of someone elses hands or during a congregational meeting. Very few people attest to receiving this gift at home, and without dispute no one in the book of Acts received any of the spiritual gifts apart from the presence and/or the ministry of one or more of the Apostles.

Choo seems to indicate that she received this gift while watching a Benny Hinn crusade on television, this is very problematic considering the facts about Mr. Hinn since he is a false prophet, false teacher and proven liar. Also her statement about being slain in the spirit for almost 3 hours seems more demonic than divine. She states that she could not get up, something she stresses throughout her book, and all she could do was sing, talk in tongues and laugh. She attributes this experience to the anointing of the Holy Spirit being heavy upon her. As taught and practiced by todays sign-gift believers there is biblically no such thing as being slain in the spirit. More importantly, the Holy Spirit gives us self-control (see Gal. 5:23 and 2 Peter 1:6). He does not possess us to the extent where we are physically paralyzed yet according to Choo this is exactly how the Spirit ministers to her. After this possession, which is what I consider it to be, her spiritual eyes are opened and from this point on she could see the presence the Lord in every worship service. I will not go into the history of these aberrant revivals and their attending manifestations. I have covered them in the fullest detail avail in my 2 books Blessing or Judgment and Two Roots of Todays Revival.

I urge all of our readers to purchase at some point the book The Confusing World of Benny Hinn published by the Personal Freedom Outreach (www.pfo.org). It is the definitive work exposing this dangerous charlatan for who and what he is. DMI has a small, but very helpful book on this topic entitled Does the Bible Support Being Slain in the Spirit. She tries to biblically explain her palsied attacks as a preparatory work of the Holy Spirit; The Bible is replete with examples of people quaking and shaking in the presence of the Lord. Sometimes this manifestation is accompanied by fear, but most of the time it is preparatory; God is about to do a great work through a yielded vessel. (p7). Obviously, Choo is the yielded vessel through whom God is about to do a great work, a theme she hammers home throughout her book. This preparatory work is ratcheted up by the Lord after her Easter 1995 experience. On January 19, 1996 the Lord wakes her in the early morning and personally visits her. Before each visit the Lord causes her body to shake and perspire for close to an hour, and then the apparition speaks and appears to her. I turned my head on the pillow to look in the direction of the sound, and there, all aglow, was a figure dressed in white garments. The radiance that emanated from this unknown visitor was so brilliant that I could not see His face, but in my heart of hearts I knew that I had been blessed with a special visitation from the Lord. (p.7). How did she know this was Jesus? She knew in her heart of hearts. I guess she never was taught that Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) or that our Lord Himself warned that many will come saying I am he Christ (Matt. 24:5). This figure speaks the following words to her My daughter, Choo Nam, I am your Lord, and I want to talk to you. You have been My special daughter for a long time, (p.7). According to her own chronology she has been saved about 4 years when this occurs, not much of a long time in my book. Dont lose sight of how Choos Jesus calls her His special daughter, Choo is special! He goes on to reveal to her Daughter you are such an obedient child, and I want to give you special gifts. These gifts are going to serve Me greatly. I want you to be happy about these gifts, (p.8). Because of her total obedience to the Lord, He has chosen to give her special gifts and He wants her to be happy about them.

I knew at that moment God was choosing me to do an important work for Him and that this must become my single-minded purposeI have known since then that when my body begins to shake from the inside out that God will be speaking to meGod has chosen me for a specific work. It was too wonderful to imagine(p.8). The same experience happens again the next morning and this time as she shakes and sweats the Lord explains the reason He must do this to her: You are my precious daughterI am giving you the power that you will need for the work Ive called you to do. I am preparing you to serve Me. Your body shakes as the power flows into you. I am giving you all the spiritual gifts. I am releasing your spirit so you will be completely free to serve Me. (p. 10). Now we know when we see someone shaking and sweating it is because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We are witnessing God pouring His power into some one for a special purpose. He is working to release his or her spirit so that yielded vessel can serve Him! Choo explains it this way to us: The shaking continued for twenty minutes. I began to view it as being like a spiritual transfusion. The power of the Holy Spirit was coursing through every nerve, sinew, muscle and organ of my body. It was setting me on fire with the power of God. (p.11). He then explained the shaking in my body. Your body shakes for a long time because you need power for this work. I want you to expect many surprises. (p.17). Shaking equals power in Choos world and few charismatic extremists would argue that point with her. The problem with these statements is that there is not one shred of biblical proof to backup such a claim. Everything in her book is based on her own subjective pseudo-spiritual experience. Choo does not make a strong appeal to the scriptures. Instead she continually points to herself as being Jesus special daughter. I know you do not know many things, but I see that you are pure-hearted. I know that you believe everything about Me. Ive seen your obedience, and I know you fear My words. (p.80). Because of her high degree of sanctification and her unwavering belief concerning everything about Himself He chooses her for this great end-time work. You are living your life completely for Me. Your heart has willingly given up all worldly things for Me. I now know that nothing brings satisfaction to you more than being in My presence. (p.84). Choo has become totally heavenly-minded. She has reached sinless perfection because one would have to be totally sinless to live his or her life completely for Christ, without any thought of self. She has reached a level of perfection that even surpasses the Apostle Paul who said that he had not obtained (read Phil. 3:12) perfection and was still striving to reach it. Whoever permits Me to control their life will be blessed. These are My obedient children. You are My special child. (p.93).

Choos life is blessed because she is one of the obedient children, which makes her special. Daughter, you are special to MeI choose My children who are pure and obedient those who put Me first in their lives. (p.107). She gets confused here because she stated earlier that the Lord had told her He had chosen her for this work before the foundation of the world. Yet now her Jesus reveals to her that He choose His children based on their purity of heart and obedience, people who put Jesus first in their lives. It is by our works, whether of personal sanctification or obedience to the law and putting Jesus first. (which in and of itself is fine) that determines the Lord choosing us or not. If you were not such a special daughter, I could not bring you to heaven to show you all the things you have seen. (p.11). Obviously Thomas is such a special daughter because if she was not then Jesus could not have brought her to heaven and shown her all these wonders. The inescapable inference is that the vast majority of Christians are not special to the Lord because He has not given them this foretaste of heaven. Choo is special, you and I are not. You are very special to Me. You must believe this. I had to choose the right daughter for this important work, and you are the one Ive chosen. (p. 111). I am not a psychologist, but it really seems that Choo suffers from delusion of grandeur because the quotes from Jesus deal with how special she is versus revealing unknown truth to the church. Choo is the right daughter for this work, she is the personally chosen one! This is one of the reasons I love you so much, My daughter. (p.115). My daughter, I really enjoy being with you. (p.125). You have beautiful hair. (p. 125). You are beautiful, My daughter. (p.125). Dont be shy, My daughter, the Lord counseled. The He lifted my face (p.125). Choo and Jesus are on a deserted beach and she is dancing and singing in front of the apparition. One of the reasons Jesus loves her is because of her yielded spirit and devotion, so now we know that Christs love is not unconditional, there are reasons why He loves us. Here again I believe we read about her deeply held insecurities because Jesus tells her how much He enjoys being with her, how beautiful her hair is, how beautiful she is! This specific encounter is one of the most sensual and frankly, disgusting of the entire book. I will bring many of My children to the Kingdom, but not every one will live in mansions like the one that had your name on the door. These mansions are for very special children. (P.138).

There are 2 classes of Christians in heaven according to Choos Jesus. The lower wattage believers will not inherit palaces like Choos with her own name in gold on a nameplate on the door. These palaces are reserved for the, you guessed it, the very special children (more on the 2 classes a bit later on). I didnt show you the kingdom and the pit of hell to bring you home now. I showed you all those things so you will help save the lost and let everyone know what it takes to enter the kingdom. (p.152). After seeing her mansion and all the glories of heaven she does not want to go back to earth. Yet her Jesus tells her that He has shown her these things so Choo can help save the lost. What is more she is to let everyone know what it takes (WORKS) to enter the kingdom. Choo has a role in the redemption of the lost and is appointed to tell everyone what it takes to get to heaven. The problem is she does not tell anyone in the book exactly what it takes. She surely does not mention that salvation is the gift of God, or that what it takes is the work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Nor does she point out that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone according to the Scriptures alone. My daughter, you are an End-Times prophetess. The Lord told me, and You are living proof of My Word and My prophecies. (p. 168). Towards the end of the book we see her role in the Church revealed. She is an end-time prophetess (she told us she was special). She is living proof of the Word and His prophecies! The Bible is not enough proof But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31). The fact that the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirits that we are children of God is also insufficient proof (see Rom. 8:16). Nope, we need living proof in the form of sister Choo to believe Gods Word. He took me to His throne and directed me to sit on a chair next to Him. This was the first time the Lord seated me next to Himself. (p. 61). While in heaven she entered into the throne room which is filled with the O.T. prophets and N.T. authors and directed by Jesus to sit next to Him on the throne! The mother of James and John must have really been livid upon finally discovering who the Father was granting the right to sit at Jesus right hand. Remember she tired to wheedle her boys into the right and left hand seats in the Kingdom (see Matt. 20:21). Sorry sister, very special Choo is seated next to Jesus not James or John. There can be no doubt in the readers mind how special Choo Thomas is. It makes sense when you realize how important the work she has been given to do is according to Gods plan for the end-times. His great work for her is to complete the canon of Scripture.

Choos Book Is Divinely Authoritative

Choo told us she was special, so special in fact that what she has written for us are the exact words of Jesus Christ. If language means anything, then the revelations in Choos book are on the same level as the Holy Bible; in fact, we should cut out the pages and tape them into our Bibles. Keep in mind according to this woman, Jesus appears to her and directly tells her to remember and write down His exact words. If that does not mean her book is to be treated as divine revelation than I do not understand the concept at all. Here are only a few of the statements from her book which prove my point: I am your Lord, My daughter. I want you to hear and remember everything I tell you. When you write it down, use My exact words. You are sleepy, but do not miss any of the words I tell you. I will be visiting you many times in the future because I have important work for you to do. You are the child I am going to use to do this work for Me, so be prepared. (p. 11). Then He reiterated something He had commanded me to do several times before: Write down everything I show you and tell you. (p.21). The Lord continued: I want you to remember everything I tell you and show you. Make sure you write everything down. I will make sure that everyone understands all the things I show and tell you. (p.28). I do not want you to miss anything I show or tell you, He instructed. Nothing more; nothing less. Everything has to be exactly as I reveal it to you. (p.36). My daughter you have much work to do. I want you to write a book. This is an important book for the last days, and it will be translated into many languages. I chose you for this work before you were born, and this is why My Holy Spirit is always shaking your bodyto pour My power into you. (p.47). You do not need to know how to write the book. Just write down what I show you and tell you (p.70). Now you know why, My daughter. I want you to concentrate on the book, with no interruptions. This book is very important to Me, and it will be a special blessing for My children. Whatever you do, I want you to talk to Me first. Everything about this book has to be My will. (p.79). Some people will not believe you, but you dont need to worry about that. My daughter, I am simply using you for this book. It is My book and I will take care of it. (p.80). Because you are what you are, I chose you for this workThis is My book and My responsibility I want you to be happy because you are My special daughter. (p.80). This book will help deliver many people who are in spiritual darknessI notice that you have never been deliberately disobedient since you gave your heart to Me, an you always put Me first in your life. This is why I chose you as My special daughter and friend. (p.92).

