Chuck Pierce and the New Age “Sound”

Chuck Pierce has become obsessed with “sound” lately….. For those who have never seen it here’s the video from last year’s “Starting the Year off Right” conference with Robert Heidler, Chuck Pierce and C. Peter Wagner.  In this video you can see the extent of their dominionist teachings going so far as to believe that as they join their “sound” with the “sound of heaven” that their actual cell structures are changing.  This is classic manifest sons teaching that the body will be ‘translated” into an immortal body before the Lord returns.   This reminds me of the new agers doing a  harmonic convergence with TM.   

Here are some transcripts: 

Chuck Pierce, “Some of you feel your body moving. Let it move with the sound of heaven. Some of your organs will come alive in a new way.” 

Someone begins singing these words, “The sounds of heaven…” 

Chuck Pierce: “I see highways forming. Ways are being made for my people  … The waves of sound are creating the way you will go in the season ahead.”

Singing, “The sound creates a highway.” 

 ……..of DNA being reprogrammed by the sound of heaven going into bodies like laser of healings.” 

Chuck Pierce: “God says a healing movement is beginning.”   “It is part of my dominion.”  Chuck Pierce: “I see   the earth that has been so filled with iniquity.  Chuck Pierce: “I see him   rising up and saying ‘I hear the sound of heaven. I see the sound of heaven realigning man to bring forth the PLAN of the land.” 

What plan is there to realign man to bring forth the plan of the land???  The man of the earth is the first Adam, but we are of the man from Heaven!  This is so far off base and new age!

And here’s a quote from a newsletter he sent out last May.  Notice how many times he uses the word “sound”

This is a time that the Lord is doing a major work in the earth. Shaking and hovering are the two words I am hearing in my spirit.  I hear the Lord saying that He is hovering over New Orleans in a new way. I see Him hovering over Pittsburgh now. I see Him going up and down the Pacific coast of America and hovering. I see that He is going to begin to invade the Pacific Coast of this nation.  Both sides of Mexico are being invaded by the Spirit.  When I began to see this, I heard the Lord say: “There are three levels of sound I must bring through My people today. I must bring the sound of history that has caused their blood to remain flowing in Me and created the legacy of Me within the generations.  I must bring forth the sound of the present that is causing their blood to come alive and producing the power in them to persevere through circumstances and endure in their trials.  I must bring forth the sound of the future that will cause My people to have an expectation, an excitement of the power of My visitation and advancing glory in the earth.  I’m blending these three sounds right now, in this moment, to change the course of the earth realm.”

“Now is the day that I am destroying what has covered you in the past. I am lifting layers and veils from My people that have set reproaches in motion and blocked new entry ways. I will NOW rise up and cover you in a new way. My hands are clapping, so in the midst of your wreck and ruin, clap.  In the midst of your emotional struggle, clap. In the midst of your home, go through and clap and decree that what is not lit will light up.”  It’s like those “clap on” lights! All of a sudden, when you clap, a room will light up. The Spirit of God says, “Start clapping and decree the darkness that has held certain areas captive will begin to light up.”

“There are many who are not even seeking Me that I’m going to meet, surprise and rearrange their lives.  Call forth My hovering power over those that aren’t even aware I can hover over them. In the midst of the Earth I am looking for those who will say, ‘Here I am; here I am; I hear a sound calling me forth; here I am.’”

“There are sounds in the earth that you are not getting low enough to hear, and there’s a groaning.  All creation is groaning.  Humble yourself and get low enough to hear the sound. If you will get into that humble state before Me, you will see My hovering power; you will begin to hear what the ground under you is groaning, how you need to walk, and how you need to act. Put your ear to the ground for there are now sounds in the earth that are coming into agreement with Heaven. There are sounds in the land that need to be heard.  These sounds (from your iniquitous bloodline) have been deposited in the land your ancestors have walked.” 

“My earth has a heart that beats and you’ve not understood the power of creation.   You have lost the beating heart of creation.  Therefore, I cannot be creative in your midst.   I’ve put My voice in every living thing, but it is your voice that rules.  So in the midst of My voice groaning in other objects that can’t speak, you must speak for them. 

(Seriously, this sounds like pantheism!)

 I have seated you in heavenly places, but you must put your ear to the earth where you walk so that I can use you to bring into agreement, from My heavenly realm, that which I am longing to create in the earth. The deep uttered its voice and lifted its hands on high.”

“At certain times, lower your head before Me in submission, and if you will do that, you will rise and come into a new place of communion.  Do not keep your head raised above others at all times this week, for I am a God that will cause you to miss a certain blow, if you will stay before Me and at the right moment bend your knees, I will save you from experiencing a hit from the enemy this week.”

“Recognize the sound of creation that’s groaning, and let Me rise and bring your spirit man into agreement with the sound of the land and the hovering of My Spirit.  I’ve stretched out My hand in the midst of My hovering; I am extending My hand, and though you’ve not known My love, look up and grab hold of that which you don’t know and let Me pull you forward.  Fear not the sound of the shaking.  Fear not that place where I will cause you to be very aware and let you hear the shaking. Then you can announce what will shake and you will cause many to be sheltered in a new way.  Rise through the wreck and the ruin and the groaning that is around you. Rise and allow My Spirit that is hovering to rest on the earth, and you be My divine connector.”

