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BSSM Evangelism – Activating The Senses & Strange Spirits.
By Rick Becker 15 November 2018
The Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry relies on subjective and unbiblical practices to “evangelize” the lost. Sadly, it’s a case of the blind leading the blind. One of the resources from the BSSM is a list of “activations” for evangelism. The fact that this resource even exists and that the “activations” are believed and practiced by thousands, is an indictment on the state of churches in the New Apostolic Reformation. When “evangelism” is based on assumptions, imaginations, and doctrines of demons, it has ceased to be evangelical. When supernatural gifts can be taught, they are no longer supernatural. In this article, we examine the BSSM “activations.”
If you believe what the scriptures teach, then you will know that the BSSM “evangelism activations” should be rejected outright as pure heresy.
Introduction to the seven activations taught by the BSSM School Planting Team:
BSSM: “BEFORE YOU START – Teach your students what to be aware of before they interact with people. Have them assess how are they feeling physically, emotionally, and spiritually before entering a room full of people. When they are aware of how they are feeling before interacting with people, they can be aware of when they feel the Holy Spirit moving.”
At the outset, the focus is already on self, and the subjective world of feelings.Christianity by nature is faith based, not feeling based. The Holy Spirit dwells in all believers regardless of how we feel. Can you think of a passage of scripture that instructs us to be aware of how we feel, in order to feel the Holy Spirit moving?
The task of any evangelist is to preach the gospel, regardless of how they are feeling. The power lies not in us or our ability to feel the Holy Spirit moving, but in the gospel – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16
BSSM: “Loving people well is the number one priority when participating in evangelism or outreaches. Remember, it’s not about keeping score and seeing who can
release the most healings. People will remember how you made them feel long after they remember what you did for them. Teach them what real success looks like. While someone being healed or miracles happening are great outcomes, others feeling the love of the Father through your students is real success.”
Once again, feelings are a determining factor in Bethel’s estimation. Evangelism is about spreading the gospel, not making people feel good about themselves. When an unbeliever is confronted with truth in the form of the law and the gospel, they should first of all feel the anguish of being separated from God due to their sins. There is no “good news” unless we acknowledge the bad. A successful evangelistic outreach should be measured by salvations, not healings or feelings. When I say “salvations,” I mean people who have been born again, not people who have been enticed to recite the sinners prayer or “begin a relationship” with Jesus. A great example of evangelism, is Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost:
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus,delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”
Acts 2:22-23
Accusing the crowd of being complicit in the death of Christ is about as far as one could get from a seeker friendly approach to evangelism. Peter was not interested in catering to the felt needs of the crowd, but in proclaiming the truth. What’s interesting about this passage is that some who had witnessed the miracles of Christ, still wanted him crucified. There goes Bill Johnson’s theory that signs and wonders are essential in evangelism. Jesus knew that miracles could capture minds, but not hearts: “ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people” John 2:23-24
Peter continues:
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By Kim Olsen
Learning about SOZO occurred when I was working with a woman who was dealing with oppression and darkness. Many are deceived when they enter into a spiritual realm that they have no business delving into.
Today we easily find mysticism, false teaching, divination, abuse of spiritual gifts, and love of experience trumping the Word of God. When you fall into this area the problem is that the spirit world will deliver. Those seeking to be in the “presence of Jesus” may indeed find themselves in the company of a entity but it will not be Jesus of the Bible. Remember that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:14.
Satan is the prince of darkness and well-meaning Christians will fall into the trap and deceitful workmen will also masquerade as “apostles of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:13
There are so many who love the Lord and want to serve Him with all their hearts but the way we do this is laid out in the Epistles to the church in the New Testament. We also find many warnings of false teachers in the scriptures.
When we read about Jesus as our shepherd and recognize ourselves as the flock, it must be remembered that sheep are not very smart. They need to be led. They often cannot discern the enemy among who are clothed in sheepskin but inwardly are wolves. These wolves will be found IN the church, they are among God’s people.
