Joshua-777

The mantles passed on thing is not a core point of doctrine for me. I do know we serve a God who through out the whole bible moved in unusual ways that often challenged those around. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever I do not believe God will do the exact same thing He's done but I do expect God to move in ways similar to what we see in the bible. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan, they made a monument of stones so the future generations can look back and remember what God has done, why? Because it positions them in faith for Him to move in their lives

Hi Sojourner, that quote and your points of consideration do not go together.

Not saying you are a cessationist.

It just demonstrates that I haven’t studied it enough to debate this subject. I do see in scripture a reality of importation In the old and New Testament but as far as taking up anointing or mantles from past revivalists, I haven’t searched scripture for the answer to that. I could be wrong, but this is a minor issue as I live my life for Jesus, not for someone’s anointing.

Well I don’t follow his ministry or know enough about him to make that claim.

I never saw that video. I am aware what he did and I’m not defending him. I’m also not referring to a video, but a long process of reconciliation. Not whitewashed but bloodwashed.

With practices I prefer to go to the source, what their students and leadership says, I’m around them a lot. Lol, the grave sucking thing just isn’t taught there. Now if students got weird in the past, don’t know, but I do know that is not something they endorse. Also the doctrine of passing in mantles can be seen with Shawn Bolz and William Brannam, which William got way off towards the end of his life, he would get adresssess birthdays, medical conditions. Shawn Bolz walks in a similar anointing. I don’t really want to debate it because i don’t know enough scripture to defend or reject it. I do know the fruit is pressing in to God and being hungry to be used by Him in a greater way.

Bill Johnson rebuked Todd Bentley personally for his sin, and counseled him and helped him get back to a healthy place in the Lord. Where much of the Church would slap heretic on him and would rather see him die than be in ministry, Bill Johnson walked with him and poured into him all they while not agreeing with his errors.

For me, I love Church history and when I read in the past how thousands and thousands came to the Lord, In my private prayer life I cry out to God to use me like that. I want to see multitudes come to the Lord. It may not be the same anointing as a past revivalist but it positions my heart for more.

Well, I went out with a team of students from Bethel. The team ministered to a lady who was addicted to drugs. She recieved Jesus as her Lord, and smashed her crack pipe in front of everyone in repentance. She then started open air preaching that she's following Jesus now. That same day me and another bethel student tried praying for a drug dealer, he ran off but the girl he was selling to gave her life to the Lord and crushed her drugs as we sang nothing but the blood of Jesus. She is currently in a rehab and connected to a Church. In Brazil, I was with a lady from Bethel and saw hundreds come to the alter for salvation, and was blessed to be a part of many outreaches, on one in Rio we saw a prostitute and her pimp give their lives to the Lord and later on I was sent a video of her getting baptized in a Church. One boy also had a brain tumor in his head and when we landed back in the states we got a message from the pastor that the doctors couldn't find the tumor anymore and that he was completely healed. Those are personal experiences I've had ministering along side people from Bethel and saw the impact of the Gospel. I believe alot of the occultic practices that people claim are garbage and lies from the pit of hell. Others things, like glory clouds, gold dust, and strange manifestations, people don't understand so they condemn. A glory cloud appearing where God is exalted and worshiped is actually more biblical than the doctrine of cessationism. http://documentedhealings.com/bethel-church-healing/

Can anointings, mantles, etc be passed down from one general in the faith to another? I believe so, Elijah and Elisha also are a good example. The statement in the book is not saying we get them by graves, but by crying out to God for more, for God to use us like He used Paul, or Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, Moody, Etc. It's the hearts cry and God's response that we can receive more. Also the grave practice, really isn't a practice there, it's a made up evangelical slam. Don't know what the picture is about but I do not see Beni saying, I'm sucking anointing out of this grave in the pic.

Reading the testimony, it appears she already had a predisposition in her heart against them and the fruit is anger, malace trying to cause division amongst them.