Write this down, Choo Nam. I want all My children to know what awaits them in heaven. I know many of My children have questions about heaven. Some of them wonder if there will be food to eat in heaven. (p.100). Why do you think I chose prophets to work for Me on earth? Like you, Ive sent them in order to do My work. Without prophets, I would not have any way of communicating my desire to My children. Therefore, My daughter, do not miss writing about anything I show or tell you. Tell it all. It is because you are such an obedient daughter that I am able to use you. (p.102). I want My children to read this book, because so many of them have doubts about heaven. I want them to believe there is a heaven and to live pure and obedient lives so they can come into My kingdom. This book is about all My words and the Kingdom I have prepared for whoever wants to come. Everything is already prepared. This book must be written by a Spirit-filled person. My daughter, if you were not under the special power of my Holy Spirit, I could never use you for this work. (p.116). I want you to write down exactly what I show you and tell you. Nothing more and nothing less. After this is done, you will receive special gifts to serve Me, and you will be a blessing to My people. I will also bless you more than you want. (p.120). I want all of My children to come to My kingdom. Whoever reads this book, I want them to believe and realize how they have to live in the world in order to enter the kingdom. (p.131). From these 15 citations (there are more in the book) it should be obvious to the reader that this book is no ordinary book. Choo, although very special to Jesus, was simply the vehicle through which the Lord gave the Church and world new insights. Her book is so powerful that God will use it to deliver people out of spiritual darkness and through its revelations teach people how to live in order to enter the Kingdom of God. According to her Jesus, everything in the book, including its title (p.120), comes directly from the revealed will of God. At no point does Choos Jesus direct her or her readers to read the Bible daily, or to study and show themselves approved of God (2 Tim. 2:15). This entity makes no statements regarding the centrality of the Bible; He does make quite a few comments about how important His book through her is!

Hitherto Unknown Heavenly Revelations aka The Gospel According to Choo

Since you now understand the divine weight of the words in His book, it behooves us to look into the deep insights Choos Jesus is sharing with the Church and World. According to Mrs. Thomas, our Lord took her to heaven on 17 occasions. Prior to each lift-off the paranormal pattern is as follows: It is early in the morning, between 1:00 and 3:00 AM. Choos body goes into the uncontrollable spasms and she sweats profusely. This shaking goes on from a half and hour to an hour. She refers to the cause of this experience using a variety of adjectives based on the root word anointing. Here are a few examples: the anointing of the Lords presence, (p.9), the intense heat of His anointing, (p.19), The anointing was heavy upon me, (p.59), a special anointing, (p.59), by the anointing of heat, (p.74), I was praying intensely under a great anointing from the Holy Spirit, (p.84), I cried under the precious anointing, (p.87), I

plan to give you a special anointing, (p.121), a very special anointing, (p.121), then the hot anointing and groaning began, (p.137). Then she hears a voice speaking to her and she sees the apparition. At this point she has an outof-body experience where this being first takes her to a secluded beach on earth (location unknown), where they chat for awhile. While out of her physical body it reacts to everything she sees and experiences in her transformed spirit body. If she dances spiritually, then her body on the bed dances too, etc. From the beach they then travel to heaven. I will not detail all 17 trips, but I will cite the new information from her trips. The Master again took me into a huge tunnel. Againunlike most tunnelsit was bright and shinyI reasoned this must be the tunnel that people who have near-death experiences frequently describe as the passageway from this life to the next. (p.24). Unlike Duplantis who got a cable car ride to heaven, Choo goes through a bright tunnel and pops out on the other side in heaven. She has no Scripture to equate her experience to, so she relies on the subjective alleged near-death experiences of others for validation. Thomas and her apparition walk along a winding road, passing gorgeous flowers until they come to a white palace with beautiful stained glass windows. They walk in and she sees The Lords glistening golden throne stood atop a raised, oval shaped platform. Beams of radiant glory streamed from the center of the room where this platform was located. I was directed by an angel to a little room on the side, and I was surprised to discover a powder room there. A full-length mirror covered the entire wall on the left side of this room, and many beautiful velvet chairs were neatly arranged in front of the mirrorThe being opened a large, walk-in closet that contained many robes, gowns and crownsAfter I was dressed, the angel escorted me back to the main room. The Lord was waiting for me. I noticed that He was wearing a gown and crown like mine. (p26). Good news ladies there are powder rooms in heaven! Every time Choo gets ushered off to heaven she and her Jesus must first change into different robes than their normal spirit-body robes. Note that Jesus wears a crown and robe like Choos, as opposed to her being clothed in the robes of His righteousness, no Jesus is dressed like Choo. What is fairly unique to Choos delusion is that she does not see many others in heaven, no multitudes, no throngs of joyous saints praising their Lord. She does mention briefly meeting Abraham, but basically her report is about her, she is the center of attention. After walking over the beautiful bridge, the Lord led me to a place where babies and infants many of whom looked as if they had just been bornwere kept. It was a huge room, like a warehouse, and wasnt fancy or pretty. It was filled with babies who were naked and lying close to one anotherThere are the babies of mothers who did not want them. (p.38). Something doesnt make sense, Duplantis saw babies and little children being taught by angels.Thomas on the other hand sees them laying in a drab building, naked with no one attending them. They are the aborted babies, whose mothers can have them back if they get

saved. Robert LIARdon saw a warehouse in his trip to heaven, but his was filled with human body parts, not babies. Whose vision can we trust? After all, the Bible is silent about what happens to infants and none of the biblical accounts of heaven make mention of them. The Lord took me to a barren site outside the gate of the Kingdom and showed me many people wearing sand colored robes were in this region, standing very close together, and I noticed that they looked forlorn and lonely even though they were in the midst of so many others. (p.39). I noticed multitudes of people who were wearing sand-colored robes roaming aimlessly in the vicinity of the pits yawning mouth. Their heads were hanging low, and they looked very dejected and hopeless. Who are these people, Lord? I asked. They are disobedient Christians. How long will they have to stay in this barren, lifeless place? Forever, My daughter. The only ones who will enter My kingdom are the pure of heartMy obedient children. (P.46). He took me to another high mountain from which I could look down into another endless valley here a multitude of people dressed in grey-colored robes were wandering about in an apparent mood of dejection. Their robes reminded me of the gowns worn by hospital patients. The people looked weak and lost, and their grey faces matched the color of the robes they were wearing This place was mostly men with just a few women. Who are these people Lord? They are sinful Christians. What is going to happen to them? I wondered aloud. Most of them will go to the lake of fire after the judgment. (p.58). At least in this detail Choo stays the course with many of the other heavenly delusions in print. We can expect there to be 2 classes of people in heaven. Duplantis saw people in different colored robes, denoting their rank in heaven. Choo sees a class of Christians, some are disobedient and others are sinful. Her Jesus says some of these sinful Christians will end up in the lake of fire. Why not all of them? What did some of these sinful saints do in order to escape the fire? Choo attempts to back up her cockeyed notion by citing 2 Cor. 5:10 concerning the judgment seat. According to her revelation only those who attain sinless perfection in his life will be numbered among the justified in heaven. Again, her focus is on our works and our strivings as opposed to the work Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. If these are the lower class of Christian who are the high class super saints? I noticed many adults and children who were wearing white gowns, and some of them were wearing crowns. They were simply standing there with very happy looks on their faces. (p.40). As I turned in another direction, I noticed a beautiful river. Along the river was a rock wall, and magnificent dwellings were situated on the left side of the river. Many of these homes looked like castles where only the very wealthy might live. The Lord said, They are houses for My special children. (p.44). These folks have worked really hard and because they are extra special to Jesus (no doubt because of their works), He has made castles for them. As we know all too well by now, Choo is special to this being so it only stands to reason that she should get to see her mansion in glory: We approached one of the castles, and the Lord opened the door for me to enterThe walls were constructed of multicolored precious gems that glistened in a magical wayThe Lord rested on a chair as I went up the winding staircase that was more massive and grand than the one shown

in Gone With the Winds Tara plantationI noticed that the carpeting was a plush white. I entered a huge powder room that had a very large, sparkling mirrors everywhere. They reflected the brightness of the room (p.55)I was awestruck by the sparking stone walls that lined the corridor of my mansion. I loved the red-and-cream-colored carpet with its round pattern. The red velvet chairsso classic and sophisticatedwere like the ones I had always wanted in my home. The red draperies were the finest Id ever seenThe bedroom was carpeted in pure white, and I noticed that the headboard of the bed was silver with blue stones embeddedThe mirror on the dresser also had blue stonesThe bathroom had a silver bathtub that was decorated with precious jewels of every color. (p.64). Everybody who gets a pre-death trip to heaven gets to see their mansion. This is one problem with taking the Kings James version of the Bible at face value without doing a little grammatical digging. Robertsons Word Pictures of the New Testament says the following about John 14:2: John 14:2 Mansions (monai). Old word from menw, to abide, abiding places, in N.T. only here and verse 23. There are many resting-places in the Fathers house (oikia). Christs picture of heaven here is the most precious one that we possess. It is our heavenly home with the Father and with Jesus. If it were not so of the verb (Mark 2:21; Re 2:5,16; Joh 14:11). Here a suppressed condition of the second class (determined as unfulfilled) as the conclusion shows. I would have told you (ejpon an u `min). Regular construction for this apodosis (an and aoristsecond activeindicative). For I go (o`ti poreuomai). Reason for the consolation given, futuristic present middle indicative, and explanation of his words in 13:33 that puzzled Peter so (13:36f). To prepare a place for you (e `times topon u `min). First aoist active infinitive of purpose of e `toimazw, to make ready, old verb from e `toimoj. Here only in John, but in Mr 10:40 (Mt. 20:23). It was customary to send one forward for such a purpose (Nu 10:33). So Jesus had sent Peter and John to make ready (this very verb) for the Passover meal (Mr 14:12; Mt 26:17). Jesus is thus our Forerunner (prodromoj) in heaven (Heb 6:20). These text says nothing about each saint having their own mansion. Her description sounds more like the TBN television set than something created by God! Also, think a moment, why will we need beds in heaven? Will we get tired of praising the Lord? There is no day or night there; the Christ himself is the light throughout heaven (Rev. 21:23). We will be in eternity, so time as we know it will not pass. We will be glorified and like Christ, so we will not get tired and need a nap. Choo is fixated on mirrors and powder rooms in her book. She does not describe a heavenly commode, but I assume there must be some since there are heavenly bathtubs (I wonder where the dirt will come from that needs to be cleansed off our bodies?). Thomas also noted a dresser in her bedroom, I guess that is to hold her gowns, maybe the saints dress for dinner. Furthermore, the obedient/special children on God will also possess vacation homes on the beach (p.102). When you get tired of all the hubbub in the New Jerusalem just pack up the kids in your chariot and go down to your beachfront vacation mansion for a little R&R! Good news for pet owners! Hot off the pages of the Gospel according to Choo: We hiked out of the garden, along a narrow, winding road that led to a mountain vista overlooking a lush green valley. I could see animals of all sorts galloping and playing among the trees. I particularly noticed a spectacular deer that looked so strong and healthy. I noticed that these animals, which would usually be considered wild, were playful with one another. (p44)It is reassuring to know

