Had the opportunity to talk with an acquaintance who had been involved with the Sozo ministry and has since left. I wanted to get a clearer understanding of how a Sozo session was conducted. I will refer to this individual as “my Sozo source” in this article as they will remain anonymous.
While masquerading as a religious experience, the sozo ministry makes false promises of miraculous psychological cures. Pretending to be based on some radically new, profoundly innovative combination of Christian teaching and psychological science, it’s theories and practices are a travesty of both.[1] The concept of inner healing has its roots in the teachings of anti-Christian and occultist, Agnes Sanford. John Wimber, David Yonggi Cho, and Robert Schuller are some of the will known psychological practitioners of the inner healing ministry and it has been picked up by Bill Johnson as well as a number of lay therapist. There are a variety of “memory-healing” psychotherapies masquerading under Christian terminology today, the most deadly are “regressive” therapies designed to probe the unconscious for buried memories to be uncovered and healed.[2]
Inner healing is a theory in practice based upon the implication that we clearly need something more than God’s love and forgiveness in order to love and forgive others who are perceived to have wronged us in the past. The Bible distinctly teaches that Jesus can never be called-up and forced to perform at our command, any Jesus actually visualized would have to be deemed “another Jesus” and not of God. Visualization techniques are used and imaginary memory is created under a highly suggestible, hypnotic-like state.
Below is a snapshot of the Sozo methodology used by Bethel Church, Redding Ca. The Sozo ministry has spread out over the U.S. and is becoming more and more popular.
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At least one hour before the sessions starts all the team members attend a “soaking prayer” session and as people arrive that are going to be “sozoed” they are asked to attend the soaking prayer session also; to prepare themselves for the session. Dimmed lights, soft music, laying on the floor or sitting in a relaxed position.
Since the 1990s there has been an increased focus on mysticism within various segments of Christianity. Bordering on the esoteric, these mystical experiences broaden the division between a “factual faith” and a “felt faith,” and threaten to replace sound biblical teaching with emotion-driven response. Soaking prayer is one such mystical activity. It is described as resting in God’s presence. This is accomplished by playing some gentle worship songs, either sitting or lying down, and praying short, simple prayers for an extended period of time, but otherwise keeping your mind free of other thoughts. At the point when you sense God’s presence through some type of manifestation like tingling skin, a sensation of heat or cold, or even a gentle wind seemingly blowing through your body, you are to just “soak” in that presence.
Although that might sound a little strange to some, it does not immediately come across as being necessarily bad. However, the rule by which we measure our experiences in life is the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and when soaking prayer is examined accordingly, we find that it comes up wanting for biblical support. Nowhere in the Bible can a model of prayer be found that soaking prayer follows.
Prayer in its simplest form in the Bible is calling on the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26), and in each instance where it is found in Scripture, it is descriptive of communicating with God. Soaking prayer starts that way, but quickly devolves into a trance-like meditative state. This is when soaking prayer ceases to be biblical and becomes more like a New Age practice or something an adherent of Hinduism would participate in.
There is no denying that experiencing the presence of God can be powerful and life changing. It is not the goal of soaking prayer that is biblically off base; it is its methodology. Soaking prayer focuses on obtaining a spiritual high by seeking out the presence of God through mystical exercises. In this it is very similar to ”contemplative prayer” and contemplative spirituality, which are equally unbiblical. Biblical prayer is talking to God with His will in mind (1 John 5:14). A biblically praying believer already understands that God’s presence is always with him (Psalm 139:7; Matthew 28:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; 2 Timothy 1:14), and he doesn’t need to experience any type of physical sensation to prove it.[3]
Is soaking prayer a real spiritual experience or is it psychosomatic? By empting one’s mind and entering into a trance-like meditative state it removes any defenses to spiritual entities infiltrating or otherwise influencing an individual. “Nor give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27) emphasizes that believers can actually give ground in their lives to satanic control or oppression. However, the surrounding context balances the issue making clear that responsible believers cannot glibly blame the devil for sin they yield to in carnal disobedience. The Greek word topos translated “place” in our English Bibles submits that Believers are not to give opportunity, power, or an occasion for the devil to take action or operate in one’s life. The mystical experience which soaking prayer provides lays the foundation for such an action. Physical symptoms, which can include things like a tingling sensation, that occur during Soaking Prayer are similar to those experienced during the Kundalini experience, and both are dangerous and can take the practitioner into a demonic realm.
Brenda Craig’s “Journals of the Heart” says that Soaking Prayer is taking our nation, our churches, and the body of Christ by storm. Or should I say, “By saturation”? Soaking groups are springing up everywhere, in homes and in churches. Soaking is not a new phenomenon, just an acceleration of what we used to call “tarrying” or “waiting on the Lord.” It takes “waiting on the Lord” to a whole new level, ushering the participant into deeper realization of and communion with the Holy Spirit. [4]
With no biblical premise for Soaking Prayer and its relationship to the Kundalini experience and new age ideology the church is being swept off its feet by felt faith methodology. Used in connection to the Sozo ministry, it leaves the participant open to manipulation, or as my Sozo source said, spiritual rape. In the wrong hands, it can become a controlling tactic by the leadership as intimate details are indulged by the sozoee. Have you ever heard the saying, loose lips sink ships, once the word gets out it can be a very destructive tool used against people. (Just a thought)
You may have heard it said that people have more faith in the devil’s power to deceive believers than the Holy Spirit’s ability to lead them into all truth. However, I propose that people have more faith in mystical, emotional experiences, it enables and provides the devil opportunity to deceive. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says; “Be sober (self-controlled), be vigilant (watchful), because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” This means believers are to take an assertive stance against the Adversary’s operations. Satan has the ability to distort the thinking of Christians (Acts 5:5), just imagine what he can do once you “empty your mind” in soaking prayer! Hardly a self-controlled, watchful activity. Employing the armor of God described in Ephesians 6:10-18 includes praying while doing spiritual warfare opposing the antics of the devil. We are instructed to maintain a “battle-stance” against the devil and prayer is the means by which we engage the battle itself and the purpose for which we are armed to begin with. The armor of God enables us to stand in opposition to the scheming’s of the devil (Eph. 6:11). The elements of the armor; truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, and salvation combined are more than just a passive protection in facing the enemy, it is to be used offensively against the adversary and his dominions. You can’t do that if you are empting your mind and floating away is some mystical experience. As much as it pains me to say this, most Christians today are illiterate to Biblical disciplines, in my analysis of soaking prayer I view it as just another devise of the devil (2 Cor. 2:11) to gain more of a foothold within an already desensitized Church.
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The two or three team members take the “sozoee” into a room that is comfortable (much like a therapists office).
Even though they say it is not counseling, they create the same setting and atmosphere you would find in a therapists office. They throw in the disclaimer they are not professional counselors, yet they provide all the bells and whistles, presenting a therapy forum promising quicker results than a trained professional counselor. Theophostic counseling (which at first used to be written as “TheoPhostic Counseling”) is, essentially, Agnes Sanford’s inner healing in a new jacket. Theos = Greek for God. Phostic = Greek for light. Theophostic counseling is said to bring God’s light into a given situation. Whereas traditional counseling is said to teach coping techniques to deal with painful experiences (now or in the past), the heart of Theophostic Counseling is that Jesus is invited to address the lies and false beliefs resulting from painful experiences.
Though is it adamantly denied, Theophostic Counseling [5] includes a form of guided imagery and visualization, the possible acceptance of recovered memories, and Dr. Ed Smith, a Christian therapist from Campbellsville, Kentucky, believes that Christians can be inhabited with demons. Theophostic Counseling is strikingly similar to the Sozo methodology. The goal of theophostic counseling is to lead a person to Jesus for healing and allow Him to reveal the truth to the suffering person, similar to the process of the Sozo’s “four doors” of hatred, fear, occult, and sexual sin, taking the sozoee as far back as childhood.
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The “lead team member” does most of the talking and starts asking generic questions most always taking the person back to childhood memories. Attempting to open one or more of the Four doors (hatred, fear, occult, sexual sin) so as to address the memory and then close the doors with Jesus. Similar to getting closure in a situation.
By the time the sozoee enters the sozo session they are already in a heightened state of suggestibility sometimes called guided hypnosis also called guided imagery. (http://creativeguidedimagery.com/about.html) A central belief is that we are the way we are because of past hurts that need to be healed through reliving the past and bringing Jesus into past events. The inner healer believes and teaches that present problems are expressions of past wounds (or, as with the person’s response to them) that must be healed before the person can overcome problems of living and get on with life. In a statement made by my Sozo source, they were told that: “we are a product of our environment and we have no responsibility until we are sozoed……no one is safe or healed until this happens……The Pastor actually said to me I will probably never be really truly done and able to move on from my past ( even with the professional therapy because they do not involve God ) and until I am sozoed I will not truly know peace…..My source finished their comment by adding this disclaimer: one has to walk through their torments with ” Jesus and half the church” before they can move on.”
In the interview with my Sozo source the question was asked if any visualization was done in the sozo sessions? My source replied: ” yes…..especially with the prophecy…..for instance I see you doing this….or even the suggested memory……I see you as a child or baby seeing this happen to you…..and then, the does that fit for you?…..what are they going to say…..”God” is speaking through the person….how can you argue with that…..come to think of it, this reminds me of a séance.
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The second team member will listen and sometimes write what they think God is saying. If a third team member is present they usually will sit and listen until the end of the sozo session and then say what they “feel.” Questions are littered with words and phrases like “what do you remember, feel, or sense?” Lots of “prophetic words” are spoken over the person, generally about half way through the session. After listening to the person give them some idea of what to “prophesy.” So the prophetic ended up being regurgitated information already shared by the person.
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Most of the people attending the sozo’s were already Church members and some of the things that were shared were extremely personal and intimate and it was stated that most would not look you in the eye after they were sozoed in a regular church service. They were ashamed and embarrassed.
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The Father ladder was all about the person and their issues and what God the Father, Jesus His son and the mother or the Holy Spirit could or would do for them.
What is being taught as inner healing/healing of memories is nothing but basic sorcery, which is an attempt to manipulate reality in the past, present, or future, and denies God’s omnipotence by implying that He needs our “creative visualization” in order to apply effectively His forgiveness and healing, while simultaneously, sets us up as gods who can, through prescribed rituals, use Him and His power as our tools. In fact, inner healing/healing of memories is nothing but “Christianized psychoanalysis” that uses the power of suggestion to solve so-called problems, which the technique itself has many times created.[6]
The Word of God teaches that moral choices rather than past traumas determine our current condition and actions, the Bible teaches it is not the act in the past but how one reacts to the act that determines “which soul has sinned” (Ezek. 18). Repentance, Confession, and Faith is all that is need to acquire both a right standing with God, and inner healing.
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This person interviewed is seriously concerned about the mental, emotional and spiritual health of anyone that goes through a sozo and the damage that is done and even more concerned for those who may go through a sozo that has serious or sever personality disorders.
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The one thing that was made clear and I have been given permission to quote this person is “This is a spiritual rape that goes on and the pastor and the sozo team are all a part of the rape.
[1] Psychoheresy Awareness Ministries http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/images/Bobgan_10-21-05_Response_Miller.pdf
[2] Inner Healing/Healing of Memories: http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/inheal.htm
[3] gotquestions?org (http://www.gotquestions.org/soaking-prayer.html)
[4] Journals of the Heart (http://www.journalsoftheheart.com/2006/12/soaking-prayer/)
[5] gotquestions?org http://www.gotquestions.org/theophostic-counseling.html
[6] ] Inner Healing/Healing of Memories: http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/inheal.htm
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Hi, your article I found online this morning. I’m not computer savvy nor wish to join bulletin boards but do have a question. Can I pose a quick question to you?
My brother has always been involved in charismatic Christianity. However, over about the last seven or eight years, he has become entrenched in this healing rooms or Sozo ministry stuff. The problem is that:
He believes that he not only hears from God, but that God cannot be limited to the Bible. That is, the revelation that my brother hears can even contradict or override the Bible, he feels.
