Posted on 02/20/2014 5:24:30 PM PST by Gamecock
A baptism manual produced by Pastor Steven Furtick's popular Elevation Church in North Carolina, which teaches people how to produce "spontaneous" baptisms among the repentant, is being criticized as "emotional manipulation."
The manual, Spontaneous Baptism How-To Guide, was produced by Elevation Church in 2011 and received its first critique in November from James Duncan, a Christian blogger and associate professor of communication at Anderson University who lives in South Carolina.
"As a church we pray Sun Stand Still prayers all the time. We are constantly asking God to do something that seems impossible and then believing that He is going to pull through," explains the introduction to the guide.
"Most recently we prayed and asked God to lead thousands of people to take a public stand in their faith in Christ through baptism. God blew our minds and in two weekends we saw 2,158 respond and be baptized," it continued.
It then explains in very detailed and strategic terms how the church was able to get "this amazing, Sun Stand Still, only-God-can-get-the-glory miracle."
Among the strategies, according to the manual, is to strategically place people in the worship service who will pretend to respond when pastor Furtick gives the call for baptism approximately one hour into the service.
"Fifteen people will sit in the worship experience and be the first ones to move when pastor gives the call. Sit in the auditorium and begin moving forward when pastor Steven says go. Move intentionally through the highest visibility areas and the longest walk," the manual advises.
In a WCNC report on Tuesday Duncan claims that the tactic as dishonest.
"They had people in the crowd stand up who never intended to be baptized," said Duncan. "They were shilling for Steven and the intent was these shills stand up and everybody else follows."
Duncan highlights one of Furtick's baptism calls in his November critique in which Furtick dismisses the notion that his tactics are "emotional manipulation."
"You know God is calling you, and if you feel that in your heart, let me assure you that is the Holy Spirit of God calling you. It is not emotional manipulation. It's the presence of God drawing you and calling you. So in just a moment, I'm going to count to three. When I say 'three,' at every campus I want you to move into the aisles and go to the exit where the ushers are stationed at your campus," said Furtick.
Duncan, however, argued that it is emotional manipulation.
"Perhaps you could classify this as encouragement for a decision already made, not manipulation. You could, though if this were a decision made with confidence and determination, there would be no need to constantly reinforce that decision. Why I classify these as manipulative comes from the very first action, performed just seconds after Furtick's assurance that he wasn't manipulating them," said Duncan, who claims that people are being used as "shills" to start moving toward the front of the church.
Blogger Christopher Smith noted in his recent critique that the tactics being employed in the manual are a reflection of the McDonaldized Christianity many churches are now driving toward.
"Elevation has almost gone so far as to make themselves a caricature of McDonaldized faith, but I hope that – like all good caricatures – we don't just dismiss them as extreme, but rather, see through their story the desires in our own hearts and congregations that are driving us in a similar direction, even if we are not so ridiculous and extreme," said Smith.
The Christian Post reached out to Elevation Church for further comment on this story Thursday but a response was not provided at the time of publication.
Sure... I don’t mind the forum. Good people here.
God knows your thoughts. Jesus knows your thoughts.
If you connect to God through Jesus, you too know people’s thoughts. It’s a natural attribute of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
But don’t worry about people knowing your thoughts as the only way you get the ability is if your motives are pure. When I first got the ability, I cried and prayed to God to take it away as I was very afraid that I would hurt someone.
“because these “revelations” can be to persuasively counterfeited by malicious spiritual entities.”
Very true, and they often are. satan will use any wounds in your soul against you. That is why it is so important to stay focused on Jesus and work to cleanse your soul.
I have included a few scriptures which refer to either Jesus or the discernment that comes through the Holy Spirit allowing one to know the thoughts of others.
Matthew 9:4
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
Matthew 12:25
And knowing their thoughts he said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:
Luke 2:35
yea and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul; that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.
Luke 6:8
But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man that had his hand withered, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Jesus, being God, knows the thoughts of man. None of the passages you cited support what you’re claiming though. Can you provide any specific scriptural support for you being able to “read the souls” of other people?
Certainly you believe that the Apostles were born again believers, and yet they nowhere speak of such ability.
