Then read this excerpt from "Your Best life Now" by Joel Osteen
"People sometimes tease me! "Joel you talk so much about being Positive" But God is Positive! There is nothing negative about Him! If you are going to live God's way and be the person He wants you to be you must line up your vision with His and learn to live in a positive frame of mind. Learn to look for the best in every situation. No matter what your going through, if you look hard enough and keep the right attitude you can find something good about the experience."
What about the fact that God is glorified when you suffer brutality for him? Is this what you meant by keeping positive? Tell that to Johannes.
Honestly, it is very hard to blend Creativity and Worship. Although I believe that it should be done all the time, it is often quite difficult to do something to spectacular with the focus being placed on Christ and not being placed on the Creativity of the individual performer.
Which brings me to a YouTube video that I got in my e-mail this week. The following is a video of a group at a church using black lights and white gloves to animate the words of the Song. There are many reasons why I like this approach...
1. The faces are hidden. At the end of the performance, no one can take credit for any certain work or part. This allows for...
2...All attention to be focused on the Words of the song and worship of the Lord. Notice how the visuals force you to think of the words that are being sung to the Savior.
I have no idea who is responsible for this, but I think it is brilliant in many ways.
Comment on this Blog and let me know other way we can creatively give worship to the Savior...
The Evangelism Training at Lakeland. Where is the Gospel? part 3
As we went into the large room I grabbed my "How to Know you are Truly Saved" booklet and found a seat. The guy who was speaking was named Jeff Lewis with CityTakers the "Evangelism" branch of The Florida Outpouring.
Here it is important to mention this video...
Why? Because I call this video propaganda. It's sole purpose is to show that "We are teaching Biblical Evangelism, so get off of our back!". In fact their claims to teach biblical evangelism has been of much discussion among the Way of the Master community. So it was very important to see if their claims of "Biblical Evangelism" is true via a first hand encounter.
The first few moments of the event was actually promising. He mentioned that if the revival stayed in the building and did not bring glory to God we were doing nothing more then feeding ourselves, he even said a few funny lines that yes, even made me and my friend Ryan laugh along with him...yet I forget what they were. Anyways he was very charismatic. Now on to the evangelism...
Oh but before we get to trite things like sharing the Gospel, it is first important to teach people two things.
First we need to teach people how to have a "Word of Knowledge". Of Course. I mean where would I have been all those times I was preaching law and grace if I did not know that someone was "Looking for a Job" in the crowd of hecklers...
This is where it got absurd and I cannot stress this enough...I am not making this up. Everything he says is not even close to paraphrased. It's so engraved in my mind...I cannot get it out.
"Everyone close your eyes. Think of a Pink elephant, has everyone done that think of it...now open your eyes. Close them again, Now, think of a pink elephant. Did you do it! That is exactly what a Word of Knowledge looks like. The Lord has given you an imagination to get Word of Knowledge's! Just like Jesus with the Woman at the Well!"
Sigh.
Everyone desperate to hear from God followed every word he said. He then showed how this principal could be applied.
Before I continue there I need to mention something. There are three Johnathan Edwards in History I need to point out.
The Presidential Candidate. The Reformer. and the Psychic that had it's own TV Show several years ago where he would use age old techniques of being "Almost vaguely right" to make people think he was one hundred percent right about hearing from the dead.
Just think about that last one.
He then said he had a word of knowledge from God about a man in a Brown hat. My friend Ryan was wearing a brown hat (Could it be, God had given him a word of Knowledge so Ryan might go up there and preach the true Gospel?)
No, Because 12 people in the room had brown hats. He pointed to another guy somewhat close to Ryan. The guy goes up there and Jeff says the following.
"I see you in a car with a lot of stuff, maybe a sleeping bag"
Did I mention that almost everyone there has come with luggage and sleeping stuff because they were either camping or going on a road trip to Lakeland? No surprise there. Our car was filled with sleeping bags!
Anyways he basically tells the guy he should move to Florida, etc etc. (The guy was from Scotland)
So he gave very vague descriptions while letting the guy in the brown hat fill him in on the details, while proclaiming that's exactly what he sees.
