On the Birthday of Ana Katharina Müller Moore: Is Down syndrome Healable?

Our daughter Ana Katharina Müller Moore was born to us 13 years ago today. Apart from my salvation, and my wife she has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. She was born with Down syndrome. I knew it right away. As soon as I saw her after she was born, I knew or at least suspected that she had Down syndrome. See, I had been around Down syndrome my whole life. My awesome cousin has Down syndrome, I volunteered at camps and the special Olympics in High school, and was in youth ministries that had teenagers with Down syndrome, and other handicaps. 

My suspicions were confirmed a few hours later. our doctor came into our room and confirmed that she had all the signs of Downs. Down syndrome is a Chromosomal abnormality in which each cell of a person’s body have three chromosomes on the 21st strand. The effects of Down syndrome are wide ranging. Most people with Trisomy 21 have smaller heads, flattened nose, larger tongue, slanted or walnut eyes, grow slower, and are mentally challenged, usually altogether smaller, have an average shorter lifespan, higher chance of heart problems, slow muscle growth, heart defects, higher chance of diabetes, and early onset Alzheimer’s. In Ana’s case she has beautiful speckled eyes that are also a sign of Downs. Ana was born and had immediate complications. She was in the hospital for eight days. She then was released to us and we took her home. She was an immediate joy to us, although we had to grieve the loss of the child we though that we were going to have (a typical baby). I spoke with my cousins often and they could sympathize with me, but they said very clearly that they could not be sad for us because their sister has been such a Joy and blessing to them. 

We also were able to meet with my Uncle and my Aunt and talked with tears about life and Joy in living with Downs. We are more incredibly blessed than we could have ever imagined at being so abruptly thrust into the world of disability and particularly Down syndrome. Ten months into Ana’s life we noticed a strange movement she was making. It looked like she was losing the ability to control her head. Our pediatrician immediately sent us to a neurologist. He thought she might be having seizures. Sure enough, she was having seizures. We immediately had an EEG (electroencephalogram) which measures the electrical impulses in the brain. They discovered that she was having seizures and actually had a seizure disorder called infantile spasms. We immediately began taking very heavy medication. We had to give her shots in her legs every day for six weeks. We then changed to another type of medication for a longer period of time. She has been seizure free, Praise the Lord, Since she was about two years old.

Despite being seizure free she has experienced serious delays in speech, development, and learning. We have since then, been very active in helping her development through therapies, surgeries, and all sorts of other medical treatments. We have it easy. We hear people’s stories in the disability community and think, “WOW! we have it so easy.” We received a diagnosis several years ago of Autism also. It was very interesting experience for me. I thought, “Oh wow, that explains a lot.” It was not devastating…It was more of a relief. “Oh, wow that’s what it is, that makes a lot of sense, and God will help us as he always has.” I cannot tell you how often the Lord walked with us through the “valley of the shadow of death.” In fact, I have learned only faith deepening, Jesus reliance, life lessons in the valley of the shadow of death. I have never learned anything of true faith significance in the “green pastures.” I am very thankful for the green pastures, but I cannot tell you how often I have felt Jesus’ rod and staff guide me through those dark nights of the soul through deep and dark valleys.

Early on in our lives with Ana I was asked often by well-meaning Christians if I had faith enough that Ana would be healed from Down syndrome. I even had a person offer me drugs that were developed by a faith healer. He claimed that the drugs helped people with Down syndrome and their appearance to look less and less like they had Down syndrome. Thankfully, God gave me the grace to answer those people without blowing up in a ball of rage like "anger" from the movie Inside out. I often felt like it. Then someone approached Simone after giving her testimony about Ana and gave her a CD of Bill Johnson’s teaching. I remember it very distinctly. He claimed that cancer and other diseases were directly from Satan. I dealt with that theme in a previous post here.

At that time nearly 12 years ago, I became aware of Bill Johnson and his teaching. I actually threw that teaching CD in the garbage at that time. It was where I believed such teaching belonged. Not only was it personally offensive, but biblically offensive. I put it in the only place that I had for such things in my office at the time, the garbage. As we continued in our life with our lovely, caring, beautiful Down syndrome, Autistic, blond hair, blue speckled eyed, precious bundle of action of a daughter, we have come to love and cherish the Down syndrome that God has so beautifully and wonderfully woven in her while she was in her mother’s womb.  As a result of writing my book Divergent Theology I have become more and more aware of the “Healing Theology” of Bill Johnson and Bethel Church in Redding CA. 

One recent video that has surfaced from Bill Johnson wherein he claims that Down syndrome will be healed in mother’s wombs. In the following video Johnson says the following about Down syndrome. Beginning at the 12-minute mark and continuing to the 13-minute mark. Johnson says,

“I can no longer be satisfied with things that are humanly possible. We do them we feed the poor, We collect the money for missions, we build the buildings. We do all the stuff that’s humanly possible, but they are not the high point of our celebration. The high point of our celebration is the child in the womb that’s pronounced Down syndrome that Jesus heals before it is born. The resurrection that takes place from the dead those are our high points. The cancer that disappears, the deaf ears that pop open, the bipolar that is suddenly gone, the schizophrenic that is no longer that is now in their right mind, these are the things. This that we carry, that I carry, that we carry, I am in debt. I owe God fruit.”

Does my Ana need to be healed? Is Down syndrome even healable? As explained before Down syndrome is a genetic anomaly whereupon every cell in the whole body has three chromosomes as the very building blocks of the whole person from conception on. For Down syndrome not to be Down syndrome anymore every cell would have to have two Chromosomes again on the 21st strand. This would be beyond medically miraculous. That's some kind of X-Men genetic altering or something. The person would not be the same person anymore. I have several thoughts here on this. After I get over how personally insulting Johnson’s statements are, I have to look at what the Bible says about life in the womb, disability, and suffering.

1. God is completely sovereign over life in the womb, and forms it. Thus He forms those with Down syndrome in the womb for his glory and pleasure!

• Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (Exodus 4:11 ESV)
• "As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." (ESV) John 9:1-3 
• “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalms 139:13-16 ESV)

2. God displays his glory in and through the difficulty and beauty of Disability and Down syndrome

• Matthew Henry, writing his commentary on John 9:3 says “God has a sovereignty over all his creatures and an exclusive right in them, and may make them serviceable to his glory in such a way as he thinks fit, in doing or suffering; and if God be glorified, either by us or in us, we were not made in vain. This man was born blind, and it was worthwhile for him to be so, and to continue thus long dark, that the works of God might be manifest in him.” 
• -Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible, John 9-
• “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 ESV

3. God is infinitely good, kind, and righteous, we also rejoice that He intentionally creates some to live with disabilities for His glory and for our good.

• "The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." (1 Corinthians 12:21-31 ESV)

4. Jesus took on the minimizing "disability" of human form and was “found in appearance of a man” and let himself be disabled. In that He enabled us to know God and respond to Him by faith.

