SEE: https://www.wayoflife.org/friday_church_news/21-31.php Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational & research purposes: CHARISMATIC WORD-FAITH PROPHETS CURSED CORONAVIRUS AND NOTHING HAPPENED (Friday Church News Notes, July 31, 2020,
www.wayoflife.org,
fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – On Feb. 24, 2020 Rodney Howard- Brown cursed the virus and said he had saved Florida. On Feb. 28, Shawn Bolz said, “The tide is turning now! It’s not going to be the pandemic that people are afraid of.” On March 4, Cindy Jacobs took “throne room authority” over the coronavirus and declared it illegal. On March 20, Kris Vallotton decreed that he had broken the power of the coronavirus. On March 20, Bill Johnson decreed that no Christian would get the virus. On March 21, Katt Kerr took authority over the coronavirus and commanded it to go away. On March 29, Kenneth Copeland declared “the coronavirus is over.” As of July 22, the coronavirus was credited with 622,464 deaths worldwide. (This is excerpted from the Museum of Idolatry,
piratechristian.com.) PENTECOSTAL FAITH HEALER MARKETS HEALING PRAYERS FROM HIS HOSPITAL BED (Friday Church News Notes, July 31, 2020,
www.wayoflife.org,
fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – Todd Bentley, in the hospital for various ailments, is marketing “a rare resource” featuring prayers for healing. For just $25 you can “enjoy David Hunter, Lou Engle, Bob Jones, Todd Bentley prayers for healing, and more.” While you are at it, you could get his $99 seminar on miracles and healing. Bentley teaches that God guarantees healing and claims that thousands have been healed at his meetings (included several bodily resurrections, which is no small thing). In 2008, Bentley led the four-month long “Lakeland Outpouring” in central Florida, a supposed miracle revival, with Bentley slamming people on the forehead, shoving them, flinging the Holy Spirit, yelling “Blah, blah, blah, blah,” crying out, “Come and get some,” and staggering around like a drunk. He kicked an elderly lady in the face, banged a crippled woman’s legs on the platform, kneed a man in the stomach, and hit another man so hard that a tooth popped out. The show ended with the revelation that the evangelist had destroyed his marriage by an adulterous relationship with a female staffer. My friends, God has given us clear instructions in Scripture about healing, and James 5 does not describe a raucous “healing crusade.” We believe in divine healing for today, but we don’t believe in Pentecostal showmen who pretend to have apostolic healing gifts that they clearly do not possess. See “
I Believe in Miracles ”
http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/ibelievein-miracles.html. GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN CALIFORNIA REFUSES TO COMPLY WITH RENEWED LOCKDOWN ORDERS (Friday Church News Notes, July 31, 2020,
www.wayoflife.org,
fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, pastored by John MacArthur (age 81), is defying the governor’s new orders banning church services. The church met on Sunday, July 26, with a full house. Following is MacArthur’s statement on the matter: “Christ is Lord of all. He is the one true head of the church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23; Colossians 1:18) . He is also King of kings–sovereign over every earthly authority (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16). Grace Community Church has always stood immovably on those biblical principles. As His people, we are subject to His will and commands as revealed in Scripture. … God has established three institutions within human society: the family, the state, and the church. Each institution has a sphere of authority with jurisdictional limits that must be respected. A father’s authority is limited to his own family. Church leaders’ authority (which is delegated to them by Christ) is limited to church matters. And government is specifically tasked with the oversight and protection of civic peace and well-being within the boundaries of a nation or community.
God has not granted civic rulers authority over the doctrine, practice, or polity of the church. … When any one of the three institutions exceeds the bounds of its jurisdiction it is the duty of the other institutions to curtail that overreach. … It is apparent that those original projections of death were wrong and the virus is nowhere near as dangerous as originally feared. Still, roughly forty percent of the year has passed with our church essentially unable to gather in a normal way. Pastors’ ability to shepherd their flocks has been severely curtailed. … Therefore, in response to the recent state order requiring churches in California to limit or suspend all meetings indefinitely, we, the pastors and elders of Grace Community Church, respectfully inform our civic leaders that they have exceeded their legitimate jurisdiction, and faithfulness to Christ prohibits us from observing the restrictions they want to impose on our corporate worship services” (John MacArthur, “Christ, not Caesar, Is Head of the Church,” July 24, 2020,
gty.org).