The Pursuit of Power

by Jackie Alnor
www.apostasyalert.org

There is a new kind of seeker today – not a seeker of truth, but a seeker of power. Churches are encouraged to be "seeker-sensitive" to those who are looking for something supernatural and there is a plethora of false teachers who are quite willing to give them what their itching ears want to hear and what their scaly eyes want to see.

Just the other day, a co-worker walked into my office holding an old book in his hand. When I asked him what he was reading he proudly showed off a book on Magik by Aleister Crowley. When I tried to warn him from going in that direction, the young college-aged man responded cynically to me that he has "tried the church thing" and didn’t find what he was looking for. He said he was seeking power and might be able to find it through Crowley’s magik. I warned him about trafficking with deceiving spirits and he said he only listened to the ones that claimed to be of "Christ." My boss walking in interrupted our conversation and he left, taking his evil spirits with him.

Many of today’s so-called prophets see this seeker’s attitude as something healthy that the church needs to rise up to satisfy their longing for the supernatural. Ten years ago, on 7/7/97 (Coincidence? See last week’s Reflection, Kingdom-Now "Prophets" Unite on 07/07/07), TBN regulars Kim Clement and Tommy Tenney were guests on Praise-the-Lord. Clement articulated their attitude – one they shared with their hosts, Matt and Laurie Crouch. Clement said:

"The spirit of the Lord spoke to my heart and said to me, 'Today the millions upon millions that are running to the psychics, to the seers of this day, for triviality, for stupidity, for stuff that is insignificant and unimportant, they will go to them but end up at the prophet. They will end up in the house of the Lord . . . They're going to end up right in the house of the Lord, listening to the prophet of God, to the people of God that will predict to them, and tell them what their destiny is.' You see that's what people are after, after all. They want to know what their destiny is . . . God says they're going to press a little bit further and they're going to ask for the prophets to come and tell them: What do we have to do? Where are we going to go? What is our future?'"

Like my co-worker, today’s generation of magic-seekers are dissatisfied with a God they cannot see, feel, or touch. Some things never change – this same attitude was seen in the children of Israel while Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments. As long as God was doing miraculous things such as parting the Red Sea, they were willing to go along with Him. But while He was writing out His Word on tablets of stone, they were building a golden calf and claiming it was the god who led them out of Egypt.

False prophet Clement has a word for those dissatisfied power seekers. In his February 2007 newsletter, he wrote (again in 1 st person as if God were speaking):

But will these politicians he is referring to be hearing God’s Word, the Bible? Not according to Clement. In his April 2007 newsletter he revealed what the Word of God is today: it is his very own voice and those who listen to the "prophetic" winds. He wrote:

"The word has to become flesh. It has to become through this flesh. When God gives you a word, it becomes your portion for life, and screams out at Him. God responds only to Himself, His own image…When you become the voice of God, you see with a divine perspective. Seeing prophetically is seeing from a divine perspective…what you see, YOU BE (emphasis his). When you become the voice of God, you change the way you see…The word, when it becomes the voice, has the power to stop anything in its way. You have to have the faith and energy to become the word; this is the promise that is already rooted deep within you."

So how are these politicians going to be reached with this voice/word of "god"? It’s going to take a collective boost of energy from an atmosphere these "prophets" are trying to harness by bringing together the energies of masses of young people. Clement's god says "I will raise up a children’s network, a prophetic network." And so the other "prophets" have taken Clement’s word and are trying to bring it into being. TheCall is their political power siege collective effort; while other efforts to harness the energies of young people are being attempted at such conferences as "Collision 2007."

The biggest promoter of the false prophets and their business of making money by satisfying a hunger for power is Elijah List's publisher, Steve Shultz:. His May 18, 2007 E-letter's subject line read: "WHAT is BOB JONES SAYING will HAPPEN JUNE 6th?" To find out, of course, it would cost the power-seeker money to get "the two teaching sets."  He wrote this teaser: "This present window of time is absolutely amazing! God is saying much about this season -- specifically June 6th and also July 7th."

It's interesting that besides the July 7th date (7-7-7), Jones is pointing to a 6-6 date.  But, as it seems to always be the case, these enticing words come at a price. And when the dates comes and go and nothing happens, they take some time off to regroup until they can lay hold of their next "word" from God.  It reminds me of the John Hinkle June 9th prophecy from several years ago, when an audible voice spoke to the pastor of Christ Church in Los Angeles saying that God was going to rip evil out of the world on that date. (The new date in June is close to that date but with the number turned upside-down.) When nothing happened, it was explained away as something taking place invisible in the heavenlies. If nothing great happens on these new dates, the rhetoric is already in place to say the same thing. The promoters say they are looking for a "shift" in the heavens on that date and are anticipating a great latter rain outpouring, but when it does not occur, it will be another invisible sign which is really no sign at all, unless of course, they pull off something in the demonic power realm and get their sought-after manifestations.

