What Christians Might Not Know About Judgment

Judging (determining/discerning right & wrong - truth & error) a public teaching for yourself - is a must. It is incumbent upon us to know what teachings are truthful and what teachings attack the core essentials of the Christian faith.

Furthermore, warning other Christians about a false teaching is also not un-Biblical but must be done with a heart of love.

Consider the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:14-19…Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”

Take note that Paul specifically mentions Hymenaeus and Philetus whose teachings were spreading like gangrene. (2 Timothy 2:17)

Also, in 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul tells Timothy, “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me….” In verse 14, he warns Timothy about “Alexander the coppersmith,” who did Paul much harm. In 3 John 9-10, the apostle of love warns the flock about “Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them,” but “does not accept what we say.” Paul names two quarreling ladies, Euodia and Syntyche, urging them “to live in harmony in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2). He pointedly tells the church in Colossae, “Say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to your ministry’” (Col. 4:17).

Wait, what….Paul named names?...some Christians today would say “Paul is so divisive and un-loving and should not call these people out publically…and he should just speak the truth in love”…but wait a minute, maybe we need to step back and consider the Apostle Paul (who wrote 2/3 of the New Testament) was actually speaking the truth from a heart of love. Especially when we consider his warning the believers in Ephesus.

~Acts 20:28- "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 "Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. "Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."

In Conclusion, teachings can be judged or weighed in light of Scripture (as my teachings should be judged in light of Scripture). Because if I am off course I need my brothers and sisters in Christ to help put me back on course by rightly dividing and judging what I teach.

And before we throw around Matthew 7:1-5 we would do well to understand this particular passage of Scripture is concerning hypocritical judgement. Also, keeping in mind the rest of the words of Jesus in context. Note v.6 where we must know (judge) who may be a dog & swine. Then continuing until at least verse 15 & 16 where Jesus continues "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ~Jesus warns from a heart of love for the sheep~

What judging others wrongly means:

1. We judge someone wrongly when you criticize him out of jealousy, bitterness, selfish ambition, or some other sin, rather than seeking to build him in Christ.

2. We judge someone wrongly when we assume that we know all of the pertinent facts and motives behind the person’s words or actions.

3. We judge someone wrongly when we set up human standards, rather than holding to God’s Word as the standard.

4. We judge someone wrongly when we do not first judge your own sin before trying to help him with his sin.

5. We judge someone wrongly when we share confidential or personal information with the wrong intent.

6. We judge someone wrongly when out of a self-righteous spirit, we criticize or malign him over a minor or indifferent matter.

7. We judge someone wrongly when we make an authoritative pronouncement about his eternal destiny.

Was there a virgin birth before the incarnation of Jesus?

Isaiah 7:10-17 

The sign of Immanuel

Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”

To be clear, there was not a virgin birth before Christ, but as Isaiah says, “virgin will give birth to a child”. That does not mean a virgin in the sense of someone who has never had relationships with a man. So, here’s what’s going on and it’s very interesting…if you look at what happens in Matthew 1, Matthew recognizes a historical pattern of events that finds quintessential fulfillment in the miraculous birth of Messiah. So, if you look at the precursor (or the type), it happens in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah’s wife gave birth to Maher-shalal-hash-baz in a fashion common to all humanity, thus though she did not give birth as a virgin. However, Mary (Jesus’s mother) most certainly did. So again, what Matthew sees is a historical pattern of events that finds quintessential fulfillment in a miraculous virgin birth with respect of Messiah.

But if you look at the historical context of Isaiah 7, you have Ahaz, he’s the Monarch of the tiny kingdom of Judah, he’s shaken because there are two super-powers on his northern flank. One is Resin of Syria the other is Pica of Israel, so these two kings these two super-powers are plotting his ruin. And so what God does is He provides a sign guaranteeing that those two Kings would come to ruin. And the way He does that is by saying that the virgin will be with child, will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel, and before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.

Of course what God promises comes to pass, Isaiah went to the prophetess, she conceived, she gave birth to a son and before the boy knew how to say “my father or my mother”, both of those super-powers Syria and Samaria were laid waste…by what happened to be the Assyrians. Well 700 years after faithless Ahaz, Matthew saw the temporary salvation of Judah as a type of the eternal salvation that God’s people would experience through Jesus Christ, who is quite literally born of a virgin. 

