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biblical discernment, Bill Johnson, Crosswise, false doctrine, false teachers, NAR, new age, New Apostolic Reformation, signs and wonders
From Craig at Crosswise….I recommend the full collection. It’s vintage discernment, with a dash of jazz.
Anthology of Bill Johnson Articles (So Far)
January 19, 2012
In Joseph Garlington’s foreword to Bill Johnson’s Face to Face with God: The Quest to Experience His Presence [2007, Charisma House, Lake Mary, FL], he quotes from Don Miller’s Blue Like Jazz who asserts jazz music ‘never resolves’. Miller goes on to claim that God “doesn’t resolve.” Garlington then compares this to Johnson:
Bill’s ministry embraces paradox as though it is the most normal thing in the world…Often in his teaching ministry Bill will make a statement without ‘resolving’ it…His teaching entices you to pursue a way of thinking that is often foreign to traditional teachers, and it whets your appetite for something you always knew was there…
I recall in another book Johnson making a reference to jazz. So, does Bill Johnson like jazz music that doesn’t resolve, i.e. the more avant garde (unorthodox, experimental, “cutting edge”) flavor of jazz?
…Years ago I bought a jazz album on a whim. I eagerly looked forward to something fresh and new as I placed it on the turntable… [Dreaming with God: The Ultimate Quest to Experience His Presence, 2006, Destiny Image, Shippensburg, PA; p 47]
Hey, NOW we’re talkin’! So, Johnson likes jazz and he has a turntable?! My interest is piqued as I have an extensive collection of jazz records (vinyl) which I still play on a turntable. ”We just might be able to have a mutually edifying conversation about jazz,” I ponder. Not too sure about theology though.
I wonder – which artists in jazz does Johnson like? Perhaps it’s the spiritual/free jazz of the ’60s such as Albert Ayler, Pharoah Sanders, late-period John Coltrane and the like? Or, maybe he prefers the heyday of Blue Note with such artists as Lee Morgan, Donald Byrd, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith, etc.? Or, perhaps he likes stuff such as Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk or perhaps Duke Ellington? Vocalists such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan? Maybe he’s a Miles Davis fan – but, then which era? Perhaps Miles’ electric era of the late ’60s into the ’70s? Or, how about Sun Ra (born Herman “Sonny” Blount)? Now Ra had some very esoteric theology to go with his diverse musical excursions. Perhaps he likes more contemporary stuff on the German ECM label some of which is European although the label includes the music of American Keith Jarrett among others. Or, maybe this relatively new band Tongues of Fire? Hopefully, he’s not calling stuff like Kenny G ‘jazz’.
…But I was horribly disappointed. It sounded like a child randomly pounding on a piano, with no melody or harmonies, no consistent rhythm, nothing to give it purpose or direction… [Dreaming; p 47]
Hmmm. Well, no, it doesn’t appear he likes avant garde jazz. He just prefers his theology that way.
In any case, this thought process led me to anthologize the Bill Johnson posts here on the site. How did I come to that? Well, record companies tend to anthologize the works of artists in order to acquire a larger audience and hence boost sales. Of course, I’m not looking to make any money, but I do want this information disseminated to the largest audience possible.
Initially I considered titling the post facetiously “The Best of Bill Johnson” but I didn’t want to potentially confuse or mislead lest anyone think I’ve now begun to promote Johnson’s material as if I was like-minded. Alternatively, I pondered borrowing a ploy by RCA Victor used on a Jefferson Airplane compilation titled “The Worst of…”, but I thought some readers would find it too negative or offensive. So, it was decided to use the more neutral ”anthology” with the parenthetical ”So Far” a nod to the title of a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young compilation of the same name.
Without further ado, here are the articles (so far):
– Bill Johnson’s ‘Born Again’ Jesus, part I which also discusses portions of his book When Heaven Invades Earth in which Johnson discloses his kenotic Jesus and his assertion that anyone against the “anointing” (as he defines it) is anti-christ.
– part II shows how close he comes to the Kenyon/Hagin ’Jesus died spiritually’ heresy in his proof-texts for the ‘born again Jesus’ in addition to his view that Jesus received the “Baptism of/in the Holy Spirit” in the Jordan, plus his (and other) Latter Rain and Manifest Sons of God leanings seemingly not too far from New Age ideology.
– Johnson and other quotes on Dominionism in The Kingdom of God is at Hand, part II which questions just which kingdom is being promoted.
Speaking of paradox: can someone resolve the apparent contradiction inherent in Jim Goll’s foretelling prophecy of Johnson’s acquisition of a library related to someone with the name ’Roberts’ given that Johnson had already purchased Roberts Liardon’s library the year before?:
– Bill Johnson’s Library Mandate – a “direct from headquarters” mandate.
– Johnson endorsing Bob Jones: Bethel hosting a “prophetic conference” featuring Bob Jones.
– Bill Johnson and the Sign of Jonah: “If signs and wonders don’t follow you, follow them until they follow you.”