that animals will live with us in paradise. So many people wonder if their pets will be in heavenwhere people and animals alike will never experience pain, hardship, death or suffering ever again. After our visit to the animal paradise, the Lord and I went back to the waterside (p55). Again, this is information that the Bible does not detail for us. The book of the Revelation does not mention any animals, there may or may not be animals in heaven, does it really matter? Thomas tells her readers that no animals will ever experience pain or death. Well, that is, except for fish! Good news for Fishermen! According to the revelation of Thomas we shall both catch and eat fish in heaven. We descended the hillside and walked to the water where we saw all kinds of fish swimming in the riverIt amused me to see fish in heaven, and I began to laughI reached down and grabbed a red, striped fish and lifted it out of the water. I was laughing so uncontrollably, so the fish jumped out of my hands and swam to safetyHe began to participate in the action with me by reaching down and grabbing a large fishIt was so good to see the Lord enjoying the moment with me (p.88-89). As we walked over it, I looked down and saw that the stream was filled with many different kinds of fish. What are the fish for? I asked. This is food for the kingdom. the Lord replied. It made me happy to know that we willl be eating fruit and fish in heaven. The fact that these are the primary foods of the kingdom suggests we should be eating more of them on earth. (p.97). by wading into the water and grabbing a large, flat, white fish. It was about the size of my two hands together. I enjoyed watching the Lord do this for me, and I found the scene to be very amusingNext, I walked with Him beyond the rocks, where I noticed many large cooking areas that had silver-colored ovens built into the rocks. Atop the oven were cooking grilles with ovalshaped plates and silver forks. The Lord simply pushed a button on the side of one oven and a fire began. He then assumed the role of a cook, right in front of me. He grilled the fish until both sides of it were brown. He seemed to be so happy doing this for meWhen we finished eating, He took my plate and fork and put them into a silver containerIt wasnt because I ate the fish; it was because my Lord and Savior cooked the fish and we ate it together. (p.98). PETA will not be happy to learn that Jesus is not a vegan. However, we have been given important information about our future diet in heaven, fruit and fish, ergo we are to be eating much more of these on earth now (I suppose we should walk around in gowns too). I suppose eating all this fruit and fish necessitate the need for powder rooms in glory.

Demonic Possession
I stated earlier in this article that it is my belief that Choo is demonically possessed, certainly under the control of a strong demonic delusion. Her own account bears witness to my belief: During the night of February 12, my body shook more violently then it ever had. I was almost hurled form the bed because it was so forceful. I tried to grab the sheets to steady myself, but I

couldnt because I had no control over my body. The shaking was unremittingly forceful, and I grew afraid. (p.17). I began singing in the spirit. The songs come forth, and I have no control over them when I am with the Lord. (p119). The unusual voice that accompanies the supernatural visions the Lord gives me came forth. (p.123). The supernatural voice that accompanies the visions He imparts to me came forth, and I saw the cover of Heaven Is So Real. (p.128). After everything is done, I want you to build My church. This statement called forth the voice that always accompanies the supernatural visions the Lord gives me. (p.132). The vision-voice came forth from my spirit. It seemed to take control of me for a long time (p.134). My vision-voice came forth as it usually does in preparation for a supernatural vision from the Lord (p.138,139). By this time I was singing loudly, and my hands were moving around like fists swinging at a punching bagMy whole body was jumping up and down because of the anointing and the shaking. I felt as if I were flyingThe excited movement of my body and my vision-voice were so loud that Im sure the whole house could hear me. (p.139). Since January 1996 the anointing has been so strong that I cannot even control the shaking and other physical manifestationsFor example, as of this writing, I cannot even enter the room where Roger works on the computer because the Holy Spirits presence is so strong theremy body begins to jump for joy. This is a physical response that comes from the Lord, and I have no control over it. (p148). During the periods of shaking I would read my Bible and pray. Then as I would get into bed, my body would undergo tremendous and violent shaking for five or ten minutes. In the process my stomach would tighten, and I would experience spasms in the abdominal region. All of this happens each evening before the Lords visit to my roomDuring these marvelous visits, the Lord speaks directly and personally to me. Then He began to preparatory work in my body. When this happens, I have no control over my body for a period of two to four hours. (p158). It isnt until the reader is almost half way through the book that Choos mentions that prior to the appearance of the apparition she begins to speak in an unusual vision-voice. This is not her usual voice, but something that comes upon her or from within her which signify the beginning of her visions. She admits time after time throughout the book that when this voice speaks through her she has no control over it. When her body shakes or she jumps up and down, again she has no control over it. During the duration of visit by her spirit-guide she is

physically out of control. This simply is not the work of the Holy Spirit, it is not indicative of His fruit in our lives. Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 1 Corinthians 14:32 The spirit of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. Choo tells us that she is an end-time prophetess, why cant she control her own spirit? Where is the self-control in her devotional life? By simple definition, when one is possessed then that individual is incapable of independent action apart from the controlling entity. Choo tells us she has no control during these times. During the next portion of her book, Thomas goes on to reveal to the readers how anointed she is and exactly what the Lord did to her physically in what she refers to as her body work. Each time before the preparatory work begins the Lord talks to me about my future. Then the body work commences (p.159). Sound creepy? Choo takes us to the outer limits and beyond in the next chapters: The work involved with preparing my body for the ministry God has called me to do included my face, my hands, my head, my feet and my back. The Lord used my hands to touch every part of my body from my head to the bottom of my feet over and over againThe Holy Spirit directed me in all of this. I dont really have control of my hands, or any part of my body, when the Holy Spirit is doing His anointed work on me and with meOn several of the nights the Lord poured oil upon me. This precious oil was in oval vessels that looked like small perfume bottles. The bottles were of many different colors. He would pour the oil upon me from head to toes, and on my back as wellI have found that He poured a total of eight-five bottles of anointing oil upon meBefore being bathed in the anointing oil each time an unusual visionsong would come forth. (p.160). As He poured the anointing oil on my body, I would shake, jerk, perspire and become intently hotSome nights, while the Lord would be working with my body and hand movements, my entire physical being would become black and cold There were other occasions when my entire body would become invisible as the Lord was doing His preparatory work with me During some sessions the Lord would both lift my body and lower itMany times He would raise and lower my body forty-nine times a night (p.162). Thomas goes on and on with more of the above. My brothers and sisters what she is describing has absolutely no relationship to the Bible whatsoever. She is describing perfectly what happens to an individual who has undergone what the Hindus call Shaktipat initiation. Those who practice Kundalini yoga (translated the serpent power) undergo what they term as an unlocking of their charkas. Charkas are alleged to be energy centers within the human body. The lowest charkas is at the base of the spine and is said to have the form of a coiled serpent (the Kundalini). There are 7 charkas, stopping at the top of the head. Kundalini yoga is considered to be one of the most dangerous forms of yoga and the most demonic gurus of our day have all practiced and

taught it, i.e. Bhagwn Shree Rajneesh, Swami Muktananda, Sai Baba to name just a few to deceive multitudes in our own nation. When the serpent power is released in the body, the body goes into spontaneous kriyas: Kriyas, literally activities, are spontaneous movements that occur after Kundalini awakening. These include bodily activities such as trembling, shaking, and spontaneous yoga postures; vocal activities such as yelling, or spontaneous chanting and mental activities such as visions. These Kriyas eliminate the blocks to kundalini rising within the spine or central channel. Then came the most wild of the kriyas. They continued day and night, but were most vigorous when I was lying down at rest. I hardly slept at all during this period. My body would jerk around in radical, spasmodic movements. These often involved very specific muscle groups, such as those in my feet, hands, stomach, back and so forth then my arms would fly up and down in similar kind of rapid and rhythmic motion. My legs would kick up and down in the same way. These movements were hard and martial, as if I were practicing military marching while lying in bed The arm movements were becoming more sinuous and complex. As these arm motions became more fast and furious, I went to a full length mirror to witness what was happening. All at once I had the most eerie feeling, as if my body was remembering something. My hips, knees and legs began to sway and undulate as the intricate arm motions choreographed. I stared at the mirror in aweMy body was performing some kind of exotic dance. Then my arms came forward and my hands met, palms pressed together in a prayer-like pose, and drew up to the centre of my chest. A force pulled me over into a bow and held me there an instant. Then my knees buckled, and I found myself kneeling prostrate on the floor. The thought hit me; Im worshipping something, but worshipping what? Then I knew; I had just performed a sacred temple dance. Once these blocks within the body are removed, then the serpent power can flow throughout the person and from them to others! This is precisely what Mrs. Thomas is undergoing and she has mistakenly attributed it to the work of the Holy Spirit! Choo, like the woman in the quote, mentions that her hands began to move at such a rapid rate they were almost a blur at times. She spends a great deal of time relating to the readers how she privately dances before the Lord on the beach. At least the woman in the above citation had the wherewithal to ask what she was worshipping? Choo never asks, just knows all of these experiences are of the Lord and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Why on earth (or heaven) would the Lord have to work on her physical body in order to prepare her for ministry? No one else in the entire Bible has had to undergo such experiences, frankly, no orthodox Christian since the Apostles have had to undergo any such nonsense. It was as if He were unlocking the potential within my bodyHe would cause my body to rise and kneel before Him in intervals of seven, over and over againThirty-three different time He unlocked the various parts of my body that needed His work of preparation. When He unlocked my hands, for instance, they shook so hard that I grew frightenedEach part of my body had a special reaction to the unlocking workEach time the Lord pours the anointing oil on me or unlocks the locks of my body, my physical being responds with violent shaking,

jerking, intense heat, groans and supernatural power that causes my body to be lifted up (p.165). Thomas says her body literally levitates, at times becomes invisible, other times turns black and cold. She experiences intense heat and each part of her body (charka?) responds differently as it is unlocked, which is exactly what everything written about kundalini awakenings denotes. She reports so many other bizarre occurrences during the 3 years of her spiritual transformation that I cannot describe them all. What is to me most disturbing is that close to half a million professing Christians have purchased her book! What shocks me is that Strang Communications, owners of Creation House, would deign to publish a book that is so completely off the charts biblically. From start to finish her novel is fill with unsupported statements and out rightly demonic manifestations. Why didnt the Strang Editors pick up on this? Why didnt they refuse to print her book and point Thomas to the Bible and the Jesus of the Bible, who sees all His children as special? This book and its growing popularity prove to me that we are surely living in dark times. When people can give this balderdash any credence at all is beyond the scope of even my warped imagination. Her book does alert me, and now I hope you as well, to the desperate need that the Body of Christ has for Apologetic ministries. When hundreds of thousands of people can be deceived by such patently obvious fabrications we know that we have got a real battle for Gods truth on our hands. Please pray for Mrs. Thomas and ask God to grant repentance to Strang publications for being a tool in Satans hands to mislead multitudes. Copyright 2006 Robert S. Liichow This is a video link that shows a comparison of the manifestations which are mentioned above in this article, and have also continued to be currently promoted in books, conferences and recent revivals such as the Lakeland Revival. Footnotes 1. I will not go into the history of these aberrant revivals and their attending manifestations. I have covered them in the fullest detail available in my 2 books Blessing or Judgment and Two Roots of Todays Revival. 2. I urge all of our readers to purchase at some point the books The Confusing world of Benny Hinn published by the Personal Freedom Outreach (www.pfo.org ). It is the definitive work exposing this dangerous charlatan for who and what he is. 3. DMI has a small, but very helpful book on this topic entitled Does the Bible Support Being Slain in the Spirit. 4. Obtained from http://www.experiencefestival.com/krivas. 5. Obtained from http://www.eaglespiritministry.com/teaching/elcollie/eckm.htm.