The Hebrew word ALMAH (virgin) found in Isaiah 7 has nothing to do with virginity, and is wholly irrelevant to the discussion, because what this has to do with is prophecy (but it is typological prophecy). Which sees historical correspondence but a heightened factor in the anti-type. So, in the type you have a birth in the normal course of how human beings give birth, in the anti-type you have an intensification which you have a literal virgin birth. 

And ultimately Isaiah knew this was bigger than the immediate fulfillment in Isaiah chapter 8.

In stark contrast, some in the Word of Faith movement have taken Isaiah's prophecy in chapter 7 and turned it on its head by proclaiming that Jesus was just a human boy (because he didn't know right and wrong) until His baptism where he was filled with the Holy Spirit...They also claim that because of this, we have the same power at our infilling of the Holy Spirit. You see, purveyors of the Word of Faith lower Jesus to elevate the power of the 'Holy Spirit' within themselves, but in actuality… they are elevating themselves because they preach a different Jesus, and a different holy spirit...And this one of the reasons that makes their cultic movement so dangerous.

Now we don't know the circumstances of Jesus becoming self-aware that He was Theanthropos (the God-man) because the Bible is somewhat silent in that respect...but we do know that the Bible is very clear that Jesus was/is FULLY God and fully man and we also know that He amazed the religious leaders in the temple at age 12.

In conclusion, let us remind ourselves Jesus is God (and we are not), He came into this world because of His love for us and to reconciled the world to Himself...He died a sinners death on the cross and on the third day He rose again and is now seated at the right hand of the Father  - and has promised us that He will return again a second time.

And we look forward with joy, to the restoration of all things.

Is Mysticism a Christian practice?

Eric Gilmour - christian mystic

Is Mysticism a Christian practice? 

Mysticism - defined

1. The experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality reported by mystics.

2. The belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective* experience (as intuition* or insight).

3. Vague speculation: a belief without sound basis. A theory postulating* the possibility of direct and intuitive* acquisition* of ineffable* knowledge or power. 

*subjective

1.philosophy: relating to the way a person experiences things in his or her own mind, based on feelings or opinions rather than facts.

*intuition/intuitive 

1.having the ability to know or understand things without any proof or evidence.

*postulate 

1.suggest or assume the existence, fact, or truth of (something) as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or belief.

*acquisition 

1. the act of acquiring or something or someone acquired or gained.

*ineffable 

1.incapable of being expressed in words.

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Subjective or Objective?

We must never base our relationship with Jesus on subjective philosophy, this can (and many times will) lead to deception. 

We must base our Christianity on objective truth of who Jesus is, and who Jesus is to us.

Our Faith is only as good as the object in which it is placed...and a life of living Trust in Jesus is well placed faith. Faith doesn't need to be seen with our eyes or proven by a mystical feeling...Faith is the assurance and trust in the unseen. Hebrews 11

The Christian faith is not true because it works; it works because it is true. It is not true because we experience it; we experience it—deeply and gloriously—because it is true.

Objective truth is proven in the pages of God's Divinely inspired Word, which is the only repository of redemptive revelation.

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View this short video (with mystic - Eric Gilmour).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZn53j3tRWM

We need to recognize that 'Christian mystics' distract from the true Gospel of Jesus as they point to practices taught by the philosophies of men, rather than what is clearly taught by Jesus and His disciples. 

I encourage you not to take my word for it, but to search the Scriptures as the Bereans did. And look to see if Jesus taught what Eric Gilmour is talking about. As a matter of fact, Eric does not reference anything truly Biblical in this video, for the most part he only quotes other mystics. It may sound well and good and very pious, but this is a very dangerous teaching.

Colossians 2:6-8 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2: 18-23 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

I share in the Apostle Paul's heart, and he sums this up so beautifully... "and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."

Acts 20:28-31 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

Are resurrections and miracles normative today?

Are resurrections and miracles normative today?

The resurrection of Lazarus was an anomaly, as miracles are...they are not normative, if they were normative we wouldn't call them miracles. ~H. Hanegraaff

Let me be very clear miracles still happen today. However healing and resurrection is the province of God, according to His will. We must understand God originally created mankind with with a free will to choose, and sadly mankind chose to sin. We could point the finger of blame to Adam and Eve, but the reality is self evident...we live in a sinful world, we all have partaken of the sin of Adam (there is none righteous, no not one. Romans 3:10). And because of sin, we are ever so aware that we live in a fallen world, bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, good things happen to good people, and bad things happen to bad people…simply put, the rain falls on the just and the unjust.