My brother believes that he is a prophet. Deep down, he actually believes that it is not God’s will for him to get a job. He has been, and continues to be, at the age of 51, completely dependent on my mother. I am a Christian. However, not charismatic. So this realm is foreign to me anyway. But he believes that there is fundamentally nothing wrong with him wholly dependent on my 82-year-old mother. He has worn her out in every possible way.
My brother will sit in bed sometimes for 10 hours with his eyes closed believing that he is seeing visions from the Lord. He will then proclaim very detailed stories to others as direct messages from God. The messages do not seem to be rooted in fact or in the Bible.
Lately, he has been making these Australian horn instruments called didgeridoos. He blows these horns over sick people and believes that the Spirit of God will inhabit the music and somehow heal people. It is not uncommon for him to run away. The police have picked him up playing the didgeridoo on freeway onramps and bridges in the middle of the rain. He actually claims to have made a pact with the devil so that he could marry the girl that he wanted. Obviously, he repented from doing that.
Lately he has even been violent and is so convinced that he is a special prophet of God it is as though he is no longer required to be a responsible citizen. He even punched a security officer at the airport. Today, he is serving a small term in a mental hospital and at the risk of being Charismatic myself, I don’t think the entirety of his problem is chemical, or psychiatric. Rather, when he is at my mother’s house, I observe a strange spiritual presence. When I talk to him, there is a rebellious, evasive and odd spiritual feeling that I pick up. It is as though he’s either possessed or highly oppressed.
He is always above reproach, meaning that there’s a lot of pride, and cannot ever be corrected. Remember, when you’re involved in these movements, it seems as though you and God are operating at a much higher plane than everyone else. Therefore, because he’s a prophet, no one can ever correct him. He denounces anyone who disagrees with his unemployment, his irresponsibility, his dependency on my mother, his odd behavior with dijiridoo playing, as someone who is not listening to God.
Can you lend me any of your thoughts and advice on this? Does he exhibit any of these signs of those who are deeply enmeshed in the sozo healing rooms or Redding movement? My brother has devolved. It started with John Wimber and I believe my brother even got involved in the holy laughter movement.
I look forward to hearing from you and do hope that my email is not a burden.
Thank you very much,
Jon
Joh, Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” The Bible is the Word of God inspired by His Spirit, His breath. Anyone or anything that contradicts the revelation of His Word is either demonically influenced or just plain rebellious to the revealed Will Of God as prescribed by his Word. I’m sorry to hear your brother has so many problems, it is evident by what you describe that he is in no way a prophet. A true prophet is accountable, responsible, and in submission to God and His Word. A real prophet as the Scripture states is the mouth piece of God and if they truly are a prophet not one prophecy they utter (…as spoken by the Lord) will fail. If one word does not come to pass Scripture is clear, they are false and not of God. I’m not convinced there are to many real prophets today, all that I have witnessed and tried by the Scripture fall short of what God requires. It seems today, everyone who calls themselves “prophet” do so without any accountability to the Scripture and it’s teaching. I am a Word man first, if someone tells me they are a prophet I then watch and compare all that they do and say to the Word!!! No prophet of God would contradict His Word. The question I have asked many is this, “how can you say you hear from God by His Spirit yet prophecy contrary to the Word “the Spirit” inspired to the Apostles?” God is not divided! Nor is He confused! God has placed His Word higher than His own name according to the Psalmist. There is without a doubt a cultish theme to the Charismatic movement today. Most are misguided, unorthodox, extremist, falsely directed by authoritarian leaders who teach contrary to Scripture, or twist Scripture to fulfill their agenda.
It sounds as though your Brother is in a lot of trouble spiritually, and needs help. I’m not in the position to give a diagnosis of his mental health, but spiritually speaking I believe he is demonically influenced. There is always hope if he would submit to the lordship of Christ and by faith acknowledge his sacrifice as atonement for his sin. The Gospel message is the only remedy. What he does to your mother is outright irresponsible and wrong, we are never to take advantage of others. Paul said it like this:
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10.
Maybe Sozo gets rid of these things that cause demons to torment us? Casting out demons is in the bible. Healing the past will reduce what the demons have to work with?
I am at the end of my rope. Suicide is always on my mind. I have tried to turn to God with no relief in sight. I came across Sozo and thought it could possibly help me. I was contemplating trying it. Now after reading this I just want to kill myself more. It’s like every miracle/healing you hear about online people are always claiming it’s a false spirit. If that’s the case, what’s the point of living for a God that doesn’t heal and help us. I am 31 and I have had some tramatic things happen to me in my past. Maybe these demons maifested from that, I don’t know. I can’t live like this anymore.
Amber it has never been my goal to cause dispare and confusion with the topic of Sozo. God does heal, he can heal our emotions, even our bodies, he can heal our past, or even our past demons as you put it. The answer is the Word of God and faith in Christ. I can testify to you that I have been to hell and back and experienced trauma to the point of a total emotional brake down. I was diagnosed in my 40′s with post traumatic stress syndrome. I did go to counseling, it help allot, however my complete healing came from my faith in God’s Word as I searched it for answers. When I would read it I believed it, trusted it and acted upon it. In time it was His Word and my faith in it that brought healing. Yes, God can do healing instantly, most times though that is the easy road, God wants us to learn how He is, grow deeper in our trust in Him to handle our problems and learn to work through many of them ourselves also. His Word helps us to, it has me! It can you to. I’m sure you already know that suicide is not the answer, at least I hope so. God wants you to live a long and healthy life, however life itself does seem to get in the way. It has a way of dishing out troubles we never asked for. But because of his word, I could wake up in the morning, in the darkest hours of my life and still hear the birds chirping, smell the sweet fragrance the mornings offered and appreciate life knowing that no matter how dark things were, God still sits on His throne and He loves me and has a plan for me. More often than not, it wasn’t until I emerged on the other side of the darkness, when I saw the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak that I had the revelation from His Word of why I had to experience such things and it just made me love Him more. The verses below helped me allot once I understood there importance:
Psalms 66:8-12
Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved. For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
I would encourage you to study these verses, believe them, trust them and rely on God to bring you through to a better life. He has me, He can for you, and will! If by some chance you need to talk on the phone, let me know, I’d be more than happy to assist you! God bless you, and remember, He has your name written on the palm of His hand and you are precious to Him.
I know despair. I know hopelessness. I know years, many long years of wondering where God is. I know extended periods of time so difficult that the only prayer that I could manage to pray day after day is to ask God to help me to not curse Him.
You must not give up.
Ask Him for strength. Ask Him for wisdom and He will give it without pointing a finger at you – but ask in faith and he will give it generously.
You must not give up.
My prayer for you is that the Holy Spirit will overshadow you and give strength, faith, courage, and hope.
You are our sister in Christ and despite what the devil is telling you–we the Body of Christ need the gifts that God has placed in you. Don’t let the accuser take you away from us.
Don’t give up.
Happy Easter! He has risen!
Amen, Happy Easter to you to!
I don’t know if it’s just me or if everyone else
experiencing problems with your website. It seems like some of
the written text in your content are running off the screen.
Can somebody else please comment and let me know if this is
happening to them too? This could be a issue with my internet browser because I’ve had this happen before. Thank you
I must be your browser, I see it just fine, or it maybe some settings in your computer, not sure which.
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So… is: “inner healing” biblical?
Nope!
But healing the brokenhearted (Lk 4:18) is; confessing sins to another and prayer for them is (Jam 5:16); casting out demons is (Mk 16:17); setting up godly defenses is (Eph 6:10); speaking prophetic encouragement is (1 Th 5:20); taking thoughts captive is (2 Cor 10:5); releasing the captives is (Lk 4:18); forgiving is (Eph 4:32); seeing a vision from God is (Acts 10:17); renouncing past sinful practices is (2 Cor 4:2); being led by the Spirit is (Rom 8:14); asking God for miraculous input is (Jer 33:3); bearing one another’s burdens is (Gal 6:2); wanting freedom is (Gal 5:1); speaking truth to someone is (Eph 4:15); setting free the oppressed is (Lk 4:18); hearing directly from the Holy Spirit is (Acts 16:7); knowing and saying God is near to the brokenhearted is (Ps 34:18); comforting the afflicted with what God has shown us is (2 Cor 1:4); and… well…you get it.
Honestly, If another name would help some who fear the whole thing I would be happy to call it Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
Nice, thanks Andy! Nicely put!
I have been through Sozo and was not hurt or damaged by it. In fact, I benefited from it greatly. The awful things you mention on this site, well, they didn’t occur in my session.
WOW! Thank God I stumbled onto SOZO when I was searching for that elusive peace that so many christians talked about. The very gentle way God moved changed my life. Now my wife and I have walked many through the same with undeniable fruits. 100% success rate in healing broken marriages, addictions for so many gone forever, peace in so many lives, salvations through inner healings, physical healings, all thanks to our loving God. Many draw that religeous boundary line and will defend it to the death until they experience the power and healing that Holy Spirit brings. I fought that battle until God in all His goodness intervened and filled me with peace, joy and love I could never have imagined. Now I know why that battle is so powerful, why the line is drawn, satan knows when what is on the other side of that battle line is experienced, he lost. My life now has purpose, to lead any who will to the saving grace of our God. Experience sozo/inner healing before you judge it. What lies on the other side of that line is so AWESOME! Blessings. Pastor D.
Pastor D.
By all means do I believe in the Biblical definition of SOZO as it is outlined in Scripture, just not with the ministry cropped up by today’s deceptive Apostles, which I might add, if you understand the Sozo ministry it is an extra Biblical concoction of Hindu vs. New Age philosophy. Salvation’s through inner healings? You would have to clarify that and reconcile it with the Word. I only know of Salvation by grace through faith. I don’t see any examples in Scripture where people are saved through inner healings. And just to expound a little, I don’t draw religious boundary lines, I know the power and healing of the Holy Spirit and it lines up with the Word of God not with some whimsical felt faith experience which cannot be justified with Scripture. It’s not my intent to be rude here, but the saving grace of God is accomplished by the preaching of the Gospel Message concerning the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, not some felt faith experience. And for the record, I personally know many who have been actively involved in the Sozo Ministry and saw it’s deception and damage. In fact I know some who lead people through Sozo who themselves are on Medicine to prevent psychotic episodes. I think it is sad when a pastor no longer knows the power and freedom one gains through Salvation but rather depends on an experience to feel a connection to God. Remember what Jesus told Thomas, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” guess I’m blessed! I don’t need an experience to know or believe, all I need is God’s Word, and I take Him at His Word! And one thing I am certain of, His Word is far more trustworthy than yours! Blessings.
WOW Shelby D,, that you base your whole post thesis on the “you gotta experience ZOZO to know ZOZO” logical fallacy just shows that you DID NOT read the comments on this ZOZO thread or the other one, and you just wanted to emote your subjective pontificating propaganda,
In other words you wanted to share your completely anecdotal experience while feening sanctimoniously inferring to have experienced more fully the presence of God (the HS) than others. But what your experiencing is experienced by occultist all around the world, and it is not the HS your experiencing.
WE CHALLENGE YOU to back any of your ZOZO practices with scripture.
I’d love to see the ones here who have experienced, taught, organized and lead ZOZO events, to set you straight, biblically — forget experience. Not checked by scripture it will only lead you, and yours, astray and away from Jesus.
Let me ask ya. Is the name of Jesus on your lips more than the Holy Spirit?
IF not your being led by a false spirit playing the role of the HS to deceive you and turn you into a deceiver.
Pastor D: It is dangerous to equate emotions with what is perceived as evidence of what God is or is not doing. Emotions are transitory and while they can result from godly actions, they can also result from physiological phenomena, the power of suggestion, and other factors. So how do we know if what we are experiencing is of the Holy Spirit, or not? We have a standard against which to test all spiritual experiences and ideas: the Word of God. Jesus Himself testified of His alignment with the Scriptures (re-read His encounter with the two on Emmaus road), indeed, He is known as the Word Made Flesh. Please “test the spirits” of Sozo. Did Jesus use Sozo? Did the apostles teach it? Are the scriptures used to justify the practice used in context?
