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PART #2 -
"LEAVING THE PROPHETIC MOVEMENT"
-By Andrew Strom.
I guess you will not be surprised
to hear that I was flooded with 600 emails within 24 hours of my
announcement that I was leaving the Prophetic movement. Many of them
seemed to be highly supportive of the stand I had taken. (-A lots of
people have seen alarming things in this movement). But I'm sure I
will receive a lot of flak also.
For many years, even when I was
truly disturbed by something I usually avoided "naming names" as much
as possible. I do not approve of the 'Heresy Hunters' who seem to take
such delight in maligning Spirit-filled ministries across the
Internet. There is no delight in such things for me. Only grief and
sadness that the name of Jesus is once again being brought down into
the mud. We live in very sad times in the church today, don't we?
After my previous article, many
people asked me again to "name names" and announce clearly who the
leaders were at this conference - even though that info was already at
the top of my first email. For this one time, I am actually going to
accede to their request - because we need to clear the air about these
leaders and also a number of others as well. But I have to tell you; I
have been totally heartsick at having to talk about all this.
The speakers at this KC 'Whitedove'
Conference were Bob Jones, Paul Keith Davis, Bobby Conner, John Paul
Jackson, Shawn Bolz - plus Jim Goll and one or two others. Sadly, I
have to say that I have rarely felt so grieved or devastated as when I
witnessed the carryings-on at this event. If you get the 'Elijah' List
(-the main Prophetic email List) you will recognize most of the names
above as being amongst the top "movers and shakers" of the whole
movement.
A number of people asked me about
Rick Joyner and Morningstar Ministries. Where do they fit into all
this? Well, seemingly Rick has always managed to keep himself at a
slight distance from the worst excesses and controversies of this
movement. (-Except for when he joined the Knights of Malta - an
ancient Catholic Order. -By the way, that is probably what led to the
fad of using swords to 'knight' people that swept through this
movement a few years ago).
I have read some of Joyner's books
and enjoy some of the things he says, but frankly, just because he has
kept himself at a slight distance does not absolve him from the mess
that the Prophetic is in today. The fact is, Mr Joyner is very close
friends with almost all of the main leaders at this recent conference.
He regularly ministers alongside them - and knows them very well. As a
'father' in the movement, if he had brought correction it would have
been heeded, but he has clearly failed to do so.
Thus, he has to be held accountable
for the state of things as much as anyone else. And it would not
surprise me if similar deception is finding it's way into Morningstar
conferences. (-A number of the same people are involved). Sadly then,
I have had to remove any articles or links to Rick Joyner from my web
site - along with all the others.
And speaking of the sad and
grievous state of this movement, I wonder how many of you received the
following notice from the Elijah List recently about a forthcoming
'School of the Prophets': "God is releasing a new level of revelation
that goes beyond just operating in the nine gifts of the Spirit....
Sessions will cover topics like Hearing the Voice of God, Activating
your Spiritual Senses, Third Heaven Experiences, and Exploring Spirit
Realms." The advertised speakers are Todd Bentley, Stacey Campbell,
Larry Randolph, Paul Keith Davis, and Bobby Conner.
Now, I have come across Todd
Bentley's teachings on "How to visit the Third Heaven" before, and I
tell you, it is nothing less than 'Guided Visualization' taken
straight out of the New Age movement. Nothing less and nothing more.
It is exactly the same. And I want you to know that if you attend
these kinds of things, or allow these men to 'guide' you or lay hands
upon you, then you are opening yourself up to all kinds of spirits and
demonic counterfeits. As I have stated before, this movement has
absolutely NO DISCERNMENT at all.
It has sunk into such deception
that its leaders are opening people up to all kinds of demonic
experiences on a daily basis. It has no idea that it is even doing it.
-It behaves exactly like a movement that has been "given over to
deception" by God. I urge again that everyone reading this would
prayerfully consider CUTTING OFF all ties to this movement, lest you
yourself become tainted by it.
It is with great sadness that I
make the above points. I have refrained from saying such things in the
past, but I can no longer do so, because untold people are being
spiritually damaged by what is going on. Please understand my heart in
this.
For the same reason I also need to
warn you about another 'prophetess' who is often featured on the
Elijah List. Her name is Jill Austin and I have personally witnessed
her ministry in action. I would describe it as one of the most
disturbing (by far) meetings that I have ever been in. There was
definitely a strange "power" operating, but it certainly did not seem
like God to me. She is also an expert at 'hyping' an audience. Please
be very careful in such environments, my friends. -You can end up
taking part in things that you would never normally do, just because
you are part of a large crowd.
