Disturbing news reached me Saturday of last week, July 8th. The news was regarding Shane and Shane’s announcement on their Facebook page regarding an upcoming concert of theirs. Although I immensely enjoy the worship leadership of Shane and Shane and highly regard them and pray for them, I am not actually a “fan” on their Facebook page. So, I did not see this post myself. However, via another, I heard about it, was shown the post, and became deeply grieved when I saw it and heard about it. I think that’s why it’s taken me a week to write this. I’ve been weeping – you know, the type where you’re doubled over in prayer with groans of the Holy Spirit that can’t be formed into words (Romans 8).
In short, Shane and Shane announced that in October they are going to be apart of a concert involving some three or four other groups, and the majority of those other groups are either Bethel Church Redding adherents and leaders in that church (namely Brian and Jen Johnson – the son and daughter-in-law of Bill Johnson) and/or those associated with Bethel Church like Phil Wickam (“This is Amazing Grace”) who has even written songs with Brian Johnson (“Living Hope”).
To begin with, the lyrics of Shane and Shane are Biblically sound, and even those (600+ as of last Saturday, but who knows how many now have selected the sad face emoji) who have expressed grave disappointment in this concert have voiced as much on Facebook posts. We who listen to Shane and Shane listen for that reason – they are Biblically sound, doctrinally accurate, and express worship in a completely worshipful way. They are not entertainment. They are not just a band. They are worship leaders, and their songs are worshipful, sung in reverence to our great and sovereign God.
And if this were not bad enough, his daughter-in-law and worship leader/song writer Jen Johnson irreverently explained that the Holy Spirit is like the blue genie from Aladdin (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wu-WqLjoJo), that the angels are likely texting each other around the throne while having farting contests (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B30uZVG5ba8), and that when we are worshiping God there is something akin to mirrors in His armpits that reflect the light back to us (https://churchwatchcentral.com/2018/01/17/jen-johnsons-armpit-reflector-jesus-worshiping-a-pagan-image-that-can-be-changed-by-your-words/). As Jen Johnson said in her own words, “The Lord showed me this picture. I don’t know where this is- um- scripturally…it was this beautiful picture. I was just worshiping and I just saw a congregation worshiping. And worship kind of shot up – the presence did – unto the Lord. And we were just declaring who He was and His goodness, His mercy and He’s beautiful and He’s incredible. Just declaring who God was…in one fluid motion, the Lord absorbed our praises and He more so became what we declared Him as… And also, in that same motion, that same picture, the Lord has this reflector near under his armpit. You know, I think God has an armpit. I don’t know but it’s in the picture. We’re made in His image. I get it. But He had this reflector. And as we – our praise went – just shoot up to Him, this reflector would say, ‘You’re beautiful, you’re amazing, you’re kind, you’re wonderful’. In one fluid motion it would hit this reflector and shoot back to us and the Lord would say, ‘So are you. That’s who you are’. And it’s one fluid motion…in that same motion, we are becoming the very thing we are declaring.”
Though this is doctrinally impure and scripturally unsound, the spirit behind what she described is found in the Bible in the form of Lucifer in Isaiah 14. For what she is saying is that when people worship God, God sends that worship back to them via some sort of reflector, and in so doing, the worshipers are through worship making themselves gods. This is the very essence of what Lucifer did by stealing God’s glory in worship. Only she says that God is giving us the glory back.
Dear God! This is not only unbiblical and blasphemous and Luciferian, it is idolatry!!! How so? She states that the worship and adoration that is being given to God such as “You’re beautiful, you’re amazing, you’re kind, you’re wonderful’… shoots back to us, and God supposedly says to the worshipers, ‘So are you. That’s who you are.’ And thus in “one fluid motion…we are becoming the very thing we are declaring”.
Are you perceiving what she’s saying? She is saying that worship essentially makes each worshiper a god. This is blasphemy. This is idolatry. There is no other way to take this.
Shane and Shane, are you truly going to stand on a platform and worship with those who truly believe that as they worship God that God in turn worships us? Are you truly going to have koinonia fellowship with those who believe that Jesus needed to be born again? Are you truly going to stand in unity with those who incorporate Occult and New Age philosophies and practices into their beliefs?
Even if you, Shane and Shane (whom I still highly respect), in your freedom could stand on a stage with those who believe this way – because you truly are worshiping God and not believing as Bethel leaders like Brian and Jen Johnson believe, and will lead the audience in true worship to God alone – please, hear the heart of God through the Apostle Paul who said he would rather never eat meat again than to make one of his brothers or sisters in Christ stumble because of his liberty, that he did not want his liberty to be spoken of in an evil way (Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10). And, right now you are being spoken of in an evil way by those who have followed you, loved you, prayed for you, bought your CDs, and loved the Biblical accuracy of your moving song lyrics and Holy Spirit-inspired music. So, in love, please do what the Apostle Paul did. Lay your liberty aside in order to keep your fellow Christians from being offended.
But, if you will not do this, I am cautioning you that what you are doing is serious. Extremely serious. It is as serious as the Corinthians who insisted on having koinonia/intimate fellowship with non-Christians and demons in the idol temples. Even as Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.18Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? 19What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”
Do not partake of the same altar as Brian and Jen Johnson and/or any followers of Bethel Church Redding. They are not just another Christian church. They are an idol temple wherein they believe in another Jesus, and where their worshipers while worshiping believe that they themselves become gods. And as Christians we are to flee idolatry in any form, and are to avoid close-knit communion with such things as this.
Indeed, are we as Christians not called to be holy? “14Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17Therefore, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
For, “…you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.11Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:9-12).
Even so, please love your fellow believers who are troubled by this. Forego your liberty to sing at this concert for the sake of offended Christians who love you and love Jesus. And please, be informed about Bethel – but not from subjective opinions of how nice the people are there. After all, Lucifer would likely be considered and be described as nice and amazing too. Rather, look objectively at the facts of what they teach and truly believe – in their own words. And please, test the spirits to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1), because Bill Johnson and those who follow him are deceptive. They will both say something doctrinally sound with one breath, but in the next will say something unbiblical. And is this not just like the snake in the garden who while quoting God twisted it for his own purpose? (Genesis 3). And please do not have koinonia fellowship with those from Bethel. Please, hear the heart of God on this matter, and surrender this to Him for His glory.
And to those of you Christians reading this who know about the rampant and ever growing deception of Bethel Church in Redding, and are sickened by how their music has infiltrated so many churches, do not too quickly dismiss or turn off your love for your fellow Christians. Do not be so quick to condemn the ignorant who are loving God with their songs. Remember, some of Bethel’s songs are doctrinally sound. Believe me I know. At one point my church sang a certain Bethel song without me knowing it was Bethel, and it was in no way unbiblical. Remember in your zeal for purity do not stop loving each other. Do not stop praying for each other – even the resistant ones blinded by cognitive dissonance. Instead of turning coldly away from them, pray. Seriously pray. God has been patient with you when you wouldn’t listen to reason. Why will you not now be patient with them? You pray and let God work His miracle.
And to those of you who have been blessed by the music and ministry of Shane and Shane and are now disappointed with what is happening, please, please be praying for them too. Do not be so quick to denounce them or to turn your backs on them or condemn them. Just because sin is abounding everywhere, do not let your love grow cold toward your fellow believers.
A house divided cannot stand. The devil knows this and is using it to render Christians ineffective. So do not attack one another, but instead, pray for one another more fervently than ever before!! The time is very short. Jesus is coming soon. Let’s be found triumphant against the tactic of the enemy to divide us, and be found unified in selfless love that Jesus called us to when He returns!
In Christ,
Holy Light Ministries
The article directly below shares the power of love in matters of “conscience” which is a topic not often if ever taught on in church nor even addressed or touched upon. We all know it is good to love in matters of morality. But, what about in matters of conscience? The author of this piece expounds on the fact that love in matters of conscience is all about “laying down one’s life for one’s friends”, and also shares their own testimony of being kicked off of worship team, the road to true forgiveness, their concern that others might be unknowingly sinning by singing Bethel songs, and the incredible revelation regarding “conscience” in Romans 14.
One more thing:
Yes, there are some biblically sound songs that Bethel has written in tandem with other Christian writers, and true Christian worshipers are worshiping God with these songs. And God is receiving their worship. These Christians are not unknowingly sinning. The Lord revealed this to me via Romans 14 which says, ““5One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 10But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11For it is written:“As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” 12So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
However, though we are not to judge someone else’s behavior before God for they are God’s servant, we are to judge in matters that will cause someone to stumble in offense. As verse 13 goes on today, “13Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”
And in this case of the concert, it is causing people to stumble. Furthermore, Brian and Jen’s form of worship is more akin to idolatry in an idol temple, and all koinonia fellowship with such ought to be avoided like the plague.
Question addressed
Some may ask, have you ever been to Bethel to know that this is what they teach or do? How do you know unless you’ve actually been there?
To this I would respond, “Have you ever been to a Mormon church to know that it is a cult? Did you sit under a Mormon pastor’s teaching to know for sure? Have you attended a Satanic temple to know that it is truly of Satan? Does one have to go to a Drag Queen show to know that it is an abomination, or sit under the reading of a Drag Queen in a library to know that it is evil? Do we have to live with someone in sexual sin in order to know that it is sexual sin?Since when do we have to experience evil in order to know that it is evil? And since when is hearing it or reading it in their own words not enough evidence to know what someone believes?”
Reflections:
Just briefly regarding the teaching that Jesus could never cause sickness or storms or suffering ever , and that anyone who teaches that God would ever do such a thing is teaching another Gospel. Have they ever read the book of Job? How about Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 with the lists of blessings and cursings? How about 2 Chronicles 7:13? Many have read 2 Chronicles 7:14’s call for God’s people to pray and humble themselves, but not many have read the verse before that which states, “13When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people…” Please note, this is God talking here. He is the One shutting up heaven. He is the One commanding the locusts. He is the One sending the pestilence.
And besides this, how about the Apostle Paul’s experience as expressed in 2 Corinthians 12? “7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Who gave this thorn? Who sent this messenger?
As said in the previous post regarding what revival is (https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2023/03/30/what-is-true-biblical-revival/) if Christians were loving Jesus, continuously filled with the Spirit, producing the fruit of the Spirit, zealously seeking spiritual manifestations among themselves that they might edify one another, praying without ceasing both for and with each other, and were actively in the word, there would be no need for revival. However, what church is loving each other enough that they are actively seeking and demonstrating the manifestations of the Spirit among them? I can’t name one in my area or state for that matter. All churches look the exact same: the congregation is seated facing the front where a few lead in singing, announcements and a sermon. Then all are dismissed. There are no testimonies given by the people for one another’s edification, no prayer ministry in front, no time given for an inspired utterance of the Holy Spirit to be given, no welcoming of the Holy Spirit to have His way in their midst.
And before I go on, I am one who believes the day of Pentecost and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are for the Church today, and believe that there ought to be testimonies every Sunday, manifestations every Sunday, prayer for each other every Sunday, an altar call every Sunday, the welcoming of the Holy Spirit every Sunday, as well as fellowship and a meal time together every Sunday. It’s not that the Spirit can’t move on other days of the week. He can and should and does. But Sundays are special in that the Body of Christ is gathered in one accord, and Christ is in our midst. It is THE day of the week wherein believers gather to edify one another and to be edified — to build each other up. Sunday is THE day set aside for this very thing. Thus, it ought to be a whole lot more than it is.
And indeed, there are those who realize there is a problem in the Church but do not seem to know how to address it. Thus, they run to and fro to any whisper of revival here or there and seek out teachers from past so-called moves of God. This has happened even to a former Assemblies of God pastor of mine whom I did not know personally (it was a large church) but whom I highly respected – which I do not say lightly – whose teaching was doctrinally sound and whose teachings were astoundingly and powerfully applicable. Even he has succumbed to deception, for he has turned to a man (Randy Clark) who started the demonic holy laughter movement of the Toronto Blessing, and also to a man who has emphasized the humanity of Jesus while here on earth and states that Jesus was the first one born again, and that Christians are to take back treasures from the New Age movement, and whose church is filled with questionable supernatural events (Bill Johnson). (“Do Not Be Deceived: An Angel of Light,” https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2022/04/08/do-not-be-deceived-an-angel-of-light/)
Oh Pastor who should know the genuine, what are you doing with the counterfeit????
Then in my own region there is a refreshing younger Assemblies of God preacher who is longing for the Holy Spirit to move and for revival to come. I have tuned into his passionate preaching several times, and been blessed by it. But around the time of the Asbury revival, he and his church gathered for a live, online time of worship, and the entire time it felt as if they were trying to work something up, to make something happen. Furthermore, he invited Benny Hinn for a healing service – who has said that we Christians are all little christs and who has committed necromancy by trying to soak up the anointing on the graves of past faith healers and who aligns with the New Apostolic Reformation and Word Faith and is friends with Bill Johnson of Bethel church Redding – hoping to jump start a revival. (And for the record, when a teenager and young adult I wanted to be just like Benny Hinn, and defended him against any and all arguments — until I realized that he taught we are all little christs. And then later I saw that he is a friend of Bill Johnson’s.)
Truly this is equivalent to Judah running to Egypt or Assyria or Israel for help when bombarded by war. As Isaiah 31:1 states, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!” And Isaiah 30:1-3 says, “1“Woe to the rebellious children,” declares the LORD, “to those who carry out a plan that is not Mine, who form an alliance, but against My will, heaping up sin upon sin. 2They set out to go down to Egypt without asking My advice, to seek shelter under Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shade. 3But Pharaoh’s protection will become your shame, and the refuge of Egypt’s shade your disgrace.” And Hosea 7:10b-11 says, “…they do not return to the LORD their God, Nor seek Him for all this. Ephraim also is like a silly dove, without sense— They call to Egypt, They go to Assyria.”
The same is true regarding America and politics and voting. Christians need to quit looking to people to fix things or voting to fix things or petitions to fix things – like Israel did in Scripture when they kept running to Egypt for help instead of turning to God, instead of waiting for God, instead of listening for His voice.
Is not our focus to be on Jesus? What happened to simply tarrying at the altar until the answer came? But, no. Now people run around the globe to “revivals” hoping to catch the fire or the wave or whatever else they are trying to catch.
Stop it! Just seek the Lord. Just wait upon the Lord. Just be still before the Lord. Just repent before the Lord. Just weep before the Lord. Just cry out to God. Just stop doing church the way it has always been done, and fall upon your faces without time limit.
If whoever is reading this truly wants revival then you must do it God’s way and in God’s time. Cain got into trouble when he did not do it God’s way. As God says in Genesis 4, “6“Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen? 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”
And in Leviticus 10 we read of Aaron’s two sons who did not abide by what the Lord required of them while serving in His holy tabernacle. It relates, “1Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD. 3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’ ”
The same is true of King Saul who also did not do things the Lord’s way nor in the Lord’s time. This story is recounted in 1 Samuel 13 which says,
“8And Saul waited seven days for the time appointed by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the troops began to desert Saul.9So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered up the burnt offering.10Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.11“What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,12I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will descend upon me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”13“You have acted foolishly,” Samuel declared. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.14But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.”
For, according to 1 Samuel 15, “23…rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
And this pattern holds true even in the New Testament where we see in Acts 8 the story of Simon the sorcerer who had legitimately come to the Lord and was water baptized (vs 13). But, “18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money. 19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart. 23For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.””
So, what is happening that Pentecostal pastors are calling on false teachers and false prophets for the sake of stimulating a revival? What are they really wanting? An exciting experience with tantalizing songs and music? Something with flashy signs and wonders? Something that feels good, looks good, and leaves an audience pleased? I mean these guys come out of the Assemblies of God born out of the humble Azusa Street Revival in the early 1900s, wherein thousands obediently tarried at the altar for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Have they forgotten their heritage? Have they forgotten that the same way that the Assemblies of God was started was also the way things began in the Upper Room of Acts 2 among the 120 who gathered humbly and prayerfully in one accord? Have they forgotten that God still requires the same? Below is a reminder of how the Assemblies began, and a reminder to the Assemblies of God and other true Pentecostals of the way in which God still truly does things.
“An article published in ‘Way of Faith,’ October 11, 1906 probably penned by Frank Bartleman gives a friendlier description: “The centre of this work is an old wooden Methodist church, marked for sale, partly burned out, recovered by a flat roof and made into two flats by a floor, It is unplastered, simply whitewashed on the rough boarding. Upstairs is a long room, furnished with chairs and three California redwood planks, laid end to end on backless chairs. This is the Pentecostal “upper room,” where sanctified souls seek Pentecostal fulness, and go out speaking in new tongues and calling for the old-time references to new wine.” There are smaller rooms where hands are laid on the sick and “they recover” as of old. Below is a room 40 x 60 feet, filled with odds and ends of chairs, benches, and backless seats, where the curious and the eager sit for hours listening to strange sounds and songs and exhortations from the skies, In the centre of the big room is a box on end, covered with cotton, which a junk man would value at about 15 cents. This is the pulpit from which is sounded forth what the leader, Brother Seymour, calls old-time repentance, old-time pardon, old-time sanctification, old-time power over devils and diseases, and the old-time ‘Baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire.’
“Meetings begin at 10 o’clock every morning and are continued until near midnight. There are three altar services daily. The altar is a plank on two chairs in the centre of the room, and here the Holy Ghost falls on men and women and children in old Pentecostal fashion as soon as they have a clear experience of heart purity. Proud preachers and laymen with great heads, filled and inflated with all kinds of theories and beliefs, have come here from all parts, have humbled themselves and got down, not “in the straw,” but “on” the straw matting, and have thrown away their notions, and have wept in conscious emptiness before God and begged to be “endued with power from on high,” and every honest believer has received the wonderful incoming of the Holy Spirit to fill and thrill and melt and energize his physical frame and faculties, and the Spirit has witnessed to His presence by using the vocal organs in the speaking forth of a ‘new tongue.’”
There were no hymnbooks nor musical instruments, and no collections were taken. A sign on the wall over an free-will offering box declared, “Settle with the Lord.” No teachings or ministries were prepared; everything was left to the spontaneity of the Spirit. The pulpit was composed of two large wooden “shoe boxes.” Elder Seymour would usually sit behind these, deep in prayer with his head buried inside the top box. The preaching was simple and direct and covered themes taught in many other holiness missions: salvation by a personal acceptance of Jesus as Saviour sanctification by renunciation of sin and turning from worldliness, abandonment of rigid traditions and the legalisms of man-made religion, the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues, divine healing and the premillennial return of Jesus. Often personal testimonies were given or were read from correspondence from those elsewhere.” (“Azusa Street Revival,” https://www.revival-library.org/revival_histories/pentecostal/american/azusa.shtml)
How dry and dusty and dead are those who are so bereft of hope that they would call on the false in order to obtain the true? I am addressing those who are Pentecostal. I am addressing those of the Assemblies of God. I am addressing those who should know better, who should know the genuine compared to the counterfeit. What are you doing? Is tarrying at the altar not good enough for you anymore? Is the simplicity of the Gospel message not enough for you anymore? How about the giving of testimonies that stirs the hearts of the listeners to holiness and divine change? How about singing acapella as the Spirit moves? Is weeping at the altar and the baptism in the Holy Spirit not enough for you anymore?
Or, would you rather have a Toronto Blessing with barking like dogs, roaring like lions, oinking like pigs, howling like coyotes, writhing about like snakes upon the ground, and uncontrollable, involuntary laughter more akin to Kundalini in east Indian enlightenment ceremonies (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r5fMUct_co) than the pure day of Pentecost outpouring of both Acts 2 and Joel 2 as well as what is a part of your own history? Don’t you know the difference? And what has come over the Assemblies that they are now following leaders who speak highly of William Branham and his Later Rain doctrine that the Assemblies denounced years ago as heretical? (https://churchwatchcentral.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/1949-aog-condemns-the-new-order-of-the-latter-rain.pdf) It’s time to remember!
The way we get Pentecost is to do things God’s way: to tarry without thought of leaving until we are changed, to pray without time limits or restraints, to seek the face of God with all of our hearts until we find Him, to repent and be made holy as He is holy, to fall on our faces before Him and ask for the empowering of His holy Spirit – not just to have an experience, but in order that we might know Him more and in turn go out in fiery boldness and reach others with the Gospel. There is not necessarily any music, no high sounding sermons, no sensational events, no flash, no glitter, no gold dust or angel feathers, no big name attractions or ‘impartations’ of the Branhamites (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXx07BZhG4g). Just old time repentance and waiting on God to have His way.
On the other hand, the way we get Toronto is to have charismatic guest speakers come, who give ‘impartations’ (demonic that is) and lay hands on people while emotive music moves upon the audience, promoting a dazzling display that attracts great attention. It feels good, looks powerful, and excites great emotion. There is music, there are sermons and sensational events; there is flash, glitter, gold dust and angel feathers, big name attractions. But, there is merely lip service when it comes to repentance if repentance is mentioned at all, and there is no waiting for anything. Johanna Michaelson calls what looks good but is inspired by the demonic as the “beautiful side of evil” because it appears to be beneficent. It appears to be genuine. It appears to be healing. It appears to be Jesus – until the mask falls off, and the demonic is revealed underneath.
