Musings

On Saturday, July 12, 2008, my oldest son married the love of his life in a beautiful outdoor ceremony, and then the happy couple left for a honeymoon in Prince Edward Island in Canada. Congratulations, Timothy and Sarah! May God bless you with wisdom and peace as you start your new life together.


My heart was full of joy and my eyes full of tears when my firstborn son stepped into place to await his bride. As Sarah and her father started down the grassy path towards my waiting son, I noticed the photographer's young daughter playing quietly off to the side. When the little girl saw the bride in her beautiful dress, she stood up and started her own slow walk through the grass keeping pace with Sarah as if she too were a bride on her way to the altar. It did not matter that she was barefooted and that her dress was wrinkled and smudged with dirt from her playing. In her mind, she was the radiant bride on her way to happily ever after. The innocence of the child struck a chord in my heart. She took no thought of the crowd of people who were watching her. She just lived for the moment from her heart. I saw then a picture of how Jesus wants us to live- fully involved in being who we were created to be in the present moment, but ready to go the instant the Bridegroom calls.

Where Are the Listening Ears and Understanding Hearts?

Aida at Forgetting the Former Things has a wonderful post called A Safe Place to Heal that speaks of the need for "safe havens" in each of our lives. I encourage you to read the entire post. She says, "The issues that are hurting us and causing us to lose sleep are never brought up for discussion. Instead, they are continually pushed down where given the right set of circumstances, they can erupt spewing hurt and leaving devastation all around us. I believe that institutions are really not the best place for individuals to experience healing. I believe healing is best accomplished in a relationship where the hurting person is befriended and can experience the comfort of travelling with someone who will support and encourage them in their journey to wholeness."

Unfortunately, in many churches, developing deep relationships is difficult to do. The whole Sunday morning setting is geared more towards lecture/monologue than to discussion/dialogue. Occasionally, you may find a Sunday School class where participation is encouraged, but for the most part, the schedule is designed for a lesson to be presented by the teacher with minimum input from the class. Some churches have started home cell groups or women's ministries or men's ministries to try and encourage fellowship, but often the leaders of the groups have an agenda to be followed that discourages rather than promotes relationship-building. What is the solution? Where can we go to develop the connections that all of us need?

When I was growing up, my mother was a stay-at-home mom like most of the women in our neighborhood. Mom had a group of ladies that she could get together with and confide in. These women took the time to experience life together- making candy or cookies, helping each other with sewing projects, listening to each others' daily frustrations and joys. They had TIME to do these things; they were available to bear one another's burdens. We are so busy today that we tend to put relationship-building at the bottom of our to-do list. I am able to be at home during the day, but all of my neighbors are away at work. My closest non-family friend works long hours during the week, first at her job and then doing volunteer work at the church, so she rarely has time to just get together and talk. My mother lives close, thank God, so I do have her to turn to when I have concerns or struggles that require a listening ear. But, of course, there are some things that are best not discussed with close family members. Where to turn then? I have struggled with severe depression for many years, and last summer, I was close to giving up on everything. I couldn't dump all my troubles on my mother, my husband was busy with his job and my friend was overwhelmed with her own life. So, in an act of desperation, I hired a "friend," also known as a professional counselor. Being able to talk about my deep hurts and knowing that I would be listened to was a great relief. But, isn't it odd to have to pay for a compassionate listener? Where is that safe haven?

Judging or Biblical Discernment?

1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

1 John 4:1
Dear friends, 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.

Revelation 2:1,2
To the church in Ephesus,"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false."


There has been much debate in the last few weeks about whether or not the Lakeland, FL meetings with Todd Bentley are a true revival from God or a work of the enemy to lead people away from Jesus Christ and the true gospel. Those who say “don’t judge” are setting themselves and others up for great, and possibly permanent, harm.