Sadly, there seem to be many other
ministries in this movement involved in similar deception. In fact, I
hate to say it, but a general rule might be that if someone is
featured on the Elijah List, there has to be at least an 80% chance
that their ministry is "off" in some major way. I will say just one
more thing about the Elijah List: I am convinced that they will one
day give account to God for taking upon themselves the name "Elijah"
and then doing what they have done with it. Literally, by their own
words they will be judged.
HOW TO AVOID DECEPTION
What a lot of people don't seem to
recognize is the sheer level of 'peer pressure' and "crowd
manipulation" that is going on at many of these events. They end up
being led into doing things they feel uncomfortable with, just because
"everybody else" is doing it. They squash down their discernment. They
ignore the "little voice" or the tiny 'alarm bells' inside them that
are trying to get their attention.
And thus, multitudes of Christians
are being led astray - and paying through the nose for the privilege.
I urge anyone reading this who has ever squashed down their
discernment and participated in such things, to get before God and
REPENT of opening yourself up in that way. It is very important that
you confess this before God and ask His forgiveness. RENOUNCE all
deception in Jesus' name.
One thing we don't have much time
to discuss here is the MONEY issue. This is a huge problem in the
Prophetic. Now, I do understand that ministries need finances to
operate. I run a ministry myself. And as most of you know, about 5
times a year we put out a book or CD (available for any donation - or
even just postage) to go towards the costs of keeping this ministry
operating. However, the word itself is always free. It is terribly sad
to see the charging of 'entry fees' to hear the word today, and the
over-bearing emphasis on MONEY in the church. Did not Jesus clearly
command: "Freely you have received, freely give"?
REDEFINING "PROPHET"
Just because I have cut myself off
from today's Prophetic movement does not mean that I believe there is
no place for prophets in the church. In fact, I believe we need true
prophets now more than ever. But you will notice that there has been a
subtle shift in the use of the term "prophet" over the last 25 years,
and I believe we need to get back to the original meaning.
It was not long ago that when you
spoke of a 'prophet' you were usually referring to someone like Keith
Green, Leonard Ravenhill or David Wilkerson - someone who was crying
out to the lukewarm church, "REPENT." And if you look down the annals
of history, you will find that there has never been a true Prophetic
movement that did not have this as it's core message. Every true
Prophetic movement, right from the Old Testament down through every
Revival and awakening that I have ever studied, has been a movement of
REPENTANCE.
And yet we find today a movement
that calls itself "Prophetic" - but with spiritual 'revelations' and
words of knowledge at its core. -No piercing word. This is the precise
reason why it has gone off the rails. -It has abandoned it's age-old
message. It's 'word' has been corrupted. I am convinced that God IS
going to raise up true prophets in this hour to cry to the lukewarm
church "Repent".
There is a movement coming that is
utterly different from that which we have seen. God is coming to clean
house. The "shaking" has already begun. And the "John-the-Baptists"
whom God has prepared in the caves and wildernesses are about to arise
and speak His word - just as in every Great Awakening down through
history.
Some people asked me if I was going
to shut down our web-sites and email Lists. Not at all. The whole
point of what we're doing is to call forth and encourage these
"John-the-Baptists" whom God is raising up in this hour. We will not
stop crying aloud until we see a great 'Repentance' Revival sweeping
this nation from coast to coast.
As A.W. Tozer wrote of all true
prophets down the ages: "God has always had His specialists whose
chief concern has been the moral breakdown, the decline in the
spiritual health of the nation or the church. Such men were Elijah,
Jeremiah, Malachi and others of their kind who appeared at critical
moments in history to reprove, rebuke and exhort in the name of God
and righteousness... Such a man was likely to be drastic, radical,
possibly at times violent, and the curious crowd that gathered to
watch him work soon branded him as extreme, fanatical, negative.
And in a sense they were right. He
was single-minded, severe, fearless, and these were the qualities the
circumstances demanded. He shocked some, frightened others and
alienated not a few, but he knew who had called him and what he was
sent to do. His ministry was geared to the emergency, and that fact
marked him out as different, a man apart."
To give us feedback on this article, please
write to:
revival4@pars.net
An extra big THANK YOU to those who
have been praying for us during this sad time. Truly appreciated, my
friends.
God bless you all.
Kindest regards in Christ,
Andrew Strom.
- PROPHETIC SUPERSITE.
- REVIVAL SUPERSITE.
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