Well anyways that was over with and now it was time to get to evangelism...
Nope.
Now we need to know how to heal people. At this point I checked to see if we were still in the Evangelism class. We were. Sigh.
This is where it Got crazy.
He would call out all these disorders that people have using the same vague word of knowledge techniques.
For example...
"Is there anyone there with stomach ulcers? Do you have pink pills"
Hmm, pink pills? Like pepto bismol pink pills? No. What are the Odds?
Now comes the fun part (no not evangelism) he had people with cavities stand up. He said that God was going to fill their cavity with Gold.
Oh boy I thought, I think I have a Cavity! He then mentioned a whole mess load of other sicknesses that people had.
Including this one...
"There is a woman who was gardening, and she stubbed her toe with a shovel...Anyone? Anyone?"
No one replied.
"Well there are people on the Internet watching, maybe it was for them! But I feel as if it was for someone in here."
No one replied. Without missing a beat he had everyone stand and pray for the healings to take place in the room. After everyone prayed he said...
"This is gonna be amazing! Everyone stand up look in the mouths of those who had cavities. Look for Gold!"
Not one person shouted with joy, not one persons mouth was filled with Gold. Without missing a beat, he went on to a much more vague disorder like back pain. Everyone forgot about the fact he was WRONG.
At this point an hour and a half passed, I was getting annoyed, and all my stones missed...So we left.
There was no biblical evangelism taught at this meeting. (At least it was not the main focus.)
After being there for over hour, we never heard the Gospel or Christ's name magnified.
Keep preaching the Gospel friends...Do not get side tracked by stage shows and con artist.
How to know you are truly saved? Lakeland, FL Blog Part 2
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. - James 1:14
After the first rara session there was a few minutes of a break, at this point we stood outside as people were leaving and passed out million dollar bills, we got responses that were varied including the usual "thank yous" and the "I don't need these because I am saved".
In the main lobby there was a large booth where they sold lots of stuff. From books to DVDs. One DVD a lot of people were buying was called "How to Keep your Healing" as if God could take it away from you. (Read James Chapter 6)
But on the table was one book that caught my attention enough for me to actually fork out a whole four quarters.
It was called "How to know if you are Truly Saved" and was about 20 pages long. Upon opening up I was immediately shocked it mentioned Hell, and Punishment...I was blown away! Until I read a few more pages.
I am glad I got this book because I believe it answers some questions as to why the Law is being preached but not having the same conscious striking effect.
In the book it says the following (Paraphrased) "God asked the Devil 'What is your price for Sin' and the devil replied 'Blood'"
The core of the issue comes to this. They believe that the Devil makes them sin, the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross was to settle an argument between God and the Devil. As opposed to the right belief that we sin on our own because we are by nature sinful and wicked. Also it is very crucial to the Gospel that the punishment for sin satisfies God's wrath and Justice, not pleasure of Satan.
This is why they could hear the Law, and it not impact their conscious! They believed it was the Devil making them do it! They were in essence worshiping the Devil by giving him so much credit on the fall.
I stopped reading the book...
It was 1pm and time for the "Evangelism Training" ...
The first day we arrived at Lakeland around 3am, we set up our tent and immediately went to bed.
We woke up the next morning and asked around. What is there to do we thought to ourselves? Most of the people were gone, and we needed to find out where to go and what time the events started. Luckily there was a very nice couple from the UK. They came all the way from overseas just to see the revival. We talked to them for a good twenty minutes, they were very nice. We gave them a true and false conversion CD as they told us the directions and plans.
Not everything takes place on the Campground, most of the stuff takes place at Ignited Church which is a few miles away, this is the Church the revival started. We got there and there was of course ton's of hypnotic dancing and not a single place to sit. As we walked in they were giving some sort of prosperity spiel and was about to take an offering, Ryan told me to place a million dollar bill in the collection envelopes. So I did.
