Do you have vision for your life?

Proverbs 29:18 says that "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (KJV). Other translations use the word "revelation" instead of "vision;" and they say that without it, "the people are unrestrained" (rather than the word "perish").

Here's what I get from this:

1. We need specific revelation from the Lord about direction for our lives.
2. When we receive that "vision," we gain focus, rather than being "unrestrained."
3. As a result we are more effective for the Kingdom of God.

Now, something I've learned over the years, purely through observation, is that God gives both individual vision and corporate vision. The corporate vision is for the Church at large, and is clearly revealed in Scripture. But "individual vision" is the specific marching orders that God has given you to help fulfill that corporate vision.

So I'll ask you again: Do you have vision for your life?

Back in 2002, I was in Toronto when the Lord put a picture in my mind. I saw a map of the United States (my home country) with little red dots popping up all over the place. Rather quickly, those dots began to grow until they all bled into each other and the entire map was red. At the time, I had no idea what it meant, but I worte it down anyhow--knowing that it had something to do with my calling.

As time went on, the interpretation of this vision began to take shape. The things I was reading, writing, hearing in sermons, experiencing, and hearing from the Lord began to take on a common theme. I began to see that I was to somehow be involved in spreading Christianity accross my nation at wildfire speeds--not through the slow, expensive, and laborsome methods we're used to, but rather through simple, Book-of-Acts-style fellowship, discipleship, and evangelism. Then, through various other scriptures, prayer times, and confirmations from others, I also came to see that my calling would specifically involve my current generation.

I'll go into more detail in a later blog post. For now, though, the thing to keep in mind is that we need to be seeking the Lord for vision, and it may not come all in one lump. My vision developed over about four years, and only now (six years later) am I beginning to walk in it.

The key is that you must believe that God has a vision for your life. You can have your own vision, but the real question is whether or not you've caught His vision.

You were created with a purpose, a plan, and a destiny. That trumps anything you've ever done; it's who you are! So when you come before God in prayer to seek His vision for your life, don't let the enemy steal it away by pointing out your weaknesses, unworthiness, or failures. God's vision for you is far more powerful and true than any argument that you or the devil could hurl back at it. When God speaks His vision for you, believe Him! Without that revelation, you're unrestrained, un-focused, and you will perish!

Just recently, I found myself arguing against God's vision. I said, "Why me? That's too huge! There are so many people more qualified and better equipped for it! I've messed up too many times in my life to be used on that kind of a scale."

But God's loving response was to put me in my place: "Do you think I care about any of that? No! I created you with a purpose and a destiny that I intend to carry out!"

I wasn't off the hook, and yet it was the most liberating feeling I've ever had. I realized that when the Bible talks about being "predestined," it's not kidding!

God planned you before you were born and wrote His purpose into your DNA as you were being knit together in your mother's womb! You're not in any way a mistake. Real salvation is not just realizing that you're a sinner and asking for forgiveness--it also requires that you realize you've been reconciled back to God! You've been set free to pursue God's original purpose for your life! Now, in Christ, you're a SAINT! That means you're set apart for a purpose! Whose purpose? God's purpose!

As a child of God, there's more to life than being grateful for your redemption and looking forward to heaven. Your King has specific marching orders for you to carry out here and now! He has a vision for your life, and He wants you to seek Him for an understanding. As a result, He'll point your life in the right direction.

Proverbs 3:5,6--Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

If you want to receive God's vision for your life, you're not going to get it from some prophet or preacher--you're going to get it from Him. Other people may confirm the message, but you have to seek Him out yourself.

The key to receiving vision is that you first of all look to Jesus Christ--not the past Jesus, but the present Jesus. Vision doesn't come from asking "What would Jesus do?" It comes from asking Jesus, "What are You doing?"! Your place in the plan of God is intimately tied to your place in the Body of Christ. And in order to discover that, you need to start by looking to Jesus through prayer, fasting, and an active pursuit of Him (reading the Word, listening to Christian brothers and sisters, etc).

The Father's vision for you is wrapped up in His vision for Jesus Christ. God the Father sent His divine Son, Jesus, to earth for a purpose; and Jesus said, "As the Father sent me, so I send you!" God had a vision for Jesus; and since you're part of Christ's Body (the Church), you have a part in continuing to carry that vision out today! Jesus is the author and finisher of who we are, so we MUST look to Him! And remember, I'm talking about the presently living Jesus--not some outdated prophet.

As I close with the following two verses, notice the clear connection between spiritual vision and Christ's ascension to the right hand of the Father. He is alive!

Hebrews 12:2--Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Ephesians 1:17-23--I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

One last time: Do you have God's vision for your life?

Dear brothers and sisters,

On April 2, 2008, a series of meetings began in Lakeland, Florida, that have since escalated into an international event. The visiting minister, Todd Bentley, was invited to lead some “revival” meetings at Pastor Stephen Strader’s Ignited Church. What started as a week-long event has now lasted a few months and is broadcast nightly on the internet through the Satellite network GodTV. It certainly has gained a lot of attention and notoriety from many respected Christian leaders; but many have mixed emotions about the meetings.