• “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8 ESV

5. He has called us to share in His sufferings. For us it includes Down syndrome which was ordained by His good hand.

• “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” Philippians 3:10 ESV

6. His grace is enough for anything that He has in His sovereign plan allowed.

• “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV

7. God is good, and we trust His goodness in the midst of a full and joyful life with Down syndrome!

• “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” Psalms 34:8 ESV

8. Down syndrome is a light and momentary affliction that is producing for us a weight of glory beyond all comparison.

• “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” 2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV

Our story is the joyful realization of all of these biblical principles mentioned. All of these things have happened for us as a result of disability and Down syndrome, illness, difficulty, and hardship. Not just the challenges, but the joys and exultation of this precious child that God has charged to our care. There are more joys, and awesome stuff than hardship actually. Furthermore, why would I want to trade a light and momentary affliction and the weight of glory to come for light and momentary relief in this world? That would be stupid, and unspiritual. I don’t want Ana to be healed! I want her with Down syndrome, and everything else that God in his wisdom has ordained. That is the only way I can even imagine her. Just like I want my other kids with all their awesome and quirky attributes, that God has given them. I have no deeper joy than to know my kids exactly the way He has created them! 

Lest you believe that this Down syndrome comment from Bill Johnson was a slip or just something that he was thinking, and it just came out clumsily. See the clip below where Prophet Brian Carn prophesied over Johnson that God was giving Johnson anointing over Down syndrome, and mental illness. Johnson seems to be receiving this “word” without reservation or objection. Brian Carn prophecies over Bill Johnson (starting at the 1:08 mark). He says...

“This may sound crazy to you, but a special anointing shall come upon you for the mentally disturbed. For the Spirit of God says, “You will see people with Down syndrome, with mental issues, I will set them free from the anointing on your life.” For I saw in the realm of the Spirit, wherever you reside, wherever you are from, around that region is a powerful spirit of oppression a powerful spirit of witchcraft. In the city outside of the city you are. And the Spirit of the Lord says, “I shall use you to spare that northern region (Does he mean Northern California?). For I prophecy, that the southern region shall fall in the water (does he mean Southern California?). But I will spare the northern region because of your heart for me.”  

Further on in the video Carn says “This is what the Lord is saying to me...You are my red in that region, you are my blood in that region.” This is so blasphemous to say that someone will be the blood of Christ in a place. Bill Johnson will not be the intermediary for Christ! “For there is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus” and NO ONE ELSE!

“You (Bill Johnson) will teach them how to soak in my glory” 

Brian Carn says God is making a new covenant with Bill Johnson. However, there is only one covenant in the blood of Christ. God doesn’t make new covenants between individuals. He has made one covenant with man. This is blasphemy of the most egregious nature!

Carn also says, “I will give you (Johnson) an anointing to translate to different places” (teleportation is not a Christian practice rather an occult practice. It is however taught practiced and sought after at Bethel)

Prophet Brian Carn repeats Johnson’s wish to be someone who can deliver people form Down syndrome, but there is not one case of a child being “delivered,” “set free,” or otherwise not having Down Syndrome after being born with it. Like I said before it would be the very first time it has happened in history. This is quite a delusional claim. not to mention all the other bogus and spurious claims in this prophecy from Carn. 

One could deduce from these videos that Johnson and Carn and others in the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation do not want people with Downs and that they might even be not worthy of life in the way that God has, in his wisdom, created them. Here is a wonderful video of a man with Downs asking the world to “Let us live.” This is what I would like to say to Johnson and the Word of Faith New and Apostolic Reformation. 

watch the "Let us live Down Syndrome campaign"

Before you think that these two instances are isolated instances in the Word of Faith/New Apostolic Reformation movements and their views on Down syndrome and disability, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland also tried to heal a girl with Down syndrome. The video below shows the tasteless and inappropriate outworking of the Word of Faith theology. They believe and teach that the Cross of Christ has purchased our health, wealth, and prosperity. If you can stomach it, watch the whole video where the Copelands try to heal several people with varied disabilities. At the 3:50 mark they begin to pray for a girl “suffering” from Down syndrome and not surprisingly she is not “healed.” This video displays for me the dark underbelly of the Word of Faith and New Apostolic reformation. The girl they pray for is a 28-year-old girl with Down syndrome. Kenneth Copeland begins to pray and says

“I speak in dominion over chromosomes, and I demand the proper count right now. Proper order, proper count, and I agree with Gloria for the redeeming of her time, that has been stolen from her, and she will live out the rest of her days in good health with a strong spirit, and a sound mind in Jesus name, Amen.” 

Copeland here speaks as if God got it wrong when he created her and did not give her the "proper count and order of Chromosomes," but this stands in direct contradiction to the several verses listed above that says God creates and forms people with disabilities for His glory. He also prays that her time would be redeemed. Kind of like the life she had lived up to that point was a waste, and God now has to correct the 28 years of lost time. Notice after praying in dominion over the girl’s chromosomes she is the same beautiful girl that God created all those 28 years ago. 

As we have seen before from the few points I have made previously these prayers for people to be healed from Down syndrome go against scripture in so many ways. 

(1) God is completely sovereign over life in the womb, and forms it and thus He forms those with Down syndrome in the womb for His glory and pleasure! 
(2.) God displays His glory in and through the difficulty and beauty of disability and Down syndrome 
(3.) God is infinitely good, kind, and righteous, we also rejoice that He intentionally creates some to live with disabilities for His glory and for our good. 
(4.) Jesus took on the minimizing disability of human form and was “found in appearance of a man” and let himself be disabled. In that He enabled us to know God and respond to Him by faith. 
(5.) He has called us to share in His sufferings. For us it includes Down syndrome which was ordained by His good hand. 
(6.) His grace is enough for anything that He has in His sovereign plan allowed. 
(7.) God is good and we trust His goodness in the midst of a full and joyful life with Down syndrome! 
(8.) Down syndrome is a light and momentary affliction that is producing for us a weight of glory beyond all comparison. 

These few reasons can show just how absurd and pastorally abusive this movement is, when they pray for people with Downs or want it to be healed. The reason it is absurd and abusive is the root of unbiblical and improper beliefs about the atonement of Christ. A Theological absurdity and abuse will always work itself out in absurd and abusive practices. For further study on the Word of Faith and New Apostolic view of the Atonement check out my book Divergent Theology.

Finally, I would like to close with very wise words from John Piper and how we are meant to respond to disability. SEE DISABILITY DON’T LOOK AWAY! SEE IT AND BE CHANGED! WE ARE CHRISTIANS!

As I celebrate the life and birth of our daughter who is fearfully and wonderfully made by a good and sovereign God, my eyes have been opened to see Down syndrome, and disability as a precious gift from God to cherish, and to hold on to with my feeble fingers for as long as God has given her to us. 