Seriously, my Bible says to have a renewed mind and that we are seated with Christ in Heavenly places, so why is Chuck Pierce “prophecying” that Christians need to put their ears to the ground and hear the sounds of the earth?  The earth is a type of the fallen earthly man!  But we are of the heavenly man.  It is not a coincidence that he is referencing the verses that talk about the earth groaning waiting for the sons of God to be manifest.  According to manifest sons doctrine we will all be transformed as we walk upon the earth. 

Encountering NOLR [New Order of Latter Rain] Sidewalk Dream Interpreters

This is a reprint from a blog posted by Dwayna on Light the Way.  It was originally posted in Nov. 2007 but it covers the important truth of the roots of the NAR and the Latter Rain teachings, as well as the teachings of Mike Bickle of IHOP. 

Dear Dwayna,

Because of what I witnessed last night in Dinkytown on the U of M campus last night, I have been really angry. The only thing I could think of, besides crying out to God, was to write it all down. Please consider posting the my account in your blog.

Last night at 9:00pm as I walked off the U of M campus, I was an eyewitness to a group of about ten people standing on the sidewalk across from McDonalds on 15th Ave and 4th St SE in Dinkytown on the East Bank. They had set up a portable sandwich sign that read, “Free Dream Interpretations”. A lady in the group in her mid-40s wearing a fashion trench coat comes up to me and shakes my hand and offers to give me a dream interpretation. At first glance, I had a gut feeling that these people were members of the Latter Rain movement.

BACKGROUND

As you know, I have been researching the occult doctrines and practices of the New Order of the Latter Rain (NOLR) for seven years and am quite familiar with “dream interpretation” and “prophetic” training offered by NOLR leaders such as John Paul Jackson, Mike Bickle (IHOP Kansas City), Bill Hamon’s “School for the Prophets” (CI, Santa Rosa Beach, FL), Bruce Harpel (Maranatha U of M campus) etc, etc. I also discovered 3 days ago that NOLR leader Gary Gilbertson (Prepare Ministries)[1] has set up 8 NOLR campus groups – one in North Dakota and seven in Minnesota – and is actively recruiting 1000s of college students into the Bridal Mysticism of Mike Bickle (IHOP), Lou Engle, “Prophet” Jim Laffoon, “Prophet” Paul Cain, “Apostles” Rice Broocks–Steve Murrell–Phil Bonasso (Every Nation Church formerly Maranatha Ministries), “Prophet” Bob Jones, John Wimber’s Vineyard Christian Fellowship (VCF), Ted Haggard, Cindy Jacobs (Generals of Intercession) etc. etc. In other words, it’s “business as usual” for the New Order of the Latter Rain on the University of Minnesota campus.

They gave me a campus flyer advertising the Sept. 27-29 “OneThing – Minneapolis” gathering. This is the very same type of event the same NOLR leaders hosted at “TheCall” conventions where since the late 90s, have had had 10s of 1000s of youth undergo Bridal Mysticism rituals. In many of these mass Mystery School rituals they cause the initiates to enter into an altered state of consciousness through contemporary “Christian” music mysticism. Then, after telling the 1000s of youth that “the Holy Spirit has come”, they have a “Marriage Ceremony to Jesus” whereby the entire crowd is told to lay down prostrate or walk under a “Bridal Canopy” where the leaders cry out, “MARRY US LORD!!!” Where can we find that in the Bible?

After many years of research, I discovered that what these NOLR leaders mean by “Jesus” is that “Jesus” has come back through revelation in the mind (second coming through reincarnation or metempsychosis) and that they are a select group of men who corporately make up Christ on earth. This is only a brief explanation of this doctrine, but other names in the past 50-years they have gone by are the “Manifest Sons of God”, the “Many-Membered Manchild” and/or the “Corporate Christ”. The central doctrine of the NOLR is “God is restoring the office of apostles and prophets”. Currently, a very large portion of these new “Apostles and Prophets” has been re-packaged and combined with church-growth schemes by rogue professor C. Peter Wagner from Fuller Theological who now calls the NOLR movement the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) that provides a “Spiritual Covering” through his Int’l Coalition of Apostles (ICA) to 1000s of churches and their duped leaders. Like the Mormons, Jehovahs Witnesses and Freemasons, and the Moonies, unless the lower echelon members submit their lives and fortunes to the leaders, they must eventually die or be severely ostracized since they believe that “One New Man” (actually “Adam Kadmon” of the Lurian Kabbalah) or the “Many-Membered Manchild” must be wed to his “New Bride” or “Elected Seed” with “Bridal Passion” (altered state of consciousness) and thus married, engage in the theosophical nuptial of the Bride receiving the seed or neoplatonic New Order doctrines and giving birth to an even larger “Royal Family” like Sung Myung Moon’s Unification Church. This ancient plan was formed in the 17th-century by such utopian cults like the English Behmenists who embraced the Bible along with the Lurian Kabbalah as divinely-inspired writings. Today’s NOLR movement is really a re-packaged cross-cultural 17th-century syncretism of the Bible and the Lurian Kabbalah along with spiritual alchemy and hermeticism. The average rank-and-file member has no clue to what they are a part of as the leaders tell them their only requirement is to “love Jesus” and not question the leaders since to do so would be to question “God’s spiritual covering” and thus be rendered ‘unredeemed and rebellious’.

