A Blog by Steven Kozar
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
Here's another informative and disturbing video from the great YouTube channel BezelT3. This time he's reviewing video footage from (yet another) conference, "The Awakening Conference" and this embarrassing speech from Chad Veach:
Tired of getting no results with old-fashioned, Bible-based Christianity? It's time to go off the map with Bill Johnson, Kris Vallotton and all of their New Apostolic Reformation friends! In this first episode of this series we will focus on the fortune-telling aspect of the "Encounter Gospel," so get out your tarot cards, oops... I mean get out your Destiny Cards and let's get started! Here's a quick summary of the new and better Gospel of the Kingdom:
People aren't really that bad, they just need to be convinced of how special they are-they need to understand their "true identity."
Religion is the real source of people's problems, not rebellion against God (sin).
God is desperately trying to get people to "accept" Him, but He's been hindered by the historic Christian Church, with its specific, Biblical teachings about Salvation, Heaven and Hell, The Atonement of Jesus Christ, and all other forms of unnecessary "head knowledge" found in the Bible.
People would believe in God if they could just see some proof for themselves.
Bethel teaches how to give people the proof they need to believe that God is real, He loves them, and He wants all of their dreams to come true so they can fulfill their "Destiny."
How does Bethel teach you to provide proof of God's existence? How can you convert anyone you want?
Give people an "encounter with God." This is the new and better "Gospel of the Kingdom!"
Tell them something about themselves that can only be known supernaturally, exactly like a psychic, only much better!
Always tell them something good about themselves; especially about how they have a great "Destiny" and how God thinks they're amazing.
Do NOT call this fortune-telling, call it prophecy. Examples: "I operate in the prophetic," or "I have a prophetic gifting/anointing/mantle/office," or "Wow! I received a prophecy from Theresa and it was dead-on!" or "These aren't tarot cards-they're prophecy cards!"
It helps if you have some stock phrases memorized ahead of time, like these: "I'm sensing a shift in the atmosphere," or "You've been waiting for a breakthrough, haven't you?" or "God wants you to know that you're very special and He hasn't forgotten about you."
If your prospect appears skeptical or nervous, assure them that you're getting direct downloads from the third heaven realm.
Remember, you want people to feel confirmed, accepted and convinced of their value as unregenerate and unreconciled people ("sinners"); so do NOT mention outdated ideas like the need to repent before a Holy and Sovereign God who is angry at their sin. This means that Jesus dying on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins can (and should) be ignored.
If you don't have effective fortune-telling skills you can always bring people to a manipulative "church" service (the bigger the better!), where highly emotional music is performed, theatrical stagecraft with dramatic lighting is utilized, and unverifiable stories are repeated by skillful speakers who can sell God's "Presence" and convince audience members to make "decisions" for Jesus.
Our next installment in this series will explain the Hypnotic Worship "Encounter Gospel"
Topless Dancing at Christalignment "Workshop"-Does Kris Vallotton Approve?
Bethel Church Tells Witch that She's "On the Right Path" and "God is So Proud of Her!"
Cindy Jacobs Explains Her Psychic Ability as "Spiritual Reading"
Here are some NAR filmmakers and pastors talking about the Encounter Gospel that they gladly teach and promote:
“John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
“And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
“And that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.””
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”
“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!
Carey Nieuwhof is an evangelical "leadership expert" who has various guests on his podcast to share their stories and ideas. In episode 149 he interviewed Bethel pastor Kris Vallotton. After telling stories of supernatural miracles at Bethel ("thousands!"), Vallotton tells Nieuwhof that "three-quarters of the book of Acts is miracles... if you took out all the miracles, most of the book would be gone." It appears that Nieuwhof has never read the book of Acts, because he totally agrees and does his best surfer-dude "Woooow!"
Listen to this ridiculous lie for yourself:
The book of Acts is not three-quarters miracles, not even close. Kris Vallotton either doesn't actually read the Bible, or he's willfully lying about it. Is there another option? Is it possible that what he said is "sort of" true?
Nope.
Kris Vallotton is ignoring the mathematical fact that most of the book of Acts is not about miracles. Go ahead and read it for yourself. There are some amazing miracles, for sure, and those miracles helped to establish the Christian Church before we had the completed Bible. But the book of Acts is just one book in the New Testament, and the New Testament is just part of the whole Bible, and the whole Bible is really about God redeeming mankind through the atoning death of his son, Jesus Christ, who took our place on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. That is the focal point of the entire Bible!
Here is a chart (found online) of the miracles in the book of Acts:
Notice how that list is not 75% of the book of Acts? In the Reformation Study Bible the introduction to the book of Acts says this: "The centrality of the preached word to the church's growth is illustrated by the abundance of sermonic material in Acts. At least 30% of the words in Acts are found in the speeches of Apostles and other Christian witnesses." Do the math...
New Apostolic Reformation
Vallotton and many NAR people like him, believe that the church should take dominion over the earth, and in order to do so we must provide people with "encounters with God." According to this belief system, God is waiting for us to become just like Jesus and supernaturally cause non-believers to become believers, based on how we prove God is real. How do we "prove" God is real? We either "prophecy over them" (like a fortune-teller or psychic), or we miraculously heal them. Here's an article about the crazy "prophetic" ministry at Bethel: Bethel Church Tells Witch that She's "On the Right Path" and "God is So Proud of Her!"