Even Jesus (God in the flesh) said in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

As we look at the Bible, eternal resurrection is mentioned in accordance to the Last Day or Jesus taking up His life (His own bodily resurrection) after His crucifixion and burial. There are also accounts of 'temporary resurrections' in the Old and New Testaments.

Old Testament

Widow of Zarephath's son

Shunamite's son

Man tossed into Elisha's tomb

New Testament

Widow of Nain's son

Lazarus

Tabitha also known as Dorcas

Eutychus

People that were raised upon Jesus' death

That being said, we can see that temporary resurrection miracles are not normative even in the Biblical record, and we also know that these people are not still alive today. Why? Because we live in a world with sickness, disease & death, and we all must face our own mortality, as did all of those people recorded in the Bible. However if we have a relationship with Jesus we can surely trust His promise of eternal resurrection on the Last Day.

Some say "miracles are normative", but in reality the evidence speaks otherwise. Many amazing men and women of God get sick or have gotten sick from the common cold, flu...etc.  Some Christians have diseases or are in remission, and many precious Christians have died from various diseases throughout the centuries. Some have even died in accidents, yet some live a long healthy life. However as we all well know, none of us escape death…eventually we all die of our last disease. But as Christians, we have the hope of resurrection and eternity spent with our Heavenly Father.

Here are just a couple of examples of sickness concerning the saints mentioned in the Bible.

Paul left Trophimus sick (and didn’t heal him) 2 Timothy 419-20 "Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick."

Paul also had an illness according to (Galatians 4:12-14). Would we say Paul didn’t have enough faith to walk in divine health? No.

To say miracles are normative and physical healing was paid for at the cross, begs the question… why are some Christians not healed? (or even die for that matter).

There are a couple of possible answers to this way of thinking.

• One answer is, that God is not able to heal them (and we know that is not true).
• The second answer is that the person didn’t have enough faith to be healed (or their family members didn’t have enough faith). Another way to put it is; if you get sick or die, then you (or your family members) are the prime suspects for not being healed.

It is cruel and un-biblical to say “that a person who is sick (or died) didn’t have enough faith to be healed” or “that their family members didn’t have enough faith.” This excuse is convenient for the ‘word of faith teachers’ because it shifts the blame off of them and their faulty faith formulas. The 'word of faith teachers' and their devotees promise that if you apply the proper faith formula you are guaranteed health and wealth, and these claims over-promise and under-perform… Sadly many desperate & vulnerable people are left hurt emotionally and swindled out of thousands of dollars by this. And some will even blame God and not see the reality of the 'word of faith teachers' false promises, or worse- abandon their faith in Christ Jesus. This totally breaks my heart to see this kind of misuse of God’s Word, to make money off of vulnerable and desperate people. 

If you do some research on 'word of faith teachers' who have previously died, you will find many of them died of various diseases. Also some of today's 'word of faith teachers' like Bill Johnson (of Bethel church) wears glasses and has a son with a hearing disability. I am not being unsympathetic, but we might ask...why isn't their 'faith formula' working for them? As was well said about Lourdes grotto in France, "why is it that you can find piles of crutches and wheelchairs, but never a glass eye or a prosthetic limb?"

Some of the 'word of faith' teachers proclaim physical healing and atonement for sins were simultaneously paid for at the cross and you are guaranteed divine health in life 'now' if you believe hard enough. So now the question is; If a Christian does not get healed in this life… does that communicate that the person is not saved either? 

When Peter quotes Isaiah 53, from context it is clear the healing refers to spiritual healing… “He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross [willingly offering Himself on it, as on an altar of sacrifice], so that we might die to sin [becoming immune from the penalty and power of sin] and live for righteousness; for by His wounds you [who believe] have been healed. ~1 Peter 2:24 AMP

In conclusion...

That is why I believe only Jesus is the healer, He has not changed and the province of Healing is still in His hands. As He walked the earth, He proved He was YHWY (Yahweh, the God of Israel) revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And Jesus is the only one who could have emerged through the doorway of the Old Testament prophets (and did). Only Jesus can lay down His life and take it up again. Jesus demonstrated He was the son of God, and He alone has the power over nature, death and life. 

