Tossing Glory Grenades by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp

The title comes from a spectacle I witnessed on God TV from the Lakeland Outpouring and the Todd Bentley Meetings. On this night it was a little more than Bentley imploring for people to come up and get "some glory", or "Come and get a drink of the glory of God." In fact at this particular meeting there was a stand in for Bentley. I don't know his name and don't know how I could get it. People I guess weren't coming down so he began tossing glory bombs to people in the front rows who on cue would fall and stagger. The speaker would quickly mm his back apparently to avoid the blast of the explosion of glory. Why he would avoid the supposed explosion of glory is odd. This tangible packaging of the glory as a product to be tossed around seems reprehensible.


In this network of hyper-charismatic practitioners there is an oscillation of what they refer to as the "anointing" and the "glory." Perhaps beginning with Benny Hinn, all of these visible purported displays of power such as all the versions of what is referred to as "slaying in the Spirit", blowing people over and fanning a spirit on people are purported to be a special anointing given to specially endowed personalities. Conversely, in the Scriptures anointing is preeminently a reference to Jesus as the Messiah, which in Hebrew means "the anointed one." Beyond that, all believers already have an anointing. "I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing from him (Jesus) abides in you." (1 John 2:27). In the new covenant there is no longer the anointing of Kings as in the OT. There is no teaching about specially anointed ones. Ordinary believers receive "spiritual gifts" given as the Holy Spirit determines, for special occasions and needs. These gifts are dispersed by the Spirit "for edification, encouragement and consolation" for Body life. (1Cor.14:3). There is no suggestion of special practitioners and stage personalities performing purported Christian versions of stage magic and hypnotism.

These hyper-charismatic specialists in addition to allegedly dispensing the Holy Spirit at their will and calling it '~the anointing." also claim to dispense the "glory of God." As the Holy Spirit dispenses and gives spiritual gifts at the Spirit's control, these specialists purport to have domesticated and packaged God's glory and they assert they can give God's glory to others at their will. To be able to do this implies that the glory of God is under their control. It arrogantly implies they can command the glory of God and God's glory is their possession to give.

The word glory in the OT is based on a number of Hebrew words. One Hebrew word kabab has a base meaning of "heavy." This word actually refers to honor, reputation, majesty, beauty ahd fame. Ones honor fame and power is considered heavy as opposed to being light and lacking in honor and praise. It has no reference to certain people saying that while in an altered state they actually feel a heaviness. Actually this feeling of heaviness is a characteristic of people under hypnosis. But "glory" in the scriptures points to praise, fame and honor. It is something people can give to God. Man can give "praise" (glory) to God, But this refers to "glory" which originates with man. This must be sharply distinguished from God's Glory He has in himself...

In the NT man can also ascribe (honor/glory) to God. "Do all to the glory (fame and honor) of God" ( 1Cor.10:31). But God's own personal Glory, which belongs to Him, is totally different than mans glory. God himself declared that "He will not give His glory to another." Even Moses himself was rebuked when he asked to see God's glory, and was placed in a cleft of a rock as God's glory passed by. God in this instance describes His glory as His goodness. In the OT God would choose when and how he would display His glory, whether in the Holy of Holies or other expressions of God's glory. But always God's glory was His Glory and Man could not control it or predict it. God's glory belongs to His sovereign person and He will not share His glory with another. It cannot be dispensed as mans possession to give to another man. In the NT the same distinction avails. Man can give man's honor and praise and glory to God. But God's personal sovereign glory belongs to God alone. More specifically glory relates to God's Son in the days of His flesh. John 1:14 declares, "And we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son of God.' At Jesus' transfiguration the three apostles "beheld the glory of God." But again it was an event under God's sovereign will. Later Jesus return to heaven is described as Jesus "entering into His glory."(Lk. 24:26). Jesus looks forward to the time when His disciples can behold His glory in heaven. (John 17:24). Finally Jesus glory will be displayed on the day and the hour Jesus returns, "when He comes in the Glory of His Father" (Mk 8:38).

To play around with God's glory is not a light matter rather it is heavy with judgment. In fact it could be dangerous because whatever kind of altered state experience is being tossed around can hardly be God's personal sovereign glory. To claim to take possession of, take control of and dispense God's glory by a mere man is rebellion, for God will not share His personal glory with any mortal.

Patricia King an Extreme Prophet

I feel free to call her an extreme prophet because she has named her ministry and website "Extreme Prophetic." After listening to some of her prophesies, I would have to say she underestimates her ministry when she uses the term "Extreme Prophetic." Patricia Krug is married to Ron Cocking. Her headquarters in Kalewna BC Canada and Phoenix. Until recently she was known as Pat Cocking. She relates that God called her to change her to CoKing, which she later, however, changed to her maiden name King. In an interview with Steve Schultz of the Elijah list she related her pre-Christian life. Apparently, in her early 20's she became despondent and entered the occult world. While she was hospitalized she had her first vision, a vision of satan. But then there was a peaceful presence in the room, which believed, was Jesus. She then began to follow Jesus using her occult beliefs and techniques. But still empty and despondent, she called an Anglican pastor and he told her of a relationship she could have with Jesus. She felt clean and happy. It seems to be the description of a valid conversion experience. However, she relates that almost immediately she took a class on how to hear the voice of God. She told Schultz that God is speaking all the time and we just have to learn how to tune in. Since those early days she has moved into extreme prophecies. She took over a ministry in BC of another lady. A little later King became involved with Toronto and its extreme manifestations. She then brought them back to Kelewna BC and it became known as "Toronto West." She has moved into union with a whole range of extreme prophetic ministries with the likes of Randy Clark and Stacey Campbell of Toronto vintage, Graham Cooke, Bobby Connors Lou Engle, Keith Davis, Bill Johnson and Bob Jones. Jones deserves special mention. He was a prophet with the KC prophets. But he had to be shut down, not because of his absurd prophecies, but because he used prophecy to get women to take off their clothes. He has since been "restored" and now is viewed by King and others as a sort of master prophet in some ways succeeding Paul Cain. Bentley, who says he was converted by reading Hinn's book, "Good Morning Holy Spirit" was picked up by King and was mentored by her. King was a "mother in God" to him and was ordained by King 10 years ago on "mothers day." Her specialty is teaching and arranging trips to the third heaven. I listened to a conversation of Bentley, Jones and King in which they talked of daily trips to the third heaven. Here they learn new revelation. One of her associates, Joshua Mills. just straight out uses the term "astral projection." He defends this New Age term by boldly stating that astral projection was first of all a God thing, which satan later copied. Going to the third heaven means they have to pass through the second heaven, which is declared to be the demonic realm. On the way through they overhear demonic strategies and use this divine spying to assist spiritual warfare on the earth.

To choose a sampling of her visions/prophecies is not easy because there are so many found on the net. One of her visions portrays a common motif of opening portals from and to heaven, sort of like a heavenly "sky light" through which there is traffic to and from heaven. She describes what seemed to her to be golden ladders connecting locations in the earth to the portals to and from heaven. Angels and believers were ascending and descending (were there any traffic jams?) while releasing heavenly glory into the earthly realm. (Patricia King: Portals of Glory).

The Blue Flame

"Recently while teaching at the Glory School in Dudley England. I had a spiritual encounter regarding the Blue Flame of the Lord. In this encounter, I could feel myself soaring like an eagle, looking toward the sun while in flight. Eagles (often biblical symbols of the prophetic in the natural) have an extra membrane over their eyes that other birds do not have this allows them to look directly into the sun without any damage to their vision. As I gazed at the sun, I could feel myself being drawn toward its center and then I saw it - the blue flame. It was so beautiful, I could feel its strength and its passion ... May we gaze mm the fiery love of God. Let us prepare to receive revelation into the deep mysteries of God "(Patricia King). This vision, however, in not original to King, and is replicated exactly in New Age teaching. Listen to an incantation to the ascended master and the “I AM”. "I invoke the blue flame which represents the divine power of my father God."

The usual repertoire of gold dust, and precious stones and oil is normal fare for King and her network. Joshua Mills who ministers with King reports of eating gold leaves from the tree of life served up by angels and having a piano that plays by itself.

"Ekstasis" Worship Dancing and Club Mysterio.

