Tossing Glory Grenades
by Dr. Orrel Steinkamp, The Plumbline,
Volume 11, No.4, August/September
The title
comes from a spectacle I witnessed on God TV from the Lakeland Outpouring and
the Todd Bentley Meetings. On this night it was a little more than Bentley
imploring for people to come up and get "some glory", or "Come
and get a drink of the glory of God." In fact at this particular meeting
there was a stand in for Bentley. I don't know his name and don't know how I
could get it. People I guess weren't coming down so he began tossing glory
bombs to people in the front rows who on cue would fall and stagger. The
speaker would quickly mm his back apparently to avoid the blast of the
explosion of glory. Why he would avoid the supposed explosion of glory is odd.
This tangible packaging of the glory as a product to be tossed around seems
reprehensible.
In this
network of hyper-charismatic practitioners there is an oscillation of what they
refer to as the "anointing" and the "glory." Perhaps
beginning with Benny Hinn, all of these visible purported displays of power
such as all the versions of what is referred to as "slaying in the
Spirit", blowing people over and fanning a spirit on people are purported
to be a special anointing given to specially endowed personalities. Conversely,
in the Scriptures anointing is preeminently a reference to Jesus as the Messiah,
which in Hebrew means "the anointed one." Beyond that, all believers
already have an anointing. "I write these things to you about those who
are trying to deceive you. But the anointing from him (Jesus) abides in
you." (1 John 2:27). In the new covenant there is no longer the anointing
of Kings as in the OT. There is no teaching about specially anointed ones.
Ordinary believers receive "spiritual girls" given as the Holy Spirit
determines, for special occasions and needs. These girls are dispersed by the
Spirit "for edification, encouragement and consolation" for Body
life. (1 Cot. 14:3). There is no suggestion of special practitioners and stage
personalities performing purported Christian versions of stage magic and
hypnotism.
These
hyper-charismatic specialists in addition to allegedly dispensing the Holy
Spirit at their will and calling it '~the anointing." also claim to
dispense the "glory of God." As the Holy Spirit dispenses and gives
spiritual girls at the Spirit's control, these specialists purport to have
domesticated and packaged God's glory and they assert they can give God's glory
to others at their will. To be able to do this implies that the glory of God is
under their control. It arrogantly implies they can command the glory of God
and God's glory is their possession to give.
The word
glory in the OT is based on a number of Hebrew words. One Hebrew word kabab
has a base meaning of "heavy." This word actually refers to honor,
reputation, majesty, beauty ahd fame. Ones honor fame and power is considered
heavy as opposed to being light and lacking in honor and praise. It has no
reference to certain people saying that while in an altered state they actually
feel a heaviness. Actually this feeling of heaviness is a characteristic of
people under hypnosis. But "glory" in the scriptures points to
praise, fame and honor. It is something people can give to God. Man can give
"praise" (glory) to God, But this refers to "glory" which
originates with man. This must be sharply distinguished from God's Glory He has
in himself...
In the NT
man can also ascribe (honor/glory) to God. "Do all to the glory (fame and
honor) of God" ( l Cor. 10:3 l). But God's own personal Glory, which
belongs to Him, is totally different than mans glory. God himself declared that
"He will not give His glory to another." Even Moses himself was
rebuked when he asked to see God's glory, and was placed in a cleft of a rock
as God's glory passed by. God in this instance describes His glory as His
goodness. In the OT God would choose when and how he would display His glory,
whether in the Holy of Holies or other expressions of God's glory. But always
God's glory was His Glory and Man could not control it or predict it. God's
glory belongs to His sovereign person and He will not share His glory with
another. It cannot be dispensed as mans possession to give to another man. In
the NT the same distinction avails. Man can give man's honor and praise and
glory to God. But God's personal sovereign glory belongs to God alone. More
specifically glory relates to God's Son in the days of His flesh. John 1:14
declares, "And we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son of God.'
At Jesus' transfiguration the three apostles "beheld the glory of
God." But again it was an event under God's sovereign will. Later Jesus
return to heaven is described as Jesus "entering into His glory."(Lk.
24; 26). Jesus looks forward to the time when His disciples can behold His
glory in heaven. (John 17:24). Finally Jesus glory will be displayed on the day
and the hour Jesus returns, "when He comes in the Glory of His
Father" (Mk 8,38).
To play
around with God's glory is not a light matter rather it is heavy with judgment.