Should we pray for one another? Absolutely Yes! And as we also must pray as Jesus prayed, not my will but Thy will be done. He may not give the answer we want or the answer to our why's... but we can surely trust Him in the midst of our wants and our why’s, as we look forward to when we are raised immortal incorruptible, and as all of creation groans and travails waiting for the restoration of all things.

You see, even though life has many trials, we should not look to blame God, but realize the condition of our sin-sick world and whatever evil befalls us, know that God can use it for good. Continually seek Jesus (the rescuer from our sin) knowing He has overcome the troubles of this world (ref. John 16:33). 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose Romans 8:28.

Should a modern day prophet be questioned or criticized?

If the prophet claims they only need to be right a percentage of the time, is it right to question them?

While it is true that we should not reject God’s prophets, that still leaves us with the responsibility to determine who God’s prophets really are. Not everybody who claims today to be a prophet of God can really be one, since they frequently contradict one another. If someone claims to be God’s prophet but teaches false doctrine or proclaims false prophecies, we have every right to reject them — in fact, we must reject them.

Some ‘prophets’ even say that prophecy is only accurate 10-20% of the time, (e.g. Mike Bickle & Bob Jones of the International House of Prayer-IHOP). Because they claim inaccuracy is ok, not only would logic tell us to test them, but the Bible also says to test them (1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20-21)

In fact some have gone as far as discrediting the Old Testament Prophets, and when they do that and couple it with a 10-20% accuracy level, this opens door for any and every false prophet and false teacher. And ‘coincidentally’ this is exactly what Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses do to legitimize their false prophets, false teachers.

Other prophets will prophesy that if you criticize their prophetic gifting you will “miss God” or that “you are not to touch God’s anointed”. This premise is not only a twist of scripture, but it is very convenient to the false prophet... “Do not criticize me or you’ll miss God”. That is called playing the 'God Card'…in other words, don't question me because then you will be questioning God, and how could a Christian question God?

We need to be smarter than this, and use the discernment skills that God has given us.

We have the Bible… which is divine, (as opposed to being merely human in origin)... God has spoken, and these are His Words, and that the Bible is the only infallible repository of redemptive revelation. And If God has spoken to us divinely…what has God said? That of course is a question meant to focus our minds on learning to read the Bible for all its worth.  

We are called to rigorously test all things, especially if the prophets say we cannot question them, or they admit that they are not even close to being accurate.

“Internet Prophets?”

There are also ‘Internet Prophets’ out there, and they say you can partner with them for upwards of $1000 (no joke). But then say; “You are not buying a prophecy, you are honoring the Prophet. Then, as a valued Lifetime Partner, you are entitled to your (one-time) complimentary personal prophetic consultation”. 

The prophetic ministry doesn’t operate like a gumball machine. You can’t put in a quarter or ($1000)...send a text, e-mail, phone or Facebook message...and out comes a prophetic word. It just doesn’t work that way. The sad reality with the rise of the “Internet prophet” is that some actually have Google Ads promoting how you can get a personal prophecy (even every day). Others promise a prophetic word delivered to your e-mail inbox for the price of a tank of gas. Money in exchange for personal prophecy relegates the prophet to the domain of your local palm reader (who may even be more accurate than 20%).

They would be right in one respect, you are “not buying a prophecy for a $1000”, in reality you are buying into a money making scheme.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for sale, it really is that simple (no matter how they word their disclaimer). Check out Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8), and the story of Gehazi (2 Kings 5).

I know not every prophet is false, but these days there seems to be more false ones than true prophets-who truly understand the office of the Prophetic today. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:11 “Then MANY false prophets will rise up and deceive MANY”. ~emphasis added (view in its context is v3-14) …And this is literally being fulfilled in our time.

We would do well to believe what Jesus told us. And be diligent to test the prophets so we are not one of the MANY who are deceived.

So what is the function of the charisma (gift) of prophecy?

Some look at the charisma of prophecy more like fortune telling...like they cannot hear from God unless they get a 'word' from the ‘anointed’ man or women of ‘power for the hour’…to the point where they don't make a move unless the prophet says so... running to and fro to every prophetic meeting hoping to get 'a word' and sometimes they hold the prophets ‘word’ higher than the Word of God, in fact some may even read their prophetic word more than their Bible, and this can prove to be a pitfall (even if the prophecy is accurate).