Johanna Michaelson recalls in her book The Beautiful Side of Evil that she as a believer in Christ sought the empowerment of ‘mind control’ and spirit guides. And I want to emphasize that the she truly believed she was a Christian. When given the choice of a spirit guide, she chose Jesus to be one of the two. She recounts the first meeting of her spirit guides in this way, “Slowly, an inch at a time, the figure emerged. Shimmering brown hair parted in the middle, a high forehead, dark skin; eyes brown, deep and gentle. There! It was Jesus!… He was glowing with a holy radiance and smiling softly…” (pg 74-75). But later she explains, “The face of Jesus flashed on – shining and loving – then in a flash, the werewolf reappeared…I forced myself to approach the figure of Jesus and said, “Lord, why are you…doing this? It frightens me.” Jesus’ face appeared, smiling and gently. “Do not be afraid,” he said. “We only want to teach you that not everything that seems to be evil on the surface really is evil down beneath in its essence. When you truly understand this, our werewolf faces will be gone forever, and you will ever see us as we really are” (pg 77). And later Johanna’s sister Kim would ask her, ““You say you can tell the difference between good and evil spirits, but how can you be sure your senses haven’t been deceived?” “Yes Pachita performs amazing operations, but how do you know for sure her source of power is God?” “You say you believe in Jesus – but which one?” “How do you know the Jesus you see in your laboratory is the Jesus of the Bible?” “How do you know demons are truly being cast out? Is it possible they are play acting?”” (Pg 137).
After all, Jesus says in Matthew 7, “22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” Please take note here that MANY will say that they’ve prophesied, MANY will say they’ve cast out demons, MANY will say that they did MANY wonders in Jesus’ name. MANY. Please, do not dismiss these startling words. Please, please, I beg you to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying to the churches.
Do not forget this important Biblical fact – not everything supernatural is of the Holy Spirit. Do you hear that Sid Roth? How about you Michael Brown who I hear does the vetting for Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural program? Jesus said in Matthew 24 the number one sign of the end of the age just before His return will be deception, and 2 Thessalonians 2 speaks of Satan working lying signs and wonders leading believers in a great falling away. Think about it. These are miraculous. These are dazzling. These look genuine, after all, does the devil not appear as an angel of light? Does not God gift the church with those who can discern between the spirits? And this discernment is needed because something looks remarkably genuine but it not, and this discernment is not cynicism nor criticism nor based in logic, but is Holy Spirit directed and inspired and so needed so badly right now.
Dear Pentecostal or Assemblies of God pastor or seminary student or Christian of this persuasion or of any other denomination for that matter, will you choose God’s way? It’s not that God is not still the miracle working awesome God that He’s always been. It’s that there are MANY false prophets that are prolific right now, and lying signs and wonders are on the rise, and we must be on our guard. Oh that you will have obedient ears to received this wise reproof in due season – that it be like the refreshing of snow on a hot harvest day (Proverbs 25:8-15)!
My heart is broken and deeply troubled by it all. On top of this, I have been under heavy demonic attack that has almost successfully disabled me and rendered me useless in the battle. But God! For there are others who are in this battle too, others who are standing for truth and righteousness who have not bowed their knee to the spectacular signs and wonders of Baal (1 Kings 19:18) or the magicians of Pharaoh (Exodus, and I have begun praying fervently for them – that God will permeate their minds and hearts with His supernatural peace, that perfect love will drive out their fear, that they will not believe that they are alone, that they will not despair, nor give up, nor give into the lies of the enemy on any other level, that they will recognize such emotions and thoughts and feelings as demonic attacks and that they will take authority over it in Jesus’ name. And, having done ALL, I pray that they STAND – stand and not give in to the pressure from those who do not understand, to not give up but instead to get up! To rise to the occasion in the power and Spirit of the Lord of Hosts, to press on, to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, to remain vigilant, and to gird up the loins of their minds.
Do not weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9), even correcting with love and gentleness and just plain being available for whatever God wants to say or do through you. We must not retreat and lick our wounds; we’ve no time for that. The battle is not ours but the Lords (2 Chronicles 20:15), so why then do we take offense when people reject the truth God gives us to speak? The truth is not ours. It’s God’s. Let’s be good stewards of that truth, and stand steadfast in the strength of God’s empowering grace (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
And worship, worship, worship! Do not grow silent because of tears or exhaustion or depression or anger! Cease not to worship – and pray for others enduring the same. May we all uphold each other in prayer, like Hur and Aaron upheld Moses hands that the battle would be won (Exodus 17:12). May we worship in one accord unpolluted worship songs unto the Lord even as Judah as they marched to an overwhelming battle that was not theirs but God’s, that while we turn our song to the eternal Lord of Hosts He will indeed do battle for us and for His glory (2 Chronicles 20)! Keep your armor on, and when you’ve done all, STAND (Ephesians 6).
Keep choosing holiness without which we will not see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Keep choosing to see the truth (John 8:31-32). Keep choosing to expose the deception (Ephesians 5). Jesus is coming SOON. Let’s be ready!
There is an outspoken group of American Christians who really believe that Christians can and will make America great again, and reach the world via an incredible revival that they state has already begun. And yes, there are the rumblings of revival – including Asbury. And I want to make it clear from the outset of this article that this is not a paper against an end times revival nor revival in general. Quite the contrary. To get this website’s view of revival, please view this link: https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2023/02/28/asbury-a-note-to-the-vigilant-and-discerning-to-the-dead-american-church-and-for-christians-to-hear-what-the-spirit-is-saying/ After all, God is slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and tender mercy, and is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and a knowledge of the truth.
This being said, there are those who believe that based on the prophecy of someone regarding the Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl (source below), a billion souls will now be harvested and absorbed into Christ. Yes, absorbed. Added to this, they are firm believers that they will one day be the unstoppable Joel’s army that will sweep the earth. They also believe that what is happening now around the world is of the devil, and must be decreed and declared away. After all, they are the super apostles and prophets, the likes of which the world has never seen nor will ever see again. Things will get better when the Church takes authority over the world and brings it under their dominion, bringing the spiritual into the physical.
But is this biblical? And is this the state of the world today? The world is literally falling apart. America too. Politically. Legally. Financially. Educationally. But, there is more to it that – and it is something that has not been seen by most who are too busy working or being entertained, or even those who think of themselves as spiritual who are having visions and trips to heaven. What will be the state of the world just before Christ’s return? Will it be a world that has been beautified by a powerful, ecumenical Church unified with other religions that stand in unity with them, that will take over the world with the seven mountains mandate? Or will it be a chaotic world that has rejected Jesus, rotted to its core, inundated with a new world order and its mark of the beast, in which believers are slaughtered, and is coming under the judgment of God?
How Will the World Look Before Christ’s Return?
Let’s begin with what the Bible says about what the world will look like just before Jesus comes back for His Bride. In Matthew 24 we see a world shaken by countless earthquakes and other crazy natural disasters, food shortages otherwise known as famines, wars and rumors of wars, overwhelming fear, and a plethora of false prophets and an abundance of great deception among believers – not to mention the world. Furthermore, Christians will be hated in all nations for Jesus’ name sake. In 2 Timothy we see a world racked by complete crazy, mad insanity, for people will be narcissistic, lovers of money, riddled with unforgiveness, foul with unholiness, unthankful, devoid of love while being lovers of pleasure and not of God, and so on. Then in 2 Peter 3 it is revealed that there will be scoffers who mockingly question the promise of Christ’s coming, saying that things will continue on as usual, because they have willfully forgotten that God judged the world with a flood, and will do so again only this time with fire. And thus Jesus warned in Luke 21, “34“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” And He warns again in 1 Thessalonians 5, “2For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.” And indeed, as war will shake every continent, as well as the intensification of persecution of Christians worldwide, natural disasters everywhere, selfishness on steroids, famines in nation after nation, rampant deception and apostasy among believers, and all the other things listed in Scripture, the call for peace and security will be heard more and more among world leaders and the people protesting in the streets.
How Does the World Look Now?
So, is this the state of the world today? In one word, yes. Just look at your own grocery store shelves. Just look at the headlines about more coming food shortages and food insecurity and famine. Just look as the displacement of Ukrainians. Just look at the fearful, heartless lockdowns not long ago in China. Just look at the increase and amplification of the persecution of Christians worldwide, including in China where the Chinese president is calling for all to swear allegiance to him and even to worship him. Just look at the threat to Christians in India where they are looking to get rid of all minority religions and return to the old ways, and where recently in May 2023 burned upwards to 300 churches (update as of August 17, 2023). How about Pakistan wherein recently in August 2023 eight churches have been vandalized and/or burned? (update as of August 17, 2023). And how about the threat to eradicate Christianity in Tigray (the northern part of Ethiopia). And what of the somewhat unexpected and tyrannical persecution of Christians in the Ukraine? Just look at the threat of war from both China and Russia and Iran. Just look at the volcanic activity in Hawaii, and the huge earthquakes along the Turkey/Syria border. Just look at the serious talk of rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Just look at the horrific flooding worldwide, historic snowfalls and heatwaves in so many places, locust plagues around the world, raging wildfires in the U.S., Canada, Siberia, and Australia to name a few places. Look at the insane rise in crime in big cities, political upheaval in South American nations like Brazil and elsewhere like Myanmar and even Canada with the march of the truckers on the capital. Look at the world gone mad with vaccine mandates, vaccine passports, firing employees for not getting the vaccine and even preventing people from shopping in grocery stores if they did not have the vaccine and being arrested for not wearing masks. And there is so much more!
And…according to the Scriptures read above, things are not going to get better. It’s not that God couldn’t make it all better, and He will when He returns and sets up His Millennial kingdom. It’s that God predicted that things will get way worse just before His return. And here is the real reason why.
There is a sign not so readily or overtly known by the oblivious, preoccupied world populace, much less by Christians. And it is this. A majority of people the world over have rejected God.And worse than that, Christians – God’s own people – have forgotten Him, days without number (Jeremiah 2:32). The great falling away of 2 Thessalonians is here. Apostasy is alive and well, but most are too deceived to know it and too busy and self-absorbed to care.
Did you know that the majority of the people of 25 major nations of the world are self-proclaimed atheists? Did you know that most other nations, major or otherwise, are predominantly made up of a non-Christian majority? And did you also know that of those in the U.S. who call themselves Christians, only a single-digit minority actually believe in and apply the Bible to their daily lives?
According to the Win-Gallup study for 2023, atheism has a stronghold in many nations of the world today, and in the nations not atheist, religions based on works and not Christ are predominant. Here are some percentages. China is 91% atheist. Japan is 86% atheist. Sweden is 78% while the Czech Republic is 75%. They are followed by the United Kingdom, Belgium and Estonia all at 72%, and Australia and Norway both at 70%. Denmark, Vietnam, Germany, Hong Kong, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Spain, Canada, Finland, Latvia, Israel, and Ireland are all in the 60+ percentile, and Slovenia, France, Iceland, Lithuania, Bulgaria are all in the 50+ percentile. In the 40+ percentile are Ukraine, Albania, the U.S., Indonesia, and Portugal. (“Most Atheist Countries 2023,” WIN-Gallop Studies for 2023, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-atheist-countries).
Look at those names. Israel – the very land in which Christ walked is mostly atheist at 61%, and those who are not atheist in Israel are involved in various forms of Jewish Mysticism, including the Orthodox and Chabad Lubavitch sects of Judaism. In other words, those who experienced Christ firsthand in the annals of history would rather seek the pagan, supernatural experiences of Kabbalah and its plethora of false gods/angels and lying spirits as opposed to their own risen Messiah. And yes, the texts of Kabbalah are taught in rabbinic schools (such as the Zohar), and thus all rabbis have been influenced by Kabbalah. Having rejected Christ, Kabbalah (Babylonian mysticism at its core) is now the only way to experience God, and is called the “soul of Judaism” according to the chabad.org website (source below).
And how about England, now known as the United Kingdom? They were the home of the 18th century hymn writers Isaac Watts (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross), Charles Wesley (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing), and John Newton (Amazing Grace), the movement of Methodism and the revival preaching of John Wesley and George Whitefield; home of the 19th century Great Awakening involving evangelists D. L. Moody (1837-1899), William Booth (1829-1912) founder of the Salvation army, and Charles Finney (1792-1875) that “…brought millions to Christ and triggered off global mission to impact the lives of countless more millions for Christ…” are now 72% atheist – questioning to the point of denying the very existence of God. (“The Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Revivals in Britain,”https://www.christianheritageedinburgh.org.uk/2016/08/20/the-eighteenth-nineteenth-century-revivals-in-britain/)
Do we still wonder why the Great Tribulation is just around the corner? These nations are not ignorant of God. They are defiant of Him. Indeed they are those spoken of in Romans 1, “18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened…24Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness…25who exchanged the truth of God for the lie…26For this reason God gave them up to vile passions…28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind…”
Truly Romans 1 is not just for now, but has been applicable since the fall of mankind. That being said, it has increasingly gotten worse at present because now they are rejecting the revelation of His Son Jesus Christ. Even so, 2 Thessalonians 2 calls them, “those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
The world is on the verge of this right now, for they have rejected God. They may love freedom. They may love family. They may enjoy good things. They may indeed be good people. But they heard the Gospel and have rejected the one true God and His Son. This is the state of the world right now.
America and American Christians
And what of America – land of the free and home of the brave, one nation under God? 43% are atheists. But, does this mean that the 57% remaining are born-again Christians? What is the state of the United States of America in 2023?
Horrifically, there is an atrocious flood of child trafficking happening at the U.S./Mexico boarder with the unidentified, undocumented child immigrants. Indeed, “According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “All smuggling of children, and a significant proportion of child trafficking, occurs in the context of child migration.”” And this is not taking place on foreign soil. This is on American soil, under the watchful, lustful eye of our leaders. And this is a stench to Almighty God. Remember the outcry against Sodom was very great, so great that God came down in judgment. What of the outcry against America at this point? (For more on this refer to these articles: “Whistleblower Tells Congress that Govt is Delivering Migrant Children to Human Traffickers,” April 26, 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/whistleblower-tells-congress-that-govt-delivering-migrant-children-human-traffickers; “What is Really Going on: An Atrocity at the U.S.. Border and Beyond,” October 26, 2022, https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2022/10/26/what-is-really-going-on-atrocity-at-the-u-s-border-and-beyond/).
And regarding the stat of 43%, if you think that is good because it is below half, the stats get even worse when we turn to the research of Probe Ministries and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. To begin with, in 2021 it was found that Syncretism and ‘Moralistic Therapeutic Deism’ are the most popular worldviews among Americans in the U.S. So, Syncretism, Deism, and Atheism are very dominant in American culture.
What is Syncretism? It is the collection of an eclectic mix of beliefs from here and there and everywhere. Basically, in Old Testament biblical terms, it is everyone doing what is right in their own eyes, and in New Testament terms it is Nicolaitanism, and known also as Gnosticism in early church history. They may call themselves a Christian, but they also believe some of the same things as Catholics and New Agers and a smattering of other forms of Spiritism or Mysticism – because it sounds good to them.
What is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism? I believe Karen Jones of the Lifeway Kids website said it best when she wrote in December of 2014 (link below), “The term moralistic therapeutic deism (MTD for short) has been tossed around the Christian blogosphere for a few years now, but what is it? Where did it come from? And why do you need to know it as a kids ministry leader?
In 2005, Christian Smith and Melinda Lundquist Denton released a book called Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. In their book, Smith and Denton coined the term moralistic therapeutic deism to describe the “defacto dominate religion among contemporary teenagers.” MTD is a heretical system of thought that has infiltrated evangelicalism and Christianity as a whole. It is subtle and dangerous.
Let’s break it down:
Moralistic – God wants people to behave.
Therapeutic – God wants people to be happy and well-adjusted.
Deism – There is a God, but He made the world and then left it alone. God isn’t personally involved in the everyday lives of people.”
But, according to the Bible, being good is not good enough, or else Jesus would not have had to die for the sins of the world including our own personal sins. Our happiness is not our ultimate purpose here, or else the prophets of the Old Testament such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel and Elijah and Elisha went through hell for nothing! And a distant, unknowable God is an unbiblical God, for in the pages of Scripture we constantly and without fail see a God who perpetually longs to dwell among us, calls His people to repentance and holiness that He might remain among them, intervenes on their behalf when they call upon Him, sends His only begotten Son Jesus to die for the sins of the world, now dwells in believers via His Holy Spirit, and is coming back again soon to obliterate evil and to establish His eternal Kingdom among us. Thus, this Moralistic Therepeutic Deism is unbiblical and heretical and is leading many far from the living God.
And this is all just the tip of the iceberg that is sinking the American Titanic right now.
For, what of the American Church? It was found by Probe Ministries that “Nearly 70% of born-again Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the only way to God…The survey also found that among the top reasons given by born-again Christians for not telling others about their faith is the acceptance of pluralism. When asked why they don’t share their beliefs with others, born-again respondents chose “They can get to Heaven through their different religious belief,” “We shouldn’t impose our ideas on others,” and “The Bible tells us not to judge others” as their top three responses, respectively.” (“Nearly 70% of Born-Again Christians Say Other Religions Can Lead to Heaven: Study,” October 21, 2021, https://www.christianpost.com/news/nearly-70-percent-of-born-again-christians-dont-see-jesus-as-only-way.html)
Their responses define what pluralism is, in case you were wondering. And to make it a little more clear, pluralism is just another way of saying that they are syncretistic and Nicolaitan and doing/believing what is right in their own eyes.
The Cultural Research Center in 2020 found that of “…an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million of them were actually found to hold a biblical worldview.” (“American Worldview Inventory 2023 Release #1: Incidence of Biblical Worldview Shows Significant Change Since the Start of the Pandemic,” February 28, 2023, https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CRC_AWVI2023_Release1.pdf)
Think about that a minute. Only 6% of American Christians held a biblical worldview in 2020. It was also found by this same research center that, “58% of Americans believe “there is no absolute moral truth”; and 77% believe “right and wrong is determined by factors other than the Bible.” Furthermore, it was determined that “A majority of Americans who describe themselves as Christian (52 percent) also accept a “works-oriented” means to God’s acceptance—even those associated with churches whose official doctrine says eternal salvation comes only from embracing Jesus Christ as savior. Almost half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46 percent), mainline Protestant (44 percent), and evangelical (41 percent) churches, as well as nearly two-thirds of Catholics (70 percent), hold that view.” (“Survey: Majority of American Christians Don’t Believe the Gospel,” August 9, 2020, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/survey-a-majority-of-american-christians-dont-believe-the-gospel/). In other words according to this, a large number of Christians don’t really know if they are saved or not because they feel they have to earn it.
And it gets worse. In 2022 the same research group in a nationwide study “…found that just 37% of Christian pastors in the United States have a biblical worldview…The majority (62%) possess a hybrid worldview known as Syncretism. The study, released Thursday, showed that 41% of senior pastors — as compared to 28% of associate pastors — have a biblical worldview. Further, only 13% of teaching pastors and 12% of children’s and youth pastors have a biblical worldview. The lowest level of biblical worldview was among executive pastors, with only 4% of them holding consistently biblical beliefs and behaviors…” (“Study finds 37% of pastors have biblical worldview: Spiritual awakening ‘needed in our pulpits’,” May 16, 2022,
From this study we see that American Syncretism is not just a youthful belief system but is also a predominant view even among Christian pastors! I mean, look at those stats! And these pastors are teaching you, your children, and your youth. And they don’t even have a biblical worldview!!!!! Did the pastors start this or the people in the pews or the professors in the seminaries? One way or the other, the people are perishing for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4).
So, what about 2023? Have things improved at all? While in lock down, did pastors and their followers finally have time to read the word and be changed by it? Did they repent? Did they weep before the Lord under His Holy Spirit’s conviction? Did they fall silent in the presence of an awesome God? Though Jonathan Cahn did lead many in repenting at “the Return” of 2020, were a majority of Christian’s worldview actually affected by this?
This is the beyond the saddest information yet. I’ve been weeping over it. I am going to quote a long piece from the researcher George Barna. Here it is, freshly published on February 28, 2023.
“The COVID-19 lockdowns and lifestyle changes that began in early 2020 provided Americans with an opportunity to spend more time doing things their hectic, on-the-go lives precluded, such as reading the Bible. But it appears that as people’s lives were substantially altered by the virus and government policies, Americans were not spending the extra time devoting energy to spiritual matters and worldview enhancement.
In fact, the first national study of Americans’ worldview in the post-lockdown era found that the incidence of biblical worldview declined to a mere 4%—down one-third from the 6% recorded just months before the pandemic started in 2020. New research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows that the benchmark worldview measure of American adults taken in January 2020 may prove to be the high-water mark for the foreseeable future. Americans tinkered with many things during the three lockdown years—from home-improvement projects to baking sourdough bread—but improving their worldview apparently was not one of them.” (“American Worldview Inventory 2023 Release #1: Incidence of Biblical Worldview Shows Significant Change Since the Start of the Pandemic,” February 28, 2023, https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/CRC_AWVI2023_Release1.pdf)
Now, only 4% of American Christians have a biblical worldview. 4%.
Or a land of darkness? Why do My people say, ‘We are lords; We will come no more to You’?
32Can a virgin forget her ornaments, Or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.” (Jeremiah 2:31-32)
“6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
7“The more they increased, The more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. 8They eat up the sin of My people; They set their heart on their iniquity. 9And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, And reward them for their deeds. 10For they shall eat, but not have enough; They shall commit harlotry, but not increase; Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.””(Hosea 4:6-10)
Two Sides of the Same Coin
So, let’s get this all straight. 25 nations of the world are composed of an atheist majority, and those that are not atheist are led by false religions. Christian persecution has intensified in all nations of the world, including China, North Korea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Canada, etc. – and Ukraine of all places! There are threats of immanent famine and war in every nation. Horrific natural disasters and wild weather everywhere (some caused by geoengineering). Banks and national monetary systems are undergoing a controlled demolition. Violence is plaguing large cities, divorce is still rampant, the destruction of the family is still active, and all out war for the souls of children rages like wildfire as depraved people seek the destruction of their God-given gender and innocence. A new world order is rising from the ash heap that the leaders of this world created, and all is ripe for the arrival of antichrist on the world stage. And then to top things off like a poisonous cherry on top of the already poisoned ice cream sundae, the America Church does not look like the Biblical Church.