But in the book of Acts we see the (real) Apostles primarily preaching about Jesus. Wanna hear some great sermons? Go read the book of Acts! You will also notice that plenty of people did not believe the Gospel message, in spite of the miracles that had been taking place. The (real) Apostles are shown primarily preaching and teaching from the Scriptures-not doing personalized miracles or pseudo-fortune-telling for everyone they meet. There were no "Schools of Supernatural Ministry," either. The (real) Apostles didn't try to heal people until they got better at it-they just did it. By the end of the book of Acts we see a decline in miraculous activity, and we read of the Gospel message being spread by preaching and teaching through establishing churches. Although Bill Johnson built Bethel Church on his "only revival, all the time" philosophy, which he brought from the Toronto Blessing, he (and Vallotton) are actually ignoring much of what the book of Acts says-not to mention the entire Bible-and they are adding new teachings of men. Here are many Bible passages that Kris Vallotton probably hopes you ignore: Shocking Stuff you're Not Supposed to Know!
Carey Nieuwhof began his interview by saying that all Christians should get along with each other regardless of their "minor" differences, and he sets the stage for Kris Vallotton to push his hyper-charismatic "New Apostolic Reformation" agenda without question. Why? I would guess that Nieuwhof had good intentions, but he's incredibly gullible and it seems he hasn't done any research on Bethel-he just assumes that we can all learn something from Kris Vallotton because he's so successful, his church is really big and it claims to be experiencing thousands of miracles. Nieuwhof did not want his podcast to go off into the Cessationist versus Continuationist debate, but he went to the other extreme and just let Kris Vallotton spread his Latter Rain/NAR doctrine as if it was irrefutable, and he wholeheartedly agreed as Vallotton lied about the very Word of God.
In this interview we see a NAR leader (Vallotton) gaining prominence over a Seeker-Friendly leader (Nieuwhof), because apparently "numbers don't lie" and we can't question anyone who sounds sincere and makes great claims about himself, especially if he's got 13 books on the market.
The New Apostolic Reformation is merging with the Seeker-Friendly Church-Growth Movement, and it seems that everyone is consumed with leadership:
Want to see an example of how far from biblical Christianity this "leadership" thing goes? Here's an article from Carey Nieuwhof that seems like satire, but it's not: 5 Things The New IPhone X Can Teach You About Leadership (Whatever You Lead)
Here are a bunch of memes from (Pastor?) Kris Vallotton's facebook page; notice how he gladly quotes the success and motivational ideas from these non-Christians:
Please do your homework on these serious issues facing the church:
Kris Vallotton RUNS From His Own Facebook Post!!
Bill Johnson and Kris Vallotton Want the Mantle of False Teacher William Branham
Kris Vallotton: Prosperity Preacher Exchanging Love for Wealth
Listen to Kris Vallotton twist the daylights out of God's Word in the second half of this episode of Fighting for the Faith
Here's a perspective on healing that you'll never hear from Kris Vallotton: A Deeper Healing (Joni Eareckson Tada)
Here's a gigantic compilation of articles: The Bill Johnson Cornucopia of False Teaching, Bible-Twisting and General Absurdity
Bill Johnson and the NAR "Super Apostles" don't want you to know about their involvement in the Charismatic Day of Infamy.
Finally, here's an important article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.
(Please read this entire article)
We all know how important it is to have massive encounters with God, right? Well, now it can be fun, too! Introducing the brand new board game from Bethel Church in Redding, California: "The Bethel Board!" (And it's just in time for Christmas!)
Since the prophet Kris Vallotton decided that "Christian Tarot Cards" were okay (as long as we call them "Destiny Cards") we are now free to welcome any Occult, New Age, or fortunetelling practices into the church and into our living rooms! Imagine all the fun you'll have as you get direct downloads from the Third Heaven! With this spiritual-but-not-religious new board game, you'll be just like Bill Johnson himself (and without his vacuous, rambling and incoherent speeches to spoil all the fun).
And don't keep all the fun to yourself, invite your pagan friends over to play the game so they can get a "reading" on their "destiny!" They'll never know you're a Christian! What a great way to reach the lost with the message of Destiny, Presence Therapy, Dream Interpretation and Relationship Alignment.
For all of you narrow-minded people who think this is just a re-packaged Ouija board, you have nothing to fear because this game draws from the same divine energy of the Christ spirit, as ancient followers did and it operates only out of the third heaven realm to gain insight and revelation. Don't worry, Bethel Board encounters coming from the third heaven realm bring lasting life transformation and guidance!
So pick up this supernaturally exciting new game at your local Christian Bookstore today!
This whole article is fake, it's a crazy over-the-top satire piece. Or is it really "over-the-top?"
The language used in this article comes from Bethel Church and from Christalignment.org, in fact, the last paragraph simply inserts "Bethel board" into sentences taken word for word from the home page of Christalignment (note the bottom two paragraphs):
The people at Christalignment are serious about going undercover so they can use Destiny Card readings to tell people their "Destiny" (and not preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ). Here are some examples from the Christalignment website:
Christalignment and Bethel Church teach the same things! Here's a story written by a student of Bethel's "School of Supernatural Ministry" where students are encouraged to operate undercover at New Age/Psychic fairs: Are You More Religious Than Jesus?
Here's a screenshot of the article:
Global Awakening, which was founded by Randy Clark (a very close friend of Bill Johnson and Bethel) produced a movie called Witch City that features their students doing exactly the same thing as Christalignment:
Please, read more about this important topic:
Kris Vallotton and Bethel Cannot Escape Link to New Age Occultism
Bethelgate – looking under the rug of Bethel administration.
Hodge connects ChristAlignment to Bethel; Bethel retracts statement.
Kris Vallotton RUNS From His Own Facebook Post!!
The "Christian" Tarot Card Controversy at Bethel Redding
Read about witches getting positive "prophetic words" at Bethel Church: Bethel Church Tells Witch that She's "On the Right Path" and "God is So Proud of Her!"
“I used to preach Christ and Him crucified for sinners, but now I do readings on people so I can tell them their destiny.”
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!