6. The books written on heavenly trips have been by people without any seminary education. People like Mary K. Baxter, Jesse Duplantis, Robert Liardon, Howard Pittman, Richard Eby and others.

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apologetics Benny Hinn book review charismatic extremism charismatic issues discernment Discernment Ministries International extra-biblical revelation John Arnott manifestations occult Pensacola Outpouring Revival, Prophetic Movement Revival Sign-gift christians Signs & Wonders Movement sinless perfection

Toronto Blessing yoga

on August 11, 2009 at 8:06 PM Comments Off Tags: aberrant, Apostles, charka, Choo Thomas, Heaven, Paranormal, Prophets, Quakers, Revival, serpent power, shaking

The Dreaded Curse of the charismaniac

Truth Matters Newsletters December 2005 Vol. 10 Issue 12 The Dreaded Curse of the Charismaniac By Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

The Dreaded Curse of the charismaniac

The content of several recent e-mails to our ministry expose an untaugh t but often practiced doctrine within the charismatic extremist movement from which I was delivered, the dire practice of cursing those who oppose charismania for one reason or another. Cursing someone is basically invoking the name of a deity or using supernatural power to cause destruction, harm or calamity to another person. Normally one associates cursing with voodoo, Santeria (1) or some other form of witchcraft and not with Christianity, especially not with folks who claim to have a higher dose of the Holy Ghost whose love is alleged to be shed abroad in their hearts. (see Romans 5:5) ! What is sad is that some professing Christians couch their curses in the name of our Lord Jesus. The usual manner for curses to be unleashed by charismaniacs (2) occurs in two basic ways. First, curses are proclaimed as an alleged prophetic directive from the Lord. The example I will shortly site from Mr. Hinn is a manifestation of this type of curse. Secondly, curses are uttered in the name of the Lord against those who disagree with someone, usually over doctrinal issues or against those who call into question not only the biblical teachings of someone but also their lifestyle. This second form is often simply unmasked anger or hatred for someone, but done in the name of Jesus to sanctify it. This variety is seen by the Charismaniac as a legitimate form of righteous anger as typified by Jesus overturning the tables in the temple (see Matthew 21:12) or His verbal excoriation of the Scribes and Pharisees (see Matthew 23:27). My first example is of the second type and was uttered by Mr. Paul Crouch, the Founder of the Trinity

Broadcasting Network (TBN) against all the Christian Apologists who dared question Mr. Crouch and his cronies about doctrinal issues being transmitted globally via TBN. That old rotten Sanhedrin crowd, twice dead, plucked up by the rootstheyre damned and on their way to hell and I dont think theres any redemption for themthe hypocrites, the heresy hunters, that want to find a little mote of illegal doctrine in some Christians eyeswhen theyve got a whole forest in their own lives I say, to hell with you! Get out of my life! Get out of the way! Quit blockin Gods bridges! Im tired of this!This is my spirit. Oh, hallelujah! Theres a spiritual application here.I want to say to all you scribes, Pharisees, heresy-hunters, all of you that are around pickin little bits of doctrinal error out of everybodys eyes and dividin the Body of Christget out of Gods way, stop blockin Gods bridges, or Gods goin to shoot you if I dont let Him sort out all this doctrinal doodoo! .I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there! Dont even call me if you want to argue doctrine, if you want to straighten somebody outcriticize Ken Copelandor Dad Hagin. Get out of my life! I dont ever want to talk to youI dont want to see your ugly face! (3) See a Video here : According to my research Mr. Crouch has never recanted or repented for such hatred and anger. Crouch says that those of us who question him regarding doctrinal issues are damned and on their way to hell. Obviously, Crouch has become the one who holds the eternal life and knows who is damned and on their way to hell (and he is not even a Calvinist!!). There is no redemption for them, my Bible says that God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for sinners (read John 3:16) and in another place the Holy Writ says that our Father desires that all men be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (read 1 timothy 2:4). So how can there be no redemption for us po heresy-hunters? To hell with you when was the last time you pointed your finger at Christian brothers and sisters (or even outright sinners) and said go to hell? Hopefully never, but Mr. Crouch is on a higher spiritual plane than the rest of us and so the following dictum does not pertain to him: Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. But that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Eph. 4:29 Crouch brings God into his tirade by declaring that those of us with legitimate doctrinal concerns regarding orthodox Christian dogma are blocking Gods bridges (aka TBN) and says we are guilty of dividing the Body of Christ. What is more if we do not stop challenging Crouch, Copeland, Hagin and others then Gods gonin shoot us if Crouch does not first. See Video here Paul Crouch: Gods gonna shot you if I dont: It seems various Christian Apologists were contacting TBN and contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints (read Jude 3) and Crouch was fed up with our calls, letters and e-mails. I say this because he mentions doctrine four times in his curse along with Copeland, Hagin, two unabashed heretics.

To the charismatic extremist the battle cry is doctrine divides. As long as one calls Jesus his Lord and believes He ascended back to heaven is all the doctrine one needs to inspect. Crouch is not upset by a little illegal doctrine in a Christians life, but he is upset by anyone who would dare to try to lovingly correct those who are in error. Crouch has obviously lost sight of what Jesus warned when He said Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the SadduceesHow is it that ye do not understand that I spake [it] not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade [them] not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Matthew 16:6,11-12 No one has perfect doctrine and no one in the Apologetic arena of ministry I know has ever made such a claim. Speaking for myself, the more I study Gods Word the more I learn how little I do know. However, there are cardinal doctrines which must be universally agreed upon in order to be considered a genuine Christian. These are the issues we are chiefly concerned about. Jesus warns His disciples about the danger of false doctrine and we echo His warnings today to our brothers and sisters. There is no such thing as harmless false (illegal) doctrine. True, none of us is 100% doctrinally pure, but it is one thing to lack understanding concerning some facet of biblical truth and quite another to embrace something that is erroneous. The Apostle Paul rebukes the Galatians who were being bewitched by legalism. He reminds them Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion [cometh] not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Galatians 5:7-9 Crouch is very willing to wink at a little leaven (illegal doctrine), DMI is not. Truth Matters to God and His truth is worth fighting for. When you know Gods truth in a certain area and keep silent knowing your brethren believes a lie how are you walking in love towards them? Paul understood that everything produces after its own kind and thus he knew the danger of allowing the Galatians to cling to anything, no matter how small that was unsound biblically. The following is another example of this type of curse directed at me personally in a recent missive of love from an alleged brother in Christ. Note the tone and language. Not only does this misguided soul violate the Holy Scriptures, he does not even take time to use his spell and grammar checker! Nor does he cite any specific examples of where our ministry has misrepresented Mr. Hagin. We stand by the well documented fact that he stole intellectually from E.W. Kenyon Finis Dake and other authors. We also do not recant that he was a false teacher and false prophet, all of which is well documented on our website and other websites and books if anyone cares to take the time to research. So enjoy the following e-mail and I believe it speaks for itself and helps answer why I am glad to consider myself an X-charismaniac. (Bold type and underlining are added for emphasis on my part- spelling corrected). Dear Robert, I just read your article on the web. Its great that you are investigating religion, but you got the Kenneth Hagin situation wrong. Im a born again Christian and realize that some people do not understand Kenneths ministry. I have an organization speaking against you

since you dont seem to know what youre talking about. He is not a false prophet at all. These things were revealed to him. No I will not argue with you, there are plenty of people on the forum who already think you have this all wrong. He was not a part of TV or TBN after the 80 since he was told not to go on TV by the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Your judgment is coming as well and you who dont really know what youre talking about. You have started a warbut not with sweet innocent children but ones that can go into the spirit realm and destroy you. Think about it Jesus Christ wont help you once the curse is upon you. PS we are born again Christians too. This e-mail would be funny if this guy was not trying to be serious. It appears this man has an entire organization speaking against me (keep in mind curses are generally verbalized in order to be effective). It seems my judgment is coming due to the powerful curses released by these unsweetened negative nabobs of doom, despair and agony. Gee whatever happened to being harmless as doves (read Matthew 10:16) ? Due to our exposure of Mr. Hagin we have started a war with bitter (as opposed to sweet), guilty (as opposed to innocent) Christians who can ascend into the spirit realm and destroy me. Let me address his first accusation regarding my not understanding Mr. Hagins SINistry. Oh really? We have almost every one of his books, untold numbers of his cassettes, videos and I have seen him in person, up close and personal, even been in prayer lines where he was imparting his special anointing so special it is not even mentioned in the Bible! No, quite the contrary, as a former Word of Faith Pastor/teacher I am extremely familiar with his doctrine and it is unsound biblically. His so-called visions and out-of-body experiences with Jesus are farcical. What kind of a dolt is this guy? Doesnt he realize that after Crouch, and as you will shortly read Benny the healer Hinn have cursed youyouve been cursed? All I can say is, hey take your best shot pal. I wish I had a dime for every time somebody was going to go up to the spirit realm (he must have been reading too much Mary K. Baxter or Howard Pittman) and destroy me, my family and marriage. Sounds more like witchcraft versus the character of Christ Jesus, who commanded us to turn the other check when struck (read Matthew 5:39). Golly, even Jesus Christ, God the Son Himself wont help me (and by inference others) who dare to speak out against what we know to be false doctrine. I guess since dad Hagin assumed room temperature, speaking out against him has been elevated to the status of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (I think not). I on the other hand must and do bless these misguided souls. We pray for all of them as well as the remaining Hagin family that our gracious Lord Jesus Christ will open their eyes to the truth of the Gospel and they will recant their false doctrines and pull the books that contain them from the shelves. I wrote this man back and here is the less than godly response from our so-called brother. His language and hatred betray him. Read with sadness the following:

We are human Christians not sweet get your ass kicked by religionand the Govt dont care what you write about us. GET IT? And we still gave our lives to Jesus Christ. Even the devil was mad for the day of vengence, write more and get destroyed more. We do not accept your fake ass apology as PS ask the Lord Jesus Christ if we are not of HIM? Youll be more than surprised and 17 million of us know you will not reveal when He truly answers you. Some people need to keep their mouth shut and their websites. The demonic attacks are ones you and your church cant fight off, judgment starts in the house of the LORD Uh, what planet is this guy from? I guess we counter-cult apologists, myself in particular, are sweet non-human Christians [sic] who get our ass kicked by religion. I readily admit that I am sweet, which beats being sour and bitter. I also confess that I am an alien and pilgrim on this planet (read Hebrews 11:13; 1 Peter 2:11). I guess he did not read about the Apostle Paul getting his ass kicked by religion I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly) I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So [am] I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; [in] journeying often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, in perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 2 Corinthians 11:21-28 Paul must have been too sweet, innocent and passive when faced with such opposition. Why didnt he go into the spirit realm and hurl down curses on those who withstood him? Maybe Paul was emulating the faith of those we read about in the following text: Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of [cruel] mockings and scourging, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy;) they wandered in deserts, and [in] mountains, and [in] dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:35-38 Could it be that Paul had heard James or John recount their experience with the Samaritan villages who rejected Jesus? And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw [this], they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives, but to save [them]. And they went to another village. Luke 9:5356