Interestingly enough, on Sunday March 19th, Pastor J.D. Farag of Calvary Chapel church of Kaneohe, Hawaii, revealed in his Bible prophecy update that there is a two sided coin at play here (source below). On the one side, there is the overtly evil team composed of the World Economic Forum, Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab, climate change and geoengineering, the implosion of the world banks in order to establish a one world, digital currency, vaccine mandates/passports, etc.
However, on the other side of the coin is that which is perceived as good, and is dressed in red, white and blue. But, it is not just about America, for this can be seen garbed in the colors of every individual nation of the world wherein people are rising up against their governmental tyranny – such as Myanmar, Brazil, Canada and Australia. The people want their liberty back, and are willing to protest and take up arms to get it. And Christians are joining forces with those who are non-Christian in an attempt to take their nations back, and make them great again. In America they are holding large conferences every month this year dubbed “the great reawakening”, and Christian and non-Christian speakers are scheduled to speak to already “sold out” patriotic, nationalistic crowds (sources below). This is a syncretistic mix, a Nicolaitan group, an ecumenical gathering, an eclectic mix all brightly dressed in the goodness of patriotic Americanism. And then there are the “prophets” of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) that have been saying for years that it is God’s will to “save America”, which is remarkably similar to what the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day were saying about Judah. Indeed, it is also more akin to Isaiah 9 which states regarding the rebellion of Israel and their leaders who cause them to err.
“9All the people will know— Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria— Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: 10“The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild with hewn stones; The sycamores are cut down, But we will replace them with cedars.” 11Therefore the Lord shall set up The adversaries of Rezin against him, And spur his enemies on, 12The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; And they shall devour Israel with an open mouth.
For all this His anger is not turned away,
But His hand is stretched out still.
13For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them,
Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.
14Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day. 15The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail. 16For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.” (emphasis mine)
For, no one is repentant. No one is weeping with deep, heart-rending remorse. No one is falling on their faces before Jesus in penitent and complete surrender. No one is turning away from their unholy lifestyles or movies or entertainment or pursuit of pleasure or greedy desires or pornography or vacations or violence or ignorance of the word of God or their rebellion. There is no sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, no conviction, no revelation of how grave their sin is before a holy God. Truly, both sides of the coin have rejected God. One side may be violent “black magic” taking on the world with tyrannical force and occult power, and the other side non-violent, freedom loving “white magic”, but both are rebellious, both are occult, and thus both are evil. That is why, according to Pastor J.D. they are two sides to the same coin.
An Unholy Alliance
What are Christians doing? What does light have in common with darkness? Are they really in agreement with those who do not know Jesus? Can they truly walk together in sync, side by side with New Agers and Atheists and Catholics and Satanists and Jewish Mystics all in the name of making America great again? What are they doing?
At the 2016 GOP convention this nonsense was everywhere. Did anyone see it? Was anyone else appalled? Many born-again believers, well-known or otherwise, were looking to a political candidate to make America great again. Thousands believing just that gathered at the Republican National Convention dressed in colorful suits and dresses and hats, pledging allegiance to the flag and singing the national anthem. These were genuine, hard-working, hopeful Americans.
But something was different at the 2016 convention. It appeared to be more related to the ecumenical gathering of Pope John Paul II at Assissi in October of 1986 (wherein he joined with the leaders of other world religions as equals and partners in the pursuit of peace), only this time mingled with political correctness and American pride. http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/catholicchurch/anti-pope-john-paul-ii-photos-apostasy/#.V5F76aLoCM8.
The cherry on top of this politically correct, ecumenical sundae was the praise of Christian conservatives, whether present at the GOP convention or not – from Tony Perkins (Family Research Council), to L.A. Marzulli (Watchers), to Mike Huckabee, to Paula White, to well-known Southern Baptist minister Robert Jeffress. Indeed, Christian Conservatives gathered together in unison with Sikhs, Mormons, Muslims and homosexuals….and said, “amen”?!!!!!
When else in the history of the United States of America has this abomination happened? Since when has standing in unity with the ungodly saved a nation? When did being led in prayer to a Sikh entity save a people? When did God Almighty call Christians to unite with Mormons in prayer or that it was okay to allow men in women’s bathrooms in the name of freedom? When were Christians called to believe that their salvation is wrapped up in a human politician or a king or a leader or in any other entity for that matter other than Christ and Him crucified?!!!!!
Did Jesus say in Matthew 24 that when all the signs of the end times are coming to pass, that we as Christians are to gathered together at political rallies with non-Christians to make our nations great again? Did Jesus tell us to quote our founding fathers, wave our flags, chant “U.S.A”, and stand against tyranny? Did Jesus form an army and march on Rome to take back the Senate for Jehovah? Just look at the Bible, read what Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Elijah, Joel and the other prophets said, what Paul and Peter wrote, and even what Jesus told us. The answer is unequivocally and in no uncertain terms, absolutely – NO!
But, then…only 4% have a Biblical worldview. So, how would they know this?! And even if told, they’d say something like, “that’s for you, not for me,” because everything is relative.
The Curses and 4 Fold Judgment of God
Indeed, is this attitude not the reason that the world is in trouble? In Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 it is clear that God told Israel they would be blessed if they obeyed Him and cursed if they did not, and He got specific regarding both the blessings and the curses. Yes, this was regarding Israel – a nation called into covenant with God.
But America too was called into covenant with God. Those who first landed here in 1620 stated in the Mayflower Compact that they had come here for “the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith” (http://www.ushistory.org/documents/mayflower.htm). Later the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution carefully states in Amendment 1, that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” According to many a founding father, America was founded upon Biblical principles, even the 10 Commandments, and those who first landed upon our shores covenanted with God to abide by His statues, and that if we did not we would be answerable to Him just like Israel. And according to Jonathan Cahn in the book The Harbinger there has been no other nation like America who entered into such a covenant with God. Thus, just as the blessing and the cursing applied to Israel when they rejected God, they also apply to America.
What are those curses?
Ezekiel actually says it the most succinctly and agrees completely with both Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26. So, here is Ezekiel 14.
“12The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: 13“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it;
I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. 14Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.
15“If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, 16eventhough these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.
17“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it, 18even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
19“Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, 20even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord God, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.” (emphasis mine).
What are the curses? Famine, beasts, sword and pestilence.
It is also clear from the passage of Ezekiel 14 that the cursing applies to A LAND that is persistently unfaithful. In other words, not just Israel or Judah. Isaiah 24 agrees with this when it says,
“4The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. 5The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.”
In other words, even those who are not like America and Israel are still held accountable for breaking God’s covenant and transgressing His laws. Indeed, God tells Israel in Leviticus 18 that the nations being driven out before them were being vomited out of the land because of their abominations.
“24‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.26You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27(for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you.” And Leviticus 20 goes on, “22‘You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and perform them, that the land where I am bringing you to dwell may not vomit you out. 23And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them…26And you shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy, and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine.” (emphasis mine).
Furthermore, it can be seen in Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Nahum, etc. that nations like Egypt, Sidon, Tyre, Edom, Moab, Philistia, etc., were all judged for having rejected and forsaken God, and for abusing God’s people. And their land spewed them out – meaning, God sent in the sword, pestilence, beasts and famine.
Thus, whether a nation has covenanted with God or not, they will be judged for their rejection of Him and cruelty to believers called by God’s name. In short, the point, is this, that the whole world is ripe for judgment, and the Great Tribulation is about to unfold, ready or not, because the nations have rejected God, they are abusing Christians who are God’s people, and the land is ready to spew them out. The land of America is ready to spew Americans out. The land of Canada is ready to spew out Canadians. The land of Australia is ready to spew out the Australians. The land of China is ready to spew out the Chinese. And the list goes on indefinitely.
It’s Time to Repent
That’s where we are…right now. The whole Earth is ready to spew out its inhabitants that have rebelliously rejected God, and the four judgments of God (famine, pestilence, the sword and beasts) are already touching the nations of the world. This is not the time to make any nation great again, but is rather, a time for nations to fall upon their faces before the living God in repentance before it is too late. That is the message the Church ought to be preaching. For indeed, it also is time for the Church to quit listening to the lullaby lies of false prophets and teachers saying good things and causing their eyes to be fixed on the here and now, as if we are to establish God’s kingdom on earth! It is also time to discontinue yoking up with unbelievers at political rallies while looking for a physical, political savior for a temporal, earthly kingdom. Indeed, it is not time to rally. It is time to repent. It is not time to regroup, but repent. It is not time to have a reawakening, but to repent. It is not time to vote or campaign or fight or protest or go to the Supreme Court. It is time to repent. It is not time to decree and declare, but to repent. This is the revival that all nations are being called to – right now.
Those who are ruling over us hate us, not just in America but in nation after nation. Do you really think they are in positions of power because they were elected or voted in? Do you really think that the devil put them there? No! It is God who is sovereign. It is God who appoints. It is God who builds up, and God who tears down (Daniel 2). Rather, the very fact that this is happening in nation after nation is proof that part of the curse of Leviticus has fall upon us (Leviticus 26:17).
Peter wrote about this generation of scoffers. Paul informed us of these perilous times. John portrayed in living color the state of the Church and the world at the end of days, and called them to repentance. Daniel related the state of the Jews during the time of Jacob’s Trouble also known as the Great Tribulation. Jesus told us these days would come, and that at the time when all hell is breaking loose that we should be vigilant and not weighed down with the cares of this life (Luke 21:34-35); that we would “watch therefore and pray always that we might be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass” (Luke 21:36); and that we would get up and lift up our heads for our redemption is drawing near (Luke 21:28).
Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus! The Spirit and the Bride say “Come!”
Quote: “The North Korean government recently stepped up its suppression of the Bible and increased its raids on small gatherings of Christians. Those who profess to be followers of Jesus or carry a Bible are regularly beaten and jailed…A newly published report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom states that North Korea tortures and executes Christians and that the country’s citizens are denied the right to religious freedom from birth. Our silence makes their suffering possible.”
“…new AI-powered surveillance software, a serious escalation in the Chinese technology-driven blueprint of persecution. Dozens of Chinese firms are working on programs to monitor the behavior of everyday people… This information is used to target, censor and punish Christians and other religious minorities who are perceived as threats to the state.Worse, China is actively exporting its blueprint to emerging authoritarian states. If you thought Russia was the only totalitarian threat the world is facing, think again.”
“…in Eritrea, gatherings of believers are raided, with believers sent to prison and subjected to inhumane conditions. Some pastors are facing solitary confinement of more than 10 years.”
“Today, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country — and their attackers are expanding their territory further into sub-Saharan Africa.”
“At No. 10 on Open Doors’ 2022 World Watch List, the world’s largest democracy has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians in a few short years. An extremist strain of Hindu nationalism is emerging, fueling a change in attitudes across India… 64% of Hindus surveyed say it’s important to be Hindu to be “truly Indian.” The result is that Indians have become more accepting of systematic oppression of Christians and other religious minorities…While Article 25 of India’s Constitution promises freedom of religion and conscience, the situation for Christians and religious minorities in the country is deteriorating considerably.”
Quote: “Transcript From Mike Bickle’s Tape Ref’Bob Jones Discipline’ (This is NOT a word-for-word transcript A only covers the first side of the taPe)…
Bob made very clear admission of sin in the presence of 13 men…Thirdly the sexual misconduct…Fondling it involves disrobing…
Bob Jones’ response. He has been denial in terms of the gravity…Bob is in denial. He is minimizing his present condition…it is an alarming sign of deception…there is a pollution in his spirit.”
Quote: ““Bob Jones was told that the general level of prophetic revelation in the church was about 65% accurate at this time. Some are only about 10% accurate, a very few of the most mature prophets are approaching 85% to 95% accuracy. Prophecy is increasing in purity, but there is a still a long way to go for those who walk in this ministry. This is actually grace for the church now, because 100% accuracy in this ministry would bring a level of accountability to the church which she is too immature to bear at this time. It would result in too many Annaniases and Sapphiras” (The Prophetic Ministry” Rick Joyner. Morningstar Prophetic Newsletter. Vol. 3, No. 2, p. 2).
So we are too immature to have prophets be right all the time? Does this make sense or is it more correct that these prophets are not 100% right because they are not speaking for God who is ALWAYS 100% right. God was always right with his prophets in the Old Testament and New Testament, but in their ministry, they are not always right, they are not even half right; they are not as accurate as a skilled psychic.
Mike Bickle is not anymore reassuring: “Now, obviously, probably about 80% of what’s in the Body of Christ that’s called prophecy is fleshiness. And so we’re in a day when we’re in such an immature stage of this. So much of what is called prophecy is not truly prophecy. So we realize that; so what’s our reaction to that? We don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. We say, “Lord, we don’t throw out prophecy. We ask You to mature it.” We don’t take it as serious in the early days as we will in the days to come” (Media Spotlight- THE RESTORATION OF APOSTLES AND PROPHETS AND THE KANSAS CITY‑ VINEYARD CONNECTION by Albert James Dager).
NOTE: Jones was at one time in a mental institution where he had many conversations with demons, and at some point in his lifetime was told by the devil that if he discontinued speaking against abortion that he’d walk in powerful miracles again.
Jones also taught that the Church would put death under their own feet, would become god-men, and “come into the divine nature of Jesus Christ” as the perfect Melchisedekian priesthood. Furthermore, he taught that “the prophetic movement was started by an angel named Emma who is androgynous and appeared as female. This angel is supposedly at work with freshfires revival meetings. For the first time in history we have a woman angel working inside the church bringing signs…”
He also believed that when his hands turned purple that God was answering prayers, which goes along with the New Age belief of Alice Bailey that colors are important when it comes to healing, especially a violet light or violet flame. His hands would turn red for different reasons and would feel prickly if there was witchcraft in the room.
Does this really sound like someone we should trust?
Quote: These are the “Nicolaitans”. Halley’s Bible Handbook tells us of them, “Sexual vice was actually a part of heathen worship, and recognized as a proper thing in heathen festivals. Priestesses of Diana and kindred deities were public prostitutes. The thing had been a troublesome question for Gentile churches from the start. . . Meantime great multitudes of heathen had become Christians, and had carried some of their old ideas into their new religion. . . Naturally there were all sorts of attempts to harmonize these heathen practices with the Christian religion. Many professing Christian teachers, claiming inspiration from God, were advocating the right to free participation in heathen immoralities. In Ephesus, the Christian pastors, as a body, excluded such teachers. But in Pergamum and Thyatira, while we are not to think that the main body of pastors held such teachings, yet they tolerated within their ranks those who did” (p.694).
Ancient Pergamos was a city where the worship of Zeus and Asclepios were endemic, whose symbol was a serpent entwined around a rod or staff. It was a city where paganism and politics were closely entwined and allied. Nicolaitan pressures were very strong in this city where pressures to “compromise” would have been very heavy.
The Nicolaitans seduced God’s people to “eat things sacrificed to idols” – that is, participate in heathen, pagan festivals, including sexual immorality – in other words, to commit spiritual fornication and adultery – which is IDOLATRY! This convergence of Christianity with pagan beliefs and practices was sheer APOSTASY in the eyes of God!”
Quote: “Nearly 70% of born-again Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the only way to God, according to a new survey from Probe Ministries…The survey also found that among the top reasons given by born-again Christians for not telling others about their faith is the acceptance of pluralism. When asked why they don’t share their beliefs with others, born-again respondents chose “They can get to Heaven through their different religious belief,” “We shouldn’t impose our ideas on others,” and “The Bible tells us not to judge others” as their top three responses, respectively… This confusion among Christians and what they believe was also recently reflected in the American Worldview Inventory published last month by the Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University. Of an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million of them were actually found to hold a biblical worldview. The study showed, in general, that while a majority of America’s self-identified Christians, including many who identify as evangelical, believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Creator of the universe, more than half reject a number of biblical teachings and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit. Strong majorities were also found to errantly believe that all religious faiths are of equal value, people are basically good and that people can use acts of goodness to earn their way into Heaven. The study further showed that majorities don’t believe in moral absolutes, consider feelings, experience or the input of friends and family as their most trusted sources of moral guidance, and say that having faith matters more than which faith you pursue.”
“The COVID-19 lockdowns and lifestyle changes that began in early 2020 provided Americans with an opportunity to spend more time doing things their hectic, on-the-go lives precluded, such as reading the Bible. But it appears that as people’s lives were substantially altered by the virus and government policies, Americans were not spending the extra time devoting energy to spiritual matters and worldview enhancement.
In fact, the first national study of Americans’ worldview in the post-lockdown era found that the incidence of biblical worldview declined to a mere 4%—down one-third from the 6% recorded just months before the pandemic started in 2020. New research from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University shows that the benchmark worldview measure of American adults taken in January 2020 may prove to be the high-water mark for the foreseeable future. Americans tinkered with many things during the three lockdown years—from home-improvement projects to baking sourdough bread—but improving their worldview apparently was not one of them.
Compared to 2020, almost every demographic subgroup experienced a small decline in the proportion of those possessing a biblical worldview, according to the American Worldview Inventory 2023. The most noteworthy declines across the three years were recorded among born-again Christians (down six percentage points) and people from households earning $60,000 to $100,000 (down five points)…”
“The 2023 incidence of biblical worldview is 4%, based on the tracking study of the worldview of adults across the nation. That is a seemingly small but noteworthy drop from 6% three years ago.”
“The subgroups of the nation that are most likely to possess a biblical worldview include: SAGE Cons (Spiritually Active Governance Engaged Conservative Christians), among whom one out of four (24%) have a biblical worldview; people whose beliefs qualify them as born-again Christians (13%); and those whose political ideology places them in the “consistently conservative” category. There were no other segments that reached double figures, according to the latest AWVI 2023 data. • Most Americans (68%) consider themselves to be Christians. Among these self-defined Christians, though, only 6% have a biblical worldview. Less than half of the self-defined Christians can be classified as born-again, defined as believing that they will go to Heaven after they die but only because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Within the born-again population (just 33% of the adult population), a shockingly small proportion (13%) hold a biblical worldview.”
“The results of the American Worldview Inventory are frightening for biblical Christians, according to George Barna, the creator of the American Worldview Inventory and director of the research for the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University… “When you put the data in perspective, the biblical worldview is shuffling toward the edge of the cliff,” Barna said. “As things stand today, biblical theism is much closer to extinction in America than it is to influencing the soul of the nation. The current incidence of adults with the biblical worldview is the lowest since I began measuring it in the early 1990s.”
“The data referred to in this report are taken from the American Worldview Inventory (AWVI), an annual survey that evaluates the worldview of the U.S. adult population (age 18 and over). Begun as an annual tracking study in 2020, the assessment is based on several dozen worldview-related questions that fall within eight categories of worldview application, measuring both beliefs and behavior.
The American Worldview Inventory is the first-ever national survey conducted in the United Statesmeasuring the incidence of both biblical and competing worldviews. The current wave of worldview research was undertaken in January 2023 among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults, providing an estimated maximum sampling error of approximately plus or minus 2 percentage points, based on the 95% confidence interval. Additional levels of indeterminable error may occur in surveys based upon both sampling and non-sampling activity.”
“Last year, the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, under the direction of George Barna, conducted a national survey that found only six percent of American adults have a biblical worldview…
The Cultural Research Center previously released the results of three other worldview surveys conducted earlier this year:
The first of these concluded that America’s dominant worldview is Syncretism, which isn’t actually a worldview at all but rather “a disparate, irreconcilable collection of beliefs” that people paste together to suit themselves.
The second survey concluded that America’s most popular worldview is what can be called Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. Components of this worldview include: “belief in a God who remains distant from people’s lives” and “the universal purpose of life of being happy and feeling good about oneself.”
The third survey found that Millennials are “substantially more likely” than previous American generations to “reject biblical principles in favor of more worldly spiritual perspectives and practices.”
As Barna noted, “Frankly, the culture is impacting the Christian church and the Christian faith more than the Christian church or Christian faith are impacting the culture.” Notably, increasing belief in reincarnation, declining belief in a literal hell, and the pervading belief that people are basically good are other indicators that Christianity is losing influence in America.”
“A majority of Americans who describe themselves as Christian (52 percent) also accept a “works-oriented” means to God’s acceptance—even those associated with churches whose official doctrine says eternal salvation comes only from embracing Jesus Christ as savior. Almost half of all adults associated with Pentecostal (46 percent), mainline Protestant (44 percent), and evangelical (41 percent) churches, as well as nearly two-thirds of Catholics (70 percent), hold that view.”
“58% of Americans believe “there is no absolute moral truth”; and 77% believe “right and wrong is determined by factors other than the Bible.”As for that book, 59% of Americans say that “the Bible is not the authoritative and true word of God.”…
Self-described “Christians” are even more relativistic than Americans as a whole: 68% agree that the content or object of the faith doesn’t matter. In terms of Christian denominations, 56% of Evangelicals, 62% of Pentecostals, 67% of mainline Protestants, and 77% of Roman Catholics agree that the content or object of faith doesn’t matter.”
“Study finds 37% of pastors have biblical worldview: Spiritual awakening ‘needed in our pulpits’,” May 16, 2022,
“A new study from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University has found that just 37% of Christian pastors in the United States have a biblical worldview, demonstrating that spiritual awakening is “needed just as desperately in our pulpits as in the pews,” according to the pollster.
The nationwide study of about 1,000 Christian pastors found that just slightly more than a third (37%) of the U.S. pastors hold a biblical worldview. The majority (62%) possess a hybrid worldview known as Syncretism.The study, released Thursday, showed that 41% of senior pastors — as compared to 28% of associate pastors — have a biblical worldview. Further, only 13% of teaching pastors and 12% of children’s and youth pastors have a biblical worldview.