Satirical writer, R. Loren Sandford, has tried to grab people's attention with another over-the-top article at CharismaMag.com, and this time he's set his sights on the writings of fellow Charisma writer (and former Senior Editor), Jennifer LeClaire. Unfortunately, it appears the gullible readers of this online magazine have failed to see the biting humor, and might actually believe this to be useful information:
Block the Leviathan Spirit's Deadly Attacks With This Spiritual Insight
Sandford begins his article by saying this:
"Recently, at a national level, as well as in the church, we have suffered an attack of the Leviathan spirit. Before you get too mystical about all that, understand that Leviathan is a metaphorical reference Scripture draws from the image of a great serpentine sea creature. It describes a spirit that works to twist words and perceptions in order to disrupt and destroy the people of God."
Being the clever writer that he is, Sandford then goes on to disprove his previous paragraph, by showing that the few Bible passages that even mention Leviathan at all make no claims about it being a dangerous spirit-being.
In his provocative prose, (surely intended as a literary jab at LeClaire) Sandford begins to write about Leviathan as a metaphorical device and then gradually confuses the reader by turning it into an actual being-exactly the kind of mystical mumbo-jumbo that Jennifer LeClaire propagates! Check out these crazy quotes from Sandford:
See how Sandford has demonstrated the total confusion that permeates the modern "prophetic" movement? It seems like every other article on CharismaMag.com is about some newly discovered demon, monster or secret "prophetic" something-or-other...
Sandford has written many of these silly and far-fetched articles in an attempt to show how far from Biblical Christianity these readers have strayed. Previous articles like "How to Discern Truth Amid a Sea of False Prophesies" and "Flood of Aberrant Doctrines Endangering True Faith" are bold, self-refuting satire articles intended to demonstrate the incoherence of having such articles alongside Charisma Magazine's constant flow of false prophets, misguided amateurs, and "Christian" fortune-tellers.
Sadly, Sandford's clever use of satire was just too subtle, and it remains doubtful that CharismaMag.com readers will understand his intended meaning, which is this:
Charisma Magazine has abandoned Biblical Christianity in favor of publishing the vain imaginations of fallible people who spout nonsense in order to tickle itching ears and draw attention away from the true and unchanging Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
That's a great message, so keep trying Mr. Sandford, and maybe next time you'll finally get through to these people!
Christian Answers for the New Age home page for Marcia Montenegro's ministry
Some of Marcia Montenegro's articles that were mentioned in this podcast:
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young: A False Jesus?
Jesus Calling By Sarah Young: WUI (Writing Under The Influence)
Other articles on this topic:
Multiple Articles about Jesus Calling from the Berean Examiner
10 Serious Problems with Jesus Calling by Tim Challies
About That Jesus Calling-10 Things You Might Not Know by Warren Smith (with links to more articles)
Here's a really informative and helpful article from Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller:
On this same topic, here's an interview with Pastor Wolfmueller on Issues, Etc:
Pastor Carl Lentz of Hillsong NYC recently appeared on The View where he utterly failed to give a direct answer to Joy Behar's direct question about abortion. Interestingly enough, he was able to give a clear and direct answer to the immorality of racism just a moment later. This is an example of Lentz doing the thing he's very good at:
Maintaining the largest possible audience by stating the most popular position, while avoiding clear answers on unpopular positions.
In response to the complete failure of Carl Lentz, Dr. Michael Brown did the thing he's proven himself very good at doing:
Providing cover for a fellow Christian celebrity, while simultaneously trying to sound like a balanced and neutral mediator.
As a side note, this happened two years ago regarding a questionable Hillsong "Silent Night" video: Follow Up to Sleazy Silent Night
PLEASE read (and share) this important article (with links to more articles) from Church Watch Central:
Here's a great podcast from Matthew Garnett on this same topic: Carl Lentz Sells Out the Babies and the Evangelicals
For further research, here's another article about Carl Lentz NOT clearly proclaiming the Gospel while trying to increase his audience size: Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Biffs It on Oprah's SuperSoul Sunday
Here's a great teaching video from "Bezel Triple 3:"
Here's a LOT more information about Brian Houston (Carl Lentz's mentor and senior Pastor) and his Hillsong church: "The Brian Houston & Hillsong Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Abuse, Obfuscation & Money Generation"
For those of you who think it's mean and unloving to criticize Hillsong, Carl Lentz (or any other popular teacher) here's a list of Bible verses to consider: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.
If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend Carl Lentz or Hillsong, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.
Finally, here's an important article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.
Kenneth Copeland is a Word of Faith (WOF) superstar and has been able to maintain an air of credibility for 50 years, in spite of having done and said some really crazy and heretical things in a very open format. He is the king of the "Prosperity Gospel" and is proud of it.
Here are a few videos easily found on YouTube:
“The more you get to be like Me, the more they’re going to think that way of you. But I didn’t claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah. That’s what you’re doing.”
“The Spirit of God spoke to me and He said, ‘Son, realize this. Now follow me in this and don’t let your tradition trip you up.’ He said, ‘Think this way—a twice-born man whipped Satan in his own domain.’ And I threw my Bible down … like that. I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘A born-again man defeated Satan, the firstborn of many brethren defeated him.’ He said, ‘You are the very image, the very copy of that one.’ I said, ‘Well now you don’t mean, you couldn’t dare mean, that I could have done the same thing?’ He said, ‘Oh yeah, if you’d had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could’ve done the same thing, ‘cause you’re a reborn man too.”
“Because of his sinless life, Jesus walked in perfect dominion. God did whatever he asked, NOT because he was God’s son, but because he held the position of a righteous man. But that was Jesus, you say. But the Bible says that through our believing on Him, we have been given the same position of righteousness with God that Jesus has.”
“By getting the Word deep into your spirit and speaking it boldly out your mouth, you release spiritual power to change things in the natural circumstances.”