These 1000s of youth are theosophically being wed to a false Christ in the very same way that Sung Myung Moon’s followers have wed themselves to Moon and his wife as the “True Parents”. The Mormon members have eternally wed themselves to the top Mormon Apostles on their quest to evolve into gods. Even members of Freemasonry have wed themselves to a select group of unseen occult (hidden) leaders (Corporate Christ) who are orchestrating their utopian neoplatonic (democratic) quest of a New World Order (NWO). All of these unbiblical cult groups contain reincarnation doctrines from the Kabbalah, but I cannot get into the details here.

WHO WHAT WHY

Getting back to the sidewalk group, I decided to ask these dream interpreters a series of questions to find out who they were, what religious [sic] they may belong to and why they were offering dream interpretations. One of the younger girls finally told me that their interpretations were linked to “prophecies” and that one’s dream interpretations could be prophetic perhaps alluding to the biblical account a dream interpretation given by Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4, Joel 2:28 “….your old men shall dream dreams…” etc. This difference here is that the dream interpretations these people offered were coupled with ideas on destiny and direction. They were said to come from the “Holy Spirit”.

The scriptures tell Christians that they are to “prove all things” and “try the spirits”. This means that I was obligated to exercise critical inquiry. They accepted that premise after I explained to them why I had to find out who they were and what their true modus operandi was. I recognized one of them as “Jason” who I met just a day earlier at the NOLR Prepare Ministry booth in front of Coffman Union where all the registered U of M Student groups gathered outdoors to recruit members. It was Jason who handed me the flyer to the heretical “OneThing”[2] gathering in Minneapolis hosted by Mike Bickle (IHOP Kansas City). Jason was recruiting for candidates to be married to the “Many-Membered Manchild” in the very same way NOLR Bruce Harpel of Maranatha Christian Fellowship on the U of M campus recruits students. So, I then asked what religious organizations the others belong to. Jason then tells me he is a member of Pastor John Piper’s Bethlehem Baptist in downtown Minneapolis. I quickly remembered how I obtained a position paper by John Piper on his acceptance of “Super Apostle” C. Peter Wagner’s “Cosmic Level Warfare”. [see attached articles by John Piper] This is a renaissance-era set of occult doctrines stating that one can effect changes in the material realm through screaming, declaring, chanting, declaring. Etc. edicts of judgment to unseen powers in the spiritual real. Vice versa, one can cause to materialize things on earth by repeatedly declaring and naming the object/change desired i.e. fashioning, shaping, defining and causing to materialize objects or change with a focused consciousness and spoken words. This is historically known as Christian Kabbalah, neoplatonic theosophy, spellcasting or simply sorcery. In this context, Christ is seen as a magus that came to show men how to re-acquire lost supernatural abilities toward the objective of becoming a race of god-men. Christ is a “Pattern Son” by which one is to model their life after to spiritually evolve to godhood. Besides the Mormons, this theme is embraced by many Christian Kabbalah cults. As in the “Zohar” or “Book of Splendor” in the Lurian Kabbalah, focused spiritual consciousness combined with spoken words become “Living Words” that are able to bring one a beautiful mate, a jet plane(s), a lucrative financial portfolio, etc. In this scheme, Jesus is so cosmopolitan that Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Martha Stewart and Alan Greenspan are second-class citizens in comparison.

Co-joined with the NOLR, these doctrines and practices are known in the 21st century as the Word-of-Faith (WoF) movement. Well-known and highly documented leaders in this movement are Mac and Lynne Hammond of Living Word church, Swedish WoF leader Ulf (Swedish for “wolf”) Eckman of Livets Ord, and high-flying Kenneth and Gloria Copeland who own a fleet of airplanes that includes an intermediate-range world-class Cessna Citation X jet. The Copelands regularly use “Living Words” that caused their followers to write large sums of money on checks made out “Kenneth Copeland Ministries”. NOLR leader Benny Hinn and…Paul Crouch can be seen many times during their international broadcasts doing the same acts. What a classic example of “spiritual” to material transformation!

Several years ago, a disproportionate number of congregants in Livets Ord had psychiatric health problems as reported with the Swedish government ministers of health. This made world news back in the late 80s. I have a close friend who was told she was “beyond redemption and was going to hell” by a black WoF leader in Minneapolis. My friend was in a psych ward for over two weeks because of this heretical leader. The financial and spiritual damage caused by these destructive mind-control heresies is well into the millions of dollars over the last 50-years.

How Calvinist John Piper can continue year-after-year interfacing with these heretical leaders and their doctrines beyond my thinking, but, nevertheless, Jason of the sidewalk dream interpreters tells us that he is a member. Another young woman in the group told me she was a member of City Church in Eden Prairie. This NOLR church is led by “Apostle” Jim McCracken. Further research done last year revealed that City Church (formerly Eden Prairie New Testament Church) is part of a network of NOLR “Apostles and Prophets” started during the Waco Revival of 1946. This revival was introduced to 17th-century Philadelphian Society prophetic declarations by freemason and evangelist Charles Sydney Price. Price was apparently converted under the workings of controversial evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson.

The reincarnation-oriented declaration that “God is restoring the apostles and prophets” was found among the personal effects of Charles Price when he passed away in 1947 – the same year the North Battleford Revival broke out in Saskatchewan Canada. The Philadelphian Society doctrines of a New Age were woven into Price’s writings. Copies of the Philadelphian Society declarations were also given to the young leaders that would later become “Apostles and Prophets” in NOLR leader John Robert Stevens Church of the Living Word aka “The Walk”.