Phyllis
Pastor D. In my previous post I forgot to mention this RE: your comments that Sozo produces 100% healing, including physical healing–I have several friends bound up in this practice. Last summer they took another friend to Bethel for a Sozo experience to heal her breast cancer. The cancer returned with a vengeance and metastasized. She likely does not have long to live. Again, please test the spirit of Sozo. It is not what you imagine it to be.
Phyllis
Pastor D.
The central theme of your post is:
“Religious boundary line”
Can you elaborate on what that means? And would you mind using scripture to support your definition?
I ask this because it appears to be a red herring.
Moderator
Mike
I want to critique an article on your site with your permission. It would involve posting it in its entirety with the critique following. Here is a link to it:
http://revivalmag.com/article/how-go-back-future
By all means bud! Feel free.
Memory victim, I looked at the link you gave me, where is your critique? I was shocked to see the Authors on that site, I’ll be watching that one.
I am working on it. I was shocked also it’s all tied into that Toronto blessing thing.
My experience of Bethel Sozo is nothing like yours. I am a simple person and I will keep this short. I do want to say, the tools of Bethel Sozo have been wonderful for me. They are only tools, and I will keep them that way. I suppose I could make them something other if I wanted to, but I don’t.
I understand your thoughts. I have had similar mind sets of things. As God reveals more of himself to us, and we seek him with all our heart, we find him.
Whenever there is a move of God the devil is sure to come alongside with a counterfeit. Church history demonstrates this when the Great Awakenings of the 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries moved accross America, England and Wales. Jonathan Edwards was asked by the great revivalists of the 18th Century whether the manifestations of laughing, barking, shaking and so forth were of God. Edwards replied to the effect that the fruit will determine what is or is not of God. If people are turning to Jesus, focusing on the Word through Scripture and society is being transformed for the good then it is of God.
Reading some of the comments about the Bethel version of SOZO I would counsel extreme caution as it does appear to be based on eastern religions. There does not appear to be a Scriptural basiswith references on their website to “divine tools” and “triggers.” The emphasis also seems to be rooted in psychology with the power of delkiverance being based on human effort and not the Holy Spirit.
That said, there are ministries where “SOZO” or wholeness is taught to break the consequences of involvment with practises that are forbidden in Scripture. These are listed in Deuteronomy 17 and 18 in the form of curses and blessings that come from God. The Bible seaks of the consequences of sin being felt by generations subsequent to the one that committed the sin. We all know, of course, that the first generational curse was set in motion by Adam and the curse came in the form of exile from the garden and the necessity to work all his days and to face difficulities of one sort or another. The woman was cursed to suffer pain through childbirth and to be submissive to her husband (Genesis 3:19-20). Abraham was blessed and the blessing was for all generations with a curse that those who cursed Israel would themselves be cursed (Genesis 12:3). Certain kids of behaviour listed in Deut. 17 and 18 are the cause of curses that, according to Scripture, will visit subsequent generations. And before we leap to the conclusion that this is “Old Testament” we need to reflect on the curse pronounced by Jesus when he saw the fig tree was not going to bear fruit (Mark 11:12-14) and when the people who called for Jesus’ crucifixion pronounced a curse of themselves by way of the blood being upon them and their children (Matthew 27:25). One only has to review the history of Israel since that time to see that the curse is real and not a figment of the imagination.
Curses can also flow from man himself as well as God. As a person speaks so will he become (Proverbs 23:7). The other source can be demonic and can come from those who practise in the occult such as sorcery (Acts 8:1-25). Paul describes the activities of the religious as “witchcraft” (Galatians 3:1) which manifests itself in behavious that seeks to dominate, manipulate or intimidate. Sadly, witchcraft is common in the church!
So where does that leave the born-again follower of Jesus? Can such a person be under the power of a curse that needs to be addressed or does the born-again experience wipe out all the consequences of previous generations or subsequent sin? 2 Cor. 5:17 says that we are a “new creation” and that the old things have gone. How many born-again followers of Jesus are there that are free from the consequences of the past and how many become instantly perfect as Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:48? Or, is Jesus talking about a process of becoming perfect in the eschatological sense? If you agree that our journey as Christains may begin with much work to do then I belive we must be open to the probability that we may still be under one or other of the curses that the Bible lists and speaks of from Genesis through to Revelation (where lukewarmess will bring a curse of rejection by spitting out!).
SOZO, properly understood, is designed to bring wholeness in the sense of being all that God intends us to be in Christ. We are in the image of God who is a triune God in the three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What is done by One is done by All as Jesus said he does nothing of His own will but only that which is also of the Father (John 5:19). Likewise, we are also in a sense triune being complete as spirit, sould and body. They are all interconnected as the sin you commit in the body will have implications for your sould and ultimately your body. Proverbs 23:7 speaks of this interconnectedness. Jesus said thoughs of adultery are as evil as the actions of the body (Matthew 5:28).
SOZO, properly understood, is rooted and grounded in Scripture because it recognises the Biblical basis for curses and their consequences. The healing comes from simply recognising the source of the curse (which may be rooted in a previous generation as described in the Deuteronomic list and elsewhere in Scripture including the NT as already referred to above). Repenting of it and then renouncing it. SOZO, properly understood, provides help from other Christians through teaching, prayer and release without the aid of “trances,” “meditation” (unless it is meditation on the Word Psalm 1:2) or other mystical practises which are a form of witchcraft and among the prcatises forbidden in Scripture. The body of Christ is equipped to deal with helping Christains recognise, repent, renounce and resist all of the consequences of curses so that completelness (perfect in Christ) can be expereinced.
It is worth reflecting on Acts 8:9-24 because is deminstrates that a beliver can come under a curse subsequent to conversion. Simon believed, was baptised but came under Peter’s curse for seeking to buy the gifts of God. What did Peter tell the former sorceror to do? Recognise his sin, repent of it, renojunce it and resist doingit again. A biblical pattern for dealing with curses? Peter himself opened the door to Satan by suggesting Jesus avoid the cross ( Mark 8:31-33).
Thus, the proper approach to SOZO is rooted in Scripture and helps pedople to deal with the very real problems of sin they have allowed into their lives (either before or after conversion) through helping tghem to recognise the problem, repenting of the act, renouncing the source and living a life of resisting its return. There is such a SOZO ministry and it is located in Romsey, Hampshire. I have personal experience of this ministry and believe it to be Biblically based and totally unrelated to the SOZO practised by Bethel.
Speiro,
Curses no longer apply since Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). And Jesus cursed a tree, never a person! Although I do believe that generational curses do exist, I also believe they are broken off once one repents of sin and believes on Jesus Christ for salvation, in the new birth they become a new creation and are partakers of the divine nature. This does not mean that we are little gods by any means, but rather God’s Spirit resides within us. The flesh remains fallen, at least until Christ returns. This then is a daily battle, not a curse. It is Jesus Christ alone who can “Sozo” us, but again this work is done in and through Salvation. After salvation we continue to be sanctified buy crucifying of the flesh. Colossians 2:9-11 says it all: “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.”
Heretics (like Bill Johnson/Bethel/Sozo Ministry), through devious methods promise progressive spirituality however Paul summons the Colossians back to Christ (vs. 6). Progress in faith consists of a deepening of one’s faith in the basic truths about Christ already revealed by Scripture. What the false teachers call enlightened, liberating Christianity, Paul calls basic principles of the world. Still, though you have said several times that SOZO is biblical, I see no evidence given which would prove such a thing. A careful study of the Greek word Sozo in the New Testament shows that the only person who can “SOZO” us, whether it be Salvation, physical healing, deliverance, etc, is Jesus Christ. We see no examples of the Apostles practicing the Sozo Ministries present in the modern Church. Nor did Peter curse Simon, he rebuked him, in fact there is more evidence that Simon was still lost as Peter said: “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you, for I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity (Acts 8:22-23). Peter called for Simon to repent, nowhere in the context does it suggest Peter cursed Simon.
As believers, according to 1 John 1:8-10 we confess to God, acknowledging our sin, He then is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The blood of Christ has, does and continues to cleanse my sin. In fact all my sin, past, present and future is covered and cleansed by His blood. I don’t need deliverance, I’ve been delivered the moment I believed on Jesus Christ. Now I only need to grow in faith, and to continue to crucify this sinful flesh. Discipline is what the New Testament teaches the believer is to practice, not deliverance.
Speiro
Although Mike Rogers definitively shattered the foundation of your SOZO argument when he answered with Galatians 3:13 regarding curses—I am going to address your post further.
If you take the “boogie man” out of your argument then we no longer have the need for the extra-biblical practice called SOZO. What is the name of the SOZO boogie man? “Curses”.
You made a number of false statements in your post. And I am sorry, but this issue is too important to let truth take a back seat. I am going to address some of your comments but first let’s take a step back, and as the saying goes; take a bird’s eye view of the subject.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us………….John 1:14. We all know this passage. The Creator became flesh. The Alpha and the Omega became flesh. The great “I Am” became flesh and dwelt among us. The one and only God poured himself into the form of a man to communicate His love and truth to mankind, and to die for us. Those three years that Jesus walked the Earth, were spent blazing His truth and love to Mankind, AND giving us examples of how to minister. It was the most significant 3 years that have ever occurred on this planet. His goal was to save mankind from sin and to deliver those oppressed by the devil. I don’t think He said, or did not say anything other than those things that were in keeping with His mission. A mission that was commissioned before the foundations of the Earth were laid. Yet……………………………………He did not utter one word regarding generational curses. Nada. Nothing.
Speiro, do you think that perhaps Jesus just forgot to mention curses? Is it a subject that He only mentioned to His disciples who then later on forgot to mention to the new believers? I ask this because; there is not one iota of discussion in the Acts, any of the Epistles, or the Revelation on this subject. The New Testament is absent of any discussion regarding curses in the way that the SOZO proponents attempt to frame the subject. The first rule of Biblical hermeneutics is that you always interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. You have done the reverse.
It seems to me, if Jesus thought this was an important and necessary subject then He would have addressed it, or surely the Apostles would have. If Jesus was really on a mission to save us from our sin, and give us life more abundant—and if we really need to be delivered from curses by some unique ministry in order to achieve this—don’t you think he would have broached the subject?
This is what I mean by a “birds eye” view. I often like to look at ministry in the New Testament from that birds eyes perspective as sort of a thermometer. No one knows more about what is most important in ministry than Jesus and the Apostles, but they said nothing that resembles your argument.
Sperio, you spent more time talking about curses and the need for deliverance from them in your short post than Jesus and all of the apostles combined. With that in mind, just why should we take SOZO seriously?
I have to address some of false statements and embellishments that you made in your post. Let’s begin with what may be the most absurd of your comments:
…….And before we leap to the conclusion that this is “Old Testament” we need to reflect on the curse pronounced by Jesus when he saw the fig tree was not going to bear fruit (Mark 11:12-14)
Really? You want to use this event to support curse deliverance ministries? Speiro, to be honest, I don’t see enough connection between the two subjects to make much of a comment other than to say that they are not connected. Oh did you mean that the passage contains the word “curse” therefore it proves that we need to be delivered from curses subsequent to salvation? The passage also contains the word “fig”. Does that mean that we need to be delivered from eating figs? Do you see my point Speiro? I hope so because I don’t see yours.
And your next example:
…….and when the people who called for Jesus’ crucifixion pronounced a curse of themselves by way of the blood being upon them and their children (Matthew 27:25). One only has to review the history of Israel since that time to see that the curse is real and not a figment of the imagination.”