King introduces Caleb Brundidge on her website and the spiritual experience of ecstasy worship dancing. Caleb is a DJ who brings heavy Rock beat music designed for youth groups. He describes this dancing as going beyond the mind to a place of ecstasy with God the dancers are called to give way completely to emotion. This dancing claims to lead to a deeper union with God. Words bypass the mind to the cellular level and become a part of you. You intercede with your dancing etc. etc. It really appears to be total abandonment to bodily movements. It is a spiritual equivalent to "Rave Dancing."

"Listen to how one New Age writer defines and describes Ekstasis dancing. 'The purpose of a trance dance is essentially to bring you to a place in the sacred zone where the spirits can reach you. In trance dance the rhythms and movement combine with the music to create an altered state of consciousness that allows entry into the sacred realm... Allowing the body and parts of the body, to move and to and express rhythms. Engaging in the moment, this meditative state of mind allows entry into deeper mythic reality." (adapted from Circle of Shaman). by ,Karen Berggren 1998, (From deceptionbystes.com.).

Now listen as Patricia King describes "Ekstasis Dancing" on her website Extreme Prophetic.

"DJ Caleb and his 'Club Mysterio' combine ekstasis worship, beats, electronic expressions, dance prayer and powerful prophetic flow to create a Christian rave experience... This new expression of abandoned worship allows one to press into the presence of God and experience the deep mysteries of intimacy with the Lord, the One who is truly worth raving about." (Patricia King).

"It is a well established fact that many of the eastern and esoteric religions employ the techniques of trance dancing. The hypnotic sounds and movements elevate dancers into ecstatic, altered states of consciousness. It is while they are in these altered states that they are most open to suggestion, mind control, seduction by deceiving spirits, and spontaneous kundalini awakenings." (deceptionbytes.corn).

The conclusion to all of this is simply this. ! Don't' allow your young people to be seduced into this version of rave dancing!

Are Wagner's Apostles About to Defect?

Bentley may indeed prove a stone of stumbling for Wagner's worldwide network (NAR) which he purports to be the setting in place of apostles to rule the global church. For those not aware, Wagner is the presiding apostle of 500 people worldwide assuming the title of an apostle. These apostles include Lee Grady editor of Charisma magazine and also a relatively unknown apostle who was a friend of mine in Australia. But some of these apostles are getting restive and ready to leave the network. Some apostles reject Wagner's endorsement of Todd Bentley. This relates to an apostolic commissioning at Lakeland. With Bill Arnott (Toronto), Bill Johnson (Redding CA), and Che Anh standing behind him, Wagner made this proclamation "I take apostolic authority that God has given me and I decree (papal bull?) to Todd Bentley. Your power will increase, your authority will increase, your favor will increase and your revelation will increase."

But some of Wagner's apostles are apparently embarrassed that none of the heralded resurrections can be verified and even the doctors and EMTs reject the claims. Other apostles are appalled at the focus on angels and trances. Other apostles resent that they will be called on to endorse the likes of John Crowder. And now Bentley has announced that August 23 will be his last day in Lakeland, telling his followers that God has instructed him to move, walk the land, and take the ark of God's glory to the nations. Che Anh has already told the faithful at Lakeland that He, Bill Arnott, Heidi Baker and Bill Johnson in response to a Jones prophecy met in Hawaii in a 5 star hotel provided by Bill Johnson. They called Bob Jones and he prophesied that "this is the 3rd Wave. The first Toronto, the second Pensacola, and Lakeland the third. This wave will cover the whole earth. Then Anh told the crowd that at that very instant a huge wave came out of nowhere and engulfed them at the beach cabana on the green 50 yards from the beach. This is suggested to be a physical prophetic endorsement of Lakeland.. Che Anh then states that this outpouring will go all the way to California. and then international. But a recent Bentley foray to L.A. was a dud by anyone's expectation and the words of Wagner are already beginning to ring hollow. Now there are whisperings that Lakeland is over. Increasingly, people who endorsed Bentley are already looking for the ne.ct Latter Rain outpouring to fulfill the prophecies of their own false prophets. (Jackie Alnor). The first two waves were prophesied to spread to all the earth. Will the designated third wave succeed where the first two failed?

See also:

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation

Extreme Prophetic and Patricia King exposed!

“Patricia King’s Hermetics Examined
There are many strange manifestations happening more than ever. What is happening in the churches today and how can this be explained? This page is to shed light on the subject. There is more to this woman then meets the eye, here are some things to consider in this description of what Patricia King is promoting.


Hermetics Teaches:

Considers humanity to be on a spiritual journey to return to a state of unity with the Divine; this is the Great Work of humankind.

Holds that if we would attain to the Divine, we must aspire to the Divine; spiritual growth cannot be achieved without human effort

Is polytheistic, yet ultimately monotheisitic (i.e., posits a multiplicity of Manifestations of the Divine Which emanate from an ultimate Divine Unity)

Holds that the Divine is both immanent and transcendent

Holds that the Universe is Divine and basically good

Teaches that when we seek the Divine, we may best begin with the Mysteries of Nature

Encourages spiritual curiosity

Understands that human beings can access the Subtle Realms through technique and aspiration; to this end, it embraces theurgy, meditation, ritual, and other spiritual and magical practices

Urges those who seek the Divine to also seek balance in embracing all things.

Angel Orbs, (click here to see a picture from Patricia King's website)

Patricia King talks alot about Angel Orbs, let’s examine this teaching, acording to the Book on Hermetics, [1] “The third and last Book of Magick, or Occult Philosophy; written by Henry Cornelius Agrippa.”

“therefore they invented so many Intelligences or Angels; they placed also in the Starry heaven, Angels, who might rule the signs, triplicities, decans, quinaries, degrees and Stars; for although the school of the Peripateticks assigne one onely intelligence to each of the Orbs of the Stars: yet seeing every Star and small part of the heaven hath its proper and different power and influence, it is necessary that it also have his ruling intelligence”

Patricia King: makes the same claim.

Stated, [2] “Two members of our team and I had just finished a prayer session to prepare for our evening meeting at Tim and Cindy McGill’s Four Square Church. As we were praising the Father for the downloads we had received, we heard that there was still more for us. That’s when we noticed the presence of angelic orbs over our heads. How glorious! God is so good!”

“We began to praise and worship Him for this Heavenly Presence. All of a sudden, one of our team (Shirley Ross), heard from the Lord that we were to clap our hands together over our heads where the orbs were. When we did, it was as if the orbs burst open and showered us in Heavenly Glory! Different colored orbs appeared and filled the room over our heads. We clapped and clapped and clapped. Some of the orbs rained down a thick, sweet oil. Others left us feeling tingly and effervescent. The Joy of the Lord was everywhere as we were refreshed, renewed and empowered. These “exploding” orbs covered us in an anointing of His Presence and also helped to deeply seat the inspiration and revelation we had received from Him throughout that day. Thank you Father! ”

Nowhere do you find this in the Bible, however you do find this stuff in occult books such as Hermetical writings by various authors. There is a demonic power behind these manifestations and there is a danger in this. Other hermetical writers give their descriptions.

Hermetical writings on Angel Orbs, Cosmic Orbs and Heavenly Orbs.

Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote about his experiences of these Orbs in his book “The Coming Race,” (a novel that some theosophists accepted as truth) [3]

He states “I Admired the ingenuity and disregard of expense with which my host and his fellow-citixens had contrived to illumine the regions unpenetrated by the rays of the sin, yet I could not conceibe how any who had once beheld the orbs of heaven could compare to their lustre the artificial lights invented by the necessities of man.”

“La Clef des Grands Mystères” (The Key to the Great Mysteries) written by Eliphas Levi, interesting that Aleister Crowley took a intrest in Eliphas Levi claiming to be the reincarnation of Eliphas Lévi and offered as evidence the statement that Crowley was born shortly after Lévi died. Lévi states [La Clef des Grands Mystères (The Key to the Great Mysteries), P98],

And while all this tumult was going on at the bottom of the church, the singing of the litanies continued in the choir, {170} as the harmony of the orbs of heaven goes on for ever, careless in our revolations and of our anguish.

Helena Blavatsky, co-founder of the Theosophical Society. in September 1875, Madame Blavatsky wrote that all religions were both true in their inner teachings and problematic or imperfect in their external conventional manifestations. Her writings connecting esoteric spiritual knowledge with new science may be considered to be the first instance of what is now called New Age thinking. In fact, many researchers feel that much of New Age thought started with Blavatsky.

