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There is something gaining more attention in some circles of the charismatic world called "grave sucking," "grave soaking" or "mantle grabbing." Evidently, this refers to the practice of a believer going to the grave of a departed saint they revere (for example, Charles Finney or Kathryn Kuhlman) and lay on top of it and/or kneel in front of it so they can receive an impartation of the anointing (or mantle) of the departed saint. Also, regarding the possible connection between a manifestation of God at the grave of a departed saint, there is a story in 2 Kings 13:20-22 in...

Here it is, the first television ad of the 2016 presidential campaign, courtesy of the first official presidential candidate, Ted Cruz. No beating around the bush here—we get a mention of Jesus in the very first sentence:(VIDEO-AT-LINK) "Were it not for the transformative love of Jesus Christ, I would have been raised by a single mom without my father in the house. God's blessing has been on America from the very beginning of this nation. Over and over again when we faced impossible odds, the American people rose to the challenge. This is our fight, and that is why I'm...

Someone had to be the first to jump into the 2016 presidential race, and it seems only fitting that that someone was US Senator Ted Cruz, leapfrogging over his likely opponents to launch his campaign early with a Jesus-soaked speech at the world's largest fundamentalist college. Cruz is a long shot for the GOP nomination, partly because he lacks experience, and mostly because no one likes him. But tucked into his speech Monday, in between stories about sin and redemption and abolishing the IRS, Cruz offered one reason he actually thinks he can win. "Today, roughly half of born again...

It happened again. This time it was Phil Robertson, the patriarch of “Duck Dynasty,” who pulled back the shades on an immense body of TV viewers who had apparently escaped the notice of top execs at A+E Networks. But they should have known. It was this “mystery audience” that made History’s miniseries “The Bible” a smash hit not long ago. Yet A+E leaders Nancy Dubuc and Abbe Raven can be forgiven for failing to anticipate the nuclear backlash that benching the fuzzy-faced man from West Monroe, La., would stir after his condemnation of homosexual behavior in an interview with GQ...

A Charismatic Response to “The Growing Crisis Behind Brazil’s Evangelical Success Story” Julio Severo addresses misconceptions and missed targets on article by Brazilian Presbyterian theologian By Julio Severo In his The Gospel Coalition blog, Brazilian Calvinist theologian Augustus Nicodemus Gomes Lopes said, “When Paulo Romeiro wrote ‘Evangelicals in Crisis’ in the mid-1990s, a book that has remained a bestseller among Brazilian evangelicals, he addressed just one of the many ways in which evangelicalism had collapsed in Brazil, namely, its inability to halt the spread of prosperity theology.” (Link: http://archive.is/hjNXb) He mentions “Prosperity Theology” three times. Strangely, Liberation Theology and its Protestant...

I was at the grocery store the other day when I was unexpectedly confronted with an adult-oriented magazine located right next to the vitamin section. I immediately had to look away from the front cover, which featured a scantily clad, seductively posed, sex symbol. Yet it was only a few weeks ago that I read an article about how this same sex symbol loves to speak in tongues and has to restrain herself from outbursts in tongues while attending church services. What? This is actually a perfect illustration of American charismatic Christianity, where you can say you love Jesus (like...

And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.(I Samuel 28:5-7)I have no problem believing that God sovereignly granted revival in the 1960′s -70′s, renewing faith in the...

You Tube's Local Pstor is back at it. His newest clip had me laughing out loud at the song choice... Thanks to Morningstar madness we will soon see Todd and his new, young wife on a platform near you. ...

Charisma Magazine Forum Refugee Click Here…. As some may know, Charisma Magazine shut down its forums a few days ago. I actually wondered just before they did it how they felt about having so much stuff there not in favour of Todd Bentley or the NAR stuff there - particularly bearing in mind their very pro NAR agenda - and then they shut the forum down! Anyway, for those that do not yet know, Sheeple has a forum going that has some of the forum refugees meeting down there - http://www.sheepleblog.net/forum/index.php FIVE COMMENTS: 1. Well, the forum seems to be...

<p>A century after its birth Pentecostalism is redrawing the religious map of the world and undermining the notion that modernity is secular IN 1906 Ambrose Bierce, one of America's finest satirists, published a guide to bullshit, “The Cynic's Word Book” or, as it was later rechristened, “The Devil's Dictionary”. Bierce reserved his sharpest barbs for religion. To pray, he said, is “to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy”. Religion is “a daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable”. For Bierce, Christianity was an antiquated superstition with no place in the modern world.</p>

Baptists are caught up in controversy again. This time conservative Southern Baptists are in contention over a new rule approved by the International Mission Board that disqualifies future missionary candidates who admit to speaking in a charismatic "private prayer language." Proponents say the new regulation is needed to emphasize Baptists' long-held position against charismatic practices such as praying and speaking in unknown tongues, or "glossalalia," a practice popular among Pentecostals and other groups. The irony is that Jerry Rankin, the leader of the Richmond, Va.-based foreign mission board, has long used a charismatic prayer language in his private prayers. So,...

Bishop Bruskewitz's Diocese Oozing with Pentecostalism, Ecumenism and Polka Masses By John Vennari It was reported in the series on the "New Evangelization" (that appeared in Catholic Family News in early 1999) that Bishop Bruskewitz has introduced the Systematic Integration of the New Evangelization (SINE) into his diocese. SINE, according to Father Kenneth Boyack’s testimonial which is part of the SINE packet, encourages ecumenism, pentecostalism, and Small Christian Communities. The same Father Boyack, in his book Creating the Evangelizing Parish, also recommends books by Father Art Baranowski on Small Christian Communities1. Regarding these small communities, Father Baranowski has blatantly explained:...

Over One Hundred Children Detained By Eritrean Authorities Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) is reporting that 131 children between the ages of two and eighteen were rounded up this week by Eritrean police as they were in their Christian classes. According to CSW, the children were attending their classes at the Medhanie-Alem Orthodox Church in the capital Asmara when a truck with the policemen arrived at approximately 9:30am on February 19. The police reportedly put the children in the truck and took them to the nearby Police Station Number 1 where they registered their names and addresses. According an eye witness,...

How the Charismatic movement has changed for the worse. In the l950s and thereafter, the charismatic movement seemed to come out of nowhere. That is because, regardless of what position one takes on speaking in tongues or not speaking in tongues, the Lord God Himself moved upon His worldwide church in very unique ways. There were Anglican / Episcopal rectors, Protestant ministers and missionaries, Catholic nuns and priests who were brought alive in the Holy Spirit. They did not all agree on everything; but those come upon by heaven did agree that their souls were being changed anew toward Christ....