For purposes of discussion let’s imagine that they called down an actual curse on themselves. What does it have to do with your argument that Christians need to be delivered from curses? What is the connection? Where is the link? Oh I see now, this passage has the word “curse” in it also. You are trying to suggest that because those unbelievers called down a curse on themselves that it somehow supports the idea that Christians are subject to such curses and therefore need deliverance. You have failed to make a cogent argument. You are just finding passages that have the word “curse” in them and attempting to make them applicable to the discussion.
Let’s take a look at Matthew 26:74, 75—Amplified Bible (All other references are NIV by the way)
…….Then Peter began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, I do not even know the Man! And at that moment a rooster crowed.
…….And Peter remembered Jesus’ words, when He had said, Before a single rooster crows, you will deny and disown Me three times. And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Ok Speiro here it is. This is really it. We have a blue ribbon example of a Christian calling down a curse on himself as he is denying knowing Jesus. Surely Jesus is going to use this as example to us on when, why and how to engage in “deliverance” ministry. So let’s see how Jesus deliverers him from this curse. I mean for goodness sake our Teacher is certainly not going to waste this opportunity to show us how to engage in deliverance ministry is He?
Here is the next time that Jesus engages Peter and does so through an angel after He has risen:
Mark 16:6-7
…….“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
…….But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as He told you.’”
Verse 7 is a very very interesting passage. Jesus took the time to gently issue a special call to poor Peter who was racked with guilt and despair.
“and Peter.”
I would think the angel would be dealing with the whole deliverance thing instead of just a gentle call back to the Lord. But heh, that’s just me. Let’s move on to the next time that Jesus engages Peter:
John 21:15-17
…….When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
…….Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
…….The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.
This is very odd. Speiro why didn’t Jesus validate “deliverance ministries from curses”? This was the moment. This is when it should have happened. What seems to be the problem? I mean this is really important stuff right?
Nothing on the subject of curses or deliverance is mentioned.
Oh I know what it could be! Perhaps Peter, although he called down curses on himself, didn’t go as far as to eat cursed figs. That could be it. Or, maybe Peter was not delivered at that time. Maybe his deliverance came later. And before you say that is not in the scripture and therefore “leap to the conclusion” that it must not be true—let’s recall your statement:
“If you agree that our journey as Christains may begin with much work to do then I belive we must be open to the probability that we may still be under one or other of the curses that the Bible lists and speaks of from Genesis through to Revelation (where lukewarmess will bring a curse of rejection by spitting out!).”
What do you think Speiro? Was Peter just on the journey toward deliverance at that moment standing with Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Galilee? We must remain open to that probability right? Or, maybe because Peter was only hot or cold he never brought down one of those “lukewarm” curses on himself and didn’t need full blown SOZO deliverance.
For Pete’s sake Speiro (please forgive the pun) get your head out of the SOZO deliverance manual and instead start learning who Jesus is through the scripture.
Speiro, I have something very important to say to you and I strongly suggest that you and the all the SOZO crowd pay close attention. You quoted a passage from Revelation. Here it is:
Revelation 3:14-16
…….“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
…….I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
…….So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Sir, be careful. You said:
“I belive we must be open to the probability that we may still be under one or other of the curses that the Bible lists and speaks of from Genesis through to Revelation (where lukewarmess will bring a curse of rejection by spitting out!).”
In order to support your ideas about curses, you added the word “curse” to Revelation 3:16.
Allow me point out another verse in Revelation (I have capitalized for emphasis):
Revelation 22:18-19
…….I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone ADDS ANYTHING to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.
And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.”
Take heed my friend. You are dallying around with the Word of God. This is not just an interpretation issue; you are adding things to scripture. That is a very dangerous thing to do. Go back and read how many times you added the word “curse” to the scriptures that you misquoted in your post. You and the rest of the SOZO crowd are playing a very dangerous game and lives are at stake; and I say that advisedly.
I am going to conclude by commenting on one other passage that you listed. You mentioned Acts 8:1-25. That is a very germane passage to the discussion. Particularly Acts 8:18-23:
…….When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Simon was quite enticed by the power that was being exercised through the Apostles. He even offered them money to gain this power. I am of the firm opinion that many of those espousing this false teaching love being in the position of power. It is something that we all struggle with from time to time. Some psychologists love being in the position of “healer.” They love finding that multiple personality case as much as a miner loves finding that gold nugget. I am convinced that many of those in SOZO and Theophostic therapy love being in the position of deliverer. Spiritual power can be quite intoxicating.
Speiro, maybe it is time to start interpreting the SOZO teaching in light of the scripture instead of interpreting scripture in light of SOZO.
Memory Victim, there is nothing more comforting, more assuring, and more fulfilling than the ring of truth and you have presented it here. You have done an outstanding job at critiquing the SOZO Ministry and those who adhere to it’s false teaching. I can only say one word to demonstrate my gratitude for your comment here, WHOA! You kind of remind me of a Biblical Ninja, God bless you! I humble tip my hat to you! I’m going to share this on my facebook group so others can see not only the biblical truth presented in your critic, but that there are some who are not fooled by this deception.
Mike Rodgers
Thank you so much for your very kind and encouraging words. The Ninja comment gave me a much needed laugh.
I have to be honest; I did not want to spend my Saturday writing that. In fact, I have been trying to avoid writing it since Speiro first posted. I am back east on travel getting some technical training and really just wanted to spend the day checking out the country side. But, I could not get that post out of my mind all week and was quite irritated that I could not. Frankly, the training I am in is nearly an overwhelming amount of information, and I was trying to avoid the distraction. The Lord finally made it crystal clear to me yesterday that the irritation was from Him and that I was supposed to respond. I don’t say things like that lightly, and I am far from being the Christian that I should be, but once in a great while I actually recognize His direction in spite of myself.
The SOZO heresy has stolen so much from me that I am simply beyond BS if you will forgive the acronym. I nearly feel guilty saying that after reading Wanda’s story regarding her brother. My heart has been aching for her ever since.
So much of this is the result of a generation that has been taught relativism. I recently watched an interview of a world renowned scholar who discussed this. He is in his eighties and a very sage man. He has watched this transformation in society for decades and is at the point where he is not very hopeful for the future. He stated that we have raised a generation of people with whom facts don’t matter.
When facts don’t matter then anything goes.
We see this played out in the Bethel, SOZO, and Theophostic discussions. The facts as laid out in scripture no longer matter. That is why when you make a logical, coherent biblical argument you are met with responses like:
…….You are so “mental” in your relationship with God.
Or
…….You are like the Pharisees who were so mental that they did not have “ears to hear.”
Or
…….Your problem is that you have a Western mind set and just can’t see what the Lord is doing.
Yada yada yada.
When Christian Pastor’s teachings start down this path it just becomes a spiritual form of:
“The Emperor’s New Clothes”
“If you just had eyes to see and ears to hear then you would recognize that this is really happening and is of God.”
Clearly there is a peer pressure aspect to all of this. I mean who wants to be left out of the SOZO reindeer games?
Biblical facts are an inconvenient truth to the SOZO movement. That is why the Bible is not taught in its entirety with this crowd. And they can’t deal with the facts when faced with them. Instead all you get from them is ad hominem attacks in the form of:
“You’re too mental, you’re a Pharisee, you don’t have eyes to see, if only you knew him at an emotional level.”
We can only hope and pray that God will put a Holy Ghost itch in them to begin to search the scripture for HIS truth.
I too want to thank you, memoryvictim, for your amazing reply regarding SOZO. For me, what you wrote was the frosting on the cake….the final piece of eveidence that I personally needed in order to be armed with the truth regarding this deceptive movement. I hope you don’t mind but I’ve made a copy of what you wrote to keep on hand. Thank you for being obedient to the Lord and His nudging.
OUTSTANDING. Thank you so much. I pray this will enlighten and free many involved in SOZO.
Blessings,
Phyllis
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Hello Friends,
Has anyone really researched the “Kundalini experience”? How can you compare a Hindu experience with the Holy Spirit based on outward appearance? Isn’t this what our “Accuser of the Brethren” does? Always making accussations without any proof. There is no comparison between a Demonic Hindu Spirit and the Adoption spirit of our Father God. Those that proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, cannot do so without the Holy Spirit; 1st John.
Why do we evaluate the Lord on the mental level only? Can anyone decribe the method for being “Born Again”, “Recieving the Spirit of Adoption that makes a man cry out Abba Father”, “Conviction by the Holy Spirit”, “Revelation of the Love of God”. Shall we ignore all these concepts of the Bible since the process, or method of attaining these things are not clearly defined? Shall we disregard most of Jesus’ ministry because he doesn’t explain the process for each event?
We need to “know” him, know his character, know him intimately as the Lover of our Souls. He warns us to do so.
Do we have a relationship with our wife by reading a book about each other? Is Jesus Love for us stronger than Death? Jesus expects us to be sanctified in our Hearts, Mind and Soul. Let us not throw out the blessing of the heart changes from the Lord based on a method not explained in the Bible. There are many things with-in the Bible that are not explained, methods for, including the reallity of “Gods Love”, who can explain it in words?????
The Devil conterfeits may of the blessing of the Lord, but unfortuneatly, many of us give the goodness of the Lord to Satan first.
All of Him…I am currently going through a death in the family, when I get through this I will reply to your comment. Thanks!
Sorry to hear this……blessings to your family. There is certainly no need to hurry with a reponse.
RE: how we can know what is of the Holy Spirit and what is of another spirit: by observing the fruit. Not to suggest that you have not researched the Kundalini phenomenon, but there is a lot of information available that may give further insight.
I grew up in a phenomenon- and feeling-as-evidence-of-spirituality-rich religious system: Roman Catholicism. As I may have noted earlier on this blog, people playing around with feeling-centric religious experiences, albeit very sincerely and genuinely seeking after the Lord, have no idea what can happen if, indeed, the Holy Spirit, Who glorifies Jesus, alone, is not the spirit manifesting.
In addition to readings on the desert fathers and mothers so popular and appealing in the Spiritual Formation/Contemplative/Mystic movement today, there are other accounts of “spiritual happenings” in old and newer Catholicism that you might investigate. Much information is available on this topic, too, on the Internet. I highly recommend, however, getting hold of copies of books on the lives of the Catholic saints, whether individually or as anthologies, for a closer look, and see if you think all that was manifest is of the Lord of the Scriptures.
You may be familiar with Theresa of Avila’s ecstatic bliss, levitation and so on, (my mother had her books and statues when I was growing up), but Opus Dei (which my step-father, a former priest considered joining when he was still in the order) is also a real “path” in the church. And if you are familiar with its mention in the book Da Vinci Code, some of the experiences of those who practice the tenets of that group, also acceptable in RCism, are anything but “blissful,” more like bloody and macabre.
Where is the discernment that allows either end of these feelings-based “devotions”? And without a knowledge of the true intent of the Holy Spirit, well, look what’s happening even today someplace in New Jersey, I believe: Catholic (and other) pilgrims are flocking to a tree that has a knothole that resembles the Virgin Mary. They are leaving flowers at this new worship site, they are praying to her…not good fruit…very sad, in fact…
I encourage you to saturate yourself in the Word of God so that when the other spirits roam around seeking whomever they may devour….you will have an answer even as Jesus had an answer from the Scriptures that will effectively silence the opposition. God bless you in your search!
If you are interested, I have written two articles that both deal with reasons I left Roman Catholicism, and touch on issues noted, above.
http://pnissila.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/out-of-the-fire-on-leaving-roman-catholicism/
http://pnissila.wordpress.com/2012/06/02/mrs-p-and-the-gold-rosary-beads-the-danger-of-one-degree-off/
I also offer this post re: contemplative spirituality, if you are interested:
http://pnissila.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/response-to-a-contemplative-prayer-advocate-from-a-former-roman-catholic/
Here is a recent testimony of womeone who went through the Kundalini awakening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeDvOAK6QXE
Within the account the lady describes the following experiences
A vision of Jesus
Healing
uncontrollable laughter & Joy
Speaking in tongues
body spasms
Feeling of energy through her Body
I have no doubt in my mind (which God gave me to discern) that this is a false spirit.
