Todd Bentley tracks lead straight to the Contemplative New Age Spa
Todd Bentley says that the secret to living a prosperous, abundant life in ministry and business is “The Open heavens” – living and ministering under a heaven that’s open above and beneath our feet and lives. It should be of great interest and concern to those following the Florida revival that the following description of how to live under the Open Heaven by Todd Bentley is no different than contemplative mysticism or New Age practices.
The following quotes are excerpts from An Open Heaven by Todd Bentley (found at openheavensoakingmusic.com). [Titles in bold lettering and other bold emphasis added by Wolf Tracks.]
***Todd Bentley Practices the secret of the Awareness – Contemplation and Being Still 4-12 hours a day:
Several years ago, many of you already have heard my testimony as shared in our 3 tape series “The Secret Place” a must for those who you hungering for what I am about to share in these first two paragraphs of how I had a holy visitation from the Holy Spirit. As a result, at different times during the span of about three months. I would be laid out (slain in the spirit) or as I would rather put it. I was so overwhelmed with God’s manifest presence like a thick honey cloud. I could do nothing most days but “BE Still” or “Wait on the Lord” I was blessed from heaven with such an awareness of His divine presence I was forced to the floor and would simply lie in His glory. I call it forced by the weight of His glory into a place of contemplation, times of solitude or just sitting at His feet like Mary. For four to twelve hours a day, I would simply gaze at the Lord’s beauty or as Paul describes in Heb 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,” the word “looking” is translated to Gaze or stargazer.
***Todd Bentley Practices the Presence of God and the Secrets of Brother Lawrence through contemplative meditation and soaking prayer, Results in visitation by Spirit Guide and Altered State of Silence:
During these extended times of soaking I would receive at times, numerous kinds of visions, dreams, prophetic experiences and visitations of angels sometimes. I often refer to that time in my life as my “soaking season”. God taught me how to dwell and abide in the secret place of His presence (Ps 91:1) I came to understand the power of stillness, quietness, basking, bathing and drinking in His love. I was in a place of surrender and meditation in His presence. I understood here some of the secrets of Brother Lawrence’s life and practicing the presence of God. This is better known today as the silent prayer of the heart or meditation and contemplation.
It was after that soaking season that God called me out into full-time ministry. I received a divine visitation of the Lord. It was as if a person walked in to the room and stood behind me. I could feel His presence over me and heard distinctly, the audible voice of the Lord. I was told exactly how I would be called out and prophesied over in a meeting that evening, deeming that time as my commissioning for ministry and shown in open vision numerous events in the meeting that night as a sign. You could say it happened overnight. In fact that night, that the intensity of the soaking season and times of almost daily revelation ended, though I still continue to live a lifestyle of soaking.
***Todd Bentley Practices The Silence and Stillness of Listening (Contemplative) Prayer and Meditation to induce revelations, experiences and visions:
… I would soak or wait on the Lord in absolute stillness. Day after day I positioned myself in stillness and quietness, listening prayer and meditation on the Lord’s presence. I learned to quiet my mind of all business and when my mind did wander I would simply refocus on thinking about Jesus. After some time I began to receive visions and different prophetic experiences sometimes several times a day and many times everyday. I simply began to expect it when I came into the Lord’s presence. Did I pray and worship or do any other kind of prayer? Yes! but when I began to feel the Lord’s glory. I would simply lie on the floor and just “be there” in the presence, focused on Him in quietness and total surrender. After weeks of practicing this kind of silent prayer I noticed much more increase of revelation. The more I wait the more I receive. I wait as much as I can now. It is a lifestyle, sometimes 1-3 hours a day of quiet prayer and soaking.
***Todd Bentley practices visualization:
I believe that it is important in receiving an increase of revelation and seeing into the spirit to exercise our spiritual eyes. …What are the eyes of your understanding? In the Greek understanding is translated the mind and imagination. Let’s learn to set our mind on things above and seek those things above including that we might see in the spirit. One way we can exercise our spiritual eyes is to look not at the things, which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. I encourage you to take every time God has been seen in the scripture and described by the prophets in heavenly glory and read it. We need to get a glimpse in our spirit of what the heavens look like. We need to have a vision of Jesus describe in heavenly glory.
