My dear brother Todd Friel is saying that we cannot test peoples claims, that God tells them to do certain things – that we cannot test such claims bcos it’s already established that God no longer speaks to people, apart from revealing the Scriptures to them.
Well, of course you CAN and SHOULD test Bentley’s claims, by comparing the nature of them to the nature of Jesus (the fruit).
The very fact that the Bible commands us to test every prophecy, or claim, shows that there must be a real hearing of God’s voice, otherwise, why would we need to test such claims? They would automatically be invalid, if cessasionism were true.
But, TF, it’s silly for anyone to base their thinking on such circumstantial, subjective stuff. Whatever Todd Bentley claims, it has no bearing on how we understand the Bible, it’s irrelevant.
Whether God healed that man of cancer, or whether Bentley is lying again, has no bearing on establishing any doctrine of the Bible.
And that is what TF is suggesting, that, bcos certain people claim to hear God’s voice, and they don’t, that means that no one can hear His voice, which is silly logic.
False prophets do NOT render continuationism invalid, that would be evangelical dopiness.
It is absurd to say that the indwelling Holy Spirit does not speak to us, in our spirit, to give us directions concerning the things He wants us to do.
Guidance and direction IS NOT EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATION. That is an entirely different matter, and on that we should all agree, that the Canon is closed.
If a person is not led by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in every day living, then it could be that they don’t have the Holy Spirit. They would certainly be a self-willed person.
Ian Vincent 
February 21, 2012 at 2:24 am
What Joyner should have asked Bentley here, is for the man’s name, telephone number – then get on the phone immediately to him to verify that indeed he was healed.
IF, IF, IF that man actually was instantly healed of cancer, then why isn’t he there on the video giving his testimony?
Why?
His absence is glaring.
Bcos, from past experience, it’s most likely not true, and Bentley is lying, again.
I can bet you (if i was a betting man) that if that man WAS ACTUALLY healed, and had the records to prove it, that Bentley WOULD have paraded him before the cameras as a trophy.
On that you could be sure.
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TO HAVE ANY SORT OF CREDIBILITY, those who pray for the sick to be healed NEED to show and present publicly those who ARE healed, and preferably show the medical reports (verifiable) that prove it.
THAT is NOT grandstanding or showboating (though they may easily turn it into a means for self-glory), cos if it’s really true, then what a wonderful testimony to the grace and love of God! We would not want to hide it.
If i was that man who was healed i would have demanded that it be publicly known that Jesus healed me.
Evidence should be mandatory before anyone believes such claims.
With such claims, SEEING IS BELIEVING, that it actually happened.
And furthermore, when a man like Bentley has a record of lying, even more so to doubt what he says.
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If i were to say (and there’s no constructive reason to say it, in the first place) that i felt the Lord wanted me to go to a certain man and lay my hand on him and pray for his healing, then, according to the cessasionist doctrine, that must have been the devil that gave me that thought, cos God no longer communicates to men such specific directions, right?
Can anyone see how spiritually bankrupt such a thinking like that is?
February 21, 2012 at 7:07 am
You are absolutely right and TF got it wrong. The Bible says we should test everything and not believe every spirit. Deception and lies are the results of not doing this. Isaiah warned that to the word and the testimony! if they do not speak according to this word,it’s because there is no light in them. As for the argument that God only uses the Scriptures to speak, that’s loaded. I’ve had some dreams from the Lord that got fulfilled physically.That’s my ten kobo worth!
P.S- 100 kobo= 1 Naira( That’s our Nigerian currency!)
February 21, 2012 at 7:21 am
But, TF is right about most things, praise God for that.
Glad you’re not giving any of those Kobos to Mr Fireman!
Indeed God still can speak thru means other than Scripture, and the nature of it is tested by Scripture.
… Your old men shall dream dreams… when they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Dreams of what? Things they need to know.
Years back i has a very vivid dream in which God warned me to get away from the place i was staying. When i woke, i just happened to flip open my Bible, which was on the bedside, and the first verse my eyes fell upon was this:
Matthew 2:12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
So i immediately left that place.
In hindsight it proved to be truly from God, for things would have been pretty bad if i had stayed (don’t want to give the details).
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For God speaks once, yea twice, yet man perceives it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction, That he may turn man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. He keeps back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
(Job 33:14-18)
March 2, 2012 at 5:02 am
“Guidance and direction IS NOT EXTRA-BIBLICAL REVELATION”
I think that is where the conversation breaks down. I’ve seen people take offense at the phrase ‘God spoke to my heart’ as if chapters were being added to scripture. I asked the person, “So if you had an opportunity for a new job, or to move to another town, would you not pray about it? Would you not expect (and want) God to lead you? To somehow answer your prayer with some direction? Wouldn’t He have to answer, or in other words tell you?”
I don’t know exactly how He does it, but he does ‘speak’ to us- somewhere inside- whatever we call it; spirit, heart, inward parts, inner man. If He decides a dream is the best way, then that is what He’ll do. If he decides a friend is the best way, then that is what He’ll do….
March 2, 2012 at 9:19 am
Very relevant points, Ruth.
Isn’t it that some/many have rebounded 180 degrees the other way when they’ve been confronted with, or accosted by, the spooky-type of pentecostal, who is always announcing the things that God has told them, as if he/she were some OT prophet?
And why do people balk at the word “revelation”, when the Christian life is totally based on the revelation of Christ, by the Spirit, thru the Scriptures?
Everything we know in our heart/spirit has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. The Word of God can only be revealed to us by the Spirit. Everything is revelation.
Rather, what they should reject is revelation which is of a private interpretation – that is, not shared by the body of Christ historically.
This subject does take some bizarre twists and turns. You share how the Spirit is revealing that we need to follow the NT pattern and read and obey the NT within the same context and paradigm as it was written in : Oh, that’s some new revelation!