The lowest level of biblical worldview was among executive pastors, with only 4% of them holding consistently biblical beliefs and behaviors…
Another study released by the Barna Group last month showed that more pastors now say they considered quitting their jobs compared to a year ago, driven to despair by stress, loneliness, political divisions and other worries like their church being in decline.The share of pastors who have seriously considered quitting being in full-time ministry within the last year increased from 29% in 2021 to 42% in March of this year.”
“Barna surveyed 547 U.S. Protestant pastors and asked them which issues they believed were a major concern facing the U.S. Christian church.
Seven issues topped 50 percent: Watered-down gospel teachings, 72 percent; culture’s shift to a secular age, 66 percent; poor discipleship models, 63 percent; addressing complex social issues with biblical integrity, 58 percent; prosperity gospel teachings, 56 percent; reaching a younger audience, 56 percent and political polarization in the country, 51 percent…
Three issues topped 40 percent but failed to reach 50 percent: Negative perceptions of the church, 46 percent; the diminished influence of churches in the community, 45 percent and church leader burnout/exhaustion, 40 percent.”
Quote: “In ancient times, it took considerable time for the sins of individual empires and kingdoms to spread to other peoples. That was understandably due to low-technology. International travel and communications were very slow and limited. Trends and lifestyle behaviors, whether good or evil, could take centuries to spread very far. In today’s world, global digital connectivity is so instantaneous that sins and sinful attitudes that once would taken centuries to spread around then world can now infect the entire earth in a very short time. 2 Timothy 3’s prophecy includes a long list of the sins and degeneracies that would characterize mankind’s society in the latter days of our age. Romans 1:17-32 offers another list of sins that take hold in societies that “do not like to retain God in their knowledge” (verse 28). Does modern mankind choose to “not retain God in its knowledge?” We all know the answer is “yes.””
I don’t have time to build a case here today. I simply want to get this information out as soon as possible.
At hour 1:34:23 mark of the “FlashPoint LIVE Omaha | Mike Lindell, America & The Church (9/15/22),”https://rumble.com/v1kbltz-flashpoint-live-omaha-mike-lindell-america-and-the-church-91522.html, Hank Kunnamen speaks down about Christians who dare to say that America needs to repent by questioning how many would need to repent “to satisfy what YOU think is enough repentance for God to move.” And he goes on to say that just like Moses, “YOU as a person makes a difference in this country. And I don’t care how many people get up and demand that we repent for the ten thousandth time. THIS MAN IS STANDING BEFORE THE FACE OF GOD AND SAYING YOU WILL REMEMBER YOUR COVENANT AND YOU WILL SAVE AMERICA!!!!”
To this I will respond with Jeremiah 7, “1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 2“Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who enter in at these gates to worship the Lord!’ ” 3Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are these.’” What was going on here? The false prophets had been using the Temple as a sort of good luck charm, and had persuaded the people that God would never destroy His own Temple and thus would never have Jerusalem or the people overthrown. After all, God had to bless the place called by His name. He had made a covenant with them, and He could not and would not dare to break it. And the people believed these lying words.
Jeremiah 14 states, “13Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, the prophets say to them, ‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you [b]assured peace in this place.’ ”14And the Lord said to me, “The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, [c]divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart. 15Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, ‘Sword and famine shall not be in this land’—‘By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed! 16And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; they will have no one to bury them—them nor their wives, their sons nor their daughters—for I will pour their wickedness on them.’”
Fore indeed according to Jeremiah 23,
11“For both prophet and priest are profane; Yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,” says the Lord. 12“Therefore their way shall be to them Like slippery ways; In the darkness they shall be driven on And fall in them; For I will bring disaster on them, The year of their punishment,” says the Lord. 13“And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal And caused My people Israel to err. 14Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; They also strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.
15“Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets:
‘Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, And make them drink the water of gall; For from the prophets of Jerusalem [f]Profaneness has gone out into all the land.’ ”
Even so, God Almighty reminds them in Jeremiah 7, “12“But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. 13And now, because you have done all these works,” says the Lord, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, 14therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren—the whole posterity of Ephraim. 16“Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you…28“So you shall say to them, ‘This is a nation that does not obey the voice of the Lord their God nor receive correction. Truth has perished and has been cut off from their mouth. 29Cut off your hair and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the desolate heights; for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.’”
How dare Kunneman (with those on stage and present in the audience agreeing), how dare he persuade the people that they and the nation need not repent??!! False prophet! He is a FALSE and LYING PROPHET!!!!!! I call you out! I say it like it is! False. You are FALSE!!!
And I warn all Christians everywhere to not listen to this man nor any message that he speaks nor any word of prophecy he may have. Do not take him seriously. He is a false prophet, prophesying lies in God’s name, and God will indeed deal with him.
Wake up Church!!! Wake up, oh Christian!!! Deception is rampant, and seducers are waxing worse and worse, deceiving an being deceived (2 Timothy 3:13). Do not follow them! Hold fast to the word of God–the very word of God that washes us clean, that makes us without spot and without wrinkle!!!!! (Ephesians 5:26).
This article is a warning. It is a warning to Christians to begin right now practicing discernment. Don’t just accept something someone says as from the Lord because you agree with it or because it sounds good. We are to test the spirits behind that message to see if they are from God (1 John 4:1).
After finally getting to the beginning of the interview of Barry Wunsch who was supposed to “be discussing fresh revelation regarding Donald Trump, America, Canada, exposure of leaders and more…” according to the website summary, I realized there was something wrong. No, not with what he was saying necessarily. Actually, I cannot remember what he was saying because what he kept “doing” was so pronounced. As he began praying at about the 10 minute and 35 second mark, he made loud, strange outbursts. Immediately following the prayer he started sharing what he said the Lord told him early in the morning of September 22, 2022 at 4:56am. Of course I was trying to listen to what he was saying in order to weigh the words carefully, but was suddenly taken aback by more loud outbursts — lots of them. It was then that I no longer dismissed these outbursts but recognized them for what they are: demonic.
Andrew Strom a few years back exposed them as Hindu “kriyas” that “enlightened” individuals demonstrate involuntarily. This is explained in the youtube video produced by Andrew Strom called “Kundalini Warning” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r5fMUct_co&t=4s. Another short video taken from another of Andrew Strom is one entitled, “Bill Johnson, Bethel and the New Age — Shocking — Kundalini Warning — False Spirits,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wKPjf1mjb8
How does Kundalini manifest? According to https://occultist.net/kundalini-awakening-symptoms/ some of the many symptoms of Kundalini are “Involuntary movement of the body (occurs more often during meditation, during moments of rest or sleep): spasms, tremors, feeling of an inner force that pushes oneself to put oneself in postures or to make movements in unusual ways. (May be the case of a misdiagnosis such as epilepsy or “restless leg syndrome” or ekbom syndrome)” and “Spontaneous vocalizations (including laughter and crying) – as involuntary and uncontrollable as hiccups.”
The website https://www.whenkundaliniawakens.com/kundalini-awakening-symptoms also says that some of the many symptoms of Kundalini are “Constant insights and “downloads”…A sense of something moving inside you, like an electrical current or a bloodstream you can feel. At times it can feel like overflowing water, fire, or wind…Shaking of the entire body or involuntary jerking of different parts of your body known as “Kriyas”. Kriyas can also manifest as the body going into spontaneous Yoga poses – even if you never practiced Yoga before…Vivid dreams and lucid dreams.”
To wrap things up very quickly here, Barry Munsch is under the influence of Kundalini, and to put it in Biblical terms, a demon. No matter what good things he says or how much he says God woke him and spoke directly to him, do not believe a word he says. Kundalini and the Holy Spirit do not mix any more than salt water and fresh water mix. Once the salt water enters the fresh, the fresh is no longer fresh and has been rendered undrinkable. Even so, Barry’s words have been contaminated with a Kundalini manifestation rendering the words contaminated and unacceptable.
God is calling Christians to be holy and set apart, to be separated wholly unto Him. The good news right now is not that America will be made great again or that what is coming will soon pass or that God is not finished with America or that God needs America to spread the gospel. No. The good new and indeed the BEST news that there is is that Jesus is coming back for His Bride that has made herself ready. That in and of itself ought to propel the Bride forward to preach the gospel speedily, live a holy life rooted and grounded in the cleaning word of God, and to get up and lift up her head for her redemption is drawing near!! Let’s quit wasting our time, and instead, redeem the time for the days are evil (Ephesians 5).
It has been said time and again by Church leadership, specifically under the umbrella of the NAR (New Apostolic Reformation, also called Third Wave) that modern prophets are learning, and that even if their prophecies are incorrect this does not make them false prophets. And on top of this, these same leaders predict better days are coming for America. However, what does God say?
In Jeremiah 28 an interesting story unfolds. Before a group of people and priests, a prophet named Hananiah dramatically prophesied that God was going to break the Babylonian yoke of slavery off of the Jews. To make this more vivid, he placed a wooden yoke on Jeremiah, then took it off him and broke it. The prophet Jeremiah agreed, saying, “Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied,” (Jeremiah 28:6). However, he also added, “Nevertheless, hear thou now this word…the prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him,” (Jeremiah 28:7a, 9). Jeremiah agreed with him, but gave the disclaimer that everyone would know if the prophecy was true if it came to pass. Thus, he referred them back to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 which states, “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?” (Deuteronomy 18:21). And God answers that if the prophecy does not come to pass, then the prophet has “spoken presumptuously” and the people are not to respect that person as a prophet. First John 4:1 agrees with this when it says that we are “not to believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Many false prophets. Many.
The story in Jeremiah then takes a twist. God speaks to Jeremiah at home, telling him to go back to Hananiah to tell him the yoke is made of unbreakable iron. “Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now Hananiah, the LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust a lie…this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD. And Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month” (Jeremiah 28:15,16b-17).
So, let’s get this straight. Hananiah had thought he was right. “I am sure this prophetic word was well received by the people. It brought edification and comfort. It promised blessings and restoration. It spoke kindly to those who had suffered loss and assured the fulfillment of God’s promises. Most likely the people were praising God and some even weeping for joy” (John Bevere, “Thus Saith The Lord?” pg. 100). It did not seem even slightly false…………but…….. it was NOT a word from the Lord!
Not only was it NOT a word from the Lord, it taught the people to rebel against what God had said. For in Jeremiah 27, Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews were to serve Babylon and not resist. But they did not want to hear that! That certainly could not be a word from the Lord! After all, why would God say that they were to submit to a tyrant? Why would God want His people enslaved to Babylon? But, when Hananiah spoke, certainly that was the word of the Lord for it promised good and not evil, liberty and not captivity! The Jews were God’s chosen people, not slaves. The Messiah was to come through them, specifically through the line of Judah. God surely must be sending this deliverance and not chains. Thus, Hananiah’s arrogant words led the people to believe a lie and to rebel against what God really had said.
But then, perhaps, Hananiah had not been prophesying long. Couldn’t he have just gotten it wrong and yet not be a false prophet? He meant well, right? Perhaps he and all those dreamers just needed to be a part of a “school of the prophets.”
Here then is the real question. Is prophecy of the Holy Spirit or of man? If it is of man, then error is quite possible. But, if it is truly of the Spirit, then error is out of the question. God does not make mistakes.
It says in 1 Corinthians 12 that prophecy is amanifestation of the Holy Spirit. This means, that it is the Holy Spirit speaking through the person that is prophesying. Can the Holy Spirit get it wrong????? “The Holy Spirit is not in training, and He only speaks the true and the pure. The error comes when we speak when He has not or we are silent when He is speaking…Samuel, when he was only a boy, gave a pure and fully accurate prophecy his first time (1 Samuel 3:11-19). He did not have to “grow in the gift”.” (John Bevere, Thus Saith The Lord? pg 98).
The Holy Spirit DOES NOT EVER GET IT WRONG!
“In the latter days you will understand it clearly. I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied” (Jeremiah 23:20b-21). God goes on to say that He is “against those who prophesy lying dreams…and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them” (Jeremiah 23:32). Truly, “They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word,” Ezekiel 13:6. Wrong prophecy is divination, plain and simple. “Simply put, these prophets speak their own oracles as though they were God’s. Yet the words are not God’s but their own. This is another way of describing the imitation or counterfeit of the true prophetic word of the Lord” (John Bevere, Thus Saith The Lord? pg 90).
The Hananiahs, false prophets of a false hope, are not gone, but are living and well today. And there are many of them. There are modern day Hananiahs who prophesy with great fervor and emotion, and more often than not they are wrong. Dead wrong. Yet they have no fear of death, for they say that God does not judge them based on the O.T. any longer.
But….. God does not change, and He honors His word above His name (Psalm 138:2). Thus, “Concerning the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones shake…because of the LORD and because of His holy words. For the land is full of adulterers; because of the curse the land mourns, and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up…both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:9a,c 10a, 11-12).
And indeed, the nations of the world have rejected God, and His judgment is descending like a tidal wave, even upon America. The rot goes deep. The filth is rampant. The degradation horrific. For it is not merely among the unsaved, but also the saved. But few see it. According to the film “Before the Wrath” only 18% of western Christians believe that Jesus will come back in their lifetime, and only 15% believe in core Christian tenants. The Laodicean church of the west thinks they have need of nothing, that they are safe — but they are not safe and must repent. “17Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3)
For over 40 years all together the prophet Jeremiah prophesied, warning the people that Babylon would invade, kill, and take them captive, and then continued to prophesy after the invasion, calling the people to live peaceably under Babylonian captivity. But, ever step of the way the Jews rejected God’s word to them — first to repent and then to live blessed lives while in captivity. They firmly believed those who prophesied good things, that Judah would be made great again, that better times were coming, and that God would preserve them because of the Temple (Jeremiah 7:4). They were after all, God’s people. He would not abandon them. But God told them point blank, “…I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh,” (Jeremiah 7:14).
So, what happened to Shiloh? Psalm 78 tells us. “56Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,57But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.58For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.59When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel,60So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh,The tent He had placed among men,61And delivered His strength into captivity,And His glory into the enemy’s hand.62He also gave His people over to the sword,And was furious with His inheritance.63The fire consumed their young men, And their maidens were not given in marriage.64Their priests fell by the sword, And their widows made no lamentation.” And 1 Samuel 4 adds that 30,000 (vs 10) plus 4,000 (vs 2) died that day, including Eli’s sons, and the ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines (vs 11).
What had God’s people done to warrant this? According to Jeremiah 7, they had oppressed the orphan, stranger, and widow, been unjust to one another, shed innocent blood, burned incense to Baal and followed after other gods, were a den of robbers, murders and adulterers, and felt they were justified in doing so because God’s Temple was in their midst.
Do you think that the Church is any different today? Do you think that idolatry is not rampant simply because we do not have idols made out of wood and covered with gold or silver? Are we not the most litigious society in the history of the world, dragging one another to court constantly? Are not the defenseless and poor oppressed? And what shall we say about the greed of both the poor and the rich, for no one is ever satisfied? Indeed, was not Baal the god of prosperity? And what of adultery? How many have divorced and remarried not taking into account what both Jesus and the Apostle Paul stated regarding this matter? What about sexual immorality, from couples having sex before marriage, to those living together before marriage, pornography, watching movies with sex scenes and/or nudity while excusing it by calling it art or it’s just what Hollywood produces, and the list goes on and on? And are not the blood of the innocent shed daily in our cities and towns, even in the name of scientific research and vaccines — and most of us have had one vaccine or another that has aborted fetal tissue in it? And still others have voted for and elected politicians who defended killing babies without even blinking an eye.
And while the Titanic of America sinks into the frigid, icy ocean, Christians continue planning their vacations and job promotions or retirement, and hopes for tomorrow. Like Judah, they are in denial, and fully persuaded by an indomitable hopefulness that America will be spared God’s judgment, that somehow our grave evil will be overlooked because of the goodness of our past. But Shiloh was not spared. Judah was not spared.
As the darkness deepens, the false prophets of the NAR prophesy a false hope to the cancer ridden, dying nation of America are trusting “…in lying words, that cannot profit,” (Jeremiah 7:8). Just as Jeremiah spoke boldly to a his own dying nation of believers who did not want to hear such hard truth, even so American Christians do not want to hear that this nation once “under God” is falling under His judgment in their lifetime. The Constitution has already fallen, and everything else is about to fall: the economy, the American dream, the glory of America . . . And judgment starts first at the Lord’s sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6).
Jesus is coming soon. It is time to wake up. It is time to repent. it is time to pray. It is time to be ready.
(Links to various articles/videos will be posted below in an outline form so that you can read/watch and not just take my word for it. The Links are extremely important! There are even more articles not listed below (a plethora), but they are online regarding what I have only begun to touch on here from websites such as https://www.thebereancall.org/; http://letusreason.org/; https://carm.org/; https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/ and many others. May your hearts be open to what the Spirit of God would say to you through this article, and the resources that follow).
Bethel of the Bible
The Bible recounts that a place by the name of Bethel, meaning “house of God”, had been incredibly special and important. It was the place of Abraham’s communion with God (Genesis 12:8), the location of the heavenly staircase upon which Jacob perceived angels ascending and descending (Genesis 28:10, 19), where the Israelites went to seek God’s council in troubled times (Judges 20:18 Judges 20:31; 21:2), where the ark of the Covenant was protected by Phinehas (Judges 20:26-28), and was one of the places where the prophet Samuel judged the people (1 Samuel 7:16). It was a holy place. It was a blessed place.
But Bethel did not remain pure and holy, for it fell head over heals into idolatry when Jeroboam set up a golden calf in its midst (1 Kings 12:28-13:1) and told Israel that it was their god. And thus the prophet Hosea (Hosea 4:15, 5:8, 10:5, 8) calls it Beth-aven, “house of idols.” No longer was it a place where God dwelt and met with His people. Rather, it became a place wherein evil was welcomed with open arms, the exciting and exotic rites of Occultism were practiced openly along with Temple rituals, and where the people sought the aide of any god but God while not at all discerning the difference.
In Acts 16:16-24 a story is recounted of Paul, Silas, Luke and other Christians who were being closely and daily followed around by a young woman who was declaring, “These men are servants of the Most High God which show unto us the way of salvation” (vs 17).
Now, what is wrong with this statement? Sounds inspired, doesn’t it? It appears completely sound in doctrine, doesn’t it? So, why then is Paul troubled and thoroughly fatigued (1278) by her? I mean, wasn’t what she was saying making the people listen to Paul? Wasn’t it drawing them to Jesus?
The Spirit of Python
No. She was possessed by the spirit of puthon. Puthon sometimes called Python, was a serpent that the Greco-Roman god Apollo was said to have slain, but then manifested at a place called Delphi through a young woman for the purpose of prophesying. (https://ehistory.osu.edu/articles/oracle-delphi) And though the instruction was more often than not cryptic and vague, the oracle at Delphi was still considered to be so accurate that commoners and influential people alike from all around would seek to divine their future through her. But puthon was not of God. Puthon was demonic.
In other words, it was not what the young woman said that was wrong. The words she spoke were not wrong. Please, notice that. The average listener would not hear anything amiss. But, the spirit behind the prophetic words was evil, and Paul through discernment, knew this. The spirit wanted to attach itself to the Christian message and become revered by the Christian ministers and all listening, in order to gain the trust of believers and to attain greater prestige. The Gospel was forcefully advancing, and many were coming to Christ, and the spirit of Python wanted to be apart of it in order to draw attention to itself and steal Christ’s glory.
This Present Darkness
It is no different today. For, there is a deep darkness that has descended over the modern day house of God worldwide. The tares are growing up prolifically among the ears of wheat, and great deception is pervading with increasing energy and perseverance. There is a hybridization taking place, a mixing and mingling of Christianity until little of Christ is left except a shell void of the life that once dwelt there. Though many may nod knowingly regarding this apostasy, very few actually regard the specifics and far reaching, tentacled, many headed hydra that has overtaken the Church. A spiritual genetic manipulation has and is in effect taking place, and most are too apathetic or mesmerized or sleepy or dismissive to notice or care.
But, I must ask, is it at any time acceptable for Christians to use tarot cards or Ouija boards? What about practicing necromancy or divination or any other type of Occultism? Is any of that blessed by God at any time or under any other name? How about being filled with “drunken glory” exemplified by staggering and slurred speech? Would you be comfortable with the belief that there are “precious” treasures of New Age mysticism that we as Christians must reclaim and fully utilize? What about the teaching that Jesus was completely emptied of His godhood while here and thus was only a man? What about the teaching that Jesus was the first one to be born again?
Deception
Our God is a holy God, and He commands that we are to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). And this holiness is to pervade every aspect and facet of our daily lives, from what we watch, what we think about, what we listen to, what entertains us, what and who motivates us, and what type of teaching and teacher we heed. Indeed, even as the saying goes “garbage in, garbage out”, so it is with the spiritual food we receive, whether deliberately or inadvertently. That which we take into our spirits, does eventually produce fruit of some kind – good or bad depending on what type of spiritual food we ingest.
We so quickly and easily say that we have the Holy Spirit and that He will not allow us to go astray. And yes, as Christians we do have the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth – if we are abiding in His word (John 16:13). For indeed, we are still sheep, and we can still be “drawn away” by the desires (James 1:14) of our hearts that are deceitful above all else (Jeremiah 17:9). We are still called on by the Savior to be diligent and of a sound mind. Thus, James implores his Christian readers saying, “do not be deceived” (James 1:16). For as Peter states in 2 Peter 2, “1But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.”
