Feb 22, 2010, 12:50
I notice that yet again, with seemingly Babel-like certainty, a "prosperity"-type preacher topples from a pedestal which is(allegedly) of his own making. This time, it is Benny Hinn who apparently is ready to fall from the air like a gnat in campfire blaze. It was not long ago that the similarly-styled Todd Bentley passed from our eyes, inappropriate dalliances reportedly being the final act of self-propulsion that resulted in the whole domino-pile going down.
The set-piece of lavish lifestyle, played out with enough biblicality to deceive the elect yet with the increased bizarreness of denial, is nothing new. Mercifully the reign of false prophets, despite all intents and beliefs to the otherwise whilst in the ascendant, would appear to be brought down with a resounding crash as cause and effect play out. God, it appears, will fulfil His promise of abandoning leaders to the quickly-reaped consequences if they abandon Him and abuse their own anointing.
Bentley pulled the wool of the sheep's clothing over many churches' eyes a couple of years ago, despite an approach that often might be perceived as haranguing and loveless: tales were rife of those who questioned the biblical nature of his utterances being ridiculed and who were then forcibly removed from proceedings, while the alarming "hands-on" nature of his "ministry" often manifested phenomena that were said to be in line with "signs and wonders" in Acts yet were the cause of hysteria and distress to the vulnerable. Interestingly enough, his approach was deemed to be so divergent from the Gospel, that he was dropped like the hottest cross bun in the shop from many a "God" media TV channel.
Many members of the church I was with(and many others in the UK), actually embraced his teaching and the "truth" of even his questionable beliefs...sadly, like all lies, wrapped up amidst a host of biblical truths. Alarmingly, even our pastor travelled to see Bentley, then came back and announced that without doubt "he is definitely of God." The church I was allied with and served under(Life Church Stroud, engendered by its parent church in Folkestone UK), by the way, soon was without its worship musicians: it soon merely ceased to be, despite its several years of apparent success. Now in Stroud, Gloucestershire, there is not one trace of its passing. Sic transit, as they say, gloria mundi.
Hinn's ministry has been vast, with much wealth and the appearance of wealth. Nothing wrong in that of course. Yet, again the accent was perhaps seen by many to be on "signs and wonders", what God can do for You, a wash of hysterical emotion that accompanied "healings"(many of which were reputedly staged). Yes, this could be perceived as largely hearsay...and the stock defence was based on the fact that such "Spirit-led"-ness divides itself from the flesh and alienates the world: true as a biblical truth, yet when one sat back and asked oneself just how much Love, how much Jesus, how much searching for Jesus as a personal saviour there was, this became eclipsed by the "manifestations" themselves.
Several features of Hinn's practice were glossed over...or did people choose not to see?... his visits, for instance, to the grave of Catherine Coulmann, to "receive anointing" from her bones(there are reports of this in online searches for those who wish to investigate), may be perceived by some of us of little less than necromancy or divination. I will not even begin to trawl through the many accusations that are out there that question the great man's adherance to biblical practice...for those who wish, there's a panoply of reports. Sift prayerfully.
Sadly, tragically..when one falls, another seems to rise in its place. There will be others...perhaps well-meaning and utterly convicted ones, who genuinely do begin from a position of obedience but who who become dazzled by the reflected light, believing it is of themselves. Yet again, there will also be the dodgy and outright demonic: the barking, the animal noises, the traumatised in the congregation, the wagging and flapping about when touched as something not of God is transmitted and believed in; there will also be the same "female apparitions" that have plagued mankind since Astarte and Minerva: remember the "Emma" female "angelic" apparition to members of a certain "miracle anointing" church in the U.S. of a couple of years ago? And the same lie to ascetic, "mystic" nuns of the 19th century that reputedly fool an entire world church and get included in movies of Jesus' life as "truth"? Check out the "inspiration" for all the famous Latin-spoken movie that is not bibical: you won't find it in the mind of the equally-famous producer, as it's lifted verbatim from the non-biblical personal "visions" of a flagellant nun. She's been canonised since, of course.
There are bibical truths that seem to be played out: "humble yourselves and you will be lifted up", and " God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble."
"Things" do not humble us; it is a point of honour for God that He allows us the choice to humble ourselves. Jesus humbled Himself...thus was raised up.
