( Dr. Voddie Baucham / Spoken in his final message at Founders Seminary )
"Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord."
"Walk as children of light ( for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true ), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them." ( Ephesians 5:6-11 )
"And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, be broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" ( Luke 22:19 )
Today I want to add my two cents along with the others who have been warning about the American communion revival taking place on the mall of our nation's capital this weekend with Lou Engle and many others.
Now I know on the surface that engaging in a big communion service with worship music and pastors and a mile long communion table inviting everyone to come join seems like a good and right thing to do, but Friends, first things first: We are taught in the Scriptures:
"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." ( 1 John 4:1 )
The Apostle John goes on in this passage and his next letters to the Church to explain the tests each person should pass claiming to be from God, including a proper Christology, not worldly especially in the sense that the world listens to them and loves them, ( John 15:19 ), sticking to the Scriptures, not going beyond them. ( 2 John 2:9 ) Loving the brothers.
Secondly, my concern after watching the promotional material for the event ( which one promoter said wasn't an event I guess because they're saying it's a "revival" ), but my concern is that although partaking of the Lord's Supper is a biblical sacrament instituted by Christ himself, the promoters claim they were shown another special way of doing communion in dreams, visions, and revelations. One promoter said that he saw it in his "mind's eye." That's a new age term, not sure if he knew that or not; it is also called the "third eye." He made the same statement three times about seeing it in his "mind's eye."
One coordinator referred to this event as "the wedding supper of the lamb." No, Friends, the wedding supper of the Lamb is not the same as the communion table. Jesus taught us to partake in the bread and wine in remembrance of him until he comes again. The wedding supper, or marriage feast of the Lamb is when Christ is united with his Church, his bride, as the culmination of God's plan for the redemption of his children. ( Revelation 19:6 ) ( Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:14 )
Lou Engel says that what they are doing in DC is a "better blood message." Better than the blood of Christ? What does he mean by that? They are attributing to the Lord's table things Jesus never said - they are going way beyond the Scriptures which we are warned not to do.
For instance, the sacraments do not give us special healing powers as they claim. Beni Johnson, Bill Johnson's wife who passed away from cancer in 2022, wrote a book about this in 2019 entitled "The Power of Communion: Accessing Miracles, Through the Body and Blood of Jesus." The product description on Christian Books website asks the question if we are missing something in this ancient ritual that releases healing and deliverance and shifts spiritual atmospheres, even world events, and new dimensions of divine glory? Again, that sounds an awful lot like new age language. ( and NAR )
Our Lord's Supper is not a pagan ritual. Jesus said that we are to do it in remembrance of him, until he comes again. Period. It is for Christ's Church to partake of in remembrance of him; in Christ already, at our conversion, we were given the Holy Spirit to indwell us forever. What else do we need besides God? Nothing.
And yet, he invites us to pray to Him.
To me this is all so disturbing, and so yeah, another huge red flag is Bill Johnson. He doesn't appear to be at this event but earlier this year in April he hosted the communion revival night with Lou Engel at Bethel Redding's baseball field.
There is so much, too much in fact for my post, that I could say about Bill Johnson and the Bethel organization, engaging in everything from a supernatural school of ministry ( that their students call their "Hogwarts" ) "teaching" the students how to operate in the prophetic along with other spiritual sign gifts ( yes, you must pay tuition to obtain the power ), grave soaking, ( Beni Johnson can be seen on Twitter/X stretched out on the grave, I believe, of C.S. Lewis and hugging Charles Finney's tombstone. This is done in hopes of receiving the mantles of "spiritual giants" because some believe the Holy Spirit is trapped in the body after death. Bethel also participates in fire tunnels, a pagan deliverance practice using Gandoff's wizard staff to get rid of racism, manufactured glory clouds, gold dust, and angel feathers.
Johnson teaches that Jesus laid aside his divinity when he came to earth, a false Christology. ( If Jesus is only a man, he is not a sufficient substitute for our sins, and we are still condemned. ) That's only one problem with that heretical view. Johnson and the other Bethel leaders continually teach that Jesus did miracles, as a man, not God, to show us what we could do, not to prove he was God which again is in direct contradiction of the Holy Scriptures:
"Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." ( John 20:30-31 )
Bethel will rip verses out of their original context like John 14:12 when Jesus said that you will do greater works. All one must do here is use some critical thinking skills. No one in 2,000 years has walked on water, multiplied bread and fish, turned water into wine, raised people from the dead, and yes, resurrected themselves from the dead like Jesus Christ! Bethel has claimed all kinds of great miracles, and yet none have been verified. Their theology doesn't even work for them. Bill Johnson wears glasses.
Johnson is also a huge part of the NAR ( New Apostolic Reformation ) teaching dominion theology and the seven mountain mandate. If you don't know what that is, I asked you to please consider doing some homework so you can be aware of it. We are not the heroes of God's redemptive story - it is Christ alone. Praise God!
I'm not writing this to convince you necessarily; I know some will ardently disagree with me. That's fine. I want more than anything to encourage people to please read their Bibles and get under sound, biblical, orthodox Christian preaching at a gospel-centered church. Partake in the Lord's Supper with your brothers and sisters at your local church. Remember, the Holy Spirit already dwells in you if you are in Christ. He's already transforming us into the image of Christ.
And please have the integrity to examine your own denomination or faith tradition and the leaders you follow to see if they are biblically sound. Please. What do you have to lose? False teaching, that's what.
I beg you to please do your own research into these movements comparing them with the Scriptures. Don't take my word for it.
1.) Let's have sharp minds - studying God's Word to show ourselves approved and having answers ready, ( 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Peter 3:15 ) and not being conformed to this world, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds, that by testing we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. ( Romans 12:2 )
2.) Let's have warm hearts - speaking the truth in love with kindness and clarity. ( Ephesians 4:15 )
3.) Let's have steel spines - not giving in to false teachers for a moment so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved. ( Galatians 2:5 )
Thanks, Voddie
💜
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