Deception has been around since the snake in the garden, but it grew thick and fast after Jesus’ resurrection and the commencement of the Church age. This deception has not been outside of the Church, but inside. That is why Peter, Paul, John, James, and others in Scripture warned believers to beware and be on guard constantly. Even Matthew 24 relates, “3Now as He [Jesus] sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”4And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you…” Again, this is addressed to believers. This is addressed to us.
The Problem of Cognitive Dissonance
Most if not all who read what I’ve just stated above will be nodding their heads quickly in agreement to such a general statement. But, the moment that one gets specific and begins to point out who or what is false and why, people start to stiffen, resist, and disagree. Why? We get uncomfortable as soon as the information hits too close to home, in other words, touches on a ministry or minister that we like. That is the nature of each of our hearts. That is the nature of deception. And that is precisely how Satan preys upon Christians.
Here’s the deal. Do you want the truth? Do you want it even at the expense of losing names and faces that you have looked up to and trusted? Do you want the truth even at the expense of realizing that you were fooled by them and their smooth words? Do you want the truth more than signs and wonders? Do you?
Deception in Plain Sight
Well, there is a specific church, a specific organization, a specific movement, a specific ministry, a specific man that is propagating a now widespread deception in the Church. Yes, they truly do believe that they are “reclaiming” Hindu/New Age teachings as if they at first belonged to Christianity, and are teaching and inspiring other Christians to do so too. This includes the use of Ouija Boards aptly renamed Angel Boards, Tarot Cards aptly renamed Destiny Cards (and now there are Destiny Pants too), Necromancy renamed grave soaking/sucking/mantle grabbing, and Eastern Meditation practices now aptly renamed Contemplative Prayer or Soaking Prayer which leads to Kundalini enlightenment, and people are staggering and stammering about in a so-called “drunken glory”. But of course they do not call it Kundalini (the nine headed serpent power/wisdom of the Hinduism of India, https://icrcanada.org/learn/historicalbasis/kundaliniindia). Rather, they call it the Holy Spirit. And the manifestations of this Kundalini are as follows: “Unholy laughing, uncontrollable laughing, involuntary falling, jerking, roaring, barking, hissing, crying, body contortions, shaking, muscle twitches, spasms, postures or moving one’s body in unusual ways, drunkenness,” (“Lindsey Davis’ Heart Cry for Bethel’s Correction,” pg 29, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jTWy8zJMf4X13maBE2SXRLT2-ACM7MCf/view). And then there is the walk through the “fire tunnel”, wherein Kundalini is imparted and people begin to thrash about like the demon possessed/oppressed because they are, but they believe it to be an encounter with God.
On top of this, the one propagating the above is also a teacher of false doctrine regarding Jesus, for it is taught that Jesus while here was only a man and was completely emptied of His divinity/godhood, and that Jesus was the first one born again. The reasoning presented is that if Jesus had not been merely a man, then we as humans could not hope to do the miracles that he did. But, because Jesus was only a man then we can do what he did. One of those spiritual manifestations is that of prophecy, only one does not need to be 100% accurate. And in this organization’s school of ministry (which is increasingly popular), they will not allow any student to graduate until they have prophesied three times incorrectly.
Does this even sound Christian or doctrinally accurate? What good can come from this?
In spite of these horrors, this organization and its founder are highly venerated among charismatic Christians, and big name Christian leaders visit his church for conferences, worship gatherings and the like. This individual is viewed as a respected leader among Pentecostals and charismatics, and is even included on the Global Council leadership team of Empowered21. Empowered21 states that it “is a global movement which aims to…Promote the empowerment of the Holy Spirit on all believers and the empowerment of the generations to serve God…The vision is for everyone on Earth to have an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit… by Pentecost 2033”. (https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/e21archive/; https://empowered21.com/about/; https://empowered21.com/about/global-leaders/)
First of all there is nothing wrong with this vision. I myself am Pentecostal. There, the cat’s out of the bag on that one! But, at this point it is imperative that you know this. I am not merely charismatic. I am Pentecostal. I believe that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 began then and continues today, and that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit as explained by Paul in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12-14 are still for the edification of the Church today. Thus, the noble goals of Empowered21 are good.
But, the goats have mixed in with the sheep, the tares with the wheat. This man is a counterfeit, and is apart of a much larger, approved of movement that is polluting the Body of Christ with lies garbed in prophetic words, ego building dreams and visions, and decorated with flashy promises of good to come and hit or mostly miss emotionally charged prophetic utterances. The deception of this group is far-reaching and deeply entrenched in the Church, poisoning it from the inside out. For, even if it tastes good, looks good, and smells good, it is still poison.
Exposed
The movement is the New Apostolic Reformation, also referred to as the acroym NAR.
The man’s name is Bill Johnson, and his church’s name is Bethel, also called Bethel Redding or Bethel Church Redding.
Much can be found online regarding Bill Johnson, his links with the NAR, the Toronto Blessing (so-called), Rick Joyner and other NAR apostolic leadership, the Three Rivers/Latter Rain/Dominionism/Manifest Sons of God/Seven Mountains Mandate beliefs, etc., but this article is not for the purpose of summarizing these nor the heresy of this movement. Rather, it is to point out a very overlooked yet overwhelmingly prevalent fact. Jesus stated in Matthew 7:18, “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” There is something that springs from the source of this heretical church and movement, something that grows from its roots, and that is inseparable from this corrupt Bethel tree.
Corrupt Fruit
What is this corrupt fruit of Bethel church in Redding, California? Bethel Music and Jesus Culture.
How can such incredible music and such moving lyrics come from such a polluted, cult-like church? How can they sound so Christian, when they are led by the guru-like teaching of Bill Johnson who propagates a false doctrine and advocates Occult and New Age practices?
Lucifer: Worship Leader
Let’s remember this very important fact: Lucifer was a worship leader in heaven. In Ezekiel 28:13 he is said to have been made with timbrels and pipes, and in Isaiah 14:11 it goes on to say that the sound of his stringed instruments and music were silenced in the day he was taken down to Sheol. Thus, it is said that Lucifer was made up of all three types of musical instruments that we use today (percussion, wind, and strings).
But one day, he polluted his sanctuaries by the iniquity of his “trading”. This “trading” or “merchandizing” that Lucifer did, according to Pastor Zev Porat, a Messianic rabbi whose first language is Hebrew, was actually stealthily and secretly keeping back part of what rightfully belonged to God – namely His worship – while making it look like all of the worship had been given to God. (“Satan’s Days are Numbered – Messianic Rabbi Zev Porat Teaches,” November 5, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNs2adgR4gc).
Really, this is exactly like what Ananias and Sapphira did in Acts 5. They covertly embezzled (nosphizo, 3557), deceptively held something back when they said they given all of it to God. And, does the spirit of this not align with Matthew 4 when it says, “8Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.””
Would Satan, who led in worship in heaven not also be well-versed in what worship ought to sound like, be worded like, even feel like? Wouldn’t he then who is a deceiver also be very excellent at mixing truth with a subtle lie, mingled with powerful music that stirs the soul so that one overlooks the error, lets down their guard, and sings on with the mesmerizing melody? Is Lucifer not adept at appearing as an angel of light? (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Are you shaking your head in disbelief? Are you underestimating the devil, that ancient serpent (Revelation 12:9)?
Now…back to Bethel.
Bethel Music
Bethel church, filled with error and heresy, a church endorsing Occult practices, advocating New Age manifestations, a church apart of the New Apostolic Reformation which calls their leadership super apostles and prophets who also backs false prophets and false teachers including Bill Johnson, and who advocate all unfiltered, untested supernatural signs as being from God, all while calling themselves Christian, has now given birth to a music revolution.
“From 2009 to 2013, Bethel Music rapidly grew from being a relatively small local church music ministry to becoming a fully-fledged record label and publishing company, featuring songwriters and worship leaders based out of Bethel Church in Redding, California” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel_Music). “Bethel Music is an American record label and publishing company associated with Bethel Church, led by Bill Johnson’s son Brian Johnson. Its music was among the most played contemporary worship music in American churches in 2019 and its albums have reached the BillBoard 200 multiple times. Bethel Music has many songs with tens of millions of views on Youtube, and two with over 100 million views as of 2019. The live performances of its songs are characterized by extended duration with much repetition and emotion.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel_Church_(Redding%2C_California) And furthermore, they have mixed and mingled with many well-meaning, godly worship teams worldwide, rubbing shoulders with and sharing platforms and songs, thus presenting themselves as legitimately Christian and legitimately inspired.
Not Just Music
Some may say, it’s just a song. It’s just music. The words sound okay. I feel good when I sing it. It feels like the Holy Spirit to me. It’s not teaching doctrine.
In Acts 17:11 the Berean group of people were praised for being noble minded in their daily research of Scripture to see if what Paul said was true. First of all, think about that. The Apostle Paul was scrutinized. The man of God who was Holy Spirit inspired, had his words investigated by the Bereans to make sure that what he was saying was true. It’s not that they were suspicious of him. They actually really believed and wanted to believe what he said. But, they wanted the whole truth and nothing but the truth more than anything else.
If they did this to trustworthy, Spirit-inspired, Apostle Paul, how much more ought we to do this when it comes to the worship leading and instruction of fallible teachers and worship leaders.
Furthermore, worship songs are not just songs. In Colossians 3:16 we read, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” It is clear from this passage that songs teach the Church. They give instruction. They present doctrine in poetic stanzas, set to stirring music. Songs are not just songs. Music is not just music. They sculpt us, mold us, make us, warn us, reinforce us, and inspire us.
This being the case, it is imperative to know what a song is communicating, who the human author is, and what spirit is behind it.
Python: The spirit behind the music
The spirit behind Bethel church is a false Holy Spirit. The Jesus of Bethel church is a very human Jesus who was not divine while on earth, was the first one born again, and who taught all people how to become christs on earth. Demonic manifestations are attributed to the Holy Spirit, and lying signs and wonders entrance the masses (angel feathers, gold dust, gem stones, fire tunnels, etc.).
The authors of Bethel worship music and Jesus Cultureare attenders of this very same Bethel church, and are disciples of Bill Johnson and followers of the Bethel Jesus, and their music and lyrics flow from this same spirit and influence – even an angel of light.
And so we come back to the spirit of Python and the oracle at Delphi who called out that Paul and his Christian companions were men of God, declaring the way of salvation. She was already considered prophetic. Her utterances were revered. And, her words regarding the apostles were accurate. But, the spirit behind the words was demonic. The spirit of Python was at work seeking to deceive everyone into believing that he and the Holy Spirit were one and the same, that he was on the same team as Christians. Python wanted to blur the lines, to be accepted by Christians and all religions, and thus to steal God’s glory for himself.
But, God does not share His glory (Isaiah 42:8). God does not like mixtures (Exodus 34:12-16; Leviticus 19:19; Numbers 25; Ezra 9:12; Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 7:3-4; 22:9-11; Ezra 10; Nehemiah 10:28-30, 13:23-27). God does not like compromise. God does not like the blurring of very clear lines that have been drawn in the sand. Thus, God is exposing this spirit of deceptive divination yet again, for the spirit of the NAR prophetic movement and Bethel church Redding and Bethel music is nothing more than the spirit of Python drawing attention to itself, the seething of Lucifer stealing worship from God.
Are we being tested?
While the Lord does not tempt us to sin, could He possibly be constructively testing us? As it says in Exodus 13, 1“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ 3you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” In other words, it sounded right, but, the spirit behind it was evil. Discerning is not always cut and dry. And believe it or not, God allowed for this in order to test the quality of the hearts of His people, like fire tests metal not for the sake of destruction but to temper it.
The line drawn in the sand by Moses thousands of years ago at the foot of Mount Horeb is still in the sand before us today, and his words still echo loudly and clearly above the beat of drums and strum of guitars saying, “Who is on the Lord’s side? Let him come to me” (Exodus 32:26).
Good fruit cannot come from a bad tree, and bad fruit cannot come from a good tree. Can we trust anything that comes out of the serpent-inspired rot of Bethel Church in Redding, California or even the NAR movement?
Dealing with Those Steeped in Deception
Now, regarding those more deeply deceived by the entrancing teaching and feel-good prophecies of the NAR and who are lulled by the spell of Bethel, remember the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4, “1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.3For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” And finally, the epistle of Jude says, “17But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ18when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.” 19These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit. 20But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. 22And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.”
There are those who have left Bethel and the NAR. There are those who truly loved Christ and His word more than all else, and eventually they saw through the facade. So, please do not give up on praying for those ensnared right now. The Holy Spirit is still working. More will make their exodus. As Jesus said, ““If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:32)
O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
But then, what do we do with seemingly sincere, evangelistically minded people like Sean Feucht (who attended Bethel and also ministered there in the past as a worship leader) and Mario Murillo (who is in thick with the NAR)? Neither of them are false prophets; the gospel they preach is Biblically sound, and many are coming to Jesus through their outreaches. However, they do respect and work alongside of false prophets and false teachers and questionable worship leaders. And this goes for Pastor Louie Giglio, worship pastor Kristian Stanfill, singer Keri Jobe, Evangelist Perry Stone, worship leader/song writer Darlene Zschech, the Daystar television network and the Lamb family (who have brought great truth to many concerning the vaccine etc) and others who also lend credence to Bethel. These are brothers and sisters in Christ who have obviously been deceived into believing that Bethel and the NAR is genuinely and unquestionably Christian. After all, Bethel and the NAR sing to Jesus; they pray to Jesus; they seem close to God because they have spiritual manifestations; they have visions and dreams and trips to heaven and have eavesdropped on important conversations of God on His throne.
Speaking of Christians who have not yet seen through the “glory cloud” smoke screen of Bethel and the glitz and glamor of dreams of heaven and lying signs and wonders of the NAR, these are still our fellow Christians, and God loves them immensely. Let us remember that just because we can see through the flashy facade, there is something else in our life that we either at one time could not see through but now do, or that we even now are deceived about. How many times have I felt I was immune and years go by, and then one day I see. And when I see, my heart is pierced through with the grievous thought that I had thought I was so right, when in reality, I was so terribly wrong. This does not excuse someone else’s deception. But, it ought to change our attitude and approach of them regarding that deception.
Second Timothy 2:24-25 clearly explains concerning the correction of fellow Christians that “24…a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26and that they may come to their senses andescape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”
O think of God’s great patience in teaching and instructing us! O how gentle He is with each of us, so adept at correcting and disciplining the ones He loves. O how much Jesus loves us! As the voice of Samuel T. Francis’ heartfelt hymn still resounds and reaches the depths of hearts today with the words,
“O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore! How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own; How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hzYKovRsJ8)
Now What?
This being said, what do we practically do regarding these deceived fellow Christians? Do we follow their ministry? Do we include their songs in our worship lineup in church? Do we go to their conferences, attend their churches, or buy their books and CDs?
Just before the book of Revelation is released upon the world, Jesus inspects each of His seven churches. First of all, each of them is Christian. Each of them is a Church. Each of them is beloved of Christ, so much so that He has John pen the letters to them. After all, He disciplines those whom He loves (Hebrews 12). But, of the seven only 2 are pure, and 5 are called to repent. Repent of what? Imperfect works. What does this mean? They all compromised, and were found wanting. And before the full Revelation of Christ, Jesus calls His churches away from their compromise, away from their mixture, and to repentance.
Another example is that of the Christian Dallas Jenkins, the main writer of the show “The Chosen”, who not only works alongside Mormons but also calls them his brothers and sisters. He fellowships with them, hangs out with them, and defends them. (https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2022/03/17/do-not-be-deceived-the-chosen/)
Even so, the Passion Band along with the Passion City Church, Daystar television, Hillsong, and a host of other well-known names have come alongside Bethel, calling them brothesr and sisters in Christ, when in reality Bethel’s leadership follows another Jesus — just like Muslims and Mormons.
Some may rightly assert that God is using these bands and evangelists and pastors for His glory anyway. True. But, let us also remember that God used Judas Iscariot, Balaam and Pharaoh and the devil. Interestingly enough Paul said in Philippians 1, “15Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”
These well-meaning Christians are not who Paul is referring to, nor are they evil. I do not mean to even slightly imply this. Rather, what I do mean is that God so often takes what the enemy means for evil and turns it for good. But that truth does not give any Christian license nor a legitimate excuse to be deceived.
These brothers like Mario Murillo and Sean Feucht appear to be in fellowship with those who serve another Jesus — a New Age, feel good, “drunken glory,” “grave sucking”, mere man who needed to be born again, spouting false prophecies and boasting about trips to heaven and visions and dreams kind of Jesus. It doesn’t look good and is at present being spoken of as evil (Romans 14).
Is this any different than Jenkins’ inability to discern the false Jesus of the Mormons? Is this any different than Warren’s inability to discern the false Jesus of the Muslims?
Second Corinthians 6 says it best, “14Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
17Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.””
Indeed, are we not to “21Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil,” (1 Thessalonians 5)? Need anything more be said?
Romans 14
I had been a worship team leader at my church until one day I let asked politely if we could sing a different song because I could not in good conscience lead the congregation in that certain song. I handed each member of worship team a copy of the information I had found out about Bethel, and explained that singing certain songs made me literally physically nauseated. Though they did switch the song for that Sunday, I was never again invited to lead worship. That was over a year ago now.
Did I leave that church? I surely could have. I was terribly offended, wounded to the core. I loved leading in worship. It was a calling. And I felt lost without it. Even though I thought I’d forgiven everyone on worship team, the Holy Spirit showed me later that I was holding resentment in my heart toward them. Oh how freeing it was to finally let go for real! And oh how wonderful to rejoice in how God is opening doors for those on worship team to lead in other ways, for I know He is using them and growing them and loving others through them.
Following this surrender and full forgiveness, my heart was still horribly grieved whenever they led in a song that was Bethel or akin to it, and would stop singing, sit down, and/or use the bathroom at that time in the service. Or I would just not come into the service until after the singing was over. Deep inside, the grief grew to the place that I was genuinely concerned that the congregation and others like them were sinning unknowingly by singing the songs. I wept. Day after day. Night after night. And I wondered if I ought to leave the church. I did not know what to do.
It was then that God lead me to Romans 12 and 14.
Romans 12 says, “10Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…”
First of all, God wanted me to keep on loving them as family and to treasure them by putting them above me, and to lead by doing this. and to do this fervently and diligently with great patience and steadfast, intense prayer.
Furthermore, God showed me Romans 14 which shook my world. Please read it in total, even into chapter 15 as soon as you can. I pray it rocks your world and moves your heart as it did mine. In short, congregations who are singing doctrinally soun songs written by a mixture of Bethel leaders and Christian, and those other songs by Christian authors who are in league in one way or another with Bethel — and I repeat, these are songs that are doctrinally sound– are not sinning.
Romans 14 states, “5One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; [a]and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”
I when I sit and abstain from singing along am doing it for the Lord, and those who sing along whether knowingly or unknowingly, are singing unto the Lord. We are all the Lords and are worshiping Him. He is our Master, and we are His servants. What we do is between Him and each of us. Thus we are not to stand in judgment over those who sing, nor are any to ridicule or attempt to persuade those who do not (Romans 14:1).
This Biblical truth regarding my congregation gave me great peace and incredible comfort. I pray that perhaps my testimony in this regard might comfort you too.
A Word to Those Who Can Sing Bethel Songs etc.
There is more to this story and the revelation of Romans 14. It is a message to those who are able to sing these songs and go to these concerts even. It is found in verse 15-16, “15Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil…”
If your brother is grieved. Not just judgmental. Not just nitpicking. Grieved. Grieved in the Greek means that the person is “cut to the heart,” even in a state of mourning. This is exactly where I have been . This is exactly where some others in the body of Christ are. And God is telling those who are free to eat or drink or sing or whatever, that they are not walking in love if they continue to do so when their brother is weeping over what they are doing. No in America there is a mentality that if you don’t like something then just move one, and that attitude is in the Church too. No one wants to stop doing something that pleases them on behalf of someone else. It’s easier to just tell them to go somewhere else or try to persuade them that they are wrong or ignorant or to just avoid them all together.
But this is not what God instructs in Romans 14. God tells the “strong” to lay aside their right for the sake of the one who is grieved. “19Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.” If your brother is hurting in their heart over your liberty or is being lead away to sin against their conscience because of your boldness or is being made sick physically by your actions, you are to stop it immediately. You don’t have to change in your opinion about something nor do you have to admit that you are wrong, for this is not about being right or wrong. This is about conscience. This is about LOVE, true love that puts others first above your pleasure, rights, and liberties. It is the kind of Love that would rather have a brother in Christ remain in church over the singing of a certain song or the eating of pork or the drinking of alcohol the watching of a certain movie or whatever other matter of conscience comes up. A brother or sister in Christ is ALWAYS MORE IMPORTANT than anything else!!!
“1We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”…5Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
All of us are weak in something. All of us are strong in something. Let us therefore LOVE each other and put each other first. I do not fully understand these matters of conscience, but I do know that Jesus has said that if we love Him then we will keep His commandments and that His commandment is that we love one (John 14:15, 21; John 15:12). And Jesus also said, “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for His friends” (John 15:13). Perhaps Romans 14 is expressing exactly how we are to lay down our life– not physically but in selfless devotion and genuine affection even when we disagree on matters of conscience.
Please note this has nothing to do with matters of morality and immorality and doctrinal purity. In such matters we are not to tolerate and agree to disagree, but rather are to correct and instruct with the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:15-17).
Glorify God Together
7Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God
Grievous
I am grieved beyond words over all of this. I do not revel in revealing any of this. My heart is broken. I hate deception and the unholiness and division that it causes. I am sickened that is tainting large numbers of churches and Christians. I especially am deeply troubled over those who are not troubled over this information, but instead defiantly reject the truth. It seems that the knowledge of good and evil is a terribly weighty burden.