***Todd Bentley practices mantra repetition and meditation to induce personal revelations:
One sure way to increase revelation in your life is Meditation. Meditation brings revelation and revelation the manifestation of what’s been revealed. In this verse every word that’s come from God is to be received as a light that shineth in a dark place, “until”. There is a process of becoming revelation.
When we read a scripture it is as a light that shineth in a dark place “until” the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. That is revelation, we meditate, speak out loud, re read and speak out loud over and over the same verse “until” the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.
***Todd Bentley experiences Supernatural smelling of scents – signs of Kundalini:
We were created with five natural and five spiritual senses including touch, taste, sight, smell and hearing. In the same way that I am familiar with these five senses in the natural, why not in the spirit? Can we touch, taste, sight, smell and hear heavenly things now?
[…]
I want to share with you some of the ways God reveals himself and some different experiences I have had in the prophetic. One of the first experiences I ever had with revelation was through the scent sense.
Smells: We should be aware of what we smell. Sometimes He wants to minister His presence on His people’s lives and we can smell the fragrant touch. At times I have smelled cinnamon, vanilla, roses and even oil, such as oil that one would use to polish boots.
***Todd Bentley practices out of body experiences (another manifestation of kundalini) due to altered state of consciousness:
I was taken into the spirit several times and quite I will feel my body be sucked up like a vacuum. I will immediately shake and feel myself hurled through space and time. I have even seen and felt myself leave the earth, travel through the stars and flash of bright light and I am somewhere. Did my physical body go? Never that I know but when I find myself aware of where I was before I went I know I was in another place. All my emotions are heighten and involved in a caught up experience and most times I feel my self go.
To read Todd Bentley’s entire description of his Open Heaven living and daily soaking experiences, which may as well be at a contemplative New Age retreat or spa, see here:
http://www.openheavensoakingmusic.com/id23.html
(The Open Heaven Soaking Music website where this “teaching” can be found belongs to Jay Maddox who operates in ‘a seer anointing.’ While Maddox and Bentley, like many others in the soaking movement, may say they are attempting to bring people of all ages into closer communion with God, the Bible says that we are brought near only by the blood of Christ. These teachings are overshadowed by the Spirit of Error, not by the Spirit of Truth, as this website states.)
——————–
Related reading:
Kundalini Energy (the effects of Soaking Prayer)
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=1088&more=1&c=1
SOAKING? A spiritual discipline or Eastern mysticism?
http://www.crossroad.to/Q&A/church/postmodern/soaking.htm
Wolf Tracks 
This is WHY Jesus said,
John 14:15
“If ye LOVE ME, KEEP MY commandments”.
Luke 10:27
****And he answering said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself”.****
Mark 12:30
***”And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:THIS IS THE FIRST COMMANDMENT”.
Error and out and out deception, doctrine of demons, happens when we put the first second, and the second first. DON’T do these commandments out of ORDER! Jesus is telling us!! i.e Loving man and his “opinions” more than The Lord Jesus. Those who are being “Bammed” or “bamboozelled” by this delusion are described in,
Matthew 13:3-9
3And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and CHOKED them:
8But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
and decieving themselves is the Fruit!!!
What follows is chaos and confusion….And what chaos has come forth from this “Man loving” revival.( i am not referring to any fleshly man here! i refuse to be used by the enemy to do his dirty work as an “accuser!”) This is an unclean demonic spirit operating, thru a self decieved “man”. This man is not our enemy, he is being USED by the enemy to do this harlotry!!
The ones who follow this “spirit” this “other gospel” don’t have the Word rooted in themselves.
James 1:22
***”But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, DECEIVING YOUR OWN SELVES.”***
They won’t hear anyone who tries to tell them they are out of order in their Love walk!!
Romans 1:17-25 (in context)
17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, WHO HOLD THE TRUTH IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS;
19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; SO THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE.
***21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became VAIN IN THEIR IMAGINATIONS, and their foolish heart was darkened.***
22Professing themselves to be wise, THEY BECAME FOOLS
***23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.***
( barking, clucking, and slithering manifestations)
24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, TO DISHONOUR THEIR OWN BODIES,( tatoos, peircings ect.)between themselves:
25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and SERVED THE CREATURE more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
Matthew 13:9
“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
June 1, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Thank you, born2praze,
Good comment!