Blavastsky explained about the orbs in the book, THE SECRET DOCTRINE: THE SYNTHESIS OF SCIENCE, RELIGION, AND PHILOSOPHY. by H. P. BLAVATSKY,

Author of “ISIS UNVEILED.”

[[Vol. 1, Page 114]] THE SECRET DOCTRINE. For the
circle is Sar, and Saros, or cycle, and was the Babylonian god whose circular horizon was the visible symbol of the invisible, while the sun was the ONE Circle from which proceeded the Cosmic orbs, and of which he was considered the leader.

[[Page 673]] In the primitive philosophy of the Hierophants these invisible circles were the prototypic causes and builders of all the heavenly orbs, which were their visible bodies or coverings, and of which they were the souls. It was certainly a universal teaching in antiquity.

[[Page 696]] In order to avoid creating new misconceptions, let it be stated that among the three secret orbs (or star-angels) neither Uranus nor Neptune entered; not only because they were unknown under these names to the ancient Sages, but because they, as all other planets, however many there may be, are the gods and guardians of other septenary chains of globes within our systems.

Patricia King and Alchemy: Gold Dust (click here to see picture of gold from Patricia Kings website)

What is Alchemy ??

[4] Alchemy, a part of the Occult Tradition, is both a philosophy and a practice with an ultimately unknown aim, involving the improvement of the alchemist as well as the making of several substances described as possessing unusual properties. The practical aspect of alchemy generated the basics of inorganic chemistry, namely concerning procedures, equipment and the identification and use of many current substances.

Alchemy has been practiced in Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Persia, India, Japan, Korea and China, in Classical Greece and Rome, in the Muslim civilizations, and then in Europe up to the 20th century—in a complex network of schools and philosophical systems spanning at least 2500 years.

[5]� Acording to Patricia King “Many times in meetings or in devotional times, signs and wonders will manifest such as gold dust, gemstones, diamond glitter, oil, feathers, manna and many other things. In the Bibles these would be referred to as signs and wonders” (see Acts 2:17-19).

Acts 2:17-19 KJV says: “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: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:”

Acts 2:17-19 is not what Patricia Kings describes, what are these signs and wonders that God is talking about in the text it says:

verse 19 (KJV)”And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:”

these are the signs and wonders that God speaks of verse 20 (KJV) explains how God will do that: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

But if Gold Dust Manifestations are not found anywhere in the Bible where do we find this? Let’s go deeper.
Alchemist Johannes Helmond explains the process of gold dust before it apears (Book Title: Alchemy Unveiled

“Paracelsu Calls the Raven of the Alchemists, A Bird, which flies at night without wings! This is the up-to-now unaware, dream-like Depths-soul, the transcendental Subject of a Human Being, which now no longer is separated, but instead, it is being exalted to the consciousness of the Spirit and entered into a gentle communication (coagulation) with the Spirit.

This unification with the Divine Spirit is, however, animalistic Principle, that is for the lower Astral Soul, the old Adam within us, to a certian degree deadly, he is suffering through a condition of death, where he looses his up-to-now demonic Astral-form and enters again into the antenatal Limbus, that is, into his first creative indifference, into his materia prima! Now he became Earth again, from which he was taken, that is, APHAR min ha-ADAMAH, a red tinctorial Gold-dust, united with the dew of Heaven.”

Acording to the Alchemy Academy archive, from a complicated discussion on the origin of gold, and the ‘mineral power’ in human hair…

“… in my own time a human skull was found and seen to have
many bits of gold dust embedded between the teeth of the
suture in the tops of the cranium.”

Book of Minerals p.232:

The translator suggests that Albertus “believing that all gold grows in situ, seems to suppose that the material in the sutures, which in life would have grown into hair, was here converted into gold.”

From the bibliography:

Morienus: Liber de compositione achemiae quam edidit Morienus
Romanus Calid regi Aegyptiorum …, see Magnet, Vol 1, pp. 509-19
Magnet, J.J., Bibliotheca Chemica Curiosa, Geneva 1702, 2 vols

Patricia King and Jason Westerfield on Astral Projections

What are Astral Projections ??

[6]� Astral projection (or astral travel) is an esoteric interpretation of a type of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an “astral body” separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it. Astral projection is experienced as being “out of the body”. Unlike dreaming or near death experiences, astral projection is practiced deliberately.

The idea of astral travel is rooted in common worldwide religious accounts of the afterlife in which the soul’s journey or “ascent” is described in such terms as “an…out-of-body experience, wherein the spiritual traveller leaves the physical body and travels in his/her subtle body (or dreambody or astral body) into ‘other’ realms.”

[7]� Watch Patricia King promote Jason Westerfield and teaching Transport Translation in the Spirit

“God is moving in the earth today … literally! He is
moving believers all over the place by transporting and translating them in the Spirit! More and more people seem to be having experiences where God supernaturally takes them places. ”

“In this video, Patricia and Jason share from the Bible and from personal experiences about translation and transportation in the Spirit. As they share, you will not only learn about God’s ability to supernaturally move you from place to place, but we believe you will receive an impartation for transportation and translation in the Spirit. After all, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. So get ready!”

[8]� Acording to the Psychic’s and Medium’s Network “Astral projection is a form of out of body experience that sometimes occurs during lucid dreaming during deep meditation or at times of crisis. The soul moves into an astral body (or “etheric double”), which moves free of the physical body in a parallel world known as the astral plane. Astral Travel is spoken about in may mystical texts and has more recently been studied by scientists investigating reports of people who have has a near death experience.”

[9]� An Astral Realms site states “The nature of the soul seems to be much more complex and multi-dimensional that originally thought. With the progress of modern physics and parapsychology it seems that the nature of our consciousness may be the creative driving force behind the forms and shapes of the physical world. Our physical reality is just an extension of a larger tapestry of the spiritual world.

“I awaken to the sensation of intense vibrations and buzzing throughout my body. I recognize that I’m ready to separate and immediately think about floating. The vibrations and sounds rapidly diminish as I separate and float up to the ceiling. Out of instinct I reach out my arms to touch the ceiling, but instead of touching, my hands slowly enter the tingling vibrational substance of the ceiling. I can feel a slight resistance as my hands and arms move through the ceiling. Moving slowly upward, my body enters and passes through the insulation, rafters, and attic.” - William Buhlman

Adventures Beyond the Body.

The soul survives death time after time; and can, with the proper training, travel outside your body. This is called Astral Projection.

Patricia King and “The Third Heaven”- yet more hermetics

According to Particia King [10] “This, of course, is a huge teaching that we go through very carefully in our Glory School , building it line upon line. The bottom line, however, is this: as born-again Christians we have already been given everything that pertains to life and godliness… we have already been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ… we are already seated in the heavenly places with Him … and we are to access all the covenant promises by faith. The righteous lives by his faith.”

While Patricia King quotes scripture and speaks on the subject we find that a hermetisist would also use the Bible in order to describe the same issues.

The third and last Book of Magick, or Occult Philosophy; written by Henry Cornelius Agrippa.

[p56] “if at any time it shall obtain its proper nature, and being no way oppressed by the allurements of the senses, shall persevere both uncorrupted and like it self; but now for example, that the souls abound with so plentifull Light of the Celestiall Stars, and hence, a very great abundance of light redoundeth into their bodies; so Moses face did shine, that the children of Israel could not behold him by reason of the brightness of his countenance; thus Socrates was transfigured, as we read, that in light he overcame the luciferous wheels of the Sun; So Zoroastes [Zoroaster] being transfigured, his body was taken up. So Eliah and Enoch ascended to heaven in a certain fiery chariot, so Paul was rapt up into the third heaven: So our bodies after the judgement of the world, shall be called Glorified, and in like manner be rapt up, and we may say by this means, shall shine as the Sun and Moon; which thing that it is possible, and hath formerly been done, Avicebron the Moore, and Avicen the Arabian and Hippocrates of Cous, and all the school of the Chaldeans [Chaldaeans] do acknowledge and confirm:”

[p94] “But our intellect being included in the corruptible flesh, unless it shall exceed the way of the flesh, and obtain a proper nature, cannot be united to these vertues (for like to like) and is in searching into these occult secrets of God, and nature, altogether efficacious; for it is no easy thing for us to ascend to the heavens. For how shall he that hath lost himself in mortal dust, and ashes, find God? How shall he apprehend spiritual things that is swallowed up in flesh and blood? Can man see God, and live? What fruit shall a grain of corn bear if it be not first dead? For we must dye [die], I say dye to the world, and to the flesh, and all senses, and to the whole man animal, who would enter into these closets of secrets, not because the body is separated from the soul, but because the soul leaves the body: of which death Paul wrote to the Collossians [Colossians]: Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ: And elsswhere he speaks more clearly of himself. I know a man, whether in the body, or out of the body I cannot tell, God knows, caught up unto the third heaven, &c. I say by this death, pretious [precious] in the sight of God, we must dye [die], which happens to few, and perhaps not alwaies. For very few whom God loves, and are vertuous [virtuous], are made so happy. And first those that are born, not of flesh and blood, but of God. Secondly those that are dignified to it by the blessing of nature, and the heavens at their birth.”