We may have different understandings, interpretations, and traditions, but it is only through Christ we are saved, and only in Him we can find unity. in Him we all have the same Spirit and the same Father. John 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me 1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many Ephesians 4:2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

They believe Jesus is the son of God, born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died on a cross for all mans sins, and rose again. They believe that we are saved through faith in Jesus and repentance, (turning from sin to serve the living God). the believe in a literal heaven and hell, and that Jesus is coming again. Te believe in the authority of scripture. They also believe the continuation of spiritual gifts and the need to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, They hold to the core doctrines of Christianity 1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, They carry the fruit of the Spirit. I have ministered with many people from Bethel, and Some of my good friends have graduated Bethel's school. The fruit of the Spirit is abundant in their lives, they are humble, passionately in love with Jesus, bold to share the Gospel of Christ, and many of them are leading non-believers to the Lord on a daily basis. Matthew 7:17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. I have asked many people who go to the school about "grave sucking" and other strange things heresy hunters like to accuse them of and each one of them think that is ridiculous and it it not taught, practiced, or encouraged at Bethel. Bill Johnson Himself did an interview with Dr. Brown addressing many of these issues. If someone has something against Bethel, let them get it from Bethel first hand and not some heresy hunter video or blog. People slant and twist their opinions and even straight up lie about it. The devil is the accuser of brethren, we should never act like him.

I love Bethel and have had the privilage with working with many students from the school. They are some of the most humble, onfire, passionate, and sold out for the Gospel servants I have met. I have also been on missions with believers from Bethel and they are making a huge impact in the world for the Gospel.

NIV is good. I personally love the NKJV. A good place to start is the book of John, that shows clearly who Jesus is, what He did, and the relationship He's inviting us into.

Two theories I have, the names of people they committed adultery with, or a list of their sins. What ever he wrote caused them to put down their stones.

I've read a good bit of the passion translation. I don't really conciser it a translation but a commentary. It's interesting seeing where he goes with the text. there are some passages I believe he does a really good job translating but there is too much added text for me. There are also a few passages that take on totally different meanings than whats written in the text. For example, John 1:13 in The passion points to Jesus being born of God, while all other translations point to us being born of God when we receive Him. I'll stick to the NKJV, NIV, ESV, and NASV and sometimes AMP when I feel like yelling.

No teaching or no sermons? How does your assembly grow in the word?

I want to meet John. He had such a revelation of the love of God and what it means to abide in Him. I’d life to see what he’s like in heaven experiencing the fullness of Gods love and his reflection in life in heaven.

I have three questions about worship that I’m curious to see the similarities and differences across denominations. What Is worship? What is the relationship between worship and emotions? and Do you encounter God through worship? for me, worship is being present with God in awe and adoration, where we set our hearts on Him and His works in praise and thankfulness. Worship is also engaging the presence of God. Music is an amazing catalyst for worship but just singing Christian songs is not worship. I believe when we are to love God with all our hearts that includes all our emotions. I love long worship songs, I don’t mind repetitiveness especially if it’s focused on an aspect of Gods character such as His Holiness or love I also allow myself to engage worship with a lot of emotion. I am also aware that scripture is an authority above our emotions but isn't it amazing when our emotions and scripture meet. With encountering God through worship, I gave my life to Jesus because of an encounter during worship and have had some of my most life changing experiences with God through worship. Often I experience His peace and love, get clarity on decisions and direction, and even wisdom on scripture Ive been meditating on. I have also had visions or insight on where Gods taking me.

David Sumner

When I was in Bible College many of the students would trade their devotional life for academics and burn out. It broke my heart, in the chapel there was a prayer journal that students would add their prayers and most of the prayers in there were God, "I'm struggling to believe in you, I don't see you moving in my life, I don't believe in prayer anymore, etc" Some students would get their degrees and then walk away from Christianity all together. It is not enough to know about God. We need to know Him. John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. We are to love Him and worship Him with all our hearts. It's a relationship. The word of God gives us the foundation to grow in that relationship but it is the Spirit that brings life to it and makes it alive and real in our lives. John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Ted Pierce is awesome! I miss him.