There was no good places to sit so an usher asked if we would like to go to the overflow room, we agreed. It was quiet in there with only a few people and we could discuss everything that happened as they were speaking. They never did speak, it was mainly the same very repetitive worship music. While there this lady came up to us, she was very nice she was in the overflow room her baby was sleeping so she was in there. She had her baby, was pregnant and left her husband to come here all the way from North Carolina. We talked to her for a while then she started talking about how awesome it was. At this point I could not take it any longer, so I humbly told her that I did not want to make her thank that we approve of the services, and that we were genuinely concerned that they were in deed of not God. She said it was OK, and she was glad we were so kind about it and not causing commotions...
Now begins the first of many times we sat down with someone and walked them through the Law.
As soon as I said to her the words "Ten Commandments" she yelped with joy as she said Way of the Master!, Kirk Cameron!
You see the problem as we very quickly learned is that almost everyone there knows the Law. They know how to "Share the Gospel" but they never do. The problem is that they believed without hesitation everything we said. However they could not figure out that they worshiped a false God. We ran into this problem several times. It really places a damper on the conversation when they already know what your going to say, they agree with everything but they cannot apply it to their "god". How do you witness to people who agree with everything you say?
It was a huge problem and it was with almost everyone there. As you will see in later blogs...
Stay tuned for a report on the Lakeland "Evangelism Training" Session....
The worst heckling Experience of my Life...by Kids!
So after a long day walking around Atlanta, touring all the sweet spots for The Five Hundred we went to a local skate park in Lawrenceville, GA. There were a few hundred people there, all kids of certain ages and sizes. There was a small mound in the middle of the skate park that was located right near every one.
As a youth minister at my church I was excited to speak to all these teenagers, so I asked them to rank their walk with Christ on a scale from one to ten. Keep the number in your head. Then I read revelation three about being lukewarm, and asked them if their number was either a one or a ten.
Then I walked through the Law. I said to all those kids who were skateboarding that if you've skateboarding more then the God who gave you the ability to skate you are worshiping a false God of wood and wheels. I even explained that skateboarding was not a sin...But it did not matter.
At this point I was rushed by a mob of teenagers. They were furious, loud and I was surrounded by at least fifty kids. All holding their skateboards in the air. One of them was the initiator and he was cussing at me, in my face, blaspheming God. I continued to preach the Law and then into Grace proclaiming that I care about them and don't want them to go to hell and to just listen to me.
I was then rushed by an adult who told me I should go with him to preach the Gospel to those who were using the restroom and had nothing better to do. He was cussing at me and swearing. I said I would not follow him to the restroom but said I have some reading material for him and gave him a million dollar bill. At this point he took the tract, ripped it up and placed it on my head as I was preaching (or pleading) for these kids to repent. I knocked the tracts off my head in a comical way that made the kids laugh and then I was immediately doused with water (or sprite) at this point some of the kids were telling the other kid to stop pouring water on me, and I looked at that kid and told him he could do that all he wants, I care about you and don't want you to go to hell.
Then kids started throwing a mixture of rocks, mulch and off brand Cheetos. After a while it died down. The guys I was with the whole time was involved with their own one on ones and then I got involved with one.
A kid came up to me and said he agrees with everything I said, but it was the method of which I was preaching. I asked him to show me in the bible where it was done a different way and he could not.
At this point one of the guys named Ben from (SavedFromWhat.org) in a sarcastic tone started mock rebuking me in front of the Kid.
Marcus...Did you tell this kid he was going to hell?
Yes I replied.
Marcus, did you say he was going to Hell, or that he would if he does not repent and turn to Jesus?
At this point the kid who was worried about me being in trouble took my defense and was defending me.
He said I had to repent.
This is when Ben asked the kid how would you tell someone they sinned against a holy righteous and angry judge and that they were in danger of his wrath?
I don't know?
Ben then said one of the greatest things (besides the Gospel) I have ever heard during the course of a one on one.
"I have this friend, he went up to a lady and told her without knowing her that she was an adulterer...what do you think of my friend"
"I think that he was wrong." he said
"That was what Jesus did in John Chapter 4, with the lady at the well" He took out the bible and read the story.