In reality, the charisma of prophecy does not impart some previously undisclosed doctrinal truth, nor does it carry the authority of new revelation. Each new manifestation is to be rigorously tested (1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20-21).

What then is its function of prophecy today? While it may occasionally impart non-doctrinal knowledge of local significance (e.g., Acts 11:27-28), it primarily applies the already-revealed truth of Scripture to the church’s present situation for purposes of “edification and exhortation and consolation” (1 Cor. 14:3). Like all of the other gifts, it is a means of ministry, not new revelation.

I hope this is helpful, and may the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth. ~John 16:13


2 Peter 1:21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Is it divisive to question the teachings of Bethel Church, Jesus Culture & Bill Johnson?

If it is divisive (and we could all probably see that it is divisive). The real question is; Why is it divisive?

• Is it because we are not supposed to question a Christian leader, no matter what they teach?
• Or is it because what is being taught by the leader is divisive by nature, because it erodes the foundations of Christianity?

First of all, know that my heart is a heart of love and rescue.

Also, I hope you take the time to consider what I am writing and open to hear what I have to say on this topic. This has been a difficult topic in our city and within college ministry. My wife and I have taken a very difficult stand, and our faith in Jesus Christ has grown so much as we have really started digging into His Word and spending time in prayer about this.

Just so you know...we attend a non-denominational church. And we believe in the baptism with the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus Christ and witnessed on the day of Pentecost, and that it is open to all believers. (Acts 2:4, 4:30, 10:46, 19:6) And is evidenced by the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. (Eph 4:11, 1 Cor 12:8-11; Gal 5:22-23; Acts 2:4, Acts 10:46, 19:6; Eph 4:11; 1 Cor 12:8-11; Gal 5:22-23).

We also know God is a miracle working God… I have witnessed a friend of mine who was healed from being paralyzed from the shoulders down, and now he is walking with full function (to God be the glory). Yes, God used doctors. Most importantly my friend also began his relationship with Christ in the hospital and he also was a huge encouragement to others in the rehab while he was there...it was amazing. :)

That being said, we only want the real Jesus and the real work of the Holy Spirit…and His real miraculous works...which are Holy miracles (not fleshy miracles that point to men, rather than Christ).

The talent of Jesus Culture and my fondness of them.

There is no doubt that Jesus Culture is made up of very, very talented musicians (used to be one of my favorites) and I recognize that most of their songs are even theologically correct. And that is why it is so tricky. I found within myself, that I immediately accepted an entire church’s teaching based on musicians. “Their music is great…so yeah, Bethel’s teachings must be good too”…NOT. And I had come to realize that I was not “testing all things and holding fast to that which is good” ~(1Thes 5:21).

So, when we were at College ministry conference a while ago, they did a “prayer tunnel”,(it was not handled the same as a ‘Bethel fire tunnel’ seen in videos), but I thought it was a bit off…but didn’t really know why I had that spiritual check in my heart about it. Then God showed me as I was researching something else, that this ‘Fire Tunnel’ concept was a Bethel, Toronto Blessing, Brownsville revival…etc ‘thing’. And I was deeply disturbed and saddened by what I uncovered as I researched. And because I have such a love for youth (and all people) I saw these movements preying on young people (their target audience), to push their counterfeit revival and counterfeit holy spirit on them.

By the way, I did not  take anyone’s word for it regarding Bethel’s false teaching...I needed to do my own research (as you should do as well)...and my own research is from actual things Bethel puts out there (like videos of services at Bethel, Bill Johnson books and sermons, Kris Valotton's sermons, Beni Johnson's blogs and sermons, etc.). And if you read the Bible for all it’s worth, you will find that the teachings of Bethel are filled with new age mysticism. One does not even need to go to websites that bash them. Bethel (and the like) put it out there themselves.

What is the real issue with Bethel teachings? Are they biblical?

Although I thought these movements were/are weird (and the fact their strange practices are conspicuous by their absence in the life and ministry of Jesus and the Apostles)… I asked myself, “what was the real issue with them (are they biblical)?” … So I started reading Bill Johnson books and it became very clear why this stuff was weird…he practices the “false kenosis doctrine” which denies Jesus’s divinity and or says He laid aside His divinity (or some of His divine attributes, such as His omnipotence/power). This belief lowers Jesus and elevates man to a god-like status, (much like what is preached by the Word of Faith false teachers)…that you can be “little gods”… and this lie has literally been around since the garden, and when we look at human nature, it must be a very tempting lie if people are still swallowing it - hook, line and sinker.