I attended Charismatic/Prophetic churches for over 25 years, and I have seen and been deceived by this type of prophetic “ministry” in the past (more than once, unfortunately). There really is no new thing under the sun (Eccl.1:9). Benny Hinn, for example, has claimed just as Todd Bentley has claimed, to have angelic encounters and out-of-body experiences as well as new revelations from God. (See the Let Us Reason Ministries’, March 5, 2001 article entitled “Benny Hinn- Touch, Topple, Tilt!” at http://www.letusreason.org/Wf1.htm )

In 1985, Benny Hinn was a featured speaker at our church’s annual campmeeting. This was the first time that I saw sections of the crowd “fall under the anointing” just from a wave of the preacher’s hand. I felt quite unspiritual because I was still standing. I thought that there must be something wrong with me or that I might not even be saved since I could not feel the Spirit! In following years, I was taught not to question what the leadership said or did-"touch not Mine anointed”- or I would be speaking against God Himself. So, I went along with the crowd and acted like I was just as sensitive to the spirit as they were, while all the time feeling like more and more of a failure because I couldn’t sense the Holy Spirit moving.

About 10 years ago, I attended a prophetic conference at MorningStar Ministries in Charlotte, NC. When one of the worship leaders started clucking and flapping like a chicken, I accepted Rick Joyner’s declaration that she was just “in deep intercession” and that no one should speak against what God was doing. Like good little mindless robots, most of the crowd followed right along, and I felt like I was spiritually ignorant and disobedient because I was questioning.

Time and time again throughout the years, I allowed false prophets and teachers to convince me that I was not hearing from God if I was questioning their teachings. I became severely depressed because I was sure that I would never be a good submitted Christian. I withdrew from church, but I thank God that He continued to draw me to the Bible and that He was able to reach me and restore me through His Word before it was too late.

I am convinced now that the Scriptures must be our foundation and our standard for evaluating everything. If a teaching or experience does not line up with the Word, it is not of God. It does not matter what we feel or think. Jeremiah 17:9 says that man’s heart is deceitful above all things. Our soulish nature is to deceive ourselves and one another. Elevating man’s doctrine or our own feelings or experiences above God’s Word opens us to deception.

The world teaches techniques of deception that are eerily familiar to what we often see in prophetic ministries. (See the following link for a video comparing hypnosis techniques to Todd Bentley’s ministry technique in Lakeland. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysMdkuVukdc )

Christians, God has given us the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God for a reason. He wants us to use it to cut through the enemy’s shroud of lies and bring light to those who are in darkness. Our lives and the lives of those around us may depend upon our faithfulness to wield the Sword as God directs. Keep fighting the good fight!

2 Timothy 2:15 (New International Version)
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version) For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Why Do People Listen to the Lies of False Prophets?

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

2 Timothy 4:3,4 (NIV)

Myth--a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature.

In Lakeland, FL and Charlotte, NC and possibly a city near you, strange fire and doctrines of demons are being embraced by undiscerning churches seeking a new thing from God. Why do people listen to the lies of the false prophets who are spreading this deception?

People want to hear fantastic, exciting stories to be entertained, to escape reality, to feel good. Watching television shows and movies has trained many in this generation to turn off their minds to truth and to accept fiction as fact- the more outrageous, the better. Stories of average people becoming superheroes with special powers, such as Spiderman or Ironman, have become commonplace, so why not flock to see the endowments and exploits of Todd Bentley or other "superprophets"? People are used to celebrities being untruthful, so they just ignore the lies and keep watching in fascination. They suspend belief and reason and are ready and willing to be deceived by the latest "new thing" in town.

Sound doctrine demands too much self-sacrifice and too much discipline for those who insist on being entertained and comfortable. Personal desires must be altered or denied in order to come in line with the will of God. Effort must be expended to search the Scriptures and to try the spirits. Sin must be confronted and confessed. It is much easier to roll around on the floor or bark like a dog than it is to humble oneself before the Lord. And as for preferring one another, forget it. People will fight for the best seats in the house and knock each other down in the race to the altar--not an altar of repentance, but one of "more stuff for me".

My heart goes out to the innocent children and ignorant sinners who are caught up in this spectacle of self-promotion and subterfuge. I pray that God will bring them out of the darkness and deception and into the light of His love. We must do all that we can to spread the truth of God's Word, even if it means that we will be seen as unspiritual troublemakers. Jesus is coming soon, so let us make the most of every opportunity we have to testify of Him.