When we seek to discern these things we compare them to the message being preached. This lady has no concept of any of the Gospel nor did it seem she had a conviction of Sin. The Church is wandering astray and Bethel is right at the heart of it. There are false spirits out there and they will manifest themselves in ways that are similar to the work of the Holy Spirit. Do not be led astray! We should not be surprised.
We are called to discern – here’s just a few verses from the Bible
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Hebrews 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds
Matthew 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect
1 Thessalonians 5:21 But test everything; hold fast what is good
2 Corinthians 11:4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough
Acts 17:11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so
Much Love in Him
Pete
Hi Everyone,
This is a general response to the post any many of the replies. I don’t know much about sozo. But I consider myself a Bible believing Christian and a believer in prayer for emotional healing. This is a large topic, but I will start by asking, Why did God create feelings? Keep in mind that everything God created, He said was good. Those of you speaking against inner healing seem to be “throwing the baby out with the bath water”. So, I ask, what would you say is the purpose of feelings within an expression of the Christian faith? What is a right use of our capacity to feel? What about David and the Psalms? What about all the suffering people in the Bible?
The problem is not lack of faith. If all it took was faith – then everyone who has even the smallest faith would be instantly and completely healed. But God does not do this. In Christ we have complete healing – He is fully and only sufficient. But then how do you explain as Christians we still suffer? We suffer in part because even though we have the Holy Spirit, there are past negative experiences that block our understanding of who God is. We don’t see Jesus as he really is. There is an awe and mystery that God gives us spiritual gifts to minister to others by His Power (not our own). So while positionally we have everything we need and are completely healed, we are also still being healed, and we won’t be perfected until Christ returns again.
I hope I am only misunderstanding and you are only meaning to refute something false. But it seems like you are going too far to shoot down all attempts at inner healing. So I say be careful what you are saying. You sound like you believe in a form of intellectual (in the head, not the heart) Christianity, rather than one based on real-life experiences and feelings (including these when not contrary to the Bible). Romans 10:10 says, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” The heart has a lot to do with passion and feelings – besides the fact that it is the place where Jesus dwells. A true Christian has both a head and a heart. Both can be corrupted by sin (of self and others); both need renewal and healing.
Inner healing is not about needing MORE THAN God’s love and forgiveness. On the contrary, it is acknowledging that we need MORE OF God’s love and forgiveness – because while our spirits are made new, we still live in a broken, fleshly body that makes it a struggle to see God clearly. There is a battle going on inside of us and there is an adversary that seeks to separate us from God.
Where I am misunderstanding, help me understand how the Bible refutes inner healing. Jesus does care about our emotional healing.
Isaiah 53:4, “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.”
Psalms 147:3, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”
Matt…I am currently going through a death in the family, when I get through this I will reply to your comment. Thanks!
Matt
Your argument is a strawman. I have not noticed where any of the SOZO opponents are opposed to “inner healing.” Inner healing is not the problem–SOZO is the problem. Your argument intrinsically suggests that those opposed to SOZO are also opposed to inner healing, yet you offered no premises to support your case.
I feel really sad to read some of the posts on this page. I’m so sorry for people who feel they have been hurt or manipulated by the church in any way but also feel that the criticism of Bethel Sozo is blown out of proportion. All good things can be misused/abused/ done badly, but doesn’t mean the thing itself is bad.
I have received a Sozo session and can assure you I wasn’t taken into any sort of trance like state before hand or told that Jesus’ forgiveness wasn’t enough – I simply walked in having spent the afternoon playing board games with some friends and reading the bible. I didn’t feel at all manipulated or badly treated – I was spoken to and asked questions in a very caring, gentle way and knew I could stop any time I felt I’d had enough or felt uncomfortable. I wasn’t asked to “visualise” things, but asked to ask God what He thought about some things I shared, which I did and God spoke to me in a variety of ways, like He normally does; through bible passages, through pictures, feelings, thoughts I know I didn’t think; many ways that are commonly demonstrated in scripture. The session allowed me to allow God to remove some of the barriers that were a hindrance to me boldly approaching His throne and the result has been me having a much clearer understanding of who God is and my identity in Him and living in a much higher state of peace and joy in my every day life since then.
To dismiss this tool and even claim it is demonic as it has no biblical basis I believe is a little short sighted. There are many, many practices in every church that you could find no biblical backing for that are never thrown into question and many practices that there are biblical backing for that you can find no evidence of in many churches. I understand that tools and positions of leadership and trust can be misused and hurt people, but this is also true of churches and leaders who don’t use any ‘spiritual’ tools or gifts.
So I can only pray for us all “that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen us with power through his Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. And I pray that we, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
Sartoms, you may be only one who has been through Sozo and not damaged or hurt by it. I’m sure some are not, however, I have first hand knowledge, and know many personally who have been traumatized by the Sozo experience. I don’t see Sozo as a tool, nor is it in any way Biblical. The only thing biblical about “Sozo” is the meaning of the Greek word, the process is not demonstrated in Scripture, anywhere. I is however, closely linked to Hinduism, and is based on a felt faith experience rather than a practical faith outlined in Scripture. We are complete in Christ the moment we are Born again, at least that is what Scripture teaches, there is no need to venture into the past and dig up old memories and re-hash them in the hopes of being healed, we are healed, Salvation and faith in Christ did that work in us already. No where are we told in Scripture to really on emotionalism, seek God through emotionalism, or even trust in feelings. As I said, I know people personally who are now on meds just to prevent psychotic episodes. One person heads up the Sozo Ministry near where I live and I know their whole family. If Sozo were all it’s claimed to be, complete healing should be clearly demonstrated by individuals undergoing the treatment. On the other hand, evidence shows it cause more problems than it cures. Nor do we have to return over and over and over and over for healing. Jesus healed the first time, completely, and never failed to heal. If these ministries can’t do the same, as they say they do, they really should stop lying to people. It’s obvious they have no power to heal at all, it’s just a dog and pony show as far as I’m concerned. But, thanks for the post!
I certainly don’t want to offend anyone but I’d like to reinforce that Sozo, along with all other “inner healing ministries” are truely based on Eastern mysticism. I was involved in an inner healing ministry for a number of years and what I saw and experience for myself was clearly non-biblical. Inner healing goes way back to the 1970′s, maybe even before, and Sozo is simply the latest go-round of inner healing wrapped in a new name/package. My heart goes out to all those who are hurting and need God’s help to overcome, but I’ve seen and experienced way too much to encourage any of you to seek out Sozo or any other inner healing ministry. Please hear the warnings from those of us who have “been there/done that.” My warning to avoid this kind of “ministry” is from my heart and with love.
Sartoms, I was a trained SOZO minister and I can tell you from personal experience and biblical research that just because your experience did not end badly does not make it a good thing.
We do not find this practice in the bible because it is NOT biblical. It is taken from New Age practices of inner healing. All SOZO has done is stamped on the name of Christ onto the program. This does not mean it is God who shows up during its sessions, in fact, it is quite the opposite. When is it that God would do the bidding of a man’s demands? Never and the bible is clear on that.
I can tell you the entities of SOZO are very powerful, very convincing demons, also known as familiar spirits, and are not any different than going to a psychic for direction. Would you, being a Christian do such a thing? Well, you already have, and you have already been duped into believing the lies of SOZO and in supporting it, you lead others down the path of spiritual destruction.
Please repent and return to the Lord. Take some time for serious bible study. Too many things these days are left to what seems right or what feels good. Sin has a way of doing that in its earliest stages. Beware.
……..”I feel really sad to read some of the posts on this page. I’m so sorry for people who feel they have been hurt or manipulated by the church in any way but also feel that the criticism of Bethel Sozo is blown out of proportion. All good things can be misused/abused/ done badly, but doesn’t mean the thing itself is bad.”
Blown out of proportion? Oh really. My daughter attended a Sozo session at Bethel eight years ago. While in that session she experienced a so called “Recovered Memory” that I had molested her from the age of three to thirteen. That was the end of our relationship and almost the end of my life. Her mother and siblings know and have testified that it is completely false, but the damage is done. None of us in our family will ever be the same.
When I found out about this I tried to contact Bill Johnson for help. Apparently, being falsely accused of a crime that can carry a life sentence (and that resulting from one of Bethels’ ministries) is not quite enough to get his attention. I could not get past the “counseling center”. When I related what had happened to them they expressed how sorry they were at my experience and actually tried to get me to set up a counseling session. Yes, a counseling session. I declined that invitation.
I contacted two attorneys with “false recovered memory” experience. Both were shocked that regressive therapy was being practiced at all. Both attorneys told me that the whole recovered memory issue died out in the 1990s when it was exposed for the hoax that it is. After a few therapists were sued for big dollars the practice stopped—until Theophostic and Sozo started it up again. Both Theophostic and Sozo therapy includes regressive therapy techniques.
I have had several conversations about this with Tom Rutherford (look up Tom Rutherford and false recovered memories). He now has a ministry to victims of false recovered memories. I asked him if he knew of others that had been accused based on Theophostic counseling. He said that he was currently dealing with 80 families across the US and Canada that had lost children due to this therapy. He went on to say that one young lady that had accused her parents of sexual abuse had just taken her own life. Without Reverend Rutherfords’ support and encouragement to me that same day my fate would have been the same as that young ladies’.
So ‘sartoms’ I find your exegesis and comments on this subject just a little bit off the mark, trite, and quite frankly ignorant. Where does the scripture tell us to regress to our past to live for God now? Quite the opposite is found in scripture.
There is real danger with this therapy. My family and I are living proof.
memory victim: So sorry to hear this!! Perhaps this will help sartoms and others who have not yet done the homework on Sozo and Theophostics to do the homework on Sozo and Theophostics. There is no excuse these days to rush headlong into this stuff, as it is easily researched. And quite a few who were involved in it have come out of it now and have given excellent testimonies with proof. Again, I am so sorry for you and your family to have been victimized by this false prophet Bill Johnson who is taking many down with him–and charging for it. Currently, I have three very good friends (one is the father of three young children) who have fallen for these false teachings hook, line, and sinker. But I will NOT stop praying for their eyes to be opened and for them to be saved out of it. Such movements only get worse.
Memory Victom: As pnissila said, these ministries only get worse, I personally know people involved in the Sozo Ministry and unfortunately all I can do is sit on the outside and watch their lives be ruined. I no longer have a voice with them, they were very close friends our mine and dear brother and sisters in the Lord but the Pastor has divided all, including the husband and wife to a degree as the husband left the church but the wife remains and runs the Sozo Ministry. This ministry is like a cancer which has spread throughout the country and now the world and I have heard many testimonies of its dangers, yours included. I am so sorry for the loss you have suffered because of regressive therapy. I can relate to false accusation, I have had it done to me and as a result I too have lost my children. However, I have learned the only relationship which matters the most is the one I have with Jesus Christ so I trust Him to one day make all things right. It hasn’t been easy, so I just want to encourage you to stay strong in the Lord! I may be cold comfort, but I just remember Job. You are living proof of the danger this therapy has on people, by all means, keep speaking out and warning others of its dangers. Thank you for sharing your testimony, it is my desire that someone will read it and be helped by it, God Bless you!
Memory Victim, I just read your comment and I am floored, near tears. It is one thing when SOZO takes a willing victim, but to have it affect another who has had no part in it, OR in the thing they are accused of, is completely inexcusable. And there stands Johnson, unapproachable, protected. Is he also above our laws?
How can anyone think this would be from God? I hope there is resolve for you and your family and hope also someday these liars are brought up on legal charges for the criminals they have become. These so called pastors, leaders and ministers have no training in the field of psychology or hypnosis – and I am beginning to think SOZO is just that. In truth they are sending people to madness, some to death, and are ruining lives that should be redeemed by Christ, not destroyed! I know from my experience in healing rooms legal suits are possible, so I encourage you to do so if the Lord leads. Hold on and stand strong in the faith knowing that Almighty God knows the truth. Remember also that your brothers and sisters suffer the same and that you are not alone.
