January 23, 2024- Part of Pat’s Peeves

I just have to take a minute and discuss something that I HATE! I don’t usually use that term, yet this is something that, in my opinion, does great harm to Christians and Christianity. It’s not done by outsiders, meaning it is not atheists or satanists or Buddhists, or Islamists. They are Christians who are shooting at other Christians, very publicly in churches and on podcasts.

A few days ago I was sitting at my desk working and listening to a podcast by a very well known Christian pastor, who had as a guest another very well known Christian Leader on his program which was being recorded in front of the congregation of his large Christian Church. I guess they feel they have been appointed by God to point out in a very public manner, Christian pastors and ministries who they believe are teaching very harmful things. Not only did they mention the object of their disdain, they mentioned the name of the church. By mentioning the well known church, the pastor of that church would be known, as well.

Specifically, they mentioned Bethel. They mentioned that Bethel was teaching “Grave Sucking”, and they went into detail about what a dangerous teaching it is, and how Bethel was bringing great harm to the Christians that bought in to this teaching.

If you don’t know what “Grave Sucking” is, it is a teaching where a person will lay on top of the grave of a prominent Christian Leader, and ask God to give them the mantel bestowed upon that Christian Leader by God. That term “Grave Sucking” is such a derogatory term, and it just sounds bad. I would not be surprised that the critics opposing them gave that name to that practice.

Now, I know these prominent Christian Leaders who just slandered Bethel and its pastors, had not contacted Bethel, nor talked with their head pastor before they laid such a charge against them. I know that because I have heard Bill Johnson being interviewed and asked that specific question. Bill said he got word that one of the teachers at Bethel was teaching that, and he immediately confronted the teacher and stopped such teaching. Yet, here these Christian Leaders were, damaging the reputation of Bethel and Bill Johnson without first talking with Bill Johnson to verify the truth of the rumor.

These Christian Leaders didn’t stop there. They told about how there was a couple in the church at Bethel, who’s young child just died. They told about how the church came together in their sanctuary and declared LIFE to that child, as the child lay in the morgue. These Christian Leaders told how awful and humiliating it must have been for the parents of the child, who were grieving over their child. In so many words, these Christian Leaders made clear that ‘healing” stopped with the Apostles in the 1stCentury. They went on and on about how terrible it was that this congregation would actually speak LIFE to this dead child.

Not only do I HATE what these 2 very prominent Christian Leaders were doing, I felt sorry for them that they did not understand there is NO Scripture anywhere in the Bible that says “healing” stopped with the Apostles. On the contrary, Mark records Jesus telling the Apostles to go and teach others to do what He instructed them to do.

“17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” - Mark 16:17-18

I am a “those”. Are you a “those”? Jesus was telling His Apostles to TEACH what they have been taught. “These signs WILL accompany THOSE who believe in My name….”. If we do not have these signs following us, then that is between God and me. I need to spend some time with Him, in order to find out why those signs are NOT following me. For, clearly, God says they WILL follow me! To say the signs were stopped when the Apostles died, makes God a Liar. Do you feel comfortable with that? I don’t feel comfortable with that. Do YOU feel comfortable with that? I don’t think I want to be in that category. I would rather find out WHY those signs are NOT following ME.

Here these 2 prominent Leaders were teaching not only the large congregation there at the church, but also all who would listen to the podcast there is NO power in the name of Jesus to heal, today. I thought of all those I have seen healed, and all the stories I have heard of the dead raised, and the deaf ears opened, and the dumb people who now speak, and the lame who now walk, and the cancer that disappears, among many, many miraculous healings happening today by the power of Jesus Name.

What damage is being done by self-proclaimed judges in the church. It’s bad enough when it is a Christian in the pew who is voicing their disapproval. Yet, when they are very prominent Christian Leaders who influence tens of thousands of people around the world, it is a horrible injustice done by Christians against Christians. They need to repent and apologize in tears, not only to God, but also to their church and their audiences, end especially to Bill Johnson & the people at Bethel.

We don’t need those outside the Christian Church to do great damage to the Church. We have enough self-proclaimed judges in the church who are doing that very demonic work quite well.

There is enough to condemn in this world without condemning churches and Pastors. Lift up! Encourage! Stand up! Bless!

Are we to call out SIN? Of Course. First, as a caveat, we might want to make sure we don’t have any pet sins in our own life, before we go pointing out someone else’s Sins. As I read Scripture, calling out the sin should be done personally, in private, by talking with and counseling the person. Then, as a last resort, if there is no repentance nor acknowledgement of the Sin, you bring it before the church. We must try our hardest NOT to involve the congregation.

In this case, was this SIN they were pointing out? NO. These are points merely of disagreement. The fact that the leadership, of the “errant church”, specifically Bill Johnson, was NOT consulted before such public display, this is inexcusable, especially from Christian Leaders. What these two were basically saying is, “Look at us. WE are Christian judges appointed by God, and we have a right before our congregation and audience, to point out this horrible Sin of Bethel & its leadership. THEY are sinning, and THEY are wrong in the eyes of God by what they are doing. Stay AWAY from them, and tell others to stay away from them.”

LOOK… Hamas just terrorized and MURDERED BRUTALLY over 1200 Jews, including babies which were burned alive and put in ovens, mothers and single women raped and brutally beheaded and murdered, fathers, grandfathers, grandmothers, Aunts and Uncles, children, teens and adults all brutally murdered. 250 were dragged away and taken hostage into Gaza in order to protect Hamas.

Hezbollah, a much stronger army and terrorist organization, is situated on Israel’s northern border, launching many more sophisticated missiles targeting Israel’s cities and Civilians, indiscriminately. It is even more troubling that Hezbollah is bolstered by Iran, who is just days away from having an atomic bomb… a bomb which the rest of the world seems to worry little. Then, of all things, the US Administration is telling Israel they are NOT to attack Hezbollah and escalate a war against them, although Hezbollah continues at will, raining missiles down on Israel and its population. All this being done just 37 miles from Har-Megiddo, a little place in Israel also known as Armageddon.

As Christian Leaders, we have so much more to teach and educate our listeners and congregations, than to criticize fellow Pastors and Churches with whom we disagree.

I have so many problems with those Christian Leaders who just seem to think they are God’s personal mouthpiece.

Well, just my thoughts.