Here are a few examples of the prosperity teaching from Kenneth Copeland in his own magazine:
A Kenneth Copeland Meme From Facebook
Whether or not he has taught heresy is simply a matter of watching him say heretical things in his own videos, books, recordings and interviews. What really needs to be understood is that a whole cluster of wrong assertions and assumptions are at the foundation of a "Copelandish" system: the Word of Faith belief system. Some essential Word of Faith beliefs are:
Before Bill Johnson, Brian Houston, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, Todd White and most of today's WOF pastors and teachers, there was a series of people with specific new (and false) beliefs that took over a growing segment of the church. The most prominent of these people was Kenneth Hagin, who is usually considered the "father" of WOF teaching, although he actually plagiarized much of "his" teaching from E. W. Kenyon (See the book "A Different Gospel" by D. R. McConnell and the book "The Word Faith Controversy" by Robert M. Bowman Jr.). WOF people often refer to Hagin as "Dad Hagin." Since Hagin died in 2003, Kenneth Copeland has essentially taken over the role of senior leader of the WOF "movement" (which isn't exactly a movement because of how loosely it's organized, but it has to be called something).
Here is Kenneth Copeland explaining how he completely indoctrinated himself in the Word of Faith teachings of Kenneth Hagin:
This is from Kenneth Copeland's "Voice of Victory" Magazine
More about Kenneth Hagin: The Kenneth Hagin Festival of Demonic Idiocy
Some other prominent WOF teachers are Fred Price, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, Robert Tilton, Marilyn Hickey, Rod Parsley, T. D. Jakes, Jim Bakker, John Avanzini, Pat Robertson, Morris Cerullo, Paula White, and the late Paul and Jan Crouch (founders of TBN). Not all of these people believe exactly the same things, but they share many core WOF beliefs.
Recently, Copeland had a 50 year celebration of Word of Faith false teaching:
As a young adult, Copeland had a career as a professional pilot and, briefly, as a recording artist on Imperial Records where he had a minor hit record in 1957. In the fall of 1967, he enrolled in the then brand new Oral Roberts University, where he soon became the pilot and chauffeur for Oral Roberts (an early WOF superstar).
Here's a video that shows Kenneth Copeland teaching heresy in the past and very recently:
Here is WOF superstar, Benny Hinn, quoting Oral Roberts:
Kenneth and Gloria Copeland started their ministry (KCM) in 1967 and it's been continuing for 50 years.
The following articles show the true nature of Copeland's teachings and influence. These are from a number of different sources and perspectives, but they all agree that Kenneth Copeland is a False Teacher who should be avoided at all costs:
Word of Faith Superstar Kenneth Copeland Proven 100% WRONG (and Nobody Cares) from The Museum of Idolatry
Ken Copeland: God Gave Us Private Jets Because You Can't Talk to God in Coach from The Museum of Idolatry
Depraved Copeland Sets Satanic Snare for Christians from The Museum of Idolatry
Kenneth Copeland’s Living Legacy of Heresy by Costi Hinn
Wealth of Kenneth Copeland and Family Scrutinized from the The Ledger newspaper, July, 2008
Lifestyles of the Tele-Evangelist: Kenneth Copeland from InPlainSite.org
The Harmful Teachings of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland by Cedric Hohnstadt
Many Articles About Kenneth Copeland from Deception in the Church
Kenneth Copeland’s False Teachings and False Gospel Message from Berean Perspective Apologetics
Our Experiences With Kenneth Copeland from Ex Word of Faith
Analysis: Copeland's Religious Empire Benefits His Family from USA Today
Just for fun...
-This article by Steven Kozar
Pastor Peter Burfeind
Here is a great article from pastor Peter Burfeind:
5 Ways To Not Celebrate The Reformation’s Quincentenary This Year
"I really thought it would work this time but I was wrong. I mean, seriously, just listen to my vacant and pathetic rambling for ten or twenty minutes and you'll see that this is pure satire! Oh well, I guess I'll have to keep on trying," said famous parody "Pastor" David Hughes from Church by the Glades. He tried his best to give a ridiculous, over-the-top and exaggerated "Seeker-Friendly" speech as a form of instructive satire, but it appears that his audience failed to get the point, in spite of cringe-worthy statements like...
Hughes even went so far as to put the words CHURCH SHOULD BE FUN in bright lights on the two-story backdrop of his megachurch, hoping that the glaring idiocy would be too obvious to ignore. No one can blame him for making a valiant effort; he pummeled relentlessly for forty minutes in a bizarre collection of scripture-twisting, bad argumentation, a gross mischaracterization of Jesus being a crowd-pleasing communicator who attracted a large audience because he "wasn't boring," and even ending with a megachurch cliche: a manipulative story to try and justify his self-refuting spectacle. Yet, he was unable to get his point across about the dangers of the church becoming a parody of itself as it panders to the surrounding culture. "If I continue foisting these outrageous satires onto my church, I hope that eventually the people will notice that the true Jesus who died in our place to become the Savior of the world is clearly absent," said Hughes.
Although Hughes claimed to value "Jesus and the Bible" above everything else, he made his own ideas the focus of the entire speech instead of the Bible, and only referred to Jesus in little snippets, where he made it sound like Jesus was the Pop Star of his day. After Hughes did everything he could think of to be self-refuting, even using "I Heart (love) Pop" as the title of his sermon series, his parishioners still thought he was giving a biblical sermon.
"I was certain that jumping up and down on a gigantic couch would have done the trick last year, but this time I tried a different approach," said Hughes in an exclusive interview with Pirate Christian Media, "this time I went ahead and gave every stupid and far-fetched reason why an entertaining spectacle can be a viable substitute for an actual worship service. These people still think my thinly-disguised satire was real. I have to admit, I'm not too happy about this."