Knowing the Genuine
Furthermore, I am not approaching this from the vantage point of someone who is against the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. I grew up a Pentecostal and have experienced the Biblical manifestations from a young age. It is precisely this knowledge and experience of the genuine that has enabled me to recognize the counterfeit. For not everything supernatural is of God.
Conclusion
In conclusion, let us remember the alarming words of Jesus that “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:22-23). Please note the word, “many”. These “many” are people who considered themselves Christians. These are people who thought they were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. And, they were “many”. This word in the Greek polys (4183) means that this is a multitude. This is not a handful of well-meaning people. Rather, this is an exorbitant amount, a very and extremely large number, for the word “emphasizes the quantity involved” (https://biblehub.com/greek/4183.htm).
Please, please understand how important it is to be discerning. After all, if countless numbers who performed and are performing wonders and speaking countless prophetic utterances can be so deceived, couldn’t any of us be too?
This message is beyond humbling, and is a piercing warning to those who will heed it.
It is time, body of Christ, to be grieved like Paul and to discern that the angel of light is at work right now. It is time to quit abiding unholiness of any kind in God’s house. It is time to quit legitimizing it by accepting it as a new normal, even as Christian when it is not. It is time to quit pampering Python and his need to usurp what is God’s. It is time to stop singing along to the mesmerizing pied piper of our day. It is time to be wearied to the point of complete fatigue by it all, and to turn and rebuke it. In a day of hybrids, syncretism, ecumenism, and prolific deception, it is time to rally on the Lord’s side of pure spiritual genetics, to be like zealous Nehemiah as we keep our house of God, even our Bethel, holy and undefiled.
Jesus is coming soon! It is time to be ready!
Ever vigilant,
Holy Light Ministries
Nehemiah 13:14, “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!”
Outline, Notes and Quotes from Many Sources
If you view no other source below, at least view this video. “Kundalini Warning: Full Documentary – All Parts – Shocking – Andrew Strom,”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXolizIy6_g
Bill Johnson and Bethel Church (in General)
Bill Johnson is a 5th generation pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Bethel Church was established in 1952, and became affiliated with the Assemblies of God in 1954. Bill Johnson’s father Earl Johnson had been the pastor just prior to Bill.
In 1995 just before Bill became a part of the pastoral staff of Bethel Church, he attended the Toronto Blessing which was one year into its “holy laughter” movement started by the visit of Randy Clark (who was influenced by Rodney Howard-Browne). In 1996 Bill Johnson became head pastor of Bethel church in Redding, California, and though church leadership unanimously agreed with Bill Johnson’s vision for Bethel, upwards to 2000 members did not and left.
Soon thereafter, they began the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry under the leadership of Chris Vallatton. And though Johnson has tried to distance himself from the NAR, even openly denying being apart of any such thing, rosters of NAR guest speakers at Bethel, pictures of NAR apostles with Johnson gathered for special NAR ceremonies, quotes, publications, and other evidence speak louder than his words. He is very much apart of the New Apostolic Reformation, and in complete agreement with their beliefs of Dominionism, Seven Mountains Mandate, Manifest Sons of God, and so forth based on his own spoken and written words.
Quote: “The predictions alleged to come straight from God’s own mouth say that the three conglomerates, Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church in Redding, California, Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP) empire, and the Toronto church are three rivers that must flow into one.”
– This is an excellent video that every Christian should watch. It documents and exposes the New Apostolic Reformation, its leadership, and the Kundalini serpent spirit that works among them in the name of the Holy Spirit.
Quote: “…NAR, the New Apostolic Reformation. … It is like Grape Nuts – it’s not grapes and it’s not nuts. It’s like Christian Science – it’s not Christian and it’s not scientific. Well, the New Apostolic Reformation isn’t new, it isn’t apostolic, and it isn’t a reformation. But it is a rapidly expanding movement being generated by some of the same old troubling false teachers and false leaders that have been around in Charismania for decades, always dishonoring the Holy Spirit, always dishonoring the Scripture, always claiming miracle signs, wonders, visions, dreams. ~ John MacArthur
Quote: “This term was first used by C. Peter Wagner. According to him, the roles of apostles and prophets, which had been lost after the first century, were restored in 2001.”
Among their core beliefs are of the seven mountains mandate, extra biblical revelations that do not have to align with the word of God, and that of Dominionism to name a few.
Quote: ““Dominionism“: when Jesus came to earth, he brought down the kingdom of heaven with Him and is waiting for Christians to take control (again) over the world, snatching it from Satan’s hands. They have to bring peace and prosperity to the world; only then will Jesus come to be crowned”
Quote: “The NAR is an evangelical movement that seeks to take over “seven mountains of culture”, including business, government, and media, to prompt the return of Jesus. [13]”
Quote: “Many well-known pastors and theologians have come out against Bethel Church’s teachings and practices, one of whom is Pastor Gabriel Hughes of First Southern Baptist Church in Kansas, in which he stated in a 2017 blog post, “Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church, preaches a different gospel. This is a very serious charge, and I’m very serious when I make it.””
– When here Jesus was only fully human, and was completely emptied of His godhood. If Jesus hadn’t been only a man, then we could not ever hope to perform miracles like He did.
Quote: “In his book, When Heaven Invades Earth, Johnson explains,
“He [Jesus] performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God, not as God. If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us. But if he did them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle.””
**The booklet Addresses Kenosis, Jesus emptying Himself.
Quote: “Johnson believes in a teaching called kenosis, an unorthodox heretical belief that the Incarnate Christ laid aside His divine attributes and walked the earth as a completely limited, human man.13 According to Johnson, Christ “performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God . . . not as God. If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unobtainable for us. But if He did them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle. Recapturing this simple truth changes everything.” (Bill Johnson, When Heaven Invades Earth: A Practical Guide to a Life of Miracles, op. cit., Kindle location: 259)
– Gold dust that has been found to be plastic, angel feathers, the appearance of gem stones that are in actuality fake, “Fire Tunnels”
– Kundalini spirit which is the same as that in India via Hindu enlightenment which is accompanied by strange shaking, jerking, and violent head movements, but is said to be the Holy Spirit.
Quote: “Services may have congregants laughing uncontrollably, lying on the floor,[7] shaking, staggering, screaming,[5] and dancing, which they teach are signs of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Leaders claim to have witnessed angels appearing and “balls of electricity” that throw people into the air.[5] One of the most well-known phenomena is a cloud of what is claimed to be gold dust or gold glitter that has been seen falling from the roof of the auditorium.[5] The church has uploaded videos to its YouTube channel, calling it a “glory cloud”.[8]”
Quote: ““In response to a question about how he cultivates gifts such as prophecy, Johnson replied, “When I taught my boys to ride their bikes I took them to the park where there was a lot of grass so that when they fell, they fell safely. You have to create a context for people to learn the gifts, to operate in the gifts of the spirit. You have to give them permission to not get it right. In fact at our school we actually require our students to fail three times their first year. At least three times or they can’t graduate.” – Bill Johnson
Quote: “In addition to Johnson’s own contribution to the book (one full chapter), his personal assistant, Judy Franklin, is a co-author; and the foreword of The Physics of Heaven is written by Kris Vallotton, Senior Associate leader at Bethel. Vallotton lauds the contributors as “seers.”5 Banning Liebscher, Director of Bethel’s Jesus Culture, adds his praise.6 Bill Johnson’s wife, Beni Johnson, also has a chapter in the book. With all that, The Physics of Heaven undeniably has the approval of Bethel’s leaders.”
Quote: “Ellyn Davis, one of the authors of The Physics of Heaven, says this:
“[The contributors of the book] all agree that the next move of God will cause a shift at the deepest level of who we are—perhaps the very “vibrational level” that the New Age movement has been exploring. They also all agree that there are precious truths hidden in the New Age that belong to us as Christians and need to be extracted from the worthless.”” (The Physics of Heaven, Kindle location, 447)
Quote: “Contributor Jonathan Welton adds:
“I have found throughout Scripture at least 75 examples of things that the New Age has counterfeited, such as having a spirit guide, trances, meditation, auras, power objects, clairvoyance, clairaudience, and more. These actually belong to the church, but they have been stolen and cleverly repackaged.” (The Physics of Heaven, Kindle location, 808)
* New Age/Hindu Meditation/Contemplative/Soaking Prayer
Quote: Speaking of a “Bethel produced book” entitled The Physics of Heaven, “One Bethel leader (Kris Vallotton) says it is “a foretaste of things to come”.[10] The book also states, “It wasn’t that I wanted to become a New Ager. I just wanted to find out if maybe they had discovered some truths the churches hadn’t.”[11]
Quote: “Contemplative adherents, such as Richard Foster, have convinced Christians that Eastern and New Age meditation are actually counterfeits of the real deal (i.e., contemplative prayer). Contemplative prayer is presented as an ancient Christian tradition.
Yet, contemplative prayer is not prayer at all. It is essentially Eastern/New Age meditation thinly coated with Christian terminology. The goal in contemplative prayer is to stop the thinking process and to enter what is known as the silence. This is accomplished by repeating a word or phrase over and over (or focusing on the breath) until the word loses its meaning and the mind becomes void.
In this void—this silence—many wonderful deceptions can occur: spirit guides, ascendant masters, oneness, bliss, false “christs.” The deception that occurs through contemplative prayer destroys doctrinal soundness and ultimately even faith.”
Quote: “To those who are still skeptical, I suggest examining the writings of Philip St. Romain, who wrote a book about his journey into contemplative prayer called Kundalini Energy and Christian Spirituality. This title is revealing because kundalini is a Hindu term for the mystical power or force that underlies Hindu spirituality. In Hinduism it is commonly referred to as the serpent power.”
Quote: “…“hypnosis” does not refer only to putting someone into a trance to entertain an audience (a very dangerous practice); it has many forms and techniques (some of which you may recognize). These include deep hypnosis, Eastern meditation, relaxation techniques, induced suggestions, monotonous stimulation, stimulation of the imagination, imagery suggestions, guided imagery, activation of unconscious motives, visualization, regressive therapy, altered states of consciousness, trance phenomena, induced hallucinations, hypnotherapy, autosuggestion, medical hypnosis, shamanic hypnosis, et al. Although the list is quite diverse, the activity is basically the same: the individual becomes receptive to the suggestions of a person or an entity other than himself.
The Bible has its own list of activities related to the practice of hypnosis: sorcery, wizardry, enchantments, “charming,” necromancy, astrology, consulting with familiar spirits, and practicing magic arts. None of these, as we all should be aware, are okay with God. In fact, they are condemned, and all involve deception…
Sozo is one of the latest inner healing practices to enter the church, particularly among those who are into signs and wonders, healing and prosperity, word-faith, and the Latter Rain/New Apostolic Reformation movements. The Sozo website declares that “Sozo is a unique inner healing and deliverance ministry aimed to get to the root of things hindering your personal connection with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With a healed connection, you can walk in the destiny to which you have been called.” Sozo was developed and is led by two women, Dawna DeSilva and Teresa Liebscher. Another leader, teacher, and mentor in Sozo is Randy Clark, who instigated the bizarre manifestations allegedly of the Holy Spirit at the Toronto Airport Vineyard.”
Later Rain/Dominionism/Manifest Sons of God/Seven Mountains Mandate
Below are a number of articles that explain what this belief is. To summarize, however, this has gone by many different names (Manifest Sons of God, Seven Mountains Mandate, Latter Rain, Joel’s Army, New Breed, Dominionism, etc), but all of them refer to the same thing. In short, they teach that last days Christians are not only reincarnations of Christ but are becoming Christ. They are therefore not awaiting the Second Coming of Christ but the “becoming of Christ.” As those who are becoming christs they must take back each of the seven mountains of society until they take over the world with the greatest revival the world has ever seen. Those who are little christs/little gods will take on immortality and will be an invincible Joel’s army of supermen that will conquer the world for Christ, and Christ will then be released to come down from heaven.Doesn’t this sound familiar — maybe “lo here is Christ, lo there” from Matthew 24?
Quote: “The Seven Mountain Mandate(7MM) was invented by NAR Apostles Bill Bright and Lorren Cunningham. NAR Apostles Lance Wallnau and Johnny Enlow are responsible for repackaging the 7MM and continually pushing this dangerous cult teaching on churches around the world.”
Quote:“That teaching can be traced back several centuries, but its recent explosion dates from the Latter Rain, or Manifest Sons of God, movement that began in 1948 in Canada in apparent revival. It was declared to be heresy by the Assemblies of God in 1950. Its relationship to the Word/Faith, positive-confession, prosperity and healing movements (Hagin, Copeland, Capps, Price, et al.) is clearly established. Obviously, if we can get whatever we confess, then we ought to confess healing and immortality and peace and prosperity and salvation for the world. This is, in fact, where the name “Manifest Sons” comes from: the last-days overcomers must manifest total victory over all foes, including death, while in these bodies and without a resurrection…
Many groups are beginning to work together who disagree on some points but join with Gaia (Mother Earth)-worshiping New Agers in their desire to clean up our terra firma and establish the Kingdom. We can expect such cooperative efforts to grow, even involving Christian leaders who are not aware of what they are actually promoting. The Coalition on Revival (COR), for example, included such influential evangelicals as Joseph Aldrich, Pat Robertson, Bill Bright, Jerry Falwell, Armin Gesswein, Josh McDowell and J. I. Packer, who were probably clueless regarding the actual intention of the leaders of COR.”
Quote: “This belief is not held by one particular group but many individuals are influenced by the teaching. It has many names, such as, The Latter Rain Movement, Identity, Joel’s Army, Restoration and Reconstruction. The Manifest Sons of God doctrine has been around in some Pentecostal circles for many years, but it was the ‘Latter Rain Movement’ of 1948 that gave them a wider audience. This movement was thought of as the last great spiritual outpouring that would see the return of Christ. It would result in the Church being perfected and submitting to the restored ministry of apostles and prophets. These ministries would be in charge of restoring truths that were lost to the Church. Scriptures refer to the rains in Israel as the ‘former rain,’ essential for planting and the ‘latter rain,’ needed for the harvest. Manifest Sons see the former rain as Pentecost and the latter rain as a greater outpouring of the Spirit in these last days. There is evidence that much teaching on spiritual warfare today, is largely an extension of this doctrine…
“Jesus is considered the ‘Pattern Son.’ He was the first one to make it as a divine, immortal, sinless Manifest Son of God and this accomplishment will be duplicated by each individual who, following Jesus, become Manifest Sons of God. This Christ Company, now individually Manifest as Sons of God, will execute judgement at the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord…
“Rick Joyner is another teacher for this movement. He believes that the elite ‘overcomers’ will conquer the world. This will lead to the greatest revival of history, where the majority of the world will be won to Christ and the kingdom made ready to be received by Christ.””
“Every man who has been born again is an incarnation and Christianity is a miracle. The believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth.” – Kenneth Hagin, The Incarnation, December 1980, p.13
“Who are you? Come on, who are you? Come on, say it: ‘Sons of God!’ Come on, say it! And what does work inside us, brother, is that manifestation of the expression of all that God is and all that God has. And when we stand up here, brother, you’re not looking at Morris Cerullo; you’re looking at God. You’re looking at Jesus.” – Morris Cerullo, The Endtime Manifestation of the Sons of God, World Evangelism – Tape 1.
Quote: “Sadly today so called “prophets” are spiritualizing this army and interpreting it to be a supernatural breed of people being birthed without the literal presence of Jesus Christ. Scriptures have been taken out of context to imply a super end-time church made up of a “New Breed” of people who will move in the supernatural realm…
The “waves” that break from time to time are referred to as new waves bringing forth new truths hitherto hidden. One of the strongest waves to bit in this century was the “Latter Rain” referred to as ‘”The New Order of the Latter Rain.” Out of this Movement in the late 40’s came the teaching: “Manifest Sons of God”. Other terms that were prevalent are: “Joel’s Army”, “New Breed”, “Elijah Company”, “Manchild” and “Overcomers” etc. Modem day prophets are always quick to deny that they teach Manifest Sons of God teaching, but yet continue to do so. We see from the 1920’s onward, similar thinking emerging from divergent sources…
In 1948, the Assemblies of God were particularly hit by the wave that came out of Canada. The new manifestations coming out of the tide were claimed to be of God. The Assemblies at that time took a strong Stand and officially rejected the new teachings… However today we are seeing a new development – instead of the Assemblies of God rejecting this teaching in its new garb, they are courting it and have been infiltrated to such an extent they have become part of it.
The MANIFESTED SONS believe they are establishing a new and glorious Kingdom – led by a NEW BREED of men of women. The” Joel’s Army” now individually manifest as Sons of God, would be revealed to the world as many “saviours” who would take dominion and execute judgment.”
Quote: “The 7-M movement places upon Christians a mandate to dominate world systems to usher in Jesus’ return. Spiritually, these ideas are closely associated with New Age thoughts that call for a spiritual shift in which humans become co-redeemers of earth.”
Quote: “7 Mountain Mandate simply says, that in order for the church to control the global society, it must take control over every aspect of that particular society and its culture, being 7 cultural mountains. They are; Family, Government, Business, Media, Arts and Entertainment, Education and the church itself. Those who control these cultural gates exercise the greatest influence over the culture and ultimately that society. This is, in a nutshell, the doctrine of Dr. Lance Wallnau and why many are beginning, and have already, been embracing like a strange, intoxicating drink, they (the church) are becoming drunk on this notion that says we shall eradicate evil and overthrow Satan’s kingdom of dominance…
This teaching (7 mountain mandate) is a false teaching simply because it goes against scripture. Jesus gave us (the end time church) a clear picture of the end times just before he returns, and that picture is not one of hope, or victory, but instead, one of which would shake any believer in terrible fear, for he (Jesus) paints a very sobering portrait of what we will see, those who are alive during this particular time, of what the world will look like, as well as resemble, and it is found in Matthew chapter 24, as well as Luke 21:8-28. For your sake I encourage the reader to search those scriptures up and read them repeatedly.”
Quote: “Here is the underlying goal within the Latter Rain message of Bill Hamon.
“The whole creation is waiting for the last generation Church. The earth and all of creation are waiting for the manifestation of God’s last-day apostles and prophets and fully restored Church. “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19 NKJV). When the Church is fully restored, then the saints will receive their final redemption, the immortalization of their mortal bodies. When this happens, then the natural creation of plants and animals will be delivered from their bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Apostles, Prophets and the Coming Moves of God: God’s End-Time Plans for His Church and Planet Earth. Destiny Image Publishers (July 1, 1997). p. 235…
Hamon promotes one of the more distorted doctrines that came from the Latter Rain movement, the manifested sons of God doctrine. Their interpretation of this verse is unique in church history. There is no rapture but people will be changed into eternal beings right here on earth to do miraculous works like Jesus to overcome the devil and the world system BEFORE the Lord returns.
Hamon claims in The Eternal Church, ‘Jesus is waiting on the church. All that the fall of man and sin has taken away from humanity, Jesus through His church shall restore.”
Again this can only take place “When the Church realizes its full sonship, its bodily redemption will cause a redemptive chain reaction throughout all of creation.” (Bill Hamon p. 385 The Eternal Church)…
Hamon: “When the church has put under it’s feet all enemies of Christ …then Christ can be released from Heaven to return as the manifested head of His physically resurrected and translated church.” (Prophets and Personal Prophecy, Bill Hamon).”
Quote: “In the 50’s Paul Cain travelled with and ministered alongside William Branham, whom he called “the greatest prophet that ever lived.” Though he disagrees with Branham’s views on the doctrine of theTrinity (which the latter said was inspired by the devil), Cain very much promotes Branham’s Manifest Sons of God teachings. Cain coined the term “New Breed” to refer to that doctrine. Paul Cain was instrumental in founding Kansas City Fellowship (as it was known at the time) – a church based on the teachings of Latter Rain theology. Cain headed the controversial Kansas City Prophets.”
Quote: “ ‘The Manifest Sons of God'(MSOG) movement has many names such as, The Latter Rain Movement, Identity, Joel’s Army, Restoration and Reconstruction. MSOG doctrine has been around in some Pentecostal circles for many years, but it was the ‘Latter Rain Movement’ of 1948 that gave it a wider audience. This movement was thought by its adherents as the last great spiritual outpouring that would see the return of Christ. It would result in the Church being perfected and submitting to the restored ministry of apostles and prophets. These ministries would supposedly be in charge of restoring truths that were lost to the Church. But when we examine the fruit of this movement and see how it’s doctrine compares to the Word of God, it falls woefully short…
‘The Great Tribulation itself is going to be cut short because of the Sons of God…so the Sons of God, through the exercise of their royal priesthood, shall actually shorten the Great Tribulation… As priests, they will be able to present the needs of the people to God, and intercede for them; and as kings they will have the authority of God to dispense life and blessing to such as are in tribulation and distress.’ – George Warnock: The Feast of the Tabernacles, p.79…
‘Who are you?…Come on, say it: ‘Sons of God!’ Come on, say it!…And when we stand up here, brother, you’re not looking at Morris Cerullo; you’re looking at God. You’re looking at Jesus.’ – Morris Cerullo, The Endtime Manifestation of the Sons of God, World Evangelism – Tape 1…
‘Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority…Kenneth Copeland, Zoe: The God-Kind of Life, 1989, pp.35-36”
Quote: “Brian Mark Johnson (born March 17, 1978) is an American contemporary worship musician and worship pastor. He is the president and co-founder of Bethel Music,[2] as well as a member of its Artist Collective and is one-half of the husband- and-wife worship duo, Brian & Jenn Johnson.[3][4] He is also a senior worship pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California, and a Senior Overseer of WorshipU,[4] an online school of worship under Bethel Music which he co-founded with Jenn Johnson. [5]… As a founding member of Bethel Music, Johnson has been featured on most Bethel Music releases… ”
Quote: “Jennifer Louise Rock Johnson is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter and worship pastor. She is a co-founding member of Bethel Music, and is one-half of the husband-and-wife worship duo, Brian & Jenn Johnson.[1][2] She is also a senior worship pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California, and a Senior Overseer of WorshipU,[3] an online school of worship under Bethel Music which she co-founded with Brian Johnson.[4]”
Quote: “She produced her first solo album, Here Is My Song, which was released in February 2008 through the Jesus Culture record label.[1][2] Walker-Smith is best known as the worship leader for the Jesus Culture Band and Jesus Culture events, and a worship pastor for Bethel Church in Redding.[3]”
– Just confirms that she is a worship leader at Bethel church, and therefore exposes the fact that she is under the leadership and teaching of Bill Johnson.