He was silent from then on. I told him not to listen to me or Ben, but to read the Bible. He agreed the bible was the sources of all authority and said he would listen to "True and False Conversion"
Please pray for him, his name escapes me. Also please pray for our youth. These were some of the most hostile people I have ever seen to the Gospel and they were sober, confessing Christians, and very young. What does this say about that generation and their surrender to the Gospel?
Marcus TransplantMinistries.com
and be sure to check out http://savedfromwhat.org/
Lights, Camera, Fiction! Behind the Scenes of a "FauxVival"
TV Production and Manipulation at the Revival.
One of my passions is video production and media. Hence the media, movie ministry slogan of Transplant Ministries. I worked at a local TV Station as a production assistant, I do freelance graphic design and video on the side. I know this field.
The following things I am going to mention may seem as conspiracy, or over the top thoughts and thinking, but anyone who works in television knows the immense planning and prep it takes to create a live show. What I am about to show you comes as obvious to me. Because I at one point or the other have been behind the scenes of live broadcasts, I know the before and after and all the ins and outs of pre-production.
What God.TV has done with the cooperation of Fresh Fire Ministries to stage a fake revival is beyond anything I have seen before. It's an elaborate almost scripted live event which ultimately eliminates the need for the Holy Spirit to move or even breathe for that matter.
As you wait in line to enter the tent, a staff member is coordinating the seating. He lines people up. Let's them in and shows them to the entrance of the seating.The first ones to enter are those from other countries. They are asked to come in first.
For the most part people can sit where they want. Unless you are in a wheelchair.
Here is the central issue. If you were creating a faux revival with a goal to show that people were getting healed the one thing you would not want to show on TV is those who are sick and crippled. This would eliminate any sort of credibility. So the goal of the seating arrangement is to place the sick in the back while keeping the happy spirit filled worshipers in the front. Are there any rules that say wheel chairs in the back, on the sides and out of view of the camera? No. Of Course not. But the seating up front is so tight, so restrained that the people in wheelchairs can only sit in three places. This is so the cameras do not show the sick and crippled.
1. On the side. In this photo you can see a persons wheelchair. There is a clear space for the chair to be and room for others to walk. However notice the position of the Jib. That's the long tall crane with the camera on it. Notice how it is clearly focused where the Wheel Chairs are not.
2. In the back. In this photo you can see a little boy standing waving a flag. He is located in the "Overflow Tent" which is far out of sight from the cameras. This is the closest place one can sit who needs room for a wheelchair or to lay down on a blanket as this family did. You never see this on GOD.TV
3. The Front Row...Except.
The front row shows the pure deceit and manipulation of the fauxvival as not one regular person is allowed to sit in the front except Fresh Fire Staff and Friends. They have ton's of staff too because the first 4 rows are taken up in the entire front. So no one with a wheel chair can sit there. This is also an example of manipulation because the only shots of people worshiping and glorifying the savior are of...you guessed it Fresh Fire Staff and Friends. (Man, are they always happy!) They do tell you that you can go up front in any empty seats after worship, but when the speaker is speaking there is not as much need for exciting crowd shots.
With the seating for the disabled clearly pushed to the back and the happy employees with smiling faces in front and ready to go. The prep can being. They have people come out and in an almost hypnotizing trance they pray for a good fifteen minutes.
It's a constant screaming and irreverence to the Lord for what seems like forever. over and over and over again the same words are repeated, people are speaking in tongues (without translators) and it's just mass confusion. After the prayer (or before, I forget the order) someone comes up and asks people for testimonies of previous healing. These are healings that are not from the same night. All these testimonies are verified as much as possible before the event and relate to healings of the previous night or week.
What we have is an incredibly detailed and planned event that breeds false excitement and a false sense of a holy spirit's presence. I hope you look over my writing seriously and take it to heart. We must discern everything when teachers claim to be performing miracles of God.
There was nothing Christian at the Todd Bentley Revival, just a whole bunch of confused people who have no idea about proper biblical interpretation. It really is quite disgusting.