In conclusion, my research discovered that what I encountered not just last night, but also being taught in several “School for the Prophets” is really a twisted form of “Signs and Wonders” evangelism where the NOLR members go out and offer to perform signs and wonders to passers-by in hopes they will turn to Christ. This was promoted by now-deceased NOLR John Wimber, the founder of Vineyard Christian Fellowship. So, even though I did not ask to have my dreams analyzed by this small group of NOLR dream interpreters, I did boldly introduce these people to a basic historical background of their occult (hidden) movement. I leave the results with God.

Dr. Walter Martin would have had a field day…

I have attached another recent campus flyer for a New Age group offering Dream Interpretation for comparison purposes.

–a U of Minnesota campus preacher (name withheld)

Attachments:

1. Piper, John. “Cosmic-Level Spiritual Warfare: Do territorial spirits exist? If so, how do Christians battle them?” BGC Prayer Commission, March 1990.
2. Piper, John. “Signs and Wonders: Then and Now” Bethlehem Baptist Church, position paper, 1991.
3. Sword Dreamwork & Psychotherapy Flyer, September 21, 2007
[1] http://www.prepareministries.com/campus.html
[2] www.ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=1000018802

Bring the New Age into the Church

I would like to bring to your attention some upcoming meetings that are  bringing the New Age into the Church

 

 

“RE-OPENING THE PORTALS OF HEAVEN FOR SIGNS – WONDERS – MIRACLES & HEALING  -  SEP 4-6 – ROCHESTER, NY”

With CHE AHN, RANDY CLARK, BILL JOHNSON,  ROBERT STEARNS, and JOSEPH ASKINS

 

In the 1800’s Rochester, NY experienced one of the most powerful moves of God in our nations history when Holy Spirit opened the windows of heaven over Rochester, NY  by  using Charles Finney as God’s agent of change.  This helped to usher in the 2nd Great Awakening and we believe Holy Spirit is ready to open the windows of heaven again! 

Join with us at the Armory 900 E. Main St. Rochester, NY September 4-6 as Che Ahn, Randy Clark, Bill Johnson, Robert Stearns and Joe Askins impart through the power of Holy Spirit an anointing to re-open the Portals (windows) of Heaven for SIgns, Wonders, Miracles and Healings!

WORSHIP LED BY ROBERT STEARNS AND THE EAGLES WINGS WORSHIP TEAM!

 

 

Che Ahn, Randy Clark and Bill Johnson were all involved in backing Todd Bentley and supporting the Lakeland outpouring in Florida. 

 

Robert Sterns is currently serves Pastor John Hagee as the North East Director for Christians United for Christians United for Israel.   He is endorsed by and ministers with (among many others) :  Dr. Jack Hayford, President, The Foursquare Church, Tommy Tenney, Godchasers Network,  Mike Bickle, Director, International House of Prayer of Kansas City,  Mahesh and Bonnie Chavda, Senior Pastors, All Nations Church,   Chuck D Pierce, Executive Director, World Prayer Center, Vice President, Global Harvest Ministries,  Wesley and Stacey Campbell, Founders, Praying the Bible International

 

Robert Sterns can be seen teaching about new age soundwaves here:

 

 

In teaching about opening portals to God’s glory Patricia King falsely states that:  “Many New Age and cultic organizations have located their headquarters in Sedona, Arizona due to the “open vortexes or portals” they have identified in that region. Unfortunately, they are receiving their inspiration and revelation from the deceiving demonic hosts in the second heaven realm that counterfeit the true glory. There is an abundance of “revelation” available to them, but it is counterfeit. A true portal of glory is opened into the earth from the third heaven and carries Christ’s authority and presence.”  http://www.extremeprophetic.com/archivesitem.php?art=360&c=0&id=11&style

 

Jesus himself is the open door from heaven to earth.  There is NO other Biblical teaching on this.  It is a new age practice that opens doorways to other dimensions. 

 

The fact that Christians think that they can open portals to the Third heaven in order to bring the glory of God down to earth is misguided at its best, and deception at its worst. 

 

 

 

Soaking in God’s Glory Conference

 

Teachers: John & Carol Arnott, Trevor Baker and other special guest
Worship Leaders: Chris DuPre

Date: October 29 – November 1st, 2008
For more information please click on this link:
http://www.tacf.org/tacforghome/Events
/SoakinginGodsGlory/tabid/841/Default.aspx

Purpose:
It is our desire that the world will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of God and that all men will come to know Him in an intimate way. This conference is designed for you to come, rest and soak in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Location:
Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship
272 Attwell Drive
Toronto ON M9W 6M3
Canada

John and Carol Arnott were the leaders of the Toronto Outpouring and continue to be involved in contemplative spirituality, currently teaching a course on soaking prayer on the 700 Club.  http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=1122&more=1&c=1

John Arnott is now the “apostolic covering” for Todd Bentley and he was present at Todd’s commissioning service. 

Trevor Baker was involved with bringing the Lakeland outpouring to Dudley England and is linked to Todd Bentley. 