Regarding the Romans 1 passage you quoted…
Professing themselves to be wise, THEY BECAME FOOLS And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.***
(barking, clucking, and slithering manifestations)
YOU HAVE HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD! How often we have heard Todd Bentley calling this “the glory of God”! The manifestations we are seeing in Florida have nothing to do with the glory of God. They have exchanged His glory for a lie.
June 1, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Dear brothers….do you not see the fruits and the love of Jesus?? Do you not know how to judge when something is from the LORD? Check the fruits! There are miraculous healings! Al in the name of Jesus! Did you ever heal anyone in your lifetime in the name of Jesus? It is what Jesus told us to do (Mark 16). Is it not? No one can say “Jesus is Lord” without the Holy Spirit…not even Todd!
I pray you will keep watching the revival and that you pray that the Lord will open up your eyes and your hearts.
Be blessed.
June 2, 2008 at 9:41 am
Dear Eric,
I pray that you take time to read this, may God Bless you with His TRUTH,and above all things keep the First commandment FIRST!!! amen
***Ephesians 5:8-10
8For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.***
The key here is GOODNESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH!
As for the miracles/healings/manifestations ect. fruit DOES NOT MAKE!!! A persons fruit is known by the way they LIVE according by the Word of God, not by what miracles they perform if it were so Jesus would not have said,
*****Matthew 7:20-22
20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21 NOT EVERYONE that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, HAVE WE NOT PROPHISIED IN THY NAME? AND IN THY NAME CAST OUT DEVILS and in thy name DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS?
23And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU, depart from me, ye that work iniquity.***
You need to go to GODS WORD and study what GOD says about all of this. It doesn’t matter what people think, the opinions of men are useless…and I will cetainly not try to sway you one way or the other, only to point you to the Truth thru the Word of God, which IS Jesus the Anointed One. And remember, a little leaven….
***Galatians 5:8-10
8This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.****
ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD!!!!
ONE lie, ONE false doctrine, ONE heritical action, WILL spoil the whole lump, Why? because God IS PERFECT, Jesus IS PERFECT, so ALL things that come from HIm are PERFECT,
***James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.***
if these men are lead of God then everything they say and do must be TRUE, and it has been proven by thier own speech, and actions, they do not walk in the TRUTH. It is very easy to go to youtube and hear them by thier own words speak lies! Jesus will never take off His crown and bow to the bride!!! This has been said and claimed to be prophetic!!
***Revelation 4:9-11
10The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever,AND CAST THIER CROWNS before the throne, saying,
11Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.***
***Revelation 19:11-13
11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on HIS HEAD WERE MANY CROWNS and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: AND HIS NAME IS CALLED THE WORD OF GOD***
I am so sorry that you look for a sign and not the Savior. I truly beleive that you love the Lord Jesus, else you wouldn’t be seeking. Just beware of what ground you step. There seems to be in these last days a prophecy that is coming to pass before our very eyes! Jesus tells us about this happening, and behold it is here! For us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, and who keep our eyes on Him and His Word ALONE this prophecy brings us much hope and joy!!! At the same time it brings anger toward the enemy, the devil.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (King James Version)
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
***What unrighteousness?***
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Matthew 24:23-24 (King James Version)
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ (the anointing), or there; believe it not.For there shall arise false Christs (calling THEMSELVES ANOINTED), and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
(Italics mine)
These things are coming to pass right now!!! Jesus told us that this was coming and is already here!!!
***Matthew 24:25-27 (King James Version)
Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.***
Jesus warned us not to follow or believe this lie! There are certain ministries out there today claiming to be of “Christ” or as translated “having the Anointing”
***Matthew 24:5
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ (His anointing); and shall deceive many.*** (Italics mine)
They also will claim to be coming in His Name and saying that they do believe in Him, but this is another Jesus and another gospel!!!
2 Corinthians 11:4
For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Galatians 1:7
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would “pervert the gospel of Christ”.
Galatians 1:6
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
***These will come with great lying signs and wonders.****
***Matthew 24:24 (King James Version)
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.***
***Matthew 16:4
A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.***
We don’t need big time revivals or seek out big time experiences or big time “people” to bring in the presence of God for healing or deliverance or anything that is good from God!!!!