[11] The CANADIAN THEOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION explains the Third Heaven:

“Being in the trance condition, or in Christ, as he calls it, he was caught up to the third heaven, and could not determine whether he was in the body or out of the body. Here he identifies his Christ with a condition of being, and that condition with the abnormal phenomena known to some of us who have studied Modern Spiritualism. This is the Gnostic Christ, not the Christ of any special historic personality, who is supposed to have manifested only once upon a time, and once for all. The Christ of the Gnosis, of Philo and of Paul preceded Christianity, and is sure to supersede it, because it is based upon facts known in nature and verifiable to-day. It was those who were entirely ignorant of those subtle and obscure facts, unfolded in the Mysteries, who became Christians in the modern sense, and believed, because they were blind. Paul was both a Seer and a Knower. He became one of the public demonstrators of the facts, just like any itinerant medium of our time.”

This is no different from what Patricia King is promoting, acording to a woman nicknamed Rahab, one of Patricia King’s disciples, she would have no problems with Gnostic/theosophical teachings, [12]

“I have walked for most of my Christian life without “seeing” and being surrounded by people who do. My daughter is a seer. That is really hard to deal with as a parent, having a child that walks in a spiritual reality that you do not. I have learned more about the ways of God from my child when she was 5 than I ever thought possible.”

What About Todd Bentley?



Even Patricia King would have no problems with the Gnostic/theosophical teachings on the Third Heaven.

[13]� Pastor Bill Randles states “Patricia King the host spoke for many when she proclaimed Todd as an “awesome man of power who is a Seer’. She also announced that Todd has brought “a million people into the Kingdom of God in the last eight years”. Todd was guest on the show with his mentor, another great prophet - Bob Jones. His resume was equally impressive- King described Him as “a champion of the Seer realm”, and “one of the most accurate of prophets of our generation”, and she thanked him for being a “father of the faith”, as well as a seer-prophet.”

Back to the Third Heaven.

[14]� Acording to Gnostic Notes Blog, New Age Gnostic Leland R. Kaiser, Ph.D states.

“Gnosticism is based on a very simple premise – all things issue from the same Source and are therefore are interconnected from their point of origin. Therefore, you can start with anything and trace it back to everything. This means everything exists at both a surface level and at a depth level. So you can understand anything at various levels of penetration. If you are happy at the surface level, that is where you should stay. If you want to dive into levels of greater depth, you will be involved in the pursuit of Gnosis. If you continue in this endeavor - you will eventually become a Gnostic.

At the surface level you can simply accept that Jesus was aware of things going on in distant places. At a depth level, you can learn the art and science of remote viewing. At a surface level, you read about John being caught up in the third heaven. At a depth level you can learn to become conscious in the fourth dimension.

So, Gnosis is not essential for your salvation. It is for your edification. You can read in the Bible about the apostles going about healing and teaching or you gain the Gnostic insights that enable you to become a spiritual healer and teacher.”

Patricia King on “Impressions in the Imagination”

[15]� “We, at Extreme Prophetic, teach that the most common ways for believers and prophets to hear from God is through “God thoughts” (in the mind) or through “God pictures” (impressions in the imagination).”

“Our instruction involves making people alert to how the Lord is speaking to them and how He can communicate revelation to them. Our instruction involves the cleansing and sanctification of the mind and imagination so it is set apart for God to use. We teach students how to grow in their ability to hear from the Holy Spirit in these ways by submitting their minds to the reading of the scriptures and to strengthen the sanctification process of the imagination by submitting it to the visions in the scriptures.”

This is what is known as “Sanctified Imagination” or “The technique of visualisation.” This is dangerous, it is one way that the occult has come into the churches. Patricia King and her team advise people to ‘picture the scene’ as if you were present and could actually see it.

Pat Franklin writes, [16]� “Another terrible error in the Anglican prayer book was in a section on ‘Bible Reading’. Even here, urging people to read the Bible, they managed to get it dangerously wrong. The book advises people to ‘picture the scene’ as if you were present and could actually see it. This is the technique of visualisation. It is an occult technique, and it is spiritually dangerous. It is one way the occult has come into the church, by people ‘visualising’. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us to visualise anything. Faith comes by hearing, not by visualising. Witch doctors visualise when they cast their occult spells. It is an open door to demonic activity. Some today call it using your ’sanctified imagination’, but they are wrong. They are playing with fire and they will probably get burnt.”

[17]� Alison Lentini who was involved in Wicca and neo-paganism, before coming to know Christ, explains:

“Perhaps the definitive example of Lewis’s ability to submit his lively enthusiasm for the mythology of classical humanism to his orthodox Christian faith is found in the luminous account of the creation of Narnia, when the wild, deep voice of the Lion summons into being all manner of mythical creature–”Fauns and Satyrs and Dwarfs. the river god with his Naiad daughters”–and all reply: “Hail, Aslan. We hear and obey.”34

The freedom with which Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, and G. K. Chesterton baptized myth and magic in works of Christ-centered, “sanctified imagination” may appear unwise and even shocking to Christian readers in today’s syncretistic climate. Nonetheless, that freedom was directly proportional to the strength of their commitment to an orthodox Christian worldview and their passion for the preeminence of Christ, the Everlasting Man who was God’s answer to both demons and philosophers.35 Without such a severely limiting framework, “the old religion” of natural magic follows a predictable expansion and devolution into darker and more unnatural forms……..”

‘Sanctified Imagination’ and the New Age.

[18]� In an article entitled Education in the New Age, published in the February, 1978, issue of the New Age journal, Jack Canfield states, “If you’re teaching in public school, don’t call it meditation, call it ‘centering.’ ”

This is no different from what Patricia King is promoting.

“Are we to gather that parents just wouldn’t understand were these techniques called by their real names? Are these people afraid that parents wouldn’t approve were they to know the truth?

Parents need to understand that guided imagery and guided fantasy use techniques that place children in altered states of consciousness and amount to psychotherapy and psycho hypnosis in the classroom, by teachers neither trained nor licensed to use these powerful psychological tools, begging the question of medical malpractice. Recently, an Eastern Washington elementary teacher took his class through a guided fantasy outlined in a teacher’s guide while his students were lying on the floor in a darkened classroom. He became concerned when he had difficulty bringing one of his students back to full consciousness. Other children have had involuntary flashbacks while in a conscious state. The result of improper use of these techniques can be very detrimental to children. Psychotherapists are medically trained and licensed to use these procedures, teachers are not. Parents also need to know that children in altered states of consciousness are very open to suggestion.

Other terms used relative to these techniques that parents should be aware of are alpha state, altered state of consciousness, dream wanderings, intuitive thinking, imagery, meditation, right brain tapping, sanctified imagination, creative imagery, concentrating our energies, relaxation exercises, contacting one’s higher self, self-esteem, psycho physiological exercise, and guardian spirits.

By whatever name they are called, these techniques are part of a theology (religion) known as New Age. The underlying premise of New Age theology has been recognized by the courts as a religion, making any use of the techniques and theology relevant thereto illegal in the classroom in accordance with Article IX, Section 4, of the Washington State Constitution.”

To Summarise Patricia King’s teachings and practices are no different to the teachings and practices of occultism. Patricia King justifies this by hiding these practices behind christology, this is what we call syncrotism, Patricia King is trying to Christianize Occultic, Alchemic and New Age practices. What do the scriptures teach us about this,

“There shall not be found among you any one … that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord…” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)

Patricia King and her teachings are to be kept well away from.
Article by Miguel Hayworth

Linknotes:
http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/magic/Agrippa3.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coming_Race
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection
http://www.psychics.co.uk/astraltravel/
http://www.astralrealms.com/
http://rahabsplace.wordpress.com/2007/08/02/patricia-king-and-extreme-prophetic/
http://www.believersingrace.com/toddbentleysimonmagus.html
http://gnosticnotes.blogspot.com/2007/09/gnostic-means-depth.html
http://www.thefreepressonline.co.uk/news/1/517.htm
http://www.scp-inc.org/publications/journals/J2304/PotterArticle.php
http://www.learn-usa.com/education_transformation/er029.htm

Gold Dust

Angel Orbs

Counterfeit Revival Before The Lord Return!