I don’t like spiritual manipulation at all, but God can work in spite of it. One way is by teaching us to stand firm in the face of all kinds of religious nonsense. Like many things in this present age, this is not the way it “should” be.
Nevertheless, I do know of some instances where confessors have experienced, in some instances, and to a limited extent, some extraordinary powers. St. (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina and St. Jean Vianney sometimes had knowledge of penitents' hidden thoughts. It didn't seem to be the detailed, comprehensive mind-reading you described, though. I never heard of such a thing in my life.
You might have a future with the NSA! (Just kidding)
“But don’t worry about people knowing your thoughts as the only way you get the ability is if your motives are pure. When I first got the ability, I cried and prayed to God to take it away as I was very afraid that I would hurt someone.”
Yes, many are gullible enough to have “faith” that YOUR motives are pure! That’s how lost and hungry people are, they’ll believe anyone offering the “secret” to freedom. Interesting that you study mind control and cult behavior while claiming the ability to read minds!
“ability to read minds!”
Never said that... there is a big difference between reading souls and reading minds.
All science is merely a quest to understand how God works. For me, there is no such thing as a miracle, it is merely science above our level of understanding. My eternal quest is to understand God whom I Love the most, and the quest shall never end as it is through that understanding that I might be a better servant for Him.
“Certainly you believe that the Apostles were born again believers, and yet they nowhere speak of such ability.”
Did not Jesus who could do these things say to His disciples when He sent them out “ The things that I do and more you too shall do in my name?”
Jesus said that the works He had done they would do, and even greater works. He did not say the abilities He has as God they (we) would have too. There’s a big difference.
What you’re claiming, I must say, is very dangerous. While Satan and his demons do not know the future, they certainly know history and they are capable of telling you what’s in a person’s past, allowing you to believe that you’re “reading their soul”. While the person you’re “reading” may think it is from the Lord, I find no Scriptural warrant for believing so.
It is not me that reads the souls of others but my Father that works through me. I have faced demons and even satan. It is only through my weakness that I have survived.
I understand your skepticism and respect it. I too am a skeptic which is why I have spent 25+ years studying and learning about consciousness. The sole reason was to gain an understanding of what was being done through me. For many years I said nothing as I thought I was nuts. Then it really started getting bizarre. And always, the right words would come out of my mouth to save my sorry arse. If I ever say one word that is against the Bible, then I am wrong as the Bible has been my guidepost on this journey.
You too are a Son of God. We are all equal.
Please read and ponder this scripture from John 10. I have found great peace these words.
30 I and the Father are one.
31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken),
36 say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
I’ll latch onto your quest of God and His love in Christ! I have issues with some of the things you’ve written, but there are bigger fish to fry (and that fish is probably me!).
“bigger fish to fry....and that fish is probably me!”
Don’t worry about the frying pan.... one of the attributes of the Holy Spirit in you is that the flames will not harm you.... It will only burn the weeds.
Many people don’t realize that according to the Roman court records, Polycarp was being tried as a pagan for not following the Roman religion. They tried burning him at the stake and the flames did not harm him. They had to pull him from the fire and stabbed him to kill him.
“When the pile was ready Polycarp proceeded to undress himself; and here the story has an autoptic touch, telling how the Christians marked the old man’s embarrassment as he tried to take off his shoes, it having been many years since the reverence of his disciples had permitted him to perform that office for himself. When he had been bound (at his own request, not nailed) to the stake, and had offered up a final prayer, the pile was lit, but the flame bellied out under the wind like the sail of a ship, behind which the body could be seen, scorched but not consumed......Seeing that the flame was dying out, an executioner was sent in to use the sword, when so much blood gushed forth that the flame was nearly extinguished.”
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/wace/biodict.html?term=Polycarpus,%20bishop%20of%20Smyrna
Blessings
“While the person you’re “reading” may think it is from the Lord, I find no Scriptural warrant for believing so.”
While these things are real, they are not about me. If anyone is to give me credibility for what they see me doing, you will notice that I direct that credibility toward the Bible and the scriptures they are already following.
If these things were done to take people from the Bible, I would fully agree with you.
Thanks for the link, now I’m even more concerned. Seems to fit into the “a preference for the sensational” category to me.
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