I take no pleasure in when people fall: it generally hurts the people around them to whom they are connected, misleads the faithful and gives a dog a worse name. Yet, pastors and leaders of international ministries and of the "corporate" variety, perhaps could take the time to really find out where they are in relation to Jesus...or else, as the bible goes, the "writing is on the wall".
The set-piece of lavish lifestyle, played out with enough biblicality to deceive the elect yet with the increased bizarreness of denial, is nothing new. Mercifully the reign of false prophets, despite all intents and beliefs to the otherwise whilst in the ascendant, would appear to be brought down with a resounding crash as cause and effect play out. God, it appears, will fulfil His promise of abandoning leaders to the quickly-reaped consequences if they abandon Him and abuse their own anointing.
Bentley pulled the wool of the sheep's clothing over many churches' eyes a couple of years ago, despite an approach that often might be perceived as haranguing and loveless: tales were rife of those who questioned the biblical nature of his utterances being ridiculed and who were then forcibly removed from proceedings, while the alarming "hands-on" nature of his "ministry" often manifested phenomena that were said to be in line with "signs and wonders" in Acts yet were the cause of hysteria and distress to the vulnerable. Interestingly enough, his approach was deemed to be so divergent from the Gospel, that he was dropped like the hottest cross bun in the shop from many a "God" media TV channel.
Many members of the church I was with(and many others in the UK), actually embraced his teaching and the "truth" of even his questionable beliefs...sadly, like all lies, wrapped up amidst a host of biblical truths. Alarmingly, even our pastor travelled to see Bentley, then came back and announced that without doubt "he is definitely of God." The church I was allied with and served under(Life Church Stroud, engendered by its parent church in Folkestone UK), by the way, soon was without its worship musicians: it soon merely ceased to be, despite its several years of apparent success. Now in Stroud, Gloucestershire, there is not one trace of its passing. Sic transit, as they say, gloria mundi.
Hinn's ministry has been vast, with much wealth and the appearance of wealth. Nothing wrong in that of course. Yet, again the accent was perhaps seen by many to be on "signs and wonders", what God can do for You, a wash of hysterical emotion that accompanied "healings"(many of which were reputedly staged). Yes, this could be perceived as largely hearsay...and the stock defence was based on the fact that such "Spirit-led"-ness divides itself from the flesh and alienates the world: true as a biblical truth, yet when one sat back and asked oneself just how much Love, how much Jesus, how much searching for Jesus as a personal saviour there was, this became eclipsed by the "manifestations" themselves.
Several features of Hinn's practice were glossed over...or did people choose not to see?... his visits, for instance, to the grave of Catherine Coulmann, to "receive anointing" from her bones(there are reports of this in online searches for those who wish to investigate), may be perceived by some of us of little less than necromancy or divination. I will not even begin to trawl through the many accusations that are out there that question the great man's adherance to biblical practice...for those who wish, there's a panoply of reports. Sift prayerfully.
Sadly, tragically..when one falls, another seems to rise in its place. There will be others...perhaps well-meaning and utterly convicted ones, who genuinely do begin from a position of obedience but who who become dazzled by the reflected light, believing it is of themselves. Yet again, there will also be the dodgy and outright demonic: the barking, the animal noises, the traumatised in the congregation, the wagging and flapping about when touched as something not of God is transmitted and believed in; there will also be the same "female apparitions" that have plagued mankind since Astarte and Minerva: remember the "Emma" female "angelic" apparition to members of a certain "miracle anointing" church in the U.S. of a couple of years ago? And the same lie to ascetic, "mystic" nuns of the 19th century that reputedly fool an entire world church and get included in movies of Jesus' life as "truth"? Check out the "inspiration" for all the famous Latin-spoken movie that is not bibical: you won't find it in the mind of the equally-famous producer, as it's lifted verbatim from the non-biblical personal "visions" of a flagellant nun. She's been canonised since, of course.
There are bibical truths that seem to be played out: "humble yourselves and you will be lifted up", and " God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble."
"Things" do not humble us; it is a point of honour for God that He allows us the choice to humble ourselves. Jesus humbled Himself...thus was raised up.
I take no pleasure in when people fall: it generally hurts the people around them to whom they are connected, misleads the faithful and gives a dog a worse name. Yet, pastors and leaders of international ministries and of the "corporate" variety, perhaps could take the time to really find out where they are in relation to Jesus...or else, as the bible goes, the "writing is on the wall".