Mr. Crouch and others who proclaim curses desiring the destruction of their enemies do not know what spirit they are of. These folks have lost sight of the mission of Jesus which is salvation and not destruction. Back to the e-mailed curse! In our response DMI did not apologize for anything we have written regarding the false prophet Kenneth Hagin Sr. What we did say was that we would bless him, and we did in our prayer time, I guess those coals get pretty hot when they get heaped on his head, ergo the vitriolic response. I need not ask our Lord if he is of Him, his fruit speaks loudly enough so we have no need to bother the Ancient of Days with such a question. If he wants to reject our prayers and blessings that is his right, but the bible says that love believes the best and obviously he is not walking in love because he doubts our sincerity. Again, pray for this misguided soul and may God have mercy upon him and those caught up in calling darkness light and light darkness. I pray God has mercy on the individual who sent the above email to us. Feel free to express your love to him; it seems he really needs a hug or something! His email address is [email protected]. Lets consider the type of curse that is given in the quasi-prophetic form. This one is very popular among the so-called restored prophets for obvious reasons. I will cite an example given by Mr. Hinn since he is one of the most widely known and accepted false prophets plaguing the church today. The following curse was literally growled by Mr. Hinn at a miracle crusade held in Denver, Co. Yes Lord Ill do it! I place a curse on every man and woman that will stretch his hand against this anointing I curse that man who dares to speak a word against this ministry. (4) See Video Here: Benny Hinn puts a curse on people: Hinn would want us to believe that our Lord (the One who came to not destroy but save, the One who on the cross said :Father forgive them) told him to curse every man and woman who comes against Bennys alleged anointing and ministry! It is sad to think that people actually believe that Hinn has been sanctioned to curse people and since God is no respecter of persons other lesser lights in the extremist movement have taken to placing curses on those who disagree with them. This is a perfect example of the little leaven, (cursing in this case,) spreads to others in the Body if it is not dealt with biblically.

The Biblical Attitude Regarding Cursing

The Bible does have quite a bit to say regarding the matter of cursing our enemies. We read the following comment from the lips of Job: If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him: Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. Job 31:29-30 We all know what happened when Balak tried to pay Balaam to curse Gods people:

Balak the King of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel, How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? Num. 23:7-8 Furthermore, we are commanded by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:14 to Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Mr. Crouch, Hinn, the e-mailer and others are in direct violation of Gods Word when they attempt to proclaim and place curses on others. In Luke 5:44 Jesus commands us to But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you, What a shame that many in the sign-gift movement have spiraled down to this level of unbiblical diatribe and unwillingness to admit that many of their leaders have feet of clay and sinful hearts, like the rest of us. They too are in continual need of Gods forgiveness and mercy. Copyright 2005 Robert S. Liichow End Notes 1. Santeria is one of the many syncretic religions created in the New World. It is based on the West African religions brought to the new world by slaves imported to the Caribbean to work the sugar plantations. These slaves carried their own religious traditions, including a tradition of possession trance for communications with the ancestors and deities, the use of animal sacrifice and the practice of sacred drumming and dance. Obtained from http://sparta.rice.edu/~maryc/Santeria. 2. Charismaniac, a term I believe I coined but I could be wrong is meant to refer only to those people who embrace the latest pseudo-spiritual beliefs and practices such as holy laughter, strategic level spiritual warfare, being druck in the spirit, the heresies of the Word of Faith cult, aberrant faith healing practices and the like. DMI is not lumping all Pentecostals and charismatic/sign-gift believers into this category. DMI works with both Pentecostal and biblically sound sign/gift people who have not been carried away by the prevailing winds of false doctrine swirling around in their circles. 3. This is only a portion of a rather long rant by Mr. Crouch one can view him in action on various websites and videos. Transcripts of all he said zre also widely distributed on the internet. This portion was obtained from http://cnview.com/on_line_resources/paul_crouch_curses_those_who_contend_for_sound_doctri ne.htm. 4. Obtained from http://www.christian-witness.org/archives/cetf1999/bhinnlower.html. There are many websites which show the actual video clips in which Mr. Hinns demeanor changes, his voice changes and he hurls his Spirit-led curse at those who oppose him and his ministry. The underlining has been added for emphasis.

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apologetics Benny Hinn charismatic extremism charismatic issues Christianity discernment Discernment Ministries International Doctrine E.W. Kenyon false doctrine false teachers false teaching heresy Paul Crouch Prophetic Movement Sign-gift christians Signs & Wonders Movement spiritual abuse spiritual bondage spiritual warfare TBN TV preachers Word of Faith

on July 30, 2009 at 8:30 PM Comments Off Tags: aberrant, Attitude, charismatic witchcraft, cursing, Discernment Ministries, Discernment Ministries International, Leadership, Ministry, spiritual battle, stand firm in the faith, Stetegic warfare, televangelism

The Fivefold Fallacy

Truth Matters Newsletter Oct. 2005 Vol. 10 Issue 10 The Fivefold Fallacy - by Rev. Robert S. Liichow

Discernment Ministries International

The Fivefold Fallacy

One of our primary ministry objectives is to equip our readers with enough accurate biblical information so they can defend the truth of Gods Word when confronted with the various biblical errors and heresies that are swamping the Church. Defeating heresy requires going to the root and laying the axe there first, once the root has been severed the various limbs lose the source of their strength and wither and die. This is why DMI spent six months dealing with the core doctrines of the Word of Faith cult. Once a person sees the biblical fallacies within the central tenants of their belief system the truth of Gods Word will indeed set them free to begin to worship and follow Christ in spirit and in truth. In my former ignorance as a charismatic extremist I studied the history of Pentecostalism and their leaders and began back then collecting original source materials from as many of these leaders as I could, the bulk of which now serves as the DMI archive. I was an active extremist when the prophetic became a movement in the early 1980s according to its farcical father Dr., Bishop, Apostle, Bill Hamon who is on record making the following statement: That company of prophetess is being raised up in the 1980s, God revealed to me that there are 10,000 prophets on the North American continent alone being prepared to be released within the Church. (1) The fact that today virtually every Pentecostal and sign-gift charismatic believes that God has indeed restored prophets and apostles to the Church (2) are merely branches from the poisonous tree whose tap root is found in the false doctrine commonly referred to as the fivefold ministry. Before we dive into the murky depths of this doctrine of men you must understand a key term of restoration. All of Pentecostalism from Montanus in 170 AD (3) to Edward Irving in the 1800s to the so called Azusa revival and then later on the Healing revival of Post World War Two have seen themselves as a divine movement of restoration by God. Initially the belief in restoration was confined to divine healing, then later it included the sign-gifts, especially the alleged ability to speak in other tongues (4) and a general restoring of supernatural miracle power to the Church. According to the extremist leaders (past and present) the Church somehow lost a great deal of its biblical knowledge, truth, insight and power. Obviously, this means somewhere down the line our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Church (read Eph. 1:22) dropped the ball and allowed great truths to be forgotten or lie dormant until He could get through to certain anointed individuals to restore them back to the Church and bring us back on track. Hamon, a firm

believer in dispensational demarcations gives us the following chart of divine restoration of the Church: Hamon, Bill. Prophets and Personal Prophecy Gods Prophetic Voice Today. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, p.20, 1987. This statement is from vol. one of a three vol. set on the Prophetic Movement. Obviously, there are some exceptions. Some of the traditional Pentecostal denominations and other independent charismatic congregations do not believe God has set apostles and prophets back into the Church. However, these groups are in the minority. It is fair to say that easily 90% + people involved with some form of Pentecostalism endorse the reality of prophets and apostles today. According to historic Pentecostalism, the gift of tongues was given for missionary purposes because the leaders of that time firmly believed that Jesus Christ was returning very soon and the Gospel needed to be preached throughout the World. There was simply no time to go to a mission school and learn foreign language. They believed God was restoring this gift to get the Word out. It was not until almost 50 years later when the fledgling charismatic movement was started that the concept of having a personal private prayer language became popular, that was not the original belief of Pentecostalism.
Year
1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 1950 1960 1970 1980

Restoration Movement
Protestant (5) Puritan Holiness Faith-Healing Pentecostal movement Latter Rain Movement Charismatic Word of Faith Prophetic

Major Truth Restored

Salvation thru grace thru faith

Water Baptism, separation of Church and state Sanctification, the Church set apart from the world. Divine healing for the physical body Holy Spirit Baptism and speaking in tongues Prophetic presbytery, praise and worship Renewal of all restored truth Faith confessions, prosperity Prophets and the gifts of the Holy Spirit (6)

Four Major Movements

All Christians who have received Gods present truth (7) accept the last four groups Protestant, Holiness/Evangelical, Classical Pentecostal and Latter Rain/Charismatic as movements that were Holy Spirit directed and established by God. They are called major movements because each one restored one of the seven doctrines of Christ listed in Hebrews 6:1,2. (8)

Present Truth or Present Day Truth is extremist code and it refers to the new revelations being given by the accepted restored prophets and apostles to the Church. These may be doctrines previously unknown and untaught in the history of the Church, they are new and must be accepted by faith in the one delivering the new revelation.
Doctrine of Christ
1. Repentance from dead works 2. Faith toward God 3. Doctrine of Baptism 4. Laying on of Hands 5. Resurrection of Dead 6. Eternal Judgment 7. Ultimate Perfection

Approx. Date
1500 1800 1900 1950 ? ? ? . . . .

Restoration Movement
Protestant Holiness/Evangelical Classic Pentecostal Latter Rain/Charismatic ? ? ?

Hebrews 6:1,2 are not dispensational. The author gives no indication that he is referring to anything more than foundational doctrines that comprise orthodox Christianity. The writer is in a way unbraiding these Christians because they ought to be well established in these truths. In the prior verses he bemoans the fact that they ought to be teachers (Heb. 5:12) but are still only fit for the milk of Gods Word and not the weightier matters. According to Hamon and the other Latter Rain adherents it has taken God something like 450 years just to restore these doctrines to the Church, teachings that any well equipped pastor is transmitting to his flock to his Sunday school classes or from the pulpit. Yet it is crucial that people buy into the concept of God continuing to restore lost truths and give new revelations to empower the Church for the last great world-wide revival which will Christianize the world and prepare it to be a suitable place for Jesus to return to. (10) If one is willing to believe that God has been in a process of restoring the Church then they are in perfect position to accept the next major fallacy which is the foundation of todays so-called Prophetic/Apostolic movement.

The Fivefold Ministry

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heaven, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: Eph. 4:10-13

This is the text that has been used since the mid 1940s to make the case that the Church needs to have, in the words of the Latter Rain extremists, all five ascension gifts active in the Church for it to be brought to the full stature of Christ.

