Bill Johnson and Bethel Church

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We have posted a number of times shared warnings about Bill Johnson and Bethel Church. Bethel Church is a New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) church pastored by the “Apostle,” Bill Johnson. Bethel Church is a hothouse for serious theological error and heresy. Bill Johnson and his associates (Dr. Michael Brown, Lou Engle, Don Finto, Rick Joyner, Mike Bickle, C. Peter Wagner) are advocates of the heresy known as Word of Faith (WoF), which teaches that through your words you have the ability to access the power of your faith or your fears–that is, your words have power. It is then taught that this power can be used to funnel material wealth and health into your life.

"Beloved, 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." 1 John 4:1

Bethel Church is a highly charismatic church that is known for its manifestations of false signs and wonders. Manufactured glory clouds, speaking (babbling) in tongues, and false prophecies–all attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit–are regular occurrences at its gatherings. Bethel church also practices necromancy through a bizarre practice known as “grave sucking” (or “soaking”), in which they believe that they can suck the “anointing” out of a deceased person’s body by lying on their grave. Johnson’s wife and “Pastor” of Bethel church has been known to practice this spiritual vampire-type abomination.

Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 11 that false apostles, like Bill Johnson, who lead people away from the pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor 11:4) while preaching a false gospel and promoting a false spirit (2 Cor 11:5) are deceivers masquerading as angels of light (2 Cor 11:13-14) and that their end will correspond to their deeds (2 Cor 11:15). The Word of Faith gospel proclaimed at Bethel is no doubt a false gospel, and the Holy Spirit is not present in the works of this false church.

Yet it shouldn’t surprise us that another of these false apostles was present at Bethel recently. January 2017, the popular Word of Faith charlatan, Benny Hinn, joined Bethel for the Sunday evening service. Benny Hinn has defrauded people for millions of dollars by luring people in with fake healings, false prophecies and promises of fortune through his false teachings. Bill Johnson and Bethel church clearly and unashamedly align themselves with this movement and have no problem exposing their followers to this fraud.

Not only does Bethel operate their school for the blasphemous supernatural, but they run a special week long course this summer called, School of the Prophets. For only $395 you can become a prophet in just five days! Wait, there's more! As a bonus, there is a combined rate of $750 if you are a married couple seeking to usurp the power of God together! We should know that spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit are given as God discerns. Charismanews.com runs ads in support of this nonsense on a weekly basis. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" $400 seems to be the answer. It is so incredibly sad and embarrassing that this sort of nonsense is peddled as orthodox Christianity. The heathen point and mock all of Christendom because we tolerate false teachers among us.

"Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works." 2 John 1:9-11

[Kelly Lee]

Continue to shine THE LIGHT in dark places pastor Ray, I have been noting the Holy Spirit's touch in these posts.

[KimR]

Can you tell me were you got the "For only $395 you can become a prophet in just five days! Wait, there's more! As a bonus, there is a combined rate of $750 if you are a married couple seeking to usurp the power of God together! We should know that spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit are given as God discerns."

Prophet is a gift to the church and is a ministry for the Church. Ephesians 4:11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

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The expanded comments came from Anthony Wade of 828 Ministries HERE. Adding a TV commercial bounce to it to point out the nature of the course. Pay money for God's free gifts, e.g. spiritual exhortation. He is not exaggerating the truth.

"Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry" by Kris Vallotton who is the senior associate leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California. It is one of the resources used, which is a book that teaches a person how to 'release' the prophetic gifts as if a person can cultivate them by effort. He also has the "School of the Prophets Workbook: Advanced Training for Prophetic Ministry".

There are more aggressive programs like "Advanced Prophetic & Seer Training" through Jeremy Caris that promises to expand your personal spiritual gateways, principles of suppressing versus shining and proximity. This brings a Christian as close as a person can get to New Age Mysticism while holding a Jesus wrapper.

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To reflect on the Ephesians 4:11 passage, it states in the original “He” is emphatic—He and He alone, as the ascended Head of humanity, gave the gifts. The passage is resonated by 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Romans 12:6-8. In all three cases there is the same general idea, first of the one body, and then of the one Spirit, guiding and animating it through various ministries. The reference to gifts brings up what requires distinction about the meaning of prophet. The original Apostolic context in connection with the Apostles, as receiving the revealed mystery of the gospel, as penned on the parchments that later became our Scripture. It was an office to explain infallibly the true meaning of the ancient prophecies, and also themselves to predict future events, by virtue of the extraordinary revelations made to them. A prophet today in most cases is a gifting that delivers the truth with clarity and authority, not new revelation, soothsaying or prognosticating as the Apostolic churches, or as Four Square churches promote, founded by hyper-charismatic pastor Jack Hayford.

A charismatic prophet claims to be gifted by God to speak fresh revelation outside of Scripture—new, authoritative words of prediction, teaching, rebuke, or encouragement. The self-purported Prophet of this vein appears throughout the history of the church. As early as the second century, Montanus and his disciples claimed to speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit. In the nineteenth century, Joseph Smith claimed to receive The Book of Mormon from the angel Moroni. Today Christendom is full of self-promoted officiates claiming to speak in the name of God through the power of the Spirit. Sarah Young, author of the top Christian bestseller of the decade "Jesus Calling", boldly claims that her book contains the very words of Jesus. This is all blasphemy of the highest order, while thousands flock to the table of deception for lacking basic scriptural discernment.

I am not a full cessationist, where schools like Moody Bible Institute, Liberty University, Shasta Bible College for example will teach that the gifts fully ceased when the Apostles passed and the Scripture was shaped into Canon. The book I read, "Strange Fire" by John MacArthur was basically an attack on anything and everything related to the charismatic movement. While he was right on most points, he fully closed the door for any possibility for gifts today. There is movement that leans toward MacArthur's end, the “New Calvinism" about cessationism. New Calvinist movement include John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Wayne Grudem, Tim Keller, and Matt Chandler. Some of the prominent organizations and ministries involved in promoting New Calvinism include: Together for the Gospel, Desiring God Ministries, 9 Marks ministry, The Gospel Coalition, Redeemer City to City, and the Acts 29 Network.

I am convinced that for the most part the gifts are dormant, but certainly not exclusively. I personally can attest that the power of God is still active in miraculous ways when evangelism is active. The gifts were nearly always synonymous with and proof of the risen power of Jesus when sharing the Gospel. Many, many stories to assure this. With this I will impress, we must not expect God to pour out his gifts of witness on people who meet for the sake of display. What we see in many charismatic circles is often no more than a fleshly display, a circus if you will, of false signs and wonders for notoriety sake among a group of peers for the narcissistic value of importance, belonging, and an identity with power. There is balance in all this, but as with any participation by humanity, have managed to go to both extremes.

Revelation 2:6 "But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do." The Nicolaitans were an abomination to Christ, purveyors of false teachings. For the church at Pergamos, Jesus had not commendation, but censure. Unlike the Ephesians, they actually embraced the teachings of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:15). Jesus warns them that unless they repent, they are in danger of the judgment that is sure to fall on those who teach false doctrine, attack His church, and destroy His people. The sword of judgment is poised over their heads, and His patience is not limitless (Revelation 2:16; 19:15).