 

“In a revealing article about soaking prayer, Roger Harper, a UK chaplain, stated: “Soaking prayer is a modern form of contemplative prayer … The Toronto church sees soaking prayer as one of the main ways in which they encourage people to be open to the Holy Spirit … Joyce Huggett notes, ‘a fresh touch of God’s Spirit often opens the door to contemplative prayer.’” While some claim that soaking prayer is different than contemplative prayer, it is interesting that this article points readers to Richard Foster and Henri Nouwen. Interestingly, in Harper’s article, he writes about John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Church movement.”  http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=1122&more=1&c=1

 

 

 

In the Stillness Retreat

 

Teachers: Ed Piorek, Ruth Fazal, June Bain

Date: October 27th – November 1st, 2008
For more information please click on this link:
http://www.tacf.org/tacforghome/CatchTheFire
Ministries/CTFEventsInformationandsignup/InThe
Stillness/tabid/797/Default.aspx

Purpose:
We would like to invite our Soaking Center Leaders to our Stillness Retreat. It’s a time for leaders to come and be still in His presence, and get refreshed.

Location:

TBA

 

 Ed Piorek teaches on knowing the Father and the Father’s love.  Here are a few books he recommends on his web site.  Note that all of these are by new age/ contemplative authors:

Inspirational Books

• The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen – Doubleday.
  Nouwen’s classic study of the parable of the prodigal son is based on the imagery of Rembrandt’s famous painting. He shares excellent insight on the addictions of the younger son, the self-righteousness of the elder brother, receiving the Father’s blessing and the movement to becoming a compassionate father.
• Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen – Crossroad Publishing
  The goal of this book is that you would come to know that you are the beloved of the Father. Jesus is the model for a life chosen and blessed by the Father and then broken and given away to feed others.
• Abba’s Child by Brennan Manning – Navipress
  Brennan shares his own life-changing encounter with the Father’s love. He identifies the Imposter has the false self who lives without the Father’s love, the Pharisee who strives to earn it and the Beloved as the child who rests listening to the Father’s heartbeat of love.
• The Wisdom of Tenderness by Brennan Manning – Harper
  This is an apologetic for the importance of knowing by experience the tenderness of the Father’s heart towards us. This profound tenderness has a transforming power in our lives and in the way we treat others.

 

Ruth Fazal is a worship leader, violinist and composer who is advertising a contemplative meeting on her web site where she sells “soaking music”:

 

“Soaking” Tour -  a contemplative focus  ~  Sept. 27th – Oct. 4^th

 

June Bain is the Canadain Soaking Center Coordinator for Catch the Fire Ministries.  She has been part of the TACF family for many years and has the distinction of hosting the original TACF small group in her home.

 

 

New York City is the new host for a Leadership Center headed by Rick Warren who is both involved in the emerging church movement and a promoter of contemplative spirituality.

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/rw226article.htm

“With practice, you can develop the habit of praying silent ‘breath prayers‘” —Rick Warren, from his web site, pastors.com

“[U]se ‘breath prayers’ throughout the day, as many Christians have done for centuries. You choose a brief sentence or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath.”
—Rick Warren, Purpose-Driven Life, p. 89.

 

The New York City Leadership Center Launch Event! Spiritual Leadership in the Global City

Saturday, September 20, 2008 – 9AM – 5PM

 

Register Now & Bring Your Leadership Team!

 

Saturday, September 20, 2008

 

9AM – 5PM

 

 

“Spiritual Leadership in the

Global City” Launch Event!

 

 

GROUP RATE:

Register a group of 25 or more for the discounted rate of $50 per person! 

Call for details: 718-721-2626 x219.  Register by September 8th.

 

INDIVIDUALS:

$75 per person if you register by September 8th (rate goes up to $100 afterward).  Fee includes lunch, leadership book and conference materials.  Register online at www.NYCLeadership.com .

Session Topics 

 

Rick Warren – 40 Days to Regional Transformation***

 

Jeremy Del Rio & Gary Frost – The Power of Promise:  Empowering Emerging Leaders*

 

A.R. Bernard – The Power of Christ in Culture*

 

 

David Ireland – The Power of Christ in Culture**

 

 

Frances Hesselbein & Harry Tucker – The Power of Intentional Leadership**

 

 

 

THE LAKELAND APOSTOLIC FINDINGS – Peter Wagner Responds

Peter Wagner’s latest newsletter sounds like a clean up job for his involvement in the Todd Bentley commissioning service.  Could that be because so many are leaving his ICA network because of it?  (My comments are in brackets in italics)

  A  Report From  Peter

THE LAKELAND APOSTOLIC FINDINGS
From the Lakeland Outpouring Apostolic Team
Written by C. Peter Wagner, Convening Apostle
(As of 8-11-08) Introduction
 
            Few events in recent church history have drawn as much national and international attention as the Lakeland Outpouring, May-August 2008, led by evangelist Todd Bentley and his Fresh Fire Ministries team.  A key factor contributing to this unusual phenomenon has been the decision of Rory and Wendy Alec to use GOD TV to televise the revival meetings internationally.

 

(So is Peter Wagner admitting that this was a media driven event?  Considering the fact that the tent is down already, that’s safe to assume!)
 
            As would be expected, true to the history of revivals, a powerful move of God like this

 

(Peter Wagner assumes that this is a move of God, which is highly questionable given the antics of Todd Bentley!)

 

inevitably draws serious attacks from the enemy and his forces of darkness. 

 

(So all the Christians who have questioned Todd’s astral projection and angel encounters are from the enemy, according to Peter Wagner???)