What gave strength to the false belief that the Church needed all five of the ministries mentioned in Ephesians 4 was the advent of the ministry of William Branham. Without going into detail Mr. Branham was a unique individual, whose life was marked by many paranormal events. He grew up in the backwoods of Kentucky in 1909 and was virtually uneducated. Around 1946 he began a major thrust of his divine healing ministry. He was supposed to be able to reveal to the individuals standing before him their names, what was wrong with them, where they lived, etc Often before he would pray for them he would say do you believe I am the Lords prophet? the person would respond yes and he would say, then go on your way your faith has healed you. Branham attributed his ability to discern the thoughts and intents of peoples hearts as a gift from God who has appeared to Branham an told him He would bestow these two signs to him. (11) Due to Branhams unique ministry and his own claims to be Gods prophet he drew a huge following. His ministry combined with some of the writings of Franklin Hall (12) was the impetus behind the formation of a new revival called The New Order of the Latter Rain. There is some confusion over this aspect of Branhams ministry, because on some of his audio tapes in the DMI archive he admits that he is helpless until his angel appears on the platform and that it was this being who actually revealed peoples lives to Branham. Once he was asked if what he did was by the power of the Holy Spirit, he said no it was his angel. Also it is well documented on tape and video that Branham used prayer cards that people filled out, and although uneducated, he may well have had a photographic memory which gave him to appearance of knowing these facts about people. Franklin Hall wrote a book which became somewhat of a manual for this next great move of God entitled Atomic Power With God Through Prayer and Fasting. This book is out of print today but it along with other out-of-print resource materials is available on a DMI CD entitled: The New Order of the Latter Rain for $15.00. Hall was a complete nut who wrote about how to levitate, how to achieve physical immortality and how to raise the dead. Hs writings were crucial to a sub-group within the NOLR called The Manifest Sons of God. What has always amazed me about Mr. Branhams ministry is that even though he was acknowledged as a false teach by other charismatic ministers he was accepted as a genuine prophet by them. He denied the Trinity of God, he taught that belonging to any denomination was a sign of the beast and would damn a person to hell. This teaching alone

was primarily responsible for the mass exodus of pastors from the Assembly of God denomination, which came out with a statement against the New Order of the Latter Rain in 1949. It was also the reason behind the creation of all the independent charismatic congregations we have today. Not to mention the various false and unfulfilled prophetic words Mr. Branham is on record of spouting. Some Canadians who attended some of Branhams meetings took their enthusiasm back to their Bible school in North Battleford. It seems that from this seedbed the concept of a restored Fivefold ministry was birthed: One of the points of controversy between the North Battleford brethren and the established Pentecostal denominations was the belief of the leaders at Sharon that the church had present-day apostles and prophets. Some of the first indications of controversy along these lines are in the June 1948 issue of The Sharon Star. According to George Hawtin: When one starts talking about prophets and apostles being in the Church in our day, the poor saints are shocked half to death. They raise their hands in holy terror and cry, heresy! Heresy! Now MY BIBLE SAYS: GOD HATH SET SOME in the church, FIRST APOSTLES, SECONDAIRLY PROPHETS, THIRDLY TEACHERS, and after that miracles, then gifts of healings, etc. (13) The movement became associated in peoples minds with the brethren in North Battleford who played a large part in initially spreading the revival. It also became associated with the practices of these brethren, including the laying on of hands and acceptance of present-day apostles and prophets. (14) Mr. Hamon received his call into ministry in October 1953 in one of the fledgling break away Latter Rain congregations. (15) from one of the restored prophets, which made an indelible impression theologically on the rest of his life. This initial false teaching of a restored fivefold ministry, like yeast in bread has spread throughout all of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement and today it is not even questioned as valid. One of the hallmarks of the New Order of the Latter Rain (LRM) and subsequently the Charismatic Renewal Movement is a doctrine of imparting the Holy Spirit and His gifts through the laying on of hands. In response to this error let me simply cite Dr. Martin Luther in his Smalcald Articles: In these matters, which concern the external, spoken Word, we must hold firmly to the conviction that God gives no one his Spirit or grace except through or with the external Word which comes before. Thus we shall be protected from the enthusiaststhat is, from the spiritualists who boast that they possess the Spirit without and before the Word and who therefore judge, interpret, and twist the Scriptures or spoken Word according to their pleasure Even so, the enthusiasts of our day condemn the external Word, yet they do not remain silent but fill the world with their chattering and scribbling, as if the Spirit could not come through the Scriptures or the spoken word of the apostles but must come through their own writings and words.

In short, enthusiasm clings to Adam and his descendants from the beginning to the end of the world. It is a poison implanted and inoculated in man by the old dragon, and it is the source, strength, and power of all heresy Accordingly, we should and must constantly maintain that God will not deal with us except through his external Word and sacrament. Whatever is attributed to the Spirit apart from such Word and sacrament is of the devil. Luther, in dealing with the extremists of his day simply said that God does not give the Holy Spirit apart from His Word and sacraments. Whatever people want to attribute to the Spirit apart from the external word of God and sacraments is from the devil. (16) This relegates the belief that one can bestow the Holy Spirit and His gifts (as if He was some commodity) through the laying on of hands as being of the devil and I agree with Luther on this matter. Like all error unless it is biblically excised from the Body it will spread. So the LRM enthusiasts took their initial error further and teach that not only is the Spirit given through their hands, but now also ministry offices are imparted (or activated) through their hands as well. What is the role of these restored ascension gifts of apostle and prophet in the Church according to the extremists today? The full restoration of apostles and prophets back into the Church will then bring divine order, unity, purity and maturity to the corporate Body of Christ. The saints will be equipped and activated in the supernatural power of God to be a witness and demonstration to all nations of the powerful kingdom of God. (17) According to Hamon and may others in this movement, they see their role as being pivotal in bringing the Church to a place of completion thus enabling Jesus Christ to return. They base this belief on the following proof-text: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you; Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:19-21 They interpret this text to mean that Jesus must stay in heaven until the times of restitution (restoration in some translations) of all things, which, obviously, has to include the ministry of both the apostles and prophets. Without all the five ascension gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 being active with the apostle and prophet having the preeminent roles in activating (18) the other ministries the church will remain out of divine order, in disarray, impure and immature. Hamon and others see the restored fivefold ministries as a divine hierarchy, with the apostle being at the top and the prophet either next to or directly beneath him or her (depending on whose book you read). Everybody else is beneath them. The restored apostles and prophets are to give divine direction to the Church. These heretics have set themselves up not only to be the judges of doctrine but also the formulators of new doctrines.

Please understand that the stated goal of this movement is to demolish every denominational distinction and to enforce spiritual unity through the use of supernatural power. They foresee the day when every city will have one Church with many pastors, but each city will be led by a group of apostles and prophets, who will hear from God and give direction for the Church without walls. Hamon has gone so far as to explain how the fivefold mafia will work within the city church. When the fivefold ministers come together to consider doctrines and practices this way, they will need to keep in mind several areas of insight; (1) the claimed revelation from God; (2) the fruit of the ministry among those who have received the doctrine or practice; (3) the supernatural working of God accompanying it; (4) the Logos and rhema word of God application and authority for the doctrine or practice; and (5) the witness of the Spirit and the unified consent of those present. (19) All five of these principles for establishing doctrine, as Hamon calls them, are completely subjective. Let me break omerta and decode the lingo in Hamons directive. The claimed revelation from God refers to the belief that God is giving forth-new revelation to/through His restored prophets and apostles. Then they look at the subjective experiential fruit among the people espousing the latest revealed truth. Are the people happy? Is it causing numerical growth and financial giving, are people reporting a deeper walk with Christ in a pietistic sense? Number three, we have to check out the signs and wonders, after all, God confirms His word with signs following (mark 16:20). Any new doctrine or practice must have some variety of paranormal activity validating its divine origin. These signs do not have to have a biblical precedent (see rule number 4), thus just have to be accepted as coming from God and can easily fall under the aegis of being new wine of the Holy Spirit such as was seen in the Toronto Blessing experience. Fourthly, the Word of God must be considered. Not to worry, if what is currently being proposed as new doctrine or practice, even if hitherto unknown in the 2,000 years of recorded Church history, cannot be found within the context of Scripture there are tow fall-back positions. (1) What is being taught and experienced is present day truth (read 2 Peter 1:12). (2) What is being taught and/or experienced is part of something Jesus did, but it is not recorded in the Bible (read John 21:25). (20) These two arguments are commonly cited today. They are used as a means to get away from the absolute authority of Gods external word, the Bible. Lastly, we have the subjective witness of the spirit by the restored fivefold ministry. In other words, this means that the gathered group of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers all sit around and say yup seems ok to me. It is very apparent that the Word of God is not central in their thinking, It no longer serves as the sole source of all faith and practice. Please keep in mind, this aspect of the charismatic movement is growing very rapidly and almost universally endorsed within the movement overall.

Does The Fivefold Ministry Exist Today?

In a word, no it does not exist today. The LRM has twisted this text, like so many others, and have tried to make it say something that it does not say at all. To begin with we have to allow Scripture to interpret Scripture and even that must be done within the context of the verses examined.

Jesus said I will build my church (read Matt 16:18) so we know that the Church is being constructed by no less than God the Son. Furthermore we see in the Scriptures that Jesus is referred to twice as the Head of the Body (read Eph. 5:23 and Col. 2:19). What is more He is also referred to as being the chief corner [stone]; Eph. 2:20. Most theologians would agree that The Lord Jesus Christ began to build His Church on the Day of Pentecost. By that time He had already chosen who would be His Apostles and they had received the Holy Spirit (read John 20:22). (21) For simplicitys sake let me just say that the foundation of the Church was laid in the beginning and is detailed for us in the Book of Acts. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the Lord; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph. 2:20-22. When you build a house you first lay the foundation. The foundation of the Church was laid by the genuine Apostles and Prophets with Christ Jesus as the chief corner stone. Once the foundation has been laid the master builder proceeds to erect the superstructure. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 1 Cor. 3:10-12 This is exactly what the Apostle Paul stated in the text above. He has laid (past tense) the foundation and others build on that foundation. There is no other foundation which can or needs to be laid than that which has already been laid, which is Christ Jesus! Then Paul goes back to commenting on how one may build on that original foundation. Brothers and sisters Jesus Christ is not asleep at the right hand of the Father, but is active and alive among us today. He has been superintending His Church since its inception. He has been building upon the original foundation laid by the original genuine Apostles and Prophets through the faithful ministry of the proclamation of the Gospel and sacraments carried out by evangelists and pastors. I might as well add at this point that the Greek text does not divide pastors and teachers as two gifts but is better-translated pastor-teachers. I acknowledge that in other places teachers are mentioned apart from pastors, but this text, which the heretics abuse does not even hold forth the concept of a fivefold ministry linguistically! At best, if they wanted to be honest with the text they would have to say God is restoring a fourfold ministry. God does not need to restore apostles and prophets to the Church in order to bring us to perfection. No one apart from the lunatic fringe has ever claimed such a thing until the advent of the neo-Montanist movement. They laid the foundation, they received the Word of God and the canon is closed. The Scriptures are all we need as our guide for faith and practice and anything which is not in accord with the context of the Bible is to be rejected as false

doctrine and false practice. These deceivers insult the authority of the Scriptures by their claim to additional revelation and restoration and what is worse they insult the Author of the Scripture and the Holy Spirit Himself. The so-called restored apostles and prophets are on very dangerous ground indeed and the Church needs to mark them and sound a warning to our brothers and sisters not to be led astray by such people. Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. Romans 16:17

Copyright 2005 Robert S. Liichow End Notes 1. Hamon, Bill Prophets and Personal Prophecy Gods Prophetic Voice Today. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, p. 20, 1987. This statement is from vol. one of a three vol. set on the Prophetic Movement. 2. Obviously, there are some exceptions. Some of the traditional Pentecostal denominations and other independent charismatic congregations do not believe God has set apostles and prophets back into the Church. However, these groups are in the minority. It is fair to say that easily 99% + people involved with some form of Pentecostalism endorse the reality of prophets and apostles today. 3. DMI has one of the few books in publication on Montanus entitled Montanus, Father of Charismatic Extremism. It can be ordered for 8.00 4. According to historic Pentecostalism, the gift of tongues was given for missionary purposes because the leaders of that time firmly believed that Jesus Christ was returning very soon and the Gospel needed to be preached throughout the world. There was simply no time to go to a mission school and learn a foreign language. They believed God was restoring this gift to get the Word out. It was not until almost 50 years later when the fledgling charismatic movement was started that the concept of having a personal private prayer language became popular, that was not the original belief of Pentecostalism. 5. I will not be too exacting regarding Mr. Hamons inaccurate assessment of Church history, however he is referring to Martin Luther (as he does later in his book). Luther and Lutheranism are not part of the Protestant Reformation, nor are Lutherans Protestants denominationally; we are original Evangelicals.