Hughes went on to say that he had more "sermons" to "preach" in this parody series, and he remained hopeful that his bombastic and ridiculous motivational speeches will eventually open the eyes of the nearly 10,000 listeners he reaches every week.
The "Disney-fication" of the Church Youtube video by BezelT3
Here's a little article from Charisma Magazine featuring a short video from the recent Awaken the Dawn rally: "Watch the Masses Drive Out Darkness in Washington"
Here are the "lyrics" to the "song" being sung (with my apologies to actual songs with actual lyrics):
"When I move my body, when I move my feet, when I open my mouth, then the darkness flees..." (repeat over and over and over, jump up and down, etc...)
Let's be honest, folks, nothing is really happening here. Many of these people are wearing t-shirts from the last "world-changing" conference or rally that they attended. This is sad, delusional and useless activity being passed off as a "revival." Do these people really believe that darkness has now been officially driven out because they gathered and clapped and stomped and chanted?
“For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”
To really "drive out the darkness," Ricky Skaggs and a bunch of people blew shofars (take that, darkness!):
Remember when they changed the world last year? This was supposed to be the most important event in our lifetime:
Of course, that giant rally came after this other giant rally, which was supposed to be the most important event in-you guessed it-our lifetime:
Francis Chan gave a talk at this Awaken the Dawn event; here's an article about Chan's apparent endorsement of this "NAR/Word of Faith" moment: Francis Chan and Todd White Headline Upcoming IHOP Festival of False Teaching
Here's an article that I wrote in February 2016 about all the upcoming events and how the false prophet Bob Jones was supposed to have predicted all of this: I Refuse to Believe Bob Jones-I'm Staying Home
These events always feature prominent false teachers like Lou Engle, Todd White, Shawn Bolz, Heidi Baker and that whole gang of professional speakers; these people need speaking gigs, so they always promote the next thing as "the best thing ever." This man-made "revival" is, at best, a distraction from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. At worst it is leading people away from that true Gospel and is building a false religion based on unity for the sake of unity, a false gospel message, and emotionalism (that's why there's always manipulative music playing and people yelling from the stage).
Please don't get sucked into this stuff. Go to church. Be discipled in God's Word. Study the Bible so you can "hear the voice of God" for real. Finally, be free! You don't need to drive all over the place trying to find the latest and greatest "revival" that will ultimately let you down. Maybe this article will help: The Hyper-Charismatic House of Cards: Let It Fall and Be Free
Brian Houston glossed over the pedophilia that his father, Frank Houston, confessed to in 1999. In his seventies, Frank admitted to Brian that he had committed child molestation. This is the "Hillsong Day of Infamy." Instead of turning his father over the proper authorities, like he was supposed to do, Brian swept this very disturbing information under the rug. It appears that protecting the Hillsong brand name (and Houston family name) has always been more important than protecting children.
Brian Houston repeatedly claimed (under oath to the Royal Commission!) that he forced his father into immediate retirement from ministry, but in reality, Frank Houston continued preaching right up until his death in 2004.
Here are a number of times that Brian Houston lied to the Australian Royal Commission in 2014:
“But from a perspective of my responsibility, I saw my responsibility mainly as being the now, the present. And the present was that Frank was an ordained Assemblies of God pastor; he was a former pastor of Sydney Christian Life Centre; he was now an itinerant pastor attached to Sydney Christian Life Centre, and I saw my main responsibility, in terms of Frank, as addressing that, and, in my mind, he would never preach again, and he never did.”
“Again, from the moment I first confronted my father, I knew, as his overseeing pastor at Hillsong, he would never preach publicly again, and he never did.”
“I suspended him there and then. I ensured that from that day on, he never preached again in his life, anywhere…”
“That he “would be” stood down is a misinterpretation. He was stood down instantly. As a matter of fact, I will reinforce it again: he never, ever preached again anywhere after I confronted him in my office in mid to late November 1999.”
“I knew that he would never preach again and that he would not be in active ministry again, and he never was.”
Here's Brian Houston on television with the (fake) story of how he stopped his father from preaching ever again:
But here's Frank Houston in a rambling and pointless "sermon" in September of 2004. Frank makes it very clear when this happened; he makes repeated references to the death of his wife, Hazel, which took place in early 2004, and he makes repeated remarks about his own age at the time. Frank also makes a number of (uncomfortable) comments about the good-looking children in the audience that day. If you want to waste 55 minutes of your life, listen to the true founder of Hillsong:
At the end of the "sermon" Frank Houston can be heard "speaking in tongues" like a babbling idiot. Listen to this if you want to get in the mood for Halloween:
Even Heidi Baker wants to know "what's the deal, Brian?"
Here is a more detailed article from our Australian friends at ChurchWatch Central:
Here's an amazing article with more details from our friends at Churchwatch Central: Brian Houston Leverages Off Father's Reputation & Hides Paedophilia to Promote Himself & Hillsong
And another HUGE article, full of detailed research: Timeline & Source Material: Related to Frank Houston’s Pedophilia Coverup
To research more about Brian Houston and Hillsong Church: The Brian Houston and Hillsong Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Abuse, Obfuscation & Money Generation
Another related article: Questioning Brian Houston’s testimony about his pedophile father’s ‘sickness’.
For those who think it's mean, judgmental and un-loving to criticize Frank or Brian Houston (or any other popular teacher) here's something just for you: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.
If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend Hillsong, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.
Finally, here's an article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.
After decades of portraying a filthy-rich televangelist who bamboozles people out of their money, Kenneth Copeland has begun a new acting role: He's now portraying a scary, domineering, power-hungry, gangster instead of portraying his usual character: a scary, domineering, power-hungry, preacher.
Some entertainment critics are complaining that he's portraying the exact same character, except that the new character has a drug-lord/Cuban-type of accent instead of his former Texan-type accent, where the letter "s" is always pronounced as "sh." The important thing to understand is that no matter which character he plays, he is first and foremost an actor.