The Coming Counterfeit Revival - by Olan Strickland

Introduction
The Bible tells us of a coming counterfeit revival before the return of the Lord that will be both of such magnitude as to deceive the whole world and of such persuasion as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. This counterfeit revival will be a judgment of God on those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. God has not hidden the truth that there is coming a counterfeit revival – He has warned us of its coming – and it is every person’s responsibility to know what God has said in the Bible on this subject. It is to this end that we examine the Scriptures to see whether these things are so. This coming counterfeit revival is prophesied, classified and clarified in the Bible. Therefore take heed that the thing spoken of will not come upon you.

1.The Coming Counterfeit Revival is Prophesied
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The Bible doesn’t hide the fact that the last days will be days of great deception. We are told of an increase in false prophets, false Christs, deceiving spirits, and doctrines of demons. The outcome will be a counterfeit revival and this too is prophesied in the Bible. “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).
The apostasy the Bible is talking about is the counterfeit revival. The apostasy is a turning away from the truth and turning to lies disguised as the truth. The last days will seem like days of great revival with multitudes holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power.
This apostasy, this departure from the true gospel, will culminate in a counterfeit revival to the extent that it will appear to be a turning to truth instead of a departure from truth. And because men are prone to judge by appearance rather than make a righteous judgment, pragmatism (if it gets results it must be true) will rule the day and many will turn to lies disguised as truth and believe this to be revival.
The apostasy that must come first before the Lord comes and we are gathered together to Him is tied in the Bible to the man of lawlessness – the antichrist. This apostasy, this counterfeit revival, will result in the manifestation of the man of lawlessness, the counterfeit Christ. Many fancy that they would never be deceived by the antichrist but the Bible prophesies that many will be deceived and that many of those believe themselves to be true Christians when they are in fact counterfeit Christians.
For there to be a counterfeit revival presupposes that there will be a counterfeit gospel and counterfeit preachers and counterfeit Christians and a counterfeit Christ; all of which the Bible clearly and unmistakably prophesies. We are told of another Jesus, a different spirit, a different gospel, and false apostles disguising themselves as apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3-15). This being true, we would be wise to heed the admonition of the Scripture and “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed…ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4). “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
The Bible’s prophecy of the coming counterfeit revival is so strong that we read these words: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance” (Matthew 24:24-25). “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). This is the apostasy; this is the coming counterfeit revival that is prophesied.

2.The Coming Counterfeit Revival is Classified
Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43

The coming counterfeit revival is not only prophesied, it is also classified. In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the elements of the counterfeit revival are classified. These elements are there but they are not understood by all because of their classification. Jesus said, “To you (you who have received the truth) it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (those who have rejected the truth) it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:11-13). These truths are classified for the purpose of judgment.
First we notice that there is a contrast between two sowers and two seeds. One sower sows good seed. This is the Son of Man and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom. The Son of Man sows the true gospel, good seed, and it produces true Christians, sons of the kingdom. The other sower sows tares (weeds that look like wheat). This is the devil and the weed seeds are the sons of the evil one. The devil sows bad seed, weed seeds, a false and degenerate gospel, and it produces children of the devil – counterfeit Christians. So there we have the problem – a counterfeit gospel and a counterfeit preacher – and its product – counterfeit Christians – children of the evil one who believe that they are children of God. Don’t forget that these truths are classified for the purpose of judgment. Men and women who want nothing to do with the glorious God of the Bible but instead want to believe in a God after their own making will believe in the devil’s alternative and counterfeit and will be judged and condemned.
Next we notice the classification of the procedure of the coming counterfeit revival. “Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:30).
This procedure of gathering up the tares and binding them in bundles – first – speaks of the apostasy; the coming counterfeit revival. Before the wheat (sons of the kingdom) is gathered into the barn, the tares (sons of the evil one) are gathered up in bundles. Before the rapture – the gathering of the wheat into the barn – the apostasy must come first – gathering and bundling of the tares.
The coming counterfeit revival is prophesied in God’s Word and the problem – a counterfeit gospel and counterfeit preachers; the product – counterfeit Christians; and the procedure – counterfeit revival – are classified in God’s Word.

3.The Coming Counterfeit Revival is Clarified
The coming counterfeit revival is not only prophesied and classified; it is also clarified in God’s Word. The elements of the counterfeit revival are clarified in God’s Word. The problem – a counterfeit gospel and counterfeit preachers; the product – counterfeit Christians; the procedure – counterfeit revival; and the purpose – the righteous judgment of God are all clearly addressed in the Bible.
First, the problem of the counterfeit revival is clarified all throughout Scripture. The root of the problem is Satan who disguises himself as an angel of light and produces both a counterfeit gospel and counterfeit preachers to preach it.
In producing a counterfeit revival, Satan offers Jesus but he offers another Jesus, not the Jesus of the Bible – “For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached…” (2 Corinthians 11:4). Many are willing to accept the Jesus that Satan offers but are unwilling to accept the Jesus that God offers. Satan offers a Jesus that will be your Savior and allow you to be your own Lord. Satan offers a Jesus that will allow you to be saved and hold on to your love of self, love of money, and love of pleasure. Satan offers a Jesus that exists for your happiness. Satan offers a counterfeit Jesus who appeals to many, many people because they want to keep their sin and still be saved – and Satan’s Jesus will allow you to do just that.
In producing a counterfeit revival, Satan offers a different spirit, not the Holy Spirit of the Bible – “or you receive a different spirit” (2 Corinthians 11:4). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth so Satan’s counterfeit will seem to be the Spirit of Truth but instead will actually be the spirit of error. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world…They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:1, 5-6). Satan’s counterfeits will use worldly wisdom but not the wisdom of the Word. This spirit quotes verses and preaches Scripture but out of context and with improper interpretation and application – all of which sounds like and appears to be biblical but is actually lies disguised as truth.
In producing a counterfeit revival, Satan offers a different gospel, not the gospel of the Bible – “For if one comes and preaches…a different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:4). In the coming counterfeit revival a false gospel of philosophical humanism will be embraced as the true gospel. This false gospel which in essence will declare the worth and value of man, will focus on man’s happiness and not his holiness. The fundamentals of the gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus) will be used to declare to men and women how special they are instead of declaring how special the Lord is for dying for the ungodly. God’s love will be used to glorify man instead of its glorifying Him and His goodness and greatness. The grace of God will then have been turned into licentiousness. The glory of God in the face of Christ will be veiled to the minds of unbelievers because this false gospel will reveal man’s glory and not the Lord’s glory. Many will not realize that the true gospel is God-centered and not man-centered. Many will not realize that the true gospel reveals God’s glory and thereby reveals and magnifies man’s depravity – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Satan’s counterfeit gospel is the wide-gate that leads to destruction.
With a counterfeit Jesus and a counterfeit Holy Spirit and a counterfeit gospel, all Satan needs is counterfeit preachers. In producing a counterfeit revival, Satan offers counterfeit preachers – “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). This is why the Bible is replete with warnings of false prophets and false teachers. In these last days there are more false prophets and false teachers than there are true ones. God said through Amos, “Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, but they will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12). Many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).
There’s the problem of the counterfeit revival – another Jesus, a different spirit, a different gospel, and false prophets and teachers to spread these destructive heresies. But there is also the productof the counterfeit revival – counterfeit Christians. These are the tares among the wheat, the children of the devil among the children of God. The entire book of 1 John; the book that was written so that we may know for sure that we have eternal life; was written as a contrast between the children of God and the children of the devil. The product of the counterfeit revival, counterfeit Christians, are expressly mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. There they are characterized as lovers of self, lovers of money and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. These are church members of the last days that make ministry difficult. These are people who claim to be saved and converted and yet they are still lovers of self, money, and pleasure rather than lovers of God. These counterfeit Christians have bought into the counterfeit gospel that is man-centered instead of God-centered.
According to 2 Timothy 4:3-4, these counterfeit Christians will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away (apostasize) their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. You can clearly see that in the last days these will control the churches and bring in their men – men who will tickle their ears. Counterfeit Christians are the product of a counterfeit revival which will bring about the apostasy that must come first, before the coming of the Lord.
The Bible not only clarifies the problem and the product of the counterfeit revival, it also clarifies the procedure of the counterfeit revival. The counterfeit revival, the apostasy, must come first, before we are gathered together to the Lord – “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him…Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed” (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3). This is the same truth that Jesus taught in the parable of the tares – “Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:30). The procedure of gathering up the tares and binding them into bundles speaks of the apostasy, the counterfeit revival that precedes the Lord’s return and the rapture. How is this procedure accomplished? How are the tares, the counterfeit Christians gathered up and bundled up? The answer is simple: through false prophets and false teachers and ultimately through the false Christ – the Antichrist! This will be the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10). That’s the procedure of the counterfeit revival.
We have seen the problem, the product and the procedure of the counterfeit revival and that brings us to a very important theological question: What is the purpose of the counterfeit revival?
The counterfeit revival is a just and judicial judgment of God on all who will not believe the truth but takes pleasure in wickedness – “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). This is the same truth expressed by Jesus when He gave His purpose for speaking in parables – “To you (who have received the truth) it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (who have rejected the truth) it has not been granted” (Matthew 13:11).
People who would dare fashion Christ into their own liking and not receive the truth revealed about Him in the Scriptures are sure to fall for Satan’s counterfeit and be judged by God. And rightly so – they have rejected God’s truth about Jesus and themselves and have in essence called God a liar. By examining the coming counterfeit revival we actually get to glimpse the wisdom and glory of God who is not mocked. There is coming a great divide between the true church and the counterfeit church and it will happen when the counterfeit revival gathers up and bundles up the counterfeit Christians – and millions will think it is a real revival! And then – the rapture! God will have used the devil to clean up His church and Jesus will come and get His bride in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; and she will be holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27). What a mighty God we serve!
Have you understood and received the love of the truth that Jesus the sinless died for you the sinner in order that he might sanctify you and that you might love Him as your supreme treasure? The gospel tells us how worthy He is and how unworthy we are – and yet He died for us while we were yet sinners! Has that truth revealed to you His glory and broken your heart over your wretchedness to the point that you are willing to see yourself as dead with Christ on the cross and buried with Christ in the tomb so that you can be raised up to walk in newness of life under His Lordship – with Him taking control of you and living His life through you to the glory of God? Can you honestly say, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20)? Receive the Jesus of the Bible and love Him – not the one that Satan offers and is after your own making and liking. Therefore take heed that the thing spoken of in the Bible will not come upon you!