We have Jesus!!!! He IS our sign!!!
We walk by faith and not by sight!!!
(2 Corinthians 5:7) For it is impossible to please God without Faith (Hebrews 11:6)
***The sign of Jonah.***
Three days in the belly of a whale and God delivered him out. This is a shadow and type of our Savior’s resurrection!!!! Three days buried in the grave and then VICTORY!!!! This is our SIGN!!!! Jesus said there will be no other sign given except this one!!! (Matthew 16:4)
Keep your eyes on Jesus and His WORD!!!!
***You shall know them by their fruit!!! (Matthew 7:20)*** That is for sure!!!!!
Not how many “supposed” healings occur in their meetings. Jesus said the devil would do these things also.
Not by how many people attend these meetings.
Not by how many people come forward at the altar call…if there even is one!!! IF Jesus is even preached at all!!! I get concerned when the Bible isn’t even opened at these things.
Not by the experience you “feel” when seeing this stuff!!!
Not how rich they are or how big their houses are. NO!!!!(Matthew 7!!!)
But by the WORD they preach and live by!!!!! The Word must rule!!! Jesus must rule!!! And anything that is contrary to the WORD is NOT GOD!!!!!
***2 Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.***
You will notice that the enemy is very cunning in his approach. He uses “words” that sound “spiritual” but are NOT!!!! How do we know? By the use of the term!!!! He twists the words and makes them sound so spiritual and profound. (Luke 4:1-13 Amplified Bible) But they are not. He leads these people to believe that they are great prophets and it comes out of their own mouths how wonderful they are and in the same sentence speaks the Name of the Lord!!! How twisted is that?!!! I ask you!!!!
Looking for healing? He sent His WORD and healed our diseases!!!!
Psalm 107:20
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
*****Looking for a “word” from God?*****
***Psalm 73:23-25 (King James Version)
Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.***
***Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.***
Father I ask in the Name of Jesus Your Beloved Son that you cause the enemy to glow like neon to us!!! He will not be able to fool us or lie to us in any way!!!! We plead the blood of Jesus over our minds and our spirits, In Jesus Name, amen
June 2, 2008 at 7:52 pm
The reason that Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the power of Satan is because he was actually doing it. I understand that there will be many who do signs and wonders in the last days by the power of the devil, but Todd is not one of those people.
You just tell me when you’re walking in the kind of spiritual authority that he is, and I’ll give your words a second thought. Many are declaring Jesus as Lord because of what is happening in Florida!
Obviously Satan tries to imitate what God has intended and that is the reason for the similarities.
Brother, pray that you aren’t offended when the Lord comes.
June 3, 2008 at 2:09 am
and you either friend.
June 3, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Interesting exposition of Todd Bentley’s Soaking teaching. A couple of things strike me.
Firstly, Paul was taken up in the spirit or the body, he wasn’t sure, but he was removed from earthly bounds into the spirit realm. John was in the spirit on the island of Patmos. So were they operating in the same way as Todd Bentley. So I reckon Todd is in good company.
David’s psalms are full of his meditation on God and God’s goodness and His ways. It is not an empty counterfeit. To meditate in Hebrew means to mull over, say repeatedly, mutter. It is not about emptying your mind. it is about filling your mind with a scripture and mulling over it until it takes root in your heart and becomes Rhema. So clearly if David was a meditator and waited on the Lord (which indicates silence and listening for God to speak or renew him) then Todd is in good company.
When the FBI teach their agents to identify counterfeit dollar bills they don’t show them the counterfeit. They give them the original and make them study every aspect of the notes. They become intimately acquainted with every detail. Then they have no trouble spotting the counterfeit.
Too many ministries spend their time trying to find the counterfeit instead of learning and teaching their members the original. The rest will follow naturally.
About the eastern mystical arts of astral travel, fires of kundalini and the other mystical religions…… the spiritual power they tap into; who created it? The devil does not have creative power. He only has the ability to manipulate the power for the bad. So if God created the ability to be in the spirit, why are we banished from getting into His presence? I think not. If you remember Elijah waiting to hear from God, did not hear it in the wind or in the earthquake or in the fire. God spoke to Elijah in a small whisper…. indicating that Elijah had to wait in silence to hear God speak to him.
So maybe it would be well to spend more time waiting on the Lord. He would surely reveal great and wonderful things to us.