The Physics of Heaven Book Review

Front Cover of "The Physics of Heaven"

The book "The Physics of Heaven" By Judy Franklin and Ellyn Davis (with chapters written by many New Apostolic Reformation leaders) reads like a manifesto for a sort of New Age-Christian mixture. It acts like a syncretistic think-tank (Syncretism is mixing of occult and religious systems with Christianity). It's so bizarre that it's hard to know where to start. It honestly feels like the authors are just floating their craziest ideas of how they imagine Christianity should mingle with all sorts of New Age and Occult practices. Because it is a well known and well reviewed book, I would like to take a shot at reviewing and analyzing it. My questions arise virtually on page one. Are there vibrations in the supernatural that we need to tap into? No! Does God play games with people? No! does He hide himself in sound and light? No! Does God speak to people through “hints” of other things like sound? No! Does God speak through sound, light, energy, frequencies, vibrations, and quantum physics? No! Unfortunately this book espouses all of these ideas, and takes all of the scriptures it uses out of context and applies meanings to them that the original scriptural authors did not intend. If you want a smorgasbord of New Apostolic Reformation teaching and “seers” as they are called, then this is your book. Chapters in this book are written by Ellyn Davis, Judy Franklin, Bill Johnson (Apostolic leader of Bethel Church, Redding, CA), Jonathan Welton (founder of the Welton Academy Supernatural Bible School), Ray Hughs (author of Sound of Heaven Symphony of Earth), Dan McCollum (Co-founder of the Bethel School of the Prophets and Founder of the activate school of prophecy), Cal Pierce (director of Healing Room Ministries Spokane, WA), Larry Randolph (author of the books User Friendly Prophecy, Spirit Talk and The Coming Shift), David Van Koevering (Quantum Physicist & Inventor), and Beni Johnson (Wife of Bill Johnson and author of Experiencing the Heavenly Realm: Keys to Accessing Supernatural Experiences) The forward for “The Physics of Heaven” is written by Kris Vallatton (Prophet and senior leader at Bethel Church in Redding, CA). There is also a chapter by the late Bob Jones (who was a self admitted sexual abuser).

The authors say in the preface that this is not a theological book, but then go on to state their clear purpose to “share what we have discovered so you can go on your journey of discovery with God into the realms of sound, light, energy, vibrations, and quantum physics.” That is clearly a theological goal. Their poor eschatology is also on display in that they teach that the world will get better and better until the reign of Christ is inaugurated by our dominion of it. The Bible is clear that the end times will become worse as in the days of Noah, not better (according to Jesus). 

This book also teaches that “the veil between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm is thinner than ever (kindle location 190).” They describe how they believe that Jesus is about to release a sound from heaven that will allow us to exceed the works that Jesus did. Furthermore, this book teaches that “bringing heaven to earth is our mandate (kindle location 228).” It is often written “the Lord told me” or “I feel like the Lord has told me.” These types of statements detract greatly from the sufficiency of scripture, and make their personal revelations from God greater or at least tantamount to God's all-sufficient revealed word as found in the canon of scripture. 

One of the writers explains a vision they had in which they observed God the father at the beginning of time and witnesses him creating. In the vision they heard him say, “let there be light.” I don’t think it is necessary to explain how preposterous this vision is. The vision that is explained is that she saw God the Father before the universe was created! There is not one biblical vision even remotely close to this one...this is a whopper! 

There are furthermore incredible Dominionism and Kingdom Now theological perspectives clearly espoused. Dominionism is the aberrant theological view that God has relinquished dominion of this world to the devil, and we as his church should take back dominion from him. Is the Logos, the word that holds all things together, Christ himself, available that we could have his nature? Absolutely Not! But this book espouses this very idea. The Apostle Peter is described in this book as carrying the “Let there be light” Spirit of God within him. This book is a prime example that not just anyone should be allowed to exegete and explain scripture (James 3:1). “The Physics of Heaven” claims quite clearly that the New Age has “uncovered truths” that the church has somehow missed or lost and should seek to retrieve them. 

Another astounding quote from the book is “whenever you see a counterfeit, it means a real exists...a lie just proves the existence of a truth...I decided to examine the New Age thought and practice for anything “precious” that might be “extracted” from the worthless (kindle location 366).” She wrote this to justify her syncretism with New Age teaching and truths. The author here admits her own syncretism. Moreover this book is produced and endorsed by Bethel. Chapters were written by Bethel leaders and approved as a Bethel resource. Bethel cannot claim anymore that they are not dabbling in the New Age, since their leadership is promoting and engaging in it themselves. There are a large amount of passages that indicate that God is giving a new revelation which also detracts from the sufficiency of scripture. God’s revelation is closed. Nothing can be added to or taken away from divine revelation. 

Bob Jones describes in his chapter that God is preparing us for a “Second Pentecost” that will bring us into harmony with God, but Jesus has already brought us into harmony with God through his vicarious atoning death on the cross! He explains that God is also giving people the power of “blank checks” and “holy confiscation” for a great transfer of wealth. He says that we have not received the fullness of Pentecost. Jones ridiculously says that when God breathes on you it smell like apples. Really, I’m not joking that is in the book! He further espouses that there are positive vibrations in us and when we vibrate that we are opening a portal to heaven. Bob Jones further says that we are being prepared to receive the “priesthood of Melchizedek.” Sorry Bob, but that priesthood only belongs to one person, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 5, 6:20, 7)! He explains further that these vibrations can change DNA to have a genetic structure in harmony with God. 

Back Cover of "The Physics of Heaven"

Bill Johnson’s chapter says that “no revival has even made it a priority to leave a spiritual inheritance to the next generation (kindle location 540).” However, he is only looking at so called charismatic revivals whereas all the real revivals of history have carried on a missions flame for generations. Furthermore Johnson teaches that there are “unclaimed mantles” when he says, there are anointings, mantles, revelations, and mysteries that have lain unclaimed, literally where they were left, because the generation that walked in them never passed them on (kindle location 545).” What Johnson is saying here is that there are secrets and mysteries that we have missed in our faith which sounds an awful lot like Gnosticism. Gnosticism was an early Christian heresy that was an overemphasis on secret knowledge in respect to faith. And furthermore, this is why we have the Bible, so that we do not miss anything. We have everything we need in the scriptures. They are sufficient and in them God has communicated everything necessary for faith and life, worship and service. Johnson later on in this chapter describes that Christians must “unlock” mysteries of God. This chapter describes a dangerous precedent that God would give us “extra-biblical revelations” and that we should be searching for them. Johnson also intimates that God would never “make people sick” I guess he ignores the passages of scripture where God does send pestilence, sickness, disease, death, and the like. I guess he must have a hard time with the book of 1st and 2nd Kings where God smote many of the wicked kings of Israel, or for that matter the whole Old Testament and many parts of the New Testament (e.g. Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5:1-11 Blindness to Saul Acts 9:1-9 Elymas the Magician Acts 13:9-12).