It is clear that people are being genuinely healed by the power of the Holy Spirit at these stadium events in Lakeland, and this to the glory of “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). Thousands are praising and worshipping God with passion and awe. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, have come to Christ at these meetings. Many have been set free from addictions and diseases that have held them captive for years. I’ve heard first-hand accounts of many of these testimonies, and the people are genuinely thanking God and drawing near to Him.

Roughly three weeks after the meetings began, I started really seriously looking into them. I learned several things that appear to lend to their credibility, and I believe it’s good to point some of them out. Of greatest significance to me is a well-documented prophecy given to Todd Bentley before the Lakeland events at a meeting in Australia. A pastor from New Zealand, Rob DeLuca, foretold the "healing revival" that would break out in Florida and spread around the globe—not knowing about Todd’s plans to visit Lakeland, Florida, shortly thereafter. Another thing that supports these meetings is the fact that they are supported and endorsed by many respected Christian leaders.

But as the weeks have worn on, several other prominent leaders have stepped forward with words of instruction, direction, and caution that we would be foolish to ignore.

Perhaps the most prominent of these voices has been J. Lee Grady, editor of Charisma Magazine. Grady has now written a handful of articles—published on Charisma’s web site—that raise some important issues.

In his first article, “Honest Questions about the Lakeland Revival,” J. Lee Grady wrote:

When I visited a service on April 15, I was blessed by Heather Clark’s music and the audience’s exuberant worship. And I laughed with everyone else as I watched Bentley shout his trademarked “Bam! Bam! Bam!” as he prayed for the sick and flailed his tattooed arms over the crowd. Hey, Jesus didn’t pray for people according to the Pharisees’ rulebook, so I’m open to unconventional methods.

But I would be dishonest if I told you that I wholeheartedly embraced what I saw in Lakeland. Something disturbed me, but I kept my mouth shut for three weeks while I prayed, got counsel from respected ministry leaders and searched my heart to make sure I was not harboring a religious spirit. The last thing we need today is more mean-spirited heresy hunters blasting other Christians.

I am not a heresy hunter, and I support what is happening in Lakeland because I know God uses imperfect people (like me and you) to reach others for Jesus. At the same time, I believe my questions are honest and my concerns are real.

Grady went on to caution us in three areas, which I’ll interpret with my own words:

(1) Beware of Strange Fire. Here Grady says to be careful with Todd’s excessive emphasis on angels, some of which have questionable origins. I’ve mentioned many times the 45-minutes of one meeting that I watched as Todd described the angel in the room, what it looked like, how he knew where it was, and touted his gift for perceiving angels like this one. He then went on to say that “the healing power flows from the angel.” Never once was the name of Jesus Christ mentioned. This makes you wonder: Would a real angel of God actually parade around an auditorium for 45 minutes while it gets all the attention and Jesus goes unmentioned?

Remember Colossians 2:18, “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.” And also consider 2 Corinthians 11:14, which says that, “…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”

These are legitimate questions to raise. Maybe this angel is indeed from God, but we would be disobeying scripture if we didn’t “test the spirits” and examine carefully everything that is said.

(2) Beware of Bizarre Manifestations. My interpretation of this section of Grady’s article is simply that we mustn’t forget that the “fruit of the Spirit” includes self-control (Gal. 5:22). Any so-called “spiritual” manifestation that causes a person to lose their self-control should be sternly questioned.

There are Biblical examples of this, but they’re not favorable ones. One is when King Nebuchadnezzar was being judged by God and went insane, wandering the wilderness and behaving as a wild animal. Then there was King Saul’s unclean spirit that would seize him, and only David’s music could quit the spirit. Another example is when John the Baptist’s father Zechariah was stricken mute by the angel of the Lord for doubting God’s promise. Another example could be Paul’s “falling down as though dead” on the road to Damascus and subsequent blindness. Other cases are the people who “shook with fear” when they encountered God. In each case, the loss of self-control was either emotional, an evil spirit, or a judgment from the Lord—not “God playing with His children” as many have suggested at the Lakeland meetings and elsewhere.

If someone is experiencing a loss of self control, then we should be careful to discern the reason. Is it a manifestation of a demon? Is it purely emotional? Is it the judgment of God? This takes discernment; but the fact remains that we shouldn’t just laugh about it or consider it some small matter. It may very well be an opportunity for ministry, and only the Holy Spirit can show us how to respond.

(3) Beware of Hype and Exaggeration. I believe Grady puts this section best in his own words:

Some of the language used during the Lakeland Revival has created an almost sideshow atmosphere. People are invited to “Come and get some.” Miracles are supposedly “popping like popcorn.” Organizers tout it as the greatest revival in history.

Such brash statements cheapen what the Holy Spirit is doing—and they do a disservice to our brothers and sisters who are experiencing New Testament-style revival in countries such as Iran, China and India. We have a long way to go before we experience their level of revival. Let’s stay humble and broken before the Lord.

