Last week, I wrote a blog post surrounding a recent video from Rediscover Bethel where the topic of prophetic ministry was discussed in house among two leaders affiliated with Bethel church in Redding, California. Today, I want to continue looking at the remaining teaching in this video on the office of a prophet, judging prophecy, and false prophets, to name a few. The goal of this post as well as the previous one is to evaluate the teaching and to…
A few weeks ago, Bethel released a video in their series, Rediscover Bethel, dealing with their teaching on basic prophetic ministry. I took time to listen to this video while keeping my Bible open and taking notes. The more I listened, the more I noticed familiar words and phrases mentioned, which originated from a DVD curriculum Kris Vallotton had released several years ago about prophetic ministry. I had taught from this curriculum provided in the former church I attended, the…
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6,7 ESV And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” Luke 22:41,42…
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16,17 ESV For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 1 Peter 2:21 ESV It is an interesting observation. Whenever I…
“Don’t try to analyze or rationalize the sound coming out of your mouth. Your brain will try to shut it down because it is not English. It is your private prayer language. Jude 20 says you build yourself up on your most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit. The devil cannot understand this language, and he does not want you to have it because it is the perfect prayer. You cannot mess it up. I am going to…
Here I was, standing in the New Age section of a large chain bookstore, feeling extremely uncomfortable and facing a wall of books. It would not surprise you to know there were books concerning astrology, tarot card reading, numerology, necromancy, and supernatural phenomena of various curiosities lining the shelves. I never knew I could huff so much and be so thankful to make my way back to the Bible section. Is that not fitting? After observing what I came to…
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Colossians 4:6 ESV “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Matthew 5:13 ESV From time to time, I get messages from people responding to a blog post, a video,…
Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. Psalm 42:7 ESV For the longest time, Psalm 42:7 was lost on me, and I didn’t even know it. I had taken this verse to mean something it was not saying, that the depths in me called out to the depths of God within me. How poetic, right? Not really. I had never read it in context. I had never…
There are two words you would least likely expect to see or to hear used in the same breath. Those two words would be Charismatic legalism. It came to mind about a year ago when I was thinking about some of the things I was once taught over the years in a Charismatic church, things which were viewed as freedom but were really creating shackles. Few words tend to make a believer in Christ bristle more than the word legalism….
While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” Acts 21:10-11 ESV Recently, I was listening to an online discussion regarding prophecy in the Old Testament versus the…