In Christ,
M’Kayla
I am so sorry for the pain that you and your family have gone through. It’s all just so sad and unneccasry. Seems that many of us have experienced some very bad stuff with Sozo and other inner healing groups. I, too, understand the pain of being accused of things I did not do. It was not with a Sozo group but with my pastor, his wife an “Inner Healing and Deliverance Ministry.” It nearly destroyed me and my family. For what it’s worth, it is good to hear that I’m not the only one who has gone through such pain. I only wish none of this had happened to any of us! I, too, will continue to pray for those who are still deceived by the slick talk and promises of being “free” from past hurts/traumas and all the demons/spirits that accompany those hurts/traumas. I also know many who are deeply involved in Sozo, Bethel, inner healing/deliverance ministries and there seems to be no way to show them how deceptive it all is. I am grateful to God that He pulled me out of this horrible deception….even if it was painful. I hold on to the scripture that says, “…you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good….” Prayers and blessings to you.
Thank you so much for the sympathetic comments. I do appreciate them although that is not why I invoked my story. I did it as a warning for others.
It has really been a living hell. I am actually doing much better than a few years ago but the overall loss to our family has been catastrophic. In order to cope, I have just had to adopt a position that I have permanently lost my daughter and I have to deal with it. It sounds harsh I know, and I suppose it is, but at least I can function in day to day life now instead of fretting and wondering when it will all end.
Quite coincidently yesterday after posting on here I was listening to some older saved voice mails. I still have the one from the Bethel “Transformation Center.” It was a call from them trying to set up a counseling appointment to discuss my problem with my daughter. This was in response to my many calls to them pleading to speak with Bill Johnson. They determined that I needed a counseling appointment instead.
The following is a quote of a young man and a Sozo proponent found at the beginning of this blog:
….“you see most Christians get saved, but they don’t go through deliverance, or really go back and deal with inner healing issues, thus, after about 3 weeks, or 3 months, they are back to the way they used to be. Because they never cleaned out the house fully.”
The quote of this young man is a new pervasive teaching that does not match up with what Jesus taught. This is the underlying false premise behind this whole deliverance fad. I have heard it many times.
Jesus did address the issue of new believers falling away and it had nothing to do with “inner healing”:
The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 WHOEVER HAS EARS, LET THEM HEAR.”
Later in the chapter Jesus explains this parable: (I have added capitalization for emphases)
18 “LISTEN then to what the parable of the sower MEANS: 19 When anyone HEARS the message about the kingdom and DOES NOT UNDERSTAND IT, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the WORD and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have NO ROOT, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the WORD, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the WORD, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the WORD, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the WORD and UNDERSTANDS IT. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
When Jesus addresses the issue of new believers following away He teaches that the problem is lack of:
Root in the Word
Adherence to the Word
Understanding of the Word
So here we have the Light of The World teaching us how not to fall away and does so by emphasizing the Word—not deliverance. Jesus NEVER addresses falling away in connection with deliverance. But apparently teaching the Word in its entirety does not quite tickle the ears of the Soza listeners as much as,
…….Oh your problem is that you just need to get delivered! Just make an appointment and we will get you fixed right up!
Hmmmm. I think I am going to side with Jesus on this one. He didn’t say that good soil is “delivered” soil, He said good soil is someone that has HEARD and UNDERSTANDS. And it is good soil that produces fruit. This is not my idea, nor the Pharisees’ idea; it is the idea of the Lamb of God! It is profound truth poured out to mankind. Jesus could have talked about falling away and living for God in terms of deliverance but He didn’t. Instead, He discussed it in terms of hearing, obeying, and understanding the Word.
I guess it just comes down to who you are going to listen to and believe: Soza or Jesus.
A big AMEN Memory Victim!!! Your right on…I love it when the Word presents truth with simplicity. This is what all Believers need!
You are absolutely right! Thanks for sharing these scriptures….had not thought of it this way.
Bethel ‘church’ is a cult because they embrace the heresy of kinosis, which denies the divinity of Christ. They are also semi-Pelaggian and Montanist like all Pentecostal and Charismatic ‘churches’.
I agree Andrew, Kinosis is at the heart of Bill Johnson’s teaching concerning Jesus Christ. That Christ was born again (as Johnson teachers), in the resurrection lines up with most new age thought and teachings that we can become gods ourselves. God bless and thanks for posting.
Thank you so much for the information you have provided about Sozo, soaking prayer, Bethel, etc. We have been attending a church in Portland, OR for a little over a year that is closely connected to Bethel. We feel we’ve been getting “red flags” but have not had the info we needed to be able to make a decision to leave and move on. We came out of a church a little over a year ago completely beat up by our pastor and our so called “closest friends.” We needed a safe place to worship and sort of “hide out” while we processed and sought professional Christian counseling to help us heal and move on. Now that we are “well” through God’s love and the love and care of our counselors, we feel we cannot ignore any longer the red flags we have been getting at the church we have been attending for the past year. We have not gotten involved in any of these “ministries” because we are more cautious than ever, since our horrible experience at our prior church….which, by the way, was already heading right down these same paths! Anyway, thank you for this info…..it is exactly the evidence we needed to make our decision to “get the heck out of Dodge!” Any suggestions on finding a safe and sound church in the Portland area would be greatly appreciated.
Janet, thank you for sharing what you have gone through. It’s always a blessing to hear how God continues to protect and minister to us in our greatest times of need. You wouldn’t think that those times of need and protection would be from a church. We to had gone through a very similar experience such as yours. I can’t recommend any churches in the Portland area as we are not from there but will keep you all in prayer to find the fellowship you need. God bless
Janet, I am not in Portland, but in Vancouver. I can tell you from the research that I have done, after having had come out of all this craziness, I am unable to find a church that is strictly biblical. However, the Lord has set me up with some great friends, some in person and some through the internet. He will not leave us to starve in not being able to find a suitable place to gather. He will lead us to the right people. The most important thing is in the realization that we are taught thru the Holy Spirit, and are in no need of a man to do so. So, be encouraged, tho you
may not find what you are looking for exactly, the Lord has His way! :0) Blessings and peace to you.
Thank you M’Kayla! I appreciate your input and sweet thoughts. We’re still looking and hoping to find a safe place to call our home church….not sure if we will….we’re still hoping for the best. And yes, the Holy Spirit will lead us and teach us…..He already has!
I don’t live in Portland anymore, but they have some great home churches. You might check out one of the home church networks on http://summithome.org/. I think they have found a model much closer to New Testament Christianity (and a whole lot more meaningful, IMO, than the “Sunday Morning Lecture Series” that mainstream Christianity calls “Church”.)
Thank you Bruce. We appreciate this info. Will check it out for sure!
I just checked out the site http://summithome.org. You may wish to peruse the site carefully, too. Each home or cell church seems as if it has some autonomy but they all seem loosely connected through this organization. Each gathering may have their own beliefs and ideas, and many may be aligned with God’s Word and therefore trustworthy. This is just a ‘first glance’ response. But one thing I found there caused concern.
The posting, copied below, on the site is from a book by Brennan Manning. Brennan Manning, a former practicing Catholic priest, is one of the esteemed writers/promoters of the Contemplative/Mysticism movement, which is part of the postmodern, Emergent Church movement. If this reflects the thinking and orientation of one or more of the summit groups or the leadership and if you are considering joining one of them under the umbrella of summit, I would first research Manning, if you are not already familiar with him. It was one of his books, referenced briefly in the Foursquare church I attended and left (several years ago), and which I had attended for about thirty years, that first alerted me to the Emergent Church/Postmodern Church/Spiritual Formation movement. With great concern, I caution you to investigate these groups very, very carefully.
Phyllis Nissila
Here is the excerpt from the summit post, with full citation following:
Ideas taken from, “Western Theology” by Wes Seeliger. Pioneer Ventures Publishers, Houston, TX. 1973
Summarized by Brennan Manning in Lion and Lamb, Chapter 3 – “Freedom Under the Word.” pp. 37-41 (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Co. 1986)
There are two visions of life, two kinds of people. The first see life as a possession to be carefully guarded.They are called settlers. The second see life as a wild, fantastic, explosive gift. They are called pioneers. These two types give rise to two kinds of theology: Settler Theology and Pioneer Theology.
According Wes Seeliger in his book Western Theology, the first kind, Settler Theology, is an attempt to answer all the questions, define and housebreak some sort of Supreme Being, establish the status quo on golden tablets in cinemascope. Pioneer Theology is an attempt to talk about what it means to receive the strange gift of life. The Wild West is the setting for both theologies.
In Settler Theology, the church is the courthouse. It is the center of town life. The old stone structure dominates the town square. Its windows are small and this makes things dark inside. Within the courthouse walls, records are kept, taxes collected, trials held for the bad guys. The courthouse is the settler’s symbol of law, order, stability, and—most important—security. The mayor’s office is on the top floor. His eagle eye ferrets out the smallest details of town life.
In Pioneer Theology, the church is the covered wagon. It is a house on wheels, always on the move. The covered wagon is where the pioneers eat, sleep, fight, love, and die. It bears the marks of life and movement—it creaks, is scarred with arrows, bandaged with bailing wire. The covered wagon is always where the action is. It moves toward the future and doesn’t bother to glorify its own ruts. The old wagon isn’t comfortable, but the pioneers don’t mind. They are more into adventure than comfort.
In Settler Theology, God is the mayor. He is a sight to behold. Dressed like a dude from back East, he lounges in an over-stuffed chair in his courthouse office. He keeps the blinds drawn. No one sees him or knows him directly, but since there is order in the town, who can deny that he is there? The mayor is predictable and always on schedule. The settlers fear the mayor, but look to him to clear the payroll and keep things going. Peace and quiet are the mayor’s main concerns. That’s why he sends the sheriff to check on pioneers who ride into town.
In Pioneer Theology, God is the trail boss. He is rough and rugged, full of life. He chews tobacco, drinks straight whisky. The trail boss lives, eats, sleeps, fights with his people. Their well-being is his concern. Without him the wagon wouldn’t move; living as a free man would be impossible. The trail boss often gets down in the mud with the pioneers to help push the wagon, which often gets stuck. He prods the pioneers when they get soft and want to turn back. His fist is an expression of his concern.
In Settler Theology, Jesus is the sheriff. He’s the guy who is sent by the mayor to enforce the rules. He wears a white hat, drinks milk, and outdraws the bad guys. The sheriff decides who is thrown into jail. There is a saying in town that goes: Those who believe that the mayor sent the sheriff, and follow the rules, they won’t stay in Boothill when it comes their time.
In Pioneer Theology, Jesus is the scout. He rides out ahead to find out which way the pioneers should go. He lives all the dangers of the trail. The scout suffers every hardship, is attacked by the Indians. Through his words and actions he reveals the true intentions of the trail boss. By looking at the scout, those on the trail learn what it means to be a pioneer.
In Settler Theology, the Holy Spirit is the saloon girl. Her job is to comfort the settlers. They come to her when they feel lonely, or when life gets dull or dangerous. She tickles them under the chin and makes everything okay again. The saloon girl squeals to the sheriff when someone starts disturbing the peace.
In Pioneer Theology, the Holy Spirit is the buffalo hunter. He rides along with the covered wagon and furnishes fresh meat for the pioneers. Without it they would die. The buffalo hunter is a strange character—sort of a wild man. The pioneers never can tell what he will do next. He scares the hell out of the settlers. He has a big, black gun that goes off like a cannon. He rides into town on Sunday to shake up the settlers. You see, every Sunday morning, the settlers have a little ice cream party in the courthouse. With his gun in hand the buffalo hunter sneaks up to one of the courthouse windows. He fires a tremendous blast that rattles the whole courthouse. Men jump out of their skin, women scream, dogs bark. Chuckling to himself, the buffalo hunter rides back to the wagon train shooting up the town as he goes.