That second paragraph particularly rings true to me in my spirit. I have extensively studied the present-day persecuted church in China, Iran, India, North Korea, Sudan, and several other nations. If there is a modern-day demonstration of true revival, it’s there! 20,000 people come to Christ every single day in China alone! The dead are raised to life, people are dramatically healed, demons are cast out, and more—all in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. And in the midst of it all, these passionate believers are suffering intense persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom for the sake of the Gospel.

Which sounds more like it defines the word revival? This? Or a bunch of people in a stadium singing songs and sharing testimonies on stage as the “man of God” slaps them on the forehead and yells “BAM!”?

This too was addressed in a recent article from J. Lee Grady titled “BAM! POW! When Prayer Ministry Gets Violent.” In this article, Grady addresses some of the flashy, extravagant “ministry” methods of Todd Bentley. Grady gave some very practical advice, but I believe his strongest and most biblical point was this:

The Holy Spirit is gentle. Jesus boldly drove the moneychangers out of the temple with a whip. But when He prayed for sick people, there is no record of Him head-banging or leg-dropping anyone. He rebuked evil spirits authoritatively, but He never hit, slapped, choked, mounted or kicked a person. He was meek, which means He knew how to control His strength, and He never threw His weight around.

When He commissioned His followers to heal the sick, Jesus told them to “lay” hands on them (Mark 16:18). Since gentleness is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (along with kindness—see Gal. 5:22-23), any ministry we do should be tempered with mercy and concern.

But there’s a now-popular video on YouTube in which Todd shares several stories about doing all these things—even to the point of knocking out a guy’s tooth!

I don’t share all these things to slander Todd Bentley, but rather to offer sincere warning. Todd has been approached by many believers regarding these matters and continues to minister in all the ways that have been mentioned. Todd continues to obsess unapologetically about angels. He continues to demonstrate and encourage manifestations that involve a loss of self-control, attributing them to the Holy Spirit. He continues to hype his meetings. And he continues to push people harshly on the forehead as he prays (and happily tells stories from the platform about kicking people, “leg-dropping” people, and various other violent actions in the name of ministry, as shown in that YouTube video).

But J. Lee Grady isn’t the only one speaking out about this sort of “revival”—he just seems to be the primary “respected voice” who’s being most direct.

Ignited Church, which is the host-church for these meetings, is an Assemblies of God church, and Pastor Stephen Strader is an A/G minister. As a result, the National Office of the Assemblies of God has been flooded with letters and e-mail regarding the Lakeland Meetings. The National Superintendent, Rev. George O. Wood, was reluctant to jump to conclusions. He’s gotten a lot of criticism for this hesitancy, but I support his decision to discuss things with the Executive Presbytery of the A/G’s General Council before commenting. After all, his position is such that people expect him to speak on behalf of his denomination, so he must make sure his words reflect this.

The official decision, though, was not to address Todd Bentley or the “Lakeland Healing Outpouring” directly, but rather to issue some stern Biblical instruction regarding revival in general. Many have said that he was too vague, but I watched the entire video and believe he was very clear.

Brother Wood based his address around three solid questions that, at the surface, support what is happening in Lakeland:

1. Is Jesus Christ exalted?
2. Is the Word of God proclaimed?
3. Are persons repenting of sin and being baptized in water and the Holy Spirit?

To be honest and frank, I have to answer “yes” to these questions as they relate to Lakeland.

Is Jesus Christ exalted? Well, at the beginning of these meetings, Todd got a lot of criticism because Jesus was seldom mentioned by name; but these concerns were heard with repentance, and the leadership of the revival began exalting Jesus significantly more prominently since then. Miracles are indeed worked in Jesus’ name; and He is regularly lifted up in word and in song with words of worship, adoration, praise, and proclamation of the Gospel.

Is the Word of God proclaimed? Absolutely. A variety of speakers share the preaching, and the Word of God is preached with authority. Hundreds have come to salvation as a result, and many others have rededicated their lives to the Lord.

Are people repenting of sin? Again, yes. I’ve heard many personal testimonies from people who have sincerely repented of sinful lifestyles. God deserves all the honor, glory, and praise for these things.

Despite all these positive answers, however, Brother Wood’s statement on revival also raises some questions that seem to apply to Lakeland. He said:

Of course, there are additional questions that can be raised, but my purpose is to give some starter reflections for those who have honest hearts to "test all things" as Paul admonished. If the above three questions cannot be answered with a resounding yes, then perhaps other questions are unnecessary.

Well, I can’t really “resound” with a “yes” to that last question because I haven’t really heard anything about any baptisms in water or the Holy Spirit—though admittedly this may be happening and just not getting much publicity. It’s certainly not touted as one of the staples of the “Lakeland Healing Outpouring.” Then again, these things don’t have to necessarily be happening at the meetings for them to be happening at all, so I can overlook this for the sake of not being too picky. We might be just playing a semantics game. If indeed these are the official signs of a “revival,” then maybe Lakeland is not a “revival” by definition—but this does not exclude the possibility of it being some other sort of move of God. Again, for the sake of argument, we’ll overlook this issue for now.