In fact it could be dangerous because whatever kind of altered state experience
is being tossed around can hardly be God's personal sovereign glory. To claim
to take possession of, take control of and dispense God's glory by a mere man
is rebellion, for God will not share His personal glory with any mortal.
Patricia King an Extreme Prophet
I feel
free to call her an extreme prophet because she has named her ministry and
website "Extreme Prophetic." After listening to some of her
prophesies, I would have to say she underestimates her ministry when she uses
the term "Extreme Prophetic." Patricia Krug is married to Ron
Cocking. She headquarters in Kalewna BC Canada and Phoenix. Until recently she
was known as Pat Cocking. She relates that God called her to change her to
CoKing, which she later, however, changed to her maiden name King. In an
interview with Steve Schultz of the Elijah list she related her pre-Christian
life. Apparently, in her early 20's she became despondent and entered the
occult world. While she was hospitalized she had her first vision, a vision of
satan. But then there was a peaceful presence in the room, which believed, was
Jesus. She then began to follow Jesus using her occult beliefs and techniques.
But still empty and despondent, she called an Anglican pastor and he told her
of a relationship she could have with Jesus. She felt clean and happy. It seems
to be the description of a valid conversion experience. However, she relates
that almost immediately she took a class on how to hear the voice of God. She
told Schultz that God is speaking all the time and we just have to learn how to
tune in. Since those early days she has moved into extreme prophecies. She took
over a ministry in BC of another lady. A little later King became involved with
Toronto and its extreme manifestations. She then brought them back to Kelewna
BC and it became known as "Toronto West." She has moved into union
with a whole range of extreme prophetic ministries with the likes of Randy
Clark and Stacey Campbell of Toronto vintage, Graham Cooke, Bobby Connors Lou
Engle, Keith Davis, Bill Johnson and Bob Jones. Jones deserves special mention.
He was a prophet with the KC prophets. But he had to be shut down, not because
of his absurd prophecies, but because he used prophecy to get women to take off
their clothes. He has since been "restored" and now is viewed by King
and others as a sort of master prophet in some ways succeeding Paul Cain.
Bentley, who says he was converted by reading Hinn's book, "Good Morning
Holy Spirit" was picked up by King and was mentored by her. King was a
"mother in God" to him and was ordained by King 10 years ago on
"mothers day." Her specialty is teaching and arranging trips to the
third heaven. I listened to a conversation of Bentley, Jones and King in which
they talked of daily trips to the third heaven. Here they learn new revelation.
One of her associates, Joshua Mills. just straight out uses the term
"astral projection." He defends this New Age term by boldly stating
that astral projection was first of all a God thing, which satan later copied.
Going to the third heaven means they have to pass through the second heaven,
which is declared to be the demonic realm. On the way through they overhear
demonic strategies and use this divine spying to assist spiritual warfare on
the earth.
To choose
a sampling of her visions/prophecies is not easy because there are so many
found on the net. One of her visions portrays a common motif of opening portals
from and to heaven, sort of like a heavenly "sky light" through which
there is traffic to and from heaven. She describes what seemed to her to be golden
ladders connecting locations in the earth to the portals to and from heaven.
Angels and believers were ascending and descending (were there any traffic
jams?) while releasing heavenly glory into the earthly realm. (Patricia King:
Portals of Glory).
The
Blue Flame
"Recently
while teaching at the Glory School in Dudley England. I had a spiritual
encounter regarding the Blue Flame of the Lord. In this encounter, I could feel
myself soaring like an eagle, looking toward the sun while in flight. Eagles
(often biblical symbols of the prophetic in the natural) have an extra membrane
over their eyes that other birds do not have this allows them to look directly
into the sun without any damage to their vision. As I gazed at the sun, I could
feel myself being drawn toward its center and then I saw it - the blue flame.
It was so beautiful, I could feel its strength and its passion ... May we gaze
mm the fiery love of God. Let us prepare to receive revelation into the deep
mysteries of God "(Patricia King). This vision, however, in not original
to King, and is replicated exactly in New Age teaching. Listen to an
incantation to the ascended master and the “I AM”. "I invoke the
blue flame which represents the divine power of my father God."
The usual
repertoire of gold dust, and precious stones and oil is normal fare for King
and her network. Joshua Mills who ministers with King reports of eating gold
leaves from the tree of life served up by angels and having a piano that plays
by itself.
"Ekstasis"
Worship Dancing and Club Mysterio.