Watch this trailer to see him in his exciting new acting role:
The director for this new movie, Charles Flickburger, said that Copeland proved himself to be a versatile and competent actor. One problem that Flickburger noted, however, was the copious amount of makeup needed to cover up Copeland's cavernous, almost reptilian face. "We had a pretty good budget for pancake makeup," said Flickburger, "but we went three times over that budget in the first two weeks! But Ken's great acting skills were worth every trip I had to make back to the drug store."
At the time of this report, it remains to be seen if Copeland will return to the small screen to continue his portrayal of the heretical, greedy egomaniac that has been the focal point of his production company, humorously called "Kenneth Copeland Ministries." According to his long-time agent, Floyd Pinc, "Mr. Copeland shows no sign of slowing down. Even though he's eighty years old, he has the spunk of a much younger man, and with a good makeup artist at his disposal, he plans to continue playing these roles for as long as his loyal fans continue to pay money to watch him perform."
Word of Faith Superstar Kenneth Copeland Proven 100% WRONG (and Nobody Cares)
Seriously now, for a lot more information about the Word of Faith movement please check out: The Word of Faith Cornucopia of False Doctrine.
Here's another CCM Song Critique by Jorge Rodriguez at Faithful Stewardship. Please, please, please keep in mind that these articles are examining the meaning and theology of the lyrics-NOT critiquing the intentions or sincerity of the songwriters/performers:
Well this is interesting.
Dr. Michael Brown has no problem believing in the "Sneaky Squid Spirit" because his senior editor at Charisma Magazine, Jennifer LeClaire, claims that this demonic creature exists. Brown believes that the Reformation principle of "Sola Scriptura" (Scripture Alone) means that we should listen to new prophetic words that aren't in the Bible. I know, I know, that makes no sense at all, but let's just keep going here...
Recently Dr. Brown had a short conversation with the "Museum Boy," Chris Rice, about whether or not Christians could command hurricanes and control the weather. To his credit, Dr. Brown basically said the same thing that we've been saying: "No, God is sovereign. We can certainly ask for God to be merciful, but we cannot command the weather." Here's the audio of that conversation (note that Dr. Brown makes yet another attempt to push his charismatic "Signs and Wonders" views into the dialogue):
Now, for contrast, here's Lance "Commander of the Millibars" Wallnau saying the exact opposite of Dr. Brown:
Kat Kerr, who commanded the hurricane to go into the Atlantic and dissipate, used the same bad Dominionism theology as Lance Wallnau (and failed miserably but took credit for somehow saving Florida):
This is pretty confusing. Dr. Michael Brown does not believe Christians can command the weather, but Lance Wallnau (and many other hyper-charismatics like him) believes we can be just like Jesus and command the weather. Doesn't it seem strange that these two guys are so far apart on such a basic issue? After all, they are both charismatic leaders who work together at times. Wallnau was just on Dr. Brown's radio show:
Here's Lance Wallnau promoting Dr. Brown on his website:
Think about this: Dr. Michael Brown has clearly and repeatedly supported Jennifer LeClaire and her ridiculous and unbiblical "Sneaky Squid Spirit," but he doesn't believe in the Word of Faith teaching that Christians can command hurricanes.
Hyper-charismatics often make great claims about how much closer they are to God and how the Holy Spirit gives them the "special knowledge" that non-charismatic Christians don't get. But in this situation, it seems very strange that in all of their "speaking in tongues," "prophetic words" and "declaring and decreeing," they have not only failed to control the weather, they've failed to have agreement on such a fundamental issue as our ability to command storms and "do greater things than Jesus did."
How can someone as intelligent as Dr. Michael Brown give such a reasonable and biblical answer about our inability to duplicate Jesus and command the weather, but still have such difficulty admitting that his senior editor, Jennifer LeClaire, doesn't speak for God when she invents crazy stuff like the "Sneaky Squid Spirit??"
Here's an article about Word of Faith "Superstar" Kenneth Copeland claiming authority over the hurricanes (and failing completely, just like everyone else): Word of Faith Superstar Kenneth Copeland Proven 100% WRONG (and Nobody Cares)
Even more difficult to understand is how Dr. Brown can give his wholehearted endorsement of Bill (and his wife Benni) Johnson and Heidi (and her husband Rolland) Bakker. Watch the following disturbing video of these four people saying and doing some extremely creepy things (Dr. Michael Brown refuses to watch this because he is too important and too busy):
Here are a number of episodes of Fighting for the Faith that discuss Dr. Michael Brown and the Sneaky Squid Spirit: Fighting for the Faith
Here's an extensive article with more links about Dr. Brown and the Sneaky Squid: Michael Brown Can't Defend "Sneaky Squid Spirit"-Repeatedly Changes the Subject
Here's a related article from the Museum of Idolatry: Delusion on Parade: Word of Faith "Weather Warriors" Ignore Reality
These comments were deleted by Dr. Brown, and then the entire post was deleted
These challenging comments were deleted by Dr. Brown.
These challenging comments were deleted by Dr. Michael Brown, then the entire post was deleted
After Dr. Brown deletes comments he says he had to delete them because they were so libelous, angry or somehow out-of-line. Nobody will know what these people actually said because he deleted them!
Dr. Brown Made This Comment But Then Later Deleted the entire Post.