 

One outcome is a range of reactions to the phenomenon from those who focus on the hand of God in the ministry to those who focus on the damage that the enemy is doing.  Because of the unprecedented number of people who have been affected one way or another by Lakeland and because of instant communication through technology, opinions and points of view easily become public domain, and the body of Christ can readily become polarized, which, of course, would be a victory for the enemy.

 

(Peter, the Body is polarized because so many people are calling demonic manifestations the things of the Holy Spirit, and NO ONE is correcting it!)
 
            Unfortunately, in the case of Lakeland, the enemy has been succeeding, more than he should, in producing widespread confusion and even chaos throughout large segments of the body of Christ.
 
            Throughout the early weeks of the Outpouring I watched it from time to time on TV, I followed the news items and rejoiced at what God was doing in Lakeland, but the matter was located toward the bottom of my priority scale. 

 

(What does he think God was doing there? )

 

 I also became aware of a rising number of criticisms and concerns about what was going on there, but I had very little interest in absorbing or analyzing them.  This changed when I received a telephone call from Apostle Stephen Strader, Pastor of Ignited Church, and host of the Lakeland Outpouring.  Stephen called me as the Presiding Apostle of the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA) of which he was a member.  From first hand observation he described both the blessings and harsh opposition that they had begun to experience.  Then he said, “Where are the apostles?”

 

(A friend of mine saw Stephen Strader in Atlanta where he said publicly that he was glad that the venue moved out of his church because Todd Bentley was rude to his staff!)
 
            I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me at that moment and said words to the effect, “Peter, you will need to answer that question.”  As I have written in my books, one of the roles of an apostle is to set things in order and another is to assure that the body of Christ is operating on the basis of sound, biblical doctrine.  There was no question about the need-disorder reigned, and many of the Lakeland doctrines as well as practices were being called into question on an international scope.  I believe that I was given a divine assignment that I hadn’t even desired, namely to attempt to bring some kind of apostolic order to this widespread and potentially damaging confusion.

 

 
            While I was talking to Stephen, God kept bringing the word “alignment” to the front of my mind, so I questioned him on Todd Bentley’s apostolic alignment.  The upshot was that Todd believed in apostles and prophets, but he had never entered into a formal alignment.  I did some more investigation over the next couple of days, and I was assured that this was indeed the case.

 (So, even though he knew that the Lakeland doctrines and practices were being called into question Peter Wagner NEVER publicly addressed these issues!!  All he was concerned about was bringing Todd into alignment!)

 

            As the picture developed, there were two pressing needs.  One was to facilitate apostolic alignment for Todd and the other was to deal responsibly with the doctrinal and ministry style issues being discussed.  Then the question became, Which should come first? 

 

 

(Seriously, he had to question this?? The fact that he did not deal with any of these issues made him look to the public as if he was condoning all of what was going on there!)

 

 Meanwhile I had been discussing these things with several friends, all of whom were also members of ICA and whose opinion I highly respected.  I immediately discovered to my surprise that many of my friends had formed highly-charged and emotionally intense opinions.  Some were advising me not to go to Lakeland to promote a formal alignment until the doctrinal issues first had been resolved.  Others took the opposite position.  I carefully considered what they said and weighed the pros and cons as best I could.

 

(He should have taken their advice and NOT gone!)
 
            My thinking was that I did not want to deal with doctrinal issues with any one but fellow apostles. 

 

(The public and those who had concerns needed to see someone use their authority to address these issues, or at least mention that these issues were going to be dealt with.  The fact that this did not happen, along with all the glowing “prophetic” words that were given over Todd, looked like all were giving their approval to his ministry)

 

 I had recently attempted a similar process that had to do with a certain prophet, and I had failed in accomplishing my goal of bringing about a reconciliation of opposing parties.  I felt that one of my mistakes had been attempting to deal directly with a prophet who was not aligned with me instead of dealing with an apostle with whom this person was in fact aligned.  I certainly knew that I did not want to attempt to work directly with an evangelist such as Todd Bentley, especially one whom I had never met.  If Todd was not apostolically aligned, this alignment needed to be formalized before I was prepared to go any further.  I am well aware that some friends thought I should have stopped right there and pulled out.  Perhaps I should have, but I felt that I would be disobeying the word from the Holy Spirit if I did.  Some of my friends have not yet forgiven me for not taking their advice, and, who knows?  Someday they might be telling me, “I told you so!”
 

(To see my notes on Peter Wagner’s false teaching on “apostolic alignment” see my blog : 

            Regardless, I knew that alignment needed to come first.  Chuck Pierce, with whom I am closely aligned prophetically, wholeheartedly agreed.  I did my due diligence and discovered that Ché Ahn was the ICA member who had the closest contact with Todd, and that Todd was willing to accept this alignment.  Ché felt that he should bring in Bill Johnson and John Arnott since all three of them were close to Todd and they lead the newly-formed Revival Alliance.  Unbelievably, all four of us had one date in common open all summer, Monday, June 23, so we decided that we would propose it to Todd.  He enthusiastically agreed and invited us to come.

 

(This just happened to be the occult holiday which was celebrated with fire ceremonies.  See my blog here)
 

            By now the word was getting out and I was receiving a quantity of email correspondence from other apostles who were interested.  I opened the door for those who desired to accompany us on the platform.  I did not allow prophets, evangelists pastors, or teachers to join the group-apostles only.  A total of 17 apostles participated representing three apostolic streams:  ICA, Revival Alliance, and Morning Star (Rick Joyner).