The kenosis doctrine is very divisive by nature (which has proven to be true in our city, this has caused division between churches and between people in the same church). Bill Johnson basically is calling anyone who does not hold to his teaching - that they are of the anti-christ spirit or (anti-anointing spirit)…this is found in Chapter 7 of “When Heaven Invades Earth” ~(image attached at the bottom of page). This kenosis doctrine is rather new, starting in the mid 1800’s. So apparently all of historical Christianity up until that time has been of the anti-Christ spirit…And all those today who don’t follow Johnson’s heresy, are of the anti-christ spirit, and that teaching by nature is VERY DIVISIVE.

And anytime I have listened to a sermon of Johnson’s, he very often applies his own paradigms (philosophies and theoretical views) to the word of God. And we should not apply paradigms to the word of God, this opens the door for any and every false teaching. You will find good quotes and some truth in Bill Johnson’s teaching, but if you STUDY his Christology…he undoubtedly denies Jesus…And if he cannot get his Christology right, he has now burred/obliterated the line of demarcation between the Kingdom of Christ and the Kingdom of the Cults.

What is the correct historical doctrine of the divinity of Jesus?

The correct view and theology of Christ’s divinity is called the Hypostatic Union. And we believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ (FULLY God and FULLY man) - Colossians 2:9 For in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (and many other verses that abound in scripture). And there is absolutely nothing wrong with the historical Christian view of Jesus's divinity. Jesus being both fully God and fully man is something we cannot comprehend on this side of eternity (and maybe not on the other side of eternity either :) )…we must bow our knee to the divine revelation of Jesus that we find in the whole of Scripture.  This is Christology 101.

Dr. Walter Martin (perhaps the most recognizable authority on the cults) defines a cult like this: “A cult, then, is a group of people polarized around someone’s interpretation of the Bible and is characterized by major deviations from orthodox Christianity relative to the cardinal doctrines of the Christian faith, particularly the fact that God became man in Jesus Christ.”  So whenever we see a group denying Jesus’ divinity…that is a huge red-flag.

Following Jesus, not man.

I strive to only follow Jesus and His written Word “the Holy Bible” (the only divinely inspired infallible Word of God) and honestly I have not read too many books by Christian authors, I believe ultimately this has been a good thing because it is easy to spot counterfeits when doing research. I respect and honor men of God who walk the walk and are encouraging examples of Christians in my life. But I don’t follow men or get stars in my eyes over ‘superstar Christians’, I follow Jesus Christ…no matter the cost.

Paul says "follow me as I follow Christ"… (but would you expect Paul would want us to follow him if he departed from Christ?) Bethel is part of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) movement, and this movement is steeped in false teaching, mysticism and scripture twisting. And by-and-large has departed from Jesus Christ. Many of them are into modern mysticism, catholic mystics, angel visitations, trips to heaven, phony unbiblical miracles (gems stones, feathers falling, gold tooth fillings & gold dust appearing on them or in their bibles, fake gold dust ‘glory clouds’, new age mystical prayer practices, awakening angels, prophetic tuning forks, grave soaking and leg growing tricks…btw, the leg growing trick has been used by hucksters for centuries)…(also remembering none of  these things are found in the life and ministry of Jesus and the Apostles).

And if you read Colossians 2 (in its entirety) you will notice a few things that are indicators that the NAR are some of the very people that it is talking about.  Col 2:6-10 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in HIM, 7 rooted and built up in HIM, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.

See there are other spiritual forces that are rather enticing to Christians…hence the warning Paul gives.

Col 2:18-23 18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. 20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

The angel visitations, angel orbs, angel awakening, visions of trips to heaven, extreme pious self-denial practices done by Bethel, the Johnsons and the NAR movement is beyond the Bible, and if it’s beyond the Bible, it’s beyond Christianity. I remember another guy that was visited by an angel Moroni with a new revelation, his name is Joseph Smith and he started the Mormon cult. (One of the angels Beni Johnson contacted was named Channel* (Channel really? #newage). *I found this on Beni’s facebook page. You can also read her blog about awakening angels, by saying the magic words “wakey, wakey” (more like “flakey flakey”) (links at the bottom of this page).