In other passages the authors connect healing power with the emission of “powerful pulsing magnetic fields” and that this in some way indicates that we must tune in to those frequencies. In that same section they talk about how shamans, psychics, faith healers, and Hawaiian kahunas, etc. during times when they heal people become one with the earth’s geoelectric micropulsations. These healing practitioners are Animistic in origin and clearly demonic. Those types of healers clearly use the power of the devil and we should avoid such practices not dabble in them. 

Jonathan Welton’s chapter again denotes the importance of proper exegesis, because he doesn't do any. He begins his chapter with a scripture from 1st John 2:27 in which he claims it teaches that we should not ignore counterfeit gods. According to Welton, we should not be afraid of counterfeits because “whenever there is real, there is sure to be a counterfeit (kindle location 662).” What he is missing is that this passage in 1st John is actually warning people about false teaching and anti-christs. The Apostle John is warning them to “abide in Christ” as Jesus himself exhorted and prayed for us in John 17. In other words do NOT seek after other gods or counterfeits, but abide or stay in Christ. This passage of scripture actually teaches against what he is proposing. This is not about looking at counterfeits so you can know how to recognize the real! Even his own analogy breaks down. How do bank tellers spot a counterfeit? By handling the real thing enough that when a counterfeit is handled they can spot it immediately. Further on in the chapter he says that “if there is a counterfeit, there is an authentic that we need to find and reclaim (kindle location 679).” This is so dangerous. Basically, he is saying go search in all religions for the truth because if there is falsehood then there must be truth somewhere hidden in there. He claims the “counterfeit miracles prove that there are real miracles available to the church (kindle location 679).”

Further on in that same chapter Welton says something so blasphemous I need to highlight it in this review. ““Are psychics and New Agee’s operating in real power?” The answer is yes, but they have climbed in as trespassers. They have not accessed the spirit realm through Jesus (kindle location 726).” The Bible thoroughly forbids New Age, Occult, Mystic, Animistic, and Sprit World engagement! And to say that we could access the spirit world through New Age practice and just do it in Jesus name is a serious deviation from Christian Orthodoxy and practice. To take it one step further Welton writes that, “New Age has Counterfeited, such as having a spirit guide, trances, meditation, auras, power objects, clairvoyance, clairaudience, and more. These actually belong to the church, but they have been stolen and cleverly repackaged (kindle location 759).” This is so far out of bounds. Furthermore, it is impossible to claim that spirit guides, trances, meditation, auras, power objects, clairvoyance, and clairaudience practices ever belonged at anytime to Christianity! This claim is completely afield. Not just afield, but Welton is not playing in the same stadium. I would dare say, we are not even playing the same game. This is undeniably an un-Christian message (Lev. 19:26; 31, Lev. 20:6, Deut. 18:10-13, 1 Chron. 10:13, Gal. 5:19-20, Acts 19:18-19, 1 Jn. 4:1).

Ellyn Davis in the next chapter asks, “could it be that God has given us other ways to sense the unseen and unheard (kindle location 886)?” My answer to her is if we needed it God would have told us. But rather He has not explained to us how to tap into the unseen and unheard in his word, but rather quite clearly forbidden such practices. She makes a case for crystals and essential oils usage when she describes that they have vibrations. Crystals have for a long time been associated with  the Occult and New Age practice. I would say the usage of crystals for such New Age purposes are off limits for those who claim Jesus as Lord! She further described how she believes that the Holy Spirit has given her pieces of the puzzle to the sounds of heaven. Again these are incredible fabrications that arrogantly seek to prop her up as some sort of “super-Christian.” But are these claims legitimate? Moreover is this subterfuge even a necessarily a Christian claim? Where is this in Christian tradition or the scriptures that we should seek the “sounds of heaven?” Nowhere. I feel the need here now to make a short list of things that should be considered off limits for Christians. Off limits Occult activities include fortunetelling, crystal ball gazing, numerology, or seeing psychics, tarot cards, Ouija boards, automatic writing, seances, mediums, spiritism, Astrology, horoscopes, I Ching, hypnotism, Transcendental Meditation, or Far Eastern Meditation, crystals, Witchcraft, Satanism, Voodoo, channeling, reincarnation, astral projection, ESP, New Age Movement, and any form of necromancy. 

Ray Hughes continues the atrocious handling of theology when he says that “we have been given the creative ability to release the sound of God (Kindle Location 955).” This is so off base it is hard to know even where he is getting this beside his own imagination. I can think of no biblical basis for this theological statement. And it is a theological statement because it makes a claim about God that He is a God who has given us the creative ability to release His sounds. Any statement about the nature or activity of God is a theological statement. So their claim that this is not a theological book is false. The whole book presumes to explain God’s nature and ways. Hughes further says, “with every revival, there has been a release of new music or new sound. Whether the music releases revival, or whether the revival releases the music varies from generation to generation. However, the sound changes as God’s people respond to what God is doing and saying (kindle location 982).” The preposterous claim that sound or music “releases” revival is especially appalling. Revival, or true historical biblical revival is a sovereign act and impetus of God, not of any music or sound that releases it. There is not one biblical precedence for this view. (See Blog There’s Gonna Be a Revival in This Land). The Christology of Hughs, and subsequently Bethel, is seen in his words, “we bring to life the full meaning of Emmanuel—Christ with us, Christ revealed in us (kindle location 1037).” Do we bring life to the full meaning of Immanuel Christ with us? No, Jesus is Immanuel “God with us.” We add nothing to his nature, or work. We are only witnesses to and recipients of his salvation, vicarious death, and victorious resurrection! We only take part by receiving Him in faith. This goes in the direction of the “little gods” or “little christs” theology. Which is taught in the New Apostolic Reformation. Christ is truly revealed in us, but we dot NOT bring to life the full meaning of Emmanuel! He himself is the eternal incarnate word of God, and we give no meaning to his incarnation. 

Dan McCollum talks about the “God Vibration” and makes his erroneous claim, “God’s voice and the sound of angels can also be heard and experienced by man. A whole new realm of encounter awaits those who possess three simple qualities: expectancy, intentionality, and intimacy (kindle location 1162).” Is there a secret realm that awaits man where we can hear the audible voice of God and sound of Angels? No, that is never promised to us as Christians. God never promises that we will hear his audible voice. If we want to hear God’s voice then we should read his word. If we want to hear it audibly then we should read it out loud. Likewise, God never promises Angel encounters as a result of our expectancy, intentionality, or intimacy. This is extra-Biblical teaching, and is perilous for us as Christians. He closes his chapter by saying, “Intimacy is the incubator of increased encounters from the supernatural realm (kindle location 1175).” This sounds wonderful that God would bless intimacy like this, but can he link that to any biblical precedence? This I am afraid could lead to a works salvation. Paul wrote, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him (Colossians 2:6).” How have we received Jesus? By grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), that is how we must continue to walk in Him. This type of teaching is a slippery slope. One where we slide back into a works gospel like the Galatians had. They were again trying to “do” something to keep their salvation and to attain their own sanctification. Jesus through the Holy Spirit is the justifier and sanctifier of the brethren. This teaching is perilous because it could lead people into a gospel of works.