Quote: “Kim Walker-Smith a worship pastor for Bethel Church in Redding and worship leader for the Jesus Culture Band has a vision that would more akin to a hallucinogenic trip, it certainly was not God from the Bible no matter how passionate she is in conveying it… To believe Jesus is begging her to ask him this certain question and brings her to heaven where she sees God the Father (which the bible says no man can see). God rips a piece out of himself and forms it into her right on the spot and then gets entertained but putting her in a music box and continues to open it to see her dancing. Saying “Woohoo! And He starts running around in circles.” And she is transferred into the Fathers hand, where he then he puts her into the missing portion of his heart where he says I created you from and commends her.
Really? I mean Really?! This is her view of God by going to Bethel church. Contrary to this, holy men who went to heaven fell down as dead (John) and could not convey what they saw for it was illegal (Paul). John later was allowed so we would have it written to know what is genuine.”
Quote: “In 2010, Cook became a worship leader at Bethel Church in Redding, California, joining the Bethel music collective, Bethel Music.[15] She has appeared on many Bethel Music albums since then.”
Note: Her words are more New Age than Christian. What she says is disturbing at best. Is this how a worship leader should talk? Is this what King David and psalmist in the Bible would say? Quotes from her interview with the Christian Post are in the article linked above. A link to the full interview is found in this article by Holly Pivec.
Quote: “… Amanda Lindsey Cook also teaches at Bethel Church in Redding, California, home to Bethel Music. Given her unclear and curious responses during the interview, one may wonder how she ever was approved to teach at any church, let alone one as large and influential as Bethel Church.”
Quotes of Amanda Lindsey Cook from her interview:
“Every day I increasingly felt like gravity and the great beyond, called God, was working in my favor.”
“”I love the names that this essence and this divine presence gives itself. In the Old Testament, where God describes themselves as ‘I am,’ also the name Yahweh, ‘the intake and the exhale of breath.'”
“”It’s this common acknowledgment, this communal aspect of living, where we’re all connected, we’re all part of the common thread … to be connected at the source to this divine presence, this Christ consciousness…”
Quote: “In 1999 the youth group pastored by Banning Liebscher at Bethel Church
launched the first Jesus Culture Conference. This gave birth to Jesus Culture and paved the way for what it is today–a global movement awakening hearts to worship and serve God. Through events, worship, resources, and a local church, Jesus Culture has a mandate to mobilize a generation of revivalists and reformers who will shape culture and transform nations.”
Quote: “When you hear the word “gospel” mentioned at Bethel Church, know that it is a different gospel they’re talking about. This filters into all of their ministries. The “Jesus” in the name “Jesus Culture” is not the Jesus of the Bible. When you listen to their worship songs, you might hear all the right Christian words, but you are not praising God with them because they are writing and singing about a different Jesus.”
Quote: “Jesus Culture started as a youth group at Bill Johnson’s church Bethel in Redding California… It must be made clear that Bethel Church and Jesus Culture cannot be separated for their roots are in Bill Johnson…”
Quote: “Now over the last many years it is Bethel under Bill Johnson spearheading a mystical Christianity. He is a man who has less than 0% discernment (in fact they change the meaning of discernment to be “changing the atmosphere.” Bethel has become the sweet spot for every trend tried and some new ones. It is the new Hybrid model for the church, combining new age practices (which they say were once Christian and they are now redeeming them) one of them is yoga. These revivalists are fooling the whole Christian world with their synergism of new age with Christianity using occasional Bible words. It’s time we stand up for the word of God who is Jesus. Its time for the church to be what it was intended to be and not be changed by new age change agents touting their Gnosticism and Mysticism. This is no longer a subtle change but bold and audacious one, and it has gone on far too long through the various false revivals. Only to find a more permanent home at Bethel among the naïve ungrounded youth that are inclined to feel more than to think biblically.”
The NAR Bible Translation of Choice: The Passion Bible
Quote: “Apostle Brian Simmons, of Stairway Ministries, is the lone translator of this “groundbreaking” project…
Simmons’ translation is endorsed by influential NAR leaders…
Simmons claims he undertook this work because he saw a need for a more emotionally passionate translation of the Bible…
Simmons has taken verses of Scripture that have nothing to do with NAR teachings or practices and reworded them so they appear to support those very teachings and practices, such as “prophetic singing,” the “transference of an anointing,” and the issuing of “apostolic decrees.” In other words, despite his claim to unveil the truth of the Bible “unfiltered by religious jargon,” he’s actually exploiting his audience’s ignorance of sound textual criticism to smuggle in a heterodox theology along with a good measure of NAR jargon.”
Quote: “NAR Bible: Like most cults, the NAR have extra-biblical revelations that add, surpass or mangle the bible. Brian Simmons’ ‘The Passion Translation’ (TPT) is the ‘bible’ that NAR leaders preach and teach from. In fact, if you are unsure if your church is part of the NAR or is being influenced by the NAR, if your leaders are using the TPT, that should be a warning sign.”
The “becoming of Christ” teaching in conjunction with the Later Rain and Manifest Sons of God teaching of Branham, and Christ’s second coming on the clouds is actually about people becoming Christ.
Quote: The “Reincarnation of Christ” teaching that Christians are “the word made flesh again. We ARE the reincarnation of Jesus Christ…” And this again is in agreement with the teachings of William Branham who said, “I believe that’s Jesus Christ reincarnated in flesh in the human church here on earth a doing signs and wonders. ” (53-1205, The Resurrection, American Legion Hall, West Palm Beach)
“”Forged many years ago while translating the Scriptures among South American tribes, and hammered out on the anvil of decades of personal devotion and apostolic experience, my dear friend Brian Simmons brings to the earth a powerful and refreshing translation of the Scriptures that is fueling and inflaming the hearts of tens of thousands world wide. Like the Living Bible that sprung forth in the days of the Jesus Movement, this translation bursts forth from the womb of this present revival. Read it and get caught up in a God-swirl of spiritual understanding and revelation.”
Patricia King
“The Passion Translation skillfully penned by Dr. Brian Simmons contains deep treasures that can only be discovered through intense scholarly research saturated in Divine Revelation. Dr. Brian Simmons fulfilled both of these criteria so he could present to you this glorious gift. Keys to knowing the heart of God and His deep love for His people will fill you as you read and meditate on the scriptures. I personally cannot get enough of this translation! It is beyond beautiful!”
Heidi Baker
“During my over four decades of ministry around the world, I have read and preached from various Bible translations in different languages. They are all powerful and anointed, and each has its particular strengths. The Passion Translation is one that speaks with particular poetic imagination in a style that is deeply moving and easily accessible. I have found it truly refreshing in personal devotion. It has been a steadfast help and comfort in the midst of many storms”
Banning Liebscher (founder of Jesus Culture)
“In a world that is constantly shaking, The Passion Translation is making Scripture accessible to a generation whose lives long to be established on the truth of God’s Word. Young and old are experiencing the inevitable freedom that comes when you encounter the power found in God’s Word, and are being ignited with a passion for Jesus that will not be extinguished. My own personal devotion and study has been deeply impacted by The Passion Translation and I am grateful for what this work is adding to the body of Christ.”
Che Ahn
“I believe The Passion Translation will be the Bible of choice for the next Jesus people movement.”
Chuck Pierce
“I have devoured The Passion Translation! There is a fragrance of God’s Spirit that emanates from the powerful expressions that Brian Simmons has brought forth in this translation. Not only have I used The Passion Translation for teaching, but I have picked up certain books of the Bible and read them like a living novel. I love this translation!”
Deception is rampant. Have you noticed? If you haven’t, then it is time to step back, take a moment, take a deep breath, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the discernment you need. The days are growing increasingly more dark and evil, and deception’s web is thicker and stronger now than ever before. The Bible warns us of this in 2 Timothy 3:13 where it says, “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” This means that maliciously wicked and miserable (4190) people and sorcerers who pretend to use the supernatural to attain money, prestige and power (1114) will in the future cut a path, advance, progress forward (4298) with more severity, leading astray (4105) and being led astray (4105).
Thus, in Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus “what is the sign of the end of the age?” Now you think He might respond with something like “earthquakes” or “war”, but Jesus did not respond with signs such as social injustice, political unrest or world hunger. Jesus’ response may have actually shocked His disciples, and the wording in the Greek definitely reflects the fact that He did intend to shake them up. Jesus’ immediate response was, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matthew 24:4). And just as a reminder to us, Jesus was warning believers not unbelievers. That is chilling. Believers are to “take heed”, pay attention, stop and listen, for great deception is the biggest sign of the end of the age, and it is out to get Christians – It is out to get you!
The Warning
It goes on to say in Matthew 24, “5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.25 Behold, I have told you before.26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”
In Matthew 7, Jesus had already touched on the topic of false prophets, saying, “21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
The Great Deluge of False Prophets
It may seem odd to discuss false prophets. After all, what have they to do with us? What have we to do with them? Are there really prophets still today? Is the gift still in operation? The long and the short of it is, Jesus warned us that at the end of the age – and we are there in the last of the Last Days – there would be false prophetic activity. Now there are some churches that believe that prophecy has ceased. But, according to Jesus in this passage, prophecy would not have ceased but would still be active at the very tail end of the age just before His return.
Prophecy Then & Now
And so, Matthew 24 states clearly, “11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” And many means just that. There will be a great number of false prophets just before Jesus comes back. Now, that is beyond alarming if you ask me! That’s downright scary!
Before we get into what false prophecy is unfolding today and how to handle it, let’s take a look at the Old Testament to see what God has to say about both godly prophets and false prophets. God never leaves His people in the dark. He always lets us know what He’s thinking and what’s on His heart. As Jesus said even in Matthew 24:25, “Behold I have told you before.” With God we don’t ever have to guess. All we have to do is read the Bible for what it says and take it seriously.
Numbers 11 gives us God’s heart about prophets and prophecy, “24 And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.25 And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.26 But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp.27 And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!”
And this very desire of God took place on the Day of Pentecost in the Upper Room as related to us in the New Testament book of Acts 2. “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy…”
The Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 14 explains the important role of the prophetic in church services. We don’t often see this gift in operation in our western churches today, but this does not mean it is unimportant nor that it is not happening in churches elsewhere throughout the world. Actually, according to Paul, ““1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy…” God’s heart is that true, godly prophecy would be normative in the Church body, for according to I Corinthians 14:3, it builds the Church into a holy temple wherein a holy God might dwell, for God only dwells and is worshiped in the beauty of holiness (Psalm 29:2; 96:9); it aligns us with God and His word, and it comforts our hearts with the open revelation of the mystery of the gospel.
In other words, in the Last Days, there will be a plethora of false prophets, but God will also be pouring out His Spirit in prophecy upon His people.
The Most Misunderstood
Though God’s heart is prophecy, for indeed, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). And He has promised that prophecy will be prolific in the last days, it is also the most misunderstood manifestation/gift of the Holy Spirit.
So, let’s take a look at this gift according to Scripture. To begin with, in the Greek it is composed of two words pro (4253) meaning “before, forth,” and phemi (5346) “to tell.” It’s definition is “to tell beforehand” and includes “the foretelling [of] future events or the exhorting, reproving and threatening of individuals or nations as the ambassador of God…hence the prophet spoke not his own thoughts but what he received from God…” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, pg 1244). Though there are some who view this gift as lacking in empathy, it is anything but that. Prophecy is God lovingly correcting His people through the voice of a prophet or prophecy, in order to steer His people away from their sin and back into covenant relationship with Him. First Corinthians 14:3 it states, “But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” It is edifying (3619) because it calls one back to God’s word and thus builds up and strengthens us in His truth; it is exhorting (3874) because it helps us grow up in the faith even through rebuking, correcting and instruction (2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Hebrews 12:5-11), and it is comforting (3889) for it is God speaking tenderly to us as a Father, and thus is done in love for our good and His glory.
Prophecy is a “direct message” of God to believers and sometimes unbelievers that is spoken “in God’s name.” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament, pg 1244). The one prophesying is not speaking their own mind or heart, but rather, God’s words (Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 1; Jeremiah 1; Ezekiel 2). And as can be seen over and over again in the Old Testament, it is often a message of repentance.
Prophecy is not merely dutifully loving and studying the Bible, nor is it teaching the Bible, as some have attempted to define it, for God clearly calls that gift “teaching”. It is not merely exhortation, although it is exhortational, for God calls that specific gift exhortation. It is not pastoring nor the shepherding of the sheep, for God calls that specific gift pastoring. Rather prophecy is a Holy Spirit inspired utterance that often foretells an event and pierces the heart with conviction, as it says in Jeremiah 20:9, “9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.” The inspired utterance of prophecy also calls the hearer of that word to holiness as it says in Isaiah 1:18, “16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” And furthermore, true, godly prophecy turns one back to perfect alignment with God’s word and gospel, for the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). It calls one into account. It never contradicts Scripture. And though it is not always about future prognostication, when the prophecy actually does predict something, it always comes to pass, for the Holy Spirit is never wrong.
False vs. True: How Can We Tell?
So, how then can we tell if a prophet or prophecy is false or true? Sometimes it is quite obvious, but at other times, it is not so obvious.
First of all, there are always a host of false prophets up against a handful of true prophets. In I Kings 18 we see the prophet Elijah up against 450 prophets of the god Baal and 400 prophets of the goddess Asherah. First Kings 22 also relates a story associated with this this same dynamic.
Godly prophets though well-known will also nearly always be looked down upon as judgmental, narrow-minded, and negative, while false prophets will be popular and praised for their optimistic message of “peace, peace” though there is no peace and flattering things (Isaiah 30:10; 1 Thessalonians 5).
Deuteronomy 18 prophecies first of Jesus as “the Prophet” who will speak God’s words, and then ends with a message of warning about false prophets who “presume” to speak God’s word thus disrespectfully overstepping boundaries with insolent boldness and defiance. “18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.20 But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
A Stern Warning
Deuteronomy 13 covers a more complex issue regarding false prophets, that of stealthy deception. “1 If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.” In other words, the false prophet gets their prognostication right but that same false prophet then teaches a doctrine contrary to God’s word. So, you have this dynamic of people in awe of a prediction proven true, and they more readily believe that person who made the prediction. Thus, their guard comes down, and they are more receptive to whatever that person may do or teach. However, God states that in this circumstance, He is actually testing His people to see if they know His word, if they believe His word, if they respect His word above any sign or wonder. God allows for that prophecy of the false prophet to come to pass in order to see whose heart is right before Him. This is powerful. This is challenging. This is a warning for those called by His name to be awake, alert, prayerful, sober, and vigilant. This message was important back then, but now in this day of mesmerizing deception, it is all the more prevalent. Deception was bad back then and caused the downfall of God’s nation, God’s people of Israel, but deception is on steroids now and has surpassed all generations before, and how much more it is causing the downfall of God’s people today.
In Matthew 7 Jesus says, “13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them…21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
Modern Day Prophets and False Prophets
I must admit, I cannot name many genuine prophets. Although there are prophetic utterances mildly active in some churches such as Evangelist Jimmy Swaggart’s church Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, there are few actual prophets to list by name here. The one true prophet that I can think of right off the top of my head is David Wilkerson of Times Square Church and Teen Challenge.
However, the list of false prophets is growing so long it would prove difficult to list them all here. And by false, I mean according to the definition of Scripture as I related above. So, in short, it means that either their prognostications are not 100% accurate, and/or they are leading people astray into unbiblical doctrine and teaching.
According to the article on this website entitled “Thus Saith the Lord?”, “Kim Clement (now deceased), Mark Taylor, Pat Robertson, Lance Wallnau, Kat Kerr, Jeremiah Johnson, Andrew Wommack, Hank Kunneman, Pastors Paul and Denise Goulet, Kenneth Copeland, Curt Landry and Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj — and there are likely a host of others — all prophesied Trump’s win,” of him having “a second term. And many social media sites are rife with numerous people in shock over what is happening when they banked on what these prophets had said.” All of these, Kerr, Wallnau, Johnson, Wommack, Kunneman, Goulet, Landry, Selvaraj, Taylor, and Robertson were all wrong!!! (for more on this topic, please refer to this link: https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2021/01/22/thus-saith-the-lord/ ) And this is just one of the things that they have prophesied boldly, proudly, loudly, and very incorrectly.
And then there is Rick Joyner of Morning Star Ministries who declares himself to be a prophet and apostle. He in one breath sounds doctrinally sound and patriotically astute in the next breath says that he spoke with the Apostle Paul in heaven and in so doing advocates the unbiblical, Occult practice of necromancy (speaking with the dead). And if there were not enough, he appears to be more of a shaman with lying signs and wonders flourishing in his church. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T8W7rbzLAo
And then there is Bill Johnson of Bethel Church Redding, California who believes that Jesus had to be born again while advocating Ouija Boards renamed Angel Boards, Tarot Cards renamed Destiny Cards, Fire Tunnels and other demonic manifestations in his widely popular church. And then there is the book that both Bill and his wife contributed chapters to entitled Physics of Heaven which is beyond boldly New Age. “A clear warning against the book was posted in a recent Amazon review:“This book was so obviously New Age syncretism with Christianity it is hard to know where to start. Are there vibrations in the supernatural that we need to tap into? No! Does God play games with people? No! does he hide himself in sound and light? No! Does God speak to people through “hints” of other things like sound? No! Does God speak through sound, light, energy, frequencies, vibrations, and quantum physics? No! Unfortunately this book espouses all of these ideas, and takes all of the scriptures out of context and applies meanings to them that the original scriptural authors did not intend. If you want a smorgasbord of New Apostolic Reformation teaching and leaders this is your book. The forward is by Kris Vallatton and chapters by the late Bob Jones (admitted sexual abuser), Bill Johnson Apostle and leader of Bethel church, Redding, CA, and Bill’s wife Beni.”” (https://churchwatchcentral.com/2019/08/06/physics-of-heaven-incorporating-new-age-mysticism-spirit-guides-auras-angels-revival-healing-energy/).
Most recently in mid-September there was an “Open Heavens” conference in Iowa hosted by Hank Kunneman’s ministry in which General Mike Flynn led those present in an unbiblical prayer. Thousands of Christians repeated the prayer after him. To begin with, anyone hearing or attempting to repeat the prayer ought to have wondered at its wording, especially when the word “legions” as well as the opening line that states that the one repeating the prayer is an instrument of the “seven fold rays and all of your archangels”. But no one seemed to flinch as the repeated prayer resounded loudly around the packed building. Here is the prayer in full:
“We are your instrument of those sevenfold rays and all your archangels, all of them. We will not retreat, we will not retreat. We will stand our ground. We will not fear to speak. We will be the instrument of your will, whatever it is. In your name and the name of your legions. We are freeborn, and we shall remain freeborn. And we shall not be enslaved by any foe within and without, so help me God.”
It was later found out that this was actually a prayer to Archangel Michael which was written and prayed by an Occult leader named Elizabeth Claire Prophet, Theosophist and I Am movement leader of the 1980s.
And there are still so many more false prophets who could be listed here, most of whom are associated with the New Apostolic Reformation which has spread its bombastic and blasphemous tentacles far and wide, being led astray and leading other Christians astray, but this article is already too long.
Conclusion
The point is this, Jesus guaranteed that deception would be the pervading sign of the end of the age just before His coming and He warned His Church. He did not warn the world. He did not speak to unbelievers. He spoke to believers, admonishing them to not be deceived. This is serious business, and something that needs to be taken seriously by the Body of Christ.
Second Thessalonians 2 gives a strong warning when it says, “9The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, 10and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. 11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, 12in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.”
Not every sign or wonder is from God. I want to repeat that. Not every sign or wonder, no matter who amazing or awesome, is from God. Just because there is a miracle, does not mean that God has performed it. Yes, miracles still happen. Yes, there are signs and wonders today. Yes, there is prophecy. Yes, there are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. But, Satan and the demonic world are brilliant counterfeiters who like to mimic God. Thus, it is imperative to be discerning and to be in God’s word regularly. As 1 John 4 states clearly and unequivocally, “1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.”
Importantly, Hebrews 5:12-14 says, “12Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word.c You need milk, not solid food! 13For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. 14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.” This means that we must be in the Word in order to be able to discern good and evil. Without the Word, there is no discernment. And without the Spirit of God there is not understanding of Scripture, for even the Word is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Be on your toes, Body of Christ! Satan is busy. Evil is more bold now than ever before. Deception is everywhere. This is not the time to get back to playing church.
Jesus is coming SOON. Let’s be ready!
Pressing on,
Holy Light Ministries
Sources
The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, by Spiros Zodhiates
The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament, by Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter
Quote: “Johnson teaches about a different Jesus than the Jesus of the Bible. He and many other word-of-faith charismatic preachers believe that when the Bible says Jesus left His throne in heaven and “emptied Himself” (Philippians 2:7), He actually gave up being divine. The incarnate Christ was fully man but not at all God. When Jesus lived a life of sinless perfection, it wasn’t as our substitute but as a model. Any one of us are capable of the same perfection. Jesus didn’t do miracles because He was God. He did miracles to show us that we can do them, too, if we just believe that we can.”