After deleting an entire post full of challenging comments (some of which are shown above), Dr. Brown wrote this new post where he attacked "self-appointed heresy hunters" and then blocked more comments:
Here you can see that Dr. Brown blocked me after my initially comments
Dr. Brown adamantly supports some very dangerous false teachers. Here's a VERY disturbing video of Dr. Brown's close friends that he refuses to watch or acknowledge:
Dr. Michael Brown is buddies with Sid Roth, who has the credibility of Shaggy from Scooby Doo:
Dr. Michael Brown does NOT want you to look at this: Dr. Michael Brown Ruins His Credibility on His Own Facebook Wall, Then Deletes All the Evidence
For a more detailed analysis of Michael Brown (and his recent radio show about the New Apostolic Reformation), check out this discussion between Chris Rosebrough, @Aspree and Steven Kozar on Fighting For The Faith: Mutiny Against Dr. Michael Brown
The Dr. Michael Brown Checklist of Manipulation
Here's an article from Assemblies of God Minister Anthony Wade: Why Dr. Brown Has No Credibility
...and here's another: Gatekeeper of False Teachings-- Dr. Michael Brown
For those who think it's mean, judgmental and un-loving to criticize Dr. Michael Brown (or any other teacher, pastor or leader) here's something just for you: Shocking Stuff You're Not Supposed to Know.
If you're having a knee-jerk reaction to try and defend Dr. Michael Brown, check out: Confirmation Bias: Why You Are Protecting Your False Beliefs.
Finally, here's an article that will help you be more discerning and a lot less gullible: Defusing Demonic Dirty Bombs.
Todd White wants to raise $19 million to buy a gigantic mega-church, complete with auditorium, football field, Christian school and cafe. Todd portrays himself as a "street preacher" who demonstrates the Power and Love of Jesus all day long, but he's really just another money-grubbing evangelist who has disguised the get-rich schemes of Kenneth Copeland and Robert Morris under his dreadlocks and blue jeans. Here's his promo video:
Todd wants to convince everyone to send him money because the "Smart Phone Prophet" Shawn Bolz got a direct revelation from God about this new land acquisition. For perpetuating this scheme, Shawn can be assured of a very profitable and ongoing speaking gig if this deal goes through.
In the video, Todd says, "God has told me to multiply my heart." Hmmm, I guess it would be too obvious if he said, "God told me to multiply my bank account and real estate holdings..."
Here's a photo of Todd White's obscenely large and extravagant mansion:
Here's an article with details on Todd's obscene income: Todd White: How Much Money Does He Actually Make?
Todd White is learning how to make the really big bucks from the experts:
Todd White radically encountered the Holy Spirit at a Benny Hinn meeting, where he felt electricity "like he was plugged into a light socket," and the ushers on either side of Todd White were thrown "three feet in the air and about ten feet back."
Todd White says that he "can claim someone for God and there's no way for them to get out of it:"
2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.”
1 Thessalonians 2:5 “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed--God is our witness.”
Acts 20:28-31 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”
1 Timothy 6:5 “...and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”
Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Check out this giant compilation of articles about Todd White:
The Todd White Cornucopia of False Teaching
Todd White is part of a gigantic, shape-shifting, loosely-knit movement known as The New Apostolic Reformation
This article by Steven Kozar; check out his new and improved: The Messed Up Church website!
Here's another informative (and funny!) video from YouTube teacher "BezelT3"
On July 6th, 2017, Brian Houston wrote an article for an Australian News site. In this article, he shows himself to be a "used car salesman" who is just pushing his Hillsong brand under the guise of being a pastor who cares about the entire country of Australia. Let's take a look at what he wrote and analyze it; Houston's words are in bold, and my comments will be in italics and in parentheses. -Steven Kozar
THE census results that revealed a small drop in the number of people calling themselves “Christian”, and less people identifying themselves as being affiliated with any religion, should be a wake-up call for the Christian church across Australia.
While these results were not unexpected, the census also showed the changing social values our country is facing including a rise in the number of people following the Muslim faith.
Again, this is not surprising, as it is clear that Australia’s immigration policies are having an impact on the texture and makeup of our society. Yet as a Christian pastor it does concern me that what I see as the foundations of our community — the values that bring us together — are being diminished, and the faith that has shaped our nation for so long is declining.
While many Australians are not practising Christians and value, as I do, the many different cultures that form our country, I believe the vast majority also want a strong sense of national identity and don’t want to lose those features that make us unique. (This appears to be an attempt to say to the non-Christians in his audience: "Hey! We're really nice; not like those Muslims. If you won't become a Christian, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me continue growing this Hillsong monster across the country; it makes us unique!")
At the same time, Australians are concerned at the extremism they see overseas and are fearful that recent events in Australia make us vulnerable to a similar path.
The Christian church can — and should — play a significant role in reshaping our national identity and providing Australians with hope, love, peace and faith. I am convinced that, just as Christianity was the solution to the greatest human issues 2000 years ago, so it is to this day. (This is one of many examples where Houston turns the Christian Church into a vague and charitable entity for the purpose of increasing brand acceptance to his targeted demographic. How, specifically, is the Christian Church offering a solution to the greatest human issues? What is the solution he speaks of? Who knows? He never proclaims the actual Gospel message. )
The recent census figures show that many Australians are understandably disenchanted by church child abuse scandals (This is coming from the guy who protected his pedophile father, Frank Houston) and the perceived irrelevance of formalised religion. At the same time we are seeing an increasing demonising of Christianity for holding firm to 2000-year-old biblical perspectives on societal issues such as sexuality, marriage and the inherent value of human life.
But are we witnessing the demise of Christianity and the church in our country? I don’t believe so. Despite these census statistics there are life-giving churches all over the country that are growing, youthful, and clearly meeting the very real needs of people. (Here's where Brian Houston defines his brand: Life-giving. Growing. Youthful. Meeting the Very Real Needs of People. No Old People Allowed. Take Your Hymnals and Your Wheelchairs and Just Go Away.)