 

 

(It looks like everyone wanted a piece of the action! Or should I say public attention?) 

 

The Alignment Ceremony
 
            My role in the ceremony was to facilitate Todd’s alignment with the three from Revival Alliance, who would then commission Todd as the evangelist to the Lakeland Outpouring.  The others were invited to join in with short prayers or prophecies as led.
 
            I need to explain a couple of things at this point, because it turns out that some have misunderstood what I have just said.  Some have thought that Todd is aligned with me, which is not the case. 

 

(Here’s where Peter is now cutting ties with Todd… too little too late!)

 

He is not a member of ICA.  We are barely acquainted.  Please note that purposely I have never come out and defended Todd against any of the accusations.  I have attempted to maintain neutrality in order to deal with the issues as objectively as possible.

 

(Does he actually think that it was objective when he oversaw the commissioning service?)
 
            Some have said that my very appearance in the ceremony constituted a de facto endorsement of the Lakeland Outpouring. 

 

(Yes, I agree!)

 

 I anticipated that this would be the case, and I felt I had to take the risk because I knew of no other way to proceed.  So while it was an endorsement, I in no way meant it to imply that I was endorsing Lakelands’s side of the controversial issues.  For one thing I couldn’t do that because I had not yet investigated them as I am doing now. 

 

(A little too late, don’t you think?  Especially now that Todd Bentley has filed for separation from his wife?)

 

 

I felt that the proper protocol was alignment first.  However, I did feel, and still do, that what was wrong with the Outpouring should be corrected if at all possible rather than rejected out of hand.
 
            Others wondered if this was an ICA event.  It was not.  However, I cannot separate myself from my role as the ICA leader, and I so identified myself in my paper.

 

Thirteen of the 17 apostles on the platform were ICA members, and they agreed that Todd would be better with formal apostolic alignment than without it.
 
            I have been scolded by some for making an apostolic decree at the end of my presentation.  They may be right.  However, I believe in apostolic alignment so much, that my thought was that Todd would be blessed more after the alignment than before.

 

Take note also that I mentioned a heightened level of discernment between truth and error which obviously has been called for.
 
            The vows of alignment with Ché, Bill, and John led to Todd’s commissioning.  Ché Ahn was in charge of this.  Notice that the only ones who laid on hands and commissioned were the three of them.  Several prayed and prophesied.  I want to make it clear that I did not commission Todd as some wrongly think.  I didn’t lay on hands, I didn’t anoint with oil, in fact I moved to the back and neither my wife, Doris, nor I prayed or prophesied.   I did this intentionally because I knew I would be wrongly positioned for the second part of my assignment if I did.
 

(So, now Peter is saying that HE did not commission Todd…. He only oversaw it, but his very presence sanctioned it!)

            With the alignment completed, I was ready to go on with the second part of the assignment, namely attempting to bring order out of the confusion concerning doctrines and ministry practices
 
Bringing Order to the Issues
 
            I felt that I needed a team of apostles who were willing to work with me in order to identify the concerns that had been brought up, define them as carefully as possible, and come to an opinion that could be issued to the public.  Ten other apostles have agreed to work with me in this project:  Ché Ahn, Bill Johnson, John Arnott, Chuck Pierce, Stephen Strader, Lee Grady, David Cannistraci, Steve Strang, Jeff Beacham, and Joe Askins.
 
            One of our first tasks was to develop a “Lakeland Spectrum” in order to help individuals concerned to know where they stood as over against others.  We have a five point spectrum (1)  Strong approval, (2) Concerned approval, (3) Neutral, (4) Conditional disapproval, (5) Strong disapproval.  The members of our apostolic team range from 1 to 4.5, so we have a range of perspectives.
 
            We have been working on sorting out what we now have, and the list is down to 24 issues.  We are taking this very seriously, and we understand that the process will take time.  When we arrive at our conclusions we will release them to the public.  John Arnott will be the point person to review our findings with Todd Bentley and the Fresh Fire Board of which he is a member.
 
            We will add to this report of the findings as soon as possible

 

Robert Heidler And Chuck Pierce Sing With the Sun and Planets, Open Portals to God and Angels

Thanks to endtimes prophetic words for this article.  It just keeps getting weirder and weirder!

http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/08/07/robert-heidler-chuck-pierce-sing-with-the-sun-planets-open-portals-to-god-angels/

Utter Bedlam – Robert Heidler And Chuck Pierce Sing With the Sun and Planets, Open Portals to God and Angels

By Wyatt Roberts

As a followup to my post about JoAnn McFatter, who teaches a class on “Worship Sound and Movement” at Heidler and Pierce’s Issachar School, this is an audio recording of Heidler leading a service in which he, Pierce, and others join in the “Sound of the Heavens” along with the Sun, and other stars and planets. Without a doubt, this is the freakiest thing I have ever heard.If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be: bedlam

Heidler does most of the talking here, but Chuck Pierce makes an appearance halfway in (around 11:03), when he tells the audience that “some of your organs will come alive in a new way.” There’s also a guy that shows up at the very end who sounds like he’s either dying, or very, very ticked off. Or hey, maybe his organs were just “coming alive in a new way.” That’s gotta feel weird.

 

 

Listen to the audio here

Watch the whole video here:

Chuck Pierce, Robert Heidler respond to Kabbalah charge

Thanks to  Miriam of End Times Prophetic Words for posting the following article. 