Cal Pierce in his chapter describes angelic encounters. He first describes an angelic encounter he had with the “energy angel” who prophesied to him about the current “energy crisis.” He described how the angel went back to his hotel room with him. The angel spoke about how if we continue to draw resources from the planet they will run out, but if we draw resources from “above" they will never pollute the planet and never run out. Pierce said that the angel told him about a “water car” and then disappeared. The angel soon returned with a scroll in his hand and on it were the blueprints for a car powered by water. The angel said he was an engineer and said he could show Pierce how it worked through the power of water and light. The angel then said that he had been “walking with” Pierce for thirty years.  Pierce told the angel that he was amazed by seeing an angel. The angel replied that he was amazed too, because he had been trying to get Pierce’s attention for thirty years. This is so outlandish it is hard for me to believe that I have to write a real serious and circumspect critique. It was hard not to laugh as I read these absurd claims. The reason that I feel like I need to write this critique is because “The Physics of Heaven” has received an enormous amount of praise on internet platforms where books are sold, and only very few negative reviews. Pierce goes on to described an encounter with a man who “God had taken to heaven and shown how to produce four dimensional objects with sound (kindle location 1224).” This man claimed that he had used sound to project a miniature house into existence. Pierce went on to elaborate on what the “energy angel” revealed to him, “He said that because God spoke His creative will, man can also speak words that create (kindle location 1231).” Is this true in any sense? No! Our words do not create! Only the sovereign creator God has the power to create anything “ex-nihilo” (out of nothing). This is an outworking of the “little gods” theology that describes that everything that God is, we are too, and have the same capabilities within us. Pierce further argues that angels obey the command of the word of the Lord and in the same way they obey and enact our word and bring them to fruition. He closes his chapter with the idea that, “Angels are around you to activate the revelation of the truth that you speak out into its creative form (kindle location 1245).” All in all, Pierce claims that he encountered the “energy angel” who gave him plans to build a water powered car, encountered a man who went to heaven and God showed him how to create little houses with sound, and as a result teaches that angels help “activate” our words when we speak the truths that we speak! Again this is so far off the mark that I believe that Pierce is not in the same ballpark. Moreover, I believe he is not even playing on the same team. As stated before these authors are not playing the same game as the Christian church of antiquity. 

Larry Randolph in his chapter says that the, “spiritual discoveries of the New Age movement could be likened to the time in the Old Testament when the Philistines stole the Ark of the Covenant from Israel. In both cases, then and now, that which belongs to the church fell into the hands of unbelievers. So, in order to posture ourselves for the next move of God, like King David, we must take back what is ours. Certain dynamics such as synesthesia, quantum physics, and “vibrations” are God-stuff, and we must not be afraid to seize what belongs to the Creator of all things (kindle location 1358).” This is apostasy! Here Randolph takes a historical narrative passage of Scripture, that is not meant to be prescriptive but rather descriptive of historical events, and makes them have spiritual meanings that they do not have. Randolph here does some pretty creative exegetical calisthenics. There is no way that the Philistines stealing the Ark of the covenant has a parallel to the New Age “stealing” practices from Christianity that we must steal back. This is absolute hermeneutical rubbish! 

This book continues in this vein until it mercifully comes to an end. This is just a small sampling of the preposterous and erroneous teaching found in this book. I highly discourage you from reading “The Physics of Heaven.” I wanted to bring your attention again to two points. This book is obviously false teaching of the most flagrant manner, and second it is inextricably linked to Bethel Church, Bill Johnson, and the New Apostolic Reformation. It has chapters written by all the senior leaders of Bethel, and approved by and sold in the Bethel internet store. People cannot say anymore that there is no false teaching at Bethel. This book is hard evidence that the teaching and beliefs of the main senior leadership at Bethel are aberrant. If you must read “The Physics of Heaven” please know that there is egregious biblical, theological, and even scientific errors on almost every single page. Keep your heresy radar on full alert as you read! Our hope is not found in any mysteries of sound, light, energy, vibrations, Quantum Physics, angelic experiences, or other New Age chicanery, but rather in Christ and Christ alone is our great and everlasting hope.

DID JESUS DO HIS MIRACLES AS GOD?

I have been busy lately with the question of Christ's nature. I want to take a moment to deal with a very hot topic right now on the nature of Christ. This important theological question is usually expressed like this, "Did Jesus do His miracles as God?" The overwhelming answer to that question is YES! Jesus did EVERYTHING as God, because He is eternally God. That means He has done, did, and will do everything as God. During His time on earth; from the point of His incarnation, He did things as a man and as God concurrently. That is the meaning of his indivisible nature. He cannot not be God and He cannot not be man. He is both. Of course, He was limited in his manhood. For instance, He could not be everywhere at one time (Omnipresence) and seemed to be limited in his knowledge (Omniscience), which are both characteristics of God. So, He certainly limited himself because of His manhood. But those limits did not mean He had "laid aside His divinity," or was in some other form rather than God, but rather He remained God as the Chalcedon Fathers defined "Truly God and Truly Man...acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably;"

This theological perspective is often called the "Kenosis Theory" (from the greek word in Phil. 2:7 "κενόω" which is pronounced ken-o’-o). This view was promoted by Word of Faith teachers such as Kenneth Copeland, and Kenneth Hagin. These Word of Faith, and now New Apostolic Reformation leaders posit that Jesus laid aside his divinity and did all his miracles as a man in complete reliance on His Father. A very strong argument against this view is the Immutability of God (i.e. that God does not change). According to this deeply Christian theology, God cannot change. Therefore, Jesus the son of God, cannot change. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)." He is eternally God, and thus cannot be anything other than God, not even for a moment (i.e. He cannot stop being God). So either Jesus did everything as God or He did nothing as God. In other words either Jesus was, is, and ever will be God, or He is nothing and only was a man for 33 years and nothing more. However we know that this cannot be, for we know that the Universal Church of Jesus Christ has always worshipped him as the eternal second person of the Godhead, and to say anything otherwise is to stand outside of Orthodox Christian Theology. 