6. Hamon, Bill, Prophets and the Prophetic Movement Gods Prophetic Move Today. Shippensburg, Pa; Destiny Image, p. 24, 1987. 7. Present Day Truth is extremist code and it refers to the new revelations being given by the accepted restored prophets and apostles to the Church. These may be doctrines previously unknown and untaught in the history of the Church, they are new and must be accepted by faith in the one delivering the new revelation. 8. Hamon, Bill, Prophets and the Prophetic Movement Gods Prophetic Move Today. Shippensburg, Pa; Destiny Image, p. 37, 1987. 9. Ibid. p. 38 10. The New Order of the Latter Rain which has its beginning in the mid 1940s differed from classic dispensational systems in that it taught that the goal of restoration was to enable the Church to take complete dominion over the entire world (often referred to as Kingdom Now or Dominion Theology). The leaders of the prophetic/apostolic movement do not teach in a pretribulation rapture of the Church which is common among mainline Pentecostal groups, most Baptists, and even the Word of Faith cult. 11. There is some confusion over this aspect of Branhams ministry because on some of his audio tapes in the DMI archive he admits that he is helpless until his angel appears on the platform and that it was this being who actually revealed peoples lives to Branham. Once he was asked if what he did was by the power of the Holy Spirit, he said no it was his angel. Also it is well documented on tape and video that Branham used prayer cards that people filled out, and although uneducated, he may well have had a photographic memory which gave him to appearance of knowing these facts about people. 12. Franklin Hall wrote a book which became somewhat of a manual for this next great move of God entitled Atomic Power With God Through Prayer and Fasting. This book is out of print today but it along with other out-of-print resource materials is available on a DMI entitled The New Order of the Latter Rain for $15.00. Hall was a complete nut who wrote abut how to levitate, how to achieve physical immortality and how to raise the dead. His writings were crucial to a sub-group within the NOLR called The Manifest Sons of God. 13. Riss, Richard. Latter Rain, Etobicoke, Ontario; Honeycomb Products, p. 71, 1983. 14. Ibid p. 76. Underlining added for emphasis. 15. Hamon, Bill Prophets and Personal Prophecy Gods Prophetic Voice Today. Shippensburg, PA. p.2 1987 16. Tappert, Theodore The Book of Concord the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Philadelphia, PA Fortress Press, pp. 312,313. 1959. Underlining added for emphasis.

17. Hamon, Bill. Prophets and Personal Prophecy Gods Prophetic Move Today. Shippensburg, PA. , p59 1987. 18. The term activate is a term used within the prophetic/apostolic movement to refer to the alleged ability to not only impart the Holy Spirit and His gifts, but also to anoint and empower men and women into every ministry field including that of apostle and prophet. The concept of activation is central to Latter Rain Theology because God only uses these restored apostles and prophets to genuinely impart ministry gifts to Gods people. 19. Hamon, Bill. Prophets and Personal Prophecy Gods Prophetic Move Today. Shippensburg, PA. , p 180 1987. 20. This is an especially dangerous position that the charismatic movement has taken regarding judging so called new doctrines and experiences. When questions about the total lack of biblical precedent regarding being slain in the spirit, holy laughter, spiritual drunkenness or other novelties, they simply respond that they were no doubt found in Jesus ministry but not recorded in the Bible. We are then required to take it on faith when the restored leaders tell us that this is indeed proof of a new move of God. Every bible-based cult group took this approach when they attempted to support their views, eventually the cult group took this approach when they attempted to support their views, eventually the bible is always cast aside the writings of the cult leader or becomes interpreted by the cult leaders insights. 21. A careful reading of the Book of Acts will demonstrate that only the Apostles were authorized to impart spiritual gifts. Those who were empowered by God through these genuine Apostles are never shown bestowing the Holy Spirit or His gifts to others. Throughout Church history it is only people captivated by spiritual enthusiasm or who are heretics that have believed/taught that they had the authority and power to give the Spirit to others. Published in:

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on July 22, 2009 at 4:38 PM Comments Off Tags: Bible, biblical error, Bill Hamon, Discernment Ministries, Discernment Ministries International, Fivefold Ministry, heresies, Holiness, immortality, Latter Rain, Montanist movement, New Revelation, Paranormal, Religion, stewardship

The Fall of CainCharismatic False Prophet

Truth Matters Newsletter November 2004 Vol. 9 Issue 10 The Fall of Cain Charismatic False Prophet If you would hear from God go to the Scriptures Martin Luther.

Paul Cain is regarded by many to be the greatest living prophet today within the charismatic Prophetic movement. If these followers of Cain are on Mr. Rick Joyners email list (DMI) is on his list) then their views of this alleged great prophet are about to be shattered. Before I share the e-mail we received from Joyner, let me first share an excerpt from DMIs book on the prophetic movement about Mr. Cain which in light of recent revelation about this man I believe to be quite damning. The following is a portion of the material from our book concerning Mr. Cain specifically. Paul Cain was born in 1929 at Garland, Texas, a small farming community about 20 miles from downtown Dallas. The reports that, just prior to his birth, his mother, Anna, was terminally ill from four major diseases: cancer of the breast, tuberculosis, heart disease, and three malignant tumors that prevented her from being about to have a normal delivery.

While on the verge of death, one whom she believed to be the Angel of the Lord appeared to her. The angel put his hand on her shoulder and said, Daughter, be of good cheer, be not afraid, you shall live and not die, the fruit of your womb shall be a male child. Name him Paul. He shall preach my gospel as did apostle Paul of old. (1)

Paul Cains Downfall

Like almost all of the restored prophets, they all claim some form of divine intervention in their lives. Either they suffered as martyrs like Duduman, or were on their deathbed like Ken Hagin. In Cains case it seems his mother was the one who was deathly ill and was visited by no less than Angel of the Lord who informed her that her child would be like the Apostle Paul! Naturally, it is not enough for ones mother to have a meeting with the Angel of the Lord, Paul at age eight had his own encounter: At the age of eight the entity Cain calls the Angel of the Lord visited him for the first time. The Angel of the Lord said to Paul, I want you to preach my gospel as did Paul of old. Open your mouth and I will it. You will preach the gospel by binding the sickness and infirmities of Gods people. (2) Cain claims an angelic visit at age eight, William Branham claimed a similar visit at age seven. Both claimed to be warned to keep themselves pure and both claimed healing ministries. Cain was engaged to be married but claimed that Jesus Himself appeared in his car and told Paul that He was jealous of his future wife and that he needed to remain pure, i.e. celibate. Cain never married, but his tale does not jibe with the Scripture which plainly teaches Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry. 1 Tim 4:1-3 (KJV) Marriage is a blessing and if Cain had decided to not marry that would be one thing, but it is another to have Jesus appear to him and forbid Paul to marry because Jesus was jealous! Cain is a dyed-in-the-wool Latter Rain teacher. He came into ministry during the initial thrust of that aberrant movement and he had consistently taught its errors. These errors are verbalized in almost all of his prophetic words. Here is an example: Every time God ever planned to do anything, the devil would get wind of it and hed go out there and try to head it offWhen he knew Moses was coming, what did he do to stop himHe killed all the babies. What did he do when he figured that Jesus was going to be born at a certain time? He released a decree through the wicked ruler to kill all the babies. Dont you see? And whats he doing now? Abortions on every hand. So you must know somethings coming up greater than Moses, greater thanEven in Jesus day because the devil is trying to kill off the New Breed. Hes trying to kill off the bride of Christ and trying to kill the whole thing off, but the Lord has well planted this seed and the New Bride and the New BreedHes about to open

the womb and Hes about to give birth to this New ThingWhen the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us we beheld the glories of the only begotten of the Father and when you begin to become the Word I want you to know. The world will behold the glory of the Father and thats what were waiting to see.I want you to now that were going to have some channeling one of these days, but its going to be channeled right out of the throne room of Heaven. (3) Cain champions the concept of Joels Army aka The Manifest Sons of God. This refers to the immortalization of believers now, I.e. the death of physical death before the return of Christ . How great will these latter rain prophets and disciples be? No prophet or apostle who ever lived equaled the power of these individuals in this great army of the Lord in these last days. No one ever had it, not even Elijah or Peter or Paul, or anyone else enjoyed the power that is going to rest on this great army. (4) Great swelling words coming from a man who tells people not to even critically consider what he proclaims until they get to Heaven. ..I know some of you are going to disagree with this. Dont you even stop to disagree. Revelation 12:5, if you disagree, just file it in miscellaneous and check it out. And do not bother with it; when we get to heaven well check it out and youll find out Im right. (5) Can you hear the Apostle Paul telling the Bereans that? Or better yet, can you see the Bereans accepting it? No in both cases! Paul called them more honorable for comparing his teaching to the Word of God. Lastly, Mr. Cain considers William Branham to be the greatest prophet of our age, and yet Branham was a heretic of the worst kind and a proven false prophet himself. (6) Notes
1. Terri Sullivant, Paul Cain: A Personal Profile, Grace City Report, Special Edition, Fall, 1989, p. 2 2. Terri Sullivant, Paul Cain: A Personal Profile, Grace City Report, Special Edition, Fall 1989, p2. 3. Paul Cain, You Can become the Word!, 1989 Vineyard Prophetic Conference 4. Bob Jones and Paul Cain, Selections from the Kansas City Prophets. audiotape tape 155C 5. Paul Cain, Prophetic Power and Passion Conference, Christ Chapel, Florence, Alabama, August, 1995 6. Robert Liichow, Blind Guides, A Historical Look at the Prophetic Movement, Past & Present, ICDM, 2003

Mr. Cain was feared because of his gift of prophetic insight, even exposing the sins of people in the audience. He even claimed that back during the post WWII healing revival that he was a major healer among the others, I.e. A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, William Branham, Oral Roberts, O.L. Jaggers, etc. He tells people that he stepped aside from that movement when it got too fleshly. According to Cain it was around this same time that he destroyed all his news clippings and photographs of his tremendous meetings, the testimonies of healing, etc. How convenient now all

we have is his word about how mightily he was used by God over fifty (50) years ago and there are few living witnesses that can verify his claims of miracles and the power of God in his huge tent meetings and foreign travels. On the next page is Joyners email.

