“And the Lord said to me: The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds” (Jer 14:14 NRSVCE).
This article is not a denunciation or condemnation of Pentecostalism as a whole; it is meant to expose the charlatans and false prophets whom Satan has placed within the movement, as weeds among the wheat (Matt 13:24-30; 36-43); the church at Corinth is a good example of these false prophets and false miracle workers alongside the true people of God (2 Cor 11:13-15; 1 Jn 4:1).
For many years from the time it began, Pentecostalism was a sideline within Protestant Christianity, regarded as an aberration by many Christians; part of the “lunatic fringe”, as some saw it. Indeed, G.Campbell Morgan graphically called them “the last vomit of Satan”. And R. A. Torrey accused them of being founded by a sodomite. And it is still so regarded by many Evangelical Christians, with any number of books written against the movement by well-known and popular authors.
But ironically, Pentecostalism’s worst enemies are those within its own walls, men and women who not only do not display the fruit of the Spirit but exemplify the works of the flesh (Gal 5:19-23). Sadly, these frauds are the face of Pentecostalism, and its leading and most public figures. They are the televangelists who live like kings and queens in their huge palaces, ruthlessly fleecing their devoted and gullible followers of their hard-earned money, to feed their insatiable lust for earthly possessions and power.
Heaven for sale
Many men and women televangelists have made themselves fabulously rich at the expense of the faithful Christians who follow them and believe their teaching. Promising healing and wealth, they brazenly lie to their audiences that if they will be faithful and “sow a seed of faith” in the form of a cash donation to them, God will open the windows of heaven and pour out his blessing on them in the form of financial wealth and physical health. Their personal wealth has become so great that they can and do build extravagant and ostentatious palatial homes for themselves, dress in the most expensive clothes, own their own personal jet airplanes, and spend fortunes on themselves to indulge their every fancy; and they build huge church complexes on huge properties to accommodate huge congregations.
A well-known televangelist, John Avanzini, spoke contemptuously of poor (i.e. non-wealthy) pastors, and said that he wouldn’t even talk to such a pastor (DVD – “The Blind and the Dead” by Texe Marrs). But Avanzini’s sin is discovered in these words from God: “Those who mock the poor insult their Maker” (Prov 17:5).
On TV I saw a slick black pastor in an African country wringing the congregation for all he was worth, tantalising them by holding out the prospect of their owning a Ferrari if they would give him money. What on earth would a poor African villager want or do with a Ferrari?
Even now (2017), these televangelists still use the same old techniques and promises in order to fleece faithful Christians of their money, which continues to pour into their yawning coffers, as they brazenly use the bible to squeeze their followers for more and yet more. In the DVD “The Blind and the Dead”, we see Benny Hinn talking to an audience and laughingly saying he doesn’t want to wait until heaven where the streets are paved with gold; he says “I want it now! By the time I get there, my bills will be paid and the gold on the streets won’t help me. I’ve got bills to pay here. I need it now!” Laughing as he speaks, he unashamedly reveals his covetousness and repudiates the scriptures which warn against it (1 Tim 6:10).
Beware of False Prophets and False Teachers
These televangelists are also false prophets and scripture abounds with warnings about them. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?” (Matt 7:15-16 NRSV). And Paul warned, “For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds” (2 Cor 11:13-15).
Benny Hinn
When on the stage, Benny Hinn storms across the stage like a god, frantically hurling power in every direction, like Zeus hurling his thunderbolts. It is pure showmanship – but also, real power emanating from him. And most of the Pentecostal televangelists have similar power and, like Hinn, are characterised by abounding arrogance, superiority, and pride. God-like, they strut around the stage, bestowing the gift of the Holy Spirit, of whom they’re the self-appointed custodians and dispensers, to a devoted and gullible people over whom they hold sway. Even Judas Iscariot, betrayer of Jesus, was able to cast out demons and heal people (Lk 9:1-6); he was also a thief and helped himself to the donations of Jesus’ supporters (Jn 12:1-6).
Of his many false prophecies, Hinn once told his audience and the world that the Lord told him that in 1994 or 1995 God was going to destroy the homosexual community of America by fire. He also told them that God told him Fidel Castro would die in the 90’s – see link:
http://www.equip.org/hank_speaks_out/benny-hinns-false-prophecies/
I also saw and heard him say, as he came onto the stage at the beginning of one of his televised meetings, that God had revealed to him that morning that He is not a Trinity; that there aren’t three of them, as the Church has always believed – there are nine of them!
Obviously, these prophecies have proven to be false as the time prophesied for them has long since passed. According to scripture, this makes Benny Hinn a false prophet, and God’s people are to have nothing to do with them (Deut 18:20-22).
If the people who support Benny Hinn took heed of this command and warning, he and the others like him would disappear, and both the Church (including Pentecostalism) and the world would be better for it. But Christians are too ignorant of doctrine now, and experience means far more to them. Indeed, one Pentecostal man, owner of a bookshop which sold Pentecostal books exclusively, once told me this very thing, that experience carries more weight with him than doctrine.
Kenneth Copeland
Along with fellow televangelists such as Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Oral Roberts, Joyce Meyer, and others of the Word of Faith theology, one of Pastor Copeland’s heresies states that Jesus’ death on the cross did not atone for sin; atonement was achieved after he died when he descended to hell, where he was born again. And he refers to Jesus’ “emaciated, poured out, little, wormy spirit without legal right” which was tormented by every devil in hell.
There is not a word of any of Copeland’s teaching of what Jesus did in hell, either in scripture or history. Jesus achieved our salvation from the cross, not from hell. The gospels tell us that Jesus’ last words from the cross were, “It is finished” (Jn 19:30). This tells us that Jesus had accomplished the work of atonement as a result of his death on the cross. This is confirmed in the letter of Hebrews: “…by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Heb 10:14). This purification for sins refers to the cross.