 

http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/chuck-pierce-robert-heidler-respond-to-kabbalah-charge/

 

To see her previous article on Chuck Pierce and the Kabbalah see:

http://endtimespropheticwords.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/chuck-pierce-prophesies-the-kabbalah/

 

Article by Wyatt Roberts – once again, another good article!

“Sigh.

Chuck Pierce and his pastor, Robert Heidler, have posted an article in which they purport to explain the difference between what they teach and the Jewish occultic practice of Kabbalah.

I have read the article, located here http://www.glory-of-zion.org/20080801_Hebraic_Understanding_versus_Kabbalah.doc, several times.

Basically, the document is little more than a blanket denial of charges that Pierce and Heidler are teaching Kabbalah, rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have written several articles exposing the Kabbalistic nature of Pierce’s and Heidler’s teaching, none of which is mitigated one iota by anything Pierce and Heidler say in their article.

I had hoped to put this business about Pierce, Heidler and Kabbalah behind me. Frankly, I have much better things to do with my time. However, I feel compelled to respond.

And so, in the coming days, I will present more information here about the undeniable link between Kabbalah and the teachings of Chuck Pierce and Robert Heidler. In the meantime, I urge you to read this incredible story from a former student who attended the Issachar School run by Pierce and Heidler. It’s a first-hand account of what Pierce and Heidler teach, and it is absolutely incredible. Here’s an excerpt:

“JoAnn McFatter [an Issachar School instructor] got into some stuff that seems kind of whacky to me and apparently Chuck wasn’t there in the room. ‘DNA hold memory, sins, etc’. ‘[we] can talk with animals’….Then the ‘plants have emotions’. That was the 2nd time I’d heard that in 2 months time when I heard that on the DVD. Are you guys getting a little OUT THERE or am I being stretched?

I trust Chuck and Robert absolutely implicitly. I trust Robert because Chuck does…However, I can find nothing in scripture that says plants have emotions and we can talk with the animals. True, I find nothing in scripture on other things too, but this, I am questioning.

JoAnn goes on to say when a word is released from a mouth in heaven, comes a numeric equation, music, a color of light, a fragrance. HUH?

Then, she says what new agers say: fragrances have frequencies. So tell me. Am I to believe what JoAnn says? If so, then MOST of what the newagers say is right on. Then how do I tell the difference between what is Godly and what is satanic?

JoAnn McFatter says the trees talked to her at a church.

The DVD blanked out where she said something about walking on water and how we can pass through a wall…Chuck Pierce [says] sounds are connected with everything and every tabernacle. How do I find out what sound is connected with me?

Chuck Pierce said, when starting to talk on movement…’I’m sure JoAnn has taught on this’. No, she hadn’t, not at all. JoAnn tends to go on and on and on…So what musical notes go with what essential oils? JoAnn mentioned something about it. And if there is one note God tells me about, say, for coriander, is that the same note worldwide or just for that person? And who is to determine which notes go with what fragrances?

JoAnn says colors heal. So do non-Christians. She says paintings heal and everyone has lots of creativity. I knew that, and am SO glad someone else says it to back me up!

This DVD set skips and goes back and forth and blanks out. When JoAnn is talking mostly.

I think it’s totally irresponsible of Glory of Zion, Chuck Pierce, Robert Heidler and JoAnn McFatter to say all of the above and yet not explain anything, to expect people to take what they say on face value without any explanations or reasonings, just nothing!”

McFatter seems to be into witchcraft. This is very disturbing since Issachar School, run by Chuck Pierce and Robert Heidler is purportedly Christian. She spoke of trees talking to her, of animals being able to speak and commune with humans. She spoke on rocks having frequencies, which in turn, would mean they heal, as those into witchcraft believe. Since no one at the Issachar school is willing to answer questions, it’s left up to the thoughts and imaginations of those taking the ‘classes’ to try to figure out exactly what is going on with these teachings. It certainly robs me of trust I had in Chuck Pierce and his ministry.

If you would like to read more of this fascinating, first-hand account, it’s located here http://www.my-walk-with-god.com/issacharschool.php

Lest Pierce attempt to create the impression that McFatter is just a loose cannon and doesn’t really represent Pierce’s and Heidler’s more “mainstream” views, keep in mind, she is a co-instructor, along with Pierce and Heidler, on this Issachar School DVD (entitled “Worship Sound and Movement”). Judging from the review, they apparently edited out some of McFatter’s stranger comments.

In any case, here’s a “Word from the Lord,” written by Chuck Pierce, Robert Stearns and JoAnn McFatter in which they claim gold dust magically appeared from heaven during a meeting in 2005. Here’s the Issachar School description of the class, here’s JoAnn McFatter’s home page (bizarre) and here’s a Glory of Zion newsletter in which Pierce promotes the class to be taught by McFatter:

“The Issachar School: Worship, Sound and Movement by Jo Ann McFatter (June 11-13)

I am so excited about our next Issachar School course on June 11-13 [2006]. Following the Pentecost Celebration we will have Jo Ann McFatter teaching on Worship, Sound and Movement. I will be teaching along with her and we will be experimenting with sound and movement. I’ll have a full worship team there that will assist us in connecting heaven and earth.

Most all of you know that Jo Ann is a well known teacher, psalmist, and minstrel. Her CDs are some of the best in the Kingdom of God. Even if you haven’t signed up for an Issachar School course before, you probably will want to be at this one.”