– Signs That Make You Wonder: “…it’s just increasing all kinds of manifestations. It’s the angelic realm; it’s just the supernatural breaking into this one: the gold and the oil and the wind. We’ve been having gusts of wind that just come out of nowhere. And, uh, ya know, it’s all good. It’s all signs that make you wonder…”
– Open Challenge to Bill Johnson/Bethel Supporters regarding a specific quote in When Heaven Invades Earth: “Jesus lived His earthly life with human limitations. He laid his [sic] divinity aside as He sought to fulfill the assignment given to Him by the Father: to live life as a man without sin, and then die in the place of mankind for sin. This would be essential in His plan to redeem mankind. The sacrifice that could atone for sin had to be a lamb, (powerless), and had to be spotless, (without sin)” [When Heaven Invades Earth, 2003, Destiny Image, Shippensburg, PA; p 79].
– Another Challenge to Bill Johnson/Bethel Supportersregarding a Johnson tweet (which also occurs in other material). “Jesus is returning for a bride whose body is in equal proportion to her head.”
– More in depth look at Johnson’s Kenosis: “…Jesus gave Himself to be crucified. He did not raise Himself from the dead…His job was to give His life to die. The Father raised Him by the Spirit…”
– Kris Vallotton and the Mantle of Jesus Christ/Bill Johnson on Corporate Anointing:“…Not just the mantle of William Branham, how about the mantle of Jesus Christ? That’s even a bigger one there…”
– By Whose Power Does Bill Johnson Heal?: “What have I done? This guy thinks he hobbled in here…wait until he tries to walk out!”
– Greater works than Jesus?: …Many theologians seek to honor the works of Jesus as unattainable, which is religion, fathered by unbelief…
– A personal testimony about Bethel’s influence
In keeping with the tradition in the recording industry which induces fans to acquire anthologies even if they have all the artist’s previous work, I’ll close with a rather ‘electrifying’ quote of Bill Johnson not used in any previous CrossWise article taken from Face to Face with God:
I went from being in a dead sleep to being wide-awake in a moment. Unexplainable power began to pulsate through my body. It was as if I had been plugged into a wall socket with a thousand volts of electricity flowing through my body. An extremely powerful being seemed to have entered the room, and I could not function in His presence. My arms and legs shot out in silent explosions as this power was released through my hands and feet. The more I tried to stop it, the worse it got. I soon discovered that this was not a wrestling match I was going to win. I heard no voice, nor did I have any visions. This was the most overwhelming experience of my life. It was raw power. It was God. He had come in response to the prayer I had been praying. [p 8]
I’m thinkin’ Johnson may prefer electric jazz…
Original Link: http://notunlikelee.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/anthology-of-bill-johnson-articles-so-far/
hey there, You are sowing division and not love. The Lord is not proud of you. You are injuring the body you are trying to be a part of. John 17:21
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Dear Pilgrim,
The article you have commented on is for fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, to warn of false teachers who twist the Word of God, make merchandise of souls and lead people away from the truth. You may not be familiar with Bill Johnson, his church or his teachings, but if you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask them here. There are many Christians and unbelievers currently caught in soul-destroying deception within the visible church, as I too once was. It is with a heavy heart that I post articles like this one. The original author too feels the burden to speak the truth, in love and out of compassion for perishing souls and suffering believers around the world.
I am so sorry for your suffering. I know all too well the anguish of depression, anxiety and anger – it can be unbearable. I encourage you to seek the Lord with a broken and repentant heart. I pray that the Lord in his great kindness will grant you the gift of faith, and release you from the prison of your tormented heart and mind. He is a loving and merciful Saviour, and brings true peace to your soul when you surrender your life to him.
My years of mental illness, medications and self-desctruction came to an end when the Lord brought me out of my rebellion and into relationship with him. As a person with ADHD, and many other challenges it will never be an easy road. Never are we promised an easy road, and in a fallen world of chronic illnesses and neurological disorders and broken families it is a damnable lie that some promise when they preach a false gospel of health, wealth and prosperity. But I promise you dear Pilgrim, it is a narrow road where the peace that passes all undertanding soothes our savage hearts and minds, and the Holy Spirit guides us in wisdom and understanding.
Come and stay a while and read the many posts on this blog that preach the Word of God clearly and frankly. If you want to know more about the reason for this blog, I invite you to read my ‘About’ statement and my Baptism Testimony.
May I also recommend the following to nourish you (I am not sure if the links will work, so if not I will update the response shortly):
“The Cross of Christ” by J C Ryle
I hope you are able to read this response in the spirit that it is written, one of great compassion and heartfelt sadness for the difficult time you are having. May the Lord bless you with the riches of his mercy and saving grace.
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Thank you for your compassionate reply. I was not in a healthy state of mind when I wrote that comment. Things are getting better but I apologize for my negativity.