Regarding the second question about whether or not the Word of God is preached, I’ve also seen a lot of extra-biblical words proclaimed. These aren’t necessarily anti-biblical or wrong, but they should certainly receive deeper scrutiny than ordinary Bible-based preaching. Paul told the Corinthian church that when the prophets in the church speak, everyone else should weigh carefully what was said. Lakeland is not an exception. Those who buy into absolutely everything that is said have made themselves into mindless drones who are in danger of turning this event into cult status. That’s dangerous. Everything must be held up to Scripture.

Finally, is Jesus exalted? Absolutely—without question. But He occasionally has to share the stage with Todd’s flashy showmanship and his “healing angel.” So yes, Jesus is exalted, but He is also occasionally set aside. Does this discredit the entire movement? No. No one is perfect. But we should also not assume that the exaltation of Jesus Christ excuses these things that detract and distract. They are not beneficial. Todd has been approached by many Christians in letters and a few in person regarding this, and it’s still going on. This needs to be addressed.

Brother Wood also brought up some other great points. Again, the reason I believe his statement is so important is because he is the elected leader of the Assemblies of God, which is the denomination with which Ignited Church and its pastor are affiliated. Here are a few more things Superintendent Wood brought up:

“The Holy Spirit has not come to glorify Himself, or any human or angelic personality.”

Yes, the Holy Spirit should be acknowledged and given His rightful place; but He has not come to glorify Himself. When talk of “the Anointing” or “the Presence” or the “Shekinah Glory” start to outweigh talk about redemption and the blood of Jesus, things are getting off track. This happens a lot, and the leaders in Lakeland need to be careful.

Second of all, He has not come to glorify a human personality. Unfortunately, however, I see so many people glorifying Todd Bentley by latching onto his charismatic personality and showmanship. It’s nice and healthy to overlook people’s flaws to an extent—but it’s another thing altogether to sweep them under the rug and pretend they’re non-issues. I’ve been called a slanderer for pointing out things that need to be changed—but the truth is, I just want Todd Bentley to come into a fuller measure of Christ’s nature so he can be more effective in his role in Lakeland. That’s love. Ignoring the issues is apathy, and is therefore the exact opposite of love. If you aren’t willing to help someone see the truth, then you do not love them at all. Todd needs to be careful not to let his personality overpower what God is doing in Lakeland.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit has not come to glorify any angelic personality. But Todd goes into great detail about his visions and talks a lot about the “healing angel” who he says is named “Winds of Change.” I addressed this earlier, so I won’t expound again.

Brother Wood continues:

“…A doctrinal test for any revival is whether the content of the preaching is the same as Jesus and the apostles. The Word of God stands over personal viewpoints. Any Biblical revival must "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3). If so-called truth is being proclaimed that cannot be found in Scripture, then that proclamation violates the specific announcement of Scripture that the faith "was once for all entrusted" and such a proclamation also deviates from the apostles' fidelity to preach the Word, and from the early Church's devotion to the apostles' doctrine.”

This is very important, and it raises a lot of questions about some of the things Todd Bentley has said in the past. Is prosperity theology biblical? How about a prosperity angel named Emma? How about self-induced visions? Or guided visualization (which has occult origins)? This is all thin ice that needs to be exposed for what it is. These things aren’t just not in the Bible—they are in conflict with it!

There’s the doctrinal test, but how about the practical test? Do miracles count for anything? I’ll let Brother Wood answer:

“Miraculous manifestations are never the test of a true revival - fidelity to God's Word is the test. Jesus Himself said there would be many who would do miracles in His name and even cast out demons, but He does not know them (Matthew 7:15-23). Jesus warned that "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:11). Paul warns, "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing" (1 Timothy 6:3). To the Galatians, Paul writes: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Galatians 1:8). Paul also warns us: "Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connections with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow" (Colossians 2:18-19). Peter warns us that "there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies . . . Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up." (2 Peter 2:1-3).

“In summary, the message must always be examined. If the message and the messenger line up with God's Word, then the revival is on safe Biblical ground and it should and must be embraced. If not, then even though miracles and manifestations occur, it should be avoided.”

We have to ask ourselves, “Is everything in Lakeland on ‘safe Biblical ground’?” The fact is, most of it is. Jesus is being exalted. Sick people are being healed in the name of Jesus Christ. Many are coming to repentance and salvation. Many have been delivered of addictions. This is all to the glory of our God in heaven! But the reality remains that some things are not on “safe Biblical ground.” And these things, frankly, are unnecessary and even harmful! Regardless of their origin—of God, of man, or of the enemy—they are causing division among the Body of Christ. If not for any other reason, this should dissuade the leadership of the Lakeland Healing Outpouring from allowing such things to be taking place. If their desire truly is to bring unity in the Body of Christ, then they should stop practicing and permitting fringe issues that are non-beneficial, unnecessary, and questionable in their validity.

Brother Wood continues:

“…ultimately, if the revival is to have enduring fruitfulness, it must be pastored carefully with doctrinal soundness, moral and financial accountability, and care to give publicity to Christ rather than to the revival.”