And Paul also assures us that it was by his death on the cross that Jesus reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to God and to each other (Eph 2:11-16; Col 2:14). Paul also specifically says that Jesus accomplished it in his flesh, not his spirit, contrary to what Kenneth says (Eph 2:16). Furthermore, Paul tells us that Jesus did the very opposite of what Pastor Copeland teaches: “…he disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it” (Col 2:15).
And as for God having “faith-filled words” to speak into the depths of hell, God doesn’t have faith! God is God! God didn’t create the universe by faith-filled words either, as Pastor Copeland says in his Study Bible (Genesis 1) and other places. He created the universe by wisdom, understanding, and power (Prov 3:19-20; Jer 10:12), and by divine fiat (Gen 1:3, 6,11, 14, 20, 26).
God speaks and his command must be fulfilled – not by God’s faith but by his sovereign fiat or command! God doesn’t speak by faith because he is the Creator and holds the universe in his all-powerful hand. In whom or what would or could God have faith anyway? The universe? NO! Fate? NO! God is God and he fills the universe; therefore, there is absolutely no possibility that what he declares or orders or commands will not happen. God is God and he “worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph 1:11 KJV).
The Source of their Power is questionable
Todd Bentley
The presence of the flesh in Pentecostal churches has become more blatant and obvious now as we see the new breed of Pentecostal leaders One such is Todd Bentley, a brutish figure trying to cultivate a “bad-boy” image by covering his skin with tattoos and shaving his head. God doesn’t need us to do these things to preach the gospel; this is just worldliness and witchcraft (1 Thess 5:22).
On YouTube, for example, you can watch Todd Bentley laughingly boast how the Holy Spirit pointed out an old woman who was praying, facing him as she stood close to the platform; the Spirit told him to go and kick the woman in the head. So, Bentley did just that, and sent her crashing to the floor. In another YouTube video you can see a man who had been brought to Bentley for healing. He had advanced cancer in the stomach and had to be supported by another person because he was so ill and weak he could hardly walk. Bentley, looking at him, ran up to him and punched him in the stomach as hard as he could. Needless to say, the man doubled over in agony and dropped to the floor; he may well have died soon after this event.
It is far beyond reasonable to expect that Jesus would have instructed Peter or Paul or any other apostle to kick one of his people in the head, or to punch a person who had come to them for healing. All those who were healed in Scripture went away whole and rejoicing.
Bentley sees angels everywhere and even knows them by their names; he also has pagan drumbeat music in his services, and to the beat of these drums he presents a woman who prophesies in a drunken, slurring way, and who can hardly stand erect because she is so overcome by the spirit within her. Clearly, she wasn’t filled with the Holy Spirit – she was possessed of controlled by a demon, an unclean spirit. She is a “Christian” medium.
Sadly, this weekly scenario is all about Todd Bentley. It is his regular platform where, while he may pay lip service to Jesus and/or the Holy Spirit, he is in reality promoting himself. It is “The Todd Bentley Road Show”. He does not display a shred of humility or holiness as he has his church members metaphorically eating out of his hands. And his adultery and immoral lifestyle have been all over the internet. There must be gales of laughter in hell as the demons look approvingly on Todd Bentley and his antics.
Heidi Baker
Baker is a more appealing figure in that she doesn’t have the worldly appearance of Bentley; rather, she has a kinder demeanour than he. To see her on YouTube is alarming, however, as she goes into trances herself and brings others to the same, some of whom writhe and scream as they’re invaded by a spirit; these are nightmarish scenes one would expect to see only in horror movies; yet here they are in reality, under the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Many of these televangelists have been tainted by one or more characteristics which are rampant within Pentecostalism: immorality, adultery, multiple divorce and remarriage, homosexuality, embezzlement, theft, fraud, lies, deceit, arrogance, pride, hatred of any who expose them, greed, covetousness, and false teaching. Their false witness causes those who admire and love them to become discouraged and confused; they grieve the Holy Spirit, and open the Gospel to the ridicule of its enemies.
Scenes of hell
As I watched the DVD “The Blind and the Dead”, and “The Great Apostasy: The Lost Sign”, I was absolutely appalled as I saw what seemed to me to be chaos, insanity and utter ungodliness. Some of the most senior and well-known Pentecostal leaders such as Kenneth E. Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, John Avanzini, Rodney Howard-Browne, and many others whose names and ministries I’ve not heard before, were in this video.
Seeing them on this DVD displaying behaviour that is so bizarre, I was dismayed to see the antics that went on in their “worship” meeting shown on this video. I felt like I was looking at scenes from hell.
And watching Copeland and Hagin, along with other Pentecostal leaders and a whole congregation laughing uncontrollably, pogo-sticking, barking and howling like dogs, men and women moving around the open floor-space on hands and knees like animals, people rolling on the floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter, gradually sliding off their chairs onto the floor in a sadly undignified manner, as their skirts get pulled to reveal a little too much – it sounded and looked like the cackling of demons – hideous, ugly, degrading, and frightening.
I often wonder how so many of these televangelists can look in the mirror, identify as Christian, and teach in the name of Jesus, when everything they do is totally opposed to everything he exemplified and taught. If some of the most prominent leaders and teachers can give notably false prophecies, teach false doctrine, and are led by the Holy Spirit, how can they get caught up in sexual immorality, adultery and divorce, or embezzle or steal large sums of money from their own churches. What does this say about them? What does it say about the spirit that motivates and energises them? And what does it say about those who support and revere them?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’. Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers’” (Matt 7:21-23 NRSV).
Scripture references are from “New Revised Standard Version Bible, Catholic Edition, copyright 1993 and 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches in the United States of America, and are used by permission”.