See also:

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation

A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL IN FLORIDA? - Andrew Strom

TODD BENTLEY & THE LAKELAND OUTPOURING -

A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL IN FLORIDA? -Andrew Strom.

Four Articles from April & May 2008 by Andrew Strom,
who spent 11 years in the same Prophetic movement as Todd Bentley
-Ie. Warnings from an "Insider".

False spirits invade the church

SHOCKING DOCUMENTARY 2

SHOCKING DOCUMENTARY 3

Many of you will have already heard about the "Healing Revival" that has purportedly broken out in Lakeland, Florida. Today Charisma Magazine put out a piece on it entitled 'A Holy Ghost Outbreak in Florida' - "...Charismatics are flocking to the sleepy town of Lakeland, Fla. to attend evangelist Todd Bentley?s unconventional revival services." Is Charisma preparing to hype this one to the skies like they did with Toronto and Rodney Howard- Browne? It seems perhaps they are.

But why am I opposed to this 'Healing Revival' so soon after it has been announced? -It is because I already know Todd Bentley's ministry all too well, and this whole thing centers around him.

Todd Bentley actually has deep roots in the Prophetic movement, and he is one of the very few ministers that I have ever felt I had to publicly warn people about by name. -His ministry is that bad. False "angel" encounters of the weirdest kind, gold dust, guided visualizations of the "Third Heaven" that are straight out of the New Age, etc. And yet there is a "power" with it that makes it all the more dangerous.

Here is how Charisma describes his Florida meetings- "His methods are far from polished. When he prayed for people in Lakeland, he usually began by laying his hand on their heads and then yelling, "Bam!" Often the people fell backward to the floor. After one elderly woman fell, Bentley told the audience: "She doesn?t know why she fell down." The woman then laughed and said to him in the microphone: "Because you pushed me!" He prayed for her three more times that night, and she said she could hear better...

During the past three weeks people have testified of being healed from heart conditions, skin rashes and back problems, and many said scars disappeared...

Many charismatics are wondering if the protracted meetings will become a phenomenon similar to what happened in Rodney Howard-Browne's meetings in Lakeland in 1993, at the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church in Canada in 1994 and at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola in 1995..." [END QUOTE]

Sadly, the Charismatic movement is in such a sick state today that it would not surprise me at all if this happens. (-I say this as a strong Spirit-filled, tongues-speaking believer myself. I am by no means opposed to genuine miracles). Have we completely forgotten the warnings of "Lying signs and wonders" in the Last Days?

Below is a testimony by Lynn Clark who is a Moderator at our website 'RevivalSchool.com'. This is what she wrote about her involvement with Todd Bentley's ministry:

"I decided to check out Patricia King and Todd Bentley and, ignorant of their 'third heaven' guided visualizations, attended a five day conference of Patricia King and then two of Todd Bentley's conferences and began to imagine third heaven visitations - guided visualization - still not realizing that these are actually spirits of darkness - the New Age calls them spirit guides - demons is what they are. And so I bought Todd Bentley's teaching on third heaven visitations and brought it home to listen to.

"I was in my living room laying on the floor listening to the teaching on how to visualize the third heaven and what to say and was getting caught up into his teaching and all of a sudden I began to shake uncontrollably and jerk and groan, and no sooner had this taken place I became frozen stiff - I could not move any part of my body and I knew this was a demon trying to take hold of me, and so with all the effort I could muster I cried out, "God save me - Jesus help me" - and as soon as I cried out to the Lord my body went limp. God spared me that night and I will be forever grateful.

"I spent much of the night in tears asking God to forgive me - and renouncing all the hands layed on me and all the awful deception I had opened myself up to..." [END QUOTE]

ANDREW AGAIN: I myself have heard the tapes of Todd Bentley's "Third Heaven Visualization" teachings, and I want to tell you - they are straight out of the New Age handbook. -Terrible stuff. And yet so widely accepted by thousands of Christians today.

Do these kinds of practices (above) produce a genuine 'Healing Revival'? -These are the kinds of questions that we need to be asking Charisma Magazine. I leave it for you to decide.

________________________________

"ANGELS" & the FLORIDA HEALING REVIVAL

I continue to get emails about my last article - "A FALSE HEALING REVIVAL?" Some people strongly agree, while others are totally outraged that I would question the healings or other manifestations that are occurring.

Personally I am deeply saddened that I even have to put out these warnings. I get no pleasure out of it. In fact I hate having to talk about this stuff. But what happens if something is seriously amiss and yet no warnings are given? Is it right to be silent in such a case? What about the precious sheep? Shouldn't they be warned?

What a lot of people may not realize is that the leader of the revival Todd Bentley has a long history in the "Laughing/ Drunkenness" movement - but also is a leading proponent of strange "Angel" encounters (and I do mean 'strange'). Todd has openly promoted these encounters for years - in fact he is well-known for leading others into contact with these 'angels' too. This has been a big part of his ministry for a very long time. And it is really no different now.

Here are a couple of extracts from Todd's 2003 article 'Angelic Hosts':

"So when I need a financial breakthrough I don't just pray and ask God for my financial breakthrough. I go into intercession and become a partner with the angels by petitioning the Father for the angels that are assigned to getting me money: "Father, give me the angels in heaven right now that are assigned to get me money and wealth. And let those angels be released on my behalf. Let them go into the four corners of the earth and gather me money."

Todd continues...
"EMMA, ANGEL Of The PROPHETIC
Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in 1980: "Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?" He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, "Bob, who is Emma?" He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma, I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota.