Be Blessed.
Ralph from South Africa
December 8, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Hello Ralph from S Africa,
Let’s address those points, one at a time. First of all, you say:
However, what strikes me is that Paul would much rather write about Jesus than boast about his experience. He even talked about it in third person. Others may have boasted but he didn’t brag about his visions or bring glory to himself. He even had kept quiet about it for 14 years before bringing it up, reluctantly, and even then he doesn’t tell about anything he saw, only what he heard (which was inexpressible, not even lawful to utter). Paul was not given permission to speak about it. Contrast that to a false teacher’s boastful stories glorifying huge angels and how they looked, and the way they violently pulled things out of one’s belly, etc. Paul was not so foolish. He guarded his experience. The fruit of his profound vision was a life transformed, followed by a powerful ministry. Through Paul’s many trials, his experience may have served to keep him strong to the end, so he would finish well and bear much fruit. Whatever the case, it was not something he dwelt on or repeated, as a false prophet does.
Next, you say:
Truthfully, today’s so called prophets are not worthy to be compared to John, beloved disciple of Jesus and the only one who was not martyred. The very purpose for the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John on Patmos was for the last days. John was first given messages for seven churches, and then was shown (in Old Testament symbolism) what will be happening in the world at the end of history and time. The message was for John to write down, not to boast about regarding angels and how anointed he was. [Also note that both John (Rev 10:4) and the prophet Daniel were told to “seal these things up” until the time of the end. The interpretation of these books, which have been preserved by God’s people through the ages, will be revealed to the faithful, in the fullness of time.]
On the other hand, a false prophet gives descriptions of the heavens and angels that are disrespectful, contradicting the Bible and bringing glory to himself through his wild experiences. A false prophet/teacher does not teach the Bible – he quotes it and then talks about his supernatural experiences, his ministry of false miracles, and his anointing from other false prophets and teachers, giving glory to men and not Jesus.
Your next points will be addressed shortly…
December 9, 2014 at 8:18 pm
Next, you say:
But David describes the blessed man as the one whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Ps 1:2). A Christian certainly meditates, but on what God reveals about Himself in His written Word, studying and praying over it with an active mind. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that God gives us understanding and leads us “into all truth” (John 16:13).
You say:
This is so true, and you have just provided an excellent description of the counterfeit signs, wonders and false miracles (Word of Faith) movement.
You also say:
Let’s go back to the beginning. Man gave up his authority to Satan in the garden. Satan is a fallen angel and can only use the power that God allows him to use. As Adam and Eve were banished from the garden and the tree of life after they sinned, only those who are not clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ are banished from His presence. Those who tap into the spiritual realm outside of Christ today are using occultic methods. Those who accept the free gift of salvation are given the Holy Spirit who indwells them. There is no need to “get” into the presence. It is humbling to imagine He indwells, empowers, and has sealed every true believer by His Holy Spirit, by no merits of our own.
We don’t “get” into God’s presence. He indwells every believer. We don’t need to go to Florida or walk through fire tunnels to “get some” of the so called anointing. We receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved and turn from our sin. The Holy Spirit only gives glory to Jesus. (John 15:26) A false teacher gives glory to the anointing, the false miracles and himself.
There are just a few more points to address. . .
December 9, 2014 at 8:24 pm
You say:
This is such a misused passage. God spoke in a still small voice to show Elijah His work doesn’t require a dramatic manifestation or earth shattering revelation. What we do with what His words is more important than how He says them, and in our day we have the most clear way to hear God – through His written Word, which is powerful and active and living as it says in Hebrews. We who live in the church age (the age of grace) and who have repented and accepted Christ’s sacrifice in our place, have the Holy Spirit who now comforts, guides and teaches us. John wrote that when Jesus was about to be crucified, and was about to leave and send the Holy Spirit, He taught His disciples to abide in Him and obey His commandments and love one another. All else is outside of His written word.
You conclude:
He already has, and does, through His Word(Hebrews 4:12) by the power of His Holy Spirit, saving souls and bearing fruit through us, for eternity. Maybe it would be well to spend more time studying the Word of the Lord and applying it to our hearts and lives, for in it is life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3,4)
December 9, 2014 at 8:30 pm