We are accountable for what we teach.

If you are a Bible teacher you know we are doubly accountable for what we teach, and as the Bible clearly teaches none of us are above sharp disapproval or criticism.  I encourage you take this seriously,  and do some unbiased research into these movements… that prey on mostly young people and spiritually abuse them… with what looks more like new age eastern mysticism, shamanism and kundalini (repackaged for Christian consumption), rather than Christianity.

Also, I would never stand in agreement with Bill Johnson and Rick Joyner, who fast tracked Todd Bentley back into the pulpit… this is the Todd Bentley who cheated on his wife and left his family during his Lakeland revival, as well as claiming that the "Holy Spirit" told him to kick an ill elderly woman in the face with his biker boot. He said "Just as my boot made contact with her nose, she fell under the power of God. (Um NO! and that is just a couple of problematic  things from Todd Bentley)…The point is; it is plain to see that Bentley’s fruit is rotten, and apparently Bill Johnson & Rick Joyner have zero discernment…to restore Todd Bentley back into ministry. (Yes, Todd should be forgiven, but he should never have been in ministry to begin with, let alone restore him). This is the blind leading the blinder. And anyone who stands for (and with) Todd Bentley MUST be questioned. 

Charlatans among us.

2 Peter 2:1-3…they are false prophets among us, they secretly introduce destructive heresies (they don’t announce they are false), they deny the Lord Jesus who bought them, they draw attention to themselves rather than Jesus and exploit the flock. 

On the Darren Brown Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuP5uOI7Xwc, Darren trained an unbelieving actor to be a faith healer and performed the same tricks on the street (like how street evangelists do it), with the same success. This is because signs and wonders don’t save you…the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes (Romans 1:16) one must be born-again by the Spirit to be saved (John 3:1-5).

Check out the Marjoe Gortner documentary (made in 1972) https://archive.org/details/Marjoe.1972.Legendado ...he could really work the crowd; he was raised as a Pentecostal preacher who could pray in tongues and everything…and was the world’s youngest ordained minister (at age 4). He walked away from preaching, but later in life he decided to start preaching again… Marjoe once used sweat activated paint and painted a cross on his forehead and while he preached (very convincingly and charismatically)…the people were amazed as the cross showed up on his head and thought he was really anointed. However Marjoe was just a rather good showman, who could preach up a storm …but later he would mock the Christians back stage as he counted the money on camera to show how easy it is to fleece the flock, and impart the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Sadly many ministers today are still using gimmicks (false signs and wonders, just not on camera) and the people are still falling for it because they don’t want to be of accused of having no faith, what a sad truth :(. Mainly because they have the wrong view of faith to begin with. Some define faith as a force, and words are containers of that force and through the force of faith we can create our own reality – like conjuring up enough faith for health and wealth… (very ear tickling,  who doesn’t want to be healthy and wealthy?) 

However, biblical faith is a living trust between a person and their God, and our faith is only is as good as the object in whom it is placed. And when we place our faith in Jesus Christ...that is well placed faith.

Not all Charismatics are false teachers.

There are many God fearing ‘clear thinking Charismatics’ out there, and not all Charismatics are false teachers, but when one denies Jesus’ divinity and/or exploits the flock…basically when the bulk of their ministry is based on gimmicks, promoting  a counterfeit revival, selling prayer sessions and prophesy, and unbiblical signs & wonders…these are red flags! And as watchmen, we should take this seriously and take a closer look at what they are really teaching.

Yes, sometimes these teachers say things that are correct and Biblical, however many times they are taking verses out of context and imposing paradigms onto the biblical text. They sprinkle in enough truth (that people want to hear) to legitimize their lies and gain credibility to undermine the gospel. How else would they get Christians to buy into these repackaged new age mystical teachings? False teachers wear the finest sheep wool.

I try to keep things in balance, and I have learned that just because something is new or different doesn’t mean we have to throw it away. Also, just because we have always been around something, doesn’t mean it is correct either. That is why we must weigh everything carefully in light of Scripture.