That last statement concerns me. I see a lot more publicity given to the revival than to Jesus. Much of the promotion of the revival started out as Todd Bentley circulated e-mail reports to his supporters and began telling everyone present to spread the word. He told young people to put it on their MySpace and tell everyone they could about the meetings. The leaders of the meetings started marketing the “revival” with the now-coined slogan, “Come get some!” According to the previous paragraph, this is carelessness.

So it is clear that there are questionable things taking place at the Lakeland Healing Outpouring that should not be bought into hook, line, and sinker. Just because there are obvious proofs of God’s presence does not make the meetings devoid of error.

True, no one is perfect. But we can either ignore imperfections and let things remain the way they are, or we can address them and see Jesus revealed in greater fullness. The latter is my goal, and it is commanded in Scripture.

I am certain that if left unchecked, the Lakeland Healing Outpouring could slip down a path of demonic corruption. Any time there is a move of God on this magnitude (and even smaller), Satan’s minions come after it full guns. It’s dangerous to the kingdom of darkness, and to assume that demons aren’t present is naïve.

So how should we respond to the Lakeland Healing Outpouring?

1. Pray for Todd Bentley, Pastor Stephen Strader, worship leader Roy Fields, and the rest of the leadership in Lakeland.
2. Continue to seek God for yourself regarding how you should respond to the meetings.
3. Constantly “test the spirits” by analyzing each word and manifestation with spiritual discernment and our sure litmus test: the Bible.
4. Pray for more salvations, healings, deliverances, and so forth to take place among the people.
5. Warn others not to be led mindlessly but to be aware that nothing should be considered perfect except God and His Word.

I believe if we will be faithful to these five things, we will see greater purity in Lakeland, resulting in greater effectiveness for the Kingdom of God. Right now, many ministers trying to validate the claims of healings and resurrections have come up empty handed. I personally know a few people who have actually been healed, but even their testimony is anecdotal and questionable. This doesn't mean people haven't been healed or raised from the dead in Lakeland; it just means that we should be careful not to assume that every single person going on stage has actually received healing. Let's not be swept into the emotionalism of the event at the expense of actual discernment.

Let us also heed the advice of J. Lee Grady, and be careful with our terminology. Let’s not cheapen the word “revival” by throwing it around loosely. Look around the world at the underground churches in persecuted nations like China, and you’ll see a clearer picture of the word. As for Lakeland, feel free to chalk it up as a “Healing Outpouring” for which we should be grateful to God; but also realize that it's not necessarily all that it's cracked up to be. Giving the event and its leaders more credit than they're due is unhealthy and detrimental to unity among the Body of Christ. That's my biggest concern. If the leaders of this movement are aware that so much of what they're doing is causing division among the Body of Christ, then they should cease such teachings and actions immediately. Unity with Christ must be our highest aim, and that involves and includes unity with the rest of His Body, the Church. Let's get our eyes off of Lakeland and onto the Lord Jesus Christ. If He wants to do something there, I bless it; but that doesn't mean He can't move in even greater ways right where you are today.

May the Lord continue to minister to His people in spirit, soul, and body! Amen!

God bless you all,
--Art--

Art Thomas
http://www.supernaturaltruth.com/

Hi everyone,

Today I received a comment and question from a minister named Andrew Strom, who many of you probably know of. His comment was posted on my article about Todd Bentley and Guided Visualization:

Brother - it is Andrew Strom here. I certainly appreciate your warnings on the Guided Visualization of Todd Bentley.

However, I am concerned that you seem to support a kind of "self-guided" visualization to enter heaven. This seems utterly unscriptural to me. Can you please tell me the difference from Astral Travel or other New Age techniques?

God bless you,
Andrew Strom.

I thought it would be good to move this into the main blog because I feel it is a very important issue for us to dig into. Here's my reply:

Hi Andrew,

I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to explain my position on heavenly encounters. I really aim for nothing more than what is clearly revealed in the Bible, and I welcome scrutiny because it helps keep me in check.

First of all, I'd like to point out something I said in the article in question: "Guided visualization is when a human being or an evil spirit tries to induce an experience that God is not authorizing." This includes trying to induce the experience yourself (as I mentioned in the last paragraph).

I DEFINITELY do not condone self-guided visualization, so I'm glad you pointed out that I was coming across that way. It wasn't my intention.

But I should also say this: just because guided visualization and self-guided visualization are wrong does not discredit the reality of Godly visions, dreams, and other such experiences. (I know you're more than aware of this--I only say it for the sake of others reading this reply.) In a truly pure encounter of this nature, it is initiated by God alone. We can make ourselves available to God by spending time in His presence; but we should not try to conjure up an experience or try to help it along with our imagination.

Quick teaching here for those who may not realize this: Your visual imagination does have a spiritual purpose. This is the part of you that God designed to operate in pictures. And He has the capacity to speak to us with pictures in this part of our mind. So if you're praying for someone, sometimes a picture will pop into your mind--it might be from God, so ask Him if He's communicating with you and what you should do with the picture going through your mind. These mental pictures are what many people call "visions."