Leading up to this date, Bob Jones is having a special conference. Here is a portion of their promo:

"SPECIAL IMPARTATION CONFERENCE with BOB JONES:
June 1-3, 2007; Birmingham, AL"

REGISTRATION $60 
SUNDAY MORNING MEETING $20 
(food not included)

Bob Jones is one of the most respected prophetic fathers of our nation. His unique approach to the prophetic ministry ignites faith, releasing people to a new level of anointing in their prophetic gift. He seems to walk with the Lord both day and night, and the supernatural is an everyday occurrence to Bob. As Bob begins to minister prophetically to an individual, the Lord moves through Bob, touching on their past wounds, present circumstances, and future dreams that they may be made whole. "I just tell them what the Lord reveals to me," Bob says. The greatest strengths of Bob's ministry today are in the areas of revelation, power over the enemy, and creative miracles.

Kathie Walters ministers in the seer anointing. She believes that the realm of the spirit, the supernatural realm, the angels, Heavenly visitations, the chariots of God, etc. are meant to be a normal part of our lives. Kathie travels all over the world, teaching and imparting a prophet/seer anointing.

SPECIAL IMPARTATION MEETINGS WITH BOB AND BONNIE JONES AND KATHIE WALTERS

KATHIE WALTERS - Getting Free from Religious Mindsets
- You will never be the same!
- Increase of signs and wonders in your ministry!
- Release of finances for your ministry!

"The demonstrations of God's power must increase in your ministry. There are things to do, places to go, and finances have to be released to enable God's people to go where He is telling them to go and do what He is telling them to do."

Notice the same emphasis on power, signs and money and the lure of having the same power imparted to the participants (aka: the transference of spirits).  Just this week on TBN, the "prophets" promoting TheCall showed up on the Praise set.  Bob Jones wasn't among them.  Even though they pay heed to him, it seems like he is an embarrassment to them.  Steve Hill, former pastor of Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, hosted the program. He brought out the "prophets" one by one to give their word on what's coming this summer.

• Chuck Pierce: "This is going to be a window of opportunity...June is the pivotal month."
• LaMar Boschman: "Western people are afraid--we need to get vertical -- that's the key to miracles. (He spoke on the importance of singing and chanting.)
• Che Ahn: "Another wave is hitting...we will see another Jesus Movement."
• Lou Engle: "We will no longer call him Baal, we will call him our husband."...We could be in a moment of global transformation...We need to raise up a righteous president."
• Mike Bickle: "Everything's going to happen suddenly...A seasonal shift in the spirit...the shift of the season is going to change. It is going to be a regular occurrence...This is a sovereign dimension...The Lord is restoring the 5-fold ministry...It is one river, not three separate movements (he heard these things from an audible voice.)

Steve Hill is sponsoring his own effort to harness teen power in an event called: "Collision 2007" on July 16-19th -- his promo reads:

"We are living in the greatest days of church history. There is a hunger for revival and a deep longing for God to do something unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. I’m especially seeing this among today’s youth. The Lord is raising up a generation of young people who are willing to take a stand for Jesus, regardless the cost. I sense within my spirit a deep urgency to do everything possible to fan this flame. Being parents of teenagers, Jeri and I are dedicated to making sure young people have every opportunity to “collide” with the presence and power of God. It is for this reason we will be hosting our first youth conference, appropriately named Collision. We’re inviting youth from across the nation to come join with us this summer as we seek one thing, a “collision” with the King of Kings." 

Collision Conference 2007

Steve Hill is a man familiar with the power and presence of God. It was Fathers Day 1995 when God visited a church in Pensacola Florida so powerfully, that a one day meeting with Steve turned into a five year revival that was visited by more than 4 million people from around the world. Steve has seen first hand how the power of God can transform any life. He has preached to millions, seen hundreds of thousands won into the kingdom of God, and now has a heart to see a new generation come into a life-changing encounter with God.

Greg Wilkerson, international speaker, evangelist, and award-winning film producer, has focused his ministry on teenagers. Known for his insight and ability to communicate effectively with high school students, Greg has addressed tens of thousands of teens at youth conferences and festivals throughout the world. He is currently working on new film projects and continues to speak occasionally at New York City's Times Square Church where he developed his passion for youth while working closely with his father, David Wilkerson, pastor, best-selling author, and founder of Teen Challenge

As you can see, one of the speakers of this event is the son of David Wilkerson who initially had taken a stand against the Holy Laughter/Drunkenness craze, only to back down from his stand several years later.  Could his son's involvement with the key players of the movement have something to do with David Wilkerson's reversal?  (For background, see The Joash Syndrome by J. Jacob Prasch.)

As these evil spirits are brought into the church, they cross-pollinate with the rest of the visible church leading up to the final product of what John in the Book of Revelation identified as "The Great Harlot."  We know who the one is who is behind all of these deceptions, but God will not allow him to succeed until God's timing is right -- and only then will he have the power over the Harlot and the peoples of the earth and that for a short time.  True lovers of the Bridegroom must heed this warning to flee this devilish trap.  

"When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations.  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,  or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.  You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.  For these nations which you will dispossess listened to soothsayers and diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not appointed such for you." 
(Dt. 18:9-14)