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You are most welcome Pilgrim. I sensed a troubled soul, and saw no need to rub salt in an already hurting wound. You may be pleased to know that I don’t believe in the ‘power’ of negativity, so willingly choose to be in the presence of the grief and pain of others. I am glad you are feeling a bit better. I meant it when I said feel free to stick around, and ask questions too. It seems as if you are seeking, so if I can point you to the Lord’s truth in any way it would be a great privelege. You don’t always have to be in a good mood. 🙂
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I thank you narrow path, for the time you have taken to write these post’s. I too suffer from deep seated depression, and from surfaceing symptoms that makes it seem like others illnesses as well (such as Bi-polar) I too had been saved into a Kingdom come Church, not long after my cell group encouraged me to stop taking my medication because it showed a lack of faith…. They wern’t really around when I was put into the hospital as an extreame suicide risk a while later when things were not picture prefect… I thank you so much for exposing these teachings….
I was left wondering if I was truely saved after my stint in this circle. I beleive I’m truely saved now as I don’t place my faith in anything other than Christ… Do you think I’m saved??
It has been a devestating and hard walk for me out of these teachings, but the Lord has blessed my perservernce greatly and has held true to the promise that no one can snatch his sheep from his hand.
He has blessed me with truth, and I feel like I have a grip of both reality and and My Lord Jesus his truth and what he has done…
I can’t begin to reccount how my illnesses have effected my christian brothers and sisters, they found it hard, thinking I was going to give up. I never did, I sought God to find where I went wrong, got back on the track all thanks to his grace, I now love the Lord more than ever…
I have been put back on medication praise God!!
I pray for your ministry, and thank you; I pray people seek God for his truth, that He by his grace freely gives to all who repent and place their faith in Jesus Christ.
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Hi again Lou,
One other thing that struck me in your testimony was your sense of really being in touch with reality. That is one of the most amazing things I have observed in genuine conversion…the sense of ‘realness’, of seeing things as they really are in a way we never have before. I call it the sanity of truth, as opposed to the insanity of evil. It is a beautiful thing to experience after the wreckage of spiritual and mental illness. Praise God that you have experienced His truth in this way!!
Sherryn
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The reason I write this is I have been so ashamed of my illnesses that to hear you proclaim these things is empowering to. You have no idea how good it feels to be able to say I’m a Christian who suffers from depression 😀 thanks again
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Lou, welcome and thanks for sharing your own difficult journey. You asked if I thought you were saved? If you love the Lord Jesus and seek to know him more, and to walk in His light then you are saved. If you read his Word, and it nourishes your soul then you are saved. If you turn to the Lord in your dark times as well as your good times, then you are saved. If you suffer depression then you are human, and sometimes medication is a great help!
Churches that preach a false gospel still contain true brothers and sisters in Christ, many of them suffering as you yourself were. I pray that as you seek the Lord, and grow in the wisdom and understanding of the Holy Spirit that you will find life more manageable also, as it seems you already are! I have found though many things in life are not actually easier, with the Lord’s help I can handle them much better, if that makes sense. In other words, he doesn’t always take away the ‘thorn in our side’ but rather walks alongside us as we learn to depend on him more. What an awesome God we serve!!
There are many things that cause depression and anxiety, that are not purely spiritual. My own history of ‘bipolar’ illness was greatly aggravated by my rebellion against God, but it also turned out to be contributed to by a neurological disorder called ADHD. Once treated correctly, the ‘bipolar’ symptoms disappeared. Both my kids have ADHD, as well as Tourette’s Syndrome (tics) and Asperger’s Syndrome (high functioning autism). Interestingly, many people I know who have suffered chronic anxiety, depression and substance abuse issues have actually had underlying neurological conditions. When these are properly diagnosed it can be life changing. The medication can be a life line too, so I am glad it is helping you. Of course, walking in faith in Jesus Christ is the most life changing of all, as you clearly know!
Feel free to stay awhile, and I pray that you will be greatly encouraged by the Bible teaching offered here through various sermons, articles and songs. There are also some sober warnings, not that we need to fear what is happening in the world, but simply so we can be careful and help others stay away from false teachings.
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Thank you so much the narrow path, I appreciate your concern. I feel also that in times of rebellion it exasberated the exitsting illness I already had, our God a loving though. I began a wholehearted search for answers, and still feel I’m in the stage of “de-programming” it’s a hard period, but reading about people who have come through the other side, and a deeper study of God’s word has really helped me in this period.
I found it quite shocking that I had to search so deeply to find answers to my questions, that could easily be answered with the word of God. I will continue to pray for those caught in these false teachings.
I don’t really feel i need to be ashamed of my personal struggles in my walk with the Lord as I seem to be able to relate to other brothers and sisters, and me not being open, might get caught in the trap of thinking what I have experienced as uncommon…
However I have been searching your web site like the material keep up the Good work God Bless you!!
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Excellent truths! We need more of this!
Check out this blog that exposes the false prophets and teachers of today with the unchanging, everlasting word.
http://followingjesuschrist3.com/
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Hi and thanks so much to the link to your blog. I have already read some of your articles and they are excellent – biblically solid and very clearly articulated. I would love to post some of them here at The Narrowing Path. Would you be able to email me at thenarrowingpath@gmail.com? Thanks! Sherryn
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Thanks for your kind words. I emailed you.
Please let me know if you did not receive it. Thanks, and feel free to use my writings at any time and however you would like.
Ed
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Thanks Ed! Will check my email and get back to you.
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