In Settler Theology, the Christian is the settler. He fears the open, unknown frontier. His concern is to stay on good terms with the mayor and keep out of the sheriff’s way. “Safety first” is his motto. To him the courthouse is a symbol of security, peace, order, and happiness. He keeps his money in the bank. The banker is his best friend. The settler never misses an ice cream party.
In Pioneer Theology, the Christian is the pioneer. He is a man of daring, hungry for new life. He rides hard, knows how to use a gun when necessary. The pioneer feels sorry for the settlers and tries to tell them of the joy and fulfillment of life on the trail. He dies with his boots on.
In Settler Theology, the clergyman is the banker. Within his vault are locked the values of the town. He is a highly respected man. He has a gun, but keeps it hidden in his desk. He feels that he and the sheriff have a lot in common. After all, they both protect the bank.
In Pioneer Theology, the clergyman is the cook. He doesn’t furnish the meat. He just dishes up what the buffalo hunter provides. This is how he supports the movement of the wagon. He never confuses his job with that of the trail boss, scout, or buffalo hunter. He sees himself as just another pioneer who has learned to cook. The cook’s job is to help the pioneers pioneer.
In Settler Theology, faith is trusting in the safety of the town: obeying the laws, keeping your nose clean, believing the mayor is in the courthouse. In Pioneer Theology, faith is the spirit of adventure. The readiness to move out. To risk everything on the trail. Faith is obedience to the restless voice of the trail boss.
In Settler Theology, sin is breaking one of the town’s ordinances. In Pioneer Theology, sin is wanting to turn back. In Settler Theology, salvation is living close to home and hanging around the courthouse. In Pioneer Theology, salvation is being more afraid of sterile town life than of death on the trail. Salvation is joy at the thought of another day to push on into the unknown. It is trusting the trail boss and following his scout while living on the meat provided by the buffalo hunter.
The settlers and the pioneers portray in cowboy-movie language the people of the law and the people of the Spirit. In the time of the historical Jesus, the guardians of the ecclesiastical setup, the scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees, had ensconced themselves in the courthouse and enslaved themselves to the kw. This not only enhanced their prestige in society, it also gave them a sense of security. Man fears the responsibility of being free. It is often easier to let others make the decisions or to rely upon the letter of the law. Some men want to be slaves. After enslaving themselves to the letter of the law, such men always go on to deny freedom to others. They will not rest until they have imposed the same oppressive burdens upon others. Jesus described them this way: “They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:4).
Jesus wanted to liberate His people from the law—from all laws. Under His Word we become free, people of the Spirit; and the fellowship of free people grows up, as in the New Testament, beyond all kinds of theological disagreement. Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” If we are not experiencing what Paul calls in Romans 8:21 “the glorious freedom of the children of God,” then we must acknowledge that His Word has not taken sovereign possession of us, that we are not fully under the sway of His Spirit.
http://summithome.org/?page_id=65
Thanks Phyllis, I will look this material over and examine the sites you mentioned. I’m so taken back by how far off the rail the church has gotten. Or should I say derailed. Seems the Word of God has been abandoned for the thrill of the experience, it’s all felt faith movements anymore. Thank you for what you have shared here and God bless you.
Thank you, everyone for your information and your anecdotes. This is a great article. I am in the process of researching the Sozo movement. Several of my friends are heavily involved at Bethel. One is a young man with three small children who left his work and home here in Oregon to move down there and take the courses. He was a director in Young Life. I just found out another church in this area is starting this program, now.
My background is Catholicism (12 years of C. education, and a family heavily involed in that). I became a Christian about 38 years ago. I teach and write now, but about 25 years ago I worked for a ministry counseling people out of cults. So much of Sozo–NAR, Emergent Church, WordFaith, and so on–is familiar in a way (old New Age and Eastern practices). But whereas the cultic and occultic practices present in those movements used to be outside the church, now they are in the church, something I think someone in a previous post also noted. I have signed up to be notified of any further posts, here.
I just sent for the Sozo application materials form the local church, to start the document pile. I’m praying about whether or not I should actually purchase the training tapes. Does anybody have some they would sell? I’d hate to fill the Bethel coffers with any more money.
I have written devotionals, inspirational essays, newspaper articles and editorials, etc., for years, but just last week started a blog. I took the tech-challenge. I’m on wordpress: pnissila.wordpress.com. Tag line: “For Such a Time as This.” (That’s why we’re all here, friends
).I have one commentary on there on the Emergent Church, but most of my first few blogs are inspirational and one is a humor piece (I used to write a humor column). As you may note, I’m a newbie and I’m still learning my way around all the bells and whistles on the blog site.
God bless all of you, and I hope to hear from you.
P.Nissila
P.Nissila,
I was trained in SOZO while involved with the healing rooms. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. You can contact me at mkayla@comcast.net and my blog is mkayla.wordpress.com (mkayla’s korner).
Please help! I have a student involved in this practice who is claiming “incredible, miraculous and immediate results.” I am trying to understand what that all means and happened on this blog in my research. (Thanks for writing it!) I have practical and theological questions.
First the practical: If what you are suggesting here is actually happening, the people in charge are setting themselves up for rather massive liability. Has anyone brought suit against this group?
Theologically, what do you make of Peter’s and Paul’s trances and praying in the Spirit in the Acts records? I am not trying to start an argument, but merely to anticipate the defense of people practicing this. How do they defend their practice?
Jack, In answer to your fist question; To my knowledge not suits have been made. I do personally know some who have come out of this and have had real trouble recovering from it. Others I know are on medication as a result but I don’t know of any suits. As to your second question; I’ll have to look at them but from my studies, the trances were not a common occurrence, but were directly for Peter as God was dealing with Peter to accept Gentile’s into the faith. We are instructed by Scripture to pray in the Spirit but that is not limited to speaking in tongues. We are also taught to walk in the Spirit, so praying in the Spirit can be through fervent prayer. I will look closer and comment more. God Bless!
Leslie,
Totally agree with you on getting it together. Even in Christ’s day they had the Pharisees and Sadducee’s same religion different beliefs, even though they spent their lives studying the Torah. Just shows us the real frailty of our sinful condition, how easily we get sidetracked and tripped up by Satan. Hang in there, God is always faithful.
I am a Jew believing that Jeshua was the Mesiah. I wish Cristianity would please get it together so I know what to believe. does anyone out there ever read Torah and the prophets?
Leslie, yes many believers read the Torah and the prophets. I know how confusing Christianity can be so I just try to focus on the Scripture. It is easy to get caught up in all the hype and arguments etc. Jesus is the Messiah and I am more than grateful to see Jews who embrace Him. He is the way, the truth and the life for all mankind, both Jew and Gentile. My favorite prophet is Elisha, and awesome man of God. You are right, I wish Christianity would get it together to however until Jesus returns, we are stuck with each other and this sinful flesh. God bless and stay strong!
I was struck by Sally’s comment “I have a very hard time praying anymore”. I got involved with a cultish small church a few years ago. They were into the Toronto blessing, deliverance and insisted that anything bad came from the devil and spent most of the prayer times praying against stuff. When I said I was leaving I was told that no one would love me like they did. For at least 6 months afterwards I couldn’t pray at all – the only thing that came to mind was all the ‘praying against’. Not long afterwards I did real damage to a my new marriage. I was acting out the toxic lies that I never truly believed. I am so ashamed of that.
But when I look back over my 24 years as a Christian this Sozo heresy is nothing new. Yonggi Cho’s 4th dimension has been around for decades. As a new Christian I wondered why I was so skeptical of so called healings. I know now that it was Christian hysteria rather than the Spirit of God. Even now my immediate reaction to any story of healing is one of skepticism. I am now separated and rebuilding my life. I have understood true repentance and read God’s Word in a new light. I think it was Sally who talked of ‘another Jesus’. Visualizing Jesus is little more than idolatry. Bethel and others obsession with the Holy Spirit, again is idolatry as its worship of the spirit rather than worship of the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit. To honour someone in a way they do not wished to be honoured is to insult them.
The problem with Christian logic is that its self authenticating which is why these groups are able to deceive what otherwise would be intelligent people. Sozo is no less dangerous than cooks performing open heart surgery and the real victims are vulnerable people who are effectively suffering emotional abuse at the hands of the church which promises to love them. Ignorance is no excuse. I only wish I knew how to proceed. The present church is infected with Gnosticism, no less than the early church was. These people are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Chris, I believe you hit the mark exactly! Christian logic is self authenticating, this is a large part of the problem today. John the Baptist said in John 3:30 “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” I am reminded also of what Colossians 3:3 says “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Salvation was never intended for us to shine but for us to fade behind the Light of Christ. The life changing power of the Gospel is equally as important as defending it against error, and we are to display our attention and affection toward spiritual things because of our identification with Christ. It is not important who are what I am, only the Jesus Christ is glorified through me. This is a tremendous burden for any of us without the Holy Spirit’s ability. I often think, how can I help those who are broken when I am broken myself? Then I realize that Jesus was broken for me and I am complete in Him. However, like you, I’m not sure how to proceed either. I’ll just keep trying to speak out, tell the truth, present Jesus to those who need Him in the hopes that some may hear His voice and follow Him. Thanks for the post! And God Bless!
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Hi Mike, about an RSS reader. If your just going to “follow” WP blogs, there is an rss reader in WP. just subscribe to a blog and in your WP dashboard, see “my subscriptions”. BUT, if you would like to follow non-WP blogs and/or regular sites,, a feed reader is a must. I use google, you can sign up to your favorite news, and or other sites, and have the stuff delivered to your mailbox. There are two type of RSS readers, one you download to your puter, that is too advanced and I don’t even use it. Try google if you want to follow many blogs/sites.
ALSO if you want to keep up what is going on, on the net (everything that is posted on the net) about a specific topic, try google alerts. I use them for WoF and Islam. Watch this video.
TO me the Google alerts are more important than the rss readers, so look into it first. If you need to call for more info.just give me a ring
bonus video
Thanks Damon, got the google reader going. I like it, everything is right there, easy! Thank you so much, YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!!
THANKS MIKE, I am blessed to have had time to learn and help others. Just pay it forward as you have been doing
GBUB
Sister M’k,, google reader is an RSS feed reader. RSS stands for real simple syndication. If a site does not have an RSS feed logo or link (like you just told Mike how to do) you can still subscribe to the feed by putting an extension on the URL. http://www.example.com‘s feed would be example.com/feed/
About 95 percent of all sites have feeds, whether the owners know it and have it set up or not.
If you eva need to write me to ask about anything feel free too.
PS. I’m giving Lee a few more days to “get back with me” and then I am going to coral him up after that. I know he will be evasive, i know how we bi-polars are, but I won’t let him get away with it with me. THANKS FOR WRITING ME THAT DAY!
HI Sally. I am so sorry you have been hurt by the church in these ways. I completely understand how you feel. It IS hard to talk to people about these things, some get it, some don’t, some won’t want to know and others will call you names like Pharisee or say that you are unloving, divisive and unkind.
The healing and prophetic movements are full of stories like yours. I have them and I’ve heard tons of them on my blog. Each time my heart breaks for the person and for the Lord who suffered so willingly to give so much of himself. Just think of all the people who have been hurt over the many decades of false teachings!
You keep learning and praying, trusting in the Lord and one day you will see the true healing in the spiritual sense. Our lives are more about the Lord and other people than they are about ourselves.
You are welcome to use anything on my blog that you need.
Blessings to all here. xoxox
Sally and mkayla,
Really appreciated both of your comments/testimonies of just how damaging this can be. Mike and I dodged the bullet so to speak as we got out before the Sozo hit, thank God. We had our fair share of prophetic words and “training” etc. It’s kind of interesting they move you from doing ecstatic worship becoming “drunk in the spirit” to doing “carpet time” soaking and then haul you right into an inner healing rooms. You’d think with all the “experiences” one had with God before with the drunk, soaking, carpet time that one would be so perfectly whole mentally emotionally and spiritually that there wouldn’t be a need for sozo/inner healing, at least that’s my take on it.