The gospel message is timeless and should not be tampered with; but for the church, the methods simply must change to keep pace with society’s desperate cry for authenticity and a deeper meaning in life. The Christian message is one of love and acceptance, and must replace the sense of hatred, fear and cynicism that the world is experiencing at the moment. (It should surprise no one that Houston fails to articulate any Gospel message at all. "The gospel message is one of love and acceptance?" No Brian, that's the message of postmodern pop culture; that's the message of a spineless frontman trying to win the approval of the most gullible members of society. The Gospel is about how Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of mankind. If society is actually crying out for authenticity, as you claim, how is the Hillsong brand helping? By putting on even bigger spectacles in even larger auditoriums with even cooler "pastors," who have bad theology but dress like primping rock stars? THAT'S the Hillsong solution to society's deepest needs? Brian Houston IS the problem! Hillsong is a heavily-marketed corporate entity pretending to be a church, and hurting untold thousands of people with a false Gospel message.)
In my experience, as I engage with everyday Australians in cafes, airports, or shopping malls, people at large are not anti-God; they are anti hypocrisy, irrelevance, and ‘tired’ old religion that has compromised on issues of morality and Christian distinctives. (This is the Hillsong pitch: "You don't like hypocrites? Neither does Hillsong! You don't like 'tired' old religion? Neither does Hillsong! Wow, it sounds like our church is perfect for you, doesn't it?! Now, what's it gonna take to get you to drive this church off the lot today?")
We, the church in Australia, are stewards of a message desperately needed in these complex days. The good news of Jesus Christ is a message of life and hope and the New Testament points to a God who is for us and not against us. In a world of extremism, tension, hatred, horror and sheer evil, the Australian church, no matter what the persuasion, is desperately needed in this country. But are we recognising societal needs and focusing on bringing life-giving answers? Sadly, often the answer is no. People need community and a real sense of belonging. People need hope. You can live a certain amount of time without food — a lot less time without water — but we were never designed to live without hope. (Once again, Houston mentions nothing of the redemption that Jesus provided by His death on the cross. Instead, he tells everyone about the need for hope that we all share. Yes, we all need hope, but Houston is not providing real hope, he's selling the Word of Faith and New Apostolic Reformation bucket of bolts that takes money from people and gives them nothing in return. The "community" of Hillsong is not based on the true fellowship that the Christian Church provides, because Hillsong is not a real Christian Church. Btw, yes I know, I know, there are some actual Christians involved in Hillsong...)
People are tired of religion with form but without substance, with ritual but without relevance — that is what people are shunning. People are scared because of the evil we constantly witness on the news — in the name of religion. (Hillsong, like every cool new Mega-Church, claims to be "real" and "relevant" but those are just catch-phrases, and a growing number of people are abandoning these "churches," as they figure out that this is a bait and switch sales pitch. This is a marketing gimmick, and it works for a while, just like any multi-level marketing organization. Hillsong constantly hypes itself, uses hyped-up rock bands with laser light shows and has hyped-up "pastors" preaching a positive-thinking/prosperity message that tickles itching ears. And of course, it always contrasts itself against crusty old "religion." You don't like religion? Neither does Hillsong!...)
The "Life-Giving" LASERS OF HILLSONG
No matter what the denomination or name above our doors, the Australian church that believes in Jesus Christ, must show more commitment to the real issues. We must help people to find a sense of belonging, meet physical and spiritual needs, and speak life-giving messages that connect with people’s everyday lives. (So, Brian says that churches must "show more commitment to real issues." That's quite a sentence, coming from the master of hype, marketing and Prosperity Pimping. What does he leave out, again? The Gospel message. Jesus did not die on the cross to just help people "find a place of belonging," so we can "speak life-giving messages" of prosperity and earthly success. Oh wait, the Gospel message doesn't "connect with people's everyday lives," nevermind...)
With a 2017 worldview and a first-century message, the church in Australia will continue to be an active, effective, and dynamic part of the heart and fabric of this wonderful country. (This is a real audacious sales job; it's completely backward and upside down. This is putting a cheap, but shiney paint job on a broken-down rust bucket. A "2017 worldview?" What does that even mean? And he says that Hillsong has a "first-century message?" Really?? When did the first-century church use stadiums, rock bands with laser-light shows, TV shows and Word of Faith heretical teaching based on sorcery, selfishness and power-grabbing businessmen sporting perfectly groomed beard stubble in place of sacrificial and pastoral shepherding? When did the first-century church abandon the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and replace it with a Naked Cowboy?
When did the first-century church go to bars with pop superstars to down shots and start to take off their clothes? When did the first-century church have "pastors" like these? (yes, these are Hillsong "pastors"):
Let’s keep our distinctive traditions, Eucharist or biblical values but recognise the times we now live in and bring to people the answers they desperately need. (This sounds like a politician fumbling for words and desperately trying to come across as broadminded and knowledgeable while saying nothing of any substance. "Eucharist?" How does that even fit within that sentence?? Come on Brian, you can afford a good ghost-writer; I suggest you hire someone who can construct fully functional sentences.)
I’m a believer. The church in Australia has the perfect message for a deeply troubled world in 2017. We just cannot afford to make the methods more sacred than the message. (Translation: "We've got this giant Hillsong thing figured out, and I'm getting filthy rich as a result, so you better let us keep expanding like a giant blob of rancid bread dough across this great country.")
Read and research more about Brian Houston and the Hillsong Brand: The Brian Houston & Hillsong Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Abuse, Obfuscation & Money Generation
Here are a whole bunch of episodes of Fighting for the Faith where Brian Houston's "sermons" are compared to true Christian doctrine from the Bible: Fighting for the Faith
Tired of Mega-Church Mobsters and the Evangelical Industrial Complex? Read A Manifesto of Christian Discernment
© Steven Kozar for Pirate Christian Media & Messed Up Church. Read a little about Steve on "Kozar's Korner." Prints of his paintings are available on our Bakesale and on his art website stevenkozar.com.
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