For some reason, the Lord has been gracious enough to let me have visions of heaven (always with a clear purpose). In most cases, it has been simply a vision of the mind during a time of prayer--seeing a mental picture of something in heaven while here on earth (like I just described). No "astral-projection" there or anything like that...and I wasn't seeking an experience; I was simply seeking God.

But there were also two occasions where I felt like what was described by the apostle Paul:

2 Corinthians 12:2-4--I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows--was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. (NIV)

The two encounters I had were much like this--more real than dreams, and full of many things that I'm not permitted to tell. It was as though I was actually there even though there were other people in the room who saw me still laying on the floor as it was happening.

To be honest, I really don't care whether I was "in the body or out of the body" (to use Paul's words). Most importantly to me was that these two encounters resulted in enhanced ministry regarding the salvation of souls. In one case, twenty people came to Christ within the week (not because I told them about the vision, but because I acted on what the Lord revealed and preached a clear message of repentance). In the other case, I had two divine appointments in a Denny's restaurant within two hours of the experience, and later was used by God to raise two cats from the dead (directly related to what happened in the heavenly encounter). That's how I know they were real, genuine, God-ordained experiences--there was genuine spiritual fruit by which God confirmed His hand in what I saw.

I should also point out that I've only ever been allowed by the Lord to share parts of one of these experiences and also two of the visions I've had--the rest have been holy experiences that I feel to share would be to cheapen them and be a poor steward of intimacy with my Father.

I try to avoid boasting in visions because I believe they do not define me, and I don't want to gather a following of people based on something like that.

Unlike Todd Bentley, I do not say that "everyone has a right to these things and you're missing out if you're not seeing heaven." Rather, I feel the Lord gives me visions like these because He knows my faith is often limited by what I can see. Maybe this is a misapplication of Scripture, but I'm reminded of Jesus' words to Thomas: "Blessed are those who have NOT seen, and yet they believe." I counsel people that they do not have to see visions in order to be a strong Christian. On the contrary, a lack of such visual experiences may just be an indication that God sees you have a faith that doesn't need such things! I could be wrong on that stance, but I hold onto it becuase it sincerely keeps me humble among my brothers and sisters.

Moving right along, I'm not a student of the New Age, but I have read in the past about astral travel and things like that. With astral travel, a person is trying to separate spirit from body, which I've seen to be a form of "sinning against yourself." It leaves a person spiritually vulnerable and open to intense deception. It also is typically done for the sake of personal gain or access to restricted information. This is wrong and demonstrates an intense spiritual pride.

However, the Bible is full of God-induced experiences, like when John said, "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet..." What followed was a rather intense vision in which Jesus spoke clear messages, and then a door was opened in the heavens and a voice said, "Come up here!"

Was John physically in heaven as he saw the things going on there? Was he experiencing some sort of God-ordained "astral travel" (for lack of a better term)? Was he just seeing things in visions of the mind? Frankly, I don't worry about it--all I know is that he saw the throneroom of God just like Isaiah and many other prophets (even ones who didn't write books of the Bible, like Micaiah in 1 Kings 22). And I know this is a clear indication that such a thing has Biblical precedence.

I don't believe John was sitting on the Isle of Patmos thinking, "Hmm...my time is short--maybe I should work myself into a trance and pursue a vision about the end of time." The very fact that John heard the trumpet-like voice behind him implies to me that he wasn't pointing himself in some spiritual direction or trying to "astral travel" towards heaven. Rather, God saw a dearly-loved child of His upon whom He saw fit to bestow these revelations. It was a God-induced encounter, and such things are clearly supported by Scripture.

I've probably raised more questions than answers with my readers by posting this reply, but I believe it does us good to discuss the things of God and separate the true from the false with clarity. I welcome those questions and will be posting this correspondence in my main blog so the conversation can be kept more on-task.

Thanks, brother Andrew, for your comments and questions that granted me the opportunity to clarify my stance. If you or anyone else can show me where I've not been faithful to God's Word in this reply, please do so because I'll gladly repent. Otherwise, I hope this answers your question.

God bless!
--Art--

Does the Bible really command you to give a tenth of your income to your local church? This is what we're taught, but is it true?

Part of me doesn't want to present this teaching because I know I'll be called divisive, but I have to be faithful to God's Word (I've been called worse, so I'm not dissuaded). Paul told Timothy that all Scripture "...is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness." It is from the position of Scripture that I share this about tithing:

In short: you don't have to do it.

What!? That's right! Tithing is an Old Testament matter of the Law that does not in any way apply to Christians today...unless, of course, the Holy Spirit is specifically guiding you to give 10% of your income to your church. If it's done out of obligation, compulsion, or a guilt-trip, then it is not necessary. We are called in Scripture to give freely as we have purposed in our hearts!

I should give a quick little disclaimer though: the people who taught you to tithe were most likely NOT trying to manipulate you or twist the Scripture. They were merely passing on a teaching that was handed down to them. That doesn't make it right--I just don't want to give the impression that your pastor is manipulating you or trying to weasle money out of your pocket. On the contrary, most pastors are really sincere when they share about tithing because they believe it's a source of blessing for believers.