"In the middle of the service I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma. As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, "Here's Emma." I'm not kidding. She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful and young - about 22 years old - but she was old at the same time. She seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life. She glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people... Within three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands of dollars! Thousands!... During this visitation the pastor's wife (it was an AOG church) got totally whacked by the Holy Ghost - she began running around barking like a dog or squawking like a chicken as a powerful prophetic spirit came on her. Also, as this prophetic anointing came on her, she started getting phone numbers of complete strangers and calling them up on the telephone and prophesying over them... Then angels started showing up in the church." [END QUOTE]

More recently, Todd stated that in one of his "Third Heaven" trips he literally visited the small cabin where the apostle Paul lives in Heaven. Paul told him that he wrote the book of Hebrews with the personal help of Abraham the Patriarch: ?The authorship isn?t clear because it was Abraham and I; Abraham shared the content with me.? Todd's 'Third Heaven' tales are full of such astonishing claims - and of course, more angels. (See 'A Face To Face Encounter - Part 2 of 2' - By Todd Bentley).

Lest anyone think that Todd may have changed his ways in recent times, you should know that he is constantly mentioning his 'angels' in the current Florida meetings also. For instance, watch from about the 6-minute mark of the following video clip-

In this video, Todd speaks of the angel that is going to "visit the children" and then he begins more and more to jerk and laugh uncontrollably. He prays that a 'drunken glory' will move across the whole place - and you can see it happen in the audience.

This is all the same kind of stuff that Todd has been involved in for years. There is nothing new in it. In fact, both Todd and Bob Jones credit an angel that carries the "Winds of Change" for the current healing revival - an angel that they say is still driving it. As one young preacher commented who has been following the Florida meetings closely, Todd seems to talk about his "healing angel" even more than he talks about Jesus. Yes - exactly!

We are warned explicitly in Scripture that the devil "transforms himself into an angel of light", and that in the Last Days will come 'Lying signs and wonders' that will "deceive if possible the very elect." Do we really believe that the devil is unable to perform miracles? Have we forgotten what the Bible clearly says?

Some make the point that Todd obviously had a strong healing gift right from the start of his ministry - so some of the healings in Florida may be genuinely from God. Yes - I agree that this is possible - even likely. But how can we trust anything at all coming from this source if it has become so tainted with all this pollution? Do we want such a man laying hands on us and imparting "anointings" or spirits into us?

I read a report from the UK yesterday that an English preacher has brought Todd's anointing back from Florida and now it is manifesting in his UK meetings: "Fire, a burning sensation, was felt all over people?s bodies... There were outbursts of joy, drunkenness and spontaneous healings throughout the meeting."

Other reports from the USA now speak of pastors having hands layed on them to receive the "Florida anointing".

The Elijah List claims that on New Year's Eve, for 2008, God told Bob Jones that "the third wave was coming." Todd asked Bob what the third wave was. He said that, "Toronto was wave #1, Pensacola was wave #2, and the third wave is the "Winds of Change" -- this move of God. This move will be a global move, traveling with signs and wonders all over the world! The third wave is here!"

The Florida meetings have now moved into an 8000-seat auditorium. This "anointing" is spreading across the globe. Can you see why I have cause for alarm, my friends?

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MOST "CONTAGIOUS" ANOINTING

Todd Bentley has declared that his Florida anointing is the most "contagious" that he has ever imparted to people. (In other words, the most easily transferable). And indeed this seems to be the case. It is spreading rapidly throughout the world.

But what exactly is this anointing? One observer of the Florida revival notes: "Todd Bentley constantly manifests his "anointing" by shaking his head back and forth, and by his body physically shaking. These manifestations also happen frequently in those who he imparts to. He will even wave his arms over the audience, shouting, "Fire! Fire! Fire!" and then people in the audience will start manifesting. Some appear to be convulsing, and some even as if they are being thrashed by a spirit."

In a CBN News interview, Todd stated: "Our focus here in Florida every night is I lay hands on every single person who comes - whether it's 5,000, 10,000 - And I'm praying every night, 'God, give it away, give it away, give it away.' And that's the focus here: Impartation."

And indeed there are more and more reports of this anointing being transmitted from Florida to other states and nations across the globe.

As we have already seen, a report from England tells of a preacher who brought Todd's anointing back from Florida and now it is manifesting in his UK meetings: "Fire, a burning sensation, was felt all over people's bodies... There were outbursts of joy, drunken- ness and spontaneous healings throughout the meeting."

A man from Clearwater, Florida says that a number of people from his fellowship have attended the revival and then brought the 'anointing' back with them. Here is what he personally saw:

"These are the effects that I have witnessed on people who have attended this movement and either have had hands laid on them or claim to have been imparted with "the spirit":

-They come back with this kind of childlike drunken stupor.


-Descriptions of a burning sensation either in their veins, heads or stomachs.


-Descriptions of being washed back and forth like the waves in the ocean;


-Dancing about like drunk...


-Inappropriate yelling and screaming like they're at a football game;


-Young men whistling over and over and holding their heads and claiming that they "feel the Holy Spirit about to split them in two";

-One young man's back two teeth turned completely to some metallic finish.


-People with their eyes rolled in the back of their heads and weaving around like they're lost.


-Women just gyrating and pulsating like they're being ravaged from behind from some unseen force.


-Drunken uncontrollable laughter in the middle of a solemn prayer time


-People being "slain in the spirit"... just falling down and being unable to move (like something's holding them down)..."

Another eyewitness from the USA writes:

"A friend of mine invited me to a church where the ministry team brought back a "Fire" from the Lakeland revival? The pastor's wife was moderating, but she could not complete her sentences because she was 'drunk in the Spirit.' She imitated the type of sounds I read in your blog. I saw people breaking out into uncontrollable laughter. I came with my Bible to receive a word? There was no teaching or preaching. Just testimonies. They talked about their experience in Lakeland... Where was the word? I did not find any. I also heard a sound BAM and then I saw someone being slain in the spirit."

A Spirit-filled pastor that I know from the UK who has been following Todd Bentley's ministry closely for some years wrote to me about what he himself has observed since the year 2000:

"My difficulty with Todd Bentley's ministry is not whether he has recently covered himself with tattoos or pierced himself silly, but the SOURCE of his power. He keeps changing his position on this. Sometimes he says it's the Holy Spirit and a lot of the time it's his angels.

"Many have said that they believe that Florida is a 'mixture'. Personally, I do not believe 'mixture' is involved. I believe these deceiving spirits have hi-jacked Todd's ministry? Either the healings are of God or they are not. Which is it?

"People can be healed in spiritualist churches. I have witnessed, close-up, first hand, people being instantly healed by mediums and faith healers. I have also seen people healed by the power of the Holy Spirit. To begin with there is no discernible difference. However the counterfeit healings soon begin to either go wrong or something far worse comes upon the person.

"When God heals someone - He adds 'no sorrow.'

"I know Todd started off OK - I was there in his early meetings? In September 2000 I stood in front of Todd and gave him the warning that God gave me for him. "Beware, the leaven of the Pharisees, lest an angelic leaven enters your ministry."

"One month later, according to Todd's own account, at a meeting in Grants Pass Oregon, Cal Pierce walked in with Branham's 'Healing Revival' angel in tow, Todd saw and accepted this spirit without reservation. His 'angels' have been with him ever since.

"I have written to Todd on numerous occasions and reminded him of God's warning, alas to no avail.

"When Todd Bentley conducted a healing meeting in a large charismatic church here in England in 2005, he laid hands on many people who were apparently healed. I know of at least one instance where a pastor's wife with cancer was prayed for by Todd. Soon afterwards she heard voices in her head telling her to 'drown herself just like her father did'. The poor woman ended up in a mental hospital, I believe she still has the cancer.

"No-one is following up or keeping records of what happens to people who have hands laid on them by Todd or others like him.

"I have kept records as far as I can, concerning this particular church. Over a relatively short period, there has been a dramatic increase in premature deaths, cancers, marriage break-ups, sickness and disease amongst the congregation where the leadership have allowed this type of ministry into their church. Many people left the church in fear.

"These are the consequences of following this type of 'ministry' which no-one is either aware of, or wants to address. I know, I have visited the people in hospital and attended one of the funerals." [END QUOTE]

Meanwhile we find a number of prominent leaders beginning to declare that this will be one of the greatest revival movements in history. Some even see it as the beginning of a "new awakening".

Bob Jones declared that "This move will be a global move, traveling with signs and wonders all over the world! The third wave is here!"