Thankfully, the Australia Gospel Coalition Article, and a new movie from Transition Studios

called "American Gospel: Christ Alone" have brought our attention to, among other things, Bethel Church in Redding, CA and their Pastor and Apostle Bill Johnson. These recent resources have brought the Evangelical world to the awareness of Bethel and Bill Johnson. The Article from Gospel Coalition and this new movie featuring many well known and respected names in the evangelical movement, such as Nabeel Qureshi, Trevin Wax, Mark Dever, Matt Chandler, Justin Peters, Ray Comfort, Kevin DeYoung, Jackie Hill-Perry, J.D. Greear, Southeastern Theological Seminary, John MaCarthur, Westminster Seminary (California), Michael Horton, Bryan Chapell, Paul Washer, Costi Hinn (Benny Hinn’s Nephew), Anthony Wood (Author of Defining Deception), and Chris Rosebrough (Fighting for the Faith) are brilliant and so well done. They present the deep truths of the gospel and troubling theology found in these movements. As a result of all these pastors, theologians, and many Evangelical leaders bringing awareness to the precarious theological tendencies in the New Apostolic Reformation, much attention has been given to this movement, and especially the more recent event "Awakening Australia" at which Bill Johnson spoke and reiterated his tenuous "Kenosis Theology" that Kenneth Copeland most notoriously espoused. I am so glad that the Evangelical movement, in these new offerings, has finally awakened to this incredibly dangerous movement called the New Apostolic Reformation. The NAR was originally made famous by Apostle and leader of the movement C. Peter Wagner. 

In his talk at the Awakening Australia Event, Johnson reiterated his perilous view of Jesus that He did not do His miracles as God...CHECK OUT VIDEO BELOW AND NOTICE that Bill Johnson does NOT teach the same Christ of the Bible, The Early Church Fathers, or Orthodox Christianity. For more on Johnson's Christology check out my book "Divergent Theology" The text to Johnson's talk is added below...

Here are Bill Johnson remarks from the video below. He was speaking at "Awakening Australia" I will let his words speak for themselves. He seems to clearly be teaching that Jesus did NOT do His miracles as God. What do you think?

"I realize that Jesus is eternally God and I am not. But He obeyed the Father to illustrate for us what could be accomplished by any human being that was forgiven of sin and was empowered by the Holy Spirit. If Jesus did his miracles as God I am still impressed, but I am a spectator. But when I discover what Jesus said in John 5 and John 8; He said, “The Son of Man can do nothing of Himself.” Does this make sense to you? He actually emptied Himself so completely that he could no longer function and do the things that he was assigned to do. This is huge. If he did his miracles as God, I stand back and applaud, but the Old Testament demonstrated the miracles of God. In the New Testament we find out that miracles that take place when one yielded person (Jesus) surrenders to the heart of the Father and only does what He does, and says what He is saying. Jesus modeled a new lifestyle. One that I may spend my entire life mimicking, and never fully express, But I have no right to change my assignment. I don’t have the right to change what I was born to do. The fact that I try, and fail at prophesying, or praying for the sick, raising the dead, or whatever it might be gives me no right to change the assignment. He was very clear, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, cleanse lepers (scattered Applause)."

I know this is a Christmas Carol, but it has such a good application to Christology. Charles Wesley seemed to have a wonderfully deep and strong Christology. Hark the Herald Angels Sing can point us to the true Glory of the Newborn King.


Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled" Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies With angelic hosts proclaim: "Christ is born in Bethlehem" Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest Heav'n adored Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time behold Him come Offspring of a Virgin's womb Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the Heav'n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Ris'n with healing in His wings Mild He lays His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! the herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"

Stairs of Torture

We have terrible steps in our house. They have sharp edges. They are too short for my size 13 foot, They are jagged, and they often hurt my feet. I have so many times walked down them and hurt my arches, toes, the balls of my foot or otherwise really bruised them. So much so that I finally got tired of it. So, I purchased soft cushy carpet step covers. They are brilliant! So soft and cushy they make my feet rejoice. I want to just stand on the steps now, and enjoy the comfort! After only a day of having these new carpet covers, I tried to go up the steps. As I took my first step I was remembering and preparing myself for the pain of walking up the old steps, as if there were no carpets there. I got myself ready and almost cringed as I began to walk up the stairs. My muscle memory got the best of my body, but as soon as my foot hit the stairs, I felt the new carpets! It was a feeling of relief, joy, and happiness that hit me. My body immediately relaxed. Suddenly, I felt like my feet were delivered from the incessant torture that they received every time I would walk up and down the steps for the past three years. I thought immediately of our new life in Christ. We sometimes come back to the same situations of life that we had experienced before Christ. Often in those moments I have thought, "oh no! here it comes again, the pain, the sin, the hurt, the torture of our everyday life apart from Christ!" And we even sometimes physically cringe and prepare ourselves for the onslaught of whatever condemnation is coming our way, like I did when I tried to go up the stairs. Romans 8:1 says, "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We are free from the cringeworthy life that we knew before Christ, sort of like the cringing, and pain of my stairs. Are you preparing yourself around every corner for the condemnation of the world, like I was preparing myself for with our torturous stairs? You can be free from all condemnation through faith in Christ! If you have not decided for Christ, then don’t wait! Choose to be free of the cringeworthy condemnation of this world. Place your faith in Christ choose freedom! Christian, If you are in Christ, stop cringing like there is some condemnation coming, prepare for the blessings of life in Christ. Act like you are a son or daughter of God, and adopted into his family! You are not longer cursed, but eternally blessed in Christ!

Sometimes we Christians are preparing ourselves for a condemnation and a curse, and Jesus says, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?…Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more (John 8:10).” Jesus does not condemn us because he was found to be a curse for us. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…Galatians 3:13). He was condemned in our place so that he can in return say, “Neither do I condemn you.” Are you like me preparing for pain, torture, and condemnation. Or are you expecting blessing, freedom, and justification because that is your position in Christ! This was a freeing realization, an epiphany that I walk around as a Christian expecting condemnation even though I am free from all condemnation. Not only am I free from condemnation, but I am a recipient of his glorious eternal blessing, which is the exact opposite of condemnation. How can I walk around as if I am about to receive a foot beating like I got every time I walked up and down my stairs. I recently watched the new movie “Tortured for

 

Christ” the story of Richard Wurmbrand who spent many years in Communist prisons. His feet were so badly beaten that he could no longer walk regularly for the rest of his life. I remember vividly when he visited my Bible school and sat on the stage in his wheelchair because he could no longer walk on his own because his feet were so badly beaten all those years. He said that although the prison had taken his physical freedom away he had never felt more free. In his book “Tortured for Christ" he wrote, “I have found truly jubilant Christians only in the Bible, in the Underground Church and in prison.” He had found the freedom that Christ had won for him on the cross and had no longer let himself be bound by the constraints of this world, Oh, Lord let us taste of the same wine that these men of faith tasted. Let us walk up the stairs of freedom and blessing. Lord we will no longer walk up the step of torture and condemnation! For you have set us free, and, “if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed (John 8:36)."