Nevertheless, if you were to read through all the scriptures on tithing in the Levitical Law, you'd be amazed at how starkly different they are from what we're taught today! As a matter of fact, if you were to actually try twisting them to apply to today's monetary society, then here's how you could do it: Once a year, (1) withdraw all the money from your bank account in cash-form; (2) thumb through that wad of cash and set aside every tenth bill (regardless of denomination) because it is "holy unto the Lord;" (3) use the set-aside portion to throw a big party for your family and all the widows, foreigners, homeless people, and pastors in your town; and (4) when the party's over, put any remaining money into a bank account that all the pastors in your town have access to.

Sounds great, doesn't it! (Sorry...just a hint of sarcasm there.) The truth is, these four steps are far more like the biblical rules regarding tithes than what we practice today! The more you study the Law, the more you see how outlandinsh a true tithe would be today.

But some argue that Abraham and Jacob tithed before the Law of Moses was instituted, and therefore it is a biblical principle that still applies today. Two problems with that: (1) If you were to take Abraham's example, then you would only tithe once in your life on some random sudden gain (in his case, it was the spoils of a battle). (2) Abraham also practiced circumcision before the Law of Moses was put into effect, and the Bible clearly states that physical circumcision no longer applies to those who are cleansed by the blood of Christ. If you're going to say that tithing is a principle that still applies, then you have to also be intellectually honest enough to say that circumcision is a principle that still applies. This just isn't the case. And if that weren't enough, Jesus Himself called tithing a matter of the Law!

Oh...and just a little side note: the Jewish people today believe that if they tithed, they would be BREAKING the Law of God rather than keeping it!

Okay, so I've made some pretty bold claims; now, where's the biblical support for all this? Well, you can do one of two things: The first possibility is that you could download the 16-page article I wrote about tithing (on the documents page). Option two is that you could purchase the high-quality CD audio version from CreateSpace by going to http://www.createspace.com/1720407.

If you're going to purchase the CD version, I have a gift for you. I've established a special discount code that waives my $3 of profit so you can get the CD even cheaper. Again, this is my gift to you because I care more about getting this information out than I do about making a buck. Obviously, not using the code will send $3 to help support this website, but do not feel obligated to do so. The special discount code is 96HKNJG6 and can be entered when you are making the purchase from CreateSpace's website.

Again, there is a free version on the documents page because I feel this is what the Lord would have me do. As always, please feel free to send any questions or comments my way.

God bless!
--Art--

The Inactive False Gospel

This article was revised on June 3, 2008, to better explain the points being made. A special thanks goes to Revivalfire for the detailed comment he posted that got me to re-hash what was written. God bless!

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Last week I talked about the Popular False Gospel, which has to do with a one-sided, man-centered gospel that appeals to our flesh. Today I want to bring attention to what I call the "Inactive False Gospel." This is the flipside of the "popular" version. It's also one-sided--only presenting the truth about God.

Like the popular gospel, this version is 100% true but is really only 50% of the whole truth. In addition to the truth about God, it usually involves the truth of our eternity in heaven...so there's a little bit of a benefit to man. It sometimes involves the idea of being "born again" or being made into a "new creation," which is better by far--but God Jesus didn't merely save us for the sake of some nebulous transformation--He came that we might have LIFE, and that more abundantly! Another aspect that is often left out is the reality of God hearing our prayers and answering them (some people teach that prayer is merely God's way of changing us until we submit to what He was going to do anyway). But this form of false gospel always neglects the present-day empowerment of believers through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

First we'll deal with heaven as a future hope. It is true that by receiving Christ as Lord, we also receive an eternal home in heaven. The full Gospel, however, is "The Gospel of the Kingdom." The Kingdom of Heaven is a PRESENT reality! Jesus said that the Kingdom is AT HAND! Paul said that we are NOW seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)! If all we have is a future hope, then life is nothing but a waiting room. But Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom, COME! Thy will, BE DONE! here ON EARTH just as it is in Heaven!" We can be a part of God's supernatural activity here and now!

Second, I talked about how "born again" or "new creation" teaching is a lot better, but is still often missing the mark. As Revivalfire pointed out in the comments section, a true understanding of these terms reveals that they are defined by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. There's no error there. The problem is that once we are raised up with Christ as new creations, what do we do with it? Do we just live like nice people and stop doing bad things? Check out what the Apostle Pauls says in the following scriptures.

First, we'll see that we have died with Christ, which results in our resurrection with Him:

Romans 6:5-13--If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness (NIV).

But we have a tendency to stop here. The fact is, Jesus didn't JUST die and raise again so that we could be free from sin through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. He ALSO ascended into heaven so that we might be made partners there as well:

Ephesians 2:4-7--But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

So many people miss this third aspect of the Good News! It's the part that brings us into citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven.

See, it's one thing to have the Holy Spirit living within you, bringing new life, and empowering you to live as a new creation. But this in itself is not what it is to be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms here and now!