As this 'anointing' spreads worldwide, I believe there are some serious questions that we need to ask ourselves:

Isn't it possible, with all the dubious 'anointings' and angels and manifestations associated with Bentley's ministry, that what we are really seeing is a giant 'counterfeit' revival? Isn't it possible that if it continues to grow at the present rate, that it may literally become one of the great "delusions" of the Last Days - a great deception that has the power to actually deceive, if possible, the very elect?

These are very serious questions - but I believe they must be asked - because this 'anointing' is already beginning to circle the globe.

If you have been to a meeting where someone has brought the "fire" back from Florida, please write and tell me what you saw. I am collecting accounts from people about this.

Send any emails or feedback to- prophetic@revivalschool.com

______________________________

CHARISMA QUESTIONS AGAIN! - Lakeland Revival.

ANDREW STROM: Charisma Editor J. Lee Grady has waded into the Lakeland controversy again this week with another interesting article. He calls it, "An Appeal for Unity in a Divisive Season".

Near the start he makes quite an interesting point about the 'messiness' of Revivals: "Revival is messy. As much as we would love for it to come in a neat and orderly package, history teaches us that outbreaks of the Holy Spirit are often accompanied by holy chaos. There may be conversions and healings in one corner and demonic manifestations in the other. In seasons of revival you can have miracles and mayhem. Holiness and heresy can erupt simultaneously..."

My own comment is that - Yes - Revivals are often messy - but they are messy around the FRINGES - not at the very heart and center of what is happening. As many readers know, I have been studying Revival history for many years and I have a whole chapter on "Manifestations in Revivals" in my new book, 'True & False Revival'. But the fact is, if you have demonic deception right at the center of what is being preached or imparted, then you no longer just have a "messy" revival - you have a deadly counterfeit.

True Revivals always have pure preaching of Repentance, Holiness and the Cross at the center. They bring deep conviction and the Fear of the Lord. There may indeed be weird stuff going on around the fringes, but if it is allowed to take over then a true Revival is finished. (-I give examples of this in my book).

The problem in Lakeland has been that there has been a weird unbiblical 'anointing' at the very center right from the start. And it has been imparted to thousands of people. In fact, Todd Bentley has said that the whole thing is "about impartation" - and they lay hands on everyone. The "angels" factor has also been at the very center from the beginning. Angels are said to be heading up the whole movement - doing the healings, speaking to the leaders, etc. They are not a "side issue". Todd Bentley's angels are at the heart of everything. And if you look at all his past experiences with so-called 'angels', you truly have to doubt the source of a lot of this "power". Did Emma and the "financial" angels sound right to you? If they are "off" then most likely Todd is dealing with false angels all the time.

As I said, we are not dealing with a movement that has problems around the "fringes" here. The problems are right at the heart - ie. they involve the central things that are being preached and imparted to people from the front. And it has been that way from the start - which is what makes this crucially different from a real Revival. I hope, Lee, that you can see what an important distinction this is?

Let me quote the whole end section of Lee Grady's article before commenting further:
J. LEE GRADY:

"In recent days, people who were touched in Lakeland have started similar meetings in Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, N.C. and other cities. Bentley and his colleagues believe this is the beginning of a worldwide healing revival that will cover the globe.

"But not everyone in the charismatic/Pentecostal community is convinced. Some say this is the last end-time revival while others maintain it is a demonic counterfeit. Cult-watchers and anti-heresy bloggers post Bentley's comments on YouTube as evidence of a theological scandal. Revival advocates respond by posting documented evidence of healings. It all begins to resemble a childish competition.

"Still others worry that Lakeland represents a questionable mixture of truth and error. Since the initial eruption of the revival, my inbox has been full of messages from charismatic leaders who are concerned about weighty issues as well as trivial ones: Everything from Bentley's tattoos and body piercings to his claim that he once interviewed the apostle Paul in heaven.

"When I wrote an article in mid-May calling for scrutiny of some aspects of the Lakeland Revival, I was labeled a Pharisee and a 'religious policeman.' People who said they had been deeply impacted by the Holy Spirit in Lakeland used spiritual threats and harsh terms to tell me that I had become the enemy.

"I refuse to go on the defensive, and if I need to retract any statement I?ve ever made about this revival I will. But what these nasty exchanges have shown me is that a divisive spirit is certainly at work in our midst?and we need urgent prayer to short-circuit what the devil wants to do.

"When the early church was hit with the issue of Jewish legalism, Paul and Barnabas determined that the answer was to seek the counsel of 'the apostles and elders' in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2, NASB). The church was being divided because the legalists were insisting that gentiles be circumcised. But when the elders looked into the matter, the apostle James settled the dispute by issuing this wise ruling:

"Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood" (v. 19-20). In other words, James affirmed the gentiles' access to salvation and overturned the legalists' bad doctrine.

"Based on this biblical example, I am appealing to the elders in our movement. We need to hear from them in this hour. In a desperate moment we need older, seasoned veterans to release the counsel of the Lord.

"Today the charismatic movement has become fractured, and opposing camps have formed. On one side there are those in the apostolic camp who tend to emphasize biblical order, proper church government, spiritual warfare and the reformation of society. On the other side are those in the prophetic camp who focus on miracles, healing, mystical experiences and the reclaiming of all the supernatural manifestations of the New Testament.

"Both of these camps are contending for valid, biblical truths. We need the prophetic and the apostolic! We need miracles as much as we need healthy church growth and societal change. Yet if we do not have a holy intervention, we could bite and devour one another - and cancel out our collective impact.

"A biblical council must include the leaders of both of these camps. And leaders must address all of the difficult issues triggered by the Lakeland Revival. Those include:

"1. Biblical guidelines about angels. Some people in the prophetic camp speak of frequent visits to heaven, 'third heaven revelations,' and long conversations with angels who use names such as Emma, Promise and Winds of Change. Are these indeed spirits sent from God, or agents of false light?

"2. A proper theology of the dead. Some in the prophetic camp claim they have had conversations with dead Christians - including Paul the apostle. Is this within the bounds of Christian experience, or is it necromancy?

"3. Pastoral guidance about exotic spiritual manifestations. In some circles in our movement, unusual signs and wonders have been reported in church services -including the sudden appearance of gold dust, feathers, gemstones and oil. At the same time, worshipers are vibrating on the floor, jerking uncontrollably and acting intoxicated. How can we protect people from the abuse of manifestations, and from demonic influence, while at the same time leaving room for genuine encounters with God?

"4. Clear guidelines concerning the restoration of fallen ministers. The appearance of one prominent fallen evangelist, Paul Cain, at the Lakeland Revival in May unleashed strong reactions from many sectors of the church. Many people feel unprotected when they sense that church leaders have chosen not to enforce proper discipline for a minister?s unbiblical behavior. In this adulterous generation, how can we draw lines to protect congregations while at the same time offer healing and grace to a repentant preacher?

"These are some of the crucial questions we face as a movement. May we proceed with a fresh gift of discernment, while at the same time laying hold of all the blessings that revival will bring us." [END QUOTE - Source- www.charismamag.com/fireinmybones ]

ANDREW AGAIN: After reading those last four points, all I can do is shake my head. Surely, Lee, you can see that if any movement has traits like those four at the center, then it simply HAS to be a dangerous deception? I mean, look at those four things again. Each of them is so serious that they are a major issue in themselves. And yet this movement has all four right at the heart! How can it be anything other than a deadly counterfeit? Is this the kind of revival we want in the Last Days? Is this what we want spreading around the globe?

Your call for major leaders to come together and make a unified statement is admirable - except I have not come across any major leaders (apart from yourself) willing to actually warn of the dangers of this movement. And anyhow, where is the "middle ground" in this debate? I happen to believe this movement to be a deadly deception. Other leaders praise it as being a "great revival". How can there possibly be 'unity' between camps like that?

Brother, the fact is that I believe God is calling YOU YOURSELF to be a "voice" for wisdom, common sense and discernment in these days - and to be totally bold, unafraid and uncompromising about it. Don't go looking for a "committee". You have a voice in the Charismatic community. Speak out! It is impossible to please everyone. Dear brother - please don't straddle the fence. What if this turns out to be one of the great Last Days deceptions and you spent all your time trying to be "moderate" and balanced about it?

Speak boldly, let your voice be heard, make a clear trumpet sound.

The Charismatic community needs you now more than ever, my friend.

God bless you all.

Andrew Strom.

See also:

Who will left behind?

Rapture Alert! Make Sure You don't Left Behind

What Will You Do If You Are Left Behind?

After the Rapture

The Tribulation