Now they have yet another form of sozo called Shabar that was created to “address the issues and problems that arise out of the sozo’s” which deals with apparently fractured individuals/split personalities…..” The question has to be asked if Jesus is truly the healer in these inner healings why do they need to go further and what possible issues or problems can arise that Jesus can’t handle in the regular sozo??? Why couldn’t Jesus get it done with the sozo? Is it because it’s another Jesus being presented as the article states? I think so. My concern is how in the world can they get away with this, claiming to not be professional counseling but still use the tools techniques etc. and not only that but most importantly mess with people’s mental and emotional conditions that are so severe ? It’s all madness to me when I step back and look at it objectively and my heart breaks for those who are in it still. Thanks again for your input. Blessings
The practice of sozo is very dangerous and should be avoided no matter how attractive it sounds. We are not told to go into our pasts for healing in the bible. We are told to forget what is behind.
I used to be on a sozo team in the healing room I was involved with. I also went through sessions on my own beforehand. Before I was walking with the Lord I went through some guided imagery with a therapist. I can’t say why and it makes no sense, but the sozo was far more dangerous than what was considered secular. I had more visions and strange experiences during those moments than ever. It did more damage than good in an area that God had already settled in me some time before. All the peace he gave me previously seemed to erode away after those sessions and my experiences were horrifying. In the end, nothing positive comes of the sessions and nothing inside ever changes, but becomes worse. I think it is possible for a person to lose their sanity because of what transpires.
The prophetic (Treasure Hunting is only another method of prophetic words) is nothing more than what they psychics can do at a reading. It is the same spirit and can be very real and convincing that it is of God. Not so.
I can’t begin to warn enough – stay far away from Bethel, Healing Rooms, Sozo and all forms of Inner Healing, as Bethel has more than one method now. We must trust the Lord in all things and be very careful who lays hands on us, for many come in his name but are not of Him! And believe me you do not want the things they have the ability to impart. I still have my training manual but I can’t bring myself to do much writing about it on my blog even though I have been asked. It’s good that you could so that others could see the truth.
Wow mkayla, I’m sorry you experience such a horrable thing, I’m thankful I never did get involved with the Sozo. However, the church I spent many years in is and people I know and love are heavily involved. I would love to have a manual, that information would be helpful as I plan on persueing this further. I’m amazed at how these ministries open the doors to anything that appears spiritual but are not validated by Scripture. Thank you for you input and warning! I hope people will lisen to it and same themselves the pain and grief they will have to endure through these sessions. I’m had alot of terrible things happen to me in my past but I have overcome everyone of them because of my faith in Jesus and His Word. You are right, guided imagery is a dangerous method, especially when you concider the Sozo teams are not professioinal therapist. God bless you mkayla, I’m thankful you heard and obeyed the voice of the Lord to come out of it. The past is past, we are to only look forard. Jesus said, no man having putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdome of God. We are to only look forward!
The manual I have didn’t come from Bethel. It was designed by a third-party specifically for our HR team. The information was gathered from a good number of resources and ministries, but I believe it is much the same, the process inhabited by the same “familiar spirits”.
This is probably an area I need to do some praying for direction on what to do next. I have several things on the back burner that I have left there for later on. The fact that “I don’t want to” doesn’t necessarily mean God doesn’t want me to.
I was amazed at all the methods and all the prayer training that seemed to pop up – one after another. I couldn’t understand why we needed so much training to PRAY for a person! I was told they were tools for our work. Tools? What about Jesus??? What about His power and authority that they were so quick to claim as their own? Hmmm… It shows they are powerless and in need of some outside help as God is not with them. Those who follow are clueless as to the real spirit they invoke in the name of the Lord, the Holy Spirit.
Thanks for your encouragement.
Will you put up an RSS feed button? I’d like to keep up with you. Be well.
mkayla, I tryied to do a RSS but I think I messed it up. I’m new to this so if you could give me some info on how to do it that would be great. It asked for a url, I put mine in so not sure if I did it right. Thanks and God bless
Hehehe. I had my whole side bar in duplicate a little while ago. It’s a widget and all you should need to do is move it to your sidebar to activate.
So go to Appearance – Widgets – RSS Links ,then click on it and slide it into your sidebar. That should work.
Thank you so much, I have a lot to learn. Drives me crazy!
TY M’K for helping Mike. hey mike, now that you have rss links on your page, you will need to know why you need them and how you can make your life easier by using a feed reader. watch this video.
Thanks Damon, I feel like a kid in a candy store who doesn’t know what he wants! So….I guess I need a reader, then I can subscribe to mkayla’s and your sites and others. Hmmmm, I have a lot to learn. Thanks to both you Damon and mkayla for all the help!
Damon! I thought of you yesterday and these great videos. I like the google reader idea better than the rss. Gonna check it out.
Blessings!
I had worked at a women’s ministry in our town that offered free peer biblical counseling. They used Theophostics. One of the gals even went to Kentucky to a conference. Anyway, we did this to each other and then used it on the clients. But when the founding woman found it out, we couldn’t use it anymore. And our church had a healing room for a couple of years. I never saw anyone healed. The healing room has closed a couple of years ago now(this all took place 7 or so years ago.) Then about 2 years ago, they (the church) got involved in Bethel, Global (can’t remember what it is called) and Sozo.They do prophetic painting, and Treasure Hunts.(you should do an article about that too.) They haven’t gone full force yet with the Sozo but the leadership has participated in it. And to talk to some of them, it made such a difference in their lives. We were always a Charasmatic church and there were those who went to Toronto and bought it back, we did a lot carpet time, “more Lord”, soaking prayer, fire tunnels etc. It is so easy to become part of it and think it is of the Lord. If you have ever been in the presence of the Lord, it can be addictive. Then you always want a word from the Lord to encourage you or guide you. We always had ministry time at the end of the service with teams at the altar who would pray for you. I was one of those also. That was happening for the pase 15 years. So little by little, all you want is a word from God and carpet time, and you no longer search the word. Over the past 3 years, since we left that church, I have spent daily time and hours researching all this. I feel angry, but I realize my anger needs to be directed at myself for not looking to God. We still fellowship with some of the people, and they know how we believe now, but we won’t go to the church. The interesting thing is a lot of them don’t like some of the “stuff” but they love the fellowship and friendships and don’t want to leave because of that. But the funny thing about that is since we no longer attend, we are having better fellowship with some of these same people than we had the whole 25 years we were there. Oh, we were in the leadership so we were close to what went on. I always felt like a carrot was hanging in front of me and I could never quite reach it. That was when the words of the new things were always shared, or the words of what ministry I was going to have. It never happened. I have a very hard time praying anymore. We have started going to a home biblestudy with a guy we’ve known for years that now goes to Africa and does mission work with aides children. We are beginning to see again that Christ has given us all we need for life and godliness and we don’t need “more.”
Sally, your testimony is very moving, my wife and I were involved in the Word of Faith/Charismatic scene for 13 years. Its difficult at first when you realize you had been decieved but God is faithful. He slowly showed us the error then started reinforcing the truth of His Word in us and now we are on the other side, sort of looking in. I would not trade where I am right now for anything. And yes, we were angry with ourselves too, your not alone on that. I have learned that faith in Jesus Christ is enough, His Word is sufficient, all we had to do was believe it and act upon it. It has deepened our love for the Lord. Home biblestudy can be a great place to rediscover your relationship with the Lord and enjoy good fellowship. I’m glad you can still have a relationship with those in the church you left, my wife and I haven’t. We had to leave it all behind, we even have family still there that has little or nothing to do with us. We are viewed as hateful, a cult, or in a prision because we cannot help but warn people of the dangers of these ministries. Hang in there, trust in the Lord and lean not unto your own undestanding, and He will direct your paths. Beleive it! God bless you in your journey! By the way, if you or anyone else has any documentation which would be helpful, you can email me at discernmentnow@live.com. Especially the Sozo ministry of Bethel Church. Thanks! MIke.
Sally – Global Awakening
http://www.globalawakening.com/
Global Awakening is a Christian ministry dedicated to training, fathering, and raising up saints for the work of the ministry.
http://www.revivalalliance.com/
There is a connection, and a work dedicated to transforming the world to their belief system – NAR Aspostles and Prophets, word of faith mixed with the supernatural.
Randy Clark and Bill Johnson speak at IAHR conferences held each Sept in Spokane WA. Johnson and Cal Pierce are very close and this is why we see the same teachings in both organizations – IAHR and Bethel, and also with Randy Clark, and many, many others.
We saw a coming together of many of these organizations in 09, I believe – I’d have to check my blog – ha -. When that happened I thought we were really in for it now. Could it be possible the anti-christ is rising right out from the church? Who would have guessed it, huh? And with the coming one world religion and even these false ministries who cry out for “unity” while morphing into something completely removed from Christianity, with the influence of the supernatural, Catholicism and eastern religious practices. They hate us – the ones who love the bible and make the effort to adhere to it’s truth.
I am glad to know we are out and taking a stand to help others see the truth that can only be found in his word. I pray that God blesses our efforts to His glory.
Sorry, I went off topic.
mkayla don’t be sorry for going off topic, you are giving good information for Sally to look at. All of these ministries are merging with Catholicism at it’s heart. What they are presenting seem extremely close to what Scripture teacing of the rise of the Beast and the Whore of Babylon. As you stated, and I agree, it is highly possible the the anti-christ could emerge out from this movement. Revelation 13 shows him with a world religious system. I believe that the Emergant church, the WoF, Nar, and Catholicism are all coming together for one purpose, a world religious system. In fact, they are inventing a intirely new religion altogether. We just need to keep doing what we are doing in the hope that some will hear the call of God and be saved out of it. God bless you, my prayers are with you.
Thanks M’Kayla, I looked it up last night(Global Awakening). I do have a knowledge of how all these are connected. I have been looking into all this for the past 3 years. I just am not good at putting together and relaying to others all that I have learned.
The Treasure Hunt thing is really scary. They pray and ask God to give them things to write down about people and also they write down places that come to mind and they use these clues to go treasure hunting for people. Here is an example. You are on a team of 2 or 3 and one of you gets purple striped shirt and someone gets blonde and maybe flipflops. Then maybe you both get mall or some same place. Then they go to that place and start looking for the clues. When they find a person who fits the description, they tell them they are on a treasure hunt for God and the person is the treasure. They always fit the clues and often start crying. They are going thru a divorce, or were wondering if God cares, etc. It is eerie how it really connects. But I had never heard the reports afterward that they prayed for someone to be saved. It always set wrong with us and we never wanted to be involved in it.
There was a Global Awakening in Michigan last year that several from church left behind attended.
Just so I don’t sound so fragmented, here is a little history. We sold all we owned 3 1/2 years ago, bought a motorhome and did volunteer work as we traveled. Due to a cancer issue, we had to come back almost 2 years ago. We had been away from the church for a year and a half. So we did start to attend again, but saw that things were getting worse. I was told by a few that my cancer was from unforgiveness. There were 2 others at the church who passed last year of cancer within a couple of weeks of one another. There was lots of prayer but no healing. Anyway, the thing that pushed us out the door was the week at church that there was a word that God wanted to heal baldness. The week before, it was toenail fungus. I remember that one because I have that issue, but said to God in my heart, “Is that really all the better you can do? Fungus and not cancer?” We just decided to leave before church was over after the bald word came. Someone extended their hand to pray for me and I put my hand up to block them and told them no. It was about 5 months later before anyone noticed we weren’t attending anymore. I know over the years my focus was on nothing but always wanting healing and more power. But I am rambling and getting off track and I apologize for that.
I will keep reading your blogs and telling my friends. The hard part is when I start talking to others about the 7 Mountains Mandate or the NAR or Dominionism, they actually look at me like I am off my rocker and they have no idea what I am talking about.