In the spiritual realm, we get to be right next to our Father in Heaven. It's a place of intimacy with Him. It's a place of power and authority. It's a place where we can see our circumstances from heaven's perspective and face trials with joy. A partial gospel leaves you earthly-minded, but the complete Gospel brings you into the fullness of partnership with Christ!

Think about it: Jesus prayed that we might be one with Him. Jesus is no longer hanging on the cross, so he's not just talking about dying to self. And Jesus is no longer standing outside the tomb or walking the earth, so there must be something more. Jesus IS, however, presently seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father; AND WE GET TO BE PARTNERS WITH HIM THERE! Isn't that GOOD NEWS?!

The third thing I mentioned in the beginning of this article was regarding our theology on prayer. This, as Revivalfire pointed out, is not really a part of the Gospel--it's just a teaching perspective. However, I believe it is directly related to everything I just shared about being partners with Christ in His ascension. If we are partners with Christ, seated at the right hand of God, then we have a place of intimate relationship with our Father. Read through the Old and New Testaments and you will find many instances of God reasoning with man or inviting us to do so. "Come, let us reason together." One prime example is in Exodus 32 where God was about to bring a plague on His people to destroy them and then start all over again with Moses. But Moses reasoned with God and pleaded for another way. The Bible says in verse 14 that God relented...or, in some translations, God repented!

The Almighty, Holy, Omnipotent God has invited us into a place of intimate relationship and partnership with Him. Jesus set the example: "I only do what I see my Father doing." But Jesus also prayed some very clear things, asking His Father to do things that we could speculate for ages whether or not they would have happened apart from Christ's prayers. The issue is not whether or not God already intended to do these things--it's that apart from man's participation, He would not have. If Moses had not fought for the Israelites in prayer, God would have been bound to His word that He would destroy them with a plague. Perhaps He really wanted to do what Moses was asking, and perhaps He was testing Moses. But the fact still remains that God would not threaten one thing and then do another apart from someone stepping into the picture and speaking to Him as a friend. That friendship is something Christ made possible for us all--and it is definitely part of the Gospel!

The defining factor of an "Inactive False Gospel" is an absence of this ascended life. That means you don't see God's supernatural authority and works of power being demonstrated through His people. This happens when people don't realize what it is to truly be made partners with Jesus Christ. It's a false gospel. It's empty! It's powerless! It's inactive!

Most interesting to me, though, is that this can happen regardless of one's stance on the baptism in the Holy Spirit or spiritual gifts. As I mentioned in my first article on false gospels, it is entirely possible to preach the full Gospel but only practice it in part. It's not uncommon for a preacher to declare all the wonders of "the priesthood of believers" and the gifts of the Holy Spirit while the congregation sits powerless in the pews.

I was raised in a Pentecostal church and spent most of my life thinking that the extent of the Holy Spirit's empowerment in my life was my ability to speak in tongues. I had come to believe a false gospel (not that this is what was being preached from the pulpit--it's just what I believed). The limitations of this false gospel kept me from discovering the rest of the gifts of the Holy Spirit until I was 17 years old!

There are far too many churches--whether they have correct doctrine about the Holy Spirit or not--that practice an inactive false gospel. Regardless of their teaching or beliefs, they do not function as the Body of Christ. As a church, they are devoid of genuine miracles. They do not experience the healing power of God (except perhaps through some special, visiting minister...or someone far away in a place like Lakeland, Florida, for example). They practice their natural talents but miss out on the supernatural gifts that can only be performed through them by God. It's a false Gospel!

Notice how I said "as a church." I'm not suggesting that you MUST work miracles and heal the sick in order to be living the true Gospel--that's not biblical. However, the Bible does indeed say that we are a body made up of many parts. It says that the Holy Spirit distributes to each one as He sees fit. Just because you've personally never healed anyone in Jesus' name doesn't make you any less of a Christian. However, if you're part of a church that never sees any of the spiritual gifts at work in your midst, then it's very likely that you have drifted into an inactive practice of the gospel. Something needs to change!

The full Gospel is an active Gospel. It is a "good news" that is carried out in the power of the Holy Spirit! It is demonstrated by Christians who have sought the Holy Spirit for His overflowing presence and taken steps of faith to reveal His power and love in the world today! It is a Gospel of miracles, healings, prophecies, hospitality, generocity, mercy, faith, discerning spirits, and the like! It is a Gospel just like what was demonstrated by Jesus Christ and His disciples in the New Testament! It is an active lifestyle of performing the "greater works" Jesus promised we would do (John 14:12)!

Remember: if you have died with Christ (by choosing to put your former, sinful way of life to death), then you have also been raised with Him through the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. And if you have been raised with Him, then you are NOW seated with Him in the heavenly realms! You have power and authority that flows from your intimacy with the Father. Don't miss this essential part of the Gospel!

The next "false gospel" I'll be addressing is what I call an "Incoherent False Gospel." It's probably not what you might think, though, so check back soon for the full explanation. Also, thank you, Revivalfire, for stirring me up to clarify these important points.

God bless!
--Art--