Quote: “In Pastor Bob DeWaay’s analysis, you will discover that Bill Johnson first rejects the study of the Bible in order to then be able to teach his non-biblical theology. He believes in a great end-time awakening with over a billion of new converts. An elite consisting of Christians gifted with superior anointing will lead this movement.These Christians will perform greater things that Jesus, because Jesus, when he was on earth, was only a man who had a relationship with God (that is, he wasn’t both God and man); thus, Christians are on the same level as Jesus and can do the same things he did and more (erroneous interpretation of John 14:12).”
Quote: “I do not believe that you must be born again to obtain salvation…….you cannot and will not make a disciple out of a sinner who has been introduced to Jesus Christ on the basis of their sinful inheritance only…Clement also said “When you’re born again the Bible doesn’t say that you are saved. The Bible says that when you are born again you see the kingdom it doesn’t say that you are saved even though salvation takes place and rebirth causes you to see the kingdom of God.” (The prophetic ministry of Kim Clement, Aug. 13, 2002 TBN)…
Quote: “There is so much false prophecy in the NAR that it I could do an entire web site devoted to that issue alone. If you want to see the daily parade of false prophecies emanating from the NAR, subscribe to the Elijah List. It means nothing to these false apostles and false prophets to say things in the name of the Lord that not only do not come to pass, but would never come to pass because they are unbiblical and ridiculous. False prophesy can be judged either on the basis that it is a prediction made, claiming to be from the Lord, that does not come true, or that it is unbiblical to begin with, or both. The Bible is clear that we must admonish heretics, those who lay error alongside truth and falsely prophesy, and if they are unrepentant we are to reject them (Titus 3:10). We must never forget that lies do not come from the Holy Spirit, but from the sinful minds of men, from the spirit of this age, the spirit of the air, the evil one. Those who lie and say “Thus saith the Lord” are just as much false prophets today as their kind has been through history. False prophecies are not mistakes, they are lies. Let’s look at some of these lies from the National School of the Prophets conference in 2002.”
Quote: “Last-days Christians must submit to modern-day prophets to have victory in the final battle (pages 58-59). They should be dependent on the prophets like children are dependent on their parents, according to Joyner (page 60).Yet, the Bible doesn’t teach that Christians must submit to modern-day apostles and prophets. In fact, the apostle Paul warns the Galatian Christians about false teachers who want other Christians to seek after them (Galatians 4:17).”
Quote: “The conversation should raise several red flags, which I will point out below.But, first, I need to point out that Christians should view conversations with dead people with suspicion since the Bible forbids “necromancy” (the practice of communicating with dead people). Deuteronomy 18:10-11 and Isaiah 8:19-20 So, the very premise of Joyner’s book — which records his conversations with several dead Christians — should raise a legitimate question of whether he is guilty of practicing necromancy or not.”
(For your convenience, all sources are listed below this article)
And so…. a new American president has been inaugurated and sworn into office, president #46.
Before proceeding, what I am about to write is not a “fun” topic, but it is a necessary one. It is necessary because the exuberant promises of many are still resounding around America on Youtube and television programs, and “thus saith the Lord” is still resonating unashamedly on the airwaves of the world and ringing in people’s ears. It has taken me a while to write this. My heart is heavy concerning it. There is probably more that could be added to this article, but I feel I must publish this as it is for now in order for others to gain clarity concerning this troubling, up-to-date topic.
Of what am I speaking? The prophets and their promises of Trump’s second term. That’s right. The “prophets” have been trying to talk their way our of this one, spinning the present presidential election news by passing the blame on the opposing political party and desperately seeking for any excuse in order to explain away the fact that their predictions have not come to pass. Yes, there was a legal case that should have gone before the Supreme Court (and many cases in the past 8+ years actually). That aside, God does not and never has been wrong no matter what cases are dismissed or heard.
Kim Clement (now deceased), Mark Taylor, Pat Robertson, Lance Wallnau, Kat Kerr, Jeremiah Johnson, Andrew Wommack, Hank Kunneman, Pastors Paul and Denise Goulet, Kenneth Copeland, Curt Landry and Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj — and there are likely a host of others — all prophesied Trump’s win in this election (sources listed below) and of him having a second term. And many social media sites are rife with numerous people in shock over what is happening when they banked on what these prophets had said.
Let’s take a brief look at what some of these prophets said.
In an article dated October 9, 2020, Lance Wallnau is quoted as saying that the archangel Michael along with other archangels would lead the Trump team to victory in the presidential election. Wallnau goes on to say, “I believe on election day there will be a surge … I really believe God’s grace on America, God’s mercy on America, isn’t finished yet and boy, it would be finished if there weren’t a Trump sitting in that seat.’’ Even though Lance Wallnau did not out and out say Trump will win a second term, he still sounds like the other false prophets who have predicted that the archangel Michael will be involved in this election. “According to Christian preacher and occasional prophet Dr. Lance Wallnau, the Almighty has tapped Archangel Saint Michael, who is referred to in the Bible’s Book of Daniel, to lead a team of fellow archangels to descend from heaven to achieve the victory.”
Sadhu Sundar Selvaraj says that “God’s will is that Mr. Trump should be, should serve another term.” This is the same Selvaraj who speaks with dead saints as if it is absolutely normal and acceptable, and no one seems to question this behavior even though it is clearly NECROMANCY. Succinctly put, necromancy is communication with the dead. This is seen in the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28 when the king sought out a medium in order to get instruction from the dead prophet Samuel. God had rejected Saul as king of Israel and would not instruct him regarding war, because Saul’s heart was not right before the Lord and his disobedience proved this (1 Samuel 15). Thus, already disobedient, Saul went on to reject God’s commandment against communicating with the dead. Deuteronomy 18:11 is clear regarding God’s heart on this topic. Necromancy is an abomination to be avoided at all costs. In the Hebrew language the term refers to one who consults a familiar spirit, a medium who acts as an empty bottle for the communication of the demonic entity, one who seeks, inquires of or consults the dead. According to the Britannica, “Necromancy, communication with the dead, usually in order to obtain insight into the future or to accomplish some otherwise impossible task. Such activity was current in ancient times among the Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans; in medieval Europe it came to be associated with black (i.e., harmful, or antisocial) magic and was condemned by the church.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary agrees that it is usually about predicting the future. Furthermore, it is considered “Black Magic” that can be practiced using elaborated services or merely through a vision, sought or otherwise — like Selvaraj’s vision.
Kat Kerr, known as an author and prophetess, while speaking to the Elijah List, boldly proclaimed that “Trump will be president. No matter what you hear…Trump will win. He will be president of the United States. He will sit in that office for four more years and God will have His way in this country.” She reiterated this January 6th when she said that God took her into the future and showed her that Trump wins.
Jeremiah Johnson, also recognized as a prophet, said in the last few months, “Either a lying spirit has filled the mouths of numerous trusted, prophetic voices in America, or Donald J. Trump really has won the presidency, and we are witnessing a diabolical, evil plan unfold to steal the election.” On November 11, 2020, Jeremiah Johnson said, “As someone who is in touch with all the prophets in America who have prophesied that Donald Trump would win a second term, they’re not giving an inch. They’re not willing to budge. They’re not willing to repent. All of US are unanimous, believing the word that God spoke to us that Trump indeed would win a reelection, and that what’s happening right now is the false prophets of the media are literally cutting themselves, they’re dancing in the street, and they’re shouting. Meanwhile there are much larger issues on our hands than just a presidency. I’ve told people this — listen — if he doesn’t end up getting reelected I will openly repent to the body of Christ. I don’t believe that just because you miss a prophecy makes you a false prophet.” (emphasis added mine).
On November 4th, Curt Landry stated in his live youtube broadcast that Michael the archangel needed to be released in order to help and that Mr. Landry needed the help of Jonathan Hammel (the so-called “gate keeper” and “Apostolic Watchman” of D.C.).
Furthermore, Landry states that Trump will still win; it’s just taking more time in the spirit realm to win the battle, and he reminds his listeners that it took 21 days for Gabriel to get to Daniel because of the many layers of warfare. Furthermore, he states (at the 21.5 minutes mark of the video link below) that the sheep must become lions, to learn to roar, to learn to take dominion and quit wanting to be taken care of by the Shepherd. And he concludes with a prayer that shifts to “prophesying” that god says (at about the 35.5 minute mark of the video link below), “son of man do you think that I am going to allow my prophets who prophesied Trump’s second term, and prophesied all this goodness coming to this nation to be mocked by a mass media manipulation? The Lord says, “No I shall not! For my name’s sake I shall protect my word! I shall protect my people! I shall protect my prophets from this evil destruction! For I shall pull back the veil, and I shall reveal that which is done in darkness…son of man prophesy unto Wisconsin that it will go red for Trump; prophesy unto Michigan that it will go red for Trump; prophesy unto Pennsylvania that it will go red for Trump; prophesy unto North Carolina that it goes red for Trump; prophesy unto Georgia that it goes red for Trump; prophesy unto Nevada that it goes red for Trump; prophesy for recounts…” and on and on. But, I guess Michael had not yet been freed, for 21 days later nothing happened to reverse the present course.
Meanwhile, Pastor Dana Coverstone, whose dreams have been coming to pass, has had several dreams wherein the Oval Office is vacant of a leader, the Statue of Liberty being forcefully murdered, our rule of law based on the Bible is unjustly declared guilty and hung, and America declared by God to no longer be a Republic; there will be a collapsed economy, great chaos, earthquakes, fires and explosions ensuing, the destruction of free speech and internet censoring, and the UN being called upon to host this nation. Furthermore, and in agreement, a man named Jeremy, an ex-32nd Degree Freemason, via various Freemason sources, has warned that there will be a possible staged assassination, chaos, and a collapse of the American economy. Both of these, unbeknownst to each other, have predicted via dreams (Coverstone) and sources (Jeremy) that America is about to collapse and the presidential seat will be vacant for a time (which it was through December, for no one appeared to know what was going on nor knew who had really been elected).
So then…where do we stand now? Who do we believe? Who speaks for the Lord?
Let’s start at the beginning and take a look at what God has to say regarding His mode of communication. Isaiah 6:8 recounts Isaiah’s experience before the throne of God, “I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Amos 3:7 states, “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth his secret unto His servants the prophets.” Acts 2 also states, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy…” And in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 prophesying among Christians gathered together is perceived as normal and a blessing if done in an orderly and respectful manner and with great discernment based on the Word of God — even Jesus the Word made flesh. After all, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). For truly, “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds…” (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Thus, God has communicated through His Son, and His Son asked the Father to baptize believers in the Holy Spirit that they might be empowered as witnesses and to prophesy. God is very clear about what prophesying is to look like, namely, the one prophesying is to speak God’s exact words. Because it is God’s Spirit inspiring any prophetic utterance, the words are God’s and will NEVER — I repeat “never” — be wrong. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” (2 Peter 1:20).
This leads us to Deuteronomy 18:20-22 states, “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.21 And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” This passage is cut and dry. If what is said does not come to pass, then the one who prophesied it is false.
Now Deuteronomy 13 tackles a more complicated prophecy by saying, “If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,2 And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;3 Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.4 Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.” In other words, if one prophesies something that comes to pass and even performs miracles to prove it but is visiting with the dead in visions or preaching that Jesus was the first one who needed to be born again, or that Jesus was tormented in hell, then they are false prophets and not of God. God allows for situations like this to happen in order to test His people, to see if they know and honor His word ABOVE all else.
Even as we think on these passages of Scripture and are considering all that is happening at present, let us also remember something else. Our present America that these prophets have prophesied good things over, is so riddled with sin that if it were a body with cancer it would be well-beyond fourth stage at this point. Here are just a few reasons why. California just passed a law that children can opt for sex changes and another law that lowers penalties for pedophiles. Washington state just passed a sex ed law that is beyond perverse, which teaches 3rd graders sexual positions etc. The blood of murdered babies cries out from sea to shining sea on the altar of the god of convenience. Injustice rules in our courtrooms. Christians are persecuted simply for meeting at church and are faced with fines, threats of bulldozing their church buildings, and jail time, while other Christians have lost their businesses because they took a stand for biblical principles and against perversion. And then there are the false prophets who prophesy good things, and who excuse their prophetic inaccuracies, saying they are “learning” when it is clear from Scripture that a prophet must 100% of the time be 100% accurate! (Deuteronomy 13 and 18). And these are just the tip of the iceberg. How can thissin-riddled America be great? Why would God bless this unrepentant America?
Where does it say in Scripture that prophets learn by trial and error? Where does it say that God blesses nations that are full of blood guilt and perversion? Where does it say that prophets can still be considered prophets when they have prophesied incorrectly? Where does it state that Michael the archangel needs us to get him released? Where does it say in Scripture that we as Christians are to ditch being sheep who are dependent on the Shepherd and to take on the role of lions learning to roar??? No where!
When it comes to prophetic accuracy, 1 Samuel 3:19 says it best, “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord”.
If these are indeed prophets of the Lord, then we would have seen their words come to pass regarding Trump. But, their words did not come to pass. Their words have fallen to the ground and God has through their very outspoken, loud decrees revealed what they truly are: False! Thus, it appears that God has turned these prophets on their heads and the carpet has been pulled out from beneath them just as Coverstone was told in his October dream (the link of which is listed below). Kunneman called it “the year of the tongue” and indeed, God is dealing with the lying tongues of these prophets this year.
In answer to Jeremiah Johnson’s question stated above: Yes. It is yes on both counts and not an either or. Yes a lying spirit filled the mouths of the prophets, and yes there is a diabolical plot.
Yes, a lying spirit has filled the mouths of all these so-called prophets of the Lord, just as they did in 1 Kings 22, and just as then, the lying spirit prevailed in the mouths of all 400 prophets. Let us not forget that throughout the Bible there were always HUGE numbers of false prophets prophesying good things, smooth things, feel good things, peace and prosperity, and a very small, minuscule number of true prophets who called the people to repentance and holiness. Furthermore, the majority always attempts to drown out the call to broken repentance and warnings of judgment. As Isaiah 30:9-10 states, “…this is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the law of the Lord; 10 Who say to the seers, “Do not see,” And to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits.” Indeed, is this not so today? Have not modern prophets prophesied peace and good things to come to a divided Church full of sin and a demented nation full of pride? “2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape,” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).
And yes, there is a diabolical, evil plan in play at the moment, BUT the unseating of Trump was not its aim. Indeed, the diabolic, evil plot goes a whole lot farther back than this election and even encompasses Trump himself. The goal has been and is the formation of a one world, new world government. After all, look at what has already encompassed the world and how all are in lock step with the plan. The goal has also been the formation of a one world economy after collapsing all economies of the world. And indeed, this can be seen worldwide as well. And the goal has been the formation of a one world religion and the destruction of Christianity. Even so, persecution is intensifying worldwide. And ultimately their aim, their agenda, their goal is to dethrone God.
But God is not surprised by any of this. From the perspective of God, ALL–including all nations that rage and the people who plot a vain thing (Psalm 2)–is still under His control as He brings the unholy portion of His Church to her knees in repentance, uses the false prophets for His purpose, and leads an unrepentant, defiant America –and the world– to judgment via the revealing and unveiling of the book of Revelation.
As the day of the Lord draws near, the Bible is quite clear that things will get worse not better. Yes, God will move among His people and is moving, and He is sending out workers into His harvest field regardless of who is president, king, prince, prime minister, queen, etc. It has never matter to God who is ruling. What has always mattered is the state of the hearts of His people. Thus, He is at this time calling His Church to recognize sin as sin, for brokenness for their own sin, for repentance of that sin, and for a return to holiness without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Is He knocking at your door? (Revelation 3:14-22).
“Five in Ten, 11/5/20: Mark Taylor – Election Drama…” (Taylor prophesied that Trump would win a 2nd term, and still asserts that he will win and the Deep State will be exposed in court), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aWcIy_VKQs
“What is Going On?…” (at about the 12 minute mark says God called Curt Landry to agree in prayer with Jonathan Hammel concerning the release of Michael the archangel; at the 14.5 minute mark Landry states that God said that Trump would win, even if it takes 21 days of waiting like Daniel had to wait for Gabriel to appear after Michael the archangel helped him, after all, “the spirit realm needs some time…”),
“Hank Kunneman’s POWERFUL PROPHECY: “THIS WEEK! IT IS SHOWTIME!”” (called 2021 the “year of the tongue” at about the 5 minute and 18 second mark), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlCwtxrw3fY
Pastor Dana Coverstone has had countless dreams over the last few months. They all are quite dark, dismal, and extremely intense. Like an epic film on the theater screen, they unfold with action and great drama. Nearly every time he relates the scenes of his dreams, he appears very saddened and almost apologetic for the darkness of his dreams. Though they are not sinister in any way, they do contain a great deal of weighty information that is beyond potent for both the dreamer and the one hearing about the dream. He does not attempt to interpret; he merely lays out what was presented. Truly, a lot of what he dreams does not need interpretation, for it appears quite self-explanatory.
That being said, I have found myself very tentative about the near future because of his dreams. After all, they either have or are coming to pass. And though I hope that the Lord will take His bride home soon—for is that not our blessed hope?–He may also allow His bride to go through some tumultuous times. I felt suddenly very uncertain. Not fearful. Actually, yes. Fearful. I get so sick and tired of people saying they are not afraid when everything they say and do means they are indeed afraid. So, yes, I was almost panicked at first. But that transitioned to uncertainty and being deeply troubled.
However, I must share that TODAY God shed His light over Pastor Coverstone’s dreams, and when He did so, I saw them very and incredibly differently. Things became clearer, and color flooded the black and white picture I’d seen before the light. What did I see? Here it is as succinctly as I can put it: Psalm 9.
“(To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David.) I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.13 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.16 The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.19 Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.20 Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.”
God has prepared His throne for judgment. What is about to take place in America is God’s judgment. The enemy may think he’s in charge of this, and his puppet secret societies may think they are pulling their own strings, but God is sovereign over all. And via Pastor Coverstone’s dreams, He has revealed that He is “sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat” (Lyrics from “the Battle Hymn of the Republic”). He is remembering the blood of the unborn that has been crying out like the blood of Abel. And those reprobates who think they are invincible and that God has not seen their grave sin, are about to sink into the very pit that they dug for others and are about to fall prey to the trap that they set for the innocent and unsuspecting. They will be snared by the work of their own hands.
This is about to happen to the Democrat party that is drenched in the blood of the unborn, stained by the sex slave trade and pedophilia, and drenched in the foul debauchery of unjust scales, to the violent, godless BLM that does not care at all about the African American community but instead has been all about murder and mayhem and destruction for years, to those leaders who are legally and financially persecuting the churches in America right now, to ministers who have shamed the body of Christ through false doctrine and false prophecies and have blasphemed the name of Christ through word and action. It is these who will soon be judged according to Pastor Coverstone’s dreams. It is these who will fall into their own traps, sink into their own pits, and fall prey to their own schemes.
Does this sound harsh? Please, re-read Psalm 9. For that matter, re-read Psalm 18, Psalm 96, Psalm 98 and Psalm 27, and how about Malachi and Jeremiah and Daniel and Jude and Revelation. Let’s make sure we keep all of this in perspective – A Biblical perspective – God’s perspective.
And right now, God is calling His people to pray for the harvest, for the body of Christ to have a backbone, and for corruption in government and corruption in the Church to be exposed. He wants us to pray in agreement with Him. He does not want us confused; He does not want us questioning what is happening. He wants us informed, empowered and in agreement with what He is about to do. He wants our lights burning and for us to have extra oil so that they do not go out.
Is Jesus coming soon? Yes.
Is His return immanent? Yes.
Will we be going through what Pastor Coverstone saw in his dreams through January? I have no idea!
But again, in keeping our perspective Biblical, if we are here for the unveiling of those dreams, then we will get to stand back and see the judgment of the Lord poured out on putrid, blood-guilty politicians, lying false prophets, deceptive false teachers, and demonically-inspired protestors.
So, let’s not be disheartened at the details of these dreams, for they reveal the judgment and power of God against unrighteousness in various groups of people. He has let us in on His plan just as He always does (Amos 3:7). Therefore, we as Christians are not to be afraid. He is not coming to judge Christians nor will He abandon them. He is the Christian’s refuge! However, through these dreams He is stirring Christians to be prepared. No, not with food and water, although that is not a bad thing to do. I mean to be prepared spiritually, prayerfully, in all holiness and godliness, that we might shine forth like stars to this godless and crooked generation (Philippians 2:15) and that we might be ready for the trumpet of the Lord to sound! (1 Thessalonians 4-5).
I will close with these verses of Psalm 9, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High…8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.”
Rest in this, and keep on singing. And just like Peter when he walked upon the water, as long as he looked at Jesus he was fine (Matthew 14:23-33). As soon as he looked down at the waves tossed about by hostile winds he began to sink. Those waves were there when he wasn’t looking; they are very real waves, very scary waves, very choppy waves, and the wind was very contrary. The same holds true for the dreams of Coverstone; they are real; they are dark and dismal; they have come and are coming to pass. But, when Peter kept his eyes on Jesus all was well. This was not denial. This was all about Peter keeping his eyes on the Ruler of the wind and waves, the very Maker of the sea, on the only One who mattered. And indeed, the same holds true for us now regarding what is coming. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, our coming King, and all will be well. These bad things will not go away, just like the waves didn’t, but Jesus is still the only One who matters, the One who provides for our every need, the One who is our strength, the One who will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). And when God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). Truly, our God reigns! His Kingdom come! His will be done on earth as it is in heaven! So be it! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”