“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” Acts 20:29
The sad part is the report that those seeking healing at Bethel in Redding, CA are subjected to rating their healing from 1 – 10. This can only be due to the fact that they are not being healed and people are trying to glean some positive results from their man-made practices and techniques.The false self-claimed apostles, Bill Johnson, Mike Bickle, Todd Bentley, John Arnott, Todd White, just to name a few, are promising that people can walk among the streets and in the power of the Holy Spirit, heal people of their diseases. Of course this speaks of the pride of man, to be just like the apostles in the book of Acts. These early men were hand selected by Jesus and therefore Apostles. Paul was the last Apostle. God does still does heal today but not like what we are seeing in these false ministries.
SOZO is found in two main ministries…Bethel in Redding and IHOP ministries but is rapidly spreading to many charismatic churches. The focus is often on drawing susceptible youth and making them believe they have some special abilities other Christians are leaving on the table.
Here is a good article to get you started on research by someone who has personal experience with SOZO.
https://mkayla.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/inner-healing-christian-or-occult/
This site is also dedicated to SOZO and its false teachings.
https://dynamitepublishing.com/category/featured-articles/
These tools are not biblical and will actually put you into contact with an entity masquerading as Jesus. But many will accept this Jesus.
“For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” 2 Corinthians 11:4
Think new-age spirit guides (demons) and you will have a better understanding of what spiritual world is truly being contacted.
Do you think that these false teachings will not reach you or your church? Think again. A local woman on my Facebook page posted her excitement to join a SOZO class in a nearby town. The comments on her post encouraged her to do so. I can longer reach this woman who blocked me because of my past warnings on other issues.
What can we do to protect ourselves? Stay in the Word of God and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into truth. There are no shortcuts. Study the Word, pray, fellowship, be obedient to the Word, and walk in faith…not by sight.
I was disturbed this week by Kris Vallotton’s article titled “5 Tests of a True Prophet.” I was even more disturbed to see that his article was published by Charisma Magazine. For those who don’t know, Vallotton is the senior associate leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and a bestselling author. His article in Charisma is excerpted from a curriculum he developed titled Basic Training for the Prophetic Ministry.
Not a single one of Vallotton’s five tests of a true prophet is given in Scripture. Astoundingly, he completely overlooks the three tests that are given. Here are Vallotton’s woefully inadequate tests.
Vallotton’s 5 Non-Biblical Tests
Vallotton’s Non-Biblical Test No. 1: Does the prophet believe in the redemptive work of the Son of God?
On the surface, this test may seem good. Surely, a true prophet of God would believe in Christ’s redemptive work. But if you think that, by belief in the “redemptive work of the Son of God,” Vallotton is referring to belief in the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection, think again. In the article, Vallotton redefines the redemptive work of the Son of God as present-day miracles. He says that people who don’t believe in the “redemptive work of the Son of God” are “people who try to tell you that Jesus doesn’t do miracles anymore.” In other words–in NAR-speak–any individual who questions the authenticity of the alleged miracles being performed by today’s NAR apostles and prophets cannot be a true prophet. Where in Scripture can this test be found? It can’t.
Vallotton’s Non-Biblical Test No. 2: False prophets do not like to listen to anyone; they believe that God tells them everything.
At first glance, this test may also seem good to some people. But Vallotton’s description of the test shows what he really has in mind. He says that a true prophet will submit to “real spiritual authority.” In the NAR, the real spiritual authorities are the movement’s prophets and apostles. This point is crucial to understanding NAR teachings. The idea that a true prophet of God must submit to the authority of contemporary NAR leaders simply cannot be found in Scripture.
Vallotton’s Non-Biblical Test No. 3: False prophets are not motivated by love, but are motivated by a need to be noticed.
In other words, Vallotton is saying that false prophets are motivated by pride, not love. Sounds true, right? Not so fast. Certainly, a true prophet wouldn’t be motivated by pride, and a true prophet would have love for others. But the verses Vallotton cites in support of this test–1 John 4:7-9 and 19-21–apply to all believers in Christ generally. They’re not criteria given as tests for determining if someone is a genuine prophet of God.
Vallotton’s Non-Biblical Test No. 4: False prophets commonly use fear to motivate people.