Theology of Work Part 1

Theology of Work

I just started a class called the Theology of Work. As I was wrapping my head around the concept of Work and how God views work and how we view God according to work, I came up with a

Before and after the Garden (Michelangelo Sistine)

"flow of consciousness" note. I wrote this after a discussion with a good friend, and I thought these ideas were worth sharing. Adam and Eve in the Garden received the first command and it is the command of work to name the animals and to rule and have dominion of Creation. This is often called the "Creation Mandate." It was a freeing, life giving, partnership with God in the ruling, ordering, and reign of creation. However, after the fall our work was cursed “man will toil by the sweat of his brow” and the woman will "bring forth children in pain in childbirth."

God then sent them out of the garden, and from then on God cursed the ground with thistles and

thorns. Work was no longer a blessing but a curse, and men had to struggle and strive to earn which

"Expulsion from Eden" (Doré)

was the exact opposite of what they had from God previously in the garden. God gave them of every fruit of the trees in the Garden. We see this in the scripture “the wages of sin is death” we earn death through the work of our hand after the fall. So, after the fall, work was no longer a wonderful life giving command from God but rather a curse that brought toil, sweat, striving and difficulty. We see this in such scripture as “if a man does not work he cannot eat.” In this we see that laziness is tied to the curse. It is also tied to our need for sustenance. Our sustenance through food is tied to the curse. What are we now sustained by? Our  own toil and effort. We cannot ever really rest. We must keep working to live. We have rests in between, but the commonality between all humans is that we have to work for our sustenance.

Work certainly has hints of the blessing, but also, we sense and see the reality of the curse. We have to work for everything. In this, God sets up our readiness to receive the gospel. God in the gospel has made up for what we lack. He has made up for what we could not, and never will attain in all our striving. We always fall short in our striving which we find in our work. Certainly we achieve things in our work-a-day world. We finish projects, build beautiful structures, help patients, produce beautiful art, and design amazing technology, but our work always falls short. Our work is limited, flawed, never enough. Especially as it pertains to righteousness. We will never be able to do enough to even tip the scales in our direction. The standard for salvation, or to be able to stand before a holy God, would be sinless perfection. Moreover, we would have to be actively completely righteous as Christ was in His active obedience to the Father. But alas, we fall woefully short in our striving. The work of Christ, on the other hand, is plenty. Not just enough, but more than enough.

That is how the writer of Hebrews talks about entering the rest of God. In creation, even God, the creator, worked for six days and on the seventh day he rested. That is why he commanded the seventh day for rest. The writer of Hebrews describes “entering his rest” and that Jesus is our rest. Jesus also describes that he is the “Lord of the Sabbath.” This is fitting. He is not just Lord of the day, but he is also Lord of the rest found on that day. The Sabbath was created so that we could find rest from our constant doing. That complete and final rest was never to be fully found on that day. That day was created for rest so we will one day look to where our true rest comes from. We never find true rest in the 7th day of rest, because the next day we are all back at it again. And the cycle continues. The Sabbath was created for us to build a longing for the true Sabbath. And that true Sabbath is not a day, but rather a person, the creator of days, Jesus Christ himself is the true Sabbath. In Christ we see that he has accomplished our final rest, and "It is Finished” was his cry.

The gospel is the final rest for man. The good news is Christ's cross. When we look at Christ and his work on the cross, upon which he worked on our behalf, to please a God which we could not have pleased, we find rest from our toil. He has pleased a God we could not have pleased, and accomplished a work which we could not have accomplished even if we had had an eternity to do so. God said how pleased he was with his Son, when he said, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” We find our true and final rest in him, because God was finally pleased and propitiated with the work of Christ on the Cross. D.A. Carson wrote in his book Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, "In pagan propitiation, a human being offers a propitiatory sacrifice to make a god propitious. In Christian propitiation, God the Father sets forth Jesus as the propitiation to make himself propitious; God is both the subject and the object of propitiation. God is the one who provides the sacrifice precisely as a way of turning aside his own wrath. God the Father is thus the propitiator and the propitiated, and God the Son is the propitiation." (see source at end of post).

He has provided an answer to the work that cursed us in the Fall, and by his grace we have and will enter our rest in him. On that day, we must work and toil no more. He will at long last be our final rest!

From D. A. Carson, 

Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus

Quoted By R.C. Sproul in The Work of Christ

R.C. Sproul 

Kindle Position 1611

Why “Signs and Wonders” should NOT Make Me Happy

Why "Signs and Wonders" Should NOT Make ME Happy

There is a new move in Evangelicalism toward a “Signs and Wonders” orientation. The signs and wonders movement claims to be evangelical, Bible believing, and Christian. They place much hope and emphasis on experiences with signs and wonders. The embracing of the signs and wonders movement is most starkly seen in the widespread Evangelical acceptance of Bethel Church, and its leader Bill Johnson by much of the evangelical world. Although there is a large group of theologians and Evangelical leaders that are critical of the “signs and wonders” movement there is also a large group that have taken on the movement as a truly biblically orthodox movement. 

I would like to share with you why we should not seek signs and wonders, and why any sign or wonder should not make me happy. There are many leaders in this movement, including Bill Johnson[1]that teach that without some sign or wonder that a full proclamation of the gospel has not happened. This belief that the gospel can only be truly proclaimed with signs an wonders, or else it is insufficient as a true gospel proclamation could not be biblical, because of Jesus words that I will share and exegete at the end of this post. But first let me show you what is meant in this movement by signs and wonders.

In the “signs and wonders” movement there is a great pursuit of “miracles” or “signs and wonders” as they are called in the New Apostolic Reformation and the Third Wave Movement. There is a heavy emphasis on these miracles which include healings, speaking in tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, visions, dreams, being “Slain in the Spirit,” being “in the Spirit.” By which they mean an out of body experience where your spirit has traveled into the spirit realm. There is a pursuit of seemingly occult like practices including practices in the relatively new movements which practice things like “glory clouds” of God’s presence filled with “gold dust,” angel feathers falling, gems appearing, conjuring angel orbs, fire tunnels (in which they employ Kundalini methods), spirit travel, out-of-body experiences, and “healings.” They also practice portal travel (where people claim they can go through portals to other places physically, which is obviously a New Age / Occult practice), extra-biblical revelation. Often a prophet or Apostle will give a “New Revelation.” They try to practice raising the dead, also charismatic praying in tongues, soaking, new wine movement, drunken glory, visualization, laughter (Toronto Blessing), and animal sounds while filled with the Spirit. I do not condemn tongues if done orderly as the Bible explains in 1st Corinthians 14:26-40. 