As far as I can tell God is no respecter of person’s and there are no church leaders today whose authority cannot be questioned, or through whom new doctrinal revelations are given to the church, or whose teachings MUST be accepted by ALL Christians. I encourage everyone I teach to always test what I say, I am not their final authority and the moment I say “do not question me” or “God has given me this new foundational teaching” is the moment I am in error & have over stepped my bounds as a follower of Christ, while simultaneously losing humility (thinking I am more spiritually elite than other believers).

The Lord has dealt with me a great deal about following Him only, and not looking at Him through someone else’s lens (or reading the Bible through someone else's lens).

We really need to be watchful as the day of the Lord approaches, and we need believers to be exercising the gift of discerning spirits (one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit). ~1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.  

Hope you understand our heart of love for people, and especially young people whom we have ministered to and invested in faithfully for over 13 years. :)

Jesus has shown Himself faithful and True…He is SO Good and SO Mighty and I am simply in Awe of Him! I love Him, and I love those He loves…more than ever!

May the Holy Spirit lead you into all truth & may God bless you all! :)

Here are some links to start your research.

Check out equip.org for some balanced apologetic teaching.

Beni Johnson blog about awaking angels

http://www.benij.org/blog.php?id=1

Video of Beni Johnson talking about her mystical experiences with angels and wakey wakey thing.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q25oPxQ7zH0

Beni Johnson post about an angel named ‘Channel’.

https://www.facebook.com/officialbenijohnson/posts/10151928328596982?_rdr

Disturbing spiritual impartation at Bethel (imparting false ‘holy’ spirit).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8t3-IW6TVw

Video of strange ‘false holy spirit’ manifestations at IHOP (related to Bethel)…(if these were my children being spiritually abused, I would be rather upset with IHOP and Mike Bickel).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=talcXe7fsYI

Bethel shares their platform with some suspect teachers (Heidi Baker); this video is at Bethel church and is rather disturbing to us, not just because she is giving the credit to the Holy Spirit for this manifestation, but because this guy needs help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16H84rcaqyk

Fire tunnel Bethel version (imparting false holy spirit)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqGLJ0b5lh4

‘Glory/glitter cloud’ at Bethel (this not a biblical glory cloud).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvJMPccZR2Y

Todd Bentley describes assaulting people in the name of God. (very disturbing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwZwf2-1WAM

Todd Bentley´s "restoration" with Rick Joyner & Bill Johnson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nzafj0ylRU
(side note: see how Bill Johnson defines repentance, that is not the biblical definition of repentance, it is Bill’s definition)

Bill Johnson’s Alabaster House audio. Clearly lowers Jesus, and further explains his heretical Christology.

http://mywordlikefire.com/2014/07/21/bethels-bill-johnson-jesus-was-so-empty-of-divine-capacity/

When heaven invades earth commentary

http://www.cicministry.org/commentary/issue124.htm

‘Kundalini Warning - Are false Spirits invading the church’ By Andrew Strom. This video is a bit ‘dramatic’ but he seems rather balanced as he is not against the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But he shows the connection of new age practices tied with Bethel, Toronto Blessing, Todd Bentley, IHOP…and the like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHFt0YZBDQ0

Andrew Strom to release a Bethel focused video soon. here is the promo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wKPjf1mjb8

Definitions of the Kenosis doctrine

http://www.equip.org/perspectives/the-kenosis-of-christ-fully-god-and-fully-man/

https://carm.org/kenosis

https://bible.org/article/empty-god

http://www.theopedia.com/Kenosis

Chapter 7. When Heaven Invades Earth by Bill Johnson:

And on and on…..

“Eat the Meat and Spit Out the Bones”... is this a good way to view bad teaching?

Is it OK to tolerate false teaching as long as there is some good teaching in there too?

“Eat the Meat and Spit Out the Bones” is popular phrase used when people question a false teaching or an error. The phrase is a plea to allow the mixture of truth and error (good with the bad), just because some truth or good is present. Maybe it is feared that removing the bad would somehow stop the good… so the mixture of the two is encouraged (in other words, “don't throw the baby out with the bath water”).

The following scripture is often quoted to support this: 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. (Notice what is not quoted - the very next verse). 22  Abstain from every form of evil..

How are we to avoid evil if we are encouraged to accept the mixture? 

It is like taking a nice clean glass of water and adding a few drops of cyanide…Would you drink the water?

I suppose some people have never read: a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Gal. 5:9).