Vallotton says that “‘doom and gloom’ tend to be the central theme of a false prophet’s message.” Yet, numerous true prophets of God in Scripture had the sober task of delivering “doom-and-gloom” messages about sin and judgment. Though their messages held out hope for forgiveness and restoration, their major themes also included grim realities. For example, the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah was given the following gloomy message from God regarding the unfaithful Israelites:
“Do not pray for the welfare of this people. Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.” (Jeremiah 14:11-12)
Not a happy-go-lucky message, to be sure. In contrast to his downer message, the false prophets delivered upbeat words: “‘You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place’” (Jeremiah 14:13). Yet, according to Vallotton’s test, it is they who would be the true prophets of God, and Jeremiah would be a false prophet. Go figure.
Vallotton’s Non-Biblical Test No. 5: False prophets are not in a covenant relationship with the body of Christ.
This test–that a true prophet attends a local church–is not given in Scripture. While every believer should attend a local church and strive to have a healthy relationship with the membership, this is not a test given for determining whether someone is a true prophet.
In short, Vallotton gives five tests for a prophet that aren’t given in Scripture. The passages of Scripture he cites in support of his tests say nothing about prophets. They’re passages that apply to all believers.
Why wouldn’t he want to address those passages of Scripture that apply specifically to the evaluation of prophets? They’re the obvious go-to passages when teaching about prophets. Is this mere oversight on his part? If so, such oversight is inexcusable for a teacher with his influence.
So what are the key tests of a true prophet of God? The Bible gives three. These three tests are explained in detail in two recent books I co-authored on the NAR. I will explain them briefly here.
The Bible’s 3 Tests
The Fulfillment Test
The fulfillment test, given in Deuteronomy 18:21-22, requires that a prophet’s predictions must come true. Though Scripture gives this test for a true prophet, oddly, Vallotton does not. In fact, his article seems to allow for the possibility that true prophets will err in their predictions where he writes: “We will make mistakes, mess up, and even fail at times.” The idea that true prophets of God can deliver erroneous prophecies is a common teaching in the NAR. This explains why NAR prophets continue to be regarded as genuine by their followers even after making erroneous predictions.
The Orthodoxy Test
Another test Scripture gives for prophets is the orthodoxy test, which requires that a prophet’s words must line up with the revelation God has already given. This test is found in Deuteronomy 13:1-5. It shows up again in the New Testament, where we see that all teachings in the churches –including teachings given by prophets–were held to the standard of teaching that had been handed down by the apostles of Christ. Why has Vallotton omitted this crucial test? Could it be because of the fact that so many NAR teachings do not line up with Scripture?
The Lifestyle Test
A third test Scripture gives for prophets is the lifestyle test. Jesus said that false prophets could be known by their bad fruit–that is, by their lawless conduct (Matthew 7:16-23). Why does Vallotton omit this test? Remarkably, some of the most influential NAR prophets have confessed to significant moral failures, including Bob Jones and Paul Cain. Yet, they have continued to be regarded as genuine by many in the NAR.
It’s baffling that Vallotton would give five tests for a prophet that are not given in Scripture and completely ignore the three tests that are given.
Source HERE
Epic fail: Vallotton’s 5 non-biblical tests for a true prophet
Posted on Stand Up for the Truth and written by Marsha West.
Bethel Church’s “Apostle” Bill Johnson: A Comedy of Errors, Part 1
Bill Johnson is no stranger to controversy. For one thing, he claims to be an apostle, as in the unique position held by the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. He was given this high honor by C. Peter Wagner who holds many titles himself, including president of Global Harvest Ministries, chancellor of Wagner Leadership Institute, convening apostle of the New Apostolic Roundtable, and my personal favorite: presiding apostle of International Coalition of Apostles (ICA). So for the purpose of this article I’ll dub him Presiding Apostle Peter or PA Peter for short. What’s important to know about him is that he’s sort of like the pope of the “new apostolic-prophetic movement.”
Following is ICA’s definition of modern day apostle:
An apostle is a Christian leader gifted, taught, commissioned, and sent by God with the authority to establish the foundational government of the church within an assigned sphere of ministry by hearing what the Spirit is saying to the churches and by setting things in order accordingly for the growth and maturity of the church.
What role do the so-called apostles play? There are a couple of tasks, says PA Peter. First, apostles are to “set things in order” and “they’re to assure that the body of Christ is operating on the basis of sound, biblical doctrine.”
Sound biblical doctrine my Aunt Fanny!
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