The many practices that the NAR employs when “Slain in the Spirit” are never mentioned in the Bible. Some other NAR practices are contemplative or meditative, where they teach emptying the mind or repeating one word from the Bible, which is not a historical Christian meditative practice. Meditation for the Christian is filling our minds with Scripture. Some of these practices include chanting and soaking, which are taught in Bethel school’s SOZO ministry. The movement practices contemplative prayers, soaking prayers, labyrinths, the “silence,” centering prayers, breath prayers and what they call the “prophetic act of waking up angels.” 

One of the most beloved shows of NAR leaders and its adherents is the show “Its Supernatural” with Sid Roth which he deals with topics such as angel worship/visitation, portal travel, heaven tourism, eavesdropping on conversations between the Trinity, the Bible Code controversy, teleportation, “downloading the mysteries of money,” seeing the invisible spirit world, language/worship of heaven, dream interpretation, and blood moon prophecy. Most recently the translator of The Passion Translation Brian Simmons appeared on the show “Its Supernatural.” He said he had a vision of Jesus in the “Library of Heaven” in which Jesus said he would give him the 22nd book of John to translate, not now but later. Here is the full interview.

Simmons begins to describe his vision at the 17 minute mark. This emphasis on the supernatural and “signs and wonders” displays patterns in the NAR and Third Wave movement of ministry where they exhibit a boundaryless engagement with supernatural realms. 

To paraphrase the practices of the modern signs and wonders movement, they practice laughter, falling, shaking, prophecy (Psychic Clairvoyance), portal travel, extra-biblical revelation, raising the dead, tongues, soaking or centering prayer, new wine movement, drunken glory, visualization, laughter, animal sounds while “Spirit-filled,” conjuring angel orbs, fire tunnels, spirit travel or out-of-body experiences, angel worship, heaven tourism, teleportation, dream interpretation, and healings. NAR churches also claim that gold dust, oil, glory clouds, angel feathers, and gems have appeared on people.

First, let us be clear that these signs and wonders are not biblical at all. Moreover, they mirror some sort of occult practice, and not biblical signs and wonders that are seen in the New Testament. The list of things practiced in the signs and wonders movement are wholly unbiblical, terrifying, weird, and even a little creepy. Beyond all that they put the emphasis in the wrong place. Jesus is clear in Luke 10:17-20 we should rejoice in our salvation rather than that spirits are subject to us. We should be more grateful for our salvation than signs and wonders. We should rejoice that our names are written in Heaven. How do our names get written in Heaven? How are our names inscribed in the eternal book of life? What is salvation? I would like to describe what salvation actually is so that it becomes quite easy to rejoice in it.

1. We were dead in our trespasses and sins you were made alive in Christ. That is the supreme Miracle (Ephesians 2).
2. We were rebels against God (Romans 13:2; Romans 8:7 Romans 5).
3. We were unable to help ourselves or receive God’s grace which is sometimes in theology referred to as “Effectual Calling” (Phil 2:13; John 6:44; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Peter 1:3; Matt 22:14; Ephesians 1:4-5).
4. To be saved we must be and were born again. Which is being born from of the water and the Spirit a supernatural birth from above (John 3).
5. We were made children of God and were not born of Human will, but born of God (John 1:12-13 Colossians 3:12-13).
6. God’s kindness led us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
7. He took the blinders off our eyes to be able to see and receive Christ (2 Cor. 3:12-16; John 12:40; Acts 26:18; Eph 1:18).
8. God offered Jesus as the propitiation of our sins. Those same sins that we could have never received forgiveness for outside of Christ (Rom 3:25).
9. He crushed the head of the serpent the devil by “destroying the works of the enemy” (1 John 3:8).
10. He was cursed on our behalf “cursed is everything that is hung from a tree” (Galatians 3:13).
11. God seated us with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6).
12. He was raised for our salvation and culmination as one who will one day received a glorious body like unto his (1 Corinthians 15).
13. He gave us freedom from the effects of the fall (Romans 8:2).
14. God presented Christ as the atoning sacrifice for our sins so that we could have peace with God (Romans 3:25-26).
15. We were adopted into God’s family before the foundations of the earth (Ephesians 1:4).
16. We have been raise with Christ (Colossians 3:1).

This is just a very short list of what God has done for us in Christ by saving us. As you can clearly see salvation that God has accomplished for us in Christ is way more supernatural than any other act. God has made dead men rise to live with Jesus, and called sinners to repentance. 

Jesus describes in Luke 10:17-20 What our posture towards signs and wonders should be. Miracles should not be nearly as important as salvation, and the supernatural nature of what happens when God quickens the hearts of men to salvation. 

“(17) The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" (18) And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. (19) Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. (20) Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.””

Our joy should be in the Lord and his magnificent power to raise the hearts of men and women to respond to God. He has written our names in heaven, he has given us every blessing in the heavenliness, he has raised us up with Christ, and we are co-heirs with Christ. We should not be happy or have joy about Pseudo-miracles, or pretend miracles, or for that matter, even real miracles. As Christ said, we should rather rejoice in the Savior that the miracles point to. 

The word that Luke attributes to Christ’s words and we translate as “written” in heaven is Grapho (γράφω). This word means enrolled, written, inscribed, carved or to engrave something permanently. This word that Jesus uses describes also the eternality of our union with Him and how that salvation will be of an eternal nature, because our names will be forever engraved in the book of life in heaven. When you trusted Christ your name was engraved on the eternal granite of the throne room of heaven. 

The word that Jesus uses for rejoice is Chairo (χαίρω) It means to be cheerful, calmly happy, well-off, to be well, be glad, joyful, or rejoice. Where is the joy in our salvation? Are you glad and better off as a result of your being made a son or daughter of God? Many in this movement would rejoice that someone is “healed,” or that some strange miracle happened, and barely mention salvation found in Christ. The movement also stirs up a craving and desire for more of the same, but Jesus says here quite plainly do not rejoice that demons are subject to you, but that your names are “engraved" in heaven. Of course we should be glad of the authority that we have in Christ over the principalities and powers of the unseen world. By the way that authority is only given to us by God through salvation and His good grace, not through our own effort. I am not saying that we cannot be glad for our authority over principalities and powers, but that gladness should be dwarfed in comparison to the gladness we feel at our salvation. So let us rejoice and be glad that, in Christ, our names are eternally and irreversibly engraved on the granite halls of the throne room of heaven! We can be truly glad, happy, and rejoice that we get to call on His name and that He has saved our souls. We look to the heavens and our help comes from the Lord. He saves your soul, so rejoice!

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[1]Johnson wrote in His book “When Heaven Invades Earth a Practical Guide to a Life of Miracles,” on page 126 “Without miracles there can never be a full revelation of Jesus.” and on page 127 he wrote, “Miracles provide the grace for repentance.” And further he says, “Here the apostle Paul demonstrates how the Gentiles were brought into obedience through the power of the Spirit of God, expressed in signs and wonders. This was what he considered as fully preaching the gospel. It wasn’t a complete message without a demonstration of the power of God. It’s how God says amen to His own declared word!”