King
introduces Caleb Brundidge on her website and the spiritual experience of
ecstasy worship dancing. Caleb is a DJ who brings heavy Rock beat music
designed for youth groups. He describes this dancing as going beyond the mind
to a place of ecstasy with God the dancers are called to give way completely to
emotion. This dancing claims to lead to a deeper union with God. Words bypass
the mind to the cellular level and become a part of you. You intercede with
your dancing etc. etc. It really appears to be total abandonment to bodily
movements. It is a spiritual equivalent to "Rave Dancing."
"Listen
to how one New Age writer defines and describes Ekstasis dancing. 'The purpose
of a trance dance is essentially to bring you to a place in the sacred zone
where the spirits can reach you. In trance dance the rhythms and movement
combine with the music to create an altered state of consciousness that allows
entry into the sacred realm... Allowing the body and parts of the body, to move
and to and express rhythms. Engaging in the moment, this meditative state of
mind allows entry into deeper mythic reality." (adapted from Circle of
Shaman). by ,Karen Berggren 1998, (From deceptionbystes.com.).
Now
listen as Patricia King describes "Ekstasis Dancing" on her website Extreme
Prophetic.
"DJ
Caleb and his 'Club Mysterio' combine ekstasis worship, beats, electronic
expressions, dance prayer and powerful prophetic flow to create a Christian
rave experience... This new expression of abandoned worship allows one to press
into the presence of God and experience the deep mysteries of intimacy with the
Lord, the One who is truly worth raving about." (Patricia King).
"It
is a well established fact that many of the eastern and esoteric religions
employ the techniques of trance dancing. The hypnotic sounds and movements
elevate dancers into ecstatic, altered states of consciousness. It is while
they are in these altered states that they are most open to suggestion, mind
control, seduction by deceiving spirits, and spontaneous kundalini
awakenings." (deceptionbytes.corn).
The
conclusion to all of this is simply this. ! Don't' allow your young people to
be seduced into this version of rave dancing!
Are
Wagner's Apostles About to Defect?
Bentley
may indeed prove a stone of stumbling for Wagner's worldwide network (NAR)
which he purports to be the setting in place of apostles to rule the global
church. For those not aware, Wagner is the presiding apostle of 500 people worldwide
assuming the title of an apostle. These apostles include Lee Grady editor of
Charisma magazine and also a relatively unknown apostle who was a friend of
mine in Australia. But some of these apostles are getting restive and ready to
leave the network. Some apostles reject Wagner's endorsement of Todd Bentley.
This relates to an apostolic commissioning at Lakeland. With Bill Arnott
(Toronto), Bill Johnson (Redding CA), and Che Anh standing behind him, Wagner
made this proclamation "I take apostolic authority that God has given me
and I decree (papal bull?) to Todd Bentley. Your power will increase, your
authority will increase, your favor will increase and your revelation will
increase."
But some
of Wagner's apostles are apparently embarrassed that none of the heralded
resurrections can be verified and even the doctors and EMTs reject the claims.
Other apostles are appalled at the focus on angels and trances. Other apostles
resent that they will be called on to endorse the likes of John Crowder. And
now Bentley has announced that August 23 will be his last day in Lakeland,
telling his followers that God has instructed him to move, walk the land, and
take the ark of God's glory to the nations. Che Anh has already told the
faithful at Lakeland that He, Bill Arnott, Heidi Baker and Bill Johnson in
response to a Jones prophecy met in Hawaii in a 5 star hotel provided by Bill
Johnson. They called Bob Jones and he prophesied that "this is the
3rd Wave. The first Toronto, the second Pensacola, and Lakeland the
third. This wave will cover the whole earth. Then Anh told the crowd that at
that very instant a huge wave came out of nowhere and engulfed them at the
beach cabana on the green 50 yards from the beach. This is suggested to be a
physical prophetic endorsement of Lakeland.. Che Anh then states that this
outpouring will go all the way to California. and then international. But a
recent Bentley foray to L.A. was a dud by anyone's expectation and the words of
Wagner are already beginning to ring hollow. Now there are whisperings that
Lakeland is over. Increasingly, people who endorsed Bentley are already looking
for the ne.ct Latter Rain outpouring to fulfill the prophecies of their own
false prophets. (Jackie Alnor). The first two waves were prophesied to spread
to all the earth. Will the designated third wave succeed where the first two
failed?