We're not absent for the great tribulation, now listen carefully, the church causes the great tribulation. What I mean by that- it's the church, it's the praying church under Jesus' leadership that's loosing the judgment in the great tribulation in the way that Moses stretched forth his rod and prayed and loosed the judgements upon Pharaoh. The church in the tribulation is in the position that Moses was before Pharaoh but it won't be a Pharaoh and Egypt, it'll be the great end time Pharaoh called the antichrist and the book of Revelation is a book about the judgments of God on the antichrist loosed by the praying church.
Right now the prayer movement is growing fast... really fast! But when I say it's growing fast instead of one percent of the Body of Christ taking hold of it, maybe 10 percent. It's... you know it's like 10 times bigger than it was a generation ago, but beloved, as fast as the prayer movement is growing, where people are getting hold of it, still for 90 percent of the Body of Christ, it's not even on their mind. Jesus is not coming until the Body of Christ globally is crying out, "Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus, Come Lord Jesus" and they don't just say "come and forgive me" they are crying out in the understanding of who they are as the one that is cherished by Jesus in the bridal identity.
John Alexander Dowie healing revival (1890’s); Wales revival (1904); Azusa Street revival (Los Angeles in 1906); John G. Lake healing revival (1910-30); Aimee Simple McPherson healing revival (1920’s); Voice of Healing revival with Oral Roberts, William Branham, Kenneth Hagin, etc. (1940-50’s); Charismatic Renewal with the Catholics then main line denominations (1967); Jesus Movement Chuck Smith/Lonnie Frisbee in Southern California (1970’s); Vineyard healing revival with John Wimber (1980’s); International renewal center in Lakeland Florida with Rodney Howard-Browne reaching Pentecostals (1993); International renewal center in Toronto with John Arnott reaching main line denominations (1994) in conjunction with the HTB renewal; Pasadena renewal center with Lou Engle and Che Ahn. The Pensacola revival with Steve Hill (1995); Regional renewal in Smithton with Steve Gray (1995); Regional healing revival in Redding with Bill Johnson (2000), Todd Bentley national healing revival in Lakeland (2008 ) and Rick Joyner with a regional healing revival.
John G Lake:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_M._Branham
http://www.letusreason.org/Latrain4.htm
http://www.forgottenword.org/branham.html
Kenneth Hagin
Todd Bentley/Lakeland
Let's say the miracles and so forth of the other above false teachers were real- difficult to prove all these years later- but let’s say that people really were healed of diseases and disabilities through their ministries and the 'manifest presence' of some sort of spirit really did show up in their meetings. The Bible speaks of false signs and wonders (Matthew 24: 23-25, Mark 13:21-23). Hebrews 2: 1-4 tells us that God bore witness to His salvation through signs and wonders. Signs and wonders are to point to something. In 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10, we see false signs and wonders pointing to the false christ, the lawless one.
If indeed the miracles and manifestations experienced through the ministry of these false teachers and preachers were real, who and what are they pointing to? They point to false teachings, false doctrines, and a false christ!
Bickle says, "God uses weak and broken vessels of clay so that no one glories or boasts in man" and that we are not mandated to point out what lacks excellence in each vessel, if they are minor, 'gnat-issues'. (Bickle takes Matthew 23:23-24- "You pay tithe of mint and anise... and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"- out of context, to mean that we are to swallow minor issues while concentrating on bigger 'camel' issues. Matthew 23:23-24 is about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, not about discernment.
Paul says the same thing, that God uses the weak to shame the wise. Paul was a very weak man- but Paul did not teach false doctrine. Weak, broken vessels' does not mean 'false teachers'. Nor do weak, broken people stay weak. They grow in wisdom, understanding, and right doctrine. This did not happen with the men and women in Bickles above revival/ministry examples. Instead of growing in His Word, sanctification, and holiness, their doctrines grew worse and scandal followed their personal lives. God uses weak people- but He doesn't leave us weak!
"Love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8)," Bickle reminds us regarding these broken vessels. But, love doesn't mean we excuse or ignore the sin. "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound doctrine, 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 will wander off into myths." 2 Timothy 4: 1-4
In this teaching, Mr. Bickle shares this infamous word he received in 1982: I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the earth in one generation. He then says 'changing the expression' speaks of the way the Church expresses its life together under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
But, I ponder, the Bible gives clear directions for how the Church is to express its life together under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. What Scriptural evidence supports this word from God that the expression will change? How, Mr. Bickle, did you test it?
And what, Mr. Bickle, do you do with your prophets like this? Who prophetically dreams things that don't happen, who says that the prophetic is never a guarantee, but an invitation to join the Great Intercessor? Poor God. Wanted an end to abortion, apparently, but not enough people musta joined His Intercession. I didn't know we had that much power.
So, I do not trust Bickle's teachings nor his idea of what a move of the Spirit is. So, no attending the current Student Awakening- especially since phrases are being used reflecting the same kinds of doctrines proclaimed at Lakeland.
Oh, but the Spirit is manifesting. I'm sure some spirit is manifesting. I hope it is God's. But signs and wonders point so something. IHOP has false doctrines and teachings. Are they then pointing to a false christ?
But people are repenting. Awesome. Really- it is a good thing to repent. And I'm not surprised folks at IHOP are repenting. IHOP is very good at giving its students and visitors the law.
The videos I watched had the leaders calling the audience to repentance to receive refreshing, and so they could raise the dead, and cast out demons. Only very briefly was the cross mentioned, and it was not the emphasis.
The people from Westboro Baptist Church call people to repentance. When calling people to repentance, you must break them with the Law of God; IHOP, and Westboro, you've got it right. But, you must offer them the good news of the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name when you have broken them. This cross is for Christians, too. We can't be good for goodness sake even if we wanted to. Through forgiveness and walking in the Spirit we are enabled to 'be good'. Because we've a new heart. But since our righteousness doesn't count anyway, for when God looks at us, He sees the righteousness of Christ, shouldn't Christ and His cross be what is focused on at repentance?
So, these are my thoughts.