Matthew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Special Bulletin by Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle, and Jack Deere Oct 19, 2004 Paul Cain has been used mightily by the Lord to touch many lives in our times. He is esteemed by many around the world as a major prophetic voice and as spiritual father. It would be had to estimate the number who have been healed, delivered, or saved through his ministry. We have especially benefited from his friendship and ministry in too many ways to count. It is therefore with great sorrow that we publish the following. In February 2004, we were made aware that Paul had become an alcoholic. In April 2004, we confronted Paul with evidence that he had been recently involved in homosexual activity. Paul admitted to these sinful practices and was placed under discipline, agreeing to a process of restoration which the three of us would oversee. However, Paul has resisted this process and has continued in his sin. Therefore, after having exhausted the first two steps of Matthew 18:15-17, we now have a responsibility to bring this before the church. Our sincere hope remains to see Paul restored. We are deeply committed to Galatians 6:1, which states, Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted. We do not believe that Paul has committed anything that places him beyond the grace of God. We are hopeful that there are those who are more spiritual and wiser than we are who can help Paul through a process of restoration in which we failed. We remain desirous of helping in this in any way we can. If restored, we believe that Paul can once again have an extraordinary ministry and be a significant blessing to the body of Christ. We apologize to the body of Christ for our lack of discernment in promoting Pauls ministry while he had these significant strongholds in his life. We failed to see them until this year. It is also a mistake to assume that others who were close to Paul or worked with him shared these same problems. We also do not feel that this should in any way negate or reduce the great benefit that Pauls ministry has been to so many in the past. We hope that Paul can yet be restore and used again for the glory of God in the wonderful way that so many of us have been blessed to see in the past. With our deepest regrets and sincerity, Rick Joyner, Jack Deere, Mike Bickle

____________________________________ Bold type and underlining was not in the original e-mail which is cited above in its entirety. Joyner, Deere and Bickle (all three are major players in the so-called Prophetic movement) are at least honest enough to admit their own lack of discernment concerning a man they venerated as the greatest living prophet today. I believe they were blinded by this mans superstar status and could not see what was no doubt, very obvious to others. To begin with Cain is now 75. He did not turn into an alcoholic overnight, he has undoubtedly been one for many years. Nor did he become a homosexual recently either. I believe his homosexual liaisons go back to when he declared that Jesus did not want him to get married and so he was thought to have remained celibate for over the last 60+ years. His alleged celibacy alone was enough to deem him highly spiritual in the eyes of many people. Without more information I can only speculate, but these duel issues of drunkenness and sodomy may have been the reason he was forced out of the limelight of the healing revival. The legend of why he stepped down is widely published on the internet, the following is the mythical view of why he suddenly disappeared from the charismatic spotlight for almost 40 years: Then at the height of his ministry, he was compelled by the Lord to set himself aside for a time. He was then given a promise that if he would keep himself pure from the corruption of selfpromotions and gain that the Lord would use him to help anoint a last day ministry. (1) What we are told by his supporters is that during the healing revival he was a mighty healer and miracle worker. Here is another quote from a prophetic support group: During the great healing revival, Pauls ministry reached international proportions. In 1954, his manager purchased the worlds largest gospel tent from Jack Coe, and Paul toured the country, filling it with thousands of people wherever he went. The tent held 12,000 people. In 1952 Paul began to film his miracle services and air them weekly on secular television stations. In 1954 he produced a motion picture called The Beginning of the End. The movie had a tremendous affect on audiences in the United States and was used to initiate more than 150 churches in South America. (2) Dear readers I am a student of the healing revival (which was really nothing more than excited ignorance, greed and fleshly activity) and I have yet to find any solid evidence to support the above quotation. Anyone who studies out that period will agree that Jack Coe and A.A. Allen had a running battle over who had the largest tent in the revival, a battle that Allen won. (3) Ergo, Cain could not have had the largest tent. I can find no references to him having a television program, even Robert Liardon (another exposed homosexual) never cited Paul Cain in his book entitled Gods Generals. Fulton Sheen and Oral Roberts became standard fare on the fledgling television networks and in the early 1960s the later Kathryn Kuhlman but I can find no record of Cain being on television. What is also interesting if one does a search on the internet it will be discovered that there are two films listed with the title The Beginning of the End. The first was made in 1947 as a docudrama about the atomic bomb. The other was filmed in 1957 and was a drive-in horror flick.

I can find nothing about this film produced by Cain (I would like to see it because I want to know exactly what the more than 150 churches were initiated into). What am I getting at? Simply this, I believe Mr. Cain to be not only a false prophet but also a liar. He has lived a lie (his alcoholism and homosexuality) for probably most of his life. There is no proof to back up his past claims of being a great healer, nor is there any proof of his television career or the life-changing movie he supposedly produced. These disturbing revelations abut Mr. Cains lack of morality will no doubt cause great consternation among many of his devotees. Some will write off his moral lapse as simply being an attack from Satan against such a powerful voice for Gods now word to the Church. Many people we pray will be shaken to their core enough to cause them to re-examine their beliefs to the degree that the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, can bring them back to a genuine faith in Christ and not in sinful men. Never forget that the best of men are men at best. WARNING Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. Jer. 15:5 (KJV) Copyright 2004 Rev. Robert Liichow

End Notes
1. The Ministry of Paul Cain presented by the Prophetic Roundtable. 2Obtainedfrom http://www.propheticroundtable.org/PaulCain/paul_cain_a_personal_profile.htm (3 of 7 ) 10/27/2004 8:30 : 33 seconds AM. Bold type and underlining added for emphasis. 3. David Edwin Harrell, Jr. All Things Are Possible. Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1975 Published in:

Discernment Ministries International false doctrine apologetics discernment Signs & Wonders Movement Prophetic Movement Latter Rain movement Manifest Sons of God Joel's Army false teaching Revival

on June 13, 2009 at 4:38 PM Comments Off Tags: aberrant, Revival, Discernment Ministries International, Robert Liichow

The Madness Continues As the Ministry of the Seer Comes Forth

Truth Matters Newsletter Sept 2004 The Madness Continues As the Ministry of the Seer Comes Forth by Rev. Bob Liichow:

When you read the following quotes from a new hot selling book produced by Destiny Image, you will perhaps not find the experience of Jan Crouch all that far-out.
NEW BOOK DIFFICULT TO KEEP IN STOCK THE SEER by Jim Goll

Dear Friends, We are getting a tremendous amount of requests for THE SEER by Jim Goll. The book has been climbing the top sellers lists just yesterday it was ranked 864 on Amazon! We will keep this book well stocked so everyone ordering will be sure to get it! For years, the Church at large has struggled just to believe and teach that God speaks today. But now the Church is beginning to grasp the many ways God speaks, including how He speaks to the seer. Formerly considered strange, the seer anointing is becoming known as much more mainstream in the Church today. And thats good news for you. Many of you are probably saying, Finally, theyll know Im not crazyin fact, Ill know Im not crazy! For all those who are seers and have wondered if anyone understood you, this book is a gift for you. Jim Goll has clearly and scripturally opened the way for the seer gift to be used in the Body of Christ. Fascinating book! You will love it Cindy Jacobs, Generals of Intercession. Navigating the unseen realm can be both enticing and challenging as believers seek to grow deeper in the gifts of the Spirit, particularly related to that of the seer gifting. Enticing, because it is awe-inspiring to come in contact with the power and presence of the Lord through spiritual experiences that are often part of that gifting. Challenging, because it is critical that the Word of God and spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and intimacy, remain the solid footing on which revelation experiences are interpreted. (1) A new ministry gift has been restored to the Church! Now besides having the benefit of a restored prophet in your church you can also now have the revealing insights of the seer! Truly these are exciting times for the Church (actually it is very disturbing that millions are willing to support anything mystical and new).

What is the difference between the prophet and seer you ask? Far be it from me to put words in anyones mouth. Well allow the extremists to define them for us: The prophetic movements in church history and in contemporary life are fed by two mighty steams: the prophet, whose revelation is primarily verbal, and the seer, whose revelation is more visionary in nature. While the role of the prophet is familiar, less is known about the seer dimension. To many people, these visionary prophets remain mysterious, other-worldly, and even strange. (2) Now you know. The restored prophet operates verbally giving forth the word of the Lord to individuals, congregations, cities and even over nations. The seer operates in the realm of the visionary, in other words he or she sees things in the realm of the spirit, i.e. sees things we low wattage Christians are not privy to apart from that which God designs to reveal to us via the seer. Is there any biblical warrant for making such a distinction? Were there both prophets and seers in the Old Testament? The Bible makes no such distinctions: (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was before time called a Seer.) 1 Sam 9:9 Eastons Bible Dictionary says the following: Seer a name sometimes applied to the prophets because of the visions granted to them. It is first found in (1 Sam. 9:9) It is afterwards applied to Zadok, Gad, etc. (2 Sam 15:27, 24:11, 1 Ch. 9:22, 25:5, 2 Ch. 9:29) ( Am 7:12, Mic. 3:7) The sayings of the seers (2 Ch. 33:18,19) is rendered in the Revised Version the history of Hozai (marg., the seers; so the LXX.), of whom, however, nothing is known. See PROPHET. (2) The term seer (raah) and prophet (nabiy) are used interchangeably in the Old Testament and often refer to the same individual when used. There was no such thing as a separate ministry of the seer or that the seer was a different type of prophetic ministry as opposed to that of the prophet. What todays prophetic movement is proposing is that there is now a specific restored ministry composed of individuals who given revelation from God in the form of visions. Don Nori, the author of the article Im citing says the following regarding this latest craze This gift of the seer is experienced by Prophets, Pastors, Worship Leaders, Intercessors, Teachers, and many more. Some of you are yet to be even caught up or caught away into trance-like experiences, where God will show you amazing things to come. (3) Perhaps Jan being literally caught up in her experience with levitation and while in her catatonic state saw a truly amazing vision of a future Haiti makes her a prime candidate to be considered a seer. You may well wonder who is Jim Goll and what are his credentials for writing this book? Fortunately, Destiny Image has provided us with a brief biography of the author:

Jim (James) W. Goll is the co-founder of Encounters Network. He has traveled across the globe imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry, and life in the Spirit. He is the founder of the Heart of David Correspondence School, a member of the Harvest International Ministries Apostolic Team, and the Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders. He is the author of several books, including The Lost Art of Intercession, Wasted on Jesus, and The Coming Prophetic Revolution. James and his wife, Michal Ann, have four wonderful children and reside in the hills of Franklin, Tennessee. (4) Allow me to help the uninitiated swim through the charismatic lingo. Jim Goll is a dyed-in-thewool Latter Rain/Prophetic Movement extremist who believes he has the ability to literally impart the power of intercession, to move people into becoming prophets and giving devotees life in the Spirit. All of these concepts came into the Charismatic Renewal Movement via a sub-movement called The New Order of the Latter Rain. There were initially two key individuals who started this movement, the false prophet William Branham and more importantly the false teachings of Franklin Hall. Im out of space and will continue delving into this and the Prophetic Movement next month!
Copyright 2004 by Bob Liichow

End Notes 1. Destiny Image Communiqu August 20, 2004 2. Easton Bible Dictionary on BibleWorks ver. 4.0 for windows. 3. Destiny Image Communiqu, August 20, 2004 4. Ibid.